Outside the church, in the quiet courtyard.
Sister Lily stood with her hands folded before her, gazing up at the starlit night sky. The cool evening breeze brushed past, stirring her black hair and sending it gently fluttering in the air.
Yuuki stood beside her. Though curiosity flickered in his heart, he didn't interrupt her silence. He simply waited quietly under the night sky as well.
"Yuuki."
Sister Lily's voice broke the stillness.
"Hm?"
Yuuki turned toward her.
"Your Replication Magic is a very special kind of magic…"
She paused, as though carefully choosing her words.
"Everyone here in the church is like family—that's why they're willing to hand over their grimoires to you without hesitation. But to any mage, their grimoire is an incredibly precious thing."
"Touching someone else's grimoire can also be dangerous. If you recklessly replicate another person's magic, you might earn their hostility."
By the time she finished, she had turned to face him. Her soft brows drew slightly together, and her pale blue eyes were filled with quiet concern.
Having lived apart from the outside world for so long, Sister Lily worried that Yuuki didn't fully understand how deeply most mages valued their own magic—especially the nobles. They looked down on commoners and peasants with disdain and malice.
Yuuki's Replication Magic was a power that could easily attract resentment from such people.
Seeing the worry etched on her face, Yuuki felt a faint warmth stir in his chest.
If she had said this to Yuno or Asta, the two who had grown up here might not have understood her meaning. But as someone who had lived another life before coming here, Yuuki understood all too well what she was warning him about.
"I understand, Sister Lily," he said softly. "I know what I need to do."
He shrugged lightly, his voice calm and reassuring.
It was precisely because he understood the implications that Yuuki had already changed his earlier decision—he no longer intended to head straight for the royal capital.
Sister Lily didn't know what was running through Yuuki's mind. Believing that he had taken her words to heart, she finally relaxed.
"Oh dear, I almost forgot—I still need to clean up the dishes."
A hint of realization flashed across her fair face. She lightly tapped her forehead, smiled, and waved to Yuuki before heading back inside the church.
Tap, tap—
Two sets of footsteps approached from behind. Yuno and Asta had arrived without Yuuki noticing.
"What were you and Sister Lily talking about just now?" Asta asked eagerly, his face full of curiosity.
"Nothing much." Yuuki turned to them with a small smile.
"No way! You're plotting to marry Sister Lily before I do, aren't you?!"
Asta's expression shifted to panic, shouting as though he'd just uncovered a dire secret.
Yuuki's eyelid twitched. "Is there anything else in that head of yours besides this nonsense!?"
"Huh?"
Asta blinked.
"For the last time—clerics can't get married, Asta!" Yuno added dryly, giving him a look reserved for fools.
Half a year later.
In the forest clearing just outside the village—
Boom!
A deafening crash echoed through the air as Asta's Demon-Slayer Sword slammed into the ground where Yuuki had just been standing, blasting up soil and dust.
"What terrifying power…" Yuuki muttered, leaping backward. The corner of his mouth twitched.
If that blow had landed, he'd probably be nursing several broken bones right now.
Whoosh!
Before he could even catch his breath, a sharp gust rushed in from the side.
"A pincer attack!?"
Yuuki's expression tightened. He swung his arm toward Asta.
"Chain Magic—Dance of the Lock Serpent!"
Clatter!
A thick black chain shot out from his palm like a coiled serpent, slicing through the air toward Asta.
"Huh?"
Before Asta could react, the chain wrapped around the wrist holding his sword, making it impossible for him to swing the Demon-Slayer Sword to nullify the spell.
A powerful tug pulled along the chain's length.
Naturally, Asta resisted with all his strength, pulling back in the opposite direction—exactly as Yuuki intended.
Asta's raw strength far exceeded his own. Yuuki, suspended in midair, used that force to propel himself sideways, narrowly dodging Yuno's surprise attack from the flank.
"Damn it, Yuuki!" Asta yelled as realization dawned. He switched the Demon-Slayer Sword to his left hand and swung, slicing through the black chain.
The moment the blade touched it, the chain shattered and dispersed like mist.
Yuuki couldn't help but sigh inwardly—but his face remained impassive.
Anti-Magic truly was a nightmare for any mage.
Still, just because it was troublesome didn't mean it couldn't be countered—especially when Asta could only channel Anti-Magic through his sword.
"Chain Magic—Dance of the Lock Serpent!"
Yuuki landed, calling out again. Another black chain burst forth, this time not aimed at Asta but at a massive fallen tree nearby.
The chain coiled tightly around the trunk.
"Up you go!"
Yuuki gave the chain a hard yank, swinging the entire tree like a colossal flail straight toward Asta.
Seeing the enormous shadow bearing down on him, Asta froze.
"Yuuki, you maniac!!" he cried, paling as he turned to flee.
No matter how strong he was, there was no way he could tank a tree!
Yuuki couldn't help but smile.
The Demon-Slayer Sword could nullify all magic—but not physical attacks. That was Anti-Magic's one and only weakness.
To deal with Asta, there were only two viable options:
First, attack with physical objects.
Second, be faster and stronger than him.
Everything else—no matter how flashy—was useless.
Boom!
The crash resounded as the giant tree struck.
Asta's reflexes were quick, but not quick enough. He barely managed to raise his sword to block, softening the impact—yet the sheer force still sent him flying.
The Demon-Slayer Sword was torn from his grasp, and Yuuki, controlling the chain's pull, directed Asta's flight path—straight toward Yuno.
"Yuno! I'm coming for you!"
Still dazed, Asta spotted Yuno up ahead. Rather than panicking, his face lit up with battle fervor as he raised his arms to strike from above.
But then his expression froze.
Only now did he realize both his hands were empty—the sword had been blown away!
Panicking, Asta hurriedly called forth his black grimoire, trying to re-summon his blade—
"Idiot," Yuno muttered.
He raised his hand and unleashed a surge of wind mana.
A powerful gust roared forth, wrapping Asta in a cyclone and tossing him clear out of the battlefield.
"Waaah! Yuno, stop! Let me down!"
If he'd had his sword, Asta could have easily dispelled the wind. But now, all he could do was spin helplessly through the air like a rag doll.
Using Yuuki's setup, Yuno had eliminated their noisy companion first. He lifted his gaze to Yuuki on the opposite side of the clearing.
"Now," Yuno said with a faint smile, "it's just the two of us."
(End of Chapter)
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