Noelle rushed to Adam and began examining him carefully—sniffing left and right like a detective on a case.
"Where did you go last night?" she demanded.
Vanessa crossed her arms, giving Adam a skeptical look. "You lousy guy, you disappeared halfway yesterday."
Adam opened his grimoire, and the exhausted Xiaolan flew back inside to rest. He scratched his head guiltily.
"I'm sorry, something really happened yesterday... did something happen here?"
He couldn't exactly say he'd been "F*****g" with Mereoleona at the volcanic hot springs. That would be suicide.
"Look at Asta and Finral..." Vanessa sighed and briefly explained what had happened at the King's Chosen Knights' exam. Adam stood there, dumbfounded.
So much good stuff happened when he wasn't there!
Sure enough, leaving Xiaolan to watch things was the right call.
"How's Finral?" Adam asked.
"Still in a coma. His brother went too far," Vanessa said.
Everyone's expressions turned grim. The entire Black Bulls squad was furious, their worry mixed with anger.
Adam could tell this was one of those family matters he really shouldn't meddle in—but he still tried to lighten the mood.
"Don't worry, guys. The Finral brothers have their own destiny. God will bless them." Then, with a sly grin, he added, "Besides, I know all about brotherly love. Trust me—I'll make sure the two of them stop fighting."
Everyone froze.
A collective shudder rippled through the room. Seeing Adam's mischievous expression, they instantly regretted opening their mouths.
A few days later, in the royal capital, rumors would explode:
"The Secrets the Finral Brothers Couldn't Tell — Family and Honor! Twisted Brotherhood! A Woman's Just a Shield Between Them!"
The mysterious mastermind who started those rumors genuinely believed he'd done something good...
Of course, that's a story for another day.
"Asta!"
Adam walked over to the boy, who looked completely out of it, and shook his shoulder hard.
"Haha, look at him! Just like a bobblehead doll!"
Adam laughed as Luck joined in, shaking Asta for fun.
"Stop that!"
Vanessa swooped in, snatching Asta away with a glare. "What are you two doing?! You'll break him!"
"Okay, okay—everyone, let's go take a bath together!"
Captain Yami came out wearing tropical swim trunks, holding a massive wooden tub like it was nothing.
"Forget it, I'll pass," Asta mumbled.
"This is an order from your captain."
Yami grabbed Asta by the head and dragged him off to the bath.
"That's our captain, all right," Adam muttered with a smirk.
As everyone headed toward the bathhouse, Noelle stopped Adam at the door with a furious blush.
"The men's bath is on the left, idiot!"
Meanwhile, Yami was in the middle of one of his rare, serious talks.
"Yami, what kind of group do you want to form?" Julius had once asked him.
"Doesn't matter what kind of people they are—as long as they're lost souls. Give 'em a place to belong, just like my boss did for me," Yami said, then smirked. "We'll call it the Black Bulls."
"And you, William?"
"I want to form the Golden Dawn. The strongest group in the kingdom. I want to prove that even in the darkest night, there's always light—that one day, dawn will come."
"...That's a bit too poetic," Yami said bluntly.
The story reminded Asta that even if you fail 99 times, the 100th success is what truly matters. Yami and William were both friends and rivals—just like him and Yuno.
Brothers. And rivals.
"As expected of Captain Yami," Adam muttered in admiration.
"When will the results for the Royal Knights be out?" Asta suddenly asked, his fighting spirit reignited.
"Should be any day now," Magna said, trying to sound calm. In truth, he was sweating bullets.
Bang!
The door flew open before Adam could reach it.
"Big Sister?" Adam blinked in surprise.
The Black Bulls froze.
"Why is Captain Mereoleona here?!"
"Mam, what are you doing—"
Bam!
Asta was punched straight into the wall.
"I don't like your name, brat," Mereoleona declared.
She looked around, eyes locking on Adam, who was staring at her with a stunned face. Her lips twitched slightly.
"What's all this racket?"
Yami emerged, still wearing his swim trunks. "Oh crap—it's the wild beast! Everyone, run for your lives!"
Before he could finish, Mereoleona grabbed his head and shut him up instantly.
"I'm taking a few of your people with me," she said curtly.
"Suit yourself."
Yami shrugged and handed her a bottle of wine in exchange—a show of mutual respect between chaotic captains.
Mereoleona's claws snatched up Asta, Luck, and Noelle in one go. "These three are qualified for the Royal Knights. They're coming with me."
Then she turned to Adam, handing him an envelope.
"A letter from the Wizard King."
Before he could ask anything, she leapt away with her new recruits.
"Be careful," Adam called after her.
"Mm."
He opened the letter and froze when he saw the message inside.
[Prediction comes true, come quickly!]
His heart grew heavy. The Wizard King's words from that night echoed in his head.
"Adam, I might die soon."
Adam had thought it was a joke back then.
"I know you don't believe me," Julius had said, "but if the enemy is him, then the prediction will be right."
"Who is he?"
"You'll find out when the time comes."
The damn Riddler strikes again...
Meanwhile, at the Royal Capital—
"The Eye of the Midnight Sun's base has been located in the Floating Demon Palace within the Strong Magic Region!"
Mereoleona's declaration shook the room.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves—we set off in three days!"
With three captain-level mages—Mereoleona, Nozel, and Rill—leading the operation, plus elite members from every squad and two absolute monsters in their ranks, this counterattack would decide everything.
Unless the Eye of the Midnight Sun bond was truly unbreakable... they were destined to lose.
...
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! 💙