Grown to hate

Chapter 4: A promise

Eight years have passed since the incident. Asta had grown slightly taller, but was shorter than others his age. The teens growth went to his physique due to all the intense training he did. The day after his mothers funeral, he mainly trained to get stronger. He accepted the fact that he had no magic, so to get stronger he'd have to depend on his physical strength alone. Magic would have made his promise easier, the promise to kill Lucifero. The one who took away the two most important people in his life. Although Asta had known Liebe was still alive and inside the grimoire, he wasn't able to speak with him. He tried everything. From learning how to summon devils to just yelling at the dirty grimoire, nothing worked. Summoning a devil was too risky, and a certain type of magic was needed. Something Asta lacked. Today the boy was a bit hopeful however. Today was the day where every fifteen year old gets their grimoire. Asta normally didn't express any emotion, but those who knew him well could tell he was a bit off today.

"You ready Asta?" Asked a boy with black hair and hazel eyes. "Yes." Asta said flatly. "You know, you could talk a bit more. Giving one word for a response really just leads to boredom." Yuno said. "What is there to talk about?" Asta asked. "What you mean? Today we're getting our grimoires. How is that not exciting?" "You'll get a grimoire. I'm not so sure if I'll get one. Then again, I won't let that prevent me from getting stronger." "Don't say that. You'll get a grimoire and I'm sure of it." Asta looked up at Yuno and stared straight at his eyes. Astas gaze made the black haired boy feel uneasy, his foster brother always had a scary energy around him. "Thank you for those kind words. I guess we'll see what happens later today." Asta said. "Breakfast is ready!" Shouted a woman. The two boys went to the kitchen and were met with a familiar aroma. Yuno smiled while Asta kept his serious expression. "I made these tatoes with extra luck today. Maybe one of you, if not, both of you will get really special grimoires." Sister Lily said. "Thank you sister. I can never get tired of eating tatoes." Yuno said as he took a seat. Asta sat next to Yuno and calmly ate his breakfast. "Sister Lily" said Asta getting the nuns attention. "Yes Asta?" She asked. "Do you know if we have any fish left? I'm asking because I'm planning on having that for lunch today." Asta said. "I'm sorry dear, but we ran out of fish last night." She said. "I'll get more after the ceremony." Asta said. "Can I go with you?" A young girl asked. Asta looked at the girl and thought for a moment. "I'm sorry Recca, but you're too young to be fishing." Asta said. "What come ooon. That's not fair. You always say that." Recca complained. "When you're older I'll take you with me. For now, you should focus on helping the sister." Asta said. Yuno looked over at Asta who was only slowly eating. Yuno always found Astas behavior to be strange. He seemed like someone who would kill you just for looking at him the wrong way, but in reality he was soft and gentle with everyone at the church. He recalled the time he first met Asta, that time he never even spoke. Asta skipped out on meals and was left weak due to malnourishment. Now he was probably the physically strongest person he knew, something that Yuno would never have thought of as a kid. To this day Yuno didn't know what made Asta to be this way, what had happened to him? "Can I go?" Asked a young boy. "No Nash. You also have chores to do." Asta said. Nash folded his arms and pouted, he always wanted to join in what Asta was doing but he was never allowed to. Asta finished his breakfast and got up with his plate. "Thank you Sister Lily. The food was delicious." The teen went to the sink and began washing his dish. Eventually he left the church to help Lily get a head start on the chores. "If anyone needs me, I'll be doing the laundry." He said. The kitchen was quiet. Only the sound of chewing could be heard, but soon Yuno decided to speak. "Why is Asta so.. why is he so weird?" He asked. Nash and Recca giggled at the question, but Lily didn't speak. The woman had figured Astas demeanor was due to his trauma. Normally people would have gotten over it, but she had a feeling that there was something else that made Asta the way he is now. "Asta isn't weird. He's just... he's different." The nun said. "Come on. He doesn't talk much, he doesn't laugh, he doesn't even seem to care about any of us. I know he does care, but a stranger would assume he's holding us hostage." Yuno said. "Don't say things like that. Asta has been through so much alrea-" the nun cut herself off realizing what she was about to say. She never brought up Astas past and Asta never mentioned it either. Orsi and Lily talked about keeping Astas mother a secret from everyone else because it was Astas personal matter. "What do you mean he's been through so much? All I know is that you guys decided to take him in after he was lost. Speaking of which, why didn't his parents decide to find him?" Yuno asked. "Yuno. Please don't discuss this matter again. It's disrespectful and inconsiderate of Asta." Lily said. Yuno furrowed his eyebrows and decided to stay silent. Normally the nun always spoke in a gentle tone, but now she spoke firmly. "What has he been through?" Yuno thought.