"Everyone, the base is built!"
A brand-new Black Bulls headquarters now stood before them — a rock-style fortress with a giant wine pool in the center of the hall, luxurious rest rooms for eighteen people, and even Captain Yami living among beasts.
"Right now! Immediately! Return it to its original state!"
Captain Yami was the first to lose his patience. Henry, following the advice of a talking pet, reluctantly locked the captain in a cage in the basement.
"Okay~_~"
Henry sighed and began dismantling the new base to rebuild it from scratch.
But since he didn't have much magic power left, it would take some time. Everyone had no choice but to set up tents outside for the night.
"If I'd known this, I would've come back tomorrow..."
Adam was speechless. These guys treated Henry like a wish-granting well and kept making impossible requests. No one could handle this chaos.
It was tough for him too!
Finding a quiet spot beside the headquarters, Adam lay back comfortably on the grass. After all the chaos lately, he finally had a moment to breathe.
Yesterday, Patolli had found him, saying he'd discovered a secret place that could serve as the new home for the elves.
Being a reasonable boss, Adam allowed Fana to follow Patolli into the secret realm.
Rhya and Vetto had also found the Akatsuki's base and were waiting for Patolli and the others to return. Adam tagged along with them as well.
In this magical world, Adam still valued personal strength the most. But for the peace of the continent — and for the family he planned to build someday — he knew he needed allies to handle things for him.
A boss can't work every single day...
"What are you doing here, little rascal? Let's have a drink together~"
Vanessa, looking a little tipsy, stumbled toward him with a bottle of wine. With a loud bang, she tripped over a rock, and Adam quickly caught her.
"It hurts~"
Vanessa rubbed her forehead, trying to get up.
"Sister Vanessa, I want to drink imported wine!" Adam teased, pulling her back down. Their eyes met in the moonlight, the air between them heavy with an unspoken tension — both recalling that magical "story" from before.
"Bad guy~ woo~"
-XXXXX-
The next morning, the Bulls' base was finally restored to its old, familiar state. The messy, crumbling environment just felt right.
"It's still better this way!"
Adam, with dark circles under his eyes, clutched his energy core and hurried off to his room.
That witch was as fierce as a wolf and a tiger — impossible to resist!
"Adam, we're going to Senior Gordon's house. You coming?"
The Wizard King had assigned the Bulls to investigate a devil's curse.
While the base was being rebuilt, Yami had taken Asta and Finral to meet the Ice Queen Charlotte to inquire about the curse.
Charlotte, who knew about Gordon's family, had suggested they visit them. So Yami assigned the mission to Asta, Gauche, and Gray, asking them to follow Gordon to his house.
"I'll pass... I don't have any energy left."
Adam waved weakly, heading straight to his room.
Nine times of F*****g was definitely pushing it.
With a creak, the glowing Vanessa pushed open his door and walked in. That damned witch really was unstoppable...
-XXXXX-
Meanwhile, Asta and the others visited Gordon's family — a creepy clan of identical faces, who turned out to be surprisingly kind and reasonable.
Noelle, meanwhile, returned to the royal capital, where she finally learned the truth about her mother's death from her brother Nozel.
The devil's name was taboo and couldn't be spoken aloud, so Nozel sent her to the Coral Peacock squad to see Dorothy, whose Dream Magic could block out all interference.
From Dorothy, Noelle learned the name of her mother's killer — a devil named Megicula.
"I want revenge."
For years, Noelle had believed she'd been responsible for her mother's death. Now, the burden was lifted — and her resolve to destroy Megicula burned brighter than ever.
"What's this?"
On her way back to the Bulls' base, Noelle bought a newspaper and was shocked to see the front page — one headline about the execution of an elf murderer, and another about the forbidden love between the Vaude siblings!
"Oh my god!"
Noelle was speechless. The story was so explosive she had to tell everyone.
At that moment, Finese was tending to Langris, who had just woken from his coma, while Finral came by to visit him.
Neither of them knew that Finese and Langris had just read the newspaper — and Langris had fainted from sheer rage.
The once-reconciled Langris now wanted to bury Finral alive for "starting such rumors."
"Is Langris still asleep?"
With a creak, Finral quietly opened the door. Finese, blushing, handed him the paper. "Langris fainted because of this... You'd better go. He won't wake up anytime soon."
"This, this… Finese, you have to trust me! After that night, I broke up with brother!"
Finral was dumbfounded. The "fictional" story hadn't even changed their names — clearly written about them!
"I'm so pissed! I'm going to the newspaper office!"
With a loud bang, Finral stormed out, too angry to even teleport.
And the mastermind behind all this… was still sleeping soundly in his bed.
Adam, ever the "good man," had once asked Fana to write a short story based on Finral's brotherly feud and anonymously submit it to the royal newspaper — which just happened to be controlled by the Kira family, the king's lineage.
The editor-in-chief, seeing a free and juicy manuscript, didn't hesitate to publish it.
"Haha, it really sold out!"
The noble ladies of the Clover Kingdom were obsessed with the "Vaude brothers romance," even paying for a follow-up chapter.
The royal paper capitalized on the scandal. Finral was powerless to stop it, humiliated and avoiding all women afterward.
…
After sleeping for a full day, Adam woke up starving.
"Charmy, that smells amazing!"
Chef Charmy was already at work, and the aroma filled the Black Bulls' dining hall. Members gathered around eagerly.
"Dinner's ready!"
Everyone was there — except for Finral.
"Where's Finral?" Adam asked between bites of chicken.
"Don't you know?" Magna handed him a newspaper. One glance, and Adam understood immediately.
His prank had gone too well.
"Finral's been locked in his room all day," Vanessa added, looking awkward. "The brothers' relationship's even worse now."
"Who would do that to poor Finral?" Noelle frowned. "Could someone be targeting his family?"
"This guy's a pervert," Magna joked. "Probably hit on the wrong girl and got framed."
Adam froze mid-bite.
Shit! Things had spiraled way too far.
If Langris saw that headline, he'd laugh himself awake.
"Sigh... Seems their brotherly bond isn't strong enough."
With a bang, Asta burst through the door, full of energy, followed by Gauche and Gray — both looking half-dead from the gloomy visit.
"Asta, how'd it go?"
Yami, who'd just returned, asked.
"Father Gordon uses Curse Magic," Asta explained. "He said there's a really strong curse in the Heart Kingdom. If we want answers, we'll need to go there."
Because the Heart Kingdom was protected by a massive barrier, they needed formal permission to enter. Noelle said Mimosa had been there before and could guide them.
"Then I'll report this to the Wizard King. Finral!"
Finral, still sulking, was dragged along by orders from the captain.
"What happened to Senior Finral?" Gray whispered.
"It's like being dumped by Yuno!"
(つД`)?
…
The next morning, Mimosa arranged for a trip to the Heart Kingdom — but only four people could go.
Asta, Adam, Noelle, and Mimosa boarded a small boat bound for the Red Star route. They'd planned to bring Finral, the spatial mage, but his emotional damage made that impossible.
"Time heals all wounds. Sorry, Finral. I'll be more careful next time," Adam muttered quietly.
"Adam, what are you mumbling about?" Noelle asked.
"Nothing. Let's rest for a bit."
The Heart Kingdom — a city of water, protected by the immense magic of Queen Lolopechka and the water spirit Undine.
"We've reached the border," Mimosa said.
A thick fog rolled in as their boat entered the Heart Kingdom's waters. The journey was smooth and eerily calm.
"So beautiful!"
It truly was a magical place — lush greenery, abundant rivers, and fresh, clean air. Asta waved enthusiastically at the locals.
"Who are you?"
A dark-skinned warrior suddenly appeared midair, lightning crackling across his body.
"Thunder Magic…"
Before he could attack, Xiaoshui — the tiny water spirit following Adam — unleashed a massive wave that sent the man flying.
"Xiaoshui, when did you get so strong?" Adam asked in shock. That wave was almost as powerful as his Dragon Blast!
"I don't know," Xiaoshui said honestly. "Ever since we entered this kingdom, I've felt different... stronger."
"Adam, he's coming again! Sea Dragon's Roar!"
"Plant Cannonballs!"
Noelle and Mimosa unleashed attacks together, but the warrior dodged them easily.
"Thunder…"
"Gadjah, let them in."
"Yes, Queen!"
Just as he prepared to strike again, a calm voice echoed in his mind. He immediately dropped to one knee midair, stunning everyone.
"Apologies. I was only testing you."
Xiaoshui puffed up proudly, nearly releasing another attack.
"Your country's hospitality is... unique," Adam said dryly. "Lead the way."
Following the warrior, they reached the palace of Queen Lolopechka — a gentle and scholarly ruler who, with Undine's help, monitored every corner of the Heart Kingdom.
"I'm so sorry for Gadjah's actions," Lolopechka said with a polite bow.
"No problem," Adam replied. "We came here to ask for help anyway."
Noelle quickly explained their purpose — the curse investigation and their encounters with the devils.
"I see," said Lolopechka, her tone serious. "I can help, but first I want to see what kind of people you are. That will determine how much aid I can offer."
"Alright, Asta, give her your best!" Adam grinned.
Asta's Devil form, Noelle's Valkyrie Armor, Mimosa's Healing Magic, and Adam's Dragon Blast and Lightning Eyes filled the hall with overwhelming energy.
"Is that enough?" Adam asked.
"I want to see that small water spirit's power," said Lolopechka, her eyes sparkling.
Adam patted Xiaoshui's head. "You heard her, buddy."
"Boss, I feel full of energy!"
Xiaoshui grew to human size, glowing with deep blue light. The sheer power made the entire kingdom's waters tremble — even Undine's aura wavered.
"Sea, lend me your strength!"
The clash of water magic lit up the sky above the Heart Kingdom.
The island quaked, people panicked, and Adam immediately shouted, "Stop! Don't cause a scene!"
At his command, Xiaoshui stopped channeling power. The light faded, calm returned.
Undine stared in astonishment, while Lolopechka stood up, eyes wide with joy.
"You're the one I've been looking for!"
Thud!
And with a thud, the clumsy queen tripped again.
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Black Clover: I Awakened the Power of the Twelve Zodiac Talismans is now on Patreon!
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