Tearing muscle and bones was the last thing Asta heard before he fainted, the dragon flaps it's wings and reaches the airship and puts asta inside. Gauche came running, ready to fight back despite the negligible odds. "Tell your rulers, the battle dragon celesia wants a explanation." Just as it came the dragon left with it's egg. Gauche takes Asta inside and had him treated by a medic and priest, the experts said that he is just exhausted and not in any sort of danger, giving Gauche a much needed assurance.
"You managed to survive again, sometimes even I fear how you are so reckless in face of danger for something like morals." Gauche says as he pulls out a magazine from the side and begins his research , "maybe I should get asta one." "Brother?" From outside the room marie/Oliva comes in, Gauche quickly hides the magazine and begins trying to calm down his sister who insisted on helping asta with some homemade tricks (99% chance to die if made by a child)
***
Meanwhile somewhere to the south, the cyan dragon is now sitting in its cave with the egg in front of it. "He truly looked alike, i guess he didn't lie to me after all.. I have did what you asked me to do Jassen, I will believe you once more." The dragon celesia says and then with a flick of her claw the egg breaks to reveal a empty inside. "I will waiting for you Jassen." She loses herself in the past memories as she eats the fake egg and proceeds to sleep in the darkness of dimly lit cave.
*****
Asta slowly opens his eye as he is greeted by the ceiling of his room, he groans and wakes in his room with bandages running across his torso and head. Sitting up with great effort he looks around to see the sun rising through the window. "Just what happened?" Asta asks to himself , " It's been two days since you fainted." From outside Gauche walks in with a piece of bread and some curry, "apparently the dragon brought you to the airship before leaving, it even gave you something I didn't know was possible.". Asta looks at Gauche all confused and asks "What do you mean? I don't feel a difference.", " try touching your forehead and neck." Was the only advice gauche and asta did what he said.
Asta felt something out of place and became even more confused. " What is this pointy thing? And what is this smooth stuff?" "Here have a look yourself." Gauche made asta a mirror that showed him his reflection, Asta's jaw almost drops as he tries figure out what is going on with him. "HORN AND SCALES!! .. and a.. gem? Just what sort of prank is this?" Asta roars before standing up in anger, the ground and the bed breaks in pieces just from mere slam of his hand, leaving him completely speechless. "The doctors said they know nothing about your condition, apparently some priest said it was somesort of power from dragon blood. Ohh" Gauche replies nonchalantly while bringing out his magazine, his nose beings bleeding while asta just tried to pinch his cheek to see if this was a dream.
" Now this just feels wierd... I have see what change happened exactly. " Asta quickly channels his ki through his body only to meet with a great surprise, his body seems to have got more durable and flexible, his strength is higher and so is his reflexes but it feels kind of repulsed by anti-magic. "So my body will need to adapt to anti-magic. Again... Urgh." Asta grabs his hair and pulls them in frustration, it took over a year to have his body adapt to anti-magic previous time.
He channels a small amount of anti-magic into his body to see the degree of opposition but it passed through with no problem leaving him confused. The degree of resistance is there but it seems to be adapting dozens of times quicker than before, asta lets out a breath of relief and begins eating the food Gauche brought him.
" It seems you have gained a new addiction.. I will have warn the girls." " I KNOW MY LIMITS.. and there is no problem with appreciating it a little." Gauche retorts back to the slander, he pockets the magazine and enters full serious mode " How many of us have you meet? ", " You remember everyone?" Asta looked at Gauche with a bit of bafflement to which gauche replied" No.. only grey and marie. ".
Asta and gauche engaged in a information exchange and he found that obsession and extreme trust can help with memories as well, asta told gauche about everyone and the accident in full details. " So that guy can still be here?... I guess I will have to get a little serious then." "Huh? Serious about what?" "Asta do you know what I do?" Gauche said and asta had no reply whatsoever, he watches as Gauche brings out something akin to a make up mirror. The mirror lights up and a person's face appears in it.
" What's up boss? All well on the vacation?" A green haired boy with fur on his skin with fangs and a pair of cat like years on his head greets Gauche. " No, we almost got blasted by a dragon a few days ago, i n-" " DRAGON? " the boy quickly brings out a pen and paper and begins writing while mumbling to himself.
" Namul... focus first or you're getting no bonus." Gauche threatens and the boy throws everything away and sits straight, "I want you to find some people on me, Asta you got the picture you told me about?" Asta nods and hands him a potrait Asta had made from his memories back in the shine wheel city, Gauche shows the boy the picture and asked him to find information on everyone in it, he then closes the mirror and looks back to Asta, " Surprised? I run the biggest news hub in the kingdoms the 'mirror palace'. " Gauche says with a grin while his hands are crossed across his chest.
****
"So this is last hope.. quite prosperous to say the least." Asta says as he looks out of the deck.4 days have passed since then, Asta have just reached the port of the Last hope city and Gauche and marie took their leave at a sea city a few ports ago. He grabs his luggage and leaves through the exit platform, the skies are filled with people flying on their broom while some take carts and carriages.
" It's just like i expected.. overcrowded. " Asta walks out with his bag on his shoulder, he has hidden his horn in his hair and scales by a headband and his clothes. He walks through out of the port's area and is meet by a big line of wooden carts just parked outside. " Hey young man, first time in the city I presume? " As asta walks away, he is greeted by a middle-aged man on a brown wooden carts with a horse attached. " Yes, who are you?" Asta asked with no hesitation, "name is ron, I advise you to take either a guide or a carriage if you wanna go somewhere, the city is more complex then a spider's web." " How much for a ride to Argon runesmiths?" " About 80 bronze, no more no less" Asta nods, climbs into the carriage and gestures him to go.
" So why did you come here boy? Everyone has a story if they came here from what I know. " Ron asked while driving the carriage, "I am here to take the knight academy exam." " I see.. quite a few people have came to attend it this time but most of them don't have a bit of confident that oozes out of you." " I know, most of them are probably just newbies who learnt to use ki. They should have tried training harder first instead of just running here" Asta replies while he takes in the city's view.
" That's true, why are you going to Argon runesmiths by the way? A weapon? " "No. My master told me his brother runs the place." " Ah I see, well have a good view then." The carriage traverses the streets through the crowd.