Black and emerald streaks tore through the air in an instant.
Asta and Yuno attacked at the same time.
Yet—
Yuuki merely raised one hand and made a simple grasping motion toward the space before him.
In that split second—
Both Asta and Yuno's expressions changed.
A suffocating sense of dread seized their hearts. Their instincts screamed danger. Mid-charge, they abruptly halted and leapt backward, widening the distance.
"Your instincts are as sharp as ever," Yuuki said with a faint smile, lowering his hand.
What was that just now?!
Asta gripped the Demon-Slayer Sword tightly, cold sweat running down his forehead. When Yuuki had lifted his hand, it felt as though someone had clenched his heart.
Only then did Asta properly register Yuuki's appearance.
He froze for a second—
Then shouted.
"Wha—?! Yuuki, what happened to you?! Your hair's white! Your eyes too!"
"And your ki… it doesn't feel human at all!"
He yelled in confusion, eyes wide with disbelief.
Yuuki gave a helpless smile at the outburst.
Yuno's eyelid twitched. "Idiot. You're only noticing that now?"
But even as he spoke, Yuno's expression remained grave. Sweat dampened his brow.
What happened?
The pressure Yuuki gave off reminded him of the Word Devil—
That same instinctive fear that stiffened his body and raised goosebumps along his skin.
But where the devil's presence had been cold and malevolent—
Yuuki's was pure.
Natural.
Yuno's gaze flicked past him, toward the ten captains collapsed in the crater behind.
His fists tightened.
Asta noticed too.
Noelle sat pale and shaken.
The capital lay in ruins.
Anger surged within him.
"Yuuki! Why did you do this?!"
"We could've understood each other! We defeated the Word Devil together! We were heroes!"
"Captain Yami said he could recommend you to join the Magic Knights!"
"The Wizard King said he wouldn't pursue your past!"
"And Noelle—do you know how worried she was about you?! The squad accepted you, Yuuki!"
His voice cracked with frustration.
Yuuki listened quietly.
There were countless explanations he could give.
That the kingdom would never truly accept them.
That the Word Devil was merely the beginning.
That darker forces waited.
That the Spade Kingdom's devil hosts loomed.
That Julius himself—
But explanations alone would change nothing.
The Wizard King's prestige was absolute.
No one would believe accusations without proof.
And even now—
Though Yuuki had completed his ritual and evolved beyond humanity—
He still had no confidence in defeating Julius Novachrono.
Time magic stood among the highest of devils.
The Word Devil had required the kingdom's strongest forces and the First Wizard King to defeat.
And that had relied on Asta's Anti-Magic.
Without it—
They would've only managed to stall.
In the end—
Asta and Yuno were still too weak.
By Yuuki's estimation, two years remained before Julius would enact his final plan.
He would need Asta's Anti-Magic to slay the manifested Devil King and consume half its heart.
Even Julius acted cautiously before such power.
That alone proved how deep this world's waters ran.
And beyond that—
His angelic transformation.
Yuuki looked at Asta's fury and Yuno's restrained anger.
Calmly, he said:
"I want to see what lies higher in the sky."
They both blinked in confusion.
"Yuuki," Yuno stepped forward, wind exploding outward from him, scattering rubble. "You always act with purpose. But this time—I can't understand."
Asta raised his sword.
"I'll defeat you and prove you're wrong!"
"Show us the power you're chasing!"
Yuno's Mana Zone expanded.
'Let's see how far apart we really are.'
Mana Zone — Spirit's Silent Waltz!
He vanished.
Afterimages filled the air around Yuuki.
Spirit Magic — Spirit of Zephyr!
In an instant, Yuno appeared behind him, a blade of condensed wind thrusting toward Yuuki's back.
The blade—
Shattered midair.
It never reached him.
An invisible force radiated outward.
All afterimages disappeared.
Mana Zone dispersed instantly.
Yuno's eyes widened.
The air felt thick—like deep ocean water.
His movements slowed drastically.
"Mana Zone doesn't work on me," Yuuki said gently, turning to face him.
"Or rather… yours is still too weak. I can overwrite it."
He tapped a finger lightly.
Roots erupted from Yuno's body.
In a blink, a towering tree grew, engulfing him.
Yuno's upper body protruded from the trunk, his mana siphoned away to fuel its growth.
He couldn't break free.
"Yuuki!!"
Asta roared.
Anti-Magic surged.
"Black Divider!"
The Demon-Slayer Sword expanded, crackling with black lightning.
Yuuki watched calmly.
Anti-Magic remained extraordinary.
He lifted a single finger toward the sky.
"Black Moon."
Dark Magic activated.
A low hum echoed.
A black moon materialized overhead.
Everything within its radius was tinted with a faint dark sheen.
Only Asta, enveloped in Anti-Magic, appeared unaffected.
He charged.
The massive blade descended—
And stopped.
An invisible force blocked it.
Then—
Asta was violently repelled.
He gritted his teeth and attacked again.
And again.
Every strike halted.
He couldn't cross a single meter near Yuuki.
Why?!
Anti-Magic should nullify any spell!
"Because what's stopping you isn't magic," Yuuki said with a small smile.
"In this state, my techniques are no longer simple spells."
"Dark Magic lacks light's speed or large-scale destruction… but it has its strengths."
"Gravity."
"Black Moon negates negative magic effects. With my power reinforcing it, I can control gravitational forces within this domain."
"You aren't affected because of Anti-Magic. But that means everything else rejects you."
"The repulsion you feel—"
"Isn't magic."
Asta swung wildly.
"I don't care what it is! I'll cut—!"
His voice cut off.
His face twisted in agony.
He clutched his throat, gasping like a drowning man—
And fell from the sky.
Thud.
He hit the ground hard, convulsing, trying to rise.
Yuuki sighed softly.
"I said you're rejected by everything in this space."
"That includes the air."
Without oxygen—
Asta lost consciousness within seconds.
Snap.
The black moon vanished.
Yuuki looked at Asta's unconscious form.
At Yuno trapped within the tree.
He exhaled slowly.
His silver hair faded back to black.
His silver eyes returned to dark.
The sacred aura receded.
He exited the Divine State.
His clothes and elemental ring markings remained.
The difference in power, however—
Was immeasurable.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Mariella, Neige, Rebecca, and the others arrived respectfully at his side.
"Let's go."
With a wave of his hand, spatial mana enveloped them.
They returned to the aerial fortress.
Moments later—
The floating fortress disappeared from above the royal capital.
And silence fell once more.
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