asta

Part 1

The heavy taters crunched underfoot, frost clinging to the unharvested edges of the Hage village fields.At sixteen, Asta knew exactly what hunger felt like. It wasn't just an empty stomach; it was a dull, localized ache that lived right beneath his ribs, a permanent resident of the orphanage. He had spent his entire life working twice as hard as Yuno just to stay in the exact same place, compensating for his lack of magic with sheer, explosive physical effort.But muscles required fuel. And fuel was a luxury the forsaken region rarely provided."Eat more, brat," Yami growled, tossing a massive leg of some unidentifiable forest beast onto Asta's plate.The Black Bulls' dining hall was loud—shattered glass, stray fireballs, and Charmy screaming about the sanctity of ingredients filled the air. Asta blinked down at the meat. It was glistening, rich, and larger than any meal he had ever been given in his entire childhood combined."Thank you for the food, Captain!" Asta yelled, his signature boisterous grin plastering over his face. He picked it up and took a massive bite, forcing himself to chew, forcing himself to swallow.His stomach revolted instantly.A cold sweat broke out across the back of his neck. He clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyes watering as a sharp, agonizing cramp twisted through his gut."Hey, dork, what's that face for?" Noelle snapped from across the table, though her fingers tightened around her spoon. "If you're going to make a scene over a simple meal, you can go eat outside with the beasts.""No! It's great! Delsh-ous!" Asta choked out, his voice straining. He forced a laugh, but it sounded hollow, lacking its usual room-shaking volume. He managed to swallow another piece, but his vision swam. The vibrant colors of the Black Bulls' base blurred into a dizzying smear of stone and tapestries.Finral noticed first. The spatial mage paused mid-sentence, his casual smile dropping. "Asta? You look really pale. Like... grey.""I'm fine! Just... too excited to train!" Asta slammed his hands on the table, trying to stand up. His knees buckled immediately. The sheer weight of his own anti-magic swords felt like they were pinning him to the floor, even though they were safely tucked away in his grimoire. He pitched forward, his forehead hitting the wooden table with a dull thud."Asta!" Noelle dropped her utensil, her royal posture completely shattering as she lunged across the bench.."