Chapter 340

An Opening (隙) is the 340th Page of Yūki Tabata's Black Clover. The results of the sixth official popularity poll were published with the chapter.

Summary
After Asta successfully destroys more bamboo, demonstrating his grasp of Zetten's basics, Ryudo Ryuya remarks that the key to utilizing Zetten in battle is to create an opening for the strike. He then suggests that Asta fight Yami Ichika in order to practice creating those openings. Although worried about fighting Yami Sukehiro's sister, Asta and Liebe are determined. While Asta thanks her in advance, he enters his black form. Mikuriya Fumito thinks about how Asta has coated himself in Anti Magic and could entirely block simple magic. Ichika warns Asta to take the fight seriously and that even though it is training, it is real combat, in which he might die if he does not take it seriously.

Ichika then strikes him with a palm thrust, sending him crashing through the bamboo, even though Asta blocked the strike with his arms and the Anti Magic reduced the magic power in the strike. Asta draws the Demon-Slasher Katana, but Ichika easily dodges around his swings. When Asta is suprised by this, Ryuya remarks that since Anti Magic erases magic, most are not able to dodge it. He then tells of the legend of Zetten, in which the originator split the sky with their emitted magic. Ichika's kick then launches Asta up into the air. While she catches up to Asta and throws him around, Ryuya notes that Asta keeps getting distracted and losing focus, which leaves him open to attack, in much the same way as Lucius Zogratis did. Ryuya considers that Asta should not face Lucius directly since Lucius has both Time and Soul Magic.

After knocking Asta down into some water, Ichika takes advantage of the opening and draws her sword. Asta brings his sword up to block, and Ichika's horizontal slash cuts through the bamboo forest behind him. She then kicks him, sending him crashing into a boulder. Asta drops out of his black form and is taken aback by her strength, doubting if Unite would have helped. Although he is heavily injured, shaking, and on the verge of blacking out, he stands back up and wants to continue the fight in order to find out more about this power. However, Ichika slaps his head into the ground, knocking him unconscious. Ryuya and Fumito are shocked by the brutality, while Ichika warns Asta not to boast if he cannot back it up. Ryuya mentions that she went too far with it, but she points out that it was real combat, as well as her annoyance with Asta. Ryuya notes that although Asta lost, he withstood Ichika's strongest attack, which not many in the country could do.

Fights

 * Asta vs. Yami Ichika