Asta stood in the center of the arena for another moment, letting the reality of his victory sink in. His chest was heaving, his arms ached from the grappling, and sweat was running down his face in streams. But none of that mattered. He'd won. Actually won against a flame wielder in front of hundreds of people.Number 22 was still on his hands and knees behind him, coughing and gasping, one hand rubbing his throat where Asta's arm had been locked. The referee was checking on him, making sure he was okay, but Asta didn't look back. He'd done what he needed to do,proven his point. There was no need to gloat or make it worse.He turned and started walking toward the exit that led to the clinic area. Standard procedure after matches was to get checked out by the medical staff, to make sure there were no injuries that needed immediate attention. His body felt okay,sore, definitely, bruised in a few places, but nothing broken or seriously damaged.The crowd was still making noise around hi

And the clinic, with all its storage rooms and supplies and areas that weren't usually supervised, might be the perfect place to search.His lips moved silently, forming words that were more thought than speech. "This is my chance to look for the talisman that the dragon told me about.""What was that?" Asta glanced over at him, having caught the movement if not the actual words."Nothing." Jabber said quickly. "Just talking to myself. Thinking about... stuff."Asta gave him a curious look but didn't push it. They turned a corner, the clinic entrance coming into view ahead of them, and Jabber's mind continued to work through the problem. How could he search for something when he didn't even know what it looked like? What exactly was a talisman anyway? And how would he know it when he saw it?These were questions he'd need to figure out answers to. But first, they had to get through the clinic visit. Then, maybe while Asta was being examined, Jabber could find a reason to wander ar

Meanwhile back at the Labourer clinic…The clinic room was quiet except for the occasional distant sound of people moving through the hallways outside. Asta lay on one of the examination beds, his shirt off, revealing the burns that had marked his skin during the fight with number 22. They ran along his left forearm and shoulder,angry red marks where the flame sword had gotten too close, where the heat had seared through his defenses.Jabber sat in a wooden chair pulled up beside the bed, his posture slightly hunched forward, his eyes fixed on those burns with a mixture of concern and curiosity. He'd been watching them since Asta had first laid down, and something about them was bothering him, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what."You know what's weird?" Asta said suddenly, breaking the silence. His voice was thoughtful, almost confused, like he was working through a puzzle that didn't quite make sense.Jabber looked up from the burns to Asta's face. "What?"Asta lifted

Still nothing.Asta hesitated, his hand hovering near the door, uncertainty crossing his face. Then, almost without thinking about it, his hand dropped to the doorknob. He gripped it and turned, half expecting it to be locked, to encounter resistance that would tell him they'd need to come back later.But the doorknob turned smoothly. The latch clicked open with a soft sound that seemed loud in the quiet hallway.Asta pushed the door open slowly, the hinges making a slight creaking sound that spoke of age and use. The door swung inward, revealing old man Kael's office.And revealing that it was empty.Both boys stood in the doorway for a moment, looking into the vacant space. The office was exactly as it always was,shelves lined with books and medical texts, a large wooden desk covered in papers and notes, cabinets and drawers that presumably held supplies and records. But no old man Kael sitting at his desk or puttering around organizing things like he usually was."He isn't here."

Old man Kael gestured with one weathered hand toward the chairs in front of his desk, his expression settling into something more serious, more focused. "Alright, sit down. Both of you."Jabber moved quickly, almost too quickly, eager to get into a position where his hands,and the stolen talisman,would be less visible. He dropped into the chair next to Asta's, his fist still clenched tight around the cool metal object, keeping it pressed against his leg where his pants pocket would hide the bulge. The talisman seemed to pulse against his palm, a subtle rhythm that matched his racing heartbeat, though he couldn't tell if that was real or just his imagination running wild.Asta was already sitting, but he shifted forward in his seat, his posture alert and attentive. His eyes were fixed on Kael's face with an intensity that spoke of how badly he wanted answers, how tired he was of having questions without any way to answer them. His fingers drummed against his knees in a nervous rhythm