Black Clover - The Three Brothers
"You feeling ready?"
Grey hummed, nervous, adjusting herself in the chair. She took deep breaths, preparing herself for the hurdle she'll face this morning.
"I'm...I'm ready, I...I can do this!"
"Alright! Open your eyes!" Blake encouraged.
Her eyes shot open, holding eye contact with...Nero, perched on Blake's desk, giving her its signature blank look.
Instinctually, Grey's arms tensed up, ready to protect herself from the avian's gaze, and she almost did so, but, not without difficulty, she pushed past that need and did something that surprised her. Initiating a conversation.
"G-Good morning, N-Nero. Are you doing okay?"
The bird closed its eyes for a moment, giving Grey a small breather, before it raised its right wing.
A-Ah, that means yes!
"T-That's good to hear. Uhm..." Grey was unsure of how to continue the conversation, just choosing to say whatever came to her next. "D-Do you like mornings, Nero?"
The bird raised its right wing.
"I see. I think...night-time is what I like more."
Nero cocked its head, signaling some form of interest in wanting her to explain.
"W-Well, when it's night, it's easier to hide myself when I have to be out, you know? When people can't see me, I feel more at ease...and I really like how pretty the moon looks!"
Nero nodded along, allowing Grey to speak at her own pace. It's not like it was in a rush to do anything and patience was one of its best qualities.
"A-And, when I'm here...I get to be beside all my squadmates, surrounded by all their...excitement and cheerfulness and..." Grey had a small smile. "Being with them all makes me really happy inside. The happiest I could ever be."
Blake watched on in silence, sitting back against his bedside wall, holding a soft expression towards Grey's effort. Grey had an easier time speaking to Blake—transformed as her—and so he thought this would be the next right step in her social progression.
The conversation between Grey and Nero would only go on for a couple more minutes before Grey reached her limits of eye contact, whispering to herself how she couldn't get through more of it.
"Well, guess we can conclude this then, for the moment," Blake spoke, the soft expression he had was given to Nero as it flew to his knee, petting the bird's head. "Thanks for the assistance again, little buddy, you've been a real help."
The bird looked away, simply humming in response.
Mhm, same as ever. Blake lightly chuckled, it was rather humorous to him how shy Nero became when they were given thanks or praised for something.
Grey sighed, feeling disappointed in herself, just a bit, letting herself lay forward on the desk. "It's been weeks since we started this and yet, this is all the progress I've made..."
"Hey!" Blake pointed towards Grey, grabbing her attention. "I don't want to hear you putting yourself down!"
"B-But..."
"Progress is progress, no matter how big or small the improvement is."
He knew how Grey was feeling, he'd felt it plenty of times growing up when he had reached a point in his training where he felt like he couldn't overcome it and it made him infuriated. But, the more that it occurred, the more he realized what really mattered.
Blake moved from lying back on the wall to hanging his legs over the side. "All that matters is two things: Have you been improving and have you been doing your best to make it happen?"
Grey had stayed silent, sitting with the questions Blake asked. Of course, there was something in the depths of her mind that wanted her to say she's done all this for nothing, no progress to be made in what she wanted to do, that she'll be as...pathetic as she's always been.
...No.
That's not true, not in the slightest.
"I...I have been improving, I've gotten closer to my dream even if just by a bit...and I am doing my best!" Grey surprised even herself with how she spoke with more determination than she'd done before.
"Yes! You're damn right you have!" Blake loved the sight of it, letting out his approval with a strong clap. He's always had a love of seeing others doing their best for what they aspired to do and right now, it was no different with Grey. "Always keep that in mind! Never forget it!"
In one last effort, for now, Grey raised her head to look at Blake, the one whom she reached out to for help and who'd given it without hesitation, giving him the biggest smile she could.
"I...I will!"
...
Wow. Blake...really liked seeing her smile. Hell, he might even say he loved—
The sight of Vanessa appeared in his mind and he had to stop for a moment. Was he...being a bit too expressive with Grey? Too open? Now that he thought about it, the secrecy needed for these talks because of Grey's shyness might look...not so good from the outside looking in.
"A-Alright, yeah, good to know," Blake spoke with a bit of withdrawal, leaning against the window with his arms crossed.
"H-Huh, is there something wrong?" Grey asked, seeing the rather sudden change in Blake's demeanor.
"N-No, not at all! I was just..." Blake quickly threw together a topic he thought made sense. "I was thinking, if you're up for it, maybe we should let someone else know about you, your true form I mean, so you can start being able to talk with others! My impressions of them while using Transformation Magic can only do so much..."
"I...uhm..." Grey was nervous about the idea of course, but Blake did have a point, knowing it was just him underneath the magical disguise was like a safety net, and now that that might be taken away...
...But she promised herself she'd do her best.
"W-Who would we tell?" She asked.
Blake raised his hand to his chin. "That's a good question."
The captain's a no-go, most likely, he's usually too busy anyway. It probably shouldn't be anyone that's super hyper, so Asta and Luck are likely kicked off the list, probably Magna too. Too much of a jump.
Then there's the opposite end with Gordon and Gauche. Would Gauche even care to? He really doesn't interact with anyone unless it's the topic of...Marie? Yeah, Marie, that's her name.
Blake quickly linked the facts of Gauche's undying affection towards his sister and Grey having Transformation Magic and...
Let's just step away from the thought of that.
"Gordon might be an option." Blake offered.
"G-Gordon, really?" Grey asked, looking unsure of the possibility.
"Yeah, I know, he looks scary and all, but he's actually a pretty cool guy! Asta told me he had a lot of fun with him sharing his action figures. He just has issues expressing himself is all, poor dude."
"Maybe..." Gordon was like her in a sense then, right? Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea.
Thinking through it a little more, the options were rather low. No harm meant towards his "superior" but Finral would be more likely to flirt with the cute girl than try to be helpful in this case, that's just the way he is.
...He didn't like how he felt irked at the thought of Finral flirting with Grey. He quickly moved on to the others.
Charmy...nah, she'd be more occupied stuffing Grey's face with desserts. Isn't a bad thing, but not what we're trying to find.
Noelle. She's not as cold as she was before and she does have a confident demeanor most of the time. Maybe she could be of help.
So the list narrowed down to Gordon, Noelle, and...
"Vanessa!" Now that he thought about it, his partner was one of the more obvious choices. "She's probably the best at socializing out of all of us and there's no doubt in my mind she'd helped you if we asked!" It'd make this whole thing a bit easier too.
Grey fiddled with her hands in silence, her lips pursed. The reminder that Blake was with Vanessa—they certainly had no issue displaying the fact—affected her more than she'd like it to.
She didn't bear any ill will against her squadmate, god no, she wouldn't dream of it! When those two are together, they bring so much fun out of each other and just look...so happy and carefree. If anything, she just felt envious of how easily Vanessa expressed those feelings to Blake.
...She wanted to do the same thing...as herself. But, she couldn't do that now, it'd just make everything worse, and she might end up ruining what Blake and Vanessa have.
Her squadmates are happy, that's what matters.
"Vanessa...w-would be a great help...I think." She spoke with a smile.
Blake felt glad hearing Grey agree, thinking her stuttering just being her usual shyness. "Great! Now it's just a matter of when to—."
Suddenly, an intense cry of screaming was made, loud enough to reach from the outside, near the entrance of the base, all the way up to the high floor level where the guys' dorms were located. The open window probably helped with that.
"That..."
"That sounded like Noelle!" Grey realized, jumping up from the chair.
"It did indeed." Blake moved quickly out of his room. "Come on, let's go see what the problem is."
"R-Right!"
As Grey began to step forward, she heard the flapping of Nero's wings and felt it land on her left shoulder. She hadn't been expecting that.
"N-Nero?"
The bird gave her a glance and with its right wing, it gave her a couple of soft pats on her cheek, as if to say "There there".
She wasn't quite sure how to take it but she supposed the bird was making an attempt to comfort her? For the deed, she gave the bird a soft rub on the head.
"T-Thank you, Nero. I...I needed that."
Noelle's yelling had persisted and gotten closer, making Blake and the transformed Grey hasten their pace, though doing so had caused him to almost bump into the royal.
"Blake!" Noelle called out, the panic in her voice changing to relief.
"Is everything okay? What's got you so spooked?" Blake asked, hands gently placed on her shoulders to calm her down.
"I-I was grabbing some herbs for this potion Vanessa was going to teach me how to make a-and out of nowhere this pervert comes asking to take a peek at me! He wasn't even wearing any clothes!" She explained frantically, hands to her face.
"...He what?"
"The others are dealing with h-him right now..."
She wipes the tears pricking her eyes, to be met with the sight of Blake's magical aura pouring out of him with a dagger in his hands, while Grey blows out smoke, eyes menacingly red.
"I better get my shot at him..." Blake spoke gravely, while Grey palmed her fist a few times. "You're safe now, it'll be alright." He patted the royal's head before heading towards the hall.
"What was that red-headed scum thinking?! So disgusting..." Noelle grumbled.
"Yeah, don't worry, we're gonna make sure he's... "
"Blake?" Noelle wondered why his sentence stopped.
Red hair...and a tendency to not have clothes...
"I swear on everything holy..." Blake exhaled, before turning back to Noelle, hand over his eyes. "Noelle, what else does this guy look like?"
"He..." Noelle questioned internally why it'd matter but... "He has messy red hair and blue eyes, s-some stubble, he's an older guy...that's it..."
"..."
"You have got to be fucking kidding me..."
"Hey, that you, Blake?!" The almost naked man—He had his boxers on at least, thank god—tied up in the middle of the living area, called out to him.
Blake could hear the smile in his words, relieved at seeing the familiar face, and left many of the other bulls' eyes on him. He sighed.
"Yeah, yeah, it's me, Fonzie."
"Fonzie? That's not my n—Oof!"
"Quiet! Perverts don't get to speak!" Charmy shouted, hitting the man over the head with a frying pan.
"This is the kind of company you keep? Disgraceful." Gauche muttered.
"Oh hush, sister lover," Blake responded, shooeing him off, as he walked toward Fanzell. "Finral, get off that call with Headquarters, please!"
"Well look at that, you asked politely."
"Hopefully, with you here, we can clear up this whole misunderstanding! I'm not a pervert, you know me!" He spoke.
That remains to be seen.
Blake squatted down, eye level with his brother's sword trainer, poking at him with the end of his steel dagger.
"Old man, I want you to replay what you said in your head, thoroughly, and see if you get why you're in this situation."
"I honestly don't!" He looked up to the ceiling, trying to recall it. "I...I saw that the little lady had something interesting, and asked if I could take a peek, I even offered to pay her but..."
The silence was deafening.
"...Okay, now that I'm thinking through it, I can definitely see how I was misunderstood." The man admitted, embarrassed.
"Yeah, you think?!" Blake poked him with the dagger one more time, hard.
"Yeah, I deserved that..."
"Now you owe Ellie an apology!" Blake pointed behind him.
"I..."
"Woah, Zel? What are you doing here?"
Fanzell turned back, glad to see another friendly face. "Asta! Should've known you'd be here too! You got into a magic knight squad, that's good to see."
"Can you two knuckleheads clue us in on how you know this guy?" Yami ordered.
"Well..."
After a very quick explanation and giving the poor man a set of clothes to wear, most of the misunderstanding had been cleared up.
"You need to stop letting yourself get robbed."
"Oh, so now it's my fault I'm getting robbed?"
"I'm just saying." Blake flipped his hand. "You're definitely strong enough to not have it happen."
Fanzell chuckled. "I guess you have a point." He noticed Yami, sitting next to him, staring at him pensively. "Uh...thanks for the clothes?"
"Yeah, no problem. Have we met before? You look familiar."
"N-Nah, I doubt it, I'm sure I'd remember meeting you." He then turned to Noelle, who was sitting next to and partially hiding herself behind Vanessa. "Miss Ellie, I hope you can accept my apologies. I really didn't mean to scare you, honest."
"That's Noelle to you, Noelle Silva." She turned her head away for a moment. "But...I suppose I'll be gracious enough to accept, you didn't mean for it to happen." She supposed if Asta and Blake would vouch for him, he probably was a good guy.
"Yes, thank you, I really appreciate it." He munched on some nice bread with a smile. "Oh and same to you."
"No problem! Better bread than dead, I always say!" Charmy spoke cheerfully.
"So why is it you called out to me in the first place?" Noelle asked
"That wand of yours, I could swear it's—
"Ah, crap," Blake mumbled, chewing through his bread before swallowing it and standing up.
"Hm? Is there something wrong?" Vanessa asked.
Blake readied his right hand, before opening a portal using Spatial Magic, grabbing ahold of someone's black fur cloak and pulling them through it, throwing them towards the wall.
The perpetrator activated their Ice Magic and created an ice blade that drove into the ground to decelerate her speed and looked up at Blake with a glare. Short black hair and pink eyes were her features.
The other bulls raised their guard against this unfamiliar and possibly dangerous individual. Aside from Blake, Fanzell and Asta also immediately recognized the girl and raised themselves from their seats; Asta opened his grimoire, readying his Demon-Slayer sword, while Fanzell kept a tight grip on the only possession he had left with him, a wand that had once belonged to his wife.
"Wait a sec, you're that assassin chick from a while ago! You back for round two?! Cause I've gotten plenty stronger since we last met!" Asta declared, aiming his blade toward her.
Feeling the need to explain to the other bulls, Fanzell did so. "Her name's Mariella, she was once my student, but now she's an assassin on a mission to kill me." He said, leaving out some of the specifics.
"Really? She looks so young." Vanessa spoke, a trace of sadness in her words. The girl couldn't have been much older than Noelle and Asta.
Mariella felt the familiar sense of the air pulling toward Fanzell, recognizing he was about to activate one of his spells and put an arm forward. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Oh yeah? Why is that?"
"Cause then we'll draw the attention of the others who are with her." Blake pointed out, sensing them nearby as well.
Mariella nodded as she addressed Blake. "Indeed, they'll likely begin their attack soon as well. I have to admit, it's rather impressive how easily you could sense us."
She, along with many other Diamond Kingdom mages, are trained extensively in keeping their mana signatures subdued so they aren't able to be detected by enemies. Either they're losing their touch or he truly has incredible capabilities in magic sensory.
"Did you notice anything out there, Luck?" Yami questioned.
The boy shook his head. "Nope, nada thing! These guys are pretty good! ...Oooh! Are we being attacked?! Hell yeah, this is a first!" Luck readied his Lightning Magic. "Let me at them, I call dibs!"
"No way, they're mine! They're gonna rue the day they messed with Captain Yami's awesome base!" Magna declared, creating a fireball.
"Can you guys settle down so we can deal with the matter at hand first?" Blake asked, opening his own grimoire. "We still have her to deal with."
Mariella assessed her situation, one that she certainly wasn't expecting to occur. She was severely outnumbered and though the mages with her evened the odds with their numbers, the strength of just a few of these magic knights could likely decimate them without much issue.
She smiled internally. Good, maybe not what she planned, but it was just what she was hoping for.
Pushing back her cloak, Mariella raised her arms up to her sides.
"Though it may not be much to you, I give you my word I have no malicious intentions toward you or your squadmates." She spoke with an unwavering calm.
Blake chuckled. "Oh yeah? Past evidence points to the contrary." Even still, he decided to close his grimoire. "But, if that is the case, what are you here for?"
Mariella would've taken a moment to choose her words carefully, but, surprisingly, being blunt was more her style.
"I simply wish to use you, that's all."
"Ground forces, any commotion?"
A middle-aged man spoke, wearing a set of Diamond Kingdom robes, a hood covering the features of combed-back brown hair and beard that were graying, and, more notably, a large, fading scar that ran from his forehead down to his cheek.
"No, Commander Galleo. Not since Mariella had been pulled through that sudden portal." The leader of Squad 1 responded, through the communication device.
"Tch."
That answer dissatisfied him. Being the leader of the assassination squadron, he had been placed in charge of capturing Fanzell and that wife of his, damn deserters. This should've been accomplished months ago with the help of Mariella but the girl had been incompetent and failed in her mission, requiring a retreat. Since then, the former instructor has been difficult to track down, until this moment.
"Very well. Squads 1 through 4, begin your advancement on the dormitory. Squads 5 and 6, you'll move alongside them through the trees, in a circle formation for a 360 view and to provide cover fire when the attack commences. Squads 7 and 8, you'll hang back to cover the rear, make sure he has no chance to escape, and leave no witnesses."
"Commander Galleo, what of Mariella?" The leader of Squad 3 asked.
"In a best-case scenario, she's made work of anyone else in the building and has taken hold of the deserter Fanzell."
"And the worse-case, sir?"
Galleo sighed. "Then we've lost another useful tool, but we'll manage. Is that understood, Squads 1 through 8?"
"Affirmative." The leader of each squad said.
Only a few minutes into their advancement had the action begun...though it certainly didn't take the turn they had expected.
A swirling typhoon of Water Magic had surrounded the Black Bulls base, courtesy of Noelle's Sea Dragon's Nest spell, and prominently emerging from it came forth Luck and Magna, at the ready with their attacks.
"[Lightning Magic: Thunderbolt Destruction]!"
"[Flame Magic: Prison Kill Buckshot]!"
Fire and Lightning complimented each other, mixing together as their wide-range sneak attack had proven to be very effective, easily clearing half a dozen of the enemies in their way.
The rivals stood back to back.
"Come on, you bastards! That all you got?!" Magna shouted, puffing out his chest as he manifested his flaming baseball bat.
"You have to give us a bit more than that to make this fun! Oh! Oh! Magna! Let's tally up our takedowns! Loser does the other's chores for a week!"
"Is that all? Thought you knew me better than that, Luck...a whole month sounds plenty more enticing!"
Luck laughed. "Alright! But don't come crying to me when you gotta clean the slobber off the beasts' walls!"
"I should be telling you that, cocky bastard!" Seeing more enemies approaching, Magna threw a fireball up in the air and slammed it with his bat at their location. "LET'S PLAY BALL MOTHERFUCKERS!"
Those robes...These are magic knights! Damn it, Mariella must have been taken out, shit. They've brought out their heavy hitters, let's deal with them and advance afterward.
"Squads 3 and 4, relocate to 1 and 2's location, they need assistance! Squads 5 and 6, attack from above!" Galleo barked out.
"Affirmative!"
The 15 soldiers taking position within the trees had coordinated their magic attacks, a galore of offensive magic beginning to rain down upon Luck and Magna, appearing to have them dead to rights.
"NOT ON MY WATCH!"
At that moment, Asta dashed through one of Finral's portals, and with great strength and accuracy, he took on most of the attacks on the flat of his blade and swung them back toward their users, setting off a series of blasts that dealt with a third of both Squad 5 and 6.
"Nice looking out, Short-sta!"
"Just Asta! But thanks!"
"What the hell kind of sword is that?! It reflected the magic back at our comrades!" A soldier of Squad 5 called out.
"Relocate! Shift your movements and aim for their blind spots—!"
Squad 6's leader's commands were silenced as a large ray of light hit him square in the chest, knocking him unconscious off the tree top and tumbling into the dirt below.
"You worthless bastards aren't going anywhere."
Words spoken by Gauche, hovering above on his broom with a magic mirror manifested at his side.
"This whole mess is making me waste my time when I could be spending it adoring Marie...You'll all pay dearly for it."
"Attack the bastard!"
"[Mirror Magic: Mirror's Shift]"
Multiple mirrors were created simultaneously and Gauche effortlessly changed his location from one place to another, not allowing a single attack to hit him. Then, from one of those many mirrors, a beam of light shot forth and reflected off each mirror, bending the beam as it weaved itself against the remains of Squads 5 and 6, setting off a series of explosions they couldn't hope to escape from.
"[Mirror Magic: Reflect Refrain]!"
"Gauche!" Asta quickly slammed his sword into his opponent and knocked his lights out before he maneuvered his blade in a way to deflect the stray lightray, hitting the swirling typhoon instead. "Watch where you're aiming that thing! That could really injure one of us!"
"Shut your yapping, midget. If you aren't fast enough to get out of the way, that's your problem."
"Hey, you don't have to be so mean about it!"
"Gotta admit..." Magna spoke, a bit of panting in his breath. "Blake was pretty damn good at planning this out."
"Asta, come on! We gotta go!" Finral came through the portal partially, heavily motioning for the boy to come back through.
"Right! Sorry, Finral! Have fun, you guys!" Asta shouted as he ran back through.
HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?!
Galleo couldn't believe what he was witnessing. The only reason he had gathered so many squads for this assignment was to make soundly sure it would be dealt with correctly, not to mention how strong he knew Fanzell to be. Yet, his forces were being dealt with so easily by just these four magic knights?! They had barely broken a sweat!
"Squad 7! Squad 8! Any eyes on the target?"
"S-Sorry, boss! Things aren't looking so good for us!"
What the hell, why was Lucas sounding like that? Galleo didn't bother to reprimand him for not addressing him appropriately.
"Why?! What's happening?!"
"What's happening is...we're getting our asses handed to us!"
"WHAT?!"
The sound of howling laughter over the communication device only continued to infuriate the Diamond Kingdom Commander
"Grey! Grey! That was amazing! You have to do that more often, please!" Vanessa pleaded. "Charmy's going wild! You even got Gordon to chuckle! "
Galleo almost crushed the device in the palm of his hand.
"When I get my hands on all of you, you'll—!"
"You'll what?"
Galleo froze as he felt a dagger pressed against his throat, recognizing the voice of the man who had somehow been able to sneak from behind.
"Fanzell?" He chuckled darkly. "Not your usual style is it?"
"What can I say? I guess an old dog can learn new tricks." Fanzell smirked. "But is it really the time for jokes? Make one move and I'll—."
"You wouldn't want to do that. At least, if you want that little witch of yours to still be breathing..." He struggled to speak.
"You...What have you done with Domina?" The red-headed man spoke with a subdued fury.
"I've sent my men quite a ways away from here, you won't be able to catch up in time, not that you'd even know where to go. Now, if you want to even have a chance of seeing her again, you damn traitor, you better just—Why are you laughing?"
"Oh come on, isn't it obvious?" Suddenly, Fanzell rushed Galleo, slamming the older man into the bark of the tree.
Galleo crossed his arms to block the man's attack, though he could definitely feel the pain in his arms from doing so. He hadn't been fast enough to dodge the one Fanzell aimed at his gut, then he had been too stunned even to realize the man had performed a damn butterfly kick until he had already been sent flying off the tree, a horrible pain in his neck.
"Your threats are just way too lackluster to be menacing!"
"Tch." Galleo activated his Spatial Magic below him, allowing him a quick means of escape to one of the far corners of the forest, just barely in it. That should be good enough, speed was never Fanzell's forte, and neither was mana sensory.
Goddamn it, nothing is going as he planned! His best subordinate has been dealt with, his soldiers are dwindling by the second, and that treacherous bastard seems to have lost his damn mind. His wife was all he could talk about while they were off duty—it was almost as bad as that annoying bastard Lotus and his mind-numbing adoration of his daughters—so what's made him become so...
"Did you guys get all that?"
Galleo stopped in his tracks, hearing Fanzell's voice from just a dozen feet behind him as he twisted around, finding the man speaking into a communication device that bared the Diamond Kingdom's insignia.
"Yup. You hear that, Zell? Your wife will be just fine." Yami answered on the other side.
"Dominante...She's really alive...Thank god." Said Fanzell...on the same line as Yami.
"I should've realized it sooner! You're not Fanzell, you're just an imposter!"
A mocking shocked expression spread across "Fanzell's" face, hands smacked onto his cheeks. "Oh, golly gee, I've been found out! Captain Yami, what do I dooo?!"
"Stop being a dumbass and just take out that guy already. Wheels, make a portal to the Black Market."
"On it, Captain," Finral spoke, casting his Fallen Angel's Gate spell
"Fanzell" shrugged and a cloud of smoke appeared, wiping it away to show Blake with a smirk.
"What?! How did you already know her location?!" Galleo shouted.
"A little birdy told me—"
"Chirp."
"I didn't mean that literally, Nero!" Blake called out to the bird, perched atop a tree branch.
"Anywaaays. We heard about you taking some of your men to use that woman as a hostage, so while our squadmates kept you and the others busy, we tracked them down and beat the shit out of them!" Blake chuckled. "Gotta say, didn't take much for them to spill the beans on where she was, though I can't blame them, Yami's quite the scary guy."
"You were told?!"—Galleo then realized—"Mariella, that damn traitor!"
She must've known this was a Magic Knight Squad's base! These are those damn Black Bulls! She set us up for failure!
"If you're gonna betray someone once, you'll probably do it again." Blake shrugged. "Though now that her life isn't at stake, hopefully, she doesn't plan on doing it a third time."
"ENOUGH!" Galleo roared as he slammed his hands into the ground, waves of red magic heading towards Blake. "If you think I'll be easily dealt with, you're sorely mistaken, brat!"
"[Spatial Creation Magic: Unopening Red Room]!"
"Oooh, looks interesting!"
Blake felt no worries about the magic hitting him, accepting it with happy curiosity. Once it had, he landed on the floor, seeing that he had been transported to somewhere that was shaped like a red box.
I don't feel any other magic outside this place...does this cut us off into a space that's separate from everything else?
"You won't be able to leave this room until I've been defeated, meaning there's no hope for you!" Galleo declared smugly before casting his next spell.
"[Spatial Creation Magic: Rift Men]!"
From the ground itself, dozens of red blobs that took on humanoid forms rose, armed with a variety of melee weapons.
"Rift Men! Attack!"
Daggers manifested from Blake's grimoire through his Knight's Twin Blades spell as he took a mad dash through his enemies, tearing them apart with his blades. Blake felt most at home at close range, making use of his body's strength and speed was the most fun for him.
He's a steel magic user? Then he must've been using some sort of Transformation tool before.
"Go ahead, wear yourself out! I could keep creating these soldiers for days if I wanted to!" He shouted as another 30 were made.
"Do it then, bitch!"
Blake's attitude only made Galleo even more furious. If this nuisance wanted death, he'd happily oblige!
And yet, as he continued to manifest more of his rift men, more would be torn through by Blake. It was almost impossible for him to get a sneak attack on the combatant, who had seemed to know where his soldiers would be made from the moment Galleo had done so.
Whether it had been an hour or just twenty minutes, Galleo couldn't tell, but what he could tell was that he definitely didn't have enough magic to continue this for much longer.
"Struggling to keep up there? I need some more action if I want to stuff my face later!" Blake was feeling actually rather sad at that prospect, he could never get enough of Charmy's cooking.
"Shut your mouth! I'm not finished with you yet!" Galleo spoke, though through labored breaths.
Blake groaned as he dodged the rift men's slow attacks without even looking. "Well, you know what, I'm sure tired of you!" He dropped his daggers, breaking apart the rift men with just his fists now.
"Don't think you can just swat me off! You can't leave unless I've been defeated!"
"Oh yeah?" Blake slammed his last rift men into the ground before looking at the man with a dangerous smile.
"Watch me."
With a snap of his fingers, Blake released his own Spatial Magic, covering the once-red room in Black and Blue, and only seconds later were the two men in the spot of the forest they had been in before.
Galleo frantically looked around him, his mind going haywire. "What?! But...How?!"
"Didn't you know? If Spatial Magic clashes with Spatial Magic, they get canceled out." Blake chuckled. "Or in this case, the weaker one becomes overpowered by the stronger."
A little thing I learned from Finral.
"B-But you're a steel magic user! You can't have Spatial Magic!"
"You just made those assumptions, can't blame that on me. Besides..." Black lightning gauntlets and boots took shape on Blake's limbs. "I got plenty more than that."
Finally, Galleo realized he was utterly outmatched and attempted to escape through means of a portal. Yet, as he soon realized, he didn't have enough mana to draw from for the distance he needed to make. All he could do was back away in fear as Blake approached him.
"I messed around in that little playroom of yours for two reasons: To get ahold of your spells and to make sure your reserves of mana were all tapped out so you couldn't escape."
Galleo didn't have the time to process Blake's words as he soon collided with the tree behind him, slammed back into it repeatedly by Blake's relentless assault of blows. The last sight he would see before falling unconscious was the sight of the black gauntlet inching toward his face at high speeds, delivering the final blow to the Diamond Kingdom Commander.
"Nighty-night~"
"You absolute jerk!"
Dominante Code; a black market dealer, a former resident of the Witch Queen's forest, and the wife of Fanzell was mercilessly shaking the life out of her poor husband.
"How long were you planning to wait before you came to my rescue?! How is a sweet, defenseless woman like me supposed to hold off against dangerous killers?! Any later and I could've been dead!"
Fanzell was beginning to get dizzy and lightheaded from her intensity. "D-Domina, sweetie, please. I swear I—." He stopped as his wife ended her assault, now squeezing him tightly in a hug.
"I...I was scared that I would never see you again." She said through welling tears. "That I wouldn't be able to hold you anymore."
"I..." Fanzell sighed, now returning her hug firmly. "I'm sorry that I worried you, It won't happen again, I promise."
"It better not." She spoke with a pout.
Meanwhile, Asta, Noelle, Finral, Yami, and Mariella looked on from the side, some of them feeling rather awkward being in this situation.
"I can't thank you guys enough! I'll be forever in your debt." Dominante spoke elated, turning to the group, but looking towards Noelle in particular. "This more than makes up for the wand. I knew Bruce was right about you!"
"Sure, we can go with that," Noelle responded, looking away with a hidden somber. She hates to admit it, but she does miss that brooch.
Who the hell is Bruce? Yami wondered.
"Everything's been right so far, I guess you were being truthful after all!" Asta cheerfully patted Mariella on the back. "Glad to see! I knew you weren't so bad."
She gave no reaction, instead simply explaining, "There was no reason for me to be dishonest, doing so would've put me in a worse position and prevented what I wished to happen."
"I can vouch for her!" Domina spoke out, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "She made contact with me not too long ago and helped me make sure I was keeping a low profile from any spies she told me about!"
"Is that so? Mind telling me where those guys are located?" Yami asked, that was rather important info.
"Most of the informants were taken back to handle the capture of him." Mariella's notion toward Fanzell. "Those who were kept around here, I dealt with just before following him to your base. Though I'm sure there are others that are scattered elsewhere, there's nothing I can provide about them."
"Seriously?" Yami grumbled, lighting up a cigarette. "Alright, fine, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled in that case." I should discuss this with Julius then.
"So, what? Five naps instead of nine, Captain?" Finral jested.
"I'll give you all the naps you'd ever want if you keep that up, wheels."
"I was just joking! Don't kill me!"
"I don't get it. We've gotten this far, yet you still seem hesitant to actually tell us why you chose to do all this." Noelle moved forward, putting herself in between Mariella and Asta.
"It's a matter of precaution. Besides, I already made the agreement with Blake I would explain more if he were to deal with the Commander."
Noelle sighed in mild frustration, knowing that the deal was just Blake's excuse to go after the strongest guy he could. He's been spending too much time with Luck.
"He insisted on doing it by himself, though I have to wonder if he'll actually be able to accomplish it." Mariella placed a hand on her chin.
"Is that Galleo guy strong?"
"His magic can be tricky to deal with." Mariella went over the basic usage of the man's Spatial Magic. "A single foe could be easily overwhelmed if they aren't careful. He also holds the position of a Commander, being just below our 8 Generals. If I were to guess, in your kingdom, he'd be as strong as one of your Vice-Captains."
"That's...pretty strong." Asta simply spoke.
Noelle and Finral had been the only two to really ponder over that statement, seeing as their family held that position in two other squads; Nebra, Noelle's older sister, for the Silver Eagles and Langris, Finral's younger brother, for the Golden Dawn. That led to them imagining Blake going against their respective siblings, wondering who would win the battle.
"Yoooo, Yami! You guys still over at the market?" Came the voice of Blake, ringing from Yami's communication device.
"About damn time you called. You finished handling that guy?"
A portal opened, Blake's, and through it, the unconscious body of Galleo was thrown roughly onto the ground, restrained by a rope made from Vine Magic.
"How's that for an answer?" He spoke as he walked through the portal, dusting his hands off, looking practically unscathed, surprising some of the others.
"Woah, you ready did a number on this guy!" Asta ran over, poking at the man, wondering if he was even still alive.
"...Huh." Mariella walked over and inspected the man, "It's rather strange to see him beaten so badly."
"Wasn't that much of a problem, I'm just counting it as my workout for the day," Blake said, before calling out to Yami. "Come on, Captain! Throw me at one of the Generals, I'll destroy them easily!"
"Chill it, Blake, you're still just a newbie. Besides, the Wizard King ain't interested in starting any invasions."
"I gueeeess that's fair..." Blake nodded along, though he half-heartedly groaned, before pointing at Mariella. "Alright, you, ice-chick, explain."
Rude, I have a name. Nevertheless, Mariella did so, as they all took seating at a nearby table.
"Until recently, I believed my way in life had already been laid out, that it would always be a matter of survival of the fittest; I would live on as the Diamon Kingdom's tool and eventually die as one." Her attention turned to Asta. "But then, by pure happenstance, my master took you in as his student. I could only see it ending with you two losing your lives."
Mariella's words caused Domina to tighten her squeeze on Fanzell's hand, who returned it immediately, while Blake and Noelle glanced toward Asta and then narrowed their gaze at the assassin.
"That's pretty grim..." Asta noted.
"However, you and your brother were strong enough to prevent that, and then you said something I couldn't stop thinking about, how one must find their own dreams and reasons to live and fight for them, regardless of what life puts them through."
Mariella held a small smile. "It was overbearing and obnoxious...but also inspiring and dashing, it was hard to not feel moved by your words."
"O-Oh, you think so?" Asta had been taken aback by the unexpected compliment, he even became a little flushed from it.
While she continued, Blake snuck a look at Noelle and—
"Be. Quiet."
"Whaaaat? I didn't even say anything."
"You were going to."
"...Yeah, I was."
They whispered back and forth, Noelle having an irritated look on her face with her arms crossed, while Blake had a smug grin on his, resting his chin on his knuckles.
"So, after some time and self-reflection, I finally realized that I couldn't stand living my life if it was always under the boot of those I've been used by. So, to change that, I wanted to accomplish three things.
Mariella swiftly pulled out a folded piece of paper from within the inner pocket of her cloak. "I wanted to make sure my master and his partner would be safe, so over the last few months while acting under reconnaissance, I had researched and compiled multiple escape routes onto this map, in tandem with one another so they'll always be safe."
Fanzell takes a look at the plotting and instructions on the map. He had to admit, this was incredible work. What he didn't want to admit was just how well-trained of an assassin they had made Mariella into.
No one in that kingdom was given a choice in fighting, once you were of age they'd force you into something, anything, to aid them in strengthening the might of their military.
He had seen...so many young lives lost on the battlefield from that Kingdom's greed for power and he couldn't stand to see it anymore, it's why he shifted from the frontlines to the training core, because...if they were forced to battle, someone had to make sure they were trained to be prepared for it as best as they could be.
...But they were just kids, they shouldn't have been a part of it to begin with.
"Thank you, Mariella. I...we appreciate it greatly." He responded.
"You have our gratitude, truly," Domina added, reaching over to place a gentle hand on Mariella's, though the girl sadly pulled away.
"It was the least I could do." Mariella continued on, explaining further. "I needed to make sure the forces I was with were decimated, in order to strike a heavy blow against the Diamond Kingdom's strength." Mariella addressed Asta and Blake. "Seeing you two were a part of the Black Bulls, I was going to stage an attack that would undoubtedly end with my "comrades" defeat. Blake catching me was a minor complication but it seemed to work out for the better"
"Yeah, at least then we got a heads up," Finral mumbled. He looked to Yami, wondering how the captain felt being used like that, but had only found the man nodding off with his arms crossed.
He's napping. Of course, he's napping.
"I'd say we did pretty well in that regard. All the mages back at the base were taken care of before I headed over here, they're probably being placed under arrest right now." Blake turned to look at the unconscious Galleo. "Might need to call them up again to get him."
"Yes...and I will be going along with him as well." Mariella calmly decided, bringing a shock to everyone around the table.
"Huh?! What are you talking about?! Why would you be doing that?!" Asta questioned, standing up from his seat.
"Under the Diamond Kingdom's orders, I committed numerous crimes, those of which I can't easily atone for." Mariella's eyes trailed down to her hands, the copious amount of blood that stained them in her mind from the moment she took her first life would be something she could never get rid of. "But like my Master, I don't intend to run away from it. I will turn myself in, to the Magic Knights, and whatever punishment I am dealt, as long as my life is spared, I will face without complaint."
"Wait, just hold on a sec—"
"Those two might not be the only ones we got to take in."
Blake had been cut off by the grave words of his captain, who had suddenly drawn his sword and sheathed it in his Dark Magic, while Fanzell—who had been keeping his guard up around the captain—jumped back, keeping Domina protected behind him, as he created his signature weapon, a blade made by the gusts of wind he brought forth and controlled.
An intense stare-off between the two men occurred, readying their blades at each other.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Mariella shouted.
"Fanzell?" Domina wasn't expecting this, she was beginning to grow nervous.
"Captain—!"
Yami cut off his subordinates to speak. "It took a while for the gears in this brain of mine to put it all together, but I finally realized why you seemed so familiar once I linked the nicknames those two knuckleheads had for you. You're Fanzell Kreuger, at one point you had been the Head Commander of Diamond Kindom's invading force, we even traded blows on the battlefield."
"An event I'd rather not repeat, Captain." Even if he was tense, Fanzell truly did not wish to fight.
"What does that even matter, Yami?! He's obviously not with them anymore so he isn't a threat to us."
Finral was the one to counter Blake's statement. "Even still, he was a high-ranking member of our enemy's military and if we continued what we were doing, we'd be aiding in his escape. It would end up causing trouble for our squad if this was found out." Finral didn't like what he was saying. "In a situation like this, we would...put them into custody to get information on the enemy."
"What wheels said," Yami responded.
"No way! That's bullshit! What the hell are you even saying, Finral?!"
"I'm just explaining this stuff! Don't get mad at me!" Finral shouted back.
It was Noelle who tried to settle everything down. "J-Just wait, we all need to calm down—!"
"Zell hasn't done anything wrong, he doesn't deserve that!" Asta said, standing next to his captain.
Yami only glared down at Asta. "You going to go against your own captain, boy?"
"Tch." Asta's stance wavered slightly, looking down with gritted teeth.
"No!"
Mariella placed herself in front of Fanzell and Domina, her grimoire opened as she manifested shards of ice that suspended in the air, ready to be used as projectiles once she desired.
"Mariella?"
"Master Fanzell and Domina have already had to go through enough, from the pain I caused them before. I almost took his life for goodness sake!" She tightened her grip along the ice blade she held in her hand, a pained expression as she remembered the faces of those whom she trained alongside.
The faces of those who were the closest thing to friends she had, that any of them had.
The faces that turned pale white with dull, hollowed eyes as she selfishly took their lives in order to save her own.
The faces that, even when knowing why, looked at her with no hatred, anger, or bitterness...just sadness and sympathy as they drew their last breath.
And even now, she would plead for her life yet again? How cowardly.
"How could I allow myself to live on knowing that he and his partner would share the same fate as me? If that's what getting to live puts me through..."
I'd feel no better alive than I would if I was dead.
"...I refuse it! I won't allow anyone to harm Master Fanzell or Lady Domina for as long as I breathe!" Mariella declared. If that's needed, she'll make sure at least they can escape, even if the cost is her life.
Her declaration and determination had stunned most of the others, except for Blake and Asta, who jumped to place themselves in between Yami and the three.
"I'm sorry, Captain, I know I'm supposed to listen to you, always." Asta retracted the Demon-Slayer sword from his grimoire, slamming the blade into the floor. "But my heart is telling me I can't willingly follow what you're telling us to do! So if this is what it comes to, I'll fight to show you you're wrong!"
"These three aren't our enemies, not anymore, I won't allow any of them to be taken away."
"You two...you shouldn't include me in those damned words of yours," Mariella muttered. She wasn't one of the people they should be protecting.
"Why not?" Blake placed his arm behind him, casting his Spatial Magic spell. "Since we last met, you've done nothing but help us and the old man and his wife. Because of you, our enemies and the people who have been hunting him down are being dealt with."
He turned to give Mariella a smile. "Sure sounds like you're an ally to me. Hell, a friend is more like it."
It was hard for Mariella to find the words she wanted to say. "I...but...everything I've done..."
"Whatever crap you did, it was because you would've been killed if you didn't, right? Some could've dealt with dying but plenty more would've done exactly what you did, it'd be pointless to judge you!"
"Even still, I—!" Mariella would've argued, but she was stopped as she felt the unfamiliar sensation from behind her of...a hug.
Domina gently whispered, "You can't place all the blame on yourself. You're so young, there's only so much you could've done.", her arms wrapped around the girl's shoulders.
"Lady Domina..." The ice that Mariella had created around her and in her hands had dissipated, her hands reaching up to hold Domina's. "I...almost took Master Fanzell away from you."
"But if it wasn't for you, I might've never been reunited with him either, don't you think? So, please, whatever my words are worth...I forgive you. We forgive you."
The words Domina spoke broke through Mariella's heart, making the young girl ache. She didn't deserve this warmness.
"Whatever you think you deserve, it's not just you who can decide that anymore!" Noelle declared, herself feeling rather inspired by the actions of the others. It wasn't as if she couldn't some bit of herself in the girl either.
"Because whether you want to admit to yourself or not, there are people in your life who care about you now! Who actually wants what's best for you!" She spoke, pointing at the girl. "It may feel strange, hard to get used to, but it's better than holding on to the loneliness you're familiar with!"
Mariella had been taken aback by the words of the silver-haired girl, she might have fallen back had Domina not been holding her, it was like an epiphany had just burst in her mind. She only snapped out of it as she felt the comforting touch of Fanzell's hand on her shoulder and looked at him.
He was holding that familiar smile on his face. The one he would have when his student made a mistake, but would be there to guide them, to let them know it would be okay and that it'll be better.
Blake and Asta looked toward their Captain, hoping that they could get him to change his mind, however stubborn he may be. But to their surprise, the foreigner had long since had a smile on his face.
"Alright. Are you starting to see it?"
Surprising his subordinates, Yami placed his blade back in its sheath, his magic dissipating as he walked forward and addressed Mariella.
"Being left to wallow in a cell ain't exactly my idea of how atonement should be done, it takes more than that to come to terms with yourself. See more of the world and realize what matters to you. Protect what you care about and do the same for those you meet along the way. If you do that, well, maybe it can help you learn to accept your past."
Everyone felt captivated by the usually uncouth man's rather sensible string of words, Blake being no exception. It must've been something in the way he spoke, but to Blake, it felt as if he had been speaking from experience. Maybe not about Yami himself but...someone he knew?
Besides that, he also realized, "You weren't actually planning on bringing either of them in, were you?"
"What, you think you're smart, Mr. Copycat?" Yami chuckled as he put out his cigarette.
"Didn't like what you were planning to do, so with a bit of pressure, I wanted you to see it didn't have to be that way." He said, speaking about Mariella, then addressing Fanzell and Domina.
"I knew you three weren't bad and right now I'm not going to bother about what I'm supposed to do or not."—He quickly looked at Blake—"Say something smart, I dare you."
"...Damn, am I getting too predictable?" Blake silently pondered to himself.
"Wherever you three want to go, do it. Just don't make it into a headache I gotta deal with," Yami ordered, scratching the back of his head.
Fanzell and Domina felt nothing but relief, everything would work out for the best. Then, their attention turned to Mariella who appeared having a hard time trying to find what she wanted to say to them.
"Master Fanzell...Lady Domina...I—"
"Mariella, let's all travel together, don't you think that would be best?" Fanzell offered.
"Life together as a family...wouldn't that be nice?" Domina offered the girl a smile, with her hand out.
"I...Yes, it sounds perfect."
The pair had taken the words she wanted to say right out of her mouth. Living on with the devotion and freedom to finally protect the people she didn't want to let die; If this was the way she could find forgiveness, then maybe she could be at peace with herself.
They spent just a little more time with the Black Bulls, preparing whatever they could get for their travels, while the Diamond Kingdom's mages had all been hauled in alongside Galleo.
Only Blake, Asta, Finral, and Noelle came to say their goodbyes, just outside the royal capital. Finral was a necessity as he knew more locations to transport the three refugees to for their new start.
"We owe you guys so much, I don't even know what to say. Just, if you guys ever need help, call us the second you need it." Fanzell offered.
"Come on, don't worry about all of that right now." Blake waved it away. "You've got the time and opportunity, so make sure you give your wife the best you can."
"Yes, that's right. I won't waste it." Fanzell would make it sure to happen.
"Tell Vanessa I said hi! I'll trade her letters so you guys can know where we are." Domina promised.
"We'll make sure to. Th-Thank you for the wand again, It's...really helped me improve." Noelle said.
"Don't mention it! ...Actually, please do! Referrals get everyone 20% off!"
What are we, walking advertisements?
"Oh, right!" Blake reached into his inner pocket, pulling a little bundle of sweets tied up with a white ribbon out of it and throwing it to Mariella. "Here, catch."
The girl easily caught it, looking at it with curious interest.
"The little miss had whipped up some of those earlier, and said you looked like you needed some." Blake pats his chest. "Bless her heart."
...How did she know?
"Well, tell her I appreciate the sentiment." Mariella's gaze stayed on the lollipop chocolates longer than she expected, snapping out of it as she quickly settled them in her coat. She appeared thoughtful for a moment before saying, "There's much I would like to say to you three for everything you've done for them...and for me...but it would take me longer than I'd like." She walked towards them at a quick pace. "So...hopefully this can be enough."
To their surprise and her embarrassment, Mariella awkwardly gave Noelle, Asta, and Blake a hug, as stiff as it was. Noelle was certainly not expecting that, only being able to lightly pat the girl on her back in return, a slight flush on her face. Asta was much the same, but more easily accepted and returned the hug. Blake happily accepted and returned the hug.
Mariella then locked eyes with Finral, who appeared to expect a hug as well but was instead given the offer of a handshake. "We appreciate the transportation, wheels. We would like to take our leave now."
"My name is Finral...but yeah, no problem at all." He cried inside as he shook the girl's hand, before opening a portal to somewhere that would act as a great starting location for them.
Fanzell and Domina went through the portal, offering even more "so longs" and "farewells" to the Bulls, while Mariella turned back to give them just a small smile, displaying a happiness that she hadn't felt in so long, before leaving as well.
The four stood there for a moment, letting the day sink in.
"Damn, I miss em already. Well, time to get back to base. I got it covered, Finral." Blake opened his own portal, it was easier on him anyway, and simply nodded as Finral offered his thanks. Asta and Noelle went through, having unusual thoughtful looks on their faces.
Finral did as well, though not in the same way as Asta and Noelle, even sparing a look at Blake. So before Finral went through, Blake tapped his senior on the shoulder. "Something up? You look like you want to say something."
Finral tried to ignore it, telling Blake it was nothing, but his junior was a stubborn one and he wasn't buying it. Being physically imposing didn't help with it.
"It's really dumb..." Finral sighed. "It's just...you and Asta are just...really great brothers to each other, how you always got the other's back and all that." Finral chuckled, a hint of sadness to it as he scratched his cheek. "I guess it makes me remember how my sibling and I don't really get along."
Blake raised his eyebrows for a moment. It was news to him that Finral even had a brother, though hearing that they didn't have the best relationship with each other immediately made him want to cry. But instead, he gave his senior a smile as he slung his arm over his shoulder.
"That ain't dumb at all. Come on, let's get some drinks and discuss the woes of brotherhood together! Sound good?"
"O-Oh, uh..." Finral had been surprised by Blake's response and offer but, it actually didn't sound too bad. "Alright, sure! Maybe I'll see a pretty girl while we're out."
"Then make sure you get me back to the base before leaving if that happens. I do not trust myself being drunk and alone."
Black Clover - The Three Brothers
A/N: I did not expect the chapter to be this long, goddamn.
A/N 2: If anyone could give me suggestions/advice real quick, how do y'all think Blake should be incorporated into the Royal Knight Exam? I know that's quite a bit ahead but if I have stuff planned for that now it will make it easier to write when I get to that point, you know?
A/N 3: Been thinking of possible additions to the harem.
A/N 4: Feedback is always appreciated!
