Disclaimer: Black Clover is owned by Yūki Tabata, Studio Pierrot, and Shonen Jump.
Saga 28: Who Can It Be Now?
Clover/Spade Borders, Caesar Village, Forbidden Realm, Clover Kingdom (Afternoon)
The news travels fast through the ranks of the Magic Knights, and immediately, a call for mobilization was authorized.
Among those who are mobilized were the Black Bulls (Captain Yami and Gauche), the Blue Rose Knights (Captain Charlotte, Masquerade, Papilion, Bastelt, Morrigan, and Aion), and the Green Mantises (Captain Jack "The Ripper" and Sekke).
Currently, they were all at the makeshift medical tents laid just outside of the village's entrance.
"And none of them were killed?" Charlotte asked.
"It's a miracle that they're all even alive." The medic stated. "Especially after Vice-Captain Langris had his own [Spatial Magic] rebounded back towards him."
"Wait, rebounded?" Masquerade pointed out. "Just what kind of magic was the enemy using?"
The staff shakes his head.
"Unfortunately, we weren't able to discern what kind of magic that the enemy used, but we did manage to get its general appearance."
The three Captains look at the projected picture from the staff's [Memory Magic].
"... A child?" Charlotte spoke out disbelief.
"Keh keh keh. These wops got their asses handled by a friggin' schoolboy." Jack snickered out. "That's actually kind of hilarious."
"You know that said 'wops' are two of my guys and possibly several of yours, right?" Yami pointed out.
"Keh keh keh. Not my fault that they got their asses kicked." Jack shot back.
"Men these days..." Charlotte sighed out. "... So what's the current status?"
"The enemy hasn't moved from the spot where the wall was broken down from." The staff stated. "But I think it's best if you've just looked what's happened before you came here."
Through the staff's [Memory Magic: Playback], they saw the image of the giant pig monster burrowing itself into the earth, and revealed on its back was a house-like building.
After complete burial, its tusks were still erected from the earth that it was buried in, and from the building, six other figures came out, tied a banner on the pair of tusks, and between the house and tusks, several rock formations, one large flat-topped stone with four smaller flattops around it, were risen out of the ground.
"... What the hell?" Yami spoke out.
"We are all baffled as you are, Magic Knight Captains." The staff stated. "We specifically called aid for other Magic Knights to investigate this little... anomaly."
"Keh keh keh. So the spineless one called us just so he doesn't get shanked by a possible trap." Jack mocked the cowering staff as he lifted the mage by his robes. "Either way, you got balls."
"I-I-I'm just the guy handling communications!" He stuttered out. "F-Fighting isn't in my payroll!"
"Jack, that's enough." Yami grasped onto his shoulders. "If you want to kill something, save it for the guy that almost did in my guys."
"Keh." He snapped. "Whatever. I don't kill weakings."
As the other Magic Knights went out, Yami was stopped by Magna tugging on his pants.
"... Capt'n..." Magna groaned out.
"... At ease, Vice-Captain." Yami stated. "You're alive, so keep it that way, understood?"
The delinquent Magic Knight goes back to resting in his cot as Yami joined up with the rest of the Magic Knights.
They all steadily headed towards the buried boar, conversing along the way.
"So Gauche..." Yami spoke out. "... I've noticed that you've been rather... calm of this whole mess lately. Is something in your system? Because it's kinda getting creepy."
"All that matters is my angel of a sister, Marie." Gauche matter-of-factly-pointed out. "As long as she's alive and well, everything else is irrelevant."
"Bah-ha! How cold blooded, Black Bull." Sekke huffed out. "And I thought you were part of the whole 'misfits with a heart of gold' kind of deal."
"I do have a heart of gold." Gauche defended himself. "But it's only reserved for my dear Marie."
"The way you speak of your younger kin is that of a person's betrothed." Aion pointed out. "... Please tell me that is not the case."
"What wrong with loving one's family!?" Gauche barked back. "And since when did you have the permission to talk about my Marie, you blind bitch!?"
"... My sword hand shall be stayed for the time being." Aion stated after a pause. "Make me retract my current state of mind at your own peril."
The siscon mage growls before brushing her off.
Aion then approaches Yami from behind.
"... Oh." Yami spoke to the blindfolded girl. "It's been a while."
"Hai, Sukehiro-sensei." Aion spoke in Yami's native tongue.
"Stop." He stated while scratching the back of his scruffy hair. "It's been over five years since you transfered. You can cut the formalities."
"True, but my debt to you is impossible to repay." Aion stated. "I owe you my life, Sukehiro-sensei."
"Yami?" Charlotte asked. "What did you do to her before she came to the Blue Rose Knights?"
"I was drunk off my gourd back then." Yami stated. "When I get wasted, I slip back into my home language, so I think she caught on naturally or just has some weird innate ability to read people's thoughts, but either way, I just thought her my language along with basic kenjutsu out of reflex."
"I stand corrected." Aion smiled shamelessly.
"... I'm conflicted." Charlotte groaned.
"Keh keh keh!" Jack cackled out. "At least I have dessert after the main course!"
"Take a bite of me, I dare you." Yami goaded as he walked ahead.
"Ahem!" Charlotte cut off the two men.
She then points towards the banner hanged over their heads as they walk by.
"... Twrch Trwyth Tavern?" Yami raised an eyebrow. "Is the enemy trying to kill us, or are they serving drinks?"
"I'm not paying." Charlotte stated.
"First round's on the house."
Between all of them, the short blond figure appeared.
All of them jumped away , readying their grimoires and swords.
"Yo!" The blond greeted. "You mind putting those things away? I'm running a catering business here."
"Keh keh keh!" Jack cackled as he brandished his [Death Scythes]. "The only thing I'm catering is a buttload of asskicking!"
"You're under arrest for the unlawful breaching of the borders of th Clover Kingdom!" Charlotte declared. "Surrender quietly, or be taken by force!"
The short blond sighes out in disgust.
"... That is literally the third time someone from here said that to my face, and frankly speaking, it's kinda getting ridiculous." The blond boy stated in a deeper voice. "Look, I ain't here to kill or conquer. Just want to serve drinks to other people outside of the Spade Kingdom, that's all."
"Then why did you break down the walls!?" Masquerade asked.
"I only did that after I noticed that the whole blood Clover Kingdom was surrounded by walls like some sort of xenophobic isolationist nation." The blond stated. "Not only that, but one your guys almost set me tavern on fire. Wearing red, flying on a broom, had two others, one in green and one in black, gave each of em a good one right in the kisser." The blond claimed while clenching his fist.
"Their jobs were to deter any intruders by the borders!" Papillon stated.
"Yeah, tell that to those trigger-happy jagoffs that I laid em good." The blond stated. "You know what, talking's getting us nowhere, you guys are really proving yourselves to be decent people, and I want to expand my business, so here's the deal."
The blond then sits down, arms and legs crossed.
"Take a shot me at your own discretion, and force me to submit." The blond stated. "And as a bonus, I won't fight back."
"Keh!" Jack scoffed. "You've should've said that sooner, kid!"
Jack then swings down his [Death Scythes] towards the blond.
"IF YOU AIN'T GONNA FIGHT BACK, THEN I'LL MAKE YOU FIGHT BACK!" Jack screeched out. "[Severing Magic: Death Scythes]!"
Two green-colored crescent blades come flying towards the blond.
The blades hit, but upon contact, the [Death Scythes] come back towards Jack.
"[Dark Magic: Yami Matoi Kuroba]!"
Yami parries the two rebounded [Severing Magic] away from the group.
"Tch." Yami scoffed. "Thought it was a trap."
"Nah, it's just that you guys are shite mages." The blond called out.
"Then rudimentary combat it is." Aion stated right before flash-stepping towards the sitting blond.
"Aion, don't!" Yami cried out.
She then quickdraws her Chokutō towards the blond, with its gleaming blade lined up towards his neck.
The blade was then caught mid-swing, between the blond's index and thumb.
"Warmer." He stated. "But not warm enough."
Aion's sword then shatters in the blond's grasp.
Aion hops back to where her Captain was at, gritting her teeth in frustration.
"So direct combat isn't an option, then." Charlotte grimaced. "Perhaps indirect combat then."
She then thrusts her [Conqueror's Brandish] into the earth, and her [Thorn Magic] bursts out of the blond's feet, wrapping him in brambles up into the air.
"I got you now!" Charlotte cried out triumphantly. "Now surrender!"
"No, I suggest ducking." The blond pointed out nonchalantly.
The briars around the blond then begin to tremble around his person.
The barbed vines explode off of the blond, with a stray vine lashing across Charlotte's face, to fast for Yami to react.
"Shit! I couldn't parry it in time!" Yami thought.
A massive gash was formed where her nose was at.
"Wha-What the hell?" Charlotte gawked out.
Yami was completely loss for words at Charlotte's newly formed scar that ran across the midsection of her face, without the nose.
Charlotte feels her face, and hysterically screams in horror after she realised that her nose was ripped off of her face.
"Oh my god, Captain!" Bastet cried out as she bandaged Charlotte's now-heavily scarred face.
"Alright, this is starting to turn really embarrassing." The blond stated. "You know what, if you jagoffs aren't paying customers, then I'll simply kick all you out myself."
"Wait, paying customer?" Yami pointed out. "So if we drink in your bar and pay for our drinks, you'll agree to call it ceasefire?"
"Yami, what are you doing?" Charlotte whispered out.
"Getting the mission back on track." Yami hushed the bandaged Captain.
"Finally!" The blond threw his arms up joyously. "Come inside!"
"Keh, so much for fighting." Jack scoffed in disappointment.
"... That was anticlimactic, bah-ha." Sekke stated lifelessly.
"Well, better than nothing." Bastet stated. "... But I don't drink."
"We don't just serve rotgut, ya know." The blond stated. "Tavern stirs up a really mean gruel fit for royalty."
"Then I await in anticipation~!" Morrigan stated.
The Magic Knights reluctantly head into the tavern.
In the tavern's interiors, they were greeted by a pig.
"Welcome to Twrch Trwyth Tavern!" The pig spoke out.
"... Please tell me I'm hallucinating, and that this whole 'tavern' is one giant elaborate trap." Charlotte muttered out as the pig trotted away elsewhere.
"Nope, this is reality." The blond stated. "... What, aren't talking fauna a thing in your Kingdom?"
All of the Magic Knights shake their heads.
"Over there, even the dogs talk occasionally." The blond stated. "Hell, some of them are smart enough to use grimoires."
"Yep!" The pig cheerly pointed out. "My name's Moccus! I'm this tavern's mascot, waiter, and the user of [Food Magic]! Any leftovers that I devour will be converted to my mana!"
"So you're just like Charmy." Yami pointed out as he took a seat by one of the tables.
The others then take their seats around the tavern.
"So..." The blond stated. "... Any potential plus ones before I take your orders?"
Yami then looks at Charlotte.
"... No." Charlotte stated. "We don't."
"Alright then!" The blond slapped his hands together. "My name's Dagda, and this afternoon, I shall be your host! What can I get ya fine folk?"
Moccus then hands the Magic Knights the menu lists.
"Any drinks to get you ladies and gents started?" Dagda asked.
"Two pints of stout for me and sticks over there." Yami stated while pointing towards Jack. "And as for the rest of you..."
"Water." Charlotte spoke.
"Same." Gauche spoke.
"Same." Masquerade stated.
"I'd like some apple cider." Papilion stated.
"Milk for me." Bastet stated.
"A whiskey float." Morrigan stated.
"Black tea." Aion spoke.
"Guinness." Sekke stated smugly. "A name worthy as such as myself."
"Got it." Dagda wrote the menu down. "Anything to eat?"
"Shepherd's pie." Yami stated.
"Corned beef and cabbage." Jack spoke.
"Lamb stew." Charlotte stated.
"Corned beef hash." Gauche stated.
"Potato pancakes." Masquerade stated.
"Onion soup with extra cheese." Papillion spoke.
"Chicken sliders." Bastet stated.
"Coddle." Morrigan stated.
"Colcannon." Aion stated.
"Slow-roasted lamb and cabbage, bah-ha." Sekke stated.
"So two pints of stout, three cups of water, one pint of apple cider, one pint of milk, one whiskey float, one cup of black tea, and one pint of the Guinness for the drinks..." Dagda then went down his list. "... And for food, one shepherd's pie, one corned beef and cabbage, one lamb stew, one corned beef hash, one plate of potato pancakes, one onion soup with extra cheese, one plate of chicken sliders, one coddle, one colcannon, and one slow-roasted lamb and cabbage. Am I missing anything?"
"Nope." Yami stated.
"Alright then." Dagda spoke right before heading back into the counter. "CISSO! WE GOT CUSTOMERS!"
The sounds of clattering pots and pans were heard.
"Oi capt'n..." A deep and smooth voice rang out. "... You said customers?"
"Yep." Dagda spoke back.
"Put the order where I can see em and say no more."
Dagda then goes behind the counters, sets up nine barrel mugs and one tin cup, pours water in three of them, two were filled with foamy-looking black ale, one was filled with milk, two were filled with a glop of vanilla ice cream poured onto with amber-brown liquid, the other was filled with the black-colored stout, and the tin cup was filled with warm water dunked with a teabag filled with black tea leaves. He then puts them all on the trays, and rings the bell on the counter.
From upstairs, footsteps were heard, and from the door leading up, a curvaceous, silver-haired female in pink-colored blouse with cut-off sleeves edged with ruffles and a dark blue pencil skirt enters, her leather slippers clicking and clacking on the wooden floors.
"So Dagda?" The silver-haired girl spoke to the short blond. "These are our first customers?"
"Hey, better than having no business in a foreign land." Dagda spoke. "Be lamb and take the drinks to them, will you?"
"Yes sir!" She then lifts the two trays and carries them towards the table.
She places the trays on the tables, and she then passes the drinks out.
... In the wrong order.
"Um, Aengus?" Dagda stated. "Ya got the order wrong again."
"Ah! Sorry!" Aengus squeaked out.
She then switches out the stout in from Sekke with the Guinness from Yami.
"Bah-ha! A true gentleman can handle a folly. Especially from a beautiful lady like you." Sekke directed it towards Aengus.
She quickly walked away with a blush.
"Oi, that's my woman you're ogling." Dagda spoke out. "You can ogle, but only I'm allowed to lay a hand on her, alright?"
Sekke grumbles as he drinks.
"... So while the food is being cooked, you folks wanna ask me anything?" Dagda asked.
"Will you please explain why you came to the Clover Kingdom in the first place?" Charlotte asked. "And unlawfully, to boot?"
"What? Is there a law that you have to be legalized to enter into this Kingdom?" Dagda shot back.
She freezes upon hearing the statement that made too much sense in hindsight.
"... Do we even have immigration laws?" Charlotte asked. "I mean, Yami's technically an immigrant, but since the Wizard King took him in personally, no one really bothered with the details..."
"Oi, quit looking at me like that, ice queen." Yami deadpanned as he drank his pint.
"But remember one thing." Dagda continued. "I'm only here to expand my customer base. Nothing more."
"Keh keh keh." Jack cackled as he set down his mug. "So here's my question, what's the Spade Kingdom like?"
Dagda scratched his head.
"... I'll answer that if you can tell me a bit about yourselves." Dagda pointed out. "I mean, the food and drinks aren't for free, ya know."
"Alright." Yami spoke out. "Ask away. Because sure as hell that no one else's interested in talking."
"Gotcha." Dagda stated. "So first of all, what's with all those colored robes?"
"These?" Yami pointed towards his Black Bulls robe. "There are Magic Knight Robes, the pride and symbol of Clover Kingdom's Magic Knights."
"Hmm, and I'm guessing that you lot are kind of like the Kingdom's military, right?" Dagda pointed out. "If so, why the division? Shouldn't the nation's military force be concentrated under one coalition, or is it like each color are under a umbrella term?"
"The latter, I guess." Yami stated. "There are nine Magic Knight Squads in total. For example, I'm part of the Black Bulls, beansprout over there is a Green Mantis, and prickly princess over there is a Blue Rose Knight."
"So what makes each of them unique?" Dagda asked as he refilled Charlotte's mug of water.
"Blue Rose Knights are an all-women squad, with the very few men in there acting as literal manservants. Green Mantis usually take up urban affairs, like catching purse-snatchers and the occasional drug rings. And as for the Black Bulls..."
"Keh!" Jack scoffed. "Those guys are at the bottom of the barrel, and where the Magic Knights dump their undesirables at."
Aion glares at Jack with her blindfolded eyes as she sipped on her tea.
"Bottom of the barrel?" Dagda pointed out. "Last I checked, the big guy over there is the strongest out of all of you lot!"
Yami bursts into a hearty laughter.
"Hey beansprout!" Yami gloated. "He said that I'm stronger than you!"
"Keh keh keh!" Jack chuckled out. "You wanna take this outside!?"
Charlotte binds the two of them with her [Thorn Binding Magic: Spinning Wheel Bindings].
"Forgive me." Charlotte sighed out. "They're idiots."
"Eh, they're my general customer base, but at least those guys are decent enough to take it outside." Dagda shrugged off.
"... Did a fight happen inside the tavern before?" Aion asked.
"The whole damn tavern got its entire roof blown off. Multiple times." Dagda pointed out. "Currently sitting at number twenty-seven..."
"How is this place even running?" Charlotte asked Dagda.
"They were smart enough to pitch in." Dagda stated. "Partially because they like Cisso's cooking."
"Food's ready!"
From the kitchen, a tall and lean male with short and spiked silver hair, with a massive gash running down to his midsection from his left nape, wearing a red leather jacket over his bare upper body, over it was a plain-white apron, a pair of red leather pants, and a pair of plain black shoes.
"Name's Cissonius." The silver-haired man greeted with a sharp-toothed grin. "Pleasure to meet ya."
He then sets down the food on the trays right before ringing the bell.
"Oi bossman." Cissonius talked to Dagda. "Why we didn't wake everyone else up?"
"Let's just say that I prefer to have the roof intact during our first impressions within the Clover Kingdom, and not spend the first day her patching the roof." Dagda snapped.
"Fine..." Cissonius grumbled as he rang the bell.
"Ugh, you know what time it is!?" A young boy's voice cried out from upstairs.
"You've been sleeping 16 hours, ya wee bastard!" Dagda called out. "We've got customers!"
"... OH CRAP!" The boy's voice cried out. "EVERYONE! WAKE UP! WE'VE GOT CUSTOMERS!"
Sounds of cluttering were heard in tandem with multiple footsteps.
"... This place isn't that good on staff, isn't it?" Yami pointed out.
"To be fair, we haven't had business for over a week." Dagda pointed out. "Cisso is the only one bothering waking up before six in the morning to make sure that the produce is still fresh."
The door leading upstairs opens to reveal at least five people tumbling down the stairs.
One was a chestnut-haired boy wearing an oversized hoodie-coat over his dark blue long sleeve shirt with turquoise-colored cargo shorts, and a pair of sneakers. Another was a large-looking (a head taller than Yami) girl with her brown hair tied in twintails, wearing an orange-colored leather bodysuit with cropped off sleeves and legging, wearing a comically-small backpack and a pair of green-colored boots. Another was a feminine-looking and bespectacled male with a magenta hair formed in a messy bob, wearing a light-pink t-shirt over his black knit sweater, a pair tight black pants cut off at the midsection of his forelegs (which were also like a woman's/immaculate), and a pair of pinch slippers with brass buckles. another was a slim and curvy-looking woman with raven-black hair, wearing a stylized blue-violet longcoat with a puff of white fur around the coat's collar, barely buttoned up and preventing her breasts being seen bare, a pair of short-shorts, and a pair of high-heeled boots that went up to her thighs. And finally, there was a massive moustached and redhead man with bulging muscles, wearing nothing on his macho upper body, with the only articles of clothing being a pair of forest-green pants with its overall straps hanging around the sides of his pants, and a pair of brown combat boots.
"... That's a very diverse group." Papillion pointed out.
"Morning, capt'n." The boy yawned out. "... Can you all get off of me?"
"I will allow it." The moustached man stated as he got off.
"No need to tell me." The raven-haired lady spoke as she also got off.
"I was about to." The androgynous male stated as he also got off.
"Sorry..." The twintailed girl apologized as she got off.
"... So, these are my folks." Dagda stated. "Shorty there is Cernunnos. The big girl here is Danu. Boy-girl there is Ogmios. The lady there is Brigid. And the macho man is Lugh."
The Magic Knights were stunned at the bumbling group.
Not because of their oddly mismatched dynamic.
But because of their overwhelming mana signatures.
"Holy shit..." Charlotte thought.
And those guys are content with catering drinks and grub?" Yami thought.
"They're genial, for sure. But caution is still heeded." Aion thought.
"... Just who are you all, really!?" Sekke choked out.
"... Um, guys?" Cissonius called out. "Food's getting cold."
"I got it." Cernunnos then motions his hand, bringing a stuffed bear and dog from the second floor.
The stuffed animals then pick up the trays and set it down on the tables.
"Take what you ordered." The boy shrugged before he yawned.
"At least they look familiar..." Yami stated as he took a bite of his shepherd's pie. "... Holy shit, this is good."
The Magic Knights then immediately forgets the overwhelming presence of the tavern staff as they dig into the godly-tasting food.
As they dug in, they continued to ask questions to Dagda.
"So..." Yami asked. "... What is the Spade Kingdom like, anyway?"
"Well, definitely not like the Clover Kingdom..." Dagda stated.
"Like what, precisely?" Charlotte asked.
"... I mean that this too quiet." He stated. "I mean, this place is way too peaceful."
"Something tells me that there's more to the story..." Aion pointed out.
"... Well, for starters, the whole 'Kingdom' is not as united as one would think." Dagda stated. "Whole country is divided into three factions."
Dagda looks at Brigid, which then she then takes out a roll of paper from her cleavage.
"Thanks." Dagda then sets down the roll on the counter, which floats into the air, as it slowly unfurls into a map.
"As you can see from the map, the Kingdom is divided into three." Dagda pointed out. "The disputes began around 600 years ago amidst a succession crisis, with three heirs warring against each other, each of them fighting over the throne."
"And who won?" Yami asked.
"No one." Dagda answered. "For 600 years, the succession war has gone into an endless stalemate, and at that point, no one bothered for the kingship anymore, but we fought for so long that it's the only thing that we could do."
"... How the hell we didn't know about this!?" Charlotte pointed out. "This kind of news would surely be known to all four kingdoms!"
"Does anyone here know of foreign affairs?" Brigid pointed out.
No one answers.
"... Guess that's a no, then."
Dagda then goes over the map.
"First, the Northwestern end." Dagda stated. "There lies Camelot, a faction led by a counsel of 13 Magic Knights like yourselves, most notable of them consisting the likes of Gawain, the 'Blazing Sun', Tristan, the 'Phantom Arrow', Belvidere, the 'Boundless Power', Kay, the 'Thunderclap Charmer', Lancelot, the 'Lunar Berserker', Galahad, the 'Night Watcher', and arguably the strongest, and the one who brought them all 13 of those bastards together, Arthur Britannia Pendragon, the 'Astral Hero-King'."
Dagda then points below Camelot.
"Then comes the Southwest, where lies the Liberatum." Dgada pointed out. "It was once the weakest kingdom of the three, but after the rumors of its prime minister being outed by the prince, it began to amass more power after the prince, Charlemagne Karl Carolus Magnus, came into power, accepting people from all walks of life, from nomads from Heart Kingdom, Clover and Diamond Kingdom dissidents, and there are even rumors that it even recruited two girls from a foreign country called 'Hanafuda'."
Yami almost spits out his drink upon hearing that name.
"Hmm?" Dagda looked at the Black Bulls Captain. "Somethin' wrong with the stout?"
"...Nothing, just... carry on." Yami tried to regain his composure.
"Around the Eastern border beyond the neutral territory, lies Ulster, a coalition of various warrior tribes under one chieftain, Fergus Mac Roich Gaedurg, a mage that is so strong, that he levels forests as leisure with his magic." Dagda stated. "He himself is pure-blooded human, despite his magic being roughly that of twice of a pure-blooded elf."
"Wait, elves?" Sekke pointed out. "That's ridiculous! They only exist in fairy tales!"
"Nope. They're real." Dagda stated. "They came to the Spade Kingdom after a great calamity befell upon their race, and since then, they became part of our country since."
Charlotte then looks at Cissonius noticing that his ears were slightly pointed.
Just like an elf's.
"... Cissonius, are you perhaps an-"
"Nah." Cissonius cut off Charlotte. "Half-elf on my ma's side."
"Keh keh keh!" Jack cackled out. "So that's why you're all so friggin strong!"
"It's not just elves, ya know." Cissonius pointed out. "Dwarves, jotuns, and the occasional demon. We're all a melting pot of a population."
Yami chokes on his food upon hearing the word 'demon'.
"... Yuno said the same thing." Yami thought as he chewed his food. "Let's see where this goes..."
"So what are you guys?" Yami asked.
"Danu's a full jotun, Cissonius is half-elf, half-human, Cernunnos is half-elf, half-dwarf, Ogmios is half-jotun, half-dwarf, Brigid is one-quarter elf, one-quarter dwarf, one-quarter jotun, and one-quarter human, Lugh's half-elf, and half-jotun, and I myself am a demon on my pa's side with my ma being a dwarf." Dagda stated.
"What about her?" Sekke pointed towards Aengus.
"I'm full-human." She bashfully stated. "Sorry to disappoint."
"Eh, better than those mudbloods." Sekke stated snidely.
Danu then picks him up by his collar.
"Say that again, you bastard." She snarled out.
"Please take it back." Dagda begged as the others hid behind Lugh. "I prefer to have the roof intact."
"And why would I do that-"
Danu then turns massive.
As in around three stories tall, breaking through the roof with Sekke wrapped around her massive fingers.
"HOLY SHIT! SHE'S MASSIVE!" Bastet cried out.
"KEH KEH KEH!" Jack cackled out gleefully. "NOW SHE'S WORTH CUTTING UP!"
"Um, you that's your guy, right?" Yami pointed out.
"THAT'S A JOTUN!?" Charlotte screeched out.
From her backpack, she takes out a bronze-colored hammer, which then turns massive enough to fit her grip.
"Aw shite, she brought out Scoilteoir." Dagda sighed out while the other Magic Knights gawked. "... Did he at least write a will prior?"
"SHE'S GOING TO KILL HIM!" Masquerade pointed out.
"Only if he doesn't apologize." Dagda blankly stated. "Ain't my responsibility if someone gets their ass laid on a silver platter because he was an asshole."
He then leaps up towards Danu's head.
"You might wanna apologize now, buddy." Dagda stated towards Sekke.
Sekke himself already fainted in Danu's grip.
"I think he's dead, Danu." Dagda stated while poking at Sekke's cheek. "You can let go of him now."
With a huff, she drops the unconscious Sekke into Jack's arms.
"Keh. Get off of me." Jack scoffed as he dropped Sekke on the floorboards.
[WHAT'S GOING ON!?]
A projection of Marx appears in front of Dagda, with the now giant-sized Danu kneeling down to take a closer look at the projection.
[GAH! WHAT'S A GIANT WOMAN DOING HERE!?]
"Yo." Dagda greeted at the projection. "Sorry about the scare."
A door appears before them, revealing the Wizard King.
"... So the Spade Kingdom's inhabitants are quite a handful, aren't they?" Julius stated. "Also, she's a jotun? I knew that they existed in the past, but to see one in flesh, is quite astounding."
He then turns to the half-demon proprietor.
"So." He asked. "What brings you folk here to the Clover Kingdom?"
"Business." Dagda answered. "Wanted to expand customer base so thought coming here would help keep this place running."
"Could've you at least done it a not such a blasie way?" Julius pointed out.
"Tell that to your trigger-happy Magic Knights that tried to burn down my tavern." Dagda stated. "Had to stop em myself before they set our livelihood on fire."
"So that's where all that noise was coming from..." Cernunnos yawned out. "... I'm going back to bed."
The half-dwarf, half-elf goes back upstairs, disregarding the fact that that the roof was no longer there.
"... So you're saying that the Magic Knights stationed by the border attacked you without warning." Julius stated.
"To be fair, Langris was in charge of this week's post." Yami pointed out.
"Is something significant about him?" Dagda asked.
"Just the fact that he's an uncaring psychopath who'll kill anyone out of sheer provocation, or at least what his older brother told me." Yami stated.
"... Oh! You the foppish looking jagoff with the beige and gold robe who thought that he could take me, and that he can kill me with one fell swoop with a swing of his hand." Dagda chuckled out. "... Yeah. I made sure that he'll never have children again with a swing of my hand."
"Yep, that's him." Yami stated while taking a drag.
"Umm, what's that in your mouth?" Aengus asked Yami.
"A cigarette." Yami answered. "Never seen one before?"
"... Sorry, those don't exist in the Spade Kingdom." She meekly replied.
"So no ashtray, then..." Yami sighed out. "... Alright, I'll be outside."
"It seems that you're addicted to those 'cigarettes'." Ogmios pointed out.
"Eh, as you grow up, an addiction or two sticks on ya." Yami waved off the magenta-haired male's statement as he left the tavern.
"... That aside, I'm assuming that he's not dead?" Julius asked Dagda.
"Eh, no vitals were struck, so he oughta be fine." Dagda answered. "That goes for the rest of your Magic Knights stationed here after they kept pelting their balls of fire and water at me."
"I'm curious." Julius stated. "Just what kind of magic do you folks have?"
"Oh, a cultural exchange." Brigid spoke out. "I'm also curious to see what the inhabitants of the Clover Kingdom are like in the arcane arts."
"If it's a tussle ya want, then let's take it outside." Dagda stated. "Aengus, get ready in case if it gets really ugly."
"Ready Dagda!" She replied as she and Moccus put on steel helmets.
All of them (sans Danu, she technically outside) head outside of the tavern, including Marx's projection.
"So!" Dagda spoke out in front of the group. "Who wants to go first and face which of us?"
"Capt'n." Danu spoke out from above. "Let me have at greeny down there."
"Keh keh keh!" Jack cackled out. "My first jotun that Imma cut down!"
"Them fightin' words." Dagda stated. "But first, DANU!"
The jotun looked down.
"You mind shrinking down?" Dagda called out. "At this rate, we're going to end up with a casualty!"
"... Fine." She pouted. "But only because the capt'n said so."
She then shrinks down back to her normal (but relatively tall) size.
"Alright everyone, stand back." Dagda stated. "And I mean all the way to that village over there."
"Why?" Morrigan asked with her (slightly buzzed) blush.
"Trust me." Dagda stated.
They all walk back to the village with the other villagers as audience.
"Aengus, you ready?" Dagda asked the silver-haired girl.
"I got the beer ready!" Moccus spoke out.
"Wait, is that pig talking?" Julius spoke out.
"You'll get used to it." Yami pointed out as he took a drag.
In the clearing between the village and the mobile tavern, stood Jack the Ripper, the Captain of the Green Mantis Magic Knights, and Danu, the jotun.
"Keh keh keh." Jack cackled out. "You got balls fightin' me, girly."
"You're an asshole, you know that?" Danu pointed her bronze hammer towards Jack.
"Keh keh keh!" Jack cackled out once more. "To live is to fight! And as my position as Magic Knight Captain, I can meet and fight strong people as much as I want without restraint!"
Danu grimaces.
"You're just like everyone else back home..." Danu grumbled out.
"Less talking..." Jack hissed out.
He then opens his grimoire.
"... MORE FIGHTING!" He cried out. "[Severing Magic: Silhouette Blade]!"
A large magical slash comes closing towards the jotun girl.
Danu takes a deep breath as she raised her hammer.
"[Terraform Magic...]"
Danu then strikes her hammer down onto the earth.
"[... Glacier Gladius]!"
To Be Continued...
Author's Notes: So yeah. I went there.
I'm basically homaging the Seven Deadly Sins themselves in all of their OP glory.
Also, Spade Kingdom headcanons!
1) The canon lore states that they have the strongest military force out of the four kingdoms, but in this AU, their military strength is causing them to be divided into three sub-powers with each one trying to conquer the other.
2) Elves, the ones that were either exiled, ran away, or escaped, all of them found themselves within the Spade Kingdom's civil war, where unlike the Clover's idiot nobles, the Spade Kingdom were smart enough to seek out their help in their war efforts.
3) Claudius does not know of this detail. Cue Twilight Sparkle-level (Lesson Zero, specifically), freakout in future.
Also, Hypothetical voices (For funsies)!
Dagda: Yuuki Kaji (JPN), Bryce Papenbrook (ENG)
Aengus: Sora Amamiya (JPN), Katelyn Barr (ENG)
Moccus: Misaki Kuno (JPN), Christina Kelly (ENG)
Cissonius: Tatsuhisa Suzuki (JPN), Anthony Bowling (ENG)
Danu: Aoi Yuuki (JPN), Carli Mosier (ENG)
Cernunnos: Jun Fukuyama (JPN), Michael Sinterniklaas (ENG)
Ogmios: Yūhei Takagi (JPN), Micah Solusod (ENG)
Brigid: Maaya Sakamoto (JPN), Amber Lee Connors (ENG)
Lugh: Tomokazu Sugita (JPN), Christopher Corey Smith (ENG)
So what do you guys think of this Saga?
Leave a comment or a review, for I'd like to hear what my audience has to say!
Also, sidenote, CSULB Semester about to start soon.
Prepare for major slowdown for all fics post August 26th of 2019.