Strange use of Magic (Black Clover AU) Chapter 131: Strange Stones

[Third Person's PoV] 


"What the hell is The Mystic Stone of Fate?" Magna asked, confusion written all over his face.


Stephen, meanwhile, just stared at him in silence, blinking periodically.


"What?" Magna asked warily.


Stephen tilted his head. "Who let you out of your cage?"


"THAT'S NOT WHAT WE SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT!!" Magna shouted in disbelief.


Noelle sighed. "In all seriousness, what is this stone? And why does it have such a ridiculous name?"


Stephen mumbled, "I was being serious," before addressing her question. "What’s there to question? The name says it all. It’s a stone that controls Fate. Whoever possesses it gains the ability to wield Fate Magic and manipulate the fate of the entire universe—provided they’re powerful enough to use it properly."


"Wait, what?" Yami interjected. "You’re saying this stone can actually do all that? I mean, magic stones are one thing, but this is on a whole different level."


Stephen looked at them all, weighing his trust. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "What I’m about to reveal is a secret. A very important one. This cannot leave this room—not even the Wizard King can know. Do I make myself clear?"


Yami crossed his arms. "Can’t promise that. If your secret is a threat to the Clover Kingdom, I’d have to report it to Julius."


Stephen frowned. "Then forget it." He shook his head. "Just know that this stone is incredibly powerful, and it cannot fall into the wrong hands."


"Oh, come on! You can’t just drop something that ominous and expect us to move on!" Noelle snapped.


The others chimed in with their own protests, but Stephen ignored them, his gaze fixed on the illusionary cosmos where the Fate Stone was displayed.


"Alright, brats—zip it," Yami ordered, immediately silencing the group. Turning back to Stephen, he asked, "Does this secret of yours have any impact on the Clover Kingdom?"


Stephen considered for a moment before shaking his head. "Not necessarily. I just don’t want others knowing about it. I’m only telling you all because I trust you. We’ve fought together, had each other’s backs—so I trust you guys. Can’t say the same for everyone else."


Yami nodded. "Alright then. If it doesn’t concern Julius, he doesn’t need to know. But as your captain, I do feel obligated to know what you’re hiding."


Stephen shrugged. "I suppose that’s fair."


He raised his hand and mimicked the motion of an eye opening. At his command, the golden Eye of Agamotto revealed itself. A moment later, the eye rolled back, exposing a pulsing green stone at its center.


"You’ve all wondered how I can wield Time Magic," Stephen said, his gaze sweeping over the group. "Some of you even suspected I had some connection to the Wizard King." He smirked at Noelle.


Noticing his look, Noelle turned away, her face burning. "What else was I supposed to think?" she muttered under her breath.


Stephen continued as if he hadn’t heard her. "That assumption, however, is incorrect. The truth is—I possess the Time Stone. And with the Eye of Agamotto, I can manipulate the very concept of Time itself."


"Wait, you’ve always had this?!" Asta asked in shock. "I mean, I knew you always wore that amulet with your cloak, but… was the stone inside it the whole time? Did your parents give it to you?"


Stephen shrugged. "I’ve always had it. As for where it came from? No clue."


Luck, fascinated, reached out toward the glowing stone—only for Stephen to slap his hand away.


Luck rubbed his hand, looking at Stephen in confusion. "What was that for?"


"You can’t just touch it," Stephen said flatly. "If you did, there’s a chance your entire ‘Time’ could be absorbed—or worse, you’d be thrown into an alternate timeline. These stones are just things one can simply touch with their hands—they are raw manifestations of their elements. This one is pure Temporal Energy. That’s why I need the artifact to wield it safely."


Everyone immediately backed away, keeping a respectful distance.


“I see why you're already a grandpa! With that dangerous thing hanging around your neck, it’s no wonder you’ve started growing white hairs,” Yami remarked.


Stephen blinked, staring at Yami in surprise before glancing down at the Time Stone within the Eye of Agamotto. His expression shifted, his gaze distant, as if Yami's words had triggered a realization.


“What? Don't tell me you never made the connection?” Yami asked, amused.


“I… I honestly didn’t. I never even considered it,” Stephen admitted, still processing the thought.


“Huh? So that Time Stone is really responsible for your cute little white strand?” Wanda asked, amused.


Everyone turned to look at her with a weird expression.


Wanda, however, simply shrugged, unfazed. “What? It’s cute. I’m not wrong.”


Stephen wasn’t paying attention. His mind spiraled in a dozen different directions. ‘If the Time Stone really is responsible for my white hair… I always assumed it was just an aesthetic quirk that came with taking on Doctor Strange’s form. But what if it's more than that?’


‘What if it’s a signature marking of the Strange Clan? Like how the Guardians of the Water Stone transformed into merpeople? Maybe the Guardians of the Time Stone—my supposed clan—were marked by their exposure to raw Temporal energy. If that’s true… then does each stone affect its wielder in unique, irreversible ways?’


‘And what about the Witches’ Forest and the Fate Stone? Did their exposure to it transform them? Is that why they became witches instead of mages? But why the term ‘witch’? What connection does Fate have to that title?’


‘I feel like the answer is right in front of me, but I’m missing a crucial piece. I need to visit the Witches’ Forest. Maybe then I’ll finally get the answers I’m looking for.’ 


“Hello? Earth to Stephen!” Vanessa called, waving a hand in front of his face, worried.


Stephen blinked, snapping out of his trance. “Huh? What is it?”


“You were just standing there, staring into space,” Charmy said. “For a long time. It was weird.”


Charmy 2—actually Grey in disguise—nodded in agreement. “Yeah, super weird. You had this lost look in your eyes, like you were questioning everything.”


Yami smirked. “Sorry, Grandpa. Didn’t mean to send you into an existential crisis. Now hurry up and close that thing—some of us are still young and in our prime. It’s too early for us to start sprouting grey hairs.”


He looked pointedly at Stephen’s silver strand. “Unlike someone we know.”


Stephen rolled his eyes and shut the Eye of Agamotto, obscuring the Time Stone.


From the side, Gauche looked up from his picture of Marie, his nose bleeding. “If the Time Stone and Fate Stone exist… then what other kinds of Stones are out there? And where are they?”


Stephen frowned. “As far as I know, there are twelve in total. In fact, they were the inspiration behind the Magic Stones we’re hunting. The twelve are: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Darkness, and Light… along with the abstract elements of Fate, Spirit, Time, and Space… and finally, Order and Chaos.”


As he said the last name, his gaze flickered toward Wanda.


Her eyes widened. But she wasn’t the only one. The thought of such powerful artifacts, capable of manipulating reality itself, was terrifying. And to think they were scattered across the world…


“Do you at least have an idea where they are?” Wanda asked, her voice tinged with concern. The idea of a Chaos Stone existing somewhere unsettled her. She was only just beginning to understand her own power under Stephen’s guidance. The thought of such an artifact falling into the wrong hands was… horrifying.


Stephen sighed. “I only know the locations of three. The Time Stone, which I have. The Fate Stone, which is in the Witches’ Forest. And the Water Stone, which resides in Atlantis.”


“Well, that… actually explains a lot,” Magna muttered, a look of realization dawning on him. The others shared similar expressions.


It all made sense now—why the people of Atlantis wielded such absolute control over the sea. Why they were so powerful.