𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 | ᵇˡᵃᶜᵏ ᶜˡᵒᵛᵉʳ

CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

"You're kinda wrinkly and all bloody, but I'm not showing you any mercy, you jerk!!"

"Pfft! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Heeeeee! Heeeee! Ah! Ha! Ha! Ha! Koff... gack... gweeeh!" Ladros laughed then began coughing.

Yoshiko, who was terrified of his laughter, hid behind Ryuko who laughed at her cuteness as she peeked out from behind.

"What?! What's up?! You okay?!" Asta asked.

"Yeah, well... I can't beat that. I feel better now," Ladros said, pointing at him.

"Uh...did your personality just change?" Asta asked.

"Well, the mage stones broke and my head feels a lot lighter," he replied.

'So it's guys like you who climb to the top. If I'd been with you, maybe we could have helped each other to get stronger too. And if I had that girl with me, cheering me on, would I have become like this?' Ladros thought.

'Asta, Yoshiko, thank you,' Franzel thought, smiling.

'I guess I worried for nothing. He's himself!' Noelle thought as she was terrified that Asta would hurt someone.

Suddenly, the black stuff on Asta disappeared. Yoshiko's dragon form began to disappear as well. She stared at her scaled arms. Then, she looked up at her brother who stared at her arms.

They're gone...

"I'm back to normal," Asta said, looking at his arm.

'What was that black stuff anyway?' He thought.

"I think... I fought something in a dream?" Asta thought out loud while cupping his chin.

Yumeko... is that the name of your daughter?

"Yes. She worries me a lot less than you and I thought that it was impossible,"

So you do care.

"What makes you think I don't?!"

A lot of things.

"Gah. Whatever. Just so you know, I've cared for you for a long time,"

I know. And I care about you as well.

"Gwaaaaaaaa!!! I hurt all oveeeeer!!! Dwaaaah! Look at all this blood! Oh crap! I'm dying!! Yoshiko!! Save meeee!!" Asta shouted as he ran over to Yoshiko who was sweating.

She quickly placed her hand on the wound. She channelled her healing magic on the wound. Asta looked to the side.

"Geez, nobody's fine!!" Asta shouted.

He picked Yoshiko up in a piggyback and ran towards Fana and Mars. Ryuko watched for a moment. Yuna had gotten up and stood next to him. Yuna pulled out her katana with a tick mark and smile while Ryuko pushed it back into its holder.

"Who the hell does he think he is picking up my sweet, adorable darling like that?" Yuna asked.

"Yeah, have you realised that Yoshiko's my sister, Ayuna?" Ryuko asked.

"Don't call me 'Ayuna'. I like Yuna more," Yuna said.

"Hey!! You guys can use recovery magic, right?! Yoshiko can't do everything on her own otherwise, she'll get sick! Do something about...uh, are you people even alive?!" Asta asked, smacking Mars' face. "Awright! You're alive!! But you're totally not waking up!!" He cheered after hearing them groan.

"Arrrrrgh! I'll just have to carry you all with me!" Asta said. "I'll take as many trips as it takes! Bring it on!"

"There's no need,"