Part 9: A debt repayed

Deep in a forest a man carrying a large bag suddenly felt the ground beneath him shake, "What is this, what's happenning" he said looking scared when he looked to see a parts of a building start to come out of the ground. It looked like the ruins of an old castle with some parts of the buildings covered in the plant life.

"What is that" aksed the man looking at the large structure.

The next morning inside the black bulls headquarters Asta was doing one hand push ups with Magna sitting on his back while he ate and Nero was in Astas hairs, "How about Silvatus Snouser" said Noelle was kneeling next to Asta as he did his push ups. They were trying to think of a name for the anti bird since it didn't look like it would be leaving.

"No I don't think he likes it,how about birdy boy" said Asta looking up only for the anti bird to peck him in the head, "Ow what was that for birdy boy" he asked before going back to his push ups.

"He likes the name Silvantus Snouser, you like the name right" Noelle asked smiling at the little anti bird only to see it had its usual bored look on its face.

"The birds tough so he needs a cool name, call him magnum fire" said Magna.

"No call him wine" said Vanessa cheerfully as she was lying down on a couch drinking from a bottle, "Oh Magna it's time to change who sits on Astas back, Cmon Noelle I'm sure he won't fall with his childhood friend on his back" she said smiling while Noelle blushed.

"What" said Noelle standing up.

"Hey great idea, here Noelle you try" said Magna getting off Astas back.

"Uh okay" said Noelle still blushing as she sat on Astas back, "You better not fall" she said looking at the back of Astas head since he was looking towards the floor.

"Uh yeah you got it" said Asta as he continued looking towards the floor to hide his own blush.

"This my little sister Marie, as a kindness I'll let you use one syllable of her name, therefore your name will be Ma" said Gauche looking at the anti bird as he held up a photo of his little sister.

"No call him Magnum Fire ball" said Magna.

"Wine" said Vanessa disagreeing with them as she drank from her bottle.

"How about Nero" said Luck getting their attention, "It means black and I think it sounds cool" he said while the anti bird put its left wing in the air in agreement.

"Well I guess it likes the name Nero" said Noelle with a sad smile on her face.

"I think it sounds cool" said Asta as he did another push up when a magical portal opened in front of the entrance of the headquarters. Yami walked out with Rosa first and then Finral walked out before the magical portal vanished.

"Hey everyone we're back" said Finral waving at everyone.

"I see your back to Rosa" said Vanessa getting up from where she was sitting.

"It would have taken me longer but luckily I ran into Yami and Finral when I was on my way here" said Rosa.

"Oh yeah, why were you called to castle anyway" asked Vanessa looking at the captain.

"Listen up everyone, a new dungeon has just appeared" said Yami calmly.

"A dungeon, is that true Yami sir" asked Magna?

"Whoa a dungeon, that's so cool, what's a dungeon" cheered Asta.

"Why are you cheering when you don't even know what it is" said Magna looking annoyed.

"A dungeon is like a building from a long time ago, the people who used to live there left their treasure behind there, in most dungeons you would also find some lost magic that they left behind aswell" explained Vanessa.

"Whoa that sounds cool" said Asta smiling.

"And it's our jobs as magic kngiths to secure the dungeons treasure for the clover kingdom and to maek sure the magic doesnt fall into the wrong hands " said Magna giving the salute.

"Oh captain Yami let me go, maybe I'll be able to use to some of that lost magic" asked Asta hopefully looking at the captain?

"How are you gonna use it when you can't even use magic in the first place" said Yami calmly while Asta looked down.

"Well you'll never know, there could be something linked to his anti magic there since we never know whats in there until what see is in the dungeon for ourselves" said Rosa.

"Well either way he's going, the wizard king asked for you specifically for this mission" said Yami surprising Asta.

"The wizard king" he said looking surprised.

"Wow way to go Asta, does the wizard king know you or something" asked Magna?

"No Ive never even met him" said Asta as he looked out the window as he cried tears of joy, "Don't worry wizard king, I won't let you down" he said.

"Oh Noelle your going to" said Yami looking at Noelle who looked surpsied.

"Wait why me" she asked?

"This is all about getting experience, since you two are the rookies it will be good for you, Luck your going with them, I want to you to take the lead on this one" said Yami looking at Luck who smiled.

"You got it sir, dungeons have some trap magic and it's fun to dodge them" said Luck as he punched his fists forward.

"You'll have to be careful, this dungeon is close to the border of the diamond kingdom" said Rosa.

"Yeah that's right, so you'll have to watch yourselves while your in there, the diamond kingdom might send their own magic kngiths to retrieve the treasure" said Yami.

Outside the headquarters Finral had just created a magical portal for Luck, Asta and Noelle. He was able to create the magical portal near the dungeon since he had been to the area near it before, "You sure it's a good idea to send Luck with them" asked Magna after they had left?

"Sure that guys way of detecting mana surpasses that of any royal or noble, every magic knight squad would have been after him if it wasn't for that personality of his" said Yami who was looking at newspaper while Rosa sat next to him.

"Well hopefully that personality of his doesn't interfere with the mission, this is Asta and Noelles first dungeon" said Rosa.

"Don't worry I'm sure Asta won't let anything happen to Noelle" said Vanessa smiling as she took a drink.

Luck, Asta and Noelle now stood in front of a stone archway that lead into a dark tunnel that was part of the hill near the dungeon, "Wow Finral got us here closer then I thought he would" said Asta looking surpsied when he noticed Nero in his hair, "Hey who said you could come along" he asked but didn't get a response.

As they walked through the dark passageway the only light source came from the lantern Asta was carrying, "Hey Noelle your kind of close" said Asta blushing since Noelle had her arms wrapped around Astas right arm as she stood close to him.

"I can't, it's dark in here and I don't want to fall over" said Nolle looking embarrassed.

"Well if you can't see where your going why don't you just hold my hand so I can show you where to go" asked Asta blushing.

"Wait what" said Noelle so surpsied that she didn't notice that she had put her right foot in front of Astas making two of them trip. The two of them landed on the ground with Noelle on Astas back as the lantern he was holding had fallen on the gourd and broke.

"Uh the light went out" said Luck.

The three of them accept for Nero who was flying we're now walking through the dark passageway, "Sorry about that" said Noelle looking embarrassed as she was now standing even closer to Asta, but was now holding his right hand.

"No it's fine, I probably should have been watching where I was going" said Asta looking embarrassed while he felt his heartbeat Increase as he felt Noelle squeeze his hand in comfort from the dark, "Just what is this feeling, wait could it be" his thoughts were stopped when they reached a wall.

"Wait this is it" said Luck removing a brick on the wall where light was coming out of the cracks surrounding it. He removed the brick and the ones under them where they saw the inside of the dungeon. There were streams of water surrounding the room that went not just in the ground but on the walls and the ceiling. There was also a stone bridge going over one stream and multiple passageways leading further into the dungeon in the walls.

"Whoa" said Asta looking around the room.

"This place is amazing" said Noelle looking at one of the streams of water that went side ways on the wall.

"Hey can you feel all that mana" asked Luck?

"Yeah I've never felt this much in one area" said Noelle.

"Wait mana, whats that" asked Asta looking confused wondering what they meant.

"Wait your standing in this much mana and you can't even feel it" asked Noelle, "Well I guess it makes sense since you don't have any magic" she said.

"Uh come on this isn't fair" said Asta looking annoyed as he kneeled on the ground, "I want to be able to feel mana too, you have it lucky since you have plenty of it" he said slamming his fists onto the ground. He then looked confused as a magic circle appeared under his right first before spikes of rock shot up from the ground. He then took out his big anti magic sword and cut through the spikes destroying it.

"Whoa that was close" said Asta still holding out the sword.

"Hey Asta come take a look at this" said Luck smiling. Asta looked confused as he walked forward only for Luck to push him forward. His right foot ended up on another mangic circle which sent up more spikes of rock. Like last time Asta destroyed them with his anti magic sword.

"What was that for Luck" said Asta looking annoyed while Luck just smiled.

"Man this is fun" said Luck as he began jumping all over the place setting off more trap magic. The other trap magic included a fire tornado which shot up from the ground making Noelle scream as one of them was set off near her. Asta destroyed them with one slash of his anti magic sword making them vanish.

"Wow that anti magic sword of yours is something else Asta, I bet that's why the wizard king chose you for this mission" said Luck, "Make sure to get really strong until we have our fight alright" he said cheerfully.

"Uh Yeah sure" said Asta looking confused, "But shouldn't we focus on the mission" he said looking around the passages wondering which one they should take.

"And make sure not to walk into any more traps" said Noelle.

"Oh right" said Luck as he turned around closing his eyes, "I felt something earlier, I just gotta reach out" he thought when some of his lighting shot up from one of the passageways. He looked towards its direction his eyes opening wide, "I knew it, were not alone down here and from this amount of power there's someone strong there, Lightning creation magic" he thought as lighting surrounded both of his feet up to his knees, forming lighting amoured boots. He then jumped into the air surprising Asta and Noelle.

"Wait where are you going" said Noelle looking worried.

"That's so cool" said Asta looking imrpressed by Lucks magic.

"Sorry you two but something important has come up, just head to the treasure room without me" he said jumping into the passage where his lighting shot up from earlier and he started running at an incredible speed thanks to his lighting boots.

"HE JUST LEFT US HERE" yelled Noelle looking scared.

"That was so cool" said Asta still looking impressed.

"What are we suppose to do now, we don't even know where to go" said Noelle looking worried.

The two of them continued walking throughout the area they were in, "Can you believe that, I mean he's suppose to be the one leading us" said Noelle looking annoyed.

"Don't worry about it, if we run into any more trap magic I'll just destroy it with my sword and If something is about to hit me you can use that spell from Saussy village" said Asta smiling at her, "Will succeed on this mission, you know why because I'm going to be the wizard king".

"That confidnece of yours is one of your best quality's Asta, it actually helps me feel a little better" said Noelle smiling, "Hey whatever happenned to the rival you told me about a long time ago" she asked?

"Oh you mean Yuno, we took the magic knights entrance exam together, the golden dawn got him and the black bulls got me" he said smiling.

"Wait a commoner made it into the golden dawn, that's impressive" said Noelle before she added, "But then again its more impressive that soemone with no magic got into the magic kngiths" she said smiling at her friend.

"Thanks" said Asta rubbing the back of his head, "Come on let's get going" he said walking forward when Noelle blushed from realising something.

"We're alone right now, it's just the two of us" she thought as she felt her heartbeat go quicker, "Should I tell him how I feel, but what if he just sees me as a friend" she thought looking worried.

"Hey are you alright" asked Asta turning around as he rubbed his nose.

"Uh yeah everything's fine, come on one of those passages should be the right way" said Noelle blushing as she walked forward down the steps from where they were standing. She then walked onto a magic circle that appeared at the end of the steps. Green vines then shot out from the stream that was next to the path They were on. The vines grabbed Noelle by her arms and legs lifting her into the air, "What is this" she said trying to escape when from the stream a big purple plant opened up revealing small mouth.

"Noelle" said Asta as he cut through the vines freeing her. Noelle surprised to see Asta had sirious look on his face,"Get away from this thing, I'll take care of it" he said when the the plant shot out more vines grabbing Asta and lifting him into the air, "Damnit" said Asta trying to cut the vines with his sword but wasn't able to move his hands.

"Asta" said Noelle worried as she reached for her grimoire when the plant grabbed her again lifting her up into the air, "Not again" she said looking annoyed as one of the vines moved her hand away from her grimoire. The plant moved them closer to itself where they could see into its mouth, where bones were sticking out of a pink pool of acid.

"What do we do" aksed Noelle?

"Come on theres got to be some way out of this" said Asta looking determined as he tried to move his right hand that was holding his anti magic sword, "I'm not done yet" he thought when he felt the wind in the room begin to move quicker. Then from one of the dark passageways knives made out of wind shot at the plant making it drop Asta and Noelle. The plant was now dead as its head fell down onto the path.

"What happened" asked Asta?

"This magic power" said Noelle looking at the wind moving quickly when the two fo them looked at the dark passage high up on the wall where the wind knives were fired from.

Back at the black bulls headquarters, "Oh I forgot to mention something else, the golden dawn also sent people to the dungeon" said Yami.

"Wait the golden dawns gonna be there to" said Magna looking surpsied.

"You think they will be able to get along with them" asked Vanessa?

"They'll have to if they want the mission complete" said Yami smiling as he went back to reading the news paper.

Meanwhile back in the dungeon where the wind magic was fired from were three people wearing the rhobes of the golden dawn, the one standing on the left was a man wearing glasses. Standing on the right was young woman with long orange hair. Standing in the middle was someone with his four leaf clover grimoire opened in front of him, "And with that my debt is repayed, Asta" said Yuno smirking down at his rival.

"Hey Yuno" said Asta smirking at his rival aswell.