The Devils of Jujutsu

Chapter 44: Unhappy Reunion

  (Nero's p.o.v.)

I had convinced Gojo to let me see Asta so I could finally explain ourselves for not being there. I had been waiting at a local inn for the blindfolded man to meet up with me. Sometime before dusk, Gojo came back and said, "I managed to arrange a meeting, but for Asta to agree, I refrained from telling him that you're the one he's meeting. Head north northwest on the border, he'll be there at noon tomorrow to see you, and I'll be with him." I was happy that he managed to talk Asta into meeting me, even though he doesn't know he is, but the last part about him coming with Asta. Gojo saw my confusion and said, "When he sees that he's meeting you, Asta will be furious, thinking I sold him out. I'm going with to explain my reasons for setting up this meeting. He already feels betrayed after you and your friends left him high and dry all those years ago." I nodded, understanding that he was right. Asta would be hurt again if he thinks he was sold out. "Well, I'll head back and get ready for tomorrow. You be ready for any animosity Asta will show you." Gojo said as he left.

  Time skip

 
It was nearly noon and I was at the meeting area in my bird form, waiting for Asta and Gojo to arrive. As I did, I was thinking how good it would be to finally see him again. All this time I had spent trying to find Asta, and now I finally get to see him again. I never realized how much I had missed him until that moment. I was then snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a twig break. I looked to the direction it was coming from and saw that Gojo and Asta had arrived. I was so happy to see him that I flew down and changed back into a human. The moment I did, Asta saw me and looked furious as he turned to Gojo and yelled, "WHAT THE HELL, GOJO?!!! YOU SET ME UP TO MEET THIS REVOLTING CREATURE?!!!" His words hurt me greatly. The fact that he no longer saw me as a human, but as a freak of nature, breaks my heart. Gojo explained, "I told her that I wouldn't tell her where to find you, but no matter what I said, she wouldn't take no for an answer. I knew that she would just hound me until I caved. So I figured that the best way for her to go away, is if she hears it from your mouth. But before you do that, you should at least hear her out first. After that, you can say or do whatever you want to her." I honestly didn't know how to respond to his statement, but at least Gojo was helping me reason with him. Asta sighed and turned to me before saying, "This will be the last conversation we have, so choose your words wisely." I was a bit happy to know that he would listen to me, but overall sad that he would never speak to me again after this. So, I wanted use this opportunity wisely.

  "Asta, I know that you feel that everyone in Clover Kingdom betrayed you, and there is no excuse for not helping you in your greatest time of need, but I want you to know why we weren't there that day. The reason why no one came to save you, is because the Magic Parliament kept your trial secret from the Magic Knights. They wanted to make sure that we wouldn't interfere in their plan. It wasn't until the day after that we learned that you had been banished from the kingdom. And your sentence has been removed 2 years after you left when the truth finally came to light. Asta, I'm not asking for forgiveness, after what we had done, we don't deserve it. All I want is for you to understand why we couldn't be there for you." He stood there the entire time listening not saying a word until he took a breath and said, "Is that all you had to say? If so, I'm leaving." I was shocked to hear that he had just brushed it off like it was nothing. "Asta?" was all I said before he replied, "I listened, and I don't believe anything you just said." I was shocked, even though, somewhere deep down, I knew that he wouldn't believe me at all. I said to him, "But, I'm telling you the truth." He replied, "After being mocked, bullied, ridiculed all my life, and to throw a cherry on top, everyone I considered my friends and family betrayed me. After all that, you honestly think I would believe you? Don't be naive!!!!" I flinched at the venom in his word, knowing that he was right. It was naive to think that he would believe me after what Clover Kingdom did to him. I looked down saddened, but I soon brought my gaze back to Asta with his next words. "Never show yourself to me again, or else I'll send your head rolling." I was shocked to hear that Asta threatened me, he would've never have threatened someone's life before, but now he is threatening mine. I took a step forward as I said, "Asta?" But the second foot hit the ground, I felt a sting on my left cheek and heard a crash behind me. I turned around to see that the tree behind had been cut down. When I brought hand up to my face, I felt something warm and wet on the spot where I felt the stinging. I looked at my fingers to see blood, that was when I realized that I had been cut, but what puzzled me was what cut me? "That was a warning shot, you're not getting another one!" I looked to see Asta with the Demon Dweller in hand. That moment was when I knew that Asta had projected a slash at me. 'When did he draw his sword? And more importantly, how did he cut me? His Anti-magic shouldn't have been able to have scratched me or cut down that tree, Neither of which were made of magic, so it should only have been able hit me with blunt force. What has he learned in the past 4 years?' I thought before turning around, transforming into my bird form and flying away. I didn't want to die before I got the chance to tell the Black Bulls that I finally saw Asta again. I cried the whole trip back to base, knowing how much rage he harbored for us