Strange use of Magic (Black Clover AU) Chapter 129: Strange Payback

[Third Person's PoV] 


After practicing magic for the remaining hours he was allowed in the library, Stephen returned to his body.


Stretching as he got up from his bed, he reached for Nero, gently grabbing her and kissing the top of her head.


"Don't wait up for me. I'll be gone for most of the night," he said, chuckling at the confused expression she gave him.


"I promise to take you out on a date soon," he added.


Nero raised an eyebrow, still looking at him curiously.


Understanding her unspoken question with just a glance, Stephen explained, "I just realized we’ve never really gone on a proper date, just the two of us. I don’t want you to think I’m taking our closeness for granted, so I figured it’s about time I treat you."


Nero averted her eyes, and Stephen chuckled. "Don't tell me you're getting shy now~"


She pecked at his fingers in embarrassment, which only made him laugh more.


He gently placed her back on her perch, kissing her head once more. "Anyway, I really have to go. Sleep well, alright?"


Nero rolled her eyes but nestled comfortably into her nest.


A crack split through the space in front of Stephen as he stepped into the Mirror Dimension. After all, he had an appointment with a certain beautiful woman who was waiting for him.


…


Upon arriving, he found Mimosa curled up in her bed, twisting and turning nervously.


Knocking on the glass reflection in her room, he watched as she shot up, letting out a sigh of relief.


Once she invited him in, he stepped through, raising an eyebrow. "What? You thought I wasn’t going to show up or something?"


Mimosa blushed, looking away. "I… You were taking so long, and I thought maybe you regretted what happened between us last night. I couldn’t help but worry."


Stephen’s expression softened with an apologetic look. "Sorry. Captain threw us a party since we finally got rid of our black stars, and someone spiked my food with alcohol."


Mimosa, who had seen firsthand how Stephen acted under the influence, immediately understood. The tension in her shoulders eased as she spoke in a soft voice, "So… you don’t hate what happened between us?"


Stephen scoffed. "Are you kidding me? It left me wanting more."


Mimosa turned bright red, quickly pulling the covers over her face. After a moment, she peeked out, lifting the edge of the sheets and shyly tapping the space beside her. "It… was the same for me," she mumbled, inviting him in.


Stephen smirked. "Who would’ve thought my sweet and innocent Mimosa would turn out so naughty?"


"Umu, don’t tease me too much, alright?" she pouted, her voice barely above a whisper.


Stephen could almost imagine steam coming out of her head. As he walked toward her, he grinned. "No promises. After all, teasing you is the best part~"


…


The Next Day...


Stephen arrived back in his room looking refreshed—his skin practically glowing.


Clapping his hands together, he declared, "I want to thank the great Vishanti for this wonderful opportunity."


His moment of gratitude was interrupted by Nero, who stared at him with an expression of pure apathy.


Stephen scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "I’m going to go shower."


Nero scoffed.


Although he could use magic to cleanse himself instantly, he was so accustomed to taking a warm bath that no matter how much magic he used, he’d still feel dirty without one.


After bathing and changing into casual clothes, loud boisterous laughter echoed through the base.


Stephen and Nero exchanged a look of confusion before he made his way toward the source of the commotion.


When he arrived, he found Yami laughing hysterically, slapping his knees while pointing at Luck and Magna—both locked inside separate cages, chained up with collars, and with dog bowls placed beside them.


Magna was bright red with embarrassment, while Luck merely looked confused.


Yami, however, wasn’t the only one laughing. Noelle turned away, her face just as red as Magna’s, covering her mouth as her shoulders trembled. “J-Just where commoners like you belong—Phttt,” she tried to say, but she had to stop herself from bursting into laughter, knowing it wouldn’t be classy of her and might ruin her noble image.


Vanessa was laughing just as loudly as Yami, pointing shamelessly at them with one hand while holding a wine bottle in the other. “Alright, fess up! Hahaha! Who’s responsible? I swear I’ll praise you! Hahahaha!!” she said, wiping away tears of laughter.


Even Gauche, usually indifferent to anything not involving Marie, had an amused look on his face.


Asta sighed and pulled out his black sword. “Captain, should I let them out?”


“No, leave them there. That’s their punishment,” Stephen interjected with a mischievous grin.


The others turned toward him, greeting him with casual good mornings, while Magna gritted his teeth, gripping the steel bars. “So you’re the one behind this, huh, punk?! What gives?” he demanded.


Stephen casually took a seat on a nearby bench, crossing his leg and resting his head on his arm, which was propped up on the table. “You’ve got some nerve asking that, Magna. You two know exactly what you’re guilty of, so don’t even try to play dumb.”


The others immediately understood, and Yami chuckled. “So it was you, gramps. Gotta say, you sure know how to get your payback.”


Asta sighed again as he returned his sword to his grimoire. “Sorry, guys, but you reap what you sow. I don’t wanna end up on Stephen’s list, so I can’t help you.”


“Stephen’s list?” Vanessa asked, still chuckling as she took a sip of her wine.


Asta nodded grimly. “Yeah. Stephen is… seriously and unusually petty. If you mess with him, he will pay you back tenfold. That’s why Yuno and I have never once pranked him—and we swore never to do it, either.”


“What the hell did he do to make you this scared?” Charmy asked, setting a plate of breakfast in front of Stephen.


Asta glanced at him warily before explaining, “It wasn’t something he did to us, but to Father Orsi…”


That immediately got everyone’s attention. Even Yami stopped chuckling as curiosity piqued.


“Father Orsi likes to be playful sometimes, and one day, he decided to prank Stephen by adding spicy peppers to his food. Stephen turned bright red and was sweating like a pig!” Asta started laughing at the memory—until he noticed Stephen giving him a deadpan stare. Asta immediately froze and quickly apologized, “S-Sorry…”


“Anyway, as payback…” Asta continued more cautiously, “Stephen fed him a poisonous mushroom that sent him to the bathroom nonstop for an entire month. I swear he would’ve died if it wasn’t for Sister Lily healing him.”


Everyone slowly turned to Stephen, who was calmly eating his breakfast, a faint, reminiscent smile on his face.


“You poisoned a priest just because he gave you spicy food?” Wanda asked, disbelief clear in her voice.


Stephen simply shrugged. “The old man deserved it. Besides, I wanted to see which was stronger—my retribution or the protection of God.”


Then, with a grin, he added, “And let’s just say… there was a clear winner.”


“You’re an absolute psychopath,” Noelle scoffed.


Stephen ignored her, turning his gaze back to Magna and Luck. His smile, however, was anything but friendly. “You two are lucky I’ve been in a good mood lately. Otherwise, the punishment for your transgressions would’ve been far worse. For now, public humiliation will suffice.”


Luck, unfazed as ever, tilted his head. “If this is what you do when you’re in a good mood, what would’ve happened if you were in a bad one?”


Stephen’s smile widened. “Since you both enjoy laughing at my expense, I would’ve cursed you with the inability to feel joy for an entire year.”


Silence.


Everyone stared at him, their expressions shifting from amusement to wary disbelief.


Magna and Luck immediately bowed their heads, pressing their foreheads to the ground. “Please forgive us for our transgressions! We swear we’ll be good!”


Stephen scoffed—but then, suddenly, he froze. His expression turned unusually serious.


The atmosphere around him shifted, growing heavy. Everyone felt it.


Yami frowned. “What’s wrong?”


Stephen closed his eyes, concentrating.


“…Something isn’t right,” he murmured. “Something isn’t right with the universe.”