Chapter 4: Reckonings
Location: Clover Capital – Magic Knight Headquarters
POV: Loyce
We returned to the Clover Kingdom's capital as snowflakes danced silently from the sky. The portal closed behind us with a soft hum, sealing off the echoes of the dungeon, but the tension we carried lingered in every step. Asta, Noelle, Mimosa, and Yuno all looked exhausted—battered from the trials within—but their eyes burned with something new. Not just determination, but growth. Hard-earned, undeniable growth.
I wish I could say the same for myself. My body felt like a glass vessel barely holding its shape—cracked, shaking, and dangerously close to shattering. The effort to keep walking without keeling over was... immense.
But it wasn't just the fatigue weighing me down. No. It was the anticipation. The dread. The knowledge that what I had done in that dungeon could not go unnoticed. Not with the scale of magic I had released. Not with the reputation that preceded me.
By the time we stepped foot into the Magic Knight Headquarters, the grand marble corridors buzzed like a hornet's nest. Word had already spread. The dungeon had been a battlefield not only between Clover and Diamond but of philosophies, ideologies, and power.
Now it was time to face judgment.
Inside the circular briefing chamber, an oppressive silence hung in the air. The captains were already gathered. Julius sat calmly atop his floating throne, fingers folded, his golden eyes piercing straight through me. Yami stood beside him, looking more amused than worried. Typical.
The rest of the captains formed a semicircle around the center dais—Charlotte with her usual cool silence, Fuegoleon burning with intensity, Jack itching for a reason to fight, Nozel looking like he'd swallowed a lemon, Dorothy eerily quiet behind her hat, Geldre not really caring, and Rill barely suppressing a yawn. Despite the variety in expressions, the tension was unanimous.
"You went too far," Marx said, voice firm, no trace of emotion. He stood near Julius with several mana-enhanced scrolls in hand, each glowing with gathered data. "The mana readings from your final spell exceeded the safety threshold by over 600%. If it had been any stronger, the dungeon's interior could have collapsed."
Azazel murmured from the depths of my mind, See? Told you. You're lucky your bones are still inside your skin.
I didn't respond. I kept my expression neutral.
"He's reckless," Nozel said, stepping forward. "More concerning, he does not even possess a grimoire. He should not be allowed to wield that kind of power unchecked."
"And yet," Yami interrupted, smoke curling from his cigarette, "he's the reason the dungeon wasn't overrun by Diamond scum. Not to mention he saved two squads, took down a high-level operative, and didn't die. Pretty good day, if you ask me."
"He's too unpredictable," Fuegoleon added, eyes flaring with concern, not contempt. "His control over that magic is tenuous at best. Without a grimoire, he's effectively gambling with his life and ours."
"I agree," Charlotte said. "The armor spell he used—'Final Echo.' That didn't come from him, did it?"
"No," Julius replied before I could speak. "That was triggered by the ancient entity bound to him. A last-resort defense mechanism."
Jack spat on the floor. "A parasite with a trigger-happy defense system. Great. Just what we need."
"I'm standing right here," I muttered. 'I suppose it makes sense Julius knows, that's not surprising.'
Jack gave me a sharp look. "Then stop acting like a magical bomb."
I didn't flinch. "Maybe stop looking like the thing a bomb's meant to blow up."
Somewhere in the corner, Rill giggled.
"Enough," Julius said, and the room immediately fell silent.
He stood, floating just slightly off the ground, cloak billowing faintly from mana pressure. "Loyce is a rare anomaly. We knew that from the moment he was admitted into the Black Bulls. His magic is ancient, unstable, but not malevolent. And in the hands of anyone else, it might've consumed them. But not him."
I swallowed hard.
"Still," Julius continued, "his use of high-level magic without a grimoire is unprecedented. Dangerous. And so, a compromise must be made."
The captains leaned in.
"He remains Vice Captain of the Black Bulls. However, all future missions involving Loyce will be documented, monitored, and supervised with assistance from Marx and the intelligence division. He will submit regular mana condition reports and be subject to magical health evaluations."
I gave a respectful bow. "Understood, sir."
Azazel whispered slyly, 'Asset under surveillance.' Could've been worse. Could've been asset on fire.
Later – Black Bulls Base
News doesn't walk in the Black Bulls. It flies, sings, and kicks the door off the hinges.
By the time I returned, I was nearly tackled by Magna.
"DUDE, you roasted a Diamond mage with a sun the size of a house!?"
"Technically it was smaller. More like carriage-sized."
"You really are the Fallen Angel now," Luck added, eyes gleaming like lightning. "Those wings? SO COOL. Do they hurt when they grow out?"
"Only when I use them to punch someone."
"Then you're using them right!"
"I can't believe you didn't die," Vanessa said, handing me a mug of something dangerously sweet and alcoholic. "Not even a little bit dead. That's a first."
"You're glowing again," Gordon murmured, scribbling something down. "Possibly from mana imbalance. Or inner radiation. Fascinating."
I slumped onto the couch. "I feel like I got hit by a volcano. Repeatedly."
"Good. That means it worked," Yami said, appearing beside me with a massive box.
He dropped it at my feet.
"Your new gear," he said with a grunt. "Captain's orders. Custom-forged armor. Mantle's got Julius's embroidery on it. Probably worth more than this base."
I opened the lid. The armor gleamed in shades of gold and black, trimmed with a crimson lining that matched the Black Bull insignia.
"…It's flashy," Noelle said.
"Because Julius picked it out," Yami deadpanned.
"…Figures."
Noelle crossed her arms. "Just don't push yourself like that again."
I didn't respond.
"Hey." Asta stepped forward. "You don't need to carry all of it. We've got your back. We're a squad, remember?"
For once, I let those words sink in.
"I know," I said quietly. "Thanks."
Azazel hummed. Liar.