Nosugar coating it, I have had a lot of this done for a while but in real life I got real busy with the last few weeks. I had my vacotions back to my home state and my home town's comic con during but due to school starting literally that monday I had to rush through it. I have have been so busy that I have just now started to get back to a norma stat but with school five days and work five days I have little to no time to relax or write. I'll update when I can folks. My next chapter for my other stories, which ever one I feel up to write for, may be out in the coming days.

Unitl then my faithful few,

Ghost Alvasa, up up and AAAAAAAAAWWWWWWAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!

Asta rode on his sword, while Sister Theresa and Gauche quickly followed on her flaming leopard spell.

“Your friends seem just as determined to get to the children as you are to get Marie, you miscreant,” Theresa said to Gauche.

“As if I care about the others, you old hag,” Gauche remarked, “Marie is just that much more important. Why can’t you at least agree on that? Afterward, he can find a ditch and die, for all I care.”

“You’ll be happy to know Asta isn’t after your sister, you foul-mouthed brat,” Theresa pointed out, “Not when he’s totally devoted to the other two girls back in town.” She then had a sudden realization, “So that’s why he’s so upset about this. I should’ve seen it earlier, though his demeanor about this is still a bit… off-putting.”

“You say something hag?” Gauche sneered.

“Oh, look! The caves,” Theresa said as her leopard came to a sliding halt, throwing Gauche into a nearby tree.

“Nice one,” Asta said as he jumped off his blade and rested it on his shoulder, landing next to the sister.

“I try,” Theresa shrugged, “Now, the question is which way did they go once they got in here?” She looked at the cave system before them.

Asta looked around and then spotted something in the snow not far away. Wasting no time, he rushed over, throwing his sword off to the side in the snow.

“I’ll get you for that, you old hag!” Gauche cried out as he held his head.

“Hmmmm…” Theresa just ignored him, choosing to see what Asta had rushed off to check out.

Asta dug a boy out of the snow, who was none other than Marco.

“How did you…?” Theresa started to say.

“Sister,” Asta said aloud, “Do you have any healing spells? He’s got several spots that have started to darken on his face, so I can only guess he’s got them randomly covering his body.”

“Frostbite?” Theresa said as she saw Marco’s glaze-over look, “It looks like he’s still in a trance, too. I was never good with mind magic, and I know the brat can’t handle it either.”

“Screw you, old hag!” Gauche yelled out.

“I forgot,” Asta placed his hand on Marco’s head while it turned black with a coating of anti-magic.

“What are you…?” Theresa started to ask, but then stopped as she saw Marco’s expression go from dull to lively in less than ten seconds.

“Mmmm… Asta…” Macro looked at the mage.

“Hold still for a little bit longer, Marco,” Asta said as he held up his hand and a small flame lit above it. This thoroughly shocked Theresa, “Please keep quiet about what you see me do with the elements, Sister. I know you can fathom what might happen if it got out I could use the elements without magic.”

“Without magic…” Theresa’s mouth dropped as she looked at the flame; indeed, it held no magic.

Asta held the flame in his hand, it traveled while diminishing greatly to his middle and pointer fingertips. He then touched Marco on the center of the boy’s forehead, and Theresa was even more shocked to see the light of the flame spreading over Marco's body in what appeared to be veins.

“As I thought,” Asta said as he used his other hand to manipulate the flame before pulling them from Marco. The whole time his body was healing from the inside out, with the signs of frostbite quickly diminishing. “Better?” he placed a hand on the young boy’s head.

Marco patted his face. “No more tingles!” he smiled.

“Lad, no… Asta, what did you just do?” Theresa asked, “I’ve seen many magic and techniques in my years but never one like that to allow a person to use fire without magic. How did you do that, and what did you do to him?”

“One is a special ability native to the people of my homeland,” Asta stood up and dusted off the snow. “We wield not magic but the energy of the elements within us. Most can do it, some have the special skills to wield multiple forms of this skill. The elites can use the aspect of their own element when fused with the aspect of another. It’s called bending, and it’s also combined with many other aspects from everyday life to even healing. I am one of a very select few that can wield multiple elements. Water is actually the best for healing, but in this instance, I choose fire to reheat his body from the inside out.”

“It makes sense,” Theresa said. “Wait, you’re a foreigner?”

“Marco, do you remember how you got here?” Asta asked brushing off Theresa's question, “Are the other kids with you?”

“Yeah. I was walking, but it was like when you watch someone driving a carriage from the seat next to the driver,” Marco motioned, “I knew what was going on but couldn’t stop. As soon as I started to be able to move a little, this fat guy with long black hair and glassed tossed me in a tube, and I felt my mana leave my body.”

Gauche immediately shot over, “Marie, was she with you?!”

“Yeah. I saw her when I was walking,” Marco said. “Show me how to get to my Marie now!” he demanded as he lifted the boy up by the collar.

“I don’t know how!” Marco started to cry, “He then tossed me down a hole. I don’t remember how I ended up here though. I think I blacked out after hitting my head.”

“Then, you’re of no use,” Gauche scoffed as he tossed the boy to the side.

Marco closed his eyes but was caught by Asta. “I got ya,” he said.

Marco opened his eyes to see Asta’s smile.

“You did what you could, Marco, and it really helped out,” ,e set him down and then turned and glared at Gauche, “What’s your deal, Gauche?! Tossing him like that!”

“He has my gratitude for telling me where Marie is, but beyond that, he did nothing to help her, so I could care less about what happens to him,” Gauche remarked, “All that matters to me is my Marie. Soon, I will save you, my angel” His nose started to bleed a little.

“Marie, Marie, Marie!” Asta yelled out in anger as he stormed over, “All you do is fucking talking about your kid sister like she’s an object and not a person,” he clenched his fist very tight.

“Of course, cause all that ma-” he started to say as Asta buried his left fist into the mirror mage’s gut, causing him to bend at eye level with the anti-mage.

“How dare you call yourself an older brother?!” Asta yelled as he buried his right fist smack in the middle of Gauche’s face, rocketing him back nearly a hundred feet into a tree.

“So strong…” Theresa said as she created a magic candle for Marco to keep him warm.

Asta raised his hand in anger, “All you do is fawn over your little sis as if she was some kind of a doll or princess to be praised, adored, and pamper twenty-four fucking seven!” Gauche shakily raised his head to glare at Asta, “I’ve got news for you buddy! She is a child who needs to be loved and cared for and not showered with meaningless gifts of frivolity every damn month! Have you ever once asked her what it is that she’d like you to get her or maybe even asked what she needs?!”

Gauche just sat there staring, knowing Asta already knew the answer.

“The answer is no you didn’t!” Asta shouted at the top of his lungs, “A real older brother is always there for their younger sibling, even when they don’t need to be! They take care of their younger siblings by making sure they never go hungry, making sure there’s a roof over their heads and that they have a place to call home!”

“You have no idea of what I’ve done to-” Gauche started.

“You’ve lied, cheated, stolen and a laundry list of other things in order to make sure she was always in a warm safe place,” Asta pointed, “You even became a magic knight to keep her safe, but in doing so, you’ve also lost the right to call yourself her older brother when all you do is buy her useless junk! You were only imprisoned because you were stealing and doing jobs to provide for your sister, but at some point, that intent to do what you could for your little sister just turned into an outright obsession! Do you know how angry and upset you feel right now?! Well, there’s a whole town of people feeling that same way, because their kids or brothers and sisters are missing! Me included among them!!!”

“We should be in there rescuing them, and yet… I’m standing here giving a god damn breakdown of how wrong an asshole is because he’s a sis-con and he decided to throw my little brother!” Asta motioned to Marco, “I’ve done what I can to keep a cool head, but you… you tossing my little brother like he was nothing but trash is my final straw, you mother fucking asshole! You have no right to be a magic knight or a brother! As far as I care, you can stay here and freeze, while me and Sister Theresa go to save the kids!”

Asta spat on the ground in front of Gauche and then walked over to Marco.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said as he tried to stop his shaking.

“Did you mean it, about me beng your brother?” Macro hesitantly asked.

Asta took his Black Bulls robe off and wrapped it around Marco. “Even if your big sister decides she likes someone else, I’ll still be your older brother,” he made sure to cinch the robe up tight, “Keep this on. It'll keep you safe.”

He stood up and looked at Theresa who just nodded once, “Someone who knows the truth needed to tell him, and I’m glad it was you.”

“I just told the truth is all,” Asta said as he summoned his sword to his hand.

He walked up to the cave network’s entrance. Closing his eyes, he slammed a hand into the wall of the hole, sending out seismic waves into the tunnel system. He then quickly made a mental map and noted where the kidnappers were.

“Got them,” he growled.

“How…?” Theresa started to say and then looked at Asta who was looking back, his eyes lit with rage. “Let’s get going then,” she gave a hesitant nod, and they both took off leaving, Gauche in the snow to ponder alongside Marco to watch him.

In the Caves…

“I’m curious,” Theresa spoke up.

“About?” Asta said, not even looking back.

“I was a magic night for a long time, and I’ve seen my fair share of strange magic but nothing like the abilities you just displayed,” Theresa stated, “And the way you spoke about being a brother to Gauche, it sounded as if you have your own share of experience on the matter.”

“My powers come from my homeland,” Asta tacked on, “Magic does technically exist there, but only the elites have the proper tomes, let alone the right to practice it. So, my people developed the power to use the elements without it, plain and simple. The art of using the elements in this way is called bending, and the users are called benders. Not everyone can be a bender either. There are those of us that can wield multiple elements, but it's usually only those who’ve thoroughly mastered our abilities. Just so you know, very few know of these powers, and all that do are close to me and will deny that I have them,” he looked over his shoulder at the old woman.

Theresa smirked with a slight chuckle, “Noted. Now, about the other subject?”

“When I came to this country, I was about six or seven when I woke up on the morning of my arrival,” Asta explained, “I spoke that way because I do have little brothers and sisters out in Hage Village that’s close to where I grew up.”

“You wouldn’t happen to be acquainted with Sister Lily, would you, boy?” Teresa fished around as she was starting to piece a few things together.

“Yeah, she’s the nun at the church in Hage,” Asta said. “She looked after me from time to time, mostly in winter.”

“So, you’re the boy she spoke of who lived in the forest who was always so determined,” Theresa let out a satisfied chuckle, “She served a small stint with us some time ago and would always go above and beyond to help out. When I asked her why, she simply said there was a child where she lived who even though he was young lived in the forest and lived his life to the fullest every day by simply being himself in order to survive and even went out of his way to help those around him, even though he had no magic.”

“Sounds like her,” Asta said, not looking back.

“But to think you and him are the same, and you even became a magic knight and even support Rebecca,” Theresa laughed out loud. “I wish I was ten years younger, so I could show you what I could do back in my day, but you’ll have to settle for this old bag of bones that’s here and now.”

“Never underestimate the experienced,” Asta simply said, catching the old woman off guard.

Back outside…

Gauche sat in the snow and simply looked at the ground as he pondered on Asta’s punches and words. He then looked over at Marco, who hadn’t broken his gaze away from the entrance of the cave.

“Hey, kid,” he called out, causing the boy to look at him, “I’ve seen you at the church when I’ve visited Marie from time to time… Tell me… Am I a good brother to her? Has she ever talked about me before?”

Marco fully turned to face Gauche, “Yeah, she does it all the time.”

“Really?” Gauche looked up with sparkles in his eyes, “WHAT COMPLAINT HAS SHE SHOWERED YOU ALL WITH BEHIND MY BACK? I BET-”

“She says you always bring her lots of fun stuff to play with,” Marco said, “but she wishes you’d stop buying her all the stuff from the stores in town. She feels so bad for all the other girls and boys that she gives them the stuff to play with and tells them to keep it if they like it.”

Gauche turned to stone again.

“She says she wishes you’d be a little more like Asta a lot, too,” Marco thought aloud as cracks formed over the Gauche Statue.

Marco walked over and patted Gauche on top of the head.

“But,” Marco continued, “Even though she says that, she still says she loves you for always being there for her and always coming to see her on your days off.”

Gauche looked over the young boy.

“I’m not gonna pretend like I know all about these things, but I do know that Asta makes my sister happy, so I just put up with him at first,” Marco sat down, “Because it was always Rebcca who was taking care of us, but here came someone who was doing all he could to support her, and before we all knew it, he was just as much a part of our family as he and his family were a part of ours.”

“She might be all you have, but that’s not how she sees it,” Marco said, “As siblings, we look out for each other, even if we don’t always like the outcome, but if it's for the best, then we usually shut up about it.”

That’s when it dawned on Gauche. As Asta said, he’d done a lot in the name of making sure his sister could at least eat, but since becoming a magic knight, he’d never once asked her what she wanted or even bothered to ask the old hag if she was eating right. He also realized the old hag had a point in the venom she spat at him.

Gauche then stood up with a determined look on his face and ran straight into the cave, “Hang in there, Marie! Your real big brother is coming to save you, and you, too, you old hag!”

In the central chamber of the Cave System…

Inside the cave system’s heart, two brothers waited with the kidnapped children. The older of the two tossed one of the children with the others that had been drained of their magic power. The younger had insisted that he not toss out any more of his new ‘friends’, so he just decided to toss them off to the side as long as they didn’t make too much noise, so the younger could play with his new ‘friends’ later.

“Damn it, Neige, why couldn’t you bring more high-quality specimens, or at the very least, more of them?” the older yelled at the younger, “These brats barely had enough magic power combined to fill up the tank three-quarters of the way, and there’s only a few of them left.”

“I’m sorry, brother Baro,” Neige shrank away, “But this is all the friends gathered around me with my spell.”

“Tch,” Baro scoffed. “You need to grow a spine, little brother. Now, let’s see what we have left and hope it’ll be enough to fill the tank,” he touched his gold framed purple lensed glasses, and purple frames appeared next to the outside. “Oh my,” Baro smiled. “You didn’t tell you got a golden goose, little brother,” he said as he approached Marie.

She’d actually come out from under the influence of Neige’s spell, thanks to the mirror her older brother had given to her so they could speak with each other. She also knew Gauche could find her with it, so she went along with the others, so when he came to save her, she could convince him to save the others, too.

“She has enough magic power to fill at least three tanks on her own,” Baro chuckled as he started to walk toward the children, “With your help, we’ll be able to make our quota, hehe.”

He grabbed her, and she resisted, “No! Let go of me!”

“Oh? So, you were awake. I bet you’ve been up this whole time,” Baro laughed to himself. “It doesn’t matter. Now, come-”

Baro was sent flying across the room and straight into his equipment, breaking most of it in the process. What had sent him sailing was the hilt of a sword that a certain anti-mage used to get around rather quickly.

“Asta!” Marie yelled out.

“Hey there,” he said as he looked at her with a smile, “You get with the others and Sister Theresa for now. Gauche will be here soon to make sure you’re alright.”

“He will?” Marie said with stars in her eyes, and Asta nodded once, “I knew he’d come for us!”

“Are you sure you can handle them both?” Theresa asked.

“Trust me,” Asta looked at her, and Theresa was a bit shaken by the look in his eyes.

They reflected great rage in their slitted pupils. He stepped off his sword. It flipped upright, and he took a firm hold of it.

“It's best if you stay with the kids and protect them, so I don’t have to. Gauche will be here soon, and he’s all the backup I’ll need. You focus on them and healing them. Those two are my prey,” he said with dark intent.

‘Is this really the same boy that was playing with these children just earlier today?’ Theresa asked herself before shaking off the question and forcing the kids back, “Wait, how do you know Gauche is coming?”

“I heard his footsteps,” Asta said, not looking back as he walked forward.

“Brother Baro, are you alright?” Neige asked as he reached his brother’s side.

“Argh… what hit me?” Baro said as he held his head then saw his equipment and got pissed.

He looked forward and saw Asta coming towards them.

“It was him, brother,” Neige said with a bit of his own anger, “He flew in on that sword and hit you with its handle.”

Baro got a good look at him. “You got some balls, hitting me into my stuff, you little brat,” he remarked as he stood up, “How are you gonna pay me back for all the damages?”

“By cutting and mincing you into fat chunks of flesh,” Asta coldly replied, “I don’t care if the magic knights scold me for it or even expel me. No one messes with my family like you two assholes did and get off without at least being mangled in a messy little ball of pain.”

“Wait a minute, you’re a magic knight?!” Baro began to panic. He decided to check Asta’s mana, and then, he burst out laughing, “Bwahahahahaha!!!!!! You really had me going there for a second, kid. But there’s no way you’re a magic knight with no magic power!”

“Then, ask yourself how it is I flew in here on my sword?” Asta remarked as he took up a stance, and his sword turned jet black.

Baro wasn’t taking a chance. “Mud Magic: Mud Doll Army!” he shouted, and several mud dolls appeared from the ground.

Neige was shaking in his boots but decided to protect his older brother, “Snow Magic: Come forth Snow Friends!” he shouted as he now coerced the cave floor, and then, several snowmen-like creatures sprouted from his magic.

Asta turned his sword horizontally. “I’m going to cut right through your little make-shift doll army you assholes,” Asta growled as the black anti-magic now completely engulfed the weapon in his grip, to the point it was wafting off of it where it started to accumulate around Asta’s right side in the shape of a tattered bat-like wing.

“Go ahead and try it brat!” Baro taunted in an attempt to throw Asat’s concentration. “I don’t know what you’re playing at or what power that is, but there’s no way you’ll be to cut through all of them!”

“Wanna bet?!” Asta smiled evilly as he reeled back. “BLACK CRESCENT!” he roared as he unleashed a massive crescent moon slash that easily tore through the army, just as he promised.

“Brother, get down!” Neige hurried and pushed his older brother to the cave floor just as the slash was about to cleave through them, just barely slicing off a portion of their hair.

“What was that…?” Baro said as he looked at the place where he and his brother’s constructs had been, only to see nothing at all. He checked the magic of Asta and was scared to the point he nearly shit himself, “That’s…. That’s impossible! How did you erase all of the ambient magic, along with our spells!?!”

“Brother?” Neige stood up, “He’s dangerous, and I don’t think we can stop him alone.”

“Ah….” Baro looked over at his younger brother, who was shaking uncontrollably with fear but yet still standing up to the teenager who’d, literally, tried to just cut them in two with no remorse whatsoever. He then looked back at the wall behind them and saw the aftermath the slash had left in the cave and saw a near mirror sheen to the rock.

Baro got to his feet. “Look at you, little brother, still scared out of your mind but more than willing to stand off against this guy,” he said, steadying himself, “Yeah, let’s kick his ass as brothers!”

“Ironic,” Asta remarked. “Talking about brotherhood like that when it’s a brotherhood that put you idiots in this situation in the first place!” he seethed.

The brothers’ grimoires glowed in sync. “Compound magic,” they said in unison, and this put Asta off as he knew this wasn’t supposed to happen. Mud and snow swirled together from the ground into a gigantic humanoid shape that reached the ceiling of the cave, “Permafrost Giant!”

“Tundra Fist!” they shouted, and the giant reared back and then threw a massive fist at Asta

The fist connected, kicking up dust from the impact.

“Let’s get out of here while they can’t see!” Baro said.

“Going somewhere,” said Gauche, who was standing right behind them, having showed up not long after Asta’s slash. “Mirror Magic, Real body double,” he said as he looked over them with the real him standing in front of the kids. “You took Marie,” he pointed at Neige, “and then you tried to hurt Marie!” He glared at Baro.

“Wait your turn, Gauche,” Asta's voice came. “I haven’t finished with them yet,” he said as he held a golden transparent screen in front of himself that had taken the blow from the giant’s fist, “Ya might have had a chance if I hadn’t used my Light Screen to block the blow.”

Baro slowly turned his head, his glasses still activated, and he started to shudder as he saw the amount of magic power pouring out of Asta.

“That’s… impossible!” Baro called out, “You had no magic at all, but now, it’s pouring out of you like a fountain!” He then saw the second grimoire. “He… has two grimoires! Permafrost Giant! GO BERSERK!”

“I don’t think so!” Asta said as the grimoire flipped to a black page, and his golden light turned into a dark purple that was nearly black. “Dark Magic: Dark Pressure!” he said as a black ball appeared above his hand. Before the brothers’ giant could act, it was crushed to roughly the size of a basketball.

“He--e-e-e-e-e-e has two grimoires and two magic types!” Baro said as he tried to run away.

“Brother, wait! We can’t forget my new friends!” Neige said.

“My turn now!” Gauche’s double said as he socked Baro in the face and scared Neige back to the ground.

“Light Magic: Swords of Revealing Light!” Asta said as several golden swords appeared and immobilized the brothers. “I have questions for you…”