Asta walked over to where the Golden Dawn recruits were gathering.
Yuno was already standing there, his Four-Leaf Grimoire resting at his hip.
There was a faint trace of reluctance in Yuno’s eyes—this was the very first time they would be separated since childhood.
“Asta,” Yuno said softly as his rival approached.
Asta offered a cool smirk, giving Yuno a firm pat on the shoulder.
“Let’s go, Yuno.
Don’t fall behind just because you got into the fancy squad.”
Yuno’s gaze hardened with renewed focus, a confident smile breaking across his face.
“I won’t!
Let’s see who becomes the Magic Emperor first!”
With a final nod to his rival, Asta turned and headed straight back to Yami.
The Captain didn’t say much, simply blowing out a ring of smoke before turning to his subordinate.
“Finral.
Open the portal.”
“Right away, Captain!” Finral quickly channeled his spatial magic, summoning a swirling portal.
The group entered the magic circle one after another, and their surroundings shifted in an instant to a secluded forest clearing.
Standing before them was a strangely shaped, towering structure.
Calling it a castle was a bit of a stretch—it looked far more like a random assortment of houses mashed together from completely mismatched angles.
“How about it?
Pretty impressive, right?” Yami boasted, placing his hands on his hips.
“This appalling living environment has truly shown me what inhumane architecture means,” Asta replied with a scathing deadpan.
“Can I leave?”
“This dilapidated headquarters is really a disservice to you, you brat?!” Yami snapped, veins popping on his forehead.
“Whatever,” Asta smirked, continuing his verbal barrage.
“I wonder if there are any pretty girls in the squad?
If not, I’ll apply to leave immediately!”
“I think you want to die!” Yami looked ready to spit fire from his nostrils.
Finral quickly rushed out to mediate before things escalated further.
“Yes, yes!
We have a gorgeous little loli in our group with a super sweet voice, and we also have a mature woman who always wears a bikini with an amazing figure!”
“There really is?” Asta’s eyes lit up with playful curiosity.
He walked up to the entrance, but before he could even touch the door, the wooden entrance exploded outward as a massive ball of flying fire came barreling straight toward him!
SWISH!
In a split second, Asta drew his Demon-Slaying Sword and cleaved the flying fireball in two with a single fluid strike, sending the harmless flames flickering onto the ground beside him.
Stepping inside through the shattered doorway, Asta surveyed the sheer chaos of the main hall.
The battle inside hadn’t stopped for a single second despite his dramatic entrance—everyone was still locked in their own wild fights.
A bespectacled young man dressed like a street thug was trading heavy fire with a blonde boy wearing lightning-infused boots who was darting across the walls.
The fireball that had just flown out clearly belonged to the thug.
Off to the side, Asta spotted the two beauties Finral had mentioned.
One was a tiny girl sitting at a table, stuffing her face with endless sweet pastries.
Her delicate face was undeniably cute, and her voice sounded sweet enough, though stuffing that many sweets down her throat made any sound coming out of her sweet!
As for the bikini-clad woman, she certainly possessed a stunning, curvy figure, but with her messy chestnut hair, flushed cheeks, and heavy reek of alcohol, she looked less like a refined mature woman and more like a troubled alcoholic.
If the female members were eccentric, the rest of the males were far worse.
There was a massive man standing silently by the fireplace like a door god, and a pale young man kneeling in the corner, drooling uncontrollably over a stack of photographs of a little girl.
What an incredible squad…
Asta couldn’t help but internally remark.
This place is a complete collection of problematic men and women!
“They’re still fighting?!” Finral groaned, looking at the blasted walls and scorched furniture.
“I get really annoyed whenever I see them vandalizing public property!” Yami’s face darkened as a terrifying aura flared around him.
He slammed a heavy fist straight into the wall behind him to stop the noise, blowing Finral directly into the masonry.
The brawl instantly ground to a halt.
Recognizing Yami’s presence, the group settled down, quickly kneeling on the floor after Yami snapped at their noisy greetings.
“Now then, down to business,” Yami grunted, gesturing toward Asta.
“I brought a new rookie back with us.
Go on, introduce yourself.”
Asta stepped forward, keeping it concise.
“Asta, from Hage Village.
Specialty: Anti-Magic.”
The room fell quiet for a second before Magna glared at him, crossing his arms angrily.
“Hey, junior!
Come outside, let’s have a test through fighting!”
“Finral, please introduce the members.” Yami glanced around the chaotic room, blowing out a stream of smoke.
“Where did Finral go?”
“Commander, you just knocked Finral out of the base…” Gordon spoke in an extraordinarily weak whisper.
It was only thanks to Asta’s heightened senses and sharp hearing that anyone caught the words at all.
“Right.
Then Magna, you do it.
Keep it brief!” Yami ordered, nodding toward the bespectacled thug.
“I will definitely complete the Captain’s mission!” Magna shouted, puffing out his chest.
“Let’s start with me.
I am Magna Swing!
All you need to know is that I’m your senior, and you must always show proper respect!”
Magna then pointed at the bikini-clad woman, his face twisting in disgust.
“This is Vanessa Enoteca.
All you need to know is that she’s a shameless alcoholic!”
“Who are you calling shameless, you virgin scoundrel?!” Vanessa retorted sarcastically, taking another swig from her bottle.
“Who are you calling a virgin?!” Magna looked as if he had been stabbed in the back, instantly losing his cool composure.
Just as the two were about to start brawling, Yami’s dark aura flared slightly with a low growl.
“You two didn’t take my words to heart, did you?”
“I’m sorry, Commander Yami!” Magna immediately backed down, bowing respectfully before glaring at Vanessa.
He quickly moved on.
“This little one is Charmy Pappitson.
All you need to know is that she likes to eat.
The guy with dark circles under his eyes next to the Captain is Gordon Agrippa—he’s a man I don’t know much about!”
“Who are you calling little?!” Charmy puffed her cheeks, secretly vowing never to share her snacks with Magna again.
“Am I really that insignificant…?” Gordon muttered softly, looking down in quiet sadness despite getting along well with everyone.
“Now it’s my turn!
Introduce me, Magna!” Luck, the blonde boy wearing lightning boots, bounced excitedly.
“Tch.
This guy’s name is Luck Voltia.
All you need to know is to stay away from him—he’s a super annoying battle maniac,” Magna scoffed, rolling his eyes.
Luck bounded over to Asta’s side instantly, throwing quick, eager punches into the air.
“Hey!
Let’s fight!
I love fighting!”
Asta observed Luck’s eager posture without saying a word, simply taking in the chaotic energy of his new squadmate.
“Next up is Gauche Adlai, a super selfish siscon,” Magna continued, pointing toward a pale, weathered young man.
“Friendly reminder: never covet his sister, or he’ll kill you.”
Gauche held up a framed photograph of a little girl, leaning disturbingly close to Asta’s face.
“See?
This is my sister, Marie.
She’s an angel!
If you dare lay a single finger on her, I’ll end you!”
Asta stared at the photo with a deadpan expression, completely speechless.
How can anyone be this obsessed with a kid?
“Oh right, and there’s Grey over there…
well, that’s all I know,” Magna said, gesturing toward a large, shadowy figure who simply stared blankly at Asta, looking unusually shy.
“Captain…” Finral groaned, crawling back into the room through the hole in the shattered wall.
Fortunately, he had used his spatial magic at the last second, saving his face from total destruction.
“Right, and this guy is Finral Roulacase,” Magna added with a solemn look.
“All you need to know is that if there are young, beautiful women near you, make sure he never sees them.”
Finally, Magna turned toward Yami with absolute reverence.
“And lastly, our leader, Captain Yami Sukehiro!
All you need to do is show him complete respect!
That concludes the introductions of all members present.
Captain Yami, was my introduction satisfactory?”
“So-so,” Yami exhaled a smoke ring, looking over at Asta casually.
“We have even more members out on missions.
In short, we’re an exceptionally large Magic Knight squad.
You don’t need to be nervous.
Just relax and get along with everyone.”
Asta rolled his eyes.
“At a time like this, you don’t have to lie to make the squad sound bigger.”
Despite his sarcastic response, Asta was actually quite satisfied.
Small as the squad was, everyone had their own flaws—which meant nobody judged anyone else.
It was an environment where eccentrics could actually live together in harmony.
“Looks like you’re itching for some brutal discipline,” Yami growled, veins bulging as his cigarette almost slipped from his lips.
This brat was sent here just to test my blood pressure.
“Shall we begin the training phase, Captain?!” Magna asked eagerly.
“Just discipline him properly.
Make sure he doesn’t die,” Yami grunted.
Authorized by the Captain, Magna cracked his knuckles and looked over at Asta.
“Alright rookie, welcome to the Black Bulls!
Time for your initiation match!”
Asta raised a hand weakly.
“Can I fight back?
Don’t worry, I’ll know my limits.
If I can fight back, we can finish this time-wasting part a lot faster.”
“What?!
Fight back?!
Know your limits?!” Magna felt his dignity utterly insulted.
“Come outside!
I’ll beat you until your eyes see stars and your ass is on fire!”
“Then I won’t be polite,” Asta smiled softly.
Magna’s magic was fire-based, relying on long-range attacks.
Against an opponent with no close-quarters defense, the outcome was already set.
The squad gathered in the open courtyard behind the hideout.
Magna glared at Asta, sneering.
“Now then, for your final baptism!
Whether you use magic, physical skills, or whatever tricks you have—as long as you block or dodge my magic, you officially become a Black Bull!”
“What if I defeat you?” Asta asked casually.
“Pfft!” “Captain, is this rookie serious?!” “Where did you find this weirdo?!”
Vanessa, Luck, and Finral burst into laughter.
Magna was so furious that smoke was practically coming out of his nostrils.
“I can’t hold back anymore, kid!
If you can’t dodge, you die!” Magna shouted.
His grimoire hovered into the air, pages rapidly flipping until a bright crimson light erupted, gathering a blazing sphere of fire into his hand.
“Looks like he’s actually serious,” Finral sighed, opening his spatial grimoire to step in if needed.
“Wait a moment,” Asta said, narrowing his eyes.
Defeating Magna was effortless, but a simple duel was meaningless unless he maximized his gains.
“What, scared?!” Magna boasted, thinking Asta was backing down.
“It’s too late to beg for mercy!”
“You misunderstood,” Asta chuckled.
“I wanted to ask what new squad members usually have to do.”
“Cleaning, serving tea, washing clothes, and taking care of the Captain’s pets,” Magna answered after a moment’s thought.
“Just as I thought,” Asta smirked.
“How about a bet?
If I win, you take over all those servant duties for me.
If I lose, I’ll give you three months of my Magic Knight salary.
What do you say?”
Magna’s eyes lit up.
This was practically free money!
As a veteran, how could he possibly lose to a country rookie?
“Captain, you all heard it!
He insisted on betting!
Don’t blame me when I take his cash!”
“So, can we begin?” Asta smiled calmly, standing fifteen meters away.
To a ranged mage, fifteen meters felt like a safe distance.
To a practitioner who could open the Eight Gates, fifteen meters was zero distance.
“I have a really bad feeling about this,” Finral muttered.
“At this distance, Magna is about to get a severe beating,” Yami stroked his chin, recalling Asta’s speed from the exam.
“Why doesn’t anyone believe in our scoundrel virgin?” Vanessa hiccuped.
“It’s not that,” Finral said with a wry smile.
“Magna is standing too close and has no idea how Asta fights.
This isn’t a rookie baptism…
it’s a rookie humiliating a veteran.”
“I was going to give you a chance to show off,” Magna said, pulling a flaming baseball bat from his grimoire and floating his fireball into the air.
“But since you sponsored my gambling fund, let me show you real magic!
The war begins!”
Whoosh!
Magna twisted his hips, swinging his bat to launch a storm of fireballs—only to freeze in utter horror.
Asta was completely gone from his line of sight.
Where did he—?!
Before Magna could even turn his head, a heavy weight rested on his right shoulder.
The cold, flat side of the Demon-Slayer Sword was pressed gently against his neck.
“You lost,” Asta said calmly, sheathing the massive blade back into his grimoire.
Magna stood frozen, his jaw dropped in utter disbelief as his face flushed bright red.
He had just been instantly defeated in his own initiation match.
Asta offered a small, amused smirk as he walked back toward the group.
“Thanks for taking over my chores, senior.”
“He…
actually won?” Vanessa rubbed her wine-flushed eyes in utter disbelief, staring at the courtyard in shock.
Magna was one of their main combatants; his magic might be simple, but his explosive power was considerable.
Yet he had been subdued in less than a second.
“Gulp!” Charmy almost choked on her pastry, her eyes wide.
“Wow!
That’s amazing!” Luck’s eyes lit up with wild excitement as he bounced on his feet.
“Captain!
You brought someone worthy of being killed by me!”
“No,” Yami spoke up, exhaling a calm smoke ring into the cool air.
“This kid doesn’t have a single drop of magic power.
He relies entirely on raw physical ability.”
“What?!
Pure physical strength?!” Vanessa gasped.
“Physical skills are practically extinct in this world because they’re useless against high-level mages…
Nobody puts in that kind of thankless effort.”
“And he has zero magic,” Finral added with a wry smile.
“Otherwise, combining that level of speed with any elemental magic would make him a total nightmare.”
“No magic at all?” Gauche looked away from his sister Marie’s photo for a brief second, eyeing Asta with newfound curiosity.
“So he earned your approval purely on physical traits?”
Yami nodded silently, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.
“He must work insanely hard,” Vanessa sighed softly.
The effort required to build a body capable of moving like that without mana was beyond what ordinary people could endure—especially in a world where magic was everything.
Over in the center of the courtyard, Asta looked at the stunned Magna and offered a light chuckle.
“If you’re not satisfied, senior, we can go again.”
“Tch!
Fine!” Magna crossed his arms, feigning indifference though his face was burning with a mixture of shock and lingering embarrassment.
“I, Magna, am a man who can afford to lose!
You’ve earned my approval—you’re officially a true member of the Black Bulls!”
He knew in his heart that even if they fought ten more times, Asta’s raw speed was simply beyond his reaction time.
Admitting defeat magnanimously was the only honorable way out.
“Honestly,” Asta said in a half-comforting tone, “if you had kept your distance from the very start or taken to the sky, the fight might have played out differently.”
“You really don’t hold back, do you?” Magna looked at Asta with genuine emotion, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder.
“I, Magna Swing, acknowledge you as a comrade I can trust with my life!”
Asta had a smile on his face, but in his heart he thought, This guy is too naive or honest…
but what I do know is that he will trust me with his life.
Even Guy-sensei doesn’t trust people that easily.
“I’m sorry about earlier, by the way—calling you a country bumpkin,” Magna added, putting his arm around Asta’s neck in a friendly headlock.
“Truth is, I’m from Rayaka Village, which isn’t far from Hage Village at all.”
“So you’re a backwater country bumpkin too?!” Asta deadpanned.
“Living one village over gives you zero right to mock me!”
“Gahaha!
After being out in the world, you pick up a few noble insults!” Magna laughed heartily, his defeat completely forgotten.
Suddenly, noisy footsteps echoed behind them.
Before Asta could fully turn around, he bumped into a soft, fragrant body.
“You looked really cool out there, little brother~” Vanessa threw her arms around Asta’s shoulders, her voice slurred with alcohol.
She had intended to stop a centimeter short for a flirtatious tease, but the liquor made her distance judgment a bit sloppy.
Asta didn’t hesitate, returning the hug naturally with a sly grin.
“You’re very warm-hearted, Sister Vanessa.
If you keep holding me like this, Captain Yami might start charging me rent for using your lap.”
Vanessa burst out laughing, playfully flicking his forehead as she stepped back.
“Listen to this brat!
Already trying to negotiate living space!”
“Hey!
That sword of yours was awesome!
Let’s fight right now!” Luck bounded over, throwing quick jabs in the air.
“Maybe later,” Asta laughed perfunctorily, having no desire to entertain a battle maniac just yet.
“Want a snack?” Charmy offered a pastry, though half of it disappeared into her own mouth a second later.
“I’m good, thanks,” Asta chuckled at the gluttonous girl.
“Alright, settle down!” Finral clapped his hands.
Magna solemnly pulled out a black, gold-trimmed mantle bearing the Black Bulls insignia and handed it over.
“This is yours.
Wear it with pride!”
Vanessa waved her wand, casting a gentle thread spell that draped the mantle perfectly over Asta’s shoulders.
“Not bad!” Magna nodded approvingly.
“Wearing this outfit makes you look a lot less like a country bumpkin!”
“Oh really?” Asta sneered playfully.
“Keep talking like that, and I’ll make sure you do double the chore list tomorrow, senior.”
Magna instantly slumped, clutching his head in utter regret as he remembered the bet he had lost.
The rest of the squad burst into laughter at the sight.
Meanwhile, up on the second-story terrace, a pair of bright pink eyes watched the scene below.
A new recruit?
He actually beat Magna so easily…
The pink-eyed girl scoffed softly, putting on an arrogant expression.
“Well, that mobster was weak anyway.” She turned her back and vanished down the corridor.
“Magna, you’re in charge of the rookie for the next few days,” Yami yawned, turning toward the interior doors.
“Get him settled in.
I’m taking a nap.”
“Leave it to me, Captain!” Magna saluted proudly before turning back to Asta, hooking an arm around his neck.
“What do you eat to get this tough anyway?!
Your chest feels like a brick wall!”
The group joked around for a while longer until late at night, when Magna led Asta through a maze of twisting corridors, stopping at a narrow, dusty door.
“Here it is!
Cherish this room, Asta—it’s the traditional quarters for the youngest rookie.
My room is twice this size!” Magna boasted, trying to regain some lost pride.
“Oh,” Asta replied with total indifference.
“Get some sleep, senior.
You’ve got a long day of chores waiting for you at sunrise.”
Magna’s smug smile froze instantly.
“My chores…” He walked away mumbling curses at his own gambling habits.
Asta closed the door behind him.
The room was small and basic, but perfectly fine.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, staring down at his hands in thought.
Even with my Second Gate open, I couldn’t move Captain Yami…
I need to double down on my training.
Other Captains could easily kill me from a distance if I’m not careful.
Before dawn broke the next morning, Asta was already deep in the forest behind the hideout.
He had set up makeshift wooden stakes and targets along the trees.
While his physical foundation was strong, precision required constant sharpening.
Focusing his intent, Asta directed his internal chakra to sharpen his spatial perception.
His vision instantly sharpened through the dim morning gloom, heightening his depth perception and clarity.
Three target marks carved into tree trunks thirty meters away stood out as if they were right in front of him.
Thwack!
Thwack!
Thwack!
With a rapid flick of his wrist, three kunai tore through the air, embedding themselves simultaneously into the exact center of all three targets.
Asta retrieved his weapons, feeling the steady flow of chakra circulating through his body.
Settled into his new home among the Black Bulls, his real training was just beginning.