Six months passed quietly over Hage Village.
Spring turned into the warmth of summer, and the peaceful countryside rarely changed. The church remained lively with the constant noise of children running through the halls, Asta shouting about becoming the Wizard King, and Father Orsi yelling back at him to quiet down.
But while life in the village stayed mostly the same…
David changed.
Most days before sunrise, David could already be seen leaving the church with his grimoire strapped to his side. His destination was always the same.
The giant demon skull resting at the edge of Hage Village.
The ancient bones towered over the land like a monument to a forgotten battle, its empty eye sockets staring endlessly across the horizon. The area around it had become David's personal training ground.
Day after day.
Week after week.
For six months.
David trained alone beneath the shadow of the demon.
His body had changed during that time. His once soft frame had hardened through relentless physical training. His movements were sharper, faster, and far more controlled.
Dust swirled across the dry ground as David sprinted forward before launching himself into the air.
A moment later a beam of magic shot past him.
The attack would have hit him directly.
But David's body suddenly twisted in midair at an impossible angle.
His torso rotated sideways while his legs shifted downward, allowing the beam to pass inches from his chest before slamming into the ground behind him.
He landed lightly on his feet.
His grimoire floated open beside him.
A newly written page glowed faintly.
Cosmo Magic: Astral Shift.
The spell was simple.
It allowed him to manipulate the orientation of his body in midair by momentarily adjusting gravitational pull around him. It wasn't powerful, but it was incredibly useful when dodging attacks while airborne.
David rolled his shoulders.
"Still works."
The spell had saved him from dozens of simulated attacks during training.
He raised his hand again.
Mana surged through the air.
Several glowing spheres suddenly appeared around him.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
Then twenty.
Floating balls of condensed Cosmo energy surrounded David like a small galaxy orbiting its center.
Cosmo Creation Magic: Orbital Barrage.
David flicked his fingers.
The spheres launched forward all at once.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The explosions shook the rocky ground as the spheres slammed into the cliffside near the demon skull.
Smoke and dust filled the air.
David nodded slightly.
"Good spread."
That was one of the spells he had created himself during the past six months.
But it wasn't the only one.
He raised his hand again.
This time several small glowing suns formed in the air around him. Each miniature star burned brightly with condensed cosmic energy.
The moment they appeared, thin beams of light suddenly fired from them.
The beams curved through the air as if alive, tracking invisible targets before striking distant rocks across the field.
BOOM.
Each beam adjusted its path slightly before impact.
David lowered his hand.
Cosmo Creation Magic: Miniature Suns.
The spell had been inspired by something he remembered from the future.
Yuno.
More specifically, Yuno's Star Magic during his battle against Lucius.
David couldn't create real stars like that.
But he could create something similar.
Small stellar constructs that fired tracking beams of condensed light.
He smirked slightly.
"Close enough."
Then he opened his palm again.
Mana surged around his fist.
The grimoire beside him flipped to another glowing page.
Cosmo Magic: Cosmic Impact.
A dense layer of swirling cosmic energy wrapped around his fist.
David stepped forward.
Then he punched the air.
BOOM.
The shockwave blasted across the ground, shattering a large rock into pieces.
This was the spell he used the most.
Over the past six months David had spent countless hours strengthening his body alongside his magic.
Punches.
Footwork.
Movement.
The spell allowed him to coat his fists in condensed Cosmo magic, turning every strike into a devastating impact.
He flexed his fingers slightly as the energy faded.
"Still my favorite."
Six months.
One unlocked spell.
Three spells he had personally created.
And his control over mana had grown significantly stronger.
But David wasn't the only one watching his progress.
High above the training ground, perched quietly on one of the demon skull's horns…
A small anti-magic bird observed him.
Secre Swallowtail.
Her tiny black eyes followed every movement David made.
She had watched him train almost every day for six months.
And every time she did, her heart became more conflicted.
The boy below carried negative mana.
She could feel it.
The power of devils.
The same power that had destroyed her life five hundred years ago.
The same power that had cursed Prince Lumiere… and sealed her into this bird form.
And yet…
David was nothing like the devils she remembered.
He trained hard.
He laughed with the church children.
He treated everyone kindly.
Even when he was alone, he never showed cruelty or arrogance.
Secre felt her small claws tighten around the bone beneath her feet.
"…Why?"
The boy carried the power of a devil.
But his heart felt completely human.
And that confused her.
Still…
She couldn't stop watching him.
Something about his personality drew her in.
And the mysterious five-leaf grimoire he carried only made her curiosity stronger.
Below her, David wiped sweat from his forehead before glancing upward.
His eyes landed briefly on the bird watching him.
He had noticed her months ago.
Every training session.
Every day.
The same bird.
David shrugged.
"Guess you like watching."
The bird remained still.
He didn't think much of it.
To him it was just a curious bird.
---
That night the church was louder than usual.
The long wooden table was covered with food while laughter filled the room. The children talked excitedly while Asta loudly challenged David to arm wrestling.
"I BET I'M STRONGER NOW!"
"You said that last time," David replied calmly.
Asta slammed his hand on the table.
"REMATCH!"
Father Orsi sighed loudly.
"Stop destroying the furniture!"
The entire room burst into laughter.
Sister Lily smiled softly while watching the chaos unfold.
Tonight was special.
Tomorrow David would leave for the Magic Knight Entrance Exam.
Orsi eventually walked over to David and placed a small pouch on the table.
A few coins clinked inside.
"Take it," Orsi said.
David blinked.
"…Yul?"
Orsi nodded.
"You'll need it."
David hesitated slightly.
"That's a lot."
Orsi crossed his arms.
"You'll earn far more than that as a Magic Knight."
His voice softened slightly.
"And besides… I know the kind of man you are."
David looked down at the pouch.
Orsi wasn't worried about the money.
He knew the boy sitting in front of him.
And he knew that no matter how powerful David became…
He would never forget this church.
David slowly picked up the pouch.
"…Thank you."
That night the church was filled with laughter, stories, and joy.
For a moment David simply enjoyed the warmth of it all.
But the next morning came quickly.
The sun had barely risen when David stood at the front gate of the church.
His usual commoner clothing hung loosely around him while his worn dusty boots rested against the dirt road.
A leather holster now held his grimoire at his side.
A small pouch of yul rested in his pocket.
The church children waved goodbye while Asta shouted encouragement.
"GO BECOME A MAGIC KNIGHT!"
Yuno simply nodded calmly.
"Don't lose."
David smiled.
"I'll try not to."
Father Orsi folded his arms proudly.
"Make us proud."
David looked back at the church one last time.
Warmth filled his chest.
These past months had given him something he didn't expect when he first arrived in this world.
A home.
He turned toward the road leading to the capital.
His adventure was only beginning.
And something deep in his heart told him…
It was going to be a very long journey.