Strange Use of Magic (Black Clover AU) Chapter 118: Strange Little Night Read

[Third Person's PoV] 


Yami landed on the outskirts of Kiten, his boots crunching against the gravel as he ascended a nearby hill. At the top, he found Vangeance standing silently, gazing over the city with a faint smile on his face.


“What are you doing here, Yami? I wasn’t expecting your squad to join the defense against the Diamond Kingdom’s invasion,” Vangeance said, his eyes still fixed on Kiten.


Yami took a cigarette from his pack, twirling it between his fingers before lighting it. “I could ask you the same thing. You’re a wanted man, furhat. Why take the risk of showing up here?”


Vangeance’s smile didn’t waver. His voice was soft, sincere. “I had to… for my squad. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I just abandoned them. I needed to make sure they’d be alright without me.” He let out a quiet sigh. “Though, it seems I didn’t get the chance—your squad handled most of it.”


“It was both of our squads working together,” Yami replied, closing his eyes briefly before reopening them, his expression hardening. His hand moved to rest on the hilt of his katana, the blade half-drawn. “I need you to be honest with me, furhat. Depending on your answer… I’ll act accordingly.”


“Are you an enemy of the Clover Kingdom?”


Vangeance remained silent for a moment, the tension between them thickening. Finally, he spoke. “I don’t have much of a choice in the matter. This is something I have to do… something I have to help with.”


Yami’s eyes narrowed. “You’re talking about your elf friend. The revival of his people, right?”


For the first time, Vangeance turned to face him, disbelief flickering across his features. “How did you—?”


“Tch. Looks like the kid’s words were spot on,” Yami muttered under his breath.


Yami let out a low scoff. “Well, furhat, looks like you and I have some important things to discuss.”



---


Meanwhile…


While Yami and Vangeance were locked in their tense conversation, Stephen and Finral were busy escorting prisoners back to the Clover Kingdom.


Stephen hovered above a vast network of golden, shimmering portals. Rows upon rows of captives were being ushered through by members of the Golden Dawn, the light from the portals reflecting off their uniforms.


“Stephen is amazing…” Finral muttered enviously, watching how effortlessly Stephen opened multiple portals at once. “I can only manage one network at a time. Sure, I can open and close them quickly, but I can’t split my focus like he does…”


“It’s not because he’s amazing,” Asta chimed in, shaking his head with a grin. “Stephen’s got limitations too. Don’t you see how he has to put on that ring every time he opens a portal?” Asta pointed towards Stephen’s hand.


“Huh… Now that you mention it…” Finral mumbled, his eyes narrowing in thought.


Asta scratched his head, trying to recall something. “I asked him about it once, but I can’t remember exactly what he said. I just know it helps him somehow.”


Thanks to Stephen’s assistance, the prisoner transfer was wrapped up quickly. He floated back down to the group, letting out a tired sigh.


“Captain Yami’s on his way,” Stephen informed them as they sat resting by the town walls.


A few moments later, Yami dropped from the sky with a heavy thud, the ground cracking beneath his feet from the force of his landing. He stood up, brushing dust off his shoulders, and glanced around at his squad.


“Alright, you lazy bums. Let’s head back to the base.”


“Yay…” they all responded half-heartedly.


Finral stepped forward, opening a portal back to their base. As they walked through, Stephen sidled up to Yami.


“So… how’d your talk with him go?” Stephen asked casually.


“I warned him about being manipulated,” Yami said with a shrug. “Whether they believe me or not, I can’t say.”


“It was worth a shot,” Stephen replied with a matching shrug.


When they arrived back at the base, they found the rest of their squad still lounging around in the exact same spots they had left them.


“You guys sure took your time…” Magna remarked lazily.


Asta’s face lit up with excitement, and he immediately launched into an animated retelling of their mission and their report to the Wizard King, his energy filling the room.


Meanwhile, Stephen patted his mouth with a yawn. “I’m exhausted. I’m heading to bed…”


“So early?” Wanda asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.


“Early? The sun’s already setting, and I used more magic today than I ever have before,” Stephen replied, waving his hand dismissively as he walked off. “That fight with the Fishman took a lot more out of me than I expected.”



---


Stephen had settled comfortably into his bed, deciding to do some light reading before sleeping. He pulled out his grimoire, opting to skip the library for now and dive straight into its pages.


“Show me the sections related to the latest Mystic Arts book I was reading,” Stephen instructed. The grimoire obeyed, its pages fluttering before glowing softly as magical circles and intricate symbols appeared alongside paragraphs of text.


Stephen began to read, his eyes skimming over the familiar, yet complex words:


“The power of the Mystical Arts can be harnessed through the combined efforts of Incantations, Gestures, and sheer willpower. Gestures act as conduits, drawing mystical energy from oneself, the Universe, or even other dimensions—functioning as lightning rods for magical forces.


Incantations serve as vocal channels, allowing practitioners to articulate and manifest the desired effects of their spells.


Geometric shapes, runes, and sigils anchor spells and focus energy. Drawing and manipulating these patterns within a magic circle demands immense concentration and willpower.


When these three components are unified, a spell is born. However, due to the complexity of crafting spells from scratch, many opt to form contracts with dimensional entities, utilizing pre-existing spells of their creation…”


Stephen’s eyes narrowed as he paused, the words sparking a sudden realization. “Wait a minute…” he muttered, sitting up straighter.


‘The power I wield from other entities—the names I invoke—they’re just spells. His mind raced as the pieces fell into place. I’ve always struggled to naturally manipulate the forces of nature, so I resorted to borrowing power from other dimensions. But if I study the spells I can already cast—analyze their runes, sigils, and patterns—I should be able to alter them… create my own variations.’


His pulse quickened with excitement. “The fire spells would be the easiest to modify, thanks to the Flames of Faltine. And lightning… I can tweak that using the Bolts of Balthakk.” He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “But I’ll need to deepen my studies in runes, sigils, and geometric patterns…”


Stephen placed a hand over his mouth, his blue eyes gleaming beneath the shadows cast by his tousled hair. “My mind’s going crazy right now…” he whispered, his voice filled with a mix of awe and manic excitement. “So many ideas… too many.”


His gaze grew more intense as the implications of his discovery spiraled further. “The Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth… their spells let me transmute one form of matter into another. That’s practically alchemy! With the right adjustments, I could theoretically manipulate matter itself… even down to the subatomic level.” His breath quickened. “I could manipulate reality.”


He froze, the weight of his next thought sinking in. “It won’t be as powerful or chaotic as Wanda’s magic… but it’ll be enough.”


Then, another realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. “Wait… if I’m using structured rules and discipline to manipulate reality—that’s the opposite of Chaos Magic.” His eyes widened. “I’m basically tapping into Order Magic. I’d still be following the rules and laws of magic, but using them to my advantage. That’s the core principle of Order Magic.”


Frustration welled up as he ruffled his hair. “How the hell am I supposed to sleep now?!”


With an exasperated sigh, Stephen stared at his grimoire. “Looks like it’s time for some Astral magic… and another trip to the library.”