Hello, I write too much, lol. and Happy belated New Year!
It's a new arc! It will be divided in probably 2 or 3 more chapters before we resume the canon plot. This chapter is more of a setup for the next, but I put a lot of info and I'm still crap at writing fight scenes.
Also, tooth pain is the worst.
Enjoy the chapter!
"I feel like something's wrong with Roland-senpai. He was a jerk before, but now he's an extra jerk. What do you think, Mimosa-san?" Aurora asked her squadmate one day during lunch.
It has been two weeks since she and her Father entered that labyrinth. Since then, he had been so busy (or Marx doubly vigilant) that she didn't see him at all during that time.
It didn't mean she stood still, as Captain Vangeance sent her on relatively simple missions - deal with someone's problem, protect the border, or even deal with thieves.
It didn't mean those missions were easy. Still, Aurora felt she had come pretty far since becoming a magic knight all those months ago, so now she was starting to understand what being one meant.
That, and she was a lot more powerful.
But even though she was working hard, she didn't entertain much hope for the Golden Dawn to acknowledge her, as only a handful of them genuinely believed she was her Father's daughter, to begin with. Only Yuno, Letoile, Mimosa, her bespectacled senior, Klaus, who had been there apparently when her Father told the truth, and Guy, the head chef, who was actually the most likable person around here, believed her in her own squad. Mimosa said that Asta and Noelle, as well as some other people from other squads, have been sworn to secrecy.
Aurora was oddly grateful towards them.
Strangely, their captain didn't do anything about the subject, not that Aurora expected him to do so. It was like he implicitly understood her and didn't make much of it, as he opted to stay out of that subject.
People weren't trying to seek Vangeance to confirm one little rumor, lest they were actively trying to lower their standing with him.
"Well… Perhaps Roland-senpai is trying to come to terms with the truth?" Mimosa answered with a smile after swallowing a piece of fish. They were sitting in the relatively empty mess hall.
Yuno, Klaus, and even Letoile were away on business and wouldn't return until later. So both Aurora and Mimosa took this opportunity to train a bit together. On their way out to the mess hall, they ran into Roland, who avoided her like usual.
"The truth, uh… I don't really see the fuss, to be honest." Aurora mumbled, picking at her own food with her spoon. "I mean, nearly everyone here is sure I'm the one who spread it, and they leave me alone like I'm this weirdo. I don't care, but they don't have to be so blatant with it."
"If so, why are you so focused on Roland-senpai?" Mimosa asked, curious.
"Because I thought we were getting closer!" Aurora answered with a pout. "Not as friends, but as… Comrades? Yeah, comrades! And when I did get back, he looked at me as if I was a gross liar, just like the others! I could smell his doubt… And then, he refused to train with me or asked the Captain to not put him with me since then! What a jerk!"
"Ahhh… Calm down, Aurora-san. I'm sure he has his reasons for being that way. I mean, he surprised us in a good way before, so why not a second time?" Mimosa suggested.
"Whether or not he believes it, I just didn't want people to start treating me differently… As I thought I should try to ask the Captain again. Why did he accept Roland's demand? I think this is the key." Aurora concluded with a huff.
Mimosa sweatdropped. It wasn't the first time Aurora mentioned their squadmate, and it wouldn't be the last.
It's true that, while he wasn't the kindest person, he was far more decent and fair than she was meant to believe.
Mimosa briefly talked with Letoile, who said he was "going through the seven stages of grief" or something like that.
Not that she would tell Aurora; her interaction, or rather a lack of it, with her shocked senpai, was funny.
"It is as you said, Aurora-san. But, I'm not sure bothering the Captain too much with this is a good idea…."
"I'm sure it'll be fine! Captain Vangeance is really nice to me, after all!"
"Yes, I do wonder why… Anyway, speaking of the Captain, I heard he would make an announcement today. I wonder what it is about!" Mimosa skillfully changed the subject.
"I was wondering about that too…." Aurora admitted. Her Father told her he had plans for the knight, so it was obviously coming from him.
"? Do you know something about it?"
"My Father's been pretty tight-lipped about it. Besides, I didn't really want to know. But, on the other hand, I'm sure it's one of his ideas, so what's the worst that could happen? Being sent away on another squad?
"Well, imagine being sent on the Silver Eagle with Roland-san… That would make for an awkward day…." Mimosa trailed off.
Aurora giggled nervously. That wouldn't happen, would it?
"Thank god I wasn't sent there!" So Aurora thought after their meeting was done.
It hadn't been a meeting, as only Mimosa, herself, and Yuno were called into his office when it returned.
Vangeance called them at sunset to quickly explain what would happen in the coming days. First, each member handpicked by him would be selected to join the new program the Wizard King put into place to test its efficiency and adaptability: the Squad Swapping.
Aurora and Mimosa had shared a quick look before laughing in disbelief when their Captain declared that: It turned out what they discussed before had the possibility of becoming true.
And obviously, both of them got chosen, along with Yuno. So for this trial, only the three would be sent away for a minimal time.
Not laughing too hard had been difficult when she learned that Yuno would be sent to the Silver Eagle.
Not that he would mind much because even that cold and proud Captain had wanted Yuno in his squad.
Mimosa would go to the Blue Roses.
As for her…
"Aurora, you're going to integrate the Black Bulls. Captain Yami is aware of it, and one of his members will come and fetch you in the city by the headquarters. Yuno, Mimosa, it's also the same for you, so the three of you should go together tomorrow. Some of the advisors there will be ready to coordinate the efforts and to give you any further information they feel you should know Any questions?"
The three knights shook their heads. What was asked of them was apparent.
Vengeance smiled. "All right then, just remember. Don't do anything that would make you stand out negatively, and certainly don't criticize how your future squad works. I expect it'll be wholly different than from around here. Do keep in mind that when you're in other assignments."
"Yes, Captain!" They saluted him.
"Perfect. Dismissed."
The next day, Yuno was already up and about at dawn. Waking up that early didn't bother him, but apparently, he did bother the other two as he had to wait for a fair bit at the entrance.
When he tried to call Bell, she also refused to appear. However, this was the first time she refused his call and told him she was 'getting ready.'
"Oh, Yuno! Did you wait for us long?" Aurora appeared at the corner, her bi-colored hair tied in her usual ponytail.
Mimosa was just behind her, impeccably dressed, as usual.
And Yuno, being Yuno, gave it to her straight. "Yes, actually." He deadpanned. "What were you doing?"
"Getting ready for the day! We're going to different squads, so making a good first impression is important!" She did a little twirl as she explained her logic to Yuno.
"Did I miss something today? Why is everyone suddenly 'getting ready'?" He thought a bit obliviously.
"Soo, what do you think? How do I look?" Aurora asked him, her face a bit rosy.
He looked at her, and, in his opinion, even in the admittedly unflattering uniform, Aurora was pretty and cute, as usual.
And so Yuno, usually a morning person, answered with all his skill in speaking to women after waiting for more than forty fives minutes than he would have liked.
"You look the same as ever. Can we go now?"
Aurora glared at him and, without even looking back, took her broom and took off, leaving behind him a dumbfounded peasant and an exasperated princess.
"She looks as pretty as usual, is what I mean. So why did she glare at me?" He mumbled to himself. Mimosa passed him with a fairly disappointed look as he was about to take off.
"Yuno-san… You don't say to a woman she looks 'as usual' when she woke up earlier than usual to get ready." She stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"What do you mean? She looked as cute as usual. She's eating more, so she looks healthier?" He replied quizzically, frowning.
"... It looks like all hope isn't lost for you yet." Mimosa sighed and took off next.
"... There's a lot I don't understand about women, but I'd rather not say everything on my mind." He declared to himself.
"Lest I'm called a pervert."
"It's okay, Yuno! You don't have to tell me anything with me because I know what you think!" Bell suddenly appeared at his side as he finally took off to catch up to his two disgruntled friends.
"For your own sake, I really hope not." He answered the perplexed fairy.
"I didn't ask you before, but what do you think the Blue Roses Squad is like, Mimosa-san? I heard there were females only! I find that quite weird."
"Well, that's not exactly true. There are male members, but I don't think there are actually that well-considered. So it's really an ironic situation."
"Why do you say that?"
"Hmmm… Do you remember their Captain from the examination, Charlotte Roselei?"
"Yes, the beautiful and responsible woman with a weird aura! Her Briar magic was awesome!" Aurora's eyes started to shine, and Mimosa sweatdropped. "It's so polyvalent! I'm sure she could do the work of a small army by herself! If she just-"
"Yes, I will definitely try to ask her, Aurora-san, don't worry-"
"You will?!"
"Yes, I promise. Anyway, moving on-" Mimosa tried to get back on the original subject, but Aurora was too busy having her head in the clouds.
Until a sudden gust of wind made her lose her balance.
"Uwaaaaaaaa!" Because she was standing up on her broom as usual, she did flay her arm around to try and stabilize herself until she reapplied her mana to make up for the disruption.
She turned her head behind her to glare at said disruption. "Yuno, you jerk! I could have fallen off!"
"No, you wouldn't have. Not with so little power behind it, anyway. Or are you telling me you would have?" He taunted her with a grin, just like he would do habitually.
But Aurora didn't react as usual with a pout or a barb.
No, she took out her grimoire and gave him a look that made him shiver. "How about we finish up that spar from last time? It seems to me you wanna get your ass kicked.."
"Heh. Let's do it, right here and now-" Yuno took out his own grimoire, but they both got suddenly slapped by some plants, courtesy of their third member.
"Are you two kids? Did you already forget where we're going or why?" Mimosa asked them, frustrated.
"No, but he deserves -" Aurora stopped when Mimosa glowered at her, and she felt something terrifying coming from her.
"Hey! How dare you strike Yun-eek!" Bell eeped and hid behind her contractor when the Royal turned towards her.
And when Yuno tried to argue, one look was enough to stop him.
"...We're sorry…"
The two childhood friends shared a look when Mimosa turned back, satisfied with their answer.
Scary.
"S-so, about Captain Charlotte, what were you about to say, Mimosa-san?" Aurora gathered her courage and asked her after a bout of silence.
Mimosa turned back towards her with a big smile as if nothing had happened.
Aurora still couldn't suppress her shivers.
"As I was saying, the Blue Roses seek to show the power and skill of women and refuse to idolize or worship men. It wouldn't be such a bad idea if some of their members didn't use this creed as an excuse to antagonize men thoroughly. Their captain is a prime example: I get that her beauty gave her unwanted attention, but she's particularly… Thorny, with men. And I've heard that some of her subordinates are even worse. That's not really a good attitude to have."
"Perhaps they suffered at the hands of men before? Or perhaps it's something else?"
Mimosa nodded. "That could be a reason, but that would be quite petty and frankly disappointing, I'd say. No, I think it's something else… I'm still quite young, but I'm sure there's something else since coming here you've felt too, Aurora-san."
"? What do you mean?"
"The whispers. And the gazes. Some of them make me shiver just by thinking about it."
Yuno clenched his fists. Being a man, he wasn't ignorant of such thinking, but it wasn't something he'd like to share with anyone else for obvious reasons.
But some of those nobles were definitely fitting the bill, even in the Golden Dawn.
"You're speaking about objectification, right?" He cut them off. Mimosa turned towards it, surprised, but nodded nonetheless. "That's exactly it, Yuno-san. Most men, the noblemen in particular, see women as prizes to be conquered. And when conquered, they are just here to make an heir. At least a male one."
"That's… wow… Is this for real?" Aurora asked, disbelief etched on her face even though she could feel the truth in Mimosa's words.
The Royal nodded.
"That's dumb." Yuno summarized his thoughts bluntly.
"It is what it is. That system was put into place long before us, and it will need time before people really recognize its flaws. That, or strategically placed people in the sphere of power… My Uncle is indeed absolutely uninterested - and uninteresting - so perhaps if we had to have a Queen with a Wizard King - Or even a Wizard Queen… With the help of some ministers…." Mimosa mumbled to herself those last parts. When she looked at her two squadmates, she realized she had lost them, if their expression was anything to go by.
"Anyway," She went back to the original subject, "I don't know much about the squad before Charlotte-san became Captain, but I believe she molded the Blue Roses based on a genuine desire for recognition. For women - and herself - to be recognized for being more than a pretty face To showcase their skills, intelligence, cleverness, strength… It sounds very incredible when put like that, right?" Aurora nodded. But based on Mimosa's face, something was up.
"Well, this would be great, but as I said, some of their members are showing utter lack of respect for any male, be it being dismissive towards even their own handpicked members or the people they are supposed to protect!" Mimosa ranted passionately. "And that hurts their founding beliefs, no matter the excuse or the traumatism. And it's hurting their credibility. That's why I hope to understand some of its members better today, to see if there isn't anything I could do to influence the current atmosphere. It would be a shame to see them reviled by a great part of the public."
"Woah… You've put a lot of thought into this, Mimosa-san. That's incredible!" Aurora clenched her fists and waved them excitedly. Yuno, too, was a bit stunned by the display of maturity Mimosa had. Of course, he knew she could be perceptive, but this was surprising.
"He-Hey! Don't be entranced by her, Yuno! She's not that incredible!" Bell protested, and Yuno just shrugged. "She is, though. I always believed royals were useless, given that I've never heard any word from- or about - the King yet, but Mimosa is different."
"Heyyyyy!" And now the spirit was pouting.
"Why, thank you. I believe it's also one of my duty as a member of the Royal Family." Mimosa stated simply while smiling, and Aurora and Yuno could admit they were proud of being Mimosa's squadmates.
"And so, what about you two? Do you have any precise goal for this event?" She asked them next.
Yuno went first. "To be honest, I'd like to understand nobles more. I still remember those who picked a fight with Asta back at the banquet - That was when you were still passed out recovering, Aurora - " He said when she turned back towards him frowning, "And I would like to understand their thought process. Why are they acting so smug and superior when they weren't that impressive, to begin with? When I become Wizard King, I want to be able to understand everyone - even those I don't like."
Aurora stared at Yuno, surprised. That was a very admirable goal, albeit a lofty one.
"That's a wonderful objective, Yuno-san. After all, I believe you have much progress to make in that area." She said teasingly, and Yuno looked away.
"Hear, hear!" Aurora added, laughing all the while.
"Yeah, mock me. What about you, then? Don't tell me you want to see more interesting magic you've never seen before!" The boy said sarcastically.
Aurora pouted. "And what's wrong with that? My wish has already been realized! I mean, It was all luck and coincidence, but still! And I'm sure all the Black Bulls have fascinating magic; I can sense it!" Aurora argued back energetically. "Besides, they are all Asta's friends, so they are bound to be interesting!"
"That's a large leap of logic there…." Yuno tried to reply, but Mimosa's cry of exclamation drowned his answer.
"Ahhh, it's true! Asta-san is in the Black Bulls! Ohh, I'm so envious of you now, Aurora-san!"
"...Eh?"
"How I would relish spending more time with him!"
"Wait, what?" Aurora was totally surprised by the wave of new feelings emanating from Mimosa.
Before, she could feel pride, happiness, and pure determination from the other girl.
Now, it was a mix of jealousy, of… Love? And… Lust?!.
"Wait, wait, wait, what?" Aurora repeated a bit deliriously. Her senses were deceiving her. "What about the Blue Roses? And trying to help and set them straight?"
"Eh? Ah yes, it's important, but I'd rather spend a whole afternoon with Asta-san and get to know him more intimately…."
Aurora shivered at her tone and tried her best to shut her senses and ignore all the feelings and emotions coming from the other girl.
She turned towards Yuno, and they shared a look, him being as helpless as her.
They had the same thought on the matter.
"...Give us our respect back…."
Once they touched the ground, the three went immediately to the headquarters. Once they arrived, they realized they were the first on-site, as they expected other members from different squads to come here.
They were mistaken. The two who came out after less than thirty seconds were Cob and Marx. Aurora, being the only one who knew them, went ahead to greet the two.
"Marx-san! Cob-san! Good morning to you two!"
"Good morning to you, too, Aurora-san," Marx answered pleasantly. "Are you ready for today?"
"Yes! I'm sure it'll be an interesting experience!" She clenched her fists, determined.
"That's a good mentality to have. Those three squads have a different mentality, so I'm sure it will be a fruitful experience for you."
"Eh? What do you mean? We're going to join the three squads? Each of us?"
"? That's the goal. Didn't Captain Vangeance tell you about it?" Marx asked her, surprised. When Aurora shook her head, Marx frowned. "Strange… I guess even he can forget things from time to time… Well, anyway, sorry to spoil you the surprise, but after leaving each squad you've been swapped into, you're to make a report and send it to headquarters so that we can improve this whole event."
"In the end, I'll still have to go to the Silver Eagle!" Aurora thought, a bit glumly. So much for successfully avoiding the severe-looking Captain.
"I see. Like a survey, then?" Mimosa, flanked by Yuno, joined the conversation.
"Yes, exactly. I'm sure Captain Vangeance told you at least, but I'll repeat if he didn't. Cob and I are here to finalize the transfer and ensure each Squad properly acknowledges your presence in their rank for the duration of the swap. Well, because one of the Black Bulls possesses the same kind of magic as Cob, things will be different, as someone will come and fetch you."
"Isn't it a bit useless if Cob-san is here?"
"Well, Captain Yami insisted." Marx sighed.
"That sigh was filled with a lot of emotions." Aurora thought to herself.
"Well, let's not waste any more time. I'll be contacting the respective captains. But, in the meantime -" Marx was interrupted when a portal suddenly appeared, and a slender young man with unruly brown hair came from it. Aurora had a sudden deja vu and realized she had briefly met him back during the exam.
She noted the short Black Bulls mantle he wore on top of his light green, loose-fitting tunic. Dark trousers and thigh-high boots completed his rather peculiar look.
His grimoire was open, and as she had suspected, the man was the spatial magic user.
"Uwaaaaa! So cool!" she rushed at him, starry-eyed. "Did you come straight from your base?" She managed to hold back the flurry of questions she wanted to ask him.
"Errrr… Hello?" The poor guy looked like he had just woken up, and he was suddenly face-to-face with an eager nerd trembling with excitation.
However, Aurora was a girl, and Finral Roulacase wasn't one to miss such an opportunity to show off.
"Yes, it was me! Finral Roulacase, exceptional Magic Knight! How about it? Would you like to take a cup of tea with me before returning?"
"If you're telling me everything about your magic!"
"Ahh, the sweet sound of reject-wait, what?" He was dumbfounded by what he heard. "Seriously?"
Aurora nodded excitedly. "As long as I can see your magic again!"
"Hu-hum, sure! You're our guest, after all!... Wow, what's happening here?" He mumbled the last part to himself.
"Okay! Then let's go to the Black Bulls' quarters then!"
"Wait, Aurora-san." It was Cob who spoke up. "Before you leave, a word. You'll spend two days at the Black Bulls. Afterward, you are to come back here to deliver your report directly to the Wizard King and us and then go to the next squad. During these two days, the captains themselves are to supervise you personally. If they don't, be sure to tell us."
"All right!"
"Then we won't hold you any longer. We still need to contact the others Captains, Marx-kun." Cob said matter-of-factly, waving Aurora away.
"So your name is Aurora! Hmmm… So you're Aurora… A beautiful name for a beautiful lady, if I say so myself! Well, let's go, let's go!" His grimoire lighted up, and he cast his spell with a flourish.
"Spatial Magic: Fallen Angel Gate!" A gate opened, and Aurora was left in awe of it. It was similar to Cob magic, but it was still amazing to see.
"Well, I'll see you all in two days!"
"Ah wait, Aurora!" Yuno called her before she could cross the gate. "...Take care of yourself, okay?"
Aurora blinked at him before smiling. "You too, Yuno! I'll see you later!" She waved at him while walking into the portal.
When the gate closed off, Marx and Cob looked curiously as Yuno made a complicated face and dropped his extended hand.
Mimosa squeezed his shoulder lightly in a sign of support.
"...At least you tried, Yuno-san! Fight on!"
"... Leave me alone."
The gate Finral had created led them directly in front of the Black Bulls' base. The headquarters was in the form of a large, tall house with asymmetric structures. It consisted of multiple stories, most of them made of stone and brick, and had many windows, chimneys, and a single wooden gate for a front entrance.
It was significantly different from the majestic and impressive-looking base of the Golden Dawn.
But somehow, it didn't look any less attractive for Aurora; if anything, it gave off a very familiar feeling.
Suddenly, Aurora felt a bit weird, as if something was grating at her head. She looked at the front door. 'Something is happening inside.'
"All right, everyone must be inside. Let's get you introduced, okay? Asta isn't aware you were the one coming today, so at least he'll be up for a surprise."
"Everyone's here? O-okay! Let's go!" She tried to hype herself up by thinking about how she would be reunited with Asta or see Noelle or Vanessa again, but it was still difficult to be introduced to so many new people on her lonesome.
And then there was the Ogre.
Feeling slight distress, Gaius nestled closer to her, still invisible to everyone else.
Smiling slightly, Aurora walked towards the door, Finral at her side.
She could do this!
… Or so she thought, but the first thing happening when she was about to open the door was her feeling something was thrown.
She ducked immediately, and as expected, a fireball the size of a large tato broke through the door and flew into the air.
"Damn it! Stop moving too much, Luck! How dare you slam my head into my breakfast! I'll hope you're prepared for some matinal punishmeeeeeeeeent!" A sunglasses-wearing guy with a mohawk shouted while throwing fireball after fireball with a fire bat to a smiling, blonde-haired younger man, who nimbly dodged everything his squadmate was throwing at him. His feets seemed alight with lightning, allowing him to move and escape faster with the constant influx of balls coming his way.
It was exciting to see, but they were destroying everything in the living room, and no one seemed to bat an eye.
Aurora spied multiple people at the table. Asta and another little girl were too busy eating delicious-looking dish after delicious-looking dish to give a care; Noelle was sitting to Asta's left, drinking delicately what was probably tea, and Vanessa was eating, or instead drinking with them too, and she was in her small clothes for some reason.
The others she didn't recognize were eating as if such a scene as usual. Well, if that was the case…
"Hahaha… Sorry about that, but this two are nearly always at it…." Finral said, apologizing, but Aurora was focused on the fight.
"Don't worry, don't worry! I'm seeing some awesome magic for free! This is so great!" she told a dumbfounded Finral, eyes bright. However, her focus was soon shattered by the pure frustration coming from deeper inside the base.
"OY! SHUT UP TODAY, YOU TWO! IT DIDN'T COME OUT, SO I'M NOT IN THE MOOD!" The Captain, Yami Sukehiro, appeared, looking ready to murder someone.
'Scary! What didn't come out…?' Aurora wondered, slightly backing off and hiding behind Finral.
"Oh! Captain Yami!" The bespectacled boy stopped his throw and lazily saluted his captain. "I'm sorry to hear that!"
"Yeah, I'll bet. Anyway, Finral ain't still here?" He asked as he served himself and took some nicely grilled skewer that looked mouth-watering.
"I just came back, Captain Yami. I brought our new temporary member with us." His voice seemed to catch the attention of everyone who turned towards him.
"Good work, but I can't see anyone, you know."
"Eh? Ah! When did you get behind me?" Finral said while moving out of the way, leaving Aurora in sight of everyone.
"Hum… Hello, everybody. My name's Aurora; I come from the Golden Dawn. I'll be a member here for two days, pleashed to meet you!" She fumbled midway and blushed a bit because of her mistake.
Yami looked surprised for a moment before a slight grin made its way up his face.
"Heeee-" He was interrupted by a familiar shout of joy.
"WOOOAAH! IT'S AURORA!" Asta all but jumped above the table and rushed to hug the more petite girl. Aurora let him hug her fiercely and returned it, giggling happily.
"Hehe ~ It's been a while, Asta!" The others went to approach them, but the first one to act was Yami, who grabbed Asta by his head and lifted him up. "How dare you speak over me, you runt. I'll kill you."
"I'm really sorry, siiiiir!" Yami ignored his plea and turned towards Aurora. "Yo, Junior. Never thought you'd be the first one to come here. Welcome to the Black Bulls. You won't get any favors from me, though. I'll be working you to the bone."
Aurora could feel his honesty and smile at him. "I wouldn't expect so, Captain!" She saluted him. Smirking, he let Asta go, who rubbed his head before smiling at his sister. "Awesome! I've got so much to tell you!"
"Hello again, Aurora-chan. It has really been quite a while since we last saw you!" Vanessa said, and Aurora didn't really know where to look.
"Ye-yeah, what Vanessa said. It's good to see you, Aurora. Sorry for the ruckus." Noelle told her with a mix of envy because of what happened and genuine happiness. She was looking at her strangely, though. As if she was looking for someone else.
"Ehhhh, Vanessa, Noelle, is she the rumored Aurora, Asta's sister?" The happy-go-lucky guy named Luck asked the two. "Hey, if you're in the Golden Dawn, that means you're strong! Fight me!" He said with an eerie smile.
Aurora had never met someone whose default expression was a smile, but it was really jarring, especially how she could feel bloodlust coming from him.
"Oy, Luck! Don't bother her with your crap immediately!" Mohawk guy snarked at him.
"Okay, everyone, shut up. I'll make the introductions. Or rather, you do it, Asta. She's your sister, after all." Yami said belatedly.
"All right. Well, I've already talked a lot about you to my friends. So you won't feel much of a stranger." Asta told her with an easy smile. "So about our squad… Well, you already know Vanessa-senpai and Noelle! And Finral-senpai too! Ah, about Finral-senpai, he loves to talk to women, so don't hesitate to reject him; that seems the best course of action!" Aurora nodded to Asta's words.
"Wait, Asta-kun?!" Finral interjected, only to be ignored by his junior, who rambled on obliviously.
"I see!" Aurora bobbed her head up and down.
"Aurora-chan?!"
"There's Gordon-senpai, who's kinda quiet but is really kind," he pointed to the man with a cap, and Aurora felt both kindness and a strange calm coming from him, "Gauche-senpai, who loves his little sister Mary a bit too much, but he's a good guy!" The guy with a fringe nodded to her. He felt like someone took his protectiveness and love for the one in the photo he was watching and turned it up far beyond its maximum.
"Here is Charmy-senpai," The little girl with her mouth full waved at her before resuming her eating, "she loves cooking and eating, and she's really kind too!"
Then, he pointed to a huge guy, and Aurora guessed it was just a magical illusion. "This is Grey-senpai! She's timid, but she has a heart of gold!" Asta told her excitedly, and the illusion disappeared, leaving in place a pretty azure-haired woman who looked like she wanted to disappear from the world.
"My turn! My turn!" She was saved from future attention by those excited cries. Aurora turned towards the excited, blond-haired guy from before. "This is Luck-senpai! He loves to fight and is just really excited about battle in general! But I really like him! He's great!" Asta said to her with a large smile, and Aurora could feel genuine happiness radiating from both guys.
"Pleased to meet ya!" He had trouble with personal space, too, apparently. "I love to fight! Let's have a bout; what do you say?" He asked her again. He really did have a one-track mind.
"Okay, but only if you show me your magic!" Aurora answered enthusiastically.
"You don't have to humor him, ya know! He doesn't insist when people tell him they're not interested unless you're me…." The mohawk guy commented, despondent. "But that's why he's my rival!"
"He pumped himself up... he's funny.." Aurora giggled after seeing his antics. "That's no problem at all. I may not look like it, but I'm quite strong!" She flexed her muscles to prove her point.
"Yeeeaaah… Well, if you're Asta's sis, you probably are."
"Hehe, thanks! / Thanks a lot, Magna-senpai!" Both Asta and Aurora said at the same time. "This awesome guy is Magna-senpai! He's the one who showed the rope to Noelle and me when we first arrived here."
"I see! He's your mentor!"
"Right!" Asta admitted proudly, and Magna looked really pleased.
"What's this? You look pleased, Magnaa~" Luck commented, and Aurora looked at him surprised. He, too, had been able to read the mana somehow.
"There's also Henry, but he can't really come here 'cause he has a sickness and everything, but he's really kind too! And that's about everyone, I guess!"
Aurora looked at the gathered Black Bulls and felt a pang of envy she tried to squish. They looked mismatched, some really strange, but compared to the sometimes stuffy atmosphere of the Golden Dawn, she felt much more at home.
"You're a bunch of weirdos. I get it." She declared with a big smile.
"Meh, pretty much." Yami acquiesced, taking a drag. "I'm sure you'll fit in."
Aurora giggled and looked at the ground. All of them wore their feelings on their sleeve. They all felt so genuine.
Thinking back, she chose the Golden Dawn because Yuno took it and because belonging to the strongest squad seemed to be the best way to earn recognition and meet her Father. And, although it was a series of happenstance and coincidence, it ended up being true after all, except it had been a lot earlier than what she had imagined.
She glanced at her old wristband. Her grand quest of discovery she had told her captain about was already nearly over, wasn't it?
"Aurora?" Asta called her, jerking her out of her thoughts.
"Ah, sorry. Just thinking about stuff. Thank you for the welcome, and I'm pleased to meet you. Before I forget, I'll introduce you to my partner!" Hearing her words, Gaius mewled and let go of his spell.
Aurora picked him up in her hands. "This is Gaius! He helps me a lot during missions and stuff! He's my precious partner!" Gaius mewled happily, and then, with a quick nod from Aurora, he jumped out of her hands and straight into Vanessa, who caught him easily.
"Ohh, it's the cutie from last time!" She immediately went to pet him, and soon Noelle was fawning over him too.
"Guuuh… He's so different from Nero…."
"Is that the name you gave to your bird?" Aurora wondered, and Asta nodded.
"Hey, hey, that's good and all, but you agreed to fight, right?!" Luck interrupted Asta's follow-up, and Aurora turned towards the blond guy.
"Sure! But you better show me all your magic afterward!"
"No problem! Awesome!" But Magna held him off. "Hey, why do you want to be that rough with a girl you met barely ten minutes ago?"
"But you never try to initiate the girls here, so I gotta do it! Right, captain?"
Yami took a puff of the cigarette he was holding. He looked at her for a split second and crossed his gaze before he turned back to Luck, nodding at him. "Well, she can definitely take it, so go ahead. And you," he stared at Aurora. "This ain't a golem you're fighting. Remember that and your little trick back at the exam. Or I'll kill you." She had never nodded that fast in her life before.
"Why am I so scared of him?! He's not a bad guy at all!... Right?"
"By the way, you, shrimp." He lifted Asta by the head again. "Not only did you not introduce me first, but you also didn't introduce me at all. So you better have a good excuse or else."
"But she does already knows youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" Asta tried to wriggle free, but Yami was merciless and kept a firm grip on his head.
"He-Hey! Please leave him alone! You're hurting him!" Aurora started to fret, but she could read barely concealed amusement in his dark-colored threads.
"Beat Luck, or you and Asta are on cleaning duty." He said while releasing him with a huff of laughter. Aurora pouted while helping her brother up. "I really don't know what to make of him. He's so weird!"
"Owww… Right, but he's super awesome too. Trust me!"
"If you say so… "
"And good luck fighting Luck-senpai! He's powerful!"
"...I got this." This was the most confident Aurora felt since coming here. Everyone had been much nicer than expected, so it was time to show off what she could do.
"All right, let's keep it simple, then! The first one to get knocked out or give up loses!" Luck declared after they went outside. Everyone from the squad had gathered to watch their bout.
Noelle frowned. "Senpai, I don't think it's a great idea." Magna nodded. "I agree with Miss Noelle. You're only asking for an accident. There is a better way to test her, right, captain?"
"Beeeeh, killjoys! It's not like -"
"Let's do it." Everyone turned towards Aurora. "But let's change the rule: First one to be incapacitated or the first to give up loses." Part of her wanted to give up and be done with it immediately, but another part wanted to grasp the weird feeling from earlier. Luck nodded.
"But are we really going to fight right here?" She pointed towards the base. "Isn't it kinda dangerous?"
"Yeah, don't worry. Our house has seen worse. Trust me. That's where Asta was initiated too, but his was different. Safer." Magna said to her, scratching his cheek. "You sure you wanna do this? No pressure."
"Yes, thank you for your concern. I'll show you what I was saying earlier." Magna grinned at her words. "I'll look forward to that." They all moved back safely while the two stood opposite the garden next to the base. It was big enough for a duel like that.
"All right, then." She summoned her coverless grimoire, its pages turning as lazily as ever. Then, she created a mana skin around her and felt the surrounding mana reacting to it.
Just like her Father taught her. "only after mastering yourself can you influence the outside," he said to her.
She felt it. It wasn't much, but the surrounding mana was starting to get shaped up, just like she was asking. "Yes, just like that…"
"What the heck is she doing?" Asta was saying, looking at his sister, who had her eyes closed and waving her arms a bit dumbly. However, Luck wasn't moving either, strangely. Being very receptive to mana, he felt the one surrounding Aurora was starting to change.
He immediately summoned his grimoire.
"Lightning Creation Magic: Thunder God Boots!" He summoned a pair of boots on his legs and jumped toward Aurora at breakneck speed.
As his kick was about to connect with her, she avoided it at the last second. Then, landing on his feet, Luck turned back and threw a series of kicks Aurora avoided again.
Then, switching strategies, Luck ran around her to gain speed and suddenly pounced on her, but Aurora jumped straight up to avoid him.
Grinning, Luck followed her by jumping diagonally, but Aurora closed her eyes, and at the exact moment his kick should have hit her, she disappeared to reappear on the ground.
"Woah, amazing! How did she avoid all of this?" No one answered Asta, as they were too busy staring at the ongoing fight.
However, Yami noted that all her movements were concise and careful compared to Luck's recklessness.
"I see… My range is still short, and I'm still lacking in practice, but… I can 'see'!" Aurora was elated. It wasn't indeed on point, but no doubt this weird feeling was actually her element influencing the natural mana around her, warning her of an incoming attack.
Like a sixth sense, her Father had been right; if she kept training, this feeling would become a prediction, and she would be able to dodge without thinking about avoiding it; she'd be able to do other things and even twist her predictions…
She kept avoiding everything Luck was trying to hit her with, even as he was speeding up; she kept up and gave him an excited smile, too, after the two separated for a moment. "I'm sure you're not done yet! Come on, show me more!" Luck was a good opponent; Aurora didn't know much about fighting yet, but she could tell that the boy was a natural with his magic. And while this wasn't an intense battle, she could tell that this boy wouldn't hold himself back.
"Hehe, looks like direct attacks aren't enough… Well then! How about this! Lightning Magic: Thunderclap Crumbling Orb!"
Luck focused his Lightning Magic on the tip of his fingers to create a concentrated orb of lightning, which was then launched toward his target.
Aurora's grimoire, which was floating up in the air, shined. The ball of lightning magic rushed towards her, but it never reached its target, for it was soon caught by another orb of time magic.
Aurora extended her hand, and the orb suddenly floated over her head. Quickly understanding what was about to happen, Luck cast the same spell, only for it to be automatically caught in the same way.
"How is she doing that, captain?" This time, it was Finral who asked Yami.
"... It's a high-level skill called a mana zone. I knew he was trainin' her, but still…" Yami muttered, vaguely impressed. Looks like Luck would have to be on cleaning duty, after all.
"You can have it back~" Aurora threw the two orbs back at Luck even faster. Instead of dodging, he summoned at the same time two other spheres, which collided with the orb Aurora threw at him, creating a reaction that produced an explosion.
Luck laughed at the result. It wasn't every day he met someone even more attuned to mana like him, and he was having a blast! However, in this situation, he couldn't see or hear well, so he relied on his mana's sensibility to feel his opponent.
That's why he knew he had to turn and jump back immediately, but he was one step too late.
"Time Restraining Magic: Chrono Stasis!" Aurora was suddenly behind him and managed to catch him neatly before he dodged her attempt. "Well, that's that!" She declared cheerfully to a somewhat stunned audience.
"Woah… She's strong… No wonder she's in the Golden Dawn.." Magna muttered, a bit peeved. Gauche and Gordon, too, were looking impressed.
"UWOOO! AWESOME, AURORA!" Asta approached her excitedly. He clapped her shoulder. "I WON'T LOSE!"
Aurora giggled and deactivated her spell. "Woah, you're strong! Fight me again!" was the first thing Luck told her.
"That was really impressive," Vanessa told her. Gordon muttered something Aurora didn't understand, but he looked impressed too.
"Your old man did say you were uniquely gifted, but I thought he was being just the proud Father… I was wrong." Yami commented. "Is he teaching personally or somethin'?"
"When he has time, yes; he's the best teacher!"
"I'll bet…"
"Whaaaat? The Wizard King is teaching you? That's so unfair, Aurora!" Asta obliviously announced. Aurora sweatdropped; the fact that apparently, no one here besides those already in the know was aware of her origins had been a miracle, with Asta being a member there.
"Eh?" The Black Bulls looked as if they heard him wrong. Asta instantly realized his mistake, but it was too late, however.
"You Bakastaaaa!" Noelle shouted at him and slapped him so hard he made a turn on himself.
"I would have been angry if it wasn't Asta saying it…." Aurora thought as every pair of eyes converged on her.
"Well, now that it's like this, let's roll with it." Yami asserted and put off his cigarette. "Okay, listen up. It's not a secret or anything, but don't babble it everywhere." His grin was a bit sinister looking. "Her real name's Aurora Novachrono, and she's the Wizard King's sole daughter." Aurora sheepishly nodded.
"... ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Everyone besides Asta and Noelle asked him, disbelief apparent on their faces.
"Treat her any differently, and I'll kill you."
"HE IS!"
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See you next chapter!