Chapter 1: Winter is Coming
-Tallahassee, Florida-
It was early evening in the capital city of Florida, and two men were heading home.
The first man looked to be about 24 and was around 5'3" and looked to be of Italian descent, with brown hair, eyes, olive skin and an average build, who was dressed in a pair of olive 5.11 cargo pants, brown leather short boots, a brown "Press Pause I'm Making Tea" T-Shirt, and a green over shirt. He also wore a pair of black Hemingway glasses and had a crystal pendant around his neck that looked similar to a Stasis crystal, had a Celtic knot shamrock pocket watch in his pocket, and a Spanish doubloon ring on his right finger, his class ring.
The second was standing tall at 6'4" looked to be of German descent and had brown eyes behind a pair of glasses, short black hair, and caucasian skin. As far as attire went, he was wearing a short sleeved green shirt, black shorts with green digital patterns on the side and a pair of black shoes. He also had a cat pendant around his neck.
"Remind me again why you suggested we go across town again?" The taller man, Joshua, asked.
"Because the place we wanted to eat at didn't do delivery, that's why." The shorter man, Calvin, replied. "Trust me, if I'd known a way for us to get it delivered to your apartment, I'd have placed the order and just hopped over to your place as it arrived." He added.
"Could've done without the walk, honestly." Joshua grunted as the two crossed a street… Before they heard a truck honking, causing them to turn and see an out of control truck speeding at them.
"...Oh fuck all kinds of duck." Were the last words the two had before being hit.
….
(Elsewhere)
-Hage Village, Clover Kingdom-
In the remote village of Hage, in the Forsaken Realm of the Clover Kingdom, one Father Orsi Orfai was going about his usual duties after putting the two young infants Asta and Yuno to bed—when he heard another duo of crying babes in the distance.
The man had been running the church for years, so he knew that sound quite well.
"Oh my, another pair? Poor things…" He hummed as he went to look for the sources.
As he followed the sound, he soon came upon the source.
It was a pair of Houses just outside the Village borders, homes of two of Hage's more private families, the Kestis family and Lynch family—and the two buildings seemed to be ransacked, if not abandoned outright.
And inside, were the two families' only children so far as he knew.
The children in question looked like they were freshly born, barely swaddled in clothes and very much not having a good time.
"Oh no…" The elderly priest sighed. "I don't know where your families vanished, but I'll take you both in." He told them, even if they couldn't understand him.
Picking the little ones up, he proceeded to head back to the church, where he'd be sure to make them feel safe.
Though little did he know that the two infants in his arms were far from normal…
(Timeskip)
Fast forward eighteen years later…
"Is it just me, or does the universe really have a twisted sense of humor?" None other than Calvin—now with the last name Kestis—said as he leaned against the church's side wall.
The boy was basically the same in terms of appearance, but now no longer had his pendant, ring, and was wearing a simpler pair of glasses.
He was also dressed in simpler clothes. A white shirt, black pants, a dark blue jacket with a fur lined hood. And also now a much more robustly built frame.
"It is not just you." Joshua said dryly as he sharpened some arrowheads.
He was dressed in a simple set of clothes consisting of a black shirt, a black jacket with a fur lined hood, dark green pants and a pair of fur lined boots. He also had a bow and quiver next to him, indicating that he was a hunter.
"Fucking Truck-kun's real! Can you believe this shit?!" The bespectacled teen questioned incredulously.
"I didn't expect that asshole to actually show up and punch our tickets either." Joshua shrugged as he finished sharpening one arrow and moved on to another. "But hey, at least we can fuck around with the worst of the worst here now." He added with a chuckle.
Joshua and Calvin were kids in this world when they realized what had happened to them. When it sank in, they were glad they were away from prying ears when they yelled out "SON OF A MOTHERFUCKER, I HAVE TO GO THROUGH PUBERTY AGAIN!"
They weren't happy about that. At all.
Plus, they couldn't see their old families anymore in their previous lives. So here they were, living an Isekai plot in Black Clover.
With that in mind, they opted to take up jobs for the Church their caretaker ran, Joshua choosing to be a hunter when he was old enough. He was actually good at it, bringing back either fish or game of all sorts.
"If that's the case, then I'm gonna love tearing the nobles a new one." Calvin said, a blue crystal forming in his hand.
This was his magic: Stasis Magic, which was essentially the very concept of absolute control and subjugation in elemental form, taking the shape of unrelenting ice and oppressive cold.
"Save some for me." Joshua chuckled as he formed a grenade made of energy in his hand for a moment.
This was his own magic: Void Magic, the energy of the shadows themselves given form. At his command, he could hunt anyone and anything, and he wouldn't be so easily found.
"SISTER LILYYYYYY!" A voice screamed in the near distance.
"Aw shit, here we go again…" Calvin groaned as he facepalmed.
"He never learns…" The taller teen muttered as he went back to sharpening his arrows.
"Well, Imma head out." The bespectacled teen sighed as he got up from the wall he was leaning against.
"Where're you going?" Josh questioned.
"I'm just about done with the finishing touches on my Magi-Tool." Calvin replied.
"Nice. Let me know how that turns out." The hunter of Hage nodded.
(Elsewhere)
Humming, Calvin continued working on what looked like a sort of Grenade Launcher that had been made by him, essentially reverse engineering modern technology and filling in gaps with magic.
In terms of appearance, it looked similar to the Salvation's Grip grenade launcher.
"Two years of tireless effort. Let's hope you work." He mused as he picked it up.
With a tap of the side, the machine hummed to life, an ominous blue glow emanating from it as icy mist poured out.
One projectile blasted as he pulled the trigger, and seconds later Stasis Ice erupted from the targeted area.
"Aw yeah, it works!" He whooped with a smile.
Just as he said this, Asta, a short blonde about the same age as him (eighteen) with green eyes and an equally robust build came out to the same spot.
"Yo, what up, Asta?" The boy questioned as he faced the shorter teen.
"It's time for us to get our grimoires, Calvin! Come on!" Asta exclaimed.
"Hold up." Calvin told him. "I'm not sure if you're gonna get a Grimoire. Not with the fact that you got zero mana." The teen pointed out.
"Hey, I can still try!" The blonde retorted.
"… Sure, but I still don't think you'll get one." The boy pointed out. "Not a normal one, at least." He mused, sitting down on a stump and setting his weapon down.
"What do you mean?" Asta questioned with a confused frown.
"Sit down and I'll tell you." Calvin instructed.
Asta was seriously confused, and wondered what Calvin was talking about. Deciding to try and see what was up, he sat down and listened.
"Okay, as you know, Grimoires in this country typically have the humble Clover on them. Hence the name Clover Kingdom." Calvin began. "And, these clovers tend to have three leaves, which represent three values we hold dear: Integrity, Hope and Love." He continued.
"Yeah, and the fourth is for luck, represented in how lucky you have to be to be so strong that you get a four leaf Grimoire." Asta nodded.
"Bingo." The bespectacled teenager nodded. "But, what most people don't know is that there's actually a third type of Grimoire. The five leaf Grimoire." He explained. "These Grimoires are typically super evil due to them only being created by mages who fall into despair and evil—but that also makes them very powerful." He continued.
"What makes you think I'll be able to even make one?" The blonde questioned.
"Not make one, that idea's pretty much impossible since you have no mana at all." Calvin responded. "However, finding one of your own is another deal entirely." He explained.
"What do you mean?" Asta asked.
"You know the demon that the First Wizard King killed? The one whose skeleton we're sitting in as we speak?" The teen questioned, jabbing a thumb at the bones around them.
"Kinda hard not to." The boy nodded in response.
"Well, when father Orsi would send me out to the various villages for errands, I'd typically snag books from local bookstores and libraries and in one village, I happened to find this small journal that was written by someone who knew the Wizard King." Calvin explained. "According to the journal the demon used to be a mage, a friend of the Wizard King in fact, who turned himself into a Demon in a desperate attempt to stop something from taking over his body." He continued. "And after the battle—this mage's Grimoire disappeared." He added.
"Disappeared? It didn't disintegrate when he died?" Asta blinked, recalling that upon the death of a wizard, their grimoire always disintegrated.
"Apparently those rules don't apply to Five Leaf Grimoires." Calvin shrugged. "And I heard tell from other journals I found here and there that there was a type of magic in that Grimoire that could nullify, absorb, seal and even destroy other magics. Anti magic if you will." He continued.
"What, you think I could find it?" The blonde questioned skeptically.
"I mean, if the thing destroys all the mana it comes in contact with, then it wouldn't exactly be safe for someone with mana to use, now would it?" The brunette questioned.
"Yeah, but I have no idea where to look, and I doubt it's in the skeleton." Asta pointed out.
"Well, Grimoires tend to find those most suited for them. So maybe you shouldn't go to it." The bespectacled teenager hummed. "And instead let it come to you." He added.
"Yeah, I guess…" Asta sighed before perking up. "Maybe after that happens, Sister Lily will finally go out with me!" He exclaimed confidently, causing Calvin to facepalm.
"Dude, nuns can't and don't get married…" The slightly taller teen groaned. "They choose not to, you're literally barking up the wrong tree." He added.
Asta didn't seem to listen to him, though, much to Calvin's further exasperation.
(Elsewhere)
Joshua, meanwhile, was in the process of trying to hunt down a deer that he'd been trying to nail for the past month.
The deer in question was a truly gorgeous stag that looked like it came straight out of the woods of the goddess Artemis, and he really wanted its Snow White pelt and large antlers for his wall.
Not to mention the meat would keep them fed for months.
'Where are you…?' He thought, trying to look for signs of his target.
Then, there it was, that same stag came into his line of sight from his tree perch—right into his line of fire.
'Got you.' He thought, notching an arrow as he took a breath.. Before letting the arrow fly.
Thankfully, luck favored him for once, and his arrow stuck true, finding home in the head of his target.
"Finally!" He grinned as he got down from his perch and walked up to his target. "You really gave me the slip for this past month. Well done." He told the dead animal before he removed the arrow and picked it up, making his way back to the church.
(Later)
After getting the stag skinned and dressed, Josh then broke it up into pieces and put it in the church's cool cellar that Calvin kept perpetually cold with a Stasis powered generator—before heading off to the Grimoire hall.
Along the way, he ran into a familiar boy with short black hair, caucasian skin and green eyes that was dressed in black clothes like him. This was Yuno.
"I saw that stag, you finally got him?" Yuno asked as Josh tossed a sack containing the hide and some salt to cure it into the cellar as they left.
"Now all we need to do is cook it." Josh nodded as they walked together in silence. "So, I know we don't usually talk all that much, but I gotta ask: why are you always such an ass to Asta? You guys were practically fused at the hip when we were little." He noted.
Of course he knew from what he saw from the show what the general stuff was, but the specifics were not among that.
"Because I'm trying to motivate him to get stronger." Yuno replied.
"… Dude, that's fucking asinine." The taller teen stated with a deadpan expression. "There are better ways of doing that rather than being an asshole." He added.
"Like what?" The wind user questioned.
"How about training alongside him and helping him wherever you can?" The hunter responded. "I mean, that's what Cal and I do and we're doing just fine." He added.
"If by fine you mean acting like an old married couple, then sure." Yuno nodded with a small smile.
"Oh shove it up your ass." Joshua retorted, flipping him off.
After a few minutes of walking, the two arrived at the Grimoire tower where a lot of others were eager to get their own grimoires too.
Calvin and Asta were also there.
In the clover kingdom people typically got their Grimoires at age 18, so now that the four boys were that age, that's exactly what they were doing.
Asta wasn't exactly expecting to get a Grimoire per say, but if what Calvin said about the Anti-Magic Grimoire was true, what better place to start looking for it than at the Grimoire tower?
"The shadows are calling for me." Joshua mused as he looked up at the shelves of the tower.
"Winter's coming, boys. And I'm gonna be the one to bring it." Calvin grinned, his breath drifting out as an icy wisp.
After a while, the wizard in charge of the tower welcomed everyone and after a speech, grimoires started flying off the shelves and heading to their new owners.
Seconds later, three drifted towards Calvin, Josh and Yuno.
The one that drifted to Josh was glowing a deep purple, almost like it was plucked from the void of space itself. When he caught it, he saw that it had the familiar swirl of the void he was so acquainted with from Destiny on the cover, with a gold three leaf clover button at the center of the swirl.
Calvin's, meanwhile, was a dark almost black and sinister blue color, and seemed to radiate an unyielding, almost oppressive coldness from it that caused everyone near him to shiver as he took it into his hand, the Stasis symbol and three leaf clover appearing on the front as he let out a deep cold breath, Stasis crystals fluttering in the air around him.
Yuno, meanwhile, ended up getting himself a gold and green four leaf clover grimoire, much to everyone's shock.
Asta… Got nothing, much to his dismay.
"Well… I guess that Grimoire isn't here after all." Asta muttered as he let out a sigh before turning to leave, Calvin watching him as he went.
'Just give it a minute…' He thought to himself as he and the others left as well.
Then the most unexpected thing happened.
The second Asta walked out of the door, a black grimoire with a five leaf clover swooped down and hovered in front of him, cloaked in a demonic aura.
"What the-?" Asta uttered.
"… It's early." Josh whispered.
"Shh, they don't know that." Calvin hissed.
Their whispers went unheard, thankfully, as Asta took a hold of the lost grimoire of the demon that the First Wizard King killed.
"… Aw yeah!" He grinned.
(Later)
It was later on and while Josh was headed back to the Church, Asta and Yuno headed off together elsewhere and Calvin… He was standing in a secluded area while three of the other teens who got their Grimoires, nobles he guessed, surrounded him.
"And what's the matter with you three? Upset that your dicks are too small?" He jeered.
"You insolent little pest! How dare you steal the spotlight from your betters!" One of them snarled.
"Betters? Pfft, bitch please." The boy scoffed, his Grimoire floating in front of him as he suddenly started becoming encased in paracausal ice.
"Did he seriously just freeze himself?!" One of the others laughed before Calvin burst out, his right fist encased in ice—and his fists forming into ice gauntlets.
"From the darkness strike!" The boy grinned as he struck the first noble before he could even get to his Grimoire with a melee blow to the ground, freezing him and the other three in place. "Everyone knows I abandoned the light." He growled, delivering powerful punches to them, shattering the ices and sending them flying, before he slammed his fist down again. "From the arctic blight, I turned my back on the things that were right." He intoned as he punched them again—sending them flying and collapsing the wall behind them.
As the ground and wall shattered into crystalline fragments, Calvin let out a cold breath of mist as he stood over the nobles, before raising his boot, and stomped the leader.
And he did so, over, and over, and over again for about a minute, before walking away, hands in his jacket pockets.
"Arrogant little bastards…" He scoffed.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, Joshua had a similar situation unfolding; he had three nobles cornering him as well.
Or rather… They were trying to.
Joshua had given them the slip and was stalking them from the shadows, but he purposely left a trail for them to follow. The nobles, in their arrogance, believed that he was sloppy in covering his trail.
Poor bastards…
'I am the wolf… I am the shadow…' The hunter thought as he set up the ambush point for his would-be targets and waited for them to get into position.
The second they were…
"Void Magic: Night Shot." He intoned as his night bow appeared before he shot an arrow at them—tethering them to each other—causing them all to start panicking like a bunch of spooked chickens. "And now I take my leave." He nodded as he leapt away.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, with Asta and Yuno, the two boys were also being attacked, but this time by a Thief with chain magic who managed to restrain Yuno—but Asta dodged.
"Okay, Anti Magic—time to see what you can do!" He exclaimed as his Grimoire opened and a massive sword came out of it.
"What? What is that?!" The Thief questioned.
"Like I'd tell you!" The boy yelled as he lunged forward with the speed of his enhanced body and slammed his sword into the man's body.
Unprepared for the attack, the thief was sent flying into a wall, knocking the wind from his lungs.
"And stay down!" Asta called as he stood over his opponent and rested his sword on his shoulder.
"Well… That was unexpected." Yuno remarked as he gathered himself. "Looks like you saved me again, Asta." He smiled.
Asta just turned around and smiled at him. "Well yeah. That's what brothers do, right?" He smiled.
"... Yeah… Right." The wind mage chuckled as the two shared a bro-fist.
(Timeskip)
A few weeks passed and now the boys were busy traveling for the Magic Knight exam, and in order to give Asta a better chance than he did in the original show—Calvin decided to give him ideas for how to improve his Anti-Magic usage in order to have the best chance he could.
Josh was there too because, why not? He wasn't opposed to helping.
"Okay so you obviously won't be able to use Mana sensing like the rest of us." Joshua stated. "So, how about instead, you try something else?" He asked.
"Like what?" Asta asked.
"Try focusing all your senses into noticing things that your eyes can't." The taller teen replied.
"By doing that, you should be able to sense your anti magic and channel it through your body like it were mana—and sense your opponents too." Calvin added.
"Hm… Maybe…" Asta muttered as he tried to focus on his anti-magic by holding either end of his sword and closing his eyes, allowing his senses to conjure an image of the magic in his mind. 'Okay, now move.' He thought, causing the magic to do exactly that, and causing a black and red aura to surround him.
Seconds later he opened his eyes and then he let go of his sword—and it started floating!
"Whoa." Josh uttered.
"I managed to get it to listen to me." Asta nodded.
"Nice, now you have a way to both fly and do ranged attacks—by flying on your sword and throwing the damn thing." Calvin chuckled.
"That should make the exam easier." Yuno nodded as he got back to them after looking for some food.
"Oh hey, Yuno." Joshua nodded as they continued their trek to the capital.
"Just think guys, soon we'll be arriving at the capital!" Asta grinned.
"Already thinking about it." The brunette nodded as they kept going.
(Timeskip)
After a long and arduous journey, the boy's finally reached the Capital city, and needless to say, it was a far cry from Hage village, that was for sure.
"Well, let's see what we're dealing with, why don't we?" Joshua hummed as he started walking toward the capital.
As they passed stalls and stores, Calvin stopped at one where he saw a watch like the one he had in his previous life.
"How much?" He asked.
"Three hundred." The shopkeeper replied, causing the teen to drop one of the bags he snagged from the nobles he clobbered.
"I'll take it." He stated.
Joshua, meanwhile, was walking before he heard something he hadn't heard since he was reborn in this world.
A cat's meow.
"That's…" He uttered before going to the source in an alleyway, finding a kitten that was desperately looking for food. "Oh no… You poor thing…" He sighed sadly as he picked the little kitten up.
When he got a good look at it, his heart nearly stopped.
The kitten had the same features as his old cat, River, in his past life; a turtleback pattern in his fur, white underbelly fur and green eyes that were now looking at him with caution, hope, and… was that recognition? Was this a reincarnation of River himself?!
"… River?" He uttered, which got him a mew in response as the cat licked his nose, curling into his neck and purring.
Joshua couldn't stop the tears that escaped his eyes as a genuine smile formed on his face while he hugged his pet close. He thought he'd never get anything from his old life back, but a part of it literally followed him.
That brought him considerable elation.
"Aw, you sure do look hungry, huh little guy?" Asta said as he pulled something from his satchel, it was a box with some leftover fish that was kept fresh with a Stasis crystal. "Here you go." He smiled.
River gleefully accepted the fish, gobbling away at it in the comfort of Joshua's arms.
"I'm keeping him." Joshua said in a no negotiations tone.
"Alright with me." Calvin shrugged, not noticing the similarities between the cat and his friend's previous pet due to him looking at his new watch.
Yuno only nodded, not seeing an issue.
(Later)
Now the boys were getting their Grimoires checked before they entered.
And right off the bat—Calvin's nearly caused the mage checking them to lose a hand to Stasis induced absolute zero frostbite due to how cold the damn thing was.
This was a defense mechanism for anyone trying to steal it.
When the clerk examined Joshua's, he spaced out like he was in a trance and Joshua had to take his grimoire back to snap him out of it.
That was his grimoire's defense: forcing someone to basically zone out until Joshua took the tome back.
Asta's and Yuno's went without incident—allowing them to enter the main arena—where the first thing they were met with was a bunch of Anti-Birds.
"Oh jeez…" The hunter sighed as he swatted the two birds that came to him away… Only for them to ignore that in favor of settling on his shoulders.
He decided not to try and get rid of them, finding them cute.
Calvin, meanwhile, didn't have very many anti birds near him—as his cold aura scared them away—except for one who didn't peck at or annoy him.
In fact, it just nestled itself inside his jacket, cuddling into his chest like a nest.
"Go ahead and get comfy little guy. I'm fine with you sticking around." He chuckled.
Yuno had no anti-birds around him, but Asta… Yeah, he had a whole-ass flock.
"Fucking hell, Asta!" Calvin chuckled, before he saw one start pulling at Asta's chin—which caused him to burst into a laughing fit like Ed the Hyena.
As Joshua watched Asta start running around like a chicken with its head cut off, he found himself snickering in amusement… Which stopped when he saw him run into Yami.
"… Welp, he's dead." Calvin nodded.
"Yep." Josh nodded as they turned around and noped the heck outta there.
(Later)
After that fiasco, the other captains arrived.
The boys tuned out the explanation of the tests since they already knew it, so they took the brooms offered to them by William Vangence before they lifted off the ground rather easily.
Josh for example was riding side saddle and Calvin was riding his like a Skimmer from Destiny.
Asta, deciding to forego the brooms since he couldn't make them fly, decided to follow the latter's lead—but instead used his sword.
Yes, he was surfing on his sword.
This caught the eye of some of the captains.
"Is that boy using his sword for flight?" Jack of the Green Preying Mantis Squad hummed with interest.
"That's… Rather unorthodox." William mused.
"Perhaps he prefers it for comfort's sake?" Rill, captain of the Aqua Deer, suggested.
"Some idea of comfort he's got…" Yami chuckled.
(Later)
Next was the magic attack test.
"Stasis Magic: Behemoth Javelin!" Calvin intoned as he formed an ice spear and hurled it at the provided wall—piercing it and causing it to explode into fractals of paracausal ice.
"Void Magic: Shadow Shot!" Joshua intoned, firing a trio of arrows in three separate volleys.
Asta, meanwhile, just took out his sword again, and hurled it like a hammer through, causing it to cleave through the wall—before calling it back to his hand.
"Hey! It worked!" He beamed.
Yuno simply sent a tornado at his wall, obliterating it.
"Well, we certainly have some powerhouses this year." Poizat, The Purple Orcas captain, mused.
"Seems that way." Nozel Silva, Captain of the Silver Eagles, hummed, noting that Calvin was giving him an unnaturally cold stare… before he flipped him off.
Dorothy Unsworth, the Coral Peacock captain, hummed as she continued sleeping, though unbeknownst to most of the others she was pondering about Joshua.
(Later)
Next was the Magic control test, which was essentially target practice.
"Stasis magic: Shatter Grenade!" Calvin called as a grenade formed in his palm and he hurled it, causing it to shatter and freeze several targets—which shattered again when he slammed his fists together.
"Void Magic: Tether Shot!" Joshua intoned before shooting an arrow at a cluster of targets that turned into a tether vortex on impact and tore the dummies apart.
Asta meanwhile…
"Here we go!" He yelled as he hurled his sword at the targets and had it fly at an arc, slicing several apart before flying back to his hand seconds later. "Alright! That's two in a row!" He beamed.
"Okay, that kid is creative." Yami noted, spotting Asta's versatility. "Seems he's not so much a one trick pony as he is working with the hand he was dealt." He nodded.
"Fair point. I can respect that." Fuegoleon, Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings, nodded.
(Later)
Lastly for the basic tests was creation magic, and so far, this was the one test Asta wasn't doing well on with his sword.
Calvin, meanwhile…
"Here goes!" He exclaimed as he slammed his Glacial Gauntlet into the ground—causing it to erupt upwards until it shaped itself into a crystalline cathedral looking structure.
Joshua, on the other hand…
"Alright, let's get creative!" He grinned, creating a vortex of Void Magic in his hands that he spent a few moments manipulating before letting it float in front of him… Causing it to take the form of a wolf, which howled to the air.
"Show offs!" Asta barked, causing Yuno to chuckle.
(Later)
Now it was time for the final test of the exam…
"You will now be engaging in a show of combat by pairing with a fellow examinee." William told them. "The fights will continue until one of you surrenders or is unable to continue." He explained.
"We have recovery mages on standby so don't be afraid to go all out." Fuegoleon nodded.
"Finally, I can cut loose!" Calvin grinned eagerly, his icy cold aura radiating all over the place, causing the ground to crack in response as it froze around him.
"... Should we tell him to cool it?" Yuno asked.
"Uh, I think he's already cooling it…" Asta muttered.
"We all know that'll have the opposite effect, Yuno." Josh deadpanned in reply.
"You have spirit, commoner." A voice said, causing the boys to turn around and see a noble dressed in red and white clothing approaching them.
The noble in question was a tall and handsome young man in his early 20's with short blond hair and dark blue eyes.
His outfit consisted of a burgundy blazer with gold embroidery on the right with matching pants and black dress shoes. Underneath his open blazer is a white dress shirt that is not fully buttoned (just one button short), giving a slight view to his chest.
"Who the fuck are you supposed to be? Some kind of theater reject?" Calvin questioned, his breath percolating out in thick clouds of cold mist, causing those near him to shiver.
"Hmph. Let's see you keep that bravado after the fight." The noble scoffed. "As for who I am, I am Riser Phoenix, of the Phoenix family." He told him.
"Cool. Didn't ask, don't care." The Stasis user stated, arms folded. "So, you wanna fight, or are you just here to flap your gums? Cuz I ain't got all day." He questioned.
"I just wanted to see what kind of competition I'll be having, and so far, only one of you seems to be worth my attention." Riser replied arrogantly.
"Tsk. Let me guess, I'm not on that list cuz my magic is ice-like, right?" Calvin questioned.
"My phoenix flame magic would be a poor match for you." Riser nodded.
"Then you're not as smart as you think you are." The bespectacled teen stated. "My magic isn't just "ice" it's Stasis, which is a Darkness adjacent power that's the crystalline embodiment of the aspect of absolute control." He explained, his tone as cold as the air around him. "Or in simple terms: it's basically the idea of oppression given a shape." He amended.
"You think you can oppress me? Ha! I'd like to see you try!" Riser laughed before walking off.
"... You're gonna cave his shit in, right?" Joshua asked after a beat passed.
"Oh yeah." Calvin nodded in reply.
(Later)
A minute passed and the two young men were now facing each other, their Grimoires floating up to them.
"I'll burn you to ash in seconds." Riser sneered. "Phoenix Magic: Aurelian Celestial Burning Blaze!" He called as a massive wave of gold fire spread towards Calvin.
"Ya know, if your spells had less words there'd be a greater impact." The boy stated. "Stasis Magic: Glacial Quake." He said as he became his Behemoth state again and stopped on the ground, creating a wave of paracausal ice that neutralized the flames and then crashed into his opponent, freezing him solid.
"His ice actually froze the fire?" Rill questioned.
"Nah, it's more like the mana of his magic controlled the mana of that Riser kid's magic, making it stop and then pushing it back." Yami countered.
"Impressive indeed." Fuegoleon nodded, liking the implications.
"Such oppressive cold…" Nozel hummed. 'I suppose that explanation wasn't just all talk.' He thought to himself.
Breathing a puff of mist, the bespectacled teen readied himself before he leapt into the air and crashed with a slamming fist on the ice that Riser was frozen in, shattering it and sending him flying into a wall—before he closed the distance again and started beating Riser over and over again with his ice encased fists, the older man's flame recovery magic healing him, but really only serving to make the brunette punch him even harder.
"I–will–just–keep–healing!" Riser grunted between punches.
"And I'll keep letting my fists fly!" Calvin snapped as he decked the noble in the face. "It doesn't matter to me, I'll beat you until you're begging me to stop." He growled before he started stomping on the man, the rate of his healing getting lesser and lesser.
After a few minutes, the rate stopped altogether and Riser's face was black and blue. Needless to say, Yami liked Calvin's style.
"Kid doesn't take prisoners, that's pretty ruthless." The man noted as Calvin grabbed Riser by the face and slammed him into the ground one last time for good measure, causing the Black Bull captain to wince. "Yep. He's not gonna be getting up anytime soon." He muttered.
"Kekeke, he'll definitely fit in with my squad." Jack grinned in appreciation.
"Such cold ruthlessness, I've never seen that from someone of that age." Fuegoleon muttered.
(Later)
After Calvin bodied Riser, it was Joshua's turn to fight, and he was fighting some random noble that he knew wasn't worth remembering.
"Okay, let's get this over with." The Void Magic user sighed, getting to the point as his grimoire floated next to him.
"Aw don't be so cross." The noble replied in a rather affable tone. "You should be proud of yourself. You did quite well for yourself in the exam, all things considered." He stated.
"Yeah… But I don't like letting shit get to my head." Joshua shrugged nonchalantly.
"Ah, humility. That's an admirable trait, very fitting for a Magic Knight hopeful." The noble nodded. "Now before we start, I'd like to introduce myself, as a show of manners." He stated. "My name is Avarice Fullmetal, and you are?" He asked.
"Joshua Lynch." The boy replied before he conjured a void grenade. "Void Magic: Miasma Grenade!" He barked, throwing the grenade down and causing a mist to erupt, blinding his opponent as he rushed into it.
"What the–?" Avarice uttered as he tried to clear his vision and fight back. "Gold Creation Magic: Golden Magnum Cannonball!" He exclaimed as a sphere surrounded him.
"Too late! Void Magic: Nightstalker's Scythe!" The teen called as he appeared again, invisible, before a scythe of void energy was seen—before he cleaved the sphere in half with a single stroke.
'Impressive.' Dorothy hummed mentally with interest.
One stroke more and the hunter sent the noble flying, crashing into the wall across the arena.
Twirling his scythe, he stood tall and gave the Captains a look that conveyed just how little he cared about what they thought, before dispersing his weapon and walking away.
(Later)
Yuno and Asta's fights were pretty straightforward, both flattered their opponents in a matter of seconds, and they all stood tall about it.
Now, as the matches winded down along with the sun, it was time for the results to be presented.
"Now that the tests are over, it's time for your results." William told them.
"If a Captain wants you, he or she will raise a hand and you may join them. You may of course also decline." Charolette continued. "If more than one wants you, you may choose the one you'd prefer." She amended.
"However, if no captain chooses you, you will not become a Magic Night." Fuegoleon stated.
"In which case you must leave at once." Nozel concluded.
"Tsk, bitch, does it look like I give a damn?" Calvin muttered to himself.
"Well, whatever happens, happens." Joshua mused in a laid back tone.
Then the selection began, and for a good while, a lot of the hopefuls got rejected by the captains with a few getting accepted here and there. Not everyone was meant to be a Magic Knight.
"Next, number 162." The announcer stated, prompting Calvin to step forward, the boy's icy glare as hard and unmoving as a glacier in the ice age.
After a moment, several hands rose up: the hands raised were from Fuegoleon, Jack, Yami, and—most surprisingly—Nozel and William.
"Whoa! That guy was chosen by that many captains?!" One of the examinees exclaimed.
"Hm…" Calvin hummed as he mulled over his options. He wasn't fond of the Nobles, especially the Silvas (sans Noelle), so the Silver Eagles were definitely out. The others though… There was only really one that appealed to him. "Preying Mantises? Nah. Black Bulls? No, I probably wouldn't fit in. Golden Dawn? Tempting, but no. Silver Eagle? Fuck no. So I guess that means…" He hummed before trailing off. "I'll join the Crimson Lion Kings." He declared.
"Welcome aboard, then." Fuegoleon nodded.
The other captains had… Varying reactions.
"Hmph. It is of no consequence. A commoner's lack of discernment is hardly surprising. The Silver Eagles require only the finest, a standard you clearly fail to meet." Nozel huffed with a haughty sniff. 'Good riddance. He was clearly beneath us anyway. I would have never accepted him, unique magic or not.' He scoffed mentally.
Jack, meanwhile, gave an almost unsettling grin. "Heh. Suit yourself. More prey for me then! I'll just have to find someone else to cut up." He chuckled.
"Eh, whatever. More room for the rest of my crew. Just means more weirdos for us to find. You do you, kid." Yami nodded with a nonchalant shrug, puffing on his cigarette. 'He wouldn't have fit in anyway. Too much thinking. The Black Bulls are about action, not deliberation.' He thought to himself.
William, meanwhile, gave a gentle, slightly saddened smile. "I understand. It is your choice. The Crimson Lion Kings are a fine squad. I wish you the best in your endeavors." He nodded. 'It is a shame. He seemed to possess a unique potential. But his path is his own.' He mused mentally.
Calvin looked at the captains and gave them a thumbs up, before heading off to where the chosen hopefuls were.
"Next, Number 163." The announcer called, prompting Joshua to step up next, River popping his head out of his shirt.
"Is that a kitten?" One of the other applicants blinked.
"It's so adorable!" One of the female applicants gushed in delight, which made River mew in response.
Moments later, the hands went up. Specifically, it was: Dorothy, Rill, Poizot, Jack, and Yami who raised their hands.
"Hm… Decisions, decisions…" He hummed, which the captains that raised their hands for him could relate to. "I doubt I'd fit in with the Preying Mantises, so they're out." He mused. "Coral Peacocks look like they'll grate on my nerves. Pass." He continued with a shiver. "Black Bulls… Pass, but I'll invite them to parties." He shrugged, figuring they'd be fun to party with. "Can't figure out what the Purple Orcas'll be like for me, so I'll pass on them, too." He carried on. "Guess that leaves the Aqua Deer. I'll toss my lot with them." He decided.
"Tch. Weakling. You wouldn't have lasted a minute anyway. Good riddance!" Jack scoffed.
Dorothy didn't give a visible reaction on account of being asleep.
Yami, meanwhile, just chuckled. "Heh, fair enough. Parties are a must. Just make sure you bring the good stuff. And if you change your mind, the door's always open." He nodded.
"Noted." Josh replied.
"Hmph. Your loss. The Purple Orcas require those of unwavering resolve. You have shown a distinct lack thereof." Gueldre huffed.
"Sure." The taller teen responded with an audible eye roll.
Rill, meanwhile, just clapped his hands with a beaming smile. "Wonderful! We're so happy to have you! The Aqua Deer will be a perfect fit for you. We are going to make so many beautiful paintings together!" He beamed.
"I do enjoy good art." Joshua chuckled with a smile.
(Later)
It was now Yuno and Asta's turn, and to everyone's shock (except Calvin and Joshua for obvious reasons) every captain raised their hands for Yuno.
"Yuno steals the show, as per fucking usual." The brunette scoffed with an eye roll.
"Better him than us. I don't need that kind of spotlight." Joshua muttered with a shrug.
"It would be an honor to join the Golden Dawn." Yuno nodded, getting an approving smile from the captain of said squad.
Next up was Asta.
A moment or two passed… Before a total four hands became raised.
Those being from the Green Preying Mantises, the Black Bulls—no surprise there—and most surprisingly—the Crimson Lion Kings, and the Silver Eagles!
"Holy shit! You seeing this?" Calvin questioned, noticing a massive change from what they were familiar with.
"Seeing it." Joshua nodded, realizing this was the result of them likely changing things up.
It was awesome.
"Whoa! Okay, this is new!" Asta exclaimed, taken aback by this. "Oh man… this is a really tough choice. These are all really good squads." He muttered.
But as he thought, his mind drifted back to when he met Yami. The man treated him equally unlike a lot of people he met and he seemed super strong too.
No offense to the other squads, but the Black Bulls seemed more his speed.
"… It's an honor to be chosen by so many great squads, but… After meeting Captain Yami in person, I have to go with my gut and choose him. I'm sorry, I don't mean any offense." He told the captains, his gaze full of certainty.
"Smart choice kid!" Yami laughed. "Now you don't have to worry about me killing you!" He added with a smirk.
'Classic Yami.' Joshua thought flatly.
"I understand. Your intuition is a powerful guide. The Black Bulls are a unique squad, and Captain Yami is a formidable leader. I wish you the best in your endeavors." Fuegoleon nodded, respecting the boy's choice.
"Keh, you got lucky, Yami." Jack tsked at his rival.
"Suck a reed bar, Jack." Yami retorted.
"Hmph. A predictable choice." Nozel scoffed. "But I suppose one should be mindful of which environment they'd likely thrive in…" He amended.
(Later)
After every other hopeful was either picked or rejected, Joshua, Calvin, Asta and Yuno met up.
"Well, looks like this is it, guys." Josh nodded.
"A bunch of jackasses, off to go into the wild blue yonder." Calvin chuckled. "Fuck me, this is gonna be buck fucking wild." He guffawed.
"My Black Bulls, Yuno's Golden Dawn, Joshua's Aqua Deer and Calvin's Crimson Lion Kings. Let's see who gets the title of Wizard King first." Asta grinned.
"You guys can become the Wizard King, I got no drive for that." Josh told him.
"Being a high ranking magic knight would be fine for me." Calvin shrugged, shifting Salvation's Grip on his back.
"Let's see how far the four of us can get." Yuno nodded.
(Later)
Calvin sighed as he exited the main entrance, where Fuegoleon was waiting for him with another kid his age, who looked like he might be related.
"So you made it." The captain nodded. "Your name was Kelvin, was it?" He asked.
"Calvin, actually. Calvin Kestis. As in John Calvin, the famous priest? It's a common mistake." The brunette replied. "Kelvin is the metric of what cold is measured by." He explained.
"Right, sorry." Fuegoleon nodded. "Anyway, this is my younger brother, Leopold. As of now you'll both be squadmates." He told the teen.
"Right on." The teen nodded as he stepped forward. "Nice to meet you, Leo." He nodded, holding out a hand, which was eagerly grabbed.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Calvin!" The redhead beamed. "I saw how you used your magic, and I must say I was very impressed!" He smiled.
"… You know, I was half expecting you guys to treat me like shit, cuz—ya know—commoner and all that." The bespectacled boy uttered, genuinely surprised at this, even if he knew that wasn't the case, experiencing it firsthand was a whole new experience.
Not that he was complaining…
"If you can fight, then that's all we ask of you." Fuegoleon told him with a shrug.
"Not all us nobles are conceited, you can be sure of that." Leo nodded.
This caused Calvin to smile as he gripped Leo's hand tighter and shook it.
"I think you just convinced me." He nodded.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, back with Josh, he was meeting with his own captain, that being Rill.
"So tell me, what kind of art style do you think you can do?" Rill questioned.
"I like to be as creative as possible with what I do, and see what the outcome is after." Joshua replied.
"Interesting, mind giving me a demonstration?" He asked.
"Sure, why not?" Josh shrugged, not really seeing the harm as they left for the squad hideout.
And off in the distance, Asta and Yuno also left with their squads.
As of right now they were all Magic Knights—so it was time to get to work.
Dragon Emperor0: Hey guys. This is my second ever Black Clover story so I hope I did a good job introducing the characters and what changes we've made. It isn't much really, just a few minor tweaks here and there with the majority of canon being intact and our characters having their own storylines that won't clutter Asta and Yuno's. Hopefully you'll like it.
ThermalsniperN7: We decided to go the Isekai route, so now we get to diss all the unfavorable nobles we want. Anyway, no thanks to Truck-Kun, we've reincarnated… And had to go through puberty again. RIP! Our magic is also heavily inspired by the subclasses of Destiny 2, but whether we include the other matching elemental subclasses overtime or not has yet to be determined.
Dragon Emperor0: Additionally Thermal here is mulling over the idea of pairing his character with Mimosa while I am currently torn between either Vanessa Enoteca or the Untamable Lioness herself, Mereoleona Vermilion. Both are powerful mages in their own rights, both have pretty decent personalities, and both are absolutely gorgeous. So either way my dude wins, but I'm also very much open to suggestions. So, feel free to leave them in the reviews.
ThermalsniperN7: That said, see you guys next time.
