"Why didn't you say it was the roof you smashed?!"
Noelle roared, her face flushed with anger.
Cracks echoed from the ceiling above them. Bits of gravel trickled down, and in the next instant, a larger chunk was about to fall—until Asta reacted swiftly. He pulled Noelle into his arms and leapt backward to safety, his body shielding her.
"Remember this feeling," Asta said with a grin, slipping his Demon Slayer Sword back into his grimoire. "When you're in danger, when people laugh at you or make you feel helpless—just hug me. I'll take care of everything after that."
Noelle blinked, stunned. His words were so sincere, so warm. She'd grown up starved of affection, ridiculed by her siblings, belittled by her royal peers. Yet here was a commoner—a stranger—not only protecting her but seeing her.
"Y-You… you idiot!" she sputtered, cheeks burning.
"Hey! You two done flirting?" Magna barked from across the room, staring in horror at the crumbling ceiling. "The freakin' roof is caving in!"
As if on cue, a loud crash resounded—Yami Sukehiro, the Black Bulls' captain, fell through the ceiling with his pants around his ankles.
"DAMMIT!" Yami shouted, yanking his pants up and scowling through a cloud of dust. "I can't even take a proper dump around here!"
He rose from the pile of debris, aura flaring.
"Who the hell brought the house down this time?! I swear to—"
"RUN!" Magna shouted, bolting for the exit.
Asta grabbed Noelle's hand and sprinted after him.
"W-Wait!" Noelle pulled to a halt. "You're the one who smashed the ceiling—why should I run?!"
Asta snorted. "Do you really want to see Captain Yami's naked butt again?"
Noelle froze, face going pale. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
"Then get moving!"
They fled through the hallway, Yami's booming threats echoing behind them. As they reached safety, Asta shot Noelle a teasing grin.
"Hey, the food should be ready soon—eat more, will ya? You're way too light. If you're still this skinny next time I carry you, I'll hit you with a double millennial kill!"
He gave her a mock-serious glare before turning and walking off.
Noelle stood there, fists clenched by her side. Her heart beat just a little faster.
That embrace…
That promise…
Somehow, she couldn't forget it.
****
Later That Week: Training Ground, Forest Edge
"I've really been poisoned…" Noelle muttered, cheeks flushed.
She was alone in the forest, training her magic as usual. She'd been avoiding Asta ever since that day—especially after her heart betrayed her by remembering the warmth of his arms at the most random times. Even… embarrassingly… while she was on the toilet.
"Snap out of it! Focus!" she hissed to herself, aiming her wand at a tree trunk ten meters away. "Water Magic: Water Shot!"
A sphere of high-pressure water burst from her wand, flying straight—then suddenly veered off course and exploded into the bushes near Asta's training area.
"Again?!" Asta shouted, dodging the surprise attack. "Noelle! This is the third water bomb that's tried to kill me today!"
"I-It's not on purpose!" she yelled back.
Asta rolled his eyes, glancing at the bird's nest nearby—now thoroughly destroyed. "Seriously, this girl's magic has better homing skills than a missile, just not on her target."
Noelle, meanwhile, was frustrated beyond words. Why can't I control my magic?! she thought. I'm a royal! I have more mana than most of the squad put together! So why… why can't I hit the mark?
She collapsed to her knees, panting. This was her 251st attempt today—and none had landed on target.
Voices from her past echoed in her mind.
"The youngest Silva can't even control her spells."
"What a disgrace to the royal family."
"She should've never been born."
Noelle clenched her fists. Her pink eyes shimmered—not from sadness, but resolve.
"I will show them all. I will prove myself."
With renewed determination, she rose to her feet and raised her wand once more. But her magic was too volatile. Her emotional surge caused the mana inside her to swell beyond control. The water spheres began to expand rapidly.
"Huh?" Noelle gasped, as the orbs swelled to dangerous proportions. "No, no! Stop!"
They didn't. Her body trembled as her own spell backfired, trapping her inside a massive spiraling water sphere—one shaped like a seashell.
****
Back at Black Bull Headquarters
A massive ripple of mana spread across the forest. Lightning flickered over Luck Voltia's head. He stopped reading his "secret book" and looked up.
"Ooh! Strong magic! Something's happening!"
Others rushed outside.
"What is that?!" Magna exclaimed, pointing at the swirling sea-blue mass in the distance.
"It's Noelle's magic," Captain Yami growled. "But it's completely out of control."
"Should we destroy it?" Magna asked.
"If we blast it, the mana recoil might crush her," Yami said grimly. "Finral, can you warp her out?"
"That much mana? I… I can't even get close," Finral admitted.
"Where's Asta when you need him…"
****
Leaning against a tree, Asta tapped the bark with his fingers. One tap per second.
"45… 46… 47…"
He'd sensed the magic earlier and had rushed over, but when he saw Noelle take a deep breath before getting engulfed, he hesitated.
She can hold her breath… maybe 60 seconds at most. I'll give her until 59.
He clenched his fists. If she can control it… conquer it… it'll be a turning point. But if not… I'll be there. Always.
"Come on, Noelle… I believe in you."
Within the unstable sphere of water magic, Noelle's eyes fluttered shut. Panic gripped her chest tighter than the suffocating pressure of the water. The magic she had lost control over was drowning her—both literally and mentally. Every mocking voice from her noble family, every scoff and insult about her incompetence echoed louder in the silence of her impending death.
"Fifty seconds… fifty-one seconds…"
Asta stood frozen, his amber eyes wide, lips drawn in a firm line. His eyes, filled with growing anxiety, never left the trembling figure trapped in the swirling water sphere.
"Is she going to die…?"
Inside the water prison, Noelle's consciousness began to slip. Her limbs felt heavy, her chest burned, and the water that invaded her nose and throat stung like acid. Her magic, immense and uncontrollable, had turned against her. But just as her awareness started to fade, a voice echoed in her mind—a memory that hadn't faded.
"Remember this feeling of being in my arms. If you're ever in danger, mocked, or feel helpless or even despair… you can cling to me. I'll take care of the rest."
Asta…!
In the brink of death, her thoughts clung to his words. His strength. His unwavering confidence in her. And with that came something she hadn't truly felt before—the will to fight.
"I won't die here! Not like this! I refuse to!"
Her violet eyes shot open, now burning with a fiery resolve. For the first time, she faced her wild magic with calm rather than fear. She reached out—not with desperation, but with control—and began reining in the torrent of mana swirling around her. Slowly, the raging water sphere stabilized.
On the outside, Magna leaned forward anxiously.
"Captain Yami, it's been over fifty seconds. Should we intervene?"
Yami Sukehiro narrowed his eyes, still watching the sphere.
"No… look closer. It's stabilizing. She's doing it."
"Fifty-five seconds… fifty-six…"
Asta's five-leaf grimoire floated beside him, glowing faintly. He could sense it—Noelle was finally starting to control her power. It wouldn't be perfect. Not yet. But the important part was that she wasn't running anymore.
"That's enough… I've got the rest!"