Black Clover Just Gave Its Best Move The Upgrade Fans Were Waiting For

Warning: spoilers ahead for Black Clover chapter 324!

Fans have been comparing Black Clover‘s Mana Zones to Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Domain Expansions ever since the two techniques debuted. Both of them share many similarities with the other except one main difference, and Black Clover seems to have just closed the gap.

In chapter 324 by mangaka Yūki Tabata, Captain Yami Sukehiro and Vice Captain Nacht Faust of the Black Bulls combine their dark and shadow magics respectively to release the full capability of a Mana Zone against Lucifer the King of Devils. Called Kids’ Playground, this particular Mana Zone not only allows both mages to gain complete control of the mana within their zone, but it even changes the landscape. Creepy buildings shrouded in dark, shadowy energy suddenly appear, and the sun is replaced by a massive black ball with serpentine tendrils emanating outwards in a menacing manner.

The reason why this Mana Zone received such a massive upgrade isn’t just because two magics are involved but due to the fact that they both complement each other perfectly. As the chapter explains, shadows create darkness which in turn spreads these shadows out further, leading to the creation of even more darkness. For some reason, the expansion of darkness and shadows naturally forms sinister-looking houses, and although this phenomenon has yet to be explained, fans will hopefully embrace this change because it incorporates the only failing of Mana Zones – at least, when compared to Domain Expansions in Jujutsu Kaisen.

Essentially, mages in Black Clover conjure Mana Zones to control the mana in an existing area, giving them additional capabilities in this space like the ability to attack from any direction without missing. But in Jujutsu Kaisen, jujutsu sorcerers can actually create their own proprietary domains within an area that seal them inside. Like Mana Zones, these barriers enable their summoners to unleash attacks that will always hit their intended targets. Sorcerers who conjure these domains can trade this feature for others by strengthening and weakening certain aspects of their barrier, as first demonstrated by the cursed spirit Mahito and later by jujutsu sorcerer Megumi Fushiguro. But the main defining feature of Domain Expansions has always been that each one has its own unique space. The one that best matches Yami and Nacht’s Kids’ Playground is Megumi’s Chimera Shadow Garden. In his recent battle against Reggie Star during the Culling game, Megumi and Reggie try to suck each other into the garden’s massive pool of shadows beneath them. This pool didn’t exist in the real world because it came from the domain itself.

Before now, Black Clover‘s Mana Zones did not create anything out of thin air like Megumi’s shadow pool, but now they can. That said, it’s currently unclear whether Kids’ Playground is able to do this because it combines more than one type of magic or because the two magics complement each other so well. Readers also don’t know if Yami and Nacht will be able to interact with the shadowy, dark buildings or that menacing sun within their combined Mana Zone during their battle against Lucifero the King of Devils. Unfortunately, readers will have to wait several weeks, since Black Clover is on break next week.

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