Disclaimer: Black Clover is owned by Yūki Tabata, Studio Pierrot, and Shonen Jump.
Saga 11: Sympathy For the Devil
Royal Capital, Magic Knights Entrance Exam Venue, Common Realm, Clover Kingdom (Evening)
Yuno, Juniper, and Jericho meet up with each other at the amphitheater's outer halls.
"So Juniper, you're a Blue Rose now..." Yuno spoke.
"Yep." She remarked. "I'll send you letters to you though."
"He'll be in good hands." Jericho stated.
"C'mon newbie! Don't make us leave you behind!" A female voice called out to Juniper.
"I'll see you two soon!" Juniper then dashes off towards where the voice came from.
"So..." Jericho trailed off. "Shall we make our way to our new lives?"
Yuno shrugs as the two then head to where Captain Yami and the two other Black Bulls members were.
"About damn time you've showed up." Captain Yami blew out a puff of smoke to Yuno's face and Jericho's neck.
"Just saying our final goodbyes to an old friend of his and a new friend of mine." Jericho chimed.
"Whatever." He sighed out. "You two, meet your seniors." Captain Yami introduced.
One was a young man with wavy dirty blond hair with a long olive-green tunic with forest-green boots that reached below his knees.
The other was a man was sharply dressed with a cap with the Black Bulls symbol on the center. His complexion was pale and has thick black mascara around his eyes and a black lipstick on his lips.
"The name is Finral Roulacase!" The dandy-looking man stated. "And next to me is Gordon Agrippa, and I assure you, he only looks... unnerving." He trails off for a moment before getting back on track. "Nevertheless, he's a nice guy, I assure you."
"(It's nice to meet you all. I hope we can get along.)" The pale man mumbled.
"Likewise, Mr. Agrippa." Jericho responded while smiling.
"(Please, call me Gordon.)" Gordon smiles back at the tall ex-royalty.
"Why of course, Gordon." Jericho responded.
"WAIT! YOU TWO ARE ACTUALLY COMMUNICATING!?" Finral yelled out in surprise.
"At first it was hard to make out what he was saying, but after focusing for a bit, I managed to make out the last part of his mumbling speech." Jericho responded. "Train your senses hard enough, and you can hear a pin drop from a mile away."
"So you're familiar with ki then?" Captain Yami responded.
"My family only has the most basic fundamentals down. I myself is still trying to improve my overall three-dimensional reactionary time, which is roughly around 0.4 seconds."
"Um... Captain?" Finral asked. "What's ki?"
"We'll talk about it later." Captain Yami responded. "We're running late, so Finral, can you open a way back home?"
"Eh?" Finral exclaimed. "Can't we use our brooms instead!?"
"Like I said, we're running late." The man stated menacingly. "So shut up and surpass your limits, pretty boy."
Finral sighs in resignation as he then opens a magic portal, revealing a dirt road leading towards somewhere.
"Can you please hurry and walk through already?" Finral spoke in a shaky tone. "I can only hold this portal open for so long, you know."
"Shut up and hold it open." The captain spoke menacingly. "Like I said, it's time to surpass your limits."
Finral groans as the new recruits of the Black Bulls walk through the white portal.
"Wait, where did Noelle go?" Yuno asked.
"She went ahead right after the ceremony was over." Jericho stated. "On which squad that she's accepted in, I think we're going to meet soon."
Yuno smiles slightly. Maybe then, he would be able to apologize to her properly.
Once the group enters through the gate, Yuno and Jericho find themselves standing before a haphazard, yet solid-looking fortress of stone bricks and moss.
Yuno then heads toward the front door, but not before Jericho places his hand onto his shoulder.
"I suggest you to stand back."
"Wait, what do you-"
The front door of the base explodes off of its hinges, revealing the riot taking place in its interior.
"GET BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!"
"Ha ha! You're gonna have to catch me first!"
The cause of the door's destruction was currently slinging fireballs towards another smaller youth who was currently jumping all over the place with traces of lighting behind his heels.
"WILL YOU TWO SHUT IT!? I CAN'T HEAR MY LITTLE ANGEL MARIE'S VOICE OVER YOUR BARBARIC YAPPING!" Another voice roared out from the corner of the room, revealing to be a dark-lavender-haired man with a floating mirror showing a little girl on it.
Yuno sweeps the room, eyeing the following:
A barely-dressed woman was lying on a red velvet couch with a heavy blush on her face and an empty bottle slipping off of her fingers. A squat-looking girl was eating enough food to feed the entirety of Hage Village for about a year, and continues to eat more as sheep with fluff-topped hats serve more food onto the table. And to top it all off, a large and rotund man was standing there, huffing out steam with every breath that the giant took.
"Before you ask, no, this kind of crap only happens on every time when Luck bugs off Magna over anything... which is once every week." Finral in an exasperated tone.
Yuno enters through the broken down door, without fear in his eyes.
"Kid's got balls." Captain Yami muttered. He then huffs out a stream of smoke. "With that said however..." He then heads towards one of the walls in the room, balling his bulky right hand into a fist emitting a dark energy.
"EVERYONE CUT THE CRAP AND STOP BREAKING EVERYTHING IN HERE!" Captain Yami then drives his [Dark Magic] reinforced fist into the brick wall behind him.
Literally everyone in the room stops what they were doing and line up in front of the captain on their knees.
"... Anyone going to point out that he's the one causing the most damage here?" Jericho asked his senior Gordon.
"(No need. This place fixes itself. Literally.)" The young man mumbled.
Jericho then notices the pebbles of the broken-down brick walls slowly putting themselves back together.
"Guess I do learn something new everyday..." Jericho then smiles at Gordon while shrugging.
"WELCOME BACK, CAPTAIN YAMI!" All of the kneeling members said in unison.
"Oi, Captain Yami! Did anyone get too uppity with ya today!?" The young man with the [Fire Magic] spoke out. "If so, THEN I'LL KILL THEIR ASSES!"
"Hey Captain! Hey Captain! Hey Captain!" The youth with the [Lightning Magic] prodded the man. "Can you spar with me? C'mon, just one round! Just one round!"
"Forget them, Captain." The drunk woman slumped over the Captain's shoulder. "Come have a round or two with me, would you?" She spoke in a flirtatious tone.
"Hey Captain!" The short woman approached the Captain. "Please have a bite! I made it myself!" She prods him with a freshly-baked cupcake.
"Captain?" The man with the mirror approached. "Can I go back to seeing my sister now?" The man's nose was dripping blood out of his nostrils at increasingly dangerous volumes. "I'm already getting the withdrawals."
The giant just huffs out another stream of steam.
Yuno and Jericho look at each other with befuddled looks on their faces.
"Glad to see that you're all doing okay." The Captain adopts a jovial tone before shifting back to his serious tone. "Now sit."
"Sorry." All of the members crowding around him disperse and kneel themselves before Captain Yami in a perfect row.
"Much better." Captain Yami then huffs out another puff of smoke. "Finral, the introduction."
"Oh, right." Finral then presents the two new members to the group. "Alright. You two can start."
"Very well." Jericho speaks first. "My name is Jericho Platnia, 17 years old, and a former royalty with my whole family now residing in a lone observatory in the Forbidden Realm for research purposes."
"And I'm Yuno, 15 years old, hailing from Hage Village, and a four-leaf." He then presents his four-leaf grimoire to the group.
"An ex-royalty and a four-leaf from the boonies? Man, we have quite a haul this year..." The [Fire Magic] user muttered.
"Alright, shitstains." The Captain spoke. "Introduce yourselves to the newbies. And yes, that includes you two as well."
Finral slumps in disappointment.
"Then allow me to take the lead." The young man with the [Fire Magic] boldly stated. "The name's Magna Swing, and I'm Captain Yami's #2 man among men!"
"So, Vice-Captain?" Jericho asked.
"You could say that." Magna boasted.
"Forget him." The [Lightning Magic] user pushed him aside. "My name's Luck Voltia, but who cares!?" Luck then eagerly approaches the two new recruits. "So tell me, how strong is an ex-royalty and a four-leaf?"
"Can we tell you at a later date?" Yuno asked. "It's already getting late."
"Aww..." Luck pouted. "Fine, I'll wait." He then looks back with a slightly crazed look. "You better, alright?"
Jericho gives him the "OK" sign with his right hand. Yuno blinks in confusion.
"Alright, my turn." The barely dressed woman approaches the two youths. "My name is Vanessa Enoteca, and I'm glad to see new faces around here." She giggles slightly. "How about a welcoming drink, you two?" Vanessa offered the two cups of dark red liquid.
"I'm underage." Yuno flatly speaks.
"And I only drink wine in seldom." Jericho speaks while trying not to eye anything inappropriate.
"Hey." The man with the mirror approached the two newbies, holding out a picture of a little girl. "Look at it. This is my little sister Marie, and she is my angel." His tone then drops a few decibels below menacing.
"Lay even a finger on even her single strand of hair, and I'll flay your asses alive. Got it?"
"Please, good sir. At least tell us your name." Jericho cut in.
"Only if you promise to put my sister's life before yours." The man responded.
The two nod briskly.
"I'm Gauche Adlai, and you two better keep your ends of the bargain." Gauche answered. "Otherwise..." He then draws a line through his neck with his thumb.
"You're both ending up on my shitlist."
"Hey Gauche, that was a little mean, dontcha think?" The petite lady chided. "Ignore him, he means well." She then pulls out another cupcake from her satchel. "My name is Charmy Pappitson, and I pride myself being Clover Kingdom's greatest gourmet!" Charmy then extends her cupcake towards the two. "Want a bite?"
Jericho takes one half of the cupcake as Yuno takes the other half.
"Well, how is it?" She interjected.
"It's good." Yuno spoke while eating.
Jericho then swallows his food before speaking. "Did you make this yourself?" He asked.
"Heheheh." She chuckled. "I had a little help." She gestures to the sheep with the white hats.
The giant man breathes out another stream of steam.
"That's Grey." Finral spoke out. "He's not much of a talker and no one knows who he really is, but he's wouldn't hurt a fly."
Gordon then steps forward. "(And as you've know already, my name is Gordon Agrippa. It's a pleasure to work with you two from now on.)"
"Likewise." Jericho responded.
Yuno nods.
"Wait, you can hear what he's saying?" Magna spoke out.
Finral and Captain Yami both nod.
The introduction goes as planned.
"And as you've already known, my name is Finral Roulacase, and just as you know, I'm a ladies man." He boasted.
"Umm... 'A' for effort?" Jericho questioned his supposed Casanova status.
"THANK YOU!" The whole Black Bulls group sans Finral cried out.
"EHH!? WHAT'S THERE TO DOUBT ABOUT ME!?"
"You're better off not asking." Captain Yami addressed. "So, Vice-Captain Magna, the robes?"
"Heh. LEAVE EM TO ME, CAPTAIN!" He then pulls out the Black Bulls signature robe. "LISTEN UP, NEWBIES! YOU WANT THESE ROBES SO BAD!? WELL I'VE GOT NEWS KIDDIES! YOU AIN'T GETTING EM FOR FREE!"
"So what's the catch?" Yuno asked.
"Heh, glad ya asked." Magna huffed. "WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN INITIATION TO SEE IF YOU'RE WORTHY OF THE HONOR AND PRIDE OF BEING A BLACK BULL MEMBER!"
"This'll be fun." Jericho quipped.
Everyone in the room then heads outside, where this supposed initiation was being held.
"Oh boy..."
"He's at it again..."
"I wonder which of the two is stronger."
"I'm too sober for this kind of crap happening this late..."
The two recruits then stand before Magna.
"First, we're going to see how much guts and stamina you two have!" He barked out. "I want 5,000 push-ups, 5,000 sit-ups, and lift these giant boulders next to me for a minute straight! Oh, and you can use magic to help you out."
"No need." Both Yuno and Jericho rip their tops off in unison, revealing two marble-sculpted pecs and muscles glistening in the moonlight above them.
The two then do what the Vice Captain ordered them without issue.
The rest of the Black Bull members watched in awe.
"How are they even..."
"Wait, don't the Crimson Lion Kings have this kind of regiment?"
"Nah, I've heard it's even more brutal."
The two then toss the boulders off of their shoulders, with sweat sparkling from their forms.
"ALRIGHT!" The Vice Captain barked out. "I SEE THAT YOU TWO AREN'T DEAD YET!"
"What else do you got?" Jericho panted out.
"NOW YOU'RE GOING TO BREAK THOSE ROCKS THAT YOU JUST CARRIED!" Magna barked out. "USE WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY TO BREAK EM!"
"Then allow me to start." Jericho then takes a deep breath as he approaches the rock.
He then places his the tip of his fingers onto the rock, right before suddenly coiling his fingers into a fist onto the rock's surface.
He then turns and walks away from the rock.
"OI! YOU DIDN'T BREAK IT-"
Just before Magna could finish his sentence, the rock behind Jericho shatters.
"Wha- HOW!?" Magna cried out.
"Ki." Jericho responded. "I concentrated it into my hand and upon contact, I released all of it onto the rock, causing an influx of energy to flow inward, causing an imbalance within its natural structure, hence, the explosion."
"Translate, egghead." Captain Yami spoke out plainly.
"I think that topic is better off said later by you, Captain." Jericho retorted. "After all, your knowledge in Ki is much more expansive than my whole family's."
"You got me there." He then puffs out another smoke.
"ALRIGHT!" Magna points his finger towards Yuno. "YOU'RE NEXT!"
Yuno then opens his four-leaf, coiling his open hand with wind.
"Oh, so he's using magic instead."
"At least this'll be a bit easier to grasp..."
Yuno then swings his arm downward, causing a breeze to go through the rock.
The rock then splits cleanly in half.
"Whoa..."
"Now I can't decide which is stronger..."
"To hell with that! I want a 2v1 next time we see each other!"
"GOOD JOB, YOU SHITSTAINS!" Magna barked out. "BUT IT AIN'T OVER YET!" He then paces back from the two as he opens his grimoire. "YOUR LAST TEST IS TO SEE IF YOU CAN STOP MY [Fire Magic]!"
"And I supposed that the 'any means necessary rule' applies her as well? "
The Vice Captain nods.
"Mind if I go first, Yuno?" Jericho asks.
"No. I'm going next." Yuno then walks ahead of Jericho.
Yuno then opens his grimoire, readying himself for what's to come to him.
"HERE I COME, NEWBIE!" A fireball is formed in Magna's hands. "[Fire Magic: Explosive Fireball]! DIE!" The fireball is then flung towards Yuno at blistering speeds.
Yuno, in the moment once again, just like with that time with the charging boar, the world slows around him to a crawl.
In that window of time, Yuno casts [Wind Creation Magic: Air Bubble- Separator] around the fireball speeding towards him. He then clenches his hand, causing the bubble around the fireball to close into it, snuffing the fire out completely.
The world goes back to normal once again.
"GOOD JOB, NEWBIE!" The Vice-Captain barked. "YOU PASSED!" He then firmly pats Yuno on the back.
"If I may?" Jericho cut in.
"Wait right there." Magna then escorts Yuno out of the ring and heads back to where Jericho was standing before him. "ALRIGHT! YOU READY!?"
Jericho stretches his sculpted arms forward before opening his grimoire. "[Platinum Creation Magic: Stardust Knuckles]." Platinum gauntlets are formed around his hands and arms. "Come at me with all you've got, Vice Captain."
Magna winds up a throw with the fireball in his hands. "[Fire Magic: Explosive Fireball]! DIE!" The fireball bolts toward the ex-royal.
Just before the fireball can claim its victim, Jericho claps onto the fireball, causing a sudden flash of light before smoke coming out between his metal hands.
"Phew..." Jericho breathed out in relief. "Missed for even a millisecond, I would've burned my face off..."
"WAIT, HOW!?" Magna yelled out.
"I copied Yuno's technique." Jericho answered. "Fire, magic or not, needs air in order to keep burning."
"So what you just did was that you put out my fireball by clapping onto it?" Magna asked. "Like how I used to put out candlelight with my licked fingers?"
"Fundamentally speaking, yes. They both follow the same principal."
"WELL, DOESN'T MATTER!" Magna shouted. "BECAUSE YOU TWO PASSED!" He then tosses the two of them their robes along with their whipped-off tops.
The two of them put on their clothes and their robes, now cementing themselves as official Magic Knights.
"I did it Asta." Yuno thought. "I'm one step closer to fulfilling our dreams."
Meanwhile, Noelle, unknown to the recruits, looks down from the building's tower.
"Hmph, never thought that those two, out of all people, would join the Black Bulls." The girl then turn away from the view and heads back to her quarters.
Demon's Hideout, Clover Kingdom (Midnight)
The Demons after their failed operation were scurrying like rats on a sinking ship.
They were spreading out their acquired loot, fixing their scrap weapon back to a serviceable state, and the rest were outside with makeshift shovels, doing something, apparently.
Astaroth meanwhile, was doing push-ups, while handstanding, with Claudius squatting on the flats of his feet, doing squats with a giant rock on held behind his back.
The two figures on each other were at unparalleled coordination with each other's movements.
"9,989... 9,990... 9,991... 9,992..." The two Fallen Angels were counting in unison up to 10,000.
"MILORD!" One on the Fallen Angels came sprinting in. Astaroth looks up to see a feminine-looking Fallen Angel coming in from the entrance.
"What is it, Belial?" Claudius then jumps off from the Prince's feet and lands on the ground.
"I BRING TERRIBLE NEWS!" She cried out. "WE'VE SPOTTED SOMETHING EXTREMELY DIRE."
"You mean an intruder?" The tactician calmly replied.
"NOT JUST ANY INTRUDER SIR." She heaved out.
"It's an elf."
Claudius's facade of calm shatters, revealing an emotional equivalent of a thundercloud that's about to rain down lightning that would even make God piss its undergarments.
"Bring. The. Elf. To. Me."
Belial falls to her rump as she scrambles away from the enraged Fallen Angel.
Even Astaroth was taken back how furious Claudius was right now.
Then came down the lightning.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"
The female Fallen Angel flutters with her wings, with panic in her every flap from her molting wings.
To Be Continued...
Author's Notes: Guess who's back?
Here we are, Yuno and one of my OCs making it into the Black Bulls, and both of them doing what Asta would do in canon, save for the amount of exertion.
Because no matter how much the two train, Yuno will never be Asta, but sure as hell he can try.
Because not giving is not only Asta's magic.
It's everyone's.
Shame that the majority in the canon setting doesn't recognize this as a good thing.
Onto the Demons, and hoo boy...
They might wanna make some butterfly nets, because a hurricane is coming.
(See if you get that reference and on what it means.)
Also, for funsies, Belial's Voice Actor (hypothetically, as usual):
Kaede Hondo (JPN), Amanda Lee (ENG)
Also, important announcement;
I now have a set drafting schedule where I'll write one chapter for each of my ongoing fanfics because f*cking reasons.
Also, I rather not leave one fic hanging dry for too long.
So, what do you guys think of this chapter?
What's your opinion on Yuno joining the Black Bulls in order for him to properly inherit Asta's will, instead of joining the Golden Dawn for a quick and easy route?
And how many butterflies will there be to catch in the AU?
(And on a side note: who here actually believes in the theory that "Licht/Patry is the one who brought the rain of light onto his own village on that fateful day, courtesy (unwittingly) of Julius Novachrono"?)
Leave a comment or a review, for I'd like to know what my audiences are thinking.