Prompt: Request from Beelzebub_1, parody on the Invincible War.
—
The sun glared down on the Clover Kingdom's outskirts.
Asta grunted as he slammed his fists into the dirt again, sweat glistening on his brow.
He wasn't swinging swords today. He was training his core.
"If I can push past this plateau, I'll get even closer to the Wizard King."
From a few feet away, Noelle sat cross-legged on a large rock, arms crossed, watching silently.
Her usual snark was absent.
Instead, her eyes tracked his every move.
His breathing. His pace. His sheer refusal to rest.
He's insane, she thought. But he's mine.
"I can feel you staring, Noelle!" Asta called, still doing push-ups with one hand.
"Tch. You're the one making all that noise."
"No way. This is focused breathing! Part of my anti-magic conditioning!"
"Your lungs sound like a dying rhino."
Asta snorted, dropping onto his back. "So you were watching."
Noelle looked away, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "Don't flatter yourself."
A beat of silence passed.
Then Asta sat up, looking at her more seriously.
"…You've been quiet today. Everything okay?"
Noelle hesitated.
Then shrugged. "I've just… been thinking."
"Oh yeah? About what?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, her gaze snapped skyward, toward the open blue.
A breeze passed. The air shimmered—just for a second.
And then the sky cracked.
A black gash tore through the air above them, jagged and unnatural, like a wound in reality itself.
Asta jumped to his feet instantly, arms raised.
Noelle summoned her wand on reflex, Sea Dragon's aura already spiraling around her.
"What is that?" Asta said.
"I—I don't know, but it reeks of mana distortion."
The rift pulsed.
And then… he stepped out.
Asta's eyes widened.
It was him.
But… not him.
Same spiky hair. Same build. Same face.
But the robe he wore bore no squad emblem.
And his eyes—cold. Calculating.
Dead inside.
He walked slowly, dragging a large broadsword behind him. It scraped against the grass.
Noelle instinctively stepped closer to Asta.
The stranger stopped several feet away.
Then tilted his head.
"…I expected more scars," the stranger said. His voice was lower. Sharper. A tired blade.
"Who are you?" Asta asked.
The variant smiled faintly. Sadly.
"I'm the one who never got chosen."
Asta blinked.
"…Huh?"
Noelle's grip on her wand tightened as sudden realization dawned on her.
"He's you," she said. "But from another timeline."
The stranger nodded.
"No Magic Knight squad ever wanted me. Not even the Black Bulls. I was too reckless. Too loud. Too… wrong."
Asta stepped forward, brow furrowed. "But that's crazy! The Bulls saved me!"
"In your world," Lone Knight Asta said.
He raised his blade.
"In mine, I served directly under Julius. I hunted rogue mages. I killed without question."
His eyes locked onto Noelle.
"…I lost her early."
Noelle blinked, startled.
Asta moved between them, expression darkening.
"You're not me."
Lone Knight Asta tilted his head again. "No. But I'm close enough to end you."
He lunged.
Steel screamed against Demon-Dweller as Asta barely blocked the first strike.
The force shook the earth.
Noelle launched a water lance from the side, but the variant twisted mid-air and deflected it with a spinning slash.
"He's fast!" she shouted.
Asta gritted his teeth, pushing back against the blade. "He's me. Of course he's fast!"
The clash sent a shockwave through the training field, splitting the ground.
"You hesitate," Lone Knight Asta hissed. "That's your weakness."
Asta shoved him back, panting. "No. It's what makes me stronger."
Noelle flew in, her Valkyrie armor glinting.
She and Asta moved in sync—just like always.
The variant watched them with a strange expression.
Bitterness. Jealousy.
Longing.
"You two always end up together," he muttered. "In every world."
Noelle paused.
"…What?"
"Every mission I took," he said, breathing hard, "I hoped I'd find a version of you still alive. Still loving me."
His gaze turned flat again.
"But you were always dead."
He launched himself forward—faster than before.
Asta and Noelle split directions, flanking him.
Asta yelled, "He's stronger than the last devil host I fought!"
Noelle spun mid-air, unleashing a sea dragon's roar that crashed into the earth like a tidal wave.
Dust and water exploded across the field.
Asta burst from the smoke, slamming his blade into Lone Knight's side—only to be caught mid-swing.
Lone Knight looked into his eyes.
"You're the ideal. The one Lucius fears most."
Asta's eyes narrowed.
"…Lucius? Who's that?"
The variant twisted, hurling Asta backward. "He sent us. All of us."
Noelle screamed his name and caught him midair with a bubble of water.
They landed hard, tumbling across the grass.
Asta groaned. "That guy… who the hell is Lucius?"
Noelle helped him up, heart pounding.
"This isn't just a freak attack," she said. "Someone's controlling these versions of you."
Asta stood, brushing himself off.
"Noelle."
She looked at him.
He met her eyes.
"…I don't care how many of me show up. You and I—we're gonna protect this timeline. Together."
She stared at him.
Then nodded.
A slow smile curved her lips.
"Damn right we are."
Above them, the rift rippled again.
Lone Knight Asta vanished into the void.
But not before leaving one last sentence behind.
"See you again soon. Bring backup next time.
—
The next day, the sky wouldn't stop shaking.
Explosions echoed from the horizon. Red sparks danced across the clouds.
Asta stood on a high rooftop in the royal capital, Demon-Slayer floating behind his back.
Noelle landed beside him, her armor glinting in the dim light.
"They're already here," she said, voice tight.
Asta nodded.
He could feel it. Like a pressure behind his eyes. A weight in the air.
This isn't like the last one. These guys… feel wrong.
Then the sky split again.
A black comet tore through the clouds, crashing into the outer wall like a meteor.
Magic flared. Screams followed.
"Let's go!" Asta shouted.
He leapt from the rooftop, anti-magic already coating his limbs.
Noelle followed, a streak of water and fury.
They reached the impact site in seconds.
And there, stepping from the crater—were two versions of Asta.
The first walked with a heavy gait, his horns curling backward like a full devil.
His skin was gray. His smile was sharp.
"Yo," Demon Lord Asta said. "Miss me?"
Asta's blood ran cold.
Demon Lord Asta chuckled, "well technically speaking we haven't met yet."
Asta barely processed his words, his gaze fixated on his counterpart's devilish characteristics.
Liebe… what the hell happened to me?
The second variant hovered above the rubble.
He wore black robes embroidered with the Spade insignia.
Behind him stood two more figures—twisted versions of Yuno and Noelle.
Noelle's breath caught in her throat.
That other her… wore a black crown. Her eyes glowed red.
Her smile was empty.
"No…" Noelle whispered.
"That's not me," her counterpart said calmly. "I surpassed you."
Dark Triad Asta chuckled.
"That loser told us about you. But I didn't expect this version to still be a puppy."
Canon Asta clenched his fists.
"Why are you doing this?!" he shouted. "You're me! You're all me!"
Demon Lord Asta landed beside him.
He looked down at Asta's grimoire, then up at his eyes.
"I gave in," he said softly. "I stopped pretending I could be good. Liebe and I became one."
His grin spread.
"And it felt amazing."
Asta unsheathed his sword.
"I'm not giving up who I am. No matter what any of you say."
Noelle stepped beside him.
"You're not alone, idiot. So stop acting like it."
Their hands brushed.
For a moment—just a second—he looked at her instead of them.
Then Dark Triad Yuno moved.
A flash of wind magic cracked through the air.
Asta blocked it just in time, his blade humming.
Dark starlight poured down on them light devilish judgment.
Asta and Noelle weaved through the barrage.
Above them, Dark Noelle raised her wand.
"I wonder what you taste like," she said to canon Noelle. "Will I find weakness in your blood?"
Noelle shot into the air, magic flaring like a geyser.
She met her corrupted self head-on, spear clashing with crown.
"I don't know what your world did to you," she hissed, "but I'm nothing like you!"
The impact scattered the clouds.
Below, Asta parried a crushing blow from Demon Lord Asta.
The variant's horns shimmered.
Black fire spilled from his mouth.
"Liebe doesn't need a partner," he said. "He is the power. You're just slowing him down."
Asta snarled, pushing back with a scream.
"He's my friend! Our brother!"
Sparks flew.
In the distance, Nacht and Yami arrived—barely holding the outer perimeter.
"They're real," Nacht said grimly. "Not illusions. Not constructs. These are full alternates."
Yami dragged his blade over his shoulder.
"Well, I'll be damned. Little runt's having an identity crisis."
On the battlefield, Noelle slammed her spear down—only to be countered by her dark self.
They collided midair, their water magic forming a spiraling whirlpool around them.
"You don't deserve him," Dark Noelle whispered.
Noelle's eyes widened.
"What?"
"You hold back. You hesitate. I never did. That's why my Asta chose me."
Noelle grit her teeth, armor cracking.
"Then you're both fools."
Their magic exploded in a tidal burst.
Below, Asta was being pushed back.
Demon Lord Asta's strikes grew faster. Wilder.
"You're still clinging to hope. That makes you weak."
"No."
Asta's eyes flared red-black.
"It makes me me."
With a scream, he activated Black Form, wings of anti-magic unfurling.
He drove Demon-Slayer into the earth, sending shockwaves outward.
Demon Lord Asta stumbled.
"Attaboy," Yami muttered.
And then he and Nacht charged at Dark Yuno, Kid's Playground activating in an instant.
The battlefield shifted.
Noelle sent a water javelin straight into Dark Noelle's chest—shattering the crown.
Her variant gasped, falling from the sky.
Asta caught her midair, spinning before slamming Demon Lord into the ground.
All four variants retreated, bloodied but smirking.
"We're just the beginning," Dark Triad Asta said.
"Lucius has so many of us," Demon Lord added. "And not all of them are this merciful."
They vanished into the rift.
Silence followed.
Asta knelt, breathing hard.
Noelle touched down beside him.
They were both bleeding. Shaking.
But still alive.
Asta looked at her.
Her armor was torn. Her cheek bruised.
But her eyes were steady.
He reached out and took her hand.
She didn't flinch.
"Thanks for being here," he said quietly.
Noelle didn't answer.
She just held his hand tighter.
—
The city burned at dawn.
Smoke curled through the streets like a serpent. Bells rang in every district. Knights scrambled to evacuate civilians.
Asta stood on the battlements, teeth clenched.
His grip on Demon-Dweller tightened.
"It's him," he muttered.
Noelle appeared behind him, water armor flickering to life.
"Another one?" she asked.
It was a rhetorical and pointless question.
He didn't answer.
Because from the horizon, a throne floated.
Not carried. Not conjured.
It simply hovered—impossibly still—above an army of silver-armored knights.
Sitting upon it was a king.
His crown resembled Yami's katana—blunt and brutal.
His eyes glowed gold.
Tyrant King Asta looked down at the capital like it was already his.
That's me…?
Asta's chest felt hollow.
Noelle stepped beside him. Her eyes narrowed.
"He's not just a ruler," she whispered. "He's a conqueror."
The army moved.
Thousands of soldiers, all marked with the Clover Kingdom's crest—but twisted.
Canon Asta saw familiar faces among them.
Nozel. Fuegoleon. Charlotte.
All of them wore shackles of glowing runes. All of them knelt when the tyrant raised a hand.
Asta nearly threw up in disgust and rage.
A shadowy portal opened beside Asta and Noelle.
Nacht stumbled out, blood on his lips.
"I tried to stop him," he said. "He turned Mereoleona into a statue with one word."
Noelle's breath hitched. Does he have that devil's power? But how?!
Asta stared at the sky.
The tyrant rose to his feet.
His voice boomed without magic.
"I am the only Asta who ever won."
He held up his grimoire. Five-leaf. Black as ash.
"Not through friendship. Not through hope. But by crushing every obstacle."
Asta jumped down from the wall.
He didn't speak.
He just walked forward, sword dragging behind him.
Noelle followed.
"Asta—"
"I need to look him in the eye."
Noelle didn't stop him.
She walked at his side.
The battlefield cleared as they approached.
Tyrant King Asta descended.
His cloak of woven mana shifted with each step. His sword looked like it was made of bone.
He tilted his head at canon Asta.
"You're the one Lucius fears most," he said. "You must be… disgustingly pure."
"I'm me," Asta said.
Tyrant Asta studied him.
Then glanced at Noelle.
"So she survived in your world."
Noelle raised her wand. "And I'll survive this one too."
Tyrant Asta's eyes flicked back to Asta.
"I executed her in mine."
The words hit like a gut punch.
Asta's feet stopped.
Noelle stared, stunned.
"She kept trying to make me better. Said ruling through fear would destroy me."
He smiled.
"So I proved her right."
Asta exploded forward with a roar.
Their blades clashed—anti-magic meeting anti-magic.
Noelle launched herself into the air, targeting the shackled Nozel and Charlotte.
She ripped the runes off with blasts of precision water magic.
Charlotte gasped as the control broke.
Noelle caught her before she collapsed.
"Help me free the others," Noelle said.
Charlotte nodded.
On the ground, the two Astas traded blows.
Canon Asta was faster. Hungrier.
But Tyrant Asta was patient. Calculating.
He moved like a king who'd fought wars alone.
"You're strong," Tyrant Asta admitted. "But you're still playing hero."
Canon Asta blocked a thrust, sliding backward.
He spat blood. Then smiled.
"Better than playing god."
Tyrant Asta's expression cracked.
In the distance, Noelle freed Fuegoleon.
The flames of Salamander roared to life.
Mereoleona stirred—her stone skin breaking under a stream of healing mana.
Tyrant Asta snapped his fingers.
A dome of bone erupted from the ground, sealing them in.
"Enough."
Asta stood, panting.
Tyrant Asta raised his hand.
"You don't understand. You're lucky. You had people. You were chosen."
Asta's eyes burned.
"I wasn't chosen. I earned them."
Tyrant Asta's blade stabbed forward.
Asta caught it with Demon-Slasher, the recoil knocking him to one knee.
Noelle crashed through the bone wall, water spiraling around her like a hurricane.
She dove between the two Astas, blocking a slash meant for canon Asta.
Blood sprayed.
"Noelle!"
She grimaced, holding the wound in her side.
"I'm fine. He's worse."
Asta grabbed her wrist.
"Don't ever take a hit for me like that again!"
She stared at him.
"I always will, idiot."
Their hands didn't let go.
Together, they stood.
Tyrant Asta laughed.
"So this is your great bond? Two fools willing to bleed for nothing?"
"No," Noelle said.
She pointed her wand at him, aura flaring.
"We bleed for each other. That's everything."
Asta stepped forward.
"For my Noelle—"
He vanished in a burst of speed, blade aimed for the tyrant's heart.
"I'll fight any version of myself!"
Their swords collided in a final explosion of black light and shattering mana.
When the dust cleared, Tyrant Asta was on one knee.
His crown lay broken.
He looked up, smiling bitterly.
"Maybe I was wrong."
Asta's sword hovered at his throat.
But he didn't strike.
"There's always another way."
The dome cracked. Freed knights poured in.
The tyrant stood.
He turned without a word, stepping through a rift summoned behind him.
He didn't look back.
When the dust settled, Asta and Noelle sat side by side near the ruins.
She rested her head on his shoulder.
He didn't flinch.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded.
But she didn't move.
Neither did he.
They stayed like that until the sun rose.
Together.
—
It began with silence.
No alarms. No portals.
Just a strange hum in the sky.
Asta and Noelle were sparring in a cratered clearing just outside the capital. Training had become their therapy.
Asta ducked under a jet of water, panting.
"You're going easy on me."
"I'm bleeding from both legs," Noelle said, lowering her wand. "You just don't feel pain anymore."
He laughed. Then stopped.
That hum again.
He turned toward the trees.
Noelle followed his gaze.
A boy stepped into the clearing.
Same height. Same hair.
Same face.
But his eyes…
Empty.
No hatred. No curiosity. Just cold precision.
Asta felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"That's… me?"
The boy didn't answer.
He raised a hand. Metal needles burst from his fingertips.
Asta blocked them with Demon-Destroyer, barely.
"Who the hell—?!"
Another figure leapt from the treetops.
A scream followed.
Noelle spun mid-air, forming a sea-dragon wall just in time.
The new attacker's magic ripped through half of it like paper.
He landed, crouched. Covered in tribal runes and black, flickering light.
Long ears. Pale skin. One eye pitch black….
Noelle's chest clenched.
"That's dark elf magic," she whispered. "Like Patry is now."
The elf-boy looked up.
Asta's face—twisted and cruel—smiled back.
"Hello, Noelle."
Her breath caught.
"You died in my world. Screaming."
Asta stepped in front of her.
"You're not saying that again."
The two variants flanked them.
One robotic. One demonic.
Asta didn't know who to fight first.
"Where did they even come from?" he said. "How many versions of me exist?"
Noelle didn't answer.
Because both variants moved.
Diamond Experiment Asta struck with terrifying speed. No emotion. Just efficiency.
Each movement was calculated. Surgical.
He didn't block.
He didn't dodge.
He predicted.
Asta was driven backward, blade scraped raw from constant deflection.
Midnight Sun Experiment Asta attacked Noelle directly.
"You were a liability in my world," he said, voice laced with venom. "You held me back."
Noelle narrowed her eyes.
"I saved you."
He grinned.
"And then I cut you in half."
Water roared.
Her trident surged with power. She met his corrupted light magic head-on.
The forest behind them vanished in the clash.
Asta shouted as Diamond Asta landed a solid hit—cracking a rib.
He slid back, coughing.
"What's wrong?" the clone asked.
His voice was robotic.
"Emotion interfering with combat flow. Unacceptable."
Asta wiped blood from his mouth.
"Don't talk about feelings like they're numbers!"
He charged.
Steel arms met anti-magic.
Sparks flew.
Their grimoire pages turned in sync—except the diamond variant's was cracked, stitched with foreign glyphs.
Meanwhile, Noelle screamed as Midnight Sun Asta grabbed her ankle mid-flight.
He spun her into the dirt.
Asta's head snapped toward her—just for a second.
Noelle!
Too late.
Diamond Asta seized his opening and drove a metal spike through Asta's thigh.
Asta roared.
He fell, struggling to stand.
The pain was white.
Midnight Sun Asta hovered above Noelle.
"I asked Sally to turn me into something better," he whispered. "And she did."
His dark light crackled in his palm.
"But I missed you, Noelle. Even when you were dying."
He pointed the blast at her face.
Then froze.
Liebe's voice rang out from Asta's grimoire.
"No. This isn't natural. They're being controlled."
The sky pulsed.
A ripple of magic.
For a second, both variant Astas twitched—like puppets on strings.
Lucius's voice echoed faintly.
"Too close to the originals. Recalibrating."
Then the control snapped.
Both variants dropped to their knees.
Breathing heavily. Trembling.
Diamond Asta looked up at Asta.
"I didn't want to kill her," he said. "I just… I didn't want to feel anymore."
Midnight Sun Asta wiped blood from his mouth.
"She cried when I changed. Hugged me even as I tried to rip her apart."
Noelle stared at him, frozen.
"I killed her for trying to love me."
Asta limped toward them.
He held his sword low.
He didn't swing.
"You were both made into monsters," he said. "But you're still me. And I would never hurt her."
Noelle touched Asta's back.
He didn't flinch.
She stood beside him, despite the gash across her forehead.
"I won't let another version of you go through this alone," she whispered.
Midnight Sun Asta closed his eyes.
So did Diamond Asta.
Then, without warning, they vanished.
Sucked back into rifts they didn't create.
Gone.
Asta collapsed to one knee.
Noelle caught him.
He winced.
"I'm starting to hate alternate versions of me."
She smirked, exhausted.
"Not all of them."
Their eyes met.
Neither looked away.
She pressed her forehead to his.
"You're still my Asta."
He smiled.
"You're still my Noelle."
The clearing stayed quiet for a long time.
No more variants. No more battles.
Just two kids sitting in the dirt, holding each other like they'd already lost a hundred times.
—
The sun hadn't risen yet.
But the air shimmered—like a storm waiting to tear itself open.
Noelle stood at the top of the royal palace, eyes scanning the horizon.
They'd been quiet for two days.
No attacks. No strange variants.
Noelle hated the silence.
Asta joined her without a word.
He handed her a steaming cup of cocoa.
She took it. Didn't thank him.
He didn't expect her to.
"I keep thinking about the last one," she said. "The dark elf."
Asta nodded.
"I keep thinking about all of them."
She looked at him.
"They all had a version of me. In their worlds."
Asta blinked. Then flushed.
"...Yeah. Weird."
Noelle narrowed her eyes.
"Did they love me?"
He coughed hard.
"I-I don't know! I mean, I guess some did? The Devil me didn't say anything about it."
She didn't laugh.
Just kept staring.
What is this feeling in my chest? Why am I afraid of the answer?
Before either could speak again, the sky cracked.
A portal tore open right above the capital.
And from it descended…
A parade.
Literal parade.
Flowers fell.
Music played.
Confetti rained down.
And at the center—
Asta's face again.
But this one wore a white fur cloak. Gold jewelry. Open shirt. Muscles glistening.
He stood atop a floating couch surrounded by—
Noelle's jaw dropped.
Mimosa.
Charmy.
Vanessa.
Nero.
Sister Lily.
Charlotte.
Mereoleona.
Sally.
Dorothy.
Vanica.
Grey.
Sol.
Kahono.
Elf Fana.
Even Human Fana, Mariella, and Dominante.
Even…. Nebra…
Even… Ciel…
All smiling.
All wearing wedding rings.
"WHAT—?!"
Canon Asta's soul left his body.
The floating Asta raised his wine glass.
"Greetings, peasants!"
Noelle's eye twitched.
"Did he just—"
"I swear I don't know this guy!" Asta yelled.
The variant smirked.
"I am Harem Lord Asta. King of romance. Duke of desire. Emperor of every woman's heart!"
Noelle's water magic surged.
She floated up to him, glaring.
"And who gave you permission to call yourself such, you sweaty knockoff?"
He winked.
"Oh, don't be jealous, Legal Wife."
The world froze.
Canon Asta's voice cracked.
"...Legal... wife?"
Noelle exploded.
"I would never—!"
"Too late," Harem Lord Asta said. "In my world, we're married. You even planned the honeymoon."
Noelle screamed and launched her Sea Dragon Roar.
Half the concubines scattered.
Vanessa teleported.
Mimosa put up a flower barrier.
Sister Lily sighed, "Again?"
Canon Asta flew up in full panic.
"NOELLE PLEASE DON'T MURDER ANYONE—!"
She blasted him too.
On accident.
Maybe.
He hit a building.
The fight began.
The harem rained magic across the capital—though all their attacks were weirdly careful.
No real damage. Just flashy.
"Why aren't they trying to kill us?" Asta asked, dodging a love-heart explosion.
"They're here to show off," Noelle growled. "Like it's a competition."
"Between who?!"
She glared at him.
"Gee. I wonder."
Harem Lord Asta watched from his floating couch, sipping from a crystal goblet.
"You know, in my world," he said, "Noelle proposed to me."
Canon Asta screamed.
"STOP TALKING."
The variant pointed at canon Asta.
"You really haven't kissed her yet? Loser."
Noelle's face turned red.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Midnight explosions. Water spears. Petal barriers.
It became less of a battle and more of an emotionally confused brawl.
At one point, Charmy offered canon Asta cookies mid-fight.
"I baked these for your variant, but you look like you need them more."
"...Thanks?"
Eventually, Nero froze the floating couch with sealing magic.
Elf Fana sighed and said, "Time to go."
"Already?" Harem Lord Asta asked. "But I didn't get to show them the honeymoon scrapbook!"
Dorothy opened a dream portal under them.
They fell in one by one.
Harem Lord Asta was last.
He looked at Noelle and gave a dramatic bow.
"I meant what I said," he said. "No matter the timeline, you're always the one."
Then he was gone.
Silence returned.
Asta and Noelle stood on the ruined rooftop.
Covered in glitter.
Soaked in water.
Still breathing hard.
Neither spoke.
Then Noelle broke it.
"...Legal wife?"
He looked at her, sheepish.
"I swear, I'd never call you that unless—like—unless you wanted—"
"Shut up."
She turned away.
Her ears were red.
He scratched the back of his neck.
"...Wouldn't be the worst timeline though."
She didn't answer.
But she didn't argue either.
—
Rain fell.
But it wasn't water.
It was magic.
Thin, silver strands, drifting like snow.
And every thread burned.
Villagers screamed as their mana was siphoned away, skin turning pale, eyes dull.
"Stay indoors!" Fuegoleon roared. "Don't touch the rain!"
Noelle stood beside Asta, her arm shielding a child.
She stared at the sky.
Two figures floated there.
One was enormous.
Twisted wings. Horns. A grotesque fusion of man and beast.
Ancient Demon Asta.
His laughter or rather cries was jagged static.
The other was still.
Silent.
Clad in a black suit with wires running through his skin.
Magic Devourer Asta.
He blinked once.
And a field of crops withered.
Noelle's voice trembled.
"They're not trying to conquer. They're just... draining everything."
Asta gritted his teeth.
"I can feel them. Liebe can too."
The devil inside him growled.
That thing was never supposed to be. The demon one… it's not just corrupted. It's broken.
The demon variant shrieked and dove.
Asta barely blocked the first blow.
The impact sent him crashing through three towers.
Noelle leapt after him, water wings bursting from her back.
But Magic Devourer Asta caught her mid-air.
She felt it instantly.
Her mana—ripped from her.
She screamed.
Asta heard it.
He broke free of rubble and looked up.
Saw Noelle falling.
Saw her magic flicker.
"Noelle!"
He reached out.
Caught her before she hit the ground.
She was cold.
Barely conscious.
No. Not her. Not like this.
He held her tighter.
"You're okay. You're okay."
She whispered, barely audible, "Can't… move."
Asta laid her down.
Then stood.
His arms trembled.
Liebe roared inside him.
You want power, Bro? Let's go beyond again.
But this time—it wasn't the same.
The black horns split.
Red lightning sparked through his skin.
A second sword formed beside the Demon-Dweller.
It pulsed.
Alive.
His aura surged, shredding the ground.
The demon variant paused mid-flight.
The devourer one turned, slowly.
Asta's voice rang through the field.
"I won't let you touch her again."
He launched.
His blade clashed with the demon's claws—each strike blasting shockwaves through the clouds.
The devourer tried to backstab.
Asta turned, quicker.
Slashed across his chest.
The variant staggered.
His circuits glitched.
"You're not the only one who can absorb," Asta snarled. "Mine just doesn't kill people."
Noelle forced herself to sit up.
Her vision blurred.
But she could see Asta glowing.
His anti-magic form was changing.
Sharper. Brighter.
Almost divine.
He fought like a storm.
One blade for offense. One to guard.
The demon variant opened its jaws.
A sphere of cursed magic formed.
Asta flew directly into it.
Sliced through it mid-charge.
The blast detonated behind him.
He didn't stop.
He drove both swords into the demon's chest.
The beast howled—
Then burst into static and dust.
Magic Devourer Asta tried to run.
Asta caught him with a chain from the Demon-Slasher.
Pulled him down.
Stared into his eyes.
"You weren't always like this, were you?"
The variant blinked.
Something flickered.
Then vanished.
Asta let go.
The devourer fell, collapsing as his magic short-circuited.
Dead?
No.
Just empty.
Asta landed beside Noelle.
She coughed.
Then smiled.
"You idiot."
He knelt beside her.
"Hey. You're okay now."
"I almost died."
"But you didn't."
She hit his shoulder—weakly.
"Dumb muscle-head."
He took her hand.
Held it.
Didn't say anything.
Neither did she.
But she didn't let go.
The rain stopped.
The stars returned.
—
The village burned.
But there was no smoke.
No fire.
Just light.
Blinding, searing, holy light.
Buildings turned to dust.
People—commoners, peasants, children—collapsed with no wounds.
Only empty grimoires and fading mana.
Noelle stood at the border, shaking.
"They're killing non-mages."
Asta clenched his fists.
The massacre wasn't random.
It was deliberate.
Targeted.
The light came from above.
Zealot Asta hovered in the air, robed in white and gold, his grimoire glowing like a sun.
A four-leaf.
But wrong.
Twisted.
He raised a hand and murmured, "Magic is divinity. All else is impurity."
A second figure drifted behind him.
Smaller.
Paler.
Eyes blank.
Vengeful Ghost Asta.
He said nothing.
Just pointed at a child crying beneath rubble.
Zealot Asta's beam fired instantly.
Noelle blocked it with a water shield.
The impact cracked the air.
Asta stood beside her.
"This one… he's not possessed. He believes this."
Zealot Asta noticed them.
He smiled.
It was serene.
Terrifying.
"Brother. You survived longer than I thought."
"I'm not your brother," Asta spat.
"Ah," the zealot replied. "A heretic, then."
Ghost Asta whispered, "They all betrayed us."
Noelle readied her lance.
"They're focused on villagers. They don't care about us."
Zealot Asta hovered lower.
"You cling to the weak. You love the impure. That's why your world fails."
"They're people!" Asta shouted.
"They're mistakes," the zealot said. "The age of magic must be cleansed."
He fired again.
Asta countered with Demon-Dweller.
The clash tore a crater between them.
Noelle raced forward.
She met Ghost Asta mid-air.
He was fast.
No mana signature. No sound.
He phased through her first attack and grabbed her throat.
She choked.
"...You didn't die for me," he whispered.
"What?"
"In my world," he said, eyes distant, "you ran. You let them kill me. All of you."
Her water exploded outward, flinging him away.
She gasped for air.
"I didn't even know you in your world!"
He didn't respond.
Just floated back, slower now.
Asta slammed the zealot into the ground.
"Why are you like this?! What twisted you?"
Zealot Asta coughed blood.
Then smiled again.
"I saw the truth."
"What truth?!"
"That magic is sacred. And I was born divine."
He unleashed a burst of light that sent Asta flying.
Noelle caught him mid-air with a wave.
"You good?"
"I'm mad."
"Good."
They dove together.
Noelle summoned Valkyrie armor, spears firing like arrows of the sea.
Asta deflected beams of light, closing in with the Demon-Slasher.
Zealot Asta's form cracked.
Ghost Asta blocked one strike for him.
Took the hit.
Fell.
Asta looked down at the fading ghost.
The boy stared at him.
Then at Noelle.
And whispered, "I wish… I'd known you… like this."
He faded.
Asta didn't speak.
Zealot Asta roared.
His body ignited with divine light.
Noelle didn't flinch.
She launched her Sea Dragon's Cradle—binding him in water.
Asta dove from above.
"Enough!"
The slash cut through the false sun.
The light died.
Zealot Asta collapsed.
Coughing.
Bleeding.
Staring at the sky.
"I was supposed to save them all…"
Asta crouched beside him.
"You forgot the most important part."
Zealot Asta blinked.
"What?"
"Being strong doesn't mean looking down on others. It means protecting them."
The zealot didn't reply.
He turned to ash in the wind.
Asta stood.
Turned.
And found Noelle waiting.
She was bruised.
Wet.
Smiling.
"Not bad, dumbass."
He smiled back.
"Thanks for saving me. Again."
She looked away.
Then back.
"I meant what I said earlier."
He blinked.
"Which part?"
She stepped closer.
"Your strength isn't magic. It's your heart."
He stared at her.
"I… Noelle…"
She rolled her eyes.
"Don't make it weird."
He laughed.
Then reached for her hand.
Held it.
They didn't speak after that.
But the light of sunrise broke through the clouds.
And they stood there.
Still holding on.
—
A portal split open above the battlefield.
Not a tear.
Not a rift.
A door.
Smooth.
Controlled.
Deliberate.
Asta and Noelle stepped back as the final Asta walked through.
He wasn't armored.
He wasn't corrupted.
Just… quiet.
Plain black cloak.
A grimoire with burn marks.
Eyes hollow.
But human.
"Who's that?" Noelle whispered.
Liebe's voice echoed inside Asta.
That one's dangerous. Not because he's twisted. Because he's honest.
The newcomer looked around.
Saw corpses.
Ruins.
Fading magic in the air.
Then he saw Asta.
And froze.
"You're the last one," Canon Asta said.
The variant nodded.
"I'm… Lichita's son."
Noelle's breath caught.
Asta's hand tightened around his sword.
"We're all her sons."
"But she raised me."
He stepped forward.
Each step slow.
Each word steady.
"She died in my arms. Screaming. Burning from the inside out."
Asta's voice cracked. "I know. She—she died because of Lucifero."
"No," the variant said softly. "She died because of me. Because I was there."
Noelle moved in front of Asta.
"You don't have to fight."
"I'm not here to fight."
He looked at her.
His eyes shimmered.
"In every world, she loved me. In yours… she never got to."
Canon Asta lowered his blade.
"I still remember her smile."
The two stood there.
Quiet.
Broken mirror images.
Then the air rippled.
Lucius appeared above them.
Not disguised anymore.
Not smiling.
Robes of white and gold flowed behind him like wings.
He raised a hand.
Time froze.
Only Asta, Noelle, and the variants remained standing.
Lucius's voice echoed like thunder.
"It's over."
He looked down.
"You've seen it now, haven't you? The problem isn't devils. Or war. Or humanity."
He pointed at Canon Asta.
"It's you. Across all timelines."
Noelle moved beside Asta again.
"You're scared of him."
Lucius ignored her.
"Asta is the anomaly. The constant. Every timeline bends… yet he endures. And that disrupts everything."
Lichita's Son clenched his fists.
"You used my pain."
Lucius turned to him.
"I gave it purpose."
"No," the variant said. "You stole it. You made me think revenge was all I had."
Lucius frowned.
"I see."
He snapped his fingers.
Chains of light wrapped around Lichita's Son.
He screamed.
The chains burned with compressed time.
Canon Asta moved.
So did Noelle.
But the other variants moved first.
Tyrant King Asta, bleeding and half-armored, broke free from a crumbling building.
Diamond Experiment Asta limped forward, sparks flying from his back.
Demon Lord Asta, one wing torn off, hissed.
Zealot Asta, revived alongside several previously slain variants, dragged himself across the dirt.
Each one raised a hand.
Each one faced Lucius.
Not Canon Asta.
Not each other.
Lucius narrowed his eyes.
"You… turn against your own selves?"
Lone Knight Asta laughed.
"Guess we all got sick of being puppets."
Lucius unleashed time magic in a pulse.
It warped the ground.
But not fast enough.
The variants struck.
Anti-magic. Light magic. Demonic magic. Forbidden seals.
All at once.
The sky shattered.
Lucius screamed.
Then the world exploded in silence.
When the dust cleared—
Only Canon Asta remained standing.
Noelle staggered toward him.
The others were gone.
Faded.
One by one.
Only ashes.
Lichita's Son smiled before he vanished.
"Thanks… for remembering her."
Canon Asta fell to his knees.
Noelle caught him.
Held him.
He looked up at her.
Eyes red.
"I didn't want them to die."
She nodded.
"I know."
He buried his head in her shoulder.
"No matter what timeline… it's always pain."
She didn't speak.
She just hugged him tighter.
Then whispered, "Not always."
—
The sky was quiet again.
No more portals.
No more variants.
Just soft wind over a broken field.
Asta stood among the ruins.
Noelle beside him.
The silence was heavy.
But not empty.
"You think they're really gone?" Noelle asked.
Asta didn't answer right away.
He looked down at his hand.
Faint trails of anti-magic still flickered in his palm.
Then faded.
He exhaled.
"They're free."
Noelle looked out at the horizon.
The sun was rising.
The light was warm.
Not like Zealot Asta's holy blaze.
Not like Lucius's cruel glow.
Just… light.
Real.
Clean.
She turned to Asta.
He looked tired.
Older somehow.
Like the war had carved something deeper into him.
But he was still smiling.
Still him.
She reached for his hand.
This time, he didn't flinch.
He held it.
Squeezed gently.
"I kept thinking," Noelle said quietly, "how weird it was."
"What?"
"In every timeline… you and I…"
He smiled a little wider.
"I know."
She swallowed.
"I guess… it's not just fate."
He looked at her.
Direct.
Soft.
"It's us. No matter the world. No matter how twisted things get… we find each other."
Noelle's eyes shimmered.
She hated crying.
Especially in front of him.
But she didn't turn away.
"I hated watching them."
"Huh?"
"All those other versions of you. Hurting. Lost. Alone."
Asta looked down.
"They all started with the same heart. Mine. I just… I got lucky."
"No," she said firmly. "You fought. For your heart. For others."
She stepped closer.
Now chest to chest.
"I never said it before. Not like this."
He blinked.
Waited.
She took a breath.
"No matter the world… I always fall for you."
His heart stopped.
Then started again.
Harder.
Faster.
"Noelle…"
He leaned in.
So did she.
No shouting.
No explosions.
Just lips meeting softly.
Their first kiss.
In the aftermath of war.
In the hush of peace.
When they pulled back, her face was red.
So was his.
He scratched his cheek.
Grinning.
"Then let's make this timeline the best one."
She laughed.
Wiped a tear.
"You better."
They walked together, hand in hand, toward the rebuilt capital.
And for once—
There were no more enemies.
No more twisted echoes.
Just them.
And the future they'd choose.
Together.
—
Post-Credit Tease
A portal flickered open.
Asta's voice echoed faintly.
But not the same one.
"Hey, hey, hey~ You really thought I died?"
Harem Lord Asta stepped out.
Shirt half open.
Neck covered in lipstick marks.
He winked at the camera.
"Noelle's gonna kill me."
Cut to black.
—
Author's Note
[1] God this was so cringe!
[2] This is a list of the different Asta's in case I wasn't clear:
Lone Knight Asta: A Magic Knight without a squad—no one wanted him, so he serves directly under Julius as a personal subordinate, akin to Marx. He's more of an anti-hero in this timeline.
Demon Lord Asta: Permanently corrupted by Liebe, he becomes a devil-human hybrid.
Dark Triad Asta: A member of a new Dark Triad alongside Yuno and Noelle, all of whom have turned evil for unknown reasons.
Tyrant King Asta: The true ruler of both Clover Kingdom and the Wizard King title, but as a cruel and oppressive tyrant.
Diamond Experiment Asta: Captured and experimented on by the Diamond Kingdom as a child, turning him into a cold, unfeeling machine.
Midnight Sun Asta: Experimented on by Sally and the Eye of the Midnight Sun, transforming him into a half-dark elf.
Harem Lord Asta: A womanizer who takes all the Black Clover waifus as his concubines, with Noelle as his sole legal wife.
Ancient Demon Asta: Like Licht, he succumbs to insanity and transforms into an ancient demon, cursing the world.
Magic Devourer Asta: Born with his mother's magic-devouring attribute, he carelessly interacts with society despite severely harming or killing those near him.
Vengeful Ghost Asta: Persecuted and killed as a child for his lack of magic, he returns as a vengeful spirit targeting everyone—except Yuno and Noelle.
Zealot Asta: Born with Light Magic and a four-leaf grimoire like Lumiere, but instead of kindness, he becomes a fanatical zealot, believing in magic's superiority and adopting a false messiah complex akin to Lucius.
Lichita's Son Asta: Never given away by his mother, he grows up with her and Liebe until Lucifero kills Lichita (though he blames himself), driving him down a path of vengeance.