Chapter 14
Unknown Familiarity
Disclaimer: I do not own Black Clover, The anime, characters, and all rights to Black Clover belong to Yuki Tabata and Shonen Jump.
"Dipstick"-Dialogue
'Dipstick'-Inner monologue
Dipstick- Spell casting
Dipstick-Flashback
The next morning inside the Blue Rose headquarters, Dante and his fellow ice mage Wainsley were intensely glaring at each other. Both knights sat across from each other around a checkers table, locked in a competitive game. Surrounding them were Selena, Sol, Janna, and Lynn. Each member rooting for one of the two in their current struggle for victory.
"Come on, Future Captain, you got this!". Janna's shout was met by a roll of the eyes from Sol before turning to Janna with a confident smirk. She then spoke while pointing at the pink-haired ice mage.
"Dream on Janna! As if Ice for Brains is smart enough to beat Wainsley". Sol then turned to Dante who seemed to be focusing solely on the task at hand. As she did, the earth mage shouted to throw him off.
"YOU HEAR THAT BLOCKHEAD! JUST GIVE IT UP!" Hearing a familiar laugh on the opposite side of her, Sol turned to a laughing Selena.
"Ha! You're just nervous because our resident Male could pull an upset". Selena then raised an eyebrow before putting her hands together in a mockingly romantic manner. An act that Janna picked up on and giggled at the implication.
"Besides we all know deep down, you're rootin' for your precious Blockhead". Selena's words were met with a growl from Sol before turning away from the brunette scoffing. Letting out a sigh, Lynn spoke next to intervene.
"I believe both Wainsley and Dante would like beautiful silence to create the best possible outcome". Her comment was met with a nod from Wainsley before the female ice mage turned to Dante with a serious expression.
"While your resilience is impressive, you should know though your next move will be your last". Wainsley then gained a smile as she stared directly at her opposing ice mage. "So you know, no pressure".
In a state of contemplation, Dante saw something and snapped his fingers. The orphan then took one of his black checkers on the board and jumped Wainsley's red one.
"HA! One against three! BOOM! I'm a shoo-in to win this!". Dante's early victory chant was met with a snicker from his opponent. Before he realized it, Wainsley set him up perfectly to triple-jump his three pieces in one move. Effectively taking out each of the orphan's pieces and ending the game. Watching his failure, Dante fell on the ground to Wainsley and Sol's laughter.
"While I usually don't miss an opportunity to clown the idiot". The six knights turned to see Shayna standing by the stairs with a blank expression. As she spoke again, she pointed up the stairway.
"Cherryl wants the newbies and Sol in her office. Something about a new mission or whatever". As Shayna walked up the stairs to Charlotte's office; Janna, Dante, and Sol followed her. When Selena attempted to follow the four knights, she was stopped by a hand landing on her shoulder. The water mage then turned around to see Lynn holding out her other with a raised eyebrow and an innocent smile.
"Honesty is the backbone of any good wardrobe, Selena". Knowing what she was alluding to, Selena groaned and reached into her satchel. handed over the coin she bet on the checker match. As she did, the water mage grumbled before turning away with crossed arms.
"Damn greedy lil' fashion queen".
Once the four made it to Charlotte's office, they saw Cherryl waiting for them. Sitting in a chair, the medical mage waved for the group to enter. As they entered, the silver-haired mage gave them a smile before getting down to business.
"Ah good to see you four, let's move this along shall we". Sol, Janna, and Dante were confused to only see the flame recovery mage. As the leader of the young trio, Sol raised her eyebrow while asking about Charlotte's whereabouts.
"Hey Cherryl, if you don't mind me asking, where's sis?". Hearing the dark-skinned girl's question, Cherryl dismissively waved her hand.
"She had business to take care of in the capital, but that's not important right now". The silver-haired medic mage then turned to Dante and Sol before pointing in their direction.
"Onto more important manners, I must get you two prepared for your upcoming mission". Confused by the silver-haired mage only emphasizing Dante and Sol, Janna raised her hand. Knowing what her question would be, Cherryl let out a slight giggle and nodded her head.
"Yes, I did mean just Sol and Dante, Janna. This assignment revolves around a newly appeared dungeon that requires investigation". Once she heard the word Dungeon, Janna let out an "Eep!" And hid behind Sol. Confused, the three knights next to her raised an eyebrow. Shayna was the first to speak with her usual dry tone.
"You good?". Her question was met with a sporadic shake of Janna's head no. The witch then rose to her feet while pushing her pointer fingers together in a shy manner.
"Witches used to tell stories about Dungeons, and none of them were good". As if remembering the stories, Janna gained a shiver in her spine before pulling her hat over her eyes. The Orange haired girl then turned away from everyone before shouting again.
"SO NO THANK YOU!".
Attempting not to laugh at the Orange haired girl's dismay, Cherryl nodded her head in understanding and gave a sympathetic smile to Janna to calm her down. Seeing the sugar mage return to her before turning her attention to Sol, Shayna, and Dante. Clearing her throat, Cherryl continued the briefing.
"We are well aware of your phobia, so I won't force you on this mission". Cherryl then focused solely on Dante with a more sure smile. The flame recovery mage then pointed at Dante who raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"However, you Dante, don't get a say in the matter". Still thrown off Dante shrugged his shoulders. The demand from Cherryl caused one question to go through his head. Dante looked to Sol for some type of explanation, to which she answered with a shrug and lack of response. Seeing that the earth mage had no idea herself, Dante decided to ask Cherryl out of curiosity.
"Not that I'd want to turn down the mission, but why is it so imperative that I have to go?". Knowing the reaction would be a loud one, Cherryl preemptively covered both her ears before speaking again. As she did, the silver-haired older woman closed her eyes and answered the orphan's question with a smile.
"Because this assignment was specifically given to you. By none other than the Wizard king himself". What occurred next was a stunned silence in the room. One so quiet you could hear a pin drop with ease. This silence only lasted a few seconds before Janna, Sol, Dante, and Shayna's eyes widened in complete shock. Finally processing the new information, all four Blue Roses shouted the same word in sync with each other.
"WHAT!?". Seeing their reaction was over, Cherryl unplugged her ears with a wide smile. Opening her eyes, she saw Sol and Shayna in a complete state of shock. Although in a happier mood, Janna just kept whispering under her breath something no one could hear. The first to speak of the group was a gasping Dante. As he let out a large exhale, the fifteen-year-old spoke with his sadistic smile resurfacing.
"You're not pranking me about this right? No games? No tricks? HE REALLY ASKED FOR ME?!". Dante couldn't help but slightly start to pounce on his feet. Watching the male Blue Roses' reaction, Cherryl gave a slight chuckle before responding with a small smile of her own.
"Indeed, you would not be the only squad tasked with this responsibility however. As I have been informed, he has requested three other members of both the Black Bulls and Golden Dawn as well". Cherryl then turned to Sol with a more reserved smile, the dark-skinned girl seemed to have regained her composure and took a deep breath before refocusing on the assignment at hand.
"I trust you can keep our resident male rookie out of trouble, Ms. Marron?". Sol met Cherryl's question with a confident smirk. She then crossed her arms and walked next to the still-bouncing oblivious Dante. As she closed her eyes, Sol spoke in a teasing manner about the male next to her.
"Damn right I can! Besides, without me, the Neanderthal here would find a way to blow up the entire dungeon". Processing Sol's words,
"HEY!". Sol's words snapped Dante out of his trance. Hearing her insult him, the ice user turned on his fellow Blue Rose with a growl. Dante's shout caused Sol to give a sly grin while looking at the orphan teasingly. Watching the two bicker, Shayna just rolled her eyes before turning to walk out of the room with a yawn.
"Great, the idiots have their mission and can fly off to the south of who gives a hoot. Can I go?". The support mage's question was met with a nervous sweat drop from Cherryl. Knowing this next task was the difficult part, she coughed into her hand causing Shayna to pause in her tracks. As she turned around to face Cherryl, the medical mage gave off a serious look to the slacker of the squad.
"Actually Shayna, you will be accompanying them as well. The Wizard King stressed sending two members along with his chosen knights. And after further review, Charlotte and I agreed that your magic would be beneficial in this mission as Janna's suitable replacement". Seeing no way out of this, Shayna groaned before putting her head down. The pink-haired knight then put her right hand on the side of her head and looked away from the medical image with a scoff.
"Fine! Let's just get this headache over with". Rolling her eyes at the lazy support mage's demeanor, Sol nudged Dante and moved her head in the direction of the door. As she spoke, her teasing voice had disappeared and took on the form of a commanding one
"Come on you two, the brooms are outside. I'll be damned if I'm getting beat to this dungeon by those pompous Golden Dawn or freakin Bulls!".
"So, what exactly is a dungeon?".
The question came from Dante as the three were currently flying to the location on their brooms. Shayna was separated from Sol and Dante as she laid down on her broom with her eyes closed. Meanwhile, just like at the exams, Dante was struggling the most to keep his broom from going haywire. Because of his lack of control, the orphan's broom seemed to jerk uncontrollably every minute or so. Watching him still struggle to navigate the flying broom, Sol couldn't help but laugh at his misfortune.
"Ha! You do have Ice for Brains, don't cha Blockhead". Sol's teasing gained an eye twitch and frown from Dante. Once again losing focus of his broom control, the wooden stick jerked downward before it slowly flew back to its previous position.
"Anyway, it's like an old corridor with no owner. Depending on how old it is, there are sometimes some lost artifacts or treasures that aren't cleaned out yet. In most cases, you might find some kinda lost magic items or weapons too. Which since you already have a scythe, means I have dips on". Her answer was met with a scoff from Shayna who was floating much lower below the two. Currently, the pink-haired blue rose was barely above the tree tops and lay on her broom while looking skyward. Before she spoke, she let out a slight yawn and covered her mouth.
"Sure, or it can be absolutely nothing but an emptied-out cave. Making it and this, a complete waste of time and energy". The support mage then shrugged her shoulders with her eyes closed and continued her irritated rant.
"Either that or a glorified death trap looking for its next victims. And if I were a betting girl, I'd go with option B". Dante looked at Shayna with a raised eyebrow in confusion. He understood pessimism, but at times Shayna felt like one black hair dye away from being goth. Attempting to change her mood, he gave a manic smile at the support mage causing Shayna to open her right eye.
"Still though, it could be pretty cool. Besides, it's our job as knights to investigate and secure the Dungeon for The Clover Kingdom right?". Irritated, Shayna closed her eyes with a frown and crossed her legs. Seeing Shayna ignore the new Blue Rose, Sol spoke up from next to Dante with a grin to show support
"The Neanderthal has a point! Char is gonna be stoked when we complete a mission from the King!". Despite her two squad mates' optimistic attitude, Shayna sat up and finally opened both eyes to meet their smiles with an unamused scowl.
"Yeah, whatever gets us out alive in the fastest time". Deciding to change the subject, Sol pointed out the hill to the dungeon entrance ahead. As the three landed near the hill, Dante stopped in his tracks. Seeing this, Sol and Shayna turned to him with concerned looks. The first of which to react, was Sol as she approached her frozen teammate.
"Blockhead? Hey, Snap out of it!". Attempting to wake the ice mage up, Sol snapped her fingers in Dante's face. Shayna spoke up when the sound of Sol's fingers was met with no movement.
"Hello, earth to an idiot? You still there?". The orphan didn't respond to Shayna's question as he still stood frozen. His Grimoire floated next to him and slowly glowed a sky-blue shade. Getting very concerned, Sol took Dante's shoulders and shook him with a frown.
"DANTE!". At the sound of Sol's voice, Dante finally shook himself back to the present. The ice mage then held his head as he looked at the dark-skinned squad mate in front of him. Confused, Dante looked around with a frown before focusing on Sol and Shayna.
"Sol? What just happened?". Breathing a sigh of relief, the earth lightly punched Dante in the arm. Rubbing the spot of the hit, Dante let out a small "Hey!". Frowning, Sol crossed her arms and turned away from the ice mage.
"Don't scare us like that!". In an attempt to lighten the mood, Dante gained a teasing smirk and tapped his chin.
"Aww, were you worried about me?". Dante's words caused Sol to scoff as she looked in the other direction and put her hands on her hips. The earth mage then responded with a growl as the three advanced toward the dungeon entrance.
"Dream on Block Head! I just didn't want to drag your lifeless body through an entire mission!". Rolling his eyes, Dante's playful smirk never left his face. Shayna spoke from in front of the two and let out a slight chuckle. She then placed her hands behind her head before looking back at Sol with a blank face.
"Oh please kiss up, you sounded pretty worried to me". Shayna's words gained another growl in the support mage's direction before Sol stomped ahead causing the ground to shake slightly.
"SHUT IT OR ELSE! And that goes for both of you!". Composing herself, the earth mage walked in front of her two squad mates with her arms crossed. As she did, she looked back at the two with a slight glare before continuing onward. Dante, Sol, and Shayna found themselves in front of a stone archway that led into a dark tunnel. This seemed to be a part of the hill near the dungeon. Finding this Sol took a deep breath before turning back to her teammates.
"Alright here we are, looks like we made it before the others". Sol then wiped her forehead and let out a sigh with a smile. "THANKFULLY! Gods know the Bulls would find a way to mess this up". Watching Sol's reaction, Dante's eyebrow twitched slightly In irritation. The lone orphan then tapped his foot and stared at Sol for her comments.
"You do know one of my best friends and the guy who's responsible for me being here are Black Bulls right?". Dante's question was met with a shrug from Sol before she advanced into the new entrance. Shayna then turned to Dante with a slight smirk with her hands still folded behind her head.
"Way to stand up for yourself, Newbie". Shayna then walked after Sol, causing the male blue rose knight to grow a manic smile as his eye twitched once again. He then whispered to himself before following after his female squad matés reluctantly. "Cold-hearted Dipsticks".
As the three walked through the dark passageway, Sol pulled out the lateen she brought from the hideout. Continuing to push through the darkness, the only light source came from the lantern. The lack of natural light caused Sol and Shayna to bump shoulders.
"Think you could walk a bit faster Marron?". Her comment gained an eye roll from Sol before turning to the earth mage responded. As Sol did, her voice was dripped with sarcasm toward the support mage.
"Oh please, I've never known you to want something done fast. Led alone at all". Responding with a scoff, the pink-haired blue rose turned behind her to Dante who was following behind Shayna. He seemed to be walking through the dark with ease which only added to Shayna's snippiness.
"And you? why aren't you struggling to walk?". Dante just shrugged before giving Shayna a sadistic smile. As he did, a cold breath left his mouth when he gave his nonchalant answer. "Mana reading has its perks".
"Whatever". The trio then stopped as soon as they saw a wall. Realizing they'd reached a dead end, Sol put her non-lantern-carrying hand on her chin. As she thought of which brick triggered the entrance, she snapped her fingers in remembrance. Dante at the same time felt something in his mind and predicted the brick off his mana. Both then placed their hands on the same brick at the same time.
"This one". Because they moved in sync, Sol accidentally grabbed Dante's hand. This caused both Shayna and Sol to look at the ice magic user with confused raised eyebrows. The latter spoke with a very confused tone.
"What are you doing, blockhead?". Retracting his hand, Dante blushed and moved the hair out of his eye. The ice mage then cleared his throat before defending himself with a stutter.
"S…Sorry, I didn't mean… I just kinda felt it was that one". Flinching at what he thought was an incoming hit, he opened his eyes to see no such attack. Instead, he and Shayna were both surprised to see Sol just shrug her shoulders.
"Eh, you're good. You're just lucky you picked the right brick". The earth mage then returned her focus to the wall before removing the same brick from before. As she did, Sol followed by removing the ones underneath vertically. When she finished, the trio saw the inside of the dungeon. There were streams of water surrounding the current room, flowing from through the ground and on the walls and the ceiling. There was also a stone bridge going over one stream and multiple passageways leading further into the dungeon in the walls. Crystals also seemed to be embedded in the entire structure, causing the light in the room to shine bright. Shayna was the first to speak as she whistled at the reveal.
"Ok, I'll admit, not bad". Her comments were met with a cocky grin from Sol as she turned to the two knights behind her.
"Not bad? The place is gorgeous! Not to mention radiating insane magic energy". Sol then turned to Dante with a frown. He was feeling the same way, as the orphan stood with wide eyes and an open mouth. Hoping Dante would agree with her previous statement, Sol turned her next question to the ice mage.
"You know what I'm talking about, right? I mean reading mana is kinda your thing". All Sol gained was a small nod from the male. Dante couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the entire dungeon. 'I've never been to anything like this before, but why does everything feel so familiar?'. Shaking the weird feeling, Dante slapped his cheeks and looked back to Sol with a straight face.
"So where to Sol?". Nodding her head, Sol pulled out her map before she continued walking. After looking over it, she saw no other directions and sighed.
"Unfortunately we're pretty much blind from this point on. Just be careful for any-".
"SOL WAIT!". Before Sol could hear Dante's shout, the earth mage stepped on a tile that sunk beneath her. As the tile sunk, it expelled a large blaze of fire. Not having enough time to brace herself, Sol closed her eyes for the inevitable incoming scorch. However, when she opened her eyes again, the earth mage found herself cradled by someone bridal style.
"Hey, you're good right?". Feeling the cold breath above her, Sol saw Dante's sadistic smile. As she looked behind them, she saw Dante leave a trail of ice from where he'd previously stood to where he'd carried her currently. 'Hold on, how did he do it?!'. Realizing how she was being held, Sol's eyes widened and gained a gigantic blush. Acting quickly the earth mage made her feet and turned away from Dante in an attempt to hide her face.
"Uh yeah, good going blockhead". Seeing Sol seemed to be alright, his sadistic smile calmed to a more mellow smirk.
"Anytime". For whatever reason, that word caused Sol's heart to skip a beat. Sol couldn't help but growl at the predicament she found herself in. 'Why the hell is it doing this now?! It's probably just embarrassment or something. Yeah, that's it!'.
"Hey, Idiots!". The two turned around to the dungeon entrance to see Shayna still standing there. As the pink-haired mage stood in place, she held a blank look with crossed arms.
"Not to interrupt, whatever the hell that was. But we still have a mission to-" Acting faster than last time, Dante held out a hand and yelled to stop Shayna from continuing to walk.
"DON'T WALK THERE!". The lone male's shout gained a tilted head in confusion from Shayna. Seeing she stopped, Dante let out a cold breath before directing the pink-haired girl to the tile on the left side of her.
"Try that one". Shayna shrugged then listened to Dante and stepped. As she did, no trap or magic emerged from her step. Dante then pointed to three more tiles, to which she nodded and followed his lead. After a short period of time, the support mage was next to Sol and Dante unharmed. Shocked at the revelation, Sol looked at the rookie mage with wide eyes.
"How'd you know that?". Sol's question was met with a sweat drop and a nervous smile from Dante as he moved the hair out of his eye.
"I don't know". The ice mage then looked in the direction of the rest of the unexplored dungeon. At a weird moment, Dante hallucinated and saw a mystery woman's smile and got a slight headache. Shaking his head, Dante looked at Sol and Shayna with confused expressions.
"But ever since we got here, I've just felt different". Both girls raised their eyebrows at his words. Shayna was the first to speak with a squinted look and a straight face.
"Good difference, or bad difference?". Holding his head, Dante felt a slight migraine and groaned in pain. After it ended, the orphan rubbed his head and met Shayna's question with a shrug before he answered in an unsure tone.
"Let's go with both". The orphan then turned to the tall dark skinned girl of the group. As he did, Dante lightly elbowed Sol in the arm to get them back on track and drop the subject. "But hey, I can detect the traps. That's good right?". Taking his hint, Sol gave a large cocky smile.
"Dang right it is!". Sol then pumped her fist and gave her two squadmates a fierce look of determination. "Dungeon treasure, HERE WE COME!". Despite her optimism, Shayna again seemed uninterested and Yawned out of boredom. After covering her mouth from the action, the lazy mage responded while stretching.
"Yeah whatever, as long as it gets this dumb mission over A.S.A.P". She then rubbed her left eye before turning to Dante with an expressionless look.
"Where's the next safe tile, idiot?". Shayna's question to Dante was met with silence. This caused Sol and Shayna to turn to Dante with concern once again. Similar to last time, Dante had frozen in place, however this time with a sadistic grin on his face. Groaning Shayna turned to Sol with a squint.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Kiss your boyfriend awake so we can leave this glorified death trap". Shayna's nonchalant insult caused Sol to yell at the lazy mage with a growl.
"OH SCREW RIGHT THE HELL OFF!". Despite Sol's loud shout, Dante's sadistic grin didn't vanish. Instead, the ice mage turned back to the entrance with a smirk before his grimoire levitated next to him. As it did, he placed his hand on the cover and opened it to his weapon page.
"10. 9. 8". Hearing the ice mage count, Sol and Shayna's eyes widened. Readying themselves, Sol looked to either side of them, looking for an enemy. Shayna's response was just to take a step behind Sol and Dante in anticipation.
"7. 6. 5. 4". Dante then pulled out his newly acquired Scythe and perched it on his shoulder. His sadistic grin then grew wider as he put his hand on the ground knowing what would come next.
"3….2…1!". At the count of one, a fast streak of lightning bolted toward the three. Sensing his speed, Dante immediately created an ice wall to meet the incoming fighter. However, the wall was destroyed almost instantly and shattered in front of Sol, Dante, and Shayna.
Feeling another incoming attack, Dante swung his scythe at the opponent. It was, however, caught by an electrified claw that caused a lightning bolt to steer in another direction. As the attacker jumped backward, the three blue rose knights watched the dust settle to reveal the mystery lightning mage. familiar short blonde-haired black bull. Matching Dante's sadistic smile with his own, both spoke at the same time in perfect synch.
"Long time no see dipstick!". Luck's comment was immediately followed by the blonde male giving a friendly wave at the orphan. Still shocked by his arrival, Sol and Shayna looked at the cheery berserker with wide eyes before turning to their male squadmate. As they did, both saw Luck's gesture gain a slight chuckle from Dante as he placed his death scythe on his shoulders and shot the lightning mage a raised eyebrow.
"Same to you, you cheerful psycho. Was starting to wonder if you forgot about me". Despite the sarcastic comment, Luck answered by shaking his head no at the accusation. As his sadistic smile grew, Dante then generated ice through his new scythe before gaining a look of determination. Readying himself for what was to come, Luck's lightning armor began to cover his body in anticipation. Seeing his battle-obsessed her seemed ready, Dante spoke with a low excited tone. "Now, I've been meaning to do this for a good 5 years".
Ice Scythe magic! Divided Ice
As Dante swung the scythe, a layer of ice left the weapon aimed at Luck. Moving fast, the lightning mage dodged the attack and landed on a nearby tile. He then sent waves of lightning bolts at the ice user. Sensing this, Dante created an ice barrier to stop the attacks dead in their tracks. Dante then attempted to get close for a short-range attack, only for luck to once again move. As he did, the blonde, clawed electric hand turned into 5 fingers ready to shoot out lightning.
Lightning creation magic! Thunder tips!
As he cast the spell, the 5 lightning projectiles became small lightning bullets directed toward Dante. Thinking fast, the blue-banged teen twirled his blade in a circular motion, freezing each lightning projectile in place. Once they froze, they all fell to the ground and shattered instantly.
"That all you got pipsqueak?". Dante's teasing was met with a shake of his head no before Luck pointed to a tile underneath him. The shattered ice had caused a trap to activate, launching an armada of bees in his direction. To avoid being stung, Dante froze the swarm in place before they made contact. Breathing out a cold breath, Dante turned to Luck with a frown.
"To be fair, you never said I couldn't use the environment around us". Luck's words only caused Dante to regain a sadistic smile and wind his scythe back once again. As he did, Luck got into a fighting stance and had his grimoire open ready to respond.
"You're gonna regret that one Voltia!".
"I never regret a good Fight!".
Ice Magic!/Lightning Magic!
Before either could cast a spell, Dante was hit over the head with a closed fist. Rubbing his head, the ice mage turned in the direction of the unforeseen attack. Dante grew wide-eyed as he saw an enraged Sol with sharp teeth growling in front of him. Seeing her and Shayna looking at the three in the distance, Dante realized why he and his squad came to the dungeon in the first place.
'Oh right, the mission'.
AN:
Raidentensho: We shall see, won't we? lol.
Dislocated my shoulder on Saturday but still alive and still unbroken lol. But yeah this is coming out a day later due to injury and needing an extra day to revise. As for the chapter itself, I was originally going to save the small Luck/Dante confrontation. I mean, come on, it's way too perfect of a cliffhanger for me to resist. I've also been teasing Dante's secondary magic since the grimoire collection ceremony. Not only is this something I've been wanting to write for the longest, but I have been revising it 24/7 because I seem to fluctuate on how much to reveal and how much to save for later down the line. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and I'll catch you dipsticks next week.