I do not own Black Clover or any of the characters.
Capital
Dane stared at Noelle and Mimosa, who were both clutching at their bright pink faces and making a noise somewhere between a wail and a moan. It had started when Mimosa had blushed when Asta had greeted her and thanked her for healing him, and then had run away from them. Noelle went to check on her, only for the current situation to begin.
"What's with all the moaning?" Klaus asked.
"If that's what you call moaning, I pity you, and also any woman you've ever been with," Dane said.
Klaus blanched, blushing bright red and sputtering. "Th...I...Th-That's not what I meant!"
"Huh?" Asta asked. "I don't get it."
Dane shook his head. "I figured. Anyway, I have a good guess what's going on, considering this all started with Asta speaking to Mimosa."
"Are you saying this is my fault!?" Asta snapped.
"Oh, dear," Klaus frowned. "I never would have guessed that Mimosa would look down on Asta because he's a commoner."
"Wha...Hey, no fair!" Asta shrieked.
"Wrong problem, Klaus," Dane snorted.
"What?" Asta asked, confused.
"Wrong problem?" Klaus asked.
"She's got a crush," Yuno said simply.
"Who does?" Asta asked.
"Oh!" Klaus said. "That...hm. I suppose that would explain things."
"So, remind me," Dane said. "Why exactly do I have to come to Knights Headquarters with all of you?"
"Headquarters wants a report about everything that happened inside of the dungeon," Klaus reminded him irritably.
"No shit," Dane said. "But why do I have to go? You all can give a plenty detailed report without me."
"You imagine Asta's report would be more informative than yours?" Klaus asked.
"Good point," Dane grimaced. "Alright. Let's go."
Klaus nodded, and they all continued again, collecting Noelle and Mimosa along the way. And after a few more minutes, Klaus announced they'd arrived.
"Guess there are some things even you don't know, huh Four-Eyes?" Asta asked.
"Even we Four-Eyes can't know everything," Klaus said. "Anyway, we don't often come to Headquarters, so it's easy to forget."
"And here I was thinking the Magic Knights golden children would have a home-away-from-home here," Dane taunted.
"We'd be more likely than-" Klaus stopped short, staring at the tall, blonde man standing before them, wearing a scarlet robe. Klause dropped to one knee, Dane doing the same at his side. "I never dreamed you would greet us personally, sir."
"Your Majesty," Dane bowed.
"He's flashy," Asta said, he and Yuno being the only two not bowing. "Who do you think this guy is?"
"Bow, you idiot!" Dane snapped.
"This is none other than the current Wizard King, Sir Julius Novachrono!" Klaus snapped, then grabbed Asta when he shrieked in fear and embarrassment, forcing him into a bow by the head.
"Forgive us, Sir," Dane said. "He's a dunce."
Julius chuckled kindly. "It's alright. Come. I'd like to receive your report personally."
He led them through the Headquarters to the top of a tower overlooking the city. They took turns explaining everything that had happened, and when they were done, Yuno handed him his Grimoire, in which new spells had apparently been transferred from the scroll Yuno had found.
"I'm pleased you were able to obtain this," Julius smiled. "This magic is very powerful. It may be that dungeon's greatest relic."
"You can really read it, Sir?" Yuno asked.
"A little of it, yes," he nodded.
"The greatest relic in there?!" Yuno yelled. "Go, us!"
Dane slapped him in the back of the head.
"Let's see here," Julius muttered as he read the spells carefully. His eyes lit up with excitement. "Whaddya say? Will you cast this spell for me, pretty please? I'd love to see it!"
"I'm sorry, Sir," Yuno apologized. "I believe it somehow activated once while we were in the dungeon, but I haven't been able to use it again."
Dane frowned. According to Yuno's explanation, the spell in question had slowed time to a crawl, nearly stopping it, then had conjured some kind of small, blonde fairy in a green dress who'd cast the spell itself by blowing pure Wind Magic at Mars and resulting in the blast they'd all witnessed.
Julius sighed in disappointment. "Oh, I see. Well, too bad. Still, Spirit of Wind. One of the four major elements. I'm glad that you found this. All I can tell you now is that this spell will grow as you do. I believe it will be a tremendous help to you someday. Make sure you take good care of her."
"Sir," Yuno nodded, accepting his Grimoire, only for Asta to shove past him, showing him the pages where his new sword had been stored.
"Wizard King, Sir!" Asta said excitedly. "Some weird writing showed up in my Grimoire, too! Please take a look!"
"Don't be impertinent!" Klaus scolded, only for Julius to hold up a hand placatingly.
"Hm, this looks like..." Julius trailed off as he stared at the writing.
"Like what?" Asta asked excitedly.
"Something I can't read," Julius said, Asta falling to the ground dramatically in dismay. "Huh. I've never seen writing like that anywhere."
Asta ripped his new sword from his Grimoire. "And this comes out of it! Whaddaya think, sir!?"
"Oh!" Julius gasped. "A second Anti-Magic Sword! That's excellent!"
Asta chuckled darkly, then grinned at Yuno. "Mine's working just fine."
"Oh!" Julius gushed, staring at the sword. "The power of Anti-Magic! May I...Do you think I could hold it?"
"Go for it!" Asta grinned.
"Thank you so-Whoa, man!" Julius shrieked as the sword crashed to the ground the moment Asta let go.
"Are you okay, Wizard King?" Asta asked.
"I'm amazed you can swing this thing around," Julius complimented. He stopped, staring at the sword for a moment before smiling again. "Now I understand. Thanks for letting me take a look. Here you go. I think you'd better hold onto it. You may be the only one who can. It's too much for me to handle, but you can wield it because you have no magic power."
"I don't understand," Asta said, taking the sword back. "How'd you know that I don't have any magic? And about what my sword can do?"
"Well, ya know, that's an excellent question," Julius smiled. "Anyway, well done. You did a marvelous job out there. Much appreciated."
Asta began to sputter at not receiving an answer. "Can I maybe ask you something, Sir?"
"Sure, what is it?" Julius asked.
"I was...just...wondering," Asta said.
"How can I become the Wizard King?" Asta and Yuno both asked.
Julius laughed kindheartedly. "I see. So the two of you are looking to become the Wizard King, are you? Not surprising, given that you are Magic Knights."
"You two must realize how rude it is to ask a question like that so directly!" Klaus scolded. "Now listen. The Wizard King must be of noble heart and have the implicit trust of his peo-"
"No, Klaus," Julius interrupted him, suddenly seeming serious and somehow cold. "It's about results. A noble heart alone cannot protect anyone. And the trust of the people is earned, not granted. You want to know what you need to do to gain the title of Wizard King? Get results. Prove that you're the strongest. Do what it takes. Devote yourself to getting results. That's all there is. Anyone who's not capable of that cannot hope to stand at the summit."
"Exactly what I wanted to hear," Asta and Yuno both nodded.
Julius laughed. "Now I hope you're ready for something special, because today we've gathered those Knights with an exceptional number of stars for the Distinguished Service Ceremony."
"The Dis...what now?" Asta asked.
"The Distinguished Service Ceremony," Julius repeated. "We give awards and commendations to those who have performed extraordinarily well. I would appreciate it if you would join us for it."
"We'd be honored, Sir," Dane bowed.
"Right," Julius nodded. "But before that, please step forward, Dane."
Dane blinked in surprise before complying. Julius reached out, setting his hand on top of Dane's head and closing his eyes. For a moment, less than a single beat of his heart, Dane felt Julius's Magic invading him, searching, but then it retracted and he frowned.
"Interesting," Julius mused. "I was told that you have two types of Magic."
"Well, my normal magic is Earth-based," Dane said. "I can break anything I make contact with down to a molecular level, then reform it however I wish, even changing it into something else. But ever since I was young, I was also able to call upon the same spirits that my mother's magic allowed her to use. However, the spirits explained to me that that's only because they choose to allow me to."
"I see," Julius nodded. "May I see them?"
Dane nodded, extending his hand. "Ko, Nue, Fei, Goro."
As he named them, the spirits formed around him, Fei circling the tower slowly. Julius laughed appreciatively, smiling widely at them all.
"They're beautiful!" Julius smiled, then tilted his head at Goro. "Um...out of curiosity, what is this one?"
"I'm Goro," Goro introduced himself. "I'm more of a Supplemental Spirit. I can hold a lot of stuff, so I mostly just carry stuff when Dane needs me to."
"Oh!" Julius said. "You can talk! Can you all talk?"
"Only Goro," Dane said. "Well...Goro and my last spirit, but she's a bit...overbearing."
"Overbearing?" Julius asked. "May I meet her?"
Dane hesitated, then sighed, nodding and extending his hand again. "Raya."
Instantly, everyone had to shield their eyes as a blinding, golden light assaulted them from off to the side. They all carefully looked over, staring in awe at the spirit slowly drifting toward them and the flood of Magic Power radiating from her. Raya was humanoid, her entire body comprised of a brilliant golden light and shining with the radiance of the sun, making it hard to look directly at her, she had long, flowing, golden hair the, a pair of feathered wings formed of pure, golden light spread out to the sides and down from the back of her waist, light shone from around her head like a crown of sun rays, her arms were held down at her sides in a deific pose, and her entire, shining, golden body was bare of clothing. Instantly, Asta spun away, shouting something about Sister Lily as Mimosa and Noelle both shrieked in outrage, blushing profusely and covering their faces. The others, minus Dane, all stared at Raya. Then, as Raya reached the tower, the light dimmed to a soft glow as she lunged, hugging Dane to her breasts and squealing.
"It's been so long!" Raya gushed. "Oh, you've gotten so big! And your Magic power's so strong now! I'm so proud of you! We never talk anymore! Are you eating alright? Your hair's getting long, you really should get it cut. And what are you wearing? Dane, you look like a slob! And speaking of slobs, what did I tell you about being more careful where you stick you-"
"Raya!" Dane snapped, catching her by the shoulders to stop her from speaking. "You're naked!"
"What?" Raya asked, looking down. "Oh! Sorry!"
A blinding light shone from Raya again before fading, leaving her looking like a blonde human wearing a gold top consisting of a loop of cloth wrapping behind her neck and below her shoulder blades then crossed in front of her collar bones to form an "X" and cover most of her breasts, a pair of gold panties that had a pair of thin strings on the sides and a very thin section in the front and back but with a small cloth like part of a skirt falling from the top edge of the front and back for only slightly more modesty, gold shoes with two-inch heels, a gold armlet on each wrist with an armband around her biceps, and a gold collar around the bottom half of her neck.
"Better," Dane said.
"NO, IT'S NOT!" Noelle shrieked.
"Raya," Julius breathed, staring at Raya in wide-eyed disbelief. "The Spirit of Light? You're...but I...I can't..." he shook his head slowly. "It's truly an honor to meet you."
"Thank you," Raya smiled.
"You know her?" Dane frowned.
"Raya isn't just a spirit that your mother was able to control with her magic," Julius explained. "Actually, having seen her, I don't know if any of them are. Raya is the Spirit of Light, an elemental spirit who embodies Light Magic. It's said that ear spirit will choose only one Spirit Host, one wizard to serve, per era, and there has long been speculation that Light and Darkness Magic both had a Spirit like the four primary elements, but until now..." He shook his head again.
"Oh, Darkness Magic has a Spirit," Raya said dryly, then muttered. "Gloomy psychotic bitch."
Dane sighed, Julius grimacing.
"As I said, it's an honor to meet you," Julius bowed.
"It's an honor to meet you in person as well, Sir," Raya bowed.
Julius nodded, then straightened, looking between Raya and Dane. "So, you're the one keeping Dane alive, then?"
"Keeping me what?" Dane asked.
"I thought you might have noticed," Raya nodded, then grimaced, looking to Dane. "So...it's not quite as simple as 'we let you summon us,' after all. See...when you were born, you weren't very healthy, and after about a weak of healers struggling to keep you alive, you died. But your mother asked me to save you, so I...how do I put it...I sort of connected your Magic to my own. It saved you and I've been sustaining your lifeforce, allowing you to live normally, but as a side effect, you gained the ability to summon us spirits."
"So..." Dane frowned, closing his eyes as his mind reeled with this new information. "I'm dead?"
"You were," Raya said. "But you're alive now."
"So, he's a zombie!" Asta grinned after a moment of silence.
"No!" Raya snapped, chopping him on the top of his head. "Dane's not a zombie!" She spun, hugging him to her chest again. "He's a perfect angel who has a tendency to stick things where they don't belong, but that's alright. He's still perfect."
"Would you knock it off!" Dane said, blushing and forcing her to let him go. "Anyway, I can use different abilities by having these spirits, minus Goro, inhabit items like a sword or armor."
"I see," Julius nodded. "Fascinating." He nodded, then sighed. "As much as I would love the opportunity to speak to you at length, Lady Raya, I'm afraid we should get moving. It wouldn't do to be late for the Ceremony."
The others all nodded and Dane's spirits all vanished, though Raya managed to squeeze in a "Don't forget to brush your teeth and wash behind your ears and make sure you don't get her preg-" before Dane had made her vanish as well.
Julius laughed. "I see what you mean about being overbearing."
Dane sighed. "She's a lot. But apparently, she's also the sole reason I'm alive, so...That's going to take a lot of alcohol to adjust to."
"I don't doubt it," Yuno agreed.
"I can't believe you summoned such a shameless creature in front of the Wizard King!" Klaus finally snapped.
"Don't call her a creature," Dane warned coldly. "I've killed for less."
Klaus swallowed hard, but Dane turned, descending the tower without another word, and the others all followed in silence.
Dane smirked as Asta looked over at the nobles who were insulting him without even a feigned attempt at lowering their voices.
"Wow, you guys really don't pull your punches, huh?" Asta asked around a mouthful of food. "Eh, nothing I'm not used to."
"Enjoy the food, Asta," Dane said, ignoring the nobles entirely. "Worthless filth like them aren't worth attention."
"Excuse me?" Nozel Silva, captain of the Silver Eagle squad, snarled. "What did you call us?"
"Oh, so you're deaf?" Dane asked. "I suppose that fits. Filth doesn't typically have ears, after all."
"What are you doing!?" Klaus hissed. "Are you seriously trying to pick a fight with a squad captain!?"
"Why would I pick a fight with filth?" Dane asked. "That's stupid. If he's offended by my opinion of him, he should take a good long look in a mirror. He hasn't said a word, and yet his disgust at having to share a room with us is the loudest of all."
"You have some nerve," one of the Golden Dawn seniors who'd been awarded, a man with green hair swept back, scoffed. "Take a look at the filth you're with. A commoner with no magic and no manners and a commoner who barely managed to scrape his way into the Golden Dawn, and whose work has been subpar at best. And what about you, Klaus? A man of your caliber aught to be ashamed to be seen in the company of those commoners. As for you, Mimosa, I hear you were promptly wounded in the dungeon and removed yourself from the front lines. Your ineptitude is making royal House Vermillion a laughingstock."
"Shut your mouth," Dane snarled. "Firstly, Mimosa is a support wizard primarily, so she shouldn't even BE on the front lines. Secondly, she was wounded by someone almost as strong as a Squad Captain, so it's not her fault. And thirdly, if you don't shut your mouth, I'll turn it into an asshole, complete with shit coming out of it. At least then it'll fit your personality."
"Oh, that's right," the man said. "I almost forgot about you. A psychopath who goes on a murderous rampage every time he gets into a fight and who thinks he's too good to even use a Grimoire. You're the biggest failure of the entire group, and your very existence is a stain on the title of Magic Knight."
"I still hear you speaking," Dane noted, setting his plate down as everyone tensed, sensing his bloodlust. "I guess you really do want your mouth replaced by an asshole."
"Dane, stop!" Klaus snapped.
"Come, Alecdora," one of the Silvas said. "We all know who the most inept here is, and it's not poor little Mimosa." He walked over to stand behind Noelle. "Right, Noelle?" He poured his champagne over her head.
"Why, Solid?" Noelle asked. "Why would you do that?"
"And to your own sister!" Klaus added.
"You can't even control your magic properly," Solid scoffed. "Could there be any greater disgrace than you?"
"You were as good as banished from House Silva for being an abject failure," Noelle's older sister reminded her. "How dare you come waltzing back into the noble realm as if you belong?"
"Nebra, please stop this," Noelle pleaded in a small voice.
"You let a single success go to your head, and now you've come here to sully the Silva name with your presence," Nozel insulted.
"But...we were invited," Noelle said.
"This is no place for a pathetic creature like you," Nozel spat.
"Enough!" Dane snarled, turning and lunging for Nozel, hand extended, only for Klaus to catch him by the wrist.
"You do that, you die," Klaus warned him in a low voice, whispering into his ear. "You mentioned wanting to restore your mother's honor. This will ensure that can never happen."
"Wasn't killing our mother enough?" Nozel continued, undaunted by Dane's threat.
Klaus was immediately joined by Yuno and Mimosa, but as Noelle turned to run, Asta caught her arm.
"You don't need to run away from people like this, Noelle," Asta growled.
"But...I..." Noelle stared at him just as Asta jumped onto the table, ratling the dishes loudly.
"You were invited here by the Wizard King, so I figured you had to be pretty amazing," Asta snapped out at all of the assembled nobles. "But you're just like all the rest of them, aren't you!? Commoner! Rat! Disgrace! Failure! Do you think I care if I fit in with you people!? Watch, because I will-"
A flood of sand erupted around Asta, swarming around him and enclosing him.
"That's enough out of you, little rat!" Alecdora snapped. "We will not be spoken to in such a manner by your kind! Be quiet!"
Asta's new sword slashed through the sand, clearing it instantly. "Not a chance!"
"How dare you!?" Alecdora gasped.
"Now you better listen up, 'cause I wasn't done talking!" Asta snarled. "I'm gonna get results like no one has before! I'll do whatever it takes to become the Wizard King and prove you wrong!"
For a long moment, everyone stared in complete silence. Finally, Alecdora broke the silence.
"You, become the Wizard King?" Alecdora scoffed.
"A mere commoner?" Nebra scoffed.
Slowly, the nobles in the room began to laugh. Then, as one, Solid and Nebra both opened their Grimoires, sending a binding spell at him one after another, only for him to slash through them both.
"We'll take him," Alecdora decided, his own Grimoire opening once again. "Sand Creation Magic, Sand Armored Guard."
A massive knight formed from sand burst out of the ground below Asta, catching him in its arms, only for Dane's hand to touch its side. Instantly, the sand released Asta, flowing around Dane before exploding outward as a sea of steel fists.
"DIE! ! !" Dane roared over the thundering crashes of the fists exploding through the walls and floor of the building as they exploded into the hopelessly unprepared nobles, only Nozel able to defend against the attack.
As they all stood, all of them snarled in rage.
"Without even using his Grimoire?" Alecdora growled. "He really is a freak."
"Presumptuous bastard!" Solid snarled. "No more being gentle. Presumptuous trash like you need their lessons beaten into them!"
A mass of water began to spiral into existence above him, only for Dane to laugh.
"Again with the slow magic!" Dane smirked, flexing his hand in front of himself. A destructive wave of force exploded into Solid before he could utter a word, sending him exploding through what remained of the outer wall then cratering into the wall of the next building over.
Solid leapt back into the building, snarling angrily, only for Asta to step up beside Dane and promptly slam the flat of his larger blade into his chest, hurling him backward, while holding the smaller of the two swords out in front of him in his left hand.
"We're not done yet!" Asta snapped. "Now apologize!"
"You'll pay for striking back at me!" Solid roared. "This time I won't show any mercy!"
"Please stop, Solid!" Noelle pleaded. "You don't need to do this!"
Before either of them could continue, a sea of overpowering, suffocating Magic power began to shake the room, Nozel stalking forward in silence. Dane pushed himself up as the others all backed away.
"Nozel, what are you doing?" Solid demanded.
"Enough, Solid," Nozel said. "You shouldn't be so quick to use your magic against a mere commoner."
"He deserved it, though!" Solid defended himself.
"I said, enough," Nozel snapped. "Do you wish to sully the name of House Silva with your antics?" Nozel turned to Asta. "A commoner who dares to defy royalty. I wonder how I should punish you." He raised his hand, preparing himself.
"This has gone far enough!" a new voice snapped.
Nozel stopped, turning to stare at one of the two nobles Dane hadn't attacked. The members of the Crimson Lions. This one was the taller of the two, his long hand hanging behind him except for the bangs on the right side of his face, the captain of the Crimson Lions, Fuegoleon.
"What are you thinking, ganging up on a pair of youths like this?" he asked. "Where is your sense of honor?"
Asta stared at him, then turned to the other Crimson Lion, who had a mane of wild, unkempt hair and who was standing behind Asta, just as he laughed.
"It turns out that Mimosa was right," the second Crimson Lion said. "Oh yeah. You are one entertaining kid. And today is your lucky day, because I, Leopold Vermillion, have just made you my rival!" He laughed again, then looked to Dane. "And you're not bad. Your magic's strong. You can use attacks strong enough to rival even us more senior Magic Knights without even opening your Grimoire, and unlike most power attacks, they're lightning fast. Not bad at all. Now, what was your name again? Casta something?"
"No, Leopold, I told you, remember?" Mimosa whisper shouted. "It's Asta!"
"Asta, that's right!" Leopold laughed, patting Asta on the shoulder. "And a fine name it is, rival of mine!"
"I'm a little confused here," Asta said.
"Come on!" Leopold laughed. "What are you waiting for? This is cause for celebration! Now celebrate!"
"Um...woo-hoo?" Asta said unsurely.
Dane sighed, kneeling and placing his hands to the ground. Along the edges of the destroyed sections of the room, stone dragons extended out, collecting the debris and absorbing it before the room reformed, including the windows, leaving no evidence of there having ever been a fight, save for the crater in the building opposite the windows. He stood, glancing around before turning and returning to the only table his earlier attack hadn't cleared of food, sitting in one of the chairs and draining a glass of champagne before beginning to eat again.
"A royal has recognized a commoner as his rival?" Nozel asked. "Truly?"
"Remember Nozel," Fuegoleon said, "the Wizard King himself invited this young man to attend the ceremony. He is a commoner, but we can still extend him a measure of acceptance."
"I would never have expected to hear such nonsense being spouted by a royal," Nozel scoffed. "I'm sorry to see how soft House Vermillion has grown. You're a disgrace to the family, Fuegoleon."
"What did you say?" Fuegoleon snarled.
"As an eagle soaring the skies, how can I ever accept an insect crawling upon the ground?" Nozel asked.
"You know there are some insects that are large enough to prey on eagles, right?" Dane asked. "For example, there's a type of spider that includes eagles in its usual diet."
Both ignored them, the room beginning to shake as the two captains began to amass their mana against each other's. The windows began to crack, and Dane rolled his eyes.
"Wow, amazing," Asta grinned.
"Can you feel it?" Yuno asked.
"I may not be able to detect mana, but I can tell these guys are something else," Asta grinned.
Just as the brewing fight began to reach its breaking point, the doors burst open.
"Terrible news!" a Magic Knight in a pale blue robe shouted, only to stop, staring at the pair.
"What is it?" Fuegoleon demanded.
"Sir, the Royal Capital, it's under attack!" the wizard shouted.
Dane frowned, looking outside, and his eyes went wide. Smoke and flames raged outside, but they'd all been so focused on the commotion inside that they hadn't even noticed.
"Well, shit," Dane said. "Anyone care if I kill the attackers?"
"Kill them?" Nozel asked.
"Feel free," Charlotte, the Blue Rose squad captain, said. "I doubt anyone will miss them if they're enemies. Just don't kill the leader. Him we'll want to bring in alive."
"Sounds good," Dane nodded, draining one last glass of champagne before hurling his chair out the window.
"What'd you do that for!?" Klaus demanded.
"We're under attack," Dane shrugged. "Would you prefer I waste time running all the way to the front door? Fei."
He leapt out the window, landing on Fei's back, and Fei lifted into the air, flying toward the nearest screams.
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