Strange use of Magic (Black Clover AU) Chapter 126: Strange Spell Creation

[Third Person's PoV] 



Stephen woke up with a groan, shivering from the cold. Even the surface he was lying on felt freezing.


As he pushed himself up, he realized he was on the ground—stripped of everything except his underwear.


“…”


“My dignity…” he muttered, as if he had lost something precious.


Still groggy, Stephen slowly stood, muttering, “I’m going to kill whoever is responsible—ugh!” He winced, clutching the back of his head as pain flared.


Looking around, he saw that most of the Black Bulls were still passed out, their faces plastered with contented, lazy smiles. Some had managed to retreat to their rooms, but the majority remained sprawled across the floor. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Stephen sighed, “A whole day practically wasted…”


When he glanced outside, he noticed the sun had already set. It was nighttime.


“Bastards…” he muttered, rubbing his head as he began walking away.


As he covered his face with one hand, trying to suppress his frustration, Nero swooped down and landed on his shoulder.


Stephen stiffened before sighing, “Did you see who was responsible?”


Nero immediately took off, flying in circles above Magna and Luck.


“Really now…” Stephen murmured, cracking his knuckles.


Walking toward them, he reached into the air, his hand slipping into the mirror dimension. From it, he pulled out his grimoire.


“Hm, I was looking for test subjects for my new magic spell. Aren’t they just the luckiest?” he said, raising his hands.


A golden magic circle began forming around them as he chanted three words in Latin:


“Disponere, Mutare, Imperium.”


(Arrange, Change, Control.)


The ground beneath Magna and Luck began to shift. With a flick of his wrist, poles started rising from the earth, their rough stone texture smoothly transitioning into metal.


Stephen manipulated matter at a molecular level, constructing a prison around them. His hands moved fluidly, directing the arrangement of each element. Within moments, two cages stood tall, trapping Magna and Luck inside.


Not satisfied, he went further—collars and chains formed around their necks, locking them in place. For added insult, he created a dog bowl, filling it with water.


Once finished, Stephen dusted off his hands. But before he could revel in his work, his grimoire began reacting on its own.


The pages flipped rapidly before settling on a blank one. Then, as if guided by an unseen force, words and magic circles materialized onto the page.


Stephen raised an eyebrow, feeling a surge of power through his body. He could sense a stronger connection with the spell he had just created. His mastery over matter had deepened.


Intrigued, he placed a hand on his chin. “Interesting… So my original spells get registered and enhanced by the grimoire, while the ones I borrow from other beings and dimensions don’t…” He glanced at the grimoire’s glowing pages. “Arcane Magic: Materia Magister. Master of Matter.”


Nero landed back on his shoulder, tilting her head curiously.


“Hm? Ah, you’re wondering about the difference between this magic and my usual Transmutation spells?” Stephen mused. “The Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth spell only allows me to change one thing into another. But with this magic, I can freely manipulate matter however my imagination allows.”


With that, he walked into his room.


A simple wave of his hand summoned fresh clothing, covering his body once again. He sat on his bed as his grimoire floated in front of him, glowing with a mystical golden light.


A smirk crossed Stephen’s lips as he reached out, pulling it into his library.


…


Stephen only needed a single glance at the page to commit it to memory. With the spell now imprinted in his mind, he began deciphering its contents—analyzing the intricacies of the magic circles and the deeper meaning behind the words.


Secre sat perched on top of a ladder nearby, holding a small book in her hand. From her vantage point, she had a clear view of Stephen, who sat with his eyes closed, one hand resting on his chin in deep thought.


“I see… So all I need is the foundation of a spell and a moderate degree of control for it to be registered in the grimoire. Once that happens, the grimoire refines and optimizes the spell, filling in the gaps,” Stephen murmured to himself. “The runes in the magic circle are slightly different from what I had originally planned, but honestly, they’re far more efficient.”


He tapped his finger rhythmically against the table, continuing his analysis. “There are advantages and disadvantages to the spells I create versus the ones formed by external beings. Any fire spell I create will be nothing compared to the Flames of Faltine—which possess unique mystical properties and originate from a higher dimension.”


Still, he smirked inwardly. ‘Luckily, I can use both variations.’


Stephen pondered for a moment, tapping the table repeatedly with one finger. ‘I was considering creating a separate spell for controlling each element individually… but that would take far too long. His thoughts began to shift. What if, instead, I worked on a spell that allowed me to control the elemental forces of nature as a whole? A single spell with multiple applications…’


“A book on Elemental Forces,” Stephen called out, holding his hand behind him.


A second later, a large tome flew into his grasp. He set it down and immediately began skimming through its contents. To speed up the process, he activated Time Magic, accelerating his comprehension of the text.


When he finally closed the book, the temporal field dissipated. Stephen sighed, slightly disappointed. “That didn’t help as much as I’d hoped… I already knew about the four classical elements, plus the hidden fifth element—Spirit—which isn’t all that different from manipulating my Astral Form.”


Resting his chin on his knuckles, he continued tapping his finger against the table in deep thought.


‘Technically speaking, by manipulating my Astral Form, I’m already capable of influencing the elemental forces… but it’s still not enough.’


Stephen exhaled sharply before resigning himself to his next course of action. “Looks like I’ll have to take aspects from all the spells I know and fuse them into one grand spell… but that’s going to take time. A lot of time.”


He rubbed his face before letting out another sigh. ‘No use complaining…’ 


Stephen extended his hands and began weaving geometric patterns into the air—each movement forming complex interlocking shapes, twisting and shifting like a multidimensional puzzle.


Again and again, the shapes would collapse, forcing him to start over. Each time he got a little further before they shattered once more.


Hours passed. His focus never wavered.


And then—finally—the structure held. A fully formed, stable magic circle hovered before him.


Stephen allowed himself a small smirk. “First step complete.”


The next part came naturally. With his extensive knowledge of Runic Magic, Stephen precisely etched the symbols within the circle. The design took on the shape of a pentagram, each point representing one of the five elements. The runes themselves embedded his will into the spell, signifying his control over the forces of nature.


Once completed, Stephen lifted the glowing magic circle in his hands, gazing at it with pride.


Now came the final step. The chant.


Closing his eyes, he focused, letting the words form naturally in his mind. And then—he spoke:


“Meo invito elementa mea sunt imperandi.”

(By my will, the Elements are mine to command.)


The magic circle pulsed with radiant golden light.


Above it, fire ignited out of thin air. A splash of water rippled, hovering weightlessly. Dirt accumulated, shaping itself into solid rock. A gust of air was visible dancing next to the others. 


For a moment, both Stephen and Nero froze. A strange, unseen force washed over them, sending a pulse of energy through the room.


Then, suddenly—


[Spell Archive Expanded: Arcane Elementum Added.]


A robotic voice echoed through the air.


Stephen and Nero turned to each other, wide-eyed.


A tense silence filled the room before—


“What the fuc—?!!”