Disclaimer: I do not own Black Clover. It belongs to Yuki Tabata.

WARNING: Suicidal Themes Below. You have been warned.

It was currently early evening in the Clover Kingdom, the sun having just gone down not long ago. The sky was perfectly clear, or actually, should be.. Though instead it was currently filled with lights and sparkles everywhere one would look up..

Yes, lights and sparkles. As fireworks were currently being shot up into the air everywhere, illuminating the pitch black sky with their colorfulness. Their colors ranging all the way from dark purple, dark red, somewhat dark green, and all the way down to lighter colors such as yellow, white, and pink..

Yes. Pink too. Mostly pink. As everyone in the Clover Kingdom was currently celebrating a special event. A rare special event. An event that had only taken place 28 times before this in the past 500 years..

They were all currently attending a ceremony in honor of a certain young looking, purple-haired, blue-eyed, mostly pink-wearing, short woman. Said woman currently walking down an extremely long and fancy hallway. A big and unwavering smile on her face..

The Fifth Leaf Of Despair

CHAPTER 12: Her Generation

"Hey Look!" "There she is! She's so beautiful.." stated an onlooker, "Not only beautiful, she's strong too!" continued another one, "Our new Wizard King.." "Former magic knight captain.. Dorothy Unsworth!"

Yes. Dorothy Unsworth, former magic knight squad captain, is to be crowned the 29th Wizard King on this day. Hence all the fireworks and kingdom-wide celebration.

"As you all may know.." started Julius, speaking into a voice amplifying magic item, currently standing on top of a giant stage, the same stage used for the Star Festival, right next to Dorothy.. A/N: Everyone knew about Julius's state in this fic, it wasn't a secret.

"After the battle with the elves, I'd lost most of my power. And so I'd recently had a meeting with all nine magic knight squad captains, discussing the selection of the next Wizard King.."

"And after having discussed the matter, coming to the conclusion of it having to be one of the magic knight squad captains, we opened a voting opportunity for the citizens of the Clover Kingdom, whom this new Wizard King is to protect, and the results were as follows.."

"9th Place: Yami Sukehiro, 8th Place: Jack the Ripper, 7th Place: Kaiser Granvorka, 6th Place: Rill Boismortier, 5th Place: Nozel Silva, 4th Place: Charlotte Roselei, 3rd Place: Fuegoleon Vermillion, 2nd Place: William Vangeance, and, 1st Place..

"1st Place: Dorothy Unsworth! The new Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom!" finished Julius, as the crowd started cheering loudly, awaiting some words of wisdom from their new Wizard King, Dorothy, who was currently standing right next to Julius. Now being her turn to speak into the voice amplifying magic item..

".. Ahem.." "Heya! How are you doing everyone!? I'm supposed to be your new Wizard King! So please do feel safe, as I promise to protect y'all and this kingdom with all my might!" "A-And.. Uh.. Sleep well I guess..?" stated Dorothy with extreme enthusiasm, including that last part too. A big smile on her face as she did so.

"Uuuuhhh.." all the onlookers muttered, scratching the back of their heads. They were all stumped, as they were all expecting a never ending speech with many complicated words, though it never came..

It didn't. Not even close. As they were all now broken out of their state of confusion, looking up happily at their new Wizard King..

They were all looking up at their new Wizard King, feeling happy about the selection. And, despite her childlike demeanor, and her childlike way of saying things, they believed every word that just came out of Dorothy's mouth. All of them entrusting their lives to her without a second thought.

"Mom she's so cool!" an onlooking little girl said to her mom, looking up at Dorothy with starry eyes and flushed cheeks. "Yes I know.." responded her mother, patting her little bushy head..

And as everyone was currently leaving the ceremony, happy for one reason or another, including Dorothy and Julius, among the large crowd of leaving people stood a group of ten. Firmly. Not moving an inch, all currently thinking the same thing..

'Wait.. Where's Asta?' they all thought in unison, as they all had just realized that Asta was missing. And of course, this group was non other than the Black Bulls, one of the nine magic knight squads that protect the Clover Kingdom.

They were all currently present except for Zora Ideale, Henry Legolant, Secre Swallowtail or 'Nero', and Asta of course.

Zora, an anti-social and, on the outside at least, a big jerk, was currently doing anti-social stuff. While Henry simply enjoyed the ceremony from his room's window in the Black Bulls hideout, unable to attend because of his special condition, a magic absorbing cursed body.

Whereas Secre sat on a tree branch not too far away from the group, being somewhat anti-social herself. Though she also thought the same thing as the rest of her squad, only in her case it was combined with a large dose of sickeningly increasing worry..

'Damnit.. Where are you Asta.. It isn't like you to be absent, especially not for something this important..' Secre thought, growing more and more anxious by the minute. Until she eventually snapped and decided to go looking for him..

Meanwhile, somewhere off into the distance, stood Asta, currently near the cliff of an enormously tall mountain, going through some thoughts as he stared off into the distant colorful sky..

'Damnit.. Why am I here? What am I doing?', 'I should be back at the ceremony right now.. Yet instead my legs had carried me here..' he thought as the already deep frown on his face, grew even deeper.

And though he tried to turn back, inwardly telling his legs to do so, they quite simply, refused. As they kept on walking forward and forward, their pace slowing down as Asta neared the cliff of the mountain.

And as his legs and feet suddenly came to a halt, his mind no longer inwardly fighting them, now resting for a few seconds after that intense battle.. That rest lasted just that, a few seconds, as his mind suddenly, and on it's own, started recalling memories from the past seven days..

His mind had started recalling memories all on it's own. Just like how his legs and feet carried him here all on their own. It was as if this whole situation was automated, something that was completely out of Asta's control.

And as he started to recall events from these past seven days, his eyelids were slowly closing, tears forming at the corners of his eyes..

FLASHBACK - SEVEN DAYS AGO - SAME DAY ASTA RETURNED TO CLOVER KINGDOM

'Damnit.. What bad timing' Asta thought, a frown on his face as he was currently upset that Nero had come back at just the wrong time.

As Asta was about to get an answer from Sister Lily regarding his question about 'this strange new feeling' he'd had lately, Nero came back from the demon's skull, as she was done paying respects to her prince, Lumiere.

And though he would've probably gotten an answer still, he decided to cut his question short and get on his way back to the royal capital. As he did not wish for any of his friends to find out about this, as he did not want to worry nor bother them. And so he was somewhat upset and annoyed.

"Hey Asta!" Yuno called out to Asta as he was finally catching up to him, "Don't take this the wrong way, but if you ever need somebody to talk to don't hesitate to come talk to me"

And though this was something Yuno did not want to say or do, as it was A) out of character for him, and, B) Asta was his rival, and so this would come off as 'taking pity on him' even if he did not mean that..

He simply forced himself to do this. As despite the way Yuno seems and actually is right now, where he doesn't care about pretty much anything and everything, he had dealt with this 'strange feeling' Asta just described as a kid..

He had dealt with this feeling before, and so he knew just how devastating it could be. And so he was telling Asta this not as his rival, but as his brother and best friend since childhood, as someone who genuinely cares about him and his well-being. Because he really did. Though he can only hope Asta takes it that way..

Asta simply nodded in response, a half-ass smile on his face. He knew Yuno meant well, and that he was not taking pity on him. He was just upset that he couldn't get his answer from Sister Lily, this meant that he had to find some chance to sneak out of the Black Bulls base unnoticed. An extremely difficult feat to pull off as Henry watches the base 24/7, and he did not want anybody asking him what he was up to, since lying would not be an option with captain Yami around.

'I wonder what I interrupted..' thought Secre, curious but also feeling a hint of anxiety, telling her 'you don't want to know..'

...

Meanwhile, back at the Heart Kingdom, Noelle and Mimosa had just woken up. Noelle in particular looking more messy than usual. Her royal dress very noticeably soaked with water..

"Noelle? Are you doing okay?" Mimosa asked her cousin as the both of them were currently having breakfast. Very fancy and luxurious breakfast. Though this was nothing new for them.

"..tch, Yeah I'm just fine.." Noelle responded harshly. Slightly startling the unsuspecting Mimosa, as this was very unexpected..

Yes, very unexpected. And although this was not a first for Noelle, the only other time Mimosa had remembered this happening was back before her joining the Black Bulls. Back when she lived with her 'family' if you could even call them that.. And so for her this was very odd..

Noelle on the other hand, was currently lost in her own head. As she was currently thinking about three different things..

She was currently thinking about three things. All of which being different, but colliding at the center. As they all revolved around the same thing, or actually, person..

One of which being about a certain chicken-scratch she found on a piece of paper this morning, Asta's letter. As all it did was fuel her already-fueled anger even more..

As before she had seen that letter, she already had two other, for her, infuriating things on her mind. One of which being about the events that had taken place last night, and that whole situation with Asta and her cousin, though even that paled in comparison to the third thing currently on her mind..

The third thing currently on her mind, her dream, or actually more like nightmare from last night. The nightmare that had her soak her own royal dress. As it was that terrifying..

NOELLE'S NIGHTMARE - LAST NIGHT

... " Huh.. Where am I?" Noelle questioned out loud, as she was currently in a strange, but somewhat familiar place..

"AAAHHH!" screamed out another voice with agony.. "What was that!? Who's there?" Noelle shouted, startled at the sudden sound.

And as she started walking in the direction it came from, she was suddenly pulled back. VERY roughly. As her back quickly hit what felt like a brick wall..

"Ahh!" she screamed out in agony. Feeling nothing but pure pain throughout her whole back, her spine on the verge of shattering..

"Grrrr.." she heard, combined with the sound of water? drool? hitting the ground. Lots of whatever this liquid was, as it was clearly audible, even with the now, loud sound of her fast-beating heart..

Though before she got a chance to theorize on any of this, the source of all these sounds was now right in front of her..

It was non other than Asta. Yes, Asta. As he was currently in a modified version of his black form, looking very different from his usual..

His current black form looking very different from his usual. As for starters, his bull-like horn on the right side of his head instead looked very.. ram-like? As it was much, much bigger than usual, curving towards the back instead of the front, ending with an extremely sharp tip..

The right side of his hair, which usually turns from grey to black, was currently pure white. Very easily distinguishable from his left side which was grey..

And to top it all off, his usual non-caring, warm, smiling expression was nowhere to be found. Instead it was replaced with with a cold stare from two red eyes, one of which looking very beast-like, and endless drooling from a sharp-teeth-filled mouth..

Though before she got a chance to say anything, her arms and legs were spread widely. Being immediately restrained right after. Asta now slowly walking towards her with a huge Demon Slayer sword in hand..

Asta was walking towards her with a huge Demon Slayer sword in hand, slowly but surely raising it up into the red-bloodlike-sky above them.. And almost instantly after having raised it up fully, slamming it down to to hit the also, red-bloodlike-ground below them.. Though only after it having sliced Noelle in half..

"ASTA NOO!" was the last thing she shouted out right before the sword hit her. And though she should've died after having been sliced in half, she instead found herself in a completely different world.. Her wand raised and her grimoire currently mid-air, the wall in front of her a wet mess..

Yes. She was now wide awake in the real world, now realizing that whole situation was not but a mere, pesky nightmare..

"I-It was just a dream huh.." she said, relieved. Though as she spent the next few minutes recalling the events of this 'dream', or really, nightmare, she was suddenly struck by another heavy dose of realization..

"Wait a minute.. Now that I think about it, and while not exactly the same, Asta had actually tried to kill me once.. That one time in the Witches Forest.." "Not only that, but to explain his different appearance.."

Noelle was currently recalling something Loropechika, the queen of the Heart Kingdom, had told them the night before..

It was about Megicula and his host's appearance. Where she pointed out that the right side of the host's body's hair had turned from black to pure white. With two pitch black ram-like horns sticking out from both sides of the host's head.

And as Noelle was currently putting two and two together, she also remembered how Asta has a devil of his own. As she now finally got the bigger picture..

Where the recent anxiety about Megicula's curse on her mother, combined with bad memories from the Witches Forest, and probably last night's events too, had all amounted to this. A horrible dream of her being killed by her crush, who was also using that despicable Megicula's power..

And as a certain voice in the back of her head was telling her that this could very well become reality, she inwardly shut it up as she said these next few words..

"No! It won't happen.. I won't let it. Asta would never do such a thing.. right?" She said with fleeting faith. As she put her head in between her now, raised up legs. Crying quietly into her thighs. Very unsure of what to feel or think..

NOELLE'S NIGHTMARE - LAST NIGHT - END

'Damnit.. that bastard.. Why'd he leave early anyway? And with Nero no less.. Pervert!' Noelle thought, inwardly piling up a mountain of every curse word she knew, all directed at Asta. Whom she was currently mad at not only for leaving alone with Nero and last night's events, but also because of..

Because of the fact that she had really wanted to blast him with water right now, but of course he wasn't here and so she couldn't. That piece of her mind that holds her back and tells her no, no longer there. Not after what happened last night and her horrible nightmare..

Though not only because of that, but also because from her POV Asta doesn't mind nor care. Whether that was actually true or not didn't matter, because she's seen it for herself two days ago.. And so that part of her that held her back from attacking him had taken a pretty big hit..

(FLASHBACK IN A FLASHBACK?) - TWO DAYS AGO - DAY 3 OF 3 BEFORE HEART KINGDOM MISSION START

It was currently early morning in the Clover Kingdom, the sun barely out. Shining brightly through people's windows, being annoying for some, and warmly welcoming for others. But to one person in particular..

To one person in particular, more specifically a resident of the Clover Kingdom, and also member of the Black Bulls, the sun was extremely welcoming right now. As it had marked the start of a new day, where everything went right back to zero. A fresh start..

This person's name was Asta. As he was currently getting out of bed, a forced big smile on his face. As he was currently unsure of how to feel, and so he decided to just feel happy, or at least try and seem happy. As he was currently extremely confused..

He was currently extremely confused, also feeling a hint of fear. As his mind wandered off to a certain event from the past day. An event that had haunted him all night long, and is the supposed cause of his current state..

(FLASHBACK IN A FLASHBACK IN A FLASHBACK?) - YESTERDAY - DAY 2 OF 3 BEFORE HK MISSION START - EARLY EVENING

Asta was currently talking to his senpai, Magna Swing. Talking to him about the event that had taken place this morning. Where he was glaring at Gauche, a fake smile on his face, as he had still not recovered from his earlier state of depression..

Though as Magna had just left not long ago, another friend and member of his squad was now right in front of him..

And it was none other than Noelle Silva. A royal of the Clover Kingdom who just so happened to be one of his best friends and squad mates..

His depression now very suddenly gone, it was replaced with a weird cluster of emotions. As he was currently feeling a mixture of three different things all at once: Fear, anxiety, and a sense of helplessness as well.

Though despite that he still managed to get out these next few words, as he wouldn't have it any other way..

"Hey Noelle! What are you doing here?" he greeted his friend, as he should. Another fake smile on his face, this time because of these three other feelings..

Though instead of getting any words in response, he found himself now standing there, on his own, his friend now gone. Water dripping from his clothes..

'..Huh..?' Asta thought, not sure what he did wrong to get into this state again. And although he'd usually feel annoyed right about now, he was instead.. shaking..? And no it wasn't because the water was cold.. So why..?

(FLASHBACK IN A FLASHBACK IN A FLASHBACK?) - YESTERDAY - DAY 2 OF 3 BEFORE HK MISSION START - EARLY EVENING - END

It was now late morning. The sun shining even more brightly and warmly. It's rays enveloping whomever happened to be outside right now..

So in other words, Asta. As he was currently outside training. Whether it be doing Sit-ups, Push-ups, or training with his swords. He was training - All this being the thoughts of a certain someone watching him from a nearby window..

This person's name being Noelle. As she was currently watching him training out in the sun, half naked, as he was only wearing his usual blue pants. Blushing slightly. Some thoughts going through her head..

'Damnit.. Why did I do that yesterday? How am I gonna apologize to him now.. I'm not good at this stuff..' she thought, trying to find a way to apologize to Asta after that catastrophe she caused yesterday. As she had blasted him with her infamous Sea Dragon's Roar, having barely missed. Leaving Asta deeply soaked instead of being dead.

'Then again.. I could just try and play dumb, Asta doesn't really seem upset to be honest..', and though she thought that she'd only been there for five minutes, she's actually been there for over an hour now. Hence why she was about to be broken out of her thoughts by a certain someone..

"Noelle? What are you doing here? It's lunch time you don't wanna eat anything?" Asta called out to Noelle, as he was now inside the Black Bulls base, seemingly on his way to the dining hall for lunch.

"Huh.." Noelle finally noticed Asta. And as she was about to panic, having not decided on her apology yet, her panic stopped right before it even started..

Her panic never came, as she now noticed Asta's face. His usual smiling face as he was looking at her. That being her signal to enact her 'play dumb' plan. And so she did. As she simply nodded in response and followed along. On her way to the dining hall too.

And though unbeknownst to her, this was not Asta's first time passing by her. As this was his second time doing so. Since he simply decided not to say anything when he first saw her as he was heading to his room to clean up before lunch. Her not noticing him being a huge help..

But when he got out of his room and she was still there, having not moved a single muscle, he grew very concerned for her. And so he decided to just suck up his fear and talk to her. And so he did..

And so the rest of the day from that point went the exact same. Neither Asta nor Noelle bringing up that event from yesterday. Each for their own reasons. And so, Noelle had just assumed that everything was fine. And that Asta didn't think anything of what she said or did. Though if only she knew how wrong she was right now..

(FLASHBACK IN A FLASHBACK?) - TWO DAYS AGO - DAY 3 OF 3 BEFORE HEART KINGDOM MISSION START - END

"C'mon Mimosa, let's get going" Noelle called out to Mimosa, now that she was done remembering shitty memories at breakfast.

...

FLASHBACK - SEVEN DAYS AGO - SAME DAY ASTA RETURNED TO CLOVER KINGDOM - END

...

"Yoo-hoo!" Dorothy exclaimed with absolute enthusiasm as she appeared out of thin air. Right next to a mid-air, now falling Asta..

...

CHAPTER 12: END

A/N: Hey everyone. Thanks for reading if you've made it this far. Sorry about long chapter, I hope it wasn't too confusing.

Please leave a review of your thoughts, it helps out immensely, whether negative or positive. Favorite and/or follow if you liked it. Next chapter coming soon.