fics I read

Note: KenosDC1, thank you for your perceptive reviews. I highly appreciate it.

On a bright sunny morning, Mora, Yuno, Mimosa, and Klaus stood towards Captain William Vangeance in the courtyard inside the Golden Dawn headquarters.

"A day off, sir?" Klaus said in surprise.

"Yes, you all have been working really hard through your missions. Therefore, I've decided to grant four of you a whole day off for yourselves." Vangeance explained.

"Thank you, Captain." Klaus said with a bow. "We're truly honored."

"Hmm. I wonder what I should do today on my day off." Mimosa said. "I could visit Noelle or my family back home." She turned to Yuno. "What about you, Yuno?"

"More training for me." Yuno replied. Besides, I can't let Asta get ahead of me.

"Yuno! Captain Vangeance has given us a one day time off from our missions." Klaus scolded. "It will certainly be unwise to turn it down for our beloved captain!"

"No worries." Vangeance said. "We all have different ways to relax ourselves. If Yuno wants to train, let him train."

"And you, Mora?" Yuno asked curiously as he turned to Mora.

"I'm planning to head over to Kikka." Mora answered. "There's still a lot of markets that I want to check out."

"I see." Vangeance said. "I'll be more than happy to give you the tour."

"Oh, no thank you, captain. That's okay." Mora said. "I'll be fine on my own."

"First Yuno, and now you, Mora." Klaus chided.

"It's alright, Klaus. No need to be stern about it." Vangeance said. "If she wants to explore on her own, then let her be. Go on and enjoy your day."

"Yes, sir." Klaus, Yuno, Mora, and Mimosa nodded.

Klaus, Yuno, Mora, and Mimosa walked off.

Vangeance silently stared at Yuno and Mora with attentive eyes.

Keep growing strong and expand your great potential. Vangeance thought to himself.

In the castle town of Kikka, Mora strolled on a paved road with Ares and Athena hovering from opposite sides.

"Mora, why didn't you want Vangeance to come with you?" Ares asked.

"Don't get me wrong. He's a great captain." Mora replied. "But I wanted to be alone for a while. Besides, I wanted to take the time to pick up some ingredients for a spell bracelet."

"A spell bracelet?" Ares and Athena repeated.

"Before I received my grimoire, I found a journal that belonged to my mother a while back." Mora said. "It was one of her inventions that intrigued me, but she never perfected it. According to her journal, each band contains a spell from different magic."

"That's brilliant." Athena said with slightly wide eyes. "That way you can apply surprise attacks to your foes. Your mother's very clever, Mora."

"Did your mother write down how to make one?" Ares asked.

"Yes, she did. It only requires five ingredients." Mora replied, holding a piece of paper in front of her spirits. "Peppers, mushrooms, dew drops, a Dicentra flower, and one Magic tool. I already got the flower from my aunt because they're her favorites and dew drops before we arrived here for my entrance exam. I just need the peppers and mushrooms."

"And how do we find this Magic tool?" Ares asked again.

"Lucky for me, my mom happens to have one hidden in her journal." Mora answered. "It's in my room back at the Golden Dawns. All we need to do is to find peppers and mushrooms."

"And let's get some grub while we're at it." Ares suggested hungrily.

"How can you be hungry now? We just had breakfast." Athena scolded.

"Don't sweat about it, Athena. We both know how intensely hungry Ares gets sometimes." Mora sweatdropped with a smile. "We'll get some food once we finish shopping."

"Yay!" Ares cheered.

Athena sweatdropped with a sigh.

"Hi, Mora."

Mora spun around and saw Serena and Amari walking up to her.

"Oh, hey, Serena. Hi, Amari." Mora greeted. "It's been a while since the entrance exam. Congrats on making it to the Blue Rose, Amari."

"Same to you with the Golden Dawns." Amari nodded. "I heard Vangeance is a very respectable captain. You're lucky to be chosen by him."

"Yeah, thanks." Mora said. "And how does it feel to be with the Blue Rose?"

"It's alright, I guess." Amari answered. "Despite her stern demeanor, Charlotte is poised and collected, and I respect that."

"When I heard my big sister is joining the Blue Rose, I was so happy for her." Serena said.

"Wait, you two are sisters?" Mora asked in surprise.

"Uh huh." Serena nodded. "We're from House Amamiya."

"As you witness during the exam, I inherited my ice from my mother and Serena inherited dark magic from our father." Amari explained.

"Ice and dark magic? That's kinda cool." Mora smiled.

Serena's eyes moved to Ares and Athena.

"Hello, Ares. Hello, Athena." Serena greeted with a wave.

"Hello, Serena." Athena greeted back.

"Hiya." Ares waved back.

"See? I told you." Serena said, turning her head to Amari.

"Oh my." Amari gasped in surprise. She moved closer to Ares and Athena. "Incredible. When Serena told me about them, I didn't believe her until now."

"Trust me, it was a lot to take in." Mora said. "But I love having them around and I won't trade them for the world."

Ares and Athena looked back at Mora with grateful expressions.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Amari and I took a day off to grab something to eat together." Serena said. "You and your spirits are welcome to join us."

"Yes. We love to." Ares said quickly.

"Ares." Athena groaned.

"Greetings, Magic Knights of the Blue Rose and the Golden Dawn."

Mora, Ares, Athena, Serena, and Amari's eyes lit up at the sound of that familiar voice. Their heads turned to see Fuegoleon strolling up towards them. Joining by his side was Fuegoleon's younger brother. He has long, messy vermilion hair in a messy, spiky hairstyle with a third of his hair tied up in a braid, turquoise eyes with red markings around them, and dark diamond-shaped marking on his forehead. He wore a white tunic under a dark blue shirt with a high collar and gold trimming, white pants that extended slightly below his knees, a red sash tied around his shirt, and a pair of dark blue shoes. He also wore his signature Crimson Lion robe attached to a long red cape.

"Hello, Captain Fuegoleon." Amari and Serena greeted back. "Hello, Leopold."

"Likewise, ladies." Leopold said with a greeting smile.

Captain Fuegoleon? I haven't seen him since the entrance exam. Mora thought. He's also one of the other captains who voted me to join his squad.

Mora gasped.

"Wait a minute. You guys won't happen to be related to Mimosa Vermillion by any chance?" Mora asked.

"That's right." Leopold nodded. "She's our cousin. Her father is our uncle."

Mimosa's related to the Crimson Lion Captain? She's so lucky. Mora thought.

When Fuegoleon moved his eyes to Ares and Athena, his calm expression immediately changed into slight surprise.

"Hey, Fuegoleon, what's wrong?" Leopold asked.

Leopold followed his older brother's direction and looked at the Ares and Athena, making his eyes widen in utter surprise.

"Are those...spirits?! Oh wow! I've never seen anything like them! They look so cool!" Leopold exclaimed with a wide smile.

"Calm yourself, Leopold." Fuegoleon said. He turned to the girls. "Pardon my brother. But who's the owner of the fire spirits?"

"Me, sir." Mora replied as she raised her hand up.

"Really? No way!" Leopold exclaimed as he moved up to Mora. "Did they choose a commoner as their host?"

"Well, they didn't exactly choose me." Mora answered. "Ares and Athena just came right out of my grimoire when I first got it."

"So. Cccooolll!" Leopold cried out.

"I see." Fuegoleon said as he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he pointed his finger to Mora. "Then, it's decided. I challenged you to a battle."

Leopold, Amari, Serena, Ares, and Athena gasped with wide, shocking eyes.

"Wha-what?! A battle?! Now?!" Mora exclaimed in shock.

"Yes." Fuegoleon said. "There are four elemental spirits in this world and they all possess immense magic power. Each spirit chooses and bonds with a mage who shares the same magic elements as them, and increases the magic power and spells of their host." He moved his pointing finger to Ares and Athena. "They may not be the Salamander, but I do sense them as fire spirits." He then looked back at Mora. "If these spirits really chose you as their host, then you must prove your strength to me in combat."

"Ha! Come on, Fuegoleon. As if a commoner would accept a challenge from a strong royal captain like you." Leopold said with a laugh. "I bet she doesn't have time to..."

"I'll do it." Mora said.

Amari and Serena gasped in complete shock.

"What?!" Ares cried out. He zoomed close to Mora's face. "Mora, you can't be serious!"

"Think about this." Athena said as she floated next to Ares. "This is the captain of the Crimson Lions. Not to mention he's royalty. His fire magic is immensely powerful than yours."

"I know, but there's no way I'm refusing a challenge, magic knight captain or not. I'm doing it." Mora said. She grew a determined smile on her face. "And besides, this is a great opportunity to see his magic power in action."

Athena and Ares traded silent faces for a moment. Then, they looked back at Mora.

"Alright then." Athena said. "But be careful."

"Yeah, what she said." Ares agreed.

"You're agreeing with me for once?" Athena asked with confusion.

"I'm only agreeing with you because Mora's new friends are treating us food once this battle is over." Ares replied as he turned his head away.

"Don't worry. We will." Serena promised.

Fuegoleon silently observed Ares and Athena while Leopold smiled at Mora with excitement.

In a wide, open field, Leopold leaned his back against a tall tree while Amari and Serena sat together on a large boulder. Halfway across from them, Mora and Fuegoleon faced one another in the middle of the field.

"I may not be your captain, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna hold back just because you're part of the Golden Dawns!" Fuegoleon shouted. His hands began to envelop with fire. "Come at me with all you got! Don't hold anything back! Now, prepare for battle!"

Fuegoleon created a small sun-like sphere of concentrated flame and shot it in the form of an intense beam of fire towards Mora, who swiftly moved out of the way with a nimble skip. Mora generated ten fireballs in a circle right in front of her and released them straight towards Fuegoleon at full speed. A pillar of spiraling flames quickly rose from Fuegoleon's feet, shielding him from the barraging fireballs. Once Fuegoleon extinguished his flaming shield, Mora created a red globe of swirling fire magic from her and fired off a barrage of pink diamonds from it at Fuegoleon. But Fuegoleon generated a fireball in the palm of his hands and thrusted them towards Mora in the form of fiery blasts. Mora evaded and jumped above Fuegoleon. She landed behind the magic knight captain for a quick strike, but Fuegoleon dodged out of the way.

Leopold, Amari, and Serena continued watching Mora and Fuegoleon releasing fire-based spells at each other while dodging them at the same time.

"Fuegoleon's mastery of his fire magic is truly incredible." Serena commented.

"Indeed." Amari nodded. "His mana is outstanding."

"That's my brother for ya. A true Crimson Lion captain." Leopold smiled confidently. "His whole squad worships him. He's the best of the best."

"I wonder how Mora's gonna win this match." Serena said.

"I wouldn't worry. She won't stand a chance against my brother." Leopold said. "She's a commoner. No way she'll beat him."

"Obviously, you didn't join your brother during the entrance exam." Amari said, looking at Leopold with a firm face. "Because that commoner fought me and won. Not to mention, she has a four leaf clover and two fire spirits. She's capable of great things in her future."

"Wait, a four leaf clover? For real?" Leopold said in surprise.

Mora then became exhausted from all the fighting while Fuegoleon stood strong without breaking a sweat. Mora created a large fireball between her hands and launched it at Fuegoleon, but Fuegoleon avoided the fireball and knocked Mora down to the ground with a fiery blast.

Mora looked back at Fuegoleon with a worn out expression on her face.

"What's with the look on your face?" Fuegoleon questioned. "Any enemy will strike you down without hesitation if you show that kind of look to them. All the squad captains, including myself, were impressed with your magical potential and capabilities during the entrance exam. For a commoner owning a four leaf clover and two fire spirits, you must have a long term goal when you joined Vangeance's Golden Dawn. As a member of the Magic Knights, our job is to protect the kingdom and its people from local crimes to a full scale invasion. How could you even call yourself one if you can't land a strike against a strong opponent?"

He's right. Mora thought with a sigh. I chose to become a Magic Knight because I wanted to become a Magic Knight Captain someday. It has always been my dream ever since I was a little girl. She slowly got up and looked back at Fuegoleon while flipping through every page of her grimoire. He's strong, I'll give him that. No wonder he's Crimson Lion Captain. But I can't lose to him! Not like this! No matter how many times those moronic idiots kept teasing me just because I'm a commoner, I will become stronger and I will become a Magic Knight Captain. No. Matter. What!

Then suddenly, the four clover insignia on the front cover of Mora's grimoire started to glow with an unexpected radiance of powerful magic. The radiating light washed over the open field area and everything slowed to a dead stop.

Mora gasped in shock and looked around the frozen field. Fuegoleon, Leopold, Amari, and Serena all have instantly frozen in place.

"How...how did I..?" Mora questioned with bewilderment.

"It's the awakening of your Spirit Dive, Mora."

Mora turned her head to see Ares and Athena floating next to her.

"Ares? Athena?" Mora said.

"It's time, Mora." Ares replied.

"For what?" Mora asked. "And what do you mean the awakening of my Spirit Dive?"

"Spirit Dive will combine one of us together into you. Think of it as increasing your own magic power dramatically by containing and controlling our spiritual powers." Athena answered.

"Mora, you may stay as you are now. Or you can go all out. The choice is yours." Ares said.

Mora looked at Ares and Athena for a minute before looking back at Fuegoleon. The image of their battle crossed her mind. His immense mana. His intense fire power. Determination began to form on Mora's face.

"I'm ready." Mora said.

Ares and Athena exchanged nods. As Ares vanished, Athena started circling rapidly around Mora, engulfing her in a tornado of fire while Mora rose up in the air.

When the fiery tornado dissipated, the flow of time went back to normal. Everyone stood their position, but this time their eyes widened wide with shocked gasps. They watched Mora hovering in mid-air. Her attire altered into a fiery blue sleeveless battle armor top, a dark blue belt, a lighter blue knee-length plated skirt, dark blue shoulder pads, and blue ankle-high boots. Her entire battle armor was made entirely of reptilian skin. She also has a blue half-chaumet tiara now on her head and a pair of large two dragonlike wings on her back.

"Is that...Mora?" Amari asked.

"No way." Serena muttered. "I don't believe it."

Leopold stared at Mora's Spirit Dive in amazement.

Oh, wow. Leopold thought as he felt a light red blush on his face.

So, this is the power of spirit magic and her mana has expanded phenomenally. Fuegoleon thought. A smile formed on his face. Now, this is the strength of a Magic Knight.

Fuegoleon thrusted his arm forward and generated a great amount of fire that started to take itself in the shape of a large lion's face. Mora looked up to see the Crimson Lion Captain mounting on top of it.

"Fire Creation Magic: Leo Rugiens!" Fuegoleon casted.

At Fuegoleon's command, the lion opened its mouth and unleashed a huge blast of flames straight towards Mora. But Mora slowly lifted her right arm and gathered the fiery blast in her hand, shaping it into a large fireball with two rings surrounding it.

Amari, Serena, and Leopold's eyes widened in complete shock. Even Fuegoleon looked on in utter shock.

"Fire Spirit Magic: Blast Burn!" Mora casted.

Mora fired the ringed fireball towards Fuegoleon. The ringed fireball then blitzed the magic knight captain in a violent explosion.

Amari, Serena, and Leopold stared at the explosion with completely shocked faces.

Incredible! Serena and Leopold commented.

What an unbelievable display of spirit magic! Amari thought.

Once the explosion extinguished, Fuegoleon knelt on one knee and grasped his left arm with a sweaty face while inhaling and exhaling deep breaths.

Mora slowly landed on the ground. Her Spirit Dive form was beginning to extinguish and her eyes began fluttering with exhaustion. She dropped her knees and collapsed on her back.

"Mora!" Serena and Amari's voices called out as Mora's view went black.

An hour later, Mora's eyes started to open. Her eyes became clear and saw Fuegoleon, Leopold, Serena, Amari, Athena, and Ares looking down at her.

"Mora, how are you feeling?" Ares asked.

Mora sat up and looked around with a puzzled face.

"I'm fine." Mora replied. "But where are we?"

"In the Crimson Lions' headquarters." Athena answered. "After the fight, Fuegoleon had to carry you here and his squad members had to heal you to full recovery."

"That spell you use on Fuegoleon...it was amazing." Serena said with a smile.

"She's right. The way you use your Spirit Magic was incredible." Amari said.

Mora opened her grimoire and glanced at a new written page, making her gasp in surprise.

A Spirit Magic spell? Mora wondered. She formed a smile on her face. When me and Athena fused, I felt my mana powering up tenfold. Amari was right. It was incredible.

Leopold's laugh interrupted Mora's inner thoughts.

"You were so awesome!" Leopold beamed happily. He walked close to Mora and took both of her hands. "It's official! I don't care if you're a commoner anymore!" He got down on one knee and looked up at Mora. "I, Leopold Vermillion, declare you as my own true love!"

"Huh?" Mora said with a puzzled face. Her eyes quickly widened in complete shock. "Wait, wwwhhhaaattt?!"

"That's right." Leopold nodded. "No one, let alone a commoner, has beaten my brother in combat. But you. You accepted his challenge and stood victorious. A true Magic Knight of strength and beauty."

Mora blushed hard at Leopold's words.

"Uh, thanks for the compliment." Mora said. "But I'm sorry. You see, I'm in love with someone else."

Leopold silently released Mora's hands for a minute. But then, his quiet face quickly changed into a laughing smile.

"Ha, no matter!" Leopold said with a determined expression. He lifted his right arm and clenched his hand into a fist. "No doubt that boy is in your squad. I will find him and declare him as my rival to win your heart no matter what it takes!"

Oh, boy. Mora, Ares, Athena, Amari, and Serena sweatdropped.

"That's enough, Leo." Fuegoleon said. He looked back at Mora. "But my brother is right. You truly have the strength of a Magic Knight. And for that, you have my absolute respect."

Mora's eyes lit up as she gasped in a whisper.

"Oh, thank you." Mora said. "It was truly an honor to fight the Captain of the Crimson Lions. You have my respect too."

Fuegoleon smiled. He turned his head to Ares and Athena.

"And as for you two, keep continuing what you do best and that's being by Mora's side at all times." Fuegoleon said. "Both of you are worthy to be fire spirits. Even if you're not the Salamander itself. So, I expect a satisfactory result for our next battle of combat."

"You got it." Ares grinned with a nod.

"Of course." Athena nodded.

"Now that's outta the way, can we please get something to eat?" Ares asked as he quickly moved close to Serena.

"Ares." Athena sighed in annoyance.

Mora chuckled.

"Oh, Fuegoleon." Mora said to Fuegoleon. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?" Fuegoleon asked.

"Can you tell me more about the four elemental spirits?" Mora asked.

Afterwards, Mora collapsed on her bed as Ares and Athena laid on the pillow inside the Golden Dawn headquarters.

"I'm happily satisfied." Ares said with a delighted smile. "I'm stuffed."

"Let's hope so." Athena said with an annoyed face. "You already ate about seven plates of food."

"It's a good thing I've picked up some peppers and mushrooms on the way back." Mora said. She then sat up. "Oh, right. That reminds me."

Mora moved from her bed and walked towards the desk, opening the drawer and taking out a journal out of it. She laid the journal open on the desk and looked down at its pages curiously. The journal was bright scarlet with a dark burgundy dragon's head at the center on the cover and the pages were colored burnt orange.

"Is that your mother's journal?" Athena asked.

"Yup." Mora replied. "She wrote many exciting gadgets that were logged into this book."

"At least, we know where you get your inventive side from." Ares commented. "So, where's the magic item?"

"Right here." Mora said as she turned the pages.

When Mora finally reached the end cover, a flat white octagonal gemstone with a gray border rested on it.

"Here it is." Mora said.

"It's beautiful." Athena said with a smile.

"I wonder what it does." Ares wondered.

"That's what I intend to find out." Mora grinned. "And while I'm at it, I'll have to learn more about the four elemental spirits. I wonder Yuno could help me on this project."