Asta's Adventure

Sorry, guys, I was playing Half-Life and preparing for my exam, so I couldn't release chapters yesterday. In fact, until Saturday, I'll only be able to release a maximum of two chapters a day. But for now, enjoy reading!

---

Asta stared at the observation platform with fury. What the hell? he was about to shout when David stopped him, whispering something in his ear.

"Wait, Asta, listen. The one who shot at you is a member of one of the Magic Knight squads that despises commoners. On top of that, he's from a royal family. For now, it's better not to provoke him. If you insult him, he could even have you executed."

"Really?" Asta said with surprise but then clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He didn't want to tolerate such arrogance.

Seeing this, David added, "Don't worry, Asta. If you join a Magic Knight squad, he won't be able to pull stunts like this anymore."

Hearing this, Asta relaxed but asked David with a glowing smile, "So if I join a Magic Knight squad, will I be able to punch him in the face?"

"How can you say that with such a smile?" David sighed. "No, Asta. Unfortunately, he'll still remain a member of the royal family. But if you become a captain or even the Wizard King, I'm sure no one will dare to challenge you."

"Is that so? Well, I was planning to become the Wizard King anyway," Asta said, glancing quickly at Solid to remember his face.

Sitting on Asta's shoulder, Secre clicked her beak in annoyance and also stared at Solid.

At that moment, Asta felt something again. Preparing his shield, he saw a blond-haired man with a manic smile appear in front of him in a flash of lightning.

Looking directly at Asta, the blond said, "You look strong! Let's fight!"

"What?" Asta said, lowering his shield.

"Fight a Magic Knight?" Asta pondered this, his excitement growing. Staring at the man before him, he nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, the blond clapped his hands with sparks of blue lightning dancing around him and quickly extended his hand in greeting. "Let's introduce ourselves first! I'm Luck Voltia from the Black Bulls!"

Shaking his hand, Asta replied with a smile, "I'm Asta, from Hage Village."

Then Luck pointed ahead and said, "Let's head to the arena."

---

The coliseum was bathed in bright sunlight, and on its heated sands stood two fighters ready for battle. Luck Voltia, the Lightning Mage, had a cocky grin on his face, with electrical sparks dancing around his body. Opposite him was Asta, a young man without magic but with determination blazing in his eyes.

A few spectators watched the event from the stands. Leopold Vermillion observed the match's beginning with interest.

"Hmph. I don't sense any mana from that gray-haired guy. Does he have none at all?" he said aloud.

Solid Silva sat in his seat with an expression of disdain.

"What else can you expect from commoners?" he sneered.

Langris Vaude scratched his chin, carefully observing every move.

Magna Swing, quietly rooting for Luck, was trying to hold back his enthusiasm. David, sitting alone, was confident in Asta's victory, despite everyone else's doubts.

"Ha-ha! Let's have some fun!" Luck shouted, his voice echoing across the arena. Sparks of lightning flashed, and he charged forward.

Asta calmly opened his bag and pulled out a rusty sword with a crimson ruby embedded in it. His face was focused as he readied himself for the attack.

Luck was already close, his lightning-fast strike aiming for Asta. But Asta raised his shield, and the air filled with tension as lightning clashed against the shield, the magic being absorbed.

"Again with this shield… What a strange feeling," Luck muttered, surprised that his magic wasn't just nullified but absorbed.

Leopold, intrigued, commented, "That shield… could it be an artifact?"

Solid, pursing his lips, skeptically added, "It doesn't matter what it is. A commoner will still lose to a member of the Black Bulls."

Langris furrowed his brows, analyzing the situation. "That shield doesn't seem ordinary. This might not be as simple as it looks."

---

Feeling a rush of adrenaline, Luck charged at Asta again. Lightning coiled around his body, flashing brightly. He tried to flank Asta, aiming for a swift and unexpected strike from the side. But Asta, using his strength and agility, dodged and stepped back, raising his shield to prepare for the next attack.

"This guy's faster than I thought," Luck muttered, grinning. "You're not bad, huh?"

Asta remained silent, his gaze locked on his opponent. Seizing an opportunity, he threw one of his rusty knives. Luck dodged, but the knife grazed his shoulder, and for a moment, his lightning weakened.

"Hey, what is this thing?" Luck grinned, noticing the temporary drain on his magic.

The spectators were puzzled by what had just happened.

"What's going on with Luck? Did his magic just weaken?" Magna murmured under his breath.

"Wow, that guy has some interesting weapons. And he seems strong. I'm getting fired up!" Leopold muttered as flames danced around him.

Solid, irritated by the scene, scoffed coldly. "This is all just cheap tricks."

Langris narrowed his eyes, carefully watching.

Unable to sit still, Magna clenched his fists and shouted, "Come on, Luck! What are you doing?! This guy can't be stronger than you!"

---

Luck, fully immersed in his excitement, activated his full concentration. His lightning intensified, forming arcs around his arms and legs. He charged at Asta with even greater speed, abruptly changing direction at the last second to strike from the side. Asta, relying on his instincts, raised his shield and absorbed the blow. The shield glowed as if the absorbed magic was about to be released.

Instead of unleashing the energy, Asta threw the shield aside, embedding it in the ground. Luck surged forward, but Asta grabbed his sword and aimed it at his opponent. From the ruby embedded in the sword, a stream of black energy burst forth, instantly disrupting Luck's mana flow. His lightning disappeared, leaving him momentarily vulnerable.

"What… What is this?!" Luck exclaimed, still smiling as his legs wavered briefly.

Leopold, unable to hide his surprise, shouted, "I can't sense any mana from the blond guy! Did that weapon neutralize his magic? How is this possible?!"

Solid clenched his fists, his irritation evident. "It's just a fluke. This won't last long."

Langris, now intrigued, looked at Asta with new interest. "Neutralizing magic? This is no joke."

---

Despite temporarily losing control of his magic, Luck had no intention of giving up. His grin widened, and his eyes gleamed with madness.

"Ha-ha! This is amazing! You've surprised me, kid! But I'm not done yet!" he shouted, charging at Asta, relying solely on speed and his fists.

Asta, on the other hand, seemed entirely calm. He discarded his sword and rushed forward to meet Luck in hand-to-hand combat. Despite Luck's speed, Asta's durability, honed from countless battles with mana beasts and strong opponents, rendered the punches ineffective.

"He's fast. Very fast. But he's not strong," Asta thought as he absorbed the blows.

Unbeknownst to them, one by one, the captains began appearing on the observation platform, their gazes fixed on the arena.