With everything done, he could relax.

He sat on a cliff side, overlooking a rushing river. A tree line rested on the opposite side of the river while bears rested and cubs played on the other. In the far distance, the ocean stretched for as far as the eye could see. If he remembered, this is where the relatives of the goddess clan once flourished until they died a few decades before the first great holy war

It was beautiful in a way but he still had his goal.

He needed Asta to live.

That boys survival was beneficial to his goal, and it was the only key to a better life. The problem was keeping him alive

He had already dirtied his hands already. He would kill anyone that attempted to kill that child and got away. He would be the one to raise his blade against him.

And he had to watch for others. They were unpredictable, a wild card if you will.

He smirked as he glanced behind him.

He still had a ways to go before he could finish his goal. He just needed a opportunity to get that child without anyone trying to object. But, he'll just need to wait for the perfect time. But he stopped.

Or he could pay a visit now. It would go against the man's wishes but it would be easier before he become too powerful and fell to his mixed blood.

Their blades shall clash very soon. He would fight him when he was still in control.

"Wow! Pay?!" Asta looked at a sack of coins that rested in his hands with starry eyes. He had never seen a pouch filled with coins this big before! In fact, he never saw this many coins in one place at once!

"Yeah. The Magic Knights are considered a government job thus we are paid like any other job." Yami said as he passed a little sack to everyone else in the group.

"Have you never seen pouch filled with that much coins before? This is like pocket change.." Noelle mumbled to herself. Asta didn't hear her as he opened the pouch to see his pay. The weight of the bag didn't do the amount of coins justice. The bag itself had more coins then he could ever imagine. As a kid that never had seen these many coins before, he could send this to the church to help them out and Sister Lily!

His eyes widened. He has done anything or said anything since he left for the knights exam. They think he is coming home right now! He has to tell Nash about how he got into the knights and woo Sister Lily with his cool magic!

"Captain Yami sir!" Asta yelled. Thankfully, his voice went over the rest of the fellow knights.

"Please don't yell brat. What do you want?" Asta gulped at Yami's mannerisms. He thought for a second before he began.

"Do you think I can go and visit my family in Hage? It shouldn't take me to terribly long, I mean I know we hav-"

"Go. When ever there is a pay day, we take the day off to enjoy ourselves. If you want to see them, your getting yourself over there. You can fly. it will increase your magical stamina and control." Yami said. Asta nodded. That did make sense and he did want greater control over the mighty pair of wings. Maybe he could learn to use them in combat. Maybe to make his opponents off balance or something.

"Hey Asta!" Asta turned and covered his face as Vanessa, still drunk, stumbled near him. She wasn't to modest and he could look! His heart belonged to Sister Lily and her alone!

"Yeah Miss Vanessa?" He said sheeply.

"I was gonna go shopping later today with Noelle! Wanna come?" Asta's eyes widened. That sounded really fun actually! He couldn't say no!

"Sure! What time?" He asked. She pondered for a minute before looking at him.

"Maybe a hour after noon! We will come pick you up! By then I'll be sober too!" She (hopefully) joked. He nervously chuckled at that and walked towards the door. He turned back and waved them before he walked out the door.

The morning breeze and dew were still fresh as Asta had started a short walk to get loose. It would give him some time to over think what happened yesterday. That missing book, his ability to do that predicting thing now or his urge. Was it a genetic? Did his family come from a line of powerful warriors? Maybe it wasn't something so noble, maybe a pack of murderous bandits.

Or maybe it was only part of his family and the other half is just ordinary. A normal commoner, the average person.

Whatever the case, his fuel to learn about his family grew with each meter he walked.

Who were his parents? Were they loving and caring or negligent and abusive? Why was he abandoned? Why Hage specifically? Did his family have connections there? Did one of his relatives kidnap him and give him to Father to save him? Or was it for a grander cause? One that could save someone's live or was it because of his grimoire?

He stopped moving in his tracks as he thought of that. His grimoire was a strange one. From what he could tell, it wasn't magic but something else. Not normal because it wouldn't be able to nullify magic or reflect it like he learned. So it isn't magic, nor is it not magic. Its something else, a new factor he never considered.

Was it the opposite to magic? One that's power hungry, eats mana thus nullifying the spell? He shook his head, such a force couldn't exist. The world was ruled by magic. He knew that at a very young age. If this grimoire was the opposite to magic, why him? Why not someone as powerful like Yuno? Was it because of his previous magicless nature?

He shook his head as he focused on his magic wings. He thought of them expanding, becoming a mighty pair of demonic angel wings. The rushing feeling of the air, the trees zipping underneath at a fast pace, the fluffy clouds just out of reach. A cold feeling protruded from his shoulder blades and his wings unfolded.

'That took a little longer.' He thought. 'I still need a better grasp on this magic before I do anything.'

He brought his mighty wings up and brought them down, creating a rocketing gust of air that launched him up above the tree line. He turned northwards, towards Hage.

...

He didn't like he was just about to break the forest line before the wings folded and he fell into a large oak branches. He climbed down, ignoring the soreness in his body. He dusted his person and check his pouch for his grimoire. After he confirmed it was still there and not damaged in any form he started to walk towards the church. He walked slow at first but each stride was longer and faster before he full on was spriniting on the familiar dirt he called home.

The air and the grass were still crisp and fresh, like the day he left. The birds still chirped the happiest and most smoothing tone he had experienced. The people of the village still worked hard to produce Hage's specialty, Tatoes! His mouth watered at the idea of the tasty vegetable. Sure it was dry but that was the best part to him! The bland texture was strangely the best part to him.

He looked up towards the horizon where the sun had surpassed the trees and he saw something. It looked like a black dot of sorts. Maybe a person. They seemed to be getting quite close now. A feeling of absolute terror and despair filled his body as he realized this person was filled with hostile intent. He unbuckled his grimoire and summoned his sword and rose it just in time to block a over head strike. The force behind the attackers blow made Asta's shoulder pop and drop his sword. He was pushed into a small crater as another pooped appeared in his legs. Asta howled in pain as he crumbled into a pile in the crater. His attacker jumped back and stood on the edge of the crater looking down at him. Asta felt his magic pop his limbs back in place as he looked back at his attacker. He couldn't see under the hood but he was gripping a dangerously sharp looking blade. It was jet black with a curved edge and seemed to radiate magic.

He reached for his blade and forced himself to stand to met the man. He looked at him with the most hateful face he could muster with his pain. He couldn't see anything really defying about the man but he seemed to radiate a powerful feeling. When Asta used Yami's detection technique, a mountain of energy seemed to just pour off him. Whoever he was, he was leagues above Yami. He pointed his blade at him, but he couldn't stop his blade from shaking. Was it fear or pain, he couldn't tell.

('It's him... Asta your not strong enough to handle him yet. I hope you don't die.. I don't want you to join me yet..')

"Well, your Asta Lucifer are you not?" His voice. Gods, that would haunt him for ages. Dark and a cutting edge. His voice would scare even demons. Asta had a feeling this man was the nightmare of nightmares.

"Lucifer? Never heard that name before! But yes, I am Asta!" He yelled. "Now, why attack me? Do you want to destroy Hage!?" He yelled even louder. The man chuckled.

"Good. If not I would be surprised that a average villager managed to defend from a strike from my blade here." He twisted the blade, allowing sunlight to gleam on it. It only made the blade seem more sinister. "And no. I could care less for this village to be honest. All I care about is you." He said. Asta's mind was racing. He had no chance of defeating him and his chances to run away were near to none.

"Why me specifically?" He asked. His muscles seemed to be fully functional now but now the soreness was almost to extreme to ignore. He won't be able to fight even near his best.

'Please... everyone hide. Sister Lily, keep the children safe.' He sighed. Maybe he could stall until someone like Yuno or something came to stop him. There was no way someone of his caliber could go undetected. He must have broken so many alarms the second he landed. Any moment, more powerful knights would come and save Hage. For now stall.

"Well, if it's not obvious your very interesting. Are you not?" He asked. Asta grimaced. He was like that rogue knight that he fought when he first got his grimoire. This man wanted his sword didn't he? Are there more people that'll want the power of his magic nullifying sword? Undoubtly there are probably tons.

"Yeah? You know Grimoires only work for their original owners?" He said. The man made a tsking sound and waged his finger. Asta rose a eyebrow.

"Even though the Demon Slayer sword is valuable, it's you that I want." Asta widened. He knew about his blade? He didn't even know his blade's name. Yet this complete stranger knew it. He knew things Asta wasn't aware of.

"Why did you call me Lucifer?" He said, trying to stall longer. He could have sworn the man had smirked under that hood.

"That's info for me and me only. Maybe you can earn that right if you can beat me in battle." He began to walk towards Asta slowly. His blade gleamed in a sinister tone. "Now, lets see if you can fulfill your duty as knight and protect this village!" Asta grabbed his blade and charged at the man, full of the passion to defend the only home he ever known.

Noelle walked through out the rowdy streets of the capital following Vanessa. If she was honest she hated it. This much people that wasn't raised like her gave her anxiety. She felt like a cornered animal, sacred but ready to lash out at anyone who gets close as her last defense. She wouldn't deny it, but her upbringing wasn't good for one's mental health. In fact, something like that wasn't good for anyone's mental health.

Unless they were a machoist because then it would be great for them.

"Hold on, follow me." Vanessa started to walk down a alleyway. Noelle followed slowly and watched Vanessa melt into a wall. No, it was a illusion. She breathed out and walked forward. Her foot was the first to enter the wall and a cold shiver made goosebumps form on her legs and she raced through quicker and soon she was on the other side.

It was a small alley with many stairs leading up and down, with a every twisting path. Vendors lined the edges with other faculties in the buildings. There was other corridors that exited off of the main one, to perhaps other shops and such. She found her superior and quickly bolted to her side. Vanessa giggled and the walked down the streets. Nolle felt nervous as people stared at them.

"Where are we exactly?" She asked Vanessa. She got a low auditable chuckle from the woman.

"Why the black market of course. Its a useful place for supplies you can't really find any where else. Its useful to witches, commoners and even magic knights!" She said as they passed a family eating what looked like roasted rat. She resisted the urge to hurl at the site but the children looked so happy eating some meat.

"But wouldn't it be our job to close this down?" She asked quietly. Vanessa smirked.

"No. We don't have too. The deals here are too good!" They stopped in front of a vendor and Vanessa looked at her.

"Well, this is my stop. I'll meet up with you in a few minutes." Noelle sighed and kept walking down the alley. She kept looking around, trying to see anything that could even be worth her time to her. Food? No, she wasn't that hungry. Jewelry? Not really her style. Random novelty items? No, she was fine. Books? None interested her.

She looked towards her left and laid eyes on a woman over a crystal ball. A psychic no doubt. Does she want to spend money on a double meaning poem that probably won't come true? Eh, what could hurt?

She walked over the woman and looked at her. "How much for one session?" She asked, pulling out her pouch.

"5 coins." The elderly woman said. She was surprised by the relatively low price and handed them as she sat down in a seat opposite of the woman. She held out her wrinkled fingers and Noelle grabbed them with much inner persuasion.

"Now let me use my magic." Her grimoire flew up, a light purple three clover one with the turning pages. She made a obnoxious humming sound while a fog swirled in the ball. She watched the ball, trying to see anything that would form in the mist. All she saw was a tempest.

"I see many things." She started.

'Wow.. that's not common and hoax sounding.' Noelle thought.

"I see ten figures. Their magic is unparalleled to all.. They cause so much pain and destruction.." Noelle was interested now. Her session is quickly turning dark. Everything was quieting down around her.

"But there seems to be hope! I see powerful mana raising up to defeat these group of ten." Noelle perked up.

"What type of magic do they use?" She asked. With how unique magic is to everyone, she could find out who these ten are and this group.

"I can't tell, I can only see a foggy battle between this ten and this group of opposesers." She sighed as the book came down. Noelle let go of the woman and stood. She bowed and ran off back towards where Vanessa was hopefully. That session creeped her out. It was just a hoax, a poem made for take advantage of people and getting peoples money. She shouldn't think about any of the words. They were fictionous. They hold no real meaning.

But she couldn't sense the feeling of dread that lingered. She felt like something was happening or was going to happen. She looked up, at the little gap for sunlight the alley had. It felt like a storm was coming and her house was going to get struck with lightning.

So yeah. Not confident with how this turned out but I wanted to get a few things out of the way. Unlike most writers, I just write these chapters on the spot with barely any planning and post them as soon as I finish and then wait like 2 weeks before starting the next. So I had 0 clue on how I wanted to take this. I actually realized that I forgot to do Asta's letter to Hage about his recruitment and thought this could do better.

And because I make these on the spot, I usually modify and add things as the story goes on. On September 30th, I actually thought of a new plot point that would be fun to write and so I'm going on with that.

Also, please tell me of any grammar, spelling or just general mistakes in any of my chapters. It'll help me improve the story.

Edit of 10/4: If anyone has a beta recommdation or would like to beta read this, I would gladly appreciate it!

Next chapter everyone's favorite healer makes her first appearance, dungeons appear and the dawn of new power!

Zalde