Asta slowly walks towards the gate at the end of the lightless halls, two small bug like items hovering behind him and staring into the darkness.
"I know it was good but why bugs? It could have been bats or eagles." "Nothing better than silent bugs compared to screeching eagles or bats for a vision system." Jassen nonchalantly says while drilling more and more knowledge about machines in asta's brain.
At the end of the the hallway, he saw a giant unnatural clearing with several figures standing in a circle around a statue with naked femine appearance.
"*Covers his eyes* Disgusting. Look at those perverts. I should end them all for people's sake." He almost brought out his anti-magic grimoire but stopped mid way.
He focuses towards the machine grimoire and soon a pair of metallic gauntlets spans his both arms, they have claw like fingers and seem to pulsing in the darkness.
Asta leans forward and dashes towards the cultists in a sprint, he managed to catch a single cultist with his ambush and instantly pierced the heart with his claws. The rest of them suddenly turn to him in horror and some begin charging towards Him.
The two bugs follow behind Asta and switch to the enemies coming at him, out of 20 that were are present, 3 are moving towards Asta.
Like lifeless puppets they lunge on him but the bugs interrupted then, the metal insect claws found their mark in the necks of the cultists.
Two were pierced by the neck while the last one had gotten punched by the Asta, the first pierced his chest and came out the other side.
In the distance Asta saw the cowardly ones panicking like a pigs while the Somewhat sane ones begin casting their magic. " Machine magic: Metallic mayhem" A dozen or so metal spikes of size equaling a car exhaust in width shot towards them from the ground.
Asta lowers his posture and charged straight on towards them, his feet moved like a engine constant and Rhythmic. He soon reached them at the same time as the spikes.
The spikes impales four more cultists while most couldn't reach the others, Asta called for the spikes and as if they were alive, the spikes turned into half liquids and turned into a metallic armor for Asta.
Bashing through the barrage of magic like a mad bull, Asta crashed into the group and begins throwing his fists, one by one the number dwindled while the bugs also killed two more deserters.
And with the last punch the final cultist was thrown towards the statue in the middle and crashed into it before being pinned by Asta.
"You're too weak to be a demon follower, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Asta roared to the cultists who seems be shuddering from fear, Asta grabs him by the neck and slams him onto floor and places his knee on his spine.
"ANSWER ME", " wee are sacrifices, the bishop told us to, to sacrifice ourselves to awaken the vessel." The followers opens his mouth and spewed everything instantly.
" Could you not find a better master? A naked demon out of everything? Disgusting." Asta couldn't help but insult them while holding himself from crushing the follower to a pulp.
The followers looks into Asta's eyes, the expression changed from fear to a smile and then a satisfied and easy going expression, a cracking sound arrived and suddenly a shell of stone crushed the follower's head.
"Wha- that thin-" Asta turned to the statue which seems to be sheding it's stony skin and then quickly turned down his head while holding back a nosebleed.
'Asta! You need to run now.', 'What is going on? Why?', 'No time, Just run' Jassen screams at Asta to run away which he did, the armor turns into wings alongside the wings of anti-magic that emerged on Asta's back as he flew towards the tunnel in came in.
*****
"I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS" Asta screams as the tunnel collapses behind him, despite his full speed the tunnel was too big and underground to fully outrun while the mana was greatly disturbed which meant he couldn't contact Severio as well.
Dodging the falling rubble, Asta crossed the giant door he opened before and the tunnel finally stops collapsing, he falls and spins around a bunch of times before finally coming to a stop at the turn.
"We survived.. Like al-", 'DODGE!!', almost instinctively Asta ducked after Jassen's warning, A flash was All Asta saw before being blown up by a shockwave that hit the wall behind him.
He flew again and reached the end of the tunnel before his senses suddenly felt a extreme amount of unnerving hostility, he quickly grabs on the ladder and pulled himself up with full force and catapulted himself out of the underground and straight through the roof of the compartment he killed the first two henchman at.
He looked around but there was no person on the streets, the only people nearby were the soldiers with a double crossed red swords symbol on their armor.
They turn towards the source of disturbance and Aimed their weapons at Asta, he lifted his hand to bring their attention to the ring in his finger and pointed down with his other hand.
The ground crumbled and the entire area surrounding the tunnel caved in Asta quickly retreats to the side, A portal opens beside him and severio Ran out with a spear in his hand.
"Asta! What did you see down there? What is this about?", " it was a ritual, I saw some cultists worship a named female statue before-" before Asta could say another word, Severio grabbed him and jumped together through the portal, bat like wings emerged from his back as he Surges to the skies.
"ALL MALE SOLDIERS, RETREAT, THE ENEMY IS LILITH". He roared at the top of his lungs and the soldiers ran for their lifes while female soldiers regrouped and entered into formation.
"Listen Asta, whatever happens don't come here okay? We wouldn't want you to be enchanted by her as well.", "enchanted? What do you mean big bro?" Asta asks in confusion when a loud rumble shock the city block.
"Lilith can control any male to do her bidding after just one look at her, we need to let the others take it this time." The words confused Asta but he couldn't find himself to talk back, the naked statue's image comes to his mind before he shakes it off and retreats to the backlines alongside Severio.
*****
The rest of night was filled with large amount of explosion sounds and clashing screechs, Asta lay down in his room unable to sleep while the soldiers fight outside in the city.
Even Sol and mimosa were called to help but he couldn't do anything which frustrated him greatly. He looks around through the window to see the hundreds of male soldiers sitting in the shelter outside the first year dormitory.
"Just what sort of bit** is that Lilith? I could do a lot of help by fighting on the frontlines right now.", 'No you won't, did you really think you can help fight Lilith with your current state?', "she can't be that strong, I have fought lucifero and won." Asta couldn't help but argue with Jassen who tries to calm him down.
'The demoness Lilith was famous even during my time, she almost controlled me too but i managed to survive and gave her a scarf running across her shoulder and forced her to retreat' Jassen talks about his past and leaves Asta in bafflement, just what sort of power does one need to do that?
"Is it magic or something? Shouldn't my anti-magic help if it is magic?" He asked our of curiosity, Jassen thinks and suddenly comes to a realisation, Asta is immune to her magic.
"Why did you say that earlier!!? Call severio quick!" Jassen says while lamenting his inexperience with Anti-magic, despite being a Shadow of Asta's reincarnation he had never wielder Anti-magic himself and nor have the other shadows as well.
Asta rushes out of the room and towards the soldiers and Saw Severio sitting there with his hands on his forehead while a furious expression fixes itself on his face.
"Big Bro- Get aside." Asta knocked a soldier blocking his way to the side and headed straight towards Severio who seems to be going through a internal crisis right now.
The soldiers aim their weapons at Asta but his momentum didn't stop and he soon arrived beside Severio, he grabbed his shoulder and shoke him like a tree.
"Can you shut up asta? I am giving you a las-", "I can help us, my magic can make us immune to her for a time." Asta quickly told him about the effects of anti-magic and they maybe able to join the fight as well.
"SAY THAT SOONER YOU BRICK HEAD.*turns to his soldiers* Everyone get ready, we are going to join the fight." The soldiers quickly get into their gears and begins marching towards the battlefield.
Asta saw hundreds of cultists blasting magic with the soldiers while the Charlotte and some other teachers of the academy and a women from the army fight against Lilith.
He covers his eyes Just to ensure he doesn't let his teenage body get effected and brought out redemption and shares his anti-magic with the elites responsible for fighting Lilith.
Like a bullet yami takes to the skies with the help of Severio, multiple portals appear beside Lilith and a barrage of attacks cover her.
Yami being the dense emotionless gambler he is, didn't give a s*** beating up a naked demon, he slashes at multiple times which she dodges before being hit by a spin kick right to the cheek.
"What? Something seems to guarding him. Just what is-" before Lilith could complete her thoughts, Licht and severio appear through two portals and begin exchanging blows with her non-stop. Asta follows up behind yami and provides foothold with Goliath while trying to focus up.
"You punks are annoying me. Scram. Fields of hell." The ground changes as Lilith decided to ramp up the game and for once she gained some distance from everyone.
She has lightly tanned skin with red crimson eyes, seductive body and claw like fingers, a black scarf like cloth runs around her body like a snake, attacking anything she seems a foe.
The landscape changes as the skies become purple with a rain of blood falling everywhere, the mages run for the shelters while the cultists embrace the acidic rain like a blessing from the heavens above.
"ASTA, Do something about this rain, it is eating away at my ki.", "Yes captain, give me one minute of time." Asta says as he temporarily switches to Mugen and steadied his breathing, the fight intensifies as the rain greatly shifted the glow of the battle as the fighters's attacks got weaker and their position changes to defensive.
"Hmm? That boy.. why does- *dodges a light blade* LET ME THINK YOU INSECTS." Yami alongside licht and severio take a full charge of distracting Lilith while Asta charges up his move.
Meanwhile, Sol and mimosa are fighting a bunch of puppets who keep regenerating like crazy, Sol is running out of patience and Mimosa is slowly losing mana from protecting them from the rain.
"This ain't working, I am taking the charge now, I will show you the difference between a puppet and a golem you disgusting man." Sol roars as a giant mole like golem emerges behind her, she grabbed mimosa by the cloak and jumped in it's mouth before the golem drilled underground.
Like a sonar, mimosa used her plant magic while Sol steered the golem below the ground, the tunneled beneath the insane cultists.
"Golem transfiguration" Sol shifted the mole golem's arms into literal hammers as they emerge from the ground, the cultists were thrown upwards and got crushed like flies. The duo gives eachother a high five and proceeded to the next location.
*****
Dashing his way through the many snake like whips coming his way, Yami and licht pincer attack Lilith while Charlotte focuses on providing foothold and support. The grey haired military women on the other side is bombarding both Lilith and the cultists like a airship from up above.
"Anti-magic.. Dimensional slash." From behind the front lines, Asta finally attacks with the Dimensional slash which created a opening in lilith's defense while splitting the magic circles high above in the clouds.
The rain finally stops, "That Brat! GET OUT OF MY WAY YOU SH**S." Lilith Roars in anger and weaves through the attacks like a fly before instantly arriving in front of Asta, her fist aimed at his head while the other hand turns into a claw.
Asta barely managed to dodge the first punch and quickly puts up a guard with machine magic, a metal gauntlet appears on his arm and blocks the claw while Asta himself was sent flying.
'That look, that appearance..' "JASSEN" Lilith Roars and follows up towards Asta while ignoring the attacks piling up on her, she loses her right arm and left leg alongside most of the scarf but she didn't care.
Asta tries to attack back but Mugen just shattered from her punch before she grabbed him by the neck and begins speeding up towards the ground.
"SO YOU WERE ALIVE YOU RAT? I WILL MAKE SURE THE PAYBACK IS DONE TOD-" before she could reach the ground however, Yami appears beside her with mana condensed on the sword's edge.
"Death thrust" the hit blasts away both her torso and remaining leg, leaving behind only her arm and leg which Asta kicked away.
Yami and Asta land on the ground with thud, the floor breaking beneath them as Asta gasps for air after being suffocated.
"Did you call her fat or something? What payback was that demoness talking about?" , " Don't know. i seriously don't know." Yami asks and Asta honestly replies while falling down to the ground, the anti-magic reserves emptier than a well in a desert.