Chapter 2: Meet the Squad


Calvin vs Randall: King Me by Rustage Feat. DizzyEight


Review Replies

Raidentensho: Very nice. though, for pairing up Joshua, why not Kahonoho (the singer) or Rebecca if Mimosa doesn't work out. this will be epic. until then, later!

ThermalsniperN7: Hm… Interesting options.

Dragon Emperor0: Not sure if Rebecca would work in this case, sorry to say.

Necros The Saiyan knight: Go for Vanessa.

ThermalsniperN7: I would, but my character isn't into drunkards.

Dragon Emperor0: I think that was meant for me. But I've already decided on Mereoleona. However, I'm not opposed to having my character date Vanessa for a bit before he goes for Mereoleona.


-Unknown Region, Noble Realm, Crimson Lion Kings Hideout-

Not long after Calvin gathered his things after meeting up with his new squad captain and squadmate, the trio hopped onto their brooms and began traveling from the capital to the Noble Realm where the squad hideout was.

"Are all the squad hideouts in the Noble Realm?" Calvin asked, wondering if he'd get free reign to fuck around with Nobility that way.

"A majority of them, yes. However, a few squads like the Green Praying Mantises and Black Bulls opted to have their hideouts in the Common and Forsaken Realms." Fuegoleon called back to him. "Why do you ask?" He questioned while the boy pulled up next to him while they neared the hideout.

"No reason…" The brunette replied, lying through his teeth as he dove downwards towards the building below.

The Crimson Lion Kings hideout was, sure enough, a large manor that was three stories high, it was very much in a notable medieval style with mechiculations, arrow loops, a large gatehouse, two long staircases leading to the entrance on either side in a crescent shape, a heavily fortified but elegantly built bailey, several cone topped towers, battlements, and of course crenellations.

The colors were mostly either red, white or brown stone with some blue and gold as well.

It was definitely fit for royalty but Calvin could tell that it was not meant to be opulent in the slightest. Which he expected from the brief glimpses in the anime, but seeing it up close showed him that this squad was not concerned about looking good and was focused on presentable function.

"Nice hideout." Calvin commented as they landed. "Primarily functional but still presentable." He nodded.

"We prefer it that way indeed." Fuegoleon nodded.

As they entered the castle upon ascending the stairs, the doors let out a long and loud creak and clutter as they opened—and inside was a place full of a flame color palette that looked like it came straight out of a medieval book, and all the while people wearing the squad robes or servant clothes were going around about various things.

'Man, this place looks way better than in the anime.' The Stasis Mage thought as he looked around.

"Impressive, yes, but let's get you introduced to the others." Fuegoleon chuckled upon seeing Calvin looking around. "Everyone! Gather 'round! We have another member to welcome to our squad!" He called his squad.

As the squad members all stopped what they were doing, they looked and then approached the trio, gathering around them as Calvin slowly took a step back, not really liking the multitude of eyes on him.

"This is Calvin Kestis, he'll be the newest Crimson Lion starting today." Fuegoleon told them.

The brunette shivered a bit as he continued to look at everyone while they looked at him—before he slowly started to let a smirk creep across his face.

"Hey everybody." He greeted them, before stretching a bit. "So, I'm just gonna ask you this right off the bangle: Who here's the strongest non captain knight?" He questioned, causing everyone to look at him again.


(Elsewhere)

Meanwhile, after Joshua had gotten his stuff together, he was on his way to the Aqua Deer hideout. Now that he thought about it, he had no idea what it looked like. He didn't even know if it was ever shown in the anime.

'Looks like I'm the one in for a shock.' He mused as he rode his broom, making sure that River was nice and secure in a pocket. "So, what kind of hideout can I expect to reside in?" He questioned, glancing at his new captain.

"Take a look for yourself." Rill said as he led him down a field in the Noble Realm that had a large lake at its center—and at the the other side was a sort of Neoclassical styled castle with white and aqua marine colored stone, cloud grey roofs, and a multitude of what looked like stag hunt murals on said walls.

"That's my new home? Nice." Joshua whistled as he looked at the castle.

"Let's go inside, shall we?" The captain said as what looked like a painting of a bridge came out of one of the murals and stretched across the lake to them.

"Yeah. I want to see what kind of squad I'll be working with." The hunter nodded as he walked across the bridge with Rill.

After crossing the bridge (which returned to its mural as soon as they stepped across), the two walked through the door, where the rest of the squad was apparently waiting for their arrival.

"Welcome back, captain." The rest of the Aqua Deer chorused.

"These guys seem like good souls." Joshua noted as they continued into the mural covered castle.

"Indeed. I think you'll fit in here." Rill nodded.

"I think that's definitely true." The taller teen nodded. "So where am I going to be staying?" He asked.

"We have some free rooms in the tower for all our squad members. I'll take you to one." Rill replied as he led the teen to his new quarters.

And thankfully, it wasn't hard for them to find his assigned room as the floor's paint started to manifest deer tracks that were walking in the direction of the room that was meant for him.

After a few minutes and a few flights of stairs, they arrived at the Void mage's new quarters. Opening the door, he saw that there was a bed that was made ready in advance, a desk, a walk-in closet and a bathroom. The window overlooked the lake, and the view was pleasant, so Joshua called this a good room.

"Yeah, I know how to make this room feel lived in." He nodded as he looked around.

"Good to hear." Rill smiled. "I'll let you get to it, then." He nodded, deciding to leave his new subordinate to his things.

"Welp… Time to get settled in, River." He told his reborn cat, who mewed in response as if to say "okay."


(Elsewhere)

Meanwhile, with Asta, he was now being brought to his own squad's hideout by Yami, Finral and Gordon.

… Well, being thrown towards it was probably more accurate.

"WHY MEEEEEEEEE?!" He screamed before hitting the ground, spitting out a mouthful of dirt in the process.

"Well, here it is, home sweet home." Yami said as he walked up beside him, gesturing to the small castle in front of them.

It was most certainly a castle, but it was on the smaller side, made of simple stone and wood with sections that looked either too big or too small, jutting out of odd angles, shapes and just overall having a very macabre look to it—a cool look, certainly—but definitely odd nonetheless.

"Whoa, this place looks awesome!" The mana-less boy exclaimed in awe.

"Yeah. It may be shabby, but it's cool." Finral nodded.

"Just wait until you meet the others." Yami chuckled as Asta got up and started walking toward the door.

BOOM!

Only for the muscular short stack to get sent flying after a fireball hit and blew both him and the doorway up, setting it ablaze.

"Haha! This is what the squad is always like, kid! Welcome to the Black Bulls, the worst of the worst magic knight squads!" Yami laughed as Asta got up.

"Hehe… great to be here!" Asta said, head swirling around while his brain was still loopy.


(Elsewhere)

Meanwhile, in the Golden Dawn hideout Yuno was having… less than an amicable welcome, to put it mildly.

"So you're this year's new recruit?" A white haired bespectacled man of obvious Noble descent if his clothes were anything to go by questioned with a disdainful frown.

"That's right, and my name is Yuno." The wind mage stated with a firm tone, not backing down from the man.

"I am Klaus Lunettes." The man decided to respond. "A member of the Golden Dawn who isn't born from Nobility nor Royalty. I don't know what Captain Vangeance is thinking." He scoffed.

"Perhaps he recognized that my mana was on par with those of 'noble birth'." Yuno retorted, his eyes flicking to his four leaf Grimoire.

"I care not. Let's just get you to your room." Klaus dismissed as he beckoned Yuno to follow him to the boy's new quarters.

'Hopefully the others are having better luck.' The boy thought to himself.


(Elsewhere)

Back with Calvin, the rest of the Crimson Lions just stared at him as they heard him say what he'd just said. Which one of them was the strongest? Why would he want to know that?

"You heard me, straight up, which one of you is the strongest? Come on, speak up, don't waste my time." The Stasis user repeated as slumped forward slightly, hands in his pockets.

"Uh…" One of the other members started to say… Before Calvin's fist was buried in his stomach.

"Well, it ain't you." Calvin shrugged before casually tossing him aside.

"What-?" Leopold gasped.

"I was afraid of this…" Fuegoleon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

He had a feeling that the boy was likely one of those who had a thirst for constant battle, but wasn't sure how far it stretched into other contexts.

So, despite this being something he'd have to discipline the boy for later, it did serve as a good example for him in that regard.

It was then that the Crimson Lion King's vice captain Randall Luftair, stepped forward.

"It seems you'll need to learn some manners before you can be fully accepted here." The man said as his wind magic Grimoire floated up towards him.

Calvin just smiled at this as he turned to face the man.

"Fine by me. In fact, how about we make this a friendly wager? You beat me, I'll take any punishment you give me, no questions asked. You lose, we'll leave it up to the captain." The teenager replied. "That sound okay to you, Captain?" He asked, looking at Fuegoleon with an unruly smirk.

"... Very well. It will show the squad how strong you are, at least." Fuegoleon nodded after a moment of thought. He already had a contingency plan lined up in case Calvin came out on top.

"Then prepare yourself!" Randal called as his Grimoire opened. "Wind Magic: Roaring Gale Blade!" He yelled as he charged forward, his wind magic becoming a large sword that he proceeded to swing at the boy.

However, Calvin conjured his Behemoth Gauntlet and just stopped it with an ice covered wrist!
"Bruh, if you don't get this fat-ass butterknife off of me." Calvin scoffed as he forced Randal back.

"What?!" The vice captain gasped as he stopped himself, shock overtaking him at being forced back so casually.

"How?" One of the senior members, Ben Benfunk (yes that was his actual name), questioned.

"He blocked Randall so easily!" Leopold gasped in surprise.

"But for real though, when you gonna use your real spells?" The boy questioned, nonchalantly cleaning his right ear with his pinky.

"Wha–?! I am using my real spells!" Randal exclaimed indignantly.

"Yeah, stop bullshitting me." The Stasis user dismissed. "Now come on, chop chop, you're wasting time." He added. "You better get to fighting before I put a hole in your ass like I did that dude over there." He told the man, cocking his head towards the intermediary member Forte Gris, who was being healed.

"Fine then!" Randall yelled as he conjured what looked like wind gauntlets and tried to attack Calvin barehanded. "Wind Magic: Tornado Flourish!" He yelled as he started swinging—only for his punch to be caught mid swing.

"That was your real magic? Man, if you don't get that sorry-ass shit outta my face…!" Calvin sighed as he sent the vice captain flying into a wall.

"What the—He just threw Vice Captain Randall like a rag doll!" Ruben Chagar, another intermediate magic knight exclaimed in shock.

"What is this kid?!" Leopold gasped. He knew Calvin was strong, but not this strong!

Dude was Vice Captain level right out the gate!

But Randall wasn't done, as he conjured his wind sword again, this time a much smaller one for faster swing, attempting to blitz the teen.

But the boy read his movement like a book, weaved the strike, grabbed his sword mid-swing again—his Behemoth gauntlet halting the mana from reaching him—and then proceeded to cover his left leg in Stasis before kicking the life out of him in the stomach—making him do a whole 360–and then sent him flying and crashing into a pillar.

'How is this commoner so powerful?!' Randall thought in pure disbelief as he tried to stand back up, but was having issues doing so due to the fact that he was now covered in Stasis ice, which kept him from moving a lot.

This was then met by Calvin blitzing him and kicking the soul out of him across the face, shattering the crystals and sending him crashing to the ground again.

This made everyone wince, even Fuegoleon was having a hard time watching this.

'So it seems like what Yami said was true, Calvin's magic halts the flow of mana, practically leaving his opponents defenseless—combine that with his current fighting style and it's clear—his preference is to take complete and utter control of the battle and not allow his opponent time to think.' The captain thought.

Before Randall could recover though, Calvin conjured a crystal in his hand and two Behemoth Gauntlets.

"Stasis Magic: Frost Grenade." He said as he tossed the crystal at the man and froze him in a block of paracausal ice and then proceeded to beat the life out of him with his Stasis coated fists, shattering and freezing him over and over without a chance to get his bearings. "Stasis Magic: Shiver Strike!" He called as he punched the Vice Captain once more into a wall—right by the door.

And when Calvin felt like enough had been dealt, he hefted the dazed man to his feet before rearing his head back, covering his forehead in ice with a combing motion of his hand through his hair as he headbutted Randal, sending him flying through the wall and off the staircase into the courtyard before he landed in an unconscious heap.

"God dawg, man, that all you got?" The boy questioned, calling down to the man with a smug smirk. "Sheesh, you sure you're the vice captain? Cuz that was a little too easy, my guy!" He added.

'It looks like I'll need that contingency plan after all…' Fuegoleon thought with a sigh. "Ahem… Calvin." The man said after clearing his throat, causing the boy to visibly tense up.

"Aw shit, here we go…" The teen muttered nervously as he slowly turned around, knowing full well he was probably about to get his ass beat.

"In light of your display of strength, I have a second option." The man began. "If you can survive a fight with my sister, then I'll let your battlelust stay where it is." He continued. "Should you lose, however, you'll be placed under her wing, and trust me when I say she's ruthless." He added further.

"Okay, but I'm not sure how that's really a punishment." The boy stated.

"Oh it's not meant to be. Your true punishment will be to clean the castle annex once a week for the next month." The man told him.

"… Shiiiiiit." The boy groaned as his shoulders slumped before Leopold handed him something while the others gathered Randall.

"Here it is, your sign of proof that you are now one of us." The redhead told him. "Unruly Demon." He added with a grin.

"Nice." Calvin grinned as he put it on. "I think this suits me." He nodded in satisfaction. 'Unruly Demon, huh? I think I like that.' He nodded mentally.


(Elsewhere)

Back with Joshua, he had already unpacked all his stuff (he packed light) and was looking out the window with River on his shoulder.

'Hm… I wonder what kind of mission I'll end up with as my first assignment…' He mused before hearing a knock on the door. "It's open!" He called, prompting another Aqua Deer member to walk in.

It was a man around five or so years older than him, but was still shorter than the Void mage, standing at 5'8". He had brown hair, blue eyes and was wearing some clothes that suggested Nobility, but from what Joshua was reading, the guy didn't seem like the typical snobs most Nobles were.

"Joshua Lynch? I'm Ron Gerald. Captain Rill sent me to fetch you." He told the boy.

"What for?" The taller boy asked with a raised eyebrow as he gently scratched River's head.

"He wants to give you a small task to earn your robe." Ron replied as he led the teen to the Captain's main quarters.

'Okay, this I know I'll be interested in.' Joshua thought as he followed Ron to Rill's quarters, making sure River was content idly as he walked.


(Later)

After reaching Rill's quarters, Joshua knocked to let the man know he'd arrived.

"Come in." The Aqua Deer captain beckoned, and Joshua entered, seeing that Rill's quarters were certainly fit for him.

It looked like it was an art studio and a hunting trophy room mixed together. There were blank canvases, paint cans, various brushes, and art books on shelves. There was also an assortment of furs, hunting trophies and small taxidermied animals on display, showing his achievements.

All in all, it was telling Joshua that he had chosen wisely, given his appreciation for art and his prowess in hunting.

"You wanted to see me, captain Rill?" Josh asked as he stepped into the office.

"Oh, Joshua! Just the person I needed to see." The young man nodded as he got up. "Yes, you see, it's a bit of a tradition here at the Aqua Deer squad for the new recruits to go out on a solo hunt and come back with a trophy animal for their rooms, then make a painting of said hunt." He explained, gesturing to a painting that was under a deer mount of himself hunting the same deer.

"Hm, seems simple enough. I became a self-taught hunter back in Hage, so this should be a cakewalk." Joshua hummed, seeing no big deal.

"Glad to hear it!" Rill smiled. "You'll have until the end of the weekend. Should be enough time." He stated.

"Definitely." Josh nodded.


(Elsewhere)

Back at the Black Bulls Hideout, Asta recovered from the explosion, only for the first thing that he saw the second that he entered the building through the now gaping hole in the front—was a scene that could only be described as all hell breaking loose into pure anarchy.

There was a punk-looking kid using baseball-like fire magic to attack a lightning user and the other people Asta could see were just doing their own thing.

"How dare you! My flan! Mine! You hear me, you little rat?!" The punk yelled at the kid with lightning boots as he kept batting fireballs at him.

"Sorry! You know I can't help myself!" The kid laughed as he zipped around, dodging the fire attacks sent his way.

"Uhhh…." Asta uttered as a woman, who was only dressed in some red lingerie, sat up from a couch.

"Urg, can you yahoos keep it down?! I've got the mother of all headaches!" She barked.

There was also a fat giant of a man who's features seemed perpetually shadowed as he exhaled a stream of smoke.

"Oh my precious Marie…" A man sighed wistfully as he watched a little girl sleep in what looked like a mirror, right before a Fireball nearly shattered it. "Would you two shut up?! You'll wake up Marie!" He barked.

"Aw blow it out your ass ya creepy sister lover!" The woman barked.

"… These people are nuts." Asta muttered, right before another stray fireball sent him flying again. "OH COME ON!" He yelled indignantly.

"Mmm? Is someone there?" A rather short girl questioned before she started stuffing her face again.

"Alright, that's it…" Yami sighed. "QUIT BREAKING SHIT ALREADYYYY!" He boomed, slamming his fist into a wall and causing it to crumble.

"... Sorry, Captain." Everyone crushed, the chaos instantly stopping as they lined up in front of their boss.

"Yeah, that's right." The man nodded. "Now, everyone meet one of our new recruits–... Where'd he go?" He started to say before noticing Asta wasn't next to him.

"Help…!" The five leaf grimoire bearer wheezed from underneath the Black Bull's resident giant.

"Quit messin' around, will ya?" The man sighed.

"Help… Guess I'll pass out now…" Asta croaked before falling unconscious again.


(Elsewhere)

Meanwhile, in the woods surrounding the Aqua Deer hideout, Josh was moving through the wooded area in search of anything that could point him in the direction of a good prey item.

'I've never hunted in these woods before. I have no idea what'll possibly try to kill me.' He thought as he kept his eyes and ears open for anything that caught his interest.

Unknown to him, he was indeed being hunted by something completely different from what he was used to.

Hearing a growl nearby, Joshua tensed… Before leaping aside to dodge a lunge from a wolf, turning and aiming his bow at it and sizing it up.

This wolf was far from normal. To Joshua, it looked like…

"A werewolf…!" He hissed, seeing the similarities between this creature and the werewolves from the entertainment in his past life. This could be an issue, since he's never hunted anything resembling a werewolf.

It was an indeed a werewolf, bulging ham fist muscles, tall body, a physique that made it look like it was built like a brick shit house, long claws, sharp teeth, thick silver fur and hide, big ears, a bushy tail—and the most ungodly yellow eyes he had ever seen.

Well, this was going to make an interesting mural for him, and one hell of a trophy item.

"Okay… Overkill it is then." Josh nodded as he quickly brought out his Grimoire. "Void magic: Miasma Grenade!" He called as a void grenade formed in his fist, before throwing it on the ground and surrounding the werewolf in mist that blinded it in its eyes and nose, before he silently disappeared.

Snarling, the werewolf flailed its arms about, trying to get its vision and smell back. After a moment it did… And saw that its intended prey for the night had vanished.

It sniffed around, trying to figure out where the human had gone, but couldn't seem to find anything. That was a cause for frustration.

And up in the tree, Joshua slipped his hand across his belt, which caused the bones he had inlaid on it to start chattering like the Predator.

This, accompanied by the echo of the wilderness, made his target tense and snap his head in several directions, already on edge. This was what the Void Mage wanted: To have his more difficult targets on edge, making them more prone to slipping up.

"Void Magic…" Joshua intoned as he summoned his Night Bow. "Shadow Shot." He added before firing an arrow that tethered the werewolf with Void energy.

Letting out a surprised yelp, the beast tried to figure out how to escape the trap it was suddenly caught in. It didn't get far, though, since Joshua jumped down and landed on its back before fitting the shaft of his bow around its neck snapping it before the creature could react, wanting the fur as intact as possible.

"Well… I made it quick at least." He sighed before he tied up the dead werewolf and started dragging it back to the castle.


(Elsewhere)

Meanwhile back with the Black Bulls, Yami was introducing Asta to the rest of the squad, now that they were all calmed down by this point.

"Alright, introduce yourself or somethin'." Yami told Asta.

"Right!" Asta nodded eagerly. "My name is Asta from Hage village! It's really nice to meet you all!" He yelled.

"You're from Hage? That's out in the middle of nowhere." The punk kid noted.

"Okay, Finral, introduce the newbie to everyone." Yami ordered his second in command.

"You got it." Finral nodded. "You already know Gordon Agrippa. Not the easiest person to talk to, but he's good people." He began.

The makeup wearing man seemed to say something, but Asta couldn't make out what.

"Next is the lovely Vanessa Enoteca. Tends to pick fights when she's drunk, but she's good people." The spatial magic user continued, gesturing to the lingerie clad pinkette.

"Picking fights? I don't know what you're talking about." She retorted with a deadpan before she approached Asta. "Hage village, huh?" She smiled.

"Yeah! I'm one of four kids from there that got into squads. Captain Yami picked me, my friend Yuno got into the Golden Dawn and my other two friends Joshua and Calvin got into the Aqua Deer and Crimson Lions." The short stack muscle head replied.

"Oh my~. You sound like a squad of real troopers. Maybe I should reward you in particular for making it all the way here~?" Vanessa purred flirtatiously.

Asta, for his part, immediately let out a nosebleed at this. 'Man that's super hard to turn down! But my heart is set on Sister Lily and I will stay true to her no matter what!' He thought to himself, before jumping back as Vanessa suddenly threw up. "Gah!" He gasped.

"Okay, let's move it along." Finral told them.

"Oh! Do me next, Finral!" The electric kid from before called, hand raised.

"Next is Luck Voltia, a real battle junkie, but he's good people." Finral chuckled.

"Do you like to fight?!" Luc asked Asta excitedly.

"Not all the time, but you'll definitely be fast friends with my other friend Calvin for sure." Asta couldn't help but chuckle in reply. "Back in Hage, he's the definition of what I think Josh called a Smoke Demon." He noted.

"What's that mean?" Luck asked, his head tilting in confusion.

"That he loves fighting even for zero actual benefit, bolts for brains." The punk kid pointed out. "That means that he's just like you—but worse." He added.

"Yeah, that about sums it up." The short blonde nodded.

"Oh! Now I really wanna meet him!" Luck beamed.

"Hey." A voice said, causing Asta to turn and see the guy who was looking in the mirror earlier standing beside him. "See this? This is my sister Marie, she's an angel." He told the boy.

"Certainly looks that way." Asta nodded. "Let me guess, you're a big brother too? Nice. I'm in a similar boat, I have tons of adopted little siblings back in Hage." He smiled.

"That's nice, but if you lay so much as a finger on Marie, you'll die!" The man hissed threateningly.

"Uh… Noted." Asta nodded, not really sure how else to respond. "... You aren't even as scary as Calvin when he's pumped and ready to fight, though." He added under his breath after a beat passed.

"That's Gauche Adle, loves his sister a tad too much. But he's good people." Finral chuckled.

Then their focus swapped over to the small girl who was still eating.

"That's Charmy Pappitson. She's a big eater, but she's good people." The spatial magic user continued. "Then there's Grey." He added, gesturing to the smoke breathing big dude. "I don't really get him, but he's good people." He explained.

Asta had nothing to say about Grey other than he was imposing.

"Then there's Magna Swing. A street punk, but he's good people." Finral added as the punk glared at Asta.

'Oh boy…!' Asta thought to himself as he backed up slightly.

"And then there's me, Finral Roulacase. The squad's lady killer." The man grinned confidently.

"Uh…" Asta uttered, unsure of what to say to that one.

"Well gang, let's go. Give him a good workout but try not to kill him." Yami told them.

"Wait, huh…?!" Asta gasped before Magna got up.

"Did ya hear him?" The punk questioned, causing the boy to back up.

"Uh yeah?" Asta nodded.

"Yami said he wants us to give you a good workout, so that's exactly what I'm gonna do." Magna jeered. "A pathetic runt like you, and from where—Hage? A village that no one has ever heard of before, and you're the newest member of the Black Bulls? I dunno what a magic poor hick like you must've possibly done to impress Yami, but if you want the robe that proves you're a true member of the Black Bulls, then you're gonna have to prove yourself!" He added, grabbing his robe for emphasis.

"I'm ready!" The mana-less blonde exclaimed in determination.

"Then let's go, start your baptism by fire!" Magna told him.

"That's hardcore…!" The boy uttered, his body quivering in what looked like a contradicting mix of fear, and excitement.

What the hell did he just walk himself into?


(Elsewhere)

Back with Joshua, he had finally gotten back to the castle and presented his kill to Rill. To say his captain was impressed was a mild note at best.

"Wow! That's the first I've ever seen of a werewolf before!" The captian exclaimed before becoming thoughtful. "But it's probably good that you decided to make this your trophy—from what I can recall off the top of my head—I believe this same wolf has been prowling local villages for over a decade, and nary a soul has been able to kill it." Rill nodded in satisfaction. "Until you came along, that is." He amended.

"I'll be turning this into a rug in my room once I get the pelt separated and tanned." Joshua stated.

"Very good. You can work on the mural anytime after tomorrow morning." The Aqua Deer captain nodded.

"Good, cuz I already got the perfect setup for it." The taller teen nodded before he headed off, dragging the carcass behind him, before hanging it in a hook in the skinning room of the castle.

He then reached down at his boot and pulled out a knife, specifically one he personally fashioned in the style of the Destiny Hunter knife, which had a handle made of carved and polished bone from the stag he killed before becoming a magic knight.

"Okay, time to get to work." He said to himself before he started removing the pelt.


(Later)

After an hour of working, Joshua had successfully removed the werewolf pelt and cleaned out and using the sterilizing power of his magic to quickly cure and tan the hide—he then disposed of the beast's remains and took the pelt to his room.

Once there, he laid the fur on the floor at the center of the room. Strangely enough, it looked like it could also serve as a blanket if he so desired.

For now though, his work was done, so—he sat on his bed and watched as River walked over to him and curled himself into his lap.

'Well, that was one hell of an initiation. I guess I'll get my cloak in the morning. That's fine.' Joshua thought as he slowly fell asleep, hugging his kitten in his sleep.


(Elsewhere)

Back with Asta and the Black Bulls, everyone was gathered outside for the short stack's so-called 'Baptism' via Magna Swing, the intermediate Vice Captain.

"You want this cloak?!" Magna barked, holding up a Black Bulls cloak.

"Yes!" Asta nodded.

"Another one of these stupid baptisms…" Vanessa sighed.

"Aw! I wanna do one too!" Luck whined.

"Alright! Let's go go go! First let's see your physical prowess!" Magna exclaimed. "Five thousand crunches!" He ordered.

"That all? I do that on a daily basis!" The shorter teen nodded as he got to work.

As the test of Asta's physical prowess dragged out—with the inclusion of twelve thousand push ups, a thousand squats while holding a large boulder over his head, and then having to shatter the boulder with said cranium—it became clear to the Black Bulls just how fit Asta was.

Compared to him, they might as well be all skinny.

"Not that it'll do him much good, but the kid's in good shape." Vanessa noted.

"Yeah! His strength and stamina are incredible! Too bad Magic's all that matters, though." Luck nodded.

"H…H…How'd I do?!" Asta questioned while doubled over and panting in exhaustion.

"Not bad, runt." Magna nodded.

"So did I pass?!" The boy questioned.

"Not quite yet, still got one last thing to do." The punk told him. "The last and most important part: Using any skill at your disposal, magic or ordinary, you have to defend yourself against my attack magic." He stated.

"… Now I get why you said Baptism by fire…" The short stack uttered with a gulp.

Magna popped his neck as his grimoire opened, allowing him to brandish a baseball bat made of fire in his left hand and a fireball in his right hand.

"GET READY!" The punk roared.

"Here we go!" Asta said as he held out his hand, causing his Anti-Magic sword to fly from the book and into his hand.

"Whoa, a sword!" Luck exclaimed.

"So big…" Vanessa muttered.

"Here we goooo!" Magna yelled as he started batting fireball after fireball at Asta in all directions.

Though unsurprisingly, Asta was not one to be hit so easily, as he just dodged those projectiles and landed in a fighting stance ready to go.

"You're pretty decent, alright, last go—here it comes!" The punk called as his bat disappeared and then his Grimoire flipped to a different page. "Flame Magic: Exploding Fireball!" He yelled as he hurled the ball at Asta like a world class American Baseball pitcher.

'Oh shit… I'm dead.' Was all the shorter boy thought as his brain short circuited.

Asta's brain processes shut down at this, allowing his body full autonomy. His muscles tensed all over his body as hu subconsciously started swinging his sword flat first at the fireball like a baseball bat. Upon impact, he sent the attack right back at Magna, much to his shock before he was seemingly consumed in fire.

"What the–?! Did he just reflect that?!" Vanessa exclaimed in surprise.

"Wow!" Luck beamed.

"Huh…" Yami nodded as he took a puff of his cigarette. 'He couldn't slice it so he hit it with the flat. Seems that blade can cut, block and even reflect magic.' He mused mentally.

Meanwhile…

'I had no idea!' Asta blurted in his head as he stared at his sword with wide eyes. 'I knew I could slice magic but apparently I can deflect it too?!' He uttered mentally before looking at where Magna was. 'What was he thinking? I could have died!' He thought. 'Wait, he's not dead is he?!' He rambled mentally.

"You crazy bastard!" Magna barked as he walked out of the fire, a few small bits of fire on his cloak. "I was able to dispel the attack before it hit me, but that doesn't change the fact I was almost offed by my own magic!" He growled.

Asta, meanwhile, was practically on the verge of shitting his pants—as this was exactly how Calvin and Joshua got when he either tried to A: Steal the former's favorite snack, or B: mess with the latter's stuff—and he was still terrified of it!

'Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!' The boy repeated in total panic in his head as Magna ran at him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Why you…!" The punk fire mage snarled. "… You're really good!" He suddenly exclaimed after a beat with a smile.

"… Huh?" Asta squeaked before Magna started aggressively patting him on the back.

"Here I thought you were just gonna block my magic but instead you fired it back at me?! Ya know, I think I'm starting to like you little Rasta!" The boy beamed, still slapping the teen's back.

"It's—uh—Asta!" The short stack corrected with a wince.

"Hey, sorry about calling you a magic poor hick earlier." Magna said as he faced him. "I'm actually from the boondocks myself, Rayhocka village, just up from Hage!" He stated.

"Rayhocka?! That's way out in the middle of nowhere!" Asta exclaimed.

"Look who's talking! Says the guy from Hage of all places!" Magna chortled back. "The fact you managed to reflect my own attack back at me with so little mana isn't anything to scoff at, either." He added.

"Actually, I have no mana." Asta corrected, much to Magna's shock and disbelief.

"None?! That's even more badass!" The punk exclaimed with a laugh.

"Wow… Thanks, Magna!" Asta smiled, right as the rest of the Black Bulls surrounded him.

There was a lot of rambling, mostly, with everyone congratulating him—Charmy even offering him a cupcake—Though one question stood out.

"How'd you get a grimoire without any mana?!" Luck asked eagerly, which caught Asta's attention.

"It's more of a hand-me-down." The blonde admitted, causing everyone to blink in confusion.

"What's that mean?" Charmy wondered.

"Okay, this requires an explanation." The anti-magic user muttered. "But first, before I tell you guys about it, you have to promise that you won't tell anyone about it. Like at all." He told them.

"Seems a little shifty, but okay. Shoot." Magna nodded.

"Well, you see—one of my friends, the one I told you guys about—Calvin Kestis—told me this before we got our grimoires." The teen began. "You all know about the demon skeleton in Hage, right?" He began, getting some nods. "Okay. Most people don't know this, but that demon actually used to be a mage that was close friends with the first Wizard King." He revealed, much to their shock.

This also caught Yami's attention, as well.

"How'd he find out about that?" He questioned.

"He found a few journals around some towns we go to for supplies that were written by said friend or other friends of the First Wizard King, and apparently the guy turned himself into a demon in a desperate bid to stop something–I don't know what–from taking over his body." Asta explained. "When the demon that used to be the Wizard King's friend was killed, apparently his grimoire vanished." He continued. "Not disintegrated upon-death vanished, like as in missing vanished." He clarified. "The mage's Grimoire was apparently a Four Leaf Clover initially, but his emotions after a really bad event had caused his grimoire to evolve into a five leaf grimoire, so when he died, it went missing." He continued with the explanation.

"What are you saying?" Finral questioned with a furrowed brow.

"What I'm saying is that my grimoire once belonged to the demon the first Wizard King killed." Asta revealed as his grimoire floated next to him. "I'm not sure how, but apparently this Grimoire is able to use something I like to call Anti-Magic. How it works, I got no idea, but I'm working on it." He added.

"So you've got the grimoire of a demon. Shit, I guess I'd better take you a bit more seriously." Magna muttered.

"Should we be concerned?" Charmy couldn't help but ask.

"Only if I go on a demonic rampage." Asta shrugged in reply.

"That's not something to be so nonchalant about…" Finral muttered.

"Hmmmm…" Yami hummed to himself. 'This just got a whole lot more complicated.' He muttered mentally.


(Elsewhere)

Meanwhile, back at the Crimson Lion Kings hideout, Leopold was leading Calvin to his soon to be assigned room, the latter having his bag slung over his shoulder.

'Washing a specified area… How cliche of a punishment.' Calvin thought as he walked. 'But then again, it's definitely better than a lot of the possible alternatives…' He amended.

"Well, here we are." Leopold nodded, opening a door and allowing Calvin to step inside. "The rooms in the castle are essentially the same for all members excluding the Captain and Vice captain, so as not to make our squad mates feel unappreciated." He explained.

"That's a good way to go about it." Calvin nodded as he walked inside.

The room was of a decent size, functional rather than extravagant, reflecting the practical nature of a Magic Knight's life under the down to earth Crimson Lions.

Despite that base, the walls were constructed of sturdy stone, each with tapestries hanging to add warmth and color.

These tapestries depicted scenes of lions, roaring flames, or past heroic deeds of the Crimson Lion Kings, all rendered in warm hues of red, orange, and gold.

A solid wooden bed was the primary piece of furniture, covered with thick, crimson-colored linens and perhaps a fur throw, hinting at the squad's namesake.

Beside the bed, a simple wooden nightstand was placed to the side to hold an hold a lamp (likely fueled by either oil or magic, Calvin couldn't tell which) and enough space for a few personal items.

A sturdy wooden desk was situated near a window, providing a space for writing reports, studying, or maintaining equipment. Accompanied by plain wooden chair.

For storage, a large, robust wardrobe made of dark wood stood out against the left wall, it looked like it was probably capable of holding armor, spare clothing, and other belongings.

Practicality seemed to be key, for sure.

Additionally, a weapon rack, which looked like it was made of a combination of iron and reinforced wood, was mounted on the right side wall, ready to hold the knight's grimoire and any melee weapons they might use.

And lastly, the floor was made of a sturdy sort of tile that looked to be mimicking wooden planks, which was also covered with a simple, durable rug in a warm red color.

"This looks cozy." Calvin commented as he looked around. "Yeah, this room will do just fine." He nodded with a genuine, almost paradoxically warm smile, contrasting how he typically was.

"I'm glad you like it." Leopold nodded, before noticing the smile. "… You know Kestis—Calvin." He said, correcting himself mid sentence, causing the Stasis user to turn to him. "Your smile, it's a good look for you. You should do it more often." He told the teen. "Here in the Crimson Lion Kings, we may value discipline and respect, but we're also like brothers in many respects." He said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to put on a show. If you're a part of our squad, you're a part of our brotherhood, among friends." He stated, his gaze soft and warm. "You can just be yourself." He added.

"Now that's something I can find comfort in." The Stasis mage sighed in relief, like some pressure just left him. "…" But after a moment his demeanor softened, and he did something rather unexpected.

He hugged the redhead, his grip being firm but not very tight.

This was another carry over from his past life that never changed: Calvin was very much an emotional guy, and hugging those he cared about was probably one of the only ways he knew how to show affection.

Leopold was rather surprised, but nevertheless returned the gesture all the same.

"Thank you…" The Stasis user muttered.

The boy always hated the class system when he observed the story from an outside perspective, but after having lived in it for eighteen years made him hate it and resent it even more—and even though he knew Leopold and Fuegoleon weren't like that, or even Mereoleona either—experiencing it after this first hand experience… it just hit different.

He really didn't expect it to feel like this.

"You're quite welcome." Leo nodded as he hugged his teammate back.

As the two pulled back, Calvin sat on his bed and let out a shaky sigh, before looking at his new friend with another genuine smile.

"Hey, a bit sudden maybe—but if we don't have much else to do tomorrow, wanna come with me and hit up the capitol? I hear there's a really good meadery that's gonna be having a mixer there." The brunette offered.

"Sounds like my kind of thing. Sure." Leopold nodded with a grin. "A mixer, I take it that you're on the hunt for a romantic partner?" He asked.

"Well I dated a couple girls in Hage for a few years, but they only served to cement something that I think I knew was inevitable but just wasn't able to realize till way later." Calvin stated with a slight shrug.

"And what's that?" The redhead asked.

"My preference for older women." The Stasis user explained.

That caused Leopold to have a record scratch in his head.

"... Well, I'll say this, I certainly wasn't expecting that." He admitted, causing Calvin to laugh.

"Trust me, you're not the only one to say that." The boy chuckled.


(Elsewhere)

Meanwhile, back at the Golden Dawn headquarters…

"Here's your room." Klaus told Yuno as the two arrived at the latter's room.

"Hm… Simple, but liveable." The wind mage noted as he looked around.

The room had a large bed, a nightstand next to it, and a bookshelf. In front of the window was a single oak desk, and there was a bookshelf with some basic books already there.

The best way to describe it would be simple but nonetheless fancy.

"Yes, well, if you ask me this is more than you deserve. A room like this is wasted on the likes of you." Klaus stated with obvious disdain.

Yuno said nothing, his expression neutral as he walked inside his room and closed the door. Once that was done, he took a deep breath and exhaled.

'This is going to take a fair amount of getting used to.' He thought tiredly. "But honestly, I don't really care." He admitted as he looked back at the door, then window. "There's really only one person whose opinion I truly care about." He nodded, an image of Asta flashing in his mind, before he began getting settled in.


(Elsewhere)

Back at the Black Bulls hideout, Asta was the last of the guys to get settled in. Magna was the one to show him to his room as he volunteered.

"Well, here it is." The fire mage told him, opening the door.

Compared to other hideouts, the rooms of the Black Bulls hideout looked pretty low quality. It had a cracked window, a bed, a desk, a closet… And that was it. It was pretty spartan in style.

"This is my room?" Asta asked as he continued to look around.

Additionally it was rather cramped, dank, shabby and was covered in all manner of dust, cobwebs, mold and grime as well.

"Yeah, I know, not the best living quarters, all things considered. Especially since it's almost oppressively cramped and shabby." Magna stated rather self deprecatingly.

However, to a simple man like Asta…

"I love it!" The boy exclaimed.

"... Huh?" Magna blinked in surprise.

"Back at the church in Hage, we never got our own rooms! We had to sleep next to each other all the time—we were crammed together like sardines!" Asta elaborated. "This is the best improvement I've ever gotten!" He grinned.

"Well! Glad to hear it, Rasta!" Magna smiled before his face turned serious. "But I think you should be more concerned about writing." He stated.

"Huh?" The boy questioned.

"To your family in Hage! Don't want them getting worried about you, do ya?" The punk stated.

"Oh yeah, you're right!" Asta exclaimed in realization. "I better get to it!" He added before realizing something. "... Uh, does my desk have anything to write on and with?" He asked.

"Sure, just check the drawers." Magna nodded.

"Right. Thanks Magna." The shorter teen nodded. "I really appreciate it." He smiled, holding out a hand to his fellow Black Bull.

"Right back atcha, Asta." The older young man replied, shaking his hand in response, before leaving him alone.

"Alright…" Asta nodded as he went to his desk. "Time to start writing home." He smiled, taking out a pen and a piece of paper…


Dragon Emperor0: Hey guys. Hope you don't mind but we decided to do a chapter of this story to further get it off the ground, that way we can start getting to the important bits as soon as possible. As we don't want it to get too bogged down and risk us not getting as far as we want in following chapters.

ThermalsniperN7: Plus, we decided to toss in some originality. You can see it with my character and his first moments with the Aqua Deer; Since little to nothing on them was shown as far as we know, we decided to take some creative liberties there. Taking a werewolf as a trophy? Why not? Also, it's not the same human-turned-lycan formula or whatever it is. This is just a wolf that evolved in a specific way to resemble what's familiar. It was meant to make Joshua's test unique.

Dragon Emperor0: And in case any of you Bleach Fans are seeing this, if you're seeing any similarities between Calvin's introduction and the time Grimmjow ran Ichigo's pockets, that's intentional. A good bit of his character is taken from Grimmjow, as well as my fellow Titans from Destiny. Specifically, that scene borrowed heavily from the version of the scene shown in CJ Dachamp's video 'Most Disrespectful Moments in Anime History Pt. 6'. Cuz… why not? CJ's awesome.

ThremalsniperN7: He definitely knows his stuff, but yeah. This is a thing that happened. Anyway, see you guys next time.