It appeared as though humanity would be destroyed by the demon.
But a single mage saved them all.
His name was Lumiere Silvamillion Clover.
He would eventually be called the first Wizard King, and he became a legend.
Heya. I somehow survived.
Though I'm a bit smaller now.
Yami...
I leave the rest to you...
Wait, wait, wait. Yeah, no. You definitely died.
That was definitely leading up to you dying.
That was, like, your end.
Weren't you leaving everything to me or something?
Could you give me back my determination?
Yami, you're being a bit scary.
Sorry I was so useless when the kingdom was in such danger.
I thought my magic would kick in sooner, but...
Magic?
It's probably about thirteen years' worth...
I'd stored time into a certain magic item.
I had to take a bet on whether it'd actually activate or not.
Damn it...
You're such a crazy old man.
But I got to see your face when I thought I never would again.
I guess that's not so bad.
Master Julius...
I... I...
William Vangeance. No matter what the reason may have been,
betraying the kingdom is a grave crime.
Many were hurt,
and it will take time for everyone to recover.
I'm not going to let you sit idle during that time.
Wait, aren't you going kinda easy on him?
After everything he did, you're not gonna punish him at all?
Well, I'm the one who invited William into the Magic Knights
and appointed him as a captain.
I'm responsible for what happened, too...
and for losing against the other soul that was in him,
the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
William, I'm sure there will be those who resent you
for being a part of all of this.
But I know how much you suffered, too.
Do you have the resolve to withstand that hatred and proceed?
I pledge my grimoire once again to you, and to the kingdom.
This time, for good.
For crying out loud, this guy...
He may have shrunk, but he hasn't changed one bit.
Three Problems
Now, then...
All of you worked very hard.
The battle has ended, and now we can live happily ever after.
Or so I'd like to say,
but currently, we have three problems.
Who is this guy? He called us here out of the blue.
He's just a kid.
What a snotty little brat.
I swear I've sensed this mana somewhere before...
Captain Yami! This ki... Don't tell me he's...
The first problem.
The Wizard King is gone.
He's standing right here.
That's you, remember?
What?!
What?! I knew it!
Most of my magic is now gone.
This is all that's left of my grimoire,
which means I won't be able to fight,
and my influence on the hard-line monarchist nobles who prioritize the wealth
and power of this kingdom has been weakened.
Ooh, me! Me, me, me!
How did you get so small, and why are you alive, Wizard King?!
Mister Energy really doesn't hold back at all.
Well, you see, during my incognito wanderings, I found
magic storage technology left behind by some ancient mages.
According to some documents I found in the castle's library,
it's called Swallowtail.
My time magic and Swallowtail were very compatible.
I stored my time and magic into the emblem on my forehead little by little.
Time that would let me start over in case something happened to me.
But I didn't get to start over immediately, and I only made it as far as this age.
Guess things don't always go as planned.
Uh, this is plenty. You don't usually get do-overs in life.
You're insane, you old man who looks like a kid.
Secré! We did it!
We've finally completed our first prototype!
We're now one step closer
to the peaceful, fair world that you so long to create, Your Highness.
It's all thanks to you, Secré.
You seem to think that your magic isn't useful, but that's not true.
Your Highness...
I came up with a name for this magic item...
But it's still a secret, Secré Swallowtail.
My prince, our magic item has survived all this time
and saved the life of someone who carries on your legacy.
I'm just so glad that you're alive, Wizard King!
Thank you. I see that you're as lively as ever, Asta.
I heard you did a great job yet again.
I did my best! But I've still got a long way to go!
As for Noelle and Mimosa,
I can imagine how much you must have risked your own lives
in this endeavor just by how much your mana has grown.
Yes, sir!
And as for our guest that I don't recognize...
What kind of magic do you use?!
My many years of incognito wandering tell me
you definitely use some unique kind of magic!
Yeah, yeah. Get on with your explanation already.
We need to hurry out there and help the others.
Sorry about that.
I see the Wizard King hasn't changed.
He sure hasn't.
He's definitely the same.
So what's the remaining two of these three problems?
I'm trying to keep those two secret as much as possible.
But I predict that, at this rate,
the Clover Kingdom will be destroyed by the surrounding countries.
You mean...
The Diamond Kingdom and the other ones?!
Or Asta dies.
What?!
Asta?!
Wh-Why, though?!
Wait, why is either the Clover Kingdom going to be destroyed or I just die?!
Or it could even be both.
His predictions are pretty spot-on, too.
Sucks to be you, kid. Namu.
Why are we going forward with me dying?!
What the heck is going on, Wizard King?!
Asta, a devil is the source of your black power.
A d-devil?
Just like that creepy, black guy?
I mean, when I use my black powers, it feels similar, but...
A devil?
So that form Asta takes...
It really was similar to the one Granny told us about when we were kids.
Is your body okay using powers like that?
I'm totally fine! Though my whole body hurts like hell afterward!
I wouldn't call that fine, Asta.
A devil? Wow, talk about creepy. Gross.
Back off, man.
Captain Yami! You don't know how much your words can hurt people sometimes!
Your black horn is proof that humans ventured into a forbidden realm
and involved themselves in a world beyond this one.
It's a curse known as weg.
There appear to be other Magic Knights who have similar curses.
Other than me?
U-Um...
A world beyond ours?
I don't have all the details, but it's said that the devils live there.
And the five-leaf grimoire that one devil failed to obtain
has another devil inhabiting it.
You're...
So your horns are...
Five hundred years ago,
I fell under the curse of forbidden magic in order to seal the devil.
The curse and my magic mingled, and this happened.
I can switch forms as I choose now.
Nero's talking! How adorable!
That's amazing! This seems different from transformation magic!
So you're sealing yourself into the form of that bird!
To think the penalty for forbidden magic would overlap with
unusual magic to produce a result like this.
Ancient magic is truly fascinating!
Uh, so, Wizard King... What's this about m-me dying?!
Is the devil going to explode or something?!
Oh, sorry about that.
First, there are three kingdoms surrounding the Clover Kingdom.
There's Diamond, an aggressor kingdom that has a powerful army
Aggressor Kingdom Diamond
thanks to their magic scholars, and has no problem with experimenting on humans.
Heart is an unseen, neutral kingdom of mystery that takes in and uses
Kingdom of Mystery Heart
its abundant natural mana, perfecting its own unique magic.
And then there's the Spade Kingdom.
Demon Kingdom Spade
A kingdom of winter, mysteries, and demons that is served by the ancient evils
that sleep in its vast, frigid land, and is attempting to gain supremacy.
Like Diamond, our immediate neighbor,
Spade Kingdom
Diamond Kingdom
Clover Kingdom
the Spade Kingdom is attempting to extend its influence across
Heart Kingdom
the strong magic region that separates us.
But currently, the Magic Knights that defend our kingdom
have grown exhausted like never before.
Not only that, but some turned against us,
even if just for a moment, because of the reincarnations.
That currently puts them on shaky ground.
Not to mention what Julius looks like right now.
Wait, wait, wait, wait!
It wasn't any of their faults, though!
They were taken over by elves!
Or rather, it was all because of that "Hur hur hur" devil guy!
Which means we need people to know that
they were just being manipulated by that devil!
Exactly. And so the Magic Parliament will probably put the power
of your devil on trial to find it guilty.
After all, a peasant who uses the powers of an unknown devil as you do
is a perfect scapegoat to take the fall for everyone.
No way! But I haven't done anything wrong!
What the heck's this Magic Parliament, anyway?!
You seriously don't know about that?
The Magic Parliament is made up of royalty and nobles who create laws
and conduct trials for significant crimes.
They are one of the highest authorities in this kingdom.
And one of the three great royal families stands at its center.
The House of Kira.
The current king's royal family, which has the most authority.
Well done! Excellent work protecting me!
Member of the Green Praying Mantises, Sekke Bronzazza!
Bah-ha?
You're only a commoner, but you did fine work!
So this is what Julius meant when he said that even the lowliest had potential!
The Green Praying Mantises Squad is nothing but commoners,
and your captain is downright psychotic, so I never liked him, but well done!
What the heck's going on?
All hell broke loose in the royal capital,
so I was trying to get the hell out...
Bah-ha?! The king?!
Y-Y-Y-You're not dead, are you?!
This isn't my fault, is it?!
So this all just happened by coincidence.
Your Majesty...
With my newly-awakened, true powers, it was a piece of cake!
Such a brave young lad!
My luck's been crap ever since I met that brat at the Entrance Exam,
but now, my comeback success story is about to start!
That's the star I was born under!
There he is.
There's a Magic Knight with him,
but he's a low-ranking one that won't give us any problems.
Augustus Kira, we've come for you life!
Who the hell are you?!
Wait... What the hell, bah-ha?
You don't need to know that.
This will all be blamed on the Eye of the Midnight Sun, anyway.
Die!
I have no idea what's going on...
But I'm counting on you, Sekke!
Bah-ha?!
I barely have any magic left!
My magic... it shrank!
You anti-monarchist nobles,
taking advantage of the kingdom and castle's crisis to harm the king...
You...
are evil.
Kneel!
What the hell kind of magic is that?!
I can't... move.
You're... from the House of Kira.
Are you all right, Your Majesty?
I certainly am not all right, Damnatio!
My clothes are filthy!
Speaking of filthy, this reaction...
So it finally appeared.
In the name of the royal family... In the name of justice...
Damnatio Kira
I swear I will condemn you,
devil-possessed wretch!
Several days later,
the royal capital, after being destroyed by the elves' attack,
was steadily being rebuilt under the leadership of Fuegoleon and Nozel.
Smiles were finally returning to the people's faces.
And as for Asta and the others...
Come on, eat up! Miz Charmy's food will recover your mana, too!
You must be Asta!
I heard you did great in the battle the other day! I'm honored to meet you!
Nah, it wasn't that big of a deal.
Wait, who are you?
Oh, I do apologize.
I work with the Magic Parliament.
Hey, those are the guys the Wizard King mentioned.
Would you mind testifying before us about what happened during the battle?
We want to know the truth.
The truth?
That's our duty, after all.
Ah, the mysterious maiden!
You should also join us and tell us what happened.
Okay, let's go, Nero!
What?
Asta, wait. What are you—
It'll be fine! They seem like a bunch of reasonable guys.
Besides, we'll be the best ones to explain what happened
with the elves and the devil,
and how the reincarnation spell was broken.
Magic Parliament Courthouse
Please step inside.
I'm getting super nervous!
Your position is compromised because of your black power.
Don't let your guard down.
We managed to get through to the elves.
We'll be able to work this out as long as we get to talk.
What the heck is this?!
Who is that?
He's so vulgar and rowdy.
Who knows what he would do if we didn't handcuff him?
The pillar of legislation and justice for the Clover Kingdom,
the Magic Parliament.
I am the chairman, Damnatio Kira,
and I shall pass judgment upon Asta of the Black Bulls.
Th-This isn't what we talked about!
You're already treating me like a criminal!
Looks like we fell right into their trap.
My eyes didn't deceive me.
I knew that brat was up to no good.
Precisely!
I don't know what he's guilty of, but take that, bah-ha!
And after I let you into the Royal Knights! You ungrateful wretch!
Asta of the Black Bulls...
From the church in Hage Village that lies in the Forsaken Realm.
You are a peasant,
an orphan, and I cannot feel an ounce of magic from you.
The Forsaken Realm?!
Goodness!
Filthy little peasant.
And you, girl...
Hey... Those horns...
The kingdom has no record of her birth,
and her horns are proof that she has dabbled in forbidden magic.
Forbidden?! How vile!
They testify that this disturbance was caused by a devil
who ensnared and controlled the Magic Knights.
That's right!
The Magic Knights were possessed because of that devil!
D-Devil?!
Bah... ha? Uh, this is turning into a bigger mess than I expected.
Peasants can't be trusted.
How uncouth! He may be a Magic Knight, but he's from the Black Bulls.
Aren't those horns a sign that she sold her soul to the devil?
That must be it!
Wizard King Julius worked so hard...
And yet there's still this much prejudice and discrimination.
So much that it's dimming Asta's determination
to make us all understand each other.
Their kind has always been the only kind of people that gather here.
Hey, listen to me!
I'm not lying!
In this trial, either you were going to be convicted as a devil
or the Magic Knights were going to pay for their sins. Those were the only two options.
And you can't abandon other people.
The scales reveal that you are
simple, impulsive, and dealt with easily.
A single peasant,
or the cornerstone of the kingdom's defense, the Magic Knights.
It's obvious which way the sales will tip.
I wonder where this devil that you speak of is.
I told you! We defeated him!
Nero worked hard for so long to make it happen!
Everyone here suspects that you are
the ones who are truly in communication with the devil.
No! The one in my grimoire is—
Anything you say right now will just get warped.
Revealing the black power is too risky.
If there is no devil, we'll just have to pass judgment on everyone in turn.
Bring her in.
Marie?!
Asta!
This is Marie Adlai.
She was a daughter of the House of Adlai,
but she is now a ruined noble who lives in a church with orphans.
Her older brother is an ex-convict.
We have determined that, during the recent great battle, her eye magic
caused indirect harm to Magic Knights and the citizenry.
Quit making things up!
Marie didn't do any of that on purpose!
Indeed.
If a devil truly exists, there's no doubt she was manipulated.
But if there is no proof of that,
all that remains are her undeniable crimes.
Therefore...
She must be judged!
In the name of justice!
Stop!
I-I'm...
You are evil.
Guilty!
You've made it loud and clear how you operate.
Look at him!
There's no way in hell I'm going to acknowledge your justice!
And we won't even attempt to reach an understanding with a devil.
Damnatio tends to be very serious and stubborn,
so he probably won't let Asta off the hook that easily.
Next time on Black Clover, Page 122: "As Pitch Black as It Gets."
Page 122 As Pitch Black as It Gets
Hey, I have a great idea for how to save Asta!