"Abandoned by the world, huh? Seems like you really understand how people like me feel. In your eyes, no matter how hard we try, we're just a bunch of pathetic strays, something to laugh at, right? But since you do understand, then surely… you know exactly what kind of power someone like that can awaken when they finally rise!"
As Houma spoke, the blood-red glow in his eyes faded with the appearance of the five-leaf clover grimoire.
The pages of the book fluttered open of their own accord, without so much as a breeze, until they landed on a glowing script-covered spread. A moment later, a massive greatsword, bathed in crimson light, descended from the heavens.
Clang!
The blade hit the ground with a clean, resonant crash that sent a tremor through the air.
In that same instant, Houma's silhouette, cast against the nearby wall, had shifted, its outline no longer human. Instead, it resembled the form of a demon.
The drifting red light, like dandelion seeds scattered on the wind, danced across his shadow, each mote of light glowing eerily like an eye, gazing out with chilling malice.
The sheer horror of the scene was unforgettable.
Rebuchi's grimoire slipped from his hands, clattering to the floor out of sheer terror.
"Now… feel what it means to be crushed by overwhelming despair!"
The moment Houma gripped the greatsword with both hands, his muscles surged to life. Chakra exploded from the muscle lines in his arms and flowed through his legs like molten energy. The black chains that had bound him just moments ago crumbled away like mud struck by a hammer.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
With each snap of the chains, streaks of venomous green light erupted from his body, twisting and merging with the blood-hued aura surrounding the sword. In that moment, Houma looked as though he were possessed by a demon.
Boom!
With a sudden flex of his legs, Houma launched himself like a cannonball straight at his target.
"N-No!"
Rebuchi's eyes widened in terror. He tried to escape, but he could barely track Houma's motion. All he could see was a blurred afterimage.
The greatsword may have lacked a sharp edge, but the sheer mass of the weapon, combined with Houma's explosive strength, was enough to tear through anything.
BOOM!
The blow landed squarely. Rebuchi's body was smashed into the stone wall behind him with a thunderous crash. His internal organs shattered on impact, and in the blink of an eye, his life was gone.
"What… what kind of terrifying, tyrannical strike was that?"
Yuno stood frozen, utterly stunned.
He had always thought Asta was lagging behind. Yet without warning, he had been left in the dust.
After all, he was the prodigy, the one recognized by the four-leaf clover grimoire. Today, he had reached a new peak.
But in front of a disgraced ex-Magic Knight, even Yuno hadn't stood a chance.
And that man, in turn, was crushed without resistance… by Asta.
"Here, your grimoire. Try not to lose it again, it's a pretty important thing. If you drop it next time, I'm not picking it up."
Houma casually picked up Yuno's grimoire and tossed it back to him before turning to leave without another word.
Unbeknownst to them, everything that had happened in the alley had been witnessed from the rooftop by Will and Reke, still trembling where they'd been left earlier.
They had seen it all, clearly and unmistakably.
And now, they trembled even more violently. Their eyes were filled with despair for what the future might hold.
That short, ferocious battle had completely shattered any illusion they had of catching up to Houma.
If they'd still felt a flicker of arrogance before… now they just hoped they'd never run into this monster of a boy again.
Whether it was the five-leaf grimoire, the terrifying strength that shattered chains with a twitch, or that beast-like speed, any one of those would've been enough to kill them in an instant.
They were suddenly grateful they had surrendered when they did. If they hadn't, they might already be smeared across a wall.
Yuno held his grimoire in his hands, his gaze locked on Houma's fading figure.
That back, so familiar and yet so distant.
Back when they'd made their promise to become Magic Emperor together, how many people had laughed at that dream?
How much bitterness and despair had Houma endured alone?
Yuno didn't know.
What he did know was, no matter how much this boy had suffered, he never crumbled. Like a mountain battered by wind and rain, he always stood tall. Always fighting. Always burning with unyielding spirit.
"I've worked so hard for so many years. I thought I'd grown beyond being the crybaby I used to be.
These past few years, Asta hadn't gotten any taller, and his magic hadn't improved either… So I thought I could finally be the one to protect him.
But now I realize…
Even after all this time, I'm still just that boy in the snow, waiting for Asta to save me."
Yuno lowered his gaze, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
But only for a moment.
He quickly pulled himself together.
Because as Asta's rival, he couldn't afford to show any weakness.
He, too, would blaze a path through thorns, until he reached the summit of his dream.