"Well done," Julius said, his voice light yet reverent as he held up the glowing spell scroll from Yuno's grimoire. The pages shimmered faintly in the golden morning light atop the royal tower. "I'm truly glad you obtained this. This spell is probably the most important relic from that dungeon."
Yuno blinked, taken aback. "You… can read it, sir?"
He had tried countless times since they'd returned—staring at the swirling runes, focusing all his magic, but the spell wouldn't respond. It was like reading an ancient language that refused to be understood.
"To some extent," Julius said, his eyes twinkling like a child shown a new toy. "It's ancient, yes… but decipherable. And fascinating."
"Most important relic?!" Asta yelled, practically bouncing. "That's so cool!!"
"How boring," Saru muttered from the edge of the tower railing, where he sat with one leg swinging into the open air, picking at a loose thread in his shirt. Secre was curled up like a ball on his head, unbothered.
Julius, meanwhile, turned back to Yuno, practically vibrating with excitement. "Say, could you perform this spell for me right now? Pretty please?" His hands were clasped together like a fan meeting their idol, stars twinkling in his wide, hopeful eyes.
Saru felt a cold shiver run down his spine. "Geh… there it is again…" He narrowed his eyes, remembering all the times Julius had pestered him to study his grimoire—like he was a rare beast in a cage. He'd socked him a few times when he was smaller, but it never stopped Julius.
"I'm sorry," Yuno replied calmly. "I… can't seem to use that spell yet."
"Ohhh…" Julius deflated slightly, shoulders slumping in disappointment. But a moment later, he straightened again, his dignified smile sliding neatly back into place. "Well, that's alright. That spell will grow with you. One day, it will awaken into something extraordinary. Take good care of it."
Before Yuno could respond, a loud shout exploded behind him.
"WIZARD KING! SOME WEIRD WRITING SHOWED UP IN MY GRIMOIRE TOO!"
Asta practically tackled Julius with his open grimoire shoved into the man's face, completely unaware of boundaries or dignity.
"Ahhh! Asta, wait—!" Noelle tried to stop him, but it was too late.
Julius blinked at the strange symbols scrawled in Asta's grimoire. "This… I can't read this at all," he muttered in genuine surprise. "I've never seen this writing in any recorded documents…"
"AND LOOK!" Asta shouted, reaching into the grimoire. With a swift pull, he drew out a second sword—shorter than his original one, but with a jagged edge and a wicked black glow.
Julius gasped, eyes sparkling again. "A second magic sword… Anti-magic… Could I—Could I touch it?"
"ABSOLUTELY!" Asta shouted, presenting it with both hands like a sacred treasure.
Julius grabbed it—and immediately nearly dropped it. "Wh-What the… so heavy…" He staggered, arms trembling from the sheer weight, and then suddenly froze.
A tickle of shock danced in his expression. "My magic… is being drained…"
He stared at the blade with awe, then smiled and handed it back to Asta with reverence. "Incredible. Thank you. This sword… only you can wield it."
Asta grinned proudly. "Of course!"
Julius stepped back, eyes moving between the three boys and their grimoires. "At any rate… wonderful work. Truly. That goes for you as well, Saru."
"Hmm…?" Saru perked up lazily from his perch, one eye half-lidded from dozing off.
"You sure you don't want to show me your grimoire?" Julius asked with a wide grin. "Pretty please?"
Saru's smile twitched. His brows furrowed. "Grrrr… Do you want to die?"
Before he could leap at Julius like a feral cat, Noelle smacked him on the head with a fierce glare. "Don't talk to the Wizard King like that, you idiot!"
"But—but he bullied me first!" Saru wailed with small tears brimming in his eyes, cradling his head with a pitiful look.
That look broke Mimosa instantly.
"Saru-samaaaa~!" she gasped, rushing over to gently pat his head. "There, there…"
"Hahaha!" Julius laughed heartily. "It's always fun when you're around, Saru."
Saru glared daggers at him.
Then, after the laughter died down, silence returned for a beat. The air turned solemn as the breeze picked up, fluttering pages and cloaks.
Asta stepped forward, fists clenched with burning determination. "Hey… Wizard King!"
Julius turned to him, curious.
"…How do I become someone like you?" Asta asked, eyes blazing with fire.
Yuno walked beside him, expression calm, but voice steady with conviction. "Tell us—how do I become Wizard King?"
Julius looked at them both, surprised at first. Then he smiled. That serene, warm smile that held the weight of hope.
"There's no specific path to it," he said, voice carrying across the rooftop. "Just one thing…"
He raised his hand and pointed a finger directly at them.
"Surpass your limits—constantly. That's how you become Wizard King."
Julius's voice rang out across the high tower, carried on the wind like a solemn vow. Asta and Yuno stood frozen, fists clenched at their sides. The words struck something deep inside both boys—not just ambition, but destiny. The path ahead was long and uncertain, but now, a direction had been set.
"Bring it on!" they said in unison, voices burning with resolve.
Julius grinned, his usual boyish excitement returning. "Hahaha! That's what I like to hear. As a matter of fact, we're holding a decoration ceremony for the Magic Knights who've earned an outstanding number of stars today. I hope you'll come and join us."
"!!!!"
The moment he said it, Saru suddenly jolted to attention.
A mischievous glint flickered in his golden eyes.
Without a word, he leapt from the railing with a grin. Secre squawked in alarm and fluttered from his head, landing squarely atop Asta's. In midair, Saru was enveloped in a dazzling golden glow. Magic radiated from him like sunlight, swirling in elegant, ethereal waves.
And then, in a shimmer of light—
He landed softly on the stone floor in the form of a majestic golden cat.
Not just any cat—sleek, shimmering with radiant fur, a long fluffy tail swaying with confidence, and a pair of mischievously slitted eyes that sparkled with amusement. He looked like something out of a divine painting.
Then he raised one paw in a casual wave.
"Nya."
A beat passed.
"KYAAAAA!! SO CUUUUTE!!" Noelle and Mimosa shrieked in unison.
They both pounced like star-struck fangirls.
Noelle swooped in, practically cradling Cat-Saru like a plush toy. "Saru, don't change back! Stay in this form forever! You're way better like this!" she said, aggressively rubbing her cheek against his fur.
Mimosa had both hands clasped to her mouth, heart visibly pounding. "Saru-sama… Cat Saru-sama… What do I do?! Saru-sama himself is cute but Cat Saru-sama is… is too cute! It's illegal!!"
"Nyaa—leave me alone!" Saru huffed, eyes swirling in panic. With a graceful twist, he slipped free from Noelle's grasp and landed elegantly on the floor, now standing upright on two hind legs. His tiny paws rested proudly on his hips.
"Nya-hahaha!" he laughed wildly, tilting his head back with feline arrogance. "I'm going to have so much fun today!"
"KYAAAA!!" Noelle clutched her cheeks, blushing furiously.
Mimosa nearly fainted, leaning against Yuno for support.
"So… so cool…" Asta mumbled, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. He bit down dramatically on the edge of his collar. "I really envy you magic types! You guys can do so many awesome things…"
Yuno and Klaus stood behind him, both staring deadpan at the unfolding chaos.
"Fascinating…" Julius muttered, eyes sparkling as he crouched down to inspect Saru. "There's no visible sign of transformation—no fluctuation in magic… This is a flawless metamorphosis!"
He reached out, clearly trying to study Saru's paws or fur more closely.
But Saru's golden eyes gleamed.
WHAM!
He spun and delivered a flying cat-kick straight to Julius's face.
"Nyaaa!"
Julius flew backward with a crack, tumbling into a statue at the side of the tower.
"H-HEY!!" Klaus cried, panicked. "You just kicked the Wizard King in the face!!"
He rushed over, helping Julius up, who sat there dazed… and bleeding lightly from his nose.
But the Wizard King only chuckled.
"That was some solid power…" he said with a grin, dabbing at his nose with the handkerchief Klaus gave him. "So even in this form, your strength hasn't diminished a bit! What a fine discovery…"
As if on cue, Cat-Saru leapt gracefully onto Julius's shoulder.
"Nyahahaha! Let's go! Let's go!!"
Julius laughed, holding the boy—cat—firmly in place as he stood tall again. "Well then, everyone! We've got a ceremony to attend!"