Chapter Text
Asta had always been so sure about who he was destined to spend his life with. From the moment he’d met Sister Lily, it was clear to him. She was his soulmate, and it was only a matter of time before Fate inked their lives together with words that would prove to everyone what Asta knew in his heart.
He kept repeating it, all day, every day, proposing to her ‘preemptively’. We’re soulmates, Sister . She brushed him off every time. But Asta knew it was going to happen, eventually. The day his soulmate tattoo would appear.
“You know, most people don’t ever get a soulmate tattoo.” Father Orsi said. “It’s pretty rare. Plus, you’re 10. It’s too young.”
“I know it’ll appear soon! I can feel it! And when it does, I’ll propose again!”
Nash sighed, settling down at the table. “What would even be written?”
“It’ll be ‘Good morning’!” Asta yells confidently
Nash, Yuno and Father Orsi looked at him blankly, then Nash started laughing.
“You can’t even remember her first words to you?”
“It was ‘good morning’!”
“Asta, think.” Yuno said. “It can’t be ‘good morning’, or everyone would have it carved on their skin.”
“Uh? But it’s the first words she said to me!”
“No, these are salutations, Asta.” Father Orsi said. “It has to be the first words that are felt and uttered directly to you.”
They all turned to Father, puzzled he’d known about soulmates tattoos. He shrugged.
“You’d be surprised how many believers come to me with questions about this. I had to gather information about soulmate tattoos so I wouldn’t look like a fool in front of them. They believe the tattoos are sent by God, you see.”
“They aren’t?” Asta asked
“Who knows?” Father answered
Asta contemplated the idea. It looked like magic to him, but he knew it wasn’t. There was no mana in soulmate tattoos. And there was no reason why anyone would bother spying on people’s first encounters to carve the words afterwards. Moreover, some tattoos were inked even before the soulmates would meet…
Well, he shouldn’t have to dwell on this.
“I’m gonna go train!”
And thus, he headed out.
Training was a good way to forget about this. He’ll train, and he’ll become the Wizard King, and a man sister Lily would want to marry. It was simple, really. And if he never got a soulmate tattoo, it’d be fine, because he wouldn’t even need one. He’ll prove to her that he’s the one who can make her happy.
Asta was thinking about heading back after a few hours of training when he felt a vivid pain on his forearm. He bent over, gripping his arm. Did he accidentally pull a muscle? It felt like his arm was on fire, like a thousand needles were piercing through his skin. It hurt ... it hurt so much! He was thinking about running to the nearest doctor when the pain subsided. Just like that. Asta released the grip on his forearm, an eyebrow raised.
The first thing he saw was a black mass. He thought it was dirt; maybe his hand had been dirtied and he’d rubbed it off his arm. He then registered that there were letters. The ink was still appearing, slowly.
This was the moment! He’d head back and show her the words… the proof! She’d have to marry him… they were soulmates. Soulmates! He had been right…
Squinting, he took a closer look at the words on his skin. He wondered what it would be. He’d always thought it would be “good morning”, but then she introduced herself, so he didn’t know what it would be… Father Orsi said it was words that were felt? Asta didn’t know what it meant, but he was sure they were good words, nice words, and beautiful words. Sister Lily was always so nice…
Asta’s heart stopped. On his left forearm, there was no good morning, no I’m Sister Lily, no I will be staying here with you at the church. Nothing kind, nothing Asta had heard her say, or nothing he could even imagine she’d ever say to him. There were two words, written in such a beautiful and intricate calligraphy that Asta could barely decipher the letters.
Vanish, insect.