The trio's pace was quick, and before long, they returned to Hage Village.
Not far ahead stood a somewhat old wooden church. Its walls and roof were slightly weathered, yet it was spacious enough.
In front of the church, a young nun in a black habit was busy taking down the clothes that had finished drying on a clothesline.
The moment Asta spotted her, his eyes lit up. His energy surged back in an instant, and with the bundle of firewood strapped to his back, he sprinted toward her with full force.
"Sister Lily!!"
Asta shouted at the top of his lungs as he ran.
Yuuki couldn't help but let out an admiring sigh. "That guy's stamina really is something else."
"That's not the point, Yuuki," Yuno said dryly, shooting him a sideways glance before turning back to watch Asta dash off. "That idiot."
"Relax, relax," Yuuki laughed cheerfully.
Both of them then quickened their pace as well.
Whoosh—
A faint breeze swirled beneath Yuno's feet. It wrapped around his body in a light cyan glow that shimmered faintly over his skin.
Mana Skin!
"I'll go on ahead," Yuno said, taking a single step forward—then his body shot ahead like a gust of wind.
Yuuki blinked, momentarily startled.
"This guy really can't stand falling behind Asta, huh…" he muttered under his breath.
He wasn't surprised that Yuno could use the Mana Skin technique—after all, Yuuki was the one who taught it to him.
When Yuuki first developed this technique, it had taken him nearly half a year of research, simplifying the principles of Mana Skin into a more basic and efficient form, which he named Mana Coating.
And yet, Yuno had mastered it in less than half a day!
That was when Yuuki truly understood what a genius looked like.
Still, his own discovery hadn't been without rewards.
Through Yuno's example, Yuuki learned that differences in mana type affected the body's enhancement.
For instance, Yuno's Wind Attribute mana gave a greater boost to speed, while other aspects like strength and durability were less pronounced.
Yuuki's own mana, however, enhanced his abilities across the board. He might not match Yuno in raw speed, but in power, endurance, and overall balance, he far surpassed him.
That was why their duels almost always ended in a draw.
"Seriously…"
Though Yuuki grumbled, his movements didn't falter. In the next instant, a layer of pale silver mana wrapped around his body.
Boom!
The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly as he launched forward like an arrow leaving its bowstring.
Yuno felt the surge of pressure from behind but didn't look back. Instead, a faint smirk tugged at his lips—and he pushed his speed even higher.
The church was enclosed by a simple fence. Crossing that fence's line meant stepping into church grounds.
When the three competed in races before, they always used that line as the finish point.
Asta, who had started running first, only wanted to see Sister Lily faster. But when he heard the sounds of pursuit closing in, he immediately realized what was happening.
Eyes wide, he began to sprint harder, arms swinging furiously.
He would be the one to reach the finish line first!
None of them said it aloud, but all three shared the same silent understanding.
Since they weren't far from the church to begin with, Asta—who'd started running first—held the advantage. In just a few moments, he could already see the fence up ahead, the finish line within reach.
Excitement bloomed on his face. But just as he thought he was about to cross the line first—
A powerful gust of wind swept past his right side.
Yuno's calm expression came into view beside him—then ahead of him—as he overtook Asta with effortless grace.
One more step, and Yuno's foot was already above the finish line. A faint smile curved his lips.
It looked like victory was his.
"Damn it, Yu—!"
Asta shouted, irritation bursting across his face—only to be cut off halfway through his words
Boom!
A dull thud echoed from behind, and a shadow suddenly shot past Asta's right side—crossing the finish line in an instant and landing neatly beyond the fence.
Whoosh!
Thap!
Yuno and Asta followed close behind, both vaulting over the line. In perfect sync, they lifted their heads and looked toward the figure who had arrived first—Yuuki.
"Yuuki! Damn it! I lost again!"
Asta leaned forward with his hands on his knees, panting heavily as he shouted in frustration.
"Relax. You can win next time," Yuuki said with an easy smile, waving his hand dismissively.
Yuno, still catching his breath, gave Yuuki a curious look, as though about to ask something—
"Yuuki!! Asta!! Yuno!!"
A sharp yet melodious voice, brimming with irritation, rang out from ahead.
All three froze.
They turned their heads in unison toward the source of the voice.
There stood Sister Lily, clutching a bundle of freshly dried clothes in her hands. Her expression was gentle no longer—her teeth were clenched as she glared at them.
"Just look at what you've done!" she scolded.
Only then did the three notice the fine layer of dust coating the clothes in her arms—and even those still hanging on the line.
Clearly, their wild dash had whipped up enough wind to blow half the dirt in the yard right onto her laundry.
Yuuki and Yuno's faces instantly turned awkward.
Of course, someone still failed to read the room.
"Sister Lily!"
Asta shouted energetically and, before the other two could react, sprinted straight up to her. Standing tall and solemn, he declared in a loud, heartfelt voice:
"I swear I'll become the Magic Emperor one day—and give you the happiest life imaginable!"
"So please—marry me!"
Sister Lily's eyelid twitched. The clothes in her hands were still dust-stained, and her patience had just about run out.
Whoosh!
Her grimoire, glowing faintly blue, floated open before her.
Splash!
A torrent of water rapidly condensed in midair, forming into a massive, one-meter-wide fist made entirely of water, the back of which bore a carved cross-shaped symbol.
Boom!
The enormous fist came crashing down toward Asta with explosive force.
"Water Creation Magic — Holy Fist of Love!"
Yuuki watched the spell unfold and muttered under his breath, eyes flashing.
It wasn't the first time he'd seen this spell—but every time he did, he couldn't help but admire its sheer casting speed.
Asta's battle instincts were sharp, yet even he had never once managed to dodge this particular attack.
Yuuki could only be thankful that he wasn't the one on the receiving end—his body wasn't built like Asta's, and one hit from that thing would probably break a few bones.
Yuno swallowed hard.
Between a mage with a grimoire and one without, there was a fundamental difference—magic itself.
Those without grimoires could only use their innate mana for the most basic techniques.
But those blessed with a grimoire could manifest true magic—personal, powerful, and precise.
Seeing Asta's sorry state, Yuuki and Yuno exchanged a silent glance and began to tiptoe away.
"Yuuki. Yuno."
Sister Lily's voice—gentle yet commanding—cut through the air behind them. Both froze mid-step.
"You three! If you don't clean every single one of these clothes, none of you are getting dinner tonight!"
Still fuming, she tossed the dusty laundry back onto the line.
Then, with a huff, she bent down, picked up the wooden basin containing the clean clothes, and headed inside the church.
Yuuki and Yuno looked at the thirty or so dirt-streaked garments fluttering in the evening breeze—then sighed in perfect unison.
(End of Chapter )
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