Chapter 39: Cursed Jewel
Disclaimer:
ANIME ONLY'S DO NOT LOOK… When I started planning this fan fic, Nacht and many other instances like Yuno being the Spade Prince, and the Tree of Qliphoth, had not been revealed in the manga so I will not be adding these here as I feel it will be a copy of the original material and I don't want that. Of course, some moves, and other stuff will be implemented with my own twist but big moments like that will not be included in this fan fic. I hope you understand!
There were plenty of battles occurring in the Underworld. The Magic Knights were all powering up left, right, and centre. They all wanted to go back to the Overworld as soon as possible and if continuous training was their answer to that, then they would do just that.
However, it was the Black Bulls that would actually be able to break through the explosive, mana-filled barrier where the portal was. Asta with his Anti-Magic, Yami with his Dark Magic, and Nero with her Sealing/Forbidden Magic are the only ones who could achieve this.
It had been another week and the three had powered up a lot. Yami and Nero were learning new spells, whereas Asta was continuing his training with his new power of commanding his swords. Although Asta's growth was something to be proud of, there was still something missing that Liebe felt needed to be addressed, and Asta also wanted to go further in his improvements.
"Man, that was a tough workout! I am so tired… guess I'm off to bed now" the ashen-haired Black Bull said while stretching his limbs. He started to walk towards his room when he felt that sensation again.
"There it is again. This familiar feeling I've been getting since I came here… I can't just ignore it anymore". The boy thought to himself. He got himself ready and headed off to the place where he felt the feeling the strongest.
Asta jogged towards where he felt the sensation originated from. He took a few wrong turns due to not knowing the way exactly, but when he started to only use his ki to detect the feeling, he found his way to the source of the feeling.
"Here?!" Asta thought to himself with a slight shock to his voice. The Bull ended up back at the gate that separated the two worlds and wondered if it really was his imagination or not.
Not wanting to ignore this feeling anymore, he stayed at the area for a few minutes just looking around, trying to get a feeling on any ki he could get. An hour had passed and there was still nothing and Asta began to get frustrated at the lack of progress he was making. He finally decided that it was enough and started to head off when he got the feeling again.
He turned around instantly and that's when he saw it.
"Wh-what is this?" he wondered, slowly walking up to what he was facing.
There was a silhouette of someone floating in front of him. It was translucent and allowed the light of the lava to pass through, giving it a red tint. The overall colour of the silhouette was a slight silver colour though. Upon Asta nearing more towards it, a few features became recognisable. The being had silver hair that was tucked back into a large ponytail and the eyes were a light shade of purple.
"Who are y-!" Asta started but then stopped immediately as he felt his voice shake from the shock and fright he was given. He stumbled backwards and the heel of his right foot bumped into a crack in the floor, causing him to fall backwards.
"Do not fret" the voice spoke in a very soft and warm manner.
Asta was afraid, his body feeling tense and stiff but the voice of the being caused him to calm down, almost immediately.
"You… you're Noelle…?" Asta said in a shaky tone of voice, still struggling to get up.
The being, who Asta confused to be Noelle, spoke up again in her warm tone. "Noelle… no. I am Acier Silva".
This revelation made Asta tear up. Even though he didn't know her and only heard fragmented bits of information about her from Noelle and Captain Nozel, the shock of the situation made Asta choke up.
"Acier… so, no… w-wait" the young Black Bull couldn't believe what he was looking at. After a few seconds of staring at what was known to be Acier Silva, the former Captain of the Silver Eagles, he stood up slowly, trying to get his breath back.
"You are Asta… are you not?" Acier asked politely with a big smile on her face.
"A-Asta… yes miss, I am Asta!" the boy still not understanding the situation but decided to go along with what was happening. "Oh, wait! There!" the magicless mage did the Magic Knight salute towards Noelle's mother to which she giggled at.
"You really are cute; there's no wonder Noelle thinks so highly of you!" she raised her hand to cover her mouth as she started to giggle. Her laughter was exactly the same as her daughter's and this made a smile form on Asta's face without him even realising it.
"Excuse me miss, but how do you know what Noelle thinks about me? How do you even know me?" the Black Bull had calmed down now. He still understood nothing of what was happening right in front of him, but he gathered that it did not make sense to continue questioning this anymore.
"How do I know you? Well, you are the one that saved Noelle's life, right?" the former Silver Eagles Captain asked.
"I… saved her life?" Asta asked as if he had no idea what she meant.
"Of course! With that necklace you gave to her… It is quite morbid to say, but while she was in her state of 'death' I managed to speak with her briefly, and that is when I found out". The head of the Silva family revealed a ton of information as if it was nothing. Asta, upon hearing what she just said started screaming and rolling around on the floor as he did not understand anything. One could even think there was steam coming out of his ears as if his brain was burning.
Acier, seeing Asta like this giggled again. "You certainly are strange, but since you made my Noelle's life happy, I must accept your… weirdness". she smiled.
Asta stopped rolling around on the floor and spoke. "That necklace…" he thought about it and remembered what happened in the throne room. "I remember my Anti-Magic causing it to light up in the throne room and then she woke up afterwards…". Asta then remembered the story the merchant told him when bought the necklace….
FLASHBACK START
"This particular necklace, according to legend it used to have special, healing properties but no one could make it work so it has just been passed around and sold to different people before landing here".
FLASHBACK END
"Did the necklace belong to you then?" Asta asked, still wondering about the history of the piece of jewellery he bought for Noelle.
"The necklace? No, I've never seen it before". Acier said with a confused look. The mystery of the necklace was still in the air and no answers could be presented for it.
"How come I kept feeling a familiar sensation then since the first time I came to the Underworld?" Asta asked politely, still not understanding how the two were linked.
"Hmm, I am not too sure, but it could be due to the bond you and Noelle share. That powerful bond, and it's similarity with mine and Noelle's, might have lead you to me". The former Silver Eagles Captain answered.
Asta and Acier pondered for a few seconds, Asta wanting to ask a question but was too nervous to ask due to the nature of it.
"Asta… ask away, do not worry! It is so nice to actually speak to someone, I have been trapped here for 17 years...". The last part she muttered with a sad tone of voice and a frown to her facial expression.
"O-okay… M-Meg-Megicula is the r-r-reason you're here, right?" Asta gulped at saying the name of the devil that brought so much pain and suffering to his life, but he needed answers even if it pained him to ask them.
Acier paused for a few seconds and then answered in a serious tone of voice. It was much different to how she presented herself as, but it made sense due to the nature of the question Asta asked. "Hm, yes, it is because of her that I'm in this state of limbo between worlds".
Asta was silent. He knew the answer because of what Noelle revealed to him in the Royal Castle's throne room, but he had to be sure.
"There have also been many cursed souls that have been transported here, after passing away in the Overworld, after coming face-to-face with that devil. There was even one a few months ago, though I never saw the face…" Acier revealed. "… Although, I am happy you defeated her and the host! You really are something, Asta" she smiled and tilted her head in a very cute way.
Acier was actually a very happy and positive individual it seemed like from the interaction between Asta and her. She was nothing like the rest of her family, in the sense that she was so bubbly. Although, Asta did know the reason why Nozel, Noelle and the others were the way they were.
Asta, however, was completely frozen at what Acier revealed to him. He eventually started to hyperventilate and stumble everywhere. The boy then threw up multiple times without stopping, causing him to violently gasp for any breath he could take. It was clear Asta hadn't recovered from the immense and emotional wound he had to his heart because of the loss of Sister Lily.
"A-Asta!" The Steel mage shouted in worry.
"Woah… brat are you okay?! Hey, you, royal! Give him a little shock… quickly!" Liebe shouted in fear.
"Who was that? Ah, okay…! Steel Magic: Piercing Lance!" Acier formed a much weaker version of her spell, compared to what she could use before when she was alive. She also struggled immensely to do so but she pulled through.
Acier managed to just poke the tip of the fragmented steel lance into Asta's shoulder and the little trickle of blood and slight pinch of pain made Asta stop and focus on the slight cut, and then he began to breathe properly.
"Asta, are you okay? You had me worried there!" the royal's spirit stretched her hand out, but realised it was pointless as she couldn't actually touch anyone.
Asta was on all fours, panting but recovering. "S-sorry…" he took in a huge gasp of breath. "It's just what you said… Megicula took someone very close to me too a few months ag-ago". Asta then managed to sit on the floor properly without any problems.
"Oh no! I am very sorry. I should have been wise with my choice of words… please forgive me!" Acier bowed her head to Asta. It was clear that Acier Silva was a person who didn't care about social standing and hierarchy with how she presented herself just now. It was also because of her happy and bubbly personality that she bowed because she didn't want Asta to feel bad.
"D-Don't bow! It's fine… haha" the magicless mage stretched his hand out and waved it to show that he didn't want to be bowed to. He then asked a question that he really needed the answer to "So, do you know if that person you saw is still here?" he wondered.
"No… unfortunately not, sorry" the Silva responded sadly.
Asta and Acier Silva then spoke for a few hours. They spoke about completely random stuff that didn't have anything to do with the situation at hand. Topics like the Magic Knights and the Wizard King came up for discussion, as well as Liebe. The attack from the Spade Kingdom was brought up too. Asta debated on whether or not to tell her about what Noelle's siblings had done to Noelle but decided against it to not bring any sadness to Acier. Many times, Asta had decided to go back to the base, but Acier, as if a small child, pouted and asked him to stay. It was nice for her to finally be able to speak to someone properly after 17 long years, and Asta was the one to provide that happiness for her.
"So… you like my daughter, don't you?" the royal poked at Asta's soft spot and saw him blush.
"Ah… ye-yes I d-do! I hop-hope that is okay with you, Captain!" The young Bull shouted as if to show respect, but also to mask his embarrassment at the question she asked him.
Acier was giggling a lot now. "You are something! Tell me, Asta, will you protect my daughter?"
"O-Of course!"
"Will you stand by her?"
"Y-Yes I will!"
"Will you love her?"
"L-Love… Of c-course I will!"
"Then confess to her when you finally leave here! I wish you all the best" she laughed and pumped her fist towards the sky.
"Are you really a royal…?" Asta thought to himself, but ultimately appreciated talking with her. "Thank you for the nice wishes!".
A few more minutes passed, and the time had come for Asta to go back to the others and return to the base.
"It was so nice speaking with you, but I have to go now! My friends will be worried since I stayed too long" he bowed to the royal.
"Ah, I guess I have made you stay for too long. Goodb-bye…" Acier waved but she didn't speak in the same, upbeat tone of voice that she had done for the majority of their time together.
"Her ki's telling me she's very upset right now… I wonder if I can do any-!" Asta pondered but then thought of something that could potentially work.
"Miss Acier! I have a suggestion" he walked towards the silhouette that had started to walk away.
"Yes, Asta?" she turned around with a smile, though it was most likely masked by her sadness of having to stay here.
"You're still cursed, aren't you?" Asta asked.
"Yes…" the royal replied, confused as to why he was asking a question like that.
"I think I can lift the curse… since it's been 17 years, the curse would be weaker now, right?" Asta began to speak with a slightly upbeat and excited tone to his voice.
"It has gotten much weaker, but it still causes me to be trapped here…" a tear rolled from her eye for the first time during this entire interaction. "… Wait… did you say you can lift the curse?" she perked her head up and looked into Asta's eyes.
"I might be able to, but since you're… dead, it'll just mean you go to the afterlife I think, instead of being trapped here" Asta answered with starry eyes. The prospect of helping Acier Silva was something Asta would do anything to do after how they had bonded.
As if on cue, Liebe spoke up to back up what Asta said. "That's true royal… you'll be set free".
Acier walked up to Asta and started crying. Tears fell down her face and evaporated as they touched the floor due to her being a spirit. She looked into the teen's eyes and pleaded. "Please… Asta, please save me from this hell!" she kept on crying.
"M-Miss Acier…" Asta didn't know what to say so instead he got ready. "Demon-Destroyer!" Asta shouted out and the Anti-Magic sword presented itself from the Five-Leaf grimoire and the Bull grabbed hold of it. "If this doesn't work… I don't know what I'll do" he thought to himself but then shook his head to get rid of the bad thoughts.
The Black Bull took a step backwards and pointed his sword forwards. "Causality Break!" he shouted as the Demon-Destroyer sword started to tremble in his hands. A few seconds went by and nothing happened. Asta was getting worried and held the sword handle with both hands and then surged his Anti-Magic through the sword as he transformed into his Black Form.
"Please… please work!" the Anti-Magic mage pleaded.
All of a sudden, a sudden spark of black electricity went through the Demon-Destroyer sword and then it started to happen. The Anti-Magic sword started to absorb the purple and black leftover essence of Megicula's curse from Acier Silva's body. A smoke like stream started to leave the royal's body and disappear into nothingness as it met the sword. Acier was beginning to feel lighter as her body started to float from the euphoria of the curse leaving her. Asta, however, was in great amounts of pain from the intense level of the curse that he had started to absorb.
Just like when he first used the Demon-Destroyer sword to save Father Orsi from the poison in Hage Village, he began to see flashes of memories and moments that lead up to Acier being afflicted by the curse, as well as her death. He saw Noelle as a baby, as well as the little baby's reaction moments before Acier died.
"Ah… AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Asta began to cough blood as he took the last remaining strands of the curse and he fell to his knees. The absorbing of the curse was finished, but it left a traumatic imprint on Asta.
"Asta! You didn't have to do this if your body couldn't handle it! You're too reckless!" Acier shouted for the first time in an angered but concerned way for the magicless mage.
"It… it's fine. It's nothing compared t-to what you've been… th-through" he coughed again but no blood came out this time.
Acier walked up to Asta. "No. You need to stop putting the weight of everything on your shoulders. Just by our short chat I realised how much you care for others, but please… remember when it gets too much for you to handle. In the future, remember that there are people you can count on when things seem bleak".
She then stopped and started again. "Although… thank you so, so, so much for what you did. Make sure you ask Mimosa to heal you!"
"O-okay, sure…" Asta was feeling slightly lightheaded.
All of a sudden, Acier Silva's body started to glow even brightly that it had done before. With Megicula's curse now lifted, she was ready to depart for the afterlife. The royal went to rustle Asta's hair and surprisingly she was now able to touch him.
"Woah…" Asta said.
The Silva started to float and disappear, her body becoming transparent and intangible. She leaned in to Asta and gave him a kiss on the forehead as a thank you and to show how appreciative she was.
"I'll never forget what you did for me. You are one amazing boy. Become the Wizard King and make sure you love my beautiful little daughter!" she waved and disappeared for the last time.
Asta waved until she was gone. "Goodbye, Miss Acier…" he smiled.
Asta then began to stand up and walk slowly towards where the base was. As he reached the exit of the area, he fell to his knees again.
Asta was crying. His tears stained his squad robe as well as the ground he knelt on. He remembered the flashing images he saw of Acier's life as he sobbed.
"How much have devils like Megicula caused people to suffer… Is… Sister Lily going through that too?"
He walked on.
NOTES:
I hope you liked this long chapter!
This was a very fun chapter to write. You'd never think that Asta would have a chance to meet Acier Silva of all people, but it happened!
I liked their interaction; it was quite wholesome, and I feel like Acier was someone kind-hearted and one who didn't let social standing influence how she felt.
There's still the question of who that necklace belonged to!
Asta gave Acier the promise of being there for Noelle so I wonder when they will finally reunite… :P
Asta also saved Acier basically. It would be something he would do, although it hurt him mentally.
You may be wondering where all the devils are, considering we're in the Underworld... well, maybe next chapter is the answer to that :O
