Time rewinds—back to the moment before Adam was sealed.
At that time, only one thought echoed in Adam's mind:
It's over. I've finally figured it out!
"Dragon Blast! Laser Eyes! Monkey Transformation!... Oh yeah—Sheep Power!"
Just as the Eye of the Sealed Soul was about to close, Adam separated his soul from his body, diving directly into his grimoire. By sheer luck, he slipped out of the golden cube's control.
While Licht's full attention was on the sealing spell, Adam quietly controlled his grimoire and escaped from the volcanic crater.
He fled far from the area saturated with mana, hiding deep within a dense forest. Only after a long while did he open the grimoire and emerge, floating in midair.
"That was too damn close…"
His face was pale, expression grim. It was the first time he'd been treated this badly. If it hadn't been for the Sheep Talisman's power, he'd be nothing more than ash under that volcano.
"Just you wait!"
Now, Adam was caught in a tough spot. He didn't dare return to the golden cube—it might suck in his very soul.
And finding Licht? Not happening. If Licht still had more of those artifacts, Adam would die a second death from pure fright.
Still… it was unlikely. Those treasures were ancient elven relics, not something you could just pick up anywhere.
"If only I had the Rabbit's power… I could just blink out of there even if I messed up."
Too late for regrets now. All he could do was test which talisman powers still worked.
"Let's see… Rooster, Electric Eyes, Dragon Blast, Ox Strength…"
Adam groaned. He was completely transparent—he couldn't touch, lift, or hit anything. No physical power at all.
"Okay… focus."
He stared at a stone on the ground. It lifted slowly, hovering midair. Then, as he clenched his right hand—boom!—it shattered into dust.
"It works!"
Adam grinned. "The power of the Chicken can still be used… and I can stack the Ox's strength too."
Relief finally washed over him. In this bodiless form, he was untouchable—no soul to harm, and his telekinetic power even stronger.
Absolute intangibility + telekinesis + unlimited strength…
He smirked. "That's a broken combo if I've ever seen one."
"Well, no point wasting time. Let's check in on the Wizard King first."
A promise was a promise—he had to keep his word.
"As the kingdom's pillar, he should have no trouble handling a paranoid maniac."
Adam took off, streaking toward the royal capital. In his mind's eye, he imagined that enormous page of the Wizard King's grimoire floating over the palace—each line glowing with a hundred kinds of magic.
Could a man who controlled time itself really lose to a lunatic hiding behind schemes and deceit?
Royal Capital — Above the Wizard King's Palace
Licht, wielding two glowing swords, relentlessly pursued the Wizard King through the air.
No matter what spell Licht cast, Julius blocked every strike with perfect precision.
"What a pity," Licht muttered, eyes narrowing. He suddenly pulled back, a shimmering blue time aura hanging in his place.
"I hope you'll surrender," Julius said calmly. "I truly don't wish to harm William's body."
He's too strong.
For the first time, Licht felt an icy chill run down his spine. A human was making him feel fear.
He couldn't help but wonder—where was this man's grimoire?
Or… could he be using such refined magic without one?
"Are you curious about my grimoire?" Julius said with a faint smile. He raised his hand.
Above them, pages without a cover glowed softly and rotated in the air like a halo of light.
Licht's eyes widened. For the first time, he doubted if he could actually defeat this man.
"Just like this grimoire," Julius said, "I cannot be categorized."
He looked at his hands, then up at the sky. "I've always asked myself—who am I? What am I striving for?
The path I've walked… is who I am.
I am the Wizard King."
Licht was momentarily stunned—but then his expression twisted with hatred and madness. This man… was the final obstacle standing between him and the resurrection of the elves.
He had to die.
"Yes… you are the Wizard King," Licht hissed. "Then—perish with your kingdom!"
"Seal Magic: Release!"
Runes flared across Licht's body, glowing red. Thousands of light swords formed in the air, expanding outward—covering the entire royal capital… no, the entire Clover Kingdom.
The miracle in the sky turned to terror below.
"What the hell is Julius doing!?"
Yami Sukehiro stared upward, flying at full speed toward the source of mana.
"Holy crap…"
Adam arrived at the capital just in time to see the spell forming in the heavens. His face went pale.
If those swords fell, the entire kingdom would be annihilated—nobles, peasants, everyone alike.
"Light Magic: Sword of Judgment!"
From the heavens, sword-shaped beams rained down like divine wrath.
The Wizard King looked up calmly, remembering his early days as a Magic Knight.
Back then, so many noble knights abused their power—trading favors, taking bribes.
He could never understand such people. Why were they even alive?
They despised commoners with weak mana, treating them like filth.
"As a Magic Knight, protecting the people comes first. You agree, don't you, Julius?"
He remembered Sarah's words clearly. She'd died—not in glorious battle—but betrayed by her own teammates.
How ridiculous.
This—this world—could not continue like that.
Magic and humanity both had limitless potential. But to change things, you needed power, position, and results.
So he climbed higher, one step at a time—until he became the Wizard King.
Change won't happen overnight. But if magic and people can be freer… that's a future worth fighting for.
"For the future of Clover Kingdom," he said softly, "I can't let this end here."
A massive blue time dial spread across the sky.
"Time Magic: Chrono Anastasis!"
The clock's hands reversed. Julius released every ounce of stored time he had, dissipating the raining light swords into nothing.
"Wizard King!!"
Adam stared, horrified. Licht's sword pierced through Julius's heart. The man who had saved the entire kingdom… couldn't save himself.
"No way!"
Before Licht could celebrate, he froze—staring at the impossible sight of Adam's transparent form appearing before him.
Julius turned weakly, blood trailing from his lips. His eyes softened. He knew Adam had kept his word.
Licht wasted no time. He withdrew his blade and snatched the two magic stones from the Wizard King's body.
"Dark Magic: Dimension Slash!"
Yami burst onto the scene, seeing Julius on the ground. Without hesitation, he swung his blade toward Licht.
"Master Licht!"
Valtos appeared on a nearby rooftop, and Licht leapt back toward him. A black light blade ripped the air between them.
"We'll never understand each other," Licht said coldly.
"Understand your ass!" Adam yelled.
He knew Licht couldn't be allowed to escape—not when he possessed Space Magic.
He had to hit his soul directly.
"Let's call this one—'Chickens Flying and Eggs Shattered!'"
Adam clasped his hands together, merging the powers of the Ox and the Chicken.
Licht screamed. "Aaaaahhh!"
The energy tore through his soul, erasing the corruption within him. His face twisted in pain—he'd been cautious of Adam, but he never expected this.
"I may not be able to destroy your heart," Adam said coldly, "but I can erase the evil inside it."
Valtos quickly opened a spatial portal, pulling Licht inside before Yami's blade could split them both apart.
"Adam," Julius said weakly, smiling through the pain, "you look ridiculous right now."
"Yami," he continued softly, "your magic can even shatter space…"
"Now's not the time for speeches!" Yami shouted, kneeling beside him.
Adam floated closer, his expression solemn.
The Wizard King's breathing was faint, but his voice was firm.
"My faith will continue… from now on, it's up to you."
And with that, the pillar of the Clover Kingdom fell.
"Good…" Adam whispered.
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Black Clover: I Awakened the Power of the Twelve Zodiac Talismans is now on Patreon!
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