[One Week Later]

Yami: Hey kid

Blue: What is it?

Yami: Vanessa is taking the newbies into town for their day off, go with them

Blue:......Why?

Yami: Just go, enjoy yourself, socialise with the others. You'll enjoy it, trust me

Blue: No

Yami: [Grabs Katana] Are you defying my orders?

Blue: [Sighs]......Fine, I'll go with them

Yami puts his Katana away and I reluctantly go with Vanessa, Asta and Noelle into town. When we were in town, it was clear to me that Vanessa was happy that I was here.

Vanessa: I'm glad that you decided to come with us Blue, trust me this will be a great experience for you

I didn't respond to Vanessa and so she sighs, Asta was excited to do things outside of the base while Noelle seemed out of place, it was as if she didn't think she belonged here

The citizens of the area started to recognise us and at first they didn't pay attention to my existence but soon enough they realise I was with them.

Man: Oh my god! I-Is that the Black Bull's Shadow?

Man 2: I didn't think he would be here

Woman: Wait that's him? I thought he was made up! I-I didn't know he was real

Woman 2: H-He is so scary

Man: I heard a rumour that he kills some people for f-fun

Woman: Eeek! That's so scary! Why would he do that?!

Blue: I don't even do it for fun, I just kill to show others why I shouldn't be approached in a hostile way by idiots.

Vanessa: Ignore them, I want to show you three a special place where you can spend that money of yours.

Vanessa then locks her arm with mine and drags me with her, I just let her because it isn't doing me any harm. Asta and Noelle follow us and we all go into an alleyway with a wall.

Vanessa: Here we are

Asta: Ehh? It's just a wall though

I use Mask of Illusion to phase through Vanessa's grip which upsets her. I knew what this place was so i don't waste anytime and just walk into the wall. It was a magic wall that leads to the Black Market area, once I was through, I wait for the others to arrive.

Once the three of them were through, I pay attention to my surroundings. This is a shady area and I had a few people jump me but as you can see, I am fine.

I did notice Magna gambling in one area.

Asta: Woah it's Magna!

Blue: He's going to lose

Asta: How do you know?

Blue: It's Magna, he's Yami's left hand man and they're both bad at gambling

Noelle: Who is his right hand man?

Blue:.....Take a guess

Noelle: O-Oh

Vanessa: Yes despite Blue not wanting to socialise with us, the captain has made him his right hand man. He trusts Blue a lot

Blue: He shouldn't

Asta went to go look for something to buy and Vanessa showed Noelle some magic items that could help her control her magic. I decided to follow Asta who started to show me the many things on display and goes on about how cool they look.

Blue: Asta......they're all not worth it, some are useless and some would get him arrested.

Asta panics and quickly puts them away, I tell him to find something already so we can go back to the others. I don't know why I didn't just leave, I could've but I decided to stay and wait for him, it was.....odd of myself.

After Asta was done looking, we go back to where Vanessa and Noelle were. However, we both notice they were being bothered by a Magic Knight from the Green Mantis.

Asta: Hey that's-!

Blue: The guy you beat in the Exam, what was his name?

Asta: I think it was Bah-Ha

Sekke: What?! No! It was Sekke!

Blue: Hey Sekke, go away before I kill you.....I mean it

Sekke: Y-Y-Yes sir! [Runs Away]

Vanessa: Oh Blue, my hero~

Noelle: T-Thank you Blue

Blue: I don't have time for idiots

I hear someone shout 'Thief' and turned my head to see an old lady has been robbed of her bag by a thief. I was going to stop him but Asta acts first

Asta: Don't worry Blue! I'll deal with him!

I wasn't worried

Asta chases the thief down and eventually takes him out, he comes back with the bag and I take it, returning it to the old lady.

Old Lady: Oh thank you Magic Knights

Something was off about this lady and stare right into her soul, she was sweating but kept up her smile asking if anything is wrong.

Blue: No.....nothing is wrong Julius

The old lady showed a face of defeat which told me that I was right.

Blue: You three go on, I'll catch up

Vanessa: Are you sure?

Blue: Just go

Vanessa: Okay~!

Vanessa leaves with the two and once there was no one around, I look right at the old lady.

Blue: What the hell are you doing?

Old Lady: Hahaha! You're really amazing for recognising me immediately, aren't you Blue?

A light surrounds the old lady and then it removes itself from her in the form of yellow particles, standing in her place was the current Wizard King, Julius Novachrono.

Blue: I can literally feel your aura, you forgot to mask it

Julius: Haha, it seems I can't hide anything from you

Blue: What are you doing here?

Julius: Well I wanted to some magic today, I'm also interested in that boy in your group, the one with the anti magic.

Blue: Asta?

Julius: Yes

Blue: I don't blame you, there is something mysterious about him. You better not be resulting to stalking.

Julius: I'm not, I promise

Blue: I'll be going back now

Julius: Okay, and Blue. Please forge some sort of bond with your teammates, it's better if you get closer than to distance yourself.

Julius leaves and I stay silent on my spot, I just stare at the floor for a bit before going back to the base.

A few days later, Yami tells the squad that there is a Dungeon near the Diamond Kingdom border and that we have been assigned to take over it before the Diamond Kingdom by Julius himself.

Magna: Captain Yami! Let me go! I'm ready!

Asta: Wait what's a Dungeon?

Magna: Hah?! You're serious?!

Blue: It's a mysterious structure that contains valuable items and if it's near the Diamond border then we have to make sure they don't interfere. Yami, who is going?

Yami: Well the Wizard King wants you and Asta to go

Asta: Wooooah! Really?!

Blue:......I should've known that Julius would want me to go

Yami: You too Noelle, this will be great experience for you

Noelle: O-Okay

Yami: Luck go with them

Luck: Yay! I hope I get to fight someone strong!

Yami: Finral, open a portal and take them to the Dungeon.

Finral: B-But I haven't been to the Dungeon before-!

Yami: You want to die?

Finral: N-No Captain! I-I can take them to a nearby hill!

Finral makes a portal for the four of us, we walk through and could see the Dungeon, only the top of it was overground but the rest of it was down below.

I also noticed that the same anti magic bird from before was with us, more specifically on Asta's head.

Blue: That bird......

Asta: Oh right! It decided to stay with me, we are calling him Nero

Nero pecks Asta which meant that she was a girl, I ignored this and focused my attention on the Dungeon.

Luck: Hey Blue! Do you think strong people could be in there?

Blue: Maybe but I don't care, there will be in the way

Luck: Okay let's go!

Noelle: W-Wait! Luck!

Luck runs off and we follow him into the Dungeon, it was getting dark so I grab a nearby lantern that was left near the entrance. Now we had a light source but Luck was staring at the walls.

I knew Luck had great mana sense so it seems he had found an entrance. He opens up a wall and light appeared so I threw away the lantern.

Asta: T-This area!

Noelle: T-That's a lot of Mana!

Blue: Hmmm

Luck: Wow! This space is amazing!

Luck starts jumping around and activating different traps that Asta and Noelle got caught up in. I did the most logical thing and stepped away from the traps and Luck.

Then Luck stopped for a moment, he had a look of realisation but kept up his smile.

Luck: Okay you two, I'm going now!

Asta: What?!

Luck: I have something to deal with but don't worry! You have Blue with you!

Noelle: He isn't wrong b-but Blue doesn't like to talk, he is always so ominously quiet.

Luck runs off which left Asta screaming for him to come back.

Blue: Asta.....leave it. Luck will be fine.

Asta: Wow you have that much faith in Luck?

Blue:......No

Asta: O-Oh.

I walked ahead and the two follow me, Asta was excited but Noelle seemed really anxious. She kept looking at me and then looking it away, did she want to say something to me?

There were more traps ahead so I avoided them, the other two......didn't realise there were traps and activated them. Vines shot out and restrained Noelle, Asta tried to save her but was also restrained.

Asta/Noelle: Blue help us!

Blue:.........God dammit