It’s time to defend the land of the Sun! We’re going to see the Ryuzen Seven actually get into a proper brawl to defend their land, while the strongest member of their team goes head to head with Asta. Given how much trouble the last four members of the group gave him, the Black Bull is in for a world of pain. Can he step it up to match this new Ryuzen mentor in a fight? Let’s get to it. We open chapter 345 where we left off last time. Ryuya has interrupted the midnight battle between Ichika and Asta to retrieve his loyal.

Warrior. He’s got no time to unpack the argument between the two of them and doesn’t even try. With an attack on the nation coming, Ryuya needs everyone he can get ready for a fight and all the time possible to prepare for the assault. Ichika doesn’t question her lord, simply bowing and getting ready to leave. Duty to both Ryuya and her country comes before her grudge against Asta. However, the young Magic Knight still doesn’t know what’s going on. He asks the shogun, “What enemy could be this important?”.

Ryuya doesn’t tell him that the attackers are Sister Lily and two other Paladins. He’s sharp enough to understand why that would make Asta insist on going. He’d figure this was his fault, Lucius trying to find him, and it would make Asta feel obliged to his hosts. They’d be at risk because of him. But that would risk Asta’s location being revealed to the Wizard Emperor. He’s still their best shot at taking down Lucius. They can’t risk him being revealed here. Instead, the shogun keeps his description vague, only saying that it’s a threat capable.

Of destroying the entire country. Naturally, that still leaves Asta wanting to help his hosts, but Ryuya deflects him masterfully. Yes, they need Asta for this fight. But he’s not ready. After all, he still hasn’t perfected landing the Zetten. So he should finish his training first, then join the Ryuzen in the battle. Surely Asta can agree to that? He did the same thing during the Spade Kingdom raid, perfecting Devil Union before joining.

The fight. Asta has no objection to this. What could he say? Before the group goes their separate ways, however, the shogun shares a warning with his young friend. He doesn’t betray concern: instead, Ryuya grins, completely unworried. But he notes that if Asta doesn’t watch out in this fight, he’s going to take one hell of a beating. Given the level of punishment Ichika and the others gave him in prior sparring matches,.

That’s an impressive statement. How much worse can things get than being pounded into the ground? The Ryuzen are done messing around with Asta. Now they’re really going to push him to surpass his limits. Asta’s already looking nervous, but there’s no way he’s backing down. We cut ahead to him training during the dragon attack, and get a better look at the sanctuary he’s been working at. This is some distance from the riverbank where Ryuya found him and Ichika. They’ve moved to a clearing deep within a pine forest.

There’s a mighty sakura tree in the center, with a handful of blossoms on its winding boughs. Perfect spot for a nice, dramatic sword fight. This spot seems to be in a small sinkhole: On every side of the clearing, we see stairs leading down to this point, with a torii separating each flight. This place is clearly spiritual and might have some inherent enchantment to it. If these gates have the same magic as the one that sealed the shadow dragon, perhaps they’ll help conceal Asta from the Paladins. Of course, that’s assuming the training session leaves them intact.

Which, given how Asta tends to fight, is kind of a long shot. It’ll be a miracle if that pretty sakura tree is still standing once they’re done. We see the Ryuzen member who was training with Asta last chapter making another strike. He’s grinning like Jack as he goes for an overhead slice, given all new strength by the Zetten. It’s strong enough to cleave right through the stone steps, sending fragments flying as Asta only just manages to dodge away. The young Black Bull is already in Devil Union and tries for his own Zetten while flying away.

His opponent is going all out; maybe his defense will be sloppy. However, this was a forlorn hope. The shirtless Ryuzen dodges it without even having to try, just ducking through the air to one side with a swoosh. The samurai rolls over the ground, reducing a small shrine to rubble with his backhand while pinning Asta to the ground. A one handed grip is enough to restrain Asta entirely. This man’s strength is ridiculous, even without magic! It’s here that we learn his name.

[Mushouga Takeyooga]. And he’s not as happy as he looks. Sure, he’s enjoying beating the feathers out of Asta, but the rest of his team are fighting a giant five headed dragon. That’s awesome! Much cooler than one punk kid. Mushouga really wants to join that fight, but he’s as loyal to Ryuya as Ichika is, even if his tone is a bit more coarse. When the shogun told him to train Asta, the samurai decided he was going to do it right.

And that means beating him to hell and back until he gets the Zetten down. Asta’s sweating. As a total exercise lover, he’s got to still be in awe of this guy’s crazy levels of strength. Even in Devil Union, with Liebe’s enhancements to his reflexes and muscles, Asta’s sure he’s got no chance in a straight up Zetten exchange with Mushouga. He’s more experienced, quicker, and three times as tough. But this fight isn’t quite as uneven as it looks. Asta looks up, towards the tree in the center of this arena.

There’s a third fighter in this battle, though he’s not getting involved directly. Instead, the other Ryuzen Seven member, who’d joined Mushouga to train Asta, is sitting up in the tree and strumming on his shamisen. This guy is [Tenmanyashiki Fujio], and he’s not just being lazy. Nor is he only here to provide his friend with dramatic theme music. As Asta explains, the shamisen music is infused with magic. Fujio’s power is helping heal the young Black Bull and reducing the damage he’s taking from Mushouga. That’s right!.

We have a in Black Clover now, providing buffs and healing via the power of music. And he’s got an adorable scarf wearing cat on his shoulder! Now that Nero’s a person and Charmy’s on another continent, we clearly need a new cute mascot. Asta thanks the musical warrior for the help, and the cat meows, cheering the foreign kid on enthusiastically. Fujio himself is more sanguine. He’s not the type to get emotionally worked up. The musician just notes that ‘Ryu-Kun’ wanted him to lend Asta his power.

That’s enough for him. Because of that order, he’s got the Black bull’s back for now. He’ll keep him in the fight with Mushouga for as long as he can. That ‘Kun’ is interesting, however. It’s a very affectionate honorific to use with someone who is supposed to be your superior. Fujio is a person who speaks about Ryuya with extremely affectionate terms. Even Mushouga’s crass description of the shogun seems pretty close. Hrm. The Seven sure are loyal to him, aren’t they?.

Asta thanks Fujiro a second time as he charges towards Takeyooga, locking blades with the mighty warrior once again. For the first time, he’s able to match the enemy warrior’s strength with muscle of his own. Asta’s not giving up on his training any time soon, and he’s far from weak! Mushouga laughs, cheering Asta on over their blades. It’s clear he’s starting to care for Asta, his dismissive words aside. He can tell why Ryuya finds this foreign boy so interesting. This fervent enthusiasm explains why he’s been called in for a simple training mission.

All the same, he’s not going easy on Asta: breaking the lock and pushing him back with a powerful blow. The samurai declares that at this rate, the Black Bull will never master Zetten. He’s still hesitating far too much. Asta is surprised by that. He doesn’t think he’s been hesitating at all. He’s been giving this his all. Takeyooga calls him a fool for claiming that. He can see the truth in Asta’s blade, one that the Black Bull is in denial of.

Subconsciously, he [hesitates] to strike. His conviction, even now, is wavering. That’s the line in the sand between Asta and this shirtless samurai. Takeyooga doesn’t think. He just cuts whatever’s in front of him. As far as he’s concerned, that’s the pinnacle of strength. The samurai boasts that he can cut anything without fail as he launches a mighty Zetten at Asta. While the Black Bull is able to defend himself, the aftershock of Takeyooga’s strike is.

Enough to smash no less than six shrine gates behind him, carving a chasm through the steps beneath them. He sure does cut a lot of stuff. But he did not cut Asta, even with the kid right in front of him. Is Takeyooga a bit less bloodthirsty than he acts? He has a different view of it however. Grinning at Asta, the samurai opines that he’s strong because of that belief. He views himself as being able to cut anything before him, and that’s what gives him the strength to do so.

That’s why he doesn’t hesitate: that sense of absolute certainty and faith in himself. That’s what Asta’s been missing. The Black Bull is silent, eyes wide, teeth gritted. He doesn’t want to acknowledge the truth of what Takeyooga is saying. It undercuts the pride he’d felt when first manifesting the Zetten. But inwardly, he knows the samurai is right. He has been hesitating. He’s had too many failures, and they cut deep. He couldn’t protect Sister Lily.

Couldn’t beat Lucius. He’d been impatient, convinced himself that he couldn’t be strong any more. He couldn’t win against Ichika, no matter how much effort he tried to put into the battle. That one moment of victory, learning the new spell, hasn’t been enough to overcome all the things weighing on Asta’s shoulders. Sometimes surpassing your limits isn’t as simple as screaming and trying harder. Sometimes no amount of effort is enough to see you through. You can try your hardest, give it your all, put everything you have into the fight, [and still lose].

And Asta doesn’t know how to process that. Even after his fight with the Dark Triad, they were vaguely on his level. Strong, but approachable. Lucius is entirely outside of anything he’s had to deal with, and he still doesn’t have any real way to deal with that. Even with the Zetten. ‘Hitting him really hard’ isn’t enough to inspire a ton of faith against the Wizard Emperor. Asta wants to be sure of himself.

He wants to be confident. But the truth is, he really is wavering. He can’t be sure of himself or his ability any more. And that like this, he can’t do his thing. Can’t push beyond his limits. He can’t become the Wizard King with this weighing on him. He has to find conviction—something similar to Takeyooga’s belief in his own strength. He can stand for something different, but he needs something to be sure of. Something that can give him strength and certainty in a fight.

Fujiro strums his shamisen, speeding up the tempo. It’s time to push things to a new height. Picking up on the mood, Takeyooga yells at Asta. The shirtless samurai brags that he’s the strongest warrior of all! This boy can’t afford to screw around or give it less than 100 percent. If they’re going to fight, Asta has to really give it everything. It’s not clear if Asta hears him, however. His mind is still on the Clover Kingdom and the root of all his self doubt. And that’s not Lucius.

It’s [Yuno.] Asta’s always looked up to his brother. He considered him his rival, the one he had to face and surpass if he wanted to become the Wizard King. That’s usually a source of strength, but it’s turned against him now. All of Asta’s doubt and inadequacy following his defeat by Lucius just get worse when he knows there’s someone better out there. Asta doesn’t view Yuno as his equal, but as his [superior]: the person he has to strive to beat.

When he fails, the young Knight believes that Yuno would’ve succeeded. At every point where he failed, his brother should’ve been able to succeed. Yuno could’ve protected Sister Lily. Yuno could’ve defeated Lucius. Yuno rose through the ranks of the magic knights faster than Asta. He just kept getting stronger and stronger. There are mixed feelings there. As much as Asta loves his brother, he has to envy his seeming strength. His eternal calm.

It always seems like nothing phases Yuno. Those times the implacable wind mage has broken down, Asta wasn’t there to see it. From his little brother’s perspective, Yuno must look borderline invincible. You can buy that Asta thinks the Golden Dawn knight would somehow succeed against Lucius: even if logically, he probably has no more chance than Asta did. Takeyooga can sense the change in his opponent. Asta’s finally realized what’s holding him back. It’s time to wrap things up. The Samurai calls out for Asta to hit him as hard as he can.

He’s strong enough to take everything he’s got: All the rage, all the sorrow, and all the doubt. Asta’s eyes shift, and we see a great flash of light: one similar to what we saw when he first adopted Devil Union. Could this be a new form? Something more powerful than the regular Devil Union? A more potent, perfected version of the Zetten? What happened when Asta finally let out all his emotions and power in one mighty blow. We’ll have to see next chapter!.

We cut over to the old Yami hometown, where the five members of the Ryuzen are ready to fight the invasion from Lucius’ forces. The ‘Holy’ five headed dragon has cleared the bay, and it’s now clear how ridiculously big it is. It’s many times the size of nearby buildings, and as it draws closer, it only seems even more impossibly huge. With all five heads towering above the town, the Ryuzen are barely visible when set against it. The heads are a bit unfocused, however, sniffing and looking every which way.

They’re searching for prey. On the rooftop, we see the one unnamed member of the Ryuzen Seven clutching her Katanna. And she’s shaking like a leaf. The blade rattles in her scabbard, no matter how tightly she tries to clutch it. It’s the last thing you’d expect to see from a member of a group of legendary warriors. The samurai seems to have forgotten how she even got here and has no idea what she’s supposed to do against this ridiculously giant dragon. A fairly relatable mood. The samurai does her best impression of Kobeni from Chainsaw Man, muttering that this is.

Clearly the end. They’re all as good as dead. They’re up against a ridiculously huge mythical beast. The dour warrior has no hope for victory and no trust in her abilities. As far as she’s concerned, she’s convinced that today’s the last day of her stupid, miserable life. … Are we sure this isn’t Kobeni Higashiyama? Maybe she got Isekaid into Wano while no one was looking. Lilly has approached the group and seems honestly apologetic that she has to fight someone this.

Unenthusiastic about it. She can’t withdraw of course, Master Lucius ordered this attack after all, but she promises to at least make the nervous woman’s death as painless as possible. She’s at least trying to show some basic humanity despite her new inhuman status. Ichika is far less gentle with her comrade than the Paladin is. The samurai has no time for gentleness: there’s an enormous monster to slay. She barks an order to the other woman to cut out the nervous blabbering. She needs to draw her sword and fight. Interestingly, though, despite her harsh manner, Ichika uses the revenant honorific.

When addressing her. That’s not the sort of behavior you’d expect from Ichika. She doesn’t usually offer respect to anyone outside of Ryuya. She clearly has more trust in this easily frightened warrior than is readily apparent. The nervous Kezoukaku remains on edge, calling her comrade an oni, but in turn referring to her as Ichika [chan]. It’s downright bizarre to hear someone use such friendly terms in relation to the abrasive Ichika. Banter aside, they’re closer than they look.

And the samurai proves it as she vaults into the air, jumping past Sister Lily. Before the Paladin can even react, Kezoukaku has already cut her cheek and severed the tip of her curved horn with one perfect cut of the blade. A harsh laugh rings out over the town as we are properly introduced to the last member of the Ryuzen Seven. [Kezokaku Ginnojou Morifuyu].The Samurai is grinning, bloodlust in her eyes. All her fear from before vanished the instant she drew her blade. She may even be an Alter: an entirely different personality. Morifuyu promises Lily that she’s going to spill her blood all over the battlefield,.

Clearly excited by the chance at a fight. She’s gone from being a shy coward to a full on genocider, Syo! Lily remains shocked at this woman’s actions, even as her ‘perfect’ body begins to heal. Still, the paladin doesn’t seem worried: dismissing the samurai as simply ‘vulgar’. She seems more disgusted at her impolite manner than afraid of her. And it’s there that we leave the battle for the moment, as the chapter comes to a close. Will the five Ryuzen members be a match for Sister Lily and her crew? What has Asta managed to unlock with that final revelation?.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Thanks for watching, have an awesome day!