There are three things Yuno knows for certain in this world. The first one, and the most obvious of all, is that he is going to become the next Wizard King.

He first realized this when he was a child, lying in the snow clutching his pendant in his pale, shaking hand. His heart was thundering in his chest, eyes wide as the adrenaline began to wear off.

"Yuno?"

Asta's voice is soft to Yuno's ears, a pale comparison to the ragged breaths that escapes his friends lips. His glances to his friend, who lays beside him in the snow.

"I... I know that I don't have any magic yet, but when I do get it and my grimoire... I'm going to become the Wizard King."

Yuno's tear soaked eyes widen, a small gasp escaping his lips. Asta's turn up in a smile, snowflakes kissing his bruising cheeks. Blood gently trickles from the corner of his mouth, a glaring reminder of what happened moments earlier.

The Wizard King? Asta seriously thinks that he can become the most influential mage in the entire kingdom? He can't. No commoner has ever become the Wizard King.

"I want to show them-" he hisses in pain, "-all of them, that everyone in this world is special. Even us commoners."

Asta takes a shaky breath, grits his teeth, before pushing himself up off the ground and turns to Yuno.

"I won't give up... I will never give up."

Yuno's mouth opens. Not in shock or horror, but in awe. His friend had severely injured himself just moments ago to retrieve Yuno's very own pendant. Yet, standing here before him, Asta's eyes were filled with a newfound fire that he had never seen before. always been a determined person, pushing past his limits to prove that he's a force to be reckoned with.

If anyone can become the Wizard King, even a commoner like Asta, then that means...

A warm sensation surges inside of Yuno's chest, lighting his blood on fire as a strange feeling washes over him. He's never felt this before, yet, with every racing breath the feeling grows until he's on his feet as well. Yuno wipes his wet cheek with the back of his sleeve, drying his tears.

There's no more time for crying.

"Asta."

Even though the rest of his face is a mix of red, black, and blue, Asta's green eyes haven't faltered. They never falter. Yuno stands up taller, puffing out his chest as his clenched fist falls to his side.

"You're never going to become the Wizard King...Because I am going to become the next Wizard King."

Asta's bright eyes widen at the sudden conviction in Yuno's voice, but soften as a large grin pulls at his cheeks.

"Is that so?" Asta hums, licking his split lip, "I guess that makes you my rival."

Yuno's eyes fill with the same fire as Asta's, manifesting itself as a determined look blooming across his face.

"I guess so."

Asta chuckles, extending a closed fist out towards his rival. Yuno does the same, pressing his knuckles against Asta's battered ones. A tingle runs up his arm, filling him with a rush of excitement.

I will beat you, Asta. Just you wait.

Since that day, Yuno made himself a promise. No matter what happens, he will beat Asta and become the Wizard King. He will show this entire kingdom that everyone, even commoners like himself and Asta, are capable of extraordinary things. They will see them as their equal.

That led him to his second realization: He must become stronger. Mentally, physically, spiritually... He was gifted with wind magic as a child, and in order to surpass Asta, his power must become stronger. He has to prove himself, both to the kingdom and his rival.

As the diamond mage lifted his large crystal sword in preparation to strike his unconscious ash-blonde rival and squad mate Mimosa, that's when the realization hit him.

"Asta!"

Without even a second thought, instinct took over Yuno's body. Surging warmth filling his bones as a blind rush washes over him. His arms, which were once trapped at his sides, flew into the air as the crystal around him shattered.

His eyes burned bright with fear and determination. He made a promise to Asta- no, himself- that no matter what he will beat Asta and become the Wizard King. No one was going to take his rival away from him, no one was going to be stronger than him.

"I won't let him die here!"

As the words escaped his mouth, a ripple ran down Yuno's spine, filling each nerve with an invigorating buzz. That familiar rush flooded throughout the room, engulfing everything in soft white. Everything freezes, as if time itself screeched to a stop.

A soft gasp escaped his lips, mind filling with a newfound sense of intrigue.

What's this?

His eyes dart across the room, glancing between his squad mates Klaus, Mimosa, and the rest of the Black Bulls. Everyone was staring at the Diamond Mage with fear filled eyes, just like he had moments ago. If it wasn't for this, he'd be matching them.

A small yawn to his right causes his eyes to snap to the source. A small green sprite hovers beside him, her small wings flapping rapidly as she stretches an arm over her head. Her hair is short, framing her small cheeks. Small blue-green eyes meet his own.

Lifting her hand, a soft sigh escapes her lips before she takes a deep breath and blows. A wisp of sparkling green light twists through the air until it strikes the crystal sword, shattering it into pieces.

Yuno turns his head back towards the sprite, curiosity behind his eyes, only she isn't there. The rush that had filled him before disappears, leaving him with a full flutter in his stomach.

Across the room the diamond mage goes flying into the dungeon wall, shattering the stone behind him. Gasps fill the air including his own soft one.

"Yuno! What did you do?" Klaus asks, rushing up to him.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't know! There was this little girl... I..."

Yuno is at a loss for words. There was no way that words could describe what he had just gone through. It was... it was a feeling... a brand new truth that he barely had a grasp on.

Whatever that was- no, whoever that was - filled him with a surge of strength that he never knew he possessed, pushing him past his limits in order to stop the foreign mage.

Yuno's searching eyes glance between their fallen adversary and injured rival, who's grimoire opens on its own accord. Delicately, Asta's new weapon rises off the ground before disappearing into the awaiting grimoire. The pages flutter, just like Yuno's had only moments before, snapping closed once it was finished.

I will become stronger than you, Asta. Just you wait.

It turns out that the girl that helped him, a short yet fierce sprite, was the wind spirit. When he had shattered the crystal in a selfless attempt to save his rival, he was gifted with her power.

Yuno, affectionately, named her Belle.

The third thing that Yuno knows for damn sure is that his rival, Asta, has and never will understand the concept of being quiet.

Even when they were kids, Asta was always loud in some way or another. If he wasn't shouting, then he was groaning, grunting, humming or laughing. Even as they slept, Asta would mutter in his sleep or move constantly, sometimes enough to keep Yuno up at night.

Yet, there's something about his constant noise that amuses Yuno. Asta may not understand the concept of being quiet, he understands the concept of defying the expectations people set for him.

"Yuno!"

A familiar voice whines, bringing him out of his thoughts and back to reality where Asta, his noisy rival, stares at him with wide eyes.

"What?"

"Do you think that the Wizard King is going to punish us for what I said? I didn't know that the Clover King was so sensitive about those kind of things--"

"I told you to read the room. Maybe if you had, we wouldn't be here."

The crease between Asta's eyebrows only deepens, a scowl crossing his features.

"Hey-" he whines, jutting out his lower lip. "You were thinking the exact same things!"

Yuno sighs, turning away from his rival. Asta's right, he was thinking the exact same things as him. Surely, what's the point of having another king to rule the kingdom when they provide nothing useful to it? Is there another role that the Clover King serves that Yuno just isn't seeing? Even so, that still didn't change his mind. The Clover King is useless, unlike the Wizard King, who actually gets things done throughout the kingdom.

Graceful steps filled his ears, urging Yuno to turn towards the source. Walking towards them was Julius Novochrono, the current Wizard King who had requested their presence.

"Good Evening, Wizard King!" Asta exclaims loudly, straightening his posture. Yuno's lips barely twist upward, amused by his rival's reaction.

"Asta, Yuno." The older man smiles. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course! I would like to say, though, that I am really, really, really sorry for what I said earlier about the Clover King. I didn't realize that it was so offensive!"

Yuno wanted to roll his eyes at Asta's incredibly loud voice, but couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead he watched silently, keeping a careful eye on everything.

"I understand, but in the future I have to ask that you watch what you say-- I don't want to lose the two of the best Junior Magic Knights that the Clover Kingdom has to offer."

Asta makes a surprised noise, one Yuno knows all too well.

"W-Will do."

Julius offers both of them a large smile, framed by obvious reminders of his age. He isn't that old, probably middle aged, yet he still possesses the charm of a child.

"Now tell me,"he claps his hands together, staring at Asta with a gleam in his eyes, "How hard was it for you to keep a straight face at the Clover King's reaction?"

Asta's eyes go wide, mouth falling open in shock. Yuno presses his lips together, fighting the urge to laugh at both Asta and the Wizard King.

"What?"

"It was so hard for me to keep my composure... I nearly burst into laughter right there on the spot!"

His rival turns pink, stammering over his answer as he tries his hardest not to self-combust. Yuno can tell that Asta's embarrassed, no, he's way more than embarrassed... and yet with every flustered reply tumbling out of Asta's lips, the taller boy can't help but smile.

This is the Asta he knows. Loud when there's no reason to be, cheeky yet loyal, demanding when needed and most of all, his rival.

Yuno feels the sudden urge to look at and touch the inside of his wrist, where both of his soul marks reside. The inky black stands out against his milky white skin, similar to a tattoo. He has never desired getting a tattoo, he's never seen the point of marking his skin, yet he's always been intrigued by them. A collection of stories expressed through intricate lines and thick ink, a form of self expression.

Soul marks, in their own way, are an extension of that belief. There are those who openly display their mark while others- like Yuno- keep theirs covered up, hidden from prying eyes. These are his soul marks, marks that he doesn't entirely understand, but knows that they mean something to him anyway.

Four things. There are four things in this world that he knows for certain. The fourth one, he realizes, is that no matter what, Yuno will figure out why he possesses two soul marks and who they belong to.

Running his thumb across the marks, Yuno glances back up to Asta and Julius before tugging the bottom of his sleeve back over his wrist.

"-I hope the two of you enjoy the rest of the festival, I look forward to seeing both of you at the Royal Knights exam next week."

"Oh, don't worry- we'll be there and we're going to get into the Royal Knights squad, isn't that right, Yuno?"

He nods.

"Even if I don't succeed, at least I will be proud to at least have made it that far."

Asta makes a noise after his humbled comment, causing Julius to smile, humming softly in amusement.

"Good. You two keep working hard and stay modest. I expect great things from you. Until next time."

Yuno and Asta nod, bowing their head before the Wizard King as he turns around and disappears back down the hallway.

"Yuno?"

The taller boy turns towards his rival, greeted by soft features and a warm smile.

"What were you thinking just a moment ago?"

His eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Hmm?"

"You were staring at your wrist. Thinking about your soulmates?" Asta playfully teases, drawing out the the last part. Yuno rolls his eyes.

"No."

"You totally were... I still can't believe that you received two soul marks! I mean, how is that even possible? Everyone has only ever gotten one!"

"You don't have one."

"I know that I don't have one but- Hey!" Asta whines, throwing Yuno a look. The taller one smirks, shaking his head at his rival's antics.

"I don't know why I have two marks or what they even mean, but I'll figure out what they are and who they belong to soon enough."

Asta crosses his arms, sending Yuno a pensive look.

"Hmm... I'm sure you will. Just like I will find my soulmate as well."

Yuno's eyes widen with intrigue. Asta's burn with the same fire that had filled them when they were kids, reminding him of that cold winter day and how the snowflakes that kissed Asta's bruised cheeks.

"Really?"

"Mmhmm. I may not have a soul mark, but that's not going to stop me from finding my soulmate. After I find my soulmate, I'm then going to become the Wizard King."

A warm yet familiar feeling surges in Yuno's chest, lighting his blood on fire and filling his lungs.

"Is that so?" Yuno asks, repeating the words Asta had used when they were children. "Bold words coming from my rival."

Asta smirks, licking his lips and holding out a closed fist.

"I gotta keep you on your toes somehow."

Yuno presses his knuckles against Asta's, noting the scarred cuts and fading bruises that cover them.

I will find my soulmates before you do, Asta. Just you wait.