Black Clover: Nah I'd Lose (UPDATED)

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Clash of Magic Knights could cause significant damage to their surroundings.

This was the primary reason knights preferred to avoid combat near civilians they were sworn to protect. A battle between Junior Magic Knights could result in the destruction of buildings. Intermediate Magic Knights, with their greater power, could devastate portions of cities.

Even an Intermediate knight like Kaiser, during his clash with Akeru three years ago, could create deep and wide canals in the ground with his spells, despite being only a fifth-class.

Battles between Senior Magic Knights could trigger natural disasters like earthquakes and landslides, especially when Vice-Captains were involved.

One could only imagine the catastrophic damage caused by a clash between Grand Magic Knights.

Such a battle was currently unfolding in a forest near the Black Bull's base. Akeru closed in on Yami, launching attacks from three different directions, each aimed at a vital point, and all from extremely close range. This was a significant advantage of his Mana Zone, which allowed him to manifest spells from any point within it.

Hehehe, I've finally perfected the integration of my Vibratory Chaos within my Zone, Akeru smirked internally as the spells formed and began moving towards Yami. The only weakness of this spell was its dodgeability, but within my Zone? Its lethality increases exponentially.

Vibratory Chaos was an upgraded spell Akeru had acquired six months ago upon receiving his Grimoire. It was far more lethal and versatile than its predecessor, Oscillatory Dysfunction. Akeru could even apply it to his water bullets, as he was doing in this battle, significantly increasing their penetrating power.

Suddenly, Akeru's eyes widened. Three dark spheres materialized between Yami and the spells, and Yami began to absorb them.

Dark Magic: Black Hole.

Akeru found himself unable to move, trapped within his own Mana Zone and affected by the Black Holes' powerful suction force. Fear gripped Akeru's face as Yami's arm moved, his blade inching closer.

This brat! Yami cursed internally as he sensed Akeru's Ki.

However, before the blade could strike, the purple color of Akeru's robe intensified. He propelled himself backwards, drawing in the surrounding mana and forming a small Mana Zone around himself, barely larger than his Seraph's Shell.

I knew that spell could absorb magic, but I didn't realize it could paralyze me. Luckily, the rune I created at the base to counter Henry's ability proved useful here. That was a real surprise, Akeru thought, genuinely surprised by this development.

The only truly ridiculous spell is that dimensional magic spell, though I'm fairly certain he doesn't possess it. So, I should be sa- Akeru's eyes widened to the size of saucers, almost coming out of the sockets.

Yami had thrown the Black Hole at him.

Unprepared for this unexpected move and caught off guard by the Black Hole's unusual speed at such close range, the black hole almost made contact with Akeru's mana zone. He could feel multiple red lines converging on him, realizing that Yami intended to exploit this momentary stun that would happen.

Not on my watch! All the mana within Akeru's Zone erupted in a burst of purple light, rushing towards the Black Hole.

This not only destroyed Akeru's Mana Zone but also slowed the Black Sphere enough for Akeru to activate Orion's Ordeal. He vanished from his position, but Yami retaliated with a barrage of dark slashes.

That's fast, Akeru observed, noting that these slashes were swift enough to reach him even while he was cloaked in his red robe.

Although he lacked a Mana Zone at the moment, as it took a slight amount of time to gather and control the surrounding mana, a process that was slower while moving, Akeru wasn't overly concerned.

His Seraph's Shell, or rather, his "Nursery" as he now called it, boasted exceptionally strong defenses.

This shell was also imbued with Vibratory Chaos at its boundaries, making it several times stronger than a standard Seraph's Shell.

Damn, I miscalculated those slashes, Akeru muttered as the dark slashes sliced through the shell like butter.

While the electrified purple water slowed the slashes somewhat, it wasn't enough for Akeru to completely evade them.

Akeru now faced a critical decision: dodge the lethal strikes and move in the right direction, or endure a lethal strike and move in the left direction.

Normally, the choice would be obvious, but having witnessed Yami's ability to predict future attacks in the form of red lines, and fighting an opponent who could achieve similar results through different means, Akeru could foresee the consequences of each choice.

Bystander's Magic: Still Spectator.

If I dodge to the right, the follow-up attacks Yami has prepared will strike me. Although they won't be fatal, I can sense the immense amount of mana Yami is gathering at the sole of his foot. I can already see what's about to happen. It seems that's how Yami intends to checkmate me,

Akeru analyzed the situation, considering the limited options available to him given the gravity of the moment.

Finally, Akeru made his decision and deactivated his spell.

The world began to move in fast forward.

BOOM!

A deafening sound erupted as Yami unleashed a massive burst of mana from his feet.

To Yami's shock, Akeru moved to his left.

A dark slash pierced Akeru's heart, obliterating it.

However, Akeru didn't flinch. Red lightning converged on the remaining water within his Seraph's Shell.

Risk itself presents opportunities, Akeru grinned, rushing towards the location where Yami would reappear in a fraction of a second.

Due to the incredible speed of his movement, Yami was unable to change direction. He could only coat his blade in concentrated darkness and slash forward.

Blade met hands.

The blade, cloaked in darkness, met the water erratically vibrating around Akeru's arms, electrified by the dangerous flow of red lightning.

Akeru's grin widened. The density of this dark magic is significantly higher than the slash that struck me. Also, his strike was almost instinctive. I've finally discovered his limits.

"You really are a crazy kid," Yami remarked.

"I've heard that normal people don't join the Black Bulls," Akeru replied, his manic grin still intact.

He unleashed a water bullet at point-blank range towards Yami's face.

A Black Hole materialized near Yami's head, altering the course of Akeru's bullet.

Yami kicked Akeru, sending him flying backwards like a ragdoll.

Mid-air, the red robe reappeared on Akeru's body, and he kicked the ground to create distance before Yami could capitalize on his position.

Akeru and Yami once again found themselves at a similar distance as when the battle began.

However, unlike the beginning of the battle, Akeru was panting, while Yami's breathing was heavy.

Despite the battle lasting no more than two minutes, the continuous movement and near-peak exertion had taken its toll.

Akeru's robe returned to its purple hue, and a water ball formed around him.

Seraph's Nursery.

His injury on the left side of his chest began to heal.

His Mana Zone was also reformed.

I lost my heart in exchange for understanding his limits. I wouldn't say it's the worst trade, just a poor one. I also now know exactly how to defeat him,

Akeru had become more reckless in his fighting style due to his recent mastery of healing magic.

Although it will still take me a few days to regenerate my heart, I can still function properly without it thanks to the skills I've developed,

If Mimosa had witnessed how Akeru was utilizing her "teachings," their next conversation would undoubtedly have been quite interesting.

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Alternate title: Insanity?

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Guys, this is a slight AU, I suppose, as I've spent some time elaborating on the prowess of each level of Magic Knight. It might be a bit of a stretch considering the canon, but the author hasn't really expanded on that, so I took the liberty of making some changes. What do you guys think?

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