[BABIES crying]
[HIGH PRIEST] Two more for us, eh?
[BABIES whimpering]
[HIGH PRIEST] Aw, shh. There's a good boy.
Here you go.
[HIGH PRIEST grunts] I was starting to think
you would never calm down.
Are you brothers?
Same age, so possibly twins as well.
No, they're neither.
This one here is sweet and well behaved,
and this one, well, he's a bit spirited.
Then there's the fact
that they don't look a thing alike.
[HIGH PRIEST] Hm... "Yuno."
Now, for this spirited little fell--
--[ASTA squeals] --[HIGH PRIEST yelps]
[HIGH PRIEST] Ow! A bit too spirited.
[HIGH PRIEST chuckles]
[HIGH PRIEST] "Asta," huh?
Well, you've had a tough beginning,
but your worries are over.
As of today, boys, this will be your home.
Asta and Yuno...
[digging]
[VILLAGER 1A] With all this work,
I sure hope we have a good harvest.
[VILLAGER 1B] Yeah, same here.
[ASTA] Sister Lily!
[VILLAGER 1A] What's that about?
[VILLAGER 1B] The kid from the church is at it again.
One day, I'll be the Wizard King.
And I'll make you the happiest woman in the world.
That's why I'm asking:
Will you please marry me?
I'm sorry, Asta. I just can't.
It's my duty to serve everyone.
[groans]
That's a "no"?
Yes, it is. I can't marry you.
[groans]
[ASTA] I'm not giving up yet!
You should, really. Please, Asta.
Not giving up!
[LILY] I'm truly sorry.
[ASTA] Please, Sister Lily, just let me ask one more time!
No!
[LILY] Water Creation Magic. Holy Fist of Love!
[gasps] I'm so sorry, Asta.
I wasn't thinking. My magic just slipped out.
Nice, Sister. Way to go.
Show him no mercy.
But... I didn't... mean to.
[ASTA] We're not done here!
[yelps]
Ugh, come on.
How many times does she have to turn you down?
[yells] Why are you sticking your nose in this, Yuno?
That's simple, really.
Because you're noisy, you're short, you lack both
composure and tolerance, and there's not really anything
about you that appeals to women.
Hey!
Fifteen years of growing up together,
and that's how you talk to me?
You big lady-killing jerk!
[YUNO] May I help?
Thank you, Yuno.
You think you can just ignore me?
[YUNO] Asta, nuns are women of the cloth,
which means they can't marry.
Neither can 15-year-old boys, in fact.
Think you're so smart.
Well, I'll show you.
Yeah, I will. You and me!
Right here, right now!
Not today.
[ASTA] And, why the hell not, huh?
[YUNO] It would be a waste of time.
[ASTA] What'd you say to me?
Give it a rest already, Asta.
There's no way you stand a chance against him,
and you know it.
[ASTA] Take this!
Insta...
[NASH] This is pointless.
...kill!
[NASH] You know that you can't use magic.
Oh, what? Come on!
--[ASTA] Still nothing? Why? --[giggles]
You're funny, Asta.
It is pretty crazy.
Not being able to use any kind of magic at his age?
That never happens.
What's your deal, huh?
I'm older than you, kid. Show some respect!
Not a chance.
Haven't you figured out that, in this world,
magic is everything?
It's not a matter of whether you have it, but how much.
You're the only person I've ever heard of
who can't use any magic at all.
All right, then.
Looks like I'm gonna have to bust out my secret moves.
[NASH] Mm?
You've got secret moves?
[yelling]
Bet you can't do crunches this fast!
[NASH] Like anyone cares, idiot.
[ARLU] Asta's being funny again!
[ARLU giggling]
[gasps]
[ARLU] Look at that! Yuno's amazing!
[NASH] This is nothing for him.
[LILY] Such a big help, thank you!
[ASTA] All right. Leave the wood chopping to me!
I've got this covered!
--[ARLU laughs] --[NASH] Aw, jeez.
They're really the same age?
You definitely can't tell it from the way they act.
[growling]
[ASTA yelps]
Yuno is the hope of this church!
[NASH] Getting into the Magic Knights isn't
just a silly dream for Yuno. He'll make it for sure.
[LILY] The awarding of the grimoires is coming up.
Once you have yours, things'll change.
Just wait and see, Asta.
You'll be able to use magic in no time at all.
[ASTA] Thank you so much, Sister Lily!
Well, probably, anyway.
[ASTA] My grimoire... I'll have it soon.
Finally... Finally...
That's right!
I'm gonna get the most awesome grimoire ever!
I'll join up with the Magic Knights, and once I make
a name for myself, I'll follow in your footsteps
and become the Wizard King!
He'll never give up this nonsense, will he?
[ASTA] And then I'll come back and rebuild
this crumbling dump of a church.
[HIGH PRIEST growls] Crumbling dump? That's taking it too far!
Isn't that right, Yuno?
Eh?
I'll show all of you.
I swear!
Just watch and you'll see, damn you!
Asta, wait!
[NASH groans] Really? How am I younger than him?
[LILY] Hey, Yuno.
Do you think you could maybe try
to get along a little better with Asta?
I mean, like you used to back when you were younger.
You two were always together.
[LILY] Yuno used to be such a crybaby.
But then, one day, he came back with Asta,
who was badly injured.
And since then, I haven't seen him cry once.
[YUNO] What's the point?
There's no getting along with that one.
[gasps]
[LILY] Now that I think about it,
they were both different afterwards.
That's when Asta started coming home covered in mud every day.
I wonder where he goes off to and what he's doing.
[ASTA] 994...
995...
996...
997...
998...
999...
[ASTA] And now for some magic-enhancing
mogro leaf juice. Bottoms up!
[panting]
[ASTA] I will be the Wizard King.
Nothing's going to stop me.
[ASTA] And, the first step is getting my body trained up!
[ASTA yells]
[NARRATOR] March, when the firefly dandelions
float through the air.
Once a year throughout the Clover Kingdom,
those children who have reached 15 years of age
gather for the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony,
a rite of passage that will increase their magical power.
[ASTA] Awesome! Are all these shelves filled with grimoires?
Ooh! Which one is mine?
[ASTA] Once I get my hands on a grimoire,
I'm gonna be able to use magic, too.
I'll catch up to you soon enough, Yuno.
[BOY 1A] Hmph.
The day that I'll become a full-fledged mage.
It's about time!
Look what the cat dragged in.
Could they be any shabbier?
We shouldn't have to give grimoires to anyone
who just walks in off the street.
Makes me sick to my stomach.
You don't think the pathetic creatures would be
foolish enough to attempt the Magic Knights Entrance Exam
in six months, do you?
[BOY 1A] Only high-ranking nobles and royalty have enough
innate magic power to pass the exam.
[BOY 1B] See the shrimpy one?
I heard that he can't use magic at all.
[BOY 1A] Oh, wow.
We'd better take extra special care of him.
I mean, he's one of a kind!
The only person in the entire country who can't use magic.
Welcome to Grimoire Tower, Acceptees.
On this momentous day, you will take your first step
down a new path.
I wish you integrity, hope, and love.
[TOWER MASTER] For those who don't know,
I am the master of this Grimoire Tower.
Now, never once has anyone from this region
distinguished him, or herself,
by becoming a Magic Knight, much less the Wizard King.
I pray that one among you will have
what it takes to become the most powerful mage in the land.
Seriously, I mean it!
[TOWER MASTER] Ahem.
And now, to accept your grimoires.
Finally, my very own grimoire!
Check it out! Mine's bigger than yours.
[BOY 1D] Yeah, maybe, but mine's thicker!
Here it is!
My one-way ticket out of this little village.
I can carry on the family business!
[BOY 1G] This is my grimoire? Seriously?
[BOY 1H] Why is mine so tiny?
[GIRL 1B] I guess... I'll decide what to do once there are
more pages of magic in here.
[BOY 1A] Hmph. Six months from now, we'll be taking
the prestigious Magic Knights Entrance Exam.
And we'll pass it, too, just wait.
[TOWER MASTER] Yes, very good.
I have high hopes for you.
Hey, uh...
[CROWD gasps]
Is my grimoire running late or something?
[ASTA] Hey, uh...
Is my grimoire running late or something?
[TOWER MASTER coughs] Uh...
Try again next year?
What?!
[laughs] Oh, wow, you're kidding!
[BOY 1J] That's actually kinda awesome.
[BOY 1K] What? That's too funny!
Seriously?
That's awful. I can't believe it.
[BOY 1A] Ha! Well, he's got us beat in one area, anyway:
complete and utter uselessness.
[CROWD gasps]
[TOWER MASTER gasps]
[TOWER MASTER] Is that... the four-leaf clover?
[CROWD gasping]
The four-leaf? Like out of the legend?
[BOY 1B] R-Really?
The grimoire that was bestowed upon the first Wizard King?
[LILY] If the stories about it are true, it's imbued not only
with tremendous power, but also good luck.
[BOY 1B] And it's his ?
[BOY 1A] A filthy little commoner?
[BOY 1F] Awesome!
I will become the Wizard King.
[CROWD gasps]
[CROWD] Amazing!
He's the brightest star in the whole village of Hage!
You're amazing, Yuno!
He's so cool!
[ASTA] Yuno.
Just wait. I'm hot on your heels.
I'll catch up to you. I am your rival!
[CROWD laughs]
[BOY 1J] His rival? Who does he think he is?
[BOY 1I] Big talk for some idiot who didn't even get a grimoire.
No.
Well, everyone, time to go.
We've got a lot of preparations to make for the big banquet.
Since today's special, you all get three pop-potatoes a piece!
Woo-hoo!
Or maybe we could have something different for a change?
[REVCHI chuckles] Well, isn't this extraordinary?
A boy wonder, and from a sleepy little village, too.
[ASTA] I was so sure, all this time...
I just needed a grimoire, and then I'd finally
be able to use magic.
And now, to not even get a grimoire...
[ASTA] No! I won't give up that easily!
[ASTA laughs] You're not winning this round, fate.
Don't underestimate me!
It doesn't matter if it takes a year, or two, or ten,
or a hundred! I don't care!
I'll work till I get that grimoire!
I will become the Wizard King.
I'll prove anyone can be great.
Even a poor commoner who was abandoned at birth.
Take that! Ha, ha!
And just you wait, Yuno!
[BOY 1B] Hey, um... Isn't that going a bit too far?
[BOY 1A] We were supposed to be the stars of the show today.
He ruined that! A low-life commoner.
And got the four-leaf clover?
I mean to make him pay.
[BOY 1B] Wait!
[BOY 1A] I'll burn that book till it's nothing but ash!
[BOY 1A gasps] He dispelled my flames without even
using his grimoire!
Go on! You try!
[BOY 1B] But...
[BOY 1A] Do it!
[BOY 1B] Uh...
[BOYS scream]
[REVCHI] We can't have that getting all burned up,
now can we?
Resisting would be a foolish waste of your time.
My Magic Binding Iron Chain Formation spell blocks
its captives' movement and magic.
What do you want? Who are you?
[REVCHI chuckles] I suppose a village boy wouldn't know,
but until very recently, I was relatively well known
among the Magic Knight squads as Chain Magic Revchi.
But they expelled me from their illustrious ranks,
and now I am naught but a humble thief.
So, if you'll excuse me,
I'll be taking this grimoire of yours.
[REVCHI laughs]
You said that your name was Revchi?
Why bother stealing it?
There's no point. Grimoi--
Grimoires must be used by their chosen masters.
Yes, village boy, I'm well aware.
That said, there are plenty of black-market collectors
who would pay a small fortune in exchange
for such a unique specimen.
The four-leaf clover may have chosen you,
but you only received it.
An untrained novice, a mere hatchling.
This is not your lucky day.
Such a pity for you I happened to be here.
Your legend is over before it even began.
O-ho.
I bet that pendant would fetch a good price.
Don't mind if I do.
[ASTA] Hold it!
[ASTA yells]
What the hell is going on here?
I've come to rescue--
[ASTA] Hey, creep, what's your deal?
That's Yuno's grimoire you've got.
What are you doing with it? You dirty, rotten thief!
Why, look, it's the sad little boy
who waited so long, but never got a grimoire.
[ASTA] Oh, you've heard of me?
Yeah, you're right. The poor, empty-handed kid.
The only place a grimoire belongs
is with its true master. Now give that back to Yuno!
[laughs]
You really are a sheltered creature
if you believe that kind of reasoning
will get you anywhere with the likes of me.
Allow me to disabuse you of that notion.
Asta, run!
[REVCHI laughs]
From a waste of space like him?
Not a chance in hell!
[yells]
[ASTA] I'll get you!
No, boy. You're finished here.
[REVCHI] Dance of the Pitless Viper!
[ASTA] That's one serious attack.
[ASTA] So this... is what mages outside the village can do...
Even as much as I've trained my body,
I don't stand a chance.
[REVCHI] You see, boy, it's no use.
Thanks for playing, though!
It's not over. I'm not done.
I will be the Wizard King.
[REVCHI] The Wizard King? You're joking.
The thing is, these chains can measure
the magic power of anyone they come in contact with.
And you have none, not a single drop.
[gasps]
You were probably born that way.
I guess this explains why you didn't get a grimoire.
To possess not the slightest bit of magic in a world
where magic is everything?
Why, that makes you a rare and precious bird, indeed!
[REVCHI laughs]
[ASTA] If that's true, then...
No matter how hard I push myself,
I'll never be able to use magic.
You know, I really can't think of
anything more pitiful.
Forget about becoming the Wizard King,
you'll be lucky to just get a job.
I bet your friend, the genius over there,
is having a good laugh at your expense right about now.
[ASTA] Yeah, maybe.
Yuno's so great, the four-leaf clover chose him.
Then there's me.
[REVCHI] This world has no use for someone like you,
a poor, magic-less fool.
You might as well give it all up right now.
You were born a loser, you worthless runt.
[ASTA] Yeah. He's right.
No matter how hard I try,
I guess there are some things that just aren't possible.
[ASTA] So, I might as well give--
[YUNO] Hey! Who are you calling a loser?
Asta.
It's true that you aren't going to become the Wizard King.
Not ever.
[REVCHI] You hear that?
Even your little friend knows that it's impossible.
That's because I am going to be the Wizard King.
[REVCHI] What?
You're wrong about Asta, Revchi.
[YUNO] Very wrong.
Asta's no loser. He's my rival!
[ASTA gasps]
Huh?
This is who you would claim as your rival?
The only person in the world without magic?
You. Get off of me.
[REVCHI gasps]
[ASTA] Sorry you had to see me at such a weak moment, Yuno.
Just, give me a second.
That's all. Then I'll destroy this guy.
[ASTA] Is that... a grimoire?
[YUNO] I knew it.
Like you wouldn't be chosen, Asta?
There's no way.
[REVCHI] Is that your magic?
But I checked, and you didn't have any magic power.
How could you be granted a grimoire?
[NARRATOR] The leaves of a clover are said
to each contain one thing.
In the first three dwell integrity, hope, and love.
[gasping]
[NARRATOR] The fourth leaf, is given over to good luck.
[NARRATOR] And in the fifth...
[NARRATOR] ...there lives the devil.