BANG!
The metal floor splits, bending outwards from the weight of Demon slayer. The sword pierces through, making a hole wide enough for a person to squeeze through.
Asta's qroup quickly escaped through the hole, finding themselves falling once more like they did before. Ahead of them they saw a under ground city of white - it's hundreds of white pillars supporting up its dome structured ceiling while thousands of small houses were scattered below.
The sight was mesmerizing, but nor the wizard kings neither Asta had the luxury to let themselves be distracted. They looked at each other mid-fall, nodding before Asta turned to Conrad who refused to meet his gaze.
"Conrad! Take my hand!" Asta reached out, his hand extended.
Determination was visible in his eyes, a determination that was a mystery to Conrad. From the stories he had heard from Asta, having his entire kingdom taken over and converted to fight against you was certainly much more gruesome than losing a lover to someone who openly opposed him.
Yet as he looked into Asta's eyes, he saw none of the darkness he should have had. A utter lack of any negativity towards both his enemies and allies that he couldn't fathom and this couldn't bear to look back it. A state of peace he hasn't entered since the day he was betrayed.
Unable to match Asta's gaze out of shame, Conrad slapped away the hand. He looked ahead coldly, trying to suppress his interal conflict from others and says:
"I don't need your help. It's every man for themselves so don't bother getting attached. "
"But—"
"SHUT UP! Keep those hopeful eyes away from me or else you don't blame me for gauging them out."
Asta tried to retort but Conrad shot down his argument before it began. He left no room for compromise, no room for hesitation or Conrad feared he will grow attached once again, he didn't want to believe in people he had always hated, he didn't want his beliefs shaken out of pity, and fall into a trap once more.
"Just leave me alone and go away. Just looking at yo—"
Tug... However Asta wasn't going to leave a ally behind just because they were being petty.
Asta tangled Demon Slayer with Conrad's cape, pulling him closer before suppressing him down with his strength while the wizard king spewed curses at him.
Uncaring, determined and completely faithful to his heart. Asta focused on establishing a connection with Demon slayer he hadn't been able to in the past week.
He seeped his anti-magic into the sword, facing extreme resistance as the sword's anti-magic fought and destroyed his own. It was like facing against a lonely man, a man who had nothing to lose. Nevertheless after a entire week of whittling down it's amount, Asta finally pierced through into the core.
The world shifted instantaneously before his eyes, a hole formed into Demon Slayer's defenses as Asta's Anti-magic sunk down into its core, carrying a part of his conscious alongside it.
Before long Asta was staring down a landscape similar to his own mind. A world of crimson and black where a red liquid fell from the sky endlessly almost as if it was crying.
Sob sob...
"It looks like I was right." Asta thought when the near silent sobs reached his ears.
A person's grimoire is connected to their very soul and mind. The formation of a five leaf grimoire is based on negative emotions is one of the few things that prove it.
However if a grimoire can contain a person's regrets, then what about things that are a part of a grimoire.
Asta have always thought about it, but he had now received his answer. He turned, finding himself looking down at a shadow on his knees in a countryside style of clothing, a pageless grimoire cover within its hand.
"Have you come to laugh at me too? To mock me for dreaming higher than I should have?"
The shadow regretfully spoke, it's hands fidgeting with the grimoire as bloody tears fell from it's eyes. However as much as the shadow expected a laugh or a insult, Asta could only smile in silence.
"I won't laugh at you. At least you died with your friends hoping for your survival."
The words were spoken from the depths of his heart, the kindness in them washing over the shadow as the darkness receded to reveal a face beneath the cover of the mask.
"They did?" Asked the original Asta of this world, his eyes is doubtful as they could be while looking at Asta. "You look the same as me... But older."
"Well, I am you from the future. Kinda."
"Then I suppose you want the sword?"
Asta nodded, his expression not showing a hint of hesitation.
"I see... Then answer two of my questions."
"What are they?" Asta asked while slowly approaching closer.
The two locked eyes for a second, staring into each other's gaze as they both held onto the grimoire's cover.
"Did the blackbulls arrive at the parliament? Did they arrive after I died?"
Asta nods, "They did. I heard it from Mimosa herself."
"Phew.... Now for my second question– about sister—"
"She rejected." Asta knew what he was going to ask already, "she rejected me in the face. *smiles nervously* I guess we are both losers."
Cr-Crack crack... The shadows covering the original Asta began to crack. The doubtful gaze vanished, replaced by a relief filled tired eyes.
"I hope you take care of them. I can already imagine all the crying in the black bulls, so if you can. Please. Treat them well."
As the last words left his mouth, The leftover regrets and fragment of original Asta's soul turned to golden light. Soon as the light faded away into the emptiness, only the pageless grimoire cover was left.
... " I will. I promise."
Fwahh!
The conscious of Asta flooded back to reality, returning to his body as a connection was established with the empty Demon slayer.
The familiar sensation of the Broadsword brought out memories, but despite the overflowing nostalgia, Asta stayed focused.
Barely six seconds have passed since Asta entered into the sword's inner place. This meant while he had spent minutes inside the sword, his body has barely blinked, maybe twice.
And just like that another burden was added onto his shoulders, but at least he regained a trustable weapon he could use as needed.
A enthusiastic smile forms on Asta's face. He grabs Demon slayer, twirling it within his grasp before launching Conrad up.
Soon he flooded it with half his anti-magic reserves, causing it to expand like it has always done.
"Blackdivider. "
The blade expands, growing several feet in size and width. The Anti-magic then begans lifting it, slowing Asta's descent until it became a floating platform all the wizard kings landed on.
"Anybody got any ideas? The compass is tweaking out and I don't think we can stay her for long."
Pointing upwards, Asta pulls himself onto the blunt blade as well. The sand was following behind them, however it's speed was slower and lacked the ability to fly, so it had to build a whole structure as a support.
The time gave the group a few seconds of peace, leaving them to their own thoughts and ideas of escaping.
The wizard kings immediately began observing their surroundings. They found the city so massive , they internally compared it to the capital of clover kingdom.
That's when Jester pointed and spoke, "I see something wierd in the Northeast. Looks like a wierd egg with lines."
"Indeed. I wonder if we can make a omelette out of it." Princia suggested with a drooling mouth and a hungry stomach.
Conrad and Edward stayed silent on the other two's words, instead they both began looking for a actual escape plan.
"I can feel a lot of mana being sucked into the giant orb thing. It's the one stopping us from using magic."
"How about we blow it up then? After all, we are just sitting ducks under the brat's protection until we get our magic back."
Princia and Jester turn to Asta.
"Take us there." X 2
"If you say so." Asta happily complied.
The group flew to the giant Egg like structure, dashing through the city skies while avoiding the iron sands trying to ambush them from every angle.
It was like skateboarding. A game of reflexs and body movements and the sand were the obstacles they had to dodge.
"Aren't we going... A little too fast? " Princia said when she notices the speed of their descent, it was too fast to be one of a landing.
She grabs Asta by the shoulder, "OI! Are you trying to kill us a—!!! "
Turns out Asta greatly underestimated the anti-magic it took to control Demon slayer and had fainted mid-air. He was bubbling foam from his mouth and his eyes were rolled back as the group slowly took in the situation.
"We're fu****."
The skating turned into a free fall, the sword crashed straight through the egg , sending everyone in different directions. They tumbled and bounced like skipping stones, each going to a different place before sliding to a slow stop.
"I shouldn't have trusted the brat." Contad mumbles under his breath.
"He saved our lives, Conrad... Cut him the kid some slack." Edward tried to defend Asta.
"Its because of him, we are here! I would have been going around with my plan already if it weren't for him!!" Edward shouted in frustration.
... At that moment, Conrad noticed three pair of eyes looking disgustingly at him. Princia, Edward and Jester, all three have over the journey, gained more knowledge of difference between Contad's personality and his goal.
"You can't unite the world with such a personality, Conrad. Believe us when we say it but, " Princia walks over to Asta. "It's a good thing this brat defeated you before."
Edward also walks over to Asta, " -You have lost your true ideals... I see no perfect world in them but instead just vengeance."
Conrad's eyes widen in surprise, his hands shaking in rage as his allies condemn him.
"You Fools! You believe that soft-hearted Brat can fix this world!?...Don't you want that peaceful world? The world wh—"
"You can't make that world... Go ahead and undo that revival spell if you want but-"
"- we won't do your bidding anymore."
The three wizards kings chose death over supporting Conrad, openly showing their extreme disapproval of him. Even now their lives were barely being sustained by the revival magic, making it more akin to unforced puppetry.
Originally the wizard kings were meant to vanish back after their attack on Clover kingdom during the triumph tournament. This was a fact Conrad hid from them, but being fellow wizard kings, they noticed it soon after but went along with flow.
They saw him as their only chance. However when Asta arrived and offered a better pathway, they took it without hesitation. It wasn't a difference of moral, ideal or commitment that caused this. It was the difference in the true goals between the two of them.
One was willing to sacrifice himself for others to live, the other sacrificed others to fulfill their own ideals. It wasn't hard to see which one has strayed down to the wrong path.
A sudden silence took over when the disapproving gazes shut Conrad up.
The wizard king was left alone to his own thoughts, left alone to deal with his internal conflicts.
Meanwhile Princia tossed Asta up to her shoulder and began walking away alongside the other two, even going as far as to grab Demon slayer with her hand despite it draining her mana with touch.
The sound of their footsteps slowly weakens, eventually fading as they moved ahead towards the structure's center.