The flight back wasn't heartwarming or happy go lucky as it was on the way there. After witnessing the raze of a village the mood didn't shift towards any pleasant moods. The three knights had been flying for a while by now and it wasn't going to be a short or fast one. Asta couldn't summon his wings to fly so he had to hitch a ride on the Crazy Cyclone to the black bulls base.

"Asta, could you move your hands down a little?"

"Like this?"

"NOT THAT LOW, UP A LITTLE MORE!"

"Sorry!" Asta squeaked as he moved up his hands to Noelle's stomach for support so he didn't fall off from the broom. He didn't like falling down from high distances. He learned that on the day he got into the black bulls yesterday. The two falls he experienced had left him scared and uneasy. The feeling of being weightless and uncontrollable of his actions frightened him.

Did Yuno ever have that fear? That at any moment, he would lose control? His flight would turn to free fall?

It was a scary thought.

The idea for magic to fail just seemed.. surreal and impossible to him. But he has seen it first hand. That magic isn't just some straight forward and fixed stream. It was a raging river, ever changing in many ways. Unpredictable on how it's riverbeds will change, the current and tide never the same. Something that cant be completely controlled nor truly mastered.

That is what magic is. It's a unpredictable river that's power can be harnessed but it's not perfect by any means. It would take great skill to conquer such a powerful stream.

Something Yuno was garneted to be close to mastering.

Asta was envious of Yuno's control. Asta's own magic was unpredictable and sometimes not even responsive. Meanwhile Yuno's was powerful and seemed to bend to his deepest wish. That is why Yuno is stronger than him.

His skill with magic is far better then his own. He was a prodigy of magic. That's why he must get stronger to even have a fighting chance to catch up to Yuno. He needs to master his magic, unlock what it can truly do.

His magic was powerful. If Asta focused he could feel it. His magic. It was a swirling storm, a hurricane of energy. It lashed out, barely containing itself within by a force that was unseen. Inside the storm was something truly special.

A fire. A flame of emotion and power just in the eye of the storm. The storm seemed to originate from this fire. Asta could picture the flame. It was weak and flickering but the byproduct was powerful. If that fire could grow, he was sure he would get stronger. The flame itself didn't produce light.

It made shadows. Shadow's that crept into Asta's soul and felt depressing. It filled him with despair if he focused hard enough. He shook his head. He couldn't let that change him. His magic was just a tool for him to harness like a shovel or hoe.

In time, he will have control. He has to get control.

"Well good job you three!" Yami cheered. Asta was confused as to why his captain had a sudden mood change. He never saw him laugh or be happy in general.

"Uh captain, why are you this happy?" Asta asked. Noelle stood next to him.

"Did we earn any stars?" Noelle said. Asta looked at her. Stars?

"What are stars?" He asked. Noelle looked at him with a slightly annoyed look.

"Stars are physical achievements that are rewarded to squads when they do a good deed like help a cat or defeat bandits. In the middle of april, the squads are ranked based on how many stars they get. You can also increase your rank by how many stars you acquire during your time as a magic knight." Noelle explained.

Asta's eyes grew wide and starry. "Well, we must have like, a thousand stars! Right Yami?" He asked. Yami held up two stars.

"Two stars. One for fighting this red monster and defeating that rogue group of mages, which means.." He lightly tossed them up and they went towards a board on the wall. One star overlapped a black one and disappeared. The last star had taken the place where the other 2 stars were.

"WE ARE NOW OFFICALLY OUT OF THE NEGATIVES!" The group erupted into a large cheer as Asta and Noelle were dumb founded. They were in the negatives?! How does that even work?

"That deserves a drink!" Vanessa said slyly while waving a wine bottle.

"Ill start cooking a meal!" Charmy said before she ran off to start cooking a meal. Gauche had moved up to Yami holding his photo.

"With this celebration, may I go see Marie?"

"No." Yami quickly said. Asta lightly chuckled and looked around. He didn't see that light skinned man or the large hulky one anywhere.

("I managed to grab it Sir." A woman said to another. A hooded figure leaned against the wall as the woman threw a small stone to the him.)

"They are still sick to your breakfast from earlier. Your just going to be on cleaning and beast control for the time being." Yami said after a puff of his cigarette.

("Thank you Secre. Now, we wait for some magic to happen." The hooded figure replied before coldly smirking. He looked at the man in the bed. "Thank you for letting us temporally stay here, mister Henry." The man nodded as the hooded figure disappeared and the woman walked out of the room.)

Yami began to walk away and Asta got a idea. He walked up close and tapped Yami's shoulder.

Never in his life has he ever seen someone move so fast. And his head took a second to register the pain. He squeezed for a second but let him go to recollect. He looked at him with a lazed look.

"What?" He asked. Asta gulped.

"Captain Yami sir, can you help teach me how to wield my magic and blade?" He answered. The room went silent as Yami took a puff. everyone looked at their captain as Asta worried. He sighed, releasing his smoke from his mouth.

"One lesson for each. That's all. Alright?" Asta smiled. He nodded and Yami looked up.

"Luck, come with us." A maniacal laughter followed as the happy boy ran up to him.

"Yami, can I finally fight you?" Luck made some punching motions. Asta watched him in a sort of

Excited manner? Why would that be so?

Asta was brought out of his thought when he felt something sharp jam right into his forehead. He yelped and looked up to see a.. anti magic bird? It looked a little weird with little horns on the side of it's head. It kept pecking him, agitating him.

"What you dumb bird!?" He yelled at the anti magic bird who responded with burrowing itself into his hair. It made a cooing sound before it started to snore.

It actually felt nice.

"Uh.. what do I do about this bird?" Asta asked. Everyone shrugged as Luck happily tugged him outside.

I having to go back on a ton of these chapters because of my attention span and life. Seriously restarted 3 games, watched and finished a anime, and now I have soccer! I have to make short chapters if I want to keep up with the supply and demand!

Anyway, I know this chapter was terrible but I (hopefully) can start the dungeon arc soon (Next chapter hopefully)

Thank you guys for making this my best work! I thank you all!

-Zalde