WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Black Clover Chapter #272, “Dark Prison Hunting Ground,” by Yuki Tabata, Taylor Engel and Annaliese "Ace" Christman, available now in English from Viz Media.
Asta and Liebe’s two-day time limit to master their much-needed unison has come to an end in the Black Clover manga. Nacht is left unscathed by their efforts to bond, while the duo, on the other hand, is left completely exhausted and frustrated. In Chapter #272, Asta tries to think outside of the box, but his unusual methods only work about 10 percent of the time, as agitatedly stated by Liebe.
Nacht’s duty is to make sure their union is a success before the date of the Spade Kingdom invasion. The Black Bulls and Golden Dawn are the ones with a personal grudge against the Dark Triad, and neither Knight Brigade is ready to admit defeat to the devilish Spade Kingdom. Luckily, after unleashing a move that pushes Asta and Liebe to their limits, it appears that he may have succeeded in creating a new, conjoined form for them.
In this latest installment, Nacht yet again demonstrates with his tremendous power why he is the Vice-Captain of the notorious Bulls. The mastery of his devil powers proves to be too much for Asta and Liebe to handle. Asta, as a result, grows frustrated with himself for not uncovering the trick to bond with Liebe, and vice-versa. Between the two, there isn’t much affinity for natural magical talent, but that doesn’t take away from their determination and bone-headedness. It’s hard to believe that a couple of days ago, these two were battling for control, and now it’s almost as if they were siblings all along.
Nacht cannot help but remember his own brother after witnessing the comical interactions between Asta and Liebe. Nacht seemed to be a well-mannered mage that was always following the rules, while his brother did whatever made him feel free. Nacht doesn’t look too pleased after thinking of the memory, and it could possibly be that the free spirit of his brother affected Nacht in a negative way. This is when Nacht decides to up the ante and reveals his ultimate move: Mana Zone: Dark Prison Hunting Ground.
Asta and Liebe are engulfed in a dark mana zone that makes it impossible to see anything. Shadow arms emerge from the all-around and begin to attack the duo. Asta is unable to detect the Ki of the attacks, and for the first time in their training, they feel as if their lives are truly in danger. Their combined Black Mode is not enough to hold off the attacks, and any chance for escape seems bleak. As the two are beaten maliciously, they begin to remember the reason for their need for power. In their moments of despair, they both come to the realization that without each other, neither of them can achieve their ultimate goal.
Their desperate desire to not die and protect each other causes them to resonate. The need to save Yami and avenge Licita can only be achieved if both of them are alive. Their true bond goes deeper than they are currently aware, but their desperation awakens the unison needed to tap into their true hidden power.
In the dark mana zone, a large bright light begins to emerge, and the look on Nacht’s face is filled with fear. It’s still unclear as to why Nacht looks so scared, but it could be that Asta and Liebe have surpassed his expectations and have indeed created a new form that has not been seen before in the Magical Kingdom.
