In the Clover Kingdom, magic was everything. From birth, people were judged by the strength of their magic, their standing in society determined by the power they could wield. Nobles with immense magical talent lived in luxury, while commoners scraped by with whatever meager spells they could muster.
For **Asta**, born in the remote village of Hage, life was a constant struggle—not because he was poor, but because he was different. Unlike everyone else in the kingdom, Asta had no magic. Not even a spark.
It wasn't for lack of trying. Day after day, Asta pushed his body to its limit, shouting at the top of his lungs that he would become the **Wizard King**, the strongest mage in the Clover Kingdom. His relentless enthusiasm earned him more laughs than admiration, especially when compared to his foster brother, **Yuno**.
Yuno was the opposite of Asta in every way—calm, reserved, and gifted with extraordinary magic. From a young age, his control over wind magic left the villagers awestruck. The two boys, left as orphans at the church, grew up like brothers. Yet, as the years passed, the gap between them only widened.
"Asta," Sister Lily called gently one day as the boy practiced his lunges outside the church, "why don't you take a break?"
Asta jumped to his feet, his short frame brimming with energy. "No way, Sister Lily! I've gotta train harder if I'm going to be the Wizard King!" He grinned, flexing his arms. "How else am I supposed to protect you when we get married?"
"Stop saying weird things like that!" Sister Lily exclaimed, flustered, before casting a small water spell to knock him back.
"Again?!" Asta shouted as he crashed into the dirt, earning snickers from the children watching nearby.
"Give it up, Asta," Yuno said as he approached, his tone even but his words sharp. "You can't even use magic. There's no way you'll ever become the Wizard King."
For a moment, Asta's grin faltered. But then he leapt to his feet, his resolve unshaken. "That just means I'll have to work ten times harder than anyone else! You'll see, Yuno! I'll beat you, and then I'll be the one standing at the top!"
Yuno didn't respond, his gaze drifting toward the horizon. Though he wouldn't say it aloud, he admired Asta's determination, even if it seemed impossible.
### **The Grimoire Ceremony**
When the boys turned fifteen, the most important day of their lives arrived: the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony. Every fifteen-year-old in the kingdom gathered at the Tower of Grimoires to receive their magical book—a tome that would amplify their magic and unlock their true potential.
Inside the towering structure, shelves upon shelves of grimoires hovered in midair, glowing faintly with magic. The ceremony began, and one by one, grimoires floated down to their chosen owners. Yuno's turn came, and the entire hall fell silent as a rare, golden four-leaf grimoire descended to him.
"A four-leaf clover!" someone whispered. "Just like the first Wizard King!"
"He really is a prodigy," another added, their voices filled with awe.
Yuno accepted the grimoire with quiet confidence, his presence commanding the room. In contrast, Asta stood awkwardly in the crowd, waiting for a grimoire that never came.
"Why isn't he getting one?"
"Does he even have magic?"
Laughter rippled through the hall, but Asta refused to back down.
"I don't care if I don't get a grimoire now!" he shouted, fists clenched. "I'll still become the Wizard King!"
His bold declaration only made the crowd laugh harder. But even as doubt crept into his mind, Asta refused to give up.
### **A Fateful Encounter**
Later that evening, as Yuno walked home with his newly acquired grimoire, a rogue mage attacked him, seeking to steal the rare four-leaf book. The man's chains of magic bound Yuno, leaving him helpless.
"A four-leaf grimoire belongs to someone like me," the rogue sneered. "Hand it over!"
Just as Yuno was about to lose hope, Asta appeared, rushing to his aid.
"Let him go!" Asta shouted, charging at the rogue with nothing but his bare fists.
The rogue sneered. "A kid with no magic? What do you think you're going to do?"
Even as the chains ensnared him, Asta refused to give up. His determination burned brighter than ever, and in that moment, something extraordinary happened.
A dark, tattered grimoire emerged from the shadows, drawn to Asta's unyielding spirit. Marked with a five-leaf clover—a symbol of forbidden power—it granted him the ability to wield **anti-magic**, a power that could nullify any spell.
From the grimoire, a massive black sword materialized in Asta's hands. With a single swing, he shattered the rogue's chains and defeated him, leaving both Yuno and the mage stunned.
"Asta..." Yuno said, a rare smile crossing his face. "I knew you wouldn't give up."
As the two brothers stood side by side, their paths became clear. Yuno vowed to become the Wizard King to honor their shared dream, while Asta, armed with his new power, set out to prove that even someone without magic could rise to the top.