The Lion's Dawn

The scorching heat of the volcano pressed against them as Asta, Escanor, Yuno, Noelle, Leopold, Sol, Yami, Charlotte, Mereoleona, and the Crimson Lion members stood at the base of the treacherous mountain. Towering cliffs of molten rock surrounded them, and the air shimmered with intense heat. At the very peak, hidden beyond waves of unbearable temperatures, lay the legendary hot spring.

Mereoleona turned to face the group, her wild amber eyes burning with an intensity that matched the inferno around them. She folded her arms, her crimson cloak billowing in the wind.

"Listen up, maggots!" she bellowed, her voice booming through the rocky terrain. "This isn't some relaxing trip to the hot springs! If you think this will be easy, then you're free to turn back now—just know you'll forever remain weaklings!"

Asta, ever the loud and energetic one, clenched his fists. "Hah! Easy! I can handle anything!"

Leopold snorted, looking at him. "You say that now, but this is no joke. This is training meant to push us beyond our limits!"

Mereoleona smirked. "Exactly. The only way to survive in battle is to make your body tougher than steel. But before you weaklings even think about climbing that mountain, you need to master Mana Skin—a technique that lets you coat your body in mana to endure harsh conditions!"

She raised a hand, and a fierce aura of mana erupted around her body like a blazing inferno. The sheer force of it made the ground tremble. The Crimson Lions followed suit, their bodies flickering with fiery energy. Even Yuno's wind magic stirred in response while Charlotte's blue roses pulsed with magical energy.

But there was one glaring issue.

"Uh…" Asta scratched his head. "I don't have any mana…"

Mereoleona's smirk widened. "I know. That's why you'll have to rely on your own power. Your Anti-Magic form. That strange transformation you enter—Black Asta."

Asta's eyes widened. "Wait… Black Asta?!"

Leopold crossed his arms. "Yeah, I came up with that name. Sounds cool, right?"

"IT DOES SOUND COOL!" Asta shouted in excitement, completely ignoring the intense training ahead.

Mereoleona rolled her eyes. "Enough talking! If you're serious about getting stronger, tap into that form! Let your power consume you and control it!"

She launched a blast of searing flames straight at Asta.

"WOAHHHHH!" Asta barely dodged, rolling across the ground as the fire exploded behind him. "HEY! WARN ME FIRST!"

"There's no warning in real battle, brat!" Mereoleona growled. "If you don't figure this out, you'll burn to a crisp before you even reach the halfway mark!"

Asta gritted his teeth. He focused, gripping his Demon Slayer sword, and let the familiar dark energy swirl around him. Black, jagged anti-magic crackled across his body as his form shifted. A single black horn emerged from his head, his right arm surging with power. The weightless sensation of the form filled him with strength.

"Alright!" He grinned. "Let's do this!"

The others had already begun mastering Mana Skin.

Yuno effortlessly coated himself in wind magic, his movements fluid and precise. He hovered above the ground, manipulating the currents around him with ease.

Noelle, despite her struggle, clenched her fists. Streams of water mana swirled around her, though not yet stable. She remembered her training and focused. The moment she calmed her mind, the Mana Skin settled over her like a protective shield.

Leopold's flames roared like a raging inferno, his crimson aura flaring outward as he grinned with determination. Sol's earth-based mana took the form of protective layers of rock over her body.

Then, there was Escanor.

He simply stood there, completely unaffected by the heat. His body, infused with the power of the sun, radiated an aura of absolute dominance.

Mereoleona observed him with a raised eyebrow. "Hmph. Your body already functions like an endless sun. But can you control that power?"

Escanor turned to her, his usual soft demeanor present, though there was an unmistakable confidence in his voice. "That depends… would you like to test it?"

Mereoleona grinned. "I like you. Try not to die up there."

With that, she turned to the rest of the group. "Enough standing around! Start climbing! You'll either learn Mana Skin on the way up or get left behind!"

The moment she finished speaking, the heat intensified. The very ground beneath them shimmered, and massive flames erupted from the rocky terrain. Lava pools bubbled, sending bursts of molten rock into the air. The path ahead was nothing short of hell.

Asta smirked. "This is gonna be awesome!"

Yami stretched his arms. "Well, time to get movin'. I ain't about to lose to some hot rock."

Charlotte glared at him. "Just stay out of my way."

With Mereoleona leading the charge, the mages sprinted forward, dodging bursts of fire and enduring the brutal conditions. The real training had begun.

And by the end of it, they would either become stronger… or be left in the dust.

The searing heat of the volcano intensified with every passing second, the air shimmering with waves of suffocating warmth. The jagged rocks beneath their feet burned with latent magic, the path ahead littered with geysers of scalding steam.

Yet, despite the treacherous conditions, the mages advanced.

With effortless grace, Yuno, Yami, and Charlotte propelled themselves forward.

Yuno's wind magic enveloped his body, forming a protective cyclone that allowed him to glide swiftly through the fiery updrafts. His control over mana was second to none, and with his Spirit Dive form, the heat was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

"Hah, this isn't too bad," Yuno muttered to himself as he soared ahead.

Charlotte, ever composed, manipulated her Briar Magic to form long, thorny vines. They wrapped around the surrounding rocks, pulling her forward with ease. The blue roses pulsed with mana, shielding her from the oppressive heat.

"Focus, Yami," Charlotte said, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of the Black Bulls captain lazily surfing on a massive slab of rock.

Yami exhaled, the smoldering tip of his cigarette glowing faintly. "Tch. Ain't no reason to waste energy when I can just use Reinforcement Magic and ride the wind currents." He leaned forward, pushing off with Ki-enhanced movement, propelling himself higher up the volcano.

"Show-off," Charlotte muttered, her cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink before she refocused on the climb.

Meanwhile, the Crimson Lions, led by Leopold, moved at a measured pace.

Unlike Yuno, Yami, and Charlotte, they didn't rush. Instead, they embraced the struggle, walking through the intense heat while focusing on controlling their Mana Skin.

Leopold, his flames roaring around his body, clenched his fists. "This is perfect! The harder it is, the stronger we'll become!"

Sol grinned, using her Earth Magic to create footholds in the unstable ground. "This heat is nothing compared to Lady Charlotte's training!"

The other Crimson Lions pushed themselves forward, sweat dripping from their brows as they steadily adapted to the environment.

Further below, Asta and Escanor moved at their own pace.

Asta, still adjusting to Black Asta, activated Black Meteorite to launch himself forward, but something unexpected happened.

Instead of going in a straight line, Asta felt himself being pulled toward Mereoleona's overwhelming mana.

"WHOA! WHAT THE—"

His body rocketed toward the peak at blinding speed, his Black Form drawn toward Mereoleona's sheer presence.

Mereoleona, standing at the summit, smirked as she saw the streak of black hurtling toward her.

"Heh. So your Anti-Magic senses mana and reacts accordingly?" she mused, watching Asta barely control his trajectory.

"OH CRAP—!" Asta barely managed to twist his body mid-air before slamming into a massive rock face, the impact sending debris flying.

From below, Escanor watched the chaotic display and sighed. "Hmmm. He seems quite reckless."

Beside him, Noelle was breathing heavily, her Mana Skin flickering as she struggled to maintain it.

"The heat… it's worse than I expected," she admitted, sweat dripping from her forehead.

Escanor, unaffected by the environment, walked beside her, his Sunlight Mana keeping him completely at ease. He turned his golden eyes toward her.

"You rely too much on brute force," Escanor noted. "Mana, like the sun, must be harnessed and refined. Instead of trying to block the heat, let it become a part of you."

Noelle's eyes widened slightly. "Become… part of me?"

"Exactly. The sun does not fight the heat—it is the heat." Escanor smiled. "Do not fear the mana of this place. Accept it, and it will no longer control you."

Noelle took a deep breath, focusing inward. Slowly, she tried to harmonize with the mana zone instead of resisting it.

As the flames around them roared, her Water Magic began to stabilize, the protective layer of mana over her skin growing stronger.

Escanor nodded in approval. "Good. Now, let's keep moving."

With newfound resolve, Noelle matched his stride, determination burning in her eyes as they climbed further up the volcano.

The Peak Awaits…

At the very top, Mereoleona watched them all.

Her sharp gaze took in their different methods of climbing—the soaring elites, the disciplined warriors, the reckless but powerful Asta, and the steady growth of Escanor and Noelle.

She smirked.

"Let's see who truly deserves to reach the peak."

The real challenge was just beginning.

The ground trembled beneath them as a massive magma beast erupted from the volcanic depths, its molten body pulsing with intense heat. The creature's glowing eyes locked onto the Crimson Lions, Noelle, and Escanor, letting out an earth-shaking roar. The sheer force of its presence sent waves of blistering heat across the rocky terrain.

Noelle took a step back, sweat dripping down her face. "What… is that thing?!"

Leopold clenched his fists, his Flame Magic surging. "A creature born from the volcano's mana! Perfect! We'll take it down together!"

The Crimson Lions roared in agreement, readying their magic.

But before anyone could act—

Escanor stepped forward.

He exhaled calmly, his golden eyes narrowing as he gazed upon the fiery beast.

But instead of activating his Sun Magic…

He reached into his grimoire.

A brilliant golden glow radiated from its pages as a massive weapon materialized. With a firm grip, Escanor pulled out the sacred axe, Rhitta.

The golden handle gleamed in the sunlight, its weight resting perfectly in his palm. The way he drew it from his grimoire mirrored how Asta summoned his swords—except this weapon belonged to a king.

Noelle's eyes widened. "That weapon…!"

Leopold's breath hitched. "The way he summoned it…!"

Escanor stepped forward, his massive form casting an imposing shadow over the battlefield. The magma beast roared once more, lunging toward him, molten claws swiping down with devastating force.

Without hesitation, Escanor swung Rhitta.

A single, effortless slash.

The air itself split apart.

The impact of the strike was instantaneous—the sheer force sent a golden shockwave through the battlefield. The moment Rhitta's edge connected with the magma beast's molten body, an explosion of pure power ripped through it.

The beast didn't even have time to react.

It was cleaved in two.

The top half of its molten form disintegrated into embers, while the lower half crumbled into a pool of bubbling lava.

Silence.

The Crimson Lions, Noelle, and Leopold stood frozen, their eyes wide in absolute disbelief.

Escanor exhaled, resting Rhitta on his shoulder.

"Disappointing," he muttered. "I had expected at least some resistance."

Noelle stared at him, completely speechless. "H-He didn't even use magic…"

Leopold swallowed hard. "That was… terrifyingly strong…"

The Crimson Lions, once filled with fiery determination, now stood in stunned awe.

Escanor had just displayed power beyond anything they had imagined—without even tapping into his full strength.

From the peak of the volcano, Mereoleona smirked.

"So… you finally decided to fight with your own hands instead of relying on your magic? Interesting."

The real training was far from over.

And Escanor had just shown them why he was once called the Lion of Pride.