"Black Blade." Yami opened his magic zone, creating a black circle in a small area.
As long as he was within it, he wouldn't be crushed by the intense gravity.
But it wasn't absolute.
Dante and Yami clashed in midair several times, both realizing how difficult it was to land a decisive blow.
"Lucifero, lend me all your strength!"
Dante roared to the Devil residing within him.
How dare this ignorant little insect speak so arrogantly to his master?
"Then I'll lend it to you!"
Dante's transformed body could withstand about 85% of the Devil King's power.
But Lucifero, in his twisted amusement, decided to push him further—to let Dante feel fear.
"Hiss—Aah! I'm going to kill you!"
Dante's eyes bulged; his entire body felt as if thousands of ants were gnawing at him, his flesh burning and pain seeping into his bones.
Desperate, he stopped holding back and opened the Gate of Hades, even at tremendous cost.
The overwhelming gravity instantly shattered Yami's magic zone, forcing even the Black Bulls who were preparing to fight back deep into the ground once again.
"It's not over yet!" Asta and the others were completely outmatched—they could only watch as Captain Yami was overwhelmed and captured.
Dante appeared beside Yami in an instant. With a sickening thud, his fist pierced through Yami's stomach. Blood gushed from the wound.
Before Yami could even finish muttering, "I'll surpass my limits here," his vision went dark, and he collapsed unconscious.
"You all can die too." Dante slammed his fist into the Black Bulls lying nearby.
With a loud bang, Nozel's silver mercury shield shattered, and the figure of the Salamander appeared not far away.
Nozel Silva and Fuegoleon Vermillion had been dispatched by the Wizard King Julius to oversee reconstruction efforts in the outer regions of the Clover Kingdom. On their way back, they felt Dante's terrifying mana and immediately rushed to the battlefield.
"Luckily, we made it in time—Silver Rain!"
"The Breath of the Salamander!"
Silver raindrops began to fall over Dante's head while blazing flames surged toward him.
"Pathetic." Dante didn't even try to evade.
He charged through the flames with his body magic protecting him, completely unfazed by their combined assault.
Unless his heart was pierced by special power, he couldn't be stopped.
"Oh no…"
With a single punch, Dante obliterated the Salamander. Then, with another, he sent Fuegoleon flying.
"Stop!" Nozel shouted furiously and unleashed a barrage of mercury arrows at Dante.
"Ridiculous." Dante remained calm, even as countless holes were punched into his body—each one instantly regenerated.
He lunged toward Nozel and struck him square in the chest.
With a puff, Nozel spat blood but grabbed Dante's hand tightly. He endured the crushing gravity, even as his internal organs twisted under the pressure.
"Boy—hurry!" Nozel said weakly.
A black blur shot up from the ground—Asta, in his demonized form, rushed in with his Demon-Slayer Sword in hand.
"This little trick again?" Dante increased his gravity to the limit.
Nozel's body cracked audibly as his bones shattered.
Still, he didn't let go.
For the first time, Dante felt fear. Facing Nozel's unyielding resolve and the threat of losing again, he panicked.
His left arm was pinned by Nozel's hands, while mercury magic restrained his right.
"Go to hell!" Dante finally broke free—but only barely.
Nozel had lost too much blood to fully restrain him.
"Silver is mine to command!"
Before Dante's right fist could crush Nozel's skull, Fuegoleon—bloody but burning with fury—caught his arm mid-swing.
"Surpass your limits—right here!" Asta thrust his sword into Dante's chest, but the man had shifted his heart just in time, dodging the fatal blow.
"Come again!" Nozel and Fuegoleon shouted in unison.
Asta roared and lunged forward once more, sword raised.
"N-No…" Dante was finally terrified.
He hadn't expected these fools to be so stubborn.
The black light of Asta's sword sliced through the sky. Dante poured out all his magic power, but even then—he couldn't break free from their grip.
"Pathetic." A dark circle opened in the air as Zenon Zogratis stepped out, wielding a massive bone whip.
With a powerful strike, he sent Asta flying before he could react.
"Move." Zenon appeared beside Dante and lashed both Nozel and Fuegoleon away.
Though unconscious, their hands still clung tightly to their enemy.
"Kill them all!" Dante barked, arrogance returning the moment his brother arrived.
This was his brother, after all.
"Don't do anything unnecessary. Opening the Gate of Hades takes priority," said Lucius Zogratis coldly.
He picked up Yami and William, who had been left behind, and opened a space tunnel. Without looking back, he stepped through it.
"You…" Dante froze under Lucius's chilling gaze.
Too afraid to argue, he followed obediently into the portal.
"Go! Save Captain Nozel and Captain Fuegoleon!" Asta shouted hoarsely.
He wasn't in much better shape himself—his organs had been crushed by gravity. Borrowing the devil's power had given him one last burst of strength… but at the cost of his arm.
And now, Lucius had taken everything from them.
The Black Bulls stood shakily, humiliated by their weakness. They had been pinned down the entire fight—completely helpless.
It was pathetic.
Zora rushed to Nozel and Fuegoleon's sides, using his Trap Magic to temporarily seal their wounds.
Only a professional Healing Mage could treat injuries this severe.
Unfortunately, the Black Bulls had none.
For now, all they could do was prevent their captains from dying.
"Everyone, prepare to move—head for the capital!"
Henry reassembled the Black Bull base, and they sped toward the Clover Kingdom's capital with their wounded allies in tow.
They needed a Healing Mage—and the Wizard King.
"Captain Yami, hold on! We'll come for you—I swear it!"
The Bulls' voices echoed into the distance.
Meanwhile, in the Dwarf Secret Realm…
"Conrad, it's ready. We only had enough materials to make three bullets," said the Dwarf King, handing over shimmering, colorful projectiles.
"Thank you," Conrad said, shaking Hadley's hand.
"There's no need for thanks between us," Hadley smiled. "Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today."
"Then we'll take our leave."
Though their plan had been derailed, Conrad's determination to destroy the Clover Kingdom remained unshaken.
With Julius weakened, Conrad no longer feared anyone—not even the Magic Knight captains.
"Let's head for the capital."
...
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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1.Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
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