In the world of Black Clover, the nights were never truly pitch black.
The dense constellations high in the sky bathed the entire land in a silvery glow. Even though Karl had seen this scene countless times, he couldn't help but sigh.
Some aspects of this magical world were actually quite nice. There was no industrial pollution whatsoever.
At this moment, he was strolling forward leisurely. In the distance, Yuno and Asta were roughhousing.
Yuno possessed a four-leaf grimoire with the wind attribute, granting him astonishing speed. Even the incredibly strong Asta couldn't catch up to him.
Watching the two glance back every few steps, shouting and urging him to join the chase, Karl couldn't help but chuckle.
But it was precisely at this moment that things changed.
Intense magical light suddenly erupted around the towering walls of the village outskirts.
Yuno instantly sensed it—a highly unusual and dangerous aura.
Rustle—
Countless silver chains, like striking serpents, lashed out from every corner of the wall. They wove a deadly, inescapable net of harvesting chains.
Even with his four-leaf grimoire and wind attribute enhancement, Yuno's leg speed proved insufficient against this terrifying magical onslaught.
In an instant, the chains tightly bound Yuno. One loop, then another.
The ends of the silver chains bore sharp arrowheads, six or seven in total, rising from all directions without a single blind spot. Like venomous snakes, they completely subdued him.
The four-leaf grimoire floating beside Yuno was instantly ensnared by several chains forming a cross, which continuously tightened.
From the darkness, a man who clearly looked like trouble slowly emerged.
His eyes gleamed with an indescribable excitement, and the corners of his mouth curled into a delighted arc. He reached out, stroking Yuno's four-leaf grimoire as if caressing a beloved lover.
Feeling the intense danger enveloping him, Yuno forced himself to stay calm. "I think stealing my grimoire is pointless."
"While a four-leaf grimoire is rare, even a treasure, once separated from its owner, it's just a useless book. It's nothing but worthless paper," Yuno reasoned. "There's no need for things to get this tense between us, right?"
The man let out a strange, grating laugh. "Hahahaha—"
With a mere flick of his chain, the magic stone necklace resting on Yuno's chest was ripped away and sent flying into the air.
The dense magical aura emanating from the stone made the man look utterly intoxicated.
He chuckled and said, "Let me introduce myself. I am Revchi, a Magic Thief. My Chain Magic is powerful, isn't it?"
"Even if you have a four-leaf grimoire, so what? You're just a kid who recently awakened his grimoire. What can you do to me?"
Revchi sneered. "As for what you just said, I completely disagree. A four-leaf grimoire is an extremely rare treasure throughout the entire Clover Kingdom. That means even if it can't be used to cast magic, it can be collected by nobles for astronomical sums."
"And I, as a thief... well, wealth is what matters most to me."
"This magic stone necklace of yours doesn't look ordinary either. Why not hand it over too, as capital for my future life of luxury? If you behave, I might consider letting you leave with your life."
When the chain had flicked the magic stone necklace away, it left a small cut on Yuno's chest. The sheer sharpness of the chain was evident.
Yet, faced with this situation, Yuno had almost no room for resistance.
It was at this exact moment that Asta, chasing from afar, finally rushed onto the scene.
Sprinting madly and leaping forward, he took one look at the grimoire in Revchi's hand and immediately understood what had happened.
"Damn you! Put Yuno down and return his things!"
At that moment, Asta felt as if he had returned to his childhood, to that rainy night facing another thief. This moment felt exactly the same!
Only now, his eyes were filled with sheer determination.
Revchi burst into loud laughter. "Kid, you're just a failure. At the Magic Tower, you couldn't even awaken the most ordinary grimoire. What use are you?"
"But the other kid in your group is quite interesting," Revchi continued, his eyes shifting. "His grimoire is a bit tattered, but it's still a four-leaf. While not as valuable as this Yuno kid's, it's definitely a prize not to be missed."
"He's hiding behind you, isn't he? I'm not wrong, am I?"
Hearing this, Asta's veins bulged with fury. "Bastard! Let Yuno go now! And don't even think about targeting Karl!"
Asta ran frantically, dodging the serpent-like silver chains.
However, there were simply too many chains.
With a sickening thud, a chain instantly pierced straight through Asta's leg.
Asta crashed to his knees.
"How about it, kid?" Revchi taunted. "Still dare to talk big now?"
Yuno watched, his eyes filled with anxiety. But when Asta met Yuno's gaze, he let out a fierce roar.
"I will never give up! I will definitely become the Magic Emperor!"
"Only Yuno is worthy of competing with me for the title of Magic Emperor!"
As Asta roared, black-red lightning suddenly erupted from thin air.
A grimoire exuding boundless dark energy, adorned with five leaves, suddenly materialized.
Asta was stunned for a moment. Then, with a fierce grip, he slowly drew a massive, rusted black greatsword from the grimoire's pages.
Revchi's eyes instantly filled with shock.
Strange things happened every year, but this year was exceptionally bizarre. Having operated in the Clover Kingdom for over a decade, Rage had never encountered three such peculiar grimoires in a single day.
"Today, I've really hit the jackpot!"
The chains trembled wildly, relentlessly striking at Asta, clearly aiming to crush him completely.
However, the moment Asta swung the black greatsword, the chain arrowheads shattered one after another, dissipating into nothingness.
Revchi's eyes filled with utter disbelief. "How is this possible? That black greatsword of yours is strange!"
Asta roared, continuously slashing at the surrounding chains.
Although he could keep destroying the magic, the wounds on his legs slowed his movements more and more. Even with physical prowess far surpassing ordinary people, he struggled against the endless onslaught.
Chains dissipated, only to regenerate rapidly.
Revchi's gaze gradually turned manic. "Hahahaha! Kid, even with that weird greatsword, what can you do? My magical power far exceeds yours!"
"You'll be worn down to death eventually! How does it feel to be kited?"
As his words fell, Revchi freed a hand to shoot two more chain arrows from a hidden corner.
Thud—
The chains pierced through Asta's legs once again. Four bloody holes, front and back, gushed with blood.
Asta staggered and fell once more.
Revchi's gaze slowly swept toward the shadows in the corner. "Karl, right? Come out."
"Hand over that four-leaf grimoire of yours with only a cover too. Hahahaha!"
"Tonight, the god of luck truly favors me. I, Revchi, have struck it rich!"
Karl stepped out from the shadows.
Although he had tried to react the moment he sensed the anomaly, Revchi, true to his reputation as a seasoned thief, had laid Chain Magic traps even in the distant corners.
Instantly, Karl was caught within them as well.
Now, looking at Revchi's excited yet cold expression, Karl instead revealed a faint smile.
"What did you just say? You want my grimoire?"
Revchi snorted coldly. "Isn't it obvious enough?"