On the sunny horizon, morning had barely arrived, and a thin mist wrapped around the forest like a slumbering giant. The light footsteps of Asta and Yuno were barely audible on the damp forest path. The invigorating coolness was refreshing, and a gentle breeze, perhaps stirred up by Yuno—he couldn't help but play with his magic—made the leaves dance. With each step, the tension between them grew, as if the forest and the very earth knew that a battle was impending. Ahead lay an open glade surrounded by tall trees, ready to host their training duel.
Yuno stopped, turning his head slightly toward his friend. "Are you ready, Asta?"
Asta clenched his fists, testing the strength in his fingers, and replied with a bold grin, "Ready as ever! Just don't complain afterward!"
Yuno nodded, suppressing a smirk, and raised his hand. A light whirlwind swirled around him, lifting blades of grass and fallen leaves. He knew his magic wasn't very strong, but he also knew this: if directed properly, even weak wind magic would pose a serious challenge for Asta.
Without a moment's hesitation, Asta charged at Yuno, his muscles flexing beneath his taut skin, and in a few leaps, he closed half the distance between them. Yuno waved his hand, and a gust of wind surged from his fingertips, aimed at Asta's face. The wind made him slow down momentarily, turning away from the sharp rush, but it didn't stop him. Seizing the moment, Yuno stepped back and unleashed several slicing blades of air, targeting Asta's legs and arms.
Asta dodged and weaved, but one blade managed to leave a small scratch on his arm. He muttered something about "dusty tricks" and charged again. Yuno observed each of his movements, as if measuring his speed, studying his approaches. He knew that charging head-on against Asta wasn't wise, so he maintained his distance, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Clenching his teeth, Asta focused and switched to sharper, more elusive bursts of movement, closing the gap to Yuno with every second. Yuno, trying to anticipate his path, created air barriers around himself, throwing Asta off his rhythm. He didn't even feel tired—every strike at the air felt light and natural to him.
"You're actually pretty good, Yuno!" Asta shouted as he ducked under another gust of wind.
"Thanks, Asta. But that's all," Yuno replied calmly, slowing his opponent down, as if he knew how to keep him at bay.
Asta squinted. A moment of tension passed, and suddenly he took a different approach: he bolted away, moving in a wide circle, forcing Yuno to turn in place to keep track of his maneuvers.
Yuno watched Asta's every movement intently, but his gaze remained calm and confident. He understood that he couldn't let emotions take over in this duel; Asta was quick and aggressive, and if he lost focus for even a second—he'd lose. Yuno relied on his strategic thinking, as if reading each of Asta's steps.
As Asta circled around him, Yuno suddenly released a burst of air that pushed him back. This maneuver allowed him to escape the encirclement and create more distance between them. Asta immediately dashed after him, closing the distance almost instantly, as if he were the very gust of wind.
"You're not getting away, Yuno!" Asta shouted, fists clenched.
Yuno squinted and raised his hands. A barely noticeable finger movement, and an invisible shield of wind surrounded him, gently stirring the air and throwing Asta off course. But Asta, undeterred, surged straight through that invisible wall. His will and determination seemed to transcend any obstacle. For just a moment, Yuno doubted whether he could keep him at bay.
"Asta, you're too straightforward," Yuno noted gently, directing another wave of wind that slammed into Asta, leaving a few more small cuts on his arms. But Asta didn't back down; he charged at his friend once more, getting closer with every step.
At that moment, Yuno decided to employ a clever trick: sharply changing the wind's direction, he kicked up a cloud of dust from the ground, hiding in the shadow of the swirling vortex.
A veil of dust and leaves rose around him, momentarily obscuring Yuno. Asta stopped, squinting into the cloud. He wasn't used to such tricks, and his impatience was growing. "Yuno, are you hiding?" he shouted, narrowing his eyes to spot a silhouette in the haze.
"Is it hiding if I'm using my powers?" Yuno's calm voice rang out, invisible in the dust's swirl.
Asta snorted and clenched his fists even tighter. He lunged forward, unafraid to meet an unexpected strike, but suddenly he felt light cuts appearing on his hands and legs, as if invisible blades were gliding over him in the whirlwind. They were light but felt real—Yuno was controlling the airflow, directing it like the finest, barely noticeable blades. Asta paused for a moment, refusing to let Yuno's magic gain full control over him. The words he had told himself echoed in his mind: "To give up is to lose the chance to win!"
Gathering himself, he decided to rely on instinct and strength. Instead of approaching Yuno, Asta jumped to the side, circling the dust cloud, hoping to find a weak point in this air shield. He dashed one way, then the other, until he saw a shadow that remained still. Then, without any warning, Asta lunged toward that shadow, confident that Yuno wouldn't notice him through all that dust.
And it worked. Asta barreled straight into the veil, and despite the cutting gusts, he caught up with Yuno. The dust dispersed from his powerful movement, and before Yuno could turn around, Asta raised his hand at the last moment and struck him in the solar plexus with a punch. Yuno lost his breath for a moment, feeling as if his lungs had stopped. His magic dissipated, and along with it, the dust settled to the ground.
Yuno fell to one knee, still in disbelief that Asta had managed to break through his defenses. "You won," he said, struggling to catch his breath.
Asta, catching his breath, extended a hand to his friend, smiling. "You're a good opponent, Yuno, but physical strength is important too!"
Yuno smiled as he accepted Asta's hand, getting up. He realized that despite his magic, he still had much to learn if he wanted to become the strongest mage one day.
Yuno got to his feet and, with a labored smile, said, "You surprised me, Asta. Even without magic, you always find a way to push through."
Asta dusted himself off, unable to hide a satisfied smirk. "Well, someone has to remind you that strength isn't always magic."
Yuno nodded, looking at his friend with appreciation. He understood that to win, not only magical abilities mattered, but also determination, physical preparation, and the willingness to go all the way.
But still, Yuno decided to remind Asta of one important thing:
"Congratulations on your first victory out of 78 defeats!"
Before Asta could enjoy his triumph, he faced the harsh reality. His joy quickly evaporated like morning mist under the sun. He was just about to respond to Yuno's obviously irritating jab when Yuno, without waiting, added with a smirk:
"Next victory will be mine!"
Asta rolled his eyes and, with mock seriousness, said:
"You know I almost won in the past!"
"Almost doesn't count!" Yuno replied with his trademark sarcasm, as if it were a sacred truth carved on a stone tablet.
Asta merely shrugged, realizing his optimism was slightly waning. But at least he could take pride in not becoming the 79th defeat.
"I'll be training," Yuno said, clenching his fists with determination.
"I'm definitely looking forward to the next victory," Asta replied, winking at his friend.
After these words, they both struck their fists together with gusto, like true rivals ready for new challenges. Their laughter echoed in the air, creating an atmosphere of friendly competition, where the main thing wasn't just victories and defeats but the fun they shared in their relentless sparring sessions.
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I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, feel free to share your thoughts; I would love to read them. If you have any ideas, share them as well. That's all for now. Goodbye!