A Twisted Kind Of King_[Black Clover]

Chapter 17

Yami let out a puff of smoke from his cigar. He sighed.

"How's the kid?"
He asked Vanessa who was sober for once, trying her best to not grab the red wine bottle on the kitchen table.

"He seems okay, but a little different."
"Hmm."
Yami put the cigar back on his lips.

"What do you mean different?"
Yami asked casually. Vanessa slowly scratched her hair and thought for a while.

"Well....he's...he's acting like Luck...like...Ugh, I can't phrase it."
"Like Luck? Does he suddenly wanna fight you?"
"No No! He's..always smiling...it gives me the creeps."
"Where's he at now? Still in his room?"
"Yep. With the boy from the Golden Dawn."

Yami paused and looked at her.
"Golden Dawn? You mean Mr.Coolio?"
"Yeah, Asta's childhood friend."
Yami looked tensed for a second, but got his composure again.
"He did get permission from Vangeance, right? He couldn't have come otherwise."
"Most likely, yep."
"........."

Yami got up and walked to the corridor.
"I'm gonna check on them."
"Wait! Captain Yami! Don't invade their privacy!"
Vanessa called out, but she was totally ignored by the man.

"Hey Hey! Yuno-Kun! Wanna fight me?! I'm really bored!!"
"Oi Luck! You two can't fight without me and little Rasta here!!"
"Magna-Senpai's right, battle crazy boy!!"

Yami encountered Luck, Magna, Yuno, and Asta, chatting and rambling like how they always do. He noticed Asta not talking to Luck like how he normally did.

Ah, I see. He doesn't remember the fight freak either.
Yami walked up to the boys.
"What y'all talking about?"
The four guys met eyes with the tall man.
"Captain Yami! It's nothing, wer' just chit-chatting like always!"
"Captain Yami! Yuno-Kun isn't willing to fight me and Asta-Kun doesn't remember me at all...You wanna fight? Please!!"
Luck hopped up and down on the spot with clenched fists and a smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Umm...Captain Yami..."
Asta spoke up to Yami.
"Can Yuno stay back with me? For one night?"

Magna stared at Asta, and Luck too, with his mouth in an 'O' shape.

".........."
One of the symptoms are attaching to one specific person, the one who's been closest to him.
Yami recalled the time Vangeance told him about Asta. It was merely 20 minutes ago, when Vangeance came, broke their door, and left, according to Vanessa.

Yami, like always, felt the urge to experiment.

"Nope."
He replied with a deep and strict voice.
He was obviously gonna let Yuno stay with Asta, but he wanted to see what would happen if he gave the undesired answer.

".....oh...okay..."

....was all Asta said before he looked at his feet with sad eyes.

"I'm just kidding. Have fun."
"....Huh?! Really?! Thanks Captain!! C'mon Yuno, let's go!!"

Asta locked his elbow with Yuno who gave a little yelp, as he got dragged away into the corridor.

"You two, keep an eye on them, but don't stalk them. Got it?"
Yami glanced at the two remaining boys and walked into the opposite direction.

"What was that?!"
"They're staying together?! No fair! I wanna stay with you and fight you as well!"
"We do that all the time, stupid bastard."

Magna and Luck looked at the dark corridor once, before walking into another direction.

------------------------------------------------°°°

Asta and Yuno looked down at the forest surrounding the Black Bull's base.

The boys were seated on the rooftop. They gladly accepted the silence around them, and decided to enjoy the peace.

Yuno doesn't remember when or how Asta's head fell onto Yuno's shoulder, all he could recollect was the boys talking about something, and then Asta fell asleep.

The awake one sat as still as possible, not even breathing normally. He wasn't going to wake up Asta when he was in such a peaceful state.

Yuno glanced over at the other boy, and inspected the tiny horns that had grown out of his head. For now they were just small black stubs. Of course, they retained their pointiness.

He slowly brushed his fingertips over the horns, wanting to know how sharp they were. He jerked his arm back when he felt his finger tips heat up quicker than ever. The horn burnt him.

.....It's anti-magic, so it's expected.
Yuno put his arm around the other boy's shoulders, letting him lean onto him more.

It's been a long time since these two boys ever came into contact. Atleast, like this.
The taller male couldn't think straight at all. The sight and the feeling of Asta resting on him felt like he trusted him more than anyone else.

And then he remembered.

He remembered that this won't last long because....well...theres still a devil inside him. A calm and normal devil, who seemed fine this whole time, but now it goes crazy and rouge whenever it wants.
Wherever it wants.

Yuno knew for a fact that the devil in Asta never wanted him to get hurt. Not like it cared, it just couldn't lose it's one human host. A devil always wants the best for it's host. Whether it's more power, company, and what not.

Out of the blue, Yuno remembered Asta tearing into his shoulder blade.
It felt like an actual wild animal's bite. The bite it makes to suffocate it's prey by crushing it's windpipe.

Despite such violent thoughts, his face went red for no reason.

It felt kinda good, though.

He tried his best to forget those words lurking in the back of his head, but to no avail.

The scene which happened an hour ago replayed in his head. Asta grinning at him with wide but half-lidded eyes,
the demonic black wing flapping as it ripped through his back.
"Don't resist, Yuno..!"

...........

Yuno couldn't remember anything after that, until he woke up on Asta's bed. His eyes fluttered open, and he immediately pushed himself up after gazing into nothingness.

"......As...ta..?"
Yuno muttered, looking down on the other boy. He was sitting on the floor, and leaning on the bedframe.
"Hey Yuno, you alright?"
Asta had a worried look, as he kept down a book he was reading.

(Tbh I bet y'all he was flipping through the pages, I'd faint if he was actually reading lmao)

Yuno tried getting off his bed, but flopped down beside Asta instead.
He couldn't move.
"You alright? Hey Yuno!"
"......"
Yuno couldn't say anything despite how many questions Asta asked him. For atleast 20 minutes until Vangeance broke through his door.

He sighed at what happened earlier, and came back into the present.
".......oh, it's been an hour already...?"
Yuno read the night sky around him.

He looked at their feet dangling off the roof, before poking at Asta.
"Hey. Sleepy head. Get up."
He didn't budge as usual.
"Oi. Asta."
"Ughhh...."
Asta slowly rubbed his eyes, and looked in front.
"What now--AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!??"
He screeched on seeing himself so close to the edge of the rooftop.
"OH MY LORD!! I COULD'VE DIED!!! YOU JERK, WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP SOONER?!"
"We were like this for an hour. Now shut up, you'll wake the neighbouring countries if you scream any louder."

The shorter male panted and wheezed, while clinging onto Yuno's robe. He turned to Yuno to scold him more, but the taller male was already getting up, and pulling Asta along.

"It's time for bed. Let's go."