The next morning, Adam quietly took Fana and left Mereoleona's mansion.
He couldn't stay there a second longer.
Dinner the previous night had been hell — the Spartan brothers, Fuegoleon and Leopold, had glared at him as if they wanted to roast him alive. Adam barely managed a few bites before excusing himself.
"Finally, we've got the upper hand," he muttered, stretching as he walked away.
Little did the brothers know, he and Mereoleona had already... become quite close.
A night attack, so to speak.
Meanwhile, poor Fana was barely conscious. She'd spent the night in the room next to Adam's — but sleep had been impossible thanks to the string quartet of passionate moans and banging cries echoing through the mansion.
Now, with dark circles under her eyes, she trudged behind Adam like a zombie.
"So sleepy…" she mumbled.
Vermillion Mansion.
"Sister, how could you be with Adam? You're so much older than him—"
THUD!
Fuegoleon yelped as a large bump formed on his head.
Mereoleona cracked her knuckles.
"Don't you know a woman's age is a taboo, you idiot brother?" she snapped. "And you don't need to worry about my business. Focus on your own training!"
She stormed off without another glance, leaving Fuegoleon fuming with frustration. His fists clenched tight — this wasn't just about family.
He couldn't accept his sister being with that man. It was a matter of Vermillion pride.
Meanwhile, another pair of siblings were struggling with similar drama.
Nozel Silva, since reconciling with his sister, had tried to convince Noelle to return to the Silver Eagles and keep her distance from Adam.
But Noelle refused.
Two proud brothers, both doomed to lose to the same man.
At the Wizard King's Palace.
"Everyone, you've worked hard. The battle's over, and though I'd love to say everything's settled…"
Adam had joined Asta and the others en route to the palace, following them straight to Julius Novachrono, who now appeared in the form of a child.
He still loved keeping people in suspense.
"Good grief…" Adam muttered, watching as Julius held up a single sheet of paper — all that remained of his oversized grimoire.
With the Wizard King powerless, the royal factions were already preparing to seize control. The Clover Kingdom was heading straight for chaos.
Holding up three fingers, Julius explained what he foresaw.
"The disappearance of the Wizard King, the destruction of the Clover Kingdom… or the deaths of Asta and Adam."
"You mean Asta and I are going to be the scapegoats?" Adam asked with a grin. "So the Magic Council can blame us instead of the real culprits?"
Julius nodded gravely.
Adam chuckled. "They can try. Even without the pendant, I still have the power of seven zodiac signs. And if that's not enough, I've got Xiaoshui, Xiaolan, and the Akatsuki organization at my back."
"Adam," Julius warned, sensing his dark amusement. "Don't do anything reckless. The Magic Council is made up of nobles and royals — especially Councillor Damm of House Kira. He's one of the most powerful men in the royal court. You can't just kill them all."
Before Adam could respond, Asta jumped in, eyes wide.
"Yeah! The Magic Emperor's right! Adam's not that kind of guy! I'm sure if we just talk things out, they'll understand!"
Adam sighed.
Naïve.
Prejudice runs deeper than reason. Sometimes, the only way to break a wall… is to blast it apart.
Still, Julius's warning sparked an idea.
He couldn't destroy everyone at once. But maybe — just maybe — he could cleanse the system.
Keep the good. Remove the corrupt.
"Thanks for the inspiration, Wizard King," Adam said with a grin, giving Julius a thumbs up.
He turned and left.
Julius blinked, glancing at Yami Sukehiro beside him. "Did I… say something wrong?"
Yami scratched the back of his head. "Boss, that kid's just built different. Don't think too hard about it…"
But in truth, even Yami felt uneasy. Something big was coming.
"Keep an eye on him," Julius ordered quietly. "Make sure he doesn't make things worse."
"Got it."
Outside the palace, Noelle finally snapped.
"Adam, why is this woman following you everywhere?" she demanded, glaring at Fana.
Could it be… those two had something going on?
"Ow!"
Adam flicked her on the forehead. "What nonsense are you thinking?"
"She's my assistant," he said simply, patting Noelle's head affectionately.
Her cheeks flushed bright red.
"I—I don't care! It's none of my business!"
But before she could turn away, Nozel Silva arrived, his expression thunderous.
"Adam. What do you think you're doing?"
Adam didn't even bother to greet him. He had no patience for a brother who'd abandoned his own sister under the pretense of "protection."
"Come on, Noelle. Let's go."
He took her hand and started walking — but Nozel grabbed Noelle's other hand.
"Let go."
"You first."
The siblings glared at each other, tugging like stubborn children.
Finally, Noelle shouted, "That's enough!"
She yanked both her hands free and ran off, furious.
Adam brushed past Nozel with a look of disdain. "You're a real piece of work."
Nozel's pride cracked, and his fury boiled over.
"Adam, just wait—!"
But Adam was already gone, the others following in his wake — Fana smirking quietly.
In the days that followed, the Magic Knights worked to restore the ruined royal capital. Adam joined the Black Bulls, helping civilians wherever he went.
"Master Xiaoshui, if not for you, I'd have been crushed by that wall!" an old man sobbed, clutching the water spirit's hand.
"This dragon saved us too! Truly, the gods have blessed the Clover Kingdom!"
"Lord Adam! Please accept our gratitude!"
The Bulls could hardly believe it — wherever Adam went, crowds gathered, cheering his name like he was a savior.
And in their eyes… he was.
"Everyone, please, stand up," Adam said, helping the people to their feet. His calm presence and humble demeanor only deepened their admiration.
Of course, the real miracle was Xiaoshui and Xiaolan, whose heroics during the elves' attack had earned the people's devotion.
After some time, Adam slipped away from the crowd to rest. He sat on a chunk of stone, letting the noise fade behind him.
"Lord Adam," Fana said softly, offering him a neatly wrapped fruit.
He took a bite and smiled. "Not bad."
The little spirits perched on his shoulders chirped happily as Fana fed them too.
Then — whoosh!
A figure in black dropped from the shadows, kneeling on one knee before Adam.
"Reporting in, my lord."
The masked man held out a white parchment with a trembling hand.
"The mission is complete."
Adam's eyes gleamed.
The Shadow Army had begun to move.
"Good work," he said.
The Ghost Ninjas of Snake Island, his personal black-ops unit — the unseen hand of Akatsuki — had finally emerged from the darkness.
...
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! 💙