04x03 - Five-Leaf Clover

[bunniefuu]

The Clover Kingdom.

In this kingdom where magic is everything,

there is one boy who can't use magic.

His name is Asta.

With guts and hard work, he made it into the Magic Knights,

and he never gave up, despite how much he got hurt.

He continues to diligently aim for the top!

Even if you are a peasant,

or even if you're poor...

Anyone in this world can still shine!

He's working hard to prove that,

and to become the Wizard King!

In preparation for the upcoming battle with the Spade Kingdom,

Asta and the others train diligently in the Heart Kingdom.

With their training period halfway over,

Noelle and the others learned the Mana Method and were growing steadily.

Since Asta had no magic, he fought with Gaja in order

to obtain hints toward a new technique.

Back in the Clover Kingdom, Yami finally learned the trick to using Mana Zone.

And now...

Gaja!

I'm back!

It appears that you've grown yet again in these past few days.

Yup!

Yesterday, I sparred with the Wind Spirit Guardian

and trained my ki to be able to read ambiguous att*cks better.

Today, I fought with the Earth Spirit Guardian who has keen senses

to polish my own fighting instincts like "bam!"

Aren't you training with Luck today?

He said he wanted to train with other Spirit Guardians, so he is elsewhere.

Perfect timing, then!

I'd like to spar with you right now, if that's okay!

Of course, that's perfectly fine.

But before we start, may I ask you something?

Since you have no magic at all, your existence is quite abnormal,

even among those at the arcane stage.

I am constantly astounded by your growth.

In order to further increase your strength in the future, may I ask you...

about your life up until this point,

and about the devil that resides within your grimoire?

About me... and the devil?

Five-Leaf Clover

According to Father,

me and my childhood friend Yuno were taken in

on the same day at a church in Hage Village, on the outskirts of the Clover Kingdom.

Time passed, and...

Sister Lily!

Marry me!

I was living with my beloved Sister Lily, Yuno,

and everyone else back at the church.

But I couldn't use a lick of magic.

Meanwhile, Yuno was a super-handsome genius.

I'll get a grimoire that's more amazing than anyone else's,

get into the Magic Knights, follow in your footsteps,

and become the Wizard King!

And in March, those turning fifteen were gathered from all over the kingdom

to receive their grimoires.

But...

Um...

My grimoire's not coming.

Er...

Try again next year.

What?!

What the heck?!

That's actually amazing!

Yuno ended up getting a four-leaf grimoire, just like the first Wizard King.

I thought that once I got my grimoire,

I'd be able to use magic, but...

I never thought I wouldn't even get one.

But... like hell I'm gonna give up!

Don't you dare underestimate me, fate!

I'll show you!

Even if it takes one, two, ten, or a hundred years!

I'll keep working hard until I get my grimoire!

But then this thieving jerk who wanted to

sell the four-leaf grimoire for money att*cked Yuno.

Hey, that pendant looks like it's worth something, too.

I guess I'll be taking that...

Hold it!

I tried to get back Yuno's grimoire, but my training just wasn't enough against the thief.

And of course, I was born with no magic.

I found out that no matter how hard I tried, I still couldn't use magic.

You can't do a thing in this world. Just give up on everything.

You were born a loser!

He's right.

No matter how hard I try, some things just can't be helped.

I'm just going to give...

Hey!

Who are you calling a loser?

Asta, it's true that you won't be able to become the Wizard King,

no matter what.

You hear that? Even your little friend is telling you it's impossible.

That's because I'm going to become the Wizard King!

What?

He's no loser.

He's...

Asta's my rival!

Huh?

Him? Your rival?

This brat who has no magical power whatsoever?

Not... Not yet.

Sorry you had to see me looking that pathetic, Yuno.

Just a sec...

I'm gonna kick this guy's butt!

And that was when

the five-leaf grimoire, which was said

to have a devil residing within it, appeared before me.

Back then, I didn't know anything about the devil's powers or anti-magic.

I just frantically brandished my sword.

That's what happened when I first got this grimoire.

After that, Yuno and I went to

the royal capital to take the Magic Knights Entrance Exam.

Yuno ended up joining the most popular and powerful squad, the Golden Dawn.

I was about to be disqualified since I had no magic, but then,

Captain Yami from the Black Bulls took me in.

If I remember correctly,

that captain is another Magic Knight who uses a sword, just like yourself.

Yeah! He takes forever to poop, but he's super reliable when we need him!

He's super strong and showed me how to use my ki.

Anyway, he's someone I super-duper respect!

The rest of the Black Bulls also acknowledged me as a part of the squad.

Once I officially became a squad member, I went on a mission to explore a dungeon

and ended up getting my second sword, the Demon-Dweller Sword.

During that mission,

we faced off with one of the Diamond Kingdom's Eight Shining Generals, Mars,

an insanely strong guy who used two magical attributes.

And that was when we coincidentally found out...

I don't have any magic,

but I've got...

my friends!

I borrowed mana from Noelle and released it using the Demon-Dweller Sword,

and was able to break through Mars's tough armor.

After that, when we reported back about the mission,

we met the Wizard King.

"Gain merit. You can't protect anyone with pride,

and trust will come after merit."

With the Wizard King's words in my heart,

I kept fighting to protect everyone!

But then we ran into him...

I guess I haven't introduced myself yet.

I am the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun...

Licht.

His light magic was way too fast.

I couldn't react or even track it with my eyes.

But then Captain Yami arrived,

and he faced him head-on. The lightning-fast light magic

didn't bother him at all.

Of course, I already knew he was super strong,

but I got to see how powerful he was again firsthand.

Hey, brat. Were you watching that?

Y-Yes, sir!

Good. Now try the same thing.

Yes, sir!

Wait... Like I could actually do that!

Of course I can't!

Oh? Who do you think you're talking to?

Huh?

I told you to do it, so do it.

Ow, ow, ow, that really hurts! Ow, ow, ow!

That'll make you a bigger man.

Captain Yami said he could react to the att*cks because he could sense something called "ki."

People looking at you, the sound of their breathing,

Ki

their smell, the motions of their muscles,

the vague sense that they're there...

Ki is the blanket term for all of the different types of life energy

the human body emits.

I read that ki and predicted his next move, then made mine.

You've done that before, haven't you?

Come to think of it...

The lesson was so intense that I could've d*ed doing it,

but because of that, I learned to sense ki!

I see.

This "ki" is the best fighting technique you could use, since you cannot use magic.

Perhaps he anticipated that it could be useful to you as you continue

to use your anti-magic.

Actually, now that you mention it...

Holy crap! That's super likely with Captain Yami!

Though I may simply be overthinking the matter.

Way to go, Captain Yami!

By the way, I would like to ask another question.

How are you able to put yourself in the state in which you bring out the power

of the devil that is possessing you?

Oh, that...

The first time I took on that form was

when we went to visit the Queen of Witches in the Witches' Forest.

I fought that Diamond Kingdom guy with the annoying smirk

when he att*cked the forest.

Never giving up...

is my magic!

Damn it!

Why?!

My magic's supposed to be invincible now!

Back then, I wasn't even sure what happened myself.

sh*t!

sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t! sh*t !

Why?!

I got this far by kicking everyone else down!

Why are you...

You might've kicked people down,

but everyone that helped boost me up

makes me strong!

Black Meteorite!

The first time I was able to willfully take that form was

when we went to the Yultim Volcano in a strong magic region for a training camp.

Since I couldn't use Mana Skin, a technique to envelop

your body with mana to protect yourself,

I couldn't move a step further due to the intense heat.

But then I realized that

if I used the ki technique I learned from Captain Yami,

I could amplify the anti-magic within me

and possibly pull off an effect like Mana Skin.

And that was also a way for me to get into that state at will.

Thank you so much, Captain Yami!

I don't know what I would've done if you'd never taught me how to use ki!

My third sword, the Demon-Destroyer Sword, is a bit of a wild one,

but the reason I was able to use it immediately is because of my ki!

I hear that sword can nullify not only magic itself,

but the effects of a spell, as well.

Yup!

I got my hands on the Demon-Destroyer Sword

around the time we infiltrated

the Eye of the Midnight Sun's base before our final battle with them!

But suddenly, that Disloyal guy as well as some of our friends

reincarnated as elves and att*cked us.

And then we ended up fighting

the leader of the elves in the center of their base.

This ki...

There's incredible magic coming from that sword.

Oh, crap... My black form is reaching its limit.

Please... Just last a little longer.

Asta, be careful.

Yeah, I know!

Asta!

The leader of the elves was the original owner of my swords,

so he was able to use them to their full capacity.

And above all, he was insanely strong. But...

Not yet!

Yuno is my...

Asta is my...

...rival!

We couldn't win,

but next thing I knew, the Demon-Destroyer Sword I took was inside my grimoire.

Because of this, I was able

to nullify the poison magic that was used on the people of Hage Village

and return everyone who had reincarnated into elves back to normal.

After that, in the Shadow Palace,

the memories that the Demon-Destroyer had absorbed flooded into me.

That's when I learned

why the elves and humans started hating each other so long ago.

And the one who had reincarnated the elves and caused all this fighting was...

that devil.

Word Soul Magic...

"Voizuiinemidoren..."

His goal was to leave the other world where all the other devils were

and appear in this world in his complete form.

I couldn't let that bastard have his way.

If Yuno could evolve, then so could I!

Anti-Magic Demon-Slayer Sword: Black Divider!

Dark Cloaked Dimension Slash ~ Equinox!

Nero used her Sealing Magic to seal the damage I took.

Asta...

You're going to be...

You're going to be the Wizard King, right?

Yeah!

Right here, right now...

I'll surpass my limits!

And, well, you know the rest.

I was put on trial for being devil-possessed,

and since I was released without indictment,

I came to the Heart Kingdom

to find clues to prove that I'm innocent.

And that's where I found out that Queen Loropechika

had also been cursed by a devil.

I'm going to get even stronger!

So that I can protect everyone in the Clover Kingdom,

and everyone in the Heart Kingdom, too!

I am glad I was able to hear your tale.

I think I may understand why you were able to become so powerful,

even though you have no mana.

Now, let us begin.

The sun will go down soon,

but I will train with you until you are satisfied today.

Right!

Wow, that was amazing, Noelle!

Not bad. You've definitely improved since you first arrived.

Hmph. O-Of course I have.

I'm royalty, you know.

Squee! Yay! I got praised!

But you're truly amazing, Water Spirit Undine.

You just keep drawing out more and more of my water magic.

You're not the only one growing, you know.

Please take a look at this.

It's not just you or Nero.

Asta and the others are also

growing every day much faster than we ever could've imagined.

But still, this is nowhere near enough

to defeat the devil from the Spade Kingdom.

Right?

Yes. You are exactly right.

But I believe in all of you.

All of you who are training so diligently here,

and everyone back at the Clover Kingdom getting ready for battle...

If we all work together,

I'm sure we will see a ray of hope in our fight against the devil

within the Spade Kingdom.

No, I'm sure we'll win!

And I'll avenge my mother, too!

The same trick will not work again.

That technique is only good enough to land a surprise att*ck on the enemy right now.

I believe our session has come to an end.

Lightning Magic: Tenjiolia.

Not yet!

The three leaves of the clover represent faith, hope, and love.

Within a fourth leaf dwells good luck.

Within a fifth leaf...

resides a devil.

But my swords...

What's going...

You continue to surprise me.

In order to see the extent of your hidden powers,

I will att*ck you with everything I have.

Bring it on!

Well, things are getting interesting now.

Our training's finished, and it's finally time to fight the Spade Kingdom.

"The Beginning of Hope and Despair."

The Beginning of Hope and Despair

I'm going to protect everyone in the Clover Kingdom,

and everyone in the Heart Kingdom, too!