Ash blonde hair stuck to Astara's forehead, the late summer sun beating down on her with nothing to give her any reprieve above her. Astara stops walking down the path to swipe away the sweat on her forehead. She shields her eyes and stares down towards the tiny silhouette of the church.
Astara smiles brightly before adjusting her great sword carried on her shoulders with completely filled baskets and stuffed bags tied against it. If she can make it before three o'clock, she'll be able to start the process for all of the herb drying, meat smoking, and leather making.
"Everything will be good for this winter... and with Recca and Nash learning quickly... we won't have to worry," Astara thinks after she starts to walk again.
Six months have passed since the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony. Six months have passed since Yuno received his–unsurprising–four-leaf grimoire. Six months have passed since Astara received her own grimoire.
Not like it had made much of a difference. Astara would have still increased her training for the Magic Knights Entrance Exam without the grimoire; her ability didn't need a grimoire... but having one definitely helped her control. And the sword is really, really cool.
Astara, and Yuno, have been training hard... and preparing for the winter. With them not there to help... Astara's afraid it might be a harder winter than the previous ones. But, with all that they were doing while including it in their training, there should be more than enough of everything.
And if–when they become Magic Knights, most of their pay will come here. There's not much to worry about.
A loud whistle pierces through the quiet atmosphere around Astara. Astara instinctively whistles back. If Yuno's whistling, then Sister Lily must be worried that she's taking so long. Astara hums quietly before picking up the pace.
Or the Sister might want to make sure they have everything ready for their trip to the Royal Capital. Today is their last day in Hage after all.
"I bet Father has a feast cooking for us... silly old man," Astara speaks out loud, more fond than upset. She'd rather not have so much food wasted on her, but it will be the last night that she'll be able to be with the children in what will most likely be a long time.
Astara sighs quietly and looks over her shoulder and sword. She stares up at the looming demon skull and the ancient statue on top. A wide smile grows on her face before she starts to jog.
She's getting closer–she will be getting closer. She will become the Wizard Queen!
Astara stares through one of the only stained glass windows of the church, watching the moonlight cast a kaleidoscope of colors across the floor and walls. She carefully curls up more on top of Yuno and sighs quietly. She couldn't sleep.
Yuno's arm, protectively wrapped around her waist in case she fell, twitched slightly. He couldn't sleep either.
"We're going to start our trip to the Royal Capital tomorrow," Astara whispers into the quiet room, careful not to wake up the younger children.
Yuno makes a small noise of agreement. A sigh follows not long after.
"They shouldn't have wasted so much money on those gifts for us..." Yuno speaks up, making Astara hum in her agreement. Her eyes trail over to the two folded piles sitting on top of the only table in the room.
Sister Lily and Father Orsi had ordered brand new clothes to be made for them. They claimed it was because they finally became adults, but Astara thinks it's because Father Orsi and Sister Lily wanted to give them something of their very own to start their journeys.
The first things, and the most precious in Astara's opinion, is the actual clothes. Each set was made from thick fabric and clearly meant for most types of weather or work, but were tailored in a way that made them look like commoner fashion.
A white blouse with lantern sleeves and gold buttons and gold thread embroidered in a star design down the sleeves; a double breasted, midnight blue skirt that reached the floor with stars embroidered with gold thread around the high waist; black leather gloves with a three-leaf clover on each back; and finally a brand new pair of riding boots, black this time, with a star embroidered on the inside. To complement the outfit, they had even gotten a leather satchel, dyed a midnight blue, for Astara's grimoire.
A button up shirt, also white, but with tighter sleeves and lilies embroidered from the hem of the sleeves in silver thread; a jade green vest with a large lily flower embroidered on the back; black pants with silver lilies embroidered along the bottom; black arm bracers with a three-leaf clover on the top of each; and another pair of black riding boots, for Yuno, and with a silver lily embroidered on the inside. His new satchel for his own grimoire was dyed a jade green.
"No wonder the kids were so giggly leading up to the dinner. They must have known," Astara comments, making Yuno chuckle quietly.
"Definitely."
It was probably even Recca's idea in the first place... Thinking back on it, all of the kids were quite busy outside of Yuno and Astara teaching them how to forage and how to hunt animals they would be capable of hunting at this age. They were probably trying to save up as much money as they could for the gifts.
It was clearly worth five months of food, at least. And the gold jeweled headband and silver cuff bracelets weren't included. Astara doesn't even know how Sister Lily afforded them; they're made of pure gold and silver! But, how sad and overwhelmingly joyful Sister Lily's mana felt made Astara think that maybe these weren't bought. Maybe they were being handed down to her eldest children.
Astara looks over at her younger foster siblings, all sleeping in a pile. She smiles softly before she closes her eyes.
"We'll work hard to pay them back..." Her promise fills the silence and eases the guilt secretly festering inside of her. Yuno's answer was to turn them both around, so that he was laying on his side and Astara was partially under him.
"You jerk! You're heavy! Get off," Astara hisses out, trying to stay quiet as she punches Yuno's chest. Yuno makes a noise, not even pretending that he was ignoring the girl.
"Yuno! For the love of–" Astara turns around and slaps Yuno's face in the process. She readjusts her position, but stays curled up against Yuno since he was her living blanket.
Silence fills the air for a minute before Astara bursts out into muffled giggles. Yuno shushes through his own chuckling.
They're going to miss this.
"Take care."
"You better write us, Yuno-nī, Asta-nē."
Astara smiles brightly and pats Recca on the head. "Of course! Now, call me Aneki!"
"Sure," Yuno answers fondly.
"Good luck!"
"Come back soon! Aneki, I'll miss you!" Hollo rushes over and hugs Astara's legs. Astara laughs quietly and bends down to hug her youngest foster brother back.
"I'll miss you too, Hollo! Take care of everyone for me, okay?" Astara ignores the slight burning in her throat as she already starts to feel homesick.
Stop it! She hasn't even left Hage yet!
"You're the one that needs to be taken care of, Asta-nē. We're fine without you," Nash states, making Astara start to cry dramatically.
"Nash~! You're so mean to your Aneki! Yuno~, you're a horrible influence!" Astara cries out while poking Yuno's chest.
"You better visit as much as you can... Aneki." Nash looks away with red ears. "I want to know about all of your adventures."
"Of course! And we'll take special care of these gifts you got for us... we'll pay you all back eventually!" Astara exclaims while adjusting the new headband wrapped around her head.
Yuno turns towards the street and starts walking. "Well, I'll be off."
"Eh? Are you abandoning your sister?! Yuno, wait up!" Astara trips over her own feet to catch up with him.
"Walk faster then, clumsy," Yuno retorts calmly, making Astara protest loudly. She sighs heavily before spinning on her heel to walk backwards, so that she could wave goodbye to their family.
"Bye, everyone!"
"Have a safe trip!" Everyone calls back, making Astara grin widely.
She turns back around, lightly nudging Yuno's side as she does so. Yuno looks down at her with a raised eyebrow and his mouth open to insult her, but stifles a smile instead at the beaming grin on Astara's face.
"Race you out of Hage!" Astara exclaims brightly before roughly shoving Yuno off the path. "Tag! You're it!"
"Asta!" Yuno breaks into a sprint after the shorter teenager. Astara just laughs loudly as she sprints faster.
"...they'll do wonderful things... I just know it," Father Orsi states quietly, watching the receding figures of his oldest foster children.
Sister Lily giggles softly behind her hand. "And chaotic things. It is Asta and Yuno, after all."
Father Orsi chuckles at the mention of the chaos that seems to always follow the two teenagers. He smiles quietly in response before turning back towards the church.
"Alright! Now that Asta and Yuno are gone to be the hope of our church, we've got a lot of work ahead of us! Nash! Check up on the dried herbs and leather! Recca! Check on the meat! Aruru and Hollo, follow Sister Lily and help her get the laundry done!" Father Orsi exclaims loudly.
"You forgot about the tatoes," Nash states with an exasperated eye roll. He starts walking back towards the church and towards the small plot of land they have, tatoes ready to be harvested.
"Just as rebellious as Astara! Oh, I've failed another one!" Father Orsi sobs dramatically while kneeling on the ground.
Sister Lily laughs quietly before she looks over at the Noble Realm, so very far away. She clasps her hands in front of her with a soft smile.
"Good luck, Yuno. Good luck, Asta. You're already making us so proud."
Astara looks around with stars filling her eyes and on the verge of physically surrounding her if it weren't impossible. She jumps around the entire street, barely looking at what any of the stalls were selling for more than a second.
There was so many things to see and watch and do... but what got Astara the most excited was how alive the mana felt–in just this street alone. She wonders what it feels like in the entire town or even during the exam. It's all just so...
"So cool! This is so cool! There's so many things here! And people! And food! And buildings! And–Yuno! Look!" Astara exclaims loudly before she tugs at Yuno's arm to drag him over to a shop window.
"Oh! Look at how expensive these are! This is so cool!" Astara continues to peer into the window at the almost asinine prices for the swords and armor and magic items being sold.
"It's so different from our village," Yuno agrees while walking forward to inspect the items as well. Astara turns her head to grin up at her brother before she notices the giant castle looming over this entire town. Her smile disappears in her awe, making Yuno turn to face it too.
"The Wizard King lives there, doesn't he?" Astara questions with wide eyes and a somewhat quiet tone.
"And probably the king, too."
Astara smiles and turns to face Yuno. "It's going to be my castle one day, then!"
"...you mean mine," Yuno retorts with a blank expression. The singing whispers start to sing louder, making Astara grin.
"Don't worry, jerk. I'll let you live there too!"
"That's my line, stupid." Yuno smiles softly with a slight head tilt.
A loud cry startles the two out of their playful bickering. Astara instinctively takes a step towards the baby's cry before stopping herself. She watches as a mother tries to calm the babe while carrying two heavy looking bags, two older children following behind her.
"It reminds me of everyone back at the church..." Astara trails off with a soft smile. Once she had gotten the hang of it, Astara loved to hold the children when they were babes. It seemed they loved to be held by her too, because not once did any of them cry when they were in her arms.
"You just miss it when the kids would call you Aneki," Yuno teases, making Astara whip her head towards him to glare with flushed cheeks.
"Well, I wasn't the one who cried when the kids started calling you Yuno-nī instead of Aniki!"
Yuno ignores the retort by walking past the shorter teenager. "What are you talking about? That never happened."
"Of course it did! I was the one to comfort you, jerk!" Astara jogs to catch up with the black haired teenager. "And stop walking so fast! I don't want to scuff up my new boots after I just got them!"
"Then get taller, shrimp."
"Toothpick!" Astara insults back with her arms crossed.
They walk in silence before Astara bursts into giggles and Yuno starts to smile.
Yuno points his head down another street. "This way... shrimp."
It didn't take much longer for them to reach where the entrance exam for the Magic Knights would take place. Astara steps a bit closer to Yuno, wincing at the fluctuating pressure of mana around her.
"...there's so many people here..." Astara mumbles while keeping close to the wind that always accompanies her brother.
"Will you be able to handle it?" Astara immediately nods at the question. She takes a deep breath before giving Yuno a grin.
"Never handled anything better!" She'll have to get used to it at some point. Though, hopefully the fluctuating mana will calm once she becomes a Magic Knight with others who know how to control theirs.
"Idiot," Yuno states fondly before he takes a step forward. Astara hums cheekily and quickly follows after.
"You're #163." The man signing in everyone taking the exam lowers his hand after checking the grimoire. "Alright. Next."
Astara jumps from foot to foot, trying incredibly hard to keep her excitement inside. She doesn't notice any of the weird looks she gets, nor the whispers behind her.
"I'm Yuno from Hage Village," Yuno states as he walks up to the booth. He glances through his peripherals when someone quickly stifles a snicker.
"–mean look at her! This is an exam! Not some tea party!"
"And that hair! Doesn't she know that a woman's hair should be kept clean and pinned up?"
Yuno stifles the scowl that tries to break past his blank mask. He holds out his grimoire when the attendant asks for it, ignoring the slight sneer in the man's voice.
"A f-four-leaf clover..." The entire line goes hush at the statement, quickly pointing their attention to Yuno instead of insulting Astara. He can't help, but sigh silently.
"Y-you're #164... Alright, next." The man actually impressed Yuno with how quickly he was able to go back to normal. Yuno walks off to the side as Astara runs up. He sighs again when Astara trips over her own feet with a small yelp.
She uses the booth window to keep herself balanced before grinning down at the unamused attendant. She doesn't pay any attention to the snickering behind her.
"I'm Asta! Also from Hage Village!" Astara opens her satchel and holds out her grimoire. "Here's my grimoire!"
The man looks closer with a raised eyebrow and a barely concealed sneer. "This is pretty filthy. Girl, are you playing a joke on me?"
"It's a real grimoire! Come on! Take a look! See? See?" Astara shoves her grimoire in the man's face, making Yuno bite the inside of his cheek. The attendant bites back a gag as he somewhat forcefully pushes the grimoire out of his face.
"All right. All right..." The man checks the grimoire with a slight sneer. "You're #165."
"Got it!" Astara runs over to Yuno while hugging her grimoire to her chest.
"She's from the boonies? No wonder she's so... filthy."
"I wonder if she stole those clothes on her way here. That's much too nice for some peasant."
"Do you think she came with that boy? The four-leaf?"
"I would pity him if he–"
"If anyone troubles you with anything, you'll come to me, right?" Yuno asks quietly, completely blocking out the whispers the two walk away from. Astara pauses putting up her grimoire to look up at him. She blinks before smiling with a giggle.
"Like anyone would be any trouble for me! That's my line!" Astara states with a playful pout. She finishes putting up her grimoire and clasps her hands behind her back.
"You're right. You're too stupid to realize when someone's trying to insult you." Yuno shakes his head with a slight smile, making Astara gasp loudly.
"Yuno~! You're so mean!" Astara harrumphs and crosses her arms before looking away from her brother. Yuno chuckles quietly and stays silent.
Astara glances back at her brother and smiles softly before she holds up a pinky. "If I have any troubles, I'll come to you. Promise to do the same?"
Yuno raises an eyebrow, incredulous at the question. He links their pinkies together without another moment before he starts walking faster.
"You don't need to ask that of me, stupid."
"Really? You never tell me anything that's troubling you unless I strangle it out of you, jerk!" Astara speeds up to be in step of Yuno.
"You strangle me when I eat the last piece of jerky."
"That's because I was the one to hunt the deer! You didn't deserve it!"
"I stopped it from impaling you with its antlers."
"I had it handled!"
"No, you didn't."
"Why you–"
Yuno points at something above them as they enter the arena. "Look. There's birds."
"I won't fall for that you–" Astara stumbles back as a flock of birds barrels right into her. She rapidly waves her hands around to try and get them to go away while coughing up feathers.
"What the–hey–" The birds come back with a vengeance and make Astara stumble even further back.
"I guess birds love you," Yuno comments like he was commenting on the weather with no bird in sight around him.
"Love?! They–" Astara coughs up more feathers as she manages to wave away the birds once more "–love?! Does this look like they love meeaaaAAAAAHH!"
Astara runs away from the birds as they try to attack her once more. Yuno can't help but smile at the scene, but does manage to keep his laughter contained.
"Stop laughing at me and get them away from me!" Astara yells loudly before yelping when a few of the birds manage to tug at her hair.
Yuno couldn't help, but snort loudly when Astara bounces right off of someone she practically barrels into. Astara lands on her butt with a loud huff and stares up at the clear sky with wide eyes before lifting her head.
Everything seems to freeze as something darker than dark completely washes over her person. Astara stares up at the person she ran into with unseeing eyes, feeling the darkness fester into a shadow of voidness. She stutters on a breath when the shadow almost constricts her breathing–not intending to kill, but... but with a certain curiosity and almost feral protectiveness. Astara blinks back into reality, and time resumes.
"I'm going to kill you, brat," The man, incredibly tall and incredibly strong, sneers with a glare that truly promises death. Astara scrambles to stand back up and smiles nervously.
"I-I'm sorry! The–the birds were attacking me and I–well–" Astara cuts herself off when a hand covers her entire head. She doesn't notice the slight buckle in his stance, nor his widening eyes.
She swallows back her fear and continues to smile. "C-can you... can you at least wait to kill me until after the entrance exam, s-sir? I–um... please?"
"You think asking will stop me from killing you, brat?" The man asks with a growl, easily lifting Astara up by her head.
"E-eh... it–it was worth a try..." Astara laughs nervously as she instinctively grabs a hold of the man's wrist in case she's dropped.
"Oh, there he is! What are you doing down here?" A voice speaks loudly. The man starts to tighten his grip on Astara's head, making her yelp loudly and try to pry his hand off.
"I'm about to end this little twerp's life."
Astara scrambles to keep her feet grounded when the man lowers her and uses it as leverage to continue to try and get out of the man's grip. The pressure slowly builds as she begins to tense her muscles, hissing slightly.
"Whoa, cut it out! A Magic Knights Squad Captain shouldn't kill an exam candidate." The voice speaks up again, sounding more exasperated than worried. "Why did you even come down here, anyway?"
"I went to take a dump and got lost."
"Why is he so calm?! He's literally about to squish my head!" Astara clenches her teeth and tries to wrench her head out from the tightening grip. It fails. Well, at least she tried.
"Ten... nine... eight..."
"Are you seriously counting the end of my life?!" Astara shouts with a slight shrill tone.
"Yep. Five... four... three..."
Astara takes a deep breath and tightens her own grip around the man's wrist. Her muscles start to flex as she pushes against the ground. She huffs from exertion, not noticing the man's slight surprise at her strength.
"One–" A loud boom echoes throughout the arena. The man looks up, but doesn't let go of Astara's head. He does stop tightening his grip though.
Astara releases a quiet sigh of relief, faintly listening to the more rapid booms echoing across the arena. Fireworks?
"Come on, the exam is about to start!" The voice speaks up again, almost like he was reprimanding the man.
The man with the dark mana clicks his tongue before he releases Astara's head. "Guess you get to live a little longer, brat. Better take good care of the life you just got back. Or I'll kill you."
Astara crumples to the ground while holding her head. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!
"Ow! That hurt so much!" Astara mentally exclaims in pain. "I want to be that strong someday!"
Astara breathes deeply before slowly standing up, fixing her headband. Someone laughs loudly as they walk up to her.
"Bah-ha! You okay, little lady?" A sort of snobbish voice speaks up, bringing Astara's focus to it. She catches Yuno walking towards her in her peripherals and smiles at him before focusing on the man who asked about her well-being.
"A-ah, yeah! I'm okay!" Astara states brightly while she fixes her messy hair.
"Must've been rough, having Captain Yami Sukehiro of the Black Bulls in your face like that. What a brute to harass a lady such as you." The man tilts his head with a smirk. "Oh, I'm Sekke. Sekke Bronzazza. Nice to meet you, little lady. Bah-ha!"
"I'm Asta, or Astara! Nice to meet you!" The teenager exclaims cheerfully with a beaming smile.
Astara stumbles on nothing when she feels immense mana crushing her to the ground. Yuno is quick to grab her by the shoulder, casually being her support without a word. Astara gives him a shaky smile before she looks up at where the mana was coming from.
She gasps loudly as stars fill her eyes. The Captains of the Magic Knights!
"That's the Captain of the Silver Eagles, Nozel Silva!" An eagle, cold and arrogant and worried. Prideful and strong and strict.
"That's..."
"One of the captains of the Magic Knights Squads," Astara finishes for Yuno before she bounces where she stands. "Look at that hairstyle! Yuno, do you think he can see with that thing in his face?!"
"The Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings, Fuegoleon Vermillion. As the name "Crimson" suggests, he's a user of flame creation magic." A blazing strong-willed lion, wise and fair and just. Stern and prideful–leader.
"Whoa..." Astara trails off, completely in awe at the people sitting above the arena.
"The Captain of the Green Praying Mantises, Jack the Ripper." A quick and lethal praying mantis. Entertained, bloodthirsty, swift, cunning. Determined and almost... playful.
"What's a praying mantis?" Astara questions, not recognizing the name.
"You know, a mantis. Like, the bug," Sekke states simply. "Apparently, Captain Jack's severing magic can split the earth in two."
"So cool!" Astara clasps her hands together with stars in her eyes.
"But I don't want to be a mantis. Bugs are super lame."
"Bugs are more important than you would think, you know!" Astara exclaims brightly. Sekke just smiles and focuses back on the captains.
"The Captain of the Blue Rose Knights, Charlotte Roselei-sama~! She's so beautiful." Cold, but not unkind. A sharp thorn, ready to prick if annoyed or angered. Loyal and beautiful and quietly outspoken.
"Sister Lily is prettier..." Astara mutters under her breath with a small sigh. She doesn't think anyone could be as pretty as the Sister.
Astara tenses up and instinctively grabs Yuno's sleeve as a new mana makes her want to claw her own skin off. Yuno looks down at her and his eyes narrow at her pallid expression.
"The Captain of the Purple Orcas, Gueldre Poizot." Greedgreedgreedgreedgreed. Selfish. Dangerous. Cruelcruelcruelcruelcruel.
"...you... you don't have anything else to–to say about him?" Astara struggles to get her mouth to move with the words. She doesn't like him. She doesn't like him one bit.
"I have no interest in seamy guys like him," Sekke speaks like it wasn't common to flatter the captain. Astara swallows back her trepidation and her questions and focuses on the next captain.
"The Captain of the Coral Peacocks, Dorothy Unsworth." Big sister. Playful and caring and free. Strong and protective.
"Wow! Is she walking in her sleep?! So cool!"
"Apparently, all she does is sleep."
Astara gasps in awe and looks over at Yuno. "She must be really powerful then! Right, Yuno?"
"Mm." Yuno nods in agreement, making his sister beam up at him.
"The Captain of the Aqua Deer, Rill Boismortier." Destructive, but kind. Friendly and young. Very young with potential. Too much potential.
"He's young..." Astara feels a pang of worry in her heart. He's much too young to be a captain...
"Captain Rill is nineteen, I heard."
"He's only four years older than me... he must be lonely..." Astara smiles brightly and pumps her fist. "The path to becoming the Wizard Queen might be shorter than I thought!"
"Wizard–Queen?! Bah-ha! That's a pretty big dream for a wom–for someone such as yourself! But for the next Wizard King..." The crowded arena cheers, loudly. "They say he's the most promising candidate."
Kindkindkindkindkind. Loyal and shining like the dawn. Seeing and protective and strong. "The Captain of the most powerful Magic Knights Squad, the Golden Dawn, William Vangeance."
"The strongest squad..." Astara straightens her posture with her hands clenched to her sides.
"The members of his squad have the utmost faith in him, and it's said that in the last battle, it was Captain William who took the enemy general's head."
Astara blinks when she feels the same curious and protective shadow before she looks over at the last person who enters the seating area. Captain Yami Sukehiro...
"Will the Wizard King show up?" Astara asks quickly, trying desperately to keep her excitement inside. No bouncing off the walls. No bouncing off the walls. No bouncing off the walls.
Her excited jumping immediately calms when Yuno places a hand on her head. She still grins brightly in the hope that she might actually get to see the Wizard King.
"Bah-ha! The Wizard King wouldn't bother coming down to the exam. It's a miracle in itself that all of the captains have gathered in one place." Astara pouts at the statement and crosses her arms. She really wanted to see the Wizard King!
"Candidates," Captain William begins and immediately brings silence to the arena. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I will be conducting this exam."
"You should take off your gloves. We don't know what the exam will test," Yuno speaks quietly with a slight nudge. Astara glances at him before focusing back on the Magic Knight captain, carefully taking her gloves off.
Astara watches, completely enraptured, when Captain William holds out his grimoire. "Magic tree, descend."
All of the fluctuating mana–even the constant and immense mana from the captains–is completely overshadowed by the mana that fills the sky with dark clouds. Astara watches as the roots of a giant tree grow down towards the arena, the roots connecting together to create brooms.
She hurries to shove her gloves into one of her many skirt pockets before reaching up towards the broom. She yelps loudly and drops the broom, whipping her hand back as if the broom burned her.
Her eyes snap up towards the seating area. Her eyes catch onto purple before she tries to make it seem like she was making sure no one saw her drop the broom. Astara crouches down to pick it up, only to freeze right before she grabs the broom.
"I didn't... expect it to be made from pure mana... I don't... I don't want to ruin it." Astara bites her lip before she carefully curls her fingers over the broom handle. Her entire arm twitches at the sudden feeling of pure mana that alights every single nerve all the way up to her shoulder.
A sigh leaves her mouth and her shoulders sag in relief when the pure mana is only siphoned in small increments. A small frown replaces the relief as Astara comes up to her next obstacle. She hopes they won't need to ride the brooms... she'll be completely incapable!
"We will now begin the Magic Knights Entrance Exam. We will have you all take several tests. The nine of us will evaluate your performance, and then we will select the candidates that we would like to add to our squads," Captain William begins calmly. Astara looks up and tightens her grip when she realizes that Captain William was still staring at her.
Did he... did he feel her Anti Magic? Does he feel the siphoning?
"If chosen, you will join that squad," Captain William continues. "If you're chosen by more than one squad, you may choose the squad you would like to join. On the other hand, those who are not chosen by any captain are not qualified to join the Magic Knights."
Astara takes a deep breath to center herself. She'll make it into the Magic Knights; no matter what!
"For the first exam, we will have you get on those brooms and fly." Astara swallows down the hysterical laugh that bubbles up from her chest. Oh, she must have jinxed it.
"Mages who can control their magical powers should be able to do this instinctively. It is the most basic way for mages to travel. If you cannot fly on a broom, you shouldn't even be here. All right, begin."
Astara looks down at her broom and whines quietly. Oh, she is going to fail so hard! No!
Astara rapidly shakes her head and holds the broom closer to herself. She'll get this! She can do this! Even if she can't fly on a broom, there are other tests!
There were many promising candidates this year, it seems... and strange ones.
All eyes were already pointed at the peasant gifted with the four-leaf... and gifted with mana too.
Easily flying while standing above everyone else. It almost looks as if he was rediscovering an old skill rather than trying for the first time.
Yuno of Hage; every captain's eyes are on him and every candidate watched. A peasant, yet dressed like a commoner; a peasant, yet many think he has the appearance of a noble–a few even think a royal, but those thoughts stay hidden.
Windswept black hair with an almost silky appearance to it, pale skin stretched over high cheekbones, and gold eyes; gold eyes appeared like a burning torchlight in the center of a deadly winter night of darkness and snow.
If he does well in the other tests, he may have to choose between more than one squad. But, that thought is forcefully thrown out from many of the candidates' minds. Peasants are peasants and don't get more than two squads at most to pick them.
The captains' eyes are also on the strange candidate. The candidate that had been completely barraged by the Anti Magic birds and is surrounded by a complete void of mana.
A girl that clearly has no magic... and is a peasant that strangely doesn't even have a single speck of mana. A horrible fate for a girl with such beauty and clear determination.
She couldn't even get the broom to float. She simply sat part of her weight on the tilted broom, eyebrows furrowed as she tried everything in her power to just fly.
Asta of Hage; the captains judged and the candidates mocked. A peasant, yet dressed like a commoner; a peasant, yet having more beauty than the majority of the Clover noblewomen–royals included.
Unsavory long and messy ash blonde hair, yet the light clearly catches onto strands of silver, fair skin without a blemish in sight, and green eyes; such a striking shade of green, they look like the most magnificent of emeralds in daylight.
Such an insignificant peasant that's already failed in the first judgement... and yet captures the full attention of both Captain William Vangeance and Captain Yami Sukehiro.
"What's the meaning of this? No matter how much one might be lacking in talent, they should at least float," Captain Fuegoleon Vermillion speaks up calmly and curiously.
"I sense that she is lacking in magic rather than talent," Captain William says as Asta of Hage breathes heavily. Her shoulders sag before she looks up at the candidates already in the air.
There wasn't a hint of despair or discouragement in her expression; there was only determination and stubbornness. Her head tilts and she blinks as if she just thought of something.
Asta of Hage raises her hand in front of the broom handle, pulling many eyes to her. A hush is slow to wash over the arena as some form of a dark mass forms alongside the broom, but doesn't touch it.
"What is that?!"
"It's making the broom fly!"
"But the birds! She doesn't have any magic, so why–"
The broom slowly floats into the air in an attempt to run away from the dark mass that follows. A beaming smile is clearly seen on the peasant's face before it's quickly replaced by fear when the broom lurches forward.
Captain Yami Sukehiro chuckles, grinning widely in amusement. "So that's what that was all about. Damn brat!"
Asta of Hage is slow to get used to riding the broom; it is clear she would need more practice, but that wasn't the important part.
The peasant pumps her fist in celebration, only to yelp loudly when the dark mass flickers beneath the broom, causing it to fall a few feet. She quickly pushes out her hand and manages to keep herself afloat.
"What magic is that? A type of dark magic?" Many eyes side-eye the highly amused Black Bulls Captain, who did not notice, nor would care about, the stares.
"No. That's not dark magic. I bet it isn't even magic at all," Captain Yami Sukehiro states before chuckling once more.
"Not magic? Wow... does such an ability exist without magic?" Captain Rill Boismortier asks excitedly, leaning forward to get a better look. Asta of Hage is one of the last to land back on the ground, clearly being cautious about her... non-magic ability.
"Nonsense," Captain Nozel Silva states coldly even though he was also observing the ability like his own squad's namesake.
"It appears to be able to nullify magic. It's possible that it simply nullifies her own mana and that she must take the mana around her to supplement the ability," Captain William comments, not disagreeing with Captain Yami's statement. He doesn't say anything about the few stares he gets.
"Nah. She doesn't have any mana. At all," Captain Yami disagrees with the possibility. That ability completely cut his own magic off the moment he grabbed that brat's head. He could tell there wasn't a lick of mana inside of her. A horrible fate, even in his eyes.
Nothing is said afterwards; nothing needed to be said. Asta of Hage will answer all of their questions and possibilities in this exam.
The Magic Ability Exam revealed that it was not, in fact, magic. Asta of Hage simply hovered her hand over the stone wall and allowed the dark mass to encompass it before it collapsed in on itself and created a large cloud of dust. She almost fell in her apparent exhaustion as the smoke cleared to reveal only rubble and cracked stone.
All attention was pointed towards her in the Magic Control Exam when Asta of Hage simply raises her hand towards the paper targets in the air with the dark mass surrounding her arms and shoulders.
A thin tendril of the dark mass leaked out from her hand as she swung it down. It shot out and aimed right towards two of the flying paper targets in the air.
The two paper targets froze in mid-air and split themselves apart to avoid the dark mass tendril–the non-magic ability. The paper targets destroyed themselves, so the non-magic wouldn't touch the magic that created them.
"What the hell is that?"
"What kind of magic is that?!"
"What is she?"
"How can she do that?!"
"Monster!"
"Maybe she's a devil!"
None of the candidates did anything to hide their whispers and insults. Asta of Hage simply smiles before turning and rushing over towards her fellow peasant. She must be used to it, then.
"How awful..." Captain Rill pouts childishly as the insults get louder and louder.
"The unknown brings fear, and fear brings violence," Captain William speaks quietly through his smile.
"Yuno! You did great!" Asta of Hage does little to lower her voice. She bounces from foot to foot with stars in her eyes as she beams up at the four-leaf candidate.
The first emotion that anyone has seen on his face washes over Yuno of Hage. He smiles quietly and nods his head once.
"You did too... clumsy," Yuno of Hage teases, making the strange candidate cross her arms with a huff.
"Jerk! Stupid genius idiot that looks really cool!" Asta of Hage turns on her heel to avoid looking at the boy.
Yuno of Hage simply shakes his head with a slightly wider smile. He lifts a hand and places it on top of the other peasant's head. His entire arm visibly twitches, yet he does nothing to take his hand off.
"...shrimp." Yuno of Hage walks away as Asta of Hage gasps dramatically.
"Just because I'm short, doesn't mean I can't throw you out of this arena! You weigh nothing to me, you stupid toothpick!" Captain Yami barks out a laugh at that shout followed by the stifled laughter from one of his Black Bulls standing behind him; Captain Rill giggles behind his hand and Captain William simply smiles a bit wider.
The whispering insults were quickly forgotten and the next exam began.
Creation Magic wasn't Asta of Hage's strong suit at all, but her stubborn determination to get her... non-magic into some form of a shape, unsuccessfully, had been entertaining to watch. Developmental Magic had been the same, if not worse and even more hilarious... and explosive.
It didn't take much longer until the final exam came upon them. Captain William stands once more to speak to the candidates.
"All right. The next exam shall be the last one. You will engage in actual combat," He begins, only for exclamations of shock and rapid whispers to interrupt him.
"You'll be battling!" Captain Fuegoleon Vermillion shouts passionately as he stands up. "You will pair off and fight with your partner. You may use your grimoires to attack. Fighting is our duty. Show us your true abilities!"
"As soon as one of you yields or becomes unable to fight, the exam will be over. There will be mages who can use healing magic on standby," Captain William continues seamlessly after Captain Fuegoleon.
"So fight to your heart's content!"
The crowded arena immediately converges on each other after that. The captains watch Asta and Yuno of Hage.
Asta of Hage immediately spins around before spotting the other peasant. "Yuno! Yuno! Hey, stop ignoring me!"
Yuno of Hage is conveniently right below the seating area of the captains. He sighs quietly before turning to face Asta of Hage.
"I won't fight you. We're rivals," He states without giving Asta of Hage a chance to speak.
Rivals? They certainly don't act like rivals. More like–
"And siblings! Best friends too! Stupid Yuno!" Asta of Hage points her finger at her rival with a determined grin. "As your Aneki, I order you to fight me!"
"You're too impulsive and clumsy to be my Aneki, Asta."
"Yuno~! You're so mean to me! What would Sister Lily say?!"
"...Sister isn't here to say anything, so that doesn't matter," Yuno of Hage states, clearly avoiding the question. Looks like there's a story there.
Asta of Hage sighs heavily as her smile disappears. "I know we're rivals. It's gonna be one of us who becomes the Wizard Queen or King after all! But... but no one here knows how to fight against my Anti Magic with their own magic, except you."
Anti Magic?
"Wizard Queen, eh? This brat keeps getting more and more interesting." Captain Yami chuckles with his arms crossed. He wasn't wrong, but most of the captains would never admit that.
"And! And! Captain Lion said that we can fight to our heart's content! No one can stop us if we injure each other! We can finally see which one will win at our current level! And then! And then! We can have a basis for our future training!" Asta of Hage continues in an excited ramble.
"It's Captain Fuegoleon Vermillion," Yuno of Hage corrects.
"Yeah! Captain Lion!"
"Fuegoleon."
"Lion!"
"Fue-go-le-on."
"Lion."
"I guess we can fight, but I'm winning." Yuno of Hage gives up on trying to correct his sister, apparently. Asta of Hage grins before leaning forward with her hands behind her back.
"Nah. I'll be the one to win! I'll just throw you out of the arena!"
"You can't throw me out of the arena," Yuno of Hage states, with what must be an eye roll, while walking towards the referee for the fights.
"You do know that my sword is solid metal, right? It's four–no, five times heavier than you." Asta of Hage follows after her supposed brother.
Sword? She has a sword?
"First combatants, come forward."
"That will be us!" Yuno of Hage answers for himself and Asta of Hage. Asta of Hage waves brightly towards the referee before she trips over her own feet with a loud yelp.
Yuno of Hage sighs heavily as he immediately grabs the peasant girl's arm before she could fall onto her face. "Clumsy, you'll get yourself killed by tripping yourself one of these days."
"I doubt it!" She shrugs with a bright grin before standing back up. The referee sighs quietly with a slightly pained expression, as if he was trying very hard to hold back a grimace.
"They must know each other's weaknesses and strengths. This fight might just be a stalemate between them," Captain Charlotte Roselei speaks calmly, glancing between the two combatants.
"Maybe if they had to hold back. You heard the girl, didn't you? They've never been able to truly fight against each other! This might just be the only good fight worth watching," Captain Jack the Ripper exclaims with a widening grin.
"Hm." Captain Charlotte doesn't say anything else besides her hum of acknowledgement. She doesn't even bother to glance at the male captain who spoke to her.
"Tch. Don't voice your comments if you don't want an answer, Roselei," Captain Jack growls out in his irritation. Captain Charlotte simply continues to ignore him.
"Let's do our best, Yuno!" Asta of Hage exclaims brightly, widening her stance with a bright grin.
"Don't hold back then, Astara." Yuno of Hage smirks as he widens his stance as well.
The referee swings his hand down. "Begin!"
"Wind Magic: Towering Tornado!" Immense mana suffocates the air as a giant tornado sprouts out right where Asta of Hage stood.
Shouts of surprise fill the air from the onlookers while Asta of Hage is swiftly lifted into the air and spun along with the torrential winds. She scowls slightly and flips in the air to aim her hands towards the bottom of the tornado.
"Anti Magic!" Her grimoire glows with a sheen of crimson, just like her non-magic. "Severing Carve!"
Two tendrils, much longer and thicker than the one during the previous exam, sprout out from her hands and shoot towards the ground–and towards Yuno of Hage. The ground could only split itself so far before the tendrils eventually touch the stone floor.
The dark mass–the Anti Magic explodes out from the cracks and Yuno of Hage uses his magic to fly back. The Anti Magic misses him and fades into nothing as the tornado disappears after splitting itself.
Asta of Hage falls rapidly towards the ground, but holds out her hand towards her grimoire. The pages rapidly flip and land on a scripture of an unknown language. It glows before a dirt covered handle pops out of the grimoire.
The peasant girl grabs it and quickly spins in the air, taking the sword–the great sword–with her. It stabs through the ground first, creating an even larger crack than the one from Asta of Hage's actual ability.
Her feet land on its hilt with an incredibly deceptive elegance, her skirt flaring out as she stands over everyone in the arena. Sunlight peeks through the clouds and catches onto the silver strands of her hair and onto the jeweled headband she wore. The beaming smile she wore almost outshone the very light.
"Could you have at least given me a second?!" Asta of Hage jumps off of her great sword, reaching behind her back to grab the hilt. She lifts it out of the ground with such ease that it looks like the sword may have been made of paper.
She leaps forward with her sword held to her right. She raises above her head and swings down, only for Yuno of Hage to dodge left. Her foot barely touches the ground before she spins and kicks out her other foot into her brother's side.
Yuno of Hage barely blocks the kick with a wall of wind, grunting loudly when he's still pushed back by the force. He stumbles back to keep himself upright before Asta of Hage leaps forward once again.
Around a dozen wind blades form in front of Yuno of Hage, making Asta of Hage suddenly jump back. "Wind Creation Magic: Wind Blades Shower!"
Asta of Hage spins to dodge two of the blades, one of them piercing through her shoulder. She hisses through her teeth as she slices through the remaining wind blades with a swing of her sword.
"Such immense magical power. Against such an ability, he is quite proficient," Captain Fuegoleon comments thoughtfully, even though his eyes stay focused on the other peasant.
A whirlwind aims for Asta of Hage, only to be split apart by the sword. She breathes in sharply as she lifts her sword above her head. She throws it towards Yuno of Hage as he shoots another whirlwind towards her.
His eyes widen before he jumps to the right, barely avoiding being impaled by the sword. Yuno of Hage turns back to focus on Asta of Hage, only to lean back when a fist almost punches in his face. The first breaks through the stone wall of the arena.
"Is that even possible without reinforcement magic?" Captain Rill asks excitedly as Asta of Hage tears her fist out from the stone wall. There wasn't even a hint of a bruise or discoloration on her hand; only dirt smudges and stone dust covered her hand.
"Probably. You heard that damn brat. That sword of hers is four to five times heavier than her brother," Captain Yami states with a grin. "If she's able to wield that sword that easily, she must have trained hard to build up her strength."
"Physical strength is useless in the Magic Knights," Captain Jack scoffs with his arms crossed.
Captain William inclines his head. "Maybe so, but it may be a form of control. An ability such as... Anti Magic... is something that is unheard of. We do not know its limits, nor its triggers like we do with many magic attributes. It's likely that it uses quite a bit of her energy to simply cast a spell... or she could be fighting physically because the constant usage of her Anti Magic might be deadly for her and her opponent and must use it sparingly."
"Anti Magic: Binding Barrier!" The Anti Magic explodes out from Asta of Hage's hand at the spell. It spreads out in front of her like a spiderweb before braiding itself to form some kind of shield netting in front of her.
The second set of wind blades Yuno of Hage shoots towards his sister immediately dissipates despite them easily squeezing through the holes of the net. Asta of Hage falls to one knee as she pants for air and the shield flickers out of existence.
"Stupid... stupid genius. Can you–can you at least make a mistake for–for me to exploit?" She snarks before she jumps back to avoid more wind blades. Asta of Hage holds her sword as it becomes surrounded with Anti Magic.
She leaps forward one more time while slashing diagonally up. "Anti Magic: Third Binding! Time Limit: Five Minutes!"
Binding? Does she mean–
Ribbons surround the great sword before shooting out, braiding themselves into thick ropes meant to restrain. Gold eyes widen before Yuno of Hage thrusts his hands out, creating a large barrier with his wind magic.
The ribbons snake around the barrier and tighten, binding the magic and restraining it; the magic doesn't fade. The bottom of the braided ribbons slowly start to fade, like a timer.
Asta of Hage jumps over the bound magic and swings her sword down. Yuno of Hage tenses when he tries to dodge by stepping back, but his back hits the wall. He tilts his head to the side as the great sword slashes through the wall and creates a cloud of dust.
Neither candidate moves as the dust dissipates. Gasps fill the arena before the whispers come next.
The great sword pressed against Yuno of Hage's shoulder with such force that it may have cracked bone. Behind Asta of Hage was wind blades pointed directly at her neck and head, but that's not what caused such a silent uproar. Surrounding Asta of Hage's arms and legs were dozens of thin white threads of compact wind.
"Wind–Wind Binding Magic: Gale Threads," Yuno of Hage pants heavily before slowly sliding out from underneath the great sword. He winces heavily and grabs his broken or cracked shoulder; is the sword not sharp?
"W-winner... Yuno of Hage!" The referee calls out and swings his arm down, ending the match.
"When did you get a binding spell?!" Asta of Hage exclaims loudly as she turns her head to stare at her brother. Stars fill her eyes as the binding is released. She immediately releases her sword and rushes over to Yuno of Hage while jumping up and down.
"That was so cool! Were you saving it for a fight with me?! The threads are so strong! I couldn't break out! Have you used it before? How did you get the spell?! Oh! Oh! Do it again! Do it again! I want to see how it looks! I wasn't paying attention!" Asta of Hage rambles in her excitement with her hands clasped in front of her.
Quite the proficiency indeed. Two magic forms at such a young age? And the Anti Magic binding; such a strange form, yet clearly used often. Both are quite proficient. Both are definitely skilled enough to be Magic Knights.
Captain Charlotte had been correct, if it hadn't been for the binding spell Asta of Hage had no knowledge of. This fight would have been a stalemate, even with the two going all out against each other.
The sun has fully fallen past the colosseum walls. All fights have been concluded; a few last longer, but most last shorter than the only fight worth watching. The fight between Yuno and Astara.
It is time for the selection.
"This concludes the exam. Now... Candidates whose numbers are called, please step forward," Captain William Vangeance, the captain everyone wishes and arrogantly claims will pick them, speaks to the crowded arena.
Captain Charlotte Roselei, a captain mostly sought after for her beauty by the opposite sex in the candidates than for her power, stands up proudly. "The squad captains will raise their hands if they would like you to join their squads. The candidates will decide if they would like to accept or decline, and if they are chosen by more than one captain, they may choose which squad they'd like to join."
"But if no one raises their hands, that candidate will not join the Magic Knights," Captain Fuegoleon Vermillion, a captain sought after for his honor and his strength, continues passionately for Captain Charlotte.
"And you will leave immediately," Captain Nozel Silva, a captain and a royal who many wish would pick them, if not for their class standing, but for their power, doesn't even bother to open his eyes as he speaks.
The arena stays silent as the calls begin and no hands are raised, until the first one. "Number 71, the Purple Orcas."
The arena fills with quiet whispers by everyone save for two. Yuno and Astara stay side by side, one watching the candidates and the other watching the captains.
Soft eyes burn in the dying daylight, like pools of liquid gold. Not even a twitch of emotion passes his pale face as Yuno of Hage watches each candidate, and assesses them silently.
"Number 99, the Coral Peacocks."
Striking eyes pierce through the very souls of everything that comes into their sight, glittering like the brightest of stars and the most luxurious of emeralds. Her head stays slightly tilted through every call of a candidate while Astara judges the people she will soon call her leaders.
"Number 116, no offers."
Slanted eyes, dark and filled with shadows that gleam underneath the setting sun, judges right back. Purple eyes, shining like amethysts and filled with intrigue, watch and realize there is something else being perceived that no one else could see.
"Number 141... no offers."
A sudden movement brings the attention of the captains. Astara slips on a pair of gloves before she holds out her pinky in front of her. Her eyes slide over to her brother as a soft smile grows on her face.
"Next, #164."
Yuno links his pinky with Astara's, smiling back just as softly, before he walks up to what will define his life and future. The dying daylight catches onto the silver lilies along his sleeves.
"All who wish to offer, please raise your hand." Complete silence fills the arena before a hand rises into the air.
"What?" Another hand is raised.
"Seriously?" Two more.
Astara gasps in delight and claps her hands, lightly bouncing where she stood in quiet celebration for her brother. As expected from her–b̶r̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶b̶e̶s̶t̶f̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶h̶a̶l̶f̶–rival.
"All of the captains... raised their hands?!"
"But–but he's a peasant!"
"Th-that's amazing!"
"I-I thought only royalty and nobles could join the Golden Dawn."
"Even the Silver Eagles. Seriously? For a peasant?"
Astara keeps her hands clasped underneath her chin, her smile shining brighter than the sun's brightest hour. Yuno stares up at the captains and sets his jaw.
"Please allow me to join the Golden Dawn." Yuno's voice rings out throughout the colosseum. It isn't surprising, not even to Astara, but for different reasons.
The arena is filled with exclamations and protests. Astara resumes her clapping as Yuno returns to her side. She jumps up to wrap her arms around his neck with a bright laugh.
"You did it! You did it! I'm so proud!" Astara praises as Yuno easily returns her hug. He ducks his head, but anyone paying attention could see his own wide smile.
"Thank you, Aneki."
"Next, #165." Astara releases Yuno from her hug and takes a deep breath. She walks up to her own judgement of her future and fate. Her gloved hands ring themselves as her head tilts back.
"Like any of them would choose her!"
"Devil!"
"She shouldn't be here!"
"You don't think a captain will actually accept her?"
"Peasant."
Astara doesn't even register the insults and the comments when a hand is raised. The air in her lungs escapes with a stuttering laugh as another hand raises. She smiles brightly as three more rise into the air.
"No way!"
"But–but her magic!"
"The Crimson Lions raised their hand for her too?!"
"Could she have paid them off?"
"Don't be ridiculous! A peasant paying off a captain?"
"How did a peasant bitch get five hands raised?!"
Crimson Lion Kings. Blue Rose. Purple Orcas. Aqua Deer. And...
Astara tilts her head as the dark mana comes back with an ecstatic vengeance. She glances between each captain who wishes for her to be in their squad before finally landing on Captain Yami Sukehiro.
She blinks before pointing up at the Black Bulls, her beaming smile coming back full force. "I wish to join the Black Bulls!"
Hey! Hope you all like the new chapter! Almost 10,000 words, Jesus Christ.
Also, if it isn't obvious from the second scene, I would like to think that receiving a grimoire for peasants means that they are finally adults. Like it's a passage to adulthood. So, I also wanted to add another headcanon that Sister Lily still has family back in the Noble Realm and while she is now a nun, Asta and Yuno and the other orphans are still her children. I'd like to think that she would give Asta and Yuno something, like an heirloom, before they leave to become Magic Knights.
So, Yuno has silver cuff bracelets with a mermaid holding a vase engraved on the inside and Asta has a gold jeweled headband that wraps around her entire head with the same symbol engraved on the back, behind her head. Am I also giving Sister Lily some worldbuilding? Yes, yes I am.
I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Bye.
WhovianWhoudini