Chapter 19
Here Comes a Challenger
"For the last time, I'm not going with you guys anywhere." Cain huffed, trying to lose the people walking behind him in the halls of the Golden Dawn base.
"Come on, it'll be fun." Johan tried to persuade him, turning to the blonde behind him."Right, Arthur? You and Yuno wanna tag alone too."
"I'm down." Arthur nodded, turning his attention to Yuno."I'm surprised you want to tag along, though, Yuno. This isn't your usual group."
"Mimosa and Klaus are busy doing something else." Yuno supplied, his expression demeanor ever-present."Besides, this is a perfect opportunity for me to fight that Raiden kid from the Black Bulls. He beat Asta, so I want to test my strength against him."
"I see. Honestly, I'm intrigued to see how strong the Black Bulls are." Arthur expressed his curiosity."I heard many things about them. Mostly bad, but some good, of course. Even more so recently. I'm confused as to why you are so persistent on inviting Cain."
"We want him to see his brother because this little fella here got himself a date!" Johan gave him a shit-eating grin, causing Cain to slam his hand on his mouth.
"It's not a date. I keep telling you this." Cain hissed, narrowing his eyes."We just agreed to hang out so I can teach her a few things about keeping herself healthy, is all. Plus, I've been doing missions nonstop lately. I deserve a break."
"And having a day off with such a dreamy girl no less. You have high standards." Johan wiggled his eyebrows after Cain released his hold on him."Luna, was it? She likes you though. I heard Mimosa's brother saying that. I'm surprised you didn't react to it at all."
"I'm good at concealing my emotions." Cain answered calmly, turning his face away to keep his composure."Besides, I didn't want to make her uncomfortable. More than she was. She's a good girl. Very nice and smart and has incredible magic power. But she can be too arrogant and demanding. Not to mention she always likes to judge me whenever we cross paths. Overall, I guess it's always interesting to be around her."
He found it suspicious that no one seemed to have a comment about what he said. Slowly turning his head, he caught glimpse of the grins his squadmates were giving him. Even Yuno, who was famous for being nonchalant about most things, had a small smile on his face."Ah, piss off. I don't want to talk to my brother anyway."
"Oh, so that's what this is about!" Arthur exclaimed, finally piecing things together."Come on, he's your brother. You can't just ignore him the rest of your life."
"Watch me."
"What did he even do to you anyway?" Johan inquired, eager to know why Cain didn't like his sibling."Surely it couldn't have been too bad to be disowned by his brother."
"It's complicated. I just..." Cain stopped in his tracks, noticing another group of members in the distance.
"You just don't seem to understand, Yudachi, that no matter how hard you try to pretend to be one of us, you just aren't." Cain recognized that man as Alecdora, one of his seniors and one that doesn't take too kindly to juniors, especially those who are beneath him in terms of status.
"Yeah, you're just a peasant with peasant parents." Another member laughed at him, pushing him on the floor."You're giving us nobles a bad name by pretending to be one. Know your place!"
Yudachi fell on his knees, bowing on the floor."I'm sorry...I acted out of place."
"And now he's doing it again." Alecdora spat with disgust."Coward rat can't even defend himself. If you know your place, then stop acting like you're anything important, you lowly commoner!"
"That's enough." Cain intervened, taking the group of nobles by surprise.
"Tch. It's you." Alecdora narrowed his eyes at Cain."Another misfit. If you think kissing up to the Vice-Captain will you get you anywhere, you're mistaken."
"Strong words coming from you, who is constantly behind the Captain and licking his boots." Cain countered, narrowing his eyes dangerously.
"You lousy little-!"
"Is there a problem here?" Langris leisurely made his way to the group, followed by Letoile, with a haughty smile."Letoile here was telling me there's a...ruckus going on. I sincerely hope you're not causing a scene in our base."
"No problems here, sir." Arthur approached the smaller mage with a friendly smile."Just boys being boys, right guys?"
"Right..." Cain and Alecdora begrudgingly said in unison, going back to their separate parties. Langris approached Yudachi, poking him on the leg with his foot.
"Get up. You're a member of the Golden Dawn. Start acting like it."
Letoile frowned at Langris' approach, so she decided to jump in as well by extending her hand."Come on, Yudachi. Let's get you cleaned up."
Yudachi, however, slapped her hand away, grumbling to himself as he got on his feet."I don't need your help."
"Oh?" Langris observed with interest the unexpected response.
Yudachi spared a glance to Cain and his group, lowering his head in shame at how they had seen him.
"Hey, want to come to hang out with us?" Arthur stepped up, giving him a sincere smile."We'd love to have you around, Yudachi. What do you say? We're going to go visit the Black Bulls right now and-"
"I don't need your pity!" Yudachi barked, cutting the noble off. He walked past Langris and Leotile, making his way down the corridor, taking a sharp turn and disappearing from sight.
"He's very high maintenance, isn't he?" Langris chuckled at the whole thing, his gaze falling on Cain."So, what are you guys up to together?"
"Nothing/We're going to have some fun."
Langris blinked, puzzled."I don't think I heard you correctly."
"We're going to visit the Black Bulls but Cain is refusing," Yuno explained, causing Langris to nod in understanding."He has a date, and she's demanding for him to make up with his brother."
The soon-to-be head of the Vaude family covered his mouth, stuffing his laugh."I see. Normally, I'd be against you lowering yourself to visit the lowest squad in the kingdom, all things considered. But you know what? I don't need your assistance today, Cain. Besides, this could be a good learning experience for you. If a lady is asking a favor from you, you should listen to her, no?" He said, almost mockingly.
"What?!" Cain couldn't 't believe what he was hearing."Vice-Captain, you got it wrong!"
"Great! You heard the big man. Ah, I don't mean to make fun of your height, sir!" Johan gave a few bows, earning a dismissing hand by Langris.
"Worry not. It's not your fault you do not know how to behave properly." Rolling his eyes, Langri made his way back to his office, followed by Letoile."Have fun."
Johan and Arthur picked up Cain before he could squirm away and forced him out of the base with Yuno close on their trail.
"A word that gives you joy."
"Destruction."
"Uh...okay...One of your hobbies?"
"Blow things apart to create something more beautiful."
"Favorite word...?"
"Kaboom."
"This is..."
"This blows. Not in a good way."
Outside, in the garden of the Aqua deer, Karina sat with her squadmate, Fragil Tormenta(if you don't know or remember who this is, it's the girl that teamed up with Langris and Sekke in the royal knight exam.), enjoying the sun on a bench as their others squad members lunged around.
"I agree that perhaps I picked the wrong thing to do..." The dark-haired young woman rubbed her chin.
"No, duh!" Karina scoffed, throwing a piece of chocolate in the air and catching it with her mouth. She then began playing around with her golden locks, careful to not drop her hat."Karina thinks that you should have thought this through before asking her to hang out. Why did you even ask me to meet you here?"
"Well, if I'm honest, I was worrying you were feeling left out." She explained, adjusting her fuzzy hat."I've noticed you keep your distance from everyone else and focus solely on blowing things up."
"It's not just "blowing things up", airhead." Karina sneered, causing the taller girl to wince."It's my art. It's how I express myself. Besides, I'm perfectly fine by myself, thank you very much. Karina doesn't like to spend time with people that function slower than she does."
"That's a little harsh, don't you think." Fragil frowned in a disapproving matter."We're your squadmates. We can't be talking about each other like that."
"Please, don't give me that goodie-two shoe act. There must be someone you don't like."
"I can't say that I do." Fragil admitted."But...do you feel that way about me? If you don't like me, then why did you accept my invitation?"
"I find you more tolerable than the rest." Karina gave her a dismissive wave."Don't think too much of it. We don't have many female members in our squad, so I guess having some girl talk is better than nothing."
"I didn't know you'd be interested in that." Fragil was taken back."I thought you'd be more focused on your art, like the Captain."
"Oh, I am. I don't give two shits about girls' stuff. So don't go expecting me to gossip or tell you which boys are hot and whatnot. Also...don't go calling whatever the Captain does art. It's not. His paintings are mediocre at best, plus they don't have any ultimate value."
Fragil decided to not chastise her for talking about her captain that way."Okay. So what makes art have value?"
"Isn't it obvious? I thought even you would get it." Karina smirked, opening her Grimoire and pulling out a chocolate spider that began crawling along her arm."Art is only meaningful when it leaves a lasting impact. Otherwise, the fuck does it matter? Those paintings can look pretty all the way, but ultimately, they are useless in the grand scheme of things. My art, on the other hand..." Karina tossed the spider in the air before snapping her fingers."Kaboom!"
The spider exploded, leaving behind a trail of mana."Is obliteration. It can leave a powerful effect behind depending on where it's used."
"So mainly, you focus on sculptures." Fragil was amazed at what had happened."How do you even do that? Is that your magic? But wait, your magic is chocolate magic, right? How can you have two different types of magic?'
"A valid question. Karina is satisfied with your level of intelligence." Karina shot her a peace sign."It's a gift that Karina was born with. I can infuse my mana into smaller inanimate objects and burst them at will. It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it? Cool, huh? You can keep on praising Karina."
"It's certainly interesting and very unique. To combine your natural talent with your magic...I can see why they consider you one of the strongest members of our squad. But I also see why you can't work well in a team. If all you do is blow things up, you can potentially hurt your comrades."
"Yeah, that's true. This is why either they need to move or just man up and tank the explosions. Regardless, I'm a one-woman army, so I have nothing to worry about."
"But still, don't you think blowing up your sculptures is a waste? I mean, the ones I've seen are incredibly detailed and well made. Wouldn't you want to preserve them?"
"There is never any good in preserving things. Life is all about enjoying things in the heat of the moment, right? As I always say, life is an ephemeral stage that must be lived to the maximum. Because our performance can be cut short in an instant. Just like that. So it would be wise to spend our time trying to give meaning to our lives and make them worth something that will go down in history."
"Is that...why you try so hard to make your art leave a mark behind for people to remember?" Fragil spoke slowly, trying to choose her words carefully."Are you afraid of...your art being forgotten?"
Karina stopped tapping her foot on the grass, remaining motionless. She clenched the edge of the bench, her nails nearly digging into it.
"Uh, I'm sorry..." Fragil clasped her chest."I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."
"I just remembered." Karina spoke in a surprisingly calm tone."There is an art exhibit today in the Capital. I was going to make fun of their shitty art. Want to come along?"
Fragil's eyes widened after hearing the unexpected invitation. She cleared her throat before replying."Of course. Though I can't be judging too hard. I'm not an artist. Plus, I think everyone will do their best."
Karina suppressed a snicker, jumping on her feet."If their best is shit, then sure. Chocolate Creation Magic: Soaring Sweet Eagle!"
A huge eagle made of chocolate appeared, crouching on the floor and lowering its wings. Karina jumped on its back, sitting down and patting the spot next to her."Come on. Don't be shy."
Fragil, unsure, slowly approached the chocolate creature, timidly patting its head."Don't worry. This one won't explode. Unless I want to."
"Somehow, I don't find that reassuring at all."
Back in the Black Bulls base, is a pretty uneventful day. Everyone was out doing their thing. Some of them were training while others were doing extra missions to get some extra cash. For Raiden, this was a terrible day.
"Make sure you scrub the cage of the magic beasts thoroughly." Yami hollered at him from the couch, a newspaper in his hand."I can't recall the last time that thing was cleaned."
"Yes, sir..." Raiden grumbled as he continued to scrub the floors. He was wearing his typical attire except for his robe, his bandana, and his sweater, leaving him only with his long-sleeve shirt. In addition, Yami had forced him to wear an apron decorated with girly hearts as well as a facemask to cover himself from the dust.
"To think you went ahead against my orders and caused a scene in the Black Market." Yami closed turned the page, idly reading over the words."I hope you know that the damage done on the stands you broke is coming out of your paycheck."
'Yes, sir..." Raiden clenched his fists.'I can't believe they fucking snitched on me! It must have been Noelle. How dare she?!'
"By the way, what do you think about Abel? He's been acting a bit funny recently. Did something happen over there?"
"Huh? Oh, I don't know. I wasn't there for that part." Raiden nonchalantly replied, frowning once he noticed a weird stain on the floor."Didn't these guys tell you anything besides saying that I caused trouble?"
"Actually, they didn't bring you up at all." Yami stated without missing a beat."I figured that's where you were. You pretty much confessed."
"I...I...But I...Damn it..." Raiden hit his head on the floor repeatedly.
Charmy entered the living room, carrying a cupcake in her hand. She made her way to Raiden, squatting in front of him."Eat up, Raiden. A big boy like you has to be hungry after working so hard in cleaning the entire base. Don't be shy if you want seconds!"
"Thanks, Charmy." Raiden sat up, eagerly taking the sweat treat."You're a lifesaver."
"No need to thank me. Just making sure everyone is properly fed."
"Well, as long as you don't overfeed me again, no complains there." Raiden dryly commented."Don't have anything planned today?"
"Nope! Although I've planned out what I'm going to eat today."
"When don't you?"
"Hey, guys!" Asta yelled, waving at everyone in the room."Man, what a nice training session I just had. Can't wait for the next one!"
"Lucky you."
"Hey, you're the one who fought us." Asta reminded him, much to his dismay."You had no reason to try to kill Mariella like that."
"Doesn't matter anymore." Raiden said, going back to being on all fours and began his scrubbing again."You guys got what you wanted. By the way, you asshole, you're lucky the Captain got me to confess. If he didn't, you would have doomed me by blurting it out."
"I don't remember you asking me to keep it a secret." Asta pointed out, wiping the sweat off his body."I was unconscious. All thanks to you."
Raiden grumbled under his breath, too miserable to bother to give a snarky reply.
"Has anyone seen Abel?"
"Went out." Yami answered."He was acting a bit strange before leaving. Hopefully, he'll go back to normal before we go to the Underwater Temple. We'll need his assistance."
"True. Plus, it would suck if he misses his chance to see the beach." Asta added on, feeling sad for his friend."Whatever that person from the Diamond Kingdom did to him must have done a number on him."
"All mental damage." Yami scratched his head."Not a single wound was inflicted on his body. Just what kind of spell can do that? I heard of illusion spells, but none on the same level as that one."
"Who knows." Asta looked at his palm before closing it."I wasn't there. That Galleo guy transported us somewhere else. When we got back, everything was already done."
"I'm surprised he had enough strength to fight with me afterward." Raiden voiced his opinion."Hell, he gave me more of a fight than you, Asta."
"Oh, shut up!"
"Which reminds me, remind me how you lost again?" Yami closed his newspaper, scowling at the magicless knight."You shouldn't have gotten your ass handed to you the way you did with Ki. Didn't you learn anything?"
"But I did use Ki!" Asta argued."It just wasn't working!"
"What do you mean it wasn't working?" Yami leaned forward, giving Asta an incredulous look."You better not have messed up, kid, after making such big progress in Nean."
"I swear I tried my hardest!" Asta rose his hands, shaking his head frantically."But I couldn't sense him. It felt like...really weird. It was blurry. I couldn't pinpoint his movements at all! Like something was interfering."
"Blurry?" The Captain was intrigued by this information, shifting his gaze to his newest member."How did you do that, Raiden?"
"I don't know." Raiden shrugged, not elaborating further. He saw that Yami wasn't going to take that for an answer."I have no idea. I tried concealing my mana. Maybe that's how I did it? It's hard to explain."
Yami pondered over those words for a bit before letting out a prolonged sigh."Well, I guess it doesn't matter. Just train harder next time."
A loud knock on the door alerted the current Black Bulls in the room. Yami lazily got up his seat, groaning."I swear I don't care who is behind that door. Forcing me to get up...I'll kill them..."
"Didn't you say that me suggesting to kill enemies was overused...?" Raiden muttered under his breath, hoping that Yami hadn't heard him. Nearly yanking the door apart, Yami immediately went to grab whoever was misfortunate enough to be on the other side of the door.
"Ah!"
"Wait a minute..." Yami put the young man down, looking at him from head to toe."Abel? When the hell did you wake up? And what are you doing wearing that uniform? You're not planning to ditch us, are you?"
"Ah, sir? That's not Abel. This is his older twin brother, Cain." Johan held Cain's shoulders, the boy still dazed after what happened.
"Twin brother? Oh, yeah. He did mention him a few times." Yami said upon recalling the times his brother came up in conversation."So? What brings you guys over here? Wait a minute, I know you. You're Arthur Pendragon Kira. Nephew of the current king."
"Wait, what?" Johan turned to the second tallest of their group."Your uncle is the king? Why didn't you say so?"
Arthur rubbed the edge of his nose."I don't want people to treat me any differently for it. Besides, it never came up and I felt like I would be bragging if I brought it up first."
While Johan and Arthur began to talk with each other, Yuno stepped in front with Cain."I met one of your members. His name was Raiden, I believe."
"Ah, shit. What did he do this time?"
"No, nothing happened. It's just that I promised him as I going to challenge him for a fight. You see, Asta is my childhood friend and I was shocked when I learned Raiden defeated him so easily. So I want to see where I stand up against him. This will also help me determine just how far I am ahead of Asta."
"Yeah, that's the way, Yuno!" Bell emerged from his hood, yawning."That was a nice nap. So refreshing."
'He has the Wind Spirit.' Yami observed, his interest piqued."Well, you sure sound confident. He did some stupid stuff so he's grounded at the moment, busy cleaning the base. But I suppose I can let him go for a few minutes. I want to see what the new boys of the Golden Dawn can do. Asta! Raiden! Get your asses out here!"
"Wait!" Johan perked up."Is Abel also home? His older brother here is concerned about him and he would love to see him."
"That's not it at all."
"Unfortunately, Abel isn't here right now. He went out and I don't know when he'll come back. He wasn't feeling very well."
"Is that so?" Arthur asked in concern."Did something happen?"
"Uh..." Yami sweatdropped, trying to come up with a decent excuse.
"He fell in love with some weird girl and is doing stupid things that people in love do," Raiden answered for Yami, exiting the base after finishing putting his sweater on.
"There you are. How's the floor looking?"
"It's...looking good. Although it'll probably mess by dinner. There's still a bit of cleaning left."
"I can help with that." Arthur gave Raiden a friendly wave."Hello! You must be Raiden. I heard so much about you from Johan. My name is Arthur Pendragon."
"Kira," Yuno added.
"Right..." Raiden eyed Yuno, a sense of excitement welling up inside of him."So, you showed up."
"I was in the neighborhood and thought I should pay a visit." Yuno explained, earning a chuckle from Raiden."But seriously, we have a day off today so I thought to cash in that fight we agreed to have."
"I see." Confirming his suspicions, Raiden nearly smiled but remembered his current predicament."I'm sorry to say that you picked a bad time right now. Things happened and well...I'm currently being punished for my insubordination."
Johan erupted into laughter, holding his stomach."You? I guess you were always a bit of a rebel, eh? Being a former delinquent and all. Man, this brings back memories!"
Raiden glared at him, his left eye twitching. Arthur grinned at their antics, deciding to pull out his Grimoire."Gold Creation Magic: Infantry of Midas."
A total of four golden humanoids appeared around Arthur, all saluting simultaneously."If you'd allow me, Captain Yami, I'd like to provide some assistance. They follow my command and I can have them help you clean your base so Raiden can come out and play."
"Did you have to phrase it like that? You guys are not kids." Yami scratched his head, closing his eyes."Alright. I guess I can let him go out for a bit. Be back before dinner, though."
"Now you had to phrase it like that?" Raiden sweatdropped, prompting the imposing Captain to push him along.
"I'm here!" Asta yelled, coming out of the base with Nero on top of his head."Did something happ-Yuno!"
"Yo." Yuno waved at him."I was wondering if you'd show up. Still as loud as ever, huh?"
"And you're still as apathetic as ever, you jerk." Asta rushed him his rival, seizing him up."Wait, have you gotten taller?"
"I might have." Yuno crossed his arms, looking down at Asta to emphasize the height difference."I can't say the same thing about you. But one thing I can tell for sure is that you've gotten even stronger than before, haven't you?"
"Hey, that first part was unnecessary! I'll grow even more than you, just watch!" Asta tried to stand on his tippytoes to no avail, Yuno was still towering over him."Right back at you. You've got crazy strong as well. I can just tell. But..."
"I'm not losing to you." Both of them said at the same time, giving each other a smile of respect. Out of the corner of his eye, Asta noticed a familiar face that he knew all too well."Wait, Abel? What are you doing wearing a Golden Dawn uniform? Wait, don't tell me you're-"
"I'm not Abel." Cain deadpanned, already fed up with being confused with his younger twin."I'm Cain."
"Woah! I heard you guys were twins but holy crap you are identical!"
"We are twins. We are supposed to look identical. But I'll have you know I'm nothing like my little brother." Cain huffed, slightly turning away.
'That reminds me...now that I'm feeling his Ki, it feels the same as Abel. Huh, that's weird.' Yami pondered, quietly observing the conversations going on.'Even if they're twins, their Ki should differ at least a little.'
"I wouldn't say you're completely identical." Asta continued."I mean, your hair is the same except you comb the opposite direction Abel does. And you're scowling. Abel never scowls."
"Yeah, we got the gloomy and workaholic twin." Johan stood beside Asta."You guys must have a riot with Abel. I'm jealous. My name is Johan Axelbreeze, by the way. I've heard quite about you from Yuno, Klaus, and Mimosa, Asta."
"Johan? Oh, yeah! Raiden's childhood friend! Holy crap, you are so big! You might be as big as Captain Yami!"
"And you don't look it at first glance, but you are pretty jacked yourself." Johan grabbed Asta's arm, feeling his biceps."You must train a lot. I like you already."
"Yes, well, I don't like to brag, but I do. I want to be the Wizard King one day, so I have to get as strong as possible to achieve that goal.":
Johan's rose his brows slightly."I see. A strong conviction for such a goal. I guess we have some things in common. I have a goal I want to complete as well. My father is back home...he needs my help. Also, Raiden and I have a friend that needs us. I...don't know if he told you about her?"
Raiden sighed when he noticed Johan's worried expression."I did. Kind of. But only a little bit. It's none of their business."
"He did say his friend was sick." Asta informed him, much to Johan's relief."That's his reason for becoming a Magic Knight."
"You said your father couldn't walk." Yuno addressed the giant."But that friend of yours...what kind of sickness does she have?"
"It doesn't matter." Raiden chimed in."I don't have to tell you any details. It doesn't matter."
Yuno was slightly taken back by how agitated Raiden seemed. Whatever it was, it was a sensitive topic."Okay. I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was that personal. We can start our fight now if you want."
"Sure. Let's get this over with."
"Careful Yuno. I fought him very recently and I was still no match for him."
Yuno scoffed, a confident expression evident on his face."Don't think I'll lose just because you lost, Asta."
"He has a point though, Yuno." Johan rose a finger."Raiden is strong. Don't underestimate him."
While the two of them walked far from the base, Johan approached Yami along with Arthur."What is it? You're not going to watch the fight?"
"I want to...but you see, Raiden had told me that you guys have a really good cook in your squad and I was hoping if I could meet them." Johan chuckled sheepishly, hearing his stomach growl.
"What, you think our squad is your private diner or something?" Yami scowled, but instead of intimidating him, Johan just continued laughing.
"It would be an honor if you could let us taste your cuisine." Arthur added in a formal matter."Besides, we would appreciate it and if need be, I can offer some sort of compensation. My friend here is really hungry. He hasn't eaten anything since yesterday in anticipation.
"Well, if you're offering to pay up for the food you eat, sure. No problem." Yami conceited, jabbing his thumb behind him."Charmy should be still in the living room."
"Thank you, sir!" Both Golden Dawn members saluted before going in the base. Meanwhile, Yami decided to watch the fight from afar.
"What's going on, Captain? We have visitors?" Finral exited the base, still glancing behind him."The Golden Dawn of all people."
"Asta's and Raiden's friends came over. One of them wants to fight Raiden. Also, turns out the Clover King's nephew is here. You just walked past him."
"Huh?! That was him?!" Finral gasped, his face contorted in one of shock."Wait, so who is that one over there? The only by himself?"
"Hmm? Oh, that's Abel's twin."
"That's him?" Finral tilted his head, a slight frown forming on his face. 'To think I'd meet Abel's older brother today...' He decided not to dwell on that matter, for now, focusing his attention back to the Captain.."Guess he does look like him. So wait, there's going to be a fight?"
"The Golden boy over there. The one with the same hair color as Raiden. Could be an interesting fight."
"You don't seem very excited at the prospect of one of our own fighting someone from the Golden Dawn. Do you think Raiden can't win?"
"No, it's not that. I've just been thinking on some things." Yami pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, using his lighter to light it and take a smoke.'That Johan kid...I couldn't feel his Ki properly either. Same case with Raiden. Raiden probably has a slight grasp on what Ki is, even if he chose not to use it. But why would Johan know about it? If that's the case, how can they blur their Ki like that? In my case, I can still predict their movements, but I can see why Asta would have trouble doing it. He's still a novice, after all. But still...what does this all mean?'
Finral noticed how deep in thought Yami seemed and knew better than to interrupt his train process. Instead, he decided to go talk to Cain, who seemed uninterested in the fight.
"Wait, Finral."
"What is it?"
"There's something I have to tell you." Yami exhaled, letting some smoke out of his lungs, taking some time before he began speaking again."It's about what the Julius told me about the Ace Kingdom."
Meanwhile, Yuno, Raiden, Asta, and Cain had gotten enough distance away from the base. The two raven-haired teens took opposite positions of each other, staring into each other's eyes.
"Bell." Yuno murmured, his voice audible enough for the wind spirit to listen to him."I didn't want to admit this before, but he's strong. His mana is just...immense. How can it be possible? I thought he wasn't a noble for anything. It feels similar to Johan's."
"I could feel his mana clearly, even before I laid eyes on him. He's extremely powerful, Yuno." Bell frowned, slightly concerned about fighting him. She then caught a glimpse of Yuno's face, noticing his eyebrows twitching slightly. Deciding she had to cheer him up, she slapped her cheeks gently."But we can take him on, Yuno! You and I are strong together, right?"
"Bell..." Yuno gaped, not expecting the small fairy to give words of encouragement."Right. If I want to become the Wizard King, I have to overcome this challenge. Asta probably thought the same thing as well. So if I beat him, I'll be closer to my goal and I'll leave Asta in the dust."
'So that's the Wind Spirit. I wasn't expecting him to have it. He must be highly powerful if he got one of those. Then again, he also has a four-leaf Grimoire, like Baby and that Licht guy.' Raiden analyzed his opponent, trying to think of ways to fight him.'Johan did say he's capable in a fight, after all. Said he used wind magic, which means this will be a pain in the ass. Just my luck.'
Asta and Cain observed on the side, one eager to watch the fight and the other one not so much.
"So, who do you think is going to win?" Asta inquired, trying to start a light conversation with his friend's brother.
"Hmm? Who knows. I haven't seen Yuno in a fight. And this is my first time seeing your friend over there." Cain sat on the floor, leaning his head on his palm as he crossed his legs.
"Ah." Asta awkwardly said, not knowing how else to continue this conversation. He didn't want to bring Abel up, since he knew their relationship wasn't exactly the best one and didn't want to make him upset.
"Where's Abel?"
Asta was bewildered, not expecting that it would be Cain the one who would bring up his younger brother."Wha-Oh! Right, he went out earlier today."
"I see." Cain offered no further response.
Asta sat a few meters away from him, hugging his knees."So-"
"I hope my brother hasn't caused you guys any trouble." Cain eyed him, slightly turning his head.
"Not at all! He's really helpful and very kind." Asta quickly said."He's helped a ton of times and is a great sparring partner."
"Sounds like you guys get along with him," Cain noted, though his facial expression not changing.
"But I heard that you don't." Asta frowned, realizing he had crossed that line but decided to go for it upon further reflection."He's always saying how much he wants to stand by your side. He looks up to you, despite everything. I don't know what happened between you two but...shouldn't you at least try to work things out?"
"It's complicated." Cain simply answered."Besides, does it matter to you? I hope he's not giving you trouble and boring you with all that talk about wanting to be as good as me."
"Of course not! I know how that feels." Asta replied without missing a beat, surprising Cain by his sudden outburst since he wasn't used to him being loud."Yuno and I go way back. We lived together when we were kids and Yuno always had the upper hand in everything we did. But I never let that deter me. I never resented him for having magic and just being naturally better than me. I kept working harder and harder to get stronger and never lose to him again. I don't look at him as an obstacle. I look at him as someone who walks the same path as me. I think that's how Abel feels about you."
"Do you think so?" Cain finally turned his head towards him fully.
"You bet." Asta gave him a thumbs up."I'm sure you feel the same way. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here, right?"
"I guess..." Cain trailed off, his gaze going back to the fight that was about to begin."They're starting."
Asta's attention immediately shifted, standing up on his feet and cheering on."Alright! Do your best you two!"
Raiden grabbed his blades, unsheathing them and immediately cladding them with inferno."Inferno Magic: Dark Hollow. Show me how strong the prodigy of the Golden Dawn is, Yuno."
Yuno responded with a smile of his own, his Grimoire opened and Bell by his side."I'll give you more than just a demonstration, Raiden."
Had some time to write this chapter and a bit of the next one. Fun fact: I find it a lot easier to write my own chapters than plot theme ones like the Nean arc. The reason for this is that usually when I'm writing a plot chapter that happened in the anime, I have to go back to the episode and pretty much write what the characters said and alter it accordingly. Anyway, next chapter we continue with the fight between Yuno and Raiden as well as taking a look at what everyone else is doing.
