"You there — with the four-leaf grimoire. I'll be your opponent."
The words cut clean through the noise, and all eyes turned toward the speaker.
He was a tall, lean noble with slicked-back blond hair, his robe trimmed with red and gold. The sigil of the House of Hapshass gleamed on his chest — one of the mid-ranked noble families known for producing fire-type mages. His smirk was the kind that came from a lifetime of not being told "no."
"You're Yuno, aren't you?" he continued, raising his chin. "The boy everyone's talking about. That four-leaf grimoire of yours has caused quite a stir — but don't get ahead of yourself. A commoner holding something meant for nobles… it's nothing short of laughable."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Even some nobles whispered among themselves, a few nodding in shallow agreement while others leaned forward with intrigue.
Yuno, calm as ever, simply turned his gaze toward the noble. The faint breeze from his mana stirred his dark cloak, his golden eyes unwavering.
"…Fine," he said simply.
The noble chuckled under his breath. "Hmph. You'll regret that arrogance."
They both stepped into the dueling ring. The barrier surrounding the arena shimmered to life, sealing them within a sphere of pale mana light.
From the stands, Asta leaned over the railing, fists clenched in excitement. "YUNO! YOU GOT THIS!"
Several nearby nobles grimaced at his volume.
"Such vulgar shouting…"
"Tch. That's the loud artifact brat again."
The noble raised his wand with a flourish, his grimoire flipping open beside him, pages glowing orange-red.
"Fire Magic: Exploding Fire Hawk!"
Mana burst outward, and from it formed a hawk-shaped projectile — wings of searing flame, eyes glowing white-hot. It shrieked as it tore through the air, leaving a trail of cinders in its wake. The crowd flinched at the intensity of the heat, the flames reflecting off the barrier's surface like sunlight off glass.
The noble smirked, already seeing his victory. "Let's see you block this, commoner!"
But Yuno didn't move.
His golden grimoire opened, pages fluttering softly, releasing a wave of cool, emerald light that cut through the heat like wind through smoke.
"Wind Magic: Towering Tornado."
A swirl of wind erupted beneath his feet, rising smoothly — not in a violent roar, but a disciplined spiral of force. The fire hawk struck it dead-on… and vanished. Its flames snuffed out like a candle's wick in a hurricane.
The crowd gasped as the air cleared. The tornado stood firm — silent, steady, shimmering faintly under the sunlight.
The noble's eyes went wide. "W-what?!"
But before he could recover, Yuno's calm voice followed, quiet but sharp enough to cut through the noise.
"Wind Magic: Tornado Fang."
The swirling column contracted instantly, twisting into a sharp spiral that shot forward in an instant. The attack struck the noble square in the chest — not with wild destruction, but with perfectly measured force. The impact blasted him backward, his body colliding with the barrier in a flash of light before falling limp onto the ground.
When the dust cleared, the noble's wand clattered to the stone floor, cracked clean down the middle. His robes were scorched at the edges, his expression dazed — disbelief painted across his features.
The crowd fell silent for a heartbeat. Then, as realization set in, the coliseum erupted.
"He didn't even move!"
"That wind magic— so fast, so clean!"
"That's control on another level!"
Even the nobles, some grudgingly, began to clap. A few muttered under their breath, trying to sound dismissive but failing to hide the awe in their voices.
"Tch… must be luck."
"No, that precision— that was pure technique."
From the captains' seats, several nodded.
And from the royal box, Wizard King Julius's smile widened, his eyes glowing faintly with that childlike wonder he always carried. "Such finesse… at his age? Remarkable."
The King, seated beside him, sniffed in forced indifference. "Hmph. It's only natural for the holder of a four-leaf grimoire to be skilled."
Down on the arena floor, Yuno exhaled slowly, lowering his hand. His cloak swayed slightly as the last traces of wind faded around him.
Asta, however, nearly vibrated out of his seat. "YUNO! THAT WAS AMAZING! YOU BLEW HIM AWAY — LITERALLY!"
Yuno turned his head just enough for Asta to see the faintest hint of a smirk. "You're next, Asta. Don't fall behind."
Asta grinned, punching the air. "Ha! Just watch me!"
From above, Nova leaned back in his chair, one brow raised. Despite major changes Yuno was still challenged by the same noble as per canon and even the fight went same. What a mysterious thing, Fate....
----
The roar of the crowd still echoed across the grand arena long after Yuno's wind had settled. The smoke cleared, and the once-bright flames had vanished, leaving behind the faint scent of scorched air and pride.
One by one, the cheers began to die down. The excitement gave way to murmurs, anticipation twisting into tension. Everyone knew what came next.
Another match. Another spectacle.
And this time — it was Asta's turn.
A hush fell as another noble stepped forward from the opposite end of the dueling grounds. His movements were calm, measured, confident in the way only those born into luxury could be. His robe shimmered faintly with crystalline embroidery, and on his chest gleamed the symbol of House Velnir — two mirrored diamonds intersecting over a gem-shaped crest.
He adjusted his gloves, eyes cold and composed as he looked straight at Asta.
> "So… you're the one causing all this noise."
The crowd reacted immediately.
> "Velnir? He's from that family?"
"House Velnir — the Gem Mages!"
"They say their crystals can store mana itself!"
Up in the royal box, the King straightened slightly, feigning casual interest but clearly intrigued. "Ah, the Velnirs… excellent. I was wondering when one of them would step forward."
Beside him, Wizard King Julius smiled faintly, resting his chin on his hand. "Oh? This should be interesting. A rare magic versus… well, something no one quite understands."
Celise, sitting near Nova, tilted her head, her tone calm but explanatory. "House of Velnir is known for their Gem Magic. They're one of the few noble lines whose magic is both creation and absorption-based."
Nova glanced sideways, brow raised. "Absorption-based?"
Celise nodded once. "Yes. They can create gemstones that act as mana conduits — storing or absorbing specific elemental mana. But their skill depends on how many types of gems they can form. Some can only create one elemental gem — say, fire or water. Those are considered low-talent Velnirs."
Nova hummed quietly. "So they're basically limited by their affinity count."
"Exactly," Celise continued smoothly. "The more variations of gems one can create, the greater their versatility — and danger. Most can barely manage one or two. Some rare cases handle three — like fire, water, and thunder. But the man Asta's about to face…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly as the noble stepped onto the dueling platform. The air shimmered faintly around him as four distinct gemstones — crimson, blue, yellow, and pale white — floated in orbit above his palm.
"…he's a four-gem wielder," Celise finished. "Fire, Water, Air, and Thunder. A prodigy, even by noble standards."
The audience erupted in awe.
"Four elements?!"
"That's impossible without hybrid bloodlines!"
"So that's the Velnir's second cousin to their heir…"
The King chuckled lightly. "Ah, marvelous! Let's see this artifact boy handle that."
Julius, meanwhile, simply smiled wider. "I think we're about to learn something new."
Down on the field, the dueling barrier shimmered into being once more, enclosing the two in an oval of translucent mana.
Asta rolled his shoulders, grin wide, unbothered by the murmurs or the faint crackle of magic forming around his opponent. "Heh. You've got a fancy glow show going on there. Let's see if it's all sparkle and no bite!"
The noble regarded him with the detached politeness of someone swatting an insect. "Crude confidence. Typical of the lower class. But don't worry—"
He raised his hand, and the four gems pulsed in unison, releasing faint mana waves of heat, mist, wind, and static. "I'll end this quickly. I don't enjoy wasting mana."
Asta's grin only widened. "Perfect. Me neither."
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CHAPTER:- [132 - HURRICANASTA] IS AVAILABLE ON MY P@TREON