WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Black Clover Chapter #271, “Union,” by Yuki Tabata, Taylor Engel, Annaliese "Ace" Christman, available now in English from Viz Media.
In Black Clover Chapter #271, Asta and Liebe have finally performed a union as human and devil, but they did not follow the traditional customs of the devil binding ritual. Instead of Asta controlling Liebe, he decides to befriend him and train with him as an equal. Since a human is not in control, the devil’s power cannot be easily accessed, and that is an issue, granted that the two must become substantially stronger within the next two days. Nacht has mixed feelings about Asta’s decision, and Liebe’s lack of knowledge of his own abilities only validates Nacht’s discontent.
According to Nacht, Asta made the right choice by standing on equal grounds with Liebe. They will have to learn from each other to awaken their hidden potential, but the major issue is that Liebe has no idea how to fully access all of his power. The young devil, who's never really battled on his own, was planning on taking over Asta’s body to help him reawaken his powers. Leave it to Licita’s children to dive right into conflict without having a plan of resolution.
Without any time to worry, Nacht begins phase two of the training. The Black Bull Vice-Captain begins his assault on the duo by displaying the devil power at his disposal. Nacht’s shadow magic mixed with the special characteristics of each of his devils makes his fighting capabilities versatile. Nacht’s devil union mode "Canis" and Gidemolo’s “Pack” turn him into a one-man army. He's not holding back and will make sure Asta and Liebe learn how to tap into their true power by any means necessary.
Asta’s will to never give up and surpass his limits is a trademark of the Black Bulls, but Liebe is going to have to discover his own unwavering will. Liebe is not a blood-lusting demon, and Asta even mentions that he gives off a Ki that is not comfortable with hurting humans. Liebe is described as being sympathetic, which is strange for a devil, but that is precisely what convinced Asta to trust him. Liebe is starting to view Asta as his equal. This trust stems from the love he most likely had for Licita.
Licita’s love for her children will likely be the unifying element that will allow Liebe to share his full power with Asta. Liebe is not a warrior or wizard, he’s just a young boy embedded in a magical grimoire without a family or friends. The newly established relationship with Asta will resonate with Liebe and resemble the affection Liebe received from Licita. Their emotional connection will go deeper than the servant-to-master relationships created through the devil binding rituals.
Liebe is still the only one that knows Asta is Licita’s son, but it might be safe to assume that Asta somehow is aware of their relationship based on his ability to read Ki so well. Liebe has shared memories with Asta in the past. Chances are that through the training, more memories might come flooding back.
It will certainly be a powerful moment when Asta is eventually able to see and feel the emotions Liebe has received from their mother. This will make a strong turning point in their journey together, beginning their rise to becoming one of the greatest duos in the Clover Kingdom.
