Clover Kingdom – Border Region, Outskirts of Hage Village
Bright sunlight streamed down through the canopy, scattering golden rays across the forest floor. The air was alive with the chirping of insects and the melodic calls of birds echoing from deep within the woods.
At the very edge of the forest bordering Hage Village, nature thrived in peaceful harmony.
Upon a moss-covered rock, about half the height of a grown man, sat a young figure—serene and unmoving.
A boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old rested there, cross-legged, his eyes gently closed in quiet concentration. He was shirtless, revealing a lean yet muscular build sculpted through discipline and hard training. His tanned skin shimmered slightly beneath the sunlight, stretched across defined muscles that spoke of both youth and resilience.
His short white hair swayed slightly with the breeze. A strong, high-bridged nose and sharp features gave him a handsome, almost noble appearance.
He looked peaceful… but also powerful.
His posture mirrored that of deep meditation—yet a faint tension in his frame hinted that this was no ordinary rest.
Suddenly, as the boy entered a deeper state of focus, something stirred.
The soil beneath the moss-covered stone began to shift—crawling slowly toward his feet as if drawn by an invisible force.
The young man frowned. His brows furrowed, and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. Whatever state he had entered was not easy to maintain.
The crawling earth reached his feet, creeping upward in slow, deliberate motion. For a long moment, tension built in the air around him.
Then—he opened his eyes.
In one swift motion, he placed both hands on the stone beneath him.
As if triggered by his touch, the soil responded instantly.
It surged forward—racing toward the centre of the stone—and in the blink of an eye, it shot upward in a solid, sharp spike of compact earth.
The entire process took only a few seconds… but the air around him now felt heavier.
As Julio lifted his hands from the stone, the spike of compacted soil crumbled instantly, collapsing back to the earth in a dull rustle.
"As expected," he muttered, exhaling softly.
His thoughts wandered.
Using natural soil to form spells consumes far more mana than manipulating the magical particles in the air... he reflected silently.
Even though a person's total mana is fixed at birth, consistent training can help improve mana control—and maybe even expand mana reserves... if only slightly.
Clenching his fist, he reached for his shirt, still lying nearby.
If physical exercise can affect mana flow... then—
"JULIO!"
The sudden shout cut through the air, echoing across the trees.
Julio sighed, lifting his gaze toward the source of the voice.
A familiar figure burst through the foliage.
"What is it, Asta?" he asked calmly.
Asta, grinning and breathless, waved enthusiastically. "Nothing! I was just doing my usual run when I saw you up here! What're you doing?"
"I was just doing some exercises," Julio replied with a slight smile. "After all, a strong body can be useful sometimes."
"AWESOME!!" Asta shouted, stars sparkling in his eyes. "Julio, you're always working hard! Alright—I'm going to run one more lap around the village!"
He turned, already mid-sprint, preparing for a full-on rampage through the trees.
Julio sighed softly. "Too much energy, as always…"
Raising one hand calmly, he pointed toward Asta.
In an instant, the earth beneath Asta shifted and rose, wrapping around his feet like vines of packed soil. Asta froze mid-step, blinking in confusion.
"Wha—!?" he yelped, looking down at his immobilized legs.
"Asta, it's already noon," Julio said, looking over at him. "You don't want Sister Lily to start worrying about us, do you?"
"AAHHH! You're right, Julio!" Asta suddenly froze, realization hitting him like a lightning bolt. "Come on, let's get back to the church! Sister Lily must be waiting—and today might be the day I finally confess my feelings!"
His eyes sparkled with determination as he struck a dramatic pose. "Let's goo!"
Julio sighed again, watching Asta take off like a bolt of pure energy.
"Hopeless…" he muttered under his breath—but there was a faint, fond smile on his face.
As Julio watched Asta dash off ahead, a quiet thought stirred in his heart.
Fifteen years...
It's been that long since I came to this world.
His eyes narrowed slightly as his thoughts drifted inward.
My memories of the world I came from... they're hazy now. Blurred around the edges. Only fragments of my teenage years remain clearly. But even with that limited knowledge, I realized this wasn't just some random, unfamiliar world.
This is the world of "Black Clover"—an anime I once knew back in my previous life.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
Even my knowledge of this world is incomplete. The major plot points… some characters… they come back in bits and pieces, like dreams I've half-forgotten. But what's undeniable—
His gaze lifted toward the direction Asta had run.
—is that the loudmouthed boy who just took off, and the cold, reserved one waiting back at the church… they're the protagonists of this world.
But there was one thing he still couldn't understand—one truth that continued to gnaw at him, even after all these years.
There was no character named Julio Patricio in Black Clover.
Not in the anime. Not in the manga. Not in any arc he could recall.
So what does that make me?
An anomaly? A mistake? Or... something else entirely?
He clenched his fists lightly, feeling the faint thrum of mana under his skin.
I may know parts of this world... but I don't belong to it. And yet—I'm here.
His eyes slowly trailed back toward the distant church where Asta and Yuno would be. Two protagonists fated for greatness. Their paths already written.
But his?
His path was blank.
So, if I'm not part of the story… does that mean I can shape it?
Shaking his head, Julio pushed the thoughts aside.
Enough, he told himself.
He stepped forward, following the narrow forest path toward the village.
No matter what, I'm already here. There's no sign of going back… no portal, no system, no voice telling me I'm "chosen."
So why keep thinking about whether I belong to this world or not?
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Isn't it enough that I was born here? That I grew up here?
I'm not like those fanfiction protagonists who fall into the world by accident or some cosmic joke. I didn't come here from a glowing magic circle or truck accident. I opened my eyes as a crying baby in Sister Lily's arms.
He looked up at the blue sky above the trees.
That's enough.