The Road to the Top: Magic, Mayhem, and the Magic Emperor

"This guy…" Yuno muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. Could he really be—

"You're the Magic Emperor?!" Asta exclaimed with wide eyes. "Wait—I saw you before in the Black Market! That was you?!"

"Y-You IDIOT!" Klaus yelled, trying to force Asta to bow. "That's Julius Novachrono—the Magic Emperor himself!"

"Hahaha, no need to be so formal," Julius said with a cheerful wave. "Let's head to the top of the tower. It's quieter there."

"Whoa, he's super chill for a Magic Emperor…" Asta whispered, still awe-struck.

"Let's not keep him waiting!" Yuno said, moving ahead with purpose.

And so, the group followed after the Magic Emperor—some eager, some confused, and two princesses still blushing all the way.

"Okay! Okay!" Klaus stood up abruptly, fixing his uniform before respectfully following after Julius Novachrono, the Magic Emperor.

"Asta, that's the Magic Emperor! Aren't you nervous?" Noelle whispered, trying to keep her voice down, though her cheeks were flushed.

"For someone who wants to protect the Clover Kingdom… how could I not trust him? He feels… kind!" Asta grinned, his usual boundless energy radiating from him.

"It seems... Is that really how it is?" Noelle blinked, suddenly questioning her nervousness. Asta's attitude was strangely… contagious.

"Oops. Asta's assimilation ability is getting stronger and stronger," Yuno sighed internally. "First Klaus, now Noelle… if this keeps going, even the Magic Emperor might be caught in his flow. If Asta becomes the Magic Emperor… will we have a world filled with morning roars?!" The image made Yuno involuntarily clench his fists. "I must become the Magic Emperor first. The world must be protected from... excessive shouting!"

"Haha! Little Asta is right! No need to be nervous—I'm very friendly with people!" Julius suddenly turned around with a bright smile, startling everyone.

"Wh-What?! Even the Magic Emperor might be assimilated!" Yuno paled. "No! In order to protect the peace of the morning, I must reach the top before him!"

"Understood, sir!" Klaus said stiffly, visibly trying not to faint from the pressure.

Julius, noting Klaus's rigid state, decided not to tease him further.

"Alright, let's talk here," Julius said as he led them to the top of the capital's tower. His entire demeanor shifted—gone was the bubbly man, replaced by someone curious and focused. "Yuno, I heard you've awakened a powerful magic… may I see it?"

"Of course, sir!" Yuno said, handing over his grimmoire. Honestly, he was still trying to make sense of the new spell—and who better to ask than the Magic Emperor?

---

Julius flipped through Yuno's grimmoire, eyes sparkling.

"So that's how it is… you're incredibly lucky to have received this. The spell you obtained—it must've been one of the greatest relics within the Dungeon," Julius said with awe.

"You can read the text?" Yuno asked. The glyphs had been indecipherable to him since the moment he got the spell.

"I understand a little. The ancient runes are hard to decipher, but… yes, fascinating!" Julius muttered, childlike excitement growing by the second. "This wind magic… is quite rare!"

The more Julius read, the more his smile stretched, and before long, he was giggling like a child who just got their favorite snack.

"…So the rumors were true. The Magic Emperor is a magic nerd," Klaus muttered, adjusting his glasses, mentally filing this away as gossip.

"Let's test it!" Julius clapped. "Yuno, can you cast the new spell?"

"Unfortunately, I only managed it once in the dungeon," Yuno admitted. "Since then, I haven't been able to summon that power again."

"That's a pity…" Julius visibly deflated, his shoulders drooping.

"…Magic Emperors aren't supposed to look that sad, right?" Noelle whispered, completely thrown off by the man's mood swing.

Julius regained his composure quickly. "Still, for the wind spirit—Sylph, one of the four great elemental spirits—to choose you… this is a miracle in our age. Yuno, this magic will grow with you. Cherish it."

Yuno nodded, accepting the grimmoire Julius returned with reverence.

"Magic Emperor! There are weird pages in my grimmoire too, and I have these two swords. Can you tell me what they are?" Asta asked, thrusting his grimmoire forward, eyes hopeful.

"You idiot, how can you just hand your grimmoire to the Magic Emperor like that?!" Klaus panicked.

"It's okay!" Julius smiled warmly and gestured for Asta to open the book himself.

"Even the Magic Emperor is so casual… this country is really something," Asta muttered, flipping open the grimmoire.

Julius's eyes instantly caught on the strange black glyphs within.

"This is…" Julius squinted, trying to analyze it. "I can't read it."

"Pfft!" Noelle couldn't help it—Asta's confident buildup collapsing like that was just too much.

"He's so kawaii when he's flustered!" Mimosa thought, watching him closely. Noelle instantly grew annoyed. Hands off, this one's mine!

"But this text… doesn't appear in any known records," Julius added, still staring.

"Then take a look at this!" Asta pulled out his second anti-magic sword—the Demon-Dweller Sword. "This thing absorbs magic and reflects it. Pretty cool, huh? But I feel like there's more to it."

"The Demon-Dweller Sword…" Julius murmured. "Incredible! This power… it really is anti-magic."

"Hmph! Pretty neat, right?" Asta winked at Yuno.

"…Smells like trouble," Yuno muttered, turning away.

"You little—!" Asta laughed, but then noticed Julius again, completely entranced.

"Can I touch it?" Julius asked, eyes glittering like a child.

"Sure!" Asta handed the Demon Slayer Sword over. The moment Julius grabbed it, the sword's sheer weight pulled him down.

"It's so heavy!" Julius exclaimed, barely catching himself by resting the blade's tip against the floor.

"Are you okay, sir?!" everyone asked at once.

"I'm fine! But amazing that Asta can wield such a heavy weapon with ease!" Julius gasped, before suddenly wincing. "Wait… my mana… it's being drained!"

"Haha! Told you it's amazing!" Asta beamed. "Finally, I get to show off!"

"Thank you, but I'll give this back. I don't think I can survive wielding this," Julius chuckled, returning the sword. "Only someone without mana—like you—can truly use its power."

"Of course! This sword is mine!" Asta declared proudly… and then hesitated. "But honestly, at this rate, I feel like my grimmoire is just gonna turn into a sword manual…"

"Hmm… who knows?" Julius grinned. "Anyway, you both did great in the dungeon."

"Wait, sir!" Asta suddenly shouted.

"Yeah, same!" Yuno added quickly. "We have to ask you something important!"

"Oh?" Julius raised a brow.

"How do we become the next Magic Emperor?!" both boys asked in unison.

"Haha! So that's your goal? That's exactly how members of the Magic Knights should think!" Julius laughed, clearly pleased.

"You two! Don't just blurt things like that in front of the Magic Emperor!" Klaus sputtered. "The Magic Emperor is someone with a noble heart, deep wisdom, and the love of all people—"

"No, no, no!" Julius interrupted. "Those are just the pretty ideals. In truth, the Magic Emperor is the one who performs best. You don't become the strongest because people love you. You earn their love because you're the strongest!"

He looked serious now, all childishness gone.

"To be Magic Emperor, you need overwhelming results. You need to protect the people, prove your strength again and again, and push yourself farther than anyone else. Those who can't keep up… get left behind."

"…Just what I wanted to hear!" Asta and Yuno grinned at the same time, the fire in their eyes burning brighter.

They had worried once—about class, nobility, status. But now it was clear: in this kingdom, the path to the top was still open—even for peasants.

"Even a kid abandoned in Hage Village… can become Magic Emperor!" Asta looked up at the sky.

And he wasn't just thinking of himself.

He thought of all the kids still stuck in the back of beyond—waiting, hoping, dreaming.

"I'll show them… that an outcast can rise to the very top!"