Episode 53

Behind the Mask (仮面の奥) is the 53rd Page of Yūki Tabata's Black Clover.

Summary
A clearly concerned Yuno asks Asta if his arm is okay. Asta says that it is fine. He points out that Yuno has gotten taller and wonders how he grows so easily. Sylph is jealous because of the way Yuno is acting towards Asta. Asta asks who she is but Sylph is more worried about who Asta is. Yuno explains that he used to live, study, and sleep with Asta. Charmy Pappitson appears before Yuno and holds out what looks like a cake. He accepts the treat and begins to eat it. Sylph gets jealous but believes that Charmy is not a threat. Because Yuno saved Charmy, Sylph gets jealous and begins to pull Charmy's hair. They get into a fight over Yuno. Asta and Yuno both tell them to stop but they do not listen.

Finral Roulacase is introduced to Yuno. Langris Vaude arrives and asks what Finral is doing here since he is weak and does not know how to fight. Asta asks who he is and Finral tells him that Langris is his little brother. Langris proceeds to make fun of Finral but Asta is not having it. He stands up for Finral and even tells Langris about how he helped them win back at the Underwater Temple. Finral tells Asta that it is okay because Langris is only telling the truth. Langris tell them that they have got the fighting covered and that the Black Bull squad is not needed here. He also insults both Charmy and Asta's size. This is the last straw and Finral finally stands up to Langris and tells him to not make fun of his teammates.

Suddenly, a wad of slime is thrown at Langris but he takes care of it. A large, slime monster begins to approach them. Yagos survived Langris's attack but now carries a bunch of civilians trapped within his slime. This makes it impossible for them to attack him without injuring innocent people. Langris is willing to sacrifice them but Asta is not. Asta decides that he will save them with the help of Charmy and Finral. Asta is thrown at the slime monster by bouncing off a fluffy sheep and Finral uses his spatial magic to transport him to where he needs to be. Asta reappears with his Demon-Slayer Sword in his mouth and cuts through Yagos's magic. He hits Yagos once more with the sword and Yagos is thrown against the wall. The townspeople fall to the ground and so does Asta but Yuno saves him with his air magic.

Meanwhile, Yami Sukehiro and William Vangeance are still up in the tree and Yami is waiting for William to remove his mask. William warns him that his face is not one people want to see. Yami promises not to laugh. William points out that Yami just wants him to remove his mask because he suspects that William is the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. Yami does not deny it because they way they move and his ki are similar. William finally agrees to remove his mask, revealing a huge scar on the upper half of his face. Yami asks if he got on the battlefield but William says that he was born like that. He tells him that he is a bastard son of a noble and was taken in by a noble family after their heir died. They marveled at his magic but still feared his face. His stepmother abused him because of it.

He tells him that then he met Julius Novachrono who was awed by his magic and encouraged him to join the Magic Knights. William wanted to but he was worried about how they would react to his face. So Julius made him a mask. Yami finally realizes that William is not Licht and apologizes for making him take off his mask. William tells him not to worry because it was nice to share his story with someone. William gets a call about the retreating Diamond Kingdom army and he tells them not to pursue them. Instead, he asks that they focus on helping the injured. Yami tells him that he brought some help and that they can use them too.

Finral decides that they should go find Yami so he creates a portal and the three of them step through it. Asta willingly but Charmy fights as she vows to catch Sylph and fry her. Finral is upset because they just picked a fight with Golden Dawn. Charmy hands him some food and tells him to eat. Langris warns Yuno about who he associates himself with. He wonders if Yuno is embarrassed by Asta. Yuno says no that he is proud of Asta and that he is his rival to become the Magic Emperor. Langris continues to make fun of Yuno's dream but Yuno tells him that first he will become the captain of Golden Dawn. Klaus comes to tell them that the fight is over but the two walk in opposite directions.

Marx Francois reports to Julius and tells him that it has all been taken care of. Julius wonders what the Diamond Kingdom was after. Back in the Diamond Kingdom, Lotus reports to a shadowed figure.

Fights

 * Asta, Finral Roulacase, and Charmy Pappitson vs. Yagos

Events

 * Invasion of Kiten

Petit Clover
Together! (一緒に!): Sylph misunderstands Asta and Yuno's relationship.