Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

    All across the realms of the Clover Kingdom, there are many sayings; each different depending on the realm or even the town or village.

From the Noble Realm: Success only comes from power, and power is our birthright.

From the Common Realm: Good things come to those who work hard.

And from the Forsaken Realm: We can't put faith in others. We can only put faith in ourselves.

Hage has its own saying.

When the first snow falls, death comes to the edge of the world, where the demon bones lay.

Death always comes with the first snowfall.  And it does not leave until the first thaw. No one leaves their homes when the first snow falls. Not unless a curse of death is wished upon their entire household.

The first snow fell the night Yuno went to deliver the note for Father. It was merciless.

Asta didn't care. She had to find Yuno. Death wouldn't take her sister. Death wouldn't take her. Not right now.

Which is why, when Asta comes up to the scene of some–some meanie holding Yuno's special necklace and Yuno covered in dirt and blood, she sprints forward with the intention to beat him up!

"Yuno!" Asta feels the scream rip through her throat as she tries to tackle the man back. She scrunches up her nose at the awful smell that always surrounds the house Sister Lily doesn't let them near, but keeps her hands wrapped around the man.

Her cry echoes sharply across the empty street as she's thrown back against the wall. Asta's head throbs from where it hit the stone wall with a crack before she stands up.

"Who the hell are you, brat?!" The man slurs out his shout, still tightly gripping the necklace.

She races forward, fury etched into her face, and grapples the man's waist again. "Th-that necklace is Yuno's! Give‒give it back!"

"Brat! Get the hell off of me!" Asta bites her tongue to keep herself from crying out when the man slams his fist against her head, making her slam into the ground. A ringing fills her ears as Asta struggles to stand up.

"A-Asta!" Yuno reaches forward, but Asta was already racing forward again, only to be kicked in the stomach. She coughs up bile and holds her stomach when she collapses to the ground.

"S-stop it! It–it's just a necklace! Asta!" Yuno shouts loudly with tears falling down her bloodied cheeks in rivers.

Asta glares up at the man with a darkness no child should have, slowly standing up once more. "I-I'm not done yet! Give‒give Yuno her necklace back!"

Asta continues to run forward, only to be kicked or punched into the snow covered dirt. Blood dripped from her mouth and nose and her left eye was swelling shut, but she still stood up to get that necklace back.

"STOP IT! JUST STOP IT! PLEASE!" Yuno screams, the wind kicking up with the force of a maelstrom. The man is pushed back by the wind, involuntarily releasing the necklace.

Asta continues her stumbling sprint and tackles the man to the ground and attacks him with punches and nails to the face. "Don't take Yuno's necklace! Yuno's necklace is Yuno's! And don't you ever try to take anything else that isn't yours to begin with!"

"G-get the hell off of you, you fucking hellspawn!" The man screeches before he roughly throws the six year old girl off of him. Her head slams into the stone wall once more with a loud crack and she falls limp.

"Asta!" Yuno cries out before stumbling forward towards her sister. "Asta, Asta, Asta, Asta! W-wake up! Wake up!"

Asta sluggishly blinks her eyes open, dazed and losing coherency. "Yu–no... Y-Y'no..."

Yuno weeps with relief, wheezing for breath and her own eyesight going spotty.

"As–ta! As... As-ta–" Her gag cuts herself off before Yuno hunches over with a heave.

"Damn hellspawn...! This ain't worth it..." The man sneers, spitting on the two girls before he sluggishly walks away.

Asta looks down at Yuno, not really bothered by the bile covering her legs and the ground around them. She reaches up a hand and accidentally slaps Yuno's head in her attempt to pet her hair.

"'kay. 'm... okay..." Asta widens her mouth with a scrunched up expression, not really liking how her words weren't being spoken correctly.

"A-Asta–y-you–you–Asta!" Yuno sobs through her heaves and gags. She lifts her head up and wraps her freezing arms around Asta.

"Y-you–you–died! C-could've died! You–you–" Yuno releases her hug, barely even seeing past the white spots in her sight "–s-sorry. I–I... couldn't–"

"Don' worry... Don' worry 'bout it... T-told ya. Got your back," Asta speaks a bit more clearly with a dazed grin.

Yuno cries even harder with a rapid shake of her head. "S-sorry, sorry, sorry! I–my–my fault. I-I couldn't–I can't–"

"This 's nothin'!" Asta grins even wider with her eyelids fluttering. "'m gonna be th' Wiz-Wizard King!"

Yuno continues to heave for breath as she stares at her sister. Asta sluggishly reaches up and grabs Yuno's face, wiping away the tears.

"G-gonna be Wizard King... a-an' protect y-you an–an' ev'ryone at th-the church... M-make ya happy! G-give nicer things!" Asta squishes Yuno's face and laughs. "G-gonna prove–prove... stuff... Prove t-to everyone..."

Asta leans her head back and stares up at the heavy snowfall. She licks her lips as her eyes close.

"P-prove... prove–ev'n–even if your poor 'r 'n orphan... prove w-we can be Wizard–Wizard King! Or–or–or the other!" Asta suddenly lifts her hands like she was cheering for someone. She wretches at the sudden movement and hunches over herself to throw up.

"We–we can?" Yuno asks through her calming tears and her sharp intakes of breath.

"Yeah!" Asta cheers as she slowly sits back up. She haphazardly wipes the bile off of her chin before she moves to lean her side against the wall.

"C-can we really?"

"A-anyone can! 'cause–'cause–if they try hard 'nough!" Asta tries to stand with the support of the wall, but simply collapses forward into the snow.

"Any-anyone?" Yuno looks down at Asta with wide eyes.

"Me–me 'r ev'n you! Y-Y'no!" Asta exclaims, trying to smile brightly from where she lay in the snow. The world was spinning too fast for her to even move. She's really tired.

Yuno stares at her with tearful eyes before she furiously rubs them with the torn sleeve of her shirt. She continues to take in sharp breaths from her sobbing, but when she lowers her arm, the tears are gone.

"I-I'll–I won't cry! Never–never again! Maybe I–no! I-I..." Yuno shakily stumbles to her feet, almost falling from how stuffy her head feels. "I will... I'll become–become the Wizard King! I'll become the Wizard King too! I'll... I'll become stronger, a-and protect you–and protect every-everyone else! I'm–I'm gonna make everyone happy! So we can have n-nicer things!"

Asta blinks her eyes open, not even realizing she had closed them. She laughs into the snow and doesn't notice how it gets into her mouth and nose.

"Y-you gonna too? Th-that means... Yuno... You're my rival!"

"Asta, you're–you're my rival!"

Asta laughs into the quickly thickening snow and shakily holds up her hand. Yuno collapses back to her knees when she reaches out. They both giggle as they grab each other's wrists.

Yuno falls into the snow next to Asta, out like a light. Asta continues to giggle through her dizziness as the edges of her vision turns black.

"Damn brats." The crunching of snow fades into the background before a blurred silhouette of black and fiery red walks closer. Asta's body finally gives out from the severe beating it went through as the silhouette crouches down where the necklace had fallen.

"How are you going to become the Wizard King if you pass out in the snow and die? Idiots," The woman who watched the entire incident and the promise stands back up while inspecting the necklace.

A wild grin grows on her face before she looks at the little brats who shouldn't have that much determination in them this young.

They have more grit than her foolish younger brothers combined. Hah! This is gonna get interesting!

Mereoleona Vermillion reaches down and easily lifts the two girls by the collars of their shirts. She roughly throws them over one shoulder and starts to walk through the empty street, leaving the bloodstained snow behind.

•×•

In one universe, Asta and Yuno–brothers, best friends, rivals–are raised in a run down church at the edge of the world. One is a blessing and the pride of the church, a prodigy in magic and fated for immense greatness. The other is a gift from God cursed with no mana, damned to be worthy of nothing in a society built around magic, only having sheer grit, stubbornness, and years of training as his weapon against fate's derision of him.

In this universe, Asta and Yuno–sisters, best friends, rivals–are raised in a run down church at the edge of the world, until a traveler happens across the fateful night that has paved their way to greatness. One is a blessing, the sensitive and gentle Moon, bright and quiet and powerful, a prodigy in magic and fated to be great. The other is a gift from God, the bright burning Sun, exuberant and loud and ferocious, cursed with no mana and damned to be worthy of nothing in a society built around magic, only having undying determination, ferocity, and years of training as her weapon against fate's disdain for her.

The Sun and The Moon. The Blessing and The Gift. Fate's Favorite and Fate's Abandoned.

Mereoleona Vermillion, eldest of House Vermillion and named the Uncrowned Undefeated Lioness, sees their potential during that fateful night where a promise is made. Not one to ignore entertainment or the possibility to get stronger, Mereoleona takes the two girls in.

Either they'll go farther than anyone else, or they'll die. There isn't anything else to it. She's interested enough to see it through.

She is not their mother. And she will not be proud if one of the little shits manages to actually become the Wizard King. No, she doesn't believe they will, either!

•×•

The sun shone high in the sky, unusually hot for an early spring day. Boiling water shot up from the shattered ground in the form of geysers. Heavy winds sprayed the water across the boulders and charred ground.

Loud battle cries and the sound of falling boulders echo across the vast expanse of the shattered land. A large boulder is suddenly lifted by the wind and thrown completely across the area, only for a geyser to erupt and shatter the boulder to pieces.

As the geyser dies down, a silver and black blur jumps over and falls towards the shattered land. A tanned fist punches into the ground and completely shatters it for a few meters. A black blur flies back with the help of the wind before the crumbling ground could take them with it.

A 15 year old teenager stands up from the beginning of the horrific show of strength. Emerald eyes are dark with ferocious determination and a wild grin is plastered on a tanned face. Small scars littered it along with the freckles splattered across a sharp jaw. Silver hair made almost white from constant exposure to sunlight, wild, untamed, and covered in dirt and blood, fell out of its braid and past broad shoulders.

Her training tunic was already torn to shreds, barely covering her chest, and her blue skirt barely stays on her hips, torn from her left leg and almost sliced open at the seam. Her wrists down to her knuckles were wrapped in white bandages and she had forgone her boots, revealing the white bandages wrapped around her heel and ankles.

"You really think that's gonna stop me?!" She shouts aggressively, punching her fists together. Asta grins and crouches before she leaps towards her opponent.

The wind suddenly kicks up before throwing Asta back, making her slam through two boulders. Another 15 year old girl grins quietly at the usage of her wind magic.

Bright gold eyes gleamed in violent glee and her pale face took a slightly unhinged expression. No freckles blemished her face, but scars still stood out in white lines across her high cheekbones and her delicate neck. Black hair, wild and windswept and messy, fell down to her mid-back, a few strands coiling outwards like snakes. The gold necklace with a bright blue stone pendant hung off of her neck and moved wildly by the heavy winds.

She wore no shirt and only a dirty wrap around her chest and her pants had been torn at the sides from her hips. Bandages wrapped around her abs and her wrists down to her knuckles. She also had forgone her boots and revealed the bandages wrapped around her own heels and ankles.

"I think that's going to." The quiet, unhinged grin grows just a bit more wide before Yuno leaps back into the air, avoiding the eruption of the geyser she stood on top of.

"YOU FUCKING SHITHEAD!" Asta screams from where she landed. Yuno rolls her eyes before she uses the wind to make her fly up into the air. She easily spots the almost white hair of her sister and drops down, gracefully landing on her feet.

"Why the fuck did ya do that?!" Asta grabs the front of Yuno's wrap and pulls her down to be eye level. "You threw me at an erupting geyser that almost melted my skin off, shithead!"

"You dropped me down a geyser about to erupt, to wake me up, asshole," Yuno retorts with a small sneer as she steps forward to tower over Asta.

They glare at each other, just one step away from ripping each other's throats out.

"Hey, you shitheads! What the hell are you two doing?!" The roar is their only warning before two fire lion paws grip both of their heads. The lion paws turn to reveal the ferocious woman and her expression of pure death.

Asta and Yuno brighten immediately at the sight, both wearing equally wide grins. "Ma!"

Mereoleona growls and slams the two girls into the ground, making it crack underneath the force. She holds up a hand and clenches it in a fist.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that, you brats?!" Mereoleona roars before she lifts the children she adopted back up. "Now, I won't ask again. What the hell are you two doing?"

"Training," Yuno states shortly. Mereoleona glares at her, making the teenager avert her gaze with a shrug.

"We got bored while waiting for you to come back! We just got some good training in!" Asta agrees with her sister with a ferocious grin. "Did ya see that last move of mine? I totally had her!"

"As if," Yuno scoffs with her own grin. "I won by throwing you out."

"Really? You wanna have another go? We didn't end our little match!" Asta asks excitedly. She would have moved closer if she could, but the lion paw is still grabbing her head.

"If either of you speak another word, I'll throw you both into the Ultime Underground Cave for a week!" Mereoleona starts to tighten her grip around the teenagers' heads to prove she was serious. She's always serious.

Asta and Yuno wisely keep their mouths shut, but they continue to glare at each other. Mereoleona glances between the two before nodding her head with a grin.

"Good!" She sets them down and her fire magic recedes. "Get cleaned up. We're leaving."

Asta and Yuno blink in surprise. They've only been here for seven months. Since they started traveling with Mereoleona, they've stayed in each Grand Magic Zone they come across for at least a year.

"Ma, we've only been here for seven months," Asta voices their thoughts and confusion.

Mereoleona grins wildly and places her hands on her hips. "Don't tell me you forgot what's going to happen in a few weeks? I didn't raise you two shits to be idiots!"

There shouldn't be anything happening this year... well except their grimoire choosing ceremony and the–

Yuno straightens up with wide eyes and an excited smile. She looks over at Asta as she realizes too.

Their grimoires!

"We'll be ready in less than ten minutes!" Asta sprints past with a bark of laughter, quickly followed by Yuno. Before they could get very far, Mereoleona grabs their heads with her magic once more.

"Too late, shitheads! We're going now!" Mereoleona crouches down before suddenly leaping into the air. Asta and Yuno laugh in glee, too used to their adopted mother's quick changing mind to even be surprised, let alone terrified.

Mereoleona drops the two teenagers and focuses her magic below her feet to start flying southwest. Asta quickly flips in the air to fall above Yuno as the wind mage focuses her magic around her.

Asta lands on Yuno's back and wraps her arms around her neck before Yuno follows the fiery woman. A matching grin grows on both of their faces before Yuno speeds up enough to create a loud boom.

Mereoleona's laughter gets lost in the wind before she speeds up, easily flying past Yuno. The teenager narrows her eyes and follows through with the race, Asta cheering from her back.

She'll win this time.

•×•

"Not fast enough, shithead." Mereoleona stands proudly over the heaving form of Yuno, grinning ferociously with her arms crossed. Yuno gives her a half-hearted glare before collapsing onto her back. Her magic is fried.

Asta rocks back and forth from her cross-legged position on the crumbling stone wall. "Idiot, you haven't beaten Ma before. Why'd you think you would this time?"

"You're always on my back, bitch," Yuno snarks out, none of her attitude exhausted. The magic exhaustion simply fueled it more.

"Ma sometimes carries me–an' our things when ya race. She still wins every time," Asta points out with an eye roll.

Yuno growls under her breath and flicks her fingers towards the silver haired teenager. Asta yelps loudly when a strong breeze forcefully throws her off of the wall.

"Alright. That's enough, you brats!" Mereoleona grabs their heads with her lion paws, already walking down the dirt road. "I've got business to attend to in the damn capital. So, I'm leaving you with Sister and Father Orsi."

"You're going to the capital?" Asta asks with wide eyes. Even a blind man could see Mereoleona's hatred for the Royal Capital.

"Too much politics and not enough fighting," is what she always claimed... but Asta's pretty sure she started to get worried of what the Royal Capital could do to her and Yuno after Mereoleona took them in.

They know it's one of the reasons why their adopted mother is holding off on announcing the nine year old adoption until they turn 18 years of age. There's a lot less things the royals and nobles could fiddle with to make Asta and Yuno puppets. If they can get past their fists, that is.

"Some of your family is getting their grimoires at the same time. It's a stupid party that I normally don't attend, but one of them will need my support... those idiots," Mereoleona hisses the last part, clearly angry at the one thing she doesn't mention much to Asta or Yuno.

Their cousins in House Silva. Or at least, one cousin in particular. But, they have yet to learn their name.

"I'll be back before the week is over. So, you better have some training or you both are spending two months in the Ultime Underground Cave," Mereoleona states with a bloodthirsty grin before she stops before the closed doors of the only church in Hage, and at one point, the only home Asta and Yuno had ever known.

Mereoleona kicks open the doors–careful not to use her usual strength against the old wood–and steps through. "Oi! I'm here to drop off some brats!"

"Lady Leona!" The familiar squeal of Recca echoes through the empty church before a young girl runs over and wraps her arms around the fiery woman's waist.

Her curly mess of red hair bounces as she looks up with a bright grin. Three sets of footsteps echo through the church before three children run out of the backroom of the church.

"Lady Leona! Lady Leona!" The youngest boy, Hollo, shouts brightly, stumbling over his feet to race over.

"Children! Don't run in the church!" Sister Lily is quick to follow the children, coming out from the kitchen. Her smile is happy and pleasant despite her admonishment.

"There's too many of you brats," Mereoleona states, pretending that she isn't patting each of their heads when they run up to her.

"Lady Mereoleona, it hasn't even been a year yet! It's good to see you," Sister Lily greets cheerfully before the fiery woman drops the two teenagers she had carried over. Her blue eyes blink, taking in Yuno's and Asta's state of appearance.

"I see that you rushed to get over here, Lady Mereoleona." Sister Lily gives the older woman a slight look before smiling at the two teenagers. "It's good to see you two, Asta, Yuno. How have your travels been?"

"It's good to see you, Sister!" Asta runs over to give the Sister a large hug.

"Same as always. We had traveled to the Ultime-Volcano Mountain Trail and a strong Grand Magic Zone northeast of here," Yuno answers quietly, giving Sister Lily a side hug before walking further into the church.

"Lady Leona! Are you staying?!" Recca asks excitedly with her hands clasped in front of her chest.

Mereoleona laughs and roughly pats Recca's head. "Nah. The Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony is this week and I've got somewhere else to be, brat."

"You're getting your grimoires this week?!" The eldest boy, Nash, exclaims, turning to stare at Asta with stars in his eyes. He quickly turns his head with a bright red blush, dampening his excitement. Asta grins widely and places her hands on her hip with a laugh of her own.

"You bet! Well–Yuno, that little sh–jerk will get one at least," Asta states with a shrug. She isn't really jealous or anything, but it's common knowledge in her small family that she may never get a grimoire with her disability.

"Don't be a fool like your uncles, brat! Giving up on the impossible, hah!" Mereoleona grips Asta's head with her magic. "You'll get a grimoire. I took you in!"

"Big Sis Asta will get a grimoire! I know it!" Aruru, the youngest girl, shouts her agreement with her hands in the air.

"Grimoire! Grimoire!" Hollo repeats loudly, following his foster sister.

"Where's Father?" Asta asks instead of answering the cheers and reassurances.

"He had to go talk with the mayor. He'll be home by dinner. Will you be staying the night?" Sister Lily answers, pointing her question towards Mereoleona.

"Please? Lady Leona, will you stay? Please? We haven't seen you in forever!" Recca pleads with wide eyes. The other children voice their pleas afterwards, four children staring up at her with pleading eyes.

Mereoleona leans back before her face pinches slightly. She sighs softly and shakes her head with a grin.

"You brats are gettin' really bold. Someone's gotta teach you some lessons in manners!" Mereoleona states as if she's the perfect person to say that. "Fine. I'll stay the night. But don't expect me to tell you all any stories until you finish your chores!"

As the children rush to complete their chores, Mereoleona drops Asta onto her feet. "Go and get cleaned up, brat. And I expect you and Yuno to not get into any fights. Unless someone deserves an ass–"

"Lady Mereoleona!" Sister Lily admonishes sternly, not fazed at all that she's scolding a royal.

"Unless someone deserves a... butt-whooping," Mereoleona corrects her vocabulary and glares down at the silver haired teenager. "You better understand me shi–brat. Or you and Yuno will spend two weeks in the Endless Whirlpool Lake."

Asta nods her head with an eye roll and a hidden smile. She turns around with a wave of her hand as she runs further into the church.

"Got it, Ma! Me and Yuno'll help out once we get cleaned up, Sister," Asta calls over her shoulder.

"I told you already, shit–" Sister Lily coughs loudly, her glare becoming even more stern. Mereoleona scowls and takes a deep breath, mentally filtering her words.

"You brats know better than to call me that!" Mereoleona shouts back, only receiving a muffled cackle from Asta.

•×•

Asta remembers the first night Mereoleona mentioned how the stars don't shine bright in the Royal Capital. Asta can't imagine not knowing about how bright the night sky is.

And traveling around the kingdom, and the Neutral Zone... the night sky always looks different. It's beautiful and it always calms Asta's racing thoughts when she can't stop them.

She lowers her head to rest her chin on her knees. It's chilly for a spring night, but spending seven months in a constantly boiling and humid zone like the geyser zone has made her senses a bit skewed.

The Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony is this week. She's not going to get a grimoire.

Asta sighs quietly and continues to gaze up at the stars.

She's not upset about it. Nor is she jealous. She's just... accepted the fact. No amount of Mereoleona's training has woken up some innate part of her soul or sleeping mana. None of the mana soaked in the Grand Magic Zones she's lived in has altered her mana, only making her more resilient to it.

She is not getting a grimoire... because she has no mana for one to choose. She'll be the only human being in the entire world to not get a grimoire.

"You're brooding." Asta has long since lost the ability to be physically startled by those who sneak up behind her. She turns her head as she breaks out of her thoughts.

Yuno stood behind her, barefoot and wrapped tightly in a wool blanket. Her gold eyes glow beneath the moonlight, shining with worry.

"I don't brood," Asta drags out the word before facing forward again. "I'm just gazing up at the night sky."

Yuno huffs loudly, but stays silent. Minutes pass with Asta not turning around again before Yuno finally walks over to sit next to her.

"You'll get a grimoire. I know you will," Yuno declares with a kind of confidence Asta always admires.

Asta smiles, cold and wry. She lifts her head to gaze straight up.

"A grimoire can't be chosen if a person doesn't have mana or magic. That's the rule this world is built on," Asta calmly recites one of the few books she forces herself to read entirely once upon a time.

Books are hard to read; well, words are. They get jumbled and sometimes they swim and the letters always get switched. Maybe, if Asta could read without spending almost an hour on a single page, she might enjoy books like Yuno does. Well, maybe not. Yuno is a nerd for books.

"But, there hasn't been anyone else like you. How can the rule apply or not if we don't truly know what will happen?" Yuno retorts with a small look pointed towards Asta. Asta doesn't look her way, but frowns all the same.

"Exactly. There's no one else with this disability except me," Asta sighs softly before a small smile grows on her face.

She finally turns to face her sister and best friend and rival and grins. "With or without a grimoire, with or without a way around my disability... I'll still become the Wizard King."

"As if. You'll never become the Wizard King," Yuno grins back with a burning determination, "because I'll be the Wizard King."

Asta can't help, but laugh quietly. Yuno devolves into her own quiet chuckling. One of them will become the Wizard King. No matter what.

They don't notice the two women silently closing the church door, their unspoken worries eased for the time being.

•×•

Mereoleona leaves before the sun could even peek over the horizon; without fanfare and without notice. No one is too upset or shocked when they finally wake up to silence instead of the loud snores of the fiery woman.

It's only been three years since she last visited the Royal Capital. Nowhere near the previous ten years–the year Noelle turned six did not count, because that foolish brother of hers needed a lesson in childcare and Mereoleona only stayed for the day–after she forced her foolish brother's hand to train their even more foolish youngest brother.

But, Asta had gotten her first period and Mereoleona was not equipped or had any knowledge with it besides her own experience and what her old mentor, Theresa, had punched into her head. Despite Owen's confusion at being questioned–and kidnapped by the lioness–she had gotten the answers she needed... and then had to be forced to visit her brothers and the rest of her family because someone, she has still yet to figure out, had snitched that she was in the capital.

Mereoleona wished it was longer since she last visited. She doesn't want to be questioned or forced into any parties. Her girls will need more training in the six months leading up to the Magic Knights Entrance Exam, and she's already going to waste two of those months by staying in Hage.

"It's Lady Mereoleona!"

"The lioness is back in the Royal Capital!"

"Do you think she's here for the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony?"

"Maybe she's been ordered to return!"

The rapid whispers of the medical staff make Mereoleona's blood pressure rise in her irritation. It's one of the reasons she despises the capital so much. Rumors and talking.

Things should be dealt with by actions! Rumors simply infest the minds of the gullible and the weak and leave no room for growth for the strong. If something has to be defended with words over actions, then it doesn't deserve to be defended. But, she keeps those thoughts to herself.

Mereoleona ignores the excited whispers that surround her as she kicks open the doors to the main medical ward. "Healer Owen! I've got some questions!"

A ferocious grin grows on the fiery woman's face as she sees the healers cower in fear. Owen pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs heavily.

"Lady Mereoleona. I would appreciate it if you don't shout in my medical ward," Owen says in lieu of a greeting.

Mereoleona simply grins before she stalks forward. She creates the fire lion paws and grabs Owen's head without stopping.

"H-Healer Owen..." One of the junior healers trails off nervously, taking a step forward.

"Come get me if an emergency arises," Owen says before Mereoleona takes him through a side entrance into another medical wing. Mereoleona stays silent as she marches down the barely familiar hallway.

She only took the time to commit the direction to Owen's office to memory the last time she came around. When her girls are finally allowed to be publicly known as Vermillions, Mereoleona won't accept anything less than the best for their medical check-ups.

"I take it this isn't a medical visit?" Owen is the first to speak up once they reach his office. Mereoleona releases him from her grip as she opens the door, walking in without a word.

No. It isn't. Not for her, anyway. She knows Grand Magic Zones are dangerous for even mages like her, but she uses the unnatural concentrations of natural mana to strengthen her own and increase her ability to live and survive in them. But, she started to travel around for Grand Magic Zones after her mana matured and she had been accepted by a grimoire.

Owen sighs quietly, but walks in afterwards, closing the door behind him. He walks over to his desk and sits down, taking off his glasses and waits for Mereoleona to speak first. He's dealt with Mereoleona's fierce and bullheaded violence when it comes to her own medical needs and problems enough to know she has to speak first or know one can get her to stay down for any kind of healing.

Mereoleona crosses her arms and stands in the middle of the room. "What can Grand Magic Zones do to a child's mana?"

Owen raises an eyebrow at the question, but doesn't voice his thoughts. He doesn't bother to ask questions unless it's dire when it comes to the eldest Vermillion.

"If they are born and raised in a Grand Magic Zone, like the Underwater Temple, they may have a unique magic attribute or a predisposition to a magic form that may help the child's survival in that kind of environment," Owen answers simply.

"I know that!" Mereoleona snaps. "I'm talking about a child born in a place with no unusual mana or strong concentrations of mana that travels through Grand Magic Zones and has been living in them for–let's say a decade!"

"Well, I suppose it may affect their developing mana, but I would have to see the child to get an accurate hypothesis. Most children that live in Grand Magic Zones are born there, Lady Mereoleona."

Mereoleona grunts at the answer, scowling as she thinks. Owen blinks before frowning himself.

"It may be possible for constant exposure to high concentrations of mana to create problems in children that aren't born in Grand Magic Zones. But, I haven't heard of any children being spotted traveling through Grand Magic Zones," Owen clarifies with a narrowed gaze. "Have you come across a child that lives in a Grand Magic Zone, but had not been born there?"

Mereoleona stays silent, appearing like she's lost in thought.

Owen sighs and tries again. "Is this the same child that caused you to interrogate me questions about a woman's puberty?"

"...a different one. That... child... does not have magic, but still travels through Grand Magic Zones as well," Mereoleona speaks quietly and carefully, glancing off to the side to glare at something non-existent.

Owen raises an eyebrow. No magic? He's never heard of such a thing.

"Do these children have names? I'm assuming you know them quite well, Lady Mereoleona," Owen asks professionally, only to raise his hands at the downright terrifying glare Mereoleona aims at him.

"Like it or not, Lady Mereoleona, but you knew what you were doing three years ago by coming here and asking me about teenage puberty. I need names for their files," Owen continues, unperturbed by the ferocious and deadly nature of the woman in front of him.

Nothing will ever be as terrifying or as horrifying as the Five Years of Frozen Hell back when Mereoleona had first started her period and subsequently gone through puberty. It was only Owen himself that hadn't retired after those five years and it's only Owen himself that Mereoleona will ever go to for anything medical related.

It's almost worth the amount of burns scars he has. Almost, but not quite.

Mereoleona sighs quietly, her shoulders sagging in her silent and begrudging defeat. No one besides Sister Theresa Rapual and Owen can get her to do or say anything against her own wishes and views. Though, it takes quite a bit of concussive-inducing hits to the head and enough sedatives to knock out a horse to get her to simply comply.

That is worth the burn scars Owen received from the lioness.

"They're both fifteen. Got it?" Mereoleona hisses with an almost feral snarl. "I don't want any information public until those two shitheads reached the proper age of eighteen!"

Owen blinks before his mouth opens. That was not what he was expecting.

"They are your–"

"I only took them in! I have no children! Those little shitheads aren't mine!" Mereoleona interrupts with vehement denial.

It takes every single speck of self-control Owen has learned over the decades of being a healer to not laugh or even crack a smile.

"You're waiting until they are 18 years of age... you're going to introduce them as Vermillions when there is no chance of anyone attempting to manipulate them into marriage," Owen thinks with an involuntary twitch of his lips. "You may deny it, but it's clear you are their mother. You've grown, Lady Mereoleona."

"Patient confidentiality is my number one priority. I swear no information will be leaked from me, Lady Mereoleona," Owen speaks up with a gentle smile.

Mereoleona huffs loudly with a scowl. "Their names are As–"

The office door is slammed open so hard, it cracks the wall. A young man with the same shade of vermillion hair as Mereoleona stood in the entrance with wide eyes and an even wider grin.

"Big Sis! You truly have retur–" Mereoleona uses one of her lion paws to throw her youngest brother, Leopold Vermillion, through the wall across from the office.

"DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TO KNOCK, YOU FOOLISH IDIOT?!" Mereoleona stalks out of the office with her magic flaring all around her. "That fool must be severely lacking as your teacher if you don't even know to keep your voice down in the Medical Ward!"

Owen sighs heavily and glances over at his almost obliterated wall, and the charred doorway into his office. Sometimes, he wishes for the cold and arrogant Silvas over the Vermillions passion and impulsiveness. At least they know that destroying his property is going to waste time... for the entirely wrong reasons, but still.

"SISTER!" Owen pinches the bridge of his nose at the loud shout from the always passionate and honorable captain of the Crimson Lion Kings.

"What are you doing in the Medical Ward? Have you been injured?" Fuegoleon Vermillion asks loudly as he steps into view from the doorway.

"Are you insulting me?! I wouldn't get injured so easily in the three years since I've seen you, you fool! No wonder this idiot has no manners with you talking to me like that!" Mereoleona snarls back before she uses her magic to grab Fuegoleon's head.

She turns around with a growl and momentarily catches Owen's eyes. Her snarl softens into a hard expression before she inclines her head.

Owen gives the same goodbye with an exasperated smile. Looks like they'll be discussing this at a later time. Which means probably in a year or two.

•×•

Yuno tugs at the high collar of the blouse she was forced to wear for this event. A somewhat ruffled Asta stood next to her with too much smugness for what she did to her. She deserves the scratches Yuno gave her in her attempt to escape.

Asta wore a simple dark blue sundress, slightly dirtied from her scuffle with Yuno, and a gold sash wrapped around her waist.

"I'm going to fucking kill you," Yuno growls under her breath, only making Asta grin widely.

"This is a big event. So, we need to look nice," Asta points out quietly, giving Yuno a once over.

She wore a high-collared blouse with lantern sleeves, a thin black belt, and a dark blue skirt that ended just above her knees. It was uncomfortable and she kept trying to put her hands in non-existent pockets. Her hair had thankfully been left alone to be as messy and untamable as it usually is.

"I have a nice pair of pants for things like this, you shithead!" Yuno hisses before Asta waves her hand with a cheerful smile.

"Not anymore!" Asta sings before conveniently being called on by Sister Lily.

"You little–" Yuno tries to grab Asta's messed up braid, but she simply twirls out of reach. Yuno growls again, almost sounding animalistic, before she pulls at her collar again.

"Do you know who they are?"

"They're with Sister and Father... they wouldn't take in children this old!"

Yuno rolls her eyes at the whispers and the stares. A loud bark of laugh catches Yuno's attention and she spots Asta with her head thrown back and Sister Lily giggling behind her hand.

"Stupid bitch." Yuno sighs quietly, a small smile growing on her face. She shakes her head with a silent huff and looks around the grimoire tower.

It was filled with way too many people, but there wasn't much that could be done. This is the only grimoire tower in the vicinity of three villages. A cloaked figure standing against the farthest wall immediately catches Yuno's attention.

"Why do you have your hood up indoors?" Yuno frowns thoughtfully as the cloaked figure turns his head to face her direction. She continues staring, not one to back down from something as simple as getting caught.

"Welcome, young men and women," The sudden announcement immediately grabs Yuno's attention. She faces forward and looks up at where an elderly mage hovered over them.

"You will begin a new journey today. I wish you all faith, hope, and love." The mage stands on the podium overlooking the entire floor. "I am the master of this grimoire tower. We've never had a Wizard King from this area nor anyone who's actually achieved greatness in the Magic Knights."

"No one's tried hard enough to achieve anything," Yuno silently retorts.

"I sincerely hope that one of you will become the Wizard King someday. No, really! Seriously!" Yuno raises an eyebrow at how desperate the elderly mage sounded.

The mage clears his throat and continues his supposedly inspiring speech, "Now it's time for the awarding... of the grimoires!"

Yuno stares up at the flying grimoires filling the air. She straightens her back and clenches her hands next to her sides. She has strong magic. A lot stronger than what a peasant is meant to have. But... will it truly be strong? Or is she simply skilled with an average amount of magic?

Yuno glances over at her sister. Asta stares up at the grimoires with her hands clasped tightly in front of her, no expression on her face and her jaw clenched.

"Asta will get a grimoire. I know it. She'll get a grimoire... because she is my rival!" Yuno thinks‒prays, hopes‒for her sister.

Exclamations and cheers and cries ring out through the entire tower as the grimoires choose their wielders. Yuno relaxes her hands and blinks when she feels a strong tug in her chest.

"We'll be taking the Magic Knights' entrance exam in six months," Yuno side-eyes the boy who said that and the boy standing next to him. Nice clothes, loose hair, clean hands. Commoners or nobles then.

"We'll be sure to get in!" The other commoner declares loudly. Yuno raises an eyebrow before rolling her eyes. They wouldn't even last in a fight without magic if they went up against Yuno, or Asta.

"Good, good." The elderly mage nods his head, clearly pleased. "I look forward to it."

"I knew it... there is no grimoire for me..." Yuno snaps her head to the right at the soft mumble. Gold eyes grow wide in shock at the acceptance and the devastation plastered on Asta's face. There was no grimoire around her. There was nothing around her.

"Asta will get a grimoire. Asta has to get a grimoire. She's my sister!" Yuno stares at Asta in disbelief and horror. They are sisters. Asta has to get a grimoire. Yuno is never wrong. Asta‒

"But, she isn't your sister by blood. You were simply abandoned on the same day." Yuno turns her head and ignores the wind's whispers.

Yuno almost stumbles forward when something tugs at her chest again. A gasp leaves her mouth before a bright and warm light envelopes her. A grimoire‒her grimoire appears in front of her.

Something fits inside her and her magic buzzes in her veins. The wind around her billows and twirls, dancing to a song only Yuno can hear. The song of air and the wind. Yuno doesn't even hear what is spoken around her as she raises her hand.

The grimoire‒the four-leaf grimoire falls into her hand, humming with the same song the wind sings. Yuno turns the grimoire over and stares at the four-leaf.

She straightens her back and faces the shocked crowd. "I'm going to become the Wizard King."

The entire crowd bursts into cheers. It doesn't matter that none of them know who she is. It doesn't matter that she looks like she could kill them with a snap of her fingers. It doesn't matter that she's dressed nicer than even the commoners. Yuno is clearly a peasant, and she has a four-leaf clover.

"Yuno..." The black haired teenager glances to her right. Asta had walked up to her, facing the opposite direction. She had a smile on her face, but she doesn't look at her sister.

"I'll be the one to become the Wizard King. With or without a grimoire." Asta finally turns to stare up at Yuno. "I'll bash your head in if you even think otherwise!"

"Not possible. You are sorely mistaken if you think you can hit me so easily," Yuno retorts with a grin. Maybe she really was wrong about Asta getting a grimoire... but Yuno knows something as minor as this  won't bring her down. Not one bit.

Yuno brushes past Asta and walks out of the grimoire tower. The first step to becoming the Wizard King is finished... now it's time to train to become a Magic Knight.

•×•

"I knew it. I knew I wouldn't get a grimoire..." but I still couldn't help, but hope for one... like some kind of fucking idiot!

Asta impales her fist through a large oak tree. Her teeth grit together as she forces her fist out to punch the tree again. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She's so stupid!

"This won't be the end for me! It won't! I clawed my way to be as strong as Ma... so, you can't make me just give up now!" Asta roars loudly up at the sky.

She releases a battle cry before spinning on one foot, completely tearing the great oak tree she had punched out from the ground. It flies through the air and slams into another tree, splitting in half.

Asta's about to leap towards her next tree victim when a loud, piercing scream cuts through the evening silence of the forest. Asta spins towards the direction of the sound, her eyes narrowed.

That... that was near the grimoire tower. Asta crouches before leaping forward. Her foot barely lands on the tree branch before she leaps again.

"I know Yuno noticed him... the man with his hood up... he better not be causing any trouble!" Asta speeds up her leaping through the trees. She may not be a citizen of Hage anymore... this is still her first home, and the home of the children at the church.

•×•

"Get these chains off of me so I can beat your ass, you motherfucker!" Yuno growls before she forcefully takes another step despite the chains wrapped tightly around her waist and arms. She ignores how the chains are slowly sucking away her mana and ignores how they tighten to the point of cutting into her skin.

She is such an idiot! She knew this man was bad news the moment she noticed his hidden figure in the tower. Damn it! She had let her guard down because of those damn commoner brats! And if Mereoleona finds out... damn it! Yuno did not want to train in the Ultime Underground Cave!

"To think a little bitch like you has a four-leaf. Unfortunately for you, your legend is going to end before it even begins." The thief whose name Yuno doesn't even remember holds up Yuno's grimoire like it was a prize. "Oh? That pendant of yours looks like it's worth something too..."

Yuno growls loudly and tries to surge forward, only for the chains to pull tight. She gasps for air that she cannot get and thrashes against the chains. If she can just move her wrist, she'll be able to beat this guy's ass!

"I guess I'll be taking that too... while you die by my chains‒"

A black and silver blur slams right into the thief's side, making him fly into the stone wall of the path. Yuno grins through her gasps for air as Asta stands where the thief once stood.

"What the hell are you doing?! I'm gonna beat your ass so hard, you'll be crying for your own mother!" Asta shouts loudly with her fist raised at the promise.

"As‒ta." Yuno blinks away the blurriness in her vision and tries to take another step forward. Asta snaps her head in Yuno's direction, her emerald eyes blinking rapidly at what she sees.

"Yuno!" Asta races over. "Holy shit‒Ma's gonna kill you!"

Asta lifts her foot high in the air and slams the heel of her foot against one of the chains protruding from the ground. It shatters easily under the strength of her kick, loosening up just enough for Yuno to take in a gulp of air.

"Y-you don't say?!" Yuno exclaims in between her pants. Asta gives her a look while she raises her foot to shatter the next chain.

"You..."

Yuno's eyes widen as the wind interrupts its song to screech in warning. "Asta, move!"

Asta spins around with her foot kicked out and manages to block one of the chains attacking her. The other three slam into her and make her fly back into the opposite wall. One of the sharp ends slices through Yuno's cheek.

"You little bitch! Who the hell do you think you are?!" The thief screeches in his fury, stepping away from the wall he had been thrown into. Blood dripped down his face and more chains appeared around him.

"The bitch that's gonna break your fuckin' skull!" Asta widens her stance, not even phased by the surprise attack. "What the fuck are you doing to my stupid sister?!"

"Stupid?! You're the stupid one, bitch!" Yuno exclaims loudly, surging towards the silver haired teenager in a failed attempt to attack her. She hisses through her teeth and glares down at the chains still restraining her. Damn thief!

"I'm going to kill you. I may have been expelled from the Magic Knights... but I was still one once! My chains can't feel any magic power from you... a magicless bitch like you can't get away with this scratch!" The thief's grimoire glows behind him, turning to a different page.

Asta leaps forward with her fist raised and a feral grin on her face. "Good! I've been itching for a fight like this!"

"Iron Chain Magic: Dance of the Pitless Viper!" Iron chains snake in the air and surround Asta. Two pierce through her shoulder and thigh while three more simply slice through her skin.

Asta releases a battle cry as she continues to sprint towards the thief. The chains dig deeper and go completely ignored by the teenager.

"Are you even human, you little bitch?! Stay down!" The thief sneers, roughly taking out the chain still lodged in Asta's thigh to wrap it around the leg.

"Asta!" Yuno screams as the thief simply lifts the chains and swings them through the wall, taking Asta with them. The chain impaled in her shoulder is ripped out by the force, making Asta choke on air before she is thrown into the ground. She doesn't move.

Asta stares up at the sky with her chest heaving. The sky was turning a deep purple. The firefly dandelion fluff will start to glow soon from the sunset.

"Asta..." Get up. Get up! This isn't the end for you, so get up, Asta!

"Damn... I'm so used to fighting against fire and wind magic," Asta starts with a low voice and slow movements to sit up, "that I've forgotten that people have different types of magic."

Asta chuckles wetly before spitting out blood. Her chuckle grows into a laugh as she stumbles onto her feet.

The teenager's shadow lengthens as the sun sets lower, forming shapes and figures of hell and of devils. The thief takes a step back in an attempt to avoid touching the shadow.

"You‒what the hell are you? You shouldn't be moving! I'm stronger than you! I'm better than you!" The thief scrambles back even more, only to trip and fall from one of his own chains protruding from the ground.

Asta's head slowly raises and emerald green eyes glow in an unnatural glow from the setting sun behind her. A grin has split her face in half and reveals bloodied teeth and a split lip.

"I ain't done yet. Don't you ever think that I'm done. I told you before... Yuno. I'm gonna bash your head in if you even think of anyone other than me becoming the Wizard King!" Asta declares in a gleeful tone.

Yuno grins back‒the burning in the back of her throat isn't real‒just as ferociously become a bark of laughter leaves her mouth. "And I told you before, you bitch. That's. Not. Possible! Becuase, I'm going to become the Wizard King!"

Asta's grin becomes impossibly wider... and then she brings her attention to the thief. "Now... time to deal with you..."

The shadows laugh and a hellish light explodes from Asta. A grimoire appears.

•×•

Mereoleona whips around with wide eyes. Glass shatters behind her and exclamations of shock echo throughout the ballroom. Mereoleona ignores it as she takes a step towards the door.

"Sister! Is everything alright?!"

She takes another step, starting to speed up her walking.

"L-Lady Mereoleona?"

Mereoleona starts to run, slamming open the ballroom doors.

"Mereoleona, what are you doing?!"

Mereoleona breaks into a dead sprint, unbothered by her tight dress and the heels her brother forced her to wear.

She doesn't bother to sprint through the maze of halls in the Vermillion Residence. She fires a fireball at one of the windows and jumps through. She kicks off her heels and ignores how the bottom of her dress catches on fire as she starts to fly south.

That couldn't have been a fluke. She felt something. Something has happened. Something has happened to her girls.

Chapter Text

    Everything was fuzzy and warm when Asta first woke up. It was weird, because it was winter and it was never warm in the church unless dinner had just finished cooking or the church was opened for service.

Asta opens her eyes with a small groan and winces at her dry throat. She instinctively swallows, only for her throat to spasm. Asta bolts up with a wretch, coughing into her trembling hand.

She barely hears a door creak open through her coughing until a cold and gentle hand carefully rubs her back. "Shh-shh. Asta, it's okay. It's okay. Take deep breaths."

Asta follows Sister Lily's advice while pressing her back into her hand. Her breaths come out as wheezes as her coughing calms down. Something cold touches Asta's lip, making her flinch back, but it soon follows.

"It's water. Drink, Asta. Slowly," Sister Lily says calmly. Asta nods her head and drinks slowly from the glass. Her throat soothes immediately at the cold liquid and Asta opens her eyes when a door is slammed open.

"A-Asta!" Yuno's desperate shout makes the silver haired girl snap her head up.

"Yuno! Don't run in the church! And don't startle your sister!" Sister Lily scolds, still speaking softly. "She's just woken up!"

"S-sorry..." Yuno trails off guiltily, standing next to Asta's mat with her hands pulling at her shirt. Sister Lily sighs quietly before she gives the young girl a smile.

"Asta, I'm glad you woke up. How are you feeling? You were out for a few days," Sister Lily asks gently. Asta blinks and looks up at the young nun before she opens her mouth.

"I–" Asta winces and clears her throat. It felt like something was stuck inside.

Asta clears her throat again before smiling up at the Sister. "'m fine. Body hurts..."

"You got beaten to hell and back, brat. Of course your body will hurt," An unfamiliar voice rings through the room, making Asta jump.

"Please do not curse in front of the children!" Sister Lily gasps softly before giving the other occupant in the room a small bow. "I-I deeply apologize, Lady Mereoleona! I simply–"

"It's alright. This is a church. I know better than to cuss. Sorry," The other occupant–a woman–states with a slight shrug. Asta blinks and stares at the woman with wide eyes.

She towered over them all and had her strong arms crossed over her chest. Her bright, burning hair was held up in a ponytail with some strands falling over her tanned face. She wore clothes that Asta knows are only from the stories Sister tells her and Yuno at night and her eyes were the prettiest blue she's seen.

Asta points at the woman with an awestruck smile. "Pretty!"

"Asta! You know pointing at people is rude!" Sister Lily gently pushes Asta's hand down before the woman laughs loudly.

"You're quite bold, brat!" The woman exclaims before she places her hands on her hips. "I shouldn't be surprised. You said you were going to become the Wizard King, right? That's a big dream for a brat like you. Not even the nobles dream that big."

That's right. The meanie hurting Yuno. The necklace. Her and Yuno's promise. Her and Yuno's rivalry.

Asta blinks at the statement before scowling in determination. "I'll be th' Wiz-Wizard King! I will!"

"No you won't!" Yuno shouts loudly with her arms crossed. "'cause I'll be the Wizard King!"

"No! I will!" Asta shouts back, undeterred by Sister Lily's gentle shushing.

"Girls! It's the middle of the night. Don't shout!"

The woman snarls and uncrosses her arms to place her hands on her hips. "You're both just brats! The road to the Wizard King is full of obstacles, you brats! If you can't fight against danger and fight past your fears, you'll only die along the way! Are you prepared to give it your all? Well?!"

"Yes!"

"Of course!" Both Asta and Yuno declare.

The woman grins ferociously and points towards both of them.

"Good! Because, I'm not taking in two little shits–two little brats who can't back up their words!" The woman exclaims, making every occupant in the room start. What?

"That's right!" The woman's magic bursts out from around her in blood-red flames. "I, Mereoleona Vermillion, will adopt you two brats to train you! Whether you like it or not, I ain't taking no for an answer!"

•×•

Asta stares at the cover of her grimoire–her grimoire. Her very own grimoire.

It was old and covered in dirt and clearly left forgotten somewhere... but it's a grimoire. And it is hers.

The five-leaf on the cover seems to mock her with the pitch black color. Even when she turns it towards the candlelight, it doesn't even reflect it back; it's like a void of nothingness.

"I think it's bullshit. The common three-leaf, the lucky four-leaf, the five-leaf from Hell–it's all bullshit, okay?" Mereoleona had once declared with an anger placed for someone or something else. "But... this bullshit may have some truth in it. There's a reason there's hardly any four-leafs around to make it seem like a legend. And that five-leaf–I've never seen one before."

"And in the fifth-leaf, resides the Devil," Asta murmurs with a narrowed gaze. She flips open the grimoire and stares at the spell written in an unfamiliar and unsettling language. The spell that summons her great sword–the one that can nullify magic.

Asta snaps the grimoire closed and hugs it to her chest with a small sigh. She shakes her head and looks up at the twilight colored sky.

She should be dressing the wounds Sister Lily didn't have enough skill and magic to heal. She should be getting cleaned up to head back downstairs and celebrate Yuno gaining a four-leaf grimoire and herself even gaining one. That is what Asta should be doing.

Asta looks back down at her grimoire with a slight frown. She shakes her head again and stands to get cleaned up.

She's about to unbutton her dress‒that's been ripped to ruins! That damn thief‒when something booms in the distance. Asta jumps when she hears something crash loudly outside the church and stumbles to the window.

"Ma?" Asta questions out loud, watching Mereoleona walk out of the smoking and charred crater she created from her landing. She didn't wear shoes and the clearly expensive dress she wore was burnt away all the way up to her thighs.

She looked panicked.

Asta turns around and races out of the room as fast as she could while trying not to put too much pressure on her injured leg. She runs into a wall as Sister Lily and Father Orsi, followed by Yuno and the younger children, rush out of the dining room.

"Ma's outside!" Asta calls out, stumbling past the group to enter the nave of the church. Mereoleona slams open the front doors and is about to race in when she sees Asta.

She stalks forward as Asta uses one of the benches to balance herself. "Ma?! What's going on? Why are you–"

Mereoleona grabs Asta by the shoulders, looking her over with a dark expression. Her eyes pause at Asta's partially healed shoulder before they flick down to where the skirt of her dress is destroyed to inspect the hole in her thigh.

"What happened?" Mereoleona asks calmly, making Asta tense. When Mereoleona is calm, she isn't just serious. She's enraged... and she's out for blood.

"I'm fine. I promise, Ma. I was just about to go clean up when I heard you land," Asta quickly reassures the ferocious woman. Yuno and the others finally rush into the nave, only for all of them to freeze at Mereoleona's appearance.

"Sister," Mereoleona states with an eerie calm tone, "what the hell happened to‒to these brats?"

"Asta, go get cleaned up. Yuno, help her. I'll explain everything that you both had told me," Sister Lily speaks softly. Asta and Yuno silently nod and follow her request.

Asta bites the inside of her cheek as Yuno helps her back to the bedroom they share with the younger children when they come to visit. She glances over her shoulder before leaning closer to her sister.

"Do you... do you think she felt my grimoire... appear in front of me?" Asta asks, ignoring the increasing amount of dread filling her gut.

Yuno stays silent, but glances over her shoulder as well. "I think... we don't need to worry about it."

"Yuno... my grimoire‒it's a five-leaf."

"Asta..." Yuno rolls her eyes and gives the silver haired teenager a look. "If anyone in this entire kingdom was going to get the two rarest grimoires... it was going to be us. Does it really matter what some folk bullshit says about the clovers?"

Asta bites her cheek and stays silent. Does it matter? Does it matter to her? Asta shakes her head before she can even voice her thoughts, a small grin growing on her face.

"No... it doesn't... and Ma will say the same."

"Damn right, she will," Yuno states loudly before Asta quickly shushes her. They are still inside the church!

•×•

Asta fell asleep without a struggle; the fight had taken quite a bit out of her and the injuries made her exhausted. She thought she'd simply fall into a dreamless sleep, or dream of something she won't remember in the morning. She thought wrong.

She is floating. All she sees is red. She can't hear anything. She can't feel anything.

Where am I?

"'Does it really matter?' Ge-ge-ge."

Asta can't breathe. Something is filling her mouth, filling her throat. Something is drowning her. Her muscles spasms and twitch.

Something is wrong.

Black‒but it isn't black‒fills her vision. It twists around her to form a claw-like hand before travelling back to form an arm; then a shoulder; then a body; then a face.

"Does it matter now, human?" The thing–the demon‒the devil speaks again, mocking and jovial.

What‒are you?

"Ge-ge-ge. You said it yourself, human. Are you that foolish?" The devil pulls her closer. "I'm a devil. The devil that resides in that grimoire of yours."

Why are you in the grimoire?

"Foolish human! Do you think I'd answer your questions?! Ge-ge-ge. I'm here to kill you," The devil sneers, or seems to sneer, or... doesn't sneer. He doesn't sneer. Not at her. Why?

She feels rage, anger, sadness, grief. She feels disbelief and a thirst for bloody vengeance. She feels... emotions that are not her own.

...You won't kill me.

Asta can barely feel the pressure as the devil squeezes her body. She stares up at the devil before blinking.

"Arrogant! All devils kill you puny little humans! We eat you! We torture you! All devils are scum to you humans!" The devil hisses in a rage and ice cold fury that isn't targeted towards the teenager.

No. You don't want to kill me.

The devil roars and raises his other hand to wrap around Asta. She doesn't feel anything as the devil squishes her.

Asta wakes up with no air in her lungs and her own hand to her throat. It takes her a moment to remember how to breathe as she bolts up from her bed.

Her breaths came out ragged and her entire body was soaked in sweat. Her lungs hurt‒her throat hurts. Her heart is pounding as if it'll beat its last right that second.

Red. Black. A sneer. Grief. Grief‒so much grief.

Asta weeps loudly before she quickly covers her mouth to muffle it. She heaves for air as she curls over her lap.

What did she see? What was she dreaming about? She could only see glimpses and flashes... she‒she can't remember.

"‒ta? Asta!" Asta lifts her head at the quiet shout. It was pitch-black, but what she could see was blurred from her tears.

Shades of vermilion suddenly appear closer before a rough hand grabs the back of her head and pulls her into warmth. Asta uncovers her mouth and instead muffles her weeping into Mereoleona's collarbone as she clenches her fists around the woman's shirt.

The hand keeps her head pressed into Mereoleona's collarbone, unmoving and secure. Asta releases the emotions that she knows aren't hers into the comfort Mereoleona is giving her, unsure and terrified by something she can't remember.

Asta passes out in Mereoleona's arms. Exhausted and still weeping. She doesn't notice Mereoleona's terribly shaking arms, or her shaky breaths she had been desperately trying to calm.

Mereoleona keeps Asta pressed against her, calming her own racing heart.

She had woken up to something clogging her throat and her lungs. It felt like she was drowning; it felt like something that a human like her should not have felt. It left–more like it was ripped away‒before Mereoleona could even get a breath in. It was the loud weep that quickly cut off that made Mereoleona bolt out of bed.

In the nine years she has had Asta... she has never heard her weep. It took her another moment, as she barrels open the door to the brats' bedroom as quietly as she could, did she fully realize that the something had come from this room; it had come from Asta. Or... Asta's five-leaf grimoire.

Mereoleona clenches her eyes shut and presses her lips against Asta's head. She gently lays the girl back onto her own bed and carefully covers her with the blanket. Her‒still shaking‒hand reaches up and brushes Asta's hair from her sweaty forehead. A frown grows on her face before she places her whole hand on the teenager's forehead.

Fuck. She's burning up.

Mereoleona stands up and stalks out of the bedroom, right as Sister Lily stumbles out of her bedroom. "L-Lady Mereoleona! Are‒are the children okay?! I heard a sound and‒"

"They're fine and it was Asta. Did you not feel‒" Mereoleona cuts herself off and clenches her shaking fists to her side.

"What? Feel what? Did something happen?" Sister Lily asks worriedly, making Mereoleona curse under her breath. The Sister almost berates the woman, but as she watches Mereoleona cross her arms and pinch the bridge of her nose, she refrains from doing so.

"Lady Mereoleona?"

Mereoleona sighs quietly and looks back into the bedroom, looks back at the possibly deathly ill teenager in her care. "Asta has a dangerously high fever. I... need to go to the Royal Capital. I'll pick up some medicine, but watch over her condition, Sister."

"Of‒of course! Lady Mereoleona, what happened? Why is Asta ill?" Sister Lily asks, worried and terrified for the child.

Mereoleona glares down at the floor, still feeling that something even if she can't even remember what it actually felt like. "I don't know... but I'm going to find out. If she wakes up, or her condition‒call me with the communicator I gave you."

"...of course, Lady Mereoleona," Sister Lily gives her answer before walking into the brats' bedroom. She immediately gets to work and casts her healing magic over Asta.

Mereoleona doesn't give the room another glance as she stalks down the hallway and out of the church. She's in a too small nightgown the Sister lent to her, she has no shoes on, and she probably looks like an absolute fucking mess... but she needs to find information about the five-leaf. She needs information about devils. And she needs Owen to tell her how to make sure a brat with no magic doesn't die from illness when no medicine can help her.

•×•

Depending on each person who resides in the Royal Capital, the speed in which rumors and news travels is either a gift or a curse. For Owen, it is both.

Lady Mereoleona of House Vermillion raced out of the Vermillion Residence in a fury, leaving behind a tray of broken champagne glasses, a completely blown out window, and a pair of heels. No one knows where she went and no one has been able to contact her.

When it reached Owen's ears by midnight, he kept his silence on the matter. He has a strong hunch as to why Lady Mereoleona had raced out of the ball held in both Lady Mimosa's and Lady Noelle's honor for receiving their grimoires. He simply finished his usual late night check-ups on his surgery patients and went back to his office to get a head start on his seemingly endless piles of paperwork.

Which is why, when Lady Mereoleona bursts into his office in only a nightgown‒clearly borrowed as it only fell to her thighs‒no shoes despite being someone who knows and follows every single one of Owen's rules, and her hair an absolute mess, Owen hadn't been surprised. What surprises–and fills him with dread–him is the expression of pure and unadulterated terror in Lady Mereoleona's eyes.

"Owen‒"

"What's wrong? Is it your children? What happened?" Owen races forward, already pulling on his coat and making sure his grimoire is secure in his satchel.

Lady Mereoleona breathes out shakily–which raises Owen's panic even further. Lady Mereoleona doesn't shake, nor tremble‒and slams the door closed behind her. "Owen. Do you know of anyone with a five-leaf grimoire? Do you know‒do you know of anyone who‒who... who knows about devils?"

Owen freezes. His mind replays those two questions and then reboots. He sucks in a sharp breath and stares into Lady Mereoleona's eyes.

"Do you need me to check the children right now?" Owen asks seriously.

Devils; they're myths and legends. They were probably around once upon a time–the whole legend of the First Wizard King has some factual evidence after all–but a devil? In a grimoire? He's never heard of anything like it.

Lady Mereoleona breathes heavily and runs a hand through her hair. She takes a deep breath and stares at her trembling hands before she clenches them at her sides.

"I‒I don't know what I felt earlier‒when I raced out of that damn ball. Fuck, it's probably already spread to the Noble Realm now." Lady Mereoleona starts to pace. "I ran out because I felt‒I felt something. Something happened to Asta and Yuno. Something was happening. I‒I had to go and make sure those fucking shits were safe."

"Asta and Yuno Vermillion. Are they male or female?" Owen doesn't voice his thoughts, simply files the information to write down later.

"When I got to the church‒I knew something changed. Asta was injured‒fuck, it looked like something tore through her shoulder! And her thigh, it had a hole through it! Through it, Owen. The Sister has good healing magic, but she's never dealt with serious injuries like that before. She managed to stop the bleeding and partially healed them, but fuck! And Yuno‒she had less injuries, but her arms and waist were bruised. She had almost been choked to death," Lady Mereoleona rambles almost frantically.

"Both females, both fifteen. Orphans until Lady Mereoleona adopted them. And they've been travelling with her for almost a decade to different Grand Magic Zones. One with no magic, the other with an unknown amount of magic."

"Then‒then Sister Lily told me what the shits told her. Some fucking thief‒a Magic Knight that got expelled. Fuck, when I find him, I'll kill him for sure," Lady Mereoleona snarls darkly, her magic reacting to her fury.

"Lady Mereoleona." Owen gives the woman a look, making her take another deep breath to calm herself down.

"Yuno‒that little shit, upstaging me! She received a four-leaf. A God-be-damned four-leaf grimoire!" Lady Mereoleona barks out a laugh as Owen blinks in momentary shock.

"A four-leaf? So, more than an exceptional amount of magic. What attribute? Is Lady Yuno a battle mage‒a healer?" There hasn't been a four-leaf grimoire in centuries. At least recorded.

"Asta didn't receive a grimoire‒then, but the thief had restrained Yuno when she had let her guard down against two little brats who thought they could teach my little shit a lesson. Asta got her injuries from that fucker, but she got her grimoire. It's‒it's a five-leaf. Owen, I always called that saying bullshit that might have some truth, but fuck!" Lady Mereoleona stands completely still staring at one of the office walls. Her fists were still shaking.

A five-leaf grimoire and a four-leaf grimoire. And they are awarded to Lady Mereoleona's children. Owen should feel terror and dread for the heavy implications, but he's more focused on the normally ferocious woman and her immense terror. It's clear she's never felt this way before; she doesn't realize how much she loves and cares for these girls.

"I think‒I think there's a devil in Asta's grimoire. I think she met it. I woke up to this‒this something. God, I have never felt anything like it before. Before I even realized I woke up, it disappeared. Not even a second later I heard Asta weeping. Owen, this brat‒she's broken her arm three times. One time, it was completely shattered‒the entire thing. She barely even cried. I've never‒fuck and that-that something. It came from her, Owen. From her grimoire. She passed out and then I realized that she was burning up. Fuck, her fever was dangerously high. And‒she has no magic, Owen. Not even the best medicine can help her. If she dies‒"

"Are these not your daughters? Did you not raise them?" Owen barks out harshly, making the normally ferocious woman whirl around with a snarl. Yes, she is still full of denial.

"Lady Mereoleona, I have been a healer in the Royal Capital since before you were born. I was the only healer willing, and probably the only healer stupid enough to get in a fight with you to either knock you out or to give you a concussion severe enough that allowed me to heal you. God forbid the simple physicals you hated so much that I had to muzzle you just so you wouldn't bite me. And let us not forget the Five Years of Frozen Hell either." Owen crosses his arms and glares at the woman. "Out of everything I know about you, Lady Mereoleona, I know for a fact that your ability to fight death itself has passed on to your daughters."

"...they aren't–they aren't my children, you fucker!" Lady Mereoleona hisses ferociously, already gaining back some of her fire.

"Yes, whatever they are to you. Now, where are the children?" Owen asks again.

"In Hage Village. Owen, my questions–"

Owen sighs heavily. "No. I don't know of anyone with a five-leaf grimoire. Nor do I know of anyone who knows about devils. Devils are meant to be myths, Lady Mereoleona. But, let us focus on your–on Asta first."

Lady Mereoleona clearly had more to say, but she lets it go. Owen doesn't say anything about her completely opposite behavior and only follows her out of his office.

"Lady Mereoleona. If this involves devils... will you tell Lord Julius?"

Lady Mereoleona doesn't pause in her quick strides, but her shoulders do tense. Her silence makes Owen sigh.

"I need answers first. I don't care if I have to fight it out of this devil in my–in Asta's grimoire. Once I get something, I'll tell Julius," Lady Mereoleona eventually answers.

"I'll leave it to you, then."

•×•

Yuno is normally a heavy sleeper. Being able to sleep in places like the geyser Grand Magic Zone she had previously stayed in with Mereoleona and Asta or the Ultime Underground Cave gave her the ability to sleep just about anywhere. In the past nine years, she's grown used to sleeping in the strangest places.

That night, she chose to sleep in a pretty comfortable position on the windowsill. She assumed, with the fight against the thief, Mereoleona's surprising early return to the church, and the celebration of her and Asta getting grimoires, she would sleep like the dead.

With the panicked clamoring and the wind's hollow hymns rousing Yuno from her deep sleep, she quickly realizes she was wrong. Yuno lifts her head, ignoring the rat's nest that is her hair, and blinks at the somewhat blurred scene in front of her.

Sister Lily had her grimoire out and had a healing spell cast over Asta. Father Orsi stood by Asta's head, wringing out a wet washcloth and placing it on her forehead. The children, clearly having been woken up by the quiet commotion, were hovering by the door. Aruru and Hollo were crying with Recca desperately trying to sooth them.

Yuno blinks again and startles. The noise makes the other children jump as Yuno stumbles off of the windowsill and makes her way over to her sister.

"Wha'‒what happened?" Yuno asks, her voice rough from sleep. She grabs Asta's bedpost and stares at the shivering form of the silver haired teenager.

Her skin was pallid and ashen, sweat had covered her entire body, and her eyes were clenched shut and rapidly moving beneath her eyelids. She looked deathly ill.

"Yuno, take the children and go to the nave. We're waiting for Lady Mereoleona to return," Sister Lily orders sternly, sweat dripping from her forehead in her desperate concentration.

"But what happened? Why is Asta like this? When did she get sick?" Yuno asks, her grip tightening around the bedpost enough to make it creak.

"I don't know... but Lady Mereoleona will return with medicine. Now, go take the children!" Sister Lily answers quickly. Yuno continues to stare at Asta‒at her stubborn, unmovable, idiotic sister, and scowls.

"Devil, devil. Devil does cry. Devil, devil. Devil does grieve," The wind giggles. "Devil, devil. Devil must help. Or the devil's sister will die."

Something stabs Yuno in the chest. "...and in the fifth-leaf, resides the Devil."

"You..." The bedpost snaps under her grip and Yuno growls. A breeze, cold and heavy, blows into the room.

It doesn't matter. three-leaf, four-leaf, five-leaf. Yuno never understood why people cared so much about how many leaves a grimoire has. She doesn't understand why people care so much about the symbol.

The further into Clover someone gets, the more Clover discriminates. The hatred grows and the fear festers. Especially for those that were not born in The Clover Kingdom.

Mereoleona had told her and Asta about the other kingdoms, had explained it to them.

The Heart Kingdom is closed off and a complete mystery, but if no one is seeking asylum in Clover, then things should be doing well over there. The Diamond Kingdom is stripped of resources and desperate after the war with a dying and greedy king and rumors of human experimentation. Those who seek asylum tend to stay hidden, but most people in the Forsaken Realm will simply look the other way for a fellow survivor. The Spade Kingdom is completely unknown and dangerous. There is no talk of royalty or government or any kind of communication. No one from Spade seeks asylum... probably because no one can leave Spade, alive.

A person shouldn't be judged on their grimoire. A person should be judged for what they do and how they do it. No more, no less.

Yuno does not understand what the wind is telling her. She does not understand why it names Asta the devil's sister when she is Asta's sister. She doesn't know about devils and she doesn't know if it is strange that the devil is crying or grieving or whatever the wind is talking about.

Yuno has no fucking idea about what's going on right now... but she does know one thing with absolute certainty.

"EITHER YOU BEAT ITS ASS OR I'LL BEAT YOUR ASS TO BEAT ITS ASS, ASTA!" Yuno roared as loud as she could. Asta is her sister and her rival. Bullheaded, ferocious, loud, a bitch, and the first person Yuno has ever looked up to.

"YOU REALLY WANNA LET MA REGRET TAKING YOU IN?!"

If Asta dies here, Yuno's about to fight God himself just so that she can drag her back. Only Asta will be her rival to become the Wizard King. No one else.

•×•

Asta is floating‒again?‒but it doesn't feel like she is. She doesn't see red anymore, only black‒but she hasn't been here before... has she?‒and she can hear everything, She can feel everything.

Why is she here... again? Has she been here before?

"EITHER YOU BEAT ITS ASS OR I'LL BEAT YOUR ASS TO BEAT ITS ASS, ASTA!"

Asta's eyes slowly grow wide at the faint roar. The nothingness. The red. The devil. The emotions. The grief.

"YOU REALLY WANNA LET MA REGRET TAKING YOU IN?!"

Asta feels sick at the sudden barrage of memories. She feels her muscles twitch and she releases a gasp that she cannot hear.

She whirls around, ignoring how her hair floats around her like she was underwater. She doesn't see the devil... but she knows the devil is here. It has to be.

Asta clenches her jaw as the fire inside her explodes. She takes a deep breath and opens her mouth.

YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! COME OUT SO I CAN BEAT YOUR ASS!

A growl pierces through Asta's head, making her grab the side of it. "HOW?! HOW ARE YOU BACK?! LEAVE! LEAVE!"

Asta flips back and dodges the black hand trying to grab her. She crouches in the not-air air and snarls at the devil before she jumps back to dodge it again.

NO! YOU ARE GOING TO LISTEN TO ME OR YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE THE ASS BEATING I HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU, BITCH!

"GET THE FUCK OUT! YOU–YOU HUMAN SCUM!" The devil screeches. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU! I WILL!"

Asta watches the devil's movements as she dodges his hands. She jumps over one of the grabs and barely lets her feet touch the black mass before she's sprinting up the devil's arm.

HOW ARE YOU GONNA KILL ME IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE BALLS TO DO IT?! YOU WON'T FUCKING KILL ME!

Asta leaps towards the devil's face with her fist pulled back. The devil swings a hand out to slap her away, but Asta quickly flips in the air and lands on top of the hand. She uses it as a springboard and leaps again.

I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE SAD AND I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU THINK EMPTY THREATS WILL WORK, BUT THIS IS MY GRIMOIRE AND THAT MEANS YOU ARE MY DEVIL!

Asta twirls and kicks out her leg, slamming it against the devil's head. The strength and the momentum causes the giant devil to fly to the left.

STOP BEING A WHINING LITTLE PUSSY AND ACTUALLY TALK TO ME!

Asta pants for air, completely muted. There is no sound; no anger; no grief. A heartbeat skips and Asta is suddenly flown back.

Chapter Text

    The day was warm and heavy with humidity. Unusual for early spring. Perfect for such an unusual week.

The Uncrowned Undefeated Lioness has returned to the Royal Capital... and she is staying for two months. The rumor had little merit and only spread with insane possibilities, until Lady Mereoleona Vermillion had been spotted conversing with Healer Owen at least twice every day for this past week.

What has happened? Is Lady Mereoleona sick? Has she been hit with curse magic during her travels? Is she dying? Is she pregnant? Who managed to tame the lioness? Who is brave enough‒stupid enough to be her partner?

It's all so laughable and stupid. Whenever a woman of nobility‒especially the women of the royal families‒is involved, the rumors always devolve to unmarried sex and possible bastards.

Charlotte Roselei, heiress of House Roselei and Captain of the Blue Rose Magic Knight Squad, wishes that the members of her squad have better things to talk about. Unfortunately, missions have been slow and patrolling can only be so entertaining, so gossip and rumors help keep everyone lively and alert.

Charlotte kept her silence on the gossip and rumors. Something is going on that must involve some kind of medical help, that much is true. Everyone knows of Lady Mereoleona's severe aversion to the healing ward whenever she finally comes back to Clover. But, Charlotte doesn't bother to pay attention to the rumors and gossip past that.

When Sol tells Charlotte that Lady Mereoleona is waiting to see her for a private discussion, the captain wishes she had paid a bit more attention to the gossip that currently surrounds the lioness. Though, it likely wouldn't have given her much to prepare for. Despite Lady Mereoleona taking‒kidnapping‒her on those hellish training trips, they don't talk much. Mostly because Lady Mereoleona barely stayed in the Royal Capital longer than a few days... until recently.

Charlotte knocks once on her office door before opening it. She keeps her pallid expression carefully blank, fervently praying Lady Mereoleona is not going to take her on another training trip.

"Lady Mereoleona, good afternoon," Charlotte greets coolly, closing the door behind her. Mereoleona stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

"Please don't be mad and please don't take me on a training trip. Why couldn't you have bothered the other captains?!" Charlotte walks towards her desk, mentally panicking.

"I'd like to know how you were cursed," Mereoleona states bluntly.

Charlotte pauses and stares. Has Lady Mereoleona truly been cursed during her travels? No‒Lady Mereoleona can't possibly have gotten cursed! Unless she came across an opponent that managed to surprise her... if only that were possible. It would lessen the almost impossible to cross chasm between the lioness's strength and her peers'.

"Are you... have you been cursed, Lady Mereoleona?" Charlotte asks, not able to stop herself from questioning the lioness. Despite Lady Mereoleona's ferocious and downright terrifying personality, she is an extremely powerful ally and a woman Charlotte greatly admires and respects.

"No. I'm investigating something. I need any information you have," Lady Mereoleona denies with a shake of her head.

Charlotte can't stop her eyebrows from furrowing. It's unspoken, but known by everyone in the Magic Knights that Lady Mereoleona does what she wants and despises authority. Conducting an investigation means she is following an order, or she has discovered something on her travels that requires an investigation.

"I don't remember much, but a mysterious witch cursed me when I was a child. Unless my heart is stolen by a man, when I reach 18 years of age, my family and I would be trapped in a cage of time. The curse had been stopped... but not removed. It is what makes my briars blue and is what makes them weaker," Charlotte says after a moment of thought.

Something must have happened on her travels for her to be investigating this on her own. Charlotte doesn't recall a time she's seen such a serious expression on Lady Mereoleona's face.

"Lady Mereoleona, is everything alright? Did you find something on your travels? You've been in the Royal Capital longer than your previous visits, and... well you've been visiting the healing ward more times this week than previously in your life," Charlotte asks, already knowing the ferocious woman won't answer her.

Lady Mereoleona stares down at the ground, her lip upturned in a slight snarl. Silence fills the room.

"I'll be staying in Clover for two months. If you remember anything about your curse, tell Owen if I'm not in the Royal Capital." Lady Mereoleona turns and walks towards the door. She pauses as she opens the door and glances over her shoulder with her usual feral grin. Charlotte ignores the slight relief she feels at seeing the normal wildness of the lioness.

"I've heard you've been slacking, but consider yourself lucky, Roselei. You're spar with me will have to happen next time!" Lady Mereoleona exclaims before she leaves the office.

"Whatever has happened, thank you!" Charlotte exclaims, mentally cheering in her relief. She missed that torture by a hairsbreadth.

Charlotte sighs quietly, sweating falling from her forehead. Still. Why did Lady Mereoleona ask about her curse? Did she lie about not being cursed? It's strange to see Lady Mereoleona so calm and not itching for a fight or a spar.

It must be something truly dire. Charlotte wonders if it's something Lord Julius has tasked Lady Mereoleona with.

•×•

Owen narrows his eyes in his concentration. Iridescent bubbles fill the room as his water healing magic surrounds both of the girls he is tasked with examining.

He writes down what his spell transmits to him before sighing quietly. "Fifteen years of age; heartbeat is normal and lungs sound healthy. Mana is slightly resistant to my spell, likely attributed from living within Grand Magic Zones while developing... no signs of afflictions from a curse."

"So... How'd you convince Ma–I mean Miss Mereo to get her to tell you 'bout us?" The one born with no magic, Lady Asta if Owen recalls correctly, speaks up before getting an elbow slammed into her side. Lady Asta growls and kicks out her leg, kicking her sister off of the bench.

"You little–" Lady Yuno growls and grabs Lady Asta's other foot before ripping her off of the bench and making her head slam against it.

"Bitch!" Lady Asta screeches before she reaches over to grab Lady Yuno's messy hair and pulls.

Owen sighs heavily and watches, unamused and unsurprised about the fact that Lady Mereoleona's children act like feral lions themselves. He pinches the bridge of his nose and uses the water jellyfish to grab both girls and separate them.

"Please try not to fight while I'm examining you both. Your moth–Lady Mereoleona has told you to be on your best behavior, yes?" Owen states, making both Lady Asta and Lady Yuno freeze.

Lady Yuno scowls and stays silent while Lady Asta rolls her eyes with a huff before turning her head to the side. Owen smiles slightly. At least they listen better than their mother ever did, or ever will.

"I assume Lady Mereoleona had always intended to tell me about you two," Owen answers Lady Asta's question. "I already had two files ready when she came back to ask about puberty a few years ago, even though I didn't know your names."

The two girls stare at the healer with wide eyes. Hm. Seems Lady Mereoleona isn't the only oblivious one.

"Now then, Lady Asta. Have you had any... problems? Any more dreams?" Owen asks, getting back on track.

Lady Asta's fingers twitch at the sudden question, but her face stays blank. She grins with her head slightly tilted and shrugs.

"Nope!"

Owen narrows his eyes. Her heart rate picked up. Hm.

"If the devil is threatening you, I assure you that–"

"Ha! It ain't like that!" Lady Asta interrupts with a snort. She winces and scowls, clearly meant to keep her statement to herself, before she rolls her eyes.

"I've... got it handled. He won't threaten me," Lady Asta states, leaning back with her arms crossed. Owen raises an eyebrow before glancing at Lady Yuno.

The black haired teenager was staring at her sister with a narrowed gaze and a slight scowl, yet she stays silent. Owen sighs quietly and tries to think of another way to get through to the girl.

Despite it only being a week ago since Lady Asta had met the devil in her grimoire and gotten deathly ill that same night, everything seems completely normal. Lady Asta had only been sick for another day before being back to her usual self‒at least that's what the Sister had informed Owen when he worried over the girl after she started fighting a pack of wolves in the forest.

Ever since that night, when asked if everything was okay, Lady Asta simply says that she has it handled. Lady Mereoleona tried fighting it out of the child, but Lady Asta is as bullheaded and stubborn‒maybe even more, and doesn't that fill Owen with dread‒as she is. Owen's almost proud. Of course, it would be Lady Mereoleona's children that would be able to withstand her own methods of gathering information.

"Devils are a complete unknown to us, so we are all going in blind. If devils are truly like what they are in the myths and legends, we must handle this as if... yours... is hostile. Do you understand?" Owen says bluntly. Hopefully running over the bush instead of beating around it will work on Lady Mereoleona's children like it works for her.

Lady Asta snarls while grabbing her grimoire to hug it protectively to her chest. "He ain't evil! I'd have beaten his ass back to hell if he was! I don't know about other devils bein' the same as him, but I know he ain't evil!"

"Then, will you answer our questions? Once Lord Julius knows, he will be obligated to request your presence in the Royal Capital to interrogate you. That will spread like wildfire in the Royal Capital. While your adoption by Lady Mereoleona is a secret, you are still using the guise of being peasants, so everyone will eventually find out about this devil. The King of Clover will most likely order your execution," Owen states harshly, but not unkindly.

"Of course I know that, you fucker!" Lady Asta snarls at the healer. "But I promise I got it handled, so cool it!"

"Asta," Lady Yuno speaks up with a slight glare. Lady Asta meets her sister's glare, growling ferociously.

Owen watches their silent conversation. He watches Lady Asta's hackles lower with a heavy sigh and a blush crawling up her neck.

"...sorry for calling you a fucker, Mister Owen..." Lady Asta mumbles with her head pointed away from the healer.

Owen smiles before clearing his throat to hide it. "Lady Mereoleona has called me much, much worse. I don't think there is anything you two can call me that will take me by surprise."

Lady Asta glances at him before huffing. She relaxes her arms protectively holding her grimoire and stares down at the five-leaf clover. She nods her head with a slight sigh of relief like she had received some kind of answer from the grimoire.

"Ma–Miss Mereo wants us to stay here for two months an' get used to our grimoires. After that, we're heading back to the Grand Magic Zone we were stayin' in before we got our grimoires until the Magic Knights Entrance Exam. Lemme have until the two months are up. Ma will be training me and Yuno still and we'll be staying here at the church, so if anything happens, you guys know where I'll be at," Lady Asta wagers, glancing up to stare at Owen.

Owen raises an eyebrow at the odd plea. "Why?"

Lady Asta bites her cheek and glances back down at the grimoire. She scowls down at it for a long moment before she sighs. Is she... speaking with the devil?

"Just... trust me. Gimme two months to handle it," Lady Asta says with a determined fire burning bright in her eyes.

Owen stays silent.

The young lady isn't asking for them to drop it, yet she wants them all to let her handle it herself. She's clearly able to speak with the devil in her grimoire, and yet she isn't appearing fearful or angry or... possessed. What is it that she is even handling?

The devil? His powers? If he has any. Control over her body?

Owen's mouth thins as he stares at Lady Asta from behind his glasses. He stares into the unnervingly bright emerald green almost glittering in determination, stubbornness, and the fire that always burns inside of every Vermillion.

"We have no answers and no history to replicate off of. I didn't even believe devils existed until now..." Owen sighs quietly and pinches the bridge of his nose. There isn't much to do except trust the young lady directly involved in this. If anything, she has the answers that Lady Mereoleona is searching high and low for‒or at least, the devil inside Lady Asta's grimoire has the answers.

"I don't know what your mother will‒what Lady Mereoleona will do, even when I tell her of this. But, I'll trust you. If anything, you are the only one who can answer the questions we all have so," Owen stands up and cancels his spell, "I'll let you handle whatever it is that you're handling for two months and I'll try and convince Lady Mereoleona to do the same. But, only two months."

Lady Asta grins brightly as if she were the embodiment of the very sun. She jumps up and wraps her arms around the healer in a tight hug, easily picking him up and swinging him in the air in her excitement.

"Thank you!" She sets Owen down before practically flying out of the church. Owen doesn't even blink, all too used to Vermillions and their excitable incapability of showing their happiness in any other way except physical touch–most times with punches and strong slaps to the back. The hug was a surprise, though.

"I'll make sure she doesn't die doin' whatever stupid shit she'll do with that devil... or I'll be helpin' her. That's as much of a help I'll be to you an' Mm–Miss Mereo," Lady Yuno states with her arms crossed and her gold eyes burning with amusement and determination.

"I would like to hope that neither of you get into any kind of... situation with a being thought to have been a simple myth," Owen retorts with a pointed, and knowing, look. Lady Yuno grins with all of the ferociousness and wildness she obviously took from her mother despite being the quieter daughter.

Owen sighs quietly and doesn't bother to hide his smile. He isn't even the slightest bit surprised.

•×•

Can you please just cut out your little fucking bitch fit and jus' let me tell 'em about you?!

Asta dodges another swipe from the devil's large hand and bites a chunk out of one of the fingers in retaliation. The devil hisses in pain and uses the back of that same hand to slap Asta through the air.

"STOP BITING ME, DEVIL WOMAN!" The devil roars, more in murderous irritation rather than in murderous rage. Asta twists in the air as if she was falling sideways with nothing to stop her momentum.

The devil growls and plucks Asta's leg to stop her sideways fall, looming right behind her rather than dozens of feet from where he had thrown the girl from. Asta winces at the vertigo and clenches her eyes shut at the roiling nausea in her stomach. She releases a heavy breath through her nose before opening her eyes to glare at the upside-down devil.

Stop being a fuckin' pussy. An' your the devil, not me. Fucker.

The devil growls and lifts Asta higher, making her skirt fall in her face from the sudden speed. She sputters and rapidly waves her hands around to get her skirt out of her face.

"You won our fight. Fair and square... even though it hadn't been a ritual." Asta blinks at the mumbled end of the devil's irritated statement. "Which means you control what we do. I don't trust the other humans. I don't trust Magic Knights! I don't want them knowin' anything more about me!"

Why don't you trust them? Or at least‒

Asta sighs and closes her eyes, trying to think of how to word her thoughts. The grief is still there; the hatred simmers just beneath the surface too. She's at a loss at what to do. This isn't something she can barrel through, not with how her and her devil are right now. And she can't talk for shit when it comes to feelings and trust. She shows her trust and feelings through her actions, and she's barely even communicated with her devil enough to figure out how he can receive her ways of trusting.

You heard Owen. If I can't get you to come out of the grimoire and be able to trust 'em all enough to convince 'em you're good... I'm more than likely gonna die, asshole. Or, I'll be on the run forever, 'cause like hell I'll let 'em kill me. We've already wasted two weeks.

The world flickers between the same bright red and something darker. The devil releases Asta's leg before he flickers out of her sight.

Asta breathes out harshly and snaps her eyes open when she's thrown back into reality. She stares up at the bright blue sky while her heavy breathing regulates and the world around her slowly tunes back into her senses.

She sits up, ignoring the dirt and the leaves tangled in her bun. She glances down at her grimoire floating innocently in front of her before glancing to her left where she was still gripping the hilt of the sword that came out of the book.

Asta blinks before scowling. "You fucking‒"

Asta scrambles to her feet, grabbing her grimoire and holding it out in front of her face. She glares murderously at the page filled with an unknown language before she growls.

"You fucker! Don't push me out when you know I'm right! Damn pussy! This ain't over!" Asta shouts at her grimoire before she raises it high in the air. She hesitates to throw it against the ground and quickly drops her arms with a sigh. Asshole.

Asta lets go of the grimoire and bends down to grab her sword. Since her devil doesn't want to talk with her anymore, she'll get back to her training. The damn sword is too bulky and she needs to learn how to use it effectively before actually creating a damn fighting style with it.

Her head snaps up when she hears a loud scream. A man–naked as a newborn baby–sprinted right in her direction while being chased by a giant boar.

"O-out of the way girl! Look out!"

"Fuckin'–don't come this way!" Asta shouts back before she pulls back her sword. "Jump to the side!"

The man blinks before following the order. Asta swings her sword and slams it right against the boar, making it fly through the air and through a couple of trees. She quickly spins on her heel before the heavy sword could make her unbalanced.

"Fuckin' sword!" Asta snarls silently before looking up when she hears clapping.

"Amazing. You managed to get rid of it in a single blow." The man stands up from behind a log as if this was a normal occurrence. "I was trying to fish in the river, but apparently I was in that boar's territory."

Asta blinks while the man walks forward with a sheepish laugh. She tilts her head with a small scowl of confusion.

"Okay?" Asta states questioningly. Who the fuck is this old man?

"I'm Fanzell, miss. I'm on a journey," The man introduces himself, seemingly reading Asta's thoughts.

"A journey? While naked?"

"Eh?" Fanzell looks down before his entire face turns red. He covers himself up and turns to the side with a gasp.

"A-ah, I'm so sorry! I didn't want to get my clothes wet while fishing!"

Asta blinks before tilting her head even further while Fanzell continues to spout out apologies. "Oh, then no worries, old man. I'm Asta."

"I'm not that old! And call me Zell! I–uh... don't suppose you have any food? I haven't eaten a bite in two days..." Fanzell trails off in his sheepish embarrassment. Asta blinks before a large grin grows on her face.

"I don't! But, I'm sure I can cook something up with that boar!" She rolls up her sleeves before clapping her hands. "Sit tight, old man!"

•×•

Teeth tear into a large chunk of boar, ripping it straight off the bone. Asta chows down on her surprise breakfast before glancing over at the old man, Fanzell, and his somewhat meager portion compared to hers.

He was munching on the boar meat quite happily, having completely forgotten about his current nakedness. "Thank you so much, Asta! This is delicious!"

"It's no problem, old man." Asta grins widely before tearing back into the boar. "I needed to eat anyway before I started my training!"

"Training? For what?" Zell asks curiously, his head tilted almost like a dog's.

"The Magic Knight's Exam!" The wild teenager answers with a wolfish grin.

"Really?"

"Yeah! I'm gonna use that sword of mine to beat all of their asses and pass! Once I learn how to use it effectively. Damn bulky ass sword..." Asta growls before finishing her cooked boar with the ferocity of an animal.

"I don't exactly have a sword, but I know my way around them. I can show you a few pointers as a thank you for saving me–oh, and for feeding me," Zell states with a smile.

Asta blinks and stares at the, still naked, old man with wide eyes. She blinks again before she beams just as bright, if not brighter, than the sun.

"Really?! Thank you, old man!" She loudly announces her gratitude.

Zell sweatdrops with a weak laugh. "I'm not that old, you know... I'm only 28."

"Holy shit, you didn't age well at all!" Asta exclaims, making Zell simply smile tightly.

"Well... enough about that." He stands up after finishing the last bit of his boar. "Let's go to my house so I can get some clothes and then I can give you some pointers."

"Your house? You live here?"

"Well, I'm just staying there without permission, really."

Asta blinks before she jumps up onto her feet. "Okay! Lead the way, old man!"

•×•

Asta is a fucking idiot. As much as Yuno loves her, she's a bitch. Completely disappearing for almost a week and leaving Yuno to deal with their mother, alone... a real bitchy move.

It doesn't even matter that it's clear Asta didn't mean to and likely forgot this certain part of her deal; to stay at the church while she trained...

Okay. Maybe Yuno's a bit worried for her foolish sister, but that doesn't mean she's any less pissed. Besides, the wind's soft singing tells her that her sister is safe; from the devil in her grimoire and from danger.

"When we find that little shit, I'm dumping you both in the Ultime Underground Cave!" Mereoleona snarls ferociously before she swings down her foot, shattering the tree log with her strength.

Yeah, Yuno's a bit more than a little bit pissed. She isn't even involved with Asta's current disappearance, and now she has to join in on her punishment.

"Asta still has a month left," Yuno retorts her mother, making the fiery woman turn to glare at her. The black haired teenager simply rolls her eyes right in front of the woman before facing the laundry she was drying with her magic.

"I never agreed to that foolish deal your sister offered," Mereoleona growls lowly. Yuno rolls her eyes again, but her shoulders drop a bit.

This whole devil thing... it's really weird. And Yuno... she trusts her sister. Asta's doing the only thing that's going to make any of this work. But...

"Asta trusts us to make sure she, an' everyone else, doesn't get hurt because of... this," Yuno says quietly before she lowers the now dry clothes. "We don't know shit about any of this, Ma. That bitch is the only one who can do anything about it... unless you want to trespass into Spade and start a fuckin' war."

Mereoleona barks out a laugh, more amused than furious. "Don't tempt me, you brat. And how many times do I have to tell you to not call me that?!"

Yuno's face slams face first into the ground from the woman's punch. She groans loudly into the ground before she raises her head.

It's no fun teasing their Ma when it's just one of them. And the training is worse than hell itself.

Asta is going to owe her so fucking much.

•×•

"That bastard's dangerous. He's not even from your kingdom," The devil hisses the moment Asta enters the world

Asta scowls before snapping her teeth at him, making him lean back suddenly. The devil growls in retaliation before swiping at the teenager.

Does it fuckin' matter? He's teaching me how to fight with a sword. And he's nice.

"Being nice doesn't mean you're a good person, you dumb bitch."

It's been almost a week since Asta met Zell, and she's already seeing immense improvement in her non-existent sword skills. While her Ma is amazing, she's one of the worst teachers in the world, and Asta's having an absolute blast with having a teacher who doesn't default to punching the flaws away.

And, even though Zell has a Diamond grimoire, and he was once a part of the Diamond Kingdom's army, he isn't suspicious. He's trustworthy and he has no ill intent towards Asta. The devil inside her grimoire knows this too.

You're bein' a pussy. Either you refuse to talk and help me figure out our two month deadline, or you complain about our amazing teacher. Do ya want to be constantly fucking punched by Ma?

"Both are foolish things to talk about, you devil woman!" The devil hisses before pouncing forward to try and grab Asta. She easily falls down through the air to dodge the hand and twists her body so she could grab his fingers.

She swings up and uses the momentum to kick the devil in his face with both of her feet, making him fly back with a loud curse.

"Devil woman!"

That insult doesn't even make any sense! You're the fuckin' devil, you fuckin' bitch!

Asta bolts up from as she's slapped back into reality. She releases a harsh breath before looking around with wide eyes. The sun was setting and she was still resting in the spot she fell asleep in; inside the lake.

Asta growls under her breath and punches the water, pretending it was the devil. "Stop kicking me out during your fuckin' temper tantrums!"

They really needed to find some middle ground. There's only about a month left before her time frame is up. She's gotta find a solution soon, or it's her and her devil, dead.

A heavy sigh leaves Asta's mouth before she falls back, landing in the lake with a large splash. She stares up at the orange clouds and breathes in deeply. She closes her eyes and listens to the nightlife of the forest slowly awakening.

It's a shame Zell reunited with one of his old students, only to be told his fiancee is most likely dead... it makes a blazing pit of fury light up deep in Asta's soul.

Zell's really cool for an old man... and he looked like he had so much hope to see his partner alive.

"Maybe she is alive... Mariella never said anything about traces of magic, only blood and the wand," Asta thinks hopefully. She was always the more optimistic one between her and Yuno. Maybe in this case, it's actually a good thing.

CRACK–CRAAASH!

Asta snaps her eyes open to the sound of shattering glass. She rolls over before bolting out of the water, immediately heading towards the cabin.

The second floor windows were all completely smashed in.

"Zell!" Asta sprints faster, reaching her hand back as her grimoire opens. She grabs the handle of her sword before she kicks the front door off of its hinges.

"Old man!" Asta shouts loudly, sprinting into the cabin and barreling up the stairs. She lifts her sword and swings it against the closed door to Zell's bedroom, smashing it to bits.

One, two, three, four, five, six... and Mariella. Asta blinks before she snarls.

She slides to a stop before twisting on her left foot. Her other leg swings out and almost manages to kick Mariella's side. The young woman jumps back, turning away from Asta's foot to avoid it.

Asta growls before she completes twists around, gracefully swinging her sword around to point it at Mariella. "What the actual fuck do you think you're doin' to the old man you respect, Mariella?!"

"I have a job to do. Even though I respect him, I can't let that get in my way. I'd never be able to do my job otherwise," Mariella speaks monotonously, almost like she didn't even care. She holds up her ice dagger, covered in Zell's blood and the hooded men surrounding Zell all step forward.

Asta bares her teeth, her hands clenching around the hilt of her sword. Fuck this bitch.

"So, could you please stay out of our–" Mariella is cut off by the air being literally kicked out of her lungs. Asta growls loudly as her feet press deeper against Mariella's diaphragm. Inertia takes effect and the young woman is flown back through one of the broken windows.

"Asta!" Zell, despite being restrained, admonishes the silver haired teenager.

"Not now, you fucking old man!" Asta sneers with a wild grin, facing her six new opponents. "Now, who the fuck wants to get their ass beat for messin' with my teacher?"

Fire is shot towards Asta before a spear of ice is thrown next. Asta cackles loudly before holding up her great sword and charging forward.

She ducks and the fire passes over her head before the spears slices through a few strands of her hair. Asta turns on her left foot and swings out her sword, catching onto two of the assassins.

Zell collapses to the ground before the two assassins are flung into the one who restrained him and the other standing guard to the left. He stays sitting on the ground, his hands clenched over the fabric of his pants.

"Asta, it's okay. Run while you still can. It doesn't matter what happens to me," Zell speaks quietly, eyes clenched shut in his grief. "I've lost the will to live. There's no reason for me to continue. I'm tired of all this..."

Asta blinks before scowling. She lifts up her fist and slams it down against the old man's head. He shoots in surprise before his face is slammed into the floorboards.

"Don't be a fuckin' idiot, you old man! People aren't meant to automatically have a will to live, you dumb asshole! Did you not make me promise to only use your teachings for my dream?! Do you not intend to watch me become the Wizard King?! Don't be a fuckin' hypocrite!" Asta clenches her fist with a fiery snarl and an even brighter fire burning inside her eyes.

Zell looks up at her in shock, holding his bleeding–and likely broken–nose. Asta steps forward and grins down at her current mentor with an unnerving wideness to it.

"You're not that old to be giving up. Get your fuckin' ass up and join me!" Asta spins her sword before slicing through more fire before it could hit her. She cackles as she kicks one of the assassins right in between his legs before turning to cut through more magic.

The roof falls through and more assassins peer through the holes. Asta only grins wider before the wind suddenly kicks up with enough force to make Asta's hair fall out of its bun.

"Wind Creation Magic: Emperor of Slashing Winds—Winter Wind." Multiple blades made out of wind are shot out from the wand Zell had in his hand. The assassins surrounding Asta are thrown back and the roof is completely destroyed.

"That spell sends lots of Slashes flying out at once. I call it the Flying One," Zell states with his carefree smirk back on his face.

Asta barks out a laugh, raising her great sword to rest it against her shoulder. "A pretty cool name from an old man!"

"Sorry for that pathetic display. I'm alright now."

"Your fiancee's still out there. I know it," Asta says with the confidence of a prophet. "She wouldn't have left her wand otherwise. I bet she left it for you to find."

"Thanks... but don't let your guard down!" Zell states, making Asta grin before she spins around with her flat of her sword facing forward. It easily negates the ice dagger, shattering it completely.

"I never do!" Asta declares, glaring directly at Mariella. The young woman had an arm covering her stomach and her free hand outstretched. She frowns in shock at Asta's sword negating her spell.

"She negated my spell?"

Asta chuckles when the assassins quickly surround her and Zell once more. She steps back until she's back-to-back with her teacher.

"You done already, old man? I'm pummeling these assholes to the ground, with or without you." It's been a long time since she's had a good fight that wasn't against her Ma or her sister.

"Only you can decide when you're truly done, and you just taught me that now's not the time. I'm not gonna let these guys finish me like this," Zell says, making Asta chuckle again as she widens her stance.

"Damn fuckin' right!" Asta grins wider before tightening her grip on her sword.

Mariella steps forward. "Let us retreat."

What?

"I'll hold the rear. Please make sure to gather the injured," Mariella continues her order, and the assassins follow.

Asta clenches her jaw with a small growl. Oh, this fucking bitch! And she was about to have such a good time beating their asses!

"You started the fuckin' fight an' now you're retreating?! Jus' like that?" Asta can't help, but voice her complaints. She really was looking forward to having a good fight!

"To make a surprise attack, you must have three times the enemy's strength. If you lose half your men, change your strategy. If you lose half of that, then retreat," Mariella speaks as if she's reciting words from a book. "That's what a certain someone taught me."

Asta narrows her eyes before huffing. She crosses her arms and turns her head. Sound advice. Damn...

"This isn't the end. I'll hunt you down for the rest of your life."

"Bring it on. I'm done running. From all of you, as well as myself," Zell declares in a solemn promise. He stares down at the wand in his hand and tightens his grip.

"Asta's right. Domina could have very well left this for me to find. I won't be discouraged anymore. I'm going to search everywhere for her, so you'd better keep up!"

"And the old man will have me to help 'im. You better be prepared to hafta deal with his old man stench forever!" Asta states with a grin.

Zell smiles tightly. "Could you shut up for a bit? You're gonna make an old man cry."

"Please do your best." Mariella turns to leave, only to stop for a moment. "Your tone hasn't improved, but you respect him in your own way. Don't ever forget that."

Asta scoffs loudly as Mariella disappears into the shadows. She rolls her eyes before turning to face Zell.

"You have the weirdest fuckin' students. 're all of 'em like her?" She asks bluntly. Zell barks out a laugh before he places his hand on the silver haired teenager's head.

"Well, I took you in as a student, didn't I?"

"Oi! I'm fuckin' violent and stubborn! I ain't weird, you old man!"

"That makes you weirder than most people, Asta."

"You fuckin'–" Asta slams the heel of her boot against Zell's foot, making him jump back while yelping in pain.

Asta harrumphs with her arms crossed and a satisfied smirk across her face. "Serves you right, asshole."

•×•

"Not meant to automatically have a will to live, huh? Kekeke!" The devil chuckles as Asta lazily floats around. She's already getting used to being pulled into this weird headspace randomly.

Well, it's true. I didn't automatically want to be the Wizard King.

Which is true. But, Asta doesn't like thinking about those early years. Neither does Yuno. It wasn't a... fun time.

The devil stays quiet at Asta's quip, for once, making the teenager blink. She looks up and stares at the giant black devil in front of her.

Neither break eye contact; one contemplating on his answer and the other too stubborn to let some bitch win against her.

It's the devil who finally breaks away. He frowns before reaching a hand up and flicking Asta against her forehead. She snarls and holds a hand up to her forehead, glaring at the devil with the heat of a thousand suns. This fucking–

"I'll answer that monster woman's questions. No one else. Got it? If she doesn't want me around, then we're leaving and we're leaving for good," The devil states, obviously dissatisfied by what he has to do. Asta blinks before she grins brightly, completely forgetting about the insulting flick to her forehead.

The devil scowls even further and he covers Asta's mouth before she could speak. It'll be on my terms, devil woman! We've got a lot to do for me to even be able to talk with that bitch. You gotta do as I say, understand?"

Asta glares up at him before biting his hand. The devil hisses and attempts to swipe the stubborn little shit away from him. She simply flips in the not-water, gracefully spinning back upright, dodging the swipe.

Tell me your name.

"...I don't got one."

Asta raises an eyebrow, completely disbelieving. She rolls her eyes before she holds out her hand.

You got yourself a deal... and don't let Ma catch you ever calling her a bitch. She'll kill you, and then me for lettin' you call her that.

"Like that monster woman could kill me!" Asta doesn't mention how unconvinced the devil sounds, and the devil doesn't mention the crack in his voice. The devil grins and grabs her hand, sealing their deal.

Chapter Text

    The world is covered in a blanket of near complete darkness. With the lack of light from the new moon, the stars ruled the sky and brought a faint enough light for the shadows to come out and play.

Trees look like giants across the Earth and their branches appeared like hundreds of fingers on dozens of hands. Blades of grass appeared like the fur of a beast with their shadows acting as the skin beneath, bristling in the soft breeze.

Silver hair, appearing ghostly white without any kind of light to shine on it, danced into emerald eyes from the breeze. Asta runs her hand through her hair, pulling back the stray hairs. She glances down at the stone bowl she had to make herself. There's an old skull Asta had to grave rob inside covered in cow's blood since there aren't any goats in Hage and a magic crystal she had Ma go and get for this.

"I call you stupid every day... but Asta, this is so stupid that I believe you're becoming a fuckin' vegetable from the lack of brain cells you have," Yuno hisses, making Asta roll her eyes before she forcefully thrusts back her elbow. Yuno curses loudly as it jams right into the middle of her diaphragm.

"Do you wanna meet the devil in my grimoire?" Asta asks with a scowl. "Then, shut the fuck up! He's the one tellin' me to do this shit."

"Bitch," Yuno mutters under her breath while rubbing her abdomen.

Someone clicks their tongue behind the two teenagers before they both wince when something punches their heads. "Both of you better calm the hell down. What does this devil want us to do?"

Asta turns around before she crouches. She sets the bowl down before she grabs her grimoire and centers it in front of the bowl. She places the crystal on top, pausing when it glows an infernal red.

"Are you sure he isn't tryna trick your dumbass?" Yuno asks, eyeing the infernal glow with cold suspicion.

Asta looks over her shoulder and glares silently at her sister. "I'm absolutely sure, bitch. He won't trick me."

"This better not be some kind of forbidden magic, you fucker. I'll kill you before Ma can," She mentally adds, pushing all of her unease about this supposedly "legal" ritual towards the devil.

It was the only way the devil said he could be brought into the physical world without it requiring any kind of deal.

"I'll call him out an' then you can ask your questions, Ma. He says I'll only be able to hold it for a few minutes, so we've gotta be fast," Asta says, glancing up at the fiery woman.

Mereoleona nods her head, expression set in solemn determination. It's weird to see her so serious.

Asta takes a deep breath and stares down at the skull. She stuffs her hand into her boot and takes out the knife she made from scratch from a fragment of the demon skull. The last thing needed for the ritual.

"Five drops of blood and the dagger facing South," Asta mentally repeats what the devil had told her a few days ago. She digs the tip of the dagger into her finger, letting the blood slide down the rest of the edge before pulling it back.

The blood pearls rapidly and falls without any kind of pressure. The first drop lands in the bowl and the infernal light from the crystal suddenly expands out. The second drips and the grimoire starts to glow in shadows.

Asta narrows her eyes in concentration as she feels a sudden pull in her chest, finally squeezing her finger to get the remaining three drops.

"Patefacio." Asta whispers on a breath. The last drop lands in the bowl and black smoke overflows. It crawls over the grimoire before it starts to whirl around, becoming a spiral.

Asta watches with bated breath as the spiral grows taller, expanding into the silhouette of a person. A small laugh escapes her mouth. It worked.

White spills out at the top of the silhouette as hair before bleeding out as white skin for a face. The devil's eyes open to reveal red irises on black sclera, making his widely stretched grin seem even more inhuman.

"Well. You actually did it, devil woman. You summoned me," The devil mocks with a small cackle, making Asta narrow her eyes.

"'course, you bastard," She hisses through her teeth. "Now, answer Ma's questions. An' be quick!"

"You're the devil?" Mereoleona states with a raised eyebrow and her usual unflappable expression.

"I am a devil, monster woman," The devil sneers with a slight hiss. Mereoleona tilts her head as her eyes turn sharp.

"Oh shit." Asta nearly scrambles back before she remembers she has to stay within the ritual borders. He just insulted the lioness!

"Obviously. And I hope you're an honest one, if that concept even exists in Hell," Mereoleona sneers with a wide grin, making both Asta and Yuno blanch before they glance at each other.

"Did she just–" Yuno whispers, only to be interrupted by Mereoleona growling at her. She wisely snaps her mouth shut with her hands raised in surrender.

The devil throws his head back with a cackle. "None of your concepts exist in Hell. Devils would have gouged your heart out for that question."

Mereoleona raises an eyebrow. "Not you?"

"Don't tempt me!" The devil hisses, the shadows around them flickering darker. Asta blinks and the shadows haven't changed. Huh.

"Why did you choose this shithead?" Mereoleona asks without beating around the bush. Not that she ever does.

"Hehe! You think I would have chosen this devil woman of yours?! I'm stuck in this damn thing unless a ritual is initiated and we come to a deal." The devil sneers with a glare pointed at Asta. She snarls back. Fucking bitch.

The devil growls again and focuses on Mereoleona. "I'm bored and this is a perfect way to stop it. Besides, even if I wanted to possess her, having a monster like you as her mother made her impossible to control."

The devil screeches something as he falls from a forceful punch to his head. He manages to spread out his wings and keep himself upright and still above the grimoire and bowl, looking up with a hand to his head.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH! WHAT WAS THAT‒"

"I am not her mother, shithead," Mereoleona declares in her usual brash manner, creating a flaming lion paw to grab the devil's head. "And while you are within Asta's grimoire, you will call me by my name, Mereoleona."

"GET YOUR MAGIC OFF OF ME, YOU FUCKING–"

"I'm done with the questions, but I still don't trust you. Hurt Asta and I will incinerate that grimoire with you in it." The lion paw squeezes and the devil's head explodes into oozing shadows. A crimson light explodes out of the bowl and the grimoire.

BA——DUM

Asta chokes and grasps at her chest, falling away from the ritual.

"Asta!" Yuno shouts, leaping forward to stop the silver haired teenager from hitting her head. Her legs get scraped up by the sharp rocks on the ground, but Yuno ignores it.

BA——DUM

Asta curls in on herself with breathless gasps. Her heart. Her heart. It's–

"Asta. Breathe normally," Mereoleona speaks urgently, suddenly crouched on the other side of Asta.

BA——DUM. BA—DUM. BA-DUM. BA-DUM.

Asta visibly shivers as her fingers bunch around the fabric of her blouse. She sucks in a large breath and releases it in a shuddering sigh.

"I heard–Ma, her heart almost stopped!" Yuno hisses quietly, hands tightly grasping at her sister's shoulders when she attempts to sit up.

"You alright, Asta?" Mereoleona asks.

Asta nods her head with a croak before she clears her throat. "Y-yeah. Yeah. That‒if we gotta do that again, let's not force the ritual to end."

Mereoleona stares at the teenager with a narrowed gaze. She sighs heavily before standing up, roughly shoving Asta's head down as she stands.

"We'll be heading out tomorrow, but we've got to pass through the Capital. Owen will see you one more time and then we'll be heading back for the Morseen Geyser Plateau," Mereoleona states, making Asta immediately perk up.

"Are we finally meeting our cousins?!" She exclaims loudly, nearly slamming her head into Yuno's face when she bounces up onto her feet. "Can we meet our uncles?! Oh! What about the Wizard King? OH MY GOD–ARE WE MEETING THE WIZARD–"

A flaming lion's paw slams against Asta's head, forcing her face to hit the earth and create a large crater. Yuno stumbles back, nearly falling on her ass at the sudden shift below her feet.

"Stop shouting, you piece of shit!" Mereoleona shouts, almost just as loud. "You'll bring someone over before we've cleaned this shit up!"

Asta snaps her head up from the ground with a gasp. "But, are we?! Ma, you're lettin' us go into the Capital!"

"What the fuck did I just say?! Owen's gonna check you shitheads over before we leave!"

"But, there should be time right?! To explore?! You've never let us go to any town's 'r cities outside of Hage!" Asta is undeterred, sitting on her knees with stars in her eyes. She wants to see the Wizard King, damnit!

"Shut up, you fuckin' idiot! You heard Ma! You're gonna attract attention!" Yuno hisses quietly as she smacks Asta hard up against her head, making the silver haired teenager fall face first back into the ground. "'sides. When we become Magic Knights, we'll have plenty of time to explore!"

Asta growls and kicks out her foot, slamming it against Yuno's knee. Yuno falls with a loud curse, grabbing her throbbing knee. She glares coldly at her sister and kicks out her other leg, hitting Asta directly against her diaphragm.

"You bitch!" Asta snarls before she leaps forward to punch Yuno. The other teenager reaches up and scratches at Asta's face as she attempts to knee her in the diaphragm again.

"You're the bitch, you stupid fuckin' bitch! Get off me!" Yuno growls, managing to twist herself so she could roll them both over. She sits on top of her sister and attempts to swing her elbow down against her temple, but Asta tilts her head out of the way before snapping her teeth over Yuno's bicep.

"Bitch!" Yuno near screeches, grabbing Asta at her throat to wrench her off of her arm.

"Both of you, stop playing around!" Two flame lion paws grab both girls' heads before forcefully wrenching them apart. Asta still attempts to kick out her feet, grazing Yuno's hip before they're completely separated.

Mereoleona glares at both girls with a furious glare and an even more furious snarl. "Change of plans! After seeing Owen, we're heading for the Ultime Underground Cave! You shitheads need the lesson!"

"Look at what you did, bitch!" Yuno hisses at Asta before crossing her arms with a huff.

"You started the fight!" Asta shouts back. "This is your fault!"

"You needed to fuckin' shut up!"

"You could've just fucking told me to!"

"Like you would've listened, you fuckin' vegetable!"

"Stop callin' me–"

"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!" Mereoleona slams both teenagers' heads into the ground, literally. She sighs heavily and pinches the bridge of her nose. She needs a fucking leash for the both of them.

•×•

The Healer's Ward has always been a quiet, peaceful place. Even before Owen became the Head Healer, it was always an unspoken rule to be quiet and calm in the halls of the Ward. It helped the healers do their work and kept most patients calm.

The unspoken fact, it helped keep fighting between patients and healers alike to a minimum. More noise equals more violence. The Magic Knights are trained and wired for fighting to protect the kingdom... and the healers are trained to be just as hard-headed, so no patient could attempt to get out of medical care.

Unfortunately, having a Crimson Lion as a patient tends to... disrupt this peace—though not as much as a Black Bull. Having a Vermillion as a patient, the Healer's Ward prepares for everything from a fight to a full-blown riot. Having Lady Mereoleona as a patient... there was a code invented just for the disastrous day she gets injured enough to require being admitted as a patient.

As the offspring of Lady Mereoleona, Lady Asta and Lady Yuno must be treated with the most extreme caution, and of course secrecy. So, Owen put the entire Healer's Ward on lockdown. Hopefully, this will keep any destruction the two girls cause to just the Healer's Ward. Hopefully.

God, please let the lockdown be enough.

As the sounds of shouting and cursing get louder and louder with each passing second, Owen sighs heavily in dread and exhaustion. His prayers weren't answered this time.

As his office door is slammed open, nearly being thrown off of its hinges, he has half a mind to curse God. Oh, how he wishes there to be someone else–who isn't retired. Awful wretch. How could she abandon him to deal with this woman alone–who can handle Mereoleona and her ilk. He doesn't want to deal with this, alone.

"Ladies," Owen greets calmly, the verbal massacre between Lady Asta and Lady Yuno overshadowing his words. He sighs again before he stands up from his desk.

"Good afternoon," He speaks louder, cutting through the noise before it could get any louder. All three women look over at him, Lady Asta's hand frozen from where she was about to yank at Lady Yuno's hair.

Lady Asta wore her hair in a Cloverian braided crown and there were very little signs of exhaustion on her face compared to the last time Owen saw her. She wore a dark blue sun dress with a flared skirt ending at her knees and tiered sleeves falling past her finger tips. A leather corset with gold designs was cinched around her waist with her grimoire hanging off of the left side and she wore heeled leather riding boots up to her knees.

Lady Yuno, on the other hand, wore an oversized white linen shirt, dark blue pants tucked into her own pair of leather riding boots–no heels, of course–and an oversized leather belt with gold designs hanging off of one hip with her grimoire attached. Her hair was in its usual windswept mess, barely even looking like it had a brush run through it, but it did have a gold headband pushing back her bangs.

Asta gasps in delight and bounds over with a speed her physical build belies. "Mister Owen! It's so good to see ya!"

Owen, used to having the air punched out of his lungs, takes the bone-crushing hug with as much grace as he could, only looking slightly disheveled from it when Lady Asta releases him.

"Hello, La–Miss Asta." The veteran healer is quick to correct himself. Hmm... this is quite upsetting. He hates to break formalities when Lady Mereoleona is the only royal who he truly respects enough to give. Hopefully, the time will fly by and Lady Asta's and Lady Yuno's 18th birthday will be here before he knows it.

"Hello, Miss Yuno," Owen greets the other teenager. "How are you both doing?"

"Asta's being a major fuckin' bitch an' won't accept the fact that–"

"I didn't fuckin' do anything!" Lady Asta whirls around to glare at her sister. "You're the one who–"

"Julius 's called me," Lady Mereoleona states, making the renewed argument become background noise. "Can you handle them without me?"

Owen raises an eyebrow. Lord Julius has called for Lady Mereoleona? Must have to do with the... current situation.

"I'm more than capable of it," He says with an incline of his head and a small smile. Lady Mereoleona glares heatedly at him, knowing the exact reason why he was smiling.

"You little shits better be on your best behavior for Owen. I'll throw you into the Ultime Volcano if you don't," Lady Mereoleona says loudly, immediately cutting through the argument. Owen blinks at the hands wrapped around Lady Yuno's throat while she herself had her teeth latched onto Lady Asta's leg.

How sweet. They managed to get into a fight without much noise or destruction. They must truly be trying to be on their best behavior for Owen.

Lady Mereoleona glares at them and places her hands on her hips. "And neither of you are to leave the Healer's Ward premises. Do you shits understand?"

Lady Asta pouts with a groan while Lady Yuno sighs quietly in disappointment. Owen raises an eyebrow at how sad Lady Yuno makes her eyes appear.

Wow. They are good at that.

"No leaving the premises," Lady Mereoleona reiterates with a glare before turning around, swinging the door behind her. "I'll be back before nightfall."

Lady Asta sighs this time, but releases her chokehold on her sister. She faces Owen with a beaming grin on her face.

"So. Whatcha gonna be doin'?"

"Just one more check-up before you leave for your training." Owen walks around his desk, already having his grimoire open up. "I'd like to keep your records as up-to-date as possible. At least until you two return to the Capital for the Magic Knights Entrance Exam."

"We'll have to go through another one of these?" Lady Yuno asks with her shoulders sagging.

"Most people don't live in Grand Magic Zones for most of their lives, save for the people who were born in them, Miss Yuno. Children much less so. I am only making sure nothing is causing any problems towards you and your sister's development," Owen explains, already activating his spell to begin checking Lady Asta.

Yuno just sighs, crossing her arms.

"Who's this Julius? Why is he calling for M-Miss Mereo?" Lady Asta asks, more focused on poking at the jellyfish surrounding her.

A slight increase in magic resistance... the devil maybe? And there seems to be something... less like mana almost... attacking his spell. Hmm...

Owen smiles with a small hum, pretending he was thinking. "Well, I suppose it would have to be because of your... situation you had solved. Though, Lord Julius is probably just curious as to why Lady Mereoleona has been back to the Capital four times more than she has in the past decade. He is the Wizard King after all."

Silence permeates the office as Owen finishes up checking over Lady Asta.

"MA'S MEETING THE WIZARD KING?!" Both girls scream.

"She's such a liar!" Lady Yuno hisses before she whirls around, preparing to run out of the office.

She yowls, almost like a cat, when Owen's jellyfish grabs her and holds her in the air. "Now, now. I still need to check you over. And your–and Lady Mereoleona did say neither of you could leave the premises."

Lady Asta snorts out a laugh as Lady Yuno continues to struggle to get out of the spell. She yelps loudly when another jellyfish wraps itself around her before she could even think about running off.

Owen chuckles softly at the feral children. His heart pangs with nostalgia, remembering how he would have to constantly restrain Lady Mereoleona and Lord Fuegoleon before they could start fighting, ultimately destroying entire buildings if they weren't stopped.

When it does get announced, he knows these two will fit right in with the rest of House Vermillion.

•×•

Mereoleona stalks through the opulent–but still so fucking stuffy–halls of the Clover Castle. She keeps her face blank and scowling, even though her thoughts start to race.

She wasn't exactly discreet, she knows this. But, why would Julius ask for her? He knows she doesn't do official meetings and shit like that.

Did he find out? About Asta and her–and the devil? No. She only asked around about curses. He's probably calling for her because of how she's stayed in the Royal Capital longer than she has in the past decade. Or maybe, because of how often she has visited the Healer's Ward, he's concerned about her well-being.

Mereoleona growls quietly, her scowl becoming deeper the longer she thinks about Lord Julius's call. He wouldn't do it without reason, knowing more than most how much Mereoleona despises being in the Royal Capital.

"Lady Mereoleona.” The voice snaps the lioness out of her thoughts. She stops walking as she turns, glaring down at Julius advisor.

"Francois," Mereoleona greets with a nod before she glances around. She's already made it to the Wizard King's side of the castle.

Shit. Why is this bothering her so much? She's never been this distracted.

"Lord Julius is waiting for you," Marx Francois says politely, bowing towards the royal while lifting his arm towards Julius's office.

Mereoleona raises an eyebrow. "He's actually inside? I don't have time for a damn manhunt."

"Oh, don't worry. Lord Julius better be in his office. He personally called for you, after all," Marx chuckles quietly, his eyebrow twitching.

Mereoleona shrugs, not really caring either way. She'll just head back to the Healer's Ward, so they'll be on their way towards the Ultime Volcano Mountain Trail. Julius can wait four months until she returns to drop those little shits off for the exam.

She shoves open the doors, letting them bang against the walls. Marx chokes behind her, making her grin.

"Oi. I'm here. So, get on with whatever you wanted to tell me," Mereoleona states in lieu of a greeting.

Julius Novachrono, the 28th Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom, looks up despairingly from the piles of paperwork littering his desk. His blue eyes sparkle at the sight of the lioness before he stands up from his desk.

"Mereoleona! It's good to see you! How have you been?"

Mereoleona crosses her arms, glaring at the man. "You better have a good reason for calling an official meeting. I've got places to be, Julius."

"Now, now, Mereoleona! What if I just wanted to catch up?" Julius states with a laugh. Mereoleona just raises an eyebrow before she scoffs.

"You would have snuck out to find me if you wanted to interrogate me on anything new I might've discovered, shithead."

Julius chuckles sheepishly, not denying the accurate statement. His smile disappears and Mereoleona physically stops herself from tensing when Julius stares at her solemnly.

"Your explosive exit during your cousins' grimoire celebration ball caused quite a stir. Captain Roselei also told me you asked about her curse," The Wizard King starts, making Mereoleona huff quietly.

"I'm not cursed. Do you honestly think someone could get the drop on me like that?" Mereoleona asks with a ferocious grin. No. If she ever did get cursed, then she'd be dead.

"No. But, it begs the question as to why you're asking, and investigating, about curses. And why you're visiting Healer Owen so much," Julius points out.

"I'm looking into something." The lioness shrugs. "Owen's been helping me."

Julius narrows his eyes, but Mereoleona doesn't back down.

She already has to sit back and watch Asta and Yuno leave her side to become Magic Knights without her. She refuses to have anyone else find out about them until it's inevitable.

The older man sighs tiredly. "Will you tell me whatever you have found if you find it important?"

"Of course," Mereoleona answers immediately. "They just aren't important yet. Those fucking shitheads."

Julius sighs again and sits back down, already looking like he aged a few more years. He waves at the lioness with a tired smile.

"Alright. You're dismissed, Mereoleona. I'll be waiting for your answer."

Mereoleona just nods once and—something she only did once, and that was when Julius was given the title of Wizard King—salutes perfectly towards Julius. She's quick to spin on her heel and is already out of the door by the time Julius gets out of his stupor.

"What have you found this time, Mereoleona?" Julius mutters as he watches the heavy doors of his office close by themselves.

He leans back in his chair and glances up at the ceiling. "You've become... calmer. What happened?"

She definitely was calmer. She didn't even discuss having a training trip with some of the captains before she left for another one of her journeys... What did she find?

"Lord Julius, you better be doing your paperwork!" Marx shouts from outside the office, startling the Wizard King. "So help me, I will make sure you'll have meetings with His Majesty for two weeks!"

"A-ah—no need to be so harsh, Marx! I'm doing my paperwork," Julius says with a sheepish grin. He grabs his pen and starts to finish this hellish torture called paperwork.

"This'll be entertaining. Don't take too long to find your answers, Mereoleona," Julius thinks, not really worried about it. Despite her hatred for politics and rules, Julius knows Mereoleona would never do anything to hurt the Clover Kingdom.

•×•

All of the hallways were big and stupidly decorated and way to fucking big. Asta stops at an intersection and glances each way.

"Why do they all look the fucking same?!" Asta growls under her breath, spinning on her heel to go left.

She just wanted to get back to Mister Owen's office! How the fuck did she get lost after going to the bathroom?!

Asta trudges through the hallway she chose, snarling. She might as well break through a window and go back to the entrance.

"It'll probably make Mister Owen upset..." She mutters as an afterthought. "An' Ma will kill me when she finds out I didn't follow the rules."

She huffs loudly. She just wants to get back to the office!

Asta stops before another—three-way this time—hallway intersection. She looks around, her eyebrow twitching. It's all the fucking same, again.

"What the fuck?!" She groans loudly, throwing her hands in the air. She just wants to get back to Mister Owen!

"Can't there be a sign or something?!" She grumbles before she turns on her heel. She'll just go back the way she came. That's better than just wandering—

"Excuse me," A voice speaks up, quiet and judgemental. Asta snaps her head to the left and she widens her stance.

Silver hair and pink eyes. Asta blinks before her eyebrows furrow.

"When'd you get here?" She asks, confused and just the tiniest bit wary. Hm. She should really focus on her surroundings more.

The teenage girl—just a couple inches taller, and much more slender compared to Asta's muscular build—raises an eyebrow before she gives Asta a once-over.

"Well, when you hear a ruckus, you follow it to make sure no one is causing any problems," The other silver haired teenager states slowly as if she was talking to someone with lesser intelligence.

Her eyes blink before she grabs her elbow, suddenly hesitant. "You—you sound like you're... lost."

"Ugh. Don't fuckin' remind me. I was just going to the bathroom and I couldn't remember which way Mister Owen's office was," Asta gripes, crossing her arms to glare at their surroundings. "Whoever designed the hallways to look the same is a fuckin' idiot."

"It's designed the same, so invaders will get lost. How do you not know this?" The girl states with an eye roll before she suddenly blinks.

"Wait. You're here to see Healer Owen?"

"Well, yeah. I wouldn't really be here for anyone else." Asta shrugs and tilts her head back to stare at the girl.

"He's willing to see you?" She mumbles under her breath, making Asta's eyebrow twitch. She shakes her head and straightens her posture to stare at the feral teenager with a certain frigidness.

"What House are you from? You should know, being in the Royal Capital, you have to wear your House's coat of arms."

"Coat of arms? What the—"

"—fuck you talking about?" Asta asks, her nose scrunched in her confusion. Is she talking about some kind of family symbol? Does Vermillion have a family symbol? She knows Vermillion has family colors—she's wearing them right now.

"A coat of—are you—are you not a noble?" The silver haired teenager asks, expression somewhat startled.

"Are you a noble?" Asta asks instead, genuinely curious but not wanting to try and lie to the other girl. Not when she's so horrible at lying. Ma might seriously kill her if she accidentally gives up the secret.

"I am—" The girl starts before clearing her throat "—I am Noelle Silva. Of the Royal House of Silva."

"Silva?!" Asta nearly squeals, eyes bright with shocked joy. This is—

"My cousin!" Asta screams internally before she blinks. "Wait. Is she one of the fuckers bullying the other?"

The girl—Noelle—lifts her chin, her posture regal and closed off. "Yes, commoner. Now, why are you—"

"Since you're Silva, you must know where Mister Owen's office is!" Asta exclaims brightly, leaning forward, closer to Noelle's face.

"Wh-wha—"

Asta grabs her hand and starts marching down the hallway with fast steps. "Let's go! Do I go right 'r left at the next intersection?"

"H-hold on! I-I—I am royalty!" Noelle shouts, face burning bright red as she tries to wrench her hand out of Asta's grip. "Let me go! Y-you have no permission to—"

"So, which why do we go?" Asta asks, not budging a single muscle at the royal's escape attempts.

"Are you deaf, you imbecile?! Let me go! We're just getting farther away from the Healer's Ward!"

"We're out of the Healer's Ward? Fuck!" Asta curses before she turns around with a huff. She was right to go back where she came from.

"Ma's gonna fuckin' kill me," She mutters, still dragging Noelle with her.

"M-Ma? Your—your mother is here with you?" Noelle asks, nervous and somewhat fearful at how strong Asta's grip was.

Asta glances over her shoulder with a beaming grin, eyes glittering in joy. "Yeah! Ma wants me an' my sis to get one more check-up 'fore we leave to train!"

"Train? For what?"

"The Magic Knights Entrance Exam, of course! We're gonna dominate the fuckin' competition!" Asta declares loudly, her grin growing wide in an almost sickening way. "It'll be a blood bath!"

"You're going to the entrance exam?" Noelle asks, surprised, doubtful, and somewhat hesitant all at once.

Asta, like with most people, completely ignores the other girl's discomfort. "What else would I be doin' in the Capital? Become a healer? Ha!"

She'd break more bones than heal them. On purpose. And Mister Owen might retire or fake his death if he had to take in a Vermillion into the Healer's Ward.

"I'm gonna become the Wizard King! Fuck what my sister has t' say about it! An' the first step? Joining the Magic Knights!" Asta continues with a ferocious grin.

"Th-the Wizard King?! And—sister? What does that have to do—" Noelle yelps when Asta suddenly turns on her heel, nearly making her trip and fall. Asta easily lifts her up by her hand before her feet even lose their footing.

"Yuno! She's my rival! Fuckin' bitch. She thinks she can become the Wizard King over me? Ha! I'll fuckin' beat her to a pulp! I'm gonna be the Wizard King! I swear it!"

"But—you're a commoner! Wait—you're going the wrong way!" Noelle yelps before Asta stops in the middle of the hallway. She spins on her heel and pulls Noelle closer until they're nearly touching noses.

Her eyes burn bright like emeralds reflecting a fire. Her face, littered with silver scars and freckles like stars, is split by a beaming grin, confident and undoubted.

"And? I swore to my sister that I'll be the Wizard King. So I fuckin' will." Asta grins even wider and marches towards the other hallway. "Thanks for that! I'd rather not get anymore lost!"

Noelle, still shocked by the gall of this commoner touching her—and basically kidnapping her!!—and completely stupefied by her foolish, idiotic, impressive, and downright aweful declaration, just lets the silver haired teenager continue to pull her along.

What the hell did this day come to? And who was this girl?