I don't know if you've noticed but a certain member of the black bulls has been missing from my story and no one has ever pointed it out.
Oh well I'm a little bummed out but its fine the non existent mystery will end this chapter anyway.
Also the posting at 9:00 pm est did nothing different.
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The sterile room was illuminated by the faint glow of countless machines, their rhythmic hum barely masking the tension in the air.
Tubes and wires sprawled like vines, connecting to the centerpiece of the room: a sleek, metallic capsule that stood upright, its interior fitted with countless needles, electrodes, and conduits.
Asta stood at its base, stripped to the waist, his fists clenched tightly as Nero worked methodically around him.
Liebe, though manifested independently, lingered near the far wall, choosing not to interfere.
He watched with sharp eyes but refrained from voicing his concerns, knowing the delicate nature of what was about to transpire.
Nero's face was a mask of concentration as he connected the last of the tubes to Asta's body.
The purple liquid inside the vials shimmered, crackling faintly with an energy that seemed alive, bordering between a liquid and a plasma state.
"This process," Nero began, his voice calm but heavy, "isn't just making you stronger, Asta. "
"It's going to be breaking down the limitations of your very existence. "
"You've already defied a lot by getring this strong "
Even if I administered many enhancements.
"But the battles ahead will demand more than determination. They will demand transcendence."
Asta nodded, his breath steady but his muscles tense. " Don't worry father I'll see this through completely."
Nero glanced at him, his piercing gaze unwavering. "You don't fully understand the scope of this, and perhaps that's for the best. "
Asta's resolve didn't falter, though a flicker of uncertainty crossed his eyes.
Still, he stepped into the capsule, his bare feet meeting the cold metal floor.
The inside of the capsule was cramped, fitted with an array of needles and electrodes that aligned themselves with his body.
As Nero secured each connection, he thought to himself. You've always been an anomaly.
Liebe told me about the glowing lines undeniable proof of his potential of quincy abilities protected you against Lucifero, your own soul using them in times of absolute distress.
What I'm doing now is refining you , you may not be able to use your quincy abilties soon as many variables hinder it loke they did with ichigo but eventually you may even surpass me —enhancing you to the point where you will not just use the abilities to survive but dominate soon enough.
Nero straightened and stepped back, his fingers moving over a console.
The machines around the room flared to life, their screens displaying streams of data.
A soft hiss escaped the capsule as it sealed shut, the reinforced metal forming a protective barrier around Asta.
Inside, Asta's breathing quickened.
He felt the needles press deeper into his skin, their touch cold and invasive.
The vials of purple liquid began to drain, their contents flowing through the tubes and into his veins.
The moment the first drop entered his system, a searing pain shot through his body.
"ARGHHHHH!" Asta's scream tore through the room, raw and guttural, echoing off the walls like the wail of a wounded beast.
His muscles convulsed violently, his fists slamming against the capsule's walls as the liquid burned through his bloodstream.
Outside, Nero's hands hovered over the controls, his expression unchanged. He monitored the screens closely, noting the spikes in energy levels.
Good. The serum is activating his latent potential I have been cultivating .
It's breaking down the genetic barriers I've spent years analyzing and refining.
The machines began to flicker, their readings fluctuating wildly as the energy coursing through Asta's body grew unstable.
Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance, as if the very fabric of reality was responding to the immense power being unleashed.
Inside the capsule, Asta's screams intensified.
His body felt like it was being torn apart, every nerve alight with pain.
Yet, beneath the agony, there was something else—a sensation of growth, of transformation.
The capsule's walls began to glow faintly as Nero stepped closer, his hands now emanating purple lines of energy.
These lines pulsed rhythmically, originating from his chest where the Hōgyoku resided.
"This is the key," Nero muttered, his voice almost reverent.
The Hōgyoku's ability to break down barriers between the physical and astral forms will amplify your soul's destructive energy.
You'll no longer be bound by human limitations.
He placed his hand on the capsule, the purple lines spreading and enveloping the entire structure.
The air grew thick with pressure, and the machines around the room began to fail one by one, their circuits overloaded. Sparks flew, and a console exploded, but Nero remained unfazed.
Inside, Asta felt the shift.
The pain reached a crescendo as the purple energy coursed through his body, not just altering his physical form but reshaping his very soul.
His screams turned into a guttural roar, primal and unrelenting.
Liebe watched from the corner, his fists clenched.
Though he remained silent, his concern was evident.
The raw energy emanating from Asta was unlike anything he'd ever felt, a chaotic mix of destruction and rebirth.
As the process neared its conclusion, the purple energy began to stabilize.
Asta's screams subsided, replaced by ragged breathing. The capsule's glow dimmed, and the room fell eerily silent save for the faint hum of the remaining operational machines.
The sterile chamber filled with an ear-splitting crack as Asta's hands broke free from the confines of the capsule.
His fists slammed against the metal walls, shattering them like brittle glass.
The air grew thick with oppressive energy as Asta stepped out, his form exuding a terrifying presence that defied human comprehension.
His body glowed like molten lava, the veins pulsing with an otherworldly, fiery energy.
His hands, now jagged and cracked like volcanic stone, radiated waves of destruction energy that rippled outward, warping the very air around him.
The capsule, built to withstand even the most volatile reactions, disintegrated under the sheer force emanating from his body.
Alarms blared across the room as sparks flew from malfunctioning equipment.
The walls groaned as though they were being crushed by an invisible pressure, which they were Asta was eminaring reiatsu, and the glowing purple lines on Nero's chest flickered in response to the massive surge of destructive power.
Asta's eyes glowed with an intensity that seemed to pierce through reality itself, a mix of gold and crimson swirling in their depths.
His very presence felt alien, as he had transcended the limits of humanity.
Nero stood firm despite the overwhelming energy, his face calm but his mind racing. "The procedure worked," he muttered under his breath, his voice almost drowned out by the cacophony of energy surges and cracking metal.
Asta took a step forward, his movements jerky and unnatural, like a being not yet accustomed to its newfound power.
His chest heaved as he struggled to control the overwhelming force surging through him.
Destruction energy rolled off him in waves, disintegrating the floor beneath his feet.
"Asta!" Nero called out, his voice sharp and commanding.
But the boy didn't respond, his gaze unfocused, lost in the raw, chaotic power coursing through his body.
Realizing the danger, Nero acted swiftly. He raised his hand, and a focused pulse of energy shot forward, wrapping around Asta like ethereal chains.
Asta roared, a guttural sound that shook the very foundation of the room, In the heat of thungs the unconscious asta was going out of control.
The energy radiating from him fought against Nero's restraint, tearing at the edges of the purple bindings. Yet Nero's will was unyielding.
"Sleep!" Nero commanded, his voice resonating with an authority that cut through the chaos.
The Hōgyoku within him glowed fiercely, amplifying his power and making sure that whatever damage Asta's psyche might have taken is reversed.
Slowly, the destructive energy surrounding Asta began to wane, his movements growing sluggish.
His magma-like hands dimmed, the cracks on his skin fading as his form started to stabilize and return to human.
With a final shudder, Asta collapsed to his knees, his head bowing as unconsciousness took hold.
Nero released the energy bindings, stepping forward to catch Asta before he fell completely.
The room was in ruins, the capsule obliterated, and the once-gleaming machinery reduced to smoldering wreckage.
Despite the destruction, Nero allowed himself a brief sigh of relief and smile.
"It worked," he murmured, glancing down at Asta's unconscious form. "You've crossed the threshold, Son. You're more than human now, a force that will stand against gods themselves..."
He carefully laid Asta on a metal slab, attaching a few remaining functional monitors to ensure his vitals were stable.
The boy's chest rose and fell steadily, his face peaceful despite the ordeal he'd just endured.
Nero stood back, his hands resting on the console as the glowing lines across his body dimmed.
Liebe, who had remained silent throughout the process, finally stepped forward, his eyes flicking between the destroyed room and Asta's motionless body. "He'll be okay, right?"
Nero nodded, though his gaze remained fixed on Asta. "He'll recover. And when he wakes up, he'll be stronger than ever. And this is only the beginning. The power he holds now will grow exponentially—he'll need to learn to control it before it consumes him."
---
Nero carefully laid Asta down onto a plush, oversized bed, tucking him in with an almost tender precision that contradicted his otherwise stoic demeanor.
Asta's chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, his exhaustion palpable even in his unconscious state.
For a moment, Nero allowed himself to linger, his hand brushing against the edge of the blanket.
"You've endured more than most ever will," Nero murmured softly, his voice low and distant. "Rest, my son. The battles ahead will demand everything you've gained today."
With that, he straightened up, casting a final glance at Asta before stepping out of the room.
The hallway of the Kira estate stretched before him, its quiet elegance masking the history behind them.
He paused for a moment, his senses attuned to the fluctuations of mana and emotion within the estate.
Noelle was here, her presence unmistakable.
Her emotions radiated with a mix of confusion, disbelief, and a raw, unsteady hope.
The experience of Solid and Nebra's apparent change of heart had left her reeling, an outcome she had likely never dared to imagine.
Shaking his head slightly, Nero moved further down the hallway, his footsteps silent against the polished floors.
But as he turned a corner, he stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowing as a familiar figure emerged from the shadows.
"Mereoleona," Nero said evenly, though his tone lacked any sense of greeting.
But he knew at once it wasn't her.
He didn't need his soul connection to the real Mereoleona to tell him that—this was a flawless illusion to most, but not to him.
Without hesitation, he broke the transformation with a mere thought.
The mana surrounding the figure shimmered and cracked like glass, revealing a smaller, meeker form.
Grey stood before him, her head bowed slightly as if in defeat.
"Ugh, you're no fun, Captain~" she whined, her voice carrying the petulance of someone who had been caught red-handed ome too many times.
"I can't ever trick you, can I?"
Nero didn't respond, his expression remaining as stoic as ever.
He crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on her with unyielding intensity.
Grey let out a dramatic sigh, her shoulders slumping. "Fine, fine," she muttered, straightening her posture and snapping into a formal salute.
She raised three fingers in the wizard salute, her face adopting a more serious expression.
"Squad Lieutenant reporting to duty after two years," she said, her tone crisp. "The infiltration mission in Diamond was a success."
Nero tilted his head slightly, silently prompting her to continue.
Grey's lips twitched, trying to hide a small, triumphant smile. "And from what I've learned, you've already cleared the path to your ascension as king of the Clover Kingdom. Taking over the Diamond Kingdom will be a swift task."
Nero's gaze didn't waver, but there was the faintest glimmer of acknowledgment in his eyes.
He turned on his heel without a word, gesturing for her to follow.
Grey, undeterred by his silence, trailed behind him, her demeanor shifting back to her usual, slightly awkward self. "You could at least say 'welcome back,' you know," she muttered under her breath.
Nero didn't break stride, his thoughts already drifting toward the next step in his plans. "You know your duties," he said flatly.
"Prepare yourself. We move soon."
Grey rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the grin tugging at her lips.
Despite his cold exterior, she knew Nero valued her contributions more than he'd ever admit, moreover from what she learned from Jean the stoic types are the most caring for everything.
"Yes, yes, Squad Captain," she said with mock exasperation, falling into step behind him.
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Stones and Reviews please
250 Powerstone 1 Bonus Chapter
500 Powerstones 2 Bonus Chapter