The Lion's Dawn

The battlefield was set. The moment had arrived. The first round of the Royal Knights Selection Exam was underway, and the air crackled with anticipation.

Asta stood firm, his grip tightening around his Demon Slayer sword, his heart pounding with excitement. Across from him, Escanor loomed like an unshakable mountain, his golden aura shimmering like the rising sun. The sheer presence of the Lion of Pride made even the most seasoned Magic Knights uneasy.

The teams had been announced. Asta's team—composed of himself, Mimosa Vermillion, and the mysterious "Xerx Lugner" (Zora in disguise)—faced off against Escanor's team. Alongside Escanor stood two other knights, but their presence was dwarfed by the overwhelming radiance of the Holy Knight.

Escanor, arms crossed, gazed at Asta with a proud yet calm expression. "Little Asta... I have long awaited this battle. I wonder... will your resolve shine as brightly as the sun itself?"

Asta grinned, his energy surging. "You bet! I've been dying to go all out against you, Escanor!"

Mereoleona, watching from the sidelines, smirked. "This is gonna be good. Let's see who really dominates the battlefield."

"Begin!"

The second those words left the referee's mouth, the battlefield erupted into chaos. Asta lunged forward, propelling himself with an explosive burst of strength, his anti-magic sword cleaving through the air with terrifying force.

Escanor did not move. Instead, he raised a single hand, gripping Rhitta by its golden hilt.

BOOM!

Asta's sword clashed against Rhitta, the impact sending a shockwave through the arena. The ground beneath them cracked and shattered from the sheer force. Asta gritted his teeth, pushing forward, but Escanor stood unmoved, his sheer strength holding him in place.

"Hmm... impressive," Escanor said, his voice deep and calm. "But strength alone will not suffice, my friend."

Asta grinned wider. "Then I'll just have to keep pushing forward!"

Before Escanor could react, Asta twisted his body mid-air and swung his sword in a wide arc. This time, he aimed for Escanor's legs, but with a single movement, Escanor dodged, stepping back just enough to let the sword pass harmlessly in front of him.

"Solar Strike!"

With a casual yet precise swing of Rhitta, a golden crescent of sunlight shot toward Asta.

Asta barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side as the attack carved a deep trench into the ground behind him. He skidded to a stop, eyes wide.

"He's holding back... and he's still this strong?!"

Asta's sword clashed against Rhitta, the impact sending a shockwave through the arena. The ground beneath them cracked and shattered from the sheer force. Asta gritted his teeth, pushing forward, but Escanor stood unmoved, his sheer strength holding him in place.

"Hmm... impressive," Escanor said, his voice deep and calm. "But strength alone will not suffice, my friend."

Asta grinned wider. "Then I'll just have to keep pushing forward!"

Before Escanor could react, Asta twisted his body mid-air and swung his sword in a wide arc. This time, he aimed for Escanor's legs, but with a single movement, Escanor dodged, stepping back just enough to let the sword pass harmlessly in front of him.

"Solar Strike!"

With a casual yet precise swing of Rhitta, a golden crescent of sunlight shot toward Asta.

Asta barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side as the attack carved a deep trench into the ground behind him. He skidded to a stop, eyes wide.

"He's holding back... and he's still this strong?!"

Zora and Mimosa Join In

Zora, perched on a nearby rock, clicked his tongue. "Tch. That guy's in a whole different league." He placed multiple trap spells around the battlefield. "Time to level the playing field."

Mimosa, standing a distance away, activated her plant magic. "Asta, I'll support you from here!" Her vines spread out, covering the field, detecting any movement, and offering a layer of defense.

Asta nodded. "Thanks, Mimosa!" He rushed forward again, weaving through the battlefield, aiming for Escanor's blind spots.

Escanor met Asta's charge with another mighty swing of Rhitta, their weapons colliding in a flurry of high-speed exchanges. Sparks flew as their strength clashed over and over.

Then, something changed.

Escanor's golden aura grew even brighter. His breathing became heavier, yet his presence became even more overwhelming.

The sun was nearing its peak.

As he fought, memories surged through Escanor's mind. The battles of his past life. The countless foes he had crushed with sheer overwhelming power. His moments of loneliness, of believing himself to be a monster unworthy of companionship.

He remembered the first time he truly felt accepted—by Merlin, by the Seven Deadly Sins, by those who saw beyond his pride.

"Have I truly changed?"

He looked at Asta, the boy who fought against fate itself, who defied all odds with nothing but sheer willpower.

"Perhaps... I have found another kindred spirit."

Escanor exhaled, gripping Rhitta tightly. "Asta… I shall acknowledge you. You have the strength of a true warrior, but if you wish to stand against me…"

The air trembled.

The heat intensified.

The very battlefield began to melt beneath his feet.

"Then you must stand against the power of the sun itself!"

Escanor's aura exploded outward, engulfing the battlefield in golden flames. His muscles expanded, his presence became godlike, and his very being radiated sheer, unadulterated might.

He had reached The One: Ultimate.

Asta's eyes widened as the transformation took place. The sheer pressure of Escanor's power was suffocating, like standing before the core of the sun itself.

Escanor raised Rhitta high above his head. "This... is my ultimate form! The culmination of my strength! Let us see if you can withstand it, Asta!"

"Divine Sword: Escanor!"

With one almighty swing, a golden slash of pure solar energy erupted toward Asta. The force behind it shattered the ground, evaporated the air, and turned the very battlefield into a furnace.

Asta's grip tightened around his sword. He had no mana, no magic to protect himself from such an onslaught.

But he had something else—his will.

Asta's black aura surged as he activated Black Asta once more. His anti-magic coated his sword and his body, and with a roar, he met Escanor's attack head-on.

BOOOOOOM!

The collision of power shook the entire battlefield, sending shockwaves across the area. The very sky seemed to split from the impact.

Asta and Escanor stood amidst the ruin of the battlefield, their bodies aching, their breaths heavy. Their clash had left the ground scorched and broken, fissures snaking out from where their immense powers had collided. The very air around them shimmered with heat and anti-magic, a testament to the intensity of their battle.

Escanor, still in his The One: Ultimate form, rolled his shoulders, his golden aura still burning brilliantly like an unyielding sun. He gazed down at Asta, his prideful yet respectful smile widening. "You are truly something else, boy. To stand against me for this long… it is worthy of admiration."

Asta wiped the sweat from his brow, his muscles screaming from exertion, but his spirit remained unshaken. His gritted teeth turned into a fierce grin. "Heh, you think this is enough to keep me down? No way! I'm not done yet!"

Without hesitation, Asta surged forward, his Black Asta form flaring wildly around him.

Escanor met the strike head-on, bringing Rhitta down in a thunderous arc. The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, splitting the ground beneath them. Sparks and embers flew as their weapons clashed, creating a spectacle of light and darkness entwined.

Escanor's raw power was absolute, yet Asta's unrelenting determination kept him in the fight. He ducked under another mighty swing from Rhitta and countered with a lightning-fast strike aimed at Escanor's ribs.

SLASH!

The attack connected! Escanor staggered back for the first time, a faint cut appearing across his side. However, instead of flinching, he laughed.

"Hahahaha! Splendid, Asta!" Escanor's booming voice filled the battlefield. "You have drawn blood from me—something few have ever accomplished!"

But instead of weakening, Escanor's power only seemed to grow. His body radiated even more heat, his aura flaring as if the sun itself had been angered. The battlefield became almost unbearable, the sheer intensity of his presence making even those watching from a distance step back.

Asta, breathing hard, narrowed his eyes. "This guy… the more I push him, the stronger he gets! But that just makes things more exciting!"

For a brief moment, as he stared at Asta's unyielding form, Escanor found himself lost in thought once more.

He looked at Asta again—this boy who refused to back down, who defied all odds with nothing but sheer willpower.

Escanor clenched his fist. "You remind me of someone, Asta." His voice rumbled like a distant storm. "Someone who never knew when to give up. And so, I shall grant you the honor…"

"I shall show you the sun's FINAL BRILLIANCE!"

Asta's instincts screamed at him—this was it. The final attack. The moment that would decide everything.

Escanor raised Rhitta high above his head, the golden weapon pulsing with pure, divine sunlight. The entire battlefield was drenched in its glow, and even the strongest knights watching from afar felt their hearts pound.

"SUPERNOVA STRIKE!"

A colossal wave of golden fire erupted from Rhitta, surging toward Asta like a tidal wave of burning judgment. The very air boiled, the ground melted, and the light of the sun itself threatened to consume everything in its path.

But Asta did not flinch. He did not hesitate. He charged forward.

"LET'S GO!!!"

He pushed past his limits.

His anti-magic aura expanded, covering his entire body, and his sword absorbed the incoming flames. His muscles screamed, and his skin burned, but he pressed on, cleaving through the inferno with a war cry that echoed through the entire battlefield.

As the final moments collided—

Asta swung with all his might.

Escanor brought down Rhitta with absolute power.

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

A cataclysmic explosion engulfed the battlefield, sending shockwaves outward that nearly knocked over the spectators. The sheer force of the collision sent both warriors flying in opposite directions, crashing into the scorched ground.

Silence followed. The dust settled.

Both Asta and Escanor lay on the battlefield, exhausted beyond belief. Their bodies refused to move. They had given everything.

Escanor, staring at the sky, chuckled weakly. "Magnificent… truly magnificent."

Asta, barely able to lift his head, grinned. "Heh… I'm not done yet…" But his body refused to listen.

The referee stepped forward. "The battle is over! Both teams are unable to continue!"

A draw.

The crowd erupted into cheers, amazed by the legendary battle they had just witnessed.

Escanor turned his head slightly, looking at Asta. "You are strong, my friend. Stronger than even I expected."

Asta chuckled. "Same to you, big guy."

A moment of silence passed. Then—

Both warriors burst into laughter, their spirits unbroken, their respect for each other greater than ever.

This was not just a battle.

This was a clash of souls.