BLACK CLOVER: The Whisperer - Yuno Grinberryall

CHAPTER XXX. An Unreplaceable Gift

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"Huh...?" Asta's voice echoed with a blend of confusion and concern.

Xierra, in contrast to her usual reactions, remained surprisingly calm. Though confusion danced in her eyes, there was no trace of panic. Despite her reservations about the flamboyant Sekke, leaving him injured and unaided was not an option she was willing to consider.

... Oh... Am I dying...? I think I just saw... an angel...

Xierra tuned in the feeble thoughts of Sekke, her demeanor surprisingly calm. The wings created by her spell dissipated, and she hurried to Sekke's side. She listened to his fading thoughts, seemingly unfazed, as she contemplated a way to save him from his exaggerated plight.

As Sekke began to speak, breathing slowly and heedless of Asta's indignant corrections to his name, memories of a time long past surfaced. "I once aspired for greatness... aiming for the top," he uttered weakly.

"HAAAARRR!!!" Asta's panicked cry echoed through the surroundings, the urgency evident in his voice. He gripped Sekke's form with such force that the blond mage had no opportunity to continue sharing his thoughts.

"Asta, please, don't shake him like that," Xierra urged, her concern for Sekke mingling with frustration.

"But he's dying!!"

"Even more reason not to shake him!" Xierra retorted sharply, her azure eyes showing a mix of irritation and worry. She responded by giving Asta a firm tap on the head. Asta yelped, releasing his grip on the "dying" Sekke.

Sekke's hand weakly reached out, grasping at the fabric of Asta's black robe. In the recesses of his fading consciousness, he pondered, I'd really not rather entrust it... to this guy... but...

Sekke managed a faint smile, directing his gaze toward Xierra, who met it with an unamused expression. Slowly, he shifted his attention to Asta, mustering the strength for a final message.

"You're the one who bested me..." his voice trembled, the words escaping in a groggy whisper. "You get to the top... for me, too! I'm entrusting my dream... to you...!!"

In his weakened state, every word carried the weight of both resignation and a lingering hope for Asta's success.

Xierra sighed deeply, her eyes narrowing as she observed the somewhat puzzling condition of Sekke. Beside her, Inari echoed her sentiment with a headshake, parroting her sigh as he swept his tail by Sekke's feet. Despite Sekke's struggle for breath, he continued his dramatic portrayal of what seemed to be his final moments. Just as Xierra was contemplating standing up, Asta intervened abruptly.

With a swift, yet somewhat awkward motion, Asta delivered a chop directly to Sekke's face using the side of his palm, prompting the beleaguered mage to yelp out a cough. The unexpected action brought a mix of surprise and confusion to Xierra's features.

"Don't you shove your important stuff off onto me!!" Asta vehemently rejected Sekke's wish, his eyes filled with determination as he locked eyes with the struggling mage. "Live! Make your dream come true yourself! Don't you dare give up, you idiot!" The fervent words echoed through the alley, laden with both frustration and a hint of encouragement.

Xierra would have found the scene touching if it weren't for the looming threat of Sekke possibly succumbing to the effects of the stab on his left foot. Despite the potential danger, she observed the unfolding drama. She had a hunch about what the Paralysis Knife could do to a mage, and from the lack of severe distress on his feet, she concluded that Sekke wasn't in dire straits. Inari's lazy grin confirmed her assessment.