How we ended up in a magical new world!

by Milqy

After fighting a warp villain, Midoriya and Bakugo end up in a magical new world. how will they fare in this new world? and will they ever make it back home? read to find out! Bad summary and picture is not mine. rated M for language. *on hiatus until the Black Clover anime continues*

10. Magic Knights United

(A/N): I realized I am catching up quickly to the black clover anime, so I will slow down a bit. That means writing some original stuff and taking longer to put out chapters.

(A/N): criticism and reviews are appreciated!

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Chapter 10: Magic Knights United

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Short story (is that right?): A Dragon's Redemption

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4 years ago

Jesse kicked the black-haired kid in front of him, and the latter hit the wall of the alley, falling to the ground. "Come on," Jesse taunted "I know you've got at least some on you".

"O-Okay, okay, just leave us alone." The brown-haired girl knelt on the ground next to her friend, throwing a small, brown pouch at Jesse. He caught it, and looking inside, he could see some coins. "Why are you doing this?" the girl asked "You're a noble, you probably have more than you need".

A smile appeared on Jesse's face, and he was about to give her his explanation, the one he gave every time the other kids asked. Instead, a voice seemed to pierce him through the heart "Is everything okay here?" a woman asked behind him. four words were enough to freeze his entire body. 'No, no, no, no'. when Jesse mustered the courage to look back, his fear came true, and behind him, his eyes saw a woman standing at the alley entrance. Most people would revere her for the Golden Dawn robe she wore, but for Jesse, she finding him there was the worst thing he could have happening to him right now.

"S-Sis…" Jesse stuttered "W-What are you doing here?". Instead of answering, the woman walked forward, snatching the pouch out of his hands, and throwing it back to the girl kneeling on the ground. She then grabbed his arm and started dragging him away, her cold amber eyes not giving off any emotions. When they got back to the capital, she finally let go of his hand and spoke. "What the hell were you doing?".

"I-I-I…W-Well I" Jesse couldn't put together a coherent sentence, and his sister kept on walking, with him following her. It has now started raining, and his sister created a silvery circle above them, keeping them dry as they walked the empty streets. ´Come on, at least talk! Don't give me such a cold shoulder.'.

When they reached the estate, they stood before the tall gates of the courtyard, colored gold, silver, and bronze. His sister pushed the gate open, and they both entered, walking along the colorful flowers lining the pathway. When they reached the dark wood doors of the house, his sister paused, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Jesse, listen" she said "You've almost told me how much you want to be a strong Magic Knight like me when you grow up, but if you keep up that behavior, I'm afraid you'll never be able to become one. Even among the nobles, your magic powers are incredible. You definitely have potential, so please, stop with this rebellious behavior. Next time I find you, I will tell mother and father." She looked towards the gate "No I must go, Captain Vangeance will not be happy with a tardy behavior…". And with that, his sister departed, and Jesse entered the big entry hall.

'Yeah right, the heart of a magic knight…' Jesse walked through the silent hall, his footsteps piercing the silence like arrows. 'All a magic knight needs, is power.' Jesse made a glowing golden orb appear in his palm as he climbed the stairs. ´She can't try and be all high and mighty… She's never here anymore…' Jesse kicked the door in his way, entering his room.

The next day, it wasn't raining anymore, and so Jesse "skipped" his magic class with that stuck up private tutor his parents got him, and went straight out to the streets. If you'll ask Jesse why he picks on the commoners and steal from them, he'll probably say, "because I can" or "Because they're weak", but frankly, even he didn't really know.

Walking through some streets, he suddenly noticed some kids entering an alley, and it piqued his interest. Jesse walked inside the alley, seeing two older kids standing at the back of the alley. "Well, well, well." the tallest kid said, while another kid came into the alley, blocking the exit "Look who we got here. I heard you got quite a reputation around here". The kid took out something from a pouch hanging on his belt, and to Jesse's horror, he could see he was holding a blue grimoire. ´Even if I'm a noble, if he uses his grimoire…and they're three to boot…'. The tall kid launched a spell, a little bird made out of water. Jesse tried to dodge it, but instead, the bird rammed into his gut, sending him into the wall.

Jesse gasped for air, falling into a puddle in the middle of the alley. 'Come on! You're a noble! Do something!' but despite what he wanted, he was fighting for breath while the kids laughed. "Don't laugh at me! I'll kick your ass!" Jesse declared, getting up from the floor.

"Oh really?" One of the other kids kicked Jesse into a wall. The tall kid summoned another blue bird, as the kid who kicked him walked away. The bird flew towards him, and Jesse steeled himself for the impact, closing his eyes. When the hit didn't come, Jesse opened his eyes, seeing the brown-haired girl from yesterday standing in front of him.

"Henry, stop that! Bullying the defenseless isn't something you should do!" The girl told the tall guy, and he closed his grimoire shut, sighing.

"Why are you even here, Veronica?" the tall kid asked.

"I was looking for you" she said "You're late for work." She put her hands on her hips. The tall guy stayed silent for 2 seconds, before grumbling and walking away, his flunkies following suit. After they left, the girl turned towards Jesse, inspecting him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I-I'm fine" Jesse wiped the trickle of blood coming from his nose "Why…Why did you help me?"

"Because that's what a Magic Knight would do." She said frankly "Defending the weak!" she struck a pose, with a fist on her heart "People like you are lucky because you have enough magic to join the Magic Knights."

"B-But… After yesterday" Jesse replied.

"I wouldn't dwell on the past…" she said "but still, it would be better if you didn't visit this place anymore…" she looked to the entrance of the alley "Because as you can tell, you're not the most popular lad around here." Jesse stayed silent, not saying anything, as the silence grew awkward "Well, look at the time!" she said "I must be off, see ya around! Or not…" and with that, the girl ran off, leaving the confused Jesse alone in the alley.

´Because that's what a Magic Knight would do, huh…' Jesse thought as he walked on his way back home 'Maybe…Maybe Sis was right… that girl, even though what I did to her and her friend… she still helped me. And just because she could…' Jesse created a golden orb in his palm 'So that's what Sis is doing out there, huh. It doesn't seem half bad.'.

2 years later

Jesse was sitting in the family workshop, repairing his sister's broken gauntlet. He was surrounded by tools and material for any sort of work that is done here. Goldsmithing, silversmithing, and rarely, blacksmithing. The Aurumson family is the go-to place for jewelry for the royals and nobles. Jesse loved working here, even though they could've had servants do the work for them, only Aurumsons ever work in this workshop, giving all their products the "Aurumson" touch. Jesse fiddled with the gauntlet for a bit, before hearing a knock on the door. "Come in" he said.

His father entered the workshop, his white hair neatly combed, and his yellow eyes cheerful as always. "We've been requested for another job. Are you up for the task?" he asked.

"It depends." Jesse said "How hard do you reckon it'll be? I planned to go out and train with Mr. Asteracea."

"Shouldn't be too hard, it just fixing some silverware and making some Jewelry for the Silva's" his father said, dropping a paper with details and a bag of silverware in front of Jesse.

"Fixing silverware?" Jesse asked "They're royals. Why don't they just buy new ones?".

"I don't know." His father admitted, rubbing the back of his head "Can you do it?".

"Yeah, I'll get it done before afternoon." Jesse said, and his father left the room. Jesse got up, putting on a fireproof apron and folding his sleeves. He then turned on his magical furnace, and the latter started spewing flame as if out of nowhere. Next, Jesse raised his hand, his open palm glowing, and out of one of the boxes in the workshop, a chunk of gold levitated towards his hand. ´Now, then… let's get to work.'.

As promised, by the afternoon, Jesse had finished all his work, and he went out to the courtyard, seeing an elderly man standing there, The elderly man has white hair that is combed back neatly, and light blue eyes. He wears a black fedora with a dark blue hatband, that has a big, white feather connected to it on the right side. He also wears a black coat with dark blue edges and a black dress shirt with a white tie. He sports black trousers with a black belt that has a silver buckle, and his grimoire pouch is connected to it. Finally, he wears a pair of black leather shoes, and walks with a dark brown walking stick that has gold coating its handle and tip. "Mr. Asteracea!" Jesse called out to the man as he jogged towards him "Sorry I'm late! I got held back by work." The man replied by hitting Jesse in the shin with his walking stick.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" Jesse asked.

"You can't be tardy if you're gonna be, how do you always put it…" Mr. Asteracea said "A Magic Knight that protects everyone?".

"Okay, okay, I said I'm sorry." Jesse replied, rubbing his leg.

"So, let's get to work, to make up for the time you lost" Mr. Asteracea announced, and with a gesture of his walking stick, several deep blue crystals appeared, floating a few centimeters off of the ground. "Get to work. One hit each.". Jesse concentrated, his magic gathering into several bullets, and then he sent them out, shattering all 6 crystals.

"Good job" Mr. Asteracea said "but it still takes you too much time. You're not as good as Palladia." He said bluntly.

"Please don't tell me that." Jesse replied.

"What? Why?" Mr. Asteracea said "It's not like she's not a natural warrior genius."

"Don't remind me…"

Mr. Asteracea laughed, slapping Jesse on the shoulder "I'm just messing with ya." He said "You'll get there eventually. If you work hard enough." He then took a couple of steps away from Jesse "Let's see what you've got. Show me the biggest attack you can muster.".

"Wha- really?" Jesse asked "Do you think I can do the spear think Sis does?"

"Hell if I know" Mr. Asteracea replied "Just show me what you can do right now, and we can plan out your future training sessions. After all, you'll be getting your grimoire next year, so I want you to be prepared.".

Jesse made a large, golden orb in front of him, shaping it to be sharper, before releasing it at his elder tutor. The latter got out his grimoire, and it floated next to him, its pages flipping as he prepared to cast a spell Sapphire Creation Magic: Astral Guardian's Shield. A shield made of crystal appeared before Mr. Asteracea, and Jesse's attack impacted it, harmlessly dissipating without even scratching it. "Hmmm…It's good" Mr. Asteracea said, before noticing Jesse's smile "It could have been better." This caused him to smile even more.

1 year later

Jesse was pumped. He was holding his very own grimoire. It was golden, with luxurious designs running along its cover. ´I can't wait to show it to Mr. Asteracea and Sis!'. As he walked home, he decided to walk through the old neighborhood, the same one he used to bully people in all those years ago. ´But I'm different this time…' he looked at his grimoire ´With this, I will make it so no other noble or royal becomes like me…a world without discrimination for the weak…I think Sis will think it's a worthy goal.'.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a sound come out of an alley he walked by. 'Should I? okay, just to be sure…'. Jesse walked inside the alley, and by now he could clearly discern the sounds of a struggle. Jesse looked back towards the street behind him ´A busy market, so no one hears it…' without a second Jesse walked towards the source, seeing four guys, some holding wine bottles in their hands, surrounding a girl that was about his age. The girl was trying to hold her tattered clothes to cover her body while the older guys toyed with her.

Jesse's blood boiled, and his grimoire opened, going into action as if it had a will of its own. Gold Creation Magic: The guys turned towards him, eyes widening in shock Greedy Dragon's Den. The golden spike walls Jesse had erected pushed all the guys to walls, leaving only their unconscious heads showing.

"Are you okay, miss?" Jesse asked as he walked towards her.

The girl looked up at Jesse, still holding her clothes together "Y-Yeah…I-I am okay…" she said, and Jesse instantly recognized her, the image of the brown-haired girl from three years ago flashing in his head. It seemed like she recognized him too, because her eyes opened wide, and a slight smile appeared on her face. "So, it seems like I knocked some sense into you all the way back then.

"Yeah, I guess so." Jesse said, taking off his jacket "Here, use this" he put the jacket on her.

"T-Thank you" she said.

"Do you want me to accompany you back home?" Jesse offered.

"N-No, it's okay." The girl answered, turning to go before remembering something "How will I give this back to you?" she asked.

"There's no need." Jesse replied "Just like you said, I have way more than I need." And with that, the girl ran off, and Jesse continued on his way.

When he got home, he could hear the sound of a flute coming from the estate. ´She's here!' Jesse ran towards the gate, entering the estate. When he got in, he went straight for the garden, spotting his sister sitting on a bench amidst the flowers, playing the flute with her eyes closed. As he approached her, the playing stopped. "You're back." She opened her eyes, smiling at him.

"Hell yeah I am! And with a grimoire, too!" he said, showcasing his grimoire.

"It's really nice looking, but remember, a grimoire is only worth his insides." she replied "Actually, I have a gift for you." she pulled out a golden bracelet with an elaborate design running along it "I may not be as good as you in goldsmithing, but I hope you like it.".

Jesse immediately put it on, inspecting it "I do! Thank you very much!". After that, they started heading back towards the estate together. "So, Sis" Jesse asked "How have you been out there?".

"It's actually not that eventful after you get used to it." She answered "but we do get the hardest jobs, since William led us to be the number 1 squad."

"So now you call him by his first name?" Jesse asked, provoking his sister.

Realizing what she said, she blushed, and immediately karate chopped Jesse on the head "D-Don't you get any weird ideas!".

After dinner, his sister had to go back to base, and so Jesse was sitting in his bedroom, inspecting the spell he had used earlier today. ´Greedy Dragon, huh? Well, I guess I couldn't outrun the past.' Jesse thought, before steeling his resolve 'Let this always remind me of who I used to be, and what my goal is.'. Jesse looked at the calendar on his desk ´Only a few months, and I'll join you there, Sis!'.

End

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Asta's P.O.V

"Nine hundred ninety-seven, Nine hundred ninety-eight, nine hundred ninety-nine, one thousand!" Asta finished his morning workout routine. Getting up from the ground, he could smell the great smell of breakfast inside the building, and without a second thought, he headed inside.

"Good morning, Asta!" Izuku greeted him as he entered the cafeteria, seeing all the other Black Bulls, save for Yami, sitting around the table in the middle of the room. "Take a shower, you stink, asshat" Katsuki said as Asta sat next to Izuku.

"It's only morning, and you're already angry, Katsuki?" Vanessa asked, taking another swig of wine.

"It's only morning, and you're already drunk!" Katsuki replied.

"Calm down, Kacchan" Izuku said.

"Actually, Izuku" Magna asked, taking a bite out of his food "Why do you call him Kacchan all the time?".

"It's just a nickname." He admitted.

"If you plan on calling me that, I'll fucking kill you." Katsuki said.

"Oh, okay Kacchan!" Luck said, a cheery smile on his face.

Bakugo got up from his seat, but Momo grabbed his arm, pulling him back down. Momo took a sip of her tea, before talking "It's good to see you're back to being yourself, Asta.".

"Yeah, right" Katsuki sneered "After you couldn't win against that Golden Dawn dude, I thought you'll never recover".

Asta was about to retort, when a loud crash was heard, as Yami entered the room, kicking the door straight off its hinges. "Good morning, Mister Yami!" Magna said.

"Good morning" Yami replied, holding his cigarette. He then walked towards the table, sitting down at the far end. "Listen up, shrimps." He announced, exhaling some smoke "We got word that the Wizard King is organizing something big, and he requested All Magic knights that are not in critical positions to be at headquarters."

"Seriously?!" Noelle asked "Everyone? I wonder what he got planned…"

"We had a captains' meeting not so long ago, and the Wizard King did mention that he thinks the Magic Knights' standards are too low these days." Yami said.

"What does that mean?" Magna asked.

"It means he thinks that a lot of Magic Knights these days don't strive to new heights all that often, and that means a lot of them stay too weak compared to our upper ranks." Yami explained "He thinks we should "balance out" our ranks more, and make even the weakest of us stronger than they were before, mainly in the face of the recent development with the Eye of the Midnight Sun."

"I see." Izuku said "He probably wants to utilize all Magic Knights if the surprise attack on the Eye of the Midnight Sun evolves into a large-scale conflict."

"Yeah, you got it, kid." Yami said, taking a bite out of his food.

"So why does he request all Magic Knight's to come to headquarters?" Momo asked "Shouldn't he just instruct all captains to initiate training sessions to their Knights?"

"I have no idea" Yami replied "Maybe you should just be his advisor instead of Mushroom-head." Yami took another bite out of his food "Well, anyway, after you dumbasses finish eating, get ready and wait outside for me." He got up from the table "And you shrimp, take a shower" he told Asta as he walked away, probably to find the toilet.

After Asta was full, and was after a shower, he walked out of the base, finding everyone waiting outside, standing there with brooms. "You're finally here, asshat" Katsuki said "We were going to leave without you if you had taken any longer."

After Asta and Noelle embarked on Magna's cyclone, they took off, with the others following in tow. "I hope I can get a lot stronger in this training" Asta said "After losing in the selection exam, I can't afford to fall behind!".

"Someone has a lot of energy today" Magna said "Actually, what am I saying, it's Asta." After that, Magna accelerated, and they flew, seeing the capital in the distance.

"Magna," Asta spoke up "how's Finral doing?"

Magna stayed silent for a bit before giving his answer "He's strong, the doctors think he'll make a full recovery." He mustered a little smile "At least his bastard of a brother has been removed from his position as Magic Knight for the time being."

Feeling the discomfort talking about Finral caused, Asta immediately changed the topic "What about your brother, Noelle? I remember you completely crushed him in the selection exam.".

"He's in denial, for the most part" Noelle said "I can't blame him, honestly, his entire worldview was crushed those last couple of months.".

After that, besides some small talk, they stayed quiet until reaching the capital. "There it is" Magna said, descending to the ground, with the others following suit.

"I wish that lazy Finral was here" Yami said, exhaling some smoke "Taking a portal is much better than flying around for long." He then started walking along the street, heading for the Magic Knights' Headquarters, leaving everyone else behind dumbfounded at the bluntness of his sentence.

"Wait for us, captain Yami!" Asta said, jogging up to catch to the man. Looking around, he could see the many people flying around on brooms into the capital. 'I didn't even know that there was this many Magic Knights!'.

After walking some more, the Black Bulls arrived at the entrance to the Magic Knights' Headquarters, and Asta could see a man in a blue robe standing in the entrance. When he saw the approaching Black Bulls, he spoke up "Welcome, please head to Arena and gather with the others.

"Arena?" Noelle asked "I've never known that was an arena here."

"There's a big Arena at the back of the headquarters." Katsuki said "Mushroom-head said they don't use it often. Only for large gatherings like this or certain events.". After walking through the headquarters, they reached the back entrance, which lead to a big arena with a stone path line with flowers and bushes. "T-There a-are s-so many p-people there! I-I'm so e-embarrassed!" Grey said, hiding her face, and Gordon just mumbled something unintelligible.

"Captain! Captain!" Luck said "Do you think we're going to fight? Do you?"

Yami just exhaled some smoke "You're all a bunch of weirdos".

"Look who's talking, King Dense of the muscle-head kingdom" Katsuki retorted, and Yami grabbed him by the head, carrying him along.

"This is honestly embarrassing" Noelle said "can you please stop?".

"Don't worry, he's used to it" Yami replied.

"Shut up, I'll kill you!" Bakugo said, starting to struggle against Yami's grip.

After some walking, Asta heard some call out "Hey there, Black Bulls!". Turning around, Asta could see Mimosa, Klaus and Yuno, accompanied by their entire squad. In the front walked two people, one was Captain Vangeance, and the other was a woman Midoriya never seen before.

The woman has a voluptuous figure, she has white, hair and Light amber eyes. she wears a short, sleeveless white dress that can be seen underneath a black robe that reaches down to her ankles, and is tied around her waist with a brown belt. The black robe has elaborated, intertwining silver designs running along its edges, and she wears it with the sleeves folded below her elbows. She also sports a pair of black gloves that cover her forearms and tuck underneath the robes' folded sleeves. On her right hand, she wears a metal gauntlet that covers her hand and forearm, but on her left arm her black glove is exposed, with armour only on the top of her forearm. Finally, she wears a pair of black, thigh-high boots, which are plated with armour along her shins and the top of her feet. Her grimoire pouch is connected to the side of her belt, and she has a silver-colored spear sheathed on a strap that runs from her shoulder to her waist, and then around her back. Her Golden Dawn robe is worn above her black robe.

"Hey, all of you!" Asta waved back, and the Black Bulls waited until the Golden Dawn caught up to them. "How are you all doing?" Izuku asked, coming to walk near them and Asta.

"I'm doing fine, Izuku" Klaus answered, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"M-Me too, I-Izuku" Mimosa said, slightly blushing.

"Are you okay, Mimosa?" Asta asked "Do you have a fever?". Hearing this, Mimosa blushed even harder, and looking at Izuku, he could see he was blushing slightly too, rubbing the back off his head in discomfort "It's contagious?!" Asta asked, taking a step away from Mimosa.

"No, it's not, Shortsta" Yuno said, borrowing Noelle's nickname.

"Shut up, you handsome, stoic jerk!" Asta said, charging his childhood friend, with latter stopping him by holding his head in place. "Izuku," Yuno said "I saw you won in the tournament, but don't get too cocky, I'll work hard and surpass you.".

"Me too!" Asta declared.

"Good," Izuku said "If you'll surpass me, that means the Kingdom will have really strong Magic Knights to protect it.". hearing it, both Asta and Yuno smiled, welcoming the challenge.

"That's a very admirable point of view" The white-haired woman said "I actually never expected to hear something so sensible from Yami's squad.".

"Hey! Shut u-" Katsuki started to say, but Yami quickly covered his mouth.

"Now, now." Captain Vangeance spoke up "I think we need to take an example from our younger members and get along."

"If you wish, Willia-. Err… Captain Vangeance." The white-haired woman said.

When they reached the arena, they could see the Wizard King and Marx standing on a balcony overlooking the crowd, and once he saw the two squads arrive, the Wizard King spoke. "Well, now that we are all here, I can begin explaining this week's plan. First of all, we will assign each and everyone one of you to a captain, and you'll go and do training with whichever captain you're assigned too. It doesn't matter how strong or weak, in the face of the Eye of the Midnight Sun all Magic Knights need to stand united. And so, every captain has chosen ahead of time whatever they think is an all-encompassing training, and once you're assigned, you'll group up with the captain and his vice-captain, and go with them. Each day, you will switch captain, and so everyone will be trained by every captain."

"But Captain Yami," Asta said "you said you didn't know what was going to go down here!"

"I didn't" Yami replied.

"Group A will be assigned to Captain Vangeance and Vice-captain Aurumson, and will stay in the arena." The Wizard King continued.

"Group B will be assigned to Captain Yami and will head to him, and go from there."

"Group C will be assigned to Captain Silva and will head for the arena in the castle city."

"Group D will be assigned to Captain Roselei and will head to the Blue Rose Headquarters."

"Group E will be assigned to Captain Mereoleona and Vice-captain Randall and will head to the Yultim Volcano region."

"Group F will be assigned to Captain Jack and will head to Nean"

"Group G will be assigned to Captain Unsworth and Vice-captain Vermillion and will head to Raquey, which had prepared for your arrival."

"Group H will be assigned to Captain Granvorka and Vice-Captain Xerx and will head to the border town of moenia."

"And lastly, group I will be assigned to Captain Boismortier and instructor Asteracea and will head to the battlefield used in the Royal Knight's selection Exam."

"I know all those other people" Magna said "But who's instructor Asteracea?"

"He's an instructor that serves royals and nobles who pay enough" Noelle said "He's basically a Magic Knight teacher. Some retired Magic Knights do that."

"So he used to be a magic knight?" Asta asked "I wonder if he knew sister Theresa"

"Yeah, he did use to be a magic knight" Yami said "He was the captain of the grey deer before relinquishing his position to the current Wizard King."

"whoa, seriously?!" Asta said "but wait, why would they need him here if people are going to train with Rill?".

"I think it's precisely the reason he's here" Midoriya said "Rill seems to be, well, a bit of an air-head."

A shimmering screen appeared in mid-air, right above the Wizard King and Marx, showing the group placements for all Magic Knights present. "Asta, Asta, Asta…" Asta mumbled as he skimmed through the screen "Group A!".

"Same here." Klaus announced.

"Me too!" Izuku and Luck said at the same time.

"Shit!" Bakugo said, and Yami laughed "Seems like you get to stay with me, hot head.".

"I'll kill you during training!"

"I'd like to see you try"

"Is Captain Boismortier the short kid over there?" Todoroki asked, pointing at the cheerful captain, who stood next to Walter and another old man in a dark blue coat Asta didn't recognize.

"Yeah" Magna answered "Seems we are both assigned to him, let's go!" he said, marching off with Todoroki in tow.

After that, everyone that was assigned to Captain Vangeance went after him to the front of the arena, while other reluctant Magic Knights gathered around Captain Yami. "Captain Vangeance, if I may ask, what kind of training do you have in mind for us?" Klaus asked.

"Because everyone here has different magics and different levels of strength, the first step will be to assess the trainees," the masked captain started explaining "after that, I will assign everyone to different methods on training, ones that will be the most beneficial. We have a week, so I expect each and every trainee will experience at least more than one form of training."

Klaus nodded and the present company waited until all Magic Knights got into their respective groups, and then Cob sent them all away using his portals, leaving the arena looking much emptier. "Now then," the masked captain spoke, instructing everyone to stand in a line "Yuno and Noelle, I have already assigned you to your exercise, so please, go with Palladia." He said, gesturing at the vice-captain standing beside him, and the latter walked off with Yuno and Noelle in tow.

"Asta," Captain Vangeance said "please, stand outside of the line. I have already decided of a training for you, so wait until I finish with the others." He pulled out a sheet of paper out of his cape "Now, then…" he said as he read the paper "Let's make it simple, one group will go to the right, one group to the left and the third group will go over to Vice-Captain Palladia." He proceeded to send most of the Magic knights over to his Vice-Captain, before assigning the left group, which went to the left side to wait for William, and then focused his attention on the remaining knights. "Now, all of you will practice combat. I will assign together pairs of people who I think can benefit from their partner." He said, starting to pair them together.

"First, Luck Voltia and Silex Lutuman." Captain Vangeace said "I think Silex's defensive magic type will give Luck more trouble and help him train against it, while a highly mobile opponent like Luck could give Silex a good opportunity to train his magic offensively." And with that, a cheerful Luck and a Nervous Silex went off to the right side of the arena. "Next, Izuku Midoriya and Mimosa Vermillion. I think Izuku's power could help Mimosa train her spells against an offense-centered Magic Knight.".

"I-I'm p-paired with I-Izuku" Mimosa mumbled, covering her slight blush with her hands. 'Oh no, I think her fever is back.'. Mimosa walked awkwardly next to Midoriya, as they both left for the right side of the arena.

"And finally, Klaus Lunettes and Nebra Silva." Captain Vangeance announced "As far as offense and defense go, I'm sure about your abilities, Klasu. But I wanna see how will you fare in a battle against an unconventional opponent, like Nebra and her Mist magic, which involves a trickier way of fighting. As for you, Nebra, I wanna see how you overcome Klaus' defense, which is very good due to his magic attribute." And with that, the last pair went away, leaving Asta alone with the Golden Dawn captain.

"As for you, Asta" He spoke "I think that for now you should train your new "form"."

"You mean "Black Asta"?" Asta asked.

"Black Asta?"

"Leopold gave the form this name." Asta replied.

"I see." Captain Vangeance said "I have gotten a detailed report from my members due to your match with my other Vice-Captain, So I would like to see you train that form. Should you master it, it may be your greatest asset in a battle." The masked captain then turned away, and started to walk in the direction of his Vice-captain and her trainees. "Follow me.".

Looking at the direction they were going, Asta could see Yuno, Noelle, and some 4 other magic knights inside a dome made out of silvery mist. They were sweating, there eyes squinted, as they tried dodging the Vice-Captain's spear, who looked as if it has a mind of its own, flying around and hitting the poor Magic Knights with its shaft while the Vice-Captain just stood outside, watching them try and avoid the spear inside.

"Palladia" Captain Vangeance called out to the woman. The later stopped playing and turned around to look at her captain, before looking back at the trainees "Have some rest" she said, and the dome dispersed into nothing, while the spear sheathed itself on her back. She walked over to Asta and her captain "What do you need, Captain?".

"I want you to take care of Asta while I go over and help train the other trainees." Captain Vangeance said "I've talked to you about what I had in mind, right?".

"Yes, sir"

"Then it's settled." He said, turning to walk away before remembering something "Don't go to hard on him, Palladia."

"I can't guarantee that, sir" the woman answered. ´What does that mean?!'

The man only chuckled as he walked away.

"We're starting now" the woman, now known as Palladia, said "You've wasted enough time already. I don't whether you're a royal or a peasant, I'll go hard on you just the same. So now, use your black form."

"Vice-Captain Palladia" Yuno said, sitting on the floor next to his fellow Magic Knights "You can't go too hard on him, he's really fragile."

"You handsome jerk!" Asta exclaimed "I'll show you!". he then got into his stance, closing his eyes as he felt the anti-magic flowing freely through his body, and soon after, he felt his transformation was complete, and his eyes opened. "I'm ready! Let's go!"

"Come at me whenever you feel like it." The woman said, her face blank.

Asta charged forward, only to his opponent sitting down on a silvery stool, looking at Asta with an interested look. Arcane Weapon Magic: Gungnir. The silver and gold decorated spear on her back shot out on its own, heading straight for Asta. 'Crap! Dodge!'. Asta swerved his body to avoid the spear, but to his surprise, the spear unnaturally changed direction, hitting him in the side with its shaft. Asta however, didn't take long to recover, and her once again charged his opponent. After a couple of failed tries, with the spear hitting him every time, Asta tried thinking up another strategy. 'I know! I'll go straight for the spear!'. Asta charged Palladia as a feint, drawing the spear to him as a result. The spear flew at him, and he avoided it by dodging beneath it, before retaliating with a strike "You're mine!" he exclaimed. However, instead of disintegrating, the spear simply fell down on top of him, pinning him to the ground as his black form disappeared. 'Ouch! This spear probably weighs about as much as my sword!'. "Ouch, ouch, ouch" he said as the spear lifted off of him, flying back to Palladia's back.

"How do you carry something like that around?!" he asked.

"It's magical," she explained "for me, it is next to weightless."

"Wow, Asta, you didn't even land a hit" Yuno taunted.

"As expected of Vice-Captain Palladia." Noelle said.

"You're pretty good" Palladia said "But as I can see, you probably leave the strategy to others. You can't always just charge head-on into every battle, even if you wield Anti-magic." She karate chopped him on the head.

"Ouch!"

"Now," Palladia continued "When Captain Vangeance sought information about your powers to decide your training, Mimosa told him that this power puts a great strain on your body, is that true?"

"Yes," Asta said "but what does it have to do with training?"

"That means we get back to training. Now" Palladia said "Get up, all of you, and prepare for round two"

"Seriously?" Noelle asked.

"Wait" Asta said "Round two of what?"

"get next to them." Palladia said, and Asta did as he was told, standing next to his friends. Palladia's grimoire had floated up beside her, and its pages flipped as it started glowing with a silvery light. Platinum Weakening Magic: Haze of the War God. A bunch of silvery, bright runes formed a circle next to Palladia in mid-air, and it spewed a silvery mist that shaped into the form of a dome. As soon as he was trapped inside of it, Asta understood what the others struggled with earlier, as all of his sense got impaired, and now, in addition to the strain the black form puts on his body, his body felt weak. "What the hell is that?!" Asta asked.

"My magic, obviously." Palladia answered "now, let's start". Arcane Weapon Magic: Gungnir. The spear shot out, heading into the dome of mist, and hit one of the Magic Knights Asta didn't know on the side of his stomach. "So we have to dodge that spear in here?!".

"Yes, shortsta." Noelle said "That, or protect ourselves with Mana Skin, which is also really hard in here.".

Asta sensed the spears Ki coming his way, and his body got him out of the way, the spear barely missing. After a couple of failed dodging attempts of the Magic Knights inside the dome, it dispersed. "You don't really get the point, but that's okay." Palladia said "We can do something different, since you will be training with Mereolena this week. Just let me do this…" her grimoire's pages flipped, and she cast another spell Platinum Recovery Magic: Eir's whisper. Palladia's palm glowed with a silvery light, and she blew on it as if she was blowing powder away. Silvery particles flew off of her hand, landing on the Magic Knights' skin, sinking in and healing their pain.

"Whoa, you can use recovery magic too?" Asta asked, moving his arms around "Huh, my muscles aren't hurting anymore."

"I thought of something else we can do." Palladia spoke "Instead of mana training, we'll do something else that's also very important. Technique training. Because until you're a mage powerful enough to defeat anyone without any problem, technique and strategy are valuable assets in any fight." She then turned to Asta "You have technique, although it's very rudimentary and needs to be polished." She turned towards the 4 magic knights that stood behind Yuno "I don't think any of You will benefit this training, so please proceeded to strength training with Willia-. Captain Vangeance.". looking behind him, Asta could see the captain of the Golden Dawn at the right side of the arena, fighting the Magic Knights around him with his Tree magic.

"Uhhh, sure" One of the magic knights said, and they all went off towards their beaten comrades.

"Now" Palladia spoke "I already saw both Yuno and Asta fight, but I never saw you, Noelle." She made a silvery stool and sat down on it, taking out her flute. "So please, by all means, come at me."

"Are y-you sure?" Noelle asked.

"Sure, feel free" the Vice-Captain said.

Noelle took some distance from Palladia, while Yuno and Asta got out of the way. "Okay, here I come" Noelle announced.

"Yeah, Noelle!" Asta encouraged his friend "show her what you can do!"

"O-Of course I will, Stupidsta!" Noelle replied.

"That's a good name for you, too" Yuno said.

Noelle pointed her wand at the white-haired woman, and cast her spell Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Roar! A huge, serpentine-looking dragon made out of water formed out of the tip of Noelle's wand, before charging at the sitting woman, who stopped playing her flute to look at the spell Noelle sent her way. Arcane Weapon Magic: Wrath of the All-father. The spear shot out, the runes engraved on its tip glowing with energy, as it formed a glowing blue aura around itself. The spear proceeded to charge Noelle spell, flying all throughout its body, disintegrating it, and stopping short of Noelle's wand.

"An impressive magic indeed." Palladia said "As expected of a royal." The pages on Palladia's grimoire flipped fast, as she was about to launch her own spell "Allow me to retaliate." Platinum Binding Magic: Bindings of the destroyer. Four rune circles appeared next to Palladia, before shooting out thin silvery cords at Noelle. Seeing this, Noelle activated her own spell, putting a barrier around herself Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's lair. The cords impacted the barrier, but didn't have enough power to pierce it.

Arcane Weapon Magic: Gungnir. Her spear once again shot out, piercing Noelle's shield before ramming its shaft into her gut, making her double over, as she dropped the spell that surrounded her. "Oh, my" Palladia said, going over to Noelle "I hope you didn't get hurt too bad."

"I-I'm fine" a sick looking Noelle said.

"Wait, I'm confused" Asta said "What is your magic? Your spear? Or the silver stuff?"

"The magic I was born with is Platinum Magic" she explained as she used her healing spell on Noelle "but when I was younger like you, one of my first missions was to explore a dungeon. When we got down there, we engaged Spade Kingdom forces, and amidst the battle I found this spear. Some of our experts had a look at this, and they suspect it may be of dwarven origin."

"Dwarven?" Yuno asked.

"Yes, dwarven" Palladia helped Noelle up from the floor "in the past, many years ago, humans weren't the only race that lived in the Clover Kingdom. But since the dungeon was destroyed in the battle with the Spades, we couldn't really get a lot out of it."

"I remember my grandmother used to tell me that dwarves once lived in the Clover Kingdom" Noelle said "But I thought it was only a fairy tale.".

"Well, anyway…" Palladia said "Let's get back to training."

---

The next day

---

Midoriya's P.O.V

---

"I hope you have gotten something from our time together here." Captain Vangeance said, standing before the gathered crowd of Magic Knights "Discovering your weaknesses, and purging them, that what should be your goal at the coming days. So please, do work hard." He gestured to Cob, who was standing beside him "Cob, they're ready."

"Yes, sir" Cob said, saluting as he made two doors appear out of nowhere, and they opened into a portal. "Take care." The masked captain said as they group went through the portal. Getting out of it, Midoriya could see that the were standing in a forest, the thick foliage above keeping the floor dark.

"Welcome, dumbasses." He heard Captain Yami say "To my training grounds." He proudly gestured to the forest around him.

"Captain Yami, this is just a forest." Asta said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Shut up." Yami grabbed him by the head, lifting him off the ground "This is not just a forest." He looked over to the entire group "My training is very simple, but pretty dangerous. So if you're a wuss, you better not participate.". this piqued the interest of the Magic Knights, who were ready for an opportunity to prove themselves. "Follow me while I go through the forest over there." Yami said, gesturing to a part of the forest behind him that looked to be darker.

"Captain Yami, what is that place?" Midoriya asked.

"Oh, this place?" Yami replied "It's just a Strong Magic Region, "The Forest of Whispers". It is said that the forest exhibits strong malice towards outsiders."

"What does that mean?!"

"It attacks you with magic, basically." Yami answered simply "So, let's see if you can move yourself, huh?". He through Asta into a nearby tree, and he landed on the ground with a thud.

"Any questions?" Yami asked.

"Excuse me, Captain Yami-" Klaus started saying, only to be cut off by Yami "No? then let's go. Whoever comes last wipes my ass." He said as he started running off into the forest, the reluctant Magic Knights running behind him.

"Seriously, another one of these Strong Magic Regions?" Noelle asked "I think they're my new most hated place to be honest."

Midoriya knew exactly when he entered the forest, due to the sudden drop of temperatures, and the mist that was spread all over the ground, giving the dark forest an ominous feel. "This place is really creepy to be hones-" Midoriya's Ki sense saved him as he ducked to avoid a thorny vine that whipped his way. ´Seriously? He wasn't joking.'.

"Look out!" Midoriya moved Mimosa out of the way of giant wooden spikes that impaled the ground she was standing on a moment ago. "Mimosa, you gotta be more careful. Its hard to control mana in places like this." Noelle said. Klaus and Yuno stopped for a moment to check on their friend, and so did Asta.

"Thanks" Mimosa said, before looking up at Midoriya who was still holding her "I-Izuku! I-I'm s-sorry to b-bother you." she said, covering her face as Midoriya put her back on the ground.

"Let's keep on going." Yuno said, flying away "We don't have time for this".

They continued running, with Noelle teaching Mimosa and Klaus about mana skin. 'Mana skin, huh? It's sounds like what Yaoyorozu taught Kacchan to do…'. Midoriya was snapped out of his thoughts by beam of magic coming his way, which he promptly dodged 'What was Yami thinking when he brought us here?! What will he do if someone here got hurt?'. The training, however, paid out. By what Midoriya assumed was the middle of the forest, the attacks got faster, more powerful and more frequent, but they didn't bother Midoriya as he dodged every one of them, sometimes helping his fellow Magic Knights, who themselves seemed to get used to the forest's attacks.

When Midoriya and his friends got out of the forest, he could see Yami and Yuno waiting outside. "Yuno, you bastard!" Asta said "it's not fair when you fly around like that!".

"It's not my problem you don't have magic." Yuno replied.

"You…handsome jerk!" he said as he charged Yuno, and the latter used wind gusts to keep him at bay.

"Ummm… I-Izuku?" Mimosa said, coming up behind him "I-I just w-wanted to th-thank you f-for earlier."

"I-It's all good" Midoriya said, slightly blushing because of how close Mimosa was standing to him "You would've done the same for me.". to his surprise, Noelle came and pulled Mimosa away, saving him from becoming even redder.

"Izuku," Klaus approached him "I couldn't help but notice you weren't even using your magic while going through the forest. Is your magic sense really good? Or were you using another method?".

"Not magic sensing, Me and Asta can sense Ki." Midoriya said "It's basically like, well, a kind of energy given off by living things and inanimate objects when they move. So we can kind of sense where the attacks are coming from."

"I see," Klaus said "It must be a great asset in battle."

"It does come in handy" Midoriya said, giving Klaus a smile, before turning his look to the sky, noticing that only feint light came through gaps in the foliage. ´Wait, it's evening already?'. "Captain Yami, why is it evening already?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention that." Yami said "Time moves differently inside the forest." He then turned to Asta "Hey, kid, I have another training for you."

"Oh, really? Asta said, quitting his push-ups and getting up "What is it?"

"Go get us some food" Yami answered.

"I think I prefer-" Asta was cut off by Yami "Either you go, or you die."

"I'll go!" Asta declared as he ran off into the forest.

"I hope he doesn't get lost." Yami said "I he does, we won't have food…Man, I wish Finral was here"

While they waited for Asta and the other Knights to arrive, Midoriya went to sit underneath a tree, leaning against it and closing his eyes. ´I might as well use the time to train the thing Yaoyorozu taught me.' Midoriya tried alienating himself from the world, concentrating ´So, Yaoyorozu said that's its like using simple reinforcement magic, but I wonder how hard would it really be…' while focusing, Yaororozu's teaching came to his mind ´ "concentrate, it's really hard to describe, but try to find "a flow" of energy that flows all around you. utilize it to cover your body, enhancing your abilities. Marx told me Magic Knights often use a technique called reinforcement magic, which enhances their physical abilities. We can't use complex magic, but with the Wizard King's help I was able to discover we can use this technique to some degree. Because quirks are part of our bodies, they also get enhanced by the reinforcement magic".'.

'Find a flow, huh?' Midoriya sat in silence for what seemed like a long while, before feeling something little coming out of the darkness, even though his eyes weren't open. ´There it is!' as he focused on it, it got stronger, from a "trickle", to finally, a "stream". For a second, he could feel the same "flow" going through all of the things around him, being more focused in the places Midoriya assumed were his friends. After that, he willed the "flow" to flow into him, before his concentration was broken by a voice "I'm not eating that!". ´Damn! I almost got it!'.

"Yo, Deku, you wanna eat?" Midoriya opened his eyes, seeing Asta looking down at him.

"Yeah." Izuku replied, getting up "thanks, Asta". Looking behind Asta, he saw a big campfire, with a boar mounted above it, with both Noelle and her bigger sister gave the food disgusted looks.

---

The next day

---

Cob returned the group of Magic Knights back to the city, and they were now walking through the streets, heading to the nearby arena. "Honestly," Klaus said "I would like to never participate in that captain's training again.".

"I agree" Noelle said.

"But you're in his squad!" Asta exclaimed "Captain Yami just wants us to get stronger!".

"Or he wants us dead, shortsta." Noelle replied.

"I don't think Yami actually wants anyone dead." Midoriya said "It's just his personality. Kinda like Kacchan."

"No, I'm pretty sure that's why they get along so well" Noelle said.

"Yeah!" Yuno's little sylph said "why is your squad a breeding ground for bad people?". ´She has quite a mouth on her despite being that small…anyway, it's kinda weird to think something so small is that powerful.'.

"I don't know, Bell" Yuno said, a slight smile on his face as Asta went into overdrive.

"Who are you calling a bad person, you handsome bastard!?" he exclaimed.

"Don't judge us all by our captain!" Noelle added.

"This is not the time for this. we're here." Klaus said, as they all walked through the entrance to the arena, and memories of the Magic Knight Exam returned to him. In the middle of the arena, the Captain of the Silver Eagles stood alone. ´Honestly, I think I rather train with Yami again instead of with this guy.'.

"Nozel," Nebra went up to her brother "is there any chance you have some food? I haven't eaten yesterday."

"Why? Has the foreigner not fed all of you?" Nozel asked "nevermind, it's not time for this. We'll take a break around noon, and then you can go eat."

"But-" Nebra was cut off by her brother's look, and went back to stand next to the other Magic Knights.

"I was commissioned by the Wizard King to do this combat training, but not a usual one." Nozel explained "today we'll work on weaknesses and advantages of magic types. As you probably know, magic types have advantages and disadvantages, with no exception. So today, your challenge will be overcoming weakness in combat. I'll try to put all of you in a disadvantage, to see how you try to overcome it."

"It was all wrong" the first dual ended.

"Don't stay in one place. Move!" the second dual was finished. 'They really didn't account for combat levels… some of the people here really don't care about improving…'.

"Next, Luck Voltia and Noelle" Nozel announced, and the two stepped up to the middle of the arena, Luck as cheerful as always and Noelle looking stressed. Midoriya couldn't tell if it was because of her brother, or because she was going to fight Luck. "Begin!".

"Noelle," Luck's hands and legs were covered with his lightning magic "don't hold back.". Luck charged at Noelle, and instead of going on the offensive, she erected a barrier around herself Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Lair. Luck shot glowing blue orbs at the barrier, with each one splattering lighting over the water.

After some bombardment, the barrier gave in, and Luck charged in for the victory. ´Huh, I thought Noelle's barrier was stronger than that…'. When Luck got close enough, a smile appeared on Noelle's face, as she quickly pointed her wand at Luck, and lauched her counterattack. Water Magic: Sea Dragon's Breath! A large, water burst exploded from the tip of her wand, sending Luck flying backwards. Luck, however, quickly recovered, and dashed at Noelle.

"That's enough" Nozel said, and Luck froze.

"Aw, man!" he said "It was just getting interesting!"

"You see that?" Nozel said, turning to the Magic Knights that failed the training exercise "Adapt to your opponent. If you can't do that, you'll do no good in a fight.". 'Did he just say Noelle did good? Maybe he's not a complete jerk.'.

"Noelle, what was that spell? I never saw you use something like that" Midoriya asked when she came back to stand beside them, and two other Magic Knights stepped to the middle of the arena.

"Vice-Captain Palladia said I needed to develop a smaller attack spell than my Sea Dragon's Roar, since it takes longer to cast and consumes more mana." Noelle explained "So I had inspiration from the short-range explosions Katsuki uses, since they're quick to pull off and have a lot of power."

"I see!" Midoriya said.

"Next, Mimosa and Klaus." Nozel announced, and Midoriya saw two recovery mages take care of one of the Magic Knights that fought the previous match, his clothes scorched.

Mimosa and Klaus both stepped up to the center of the arena. "I'm not going to go easy on you, Mimosa."

"Of course, me neither!" Mimosa answered, and her gaze shifted to Midoriya. When she realized he was looking back at her, her gaze was snapped back to Klaus. "Begin!".

Steel Creation Magic: Violent Rotating Lance. Klaus didn't waste a second, summoning several steel lances with a rotating head that were launched towards Mimosa. Mimosa's grimoire glowed, its pages flipping as she cast her own spell Plant Magic: Bloom of the Everlasting Meadow. Grass erupted from the ground in a circle around Mimosa, and after that flowers of all shapes and colors bloomed among the grass. As the flowers glowed with energy, a yellow barrier was erected around Mimosa, and the lances shattered when they impacted it.

"Woah! Mimosa learned a new spell too!" Asta exclaimed "I can't let them leave me behind!" he declared as he started doing sit-ups on the floor. 'He's way too determined.'. as Midoriya cast his gaze back to the battle, he saw Mimosa grew a giant flower behind her, and it was pointing at Klaus' direction, as it started to glow.

Steel Creation Magic: Steel Castle's Armored Wall. Klaus erected a steel barrier in front of him to protect himself from the magic beam the flower shot him. ´It's stronger than the one she used in my fight against her. I wonder… is the other spell increasing this one's power?'. Steel Creation Magic: Unwavering Cavalry's Charge! Klaus' wall of steel seemed to reform, his mass increasing as it expended towards Mimosa and grew in size. When the steel mass impacted Mimosa's barrier, it stopped momentarily, before breaking through and hitting Mimosa, sending her flying.

"Match end." Nozel declared as Mimosa got of the ground, holding her head in pain.

"Wow! Mr. Glasses, you're amazing!" Asta said, a starry-eyed look on his face.

"At the start it seemed like your defense spell was going to be your solution." Nozel said "but it seemed that it couldn't stand against a formidable steel spell like Klaus used. But, you are mainly a support mage, so your performance was formidable. Good job.". ´Is it just me, or is he on a good day? Maybe it's just she's a royal…'.

"Klaus, that was a really awesome spell!" Midoriya said when Klaus came back with Mimosa "Turning your defense into immediate offense is a really great tactic.". Midoriya saw Nebra and another magic knight went to the center of the arena.

"Thank you, Izuku" Klaus said "The idea came to me in the Royal Knights Selection Exam, when I saw that boy, Shoto, fight. He used big glaciers for both attack and defense, and I tried replicating it. The problem is the huge amount of mana it takes, and that it doesn't really work on airborne targets."

"A-Aren't you surprised f-from my s-spell t-too?" Mimosa asked.

"Of course!" Midoriya said "A defense spell is really fitting for you, Mimosa. So you can defend yourself and people you heal mid-battle." He then remembered something "Also, it seemed your attack magic was more powerful. Is it because of the new spell?"

"yes." She answered, looking away slightly "I got the idea from Noelle, but it's more like mana skin, just over the whole spell's area. So it strengthens my mana control and my spells' power in addition to defending me."

"That's really cool, Mimosa!" Asta exclaimed.

"Yeah, it is." Midoriya "if you learn even more powerful attack spells, you'll be an all-encompassing fighter, who can use all kinds of magic and defend your allies during a firefight. You can be a unit all by yourself. You could determine the enemy's position, defend your own, heal and counterattack." Midoriya stopped only when he noticed the looks he's been given, realizing he was mumbling again. "Uh, sorry about that…" he rubbed the back of his head.

"I-It's ok. I-I appreciate it." Mimosa said.

"Next, Izuku and Asta." Nozel declared. ´Seriously!?'. As he and Asta walked to the center, Midoriya saw the unconscious body of the knight Nebra fought being taken away by two recovery mages.

"Deku, come at me with everything you've got-" Asta said "Wait. Why am I fighting him? You said we were going to battle our weakness!".

"It is your weakness, peasant." Nozel said. ´Well, guess he isn't that nice…'. "Your weakness is things that are too fast for you, or too little to be blocked.". ´I see, so he did put some thought into this. But I wonder who will he put against Yuno…'. "Begin!"

Asta pulled his smaller sword out of his grimoire, charging Midoriya, while the latter got into a stance, red lines appearing on his body, before giving their place to green lightning that danced around on his body. One for All: Full Cowl 15%! Midoriya dashed at Asta, as the latter prepared to strike Midoriya with the flat part of his blade. Instead of dodging, Midoriya punched the flat side of the sword, sending it the other way and into Asta. The flat side of the blade impacted Asta's forehead, and he collapsed to the ground. ´I may… have overdid it.'.

"Asta? Asta, are you okay?" Midoriya asked, shaking his friend.

"I'm not done yet!" Asta declared, jumping off of the ground, ready to fight. He dashed at Midoriya, but the latter dodged, before retaliating. Delaware Smash Air Force 25%! He shot a single air bullet that impacted Asta at point-blank range, knocking him away.

"I'm not done yet!"

"I think you are." Nozel said "That's enough."

"That concludes the first round." Nozel said "I hope it gave you something to think about. You can have a two-hour break, at the end of it, return here and we'll continue. Dismissed." He turned to walk away, before remembering something "For any of you that want to eat, come with me." He said as he walked through the exit, with everyone following.

"Wait outside" Nozel said as they reached their destination, and he entered the building. After two minutes inside, a woman came outside, "follow me, please." She said as she led the group into the building. When they were inside, Midoriya could see it was quite the fancy restaurant, and the people sitting in it were giving them looks. Following the woman, they arrived in a vacant room, with empty chairs and tables. "here we are. Enjoy your stay, the food will be here soon." The woman said as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

"I wonder…" Noelle said "What's wrong with him?"

"What do you mean, Noelle?" Midoriya asked.

"My brother" Noelle replied "He's been acting weird since the Royal Knights selection exam."

"Yeah, you're right" Asta said "He's only called me 'peasant' once!".

"I think he forgot about me" Yuno said "I didn't get to fight."

"I'll fight you, actually, let's do it now." Luck said, throwing mock punches at Yuno's way.

"No." everyone said simultaneously, but Luck stayed cheerful.

About 20 minutes after they sat down, waiters came with trays of food, distributing them around the tables. "This food is so good!" Asta said, shoving food in his mouth, while Yuno sat next to him and looked really disappointed.

"Asta, slow down or you might choke." Midoriya said, giving his enthusiastic friend a smile.

"I'm glad we are doing all this training" Klaus said "I'm sure we'll all be much stronger by the end of it. Strong enough to take on the Eye of the Midnight Sun."

"Yeah, you're right, Klaus!" Asta said, temporarily stopping his attack on the food "I must get stronger to catch up to all of you, too."

"That's if you got chosen for the Royal Knights." Yuno taunted.

"I'm sure Asta got chosen too" Midoriya said.

"thanks, Deku!" Asta said, before returning to dig into his food.

´I think my theory was right. The Wizard King is predicting a large-scale conflict after the attack on the Eye of the Midnight Sun's hideout. That's the only reason he'll try to rush everyone into training right before the attack. A large-scale conflict means people are going to get hurt.' Midoriya looked at his hand 'We must be strong enough to finish it quickly.'.

---

Two days later

---

Mimosa's P.O.V

---

"Stand in line, maggots!" Mereoleona shouted, and everyone quickly formed a line, standing straight. Seeing the angry volcanos behind her, Mimosa realized what she got herself into. ´What are we supposed to do here exactly?!'. "I am seeing a lot of new faces here, so I guess you'll have to figure out the method for yourself." Mereoleona said "My training is quite simple, climb to the top of the volcano before nightfall. Everyone that makes it to the top can go into the hot spring. And if not, I'll kick you down the mountain.".

´Is that the hot spring they were talking about before the Royal Knights selection exam?'.

"What are you spacing out for?" Mereoleona asked, grabbing Mimosa by the head with a fiery palm. "Get going!" she threw her from the cliff and onto the volcanic rock below. Mimosa landed with a thud, and saw that some of her friends were already advancing towards the summit.

"This time, I'll get there first, Yuno!" Asta announced, turning into his black form and flying up the mountain after Yuno. Noelle, Klaus and Luck were already advancing too. The only one left behind was Izuku, who didn't seem to be able to advance forward in the heat. Mimosa approached him to try and offer her advice, but she saw Mereoleona come over as well. "I think you should turn back" she told a profusely sweating Izuku "I can't feel any magic from you. you can't climb to the summit like that."

Mereoleona's words stirred something up inside Mimosa. Sure, everyone could feel no magic from Izuku and Katsuki, Shoto, or Momo, but everyone also glanced over that fact, since firing explosions, creating stuff out of nowhere and kicking up air currents that pulverize rocks isn't something that magicless people can do.

"I-Izuku, if you truly can't do it, maybe you should turn back." Mimosa said "It could be dangerous if you get hyperthermia here.".

"I refuse." He replied "Maybe it's dangerous, but if I can't compete with my peers and climb that mountain, how will I get better?"

Izuku got into a stance, for a few seconds, nothing happened. But after that, red lines appeared on his body, before getting replaced with green lightning. The green lightning started to condense, forming a glowing green aura around him, the bigger lightning bolts dancing around his body, with two streams of energy coming from his eyes. Mana Enhance: One for All!

´Wait, mana is suddenly flowing through him! how did he do that?'.

"Hmmm. I'll see you at the top, Izuku." Mereoleona said, before shifting her gaze to Mimosa "What are you doing here? Quit dawdling and move!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" she said as she started running up the mountain after the other Magic Knights, her Mana Skin covering her. She gave Izuku one more look before continuing to run. ´I'll definitely see him at the top! There's no reason to worry! I hope…'.

After Mimosa reached the other magic knights, she saw that some of them were slowed by a passage over a ravine, that had a stream of lava flowing at its bottom. The only way above it was a rocky passage, that didn't look very steady. ´What's up with the captains' training? What will they do if someone got hurt?'.

A gust of air washed across Mimosa as Izuku ran past her, crossing the ravine with a jump, before continuing on his way. 'He's already on his way? I can't take too much time, then!'. Mimosa shoved another Magic Knight out of the way, crossing the rocky passage, and running up the mountain.

After a tiring climb that included avoiding falling rocks and fighting Lava monsters, most of the Magic Knights made it to the top of the mountain, and Mimosa sat on a boulder next to Noelle, exhausted from the climb. "I'm glad you taught us to use mana skin two days ago." Mimosa said "It was really helpful.".

"It's no trouble" Noelle replied "Here is where I learned to use it. At first it was really hard for me, since I had terrible magic control" she admitted.

"Oh, that reminds me." Mimosa said "Did you see Izuku? I saw he found a way to climb the mountain after all."

"I saw him earlier, yeah" Noelle replied "He ran past me earlier on the climb, all glowing. The weird thing is, I felt mana in him, although I normally can't sense anything from him."

"That's exactly what I was going to ask you about." Mimosa said "but also, I wanted to know if he made it up here okay."

Noelle took a quick look around, and seeing no one around, she spoke "Mimosa, I know you have a crush on Izuku.".

"Is it really that obvious?" Mimosa deflated.

"Very." Noelle answered "Only someone as dense as Asta wouldn't notice."

"R-Really?" Mimosa said, feeling her face heat up.

"Mimosa, Noelle, what's up?" Mimosa's heart jumped in her chest, and she turned around to see Asta behind them. "A-Asta?! How much of that did you hear?".

"Huh? hear what?" he asked, looking confused. Mimosa sighed "Thank goodness.".

"Stupidsta!" Noelle lashed at him "don't sneak up on people!".

"Asta, did you see Izuku?" Mimosa asked.

"yeah." He replied "He's over there with Yuno and Luck" he pointed his thumb behind him.

The sky was already getting dark, and not due to the volcanic ash covering it. Mimosa felt the volcano become less and less active the more she sat at the summit, until it went completely silent, and the stars shone through the dissipating ash clouds. "So, you're finally all here" Mereoleona said "As you can see, the volcano is dormant at night, so you can drop your Mana Skin." She then looked towards a bunch of Magic Knights that had only recently managed to get to the top, and were breathing heavily, completely exhausted. "You're lucky I only have one day with you, or I would've made you do the climb all over again. But still, you didn't manage to get in here time, you dumbasses." she lifted all of them by the heads with fiery palms that emerged from her aura. "I'll return shortly, stay put." She instructed as she jumped away with the pleading Knights, heading for the camp that had been set at the edge of the volcanic belt.

'Poor souls. Mereoleona really is ruthless.'.

After a couple of minutes, she came back, and gathered the remaining Magic Knights in front of her. "Now, for all of you that got here in time, I give you all permission to soak in the hot spring!".

Mimosa looked around for the hot spring, and seeing none she decided to ask "Captain Mereoleona, where is the-". Her question was pre-emptively answered by an eruption of water inside a crater. The large column of water was divided by a stone wall that divided the crater as well. When the column settled back into the crater, it filled about a half of the crater with hot water.

"The rejuvenating effect of this hot spring is the best in the kingdom, so you better be grateful for being allowed to bathe here." Mereoleona declared "All right, dumbasses! Take off your clothes!".

'W-Wait, WHAT?! But all of the guys are here, too!'.

"Don't worry, you fools" Mereoleona said, seeing the Knights' confused faces "On a previous visit, someone put this wall in the middle." She pointed her thumb at the wall dividing the crater. "hurry up and get in!".

All the guys went to the right side of the crater, and all the girl to the left part. After descending into the crater, when they were obstructed by the wall that separated the bath, Mimosa got undressed and got into the water. ´Ah, it's actually really nice in here.' She looked at the tall wall that separated them from the guys' bath ´The men's bath is right over there…that means Izuku is there…naked…' the image of Izuku flashed in her head, and she felt blood drip from her nose as she blanked out.

---

Two days later

---

Midoriya's P.O.V

---

"The sun here is really nice. To think that there's a place with constant summer" Midoriya spread his arms to bask in the sun, as they walked through the streets of Raquey.

"I know right?" Asta said "This place is so nice. I wonder why they brought us here to train, instead of harsh environments like the Forest of Whispers or the Yultim Volcano…".

"Why are you complaining?" Noelle asked "This is better, so just enjoy."

"Objectively, it is." Mimosa asked "But, we are going to be training with my brother…'.

"Oh, Kirsch?" Midoriya asked "But I thought the Captain is going to train us."

"Probably not," Klaus answered "since the Captain of the Coral Peacocks is always asleep.".

"Huh, how does it work, then?" Midoriya asked "How can she be the captain if she's always asleep?".

"Beats me" Yuno said.

"Anyway, where are we going?" Asta asked.

"We've been told to arrive at the beach." The tall magic Knight, Silex, answered "I wonder if they've set up something special there. The Wizard King did say they had prepared for our arrival."

"Over there!" Asta said, pointing at a man in a blue robe that was standing next to a stone arch.

"Welcome." He greeted them as they approached "Come with me." He instructed as he walked through the arch, and down a stone staircase. The staircase led to a part of the beach which was now vacant, with more people in blue robes separating it from the rest of the beach, preventing the curious people from crossing over. In addition, Midoriya spotted a mass of sand that seemed to float about 100 feet away from the beach.

"So, you finally arrived." Kirsch said, and Midoriya saw him and his Captain sit underneath a parasol. The purple-haired woman which was the captain was fast asleep, and Kirsch had a wine glass in his hand. "I hope you're ready, because today, we're going to train you're magic to be beautiful!".

´What the hell does that mean?'.

"Let me explained my magnificent training plan." Kirsch said "First, we will all take our time at Raquey's famous spa-" he gave his captain a look "Ahem. I mean, first we'll train, and then we'll be free to experience Raquey.". he got up from his chair, placing his vine glass on it, and walked their way. "As to not put Raquey's beautiful beach at danger, I had commissioned the making of that little island over there" he said, pointing at the floating mas of sand. "So now, let's head over there and start. The earlier we finish training, the more free time we'll have today.". he said as he turned around towards the floating island.

"I wonder what he has in store for us" Midoriya said "I hope its something me and Asta can do".

"What do you mean, Deku?" Asta asked "We can do anything they can!"

"You can't make spells" Yuno said with a blank face, taunting Asta.

"You jerk!"

"Why did you call him Deku, Asta?" Mimosa asked.

"It's a nickname" Midoriya said.

"Oh, I see." Mimosa replied "Then, do you mind if I'll call you Deku, too?"

"No, not at all." He said, giving her a smile.

Reaching the waterline, the blue robe mage who lead them to the beach raised his hand, and more sand appeared out of nowhere, creating a passage on the water, leading to the island.

"Okay, listen up, and I'll explain my exercise." Kirsch announced "As I said earlier, today we'll make your magic beautiful. Magic that is just a horrific destroyer is helpful in a lot of situations, but Magic spells that are more subtle in effect, and not pure destructive power, are also very helpful. From recovery magic to defense to weakening, spells such as those can turn the tables in battle. The possibilities are vast and are limited only by you." Kirsch struck an elegant pose "Today, we'll work on spells like those, anyone that already has some will practice them, and everyone that doesn't will train to use their magic more subtly. ´Huh, he sounds more intelligent than I would've given him credit for. He's right, spells with side effects are quite formidable. But still…mages like Yuno, with overwhelming strength don't really need them.'. Midoriya took a look around at the other magic Knights ´Well, I guess most Magic Knights aren't like that.'.

"Now, everyone, pick a place, and start practicing." Kirsch instructed "I will go around and give advice if needed.". Looking at Kirsch, he could spot the purple-haired captain standing next to him, still asleep. ´Wait…when did she get there?!'.

"Wait, Sparkly Dude!" Asta said "I can't use magic, what should I do then?"

"Hmmm. I think it would be better for you to train what you can already do." Kirsch said. ´Wait, he didn't insult him this time!'. "Mr. Sabulo, can you please?" he gestured to the man in the blue robe, and the latter got his grimoire out, creating a smaller mass of sand that floated next to the small island. "You," he pointed at Midoriya "you should go with him. I can't sense any mana from you too."

Midoriya and Asta walked over to the edge of the small island, and jumped over to the other floating mass, which then started floating away from the tiny island, giving them space. ´If I have the chance, I should focus on training my mana enhance, just like at the volcano. It let's me achieve greater strength with lower percentages of One for All, but I wonder…' Midoriya looked at his hand ´…Will it work with Blackwhip, too?''.

"So, Deku" Asta said, stretching "What kind of training you had in mind?".

"I thought about training my mana enhance technique" Midoriya replied "What about you?".

"I wanted to work on my Black Asta form, but here, I'll just get redirected towards one of the stronger mages…".

"What do you mean?" Midoriya asked "your Black form gets attracted to mana?".

"Yeah, I think so." he answered "Why're you asking?"

"That's a flaw in your power" Midoriya said "If you fight more than one person, you could be attracted away from a target, or even be attracted by an ally who has strong mana. You should handle it with care."

"Oh, you're right, I didn't think about that" Asta admitted, and gave him a smile "Thanks, Deku!".

"I guess you could always train the old fashion way" Midoriya said.

"I guess so!" Asta said, getting on the ground and starting doing push-up sat an insane rate.

After looking for a good five seconds at the amazing rate of his friend's push-ups, Midoriya decided to get on with his own training, and got into a stance. 'The flow, look for it…' After a couple seconds of concentration, Midoriya found the "flow", and willed it to go into him, feeling strange power run through his battle. 'Not good enough' Midoriya dropped his concentration, and the power quickly disappeared. ´In a battle, I can't just stand around and wait. If Kacchan can do it faster, so can I!'.

Midoriya tried again, and again, it took him too long. ´Not good enough. again!'

'Again!'

'Again!'

'Again!'

"Green-haired boy" he heard a voice say "are you okay?". Opening his eyes, he saw Kirsch looking down at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Midoriya replied, giving him a smile.

"I see." Kirsch said "I couldn't help but notice the weird presence of mana here. One moment it's here, another moment it's not. I really don't know what you're doing, but I did notice something that might help you."

"Really? What is it?" Midoriya asked.

"You're fighting it." Kirsch said "I can see that one moment there is mana, and the next there isn't. you're not born with the natural talent to control mana like most people, right?".

"I guess not."

"So, you're fighting it." Kirsch said "It's like wrestling a beast into a cage. That's why it goes as soon as you release your hold on it. As I myself was born with the ability to control mana, I can't really understand you. But I can give you advice. Instead of wrestling the beast into the cage, try "training" or "compelling" it to do it on command instead. If mana will naturally flow into you, it will definitely be easier for you to do whatever you're trying to do."

"Thank you very much, Kirsch!" Midoriya said, giving his superior a small bow.

"Now, I must be off." He said "I hope my advice can help you after all."

´Well, it is kind of vague, but it is still an advice. After all, for everyone else, magic is a part of their life, kind of like quirks…' Midoriya started pacing, thinking about what to do, as the sounds from Asta's workout faded into the back of his mind. ´train it? but mana isn't alive…maybe it's not really "training" it… maybe I have been wrong? From the start, I have always forced the "flow" to go into me… so maybe there's another way to do it?'.

Instead of getting into a stance, Midoriya simply stood there and closed his eyes. ´Maybe instead forcing it, I should find another way'. Midoriya stood in silence, the only sound he could hear were the faint sounds of Asta. ´Maybe to them… mana is more than just a form of energy? After all, from what I know Yuno's little sylph is made out of mana…'. Instead of searching for a place to plug in to the power that flowed all around him, Midoriya searched for something else. He searched for help. And the universe seemed to react in full, instead of a stream that flowed through everything, what Midoriya felt was an overwhelming river that ran wild with power through every tiny piece of his surroundings. ´So this is what they feel…mana in it's full form'. The mana seemed to not flow into two specific places. Midoriya, and what Midoriya guessed was Asta. While it completely avoided Asta, bumping uneventfully off of him, it seemed to curiously probe Midoriya like a foreign particle in a sea of mana.

Midoriya relaxed his body, as if inviting whatever was next to him inside. And slowly but surely, it started exploring. first, it slowly sipped into his skin like pure water, and once it reached the middle of his chest, its advancement exploded, and it started pouring into him like an empty cup. Midoriya felt incredible energy flow into every cell of his body, and then, it started dying out, emptying as if Midoriya was a broken vessel. Opening his eyes, he saw fluttering green lightning dissipate off of his skin. ´So this is mana…'.

"A quick learner." Kirsch said "A beautiful performance. If even a magicless person can… perhaps I've been wrong…".

"Thank you for your help!" Midoriya bowed "I wouldn't have been able to do it alone."

"You're welcome" Kirsch said as he walked away again "Perhaps we've both learned something today.". back on the little island, Midoriya could see the captain was still asleep, but now facing him and Asta. ´Not creepy at all…'.

It was now already noon, and Kirsch gathered everyone back on the little island, with the sand mass Midoriya and Asta were on sinking the moment they got off of it. "A very beautiful performance from all of you today." Kirsch said "Now that we are finished, I dismiss you to enjoy Raquey for yourselves." He gave the captain standing next to him a look "just don't get too relaxed.".

"Have any of you ever been here before?" Midoriya asked his friends from the Golden as they walked up the staircase leading back to the street.

"I have." Both Mimosa and Klaus said simultaneously.

"I never been here before." Yuno admitted.

"So what is there to do around here? Other than the beautiful beach of course." MIdoriya asked.

"Well there are several-" Klaus was cut off by Asta who said "Let's get food first!".

"Okay, I guess we can get some food." Klaus said.

After walking some more down the street that bordered the beach, Midoriya spotted a small shop near the beach, a white sign hanged above the shop ."Is that ice cream?" Midoriya asked.

"Yes. It's written on the sign." Noelle answered.

"Ice cream? What's that?" Asta asked, and Yuno looked confused next to him "Is that food?".

"Ice cream is just as its sounds, frozen cream, with many, many flavors. it's really tasty" Midoriya explained.

"Really? That's sounds really yummy!" Asta exclaimed with a starry-eyed look "Let's get some!".

"Do you even have money on you?" Yuno asked.

Asta checked his pockets, and found them empty. "No…".

"It's okay Asta, I'll pay for you." MIdoriya said.

"Thank you very much!".

"Such prestigious Magic Knights? I'm honored." The man in the ice cream shop said "Let me treat you to some tasty ice cream. Choose whatever you like."

Asta was glued to the glass pane that was between him and the ice cream, and was looking at all the different flavors. "I can't choose! There are so many flavors!".

"Izuku" Yuno said, looking intently at the flavors "You wouldn't mind paying for me too, right?".

"Its okay. I didn't really use any of my payments."

"I will have the white one," Yuno said, pointing at the ice cream.

"Vanilla? Sure." The ice cream guy said "Only one favor? You can choose more you know."

"Yuno" the sylph spoke "choose one for me, too!". ´Can she even it?'.

Yuno sighed "which one do you want?". The sylph floated down to the glass pane, and pointed at the pink ice cream. "Then I would like to have the strawberry and…Izuku, what is the yellow one?"

"Banana, it's a sweet fruit."

"I would like that too."

"Right!" the ice cream guy said, picking a waffle cone out of a vessel behind the counter, and started pilling three ice cream on it, before handing it to Yuno. "Here you go. Enjoy!".

"How do you eat it?" He asked, making Mimosa giggle "You lick it, Yuno.". Yuno gave it a try, and stayed silent as he ate his ice cream. "You were right, it is good.".

"My turn now!" Asta declared, before stopping to think "Deku, what's chocolate?". ´Sometimes I forget he's a peasant after all…'.

"It's a sweet candy." Noelle said.

"Then I'll have this chocolate, the vanilla, and…" Asta said "What's that one?" he pointed at a flavor.

"This is cookie chips" The ice cream guy said "it's vanilla based, with cookie pieces scattered throughout.".

"Then I'll have it as well!". Asta said, and went to stand next to Yuno after being given his ice cream. "so good! Your ice cream is really good!" he said with a starry eyed look.

"Thanks! Happy to see you liked it."

After everyone got their ice cream, they went to sit on a couple of benches overlooking the beach and the ocean. ´Sometimes I get so tranquil here I forget about home…stupid! why did you think about it?!'.

"This is so good!" Asta said "Eating ice cream with my friends while looking at the beautiful ocean! This is the best!".

"I tend to agree" the sylph said while licking the ball of strawberry ice cream. ´So she can actually eat? How interesting'.

Midoriya looked around at everyone that was sitting around him. ´I hope that when I leave, I won't have to lose my new friends…'.

---

Enji's P.O.V

---

Enji was roaming the vacant halls of his big home. His house always fell empty, but now that Shoto was gone, his heart felt empty. ever since the day he promised his son that he will become a hero he could be proud of, his soul felt whole, like a man who found his purpose.

Something that a lifetime of trying to surpass All Might couldn't do.

He knew his son was ok, he had to be ok. But something in his was always worried. He never felt worried for anyone, but now…´Is that what being a father feels like?'.

Enji arrived at his living room, when his phone rang.

He picked up the call, and a voice spoke "Mr. Todoroki? It's doctor Kairi speaking.".

"I'm all ears." Enji replied.

"I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry, we're preparing to run last tests." Dr. Kairi said "We're almost there. It'll take us two about two days, maybe three."

"And then?" Enji asked, knowing the answer,

"The hero commission wants you to join the search party that is going to enter the portal." Dr. Kairi said.

"Of course, I accept." Enji said, a smile rising on his face. ´Soon, Shoto, Soon. when you get back, we'll go eat Soba with your mother...'. Enji told himself, as if Shoto could hear.

---

I hope you enjoyed!