As Ben vanished into thin air with a shimmer of green light,
Asta blinked, startled.
"____"
"Ben…?"
He muttered, spinning around.
But his brother was gone.
His gaze shot back to the ground below—
To Yuno, still bound in rusted chains, still struggling, his face twisted in frustration and helplessness.
"Asta!"
Yuno shouted in panic.
"Run, you idiot! He's dangerous! You can't fight him without magic—"
But Asta didn't run.
He roared, anger and determination pouring out of him.
With clenched fists and fiery eyes,
Asta leapt off the top of the wall and landed with a hard thud,
Thud~
Cracking the earth beneath him, as dust kicked up around his feet.
The thief turned with a smirk, sizing up the boy before him.
"____"
Smirk~
His gaze narrowed as he sensed—
Nothing.
"No magic at all?"
He laughed, holding up Yuno's glowing four-leaf grimoire like a trophy.
"You came here empty-handed to fight me? Oh, that's rich. You must be stupid."
Asta's voice was cold and clear.
"Give it back. That grimoire belongs to Yuno."
The man snorted and cracked his knuckles.
"You want it? Come and take it, brat."
Asta didn't hesitate.
Ahhhhh!
He charged forward with a shout, muscles honed by years of merciless training moving with terrifying force.
He dodged the first chain the man threw his way, weaving left, leaping high, and slamming his wooden sword down with all his might—
CLANG!
The chain blocked it, and the thief stumbled, surprised by the impact.
"Where's this strength coming from?"
He snarled.
But Asta didn't stop.
He kept pushing, swinging wildly, each blow fueled not by magic—
But by pure willpower.
"I don't care if I have no magic! I'll still become a Magic Knight! I'll still become the Wizard King!"
Another chain wrapped around Asta's leg and flung him into a wall with a crash.
Dust and debris fell.
Yuno gasped, eyes wide with horror.
But from the smoke, Asta stood back up.
Blood on his face, breathing hard.
"I… will… never… give… up!"
As Asta lay on the ground—
Battered, bruised, and bleeding—
The thief towered over him, a sneer twisting his face.
"You're worthless, kid. Magicless trash. A pest that should've never dreamed of becoming anything."
Those words… they cut deeper than the chains that had whipped across Asta's skin.
Memories surged like a dam breaking:
The villagers scoffed at his dream.
The cold whispers in the orphanage.
The look of pity.
The laughter.
Even the children had more hope for Yuno than they ever did for him.
Asta clenched his fists—
Trembling.
"Am I… really just… nothing…?"
Some distance away,
Ben stood silently, his expression unreadable as the shadows of the evening stretched long.
The Royal Knights, watching with concern, started to step forward.
"Your Majesty—should we step in?"
Ben raised a hand—
Stopping them cold.
"No. You're all about to witness something iconic… the birth of something that will shake the kingdom one day."
A moment passed.
And then—
"ASTA!!!"
Yuno's voice ripped through the tension like lightning.
Still bound in rusted chains, he forced himself upright and screamed, his voice breaking with emotion.
"You're my rival! If you give up now—then what was everything we promised for?! I'm not giving up, and you better not either!"
The words slammed into Asta's soul.
"____"
And then—
Ben's face flashed in his mind.
His grin. His words.
The one person who never mocked him.
Who believed in him.
Who called him a warrior.
A whisper inside him.
'Not magic… something else.'
Suddenly—
The air grew heavy.
A strange, eerie wind stirred the grass.
A crackling black energy, not magic, but something more primal, more raw, began to pulse around Asta's broken form.
From above—
A dark grimoire descended from the sky, spinning slowly, its cover torn and ancient,
As if it had seen wars and storms long forgotten.
Its presence was suffocating.
Ominous. Powerful.
The thief stumbled back, eyes wide.
"W-What the hell is that?!"
The grimoire opened on its own—
Only a single page, glowing with violent energy.
From its depths,
A massive, black sword shot out of the pages and embedded in the ground before Asta, humming with a force that shook the very air.
Behind Asta devil's shadow formed on the wall behind him, indicating that the power in his hand is a powerful one.
Ben's eyes lit up with recognition.
"There it is… the Demon Slayer Sword."
Asta's fingers twitched.
Then moved.
He reached out…
And grabbed the sword's hilt.
In that moment, the ground cracked around him.
The chains of despair shattered.
Ahhhh!
With a primal roar, Asta rose to his feet, his eyes burning red with intensity—
His grimoire now floated behind him like wings of shadow.
"I'M NOT GIVING UP!!"
He shouted, his voice shaking the trees.
"Because I have people who believe in me… and I'll protect them with everything I've got!!"
The thief staggered backwards, his face pale with disbelief.
"____"
"T-That's not possible! You… you have no magic! I'm sure of it! HOW DO YOU HAVE A GRIMOIRE?!"
But Asta, eyes burning with fierce resolve, tightened his grip on the massive black sword and growled through gritted teeth.
"MY MAGIC… IS NEVER GIVING UP!!"
The rusted chains lashed toward him again like writhing serpents—
Each one aimed to bind, to crush, to remind him of his place.
But Asta didn't flinch.
He swung the sword.
FWOOOM!
As the blade met the chains, they didn't snap or shatter—
They disappeared, erased from existence, like they were never there.
A void carved through them.
The thief's eyes widened in horror.
"What the hell is that sword…?!"
Before he could react—
"HYAAAAGH!!"
Asta lunged, sword raised high, and with one clean, mighty slash, cut across the thief's chest—
Not to kill, but enough to defeat him.
The thief screamed, eyes rolling back, and collapsed, unconscious.
His body hit the ground with a dull thud.
The rusted chains around Yuno shattered and vanished, his grimoire falling safely to the ground beside him.
Yuno picked it up and looked at Asta, shocked and awed.
For a second, silence reigned between them… until Yuno smiled.
"That was… amazing, Asta."
Asta, still panting, looked at him with fierce determination.
"You better not fall behind, Yuno. I told you—I'm your rival. And I am going to become Wizard King!"
Yuno chuckled lightly.
Chuckle~
"Heh. Yeah. But I'm not planning to lose to you."
They both smiled and bumped fists—
A vow sealed in strength and ambition.
While the sun sets behind them.
From a short distance away,
Ben clapped his hands slowly, approaching them with a proud smile.
Clap~ Clap~
"Well done, Asta. That was… quite the entrance into the world of magic."
Asta blinked, then turned to look at Ben—
And only now did it truly hit him.
His eyes widened. He looked at the sword in his hand…
At the hovering dark grimoire beside him… and then at Yuno.
"I got a grimoire…?!"
He shouted, stunned.
Ben laughed.
"Not just any grimoire… one that chose you. And one day, people will know why."
Suddenly overwhelmed with excitement,
Asta let out a gleeful cry and bolted off like a rocket.
"I GOT A GRIMOIRE!!! I'M GONNA SHOW EVERYONE!!!"
As he sprinted toward the orphanage, waving his sword around like a wild child,
Ben and Yuno stood silently, watching him disappear into the distance.
Yuno smiled again.
"…He really is something else."
Ben folded his arms, nodding with quiet satisfaction.
Nod~
The air grew heavy as a swirling gust kicked up behind Ben—
The Royal Knights had arrived.
They landed one by one in formation, their armour gleaming under the blood-red hues of the evening sky.
Each one stood at attention, awaiting orders.
Ben, his usual calm demeanour now replaced by a piercing chill, turned to face the fainted grimoire thief lying in the dirt.
His eyes narrowed, his tone sharp and absolute.
"This man… attempted to steal a legendary grimoire and dared to harm a future Magic Knight under our Clover Kingdom. I want a full investigation. Now."
He pointed directly at the unconscious thief.
"Track down every single contact he had. Anyone who bought, sold, or helped him smuggle grimoires—arrest them all. Use any method necessary."
The squad members saluted in unison.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Ben's gaze darkened even more as he added.
"And keep him alive. He will be executed publicly… at the centre of this village. Let it serve as a warning—this kingdom will not tolerate anyone who dares target its future."
A sharp silence followed.
"____"
The lead knight stepped forward.
"Understood. We'll begin the sweep immediately. He won't leave this world until you allow it."
Ben gave a curt nod.
Nod~
Then, without another word, he turned around, his hood covering half of his face,
While his cloak fluttered slightly with the wind as he looked in the direction Asta had sprinted off.
The proud look briefly returned to his face before it faded back into quiet thoughtfulness.
The Royal Knights began their swift and organised operation, splitting into teams.
Some moved toward the thief's possible hideouts, others started scanning records for missing or black-market grimoires.
Interrogations would begin before the sun rose again.
And in the middle of it all… justice had been set in motion.
Orphanage...
Inside the orphanage, the children's chatter fell silent as Asta burst through the door, his voice booming with joy.
"LOOK, EVERYONE! I GOT MY GRIMOIRE!!"
The black, aged, and ominous-looking grimoire floated beside him, dark energy faintly trailing around it.
The children gasped.
Even Father Orsi and Sister Lily, who had seen many grimoires before, froze with wide eyes.
Father Orsi stepped forward, blinking in shock.
"Asta… that doesn't look like an ordinary grimoire…"
Sister Lily, a little pale, gently asked,
"Asta, y-you didn't take someone else's book, did you?"
Asta looked confused for a second, but then let out a loud laugh and thumped his chest.
"Nope! This is mine! It came straight to me from the sky!"
The tension in the room didn't ease.
Still concerned, Father Orsi cautiously took the grimoire.
The moment he touched it, a strange chill ran through his hands.
The energy… it wasn't natural.
It was ancient. Twisted.
Still, he gave Asta a nod and promised to check something.
At the Grimoire Tower…
Father Orsi stood before Master Drouot,
The wise old keeper of the grimoires.
Drouot, smiling as always, gently took the grimoire and inspected it with deep focus.
He let out a thoughtful hum.
Um~
"It's indeed his grimoire."
Drouot finally said, handing it back with a serene smile.
"No mistake about that."
Father Orsi sighed in relief.
Sigh~
"Then… It's alright?"
But Drouot didn't respond right away.
His hand lingered over a peculiar seal on the grimoire's spine.
His eyes—
Wise, deep, and experienced—
Gleamed faintly as he muttered, almost to himself.
"Such a grimoire… hasn't chosen anyone in generations. It's tied to a devil's power… yet it came willingly to a boy with no magic."
Then, with a small smile, he added,
"A rare fate, indeed."
As Father Orsi departed, the candlelit tower seemed to darken momentarily.
From behind a bookshelf, Ben stepped out, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Drouot looked at him knowingly.
"Your Majesty. I assume you witnessed everything?"
Ben nodded slowly, his voice calm but thoughtful.
Nod~
"Yes. Just as I expected."
Drouot closed the grimoire ledger softly and looked at Ben curiously.
"But I must ask… why would a devil's grimoire—one of the most feared relics in magical history—choose a boy like him? One with no magic? No legacy?"
Ben turned toward the window where the last light of evening faded into the darkness.
"Maybe it's fate,"
He replied.
"Or maybe… something greater chose him. Something even devils don't understand."
The old master chuckled lightly.
Chuckle~
"The winds of change are blowing again, it seems."
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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