Tom's grimoire rule: When Tom tries to teach any person non-magic elements of his magic (Haki, etc.), the person who was taught will forget it with Tom's magic change.
Chapter 8. Enemies! Recruit's first battle!
As the team arrived and divided into groups, they started to hunt those beasts down. Magna and Noelle were together. Magna looked over her because she had a hard time controlling her magic.
"Hey.", said Noelle.
"What's up?", replied Magna.
"Is it safe for them to go on their own? We're only recruits after all.", Noelle asked.
"True man has to be able to handle the problems by himself.", Magna wisely replied, "It'll help them to grow as real men."
Meanwhile, Asta was tracking down his first boar. His tracks were big enough to spot even from the distance.
"Wow! Must be some big beast! I'll hunt him down and buy nice food at Tom's expense!", Asta thought to himself imagining sending Tom's loads of money to his village, "No matter what magic he has, I'll beat him!", Asta proclaimed as he remembered how unusually strong Tom's grip was when they were flying.
Tom, however, had already killed one boar and started to look for another.
A\N: I think many of you have already guessed Tom's magic. It's... Jotaro Kujo's powers! Sidenote: every person with magic can see Star Platinum.
Tom climbed his way up on the hill where he used his stand to observe the area. As Tom spotted another boar he started to walk towards him to strike him down. As he got close boar noticed Tom and turned to his side.
"RRRAAAAARRRRGG", boar roared at Tom.
"Yare, yare. I will do it quickly.", Tom said.
Star Finger!
Tom extended his fingers so they with surgical precision hit the beast's brain before it can make any move. Looking at the animal, Tom thought to himself:
"Another one is down. I have to look for others."
After some time, Black Bulls reunited, each group was carrying their prey. Magna was carrying two dead boars as well as Tom. Asta seemed to be delighted as he was able to take down three boars.
"Ha-ha-ha!", Asta loudly laughed, "Looks like I'm the one on top!", he bragged.
"Good grief. You won indeed.", replied Tom with his hand on his cap. After the second one, Tom got unlucky, as Asta took out the largest group of boars.
"Hey, we're here to not brag about who's the best hunter! We're going to the village now!", Magna yelled at the two, "You will carry one for me!", Magna said to Tom handing over one of his boars to Tom.
"Let's go!", Magna commanded and the group followed him.
The group went to the Soshi village. On their way to the village, they mostly remained silent so they started to talk when they were closer to the village.
"What a haul!", Magna said, "You two are pretty amazing! Five beasts ain't nothing! You've got an impressive brute strength and precision as well.", Magna said as he saw recruit's clean kill of the prey.
Tom and Asta had a smile as their senior complimented them.
" I got a big head after I received grimoire, so I came to the Soshi village to take it over. And then...", Magna told the recruits how he was messing around with the villagers and got his ass kicked by their chief numerous times making a strange yet strong bond between them.
He continued his story with the words about how Seihi, chief of that village inspired him to become a Magic knight and told him how to be a man.
"It's all because of him that I'm here right now.", Magna continued, "He was happier for me than anyone when I passed the Magic Knight Entrance Exam.", Magna ended.
"He must be a good person", Noelle said.
"He is a nice man.", Tom replied.
"You can't even imagine what a man he is! I wanted to be like him, the only person I respect the most after mister Yami,…", Magna stopped when he looked at the Soshi village covered in the thick fog.
"Weather here sucks.", Asta said.
"No. It's a magical mist. Something must be off.", Tom said.
"What?!", replied Asta.
"Let's come closer.", Magna said.
As the team got closer to Soshi they stopped at the entrance.
"The mist is magical. Once we enter we won't be able to come back. We will probably end up wandering. However, since it is magical, Asta probably can slice it with his sword.", Tom said what he had in mind.
"It's... smart", Noelle thought.
"You can be quite smart sometimes.", Magna said to Tom, "Let's do how Tom had just said. Asta! Slice that mist!", he commanded.
"Okay!", said Asta pulling out his sword.
As Asta slashed it, the mist started to lift up. The group saw people, who sat on the ground while the ice icicles were above them.
"This is your execution.", the cold voice said and the icicles started to fly down in aim to kill the remaining witnesses.
Explosive Scattershot!
Magna destroyed the ice magic with his fire one.
"Magic Knights! They've come to save us!", said the kid.
The Bulls moved forward to the group. Magna and others were surprised as the events turned out.
"Magna! It's you!", a kid said with hope in his voice.
"Nick! What the heck is going on?", Magna asked the kid, who was a grandchild to the chief.
As Magna asked, Bulls noticed a breathless body of an old man.
"He tried to protect us.", Nick said through his tears, "Grandpa, they came. The Magic Knights... Your prayers were answered...", Nick quietly said to his old man.
"Is this all it takes to kill the man?", Asta and Noelle asked themselves.
Tom looked at the dead body without many emotions. Laisvall village, Nanto town. In the first place, he lost his parents and in the second he faced a lot of corruption and murders, so he was more used to the sight of the dead body. Tom looked further into the mist and saw the ice mage.
"Hey, you! I know it's your doing with these innocent people! Do you have something to say for yourself?", Tom asked the mage.
"You will all be executed in ten seconds.", the mage said creating a huge sharped ice wall and pushing it on the Bulls.
"Crap! I'm short on mana!", Magna thought to himself.
Tom prepared to crush it with his stand, but Asta reacted a bit faster and slashed the wall in half with his sword. Villagers were shocked to see it.
"I won't forgive this!", Asta said seriously.
"They don't look like some spies or raiders. Just who are they?", Magna thought.
"How can you do something so barbaric to these people?!", Asta loudly asked the mage.
Ice mage was sitting on the rock with his pocket watch in hand didn't react to Asta's words was Heath Grice. He was very skinny, with a large chin and a scar at the right-hand side of his forehead, which is elongated across his face all the way to his left cheek. He was wearing a black jumpsuit with a blue robe on top of it, just like his bodyguards.
"Black Bulls. Lowlife scums that don't fit in the rest of the Magic Knights. Dealing with them is a complete waste of time. Five minutes...", mage said to himself looking on the watch.
"I'm asking why are you doing this!", Asta loudly interrupted his thoughts.
The mage looked at Asta and stood up.
"The kingdom is split into several regions.", the mage responded, "Noble realm, where royalty lives, Commoners realm where commoners live and the Forsaken realm. Inferior race that has enough magic only to complete day to day tasks. They're nothing but savages.", he said, "I was trying to get rid of the beasts. You're helping them because it's your mission. But in fact, they look like animals, don't they?"
Asta was listening to his words, which reminded him of his own village. "Those who possess strong magical powers live above us. There's prejudice against those who don't have enough magic.", these words of sister Mary came across his mind.
"Those people are lives I have to protect!", Asta replied.
"I see. They are valuable to you, don't they?", ice mage said.
Ice and Mist compound Magic: Endless Ice Cage!
The mage created ice icicles.
"How would you protect them now?", mage asked.
Asta jumped and repelled some icicles into the mage, but to no avail. Mage simply stopped them.
"So you can repel magic as well as negate it. It's not enough to defeat me.", he responded and created new icicles.
"Damn it! It's going to take everything but I have to protect these villagers.", Magna thought.
"He uses compound magic.", Tom noticed, "I will take care of one.", Tom thought and used Star Platinum.
Noelle and villagers saw a tall, well-built man of similar proportions to Tom, if not more muscular. His skin is a hue between purple, blue, and green. Its face and body had varying colours of purple, blue and green.
"What is that?", Noelle thought as the Stand started to inhale the mist.
"He's inhaling all that mist! What magic is that?", ice mage thought to himself as he saw how quickly his mist started to vanish in the lungs of some humanoid creature.
Mage threw the icicle in Tom, only to get slashed by Asta. Everyone was shocked at Tom's Stand.
"Nice magic you have now, Tom.", Magna said to Tom as Star Platinum take a last inhale of mist. Mages and villagers finally saw the blue sky and bright as always sun.
"Interesting magic. Six minutes...", mage responded creating a dozen of icicles and throwing them into Tom.
ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!
Star Platinum quickly destroyed them all.
"A guy who can negate magic and another guy who has some sort of strong guardian. Hmm. He's probably has a range limit because otherwise, he would have attacked me immediately.", the mage thought, but his thought was interrupted by Noelle's missed waterball.
"I guess Black Bulls are so desperate that they recruited people who can't control their own magic.", he responded to Noelle.
Tom who was destroying ice icicles with his stand started to come closer to the villagers.
"Come closer to me!", Tom shouted to the villagers and they started to move toward him.
"What about grandpa?", Nick asked Tom.
"We will come back for him later! Now, move on!", Tom shouted, "Get as close as you can, people. My Stand operates only on two meters from me."
The people, tightly packed, barely fit in Tom's range. Tom saw this and he also understood that at this rate he will get tired quickly.
"This turned out to be a hell of a first mission for those three and yet he's not showing his true powers!", Magna thought to himself.
"I wonder how long you will last.", the mage said, "These frail beasts can't even protect themselves. If you abandon them, I'll let you live, Magic Knights."
"I'm just holding them back!", Noelle thought to herself, "There's no reason for me to be here. I'm not supposed to die in the village like this. I should get out of here.", she thought and stepped back, when suddenly she felt like somebody was dragging her skirt a little. It was a kid, who was far enough to not reach Tom's range without getting killed. Noelle looked at the little girl.
"Mrs Knight. Save us!", she said looking right into Noelle's eyes.
Noelle felt like something inside her shifted. Panic changed to the willingness to protect them.
"Huh? A new spell?", Noelle looked as her grimoire was filling with a new spell.
"There's no way I can run now", she thought and moved to Tom.
"I will protect them!", she said placing her hand on the ground.
Water Magic: Sea Dragon's Nest!
Tom looked at her when he saw a forming giant ball of water. Everyone was shocked to see such a powerful spell.
"I will protect them. I'm royalty and a member of the Black Bulls!", Noelle said.
"Seems like you can achieve results if your mind is set on it.", Magna said.
"What a powerful magic!", Heath thought, "How?"
"Good job Noelle. I will help Asta and Magna. Protect the people.", Tom said calmly walking out of Noelle's barrier.
"Okay.", said Noelle blushing, "What are you saying? Yes, he is charming today, but he's only an insect!", she thought to herself shaking her head.
Tom made his way to Asta's back through constant attacks of the mage's subordinates.
"Asta, let's take care of him.", proposed Tom with Star Platinum at his side.
"We will do it if we work together.", Asta agreed.
"My Star Platinum is very strong and nothing can damage it, but it's short on the range so you will cut him.", Tom explained their plan.
"Got it.", said Asta, not understanding what Star Platinum is.
As they were planning Tom and Asta were constantly bombarded with ice magic by enemies.
"What are you doing brats? Don't just stand there!", Magna shouted.
"On count three. You ready?", Tom asked.
"Yes.", Asta replied, preparing both mentally and physically for the assault.
"One. Two. Three!", Tom counted and the boys started to run.
"Like we will allow you to strike our leader so easily!", said one of the followers and attacked them.
Ice Magic: Growing Wall!
From the ground, sharped ice pieces began to grow quickly so they will pierce through their body. Asta saw it and at the moment when he realised that he's not fast enough to break it, he saw how it gets destroyed somehow.
"I didn't see how it was destroyed, but Tom really is a good guy.", he thought to himself and kept running forward.
Ice mage seeing that two boys are quickly advancing to him decided to hit two birds with one stone.
Ice Magic: Ice Spear!
He created a spear-like structure from ice so that a sharp part was quickly expanding to Tom and Asta in order to skewer them both at the same time.
Asta and Tom saw that, but Tom with his Star Platinum was quicker with reaction. He took the rock, that was lying near Tom's boots and...
ORA!
Tom, using Star Platinum, threw it so fast that the whole construction was broken apart.
"What sort of magic is that?", ice mage thought.
"I don't have any mana, but I will kick your ass!", Asta shouted and he pierced the ice mage.
"Bwah", Heath spilt some blood.
"Master Heath!", his follower said shockingly.
"It... It worked!", Noelle said.
In the brief moment, Asta saw a small smile on the mage's face.
"Why is he smiling?", he thought, but suddenly he felt that the ground he's standing on is covered with ice.
"Maybe your sword negates magic, but your body not.", said Heath.
Ice Magic: Heavenly Ice Fang!
Heath created a large icicle from the ground to strike down Asta. Asta, with his sword in Heath's body, could neither block nor avoid it.
"This is bad! I can't block this attack!", Asta thought.
Fang almost got Asta but some force quickly dragged him out of here.
ORA!
Asta felt like something grabbed him by his back and threw him away from the mage.
"We have to get back or we will be surrounded by them!", Tom said.
"Like we will allow this!", one of the followers shouted.
Combined Ice Magic: Forest of Ice Fangs!
When they cast it, Tom who was the closest enemy to the mage, saw how many fangs comes at him at the same time.
ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!
Tom tried to destroy them, but mages were persistent. From the one broken piece, two emerged and their numbers continued to grow.
"This is bad!", thought Magna, "Thanks to him, Asta is still alive, but at this rate, he will just die!"
"This is time.", Tom thought.
"Magna! Noelle! Asta!", Tom shouted, "I will do my secret backup plan!".
"S-secret back-up plan?", Asta muttered.
"What is he talking about?", Noelle asked herself.
"This plan is used by many generations of my family!", Tom said.
"Yeah! A real man always have a backup plan!", Magna shouted.
"This plan involves legs.", Tom said seriously.
"Legs?", Asta muttered.
"This brat sure is smart. His cleverness already caused me much trouble. I ought to be careful with him.", Heath thought, "Keep an eye on him!", he commanded.
"Yes master!", his subordinates responded.
When Heath's followers responded to him, they paid their attention to Heath for only a second, but it was enough for Tom, who was busy destroying ice fangs, to finally see an opportunity. Tom took a deep breath and shouted:
"NIGERUNDAYO-OOO!".
A\N: NIGERUNDAYO equals to RUUUUN!
"What?", Noelle asked.
ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!
The earth was flying in different directions.
"What is he doing?!", Asta loudly said.
"H-hey! Why are you digging!", Magna shouted, "Running away is no man-like, you bastard!"
Heath and other thugs smirked.
"Ha-ha-ha! So much pathos and smart plans just to run away.", Heath laughed, "Why you don't follow your teammate's plan and just run away?", he asked.
"Can we survive this?", Noelle thought, "I have to protect these people, but at what cost?"
"One minute... I see you like wasting my time.", Heath said, "You will pay for this."
"Fire magic beats ice, but my mana is almost out. But this guy sure is strong! Either fire or whatever! And this bastard abandoned us!", Magna thought, "I'm sorry, Mr Yami. I can't handle..."
"If we give up, who will protect them?! Not just for a promise, but to protect everyone, I will become the Wizard King!", Asta loudly said.
"King? What is he talking about?", Noelle thought.
"You're a real man, Asta! I will not yield too!", Magna thought with a smirk.
"Noelle, protect the people. I will help Asta.", Magna said.
"Okay.", she responded, "I hope they will be alright.", she thought.
Magna came out of her barrier.
"Come on Asta, let's do this!", Magna said.
"Bring it on!", responded Asta.
"Shame you will die now.", Heath said to Asta.
"Before you kill him, you have to kill me, his senior!", Magna shouted.
"As you wish.", the mage said.
Asta started to run towards the ice mage. Thanks to Tom, his followers didn't pose the same threat like when he was doing it with Tom, because they used their mana on Tom recklessly. When Asta got closer to Heath he understood the trap that will catch him if he keeps running to him directly. He changed his path to go around mage to get behind him.
Step... Two, small jump and Asta is behind him.
"He's attacking from behind!", Heath realised but too late. Asta sword was coming down upon him.
"I can't be beaten by this brat!", he thought to himself, when he saw the body of one of his followers that covered him from the fatal strike.
"What? He has thrown himself to protect his master!", Asta thought.
In the meantime, Magna his own attack.
"Try all the magic I have left!"
Fire Magic: Prison Kill Buckshot!
Magna cast many fireballs to strike Heath from behind as well, but this time Heath was cautious and defended himself.
Ice Magic: Crystal Ice Shield!
He created ice crystals so fireballs hit it and stop.
"One bodyguard is down, four remains! Come on Asta, you can do it!", Noelle thought.
Asta used this time to strike him again, but another bodyguard came in his way, so he took him out. Heath, finally given a chance to strike back, chose Asta as the target.
Ice Magic: Heavenly Ice Fang!
Luckily for Asta, the hit wasn't fatal, but nevertheless, he was injured.
"Kha-h!", he spilt blood and flew a few meters back.
"Asta!", Magna shouted.
"Your team with that gut was really troublesome. A guy who can negate magic and a guy who has a guardian at his disposal is a rare combo for sure. But it's not enough to take me down.", Heath said.
Suddenly, one of the bodyguards fell into a pit.
"What? It was there all the time?", Noelle said.
Heath heard this weird noise behind him and turned back, just in time when Tom made his way out.
"I thought you ran!", Heath said not believing in this.
"Yare, yare daze.", said Tom with his hand on his cap, "I just can't beat the shit out of you without getting closer.", Tom responded with his Stand appearing.
"Then come as close as you like", said Heath.
Ice...
Heath started to create another ice fang but he got interrupted by Star Platinum.
ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!
Series of punches hit the mage. Right hook into the head, left uppercut into the stomach and so on. In the end Star Platinum made such a devastating hit on Heath, that the latter flew away, only to find himself near Asta.
"I will not let you harm these people anymore!", Asta shouted as he swung at the ice mage.
"W-wait.", Heath said.
"Wait? There will be no time retreat!", shouted Asta as he finally put an end, to this battle with his fatal stroke.
Ice Magic: Flying Icicle!
The last bodyguard decided to take an opportunity and kill Magna while everyone was distracted at Heath. Tom quickly Ora-Ora him down, but the icicle was flying towards Magna.
"Wow! I'm alive!", Magna said surprised that he was under Noelle's barrier.
"Be glad, lowly insect", said Noelle, "Ha-a-a-a! I managed to control the spell!", Noelle thought.
Heath was lying on the ground motionless.
"How did I lose to those brats? I only wanted to be useful to him...", he thought and fainted.
"Finally! This is over!", Noelle said.
Magna came to Heath and used his restraining magic. Asta just fell to the ground.
"Asta!", Magna shouted, scared that Asta is badly injured, came closer to him and realised that he just fell asleep.
"Barbaric as always.", Noelle thought, "Empty-headed, loud, low birth, but still exciting."
Magna restrained two other subordinates, but the last one escaped. While Asta was sleeping, a little bird that hid in his robe came out and flew.
"You started digging, so you can get closer and hit him. Smart play.", Magna complimented Tom.
"It's nothing, thanks.", Tom responded.
"You two are sure is strong.", the kids said as they ran closer to Tom and Asta to look and touch them.
"What is that magic?", some kid asked Tom.
Tom and Star Platinum kindly smiled and started to entertain and answer kids' questions.
"Oh great. You're a babysitter! Ha-ha-ha!", Magna laughed at the sight of muscled spirit and Tom playing with kids.
"Ha-ha-ha.", Noelle laughed, while she covered her mouth with her hand.
"Shut up!", said Tom to Magna.
"Huh? A sparrow?", kids looked as some bird flew to Asta with the chief's stone and started to peck Asta.
"Ay! Ay! Ay! What? Where? When?", Asta screamed, "Hey! You! You are that bird from exam! How you were called?... Ah, yes! An Anti-bird! Flying bastard, are you here to mock me!", he continued., but then he spotted that she had something in her mouth, "Huh, a stone? Give it back you thief!", he loudly said and started to drag it.
"Tom, he sure is loud.", a kid said.
"Yes, he is.", Tom proved.
"Hey! I am not that loud!", Asta shouted at Tom.
"It was chief's talisman.", said the villager, "If you want this stone then you can have it. You're our saviours"
Asta looked at them, smiled and said:
"Thanks. Ha-ha."
After he said this, he joined Tom.
"Hey, you did well today. We make a great team!", Asta said to Tom.
"Yes indeed.", replied Tom with a smile.
"By the way, how did you destroyed ice so quickly?", he asked.
"With Star Platinum.", said Tom pointing out at his Stand, who was a kids' toy, as they tried to touch him, but to no result as only another stand can touch stand.
"What are you pointing at?", Asta asked.
"Here it sits.", Tom said.
"I don't see it.", responded Asta as he saw only as children were pointing their fingers in the air.
"Wait a minute", Tom said, opening his grimoire, "Well... Ah! There it is: Every person with mana can see Star Platinum."
"What?", Asta asked shocked.
"Ha-ha-ha!", Magna laughed, "Of course you can't see it, you don't have any mana."
Tom smirked.
"Hey! It's not funny!", Asta shouted.
As boys continued to entertain kids, Noelle came closer and noticed this black little bird on Asta's head.
"Such evil little eyes! It's so cute!", she thought blushing. Noelle came closer to Asta and looked at the birds' eyes, "If you want, you can fly to me!", she said to the bird.
"Huh?", Asta said.
After some time, Heath regained his consciousness. Ice mage saw four Magic Knights standing in front of him.
"Finally awake?", said Magna, "I'll rest a little and ask you some questions. For the incorrect answers or any move, Tom will hit you with his magic.
"My magic is restrained.", Heath noticed.
"When we are done with you, we will hand you over to the others.", said Magna threateningly, "They will make you spit out the truth! Who are you? What do you want? Where are you from? You will tell us everything.", he ended angrily.
"You're not getting one.", Heath said.
"What?", Magna thought and then he saw the light from the necklace, "It's an artefact!"
Ice Magic: Ice Funeral!
Heath completely encased himself and his bodyguards in countless icicles. A moment after, the icicles, along with the entrapped bodies, shattered into small pieces of ice, leaving only pieces of ice.
"Suicide!", Magna said.
"What a loyalty! They followed their orders into the grave!", Tom thought.
"Idiots!", Asta thought greeting his teeth, "What is life for you?! I will never... never recognize anyone like you!"
After that, Bulls stayed at the village for some time due to Magna's advice to look at the villagers and count the injured ones for a report. Villagers were split into groups and as Magna was about to end his part, others have already done that and were just having fun.
At the cemetery of the Soshi village.
On the top of the hill that was covered in the evening's shine, were little girl and boy. Boy was in tears. It was Nick, who mourned his grandpa's death and right next to him was Anna.
"Nick, let's go home.", said Anna.
"Grandpa...", muttered Nick.
As he said, Anna heard some noise that was coming in their direction.
"AAAHHH", Asta screamed as he was trying to run away from anchidori.
A\N: Anchidori equals Anti-bird.
"Damn birdie! Why do you hate me so much?!", Asta screamed.
"I can look after her! Uf!", said Noelle with a little blush.
"Damn you! Give me that stone!", shouted Tom chasing the two.
"Ehm... Misters and Miss Magic Knight.", said Anna and pointed at Nick.
Tom, Noelle and Asta came closer to Nick.
"Villagers told us everything about your old man.", Tom started, "He's... he's the only one who tried to stop those guys."
"He was cool!", added Asta.
"A few days ago he was delighted when he told us that he beat Magic Knights in poker. He didn't pass an exam, but he always dreamed to become one.", Nick said, "And... he always regretted that he didn't do his best in it.", he said through tears and started to get up, "I am low-born from the village, but can I become the Magic Knight?", he asked as he got up.
Asta and Tom smiled.
"Of course you can.", said Asta, "I am from the village too and I don't have any mana whatsoever, but I managed to! But you might have to work really hard! And while you becoming Magic Knight, I will come closer to the position of the Wizard King", said Asta as he placed his hand on the boys' head, "I will wait for you, Nick!"
Tom and Noelle watched this scene silently. Tom became a bit nostalgic about Laisvall by it.
"Ay! Ay! Ay!", started to scream Asta, as his anchidori started to bite him.
"Asta! Stop messing around, we have to go!", Tom said seriously.
"I'm coming!", Asta responded.
Bulls are coming home.
To be continued
How's the chapter?
I hope you liked the battle.
See you soon/
