Chapter 12
The Strength of Water
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Magic"
Duel Points
Flashback
Location / Date / Time Skip
Last time on Rise of the Monsters:
'Vanessa taught me some tricks to control my magic, but nothing I try seems to work. I just don't have the knack for it...' Gritting her teeth, she tightened her grip on her wand and raised it. 'That's no excuse! I'm going to keep trying until I get it right!"
More water started swirling around her before a scream killed her concentration. She turned around just in time to avoid Asta running past her, a pair crabs stuck to his bare feet. "Asta?" The boy kicked his feet around and flung the crabs off, finally noticing Noelle. "So, you're out here training, huh?"
"You too, right?" Asta asked. "Hey, why don't we train together? If anything goes wrong, I can stop you like at the base."
"As if I would make a mistake like that again." She huffed as she turned away, hiding the blush on her face. 'Just the two of us...training...' "But, if you insist on staying, I suppose training with you wouldn't be the absolute worst."
She turned back to Asta, who seemed to be staring at the sky. "Hey, do you hear that?" He asked, confusing Noelle. "It sounds like... singing." The two followed the sound and found the source: a strange red-headed girl standing on top of a rock outcrop singing into the night sky.
The girl continued singing as bubbles floated around the area. 'What a beautiful voice...' Noelle thought in amazement. 'It's like something out of a dream... is she from around here? Are these magical bubbles?"
Behind the two, Vergil took spectral form and strummed along to the song, a smile on his face. 'A once in a century talent.' He thought.
"Is that... the spirit of the sea?" Asta asked in full seriousness.
The girl finally noticed the other humans and stopped singing, the bubbles popping around her. The girl looked at Asta and Noelle for a few seconds before she cupped her face, a delighted expression on her face. "Oh my gosh! Were you listening!? I'm so embarrassed!" The girl squealed with a big smile.
'Not at all what I was expecting.' All three thought at the girls reaction.
"Well, nothing I can do about it." The girl chuckled as she hopped from rock to rock before landing in front of them. "Wanna be friends?"
'She wants to be friends?' Both Bulls thought in surprise, not expecting such an offer.
"My name is Kahono. And you are?" The girl asked.
"I'm Noelle, and this is Dumbster the Muscle Head." Noelle replied, pointing to Asta as Virgil snickered at her description.
"That's not my name and you know it!" He shouted back.
"Noelle, and Dumbster the Muscle-Head. Wow, such strange names." Kahono replied with an earnest smile.
"You actually believe her!?" Asta asked, confusing the singer. "She's clearly making fun of me. My name is actually Asta."
"So, what are you doing out here so late?" Noelle asked.
"Just practicing my singing." She replied. "This is the perfect place for voice training. The atmosphere, the acoustics, I just love it. See, I have a dream... Between my singing, dancing, and spell casting, I'm gonna become an idol!"
"...What's an idol?" Both asked at the same time, shocking Kahono.
"WHAT!? You're joking, right?" She asked back, only to be meet with shaking heads. "But they're all the rage in the Common and Noble Realms. I'm gonna work and work until I get as big as and Idol can and get crazy rich!"
"That's the reason you're doing this?" Noelle asked. "I never got the point of money, it just gets in the way."
"Says the girl who's been rolling in the stuff since she was born." Asta chuckled. "Money is a big deal to us common folk. Without it, you basically can't survive."
"Exactly! I feel like you really get me, Dumbsta." Kahono said as she grabbed Asta's arm and started shaking it. "Hold on..." She suddenly started staring at him. "You seemed to be a bit drained there, Dumbsta."
"Stop calling me that!" He shouted back. "And I was doing some training, of course my arms are a bit tired."
"Not like this." She replied. "Don't worry. I'll make it all better. Song Recovery Magic: Healing Lullaby." She started singing again as little bubble appeared around Asta. They sank into his skin and he started glowing before the spell finished.
"Incredible. To use something as rare and beautiful as Song magic..." Virgil trailed off as he smiled at Kahono, again playing his lyre in tune with her song.
"Well, how do you feel?" Noelle asked.
"I... feel... INCREDIBLE!" He shouted as he moved around like never before. "I was sore all over and now I don't hurt anywhere! My body feels so light! Whatever you did really worked, Kahono!"
"That's great, I'm glad it worked out." She said with a smile before suddenly holding out her hand. "That'll be 100 Yule then."
"You're charging me!?" Asta asked.
"Just kidding." She chuckled, making Asta sigh in relief. "But not really!"
"Are you serious!?" He asked in annoyance before pulling out his moneybag. "Take it."
"Will do, and if you ever need Healing Lullaby again, I'd be more than happy to help!" She said, taking the money from his hand. "You know, you two are so funny. How old are you anyway?"
"15." Both answered at the same time.
"No way! Me too!" Kahono replied. "Now we definitely have to be friends."
'Friends with a girl my age...' Noelle mumbled to herself before shaking her head. "Fine. If you insist, I suppose that would be acceptable. I mean I won't not be your friend."
"Yay!" Kahono suddenly tacked the two and pulled them into a hug. "Since we've become friends, let me give you a piece of advice." She said as she pulled back and looked at Noelle. "When you try to suppress your Mana too much, you lose control over what you're trying to do."
"...Wait... you saw me practicing!?" The royal girl asked, making the red head chuckle.
"But in all seriousness, you need to relax a bit more." She continued. "True concentration only comes when one's mind is at peace."
"I'm not sure I understand." Noelle mumbled.
"Let's try something simple. Focus on your best memories." Kahono said. "Something comforting, like your family."
"My... family..." She mumbled, her eyes staying on the ground. An angry look suddenly took over her face and she turned around, confusing the singer. "I appreciate the advice, Kahono. I'll keep practicing."
She turned and walked back to the beach, leaving the two confused. Virgil notices Noelle's expression and frowned. 'I can tell she'll be an issue.'
Night after night, Noelle continued to practice her power, still getting no where close to what she needed. 'The full moon is tomorrow. Tonight is my last chance to get this right.'
"You've almost got it, Noelle!" Kahono cheered from the sides.
'I'm almost out of time, and I still have no semblance of control.' She thought in between deep breaths. 'At this rate, our mission...'
"Hold on, I just had an idea!" Asta shouted, catching her attention. "Noelle: stop over thinking things and just release all of your magic! Remember that thing you did the first time your magic lost control back at the base? And Kahono said it before, you're trying to hard to hold the Mana back. If you let it run wild, you'll probably do better than you think."
"Are you crazy!?" Noelle asked back. "If that doesn't work-"
"I'll use my sword to keep everyone safe." He interrupted, holding his large blade to the sky. "So quit worrying and go for it!"
Noelle stared at him before growling in annoyance. "Fine! But if this doesn't work, it's all on you!" Her grimoire floated up next to her before a giant orb of water formed around her. 'I knew this wasn't going to work. I'm no where close to having a serene mind!' She stared at Asta before his gaze suddenly turned to the side. Heartbroken, she hung her head in shame as her magic went wild.
'They were right all along. When it comes down to it, I'm just a failure. How am I supposed to focus on a fond memory when I don't have any?'
"NOELLE!" Her eyes snapped open and her head looked up to see every other Black Bull cheering her on in their own... unique way.
'I... I was wrong.' She thought as tears started welling up in her eyes. 'I did have some good memories. All with the Black Bulls. And he...' She turned back to Asta and saw the smile on his face. 'They've all acknowledged me, accepted me, relied on me. And now, I HAVE to do something for them!'
She held her arms wide as her Grimoire turned a page, new writing appearing on the blank sheet of paper. "Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle!" The spell cleared up and formed a giant orb with large water droplets floating around it. "I...I did it. It worked!"
"Good. You finally realize it." Noelle snapped her head to see Virgil next to her with a smirk. He then surprised her by reaching out and patting her head. Despite him being a spirit, Noelle felt the warmth of his hand. "Don't forget that people DO believe in you. And soon, you'll have an entire deck of friends. Just be patient." The spirit smiled and returned to Asta's side before sinking into his Grimoire.
The entire squad cheered as she smiled at them, only for her body to run out of Mana. Her spell faded and she started falling to the ground, only for Asta to run up and catch her. "You really did it, Noelle. I knew you could." He said with a smile.
Her face briefly turned red before she suddenly slapped him in the face, making him drop her. "Get your filthy hands off me!" She shouted as she stood back up. "Kahono, I did it!" She turned to her friend, only to find empty air. "Where'd she go?"
Kahono looked back from her rock and smiled. "You have some good teammates, Noelle. And they should be the ones that celebrate with you." She winked at the group before she jumped into the water. "See you in the temple, Noelle."
The Next Night
"Tonight's the full moon..." Yami declared as he stared out at the sea. "The Mana here will be at it's weakest, so this is our best chance to get at the Underwater Temple." Blowing out a puff of smoke, he turned around and stared at his squad. "So, you idiots ready to go?"
"Yessir!" Asta shouted before turning to Noelle. "I guess that means you're up." She mumbled back, catching his attention. "Wait, you're not nervous, are you?"
"NO WAY!" She shouted back. "It's not like there's anything for me to be nervous about! I pulled it off fine yesterday, so today will be no problem."
She stepped forward and her Grimoire floated up, flipping pages. "Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle!" Water started spiraling out from under her before it surrounded the entire squad in the orb. It then pushed itself forward and splashed into the sea, making Noelle smile. "I did it! I cast the spell!"
"Great work, but... Gray, get off us!" Asta shouted in pain as the largest Bull was squishing everyone else in the orb.
"Should I kill Gray?" Luck earnestly asked.
"Transform into someone smaller. And lose the floaty." Finral gasped out.
A puff of smoke filled the orb as Gray dropped down, now a second Charmy. "Is this better, peons?"
"YOU ALMOST KILLED US ALL!" Asta shouted in annoyance.
Yami placed a hand on Noelle's head, catching her off guard. "Not a bad job, Noelle." He declared. "Now you just gotta get us down to the Underwater Temple."
"Right, I've got it covered. Everyone hang on tight." She declared, a calm look on her face. Inside her head, however, was a completely different story. 'He complimented me!"
The orb dived deeper into the sea, amazing the others as they saw fish and other sea life swimming around them. The current suddenly picked up, making them all flee the location. "I can already feel the Mana getting stronger down here." Vanessa said, staring into the oncoming water-spots.
"I thought this was supposed to be the weakest time for the Mana!?" Magna asked in a panic.
"What, are you scared cause you're a fire wizard?" Luck teased as the storms started bouncing the orb around.
"We're all gonna die!" Finral shouted.
"Will you idiots just relax?" Yami asked/ordered from his squad. "Just trust Noelle. She's got this."
Noelle blinked and crossed her arms, steering the cradle along the current. 'It's not forcing us out anymore. If anything, it's pulling us in.'
"I'm gonna be sick." Vanessa groaned as she covered her mouth.
"You're the one who choose to drink before getting in this thing!" Gauche shouted back. "Throw up on me and I'll kill you, you wino tramp!"
The spots faded away and Noelle stared into the clearer water. "The currents have let up a bit." Noelle declared, leading the group into a massive coral reef.
"It's beautiful..." Vanessa gasped out.
"That fish is glowing like crazy." Charmy mumbled, staring at a blue fish swimming by. "I wonder what it tastes like!"
"Virgil, ever see a Magic Region like this before?" Asta whispered to his partner, who appeared next to him.
"A few times. Yet everytime, I'm always amazed." Virgil confessed with a smile. 'That's why we must continue to fight. So this beauty will never fade away.'
"Looks like all the Mana around here messed with how the beasties evolved." Yami said as Magna stopped both midgets from diving into the abyss. A series of swirling whirlpool caught everyone's attention.
"That's a magical barrier, and an extremely powerful one." Noelle realized. "My spell won't get us through it."
"Alright, kid. You're up." Yami said, pointing at Asta. "Take out your sword and slice us a nice opening, would ya?"
"...Captain Yami..." Asta mumbled, catching the leader's attention. "The truth is, this was my first trip to the beach. And it taught me something really important... I can't swim. And with me helping Noelle control her magic, we never got the chance for those lessons. Funny huh?"
Yami picked him up by the collar and stared at him. "Who said anything about swimming?" The captain asked. "Just hold your breath, will ya?" He pulled his arm back and hurled Asta out of the cradle into the sea.
Out of instinct, Asta pulled out his sword and punched through the barrier, letting the others quickly fly in after him. Asta slid on the ground and pushed himself up. "Wait, I can breath here?" He asked before the cradle crashed on top of him.
"Nice job, kid." Yami declared as he walked forward. "So this is the Underwater Temple..." The other Bulls stared out at the massive town built completely out/into the coral.
"What an exquisite place..." Virgil said aloud, though only Asta could hear him. "It seems humanity has done some amazing things in the time we've been sealed away."
Nero snuck out of his robe and flew into the city as Yami pulled out a fancy cupcake for a reward. "Charmy, whip us up some cotton."
"YESSIR!" The girl shouted before a cotton cloud carried them to the city. Charmy munched on the cake before splitting it in half for Gray.
The reached the city and the people around them stared at them before rushing them, excited to see surface dwellers for the first time in ten years. "I guess we should find someone who knows something about the Magic Stone, huh?" Vanessa asked aloud.
"On it." Yami replied, walking forward. "Yo, bring out the boss right now." He declared in a menacing way.
"No problem, that would be the high priest." Someone replied in the same tone. "He's up at the top of the stairs, so get to walking... That was fun!"
The Knights walked up the stairs to the priests location, Yami carrying Charmy to keep her from eating anything. "Gotta say, this has been easier that I thought it would be." Asta confessed to Noelle.
"I'm not complaining. But how will you cope without your regular near-death experience?" She teased back.
"It's not like I go around asking these people to kill me!" He shouted back as they reached the top of the stairs.
"So is this it?" Yami asked, staring at the structure before them. The door opened before them and they walked in, waving goodbye to the sea folk as the door closed. They walked for what felt like forever before finally seeing someone. "Yo, you the high priest?"
Asta heard something wet hit the ground behind him, causing Noelle and him to turn around. They stared up at a giant, eel-like creature and screamed in horror. The beast snaked forward and opened its jagged maw, only to be hit by fire, lightning and a laser.
"That oughta do it. What was that thing anyway?" Magna, Luck and Gauche asked at the same time.
A strange laugh caught everyones attention as the man in the room walked forward. "Oh, this is wonderful! Nothing like good company to get everyone excited. Welcome to the Underwater Temple, I'm the high priest of this place. The name is Gifso."
"This geezer is the one in charge here?" Magna asked in disbelief.
The creature suddenly faded into smoke and glitter, disappointing Charmy to her knees. 'What kind of magic was that?' Vanessa asked herself.
'I've never seen anyone make something that big with magic.' Finral said to himself. 'This guy must be really powerful.'
The old man laughed again and suddenly stopped, looking at the group. "You all came to my temple because you want the Magic Stone, right?" Everyone turned to the man and stared at him in surprise. "If you want it, you'll have to play a game with me first."
"What kind of game are we talking about?" Asta asked, instantly thinking that the man wanted to duel
"The name if this little game is…" Instantly, the high priest was in front of Noelle and Vanessa, fingers wriggling like snakes. "Find out how squishy the boobs are!"
A right hook from Noelle sent him flying back, blood coming out of his nose. "Why'd you go and hit the High Priest for!? He's the one in charge here!" Asta shouted at the Water Mage.
"It's what he gets, talking to a royal like that." She huffed back, flipping her hair.
"It was only a joke." The priest chuckled, pushing himself back up.
"Gramps, we didn't drag our butts here to play your silly games." Magna said from behind. "Besides, how'd you know what we came for anyway?"
"You'd be surpised how well these old eyes can see." Gifso chuckled back. "So what are you going to do? Your kingdom needs that stone, doesn't it?"
"What do you think: beat him up and take the stone?"
"Sounds quick and easy. Let's do it."
"I hope not, he seems super strong!"
"What the heck is wrong with you guys!?" Asta asked the trio who attacked the creature. "We're Magic Knights, we can't just go around beating people up!" A yawn caught his attention and he turned to Finral, Vanessa and Charmy. "And you three couldn't care less!"
"Haven't you made up your minds yet?" Gifso teased. "Tell you what, if you win, not only will you get the Magic Stone, but I'll round up the temples finest ladies, finest drinks and tastiest food and have a magnificent banquet. What do you say now?"
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"WE'RE IN!"
Asta stared in shock of his teammates before Yami kicked him forward. "Bring it on, old man. You wanna play so bad, take on this master gambler. What are we playing: dice, roulette, cards?"
'Please don't say duel, please don't say duel, please don't say duel!' Asta chanted in his head, not wanting his secret out in the open.
"It'll be a white hot temple royal rumble!" The priest shouted back, confusing Yami. "Temple Mages, come forth!" His Grimoire glowed and portals started to appear around him. "Game Magic: Temple Shuffle!" The portals turned into doors and nine masked figures jumped.
"You summoned us, High Priest?" The one in the hammerhead shark mask asked.
"So we finally have mages from the outside coming to visit us?" The boy hiding behind a swordfish mask asked.
"Sounds like fun!" The only girl in a dolphin mask chuckled.
"I don't know, these guys don't seem as impressive as we thought." A eel-faced mage said.
"Those are the lamest masks I've ever seen." Magna snapped back.
"This is bad!" Finral declared. "I can feel a lot of mana emanating from these guys."
"Alrighty! Shall we get started!?" The high priest asked as his book glowed again. "Okay! Let's go!" He waved his arms and geysers of water filled the room, pulling everyone along with it.
Yami pushed himself up and found himself in a small room with a table filled to the brim with food, a couch and watery screens. "Oh, good. You're up." The High Priest chuckled. "Just one second, I need to explain the rules." A watery speaker appeared in front of him and he tapped it.
"Testing, testing, can you all hear me?" Gifso asked, making everyone on the screens perk up. "As you may have noticed, you've been plopped into various spots in the temple. You saw the temple mages a short while ago. The rules are simple: nine Magic Knights vs nine Temple Mages. Whoever has the most members still fighting at the end of one hour wins!
"You can use whatever attacks you want. If you wanna gang up on one person, more power to you. But just know that I'll be putting in some fun traps as well. Have fun!" He ended the transmission and turned to Yami, patting the seat next to him. "Now, the two of us will be watching from a safe place. Want some beer, or maybe some chips?"
"Old man, you mind telling me why you left me out of the fight?" The captain asked, gripping his blade.
"Simple, you're too strong for this game." He explained. "If I put you down there, the game would be over too quickly. I've been looking forward to this, and so has everyone else who are watching outside."
"So you do know what's going on?" The captain chuckled as he sat down and the two clanked glasses. "I'm starting to like you."
"Oh, looks like four fights are about to start." Gifso said, turning to the screens.
"They better not lose or I'll kill them." Yami declared.
"So tell me, what Rank would you say your Knights are?" The priest asked, catching Yami off guard. "If I were to put my mages in your system, I'd put them all in middle ranks. This squad of yours has their work cut out for them."
"Is that so?" Yami chuckled as Magna, Luck, Gauche and Asta defeated their opponents easily. "That would be the case if my boys were as strong as their ranks suggested."
"What the hell just happened!?" The head priest asked in shock.
"Yeah, tenderize those fish!" Yami cheered as the score went 9:5 in favor of the Black Bulls. "Hey, how about we bet on who's gonna win? I got ten thousand yule on the Black Bulls."
"Please, this is just the beginning." Gifso retorted. "The five mages still left won't fall so easily. And my three Great Knights are as strong as Senior Ranked Magic Knights in terms of power. Speaking of which…" The two noticed Finral hiding from the Hammerhead Knight before hoping into a portal.
"Oh, yes. There's one thing I forgot to mention." He chuckled. "Until the game is over, you won't be able to leave."
"Hey! Are you watching this, old man!?" The Spacial Mage shouted back.
"Finral! What the hell are you doing just running?" Yami joined in the conversation. "Get in there already, you wuss! You're killing the mood of our feast."
"Don't worry. I know how to get him fighting." Gifso chuckled as he snapped his fingers. "Game Magic: Monster Toy!" Finral turned around as a giant eel-like creature appeared in a puff of smoke and started chasing him. "Look at him go!" Gifso laughed "I should send him a few more to play with."
"Listen, up geezer…" Yami growled out before pulling out a drawing. "That's awesome! Now whip up something like this!"
"To be clear, you are on THEIR side, right?" Gifso asked, a bit scared for the Bulls now. "Any who, looks another fight is about to- is that girl fishing?" Yami turned to see Charmy pulling a wool net filled with fish. The dolphin masked girl walked in behind her and the two stared each other down.
Charmy dropped into a fighting stance, only for a colorful mist and bubbles to escape the mask. Instantly, Charmy fell over and started snoring as the score went to 8:5. "Oh, by the way, being put to sleep is the same as a knockout. Impressed yet?"
"When we get back, I'm not feeding her for a week." Yami declared as the girl walked deeper into the cave.
With Asta
"I don't… understand…" The man in the octopus masked groaned out. "My Mollusk Magic should… have made all attacks pass through me…"
"This is an Anti-Magic sword, dummy!" Asta shouted back. "Of course it wouldn't work!" The masked man passed out as Asta turned and raced into the temple. "Alright, who's next!?"
"My, aren't you enthusiastic…" Virgil chuckled as he floated next to the boy.
"Well, this is a cool place." Asta replied. "I mean, I've never been to a place like this before. You can't tell me you aren't excited to see what's in here."
"I must admit, the scholar in me is rather curious as to what's down here." The Spirit confessed before a school of monster fish roared at his partner. "I will leave you to your work." He faded away as Asta gripped his sword.
With a roar, he started cutting through the illusions like butter. The last one fell over and he stabbed into it before he turned to the side, a spike of ki catching his attention. 'Someone's there…' He raced through the cave and found the boy with the swordfish mask slicing through another fish.
"Seriously, gramps?" He asked aloud as the spell faded. "Can't you save the nuisance spells for the other team? Well, it was a good warm up, I guess." He turned to the side to see Asta come to a stop. "Oh, you must be Asta. I heard about you, the weird kid with the sword that cancels magic."
"Uh, yeah. That's me." He mumbled in confusion. "Wait, where'd you hear that from?"
"Never mind that. Check out this dance." The temple mage replied before he started spinning and dragging his swords through the air. "How'd you think it go over on land?"
"They would love it." Asta replied with stars in his eyes.
"I'm Kiato." The masked teen replied, still dancing. "My dream is captivate the entire kingdom with my dancing. The only problem is that we Underwater Temple folk can go to the beaches, we're not allowed to visit any of the cities. But if I win this fight, my grandfather, the High Priest, said that he'll use his authority to let me go ashore!"
'Wait, what's that feeling where you've heard something like that before?' Asta asked himself. 'I think Sister Lily called it 'dej-'
"That's why, you'll have to lose for my dream!" Kiato shouted before charging, forcing Asta to block an 'X' style slash. He spun around and the blades swarmed Asta, pushing him back.
"Yeah, well, you're not the only one with a dream." Asta growled back, confusing Kiato. "My dream is to be the Wizard King, the protector of the kingdom. So for the sake of my dream-" He shifted his feet and launched himself forward with a sprint, sword at the ready. "I'm gonna take you down!"
He swung the massive blade and the slash connected, cutting through the mask. "That's it! Let's fight it out! We'll put our dreams on the line and fight without holding anything back!"
With Noelle
The twin-tailed girl walked through the tunnel nervously as she dried off her hair. 'Great, what am I supposed to do? How can I fight when I haven't learned a single attack spell yet?'
A footstep caught her attention and she gasped in shock as the girl Temple Mage appeared on an outlook over her. "Awesome! I finally found you!" The masked girl cheered, her voice catching Noelle off guard. "I'd knew you'd make it, Noelle." The girl reached up and removed her mask, shocking Noelle.
"Kahono?" She asked in surprise.
"I've been waiting for you to get here." The Temple Mage chuckled.
"You're one of the temple mages?" Noelle asked in surprise. "Then why did you help me learn to control my magic?"
"Yeah, about that…" Kahono chuckled with a smile. "I wasn't just practicing my singing, I was looking for people to bring back here. I knew that if people came, my grandpa would do one of these games. And if I win, that means I get to go ashore! And that means my dream will come true!"
"So this whole time… you just using me!?" Noelle shouted, feeling betrayal in her heart.
"No, no, no." The singer shook her hands around to emphasize her point. "When I saw how hard you trying, I really did want to help you. And I still want to be your friend. But now we're in the middle of this game, I'm going to do everything in my power to win!" Kahono then got into a fighting stance. "Bring it on, Noelle!"
"But why!?" The water mage shouted back. "You just said we were friends, didn't you?"
"Friends are those you can fight with over your dreams, and still come out laughing afterwards." Kahono's Grimoire floated up and flipped open. "Song Magic: Mother's Lullaby!" The same mist and bubbles from before flowed out of her mouth and started knocking Noelle out.
Focusing her will, Noelle pulled out her wand as her own Grimoire flipped open. "Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Lair!" A dome of water surrounded her and cut off the flow of sound to her ears.
"Oh, so you do feel like fighting?" Kahono chuckled as her spell-book changed pages. "Song Magic: Destruction Beat!" She opened her mouth and a 'do' note echoed out of her mouth, crashing into the barrier. "Come on, it's not a fight if only one person attacks."
"I really didn't want to do this!" Noelle raised her wand and charged a blast of water. The energy shot out of the dome and flew straight at Kahono, only to turn and crash into the rocks at the last second.
"What the heck are you doing, Noelle?" The priestess asked in annoyance. "There's no point in attacking if you're just gonna miss. Your aim suck!"
"SHUT UP!" More shots flew out and curved away from Kahono, one after the other. "I still can't control my attack magic, but you don't have to rub it in!"
"Sure you can." The singer replied, confusing Noelle. "You can control your magic fine. It's just that you're subconsciously trying to avoid hitting me. You just don't wanna hurt people. That works out fine for me, but think about why you came here in the first place. Didn't you come here because you wanted to see a dream fulfilled? Well that can't happen if you don't earn it!"
'Why did I come?' Noelle asked herself, gripping her wand tighter. "Fine then. Let's fight for real!"
With Asta & Kiato
The two swung their swords and traded misses before Asta was forced to block a hit. Kiato spun back before charging again, his flurry breaking through and cutting Asta's cheek. 'Damnit! This guy is good.' Asta confessed to himself. 'And the way he moves, it's like he's not thinking. It's impossible fo guess what he's gonna do next. Is this what his magic can do?'
"Just like I thought." Kiato smirked. "When fighting real metal, your Anti-Magic sword is nothing more than chunk of steel. With my Dance Magic added to the mix, you can't track my movements at all!" He charged again and forced Asta back as he blocked as many swings as he could. "Come on, Asta. Don't tell me you wanna give up?"
'Not good! If he keeps this up, I'm in trouble!' Asta thought in a panic. 'It's like trying to grab water!' His eyes snapped wide as an idea crossed his mind. 'Maybe brute force isn't what I need. I shouldn't even be trying to catch his attacks. Stay calm and think… Got it!'
He swung his arms wildly and finally pushed back the flurry of blades before finally dodging one. "I'll just push past my limits!" He swung his own sword and knocked a blade out Kiato's hand.
'Just how strong is this kid!?' The dancer asked himself with a smile.
'Impressive as always.' Virgil chuckled as he watched the fight. 'Quick to adapt to any challenges that he faces. He is indeed a warrior. Now he just needs to-'
*BA-BUMP*
A pulse of magic cut him off, making him turn to the roof of the cave. 'No, not him! Not now! We wasted to much time!' Turning back to fight, Virgil floated down and appeared behind Kiato. "ASTA!"
The teen saw his spirit and jumped over another attack, rolling towards his partner. "What's wrong?"
Looking down from the roof as his hat covered his head, Virgil turned back to his partner, gripping his lyre in fear. "They're here."
Luck and Magna panted in exhaustion as they stared at the shark masked Temple Mage. "You look like you're getting tired, Magna. Wanna take a break?" Luck teased.
"Please! I could do this for days." He snapped back. "I think you're the one who needs a little rest, lightning butt."
"I have to say, my old man sure knows how to make his games." The masked man chuckled.
"Wait, that crazy geezer is your father?" Magna asked in shock.
'This guy is super powerful.' Luck thought with an insane smile on his face. 'Like a tidal wave. No doubt about it, this guy is the strongest one here.'
"I'll take you both on at once." The Temple Mage continued as his Grimoire floated next to him. "I'm not interested in tormenting you any more than I have too. The least I can do is end this quickly. Water Creation Magic: Sea God's Hammer!" A giant arm and mallet of water appeared behind him, ready to strike.
"You won't be ending anything!" Magna shouted, fire raging in his hand.
"I'm no where near done playing with you!" Luck cheered, thunder sparking around him.
Both charged into the fight when a giant, reddish brown orb crashed through the cave ceiling, crushing the Temple Mage. The two stared in shock as the entire temple shook from the impact. The smoke slowly faded away as five figures emerged from the wreck. "Looks like you people are having quite the time together."
White and blue robes flowed from the gust as a giant of a man smiled in excitement. "Mind if we cut in?" The giant man, revealed to be Vetto of Despair, asked, anticipation rolling off him.
Rising Hope - LiSA
Nigitta MESSEEJI, that's rising hope
The Black Bulls and Golden Dawn symbols appear before Asta and Yuno's robes are shown, with both of standing standing back to back. Asta grins as the shadows of Noelle and Leopold appear inside of him. Yuno merely smiles as the shadows of Mimosa and Shay appear inside him as well.
Yuruganai sekai hijou na genjou tsuzuku kabe wa nanjuusou?
Asta swings his Demon Slayer sword in the forest, with Virgil watching him. He then wipes away his sweat before he looks over to the sun as the light fills the screen.
Black Clover: Rise of the Monsters
IMEEJI toori nanka ja nai shizuka ni sawagi dashita honnou
Noelle is seen in her room, brushing her hair. She then widens her eyes as the shadow of what appears to be a monster stalks her.
Meiro mitai ikitomari nanda mou shikou wa DISUTOOSHON
Leopold jogs through the Crimson Lion Kings base as Tiger King floats next to him, giving him encouraging words.
Youshanai ne itsunomani miushinatta RUUTO, abaredasu
Yuno is finally seen taking a deep breath as summoning a tornado of wind as Lightning sits on his shoulder.
Pay attention! Hey what is it?
Magna swings his arm with a grin before he stands with the rest of the Black Bulls.
Watch your step now! Joushiki nanka iranai
Akiza and Tyranno let out smiles as they walk through a hall, with two shadows appearing behind them.
Are you serious!? no no no, don't worry 1,2,3
A shadowy person slowly opens their eyes, revealing the golden color as Shay stands behind them with a deep frown.
Fukikaesu shinzou no RIZUMU
Flashs of Asta, Yuno, Noelle and the Duel Spirits' lives are shown, with Virgil falling to his knees while crying.
Shikai mada kuranderu soredemo ikanakucha
Asta and Virgil stand in the middle of an empty battlefield, the wind blowing against their faces.
Kimi ga shinjiteru boku wo uragiru
Asta then turns to Virgil with a big grin, which Virgil returns with his own small smile before the two bump fists.
Wake ni ikanai tsuyoku KURAKUSHON ga naru
Asta then draws his Demon Slayer and Dweller swords before attaching his Duel Disk and running forward.
Kodoku na mama toki ga tattatte
Luck and Magna start fighting off several of Vetto's goons as the Beast Mage charges at the two.
Nigeru koto oboetatte
Kiato rushes it with his arm blades and clashes with Vetto, who grins wildly.
Atarashii kyou ga kichau kedo
However, he is then hit in the back by Kahono, who continues to sing in order to hold off Vetto.
Kono negai tatoe mahou ga nakutatte
Asta rushes in and rolls on the ground before he slams a card on his Duel Disk, summoning Virgil just in time to block a magic blast.
Kanaenakya, chikatta
Noelle, with a determined expression, screams as a large creature with red eyes charges towards another monster.
Boku wa kimi to mada mitai mirai arunda yo
Yami concentrates his magic before launching a Dimension Slash at a glowing portal, creating a blinding blast.
Nakisou demo kuyashikute mo tomatte irarenai
Asta and Yuno are then seen walking towards each other with determined faces.
Nigitta MESSEEJI. That's rising hope!
The two pass each other before drawing their cards, aiming them at one another. The final shot shows everyone together under the Clover Kingdom symbol with smiles.
Another chapter done! I think the Underwater Temple arc might be my favorite arc of the first season of Black Clover. It's the perfect amount of everything I love about anime: goofy, crazy, life threatening and just serious enough to know they mean business. If you actually stopped watching the show before you got here, I pity you.
Noelle has the most growth in this section of the story. I'll confess, when I first started this series, I did not like her. I thought she was just gonna be another dime a dozen, boring tsundere who could be removed from the plot and nothing would change. Ho boy, does she prove me wrong.
Beta read by The 3rd Dragneel