Flickering lights shimmered against old stone, the scent of damp dust and suspended mana filling the secret chamber. Hidden behind countless barriers of magic and sealed runes, it was a space only one man could access.
Julius Novachrono, Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom, stood in silence before a floating capsule of frozen time.
Inside it preserved in stasis was a grey-haired woman.
Lichita.
Her breath was faint. Her mana nearly imperceptible. Her soul lingered like the echo of a name.
Julius stared at her, his brow furrowed.
"A devil who begged me to save a human," he murmured. "And a grimoire I've never seen before..."
He raised a hand. Dozens of time-based spells interlaced, sealing Lichita in a loop of suspended decay and eternal rest. Not alive. Not dead. Preserved.
"For now," he said, turning and vanishing from the room. "We wait."
---
years later – The Grimoire Tower
The time were black clover's story would really begin had finally come.
The sky crackled with spring wind.
I walked quietly among the crowds of hopeful teenagers, my form shifted into something fitting a tall, lean boy with black hair and bright green eyes. My mana was carefully cloaked to feel just above average, enough to go unnoticed.
The name I had chosen long ago was now mine again.
Adam Malek.
A teen with a simple goal: become a Magic Knight.
A lie.
In truth I just wanted to experience the story from a closer perspective.
And there they were, the main characters.
Asta. Small, loud, intense his spirit so big it barely fit in his own body.
Yuno. Calm, cool, gifted with wind magic and unknowingly being of royal blood.
I stayed back, arms folded, watching as the Grimoire Ceremony began.
Yuno stood still, confident.
A radiant light descended and in it, the four-leaf grimoire chose him.
Gasps echoed across the tower.
I smiled faintly. "Still impressive, even knowing it would happen."
Asta waited. And waited. And waited.
Nothing came.
I said nothing as he shouted and stormed out. I knew how this part played out.
----
Later – Grimoire Tower Courtyard
I watched as Revchi, the chain magic user, cornered Yuno. Greed in his eyes, chains flashing with malicious intent.
"Give me the four-leaf grimoire, brat," he sneered.
His chains were wrapped around yuno, disabling him from using a magic.
I leaned on the far wall. I could've ended it there. But this was not my scene.
This belonged to someone else.
And right on cue, he appeared.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY RIVAL!!"
Asta arrived, fist flying.
The fight, of you can even call it that was clumsy. Brutal. And short.
Revchi's chains pierced Asta's side.
But when all hope seemed lost...
That grimoire appeared.
A black, five-leaf clover, thick with curses and shadows, rose from the ground like it had waited for centuries.
I watched Asta rise, demonic energy flowing around him, pulling a black broadsword out of the grimoires.
And for a moment, I felt something strange.
Was it Pride?
No.
Just... Nostalgia.
Asta attacked Revchi who countered with a flurry of chains that Asta either evaded or cut through with his blade.
Hele was fast and quickly appeared in front of Revchi.
And with the flat side of the sword he drove Revchi into the ground with a single swing.
And just like that the chain magic user was out cold laying on the ground and yunos freed.
But it wasn't just that, I was the only one who noticed, but the world had shifted.
----
The Next Day – The Road to the Capital
Asta and Yunos walked a few paces ahead of me, still bickering like siblings.
I caught up slowly, hands in my pockets.
"Hey," I called out. "You two from Hage?"
They both turned. Yuno narrowed his eyes slightly. Asta just squinted. "Huh? Who are you?"
"Name's Adam Malek. I got my grimoire at the ceremony yesterday. Figured we're all headed the same way."
I flashed them a harmless smile.
Asta grinned. "Oh yeah?! What kinda magic do you use?"
"Nothing flashy," I said. "Just quake magic. My grimoire's three-leaf."
Yuno nodded. "Quake magic's sound strong."
"It is... useful... in the right hands," I shrugged. " I hope it will be enough to become a magic knight."
"We also want to became magic knights... actually we both want to be one the wizard king. Wanna tag along?" Asta asked excited.
"Sure." I answered smiling at his enthusiasm.
---
Later – Around a Campfire
We sat under the stars, eating bread Asta nearly burned.
Talk turned, naturally, to magic and grimoires.
Yuno opened his. Wind spun around him like a loyal pet.
"A four-leaf," I said, nodding. "The fourth leaf of the clover is supposed to represent luck, Legend says those are reserved for the chosen."
Yuno didn't reply but I saw the pride in his eyes.
Then Asta revealed his.
The five-leaf clover glimmered in the firelight, dark and pulsing.
I stared at it a moment longer than necessary.
Not with fear.
But with nostalgia.
A past I couldn't speak of.
A mistake I had watched unfold.
"…Rare," I said quietly. "That's a cursed book. But powerful."
Asta looked unsure. "Yeah… I still don't know how to use it right."
"You will," I said, calmly. "It chose you for a reason."
After a short while of silence I said:
"You know, there is also a legend about the fifth leaf of the clover, do you want to hear it?"
The both nodded
"The fifth leaf of the clover is supposed to belong to the devil."
They looked a little bit scared.
"But is it just a legend so no need to be worried."
They nodded both worriedly looking at Astas grimoire.
Then, I pulled out mine.
A three-leaf grimoire, disguised in layers of illusion and deception. Its cover looked earthen, worn, cracked like ancient stone.
I let a tremor ripple through the campfire ring.
"You already know mine... just Quake Magic," I lied.
Yuno and Asta both nodded, accepting the show.
They didn't need to know it was actually Disaster Magic bound in five leaves of nightmare.
Let them think I was just a strong mage.
For now.
---
That night, as they slept…
I stayed awake.
Listening to the wind. Watching the stars.
Remembering.
One had wind.
One had anti-magic.
And one had disaster sealed in skin and shadow.
Soon, we would stand before the Magic Knight Captains.
And then?
The real game would begin.