In the previous scene, what happened in the village square was not just a fleeting display of power, nor a small incident that would be forgotten after hours or days. Rather, it was a defining moment that changed something deep in everyone's perception of Asta. That boy who had, for many years, been a subject of mockery, sometimes pity, and at other times contempt, suddenly stood before them in a form no one understood a cold, dark power that crushed magic itself, and a sword that cut through spells as if they were smoke. The scene was so violent and strange that no one could look at him the same way anymore. Some finally saw in him the strength he had been shouting about since childhood, while others saw nothing but an unknown danger that had emerged from the darkness in the form of a child they had known for years, yet did not truly know.
As for Yuno, despite the shock that struck him as he knelt before Asta in that moment, and despite the strangeness that crept into his heart when he saw his old friend with that cold face and those different eyes, something else slipped into him as well—something he did not admit to anyone, yet was clear deep inside him: joy. It was not a simple joy, nor merely the happiness of a friend seeing his friend become strong, but the joy of a rival who had finally found someone worthy of standing before him. He did not yet know that this rivalry would not be just a race to the top, but a path that might lead them both to the gates of death.
Yuno slowly stood up after the confrontation ended, brushing the dust off his village clothes with calm movements, as if trying to restore his usual composure after a moment in which everything had shaken. His eyes remained fixed on Asta, whose dark form had begun to withdraw gradually, as though the darkness that had emerged from his body had, for the time being, had its fill of what it had done. Yuno watched him in silence for a few seconds, then said in a calm yet serious tone:
"Asta… you should be proud of yourself."
Asta raised his head toward him, still breathing slightly heavily from the power he had used. He did not respond immediately, so Yuno continued:
"You've become strong, just as you always wanted. But the power that appeared now… it's not enough for this village to see it. You have to prove it before the entire kingdom."
The words were simple, but their meaning went deeper than mere encouragement. Yuno was not flattering him, nor was he belittling him. He was placing a clear path before him: if this power was real, then it did not belong in the square of a poor village at the edges of the kingdom, but at the heart of the world they had always dreamed of reaching.
Asta clenched his fist, his gaze filled with renewed determination, then said in a strong voice:
"Of course I'll become stronger. Stronger than anyone. And I won't stop until I rule this entire world… and until I put an end to this wretched class system that doesn't give people the rights they deserve."
A brief silence followed his words. Some of the villagers, who were still watching from a distance, exchanged strange looks. Asta's words themselves were not new; they had heard him before talking about becoming the ruler of the Clover Kingdom, the Wizard King, and everything at once. But the difference now was that those words no longer sounded like the dreams of a loud child. After what they had seen just minutes ago, his words carried a different weight.
Meanwhile, Sister Lily stepped toward him with calm steps. Her features appeared composed on the outside, but inside, she was far from calm. What she had seen with her own eyes just moments ago was not something that could pass easily neither for a woman who had raised this boy as one of the church's children, nor for someone who knew that some powers do not come without a price. She stopped in front of him, looked at him carefully, then said in a low but clear voice:
"Asta… are you alright?"
Asta blinked, as if he had fully come back to himself now, then smiled his usual smile—that wide grin full of energy and stubbornness.
"Of course! I feel incredibly energized! More than ever!"
Then he lifted his black grimoire slightly and said with excitement:
"Now I just want to go quickly to the Clover Kingdom and show everyone my true power!"
Lily smiled at him, but her smile did not fully reach her eyes. And as Asta turned to speak with Yuno again, she whispered to herself, unheard by anyone:
I hope… I only hope he hasn't awakened all his power yet. Because if that happens… this could turn into hell for the entire world.
She knew that what had come out of Asta was not ordinary magic, and that the coldness she felt when she approached him was not something the soul could feel at ease with. And yet, she also knew that Asta was still Asta… or at least, that was what she wanted to believe.
Elsewhere entirely, far from the small village and the quiet of the fields and the old church, the Clover Kingdom itself was experiencing a different kind of tension.
Inside a vast hall in the capital, the kingdom's top leaders had gathered by direct order of the Wizard Emperor. The hall was lit by magical torches hanging on high walls, and its floor was made of polished marble reflecting the light with a cold formality. There, the captains sat in their places, each carrying a different aura, but the overall atmosphere was clearly tense.
Yami Sukehiro sat leaning slightly back, yet his rigid features concealed a clear strictness, as if something he had seen or heard before this meeting had made him less patient than usual. Beside him sat William Vangeance with his usual cold calm, silent as if observing everyone from behind an inner mask. Nozel Silva sat upright, stern-faced, radiating that natural sense of superiority and discipline. Fuegoleon sat with his usual dignity and prestige, while Jack the Ripper appeared tense even while seated, as if any mention of battle would be enough to ignite madness within him.
At the front of the hall sat Julius Novachrono, the Wizard Emperor, facing them all. His usual calm smile was there, but those who knew him well could read something more dangerous behind it this time.
The first to break the silence was Yami, who spoke in a rough, direct voice:
"Why did you bring all of us here? And what's the reason for this meeting?"
Julius raised his eyes to him, then said calmly:
"Easy, Yami. Everyone here will know shortly."
Then he gestured with his hand toward a group of mages stationed at the side of the hall. At his command, a massive magical screen formed before the captains—smooth, transparent, like a window opened onto a distant place. It resembled a live broadcast, a moving image of unusual clarity, showing remote borders of the Clover Kingdom.
And in that image… something black appeared.
It was not clearly human, nor a familiar beast. Just a dark, fast-moving body charging through a group of border knights at terrifying speed. Black mana erupted around it, and the magic it used sliced through the very air in sharp, black lines. Within seconds, the knights fell one after another, without being given any real chance to defend themselves.
Silence filled the hall.
The image alone was enough to strip away any hint of humor from the room. Then Yami finally spoke, his eyes fixed on the screen:
"What the hell is that?"
Julius replied without taking his gaze off the broadcast:
"We don't know exactly what it is… but what I do know is that it uses magic similar to yours, Yami."
Yami turned to him sharply, his tone immediately filled with anger:
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting, you senile old man? Are you accusing me?"
Julius smiled calmly, which only made Yami more irritated, then said:
"If I suspected you, you wouldn't be sitting in front of me right now. But I fear something bigger may have happened… something related to the gate separating the upper world from the underworld."
Nozel suddenly intervened, his voice less calm than usual:
"That's impossible… do you really think that ?"
Julius cut him off this time, placing his hands firmly before him:
"Yes. I believe that one of the high-ranking devils managed to open the gate, and that at least one of them has succeeded in coming out."
Tension immediately rose in the hall. Even those who said nothing clearly understood the gravity of the statement. Julius continued:
"But we still don't know whether the gate has been closed or not. Because when the gate fully closes, any devils remaining in the upper world die automatically unless they have secured their existence through another means."
Fuegoleon frowned, then said seriously:
"What does Yami have to do with this? And why would he possess magic similar to that of devils?"
Before Julius could answer, Yami burst out angrily:
"Are you calling me a devil, you red demon?"
Fuegoleon turned to him immediately, his face igniting with provocation:
"What did you say? I'm a red demon?"
In an instant, the atmosphere began to explode. More than one grimoire stirred in the hall, and some captains were literally ready to fight inside an official council. But Julius remained seated as he was, calm, as if all of this was expected to him. Then he spoke in a voice firm enough to stop everyone:
"Calm down."
The tone was light, but it carried enough authority to draw all eyes back to him.
"The reason is simple. Devils also possess different types of magic… just like us. In the upper world, some types of magic are extremely rare and may appear in only one person in a generation or a certain era. But that doesn't mean that the same type of magic doesn't have a counterpart in the underworld."
He paused for a moment, then looked directly at Yami:
"The fact that your magic resembles theirs… doesn't mean you are one of them. But it may mean that what we are seeing now is not a coincidence."
Silence fell once again. This time, it wasn't a silence charged with conflict, but one of thought. Then one of the captains from the other side asked:
"Now let's get back to the main point. What should we do to protect the Clover Kingdom?"
Julius took a slow breath, then said:
"For now, we must strengthen our ranks. That's why I've sent messages across the entire kingdom. Next week… a selection exam will be held to choose new Magic Knights."
Yami raised an eyebrow and said:
"And what about you?"
Julius smiled slightly.
"I have other work to take care of."
Then he added, looking at all the captains:
"As for you, next week you will choose who joins you… into your squads."
He paused briefly, as if remembering something, then said:
"Ah… I almost forgot. You also need to choose names for your squads. So far, some of the names haven't been officially decided the way I want."
Some of the captains exchanged strange looks. Then one of them said mockingly:
"Why don't we let the people choose the names for us then?"
To everyone's surprise, Julius did not object. Instead, he smiled and said:
"That's not a bad idea."
The scene then returned to Asta and Yuno's village, but the atmosphere there was different from any time before. On the surface, everyone was preparing for something joyful: Yuno and Asta would soon leave for the capital, for the Clover Kingdom, to achieve their long-held dream of becoming Magic Knights. But behind that joy, there was a sadness that could not be easily hidden.
Father Orsi tried to appear normal, but every time he looked at Asta or Yuno, he remembered two children who had once been placed at the church's door in small wooden boxes. The years had passed at a frightening speed, and now they stood on the edge of leaving the only place they had ever known as home. As for Sister Lily, she was the one who felt the weight of this separation the most. Not only because she had raised them alongside Father Orsi, but because she knew well that going to the capital would not just be the beginning of a dream, but the beginning of a harsh trial that might swallow the innocence that still remained within them.
The following days passed quickly. Asta was too excited to calm down, while Yuno remained as steady as ever, quietly gathering his belongings without fuss. About a week before their departure, Asta entered the room carrying some of his things haphazardly, then shouted:
"Come on, Yuno! Are you done packing your things? We need to hurry! We only have one week left!"
Yuno was sitting near the small window, folding the few clothes he owned. He raised his eyes toward him and said calmly:
"I'm almost done."
At that moment, Sister Lily entered. She was holding a small cloth bag in her hand, and as she approached them, she extended it toward them. Asta took it first, then opened it slightly to find some coins inside.
His eyes widened immediately.
"Sister Lily… what is this?"
She replied with a gentle smile that hid a lot:
"This is the money we've been saving. We wanted to use it to expand the church a little, and maybe take in more orphans in the future… but now, you need it more."
Father Orsi spoke from behind her, trying to sound strict as usual:
"Don't waste it on trivial things. You're going to the capital, and you'll need every bit of help."
Then Lily looked at them with clear affection and said:
"We're counting on you. And we want to see you become Magic Knights one day."
But while she said this out loud, inside she was saying something else something meant for Asta alone:
But you, Asta… I hope you take care of yourself. And that you learn to control your power before it controls you.
Asta suddenly raised his head and said to her enthusiastically:
"Sister Lily! Why don't you come with us? You're a mage too, and your power isn't weak! You could come with us to the capital!"
She smiled at him, but this time her smile was sad.
"Unfortunately… I can't. I have a duty here. The church, the children, Father Orsi… this is my place. I can't go with you."
Asta's face fell for a few seconds, then he tried to hide his sadness with his usual mischievous grin.
"Then… I'll come back to you as the strongest knight in the kingdom."
Father Orsi sighed and said:
"Come back alive first, then talk about the rest."
The day of farewell came faster than anyone wished.
On a quiet morning, the children gathered in front of the church some crying openly, others trying to look happy. Sister Lily hugged them one after the other, then stepped back so she wouldn't completely break down in front of them. As for Father Orsi, he simply placed his hand on their heads for a long moment, as if it were more of a silent prayer than a farewell.
Asta tightened his small bag over his shoulder, looked back at the church one last time, then said, trying to sound strong:
"Alright… let's go, Yuno."
Yuno nodded silently.
Then, under the eyes of those who had raised them and lived alongside them, the two began walking away from the village, toward the long road leading to the Clover capital… toward the exam, toward the kingdom, and toward the beginning of a new life unlike anything they had ever known before.
Don't forget to write your own names for the squads of the Clover Kingdom captains. The comment that gets the most likes is the one I will choose.