บท 9: Coercion
"Demon slaying magic? Well whatever." Yami turned away to look at Asta. "Oi short stuff."
"Yes!" Asta stood at attention.
"You said you were gonna be the wizard king right?"
"Yes sir!"
"Hmm... That means you're not only planning to surpass me, but all the other captains as well... Do you honestly think that someone like you who has no magical power at all can achieve such a feat?"
"I-
Lowering his head, Asta stared at his feet. What Yami had just said really hit him hard. He knew that he wasn't loved by mana like the others around him, but to give up on his dream so easily... That was something he just couldn't do.
Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, he looked up at black haired captain and spoke with determination.
"I don't care if I don't get chosen. No matter how many times I trip up, no matter who says what to me. One day, I WILL BECOME THE WIZARD KING!!" He yelled with passion.
"Oho."
"He's crazy."
"Is he still going on about that?"
"Like hell some crazy bumpkin will become the wizard king."
"Fufufufu, he should give up before he embarrasses himself."
Ignoring the commotion around him, Asta kept eye contact with Yami, never breaking for a second.
"Hehahahahahaha." Yami burst out laughing. "You're funny kid, you and katana boy over there can join my squad.
"Eh!?"
"What!?"
Both Asta and Grim made surprised faces.
"Wait a minute!" Grim spoke up. "I don't agree to joi-
"You vouched for him didn't you?" Yami turned to look at him.
"YAMI!" Fuegoleon shouted.
Seeing the fire spell Grim had used to defeat the fat noble and his Sand Fox, Fuegoleon was determined to have him join his squad.
"What?" Yami looked up towards Fuegoleon and the rest of the captains. "I'm just giving him an offer."
"Ignoring the fact that its not even his turn, the fact that you're openly forcing him to join your squad is un-befitting of a magic knight captain!"
"I concur." Captain Vengeance spoke up and looked towards Grim.
"As captain of the Golden Dawn, I would also like to offer you a place in my squad."
"EH!!" Surprised voices rang through the examination area.
Hearing this, Fuegoleon also offered him a place.
"We of the Crimson Lions also offer you a place among us."
"No way."
"How can another commoner get such an offer!"
"What is wrong with everyone!"
Hearing the offer from the other two captains, Yami couldn't help but frown before looking at Asta and smiling.
"Oi brat, if he doesn't join my squad you can kiss goodbye to any chance you had of joining any magic knight squads."
As soon as Asta heard this, he made a B-line for Grim and started hugging his leg.
"Please join that squad!" He yelled in desperation. "I'll do anything you want! I'll wash your clothes! I'll make you breakfast, I'll carry you around whenever you feel tired!" Asta begged.
"Dude, get off. He wouldn't really not let you in just because I wouldn't join."
"Wanna bet?" Yami's voice rang out.
"You wouldn't." Grim frowned.
"Then prove me wrong." He grinned.
'What the hell! So this kid's future relies on me joining some unknown squad!'
Looking down at the gray haired boy hugging his leg, Grim couldn't help but groan and turn to look at Yami.
"....Are you really coercing me into this?"
"You're free to decline." He shrugged and lit another cigarette. "But if you do, that kid won't be able to join my squad and he'll fail the exam." Yami smiled.
'So all the cards are in my hands...'
Taking a look at the captains that were looking down at him from above, Grim couldn't help but sigh.
'I'm gonna regret this.'
"You win... I'll join." He said in a defeated tone.
"Seriously!" Asta jumped to his feet with a surprising amount of energy.
"Yeah." Grim nodded and turned to Yami. "What's the name of your squad?"
---
Before leaving with Asta and Grim, Yami had a brief conversation with his spacial taxi Finral.
"Captain, were you really gonna turn away that kid with no magic if the other one didn't join?"
"Huh? Of course not." Yami looked at Finral like he was an idiot.
"Eh? Then why did you say you'd only accept him if the other kid joined?"
"Two for the price of one." Yami took in a deep drag. "And it was funny to watch the faces of the other captains when they saw him agree to join my squad. Haha hilarious." He laughed and carried on smoking without a care in the world.
---
"Hey! How long are you gonna be?" Grim yelled while Asta was in the bathroom.
"Just give me a minute!!"
'What the hell have I gotten myself into...'
"What's your name anyway?"
"I'm Asta!"
"Just Asta?"
"Yeah. What about you?"
"Its Grim."
"Grim? Your name can't be that bad."
"No, my name is Grim."
"I'm sure your name is really nice."
"No! As in the word Grim, is my name."
"I don't get it."
"....Just call me Grim."
---
"What took you two so long?" Yami asked when he saw the two of them coming over.
"My stomache hurt! Like you wouldn't believe the size of the thing that out of m- Ow, Ow, Ow!" Yami suddenly gripped onto his head and started squeezing.
"Who the hell told you to give me all the details?"
"Ow, Ow, Ow, please let go!"
*Sigh* 'Why did agree to join these idiots...'
"Oi, why the hell are you sighing?" Yami turned to face him.
"Just feeling a bit tired." Grim smiled and tried not to draw too much attention.
"Hmm... Oi Finral, get us outta here."
"Right." Nodding his head, the spacial mage pointed at the area in front of him and executed a spell from his grimoire.
[Spacial magic- Fallen Angel's Gate]
Pointing his hand out in front of him, space twisted until it was replaced with a bluey gray blob of static.
'So this is spacial magic...' Grim looked at the portal with intrigue.
"WOAH!! That's so cool!!" Asta yelled.
"Ready to go captain."
"Good." Picking Asta up by his collar, he yeeted him through the portal before turning to look at a Grim.
"AHHHH!!!"
[A/n: You guys have no idea how much I wanted him to shout LEEEEROY JEEENKINSSS!!]
Hearing, Asta's scream, Grim made the wise choice to just walk through the portal instead of waiting for Yami to yeet him through.
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