Chaos | A Black Clover Story

Vows

10 years ago

Asta and Cyra tore through the forest, their laughter echoing off the trees as they raced neck and neck. The hill grew steeper, and they pulled ahead, leaving Yuno struggling behind. "W-wait!" Yuno's voice cracked as he tripped, his palms and knee scraping against the rough earth.
Asta and Cyra froze at the sound of Yuno's fall. Cyra spun around first, her eyes widening as she saw tears welling up in Yuno's eyes. "Come on, Yuno!" Asta called, ready to keep moving, but Cyra tugged on his shirt, forcing him to turn back. "Jeez, you're such a crybaby, Yuno," Asta said, trying to sound casual as they walked back to their friend. Yuno sniffled, fighting to hold back his tears. "Well..." He trailed off, his voice shaky. "But it's okay because we've got your back, Yuno, okay?!" Asta and Cyra chimed in unison, their faces split with encouraging smiles. "Yeah!" Yuno managed, a small smile breaking through his tears. "Alright, let's get going, everyone's already at the top!" Cyra said, offering Yuno a hand up. With a bit of effort, the three of them finally crested the hill, finding Sister Lily and the other orphans already there.

Sister Lily handed each of them a loaf of bread. They dug in, but the bread was harder than expected. "It's good, but it's hard," Yuno mumbled around a mouthful.

"Asta-" "That's our Sister Lily, such an amazing cook. When I grow up, I'll marry her and she can cook for me!" Asta blurted, cutting off Cyra. But Cyra just chuckled knowingly. "Asta, I don't think Sister made these."
"You'd be right, Cyra. It was Father Orsi who baked those. Would you like to marry him instead?" Sister Lily teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Cyra burst out laughing, well aware of Father Orsi's questionable baking skills. "No! You're the one I want to marry! Sister, marry me! Marry me! Marry me!" Asta's declaration rang out again. "Asta, it's not possible," Cyra said gently, before trying to take another bite of the bread and grimacing at the texture. "I'll never trust Father's baking again," Cyra said, getting to her feet. She eyed the nearby tree, looking for a distraction.

"Sister is, um... a woman of the cloth," Yuno tried to explain, looking flustered. Cyra just laughed, starting to climb the tree. Her two dragons, Themis and Gaia, who had previously clung to her back, dug their claws into the bark to climb up the side of the tree. "I'm not done yet! I won't give up until I'm an adult, no matter what!" Asta declared, undeterred. "Good luck with that. Now quiet down, I bet the whole village can hear your declaration of love," Cyra called, finding a sturdy branch to settle on, but not being able to find a way up. Till Sister Lily gave her a boost up, and Cyra flashed her a small smile of thanks. Themis and Gaia settled in around her, all three of them content in their treetop perch.

Moving Forward

"And when the world was covered in a deep, deep darkness, just when the demon tried to destroy the world..." Sister Lily read the book about the first wizard king. "He's not gonna get away with that!" Asta commented, receiving a flick of wood on the back of his head. He turned around to see Cyra picking at the bark of the tree and acting as if she was innocent. She looked down at him for a moment, before flicking another piece right in between his eyes, as Sister Lily continued to read, but letting out a small laugh between her words as she focused on the two's antics momentarily. Both of them smiling at her and bringing their attention back to the book. "A very brave mage appeared" Sister Lily continued with the story, "The brave mage fought the demon to bring the dawn back to the world. And finally, he defeated the demon. The mage's light shone ever so brightly upon the the whole world, the long, long night had come to an end. This was the dawn of our world. And so, the mage was dubbed the Wizard King and became Legend. And they all lived happily ever after" Sister Lily read finishing out the story of the first Wizard King.
"Hey Sister, the Wizard King still exists, right?" Asta questioned, getting the attention of Yuno and Cyra quickly with inquisitive expressions.
"Yes, the title of Wizard King had been passed down through many generations, all along they've been protecting us with they're magic. It's because of the Wizard King that the Clover Kingdom is so peaceful." Sister Lily answered, while closing the book and resting it on her lap. "That's awesome" Asta stated with amazement in his eyes.
"Is the Wizard King really important?" Yuno questioned.
"Yep, he's the most important after the king" Sister answered.
"Okay I've made up my mind!".
"About what, Asta?" Cyra questioned from atop the tree.
"I'm gonna be the Wizard King!" He answered with a proud smile, until he saw stunned expression on Sister Lily's face. "Sister?" Cyra questioned looking at her with thick slitted irises and inquisitive expression. "I'm sorry I just wasn't expecting that. What brought this on?" Sister Lily said, after being surprised momentarily.  "Well he defeated the demon, right? That means he's super strong! And that's so cool! I wanna be cool! And if I become important, if I become the Wizard King I'll be able to make everyone even happier, right? You'll be able to wear nice clothes and eat all the good food you want! I'm gonna make this crappy little church huge and amazing!" Asta explained. "Crappy?" Sister responded taken aback.
"I'll get you whatever you want, too Sister" Asta added while looking at her with a large smile. "I'll look forward to it", Sister Lily looked at Asta with a sweet and caring smile. "Right, Yuno?"
"Yeah".
"The Wizard King...I'm gonna be the Wizard King! So, Sister Marry Me!" Asta questioned again changing the atmosphere from hopeful to playful.
"That's a completely different subject." Sister Lily was quick to bluntly point out."Not yet! I won't give up!" Asta shouted.
Cyra eventually tuned out Asta's relentless proposals to Sister Lily, and zoned out while looking at the statue of the first Wizard King that sat on top of the massive demon skull. She stared at the statue for a moment, before smiling to herself. Cyra's pint-sized dragons, Themis and Gaia, peeked mischievously around her side before scrambling off her shoulders and onto the branch. Without hesitation, they launched themselves into the air, their tiny wings beating furiously as they chased each other in playful circles. Their antics were interrupted by the startled squawk of a small black bird perched a few branches above Cyra. Themis spotted the bird first, and with a panicked chirp, it took to the skies. Gaia, never one to miss out on the fun, barreled after the bird with a clumsy crash that sent leaves showering down. The bird darted and weaved, just out of Gaia's snapping jaws. With a triumphant peck to the top of Gaia's head, it took flight, leaving the disgruntled dragon to sulk in the branches. Meanwhile, Cyra hopped down from her perch, Themis clinging to her back and shoulder like a scaly backpack. She plopped down beside Yuno, who was already nursing Gaia's wounded pride. The little dragon had her head in his lap, her eyes closed in blissful martyrdom as he stroked her scaly cheeks. "Poor baby," he cooed, earning a playful roll of her eyes.