Prologue
In the humble village of Hage, a boy named Asta stood out, not for his magical prowess, but for his complete lack of it. In a world where magic defined everything, Asta was the exception. Yet, this magicless anomaly carried himself with unparalleled energy, confidence, and cheerfulness. He proudly boasted of his strength, even though many mocked him for his dreams. His determination and fierce loyalty to his family, especially his overprotectiveness toward Sister Lily, made him a unique presence in the village.
Asta's brother, Yuno, was his polar opposite. A crybaby, despite that Yuno had an innate talent for magic, earning the admiration of villagers and peers alike. But Yuno's respect for Asta was unshakable. When they were children, an incident etched itself into their bond, Asta fearlessly retrieved Yuno's stolen necklace from a thief, inspiring Yuno to aim for the highest honor: the title of Wizard King.
"You'll see, Asta. I'll become the Wizard King," Yuno declared.
Asta, unfazed by the proclamation, grinned wide. "We'll see about that! I'll beat you to it!"
---
Years passed, and while Asta never manifested even a sliver of magic, his determination never wavered. Day after day, he poured himself into physical training, building a body that could only be described as superhuman. His sheer strength, speed, and stamina were unmatched, even by most adults in the village. His hard work was so inspiring that even the villagers found themselves working harder, motivated by the boy who defied all odds.
Asta had grown into a towering figure, both in physique and spirit. Though his brash personality often led to outbursts and overconfidence, there was no denying his charisma. People whispered in awe about his "freak of nature" strength, but for Asta, it was just the beginning.
---
When the long-awaited grimoire acceptance ceremony arrived, Yuno's natural talents shone brightly as he received the legendary four-leaf clover grimoire, a symbol of extraordinary potential. Asta, however, stood empty-handed, left out of the celebration. But his unwavering smile didn't falter.
"It doesn't matter. I'll still become the Wizard King!" Asta declared loudly, earning mocking chuckles and exasperated sighs from the crowd.
As Asta and Yuno walked home, they encountered a group of nobles who couldn't stomach the idea of a commoner like Yuno holding a four-leaf clover grimoire. Their arrogance led to a brief skirmish, but Yuno easily dispatched them with his wind magic.
While the two boys exchanged banter, danger lurked nearby. Suddenly, chains materialized out of nowhere, capturing them both. Yuno's magic was immediately sealed, rendering him powerless.
Emerging from the shadows was Revchi, a former Magic Knight turned rogue, his cruel smirk stretching across his face.
"Well, well, what do we have here? The mighty four-leaf clover and… oh, nothing. Not even a speck of magic power," Revchi sneered, his gaze fixed on Asta.
Revchi's chains tightened around the two boys.
Yuno's eyes flickered with disappointment and admiration." For everything Asta lacks in magic, he makes up for with his insane strength and speed",
True to Yuno's faith, Asta flexed his muscles, shattering the chains with sheer brute strength.
Revchi's confidence wavered but didn't break. "You've got spirit, magicless trash. But you should leave before you get hurt"
Asta tilted his head. "Why? Are you scared?"
"Afraid of you?" Revchi sneered. "You'll need a miracle to survive me."
Asta chuckled, his voice calm yet confident. "Funny. I was just about to say the same thing."
Revchi summoned more chains, their sharp edges glinting ominously. They pierced Asta's body, but the boy showed no sign of pain. Blood trickled down, but Asta pulled the chains out one by one, his grin unshaken.
"That all you've got?"
---
Enraged, Revchi unleashed a torrent of chains, stabbing and tearing at Asta's body with lethal precision. Yet Asta remained standing, bloodied but unmoved.
"Still think I need a miracle?" Asta quipped, his grin growing wider.
Revchi growled in frustration. "Die already!" He willed the chains to destroy Asta's head
Yuno's heart sank as he watched his brother fall lifeless to the ground.
"Revchi cackled maniacly. "Magicless trash, just as I said."
But the laughter was short-lived. Asta's body began to change. His wounds healed in an instant, and his frame swelled to an enormous size, his godly physique towering over both Yuno and Revchi. Chains still pierced his face, but Asta ripped them out effortlessly, revealing a bloodied but unyielding grin.
"Still think I'm trash?" Asta bellowed, his voice shaking the ground.
"What… what are you?" Revchi stammered, his bravado crumbling.
Asta's deep voice rumbled like thunder. "A Quincy."
Neither Yuno nor Revchi had ever heard of such a thing, but the atmosphere grew heavy with power.
---
As if answering his transformation, a rusty, old grimoire floated before Asta. Its pages opened to reveal the hilt of a sword. With two fingers, he pulled a massive sword from its pages. Though it seemed small in his gargantuan hands, it responded to his will, becoming a massive, imposing blade.
Revchi's thoughts turned to escape, but before he could act, Asta cut the chains binding Yuno, the shockwave of his slash blasting both Yuno and Revchi back.
"Sorry about that," Asta said as he looked at Yuno, his voice a booming echo.
Yuno, brushing himself off, muttered, "You don't sound sorry."
Asta chuckled before turning his attention to Revchi. Lifting his massive blade, he declared, "You'll need a miracle to survive this."
Before the final blow could land, the tower master appeared, subduing Revchi with magic. "That's enough, Asta. He'll be taken into custody."
Shrinking back to his normal size, Asta laughed. "Guess your miracle came after all."
---
As the two walked back home, Yuno couldn't contain his curiosity. "How… how are you even alive?"
Asta flashed him a grin. "A miracle."
---
Chapter 1: The Baptism of Madness
Timeskip
The moon hung high above the Black Bulls hideout as the troublemakers gathered outside. It was a tradition, each new recruit had to prove themselves, not just to Yami, but to the entire squad. This wasn't an official initiation. No, this was a baptism.
Asta stood in the center of the clearing, his confident grin plastered on his face as he stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles. His cocky demeanor had already started riling up some of the squad members.
Magna, standing opposite him, sneered. "You've got guts, rookie, I'll give you that. But don't get ahead of yourself. You're not ready for the Magna Swing special!"
Asta tilted his head, an amused glint in his eye. "Don't take it personally, Magna, but you're not gonna be enough to entertain me. I think you'll need a miracle to even land a hit."
Magna's face flushed red with irritation. "Cocky little..."
Luck's unmistakable laughter cut him off. "This is great! I'll fight too! Let's see how tough this newbie really is!" His eyes sparked with excitement, his thirst for battle insatiable.
Asta chuckled, unfazed. "Good! The more, the better. What about the rest of you?" His gaze swept over the group, daring anyone to step forward.
Yami, sitting off to the side with a cigarette dangling from his lips, smirked. With his mastery of ki, he had already sensed Asta's potential. That overwhelming raw power was one of the reasons he had chosen Asta for the Black Bulls.
Still, Yami barked at the group. "You heard the kid. Don't make me look bad by chickenin' out. If you don't fight, I'll kill ya myself.."
Finral sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Why do I always get dragged into these things?"
Gauche's eyes narrowed. "Tch. This better not waste my time. I could be spending it with Marie."
The stage was set. Asta stood grinning on one side, with Magna, Luck, Finral, and Gauche forming a loose group opposite him. Yami glanced at Gordon, muttering something about his poison magic being too dangerous.
---
Noelle watched from a distance, her arms crossed as she observed the chaos brewing. She shook her head, muttering to herself. "Idiots. All of them. Why do they have to be so loud?" But despite her words, she couldn't deny her curiosity about what the loud-mouthed new recruit was capable of.
The Black Bulls gathered closer, sensing that this wasn't going to be a normal sparring match. They weren't wrong.
Every one of them was about to witness something insane.
This baptism was going to be like no other.
---
Baptism Begins
Finral, Gauche, Magna, and Luck stood side by side, each with their grimoires glowing faintly in the darkness. Across from them stood Asta, his ever-present grin challenging the four to try their best.
"Last chance to back out," Asta teased, rolling his shoulders. "I'd hate to break you guys too early."
Magna scowled. "Cocky, aren't ya? Just because you've got some muscles doesn't mean you can take all of us!" He raised his hand, a fireball swirling into existence above his palm.
Luck cracked his knuckles, a spark of lightning flickering in his eyes.
Gauche adjusted his eyepiece, his grimoire floating beside him. "Don't underestimate us, you meathead. This isn't going to be as easy as you think."
From the back, Finral sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Do we really need to fight this guy? Yami's gonna kill us if we wreck the hideout again."
"Enough talk!" Magna shouted, hurling the blazing fireball toward Asta. "Let's go!"
The fireball roared as it streaked toward Asta, lighting up the night. Asta didn't flinch. Instead, he planted his feet and swung his right arm in a wide arc. The wind from the motion alone snuffed out the fireball as if it were a mere candle flame.
"That's all?" Asta asked, mockingly disappointed.
Luck vanished from his spot, reappearing in front of Asta in a flash of lightning. "How about this?" he yelled, his fists crackling with electricity as he threw a flurry of punches.
Asta sidestepped the first punch, ducked under the second, and caught Luck's wrist with one hand. His grip was like a vice.
"You're fast," Asta admitted, his tone almost respectful. "But not fast enough."
With a flick of his wrist, Asta sent Luck flying backward. The lightning mage flipped mid-air, landing on his feet with a grin plastered across his face.
"Nice! This is going to be fun!" Luck laughed.
Gauche took the opportunity to activate his spell. "Mirror Magic: Reflect Ray!" he called out, summoning a floating mirror that fired a barrage of light beams toward Asta.
The beams streaked across the field, too many to dodge. Asta crossed his arms in front of him, letting the beams hit his body.
"Not bad," Asta said, his voice calm despite the scorching heat of the magic. As the dust settled, he emerged unscathed, his muscles seeming slightly larger, his veins bulging faintly.
"What the hell?" Magna muttered, watching Asta with wide eyes.
"He's… growing?" Finral said, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Asta smirked, his grin growing wider as he rolled his shoulders. "Like I said you guys will need a miracle to beat me."
Finral opened a portal above Asta, another in front of Magna. "Magna, now!"
"Got it!" Magna summoned multiple fireballs in rapid succession, sending them through the portal. The projectiles exploded around Asta, each burst illuminating the battlefield like fireworks.
From behind, Luck appeared again, this time clad in his Thunder God's Boots. His enhanced speed allowed him to dart between Asta's blind spots, delivering quick strikes that crackled with lightning.
Asta took each hit head-on, his body absorbing the blows. With each strike, his frame grew slightly larger, his strength becoming more evident.
"Don't stop now!" Asta bellowed, his voice carrying over the battlefield. "This is just getting interesting!"
Gauche activated Real Double, creating a mirror image of himself. The clone joined the fray, launching another round of Reflect Rays that Asta deflected with a swipe of his arm.
"Finral!" Luck shouted. "Move me above him!"
Finral opened a portal, sending Luck soaring above Asta. Lightning surged around Luck's fists as he prepared to unleash his strongest attack yet. "Take this! Thunderclap Crumbling Orb!"
The concentrated orb of lightning streaked downward, aiming directly for Asta. The impact created a deafening boom, the ground trembling beneath the sheer force of the explosion.
For a moment, all was silent. Dust and smoke obscured the battlefield, and even the spectators held their breath.
Then, a shadow loomed through the haze. Asta emerged, larger than before, his grin undiminished.
"Nice hit," Asta said, brushing debris off his shoulder. His voice was deeper, more resonant. "But you're gonna need more than that to stop me."
Yami, watching from the sidelines, chuckled. "This kid's a real monster," he muttered, lighting a cigarette.
The four mages regrouped, their breathing heavy, their grimoires glowing with renewed intensity.
"Alright, no more playing around," Magna said, summoning a swirling inferno around his bat. "Let's turn up the heat!"
"Fine by me," Asta replied, hefting Hoffnung over his shoulder. "But don't say I didn't warn you. Things are about to get a lot crazier."
Tbc