The Lion's Dawn

The grand halls of the Clover Kingdom bustled with activity, nobles and knights alike moving about their daily duties. Among them, Asta and Yuno strolled through the corridors, catching up after their recent missions.

"Man, it feels like we barely get to talk anymore," Asta said, grinning. "You're always off doing Golden Dawn stuff, and I'm stuck cleaning up the Black Bulls' messes!"

Yuno smirked. "Maybe if your squad didn't cause so much destruction, you'd have more free time."

"Hey! That's just how we roll!" Asta retorted, folding his arms. "Besides, I bet my missions are way crazier than yours!"

Before Yuno could respond, a loud, furious voice echoed through the halls.

"PATHETIC! THE LOT OF YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A DISGRACE TO THE NAME 'CRIMSON LION'!"

The sheer force of the voice sent a chill down Asta's spine. He turned toward the source, where a group of knights stood trembling before a towering woman with wild crimson hair.

Mereoleona Vermillion.

The infamous sister of Fuegoleon Vermillion, she was known for her ferocity, her unrivaled strength, and her complete lack of patience for weakness. Standing in front of her squad, the Crimson Lions, she radiated raw intimidation.

Among them was Leopold Vermillion, her younger brother, who looked utterly embarrassed under her searing gaze.

"You weaklings!" she continued, her voice shaking the very walls. "Your so-called 'pride' as the Crimson Lions means nothing if you don't have the strength to back it up! And you—" she turned to Leopold, her eyes narrowing, "—you call yourself my brother? After all this time, you're still just a cub pretending to be a lion!"

Leopold clenched his fists but said nothing.

"And Fuegoleon…" Mereoleona's expression darkened. "That fool, my so-called 'great' brother, let himself be taken down by the enemy! Tell me, do you all wish to follow in his pathetic footsteps?!"

The Crimson Lions flinched but remained silent.

Mereoleona scoffed. "Tch. Not even worth my time." She turned her back on them before roaring, "If any of you actually want to become strong, you're coming with me—no excuses! We're heading to the Volcano Region for HOT SPRINGS TRAINING!"

The knights stiffened, shock evident on their faces.

From where they stood, Asta, Yuno, and Bell had overheard everything.

Asta tilted his head. "Hot Springs Training? That sounds relaxing!"

"Yeah," Bell agreed. "How hard could it be?"

Yuno merely nodded. "It doesn't sound too difficult."

Unfortunately for them, Mereoleona's sharp ears picked up their conversation. In an instant, she turned, her piercing gaze locking onto the three.

"You three," she called out.

Asta, Yuno, and Bell flinched.

"I heard what you said," she continued her voice like fire crackling through the air. "Since you think it'll be 'easy,' you're coming too!"

Asta blinked. "Wait, what?!"

"Consider it an honor," Mereoleona said with a smirk. "You'll learn firsthand what real training is."

Before any of them could argue, she grabbed Asta by the collar and dragged him forward, expecting the other two to follow.

Bell sighed. "This is what we get for talking too loud."

Yuno crossed his arms. "I had a feeling this would happen."

With that, the three were whisked away, their fates now tied to Mereoleona's brutal training.

Asta, Yuno, and Bell trudged behind Mereoleona as she stormed through the streets of the Clover Kingdom, her fiery aura causing civilians to instinctively step aside. The trio had barely processed what had happened before she had yanked them along on another errand.

"Uh, Captain Mereoleona? Where exactly are we going?" Asta asked cautiously.

"To pick up more recruits," she said without turning back. "You three aren't enough. If we're going to do this training, we need more mages who aren't complete weaklings."

Asta felt slightly offended. "Hey! I'm not weak!"

Mereoleona ignored him, marching forward with an air of absolute authority. The group soon arrived at a dimly lit, nearly empty bar on the outskirts of town. A single bartender stood behind the counter, lazily wiping a mug.

"Welcome, travelers," the man said in a practiced tone, his voice suspiciously familiar.

Asta squinted at him. "Wait a minute… isn't that—?"

The bartender winked.

The Wizard King?!

Before Asta could even react, his attention was drawn to a nearby table where a few familiar figures sat.

Yami Sukehiro, captain of the Black Bulls, lounged back in his chair, a half-empty tankard in hand. He had an amused smirk on his face as he casually bragged to his drinking companions.

"I'm tellin' ya, every year my squad used to be dead last. But this time? Second place! Right behind Golden Dawn! That's a hell of an improvement, don't ya think?"

Across from him sat Charlotte Roselei, the stoic and disciplined captain of the Blue Rose Knights, her expression unreadable as she sipped her drink. Beside her was Sol Marron, her fiercely loyal subordinate.

Sol, as always, had a strong presence. "Captain Charlotte, don't listen to this muscle-headed brute! We Blue Roses don't need to concern ourselves with men! You'll always be number one to me, Char!"

Charlotte flinched at the nickname, but before she could scold Sol, the bar's doors were suddenly flung open with a loud BANG!

Mereoleona stood in the entrance, her intense gaze sweeping over the room.

"Yami! Charlotte! Get up, you're coming with me!" she commanded.

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Hah? And why would I do that?"

Charlotte also frowned. "Mereoleona, I have responsibilities—"

"You're both too soft," Mereoleona interrupted. "You're coming to Hot Springs Training, no questions asked."

Before they could protest, the doors slammed open again.

"Asta! There you are!"

Noelle Silva and Escanor strode into the bar, looking relieved to have found him.

"We've been looking for you everywhere!" Noelle huffed, folding her arms.

Escanor, standing tall and radiant even in the dimly lit bar, nodded. "A knight of the Black Bulls must not go missing without informing his comrades!"

Unfortunately for them, Mereoleona's eyes locked onto them like a predator spotting new prey.

"You two," she said, stepping closer. "You're coming too."

Noelle blinked. "W-Wait, what?!"

Escanor, completely unfazed, merely chuckled. "If it is training you seek, then I, Escanor, shall—"

Before he could finish, Mereoleona grabbed him and Noelle by the collars, effortlessly hoisting them off the ground.

"That settles it," she said. "We leave immediately."

Yami exhaled and stood up. "Tch, fine. Could be fun."

Charlotte sighed, knowing she had no choice. "Very well."

Sol clenched her fists. "I refuse to let Char go anywhere with a bunch of men! I'm coming too!"

And with that, Mereoleona dragged her new collection of victims off toward the most grueling training of their lives.