Take Charge

Yami Sukehiro POV

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"Dammit!" I slammed my fist into a nearby stone wall, reducing it to rubble.

"Stay calm, Yami. We need to think clearly if we're going to find out what happened to them." 

I whipped my head toward the voice. 

"Don't you dare tell me to stay calm, William!" I pointed the katana he had given me straight at him. "Two of my brats are gone—and one of yours! Why the hell should I be calm?" My tone cut through the air like a blade. If anyone needed calming down, it sure as hell wasn't going to be me. The others seemed to get the message, all eyes shifting to the brooding figure who remained silent.

I didn't need to be a master of Ki to feel his emotions. Nozel. After how he treated his sister in front of us all, I never thought he had it in him to care. But the way his mana surged after hearing the news about Noelle… the way he clenched his fists and bit his lip until it bled—it spooked me. It took Sleepyhead's intervention just to restore his so-called royal composure.

Heh. I never realized there was something between them. As I puffed on a cigarette, I noticed Dorothy standing beside him, ready to step in if he lost control again.

The silence was suffocating. I had to break it. "Nacht," I called out, summoning my Vice-Captain. He emerged from the shadows of a nearby building, his usual stoic expression masking the frustration and self-blame I could sense in his movements.

The Queen of the Spade Kingdom and the resistance stepped forward from the shadows as well, her face a mask of anguish. I could see why. After nearly 17 years apart, she had finally reunited with her son—only to lose him again. It had to hurt.

All eyes turned to Nacht as he spoke. "I can travel through shadows to anyone I choose, but I can't reach Asta, Yuno, or Noelle. Which means they're either in another dimension, on another continent… or dead."

I clenched my fists and looked down, the weight of his words settling over us like a storm. Nozel's mana flared once more, though it dissipated as quickly as it came. Nice work, Unsworth.

"But…" Nacht continued, and I snapped my head up, hope flickering. "Based on what I saw and the reports from the Black Bulls, it's likely the former. No one saw Asta disappear, but I lost contact with his shadow right before Yuno's, so it's possible they share the same fate."

I exhaled, relieved, as Nacht added more. "Finral and Langris examined the spots where they vanished and confirmed it was devilish spatial magic. Whether Beelzebub, Zenon, or someone else cast it is unclear, but it felt like Zenon's magic after he gained a devil's heart—just purer. Beelzebub must have found a new contractor. How someone could bear that much mana so soon, though… that's a mystery."

Fine. We'd track this guy down and beat the answers out of him. Motives, reasoning—it wouldn't matter once I had my sword to his throat. The captains and I exchanged glances, all in silent agreement to hunt them down. Before we could act, though, Nacht spoke again.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"And why not, Faust?" Nozel stepped forward, his mana simmering like an impending eruption, venom in his voice. I prepared to intervene, but Nacht's Ki shifted. Melancholic… understanding. He of all people would know how it feels to lose a sibling, with me a close second. My thoughts briefly drifted to Morgen, and then to Ichika.

"I've spent much of my life as a spy, a master of subterfuge," Nacht said. "And now, with everyone here focused on the three of them, I have to ask—what are we forgetting? The elephant in the room?"

Confused, we exchanged looks. My Ki drew me toward the Prickly Queen, who had been avoiding me. Her face shifted from realization to dread. Nacht nodded at her before answering the unspoken question.

"The gate to the underworld is still open. Low and mid-ranking devils have escaped, and let's not forget the supreme one that got away with Lucifero's heart."

Charlotte's voice was grim. "We can't afford to split our strongest mages to search for the kids. If we do, we might come back to find our world in ruins."

Nacht nodded again. "My instincts tell me this is connected. Whoever took them could've killed them. Why didn't they? I don't care. All I know is we find this guy, and we get our answers. And when it comes to tracking devils, no one's better than the Black Bulls."

He turned to Nozel, waiting for his response. I could sense the storm within Ponytail before he finally spoke. "Fine. But you will keep me updated at every turn and alert me the moment you find a lead."

Nacht gave a curt nod.

That's when the lioness stepped forward, mana roaring around her, a feral grin on her face. "Although it irritates me to miss out on the hunt for the strongest prey, I'll settle for the leftovers. Let's split up and clean up the stragglers!"

I don't know why, but we all saluted the she-beast as we scattered. I gathered my squad, determined to find my brats and the pretty boy, while the others prepared to seal the underworld and take down any devils still lurking in our world.

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Ryuya Ryudo POV

"Well… this isn't good," I muttered, recovering my Tengentsu and adjusting my eyepatch.

"What isn't, Lord Ryuya?" Ichika, my closest retainer, approached, concern evident in her eyes. I must have caught her off guard unsealing my eye like that. She knows how I feel about it.

As one of the few privy to the truth, she understands. I'm grateful for the Tengentsu's power—it's allowed me to reunite this nation, avert disasters, and solve crises—but that doesn't mean I like it. I never hesitated to sacrifice my Yoryoku to inherit this ability, and I'd do it again. But being omniscient comes with a bitter price. Even with all the knowledge it grants, I'm still just as vulnerable as anyone, a fragile target waiting to be shattered.

The people of Hino may love and revere me, but their looks—like I'm made of glass, something precious but breakable—aren't easy to bear. Still, I accepted that the moment I cast aside my Yoryoku. Spending half my life like this has let me come to terms with the burden, though it remains a bitter pill to swallow.

What I'll never come to terms with, however, are the horrors that come with clairvoyance. Seeing everything means seeing everything—the darkest, vilest acts of humanity. When it happens within Hino, I can act. But when it unfolds on another continent, and all I can do is watch… If it weren't for the incredible people around me, I'd have lost my sanity long ago.

So, I keep my eye sealed. I try not to look. But some things, no matter how hard I try, I can't ignore. Watching Lucius take out the two people capable of stopping him is one of those things. My clairvoyance lets me glimpse into the minds and memories of others, and knowing what Lucius plans for my nation, for everyone, I can't stay passive any longer.

"Prepare a boat, Ichika," I instructed, rising to change my clothes. "And have Fumito prepare rations and gear."

"What? Why? Where are we going?" Ichika asked, trailing after me, shock in her voice. I took a deep breath before turning to her.

"We're leaving Hino. We're heading to the Clover Kingdom… to meet your brother."

The look on her face—a mixture of shock and anger—struck me. She doesn't know the truth yet, but I can't hide it from her any longer. I'll explain everything once we set sail. For now, I shook my head and walked away. "Get to it, Ichika. That's an order."

"Yes, Lord Ryuya." She regained her composure and hurried off to carry out my commands. As I made my way toward the shoreline, memories resurfaced—ones I've tried to bury.

Lucius… he's always been on my radar. So has Hage, with its ancient demon skull, the First Wizard King, Nero, and Zagred's schemes. Keeping an eye on it was only natural, especially given its potential impact on Hino. But that wasn't the only reason.

Those two boys—Asta and Yuno—the singularity and the flaw. They resonated with me, especially Asta. After I lost my Yoryoku, they were the ones I found myself empathizing with most. Watching Asta and his adopted brother Liebe endure ridicule for being magicless… it felt like watching a reflection of myself.

I watched them grow, and saw their paths intertwine as they leaned on each other to get stronger. By some twist of fate, Asta ended up in my old friend's squad and earned his acknowledgment. Seeing him work tirelessly to defy expectations made enduring the ugly classism of the Clover Kingdom a little more bearable. 

He's younger than me, we've never met, and he doesn't even know I exist. But I rooted for him all the same. And now I'm supposed to accept that he's been cast out of this world without a fair chance to achieve his dream? Not a chance. I respect him, admire him, and maybe even idolize him a little. Whatever Lucius is planning, I won't let that boy's story end before I've had the chance to share a cup of sake with him.

As for Lucius… I'd love to bring Yosuga along to deal with him. But by the time we get to the other continent, even with my clairvoyance guiding us, Lucius will likely have grown far beyond Yosuga's reach.

Yosuga can stay behind, then. He's more than capable of governing for a few days, despite his lazy, womanizing ways. Raised as a Shogun candidate, he'll manage just fine.

I reached the beach, spotting Ichika and the rest of the Ryuzen Seven. They had already prepared the boat but were still looking at me with confusion, waiting for answers. I suppose it's time I gave them some. They need to know, after all. If I fail to bring Asta and Yuno back, they'll need to be ready for the grim future that's coming.