But just then—
BOOM!
Asta's energy exploded forth!
Two radiant blue dragon-like energy trails spiraled upward from his feet, wrapping around him in an almost divine spectacle. His silver hair stood on end, now illuminated by pure physical force, and his amber eyes burned with unwavering resolve. His normally fair face had flushed to a near blood-red under the intensity of Dumen(Seventh gate).
"DUMEN!"
Asta shouted, thrusting his Demon-Slayer Sword forward. With a sonic boom, he vanished from sight, breaking the sound barrier, and reappeared mid-air like a bolt of light, slicing straight toward the Headless King.
CLAAAANG!
Their first clash wasn't even physical—their auras collided first, creating a rift in the very air. The death barrier, forged from the Headless King's curse-laced mana, shattered against Asta's anti-magic sword, proving once again that the Demon-Slayer Sword was truly capable of severing all forms of magic.
BOOOOM!
Their blades collided—one infused with the overwhelming blend of elemental magic, the other a slab of raw anti-magic. From below, it appeared as though two celestial titans were waging war in the heavens. One shimmered in ethereal rainbow hues, while the other bled primal energy—red and green intertwining like chaos and order in mortal combat.
ZIIIIING!
The impact generated an ear-piercing shriek as both swords bent under pressure. Then—an explosive backlash!
CRASH!
The Headless King was sent flying, crashing through his own army. The magic stones embedded in his soldiers overloaded and exploded into smoke and flame, disintegrating the headless soldiers like ghosts dispelled at dawn. A massive vacuum of destruction was carved into the battlefield.
Asta, too, was flung back—crashing into the ground near Noelle and Vanessa. His Dumen state deactivated immediately upon impact, leaving his body weakened and battered. The toll had been tremendous. His physical body, even with system enhancements, couldn't endure more than a few seconds of that form.
"Asta!" Noelle rushed over, cradling him in her lap just like Mimosa once did during the battle at the Spade Kingdom's Dark Triad frontlines. She wasn't trained in healing spells, but her care and urgency were undeniable.
"Use the potions... internal and external..." Asta muttered weakly, pulling out a set of high-grade healing and stamina potions exchanged through the system, their labels marked with odd, foreign letters.
"Y-Yes!" Noelle quickly opened the bottles. As she poured the potion over his injuries, Asta winced—the sting of regeneration was just as painful as the wounds themselves.
"Brother, are you alright?!" Nivier ran to Chris, who still looked shaken.
"He's amazing," Chris muttered. "That young man... he's a true hero." He was still in awe, replaying the moment Asta's blade met the King's in his mind.
This wasn't just any battle—this was a clash between two kings. One from the ancient past, cursed and headless, wielding the legacy of destruction. The other—Asta—a boy with no magic, no royal blood, but the unshakable will to stand tall. The battlefield would remember this.
"Let's move!" Vanessa and Noelle helped Asta onto her magic broom, just in time to escape before the Headless King could reactivate his attack protocol. They took off quickly toward the outer perimeter of the battlefield.
Asta turned one last time to glance at the motionless, but not defeated, Headless King. What kind of war had left behind a relic like him? How powerful had he once been to fight battles so mighty he was still standing centuries later, cursed but not dead?
If not for the anti-magic of the Demon-Slayer Sword, even Dumen wouldn't have been enough to counter the Headless King's elemental convergence.
SNAP!
They crossed the final barrier of the ancient battlefield, returning to the relative safety of the outer zone.
"I-I can't believe we made it..." Noelle collapsed to the ground, breathless. She looked down at Asta again, his head resting against her shoulder. "You idiot... so reckless… but…"
Her cheeks flushed.
He looked... kind of cool like this.
"Benefactors, thank you for risking everything to save me!" Chris dropped to his knees in gratitude. His tattered red cloak fluttered behind him, but compared to the Headless King's crimson regalia, it now carried a more humble, noble air.
"You should be thanking your sister," Vanessa said with a smile. "If it weren't for Nivier's determination, we wouldn't have found you in time."
Of course, none of it would've been possible without Asta.
Vanessa gently patted Asta's forehead like a doting big sister. "You did great, little Asta. We'll keep your secret between us, alright?"
She leaned in, whispering in his ear. Her breath was warm, teasing.
Asta's ears went bright red as his eyes fluttered open. "V-Vanasa! You're cheating again!"
"Haha!" she chuckled. "Still got strength to complain, huh?"
After some much-needed rest, the group began to part ways.
"Goodbye, everyone!" Chris and Nivier waved.
"Chris," Asta called out, managing a shaky thumbs-up, "being a hero isn't about strength. It's about heart. And you've got that in spades."
Chris's eyes flooded with tears.
"I'll protect the village!" he promised, holding Nivier's hand tightly. "I'll make sure no one suffers again...!"
"Brother, promise me… no more throwing your life away," Nivier said, embracing him.
As the village faded into the distance, Noelle sighed again.
"It's finally over…"
"You're still injured," Asta murmured, leaning into her. "Let me rest on your shoulder, just for a bit."
Noelle flushed again, grumbling, "You're so annoying when you act like this…"
But her hand rested protectively on his shoulder, not moving away.
"Ah? Is it better to rub like this?" Noelle muttered as she subconsciously started massaging Asta's shoulders. But when she glanced at his completely relaxed, husky-like expression, her cheeks burned in frustration. "Why do you always act like a stupid mutt?! Idiot Asta!"
Asta, of course, just grinned goofily. "Your hands are magic, Noelle!"
Vanessa who had been piloting the flying broom with a bottle in hand, chuckled at their usual antics. "You two are lively as always. Looks like this little trip to the ancient battlefield in the Forsaken Region wasn't a total loss. Quite the unforgettable adventure!"
"Y-You should be careful, Sister Vanessa!" Noelle clung to Asta as the broom tilted midair. She might've grown stronger after all the training and battles—but her fear of heights still hadn't changed at all!
****
Back at the Black Bulls' Base
Two hours later, Vanessa, with a surprisingly steady broom, brought the trio back to the Black Bulls' hideout. The moment they stepped through the door, they were greeted by a familiar, comedic sight: Magna and Luck standing stiffly by the wall.
"You two got punished again?" Vanessa raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Shut up, you drunk witch!" Magna snapped, turning sharply—but paused when he saw Asta being supported by both Vanessa and Noelle. "Oi, what the hell? You hurt?"
Luck's eyes lit up with excitement. "You got injured? Ooh! Who was it? Was it strong? Was it really strong?! I wanna fight them!"
"Calm down, Luck. It was just overexertion," Asta laughed sheepishly. "I went a little overboard with my Anti-Magic, that's all."
"Let me guess," Magna rolled his eyes. "He tried to solo an entire army again?"
"I'll leave the report to you, Sister Vanessa," Asta said, yawning. "I'm totally wiped out. Noelle, can you help me to my room?"
Vanessa gave her a teasing wink. "Oh, how sweet. Noelle, take good care of him."
"Of course!" Noelle replied without hesitation, oblivious to the innuendo. "He saved my life more than once on this mission. The least I can do is help him rest."
Everyone in the hideout went silent as they watched the haughty Silva princess—once too proud to even speak kindly—gently assist Asta toward his room.
"Wait, wait, wait. Is that Noelle helping Asta?" Magna rubbed his eyes.
"She didn't even insult him once," Luck added in awe.
"What happened out there?" Magna turned to Vanessa.
"If you really want to know," she shrugged with a smirk, "go ask the Captain."