Chapter 101: Volcanic Training Session
Disclaimer:
Hi guys! It's been a while since I've uploaded and that's because I was on holiday for a few weeks, but I'm back now and hope to keep updating this fic.
There's also some really cool news - This fanfic, The Light Mage's Curse - A Black Clover FanFic has an official TV Tropes page thanks to Warmachine375 :). Really amazing and I'm thankful for that which also means you can visit and add whatever you want to the page (Be sensible, please + No manga spoilers for anything further than what this fic is on).
There are references to events in past chapters to help with foreshadowing and whatnot. Here they are:
Chapter 46, 50, 52, 58, 81, 87, 98, 100.
With that said, I hope you enjoy!
"You three have come far since the day we first met".
Inside a part of the royal castle, the Wizard King was standing with the three new rookies in front of him. Lucas, Asta, and Yuno were bowing their heads to Julius after what he said.
"Thank you, Wizard King!" All three shouted.
"Merit comes above all when it's time to prove yourself to the rest, and with you three being such standout performers for the Magic Knights, you've definitely done that. Keep at it and who knows what could happen in the future?" Julius raised his shoulders towards his neck.
"You got more stars than me, Asta. I'll remember that and make sure I surpass you by the time the next Star Festival comes", Yuno smirked.
"Hey, your squad came first while mine came second. I'll make sure that changes by next year!" Asta raised his fists.
"You may have earned the most stars, Asta, and you may be the highest contributor in the squad, Yuno, but I'll surpass you both before you know it!" Lucas added, folding his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow at his two rivals.
With three smiles, they all said the same thing; "I'll become the Wizard King!"
Julius had stars in his eyes after seeing their determination. "I'll be looking forward to seeing how you progress. Your next test is the selection for the Royal Knights. Do not be arrogant as you'll meet plenty of strong Magic Knights", he said before clover-saluting.
The three returned the gesture. "Yes, Sir!"
The Wizard King then took his leave in one direction whereas the three rookies took another path. They didn't even need to get too far before they heard some commotion from just below their feet.
"Is that coming from downstairs?" Lucas asked.
"Sure is. I wonder what all that shouting is", Yuno replied.
The two looked around only to see that Asta had already made a dash towards the spiral staircase which led to the floor below. The two sighed but caught up in no time at all and saw that the swordsman was frozen.
"What's the matte-!" Lucas stopped as well.
"This is weir-!" Yuno's outcome was the same.
They were peeking towards what was happening and the thing that made them freeze was a flurry of three flaming punches that met the faces of some magic knights. Punch after punch, the trio paused and made sure they didn't make a sound, fearing that they may be next.
The one dealing the punches was the newly-announced captain of the Crimson Lion Kings, Mereoleona Vermillion. She stood high up on a platform, a red and orange aura surrounding her entire body. The flames she was generating were extremely hot which even made Lucas and the others sweat even considering their distance.
"The Crimson Lion Kings came fifth?! Explain yourselves or be burnt to ash!"
No response came from the rest of the squad that were kneeling a few feet away from her. They didn't dare to lock eyes with the madwoman as they didn't know if it could be their last ever moment.
"No reply?! Fine. I guess my younger brother raised a bunch of idiots. He goes to sleep and leaves me with this?! Hmph, sounds like he was a failure!"
The insult towards the former captain was enough for the squad to finally raise their heads. The one who shouted in response was someone that Asta was quite familiar with.
"Big brother is not a failure! He is a great captain and we can only hope to match what he's capable of!"
"Leopold? I haven't seen him since the zombie attack", Lucas thought to himself.
Asta put his finger to his cheek. "So she's Captain Fuegoleon's and Leo's older sister?"
"I mean it was quite obvious considering she has the same last name…", Yuno rolled his eyes.
"Damn it Fuegoleon, you moron! Your teachings didn't get through to this hopeless bunch at all which only means you're useless!"
Then, one after the other, the Crimson Lions stood up and defended their injured captain.
"You're wrong! Captain Fuegoleon taught us what it means to be a Magic Knight!"
"He suffers more than anyone but also works harder than everyone! He's the greatest example of a true Magic Knight!"
"I don't care what you say, sis, you will not speak badly about hi-!"
Mereleona put her strength into her right fist and punched Leopold square in the face. She then glared at each and every member of the squad, her eyes widening as the seconds passed.
She opened her mouth, her fang on the right side of the mouth in clear view. "You say all of this to me, but don't show it at all! You have to back up your talk with results… back it up with all you have! Show that captain that you have such high regard for the strength of a true lion!"
The new captain's passionate words were getting through to her squad. Each member was looking at one another, nodding, agreeing, and then eventually clover-saluting. Leopold got up after the punch with blood coming down his nose but he only focused on his sister with determination in his eyes.
"We'll make sure we live up to Captain Fuegoleon's expectations… and yours, Captain Mereoleona!"
A smile grew on the Vermillion's face but it was short-lived as her eyes darted to the right side of the room. She saw another member of her squad but this one was not as enthusiastic as the rest. In fact, she was just leaning against the wall, eyes closed.
"You, is there anything you have to say now that you're part of this squad?" Mereoleona asked, arms folded.
The one who was getting all the attention was none other than Rachel Kira. She was uninterested but she opened her right eye to glare at the other royal.
"Nope. I don't even want to be in this squad, Mereo", she yawned.
Leopold tilted his head and repeated the name out loud. "Mereo… Mereo… Wait a minute, Mereoleona?! That was a nickname?! Oooh, that's not g-!"
Slowly, the Crimson Lions' eyes landed on Mereoleona's face, but instead of seeing anger, rage, or disappointment, all they saw was a toothy smirk.
"Ho, I like the balls on you, girl!"
Rachel's other eye opened and she was confused. "H-Huh, that doesn't even make sense!"
"Ha, don't back down now, girl!" The captain's red aura came back and a large, flaming paw came out from it. It reached all the way to Rachel's head and grabbed her firmly, picking her up.
The Kira flailed her arms and legs but she couldn't escape from the fiery clutch. "L-Let go of me, right now! I'm part of the royal family, you know!"
Mereoleona dragged the royal towards her, head still clutched. "Is that so? I've been notified of your status and it doesn't seem like you're with them anymore. Perhaps you couldn't join the squad you wanted but now that you're here, I'll see that you work and learn what it means to be a Magic Knight!"
Rachel was speechless and no match for her captain. Her black eyes were wide with fear and all she could do was drop her head.
Meanwhile, hiding on the spiral staircase, the trio of rookies exchanged a few looks with each other. They didn't say anything as they were worried the crazy captain would attack them like she did her own squad.
Mereoleona started to walk, Rachel in tow, and the squad following behind her. She was about to take the exit but turned her head to the left to see the very three that were trying their best to not be spotted.
"The three top-performing rookies, I was wondering when I'd run into you", she said before three new flaming paws came out from behind, grabbing each by the head. "There's a place I want to take the squad to, and you'll come with me. Your display at the awards caught my attention", she said swiftly before carrying on her path.
"What?! I've gotta get back to Captain Yami and the others!" Asta screamed, trying his best to wriggle free.
"Oh, Yami, hm? That gives me an idea", she smirked.
Leopold rubbed his chin. "That look on her face… she has some plan for Asta's captain!" He ran to the front of the group and waved at the swordsman. "Hey there, rival!"
Lucas and Yuno were just as shocked as Asta was. They were planning to go back to their base but Mereoleona had thrown a spanner in the works.
"What should we do, Yuno?"
Yuno poker-faced. Unlike Lucas and Asta, he wasn't even trying to break free from the flaming paw. It looked like he was resigned to whatever was going to happen.
"Look, I know you can tell we can't break free from these… things. I guess we have to go through with whatever this is", Yuno sighed.
"I know you're quite calm at times but this is impressive…", Lucas replied. His eyes then met Rachel's but her only response to seeing Lucas was to hide her face.
"Urgh, I wanted to join the Golden Dawn because of him and now I'm here… How did this happen?!"
Just a few yards away from the royal castle, the sound of constant laughter was coming from a drinks bar to the side. Past the doors that had the sign 'closed for a private party', the captain of the Black Bulls was taking no prisoners with his teasing towards the others that he shared the room with.
"HAHAHAHA!" He bellowed as he took a big sip of his beer. "Wow, is it me or does this drink taste a bit salty? It must be your tears after you found out the Black Bulls were better than you this year!"
Jack and Nozel slammed their own drinks on the bar table and turned to face the second-placed captain.
"You've been dead last every single year till now. Don't get all cocky now that you fluked your way to second, idiot!"
"If you don't shut up I'll wipe that ugly smirk off your face, foreigner!"
Yami didn't pay any attention to what the two were saying as he was having way too much fun. "I wonder how it feels to be below the mighty Black Bulls, hahaha!"
Nozel's grimoire came up next to him. "I'll kill you right now - Mercury Magic: Silver Spea-!"
The Silva's spellcasting was interrupted by a drink being slid towards him from the bartender.
"Kind sir, please refrain from using spells inside this establishment. Here, for you".
He physically closed his grimoire and it floated back into his satchel. "I apologise", he said calmly before taking the complimentary drink.
Then, a fourth captain walked towards Yami and waved. It was Kaiser Granvorka and he put his right arm across the bar table, somewhat leaning against it. "That's right, Nozel, there's no need for violence. That said, Yami, you need to have some respect for the other squads".
"Hahaha!" Yami hiccuped. "I thought Nozel was the one with the odd hair but you're not too normal yourself, newbie!"
The captain of the Purple Orcas tensed up and his veins popped on the side of his head. "Maybe Nozel was right, I'll try to teach you a lesson", he said sternly before his grimoire opened to a page next to him.
Then, the familiar sound of a drink sliding across the table interrupted the confrontation. Kaiser looked back and saw the bartender giving him a drink.
"Kind sir, please refrain from using spells inside this establishment. Here, for you".
"Oh, please do excuse me", Kaiser nodded, taking the drink.
As the captains enjoyed their drinks with Yami still making fun of everyone, the doors burst open and Mereoleona appeared with Magic Knights in tow. "I could hear that pathetic laughter from where I was, there was no problem finding you".
Yami swivelled around on his seat and started laughing again. He saw five people dangling from her flaming paws and couldn't help but say how funny it was. "Yo, it looks like Sisgoleon captured some of her prey, hahaha!"
"Who the hell are you calling Sisgoleon?" Mereoleona asked, unimpressed.
"That's the way I remember your family. Your brother is Fuegoleon, that kid at the back is Lil Brogoleon", he said pointing at Leopold, who was also dangling. "Then you have to be Sisgoleon, c'mon, it's common sense".
Sisgoleon didn't react at all. Well, a part of her did as another flaming paw outstretched and grabbed the Dark Magic user by the head, bringing him in close.
"You want to talk, you can talk all you like when we get where I'm taking you all. Consider it as punishment for not showing up at the summit", she smirked.
Yami turned to his fellow captives. "Anyone have any idea what she's on about?"
Lucas and the others just shrugged. "No idea", they said in unison.
On the side of the room, there were two others who were sitting down but they weren't drinking. In fact, one was holding a bucket near the other's mouth.
"Sis, are you feeling better now?" Sol asked, slowly putting the bucket to the side.
Charlotte lifted her head from the table and slowly opened her eyes. "Urgh, I am never… drinking… ever again…", she burped. "I can't believe I missed the ceremony…".
As she rubbed her eyes, her focus fell on Yami in the clutches of the Crimson Lions' captain. "Ha, that's what you get for getting me so drunk…".
The Briar mage was about to rest her head once again but all she felt was a warm sensation. It wasn't relaxing, nor was it the feeling of the wood table. Instead, it was a flaming paw coming from Mereoleona. "You weren't at the ceremony earlier, Charlotte, that makes you and Yami two peas in a pod. You're coming as well".
Charlotte wasn't really focusing on the paw but the comment she made. "T-Two peas in a pod?!"
Sol then ran up to her captain and tried forcing the paw to open up. Instead, she was captured as well. "What is this?!"
"I like your fighting spirit, you come as well!"
At this point, the rest of the captains left the establishment. Nozel was first with Jack and Kaiser following suit. Once they had gone, someone else entered the bar, slowly peeking through the open doors.
"Phew, the coast is clear…", she said before looking only at Asta. "There you are, Bakasta, you have to say goodbye to Kiato and Kahono!"
Asta shrugged. "Um, I'm a bit busy at the moment".
"Nonsense!" She shouted before taking in her surroundings. She saw Lucas and then Yuno in the clutches of the fiery paws, lastly seeing Asta. She followed them to the origin and saw the captor and gulped. "Oh, hello, Lady Mereoleona, long time no see, well I'll be going then…", she said quickly before turning to leave only to feel something grab her head.
"Nice to see you, you'll come as well".
Following the sequence that had now started, another two Magic Knights appeared one after the other with Mereoleona capturing them as soon as they showed up.
Without taking the time to see who else was inside, the first person to talk was another Blue Rose Knight.
"I saw Noelle come in here so I thought I'd say bye… um…". Daisy came into view and the very first thing she saw was Mereoleona dangling multiple Magic Knights by their heads as if they were grapes on some vines. "I think… I stumbled onto something I shouldn't have".
"Correct. However… you come with me".
Then, the next one arrived.
"I wanted to talk to you about something, Daisy", Mimosa said as she walked in. Her right hand was up as if to wave. She was only expecting the Ice mage to be there, but once she saw what was happening she dropped her shoulders. "Oh, no…".
"And you'll be the last".
Mereoleona then turned around and started walking outside with a plethora of Magic Knights attached to her.
"Whatever this is has nothing to do with me!" Noelle struggled.
"Or me!" Mimosa agreed, trying her best to escape.
"Don't bother, you're stuck here", Rachel added.
"You?!" The two cousins were shocked to see the Spatial mage. She rolled her eyes and turned her face away from them.
The Lions' captain was walking through the streets to meet up with the rest of her squad. On the way, she passed someone sitting at a table to the side. No one really recognised him except for two of Mereoleona's captives.
"Oh, it's Aiden, hello", Lucas waved.
Daisy was silent even though she noticed him. The two clearly didn't get along so there was no need to talk.
"What the hell is happening?" He asked.
Mereoleona stopped and turned to face the Purple Orca. "You have Flame Magic? I can feel your mana, it's pretty powerful, you're coming as well", she said, doing the exact same thing she's done to 11 others.
"Um, Lucas, can you explain what's going on?" The black-haired mage asked, a bit worried.
"I'd love to tell you, but I don't know. She's captured all of us for some reason but won't say what for", he shrugged.
Mereoleona kept walking as she talked. "Oh, apologies for not telling you, but we're going to a hot springs training camp. I'm a new captain and I'd like to see what I'm working with".
"We're not even part of the Crimson Lions!" Sol pouted.
"That doesn't matter, we're all part of the same organisation", she replied.
Some were still confused but there were a few that focused on the answer that she gave them.
"Hot springs training camp…".
Asta pictured himself near some clean, warm water, surrounded by nature whilst he did some training to the side.
Noelle pictured herself with Asta, leaning against the wall of the hot springs, staring at his muscles.
Mimosa pictured herself with Lucas, both wearing swimsuits, similar to when she was with him in the Forbidden Forest.
"What are you guys thinking?" Lucas wondered, seeing their relaxed, yet rosy-red faces.
The Crimson Lion smirked as she saw the reactions of the few. "I go to this spot regularly as it helps with my training. Let's get going".
"We'll have a great time!"
"We'll have a great time, my ass!"
Literally everyone, not a single person, except Mereoleona and Leopold, thought otherwise at the sight they were seeing. They had arrived at this 'hot springs training camp', but it was anything but the relaxing scene that they had pictured.
"Hahaha, what a place this is!" Mereoleona walked forwards to take in the vast area.
Outstretching as far as the eye could see was the boiling hot scenery of an active volcano. There was flowing lava everywhere and molten boulders and rocks constantly spewing out from the large volcanic centre all the way at the top, landing into the boiling red pools down below.
All faces turned to Leopold. "Did you know she'd take us here, Leo?!"
Leopold put his thumb up and smiled toothily. "Of course, I did. I've heard stories of my sister coming here for some of her training but every time I asked to come with she'd say no. I had a feeling she'd finally take me since she was being all secretive about it!"
Yami grabbed the Flame mage's collar and held him up. "You brat, it would've been nice to let us know considering we asked multiple times".
Leopold wriggled around, eventually getting free once Yami loosened his grip. "It wouldn't have made a difference if I told you anyway. Once my sister's got a hold of you, there's no escape… You know how terrifying she is, she has no interest in the brigade yet is all-powerful since she's a beast of nature! If she were to fight she'd likely be stronger than my own brother. It's no wonder I didn't tell you, imagine going against someone like her!"
Noelle and Mimosa scratched their chins before reaching the same point. "Hang on a minute, she has a title, doesn't she?"
"Yes, she does. Mereoleona Vermillion is known as the Uncrowned Undefeated Lioness!"
Lucas gulped at the sound of the title. "Are we in trouble…?"
"I'm feeling some extremely strong mana here", Aiden pointed out.
Mereoleona returned to the group. "You would be correct. This place is called Yultim Volcano and it resides in a Grand Magic Zone which makes doing anything here particularly tough", she explained.
"Grand Magic Zone? Would it be similar to the Forbidden Forest then?" Mimosa asked Lucas and Yuno.
The crimson-clad captain homed in on the conversation, replying before the two. "Ah, the Forbidden Forest, that's a place I haven't heard of in a while. What you say is right, both places are in these magic zones. Well, that's enough chit-chat", she looked at the rest of the knights. "Time to head for the summit!"
Some of the Magic Knights were less than enthusiastic at the idea of climbing the volcano. Sweat was falling from their heads, their skin was getting dry, and their lips were starting to rip.
"If you reach the summit, there's a magnificent, revitalising hot spring waiting for you!" She added.
Leopold turned to Asta. "I'll race you to the top, Asta! Let this be a test to see if we're worthy rivals for each other!"
Asta had stars in his eyes. "I'd love to soak in that hot spring! I'll take you on!"
Daisy, Mimosa, and Noelle were standing together with worried looks on their faces which only turned to awkward smiles once their eyes met.
"My affinity with this place is not the best…", Daisy said as she tried generating a bit of ice from her palm only for it to melt immediately.
"Yeah, you can say that again…", Mimosa did the same and saw her small plant on the floor burn away.
"Um, mine is the opposite but that doesn't mean I'm any less worried…", Noelle added, generating some water with her wand only for it to turn into steam once it hit the floor.
Aiden crouched down to the floor and put his right hand just above, feeling out the mana in the area. "This place works well with my magic, I think I'll be able to do something", he said.
"Your Flame Magic feels different to mine, I'd like to see it up close. I'm expecting some good things from you", the crimson captain replied.
Lucas was busy contemplating the task at hand, repeatedly tapping his finger on his cheek. "This seems like quite the long task. I could transform but I can only last about 30 seconds. It's an improvement since the time Melody helped out but it's still not enoug-".
"All of you, quit dawdling and go!"
His train of thought was interrupted by Mereoleona pushing a handful of Magic Knights with her flaming fists, forcing them to start tackling the trail. Many of them were shouting out their battle cries but it was in vain as they could only manage to move a few metres in front before giving into the harsh environment's influence.
"M-My throat is closing up…", Lucas held himself but was struggling.
"Me t-too…". Noelle put her hands to her knees but blasted a few of the Magic Knights with her water, alleviating their pain momentarily.
"Thanks f-for that, but we can't rely on you this wh-whole… w-way…", he replied. "What do we d-!" He was interrupted again but this time it was because of a pair of purple and blue flashes flying past him.
"Captain Yami and Captain Charlotte!" The respective Black Bulls and Blue Roses pointed, seeing their captains rush ahead with no problem.
The two were dodging the incoming molten rocks and traversing the rocky environment with ease. It looked like the harsh mana had no effect on the two as they were moving with no problem.
"I was planning to drink till the morning but now that I'm here I should get this over with. Besides, if I don't then Sisgoleon will kill me", Yami thought.
"You better not slow me down, Yami. You already forced me to drink so I'll just leave you in the dust right behind me", Charlotte said calmly. She used her briars to tie some flying debris together, destroying and moving it out of the way.
"Ha, it seems you've sobered up. Maybe you can act as an example to the others", Yami laughed whilst slashing the obstacles in front of him with his katana.
"That's impressive, no wonder Sis can do something so cool!" Sol cheered.
"Captain Yami too, but how are they doing that?" Noelle asked.
"They're using a technique called Mana Skin", Aiden said as he walked forwards, his body starting to glow a dark-red colour until it was coated with it.
"What's that?" Asta asked.
Aiden continued. "It's one of the first things that mages learn to do. It acts as a protective barrier and boosts your physical abilities when you fight. Most of us have used it unconsciously but it's recommended that you train and learn to use it at will".
Lucas turned to Yuno after recognising the term. "Wait, isn't Mana Skin the thing you did against Rhya?"
"Yeah, I was just thinking about that, but I'm pretty sure I used it before fighting him as well", the Wind mage replied, thinking back to the Temple of Valchronos.
A coating of mana surrounded Yuno which eased the burden of the water pressure around him. He could now breathe a bit easier since this mana-like barrier protected him, but this ability was very incomplete. There were still problems with its protection as water still kept coming through the barrier.
"Hm, an ability that is incomplete? Maybe I can master it some other time, but right now I need to protect those two!"
That was when the same sensation happened with Yuno that happened prior in the fight against the Guardian. A thick, yet incomplete coating of mana surrounded the Wind mage giving him a boost in power as well as a backbone for defence.
"Mana Skin?" Rhya mentioned, looking intrigued. "It looks incomplete so that means he's a rookie".
"Mana Skin?" Yuno repeated, not knowing what it was. "I don't know what this is but if it gives me a boost then I'll gladly welcome it!"
"Well, I'll be off", Aiden waved before making his way through the trail.
"I'm going now, Asta! Even though this is a race, the squad and I need to prove ourselves to my sister. Don't take too long!" Leopold coated himself in red mana and rushed forwards, the rest of the Crimson Lions right beside him.
"Captain Charlotte taught me this technique and I use it often, but in a place like this…?" Daisy thought before getting a pat from Sol.
"What are you thinking about? You usually act first instead of worrying about whatever, c'mon!" Sol advanced, a brown coating of mana forming around her.
Daisy shook her head. "Ha, you're right!" She clapped her hands and an ice-cool barrier surrounded her body. "I'll see you guys at the top!"
"She said her affinity's bad with this place but she's going for it. I can't stay here, I have to get stronger and this is just one obstacle on that path!" Mimosa watched as the Ice mage got further away from her but she was calm. She took a deep breath and moved her fingers around.
From the tips of her fingers, she started to form her own protective coating of mana around her. It was light-green and as she completed the technique, she opened her eyes. She felt cool and the heat of the environment wasn't bothering her as much anymore.
"Phew, that feels better but I have to be careful. I'm not sure what this place has in store for me, so… I'll be on my way!"
The only ones left were Lucas, Asta, Yuno, Noelle and Rachel. The royal was off to the side and struggling to stand up. She had no idea what to do and her baggy clothes were making her experience even worse.
Yuno had no problem though. He closed his eyes and then opened them after a second, having a complete Mana Skin around him.
"I didn't know the name of the technique, but I have been using and practising with it daily since the Forgotten Forest, and now… I've fully completed it. Let's go, Bell", he said calmly before lifting himself up in the air with his wind. "See you at the top, Asta, Lucas", he said before soaring off.
Noelle was struggling the most out of everyone who was using Mana Skin. She was trying her best but could only put up a lesser version of the technique which had holes in the protective coating. "This is all I can do right now. It takes a lot of fine control which I'm bad at". She looked at all of the Magic Knights in front of her getting smaller as the distance between her and them increased. "I need to stop moaning… One step at a time…!" She slowly trudged forwards, blue mana around her.
"Man, look at everyone getting a hand of that cool Mana Skin thing!" Asta turned towards Lucas who was already in the middle of transforming.
"Breathe in… and out, use Ki and increase the flow of my Time mana…", he told himself before blue mana escaped his body from the right side. His scars turned blue and a singular fang came down from the right side of his mouth towards the bottom of his chin.
"It's that thing again, the… creepy transformation!" Rachel thought.
Mereoleona crossed her arms. "Hm, this is interesting".
Slowly, the Dual Blades showed up with the right blade coming out from the side of his right arm with the left blade through the middle of his back, extending itself into a blue wing towards the right. He opened his blue eyes with the right one glowing brightly.
"I can't stay for long, so see you two up there!" Right before flying towards the summit, he realised two things with one of them worrying him more than the other.
"Wait, Asta doesn't have mana, and Rachel, well, she's a total newbie! I don't doubt Asta's abilities and have belief he'll make it up there, especially through that power of his, but I'm not sure about her…", he stopped before turning to the Spatial mage. "Do you need some help?"
Rachel furrowed her brow, choosing not to respond.
Lucas looked at Mereoleona who just jerked her thumb behind her. "Go, now, I'll deal with these", she said.
The Dual mage didn't need any more telling as he waved and flew ahead, his wing flapping in the air as he did, and leaving a trail of blue mana. However, as he did, Asta's grimoire let out a black spark which he noted.
"Hm?" Asta took out his grimoire but before he could try and make sense of what he saw, Mereoleona grabbed him and Rachel, bringing the two in front of her.
"You two can head back", she said firmly.
After a few seconds, Asta fell to his knees, only using his arms to keep his body somewhat up. Rachel was indifferent, however. Although she was struggling as well, she was happy to be given permission to leave this place.
"Bye then", she waved. Right before she was about to teleport herself away, her captain said something which grabbed her attention.
"You wanted to be a Magic Knight on that summit, but because you didn't get what you wanted you're going to give up? Life is full of ups and downs, but strength comes from persevering. If you don't understand that, then I don't want someone as fickle as that as part of my squad".
Rachel's magic subsided and she dropped her arms to her hips. "I do want to be a Magic Knight but with the Golden Dawn".
"You think that squad would want to deal with an obnoxious troublemaker like you? There's one good thing about the Crimson Lion Kings and that's the fact this squad can deal with big personalities. I'll make you into a true Magic Knight, one that can prove even your family wrong. You deal with this today and then we'll speak", she turned around, leaving her focus only on Asta.
Rachel was left speechless, no one outside of her family had ever spoken to her like that before. She was thinking about the words her captain said to her. "Proving my family wrong… I don't particularly care for that but I do want to be strong. If I can get strength...", she pictured Richard and the king in her head. "Okay, fine, I'll suffer through this for now". She looked towards the volcano trail and thought about how to progress.
Meanwhile, the Vermillion addressed Asta again. "You have no magic so you can't climb this mountain. One of the three rookies who was on that stage, and you're the only one who can't move forward, I'm a bit disappointed".
Asta raised his head as sweat fell from his face to the floor. "Having no magic hasn't stopped me… in a long time! I'll move forward and join everyone else at the summit!"
"What can you possibly do? Is luck the reason for your previous exploits? If so, then it'll only get you so far before you reach something too hard to handle".
Asta brought out his Demon-Dweller sword and slashed downwards, panting afterwards. "Argh, I can't cut the heat since it's not magic!"
"Most Magic Knights that I've come across have their limits and it looks like you've met yours. If luck isn't the reason for your successes, then what was it? Was it your swords, was it your teammates, or was it something else entirely?! If you don't even know yourself, then what hope do you have of moving on?!"
Mereoleona then kept walking, leaving Asta behind her. She didn't stop, but she heard what the magicless swordsman had to say.
"My dream… is to become the Wizard King. I'll surpass my limits, right here and now, and reach the top! The reason I came this far is for that dream… My swords, my teammates, and I… all of it is the reason I'm here and no way in hell am I backing down now!"
The crimson-clad captain chuckled. "Then show me what you've got!"
After she left, Asta was left on his own, faltering from the extreme heats that his body was trying to endure. The Anti-mage paced back and forth before he reached a conclusion.
"Lucas had the right idea. If I want to get to the top, I'll have to use that thing again", he thought back to his transformation back at the Witches' Forest. "But how do I do it?!"
The swordsman clutched at his head, trying to brainstorm a few ideas. "Back then, I was pretty much about to die to Ladros and that's when it happened", he looked ahead before a wicked thought crossed his head. "If I'm about to die, then there's a chance I'll become that, but… I can't risk that!"
As he racked through his head to find any hint, the words that Mereoleona said came to mind.
"If you don't even know yourself, then what hope do you have of moving on?!"
Asta looked at the Demon-Dweller in his left hand. "Do I just… not understand that power? Let's go through a few things - first thing's first, I can use my words because I have no magic. I can also use Ki which helps in battle by detecting enemies… wait!"
Asta closed his eyes and used Ki, not on something else but on himself for the first time ever. He created a mental image of his own body and it showed him a few things.
"I knew it, instead of using it to detect changes in others, I can use it to detect changes in myself! Right now, I see energy - Ki, but I also see… some blackish stuff coming in from the sword. That form had a lot of that black energy, but its flow right now is too slow. Do I need to increase it somehow?"
Asta moved his sword in multiple different ways. "How would I do that? Maybe I should… add the amount of places where this black energy seeps in from. Would that be like a river, no, a ring!" He lifted the sword with his left hand and placed his free hand on the flat side of the blade. "Now the black energy is coming in from two places… yes, that's it, increase this flow…!"
After a few seconds of doing this, he transformed.
"Haha, yes, I did it! Now to catch up to the rest…!" Before Asta could even think of flying, his own body did it for him and he started to fly up towards the top of the volcano.
Lucas was en route to the top with his transformation kicking in. He easily passed a few of the Crimson Lion Kings that were straggling behind.
"What the hell was that in the air?" One Crimson Lion said to the other.
"I think the heat's getting to us. We saw someone flying and now we're seeing… um, a blue streak in the air?"
"We have to get past this and relax in that hot spring, my mind is playing tricks on me!"
The Time mage made it almost a quarter of the way through before the control on his new form started to falter. His flight path became jagged before opting to land on a large platform on the side of the volcano itself.
"Shit, shit, shit… that was 30 seconds already?" Lucas wiped the sweat from his forehead. He tried transforming again but was only met with a momentary change before reverting back to normal. "Yeah, that's not going to work…".
The volcano spat out some more flaming objects which landed on the same platform as Lucas. However, instead of being the boulders that it usually spewed, they were different. Slowly, the mysterious objects opened themselves up and Lucas saw what they actually were.
"Woah, are they… birds… made out of lava?!" Lucas said before remembering the snake that guarded the Forbidden Forest. "Makes sense… That snake acted as a guard, maybe these things are doing the same".
The birds were more like large eagles, their feathers made purely out of red-hot fire. They let out a screech which saw lava fall from the inside of their black beaks, landing on the floor
Both went for the mage from either side with the left side racing forwards, using its beak as the focal point of attack whilst the other one shot flames from its feathers from a distance.
"Both are attacking me, I'll slow things down first!" Lucas jumped backwards, and pointed his right arm towards the one charging at him. "Time Magic: Heaven's Time!" A grey colour warped around the enemy, slowing him down for a few seconds before a blue beam came forth from above to destroy the enemy, creating a small crater right below it.
However, the remaining eagle was already on the move once the beam shot out. It cried out and increased the amount of flaming feathers it fired, leaving Lucas no time to react.
"Light Reinforcement Magic: Flashing Armour Ritua-!" Lucas paused just before fully summoning his spell as he noticed something. "Hang on... Mana Skin is a coating of mana used to protect yourself, this spell is used in the same wa-!"
"Flame Magic: Apollo's Burst!" A large sphere of gushing flames crashed down from overhead, wiping out the enemy in an instant. The attack's flames were much stronger than the eagle's with the spell's easily overpowering it.
Lucas recognised the attack but before he could say anything the source of the spell spoke first.
"You'll get hurt if you just stop like that! Be glad that I got here, but... I saw that magic you used from a distance, so, you're the one with Time Magic? I've heard rumours about a mage with two attributes but never thought it'd be you".
"Hey, Aiden", Lucas waved and walked over. "Aha, yeah, it's me. I guess a lot more people have found out, but… I don't mind", he shrugged.
"How come you hid that part of yo-", Aiden began to ask but another set of cries from overhead interrupted their brief conversation.
Looking up, the volcano had spewed out two more eagles and they both landed right in front of Lucas and Aiden and screeched, making their ears vibrate in pain.
"Ooh, that kills…", Aiden shook his head before his grimoire came up to his side. "Let's deal with these things first. Flame Magic: Crimson Wide Slash!" He raised his arms and whipped them back before quickly moving them forwards, releasing blades of red-hot fire that cut one of the eagles in two, killing it instantly.
"He's so strong!" Lucas thought before shaking his head. It was his turn to deal with the other eagle and was about to shoot out some Light Magic before the enemy took to the skies and charged at him.
"Watch out!" Aiden shouted.
Lucas raised his head and the eagle was mere inches away from his face as it led with its flaming talons. The mage just braced for impact before the Purple Orca reacted in time. He opened his eyes and saw that he had already smashed the eagle into the floor with another Apollo's Burst.
"Th-Thanks…".
"Why aren't you using Mana Skin? Wait, how did you even get up here without it?" Aiden asked, confused.
"I've got this transformation that allows me to fly quickly, but it only lasts 30 seconds. I thought I could reach the top before it came undone but I was wrong…". Lucas transformed once more but it went away just as quickly.
"That's certainly… something. I've never heard of anything like that before". Aiden was impressed at the transformation for the second he saw it for. "Well, since you can't use it, why don't you use Mana Skin? It doesn't take that much effort to activate".
"I thought I could rely on what I knew, but it looks like that isn't the case. I wanted to practise with it a bit more, if I'm being honest ".
"You can never have too much up your sleeve, Lucas. Besides, Mana Skin is a very basic technique, if you can't use your transformation, then relying on something else is much better", Aiden explained.
"Yeah, that's true". Lucas paused for a second before concentrating his mana around him. "Is it just… this?"
After he felt his mana, he used it as a coating around his body. The blue and yellow colours mixed and entwined with one another giving him the ability to use the technique. Once he was using it, the bodies of the two defeated eagles started to move again for some reason.
The two eagles that Aiden just killed were in two pieces each, but each half of the two were moving together and eventually joined as one, creating a stitch through the middle of the two bodies.
"Woah, they just… combined?" Lucas was intrigued at what he saw but took a few steps back as he didn't know what to expect.
"You want to take this on together? It'll be your first time utilising Mana Skin in a battle, so let's see how you do". Aiden put the idea forward and Lucas nodded.
The single flaming eagle flew backwards to create some distance and then started to divebomb towards the two mages. It was much faster than the few eagles before and, along with the speed it now had, it shot out more of its fiery feathers in a circular strike.
"Remember that Mana Skin is essentially basic reinforcement meaning that your defensive capabilities are much stronger than without it. You could tank the attacks, but that probably wouldn't be too smart. Maybe you can rely on some of your magic that's more physical-oriented?" Aiden suggested a few ideas to try and help Lucas with how to apply it.
"I was right, so, it is a bit like my spell; Flashing Armour Ritual, but it takes less time and mana to activate. I have an idea on how to deal with this then, but first…", Lucas took another step backwards to create a gap and signalled Aiden. "Slow it down for a second, please, and I'll put everything I have into trying this out!"
The Purple Orca smiled before slamming his foot down just a second before the eagle reached the floor. "Flame Magic: Hell's Heatwave!" The impact his stomp created caused a wave of flames to rise, slowing the eagle's momentum.
This was enough for Lucas to act as he swung his left arm forwards. "Light Creation Magic: Energy Whips!" He tied the eagle together, bringing it even closer and then used another spell to attack. "Angelic Strike!" He rolled his left hand into a fist and punched the enemy down into the ground, completely shattering it.
"Good job, see, Mana Skin aids your physical strength as well as protects you from outside forces. It's quite a versatile technique". Aiden put his thumb up to Lucas who returned the gesture.
"It's quite useful. Well, shall we get going again?" He ran ahead, jumping on various platforms on the side of the volcano, leaving Aiden behind him. "Or shall we make this a race?"
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Don't get cocky now!" He said before jumping after him.
The two increased their pace but the Dual mage stopped in place as he felt a bit… odd. His mind went back to the Witches' Forest, but he didn't know why. That was when his grimoire let out a lone, blue spark.
Lucas felt chills and he looked around, eventually finding the source. It was like a black shooting star soaring through the skies, and it was coming closer and closer but flew right past him. "So, he figured it out, huh?" He thought before focusing on his grimoire again.
Out of all the emotions he could have displayed, the one that came out was of unease. He pictured his own transformation in his head and then went back to what he saw in the sky. He felt something similar but couldn't put his finger on what it was straight away. What he did do is make a decision about something else.
"I've made up my mind about this…", he brought his spellbook close to him.
Elsewhere across the trail, a golem made out of lava and the surrounding rocks was in the way of a few Magic Knights. The powerful mana around the area had given this combination the ability to move around and attack.
"Earth Creation Magic: Raging Mother Goddess!" Sol was sitting on top of her large, brown golem that was charging ahead to attack a different golem in front.
Although the Earth mage could go for a battle of physical prowess to test herself, she wasn't alone and her partner backed her up with a spell of her own.
"Ice Magic: Shard Barrage!" Several clusters of ice surrounded the earth golem in a circle, constantly rotating around it.
As the two golems neared each other, the ice shot first which made the lava golem lose its balance. The shards targeted each limb until the golem was on its knees and its arms had lost all their strength.
"Go for it, Sol!" Daisy shouted, earning a cheer from the recent beauty pageant champion.
"Attack!" Sol pointed and her golem followed. It reeled both of its arms back and then punched with full power, breaking the golem into hundreds of pieces.
"You've gotten stronger!" Daisy praised Sol whilst she jumped down from her spell and got rid of it.
"Says you, your magic is even more lethal than it was before! I would not want to be on the receiving end of those shards… brrr!" Sol put her hands on her arms, pretending to shiver.
As Daisy's grimoire started to close and come back to her satchel, she noticed a spell on one of the pages that she had only used once since unlocking it a few months ago. She tried to ignore it but it stayed on her mind. "Fenrir's Blizzard… It's there for me to use, but…", she thought about the Haines house crest which was the symbol of the wolf and gulped. "Well, whatever…".
As the two Blue Roses continued on their path, they saw a flash of white light above them which subsequently summoned a bout of screaming from it.
"Is that…",
"A person?!"
"Ice Magic: Frozen Storm!" Despite the heat of the environment beginning to take its toll, Daisy managed to create a slide out of her solidified ice which the person landed on and slid down on.
"Sol was the next to act as she jumped in the air with the help of her Raging Mother Goddess. She grabbed the person in her arms and saw who it was.
Coming back to where her fellow Blue Rose was, Sol set the person down and it was none other than Rachel who had a very faint, white glow around her body.
"Th-Thanks…", she nodded before standing up again. "This Mana Skin thing is tough…".
"You gave us quite the fright". Daisy blew air out her mouth, relaxing her shoulders. "Mana Skin doesn't just pop you up in the air though, was that your magic?"
Rachel nodded. "Yeah, Spatial Magic. I'm new to all of this so I didn't know what to do. I thought I'd just teleport myself the whole way to the top, but I didn't realise how much this place messes with your mana…".
Daisy conjured up some ice which melted in her hand quickly. "If I'm not using a spell or not concentrating to the max then my magic ends up like this despite using Mana Skin, so I guess we're in the same boat".
"Hey, wanna join us on the way to the top?" Sol offered.
Rachel shook her head. "I have to prove to Mereoleona that I am strong by myself, so I'll have to refuse".
The Ice mage put her hands to her hips and pouted. "Working together is a sign of strength as well, you know? It seems like you're a new Magic Knight, why don't you let us help?"
"If you're worried about people still thinking that you're not strong, we'll let you run ahead of us before we reach the top. Make them think you got there by yourself", Sol winked.
Rachel folded her arms and swallowed her pride for once. "That… might be something I'll take you up on".
"Flame Magic: Spiral Flames!" Leopold shot out an intense stream of flames from both hands towards the enemy in front, though it didn't do much to trouble it.
"Come on, Leopold, I thought you were stronger than that". Noelle seemed disappointed at her fellow royal's attack and was met with his own disappointed look towards her.
"Noelle, shouldn't you be the one dealing with something like this? You use Water Magic, you should have an advantage against this golem!"
"Oh, shut up, it's taking pretty much all I have to concentrate on Mana Skin!"
A few metres away from the two, the rest of the Crimson Lion Kings were tackling another golem but the monsters were proving too difficult for the Magic Knights right now.
"I have an idea, if you don't mind". Mimosa raised her hand, catching up to the two in front of her. Even though her mana control was exceptional, her Mana Skin was faltering due to the intensity of the Grand Magic Zone. "I just barely made it…".
"Let's hear it, cousin of mine! If we can't make it past this soon, then how can we prove ourselves to my sister?!" Leo pumped his fists and was eager to find a way through.
"Even though these golems are strong, they're not smart. They're just objects given life through the mana in the area, so we'll take advantage of that fact", she suggested.
"What do you mean?" Noelle asked, panting.
"Leo and I will attack from the sides. Noelle, you'll deal the final blow, alright?"
"H-Huh, wait, I'm not sure if I can d-!" The Water mage's words fell on deaf ears as the two already started moving. All Mimosa did was give a little look at the Black Bull and put her thumb up. "Well, it's not like I haven't gotten a bit stronger over these last few months…".
Whilst Noelle prepared herself, the other two figured out a plan to stop the golem from moving. Mimosa's grimoire opened to the side and she conjured a spell.
"Plant Magic: Magic Control Grass!" She said as she threw a few seeds on the ground before summoning another spell. "Plant Creation Magic: Magic Control Vines!" She pointed her arms towards the golem and dark-green vines shot out and wrapped themselves around the golem. "This spell is similar to Lucas's Energy Whips, funny how that turned out".
Leopold smiled. "Wow, you added a few spells to your grimoire since the last time I saw you! Anyway, it's my turn!" Leopold's grimoire came to his side and he unleashed a barrage of attacks from the side. "Flame Magic: Spiral Flames!"
The golem was trapped in place thanks to Mimosa and was taking the force from Leopold. However, due to the affinity mismatch between it and the Plant mage, it broke free within seconds and started to tank the Flame Magic.
"Yeah, I knew I couldn't hold it in place with something weak against it, but it did give me enough time for my other spell to activate!" A few paces away where Mimosa threw her first spell, vines started sprouting and breaking free from the ground.
"Her spell activation time is much shorter now", Noelle realised as she saw her Magic Control Grass come up from the floor.
The vines that sprouted took control of the debris around the floor and did two things with it. First, it created some obstacles on the golem's path and then it threw some right at the golem's face, enraging it and causing it to charge.
Leopold smirked as things were going to plan. "Flame Magic: Sol Linea!" A small, light-blue orb formed in front of him and a piercing laser shot out from the middle, creating a hole through its charging body. He repeated this multiple times to damage it which also made it slow down.
Coupled with the obstacles on the floor, along with the barrage of attacks from Leopold, Noelle had her chance to deal the finishing blow. She stood strong whilst her grimoire came to her. Pointing her wand at the golem, she summoned her attack spell.
"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Roar!" The head of a massive dragon formed at the tip of the wand and quickly rushed forwards to engulf the golem, biting through it with ease. It quickly turned into a haze due to the water and the enemy deactivated, its body turning to pieces as it hit the floor.
Mimosa and Leopold ran to Noelle and raised their hands. "Good job!"
Noelle high-fived them. "Thanks for creating the opportunity for me".
"No problem, you've been getting stronger so it's only right to show that off", Mimosa smiled.
"You too, that quick thinking with your two spells worked really well. Despite the disadvantage, you didn't let that bring you down". Noelle complimented.
The rest of the Crimson Lions were still having a hard time but their worries were immediately lifted by a pitch-black streak flying overhead. The trio that defeated the golem focused their attention on what it was, or rather who it was.
"Asta?!" They shouted, shocked to see what he looked like before he ripped through the golem that was troubling the others.
"One-Horn Bull Thrust!" Asta declared as he defeated the mana monster.
Leopold was the first to call out to him. "Hahaha, it looks like you've unlocked a new technique, my rival. That black aura around you… I'll call you Black Asta!"
The sinister energy that was flowing, coupled with the horn and fang would make anyone wary of him. Noelle thought back to the Witches' Forest. "It's the same as back then, but this time…".
"Sorry, can't talk!" Asta screamed before directing his attention in front. "The reason I couldn't stop and talk is… I don't know how to stop myself!"
He kept flying upwards, passing until he saw Yuno in the distance, flying with his Wind Magic and Mana Skin activated. Asta came close enough to his foster brother and shouted his name.
"Looks like I caught up to you!"
Yuno turned around, shocked to see Asta in what looked like something out of a horror book.
"That horn, and that fang… doesn't it remind you of Lucas?" Bell said.
"Yeah, kind of now that you mention it. Without magic, he still surprises me", Yuno praised but kept his voice low so that he couldn't hear. "Anyway, this was a race", he raised his voice. "Asta, let's see who gets there first!"
"You're on!" Asta replied, still flying in a singular direction. "I'd love to be able to control this properly, but… how do I do that?!"
The two were flying side-by-side with one showcasing much more control than the other. Yuno turned his head and smirked. "Seems like you haven't got the flying part down, huh?"
"Sh-Shut up!" Asta screamed.
Eventually the two reached the top of the volcano where a pool of bubbling lava awaited them. Right in the middle, on a small platform on the red lake, stood the captain of the Crimson Lion Kings.
"Ha, it looks like you finally made it up here", she smirked before igniting herself with her overflowing mana. It was far from Mana Skin, instead it was just her showing off her insane magic.
As this happened, Asta's flight path changed direction and he started to head towards her. It was like he was drawn to her with his abrupt change.
"Her mana - she's… pulling me in!" Asta tried moving out of the way but it was useless, he was going to hit Mereoleona with his sword. "Watch out, Captain Mereoleona, you might get hurt!"
Mereoleona laughed. "Me?" She smirked again, as she increased the output of her violent mana. "You fool, as if you could ever hurt me! Among us lions, the females are the ones who hunt! Don't think you'll be able to target me!"
The crimson captain disappeared in a flash, quickly reappearing right behind Asta. By the time the swordsman's body turned around to face her, he was already met with a fierce attack to the face.
"Flame Magic: Calidos Brachium!" Flames surrounded her right fist before it met the demonic mage's face, sending him straight for the inner wall of the volcano.
Asta's transformation came undone and he just rested in the dent that his body made. "Urgh, she's definitely… Captain Fuegoleon's sister…".
After landing back on the platform, the crazed lioness then looked back to where Asta flew in from as she heard some voices. "Now, let's see who's earned the right to soak in the hot springs!"
NOTES:
We're into the hundreds now! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
The Yultim Volcano is here and we get to see some of our mages in action. It's been a while since Aiden has been here and I wanted him more involved in this story.
Also, I'm a bit confused as to what to do with the Black Bull side of this fic. I understand that Black Clover focuses on that squad, but this specific fic revolves around Lucas's side of the journey where I focus on the Golden Dawn and some of the other squads.
I want to include more about the Black Bulls since they're still a big part of this fic, but not too much as to hog the 'screentime' from Lucas and the others. Urgh, I'm not too sure on what to do.
I could always add the Black Bulls' development which would make the chapter lengths and the amount of chapters longer, but I'm not 100% on that either. Let me know if you have some advice.