Ladin fired a green beam of lightning, the powerful electric light cutting through the air straight toward Medea.
"So fast—Wind Emperor Slash!"
Medea's face twisted. There was no way to dodge, so he could only brace himself and meet the attack head-on with his Wind Sword.
Snap!
The thunderous impact shattered Medea's wind magic cloak. His face contorted in madness.
"All of this was supposed to be mine, you bastard! I spared your life, gave you food—and you still dare steal my chance!"
Medea's eyes bulged in fury, filled with hatred for Radin.
"Haha! You think you deserve it? Lightning Ball!"
Ladin grabbed his right wrist with his left hand, channeling all his energy into his palm. The lightning condensed into a glowing orb that he hurled forward.
Medea pushed his Wind Magic to its limit, dodging right just in time to narrowly escape.
"Return!"
Ladin pulled back with his right hand, and the lightning orb instantly curved mid-air, flying back toward its master.
"Devil's Wings!"
Medea abandoned his Wind Magic. Black, leathery wings sprouted from his back as he tried to flee toward the Clover Kingdom's border.
"Boy, you must kill him."
The devil's voice echoed in Ladin's mind. The demonic energy within Medea had to be devoured.
The demon in Ladin's body stirred with excitement, lending him every bit of its strength.
"Lightning's Roar!"
Ladin unleashed a blazing beam of energy from his right hand, far faster than the lightning orb before.
"Ahhhh!"
The scorching flames burned through Medea's wings. He screamed as he plummeted from the sky.
"Lightning Spear!"
Ladin conjured a crackling electric spear and hurled it down. Medea tried to struggle, but the spear pierced straight through his chest. Blood sprayed as he crashed heavily to the ground.
"Cough… you win… Master…"
Medea lay on the dirt, pale and trembling. The spear impaled in his chest left him powerless.
Ladin's body crackled with lightning. His face twisted as two devil horns emerged from his head. He stomped on Medea's skull.
"My parents… where are they?" Ladin growled through clenched teeth.
Medea didn't respond, only staring blankly at the desolate land around them. This was once the Clover Kingdom's largest farm—now, not even a single animal remained.
Out of paranoia that beasts might disturb his treasures, Medea had slaughtered them all himself.
Unbelievable…
"I'm asking you a question!" Ladin roared.
Medea's head throbbed painfully under the crushing pressure, but instead of begging for mercy, he smirked wickedly.
"You've already guessed it…"
"Monster."
Bang!
The steward who had endured for years became a headless corpse. Ladin's tears flowed freely.
He should never have joined the Magic Knights. Never gone to the capital. Never chased power.
"Father… Mother… I'm sorry… AHHHH!"
Ladin's bloodshot eyes stared into the storming sky as he screamed, "I'll send all of them to hell!"
The manor that was once full of life had now turned into a nightmare of death.
"Adam, let me go!"
"I won't."
Adam sat atop Little Blue, holding Chamy in his arms and rubbing her soft cheeks.
"So soft~"
Chamy could only puff up her face helplessly. Adam was a total villain!
"Asta, come on!"
The Black Bulls who hadn't been selected for the Royal Knights exam cheered loudly for their comrades.
"Adam, stop bullying Chamy." Vanessa appeared, rescuing Chamy from Adam's grasp. The little girl's cheeks were red from being squished.
"Vanessa~ I still have room here. Don't be jealous."
"Eat your own nonsense!" Vanessa huffed.
Adam reclined lazily on Little Blue's back, uninterested in warm-up matches. What he really wanted to see was Asta vs. Yuno—the fated battle.
That would be the real excitement.
"What's going on?"
Adam quickly flipped open his grimoire. The pages glowed in a gradient of red and blue, pulsing as if guiding him somewhere.
"Little Blue, stay here. I'll be right back."
Adam patted the creature's head. He wasn't at ease—too many trouble magnets were gathered here.
Definitely not a good omen.
Little Blue nodded, making an OK sign with its claws. As Noelle's attention was fixed on the fight, Adam slipped away into the sky.
"Adam's gone?"
Seeing her nemesis leave, Chamy quickly climbed onto Little Blue. Being short, she needed the height to watch the match.
"Please spare me! It was Modi who made me do it!"
Click.
Without emotion, Ladin stabbed the man's heart with a lightning spear, then sliced him in half in one clean motion.
"Boy, get to that old man already. You've vented your anger. Time to finish business."
Ladin froze, surveying the massacre around him.
No one could have imagined that the sneaky, chubby boy from before would become this monster.
The manor was silent. Every last thief lay dead—those who once served Medea, killed by the same man they betrayed.
"Search him. There must be something unusual."
Ladin crouched beside Medea's corpse, searching the body until his fingers brushed against something.
Got it.
He pulled a transparent glass orb from Medea's inner pocket. Inside, a swirling black mist floated ominously.
"Absorb it."
The devil's whisper echoed again. Without hesitation, Ladin released his magic and drew the black mist into his body.
His body became a vessel, greedily sucking in the energy. The black mist raged violently inside him, fighting to escape its new prison.
"Behave yourself!"
Lightning surged through Ladin's veins. He endured the searing pain as his inner demon consumed the black energy.
A new pair of demonic wings unfurled from his back. His power surged—he could feel it.
"Let's clean this place up. The Magic Knights will arrive soon."
Ladin recalled Medea's words, feeling a heavy weight on his heart. His parents' remains were still in the ruins. He would bury everything here himself.
"Boy, have you forgotten something?"
Ladin's face paled. His deal with the devil wasn't over yet.
Revenge had been achieved, but the payment remained.
"What? My memory's not that great…"
"Boy, how dare you mock me!"
The devil invaded Ladin's mind directly. If he'd known the kid was this unreliable, he'd have taken over his body already.
"AHHHH!"
Ladin dropped to his knees, clutching his head. He couldn't let the devil take control. He still had a dream to fulfill!
"Boy, you broke your promise."
"Who the hell keeps promises with a devil, you damned sleepy bastard?"
"I'll wipe out the stars themselves!"
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Black Clover: I Awakened the Power of the Twelve Zodiac Talismans is now on Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you for your support! 💙