Greetings and Bienvenue, back to the second chapter of Shadows Past Between Worlds now you are probably wondering why I am giving you a second chapter so soon well you see technically both this and the first chapter were originally one chapter but I saw that it was too much information/text for a single chapter so I decided to split them into two chapters and upload them at the same time. But after submitting the first one I reread the second chapter and saw mistakes that range from little ones to big ones so I wanted to fix those before uploading it, and as I started to fix it I ended up changing a lot of stuff I didn't intend to and as well add more detail to certain scenes, but after that and getting one of my friends to proofread it I felt it was ready. So after this, we will be starting our normal uploaded schedule and sticking to it until the foreseeable future. Also sorry about the typos I will try to make sure I do a better job and make sure it is not as bad.
Now I saw some of you left some reviews on the previous chapter and first off thank you for that but I also saw some questions so I will answer them
P.S. The questions I am answering are SPOILERS so don't read them if you aren't caught up with Black Clover manga.
First off on the question of the power of the Fairy Tail and Black Clover characters, I would say that has been an aspect I have been looking into because while in strength and speed mostly go to Fairy Tail as they have more members that are Stronger or faster than most of BC members. Black Clover has some crazy magic that could counter that but I think the Black Bulls would be slightly stronger than the majority of Fairy Tail mages or on par with the top wizard from the guild given the techniques they have and aspect that power up in Black clover seem to be permanent compared to Fairy tail power boost in one fight then lose it after wining, but I do intend for them to grow and become equal in strength.
As well to inform you all I will be using the Black Clover Magic Stage system as the base for finding/placing Fairy Tail mages comparable to Black Clover as I am more familiar with that system. For example, all S-Class mages will be considered to be 1st Stage or Zero Stage but I will reveal more later on. And on the aspect of ki, I do intend for a few characters to learn the grasp of it and could use it if they needed to but they won't be as strong as Yami or Asta are with it. But to add to that I will also be trying to include other methods from Black Clover that Fairy Tail people can learn and that would be the method they heavily focus on in this story but I will keep them hidden for now.
As for Lucius, he will not be involved in this story as I don't know the extent of his abilities before he has his family grimoires that give him different magic powers also the way I see his magic can only affect the time in his own universe so he wouldn't have a way to be able to crossover at all. At most, he would make an appearance towards the end of this story but it would only just be him retrieving the Dark Triad's grimoires after Lucifugus took them to form his own.
Also, I am very glad all of you like the inclusion of Nacht, Yuno, and Mereoleona. Nacht was always an interesting character for me, especially the way he uses his devils compared to the other devil hosts so I wanted to find a way to include him. As for now, the plans I have for both Yuno and Mereoleona are going to be long cons as the former will mostly play a role with 2 people in Fairy Tail world, and the latter will play a big impact for one group and then inspire others around them
Now comes the big question of the romantic pairings of this story, and for that, I'm not sure how that would go as I wasn't really going to focus on that much other than the normal flirty character we see from each respect show aka Finral and Drunk Cana and etc. I'm mostly a person who pairs people based on how mangaka indents to in their own story but nothing is set in stone and could most likely change down the road. For now, it would most likely just be pairing from their own universes that the Mangaka original wrote/set up because this story is serving as a prequel and training arc for both the 100-year quest arc and Black Clover Final Arcs, so I want to work my story to fit into that frame.
But that is it from me so now let's get back to the story
Last time, our story left off with the Black Bulls, embarking on a mission assigned by Yami and Nacht to hunt down an escaped devil that avoids all eyes during the battle with the King of Devils. Along their journey, they crossed paths with two mages from the Golden Dawn, Yuno and Mimosa, learning of the Black Bulls' mission, the Golden Dawn duo insisted on joining forces. Yami, pleased with the additional help, welcomed them aboard as they pressed onward. Unbeknownst to them, a fiery mage trailed closely behind, eager to catch up..."
Important Disclaimer: I own nothing of these franchises please support the original creators of them.
Chapter 2 Devil's Gateway
As the Raging Bull was moving at its top speed toward the direction of the devil, a fiery figure raced behind it, propelled by her flames and that figure was Mereoleona. She wore a black magic cloak that covered her whole body that seemed to be able to handle the harsh weather of the Spade Kingdom, as she kept getting closer she realized that she would have to talk to that weird Eye of the Midnight Sun woman that made this, so that she can make more combat clothes for her. Thanks to this cloak she wasn't weighed down at all and allowed her to be slightly faster with less mana, added to the fact that the level of protection magic applied to it proved that her work would be very beneficial for the Crimson Lions. But as Mereoleona looked forward and saw she was closing in on the Black Bulls hideout she could only laugh, 'I wanted to fight those brats to see how they were able to get so strong and beat that monster of a devil, but here they are, along with that idiot Yami, off to seek even greater power' Mereoleona though.
She wouldn't allow that for she was going to be the strongest, which prompted her to discard her brother's worried tone when she took off after them as most of the Magic Knight Captain saw the Black bulls leave the area. But right now she needs to get in on the stupid rideRefusing to be outdone, Mereoleona discarded her brother's concerned voice echoing in her mind. Determined to prove herself as the strongest, she set off after the Black Bulls, disregarding the reactions of other Magic Knight Captains who witnessed their departure. With a fierce determination, she activated her mana skin, channeling all her energy into strengthening her legs. As she did she flexed her mana-infused legs, and propelled herself forward, aiming to catch up with the moving hideout.
As she neared her target, Mereoleona landed on the back of the Raging Bull. With a surge of power, she punched into the hideout, creating a resounding noise that reverberated through the fortress, announcing her presence to all inside, laughing triumphantly, as she fully burst into the hideout.
As she landed, Asta and Yuno stared at her, their faces filled with fear. Beads of sweat rolled down their sides, mirroring the apprehension that Noelle and Mimosa felt. "Lady Mereoleona, why are you here?" Mimosa's voice trembled with fear, more terrified by the unexpected intrusion than anything else. Without a word, Mereoleona activated her magic, grasping the four of them by their heads with her fiery claws.
"I've been tracking you because I sensed you were on a hunt," she said simply, drawing them closer. "And if it's big enough to require all of you, then it's my kind of prey." None of the mages dared to speak; they knew better than to question Mereoleona when she set her mind to something. They simply looked at her, their expressions a mix of fear and confusion.
With all the commotion, Yami decided to approach the group of rookies to see what was wrong. "Hey, what's going on? I know we let the handsome dude and flower girl into the group, but don't start breaking anything..." His voice trailed off as he entered the scene, spotting Mereoleona holding the four mages. "Everyone, run! Abandon ship! A wild animal has broken in! Every man for themselves!" Yami exclaimed, ready to flee as he turned around. But his escape was halted as Mereoleona created another claw and grabbed him.
"I'm joining this little hunting party you're going on," he heard from the flame mage as she forcefully turned him around to face her, bringing him closer.
Yami, face to face with the lioness, could only stand still in her grasp and sigh. "Fine, but don't you want to know what we're even going after?" he asked, pointing at her. "It could be a wild goose chase for all you know. Well you are a lion, so you might like that," Yami mused, the last part more to himself.
Mereoleona, still able to hear his words, tightened her grip on Yami, looking angry. She shook her head. "I can already guess what it could be, considering everything that's happened. But whatever it is, I'm going to be the one to fight it!" she yelled, her fiery determination clear. The mages in her grasp could only stay still, helpless as she made her declaration.
"No, you're not." Mereoleona heard the bold claim and turned to see the vice-captain of the Black Bulls, his expression neutral. She smirked. "Should have expected him to be the one to try and stand up to me", she thought, fully turning to face the shadow mage.
"Why is that?" she challenged. "Out of everyone here, I'm one of the few mages who can fight a devil. And just so you know, once I set my eyes on something, then it's mine," Mereoleona said, grinning and scoffing at the shadow mage.
Nacht looked at Mereoleona, still smiling with his natural smile but with a hint of displeasure able to be sense. "The only one who is allowed to kill this devil is me, and that's final," Nacht stated assertively, fully opening his eyes and dropping his smile, revealing a deadly stare fixed on her.
He tried to intimidate her, and if this were any ordinary mage his plan might have succeeded. However, this was Mereoleona and instead, his challenge only piqued her interest in the devil even more. "Oh really? Then that makes it even better," Mereoleona said, her smile growing. "That means it really is a hunting party. So, whoever gets the kill gets all the glory."
"What? Why, Vice-Captain Nacht, if this devil is as strong as you said, then shouldn't we work together to kill it?" Asta questioned as he and the others were released from Mereoleona's grasp and dropped to the floor. As he looked towards Nacht, he saw Mereoleona walking towards him, but something felt odd about Nacht's choice of words. "Why can you only kill it?" Asta thought, feeling a sense of unease.
With the mages' disagreement underway, a slow-speaking voice was heard. "Um, hey, you guys," said Henry, trying to get everyone's attention. However, his voice was drowned out by the altercation and went unnoticed.
"I don't care if it's personal for you. I am a Crimson Lion, so I can run freely as much as I want. Whatever that devil is, I will beat it and protect the kingdom from it, and nothing is going to stop me," Mereoleona declared, standing right in front of Nacht, her determination unwavering.
As Mereoleona reached for the collar of Nacht's coat, intending to force him to submit, she was suddenly stopped. Four larger figures appeared around her, each holding a different limb in place. Each figure wore a different animal mask, representing a chicken, a dog, a donkey, and a cat.
"You guys!" Henry tried again, speaking slowly in an attempt to grab their attention. However, he failed once again as the escalating confrontation between the Fire and Shadow mages reached its high point as mana from both mages started to clash with each other.
"Um, Captain, shouldn't you do something about this?" Asta asked, growing more worried that a massive brawl was going to break out between the two mages and realizing that it would most likely result in the destruction of the base.
"Hah!" Yami laughed at Asta's question. "No way, kid. There's no way I can stop that lioness when she's ticked off," he said, taking another puff of his smoke. He then looked over towards where Henry's voice was coming from, sensing that something was wrong. "Just make sure she doesn't kill that idiot," Yami instructed Asta as he walked towards Henry's direction, leaving the rookies with the two mages.
Nacht looked to the side and saw Yami leaving and understood he didn't care if they fought each other but he knew he wouldn't be able to beat her, "Look here," Nacht began calmly, addressing Mereoleona. "I won't say that you don't have the strength that we can use for this fight, but right now, you aren't doing this for the right reasons, and that is annoying. And I don't like annoying people," he stated as two horns curled upwards, growing from his head.
Mereoleona could only smile at someone brave enough to stand up to her and also dared to call her annoying to her face. "You seem like fun. I'm going to enjoy this," she said.
In response to being held in place by the four devils, Mereoleona raised her magic power, burning the devils and forcing them to release her, which they did after a few seconds, backing away from her. Her smile transformed into a battle-crazy expression, ready to duke it out. "Is it really that I'm annoying, or you don't want me to take your kill?" she taunted, ready to strike.
But before the situation escalated further, Yami's voice rang out, interrupting their confrontation. "Hey, Sisgoleon and Nacht, I think you might want to stop and see this! I think we found the devil we were looking for."
As Yami's words sunk in, both Mereoleona and Nacht stopped their confrontation and turned toward the direction of Yami's voice. Mereoleona was the first to move, eager to claim the prey before the others could. Nacht quickly followed her lead, and the rest of the mages in the room followed suit. When they reached the head of the Raging Bull, they were surprised. Instead of a devil, they found a large, dark, gate-like hole that seemed to be bending the land and space around it. It appeared as if it was trying to open something that wasn't from this world.
Once the group saw the large portal, Noelle was the first to speak up. "What is that thing!?" she exclaimed. No one else was able to answer her question, as they were all transfixed by the sight of the massive portal miles in front of them.
Except for Nacht. "It's a gate to another world," he stated matter-of-factly, causing everyone to look at him with confusion.
Nacht still fixated on the portal ahead, spoke to the others without looking at them. "The devil that we are after is known as Lucifugus, and if I remember correctly, his magic is space magic," Nacht explained, finally turning to face the mages. "With that magic, he can open pockets of space to travel to different locations, similar to Spatial Magic but stronger. He has more uses than that as he can open his own pocket space, take apart matter of objects, and can create attacks out of nowhere." he stated looking back towards the portal "However, he shouldn't be able to make that big of a gate with just his basic magic, even if he is a high-ranking devil," Nacht added, think that last part.
The rest of the mages looked at Nacht as he began to explain what the devil could do, all coming to the same understanding that this spell was too complicated for basic magic to achieve. Asta spoke up, expressing his confusion and concern. "Wait, how is that possible? I thought devils needed a grimoire to use a powerful spell like that. And another world... do you mean the Underworld?" Asta asked, worried about the possibility of other devils escaping from the Underworld.
Nacht's expression grew more concerned after hearing Asta's comment, as he had been thinking along the same lines as well. He thought back to the events that had taken place before, Yami and William were used to open the gate to the Underworld, but their method was incomplete and only able to open a few levels. However, it was enough for Lucifero to escape, even if he was at the bottom level.
Without Yami and William, the gate couldn't be opened anymore. Additionally, all the free devils were forcefully merged into Lucifero and killed alongside him, so there shouldn't be any more devils on the surface to help him make that portal. But as he started to think Nacht considered the possibility that Lucifugus could be creating another gate so all the devils at the lower levels could escape or even allow for Lucifero's true self to appear.
As Nacht finished his thought, he turned back towards the group of mages with him. "We have to go now and stop him. You can attack all you want, but don't kill him yet, I will..." Nacht ordered. However, before he could finish his instructions, he saw Mereoleona infuse her mana into her fist and slam a wall facing the portal. Once the dust cleared he saw that the wall was destroyed, leaving nothing but a hole which she dashed out through towards the giant portal with a speed that he hadn't seen before.
As the others watched Mereoleona dash off, Yami yelled towards Henry, "Henry, take it into high gear! and follow her" Henry nodded, pushing more energy into the Raging Bull to catch up to her. As the Bull made its way, Nacht only looked forward to where the portal was. He knew that Lucifugus was up to something, but opening a portal to the Underworld didn't make any sense. No high-ranking devil would try to help another devil come to the surface. So, what was this portal he was creating?
Mereoleona took off using her fire magic to push herself forward towards the giant and growing portal, as she landed after jumping out of the Black bull base she went into another jump making sure to keep her momentum going as she headed straight toward portals with speed that the Black Bulls hideout couldn't match. As she kept leaping forward she activated her 'Hellfire Incarnate' form, as she did all the snow that lay on the ground quickly started to melt as she landed and continued her charge, turning into water and then being evaporated by the sheer heat of her flame. But as she got closer to the forest something felt off to her, and thanks to her mana senses she could tell that the mana of the land was changing.
She could feel that the Mana she was familiar with was being pulled away from the surrounding area and towards the forest, almost like how Mana Zone works but it confused her. Because it wasn't being controlled or moved towards somewhere else it was being replaced with something else It was still mana but from her experience, she could tell it was different. It was far weaker than any mana that should be found in a Grand Magic Zone but also slightly weaker than the type she felt at the Kingdom.
As she got closer to the forest that surrounded the portal she could feel a malicious mana that she had only felt from devils and pushed further even faster than before. As she charged through the forest she moved around the trees, either avoiding them or using them as a stepping stone to jump off them. But soon she was met with a clearing and to the left of her she saw a tall, slender figure coated in dark skin all over his body except his face, chest, and hands with 4 horns protruding outwards into two directions, the devil had not taken notice of her and was just focusing on the portal.
As she stopped her moment she looked at the devil facing away from her and trying to gauge the devil's power but with all the mana in the air changing so sporadically she couldn't get a solid read on him. But that didn't dishearten her as she was going to engage anyway, but before she could even take a step closer to the devil she looked towards the portal before her and was surprised. It was massive and if it wasn't for her mana skin she would easily be sucked into it, but even this horrifying display of magic before didn't stop her from smiling as this alone proved that this devil was strong enough to fight her.
As she refocused on the devil she went into her battle stance, "Hey you devil scum, I don't know what you're doing but I'm going to put a stop to it" Mereoleona declared as she prepared for a brawl. But she was soon disappointed as she saw the devil turn his head towards her from over his shoulder with a look of uninterested and seemed to brush her off and went back to looking at his portal ultimately ignoring her.
At this Mereoleona was enraged that someone would dare ignore her, she pulled back her arm empowering her first with fire magic, and fired a 'Calidus Brachium' towards the devil as she yelled "Don't you dare ignore me, you bastard." As the blast was sent towards the devil with him not even looking at her as he was engulfed by the attack, but once the flame attack cleared she saw that he was no longer there.
Mereoleona began to frantically look around the area in front of her but soon heard a deep bellowing voice behind her "Why should I pay ants any mind", she turned her head to look behind her and saw the devil was behind with his right hand up.
Before she could even flip around to face the devil he had empowered his hand with magic and sent an unknown force towards her sending her flying. Luckily she had activated her reinforcement magic before she was hit so the attack wouldn't do that much damage to her. Still, the force itself was strong as it had sent her towards the other side of the clearing, crashing through a group of trees and digging into the ground, creating a deep furrow as she skidded to a stop, the impact sending a spray of dirt and debris into the air. As she came to a stop she jumped up out of the ground and stood up looking towards the devil that sent her flying. She regained her bearings but realized that if she hadn't activated her hellfire form she would have broken a few of her bones from the sheer force of the blast, but that meant she had the best chance to fight this devil as she flexed her legs and bolted towards him.
Once she got in front of the devil she again sent off one of her spells but the devil dodged it again, this time she saw how he did it. As the devil dodged her fist it wasn't like any normal way she had seen before It looked as if his body demilitarized as she tried to land a blow on him and reformed to her right side. Once he was fully materialized he pulled back his arm and swung towards her with an open palm, "Begone ant" he said in annoyance.
As the blow was coming towards her she lifted both her arms and tried to block the strike, but as his fist met her forearm she could feel the strength he had. What she didn't release before it was too late was that he had added magic to the strike. So as the blow struck her she felt her forearm be destroyed by the sheer force of magic and sent her tumbling into the edge of the clearing.
After she stopped moving from the force of the blow she looked at her right arm as it began to reform thanks to her hellfire form, she was happy that her spell did this so she could fight as much as she wanted but as she looked back at the devil "This made things much more dire" she though as she realized that this devil's magic was able to not only avoid oncoming attack toward himself but also destroy anything with it as well.
As she looked towards the devil who wasn't even showing any emotion to his strike that didn't keep her down she began to laugh "You think just because you can easily destroy my magic as if nothing scares me, if I'm not scared of that anti-magic brat and his power then there is no way I'm scared of you". She then shouted "Mana Zone!" as she activated her mana zone absorbing all the mana around her and pulling it into herself as her hellfire form became a light blue color and charged towards the devil screaming "Fire magic, Calidus Brachium Purgatory: Abyss" as she sent a barrage of blue flame attack towards the devil.
The devil, for the first time showing a surprised expression, found himself faced with a woman whose magic and speed seemed to have surged. As he attempted to react, he was met with a barrage of attacks that struck him before demilitarizing again into a mist, only to reform fifteen feet to the woman's right, away from Mereoleona's reach.
As he reformed, Mereoleona could see his expression shift from surprise to anger. As a dark, reddish orb materialized in front of him, emanating an aura of malevolence she had never encountered before.
The devil's dark, reddish magic swelled in his hand, pulsing with ominous energy. With a swift motion, he tossed it towards her at a high speed, catching her off guard. She managed to dodge the initial strike, but to her astonishment, the attack curved back toward her, leaving her no choice but to brace for impact. Once the attack engulfed her, it expanded, affecting the area around her. She felt her fire magic dwindling, dispersing and separating from her body. Confusion clouded her mind as she struggled to understand what was happening. Suddenly, she realized that she couldn't hear anything, and when she tried to speak, she found herself gasping for air, unable to breathe.
The spell's effects were devastating, not only did it siphon away her magic from its immediate area but also displaced oxygen. Mereoleona fought to remain conscious as the air was forcibly expelled from her lungs. Blood trickled from her ears and nose, a grim sign of the spell's brutality. Desperate to break free, Mereoleona attempted to amplify her fire magic using Mana Zone, to control the fleeing mana in her vicinity. However, the spell countered her efforts, pushing the mana away and rendering her fire useless against the suffocating grip of the spell. She was trapped, her strength waning as the spell continued to drain her of life.
As Mereoleona teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, she witnessed the devil turn away and stride towards the portal, his malevolent presence fading into the distance. In her fading consciousness, she berated herself for her perceived weakness, lamenting her defeat at the hands of this devil.
However, her self-reproach was abruptly halted by a sound that pierced through the haze of her thoughts. Turning her gaze behind her, she beheld a massive black Great Sword, cleaving through the air with a resounding force. With a mighty sweep, the sword cut through the spell's radius of effect, dispelling its suffocating grip and allowing fresh air to rush back into her lungs. She gasped, revitalized by the sudden influx of oxygen, her mind clearing as she regained her strength.
"Mereoleona, are you okay?" Asta's voice reached her ears, though faintly. She managed a small smirk as she looked up to see Asta pulling the sword back onto his shoulder. She could barely hear him over the ringing in her ears, but she understood his words.
As her senses returned, Mereoleona noticed the Black Bulls and the others running up towards her. Their expressions were a mix of relief and anger, relieved that they had saved her but angered by the danger she had been in.
Behind Asta, Mimosa pushed forward and knelt beside Mereoleona, her healing magic flowing into her. As Mimosa's healing magic began to take effect, Mereoleona felt some of her strength returning. Just then, she heard Yami's voice, "Ha, and here I thought Ms. Lion would still be fighting this devil," he said with a smirk. "But it seems you just couldn't handle it by yourself." Mereoleona could only growl in response, frustrated by her current state.
Before anything more could be said, she saw Nacht charging forward, already transformed into his devil form. His sudden appearance was unknown to her as she had never seen him fight but understood this form allowed him to be quick and agile.
Nacht was in his Canis x Felis form, shrouded in clothes made of shadow. His arms and legs were covered in segmented armor, and his hands wore clawed gloves. A furry cape and mantle draped over his shoulders, adding to his menacing appearance. His hat, pulled down over his face with eye holes cut out, showcased his devil horns as he rushed toward Lucifugus.
Unheeding of his companions' shouts to stop, Nacht's vision was consumed by a red haze as he focused on the devil before him. With a roar of anger, he swung his blade in a slashing motion, but to his dismay, it passed right through Lucifugus as the devil dematerialized, evading his attack.
As Nacht came to a halt, he scanned his surroundings, only to look up and see Lucifugus soaring in the air, his wings fully extended. "Even more ants have appeared," Lucifugus boomed, his voice resonating with power. With a swift motion, he conjured two large orbs in his hands and hurled them toward Nacht.
Mereoleona recognized that these orbs were different from the ones he had used on her, so she wasn't able to relay any information on the attack even if she could. But thanks to Nacht's heightened senses from his United mode, he was able to evade the incoming orbs with a graceful twist and spin of his body in the air.
As the orbs rushed past him, Nacht watched in horror as they dug into the ground, obliterating everything in their path. He was now more relieved he had avoided direct impact from the attack, but that was soon cut short as from the corner of his eye he saw the orbs curving back towards him.
Before the orbs could strike Nacht, a shout pierced through the chaos. "Conjunction!" Yuno's voice rang out as he conjured a crystal star in front of Nacht, teleporting him back to the safety of the group. The group all stood in front of him with Yami, Yuno, and Asta in front, "Ok guy let's show this devil what we're made of'' Asta's voice was full of determination as he and Yuno charged forward, both activating their Two-Horned Black Bull form and Spirit Dive mode.
Nacht looked at the two as they charged forward "Again I was saved by them" he thought as He was about to join them when he felt Yami's firm grip on his arm, lifting him. "Look I know you probably feel a bunch of stuff right now but we need to work together got it, no solo macho act." Nacht started at him understanding the importance of stopping this devil and was ready to put aside his personal feelings and work with the group.
As they prepared to face the devil once more, Nacht saw the devil teleport again, this time reappearing above the portal. The group braced themselves, ready to confront any powerful strike the devil had planned.
As Lucifugus looked down towards the mages, he revealed a grimoire, a sight that surprised all of them, especially those who had once fought against the other high devils, as they had never seen one wielded by a devil. The book flipped open, and he began to chant a spell with his demonic voice.
"S̸̨̓p̵͑̌ͅa̶̩̰̎̾c̷̳͌͝e̵̢̱͑ ̸̬̈́̚M̵̟̔a̴͖̘̓͂g̸̖͂̈i̴̞̫̕c̶͉̓̓:̷̧̗̂ ̴̹̭͒N̸̞̄́e̴̤̽̍t̷̗̿̚h̵͎͇̓ḛ̸̥͛͊r̶̝͈͝ ̷̺̻͘D̸̜͇̾u̷͕͖̓s̴͙͐ţ̵̱̌̿ ̸̙́s̸̏͐Sḣ̴̬̞̎â̴̘r̴̟̲̽̀d̷͓͑͘e̵̡͑̂s̷͖̤͑̌," Lucifgus said as from his back, dark crystal-like dust began to spread out, solidifying into piercing sharp crystals. He then points his hand toward them and sends the shard shards toward each of the mages at high speed.
Yami, Mereoleona, Asta, and Yuno reacted swiftly to intercept and destroy the shards from the devil's magic as the other were able to dodge out of the way before they were hit. But once the spell had stopped each of them looked at the devil with the same thought 'Where did he get that Grimoire?' and none were as puzzled by this than Nacht as he had never heard of a devil obtaining a grimoire without taking it from someone else.
"It seems you ants can handle that spell. Well, I shouldn't be surprised after some of you were able to fight Lucifero," Lucifugus remarked, his voice dripping with disdain, as he hovered in the air, looking down on them. His gaze then locked onto Nacht. "And I see a familiar face. You're that ant that tried to summon me." As he said the rest of the mages were shocked by the devil's statement and new information they didn't know about.
Once Lucifugus was distracted, Noelle seized the opportunity. She summoned her lance with her Valkyrie armor and flew towards the devil. When she was in range, she unleashed her Sea Dragon's Roar at him, the magic in her lance swirling around itself to create a vortex of water in the form of a dragon head. However, to her surprise, Lucifugus simply raised his hand, causing the dragon's attack to curve around him, avoiding its intended target. The spell continued on its path, only to be pulled into the portal and absorbed by it.
Nacht's anger flared at Lucifugus's taunts. "Stop talking!" he yelled, stepping forward. With a swift motion, he created multiple clones of himself using Unite Mode. As the clones formed from his shadow, they all began to follow the same motion of swinging their arms towards Lucifugus as from each of his shadows a dark slash projectile appeared firing off from their claws. As the shadowy slash neared the devil, Lucifugus demilitarized once again, this time reappearing in front of both Yami and Nacht. In his hand, he held a black orb with a ring around it, preparing to unleash a point-blank attack at them "This time you won't survive," Lucifugus declared
But was stopped by Asta as he rushed towards him, transforming into his Devil Union form, making Lucifugus need to defend himself quickly. With a swift motion, he crushed the orb in his hand, unleashing a powerful force that pushed Asta and all the other mages away. Lucifugus then teleported next to the portal, 'I have to stay away from that anti-magic, or I will end up just like Lucifero' he thought to himself as he reappeared. However, he was immediately met by Luck and Magna, who both fired off a barrage of attacks, before he could do anything to them.
As Luck activated his Battle Fiend mode, he quickly closed in towards the devil and unleashed his Thunderclap Crumbling Orb attack. A large orb of lightning crackled in his hand before he hurled it toward Lucifugus, meanwhile, Magna channeled his fire magic into his hand, creating his Explosive Vanishing Scattershot that he threw at the devil.
However, Lucifugus was not surprised and reacted to their attacks. He raised his hand, and both the lightning and fire attacks were pulled away from him, and instead heading for the portal. To Lucifugus's surprise, just as the fire attack was about to be absorbed into the portal, it vanished into thin air, escaping the fate of being absorbed by the portal, unlike the lightning attack which was successfully pulled in.
As Lucifugus turned towards the other mages, dismissing the attacks from Luck and Magna he was caught off guard as a sudden onslaught of fireballs appeared and exploded in his face. With that mark the fireballs being the first real damage to the devil in this fight, even if it was minimal.
Once the smoked cleared Lucifugus's face began to contort in anger. Enraged that a trick like that would strike him, he refocused his attention on the two mages who fired off those attacks with a new determination to defeat them burning even stronger now.
Magna cheered, "Ha, I was able to hit him before you could, take that Luck!" as Luck jumped back towards Magna, giving a disappointed groan. However, their celebration was short-lived as they were both caught off guard by two black orbs hurtling towards them at high speed.
Thanks to Luck Battle Fiend mode he was quickly able to respond, as he dashed to the side to avoid the attack. However, he was surprised to see the orb curve and start to track him. Meanwhile, Magna saw the other attack heading straight towards him and activated his spell, 'Base Run Gamble,' causing fire to leap out from his grimoire and create a pair of shoes made of fire. With the spell completed, he began to run, hoping to outrun the attack. However, as he looked back, he realized that he wouldn't be able to do it, as the orb was about to strike him.
However, before the orbs could strike them, they heard "Conjunction" and found themselves teleported behind Yuno, Mimosa, and Gauche, avoiding the orbs as a star was floating right next to each of them. Once they were both behind the group Mimosa created one of her giant flowers and fired a laser at the devil, while Gauche summoned his mirrors and used Reflect Refrain.
But despite their combined effort, Lucifugus, without even moving his hand, deflected the attacks, bending the energy beams away from him. To their surprise, the beams were then pulled toward the portal, adding to the growing mysterious nature of it as they continued to see it grow.
As the situation grew more desperate, the mages realized that the portal was expanding and strengthening with each passing minute. But what the other Black Bulls and Mimosa realized was that they were holding back both Yuno and Asta as they kept having to constantly save them from the devil's attacks.
But as the mage realized that they were in the way Yuno took action, channeling his wind to create his weapon, the "Spirit of Euros," forming a bow and arrow. With determination, he aimed at Lucifugus, confident that his attack would immobilize the devil. "You won't be able to dodge this," Yuno declared as he released the arrow towards Lucifugus, hoping to turn the end of this battle.
As Yuno's arrow came towards Lucifgus, faster than the devil could react to it. Which led to it piercing through Lucifugus's arm, destroying it, and being forcefully sucked into the portal. As Lucifugus grunted in pain he then turned his gaze towards Yuno, his anger evident with the scowl on his face. With a menacing aura, Lucifugus began to chant, "̵̞͐S̷̬̥̕p̶̝̐̑a̸͉̔̇c̸̛͔ë̴̤́ ̶͔̍͌Ṃ̵͑ą̶̏g̸̮̠̅̐i̵͕̋͌c̷͍̳̽:̴̨̎́ ̴̫̻̎M̵̂ͅa̷̘̺͛t̶͇̎t̷̯͚̕ę̵̇r̶̹̝͆̚ ̶̔̏͜ͅŲ̵̯͑n̴̩̤̈d̵͚͔̀e̴̫͆ř̸̝͔w̶̙̙̄o̸̻͠͝ŕ̵̻̟̒l̶͎̗̅d̶͙͋̌ ̴̥̌R̴͓̩̉͛ē̸̦̕c̸͕͝o̵̞͝ǹ̴̪̚s̶̩͆t̵̰̏́r̴͈͗u̴̳̩͐̇c̴͔̓̄t̴͎́̀i̷̽̍ͅô̸͉n̴͚̦̅"̶̙̙̚ While he spoke mana swelled up around the stump of his arm, and to the shock of the mages, a new arm began to form, regenerating before their eyes. This display of self-healing only served to unsettle the mages further, realizing the extent of Lucifugus's powers.
Once Lucifugus's arm was fully healed he grew even more enraged as he understood now that both the spirit mage and the anti-magic mages posed a serious threat to him and if he didn't stop them soon he would surely be defeated by them. But what he did notice as the battle went on was that they both kept having to stop their advances as they saved the weaker mages, after realizing this Lucifugus decided to change his strategy.
then looked towards the mages before him, he understood that few could be a match for him but before him, he saw 4 able that were strong enough to end him, but noticed that that wind user and anti-magic brat kept getting distracted by the other weaker mages so he decided to change his plan of attack. He then began to create four black orbs, condensing them in his hands, preparing for a new, more focused assault.
Watching this Asta charged toward him trying to put a stop to Lucifugus's attack before he could fire it off but he wasn't fast enough in that second the situation escalated as Lucifugus unleashed a devastating attack as he roared "S̶͜͝ṗ̷͜a̷̻͠č̶̫e̵͔͆̂ ̸̛̝͙̎M̴̩͖͂ą̴͔̽͆g̴̪̙͒į̷̎c̸͇̄͊:̷̧̝̑ ̸̯̾̋Ḑ̵͖̔͌ë̴̡̺́̍v̴͔͈̽́i̴̩̔l̶͔̙̽'̷͇̎s̶͎̾̚͜ ̸̨̎̒P̸̛̮͉͗r̴̭̜̓e̶̖͐͘s̸͈̀e̵̘̜̋͆ń̷̦̰̊ć̸͎e̴̝̙͛ ̶̳̊͋Ḍ̷̙͗̐ỉ̸̙s̸̙̓̀͜i̸͖͒̾ṅ̶̛̺t̴͍̀ȇ̵̘͝g̸̝̓́ͅr̶̜͆͘ǻ̴̱͔t̵̪̔̉i̴͇̿̃ọ̸̅n̷̹͌" as he did the devil pushed forward the four black orbs and fire off four beams of energy towards the other mages behind him.
Asta valiantly tried to intervene, but the devil's power was faster than he could react, as all he could do was watch it speed past him toward his comrades.
One beam shot toward Finral, Vanessa, and Charmy, as it did Finral held up his hand and opened one of his 'Fallen Angel Gates' hoping to redirect the attack but as the two spells collided Finral spell was unaffected as the beam went right through it and struck the group. Luckily thanks to Rogue Charmy was able to get her transformation off quick enough to summon her wolf and try to eat the attack, as the wolf brought down its fork to slurp it up like noodles, it instead looked more like it was only able to take a small bit of it as if it was a cheese pull. Even with that small piece being taken out she was able to take some of the energy away from it but wasn't able to stop it and ended up striking them. But thanks to their efforts they were all able to survive but each of them where heavily injured and unable to move.
The next beam headed straight for Zora and Nero as they were patiently waiting on the side to be a quick form of healing if anyone needed it and needed cover for Nero to heal. But instead of trying to dodge it both ran towards the beam with Zora taking the lead and opening up his chest readying for the strike, as he did Nero staying behind him put her hand on his back and started to cast her spell. Once the spell hit Zora a Magic Array appeared on his body seeming to hold the beam at bay, as both mages combined their magic into a Union spell to try and reflect the beam towards the devil with double the power.
But as the spell swelled up inside of the magic circle doubling its power, Zora realized it was too strong and saw the circle begin to crack and fire off as it broke before he was even ready and went wide not even coming close to the devil and instead leaving Zora in a stated of stupor. At that moment Nero started to heal him but saw that the damage was too great for her healing magic.
The third beam was just as destructive as it headed straight towards the Raging Bull, with no special means to stop it Henry put the bull's arms up hoping that enough would block it but as it struck the base it broke through it and began to destroy the Bull. As the beam went through the base the building began to fall apart and collapsed, falling and crushing the two members left in there Henry and Gordon.
Once the hideout fell Grey ran as fast as she could toward the fallen mages "Gordon!, Henry!" she screamed as she was ready to use her magic to reform their body and heal them.
The last beam headed straight for Yami, Nacht, and a still-down Mereoleona, with seeing the other try their best to stop these beams Yami began to channel his excess amount of magic power and activated his 'Dark Magic: Black Moon' and as he did a dark orb formed above his head and created a dark misty area around them all larger then it ever has been before.
As Yami noticed that the orb was bigger than it normally was he prepared for the beam to come and as it did the beam seemed to enter the field but came to a stop as it slowed down and started to bend and be pulled in towards the dark orb, fully nullifying it.
Observing the severe damage suffered by Finral's group, Yuno swiftly deployed one of his stars towards them. His gaze then shifted to Mimosa behind him, silently urging her to act. Meeting his gaze, Mimosa nodded in understanding and readied herself. Utilizing his stars, Yuno deftly teleported Mimosa to the group, allowing her to commence healing. However, from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a burgeoning blue light. Swiftly turning, he beheld Luck, still enveloped in his Lightning Battle Fiend form, executing a mid-air flip, then freezing in place as five magic arrays materialized in a stack beneath his feet.
Yuno moved swiftly, attempting to halt Luck's reckless charge toward the devil. However, his words fell short as Luck, with a resounding roar "Don't touch my friends!", as he unleashed his 'Keraunos' spell, transforming into a lightning bolt hurtling towards the Devil, even passing Asta on his way. But Luck's attack missed its mark, as the devil phased out, allowing Luck to pass through harmlessly. As Luck reverted to his human form he realized his trajectory was heading straight toward the portal, he swiftly turned his body and tried to create another Magic Array to propel himself away. However, he encountered a problem; his Array failed to fully materialize, and the portal was sapping his magic as he drew closer to it."
As Luck drew nearer to the portal, he sensed his armor weakening, his magic draining rapidly. With his armor on the verge of dissipating and himself being forcefully pulled into the portal, he almost accepted his fate, but then a bright star suddenly materialized beside him. In an instant, a brilliant light enveloped him, and he found himself back with his group, with Magna gripping his shoulder tightly. 'You idiot, don't do that!' Magna shouted, revealing the gravity of the mistake Luck had narrowly escaped.
Now that the attack was done Yami dropped his spell and looked around at his squad and saw the damage that Lucifugus had done. In seeing this Yami became angered at the sight of his guild heavy hurt and turned back towards the devil and was going to jump forward, and strike him down but before he could someone beat him to the punch as an Orange-headed woman clad in a Blue flame jumped out in front of him.
While Mereoleona was on the ground watching all this and being saved by Yami something in her ignited as she was on the ground she looked at the devil that fired off these attacks and something in her snapped. She couldn't let herself be sidelined, she was down long enough this fight was no longer a hunting party it was revenge to kill that baster of a devil for disgracing her like that. As she got up she flexed her muscles pushed off the ground and roared with her crazy battle smile "I'm not going to let some young ones beat me", reentered her Hellfire form and fired off 'Calidus Brachium Purgatory: Abyss' towards him hoping to get them off guard.
Yami, seizing the moment, also prepared his attack. With his sword raised above his head, he brought it down, unleashing 'Dark Cloaked Dimension Slash: Equinox,' the slash following closely behind Mereoleona's barrage, aiming to overwhelm the devil with their combined assault.
As Nacht saw both Yami and Mereoleona's attacks heading straight toward Lucifugus, he understood that he needed to halt him in his motion. Shifting himself to be on his keen, he brought his arms back and dropped his Unite Mode: Canis × Felis form.
Nacht's transformation continued as the shadows reformed around him, shaping a dark armor made of shadows. The armor featured large, round pauldrons and shields on his arms and as the shadows continued to surround his body and rushed to his head, they created a helmet that allowed his hair to hang out from the back and allowed his horns to come through the sides and front part of his head.
The moment his 'Unite Mode: Canis × Equus' transformation was complete, Nacht pushed his arms into the ground. As he did dark shadow seeped out of his arms into the group creating dark puddles of shadow and once it took a decent size it seemed to stretch forward on the ground straight towards Lucifugus' hovering form.
As both attacks headed straight toward Lucifugus, he anticipated both attacks to move around his orbit and be absorbed by the portal like the previous ones but to his surprise, as he put his arm up to block it Lucifugus realized that the Dark magic couldn't be diverted. So quickly realizing the danger he decided to teleport away to avoid Mereoleona's and Yami's assaults, and as he vanished two massive dog heads adorned with horns and chains appeared, and lunged at him trying to seize him but ultimately missed thanks to the devil's teleportation.
Upon reappearing, Lucifugus witnessed the aftermath of his evasive maneuver and heard a peculiar, distorting sound and turned towards the portal, only to be met with shock.
The flame attack was effortlessly absorbed, but Yami's 'Dimension Slash' had a different effect. Once it Struck the portal, it destabilized the gateway, causing it to behave erratically—expanding, contracting, stretching, and widening unpredictably.
Enraged by this turn of events, Lucifugus turned his attention towards Yami and Mereoleona his anger palpable from just his glared at them, lifting his arm and preparing to unleash another attack. "You filthy ant, how dare you!" he roared as his book began to glow a bright reddish hue and a new black orb formed in his right hand.
However, he wasn't able to fire off his attack as Asta rocketed towards him, with his magic tracking and as he got close to the devil's Asta gave out his roar "So what if we're ants, that doesn't mean we can't beat you" he screamed as he lifted his Demon slayer sword and enlarged it as he pushes as much Anti-magic he could into the blade ready to strike down the devil with the last blow.
In a last-ditch effort to stop Asta's attack, Lucifugus musters all his power and focuses on a desperate plan. With a fierce determination, he channels his magic into a single point, creating a powerful barrier around himself, hoping to withstand Asta's Anti-magic strike. As Asta's sword comes crashing down, the barrier shatters under immense pressure, and the Anti-magic blade strikes true, hitting Lucifugus directly.
Before Asta could fully swing down and carve through with his sword any further, he saw Lucifugus point his arm toward the portal and form another black orb in his hand. Asta couldn't understand what he was planning and decided to put more force into his slash to finish him before he could complete whatever he was doing.
But to the surprise of Asta, he saw Lucifugus instead of firing off the orb like he had done before with his previous attack but instead, he crushed the orb in his hand. And with that heard a sound that seemed to send shock waves through the area, he turned his head to look behind him and saw that the sound came from the unstable portal as it collapsed in on itself. Once he saw the portal condense itself to a small orb, he was again surprised as it quickly exploded out with a bright light and deafening roar.
Once the flash and noise were gone Asta opened his eyes and looked around, no longer was the devil in front of him, and to add to that he was no longer in the forest as around him was nothing more of a dark void. As he floated in the dark void he looked behind him and saw all of his friends and squad mates floating as well with that his worry of being the only one here washed away but he began to feel a pushing force guiding them in a dedication he didn't know. But as he started to take in the surrounding area he remembered that this felt and looked similar to Shadow Palace that the elves had used.
As the mages began to regain their consciousness they were startled by the feeling of weight less and looked around and saw their shift in location. The shift in their surroundings was disorienting, but what truly alarmed them was the familiar sensation of their magic being deactivated and weakening, either it be by just shrinking it or being pulled out of them. To those who had never set foot in the Shadow Palace were confused by the sudden turn of events, while others recognized the signs and realized they were being transported through a portal to an unknown location.
But unlike the other mages, Nacht didn't care about their new location and where they were going, as his Unite mode started to deactivate he frantically scanned the area, searching for any sign of Lucifugus. As he looked forward he spotted the devil flying further inward, seemingly aiming for an exit from the portal, Nacht shouted urgently to the other mages, 'Pay attention! He's trying to escape!' His voice carried a mix of determination and warning, urging them to act swiftly before their foe could slip away."
The other mages turned their attention to where the devil was and they all attempted to move but like in the Shadow Palace, they found themselves unable to budge, helplessly floating forward with the portal's force. Asta however, was the exception using his Magic Tracking, he propelled himself forward toward the devil. "Don't worry, I've got him! I won't let him get away!" Asta's voice rang out with determination. But just as he reached halfway to the devil, his Union Mode came undone, his time had run out. 'No, not now,' Asta thought, as he began to drift alongside the others."
"I always have to do everything, don't I, Asta?" Yuno remarked, a hint of exasperation in his voice, as he channeled the last bit of magic remaining from his Spirit Dive. With a resolute shout, he unleashed his attack, "Spirit Storm!" The force of his magic surged forth, aiming to strike the devil.
"Gauche, use your magic on me!" Noelle commanded, determination in her voice as she focused all her magical energy into her lance, which was beginning to fade. She hoped that by combining their powers, they could unleash one last, powerful attack.
"Don't order me around," Gauche retorted, lifting his hair to reveal his mirror left eye and glancing towards Noelle. With a swift motion, he created multiple copies of her, lining them up beside the original.
In unison, both Noelle and Gauche shouted, "Union Magic: Mirror x Water - Gigantic Mirror Sea Dragon!" The collective Noelles combined their magic, shaping it into a massive sea dragon that roared to life, its size and power surpassing anything they had conjured before. With a mighty roar, they sent the dragon hurtling towards the devil.
Both attacks surged towards the devil with unyielding force, poised to strike. With a swift motion, Lucifugus pivoted and raised his remaining hand after the other one was destroyed because of Asta, ready to intercept the attacks head-on. As he pulled his arm from forwards and then toward his sides, a similar phenomenon occurred that had happened before. The attacks bent and followed the movement of his arm, and circumvented him. As both attacks surged onward, passing him, and going into the other side of the portal.
As the mages observed their attacks pass through the portal, they anticipated the devil would follow suit. However, to their astonishment, he halted just before the threshold and raised his hand towards them. A palpable force began to exert itself upon them, and they watched in horror as the gate's walls started closing in. Each mage felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on them, far greater than Lucifero's gravity magic had ever imposed.
Asta and Nacht could only stare helplessly at the devil as a malevolent smile crept across his face as he gave them one final glance towards them, before stepping through the gate and leaving them trapped within its collapsing confines.
Once Lucifugus departed the void, Nacht and Asta witnessed the portal beginning to seal shut, comprehending his sinister plan as he intended to trap them in the portal's midpoint, where it would crush them, condemning them to a perpetual limbo of death. Horrified by this realization, they scanned their companions, searching for a way to prevent this fate. However, they discovered that each of their friends could barely move, and their magic was weakened by the void and were in pain with the crushing force of the void.
Asta keenly felt the escalating pressure of the portal bearing down on him, sensing that his comrades were experiencing the same. He saw everyone struggling against the intensifying force as the portal began to close, and as it closed it only worsened their conditions. As he tried to come up with a plan he noticed a whirlwind forming around them as Yuno, utilizing his wind and star magic, endeavoring to draw everyone closer together and shield them from the portal's crushing force. However, whether due to the overwhelming pressure or Yuno's dwindling magic reserves, his protective barrier was faltering.
Asta struggled to focus amidst the overwhelming pain and pressure, but Liebe's desperate cry pierced through the chaos. "Reach for Demon Destroyer, hurry!" he heard in his mind, and with a surge of determination Asta reached for his Demon Destroyer sword, hoping it could provide a way out of their dire situation.
As Asta opened his grimoire and summoned Destroyer, he felt his consciousness slipping away. With a final, desperate effort, he channeled all the anti-magic energy he could muster from his right arm into the wide-edge blade. The surge of Anti-magic power disrupted the magical presence of the portal, loosening its grip on them and preventing its closure. However, this action also dispelled Yuno's magic, which had been the only thing keeping them together. As Yuno's spell was undone the gravitational pressure from the collapsing portal overwhelmed them, and they were forcefully ejected in different directions. Asta's vision blurred as he saw multiple groups of his squad and allies being scattered in the dark, cloudy expanse before he succumbed to unconsciousness, the combined strain of battling the devil and the portal taking its toll.
To Be Continued
There we go that was the second chapter of Shadows Past Between Worlds, and now the Black Bulls and co. are in a new location heavily beaten, and have no clue where they are (but we do of course). I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, as the fight between Lucifugus and the mages was a hard one on my part as the way I planned for him power-wise was going to be a highest-ranking devil around Megicula level or slightly stronger than her but after doing some research I saw that the fight would ultimately be in the favor of the mages with all strength they had so I had to come up with a solution to that pure advantage but also make it interesting, so I decided that he would not only get a grimoire (by stealing it from the Dark Triad) to give him more advance spells, I also try to make him target the weaker mage so both Yuno and Asta would not quickly finish the fight and have to protect the them so I hope that was a good work around this fight. But I'm just happy it's finally done and I was able to get it out before the week was finished. So for now I hope you all enjoyed it and if you really liked it please favorite, follow, or leave a review with any question and I will answer in the next chapter.
Until we meet again