"Wake up, William is leaving soon." Although he didn't mind Mimosa sneaking into his room to cuddle, he didn't like being late even more, so Alucard dragged her out of bed.
After setting her feet on the cold floor, she snapped awake and sat in a chair, fully waking up as he changed right there. "What?" He noticed she was staring at him as he adjusted his shirt before putting his Magic Knight robe over it.
"You have a bunch of scars. Where did they come from?" She asked as he peered down his shirt and saw what looked like claw marks, 'Probably that psycho Megicula, or the dragon.' He didn't tell her that, however, as he said they were from combat.
She didn't fully believe him, but still changed as Alucard brushed her hair. She preened as she checked her reflection in the mirror, but he dragged her out before she could stare any longer.
When they reached the Main Hall, the other mage, Siren, who was going with them, was waiting with William. "Ah, now we're all here. Please open a portal." Alucard nodded as he opened a portal, and they all went through.
"Oh, so this is where the exam normally takes place?" Mimosa chirped as Alucard nodded. "Yes, we still have a few hours until it starts. We use this time to prepare the stadium since there's going to easily be 500 examinees today."
Siren and Alucard then went to join the mages from other squads, helping prepare things as Mimosa spotted Noelle hiding behind a pillar, so she went over. "Hi Noelle, what are you doing here?" Noelle jumped but relaxed when she saw who it was.
"I'm thinking about joining the exam." She said as Mimosa tilted her head, "But why? Surely Nozel has seen your hard work and wants you in the Silver Eagles?" She shook her head sadly, "Nozel hasn't talked to me for years, until yesterday. He said someone like me is an embarrassment, and then he told me I'm to join the Black Bulls."
Mimosa hugged her cousin close as she tried to keep it together. "You don't need Nozel anyway, I'm sure the Bulls will treat you much better." As the two girls sat and talked, William went to the meeting for all the Captains.
"I hope I'm not too late." He apologized as he entered, "Nah, these guys still won't start." Yami huffed, wanting this to be over so he could find something to eat.
"Hey, I sense that brat, can I go cut him?!" Jack would occasionally twitch in the direction of Alucard, likely sensing the waves of mana pouring off him as he made his way through the arena. "No," William said simply as the meeting progressed.
After the meeting, William was surprised to find Mimosa waiting for him with Noelle right behind her. "Do you require something?" He asked politely as Mimosa nodded. "I'd like permission to leave and explore the town with my cousin, if we could take Alucard as protection as well, that would be splendid!" William gave the ok as Mimosa thanked him.
She then ran off, dragging Noelle behind her as Fuegoleon and Nozel emerged from the room behind William. "That girl will probably hate you all when she grows up." Nozel frowned. "How dare you assume such things?" Inwardly, he couldn't help but agree.
Alucard was soon also being dragged behind Mimosa as she took him and Noelle around the town. "Ooh, let's go inside this shop!" She suddenly pivoted and dove into a shop full of women's swimwear as Alucard planted his feet firmly outside.
Already being weighed down by several bags, he scanned the crowd with his eyes and mana as he spotted the ones he was looking for a few blocks down. 'So much more mana now, not bad for a lost prince. And the other one went all in on muscles, I see, he's a lot calmer than I remembered though.'
He kept track of Asta and Yuno as they steadily got closer; both boys eyed every last thing they saw. Each thing on display was new and novel to them as they'd arrived at the Noble Realm after spending their whole lives in the Forsaken Realm.
'He's a lot calmer than I remembered. What happened?' This bothered Alucard quite a lot since he remembered reading about how Asta was loud and straightforward, and he'd even gotten a taste of it whenever he spent his days atop the demon skull.
He finally got a good look at them as Mimosa and Noelle emerged from the store, blushing and carrying two new bags to add to his torment. "Do you know them?" Mimosa asked quietly when she saw him looking at the boys, but he didn't answer.
'I don't like those eyes. I should rip them out.' Alucard felt livid when he saw Asta. Yuno was still the same, tall, quiet, and with an air of nobility surrounding him. Asta, however, had a depth to his eyes that wasn't there before, and Alucard had noticed how his eyes snapped to Mimosa and Noelle, eyeing them like pieces of meat when they'd emerged from the store.
'Another one? I know they usually take over important characters, or are stronger than usual, but to think one would be right here?' As Asta eyed up the girls, Alucard realized exactly what had happened.
'Asta is dead, and a transmigrator has taken over. This will be a problem.' Julius would need to know as well, but with the mountain of bags covering him, he knew it would be a minute, so he placed himself between the girls and Asta, as Yuno remained unaware.
Asta's eyes met his, and his gaze twisted into a sneer as he glanced behind him, trying to see the girls one last time before leaving with Yuno. 'That will be a big problem.' He frowned and stored everything in his spatial room before grabbing the girls and teleporting back to the arena.
"Why're you back so soon? We still have an hour?" Siren said when they appeared, as he turned to Mimosa, "Stay here, and stay near William, Yami, or Fuegoleon. I need to contact Julius." Seeing his face, she listened and took Noelle with her as Alucard went to the roof.
"Ah, Alucard, how nice to see my son after a year. You've grown- What happened?" Julius stopped when he saw his face, and his expression dropped even more as Alucard filled him in on what he'd seen.
"That is very concerning, but the plan continues for now. When the Day approaches, we'll deal with it. If it becomes a problem before then, we'll make sure nothing's left."
He didn't like it, but Alucard trusted Julius' judgment, so he nodded and shut off his communicator as the exam started below. Appearing behind William and next to Mimosa, he noticed Yami was missing as Charlotte huffed.
"Leave it to the men to be late." He was somewhat annoyed by her tone, but he was fine until Sol opened her big mouth. "Yeah, I can't help but feel sorry for poor Mimosa, being next to all those stinky men must suck."
"Sol, do you want to die today?" He snarled as the brown-skinned girl didn't back down. "You wish! Bring it!" Charlotte then smacked her, "Leave it, Sol, you started it." Sol looked dejected as Alucard flipped her the bird, and Mimosa smacked him.
They calm down as Yami joins the Captains, and William starts the exam as usual with the brooms. Alucard has his gaze pinned on 'Asta', waiting to see what happens as he is unable to fly as usual.
'Still no mana, good.' Asta then does something that surprises him; he opens his grimoire and pulls out a sword, throwing it into the air before jumping after and riding up to where Yuno is.
He calmed down slightly during the next few tests, despite having Anti-Magic. Asta is still unable to create anything and can only hit things by throwing his sword.
'Something about his grimoire is familiar, strikingly so.' Alucard stops watching 'Asta' as he focuses more on the grimoire he's using. 'Five leaves, what devil could possibly be inside someone with no mana?' He wondered when the answer hit him, 'The small devil from the first layer, that thing had Anti-Magic?!'
His mind was racing so fast that he almost missed Asta's fight, where he decimated a boy using Bronze Creation Magic. Yuno also performed admirably, but Alucard was too busy glaring down at Asta to notice.
Asta knew he was glaring at him as well since he would occasionally look up at him and sneer. He would also glance up at the female knights present, including Captain Charlotte, Sol, and Nebra, who was with Nozel and Mimosa.
For once, Aulcard was very tempted to just leap down and use all the magic he possessed to tear this boy apart, but then he'd have to fight all the Captains at once, something he wasn't entirely confident in.
When it was finally time for selection, as usual, most didn't make it, then Yuno appeared, and all the Captains raised their hands. The boy seemed torn between joining the Crimson Lions, Silver Eagles, or Golden Dawn, but he eventually chose the Golden Dawn, so Alucard opened a portal as Yuno joined them up top.
Asta was next, and only Yami raised his hand as Yuno looked ready to speak up for his 'brother'. He was about to tell him not to say anything, but Yuno seemed to feel his gaze, so he stopped as the exam came to a close.
"Well, Yuno, I'm glad you chose Golden Dawn. These are two of your seniors and another who joined just this year. Meet Siren, Alucard, and Mimosa." William introduced them as Alucard opened a portal back home.
When they stepped through, he was the first to extend his hand. "Welcome to the Dawn, Yuno." He took his hand, surprised as Alucard then gave him a tour of the base, as the other knights gave them a wide berth.
Siren was already spreading the news that William had brought a peasant into their ranks, but with Alucard personally leading him around the base, none could do anything about it since they didn't want to be humiliated like Striker was.
Although she was a bit confused as to why her fiancé was personally leading someone around the base, Mimosa tagged along and made polite conversation with Yuno as Alucard finished their tour on the roof of the Main Hall, watching the sunset.
"Are you two the nobles who used to come and sit on the demon skull?" Yuno finally asked, and they nodded. "He likes watching the sunset and then gazing at the stars. I've had to drag him back home dozens of times before." Mimosa said as Alucard asked a question.
"When did Asta change? I've seen you two for years from atop the demon, and he's never been this quiet, always being loud and screaming about being the Wizard King, and beating you."
Yuno thought for a moment before answering, "It was the day after we got our grimoires. He went to train under the demon as usual and returned quietly. Sister Lily thought he was sick, but he wasn't just quieter, like he'd finally grown up."
That bothered Alucard more than he let on as Klaus came up, "Your room is ready." He spat at Yuno as Alucard waved him off, "He'll be taking the room next to mine."
"But that's my room?" Mimosa said as he nodded, "You'll move in with me. I've already talked to William about it." She froze, then blushed as Klaus left in a huff, and Yuno looked confused.
"What's with all the looks I've been getting?" He asked as Mimosa and Alucard glanced at each other. "It's because you aren't a noble. This squad is full of them, all stuck up and pompous. If you don't fit in, then William sends you to the war front to keep you safe.
Even if you hate them, try to get along with someone since it'll keep the more fanatical nobles away."
Yuno nodded as he filed this new information away, and they finally left the rooftop. Alucard helped Mimosa down and waited for Yuno before leading the way to the dorms. "Alright, this is your room, it has everything you need. If not, I'm right next door."
Feeling tired from the mess that was today, Alucard didn't fight much as Mimosa tore his robes off and forced him to change, and she also changed into a night gown. "What's wrong? You seem worried?" She asked as she brushed his hair, it was starting to get longer, almost reaching his shoulder blades.
"The other boy who was with Yuno, he looked at you and Noelle like you were chunks of meat. Now he's in the same squad as she is, and I want to rip out his spine."
She sighed as she knew Noelle was more than capable of keeping boys away, plus Vanessa would gladly tear the boy's limbs off if he tried anything. "I'm glad you're finally being more honest with me." She said, changing the subject as she pulled him closer, though he remained still as she rustled his hair.
"You just brushed it. Don't mess it up." He said as she smiled, brushing his hair once more as his heartbeat slowed, and synced with hers. "I'm glad you took me today, I had fun." She planted a small kiss on his cheek as he froze once more, unsure how to respond as she giggled.
"You're supposed to return the favor when you're ready." She said as he nodded stiffly and lay there. 'I know you have your problems, my dear, but I'll be here for you always.' She thought as she drifted off to sleep, and Alucard wondered how he would deal with the new pieces on the board.