After a two-week delay while mangaka Yuki Tabata took a sabbatical, chapter 348 of Black Clover has been published. Since mastering Zetten, Asta has been able to show his fans his improved strengths. The latest episode also discloses Asta’s worst fear, which is certainly something to think about. Paladin Yrul launched an attack on the Ryuzen Seven in the previous chapter, using illusions of their deepest fears to battle with them. The day before Ichika went to confront her father, her guilt about the Yami clan slaughter surfaced. She was stunned and ready to be hit when Asta stepped in. Asta’s biggest fear is shown as his greatest vulnerability in chapter 348 of Black Clover.
Chapter 348 of Black Clover is titled “Determined,” and it begins with Paladin Lily being shocked to see Asta again since she had assumed he was dead after she transported him away. Asta, relieved that he was able to defend Ichika, later explained to Liebe that the hallucination Ichika had seen must have been connected to Yami Sukehiro since it looked so much like her. Asta thought Ichika would never have been vanquished in a fair fight, so Yrul switched targets and revealed Asta’s greatest fear to make him his new primary focus.
Asta’s main worry was that he wasn’t good enough to become the Wizard King, which stemmed from his nervousness about his own strength relative to his classmates.
There was never an admission of fear on Asta’s part. After giving it some thought, though, he admitted that he, too, was inferior to the so-called “geniuses.” Having decided to prove himself the strongest, Asta cut the illusion that had been in his way. Asta has regained his strength and no longer worries about appearing weak, and Yosuga arrives to tell us about it. The paladin Yrul, who had developed an irrational fear of Asta, revealed his predatory tendencies as he prepared to kill Asta with a single strike with an attack called Beast Magic: Holy Hunting. Although he was supposed to be lightning quick, Asta’s newfound mastery of Zetten allowed him to anticipate Yrul’s moves and counter them in time to defeat him.
As Yosuga and Ichika watched, Paladin Yrul’s abilities dissipated and he reverted to normal. Asta’s Anti-Magic Zetten is the best counter-strike since, because of his mastery of Zetten, he can anticipate his opponent’s moves. At the end of the chapter, Asta vowed to free Sister Lily from Lucius’ spell.
Review of Black Clover 348: Concluding Thoughts
Asta has made his intentions to rescue Sister Lily clear, thus it’s possible that in the next manga chapter, he’ll face off against one of the last two remaining Paladins. Thus, the next chapter may have Asta displaying more of his abilities, which have only been hinted at so far. On the other hand, the next chapter may switch gears and continue the story of Clover kingdom’s Lucius Zogratis and the Magic Knights.