I would like to thank

KingJGamer for reviewing this story

The Lazy Dragon and Typhon Twilight for adding this story to their story alert list

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Back with Asta who had realized that everyone but him had been petrified somehow. There was no way he could find out if there was anything left around as not having no mana meant that he could not detect it either. So that would have been pointless to try at all.

These statues that all his friends and comrades had been turned into did not get off any kind of ki but he just had to hope that they were still alive despite the state they were in at the moment.

He then looked to see that whatever it was happen to be extremely powerful but was not exactly as deadly. Since Vanessa was around and Rouge did not alter this fate. Just to be sure Asta tried to undo the magic with one of his swords but nothing happened as Vanessa was still petrified.

"Why did Nero seemingly use magic on herself though," Asta said "What was she trying to seal"

Thinking about for a while then he realized something what if she was trying to seal the magic as it did not work on Vanessa and probably would work on the others because it was already long gone. This did not seem to be magic that was constant but instant and apparently overpowered.

"This might not work but it's with a shot," Asta thought as he took out the Demon Destroying Sword.

First placing Nero against the wall of the base as he wanted something to support her as he did not. He was not going to push that hard but did not want her fall over as there was nothing that keeps her standing upright if just push against her.

"Here goes nothing," he said pushing his third sword against Nero where her hand was on herself at the moment.

At first, nothing seems to happen but then after getting through her sealing magic, he seems to come across the magic that used to petrify everyone and it was so strong he had to go into his black form to get through it all.

"Did it work?" he said after exhausting himself in trying as he never had this much a problem before as not with the hardest time he had to undo the elf reincarnation.

"Apparently so as it seems each of our gambles paid off" Nero replied.

She was not sure her plan would work but she trusted in Asta to get it done and if not she was sure he would have looked after her along with the others.

"So did you try using the sword on anyone else seeing if it can work on them as well," she asked him

"Actually I did not as you were the first one I used this one," he told her not sure why he did not start out with the Demon Destroying Sword.

Nero noticed how Vanessa was effected thus confirm for herself that this probably was not fatal as she was not sure that Rouge's ability to alter fate would include her and if it did was she out of range at the time. There was the ability to use it at a distance like when Asta was brought in just when he was needed while the reincarnated elves were causing havoc everywhere.

"Let me try it then" he went about trying to use the Demon Destroying Sword on Vanessa this time around but it did not work.

Either his first thought was correct because the magic used had already worn off or because this magic was far stronger than him. Nero was just lucky that she must have caught the magic when it was at its weakest and had not been allowed to fully sink into her at that point.

"I am going to check on everyone inside the base," Nero told him "Bring everyone else inside and then keep a lookout"

"Is it just the two of us as..." Asta started to say.

"We do not know that just yet so we need to be careful as it only the two of us at the moment. Also, I probably should not be outside much anyway. I managed to counter it with your help once but what if it happens again or I am spotted." she said

Asta understood this as whatever happens could not seem to affect him as seemingly targeting only those with mana. Being manaless probably not made him immune to it but not detectable to anyone using mana to search as usual.

Checking all the room she could as the base could move around without Henry. So getting around was not easier than normal. Though when she came to Asta's room she did notice something that was not supposed to be there.

Standing in his room was Noelle for whatever reason. Nero could not really understand why at least not fully. The expression froze on her stone face shown she had convinced herself of the reason she was there was not because of her apparently feeling for him.

Nero herself spent a lot of time in this room when she was trapped in her bird form but now had one of her own.

'Should probably move you from here as would not want Asta seeing you like this' she thought.

Using her magic to move the Noelle statue to at least standing outside as Asta ran into out there quite a few times before.