Strange use of Magic (Black Clover AU) Chapter 116: Strange Vaude Brothers

[Third Person's PoV] 


“Mister Finral, who is that?!” Asta asked, narrowing his eyes at Langris, who was clearly looking down on them—and not just because he was standing on higher ground.


“That’s… my little brother,” Finral admitted anxiously.


“He's the Vice Captain of the Golden Dawn,” Mimosa informed them.


“Huh?!” Asta and Stephen exclaimed in shock.


“Him?!” Asta was astonished to hear that Finral's little brother was the vice captain of one of the most prestigious squads.


“How can someone so weak be the vice captain?” Stephen asked, his tone laced with both surprise and irritation. To him, Langris seemed weak—though he was also taking the chance to get some payback for earlier annoyances.


“Weak?! You dare—” Langris sneered, his voice rising in anger.


However, his words were cut off as Stephen locked eyes with him. His gaze was cold, indifferent, his glowing blue eyes like two piercing dots in the darkness. Surrounded by a golden aura of mana, he spoke calmly, yet with unmistakable menace:


“Yes, I do. You got a problem with that?”


Langris, who had half-raised his hand to initiate an attack, froze. A shiver ran down his spine as he stared into Stephen’s eyes, feeling an overwhelming sense of danger. He hesitated.


Langris wasn’t the only one who noticed it. Sylph, being a spirit, sensed it more clearly than anyone else. Even in that brief exchange, she could feel it—the vast ocean of mana hidden within Stephen.


Sylph trembled slightly before darting behind Yuno, whispering in a timid voice, “Yuno… just what is he? He isn’t human.”


Yuno only chuckled and gave no response.


Langris clicked his tongue and lowered his hand. “I won’t waste my time on the likes of you lot—the worst squad in the Clover Kingdom,” he sneered contemptuously. Then his gaze shifted to Finral. “Still playing errand boy for them, Finral? Looks like I’ll be the next head of the Vaude family after all. You’re just a loser.”


“Oi!” Asta shouted boisterously. “Don’t go spouting nonsense! Mister Finral is awesome! And that’s no way to talk to your big brother, you big jerk!”


“I’m sorry, Mimosa, but your vice captain sucks,” Stephen added with a smirk.


Mimosa winced, unsure how to respond. As a member of the Golden Dawn, she knew she should defend Langris—but honestly, she couldn’t.


“It’s okay, you two,” Finral said, attempting a reassuring smile but failing miserably. “It’s all true anyway.”


“Don’t give us that crap,” Stephen scoffed.


“Yeah,” Charmy chimed in, arms crossed. “There’s no way that’s true.”


Langris glanced at Charmy, then at Asta, before chuckling disdainfully. “When did the Black Bulls become a daycare center? Babysitting these two must be exhausting. Aren’t you embarrassed to be looking after these rugrats?”


“WHO ARE YOU CALLING A RUGRAT? HUH?!” Asta roared, flexing his muscles. “LOOK AT THESE MANLY GAINS! DO THEY LOOK LIKE THEY BELONG TO A RUGRAT?!”


“NO RUGRAT COULD EXUDE AS MUCH WOMANLY CHARM AS I DO!” Charmy retorted, equally offended.


Finral’s anxious expression faded as he stepped protectively in front of Asta and Charmy. “Langris, you can insult me all you want—I don’t care. But I won’t stand by and let you insult my squad members!”


“Oh? Look at that~ You can be scary,” Langris teased mockingly.


Stephen leaned toward Mimosa and whispered, “Just one punch. Let me punch him once, and I’ll be satisfied. Just one, I promise.”


Mimosa chuckled, shaking her head as she held his arm. “You could get in trouble. He’s not worth it.”


Suddenly, a massive wave of sludge shot out from the alley beside Langris. He sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack.


Stephen clicked his tongue at the missed strike, earning another chuckle from Mimosa.


From the shadows of a narrow alleyway, a towering purple sludge creature slithered into view, its slimy form stretching between two buildings.


“BOOOOY!” A ragged-looking man in a Diamond Kingdom robe bellowed from within the creature. He was the last surviving Shining General. “By the honor of the Eight Shining Generals, I’m taking your head home with me!”


“Wow, you’re still alive?” Langris remarked, mildly surprised. “Not only that…”


The civilians caught in the sludge monster’s grip struggled, screaming for help. If Langris used his spatial magic, he’d hit them too.


One of the captives reached out desperately, their voice trembling. “Help me!”


Langris stared at the scene impassively before raising a hand. His voice was cold, detached.


“There’s no helping it. They’ll be noble sacrifices for the sake of the kingdom.”


“HOLD IT!” Asta roared. “They’re our people! We’re Magic Knights! Why are you abandoning them?!”


He gritted his teeth before declaring, “Leave this to the Black Bulls! Stephen, Finral, Charmy—let’s go!” 


"Don't go ordering me around, short stuff," Stephen said, giving Finral a look.


Finral understood the cue and quickly opened a portal right above the massive slime slug. Stephen aimed his hand towards the opening of the portal beside him, and an array of eldritch whips shot forth from his arms, piercing through the slime and wrapping around the trapped civilians.


With a firm yank, Stephen pulled them through the portal, guiding them safely to the other side, where Charmy was already waiting with a soft cotton fortress to catch them as they emerged.


"What?!" the Shining General exclaimed in shock.


Asta, meanwhile, charged backward toward another wall of cotton that Charmy had prepared. As it stretched back like a slingshot, he shouted, "Finral!"


"On it!" Finral responded, swiftly switching the portals' locations.


Asta was launched forward with explosive speed thanks to the cotton's rebound effect, flying diagonally toward the sludge. He summoned his Demon Slayer sword and made a powerful strike, he smashed into it, causing the slime to erupt. As the Shining General was thrown back, another portal appeared where Asta was flying towards, transporting him to the opposite diagonal side—where The Shining General laid. With one final devastating strike, Asta sent him crashing into the ground.


Mimosa watched in astonishment at the Black Bulls' flawless teamwork.


Stephen glanced back at her with a small smile. "Would you mind checking if they have any injuries?"


Mimosa, though aware that Stephen could likely do a better job himself, felt happy that he trusted her enough to leave the task to her. She returned his smile with a nod. "Alright! Leave it to me!"


Nearby, Finral turned to Langris with a determined expression. "I might not be able to beat you… but the Black Bulls? We'll definitely surpass the Golden Dawn."


"Hmph," Langris sneered, unimpressed.


A moment of silence passed before Finral let out a deep sigh, as if a heavy weight had finally been lifted from his chest.


"Well, now that the fight's settled, should we go meet up with Captain Yami?" Finral suggested.


"Good idea!" Asta agreed enthusiastically.


"Already?" Charmy pouted, glancing toward Yuno reluctantly. Stephen, standing beside her, seemed to share her sentiment.


"Later, Yuno!" Asta called, waving.


Stephen gave Yuno a nod as a farewell.


"Yeah, I'll see you two later. Asta, don't go eating stuff off the ground," Yuno teased as a parting remark.


"What?! Like I'd do that! That was only when I was a little kid!" Asta shouted in embarrassment.


Yuno then turned to Stephen. "Make sure he doesn't eat anything he's not supposed to."


Stephen smirked. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."


"STOP TREATING ME LIKE A LITTLE KID WHO NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AFTER!!" Asta yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at them.


"But you do," both Stephen and Yuno replied in perfect sync, wearing deadpan expressions.


As Finral opened another portal, Stephen walked over to Mimosa. "A shame our meeting was so short..."


Mimosa stepped forward and hugged him. "It really is..." Then, cupping her hands over her mouth, she whispered up to him, "Make sure to visit me at night~."


Stephen chuckled. "Mimosa, you naughty girl~."


Blushing furiously, she smacked his chest. "You know what I mean!"


Smiling, Stephen leaned down and kissed her. Despite her embarrassment at having people around, she returned the kiss with a warm smile.


He winked and whispered back, "Don't worry. I'll make sure to visit."


"Stop being so shameless!" Finral groaned, grabbing Stephen by the collar and dragging him toward the portal, while also holding Charmy back with his other hand.


Charmy, completely ignoring them, was swinging a net at Sylph after another heated argument over an "obscene" comment the spirit had made about Yuno.


As Stephen was pulled into the portal, he managed to give Mimosa one last small wave. She returned it with a loving smile, waving until he disappeared.