Chapter 4: Hello Everybody!
The excitement of the selection had barely sunk in before Asta was caught up in the whirlwind of his new reality. Right after the exam, the second he got the chance, he hurried to where Yami stood, waiting for him. Towering over his much shorter stature, Yami had an irritated expression that seemed permanently etched on his face. It was his first true interaction with his new captain. Asta's joy was momentarily dampened by the harshness of Yami's gaze.
"Oi, brat. Took you long enough," Yami growled, crossing his arms. "You think I've got all day to wait around for you?" Asta blinked, his mind completely blank much unlike his wide grin. "I—uh, sorry, Captain Yami! I was stuck in the bathroom!"
"I don't want details," Yami huffed, turning away before beckoning to Three other figures standing nearby.
One was a tall, lanky man with wavy, light brown hair and a constant air of nonchalance. He raised his hand in greeting. "Hey there, newbie! I'm Finral, Black Bulls' resident spatial mage, and absolute lady killer" Finral smiled. Shooting the only female of the group a quick wink, which was promptly ignored. His disappointment didn't last long as he shifted his attention quickly to Yami, who was clearly waiting impatiently.
Next to him stood a shadowy, mumbling figure in a long coat. His eyes were hard to see under his black, drooping hat. "Gordon Agrippa..." the man murmured softly, barely loud enough to be heard.
Asta's excitement reignited as he beamed at his new squadmates. "I'm Asta! It's great to meet you!"
Yami rolled his eyes and tilted his head toward the fourth figure in the group—a woman who had remained silent. She was the same one who had delivered a message to Yami earlier during the exam. Asta recognized her from the brief glance he got when she was up with captains. A quiet but intense presence surrounded her, her expression unchanging as she nodded slightly.
"Sena," Yami said without much fanfare, motioning toward her. "She's with us too."
Asta turned his head to look at her, curious about this mysterious member of the squad. Sena's pale blonde hair swayed slightly in the wind, and her sharp eyes briefly flickered toward Asta.
"Sena! My darling, what do you say we go on a hot date? Just the two of...us." Finral started out quite excited but it trailed off as she turned away without a word. There was something about her that felt distant. The silence she carried was heavy as if she was always holding something back.
"Don't mind her," Yami added, noticing Asta's curiosity. "She's not much of a talker." Asta nodded, still unsure, but there was no time for more questions. Yami clapped his hands together. "Alright, Finral. Get us out of here. I've had enough of this selection garbage for one day."
Finral sighed dramatically, lifting his hand and conjuring a swirling spatial portal. "You really just use me as a taxi, don't you?" he muttered.
Without missing a beat, Yami grabbed Asta by the back of his collar and tossed him toward the portal. "Move it, runt!"
Asta yelped, flailing as he tumbled through the portal, and Finral gave a resigned look before stepping through himself. Gordon shuffled behind him with quiet mutterings, while Sena followed silently.
"Welcome to the worst squad. The Black Bulls." Yami exclaimed as they appeared in front of a very irregular building. Despite its odd shape, and frankly underwhelming look, Asta looked more than excited.
As the group got closer to it, they started hearing many crashes and bangs coming from the inside. Asta wanted to comment but noticed that no one else seemed fazed by the ruckus. He even noticed Sena ignore Yamis's introduction to the base and head straight in.
