Chapter 9 Death Note

The Grimoire that had captured everyone's attention floated in front of Light.

It emanated dark and crimson energy, even slightly overshadowing the light from Yuno's grimoire.

"This Grimoire!" Yuno felt an alarm as he and his grimoire sensed an unusual aura.

Father Orsi and Sister Lily, too, were gripped by a solemn and ominous aura. They couldn't believe that Light's grimoire had taken on such an unsettling presence. It almost felt like an aura of... Death.

Wizard Doruo began to sweat profusely, struggling to shake the overwhelming feeling of solemnity, even with his magical power.

Amidst the crowd, one figure who had been surprised by the appearance of the four-leaf clover moments ago was now fixated on the current scene. The grimoire in front of Light was undeniably unusual, but all this figure could think about was profit...

Such a grimoire would surely fetch a high price! The figure anticipated, but of course, he would go for the grimoire with the four-leaf clover first. Dealing with unfamiliar magic and contending with two individuals – one possessing a four-leaf grimoire and the other holding an enigmatic grimoire that exuded an aura no less formidable than a four-leaf – was not something he wanted to risk.

Light stared wide-eyed at his grimoire.

It was...

The Death Note!!!

Light was absolutely certain of it!

With its black covers and the words "Death Note" written on the front cover, there was no mistaking it.

Moreover, given the fact that people in this world used different languages, they wouldn't understand what was written on the front cover.

Light held the grimoire, and as if by magic, his True Death Magic felt an unmistakable connection with the Death Note.

They were linked in perfect unison, complementing each other.

After Light held the grimoire, the ominous dark and sinister crimson light gradually subsided, and the grimoire transformed into what appeared to be an ordinary notebook in Light's hand.

"What kind of grimoire is that!?" someone from the crowd questioned.

Despite his extensive knowledge of sorcery, Wizard Doruo couldn't provide an answer.

Yuno gazed at the Death Note in Light's hands and felt an uncomfortable aura from his own grimoire.

Meanwhile, Asta, who couldn't sense the magic of the grimoire in Light's hands and didn't feel the ominous and sinister aura, simply said sadly, "Light has a grimoire as well..."

The discussion in the crowd surged as two individuals had received seemingly extraordinary grimoires—one with a four-leaf clover, a legendary symbol, and the other with a grimoire that bore no clover sign. It was indeed an unusual occurrence that intrigued everyone, despite the mystery surrounding the latter.

The fancy long-haired young man scoffed, "A grimoire without a clover? It must be a defective grimoire! We are in the Clover Kingdom, after all, and no one here would receive such a grimoire!"

The crowd nodded in agreement, "That's right! Such a grimoire can't even be considered a grimoire at all!"

"Perhaps the reason this grimoire emitted such an aura is because it knows it's defective!" The fancy long-haired young man mocked.

Laughter erupted in the crowd.

"As expected of someone from a lowly background!" A person in luxurious attire shook their head.

"But the only one worthy of admiration is the guy who received the four-leaf clover grimoire!" a young girl remarked.

The person in luxurious attire beside her nodded in approval.

While everyone mocked Light, they mocked Asta even more for not receiving any grimoire at all.

Revchi, a scarred-faced figure in the crowd, chuckled at the foolishness of those who covered their own shortcomings with mockery.

Amidst the discussion, Asta interrupted the crowd once again, shouting, "Yuno! Light!"

All eyes turned to Asta as his voice overpowered the chatter of the crowd.

Yuno and Light looked at Asta, who wore a determined expression. "You two! Just you wait!"

Yuno regarded Asta with cold indifference, while Light, in his usual casual manner, smiled.

"I'll catch up to both of you right away!" Asta roared with unwavering determination. "Because both of you are my rivals!"

Silence hung in the air after Asta's proclamation, and someone from the crowd couldn't help but comment, "I can't believe he said that, especially after being the only one who didn't receive a grimoire."

"There's no way they can be your rivals. Heck, even one of us couldn't be your rival."

Asta ignored the taunts and continued to lock eyes with Yuno and Light. His gaze lingered particularly on Yuno, as he had been much closer to Yuno than to Light. Additionally, Asta had led Yuno in their childhood, while Light had often been alone.

However, as they grew up, Yuno changed and became somewhat distant, while Light became more sociable and engaging.

Yuno squinted his eyes coldly as he met Asta's gaze.

He walked past Asta, leaving just one word in his wake: "Ridiculous..."

Asta stood there, dazed and alone.

Sister Lily watched this scene with concern, worried about Asta's feelings.

"Alright, let's head home and prepare a feast!" Father Orsi cheerfully suggested, seemingly oblivious to the tension.

'I wonder if Asta is alright...' Sister Lily thought, her gaze still fixed on Asta.

Revchi, among the crowd, chuckled, "Something this extraordinary came from the depths of these woods?"

As Asta stood there, feeling lost and dejected, the taunts ceased, as people realized that there was no point in wasting their words on someone like him.

Light approached Asta and patted him on the shoulder. "Why do you look so lost, my rival?" Light said playfully, seemingly teasing Asta, but with a smile that carried a different meaning.

But in Asta's eyes, Light wasn't mocking him. Especially when Light addressed him as 'my rival,' it was as if only Light took his words seriously.

Remembering what Yuno had said to him and how Light was actually encouraging him, tears welled up in Asta's eyes.

"Hehe, are you crying?" Light chuckled and teased, "Are you finally giving up?"

Upon hearing that, Asta quickly wiped away his tears. "Give up? No way in hell I'll give up!"

Light smiled. "That's the spirit. After all, you're my rival."

These words brought even more tears to Asta's eyes, and he couldn't help but cry silently as the tears continued to flow.

Light, seeing this, chuckled and teased, "Oh? It seems I was mistaken. You're already giving up."

"No! I'm not crying!!" Asta protested.

"Eh? What's with those tears falling from your eyes?" Light continued to tease.

"No! It's just... a dust got in my eyes!" Asta hastily denied.

Sister Lily, who had been watching closely, sighed with relief.