"Pat!"
"Get lost!"
Licht, who had just charged forward wielding the Sword of the Demon-Dweller, was instantly blasted into a wall by Adam's words.
The First Wizard King, Lemiel Silvamillion Clover, hurried to his side, catching his fallen friend before glaring up at Adam, who hovered midair, looking down on everyone like a god.
"That's enough! I think we should talk this through!"
Adam smirked.
"Is a statue about to be petrified qualified to play peacemaker?"
He thought of the stone monument atop the giant skull — the place that had once been his holy land. The thought brought a strange heaviness to his heart.
"Adam…"
Before anyone else could speak, Patolli interrupted them.
"Don't say another word. This is all my fault. Let me atone for my sins."
Adam wasn't in the mood for dramatics. He didn't know how long this divine state would last, and he had no time to waste on sentiment.
"Everyone — get out."
A burst of golden light erupted.
In an instant, everyone in the Shadow Palace was teleported outside.
"What the hell's going on?"
Yami Sukehiro looked around, utterly confused. Everyone else was just as disoriented.
Patolli turned to Adam with a heavy look.
"Can you let William out for a moment?"
"That's fine," Adam replied calmly. "We'll need his help to dispel the elves' reincarnation spell. Let him out."
Patolli's request made Lemiel's eyes narrow slightly. His mental calculations were already off track.
The golden light surrounding Patolli flickered — and then William Vangeance appeared, face shadowed with guilt.
"I'm sorry…"
His voice trembled. He knew he was the sinner of the kingdom. His indecision had allowed this tragedy to unfold.
All around, the Royal Capital lay in ruins — homes destroyed, citizens dead, and the scars of war still burning.
Adam glanced around, expression tightening. If not for the Dragon Jade Pendant, I'd probably be one of them, he thought.
"Captain William," Adam said, "use your World Tree Magic with me. Together, we'll release the souls bound by the Reincarnation Spell."
"Understood." William stepped forward and unleashed his power.
"World Tree Magic: Tree of Life and Redemption!"
A massive spectral tree appeared, spreading its branches across the entire capital.
"Forbidden Magic: Break!" Adam chanted an ancient spell — one none of them could understand.
Golden light radiated across the entire Clover Kingdom, washing over every possessed elf. This time, instead of golden souls rising, green souls shimmered softly and drifted peacefully toward the afterlife.
Patolli's soul also began to rise — but Adam sneered.
He could see that faint smirk on Patolli's lips, the relief of a sinner thinking he'd finally been freed.
"Not so fast."
Without Adam even moving, Rades snapped his fingers, and Patolli's soul was dragged back into his body.
The Three Eyes of the Midnight Sun would not escape either. Their souls were forcibly anchored to their bodies — a punishment crafted by Adam's divine law.
"You three — serve me well," Adam ordered coldly.
"Yes." The three bowed their heads.
Fana, Rhya, and Vetto obeyed quietly. Each of them had seen Adam annihilate the Devil in seconds; defying him wasn't an option.
To be safe, Adam placed Contract Seals on all three of them — and even on Vetto, Fana, and the former Coral Peacock vice-captain who had once sought treasure in the Demon Palace.
Every failure is a lesson, Adam thought grimly.
I can't afford trial and error anymore. I have to finish everything before this divine power fades.
The Wizard King was dead.
So… what now?
"Adam, where did you put that thing?"
Yami stepped forward, confusion still on his face. As the man who had once "surpassed his limits on the toilet," he was trying to keep things simple — bury Julius first, then plan later.
"Captain, let's go find Nozel," William suggested. His voice was heavy. "The Wizard King was my mentor. I need to see him… one last time."
"Yeah, I'm coming too."
"Then let's move."
Adam grabbed Yami and William by the shoulders and vanished in a flash of light.
They reappeared beside Sol, who was helping survivors in the capital. She looked up, startled.
"Sol," Adam called, "where did you hide that black thing?"
She hesitated, suddenly uneasy under the sheer power gathered before her.
"Th–this way…"
She led them to the ruins of a collapsed building. Beneath it was a clay "coffin" created using Earth Magic. Sol deactivated the spell — but it was empty.
"There's… nothing here?" William frowned.
"I swear it was buried here!" Sol said quickly. "I sealed it myself!"
A wild thought flashed through Adam's mind.
"Don't tell me… he's still alive."
"What do you mean?" Yami asked.
"The Wizard King isn't dead," William said quietly.
The words hung in the air, ridiculous yet unsettling.
After all — they had seen Julius pierced through the heart.
If he had survived that, it would be terrifying.
Even the Devil — whose heart Adam had crushed — was probably still drifting somewhere on the path to reincarnation.
"Let's find out."
The three vanished in a burst of light, leaving Sol standing there in confusion.
"Did I just… hear that right? The Wizard King is… alive?" She blinked. "Nah, maybe I haven't slept enough…"
In the forest outside the Royal Capital.
Using the Horse Talisman's power, Adam restored William's mana, and with their combined detection spells, they quickly located a faint, familiar presence.
A young man stepped out from the trees — smiling gently.
Julius Novachrono, reborn.
"You did well, all of you."
Adam froze for a second, completely thrown off.
This man…
He had literally stored time inside a magic tool, then restored it to bring himself back to life.
"You're too sly for your own good," Adam muttered, sighing in relief. "But I'm glad you're okay."
As long as Julius lived — and with the new king being guided by Xiaoshui — the Clover Kingdom would stand strong.
That reminded him.
"Speaking of… Xiaoshui and Xiaolan." He frowned. "How did their mission go?"
"I'll leave the rest to you guys," Adam said suddenly. "I've got something else to take care of."
He didn't care whether Julius and William decided to share a body again — right now, there was something far more important.
Black and Red Flower pieces are one family. Unite the people — end the division.
"There must be another trump card," he muttered.
Adam appeared before Xiaoshui, who was currently "negotiating" with the king.
The king looked absolutely miserable — and Adam couldn't help but wince at the sight.
"Boss, how's my work?" Xiaoshui grinned.
Adam gave him a thumbs-up.
"Perfect. Remind me to make you the number-one interrogator in the Poker Continent someday."
Then, turning to King Kira, Adam's eyes hardened.
"Let me ask you something — does the Clover Kingdom have any hidden trump card to prevent total destruction?"
"I… don't know."
Adam's eyebrow twitched.
"Of course you don't…"
He sighed. Shouldn't have asked the mascot.
Still, in this heightened divine state, Adam could feel something — two strange, overlapping auras stirring somewhere in the distance.
Two powers unlike anything he'd sensed before.
"Maybe… the real treasures of this kingdom are still waiting."
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Black Clover: I Awakened the Power of the Twelve Zodiac Talismans is now on Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you for your support! 💙