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.
The devil we sealed away 500 years ago...
The day his seal would be broken was drawing near.
Going against all reason in this world,
I somehow assumed the form of a bird
and continued to watch over Licht's grimoire.
This place was now known as Hage Village,
a place far, far away from the royal capital
of the Clover Kingdom, out in the boonies.
A small village in the Forsaken Realm.
Asta, are you okay?
I'm so sorry. It's all my fault... I'm sorry...
This is nothin'!
I'm gonna become the Wizard King.
I'm gonna become the Wizard King... and protect you and everyone else.
I'm gonna make everyone even happier! So we can have even nicer things!
And then, I'm gonna prove to everyone...
Prove?
That even if you're poor... or an orphan...
you can still become the Wizard King.
We can?
Yeah.
Can we really?
Anyone can... if they work hard enough!
Anyone?
Me, or even you, Yuno!
I'll... never cry again.
Maybe I... no...
Yuno?
I will...
I'll become the Wizard King, too!
I'll get stronger, and protect you and everyone else!
I'm gonna make everyone happier! So we can have nicer things!
Nero Reminisces... Part Two
Where... am I?
What in the world is going on?!
Didn't I die?
Huh?! Licht?
What's going on? I somehow look like Licht!
Did my soul somehow end up in Licht?
No... The feeling of this mana...
This body... It's human!
A human that looks like Licht?
That's right... I'm sure that I died.
The thing that Licht activated when our magic was sealed...
It must've been forbidden magic!
Meaning... a reincarnation spell.
This is...
I can tell... I can feel them.
Raia's soul...
The souls of all the elves from the village!
Licht must have activated a reincarnation spell in those last moments!
In order to save us elves!
I have...
been chosen.
I will become Licht.
No matter what I have to do...
I will bring back all the elves.
And this time...
The humans betrayed someone precious to me. They betrayed all of us!
This time...
This time, we'll destroy the humans!
The only ones I can resurrect right now are these three.
For a complete rebirth... In order to resurrect everyone else,
I will require a phenomenal amount of power and sacrifices.
We'll gather the magic stones that were once in our village,
which have now been scattered.
By using the humans, of course.
Isn't that a wonderful idea?
Yeah.
Let's do this, Licht.
We will get revenge against those loathsome humans.
I will give them endless despair!
Humans, you shall serve as the foundation of the resurrection.
Resurrecting the elves and getting revenge on the humans....
It was all due to a tragic misunderstanding.
But they didn't know any better.
Everything happened according to how a devil had planned it.
The royal capital... The Clover Kingdom itself was about to be overrun by dark clouds.
But at that time,
I spotted hope.
A gri... moire?
My prince... Finally...
The time has come.
The three leaves of the clover represent faith, hope, and love.
Within a fourth leaf dwells good luck.
Within a fifth leaf...
resides a devil.
That devil happened
to be different from the one who had destroyed the elves' village.
That devil would end up aiding the boy with no magic, Asta.
Eventually, Patry and his comrades would
call themselves the Eye of the Midnight Sun
and set out in search of the magic stones.
By collecting all of the magic stones,
they could resurrect the rest of the elves.
This is your execution.
They attacked a village in the boonies...
Fuegoleon!
...attacked the royal capital,
attacked the Underwater Temple,
and finally,
they collected all of the magic stones.
M-Marie?
Things keep happening one after another. What's going on?
What the...
Too bad...
What is?
The era of the humans has come to an end.
Yuno... Hamon... Klaus...
Do not talk to us.
You are not one of us.
The resurrection of the other elves was complete.
Begone, humans!
Now, the time for revenge has come!
Those who guide the elves... The Apostles of Sephira!
The Apostles of Sephira
By infusing Gravito Stones with magic,
we will open the door to the underworld
that was sealed under Clover Castle!
The hell is that?
What in the world is that?
It's a magic space that acts as the border between this world and the next.
The elves of antiquity entrusted it to the humans in an ancient pact.
It's called the Shadow Palace.
By setting the final magic stone into the monument,
the elves' resurrection would become permanent,
and the souls of their human hosts would be destroyed.
Asta and the others gathered at the Shadow Palace for their final battle.
But the thing that awaited them was...
What is this cold, pitch-black magic?
Don't tell me he's...
A devil!
What in the world is that creature?
Thought it's still incomplete, I haven't been in my own body in centuries.
What a wonderful feeling.
Elf that was chosen by a four-leaf grimoire, I commend you.
I praise you from the bottom of my heart
for everything you've done up to this point, as well as the results you have shown me.
And now, I shall have you taste the depths of despair, like he did back then.
What... are you talking about?
What's... going on?
That day, the one who tricked the humans into destroying the elves
was me!
And then you lot managed to let me fool you in the most amusing way, too.
The revenge went according to plan.
All of you are fools!
Five centuries ago, they got in my way,
and though I was close, my incarnation failed.
You were the next one I set my sights on.
A new sacrifice that was loved by mana, still young, and swayed oh so easily.
Tragedy and a sense of mission...
That was enough for you to dabble in forbidden magic,
which allowed the elves' souls to be reincarnated in human bodies.
What are you talking about?
The one... The one who reincarnated us is Licht!
Even if it meant dabbling in forbidden magic, he gave us our last hope!
Wrong.
Because I was the one who reincarnated you elves.
Your leader doesn't want the humans exterminated.
Restoring the elves and that revenge you longed for... All false goals.
You merely walked down the path I prepared for you,
neatly leading the other fools after you.
You truly did a splendid job.
In the end, it led you to a future that Licht didn't want,
It's a lie... It's a lie... It's a lie... It's a lie... It's a lie...
and my incarnation, which finally allowed my soul to return to my body.
Indeed. You were chosen...
as my brilliant, foolish pawn.
Excellent work.
This is just too amusing!
Elves and humans... Your dreams and ambitions make the best playthings!
When the owner of a four-leaf grimoire is engulfed in deep despair,
a five-leaf grimoire is born.
At last, I possess both my body and my pitch-black grimoire.
I can rule over the current world as a devil with my true form and power!
But we weren't about to let that devil have his way.
I spent all this time alone to ensure that wouldn't happen.
Now that your seal has been broken, that means my seal will also...
Nero?
What a pathetic state you're in. If only my spell was more complete...
No, the only reason I was able to return is because of you.
Huh?
Welcome back, my prince.
I'm sorry I kept you waiting.
The first Wizard King...
The legendary statue had life within it.
And you're—Huh?!
N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-Nero, is that you?!
Today, we put an end to this long fight!
Right now, it's not just us.
We have friends that feel the same way we do.
Please...
Win this, Asta!
This light... I can feel my power welling forth.
Is Asta at his limit?
Asta, I'm gonna leave you behind if you can't keep up!
Where do you think you're going, Yuno?!
That anti-magic brat is merely letting himself
be pulled along, following that wind magic. He's hopeless.
They're nothing to worry about... hmm?
Where'd the anti-magic brat go?
He hid in the shadows of the severed magic!
He's in my blind spot, coming from a different direction!
They're pulling each other in and speeding up!
"Sto—"
"Stop."
"Weaken!"
"Go back!"
"Hold back!"
"Stop!"
I reached my... limit?
Asta!
Too bad!
Mana Zone...
Dark Cloaked Dimension Slash ~ Equinox!
Equinox
Dark magic can interfere with the other world!
This ki...
It's... Captain Yami!
You maggots!
Sealing Recovery Magic... Heavenly Prison: Faint Omen.
I've sealed his physical damage.
Now it's just a question of whether he can draw out his anti-magic power.
Asta!
Die!
Perish!
Disappear!
You go ahead and do that!
You pieces of trash!
Asta...
You're going to be...
You're going to be the Wizard King, right?
Yeah!
Right here, right now...
I'll surpass my limits!
Impossible...
This can't be... Impossible!
Inconceivable... I...
Hey there, chief.
Who...
Who are you?
Who...
Like you need to know that.
It doesn't matter how strong or amazing you are.
You've lost, and you're about to disappear.
See ya, loser.
We... won...
Thank you.
My prince...
I guess it's time.
I don't have the magic to keep this body together anymore.
My prince...
Secré... Though I guess you might be Nero now.
Will you watch their futures and ideals play out for me, as well?
Prince Lumiere! I've always...
If you're going, I'll go with you!
I gave everything I had 500 years ago,
and my life was supposed to end back then.
But thanks to you, I was able to protect the future.
That's more than enough.
I don't want you to close off your own potential.
I'm looking forward to futures beyond this one.
Both of the Magic Knights, and the Clover Kingdom you'll defend.
I... The fact that I got to serve you for all this time...
made me very happy!
And I was happy, too.
Five hundred years...
Thank you so much for waiting for me for five hundred years,
Secré.
My prince...
I'm sure there are many more hardships ahead.
But I'm sure we'll be okay.
Because I'm not alone anymore.
The Black Bulls return to where their hideout once was.
As they try to reconstruct their hideout,
the Black Bulls become drained and collapse, one by one.
What could be happening to them?
Next time on Black Clover, Page 125: "Return."
Page 125 Return