(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
-------------------------------------------------
The corridor had become a battlefield before the first spell was even cast.
Mana pressed from all sides.
Heavy. Violent. Unstable. As the both side were duelling through their mana pressure.
At the center—Patolli stood rigid.
Teeth clenched in frustration. Eyes burning in anger.
'Again.'
Every plan they have came up with. Every move they made. Every carefully laid step—Ruined.
By him. Clover King Ben.
His gaze shifted upward—Toward the floating phantom crown.
Toward the one who had turned the hunt inside out.
Toward Ben who had transformed into Ghost freak.
'This isn't coincidence.'
It couldn't be.
Every captain present. Every formation ready.
Except—William Vangeance.
Left out. Deliberately. Showing him how he was being played along all the time
A trap.
Not just sprung—Designed specially for them. Prepared to deal with them. Executed seamlessly.
'How…?'
The question echoed in his mind like a broken chant.
'How did he know?'
No leaks. No betrayal. No signal.
And yet—They had walked straight into it.
Like prey chasing bait.
Around him—His forces. Limited to four.
Himself.
Rhya. Fana. Vetto—sealed, useless.
The rest—Still dormant in their sealed host.
Unavailable at this moment.
A losing position no matter how much he looked at it.
Patolli's jaw tightened further.
'Then we break it.'
His mana surged. Brilliant. Blinding.
As his grimoire's pages turned as if he was preparing to cast one of his most important spell he has which was powerful enough to even surprise Julius.
Light gathered around him—Not focused.
Not contained. But expanding.
Spreading as he prepared to unleash the spell.
A wide-range spell.
Massive. Uncontrolled.
Enough to engulf the capital. Enough to force chaos.
To create an opening—And escape.
The same kind of attack—That once caught even Julius Novachrono off guard.
Mana surged violently from Patolli, expanding outward—unstable, destructive, ready to swallow everything.
A desperate move. A final gamble.
Above them—The crowned phantom hovered.
Not a monster. Not an outsider. But the King himself. Ben.
In his Ghostfreak form.
Watching. Calculating the move.
"Let's talk."
The voice echoed—Distorted, layered—But it carried unmistakable authority.
Not a plea. A command.
Patolli sneered as soon as he heard the words of Ben.
"…Talk?"
His mana flared brighter.
"You think we'd repeat the same mistake?"
Light intensified further.
The spell nearing completion.
Ghostfreak didn't move.
"...."
Didn't raise a hand. Didn't prepare to block.
Instead—He tilted his head slightly.
Almost amused hearing Patoli's words.
"YOU'RE ABOUT TO USE A WIDE-RANGE LIGHT SPELL."
The words dropped calmly. Precise.
"YOU'LL DRAG THE CAPITAL INTO IT—"
A pause. Then—
"—AND ESCAPE IN THE CHAOS."
Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
For a fraction of a second—Everything froze as Ben laid the plan of Patoli before him.
Patolli's pupils shrank as he looked at Ghost Freak like he had seen ghost.
'That… That's exactly what I—'
His mana flickered. Just slightly.
But enough.
'How…?'
The thought screamed in his mind.
Not guessed. Not assumed.
Known like Ben has read his mind.
Around him—Even Rhya's expression tightened.
Because this wasn't prediction anymore.
This was foresight.
Ghostfreak drifted slightly lower.
Closer.
That eerie crown casting warped shadows across the walls.
"I'VE ALREADY SEEN THROUGH YOUR MOVE."
A soft chuckle echoed.
-CHUCKLE!
"IT WON'T WORK AGAIN."
Behind Patolli—The Magic Knight captains shifted.
Silent. Deadly.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Encirclement complete.
At the center—Julius Novachrono watched closely.
Not interrupting. Not acting yet.
Because he understood—This moment mattered.
Patolli clenched his teeth harder.
His spell still forming—But his certainty—Cracking.
Because the worst realization had fully settled in—
'We didn't walk into a battle… We walked into a prepared future TRAP.'
Ghostfreak's eye glowed brighter.
Ben's voice—through that distorted form—dropped colder.
"YOU'RE NOT ESCAPING THIS TIME."
The light mana kept gathering in Patoli's hand.
Brighter. Sharper. More dangerous.
Patolli didn't lower his spell.
Didn't hesitate. Didn't step back.
Talking was pointless.
To him—This was war. And believing his enemies words
Above—Ben, in his Ghostfreak form, watched in silence for a brief moment.
Then—He spoke again. Slower this time. Measured.
Seeing Patoli was not taking his words seriously.
"RECONSIDER."
A pause.
"BEFORE YOU MAKE A MISTAKE YOU CAN'T TAKE BACK."
Patolli's lips curled slightly.
"…You think I'll listen to you?"
The light surged harder.
Unstable. On the edge of release.
Then—Ghostfreak tilted his head.
And dropped a single word.
"PATOLLI."
Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Absolute. As his real name was being called on by Ben.
The spell which he was summoning—Didn't stop.
But it wavered.
Just for a fraction of a second.
Patolli's eyes widened.
Not in anger. Not in rage.
But in something far rarer—Shock. And Panic.
Because—He never said that name.
Not here. Not to them. No one knew including this team mates who were believing him to be Litch their leader
Around him—Rhya, Fana—All of them froze hearing Patoli's name.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Their expressions shifting. Confusion creeping in.
"…What did he just say?"
Rhya muttered under his breath.
They knew only one name.
The one they followed. The one they believed in.
Licht.
But... Patolli? Their eyes slowly turned toward their leader.
For the first time—A crack appeared.
Not in power. Not in magic.
But in belief and trusted they had on their leader.
Patolli's mind spiraled.
'Impossible. No one knows that name better then them. The guy who was a devotee of their leader Litch—'
Ghostfreak's grin widened.
-GRIN!
That eerie, unnatural smile stretching further.
Because he didn't just expose a secret—He exposed identity.
"YOU'RE NOT LICHT."
The voice echoed. Heavy. Certain.
"YOU NEVER WERE."
The corridor grew colder.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The weight of those words pressing down harder than any spell.
Behind them—The Magic Knight captains didn't move.
Didn't interrupt.
Because they understood what was happening.
This wasn't just a battle anymore.
This was—Truth being forced into the open.
Patolli's grip tightened.
His mana surged wildly.
But his control—Shaken.
The silence didn't hold.
It cracked.
The moment the name was spoken—Patolli's expression went still.
Not shaken. Not panicked. Just—Cold.
Completely cold.
"…Prepare for battle."
His voice cut through the corridor.
Sharp. Final. No hesitation. No explanation.
But this time—His command didn't move everyone.
Behind him—Fana didn't act.
Her flames didn't rise.
Her eyes—Shifted. From the captains…
To him.
Rhya narrowed his gaze. Not at the enemy—At Patolli.
"…What did he mean?"
Even Vetto, still sealed and unable to move, forced his voice out through clenched teeth—
"…Answer."
The illusion was cracking.
Not because of force. Not because of defeat.
But because of doubt.
"We followed Licht."
Rhya's voice dropped.
"…So why did he call you Patolli?"
Fana stepped forward slightly.
Her voice quieter—But sharper.
"…And why didn't you deny it?"
No answer. Their memories stirred.
Not fully. Not clearly.
But enough. A boy.
Looking up to Licht.
Admiring him. Following him.
Not equal. Not leader. A follower. A believer.
"…You're not him."
The realization landed. Heavy. Unavoidable.
Fana's flames flickered—Not outward—But uncertain.
"…What did you do… to Lord Licht?"
Patolli said nothing.
Not because he couldn't answer.
But because—There was no answer they would accept.
His silence—Was louder than any confession.
Above—Ben, in Ghostfreak form, watched quietly.
No movement. No interference.
Because this—This was the real battle.
Not magic. Not strength.
But belief.
Rhya's jaw tightened.
"…You don't get to stay silent."
Even Vetto growled from within the seals—
"…Explain… or I'll tear the truth out myself…"
The unity of the Eye of the Midnight Sun—Fractured.
Not broken. But cracked.
Patolli finally spoke. Slowly.
"…Enough."
His voice held no warmth. No softness. Only resolve.
"Fight."
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review on this Fanfic.
Guys My New Fic name is: Mahabharat: Shiva's Last Variable
Check it out... I hope you will like it
Don't forget to send your power stones!!!