No Excuses Now Yuno 2

The grimoire ceremony hall was a tempest of whispers and disbelief, the energy thick and charged after the twin revelations of Yuno's radiant four-leaf clover grimoire and Asta's ominous five-leaf. The crackling remnants of their magic hung in the air like a storm about to break.

But Asta had no intention of letting the moment pass without making a statement.

"Yuno!" His voice cut through the murmurs like a blade, drawing every eye in the room. He hefted his dark, pulsating grimoire, its power radiating like a living shadow. "You remember what you said when we were kids?" Asta smirked, fire in his eyes. "Let's settle it. Right here. Right now. One-on-one."

The room fell into a shocked silence. Young mages and onlookers exchanged wide-eyed glances, too stunned to react.

Yuno turned slowly, his golden grimoire glowing faintly as it hovered beside him. He regarded Asta with a calm, confident expression, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Fine," he said, his voice smooth but charged with excitement. "But don't cry when I win."

Asta's grin widened, his fingers flexing around the hilt of his anti-magic sword as it materialized in a burst of dark energy. "Oh, and Yuno—don't hold back."

Before anyone could intervene, Yuno swept his hand outward. "Wind Barrier," he murmured, and a controlled gale surged forward, nudging the stunned crowd to the walls and encasing them in a protective current of whirling air. "Stay put," Yuno said firmly. "No one will get hurt."

Asta laughed, flipping his grimoire open. "Guess I better do my part, too." His anti-magic sword gleamed ominously as it fully materialized, cutting through the lingering breeze like a blade through fog. "Let's go!"

Yuno's golden grimoire flared to life, its pages glowing as a swarm of crescent-shaped wind blades materialized around him. "Wind Blades Barrage!" he called, flicking his wrist and sending the projectiles streaking toward Asta.

Asta met the onslaught head-on. Swinging his sword in powerful, deliberate arcs, he nullified each blade, their energy dissolving into harmless wisps of air. Each strike of his sword sent shockwaves rippling outward, resonating with the hall's stone walls.

Not one to stay passive, Asta dashed forward with explosive force, the floor cracking beneath his feet. He swung his sword in a crushing downward strike, but Yuno was already airborne, lifted by a gust of wind that carried him high above the ground.

"Wind Creation Magic: Wind Spear!" Yuno's voice echoed as he conjured a massive, spiraling lance of air. He hurled it downward, the spear's sheer velocity splitting the air and causing cracks to spiderweb across the stone floor.

Asta leapt back, planting his feet firmly as he met the spear with a mighty swing. The clash of energies sent shockwaves rippling through the hall, rattling the wind barrier and forcing onlookers to shield their faces from the turbulence.

"Is that all you've got?" Asta taunted, his voice a mix of exhilaration and challenge. He dashed forward again, closing the distance in a blur. His sword swung with unrelenting ferocity, each strike forcing Yuno to retreat.

Yuno's smirk deepened, determination glinting in his eyes. "You asked for it." His grimoire flared brighter as he unleashed a howling tornado, its roaring winds ripping through the stone floor and rushing toward Asta like a living force.

Asta didn't hesitate. His sword gleamed with anti-magic energy as he charged straight into the storm. The winds lashed at him, tearing at his clothes and skin, but his blade cut through the vortex with deadly precision, carving a path straight to Yuno.

Asta leaped into the air to meet Yuno head-on.

Yuno's eyes narrowed. With a flourish, he conjured a pair of shimmering wind daggers and surged toward Asta in a blindingly fast dive. The two clashed mid-air, sword against daggers, their movements so swift that to the onlookers, they seemed like streaks of light colliding.

The impact sent both of them hurtling in opposite directions. Yuno landed gracefully, his wind magic cushioning his fall, while Asta slammed into the ground, cracking the stone beneath him—but he was back on his feet in an instant, grinning.

"Still got some tricks, huh?" Asta said, breathing hard but unwavering.

Yuno smirked. "Plenty more where that came from."

He raised his hand, and the air itself seemed to bend to his will. "Wind Creation Magic: Tempest Wyvern!" From his grimoire erupted a massive, serpentine dragon of wind, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light as it roared to life. The wyvern surged toward Asta, its massive form tearing through the hall, leaving destruction in its wake.

Asta's grin didn't falter. "Bring it on!" He charged, his sword crackling with dark energy as he met the wyvern head-on. The two forces collided in a cataclysmic explosion of magic and anti-magic, shaking the very foundation of the tower. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring the battlefield.

When the dust settled, Asta stood, battered but unbroken, his sword still gleaming. Yuno hovered above him, his expression calm but tinged with exhaustion.

"Let's finish this," Asta said, his voice carrying a weight of finality.

"Agreed," Yuno replied, his smirk unwavering.

Yuno descended, his wind magic swirling around him like a hurricane. Asta surged forward, his sword cutting through the chaos as they clashed one final time. Each strike was faster, stronger, and more desperate than the last. Sparks flew as wind met steel, their movements a blur to the onlookers.

In a decisive move, Asta feinted left before pivoting and slamming the flat of his sword against Yuno's side. The impact sent Yuno crashing to the ground, his grimoire faltering as he struggled to rise.

Asta planted his sword in the ground, panting but victorious. "Looks like I win this one," he said, offering a cocky grin.

Yuno pushed himself up, brushing dust from his uniform. Despite the loss, his smirk didn't fade. "Don't get cocky. I'll beat you next time."

The two locked eyes, their shared determination sparking like lightning.

"Six months," Asta said. "Before the Magic Knight exams."

Yuno held out his fist. "You're on."

Asta bumped Yuno's fist with his own, sealing the promise. The crowd erupted in cheers and murmurs of admiration as the two turned and walked in opposite directions, their rivalry burning brighter than ever.

For now, they were equals. But the next time they met, only one would stand as the stronger mage.