Chapter 27
Raquey

"Today is finally the day!" Asta, Magna, Luck, and Abel cheered as all the Black Bulls stayed outside their base, ready to depart for their mission.

"So loud," Noelle complained, covering her ears while sitting on Magna's Crazy Cyclone.

"You're telling me." Raiden scoffed, standing far behind the rest along with Gauche.

"You sure you're good to go with us?" He asked his friend."Don't want you to slow us down."

"Yeah," Raiden responded, though he looked lost in thought. He couldn't stop thinking about what had transpired in just a day. It was hard to believe that he almost die along with the others. But what he still couldn't stop thinking about was Chris.


"So that's what happened." Yami sighed as Raiden finished telling him his report in the hospital."Well, you're a certified idiot. Not only did you go behind my back to help some shady butcher, you even went as far as to fight her, knowing full well you didn't stand a chance."

"It couldn't be helped. I needed the money." He lied. He wasn't about to tell him about why he really went to Mary, to begin with."Plus, when I realized she was who she was, I was knee-deep in shit. I wasn't going to let that girl be killed as well."

"You do realize that if Abel and that Karina girl weren't there, you'd both be dead, right?" Yami rose a brow, waiting to see what response Raiden could come up with. After he realized he wasn't going to say more, he decided to continue."I guess you did some good, though. You saved that girl's life, so there's that. And thanks to you, we got some valuable information from the Children of Sceva. To think they'd be able to transform into...whatever you said."

"Alternates." Raiden repeated."Supposedly, they're in between humankind, angels, and devils. Whatever that means. It boosted her strength to greater heights. It's hard to say by how much due to her manhandling us even before. But it's safe to safe her comrades are capable of the same."

"And then there's that Antichrist business." Yami folded his arms."Well, at least we know more about their objective. But I wonder why they mean when she said that their God is already here but incomplete."

"Whatever it is, it just gives us even more of a reason to take them down as soon as possible."

"Agreed." Yami stood up, ruffling Raidens' hair roughly."Well, I'm off to go relay this info to Marx. Normally, I'd let Julius himself know straight away, but he's busy preparing with the Clover King to receive the Ace Kingdom prince today."

"Oh. That was today."

"Yeah, that was today." Yami clicked his tongue."You were supposed to go, but I had to get a replacement. Hopefully, everything goes according to plan."

"If I may ask, Captain, what's the point of gathering intel on the Ace Kingdom?" Raiden asked."I mean, wouldn't they think we're trying to sneak around behind their back? I think it'd be better to just wait and see."

"There's something fishy about the Ace Kingdom. But I'm not sure what it is. It's better to be prepared just in case. Besides, we're just asking a few things to get to know them better without them knowing. No harm done."

"I guess."

Yami headed for the door, waving Raiden goodbye."Don't worry about it too much. Anyway, I'll send Finral to pick you up tomorrow morning. Make sure to re-"

When the burly man opened the door, a small figure ran towards the bed, jumping on Raiden.

"Chris?" Raiden was staggered to see the black-haired girl hugging him."Why are you...?"

"I'm so sorry." Caroline rushed towards the door, panting."She really wanted to see you and I couldn't keep her away."

"Is she better, though?" Raiden asked, his arms up as if he was afraid of the child."I mean, well enough to be running around?"

"There wasn't any lung damage from inhaling the smoke, all thanks to your quick thinking. That said, there is still the concern of...mental damage." She muttered the last part but Raiden read her lips, his eyes widening.

Yami grimaced, turning back to his subordinate."Spend time with her, Raiden. If anyone can make her feel better, it's her hero."

With that, Yami exited the room, leaving the trio alone.

'Hero? Me? I'm no hero. I'm too selfish for that. I...'

"You are the cause her parents are dead." Mary's words echoed in his mind, causing him to recoil, startling Chris.

"Sir...?" Her voice was low, shaky.

"Chris...are you...how are you feeling?" Raiden hesitantly asked, his hand a few inches away from her head but didn't want to make contact."Is everyone treating you right?"

"Yes..."The girl meekly nodded."Ms. Caroline has been very kind to me. And Ms. Karina took me to have breakfast in the cafeteria. It was really yummy."

"Is that so?" Raiden chuckled, feeling his heartbeat return to normal."I'm happy to hear that. By the way, you can just call me Raiden. Sir makes me feel old. I'm 17."

"Okay...Mr. Raiden...And how are you?"

"I'm fine." Raiden flexed his bicep, hoping to reassure her."I'm a big boy. It'll take more than that to take me down. I'm just glad you guys got away."

"All thanks to you...you saved me...but my Mommy and Daddy...they're..."

Raiden's smile quickly faded, scooping her up in his arms and hugging her tightly."I'm sorry, Chris...I'm so sorry...I'm really sorry..."

Caroline approached them, sitting on the edge and putting a supporting hand on Raiden's shoulder. They stayed like that for a good fifteen minutes until Raiden saw that Chris had fallen asleep in his arms.

"Poor thing. Losing her parents like that...it's just...tragic. Like-"

"Yeah." He cut her off, gently setting Chris on the bed."And I'm the one who caused it. I'm a monster...just like them...I'm so fucking pathetic..."

"You can't blame yourself for this." Caroline frowned, grabbing his right hand and squeezing it."It couldn't['t be helped."

"But I shouldn't have taken the bait." Raiden wasn't convinced."I got too greedy and wanted all the info I could get...and because of that, Mary set up that trap for me and killed Chris' parents. If I hadn't done that, then-"

"And how do you know she wouldn't have?" Caroline asked in a heartbeat."Because last time I checked, she's a member of the Order of the First, First Child of the Children of Sceva, the group that is terrorizing the kingdom and killing people for their rituals. For all you know Mary was going to kill her family anyway and is simply playing mind games with you. She is not to be trusted."

"I..." Raiden stopped, pondering on her words."Maybe...you have a point. But like you said, I don't know if it's true or not. But all I know is...I will rip Mary's fucking head off the next time I see her. I will make her pay for ruining Chris' life."

"That's better..." Caroline pursed her lips, slightly concerned at Raiden's sudden mood change. While it was better to see him motivated, it happened really fast. She wasn't a psychologist, but she assumed he still believed he had some responsibility on this."But how are you going to do that? You saw it yourself, you can't beat her by normal means."

"I know...I'll have to think of something. It won't be too hard, though. She said she'll be looking for me. So it's just a matter of time."

"However, do you think it will be enough?"

"I can't say. I don't know the extent of her power, but...if I can't beat someone like her, how could I ever hope to beat those monsters? This is just a test."

The young mages allowed a few minutes of silence for each other, easing the tension in the room. Caroline stood up and headed for Raiden's table, grabbing his information and making sure his checkup wasn't wrong.

"You know what I just noticed?"

"Whatever could that be?" She asked, setting the clipboard down.

"She...surprisingly took the news well...about her parents. I'd figured she'd cry and wail, but...she...she just looked lost, you know?"

"It could be because she's so young. Perhaps her brain hasn't registered what happened. People deal with a loved one's death in different ways. Some take a while to process their passing. At least she'll be okay for the time being."

"Yeah...for better or for worse."

"She'll most likely need to be put in an orphanage. Neither of us can't exactly adopt her, all things considered."

"I think I know just the place. Contact Sister Theressa."


Raiden sighed, shaking his head and trying to put those thoughts away. He didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention by being weird.

"You okay?"

Raiden's eyes slowly cracked open, meeting gaze with Vanessa."Sure. Just too early to be up, is all."

"I'd figured you would be sick of sleeping, considering they made you stay in the hospital the whole day yesterday. So, how are you feeling?"

"Never better." He cracked his neck, sighing in relief."Hopefully, this mission won't be too chaotic. The last thing I need is to eat hospital food again."

"It's too bad Charmy is napping." Vanessa glanced at the sleeping mage, flying on her cotton cloud."I'm sure she'd be happy to make you something for the trip."

"I'll survive." Raiden shrugged, adjusting his bandana around his neck."We ready to leave or what, Magna-senpai?"

"Why are you asking me?" Magna's eyes twitched at the nickname."And don't say senpai that way!"

"Because normally the Captain leaves you in charge, no?"

"Damn right he did! We're leaving right now!" Magna grinned, jumping on his broom along with Noelle and Asta.

"I can't believe that worked," Gauche muttered next to Raiden, taking flight simultaneously.

"Me neither." Raiden confessed with a small smile."But he wouldn't mind when I admit he has some sort of edge over me."

"Hey, Asta. You guys went to Raquey to pick up the Ace Kingdom prince, right? How was it?" Luck asked, receiving a chuckle in reply.

"Well, we didn't exactly make it there." Asta informed them."The prince got impatient and decided to venture into the kingdom alone. We met them halfway through."

"Seriously? That's so irresponsible of him." Noelle rolled her eyes."What if he had gotten lost?"

"It wasn't a problem. It's fine."

"Still though, it would have been nice if we could have just asked Finral to take us there instead of flying around the whole day," Abel said upon remembering how they walked a good amount during their mission.

"Actually, I've never been there before, so I wouldn't have been of much help."

"Really?" Vanessa tilted her head."I figured you would go there to flirt with the girls on the beach."

"It's always better to save the best things for last." He stated, smiling with confidence."That's why I haven't gone there yet. Now I can show all I have to the girls! Wait for me, Raquey!"

"Hold on...where's Grey?" Noelle asked, counting everyone present and realizing they were short one person.

"Right here!" 'Gordon' waved his hand."I transformed into Gordon!"

"Why...?" Raiden quirked a brow, curious and yet not sure if he wanted to know.

"Uh..."

"So where the hell is Gordon?" The amber-eyed teen grabbed his hair."No way...did we leave him behind?"

"Should we go back for him...?" Abel looked around, but no one seemed to want to say anything."I guess no one wants to turn back now."

"Meh, we'll worry about that later." Magna brushed off his concern."Right now, we have to keep our eyes peeled. We should be able to see the ocean soon."

"You think we can see the Ace Kingdom from there? We couldn't see the ocean yesterday so we didn't get a chance to." Asta said in pure ignorance, prompting Raiden to gape at him.

"What are you on about? The Ace Kingdom is pretty far away from Raquey."

"Really? How far do you think?" Luck glanced over his shoulder."I hope not too far. I want to go there whenever possible to fight them. They must be really strong, right?"

"I'm not...sure." Raiden slowly said before gasping."Wait, Caroline told me it was about two hours on a boat. So...pretty far, yeah. Also, you can check it out yourself from here."

"What are you talking about? We're not at the ocean yet." Magna said.

"Dude, it's right there."

"Are you guys blind?" Noelle groaned in exasperation."We've been staring at the ocean for a while. Look. You see all that water. That's the ocean."

"Holy shit!" Both Asta and Magna exclaimed, nearly deafening Noelle in the process.

"I can't believe you didn't know what something as basic as the ocean." Raiden said in a haughty tone."What did you guys even think all that water was."

"W-well, I thought it was just a huge lake." Magna's eyes were still glued to the large body of water."But man...this goes beyond my wildest imagination."

"No kidding." Abel finally found his voice and got over his stupefied state."It looks endless. So...past the ocean is where the Ace Kingdom is, huh? Crazy to think how big the world is."

"Maybe we could fly over right now? For a quick visit" Luck suggested, making Abel shriek.

"B-bad idea!" Abel crossed his arms."The Prince said their kingdom has a really powerful defense called the Navy in case invaders to go there via the ocean! And we haven't allied with them so we'll probably be shot down."

"Besides, we don't know how far it is. Running out of mana and falling into the ocean in the middle of nowhere doesn't sound appealing to me." Gauche said, hands in his pockets.


"I'm not going in there." Raiden, who had changed into his swimming trunks, leaned against a palm tree. Of course, he wouldn't go out without a shirt on, so he put on a black tank top.

"Why not? Come on, it'll be fun." Abel insisted, but the taller teen wasn't budging.

"The ocean has saltwater." Raiden shook his head."It gets all over your body. Everywhere. And I mean everywhere."

"Is that bad?" Asta asked him, wanting to know why Raiden was so insistent on not going in the water.

"Well, it doesn't do any harm, per se. It just feels weird. It gets in between your legs, your hair, and if it gets in your eyes, it's game over."

"Now I'm not so sure if I want to go in." Asta's shoulders slumped."But it looks amazing. I wish I could show Yuno and the others this view. And one day, I will bring Sister Lily here as well."

"Still hell-bent on marrying the nun that literally raised you?" Raiden scratched his head."Well, I guess you can try if you want."

"Raiden, are you okay?" Abel suddenly asked, taking him by surprise."I mean, you were so against it before, saying it was a sin to even think about marrying someone from the church."

"I mean...it's not really my business." Raiden turned to look elsewhere, flustered."Whatever floats his boat is fine. Anyway, you guys have fun I'll go explore for a bit."

With that, Raiden walked away from the pair, leaving them speechless.

"Is it just me or is he a bit different now?"

Asta nodded in agreement."Yeah. He hasn't said anything mean about me. I was a little scared when I said that about Sister Lily aloud with him around. But he seems to not mind anymore. Whatever Johan told him must have hit him."

"Oh, yeah. It was when he fought Yuno, right? You haven't told me about that."

As they converse, Raiden eventually stumbled upon Noelle, who was wearing a very expensive two-piece bikini and seemed to be spying on Asta. When she caught sight of him, she glared, causing him to flinch."What do you want?"

"Just passing by." He rose his arms in defense."Nothing to worry about."

"I'm not watching no one from afar, okay?! So don't think it!"

"I never said anything."

"Yes, but you looked like you were going to say something!"

Raiden snorted, eyeing her from top to bottom with a slight smirk."I was going to say you look stunning. You look good in that."

"W-what?!" Noelle shrieked, her face turning crimson."Why would you say that?!"

"I don't know. I figured you were waiting for someone to give you a compliment or something."

"Well, yes, bu-I mean, no!" She said, trying to slap him but Raiden simply stepped back with a toothy grin."Whoever said I needed compliments?!"

"I thought girls liked to be complimented all the time."

"Not by guys like you. Do you even have girl friends outside of our squad? You have no tact whatsoever."

Raiden laughed aloud at that, rubbing his left arm."I guess not. I don't really talk to anyone outside of the Black Bulls and the girls back at home were all...quirky, I guess."

"You don't say? No wonder you suck at talking to girls." Noelle held back a giggle before sighing."I'm still not forgiving you for what you did to Asta in the Black Market and all those things you said."

"I know." Raiden nodded with a blank expression."I know I have no right to say anything but I'll try to make up for what I did. And be a better squadmate, too."

"You better. I'm expecting good things from you so don't you dare to disappoint me, peasant." Noelle huffed, hands on her hips.

"Duly noted." Raiden gave her a thumbs up, slowly beginning to back away."Now good luck to you and trying to stalk Asta. I'm rooting for you."

"RAIDEN!" Noelle grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into Raiden's face, getting some in his eyes.

"Fuck!" Raiden screamed, grabbing his eyes and rushing blindly at the sea like a headless chicken. The boy threw himself in the water, splashing water on his face but realized that the water had salt as well."I can't see!"

"Raiden!"

"Wha-"

Noelle fired a ball of water with her wand, hitting Raiden in the face and removing the sand that had gotten around his eyes. The inferno magic-user gave her a thumbs up before falling on his back on the water, cursing his luck and the fact that he now had sand everywhere.

'Well, I guess I can take the next two minutes to reflect on what I know. Mary said that a fifth-leaf Grimoire symbolizes the devil. But what does that mean? Does that mean Asta is a devil? A devil possessing a human? Devil working with a human? It's unlikely given the fact that he has no mana. There is also the chance that Mary simply lied to me to rile me up. In which case, all I did...Chris' parents dying because of me...was everything for nothing?'

Raiden winced, feeling his need for air increase but refused to get back up.'No...I just have to confirm it. Whether a devil is at work here or not. First I'll find Mary and rip her head off and then I'll find that woman with the iron magic, her leader. She must be the other person that Mary mentioned who knows about the fifth-leaf Grimoire. If I can confirm it with her-'

Raiden felt someone grab him by his shirt and roughly pulled him upwards. He began coughing violently, breathing in the precious oxygen his lungs craved for.

"What the hell are you doing?! Trying to kill yourself?!" It was Gauche, who looked pissed.

The amber-eyed mage offered no answer, just staring back at Gauche's eyes, dumbfounded.

"Seriously..." Gauche's eyes twitched in frustration."You look okay to me. But Grey kept insisting to come to get you out."

Looking over his shoulder, Raiden could see Grey, disguised as Charmy, waving her arms.

"I wasn't there that long." Raiden finally managed to stand on his feet, following Gauche out of the water.

"What are you talking about? You were there for two minutes and counting. I didn't know you could hold your breath that long but Grey genuinely thought you were drowning. So? What was that all about?"

"I ended up liking the saltwater a little too much I didn't want to get out."

"Weirdo."

"You're calling me a weirdo?" Raiden scoffed, watching as Grey ran up to them.

"Raiden! You're okay!"

"Of course I am." Raiden stated, hands on his hips."I wasn't in danger or anything. You guys are exaggerating. But...thank you, I guess. Being here in front of the ocean just got me thinking, you know?"

"What about?" Grey asked, surprised to see him look so...nostalgic.

"My family. They would have loved to come here." He said, a small smile gracing his features.

"I get it." Gauche nodded."I would have brought Marie if we weren't on a mission. I'll have to bring her next time. She would love to see the beach."

"W-well, I think the sea is thought-provoking as well." Grey rubbed her arms."Especially when you know there's a whole other world past it. Endless possibilities. So many cultures to experience and so many people to meet."

"You're right." Gauche agreed, staring at the horizon."The Ace Kingdom is in that direction. And as far as we know, it's a complete mystery. Asta said that the Prince himself welcomed us to his kingdom once the peace treaties are made. Maybe we can explore it."

"Other kingdoms indeed bring new possibilities for adventures, but..." Raiden grimaced, his hand clutching his stomach."It also brings the possibility of bringing catastrophe. It's a gamble. Or so I think. Maybe I',m just being a pessimist."

"I thought you said you were a realist."

"Same thing."

"Um...Raiden?" Grey grabbed his attention, a bit timid."Can you tell us about your family?"

"My family?"

Grey then remembered the drawing she had seen in his journal, immediately regretting asking."I-I-I'm sorry! You don't have to answer if-"

"It's fine." Raiden waved his hand dismissively."It's not like it's a sensitive topic. They're all back home. My grandma, my aunt, my cousin, and my friend and her sister. I became a Magic Knight out of necessity, but I didn't want to do it."

"Really? So you were forced to do it?" Grey tilted her head."How come?"

"Well, not really forced. I chose to do it." He clarified, one hand behind his head."Aside from my grandfather, I was raised by women. My aunt never got married, so my cousin has no father. After my grandfather passed away, we struggled to make ends meet. My grandma had to take care of my friend, since she had fallen ill, not to mention she's old so she's limited to what she can do around the house. My aunt works as a seamstress but that's not enough to feed all of them. In the end, the only way we could make enough money was for me to become a Magic Knight. To be honest, I guess it wasn't that bad of a choice. I never really knew what I wanted to do, so it works."

"Yeah, you mentioned that before." Gauche pointed out."Before you said it was just your grandmother so I'm surprised to hear there's more. I guess it makes sense why you decided to help that butcher even though you had your suspicions of her. You need all the money you can get, right?"

"Right." Raiden chuckled."Which is why I don't have a lot to spend."

"So are you not happy? Being a Magic Knight, I mean?" Grey addressed the elephant in the room, causing Raiden to sigh.

"I'm not bitter about it if that's what you mean. I was a very...aggressive kid back when I was younger so it was better to put my strength to good use. But it's not about whether I regret it or not. It's about whether I chose to do it or let myself and my family starve. The choice was obvious." He turned to his friends with a warm smile."But...I got lucky. To meet people like you guys. I was never able to fit in with people my age, so I never had any friends. So...thank you for putting up with me."

"Did you really have to make this cheesy?" Gauche groaned, turning away in embarrassment."But...no problem, I guess. Marie likes you, so you aren't bad."

"I-I-I should be thanking you...for being so kind." Grey stammered, clasping her hands."You're both so very kind."

"You hear that, Gauche." Raiden wrapped an arm around him."She thinks you're kind. Isn't that something?"

"Shut up." Gauche walked away, breaking the hug."I'm going to go build Marie a sand statue and call her. Don't follow me."

Raiden and Grey quietly watched as Gauche went on his way, mutterings things to himself.

"Well, he does love his sister dearly. So it's better to leave him be I guess. What are you going to do now, Grey?"

"I'm not sure. I'll go see what the others are up to. And you?"

"I'll go take a nap." Raiden said, waving her goodbye."You guys have fun." Once Raiden was far enough, he allowed his lips to curve upwards."Maybe Johan was right after all. This is what I was missing. No point in rushing."

He found an empty seat next to Vanessa, who was watching the real Charmy trying to hit a watermelon."Got bored already?"

"Yeah. Like I said, I don't like the beach much. I'm just going to nap."

"I'll wake you up if the sun starts coming his way, otherwise you'll get burnt."

"Appreciate it."

"I want to bleach my eyes..." Abel whispered to himself, crouching down on the sand."I can't believe Magna is wearing something like that."

"Whatever floats his boat. Now come on, the ladies are waiting for us!" Finral pulled Abel, who was still sulking.

"I can't do this, Finral. I...already like someone." Abel blushed, playing with his fingers."I wonder if I could convince Mariella to come here..."

"Are you serious? She'll kill you." Finral spat before realizing what he had said."Uh...sorry, I didn't mean to say that."

"No, I get it." Abel shrugged it off."Maybe I'm thinking too much about it."

"Well, it's not like you guys are dating or anything so you're not being unfaithful. Besides, you're my wingman. You're just there to make me look good."

"Huh. Good point."

The boys went on marching from girl to girl, trying out their luck. Unfortunately, they were shut down every time. After their twentieth try, they were defeated and close to giving up.

"I can't believe no one wants to hang out with us..." Finral moaned, shoulders slumped.

"I'm sorry for having you do most of the talk, Finral. I'm not that great at talking with girls like that."

"Bah-ha! Look at this sorry sight, Toby."

Finral and Abel looked up to see Tobias and Sekke glaring at them, with the latter condescendingly laughing."Can't pick up a few girls, can we, boys?"

"It's you!" Abel pointed at Toby, who remained unresponsive."Tobias!"

"And you're the wannabe hero. How is that working out for you? Still thinking you can save everyone?"

"What, you still think you can sacrifice one person to save more?"

Before the two of them could go at it, Sekke and Finral pulled them away from each other."Come on guys, knock it off. And you! You're talking as if you can get more girls than us."

Sekke rubbed Toby's shoulders."Show these bah-hastards how to pick up girls, Toby."

Toby glanced at a group of girls, who waited patiently for his move. Sekke grabbed his cheeks, forcing him to smile. That was all it took for the girls to come running towards them, surrounding them.

"No way!" Finral gasped in bewilderment."How did..."

"Bah-ha! What do you think about that, losers?! You're no match for our charms!"

"But you didn't even do anything! That was all Tobias!"

A two-headed snake emerged from the sound, causing the girls to shriek in horror and scram.

"W-what...?" Sekke frantically looked everywhere."Where did the girls go?! Why did they leave?!"

"Darling Cobra...wanted to enjoy the sun." Tobias rubbed his snake-like it was a pet."And those girls were...loud."

"He has such good luck with girls that he can afford to scare them away when he wants to be alone!" Finral was now bawling with jealousy."Why is everything so unfair?!"

"Can we go now?" Toby deadpanned at his partner."We've been here longer than we agreed on."

"Just a few more minutes!" Sekke chased Tobias around."I haven't gotten myself a date yet!"

"This weirdo again?" Noelle cringed upon seeing Sekke."I hope he doesn't come here."

Sekke was about to approach them, but he recognized Noelle from before, and guided Toby around them."Let's go somewhere else!"

"Yeah, totally weirdos." That was all Raiden said, his hair covering part of his eyes as he followed them with his gaze.

"Look who is playing around on the job."

They all jumped at the sound of that voice, instantly recognizing who it belonged to. Yami was standing a few yards away from them, watching them intently.

"Oh, shit."


"Okay. Everyone accounted for? Good"

All the Black Bulls were buried in the sand up to their necks at their Captain's mercy.

"What the hell happened?" Raiden tried moving, but the sand's pressure prevented him from doing so.'No way...don't tell me it was Captain Yami the one who got us all in here. But how? I barely even reacted to that. Shit...I just keep getting speed blitzed. First Mary, now the Captain again. This is bad.'

"This is going to repel the girls even more..." Finral lamented along with Abel.

"Pay attention." Yami bellowed at them, causing them to seize their crying."Now, while you guys were busy playing around, I went around collecting information. As it turns out, the Underwater Temple, as its name suggests, is really at the bottom of the ocean. But the mana kicking up the ocean currents makes it almost impossible for any mage to go near it. But on a night of full moon, the current becomes weaker, which is how we'll be able to get in."

"Woah...the Captain investigated all of that?" Asta received a boot to the face, courtesy of the Captain himself.

"Makes sense. They do say the tidal waves are related to the moon." Finral spoke his thoughts aloud."Wait, if no one can get in normally, how do they get out? Are they secluded or something?"

"I guess they can sustain themselves." Yami blew some smoke before taking another hit from his cigarette."But that's not important right now. If you really want to know, you can ask them later. Anyway, our ticket there is our only water mage, Noelle."

"Me?!"

"That's right." Yami nodded without batting an eye."You're the only one who can give us a ride there safely since we can't just swim or walk underwater."

"B-but I'd need incredible magic control to do that and I only have one spell! You'll have to ask someone else! Because if I fail...then..."

"We'll most likely die due to the current dragging us down." Yami finished the morbid thought, gaining uneasy looks from his subordinates."This is a top-secret mission entrusted only to the Black Bulls. No one else can do it but you. I'm counting on you. And so are your squadmates, right, guys?"

"Hell yeah!" Magna said without hesitation."We know you can do it, Noelle!"

"You're perfect for the job. We trust you, so don't worry about a thing." Vanessa gave her a warm smile.

"What they said!" Asta, ever the optimist, gave her his support."Like the Captain always says, we gotta surpass our limits, right? This is your chance!"

"You know...I can help you if you want." Raiden offered, his tone dropping low with a sort of sympathy and emotion Noelle never expected from him."I know what it's like when huge expectations are set on your shoulders. It must be overbearing, right? So I'll help lift that burden. We got this."

"You guys..." Noelle fell like crying, touched by her friends believing in her."Okay! I'll do it!"

"Good." Yami grinned, satisfied with her answer."We have a week before a full moon. So use your time wisely and get ready. We absolutely cannot fail."


"Alright, let's get started." Raiden took a seat on a rock near the shore and was already wincing at how uncomfortable it was. He was wearing his usual pants and boots, but instead of his sweatshirt and sweater, he only had his skull tank top.

"Get started...how?" Noelle cocked her head to the side.

"Well, just show me what you got right now. We'll work things out from there." Raiden explained, clasping his hands together."From what I understand, you lack control, yeah? That limits your power considerably. You know, if you're ever in a pickle by yourself, you can just cut loose and go on a rampage."

"That's not funny, Raiden." Noelle frowned at his suggestion."I could seriously hurt someone."

"My bad. It was an unfunny joke. Back to business." He coughed in his hand, adopting a serious demeanor."Okay, just...try using your magic. I'll guide you as you make mistakes."

"Are you really suitable to help?"

Wordlessly, Raiden opened his Grimoire, creating two wings made of black fire before giving her a 'Is this good enough?' look."I was absolute garbage at mana control, you know? Worse than you, in fact."

"Are you just saying that to give me some sort of confidence?"

"Nah, it's true. I had worse control than you, actually. But with the proper training and the proper guidance, I managed to get to where I am. If I, a simple commoner with nothing special about him did it, you can do it as well. Royal blood flows through your veins. This should be nothing to you."

Noelle seemed about to protest but felt his words mean no harm nor had any signs of aggressiveness."Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"This! Being nice! You've been acting strange recently!" She took a moment to calm down, her face contorting to one of shock and embarrassment."D-d-d-don't tell me you have a crush on me?!"

"What? Of course not!" Raiden groaned, pinching his nose."I like you but not like that, jeez. You're not my type, no offense. Asta can have you to himself if he doesn't get that nun first." He whispered the last part, hoping to God that Noelle didn't have super hearing."But...I am helping you because I'm trying to be a decent squadmate, ok? I was very...mean, for lack of a better word, to all of you before and I'm trying to make up for it. Also, I meant what I said earlier. I understand how you feel. I was there too. When the expectations set on me were so high that failing was the end of everything. And for that, I want to help you through your ordeal. I have no hidden intentions."

"Okay..." Noelle's features softened."Okay. I believe you. It's about what you said before, right? About your friend falling ill?"

"Among other things." Raiden sighed, glancing at the sky."I had no choice but to become a Magic Knight for my family. If I didn't..." He clenched his fists, a mixture of anger and sadness present on his face."Everything would have been over...if I failed. For me and my family."

Noelle was at a loss for words. She didn't know what she was supposed to say to something like that. It was the first time she had seen him so emotional without lashing out at someone. So she worked up the courage to ask him."Why...what do you-"

"Well!" Raiden cut her off, jumping off the rock."Go on. Show me what you've got."

"But...fine." Noelle knew she wasn't going to get any answers from him. Not from Raiden Zareth. He was a mystery she could just not solve on her own."Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Lair!"

A giant dome of water was created in front of Noelle."Okay, now hold it for a bit. Let's see how long you can hold it in normal conditions."

Noelle nodded stiffly, trying her best to hold the spell as much as she could. Once a minute went by, though, Noelle's spell disappeared, creating a crater on the ground.

"Yeah...we're going to have to work on your endurance a bit too." Raiden folded his arms over his chest."I doubt we'll reach the bottom of the ocean in a minute. And if we're going to fit all of us, you'll have to make that spell bigger."

"Okay, what do you suggest?"

"For starters, let's work on your stamina. Have you ever trained before? Like, physical training, no magic training."

"I'm a royal." Noelle told him."As if I would ever train."

"That's the problem with royals." Raiden ran a hand through his hair."Or most. You might have a great deal of mana and all the mana control you want, but without proper training, that's not going to matter. The more stamina you have, the more you can maintain your spells. So let's work on your form. Go run a few laps around the beach."

"Huh?!" Noelle was flabbergasted."You can't be serious! You want me to go on a stroll?! How is that supposed to help!"

Before Raiden could elaborate, they heard a familiar voice yelling for them.

"Noelle! Raiden!"

"Oh, great." Noelle huffed as she watched Asta run up to them.

"Hey, guys! What are you doing?" The magic-less mage asked, brushing off a few crabs that were hanging off his hair.

"Helping Noelle increase her stamina and get her to actually train." Raiden jabbed his thumb over his shoulder."You're training too?"

"You bet." Asta nodded enthusiastically."Why don't we train together? It'll be fun."

"You know what? That's a great idea." Raiden gave Asta an approving nod."You train your body a lot too, Asta. You must know that having great stamina is crucial during a battle."

"Why are you asking him? He doesn't have magic, it's different from him."

"Which makes him the perfect choice. Right, Asta?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Asta was a bit taken back by how Raiden was talking to him, considering their last conversation wasn't exactly friendly."Being physically fit actually helps you in combat a lot. I don't know how much it influences your magic, but it's crucial for me."

"See? How about this. Let's all do some pushups together." Raiden suggested with a grin."Today will be like your test day, Noelle. By the end of this, you'll have greater endurance and will hold your spell for a longer time. Now, get in position!"

Raiden and Asta dropped to the floor, ready to begin. Noelle was contemplating ditching them and training on her own, but she was completely lost on what to do. So begrudgingly, she got in position as well, her arms already trembling.

"Do as many as you can. Go!"

Both boys were immediately powering through their push-ups with ease, completely concentrated on their task. Noelle wasn't having as much fun as them but did what she could as long as she could. They continued their push-ups until Noelle forced them to stop after watching them go long after she had run out of breath.

"So, how do you feel?" Raiden sat next to Noelle, who was still catching her breath.

"Like I'm doing..." Noelle breathed, her arms feeling sore as if she had been using them the whole day.

"It'll get easier the more you do them." Asta patted her on the back reassuringly."Next time we can put something on your back to add more weight. Maybe one of us can sit on you."

"Absolutely not. Get anywhere near me and I'll hurt you." Noelle glared daggers at Asta, prompting him to move away.

"It wasn't so bad." Raiden gave her a shit-eating-grin, causing Noelle to pull on his ear."Ow, ow, ow! What the hell?!"

"Look at me! Look how sweaty I am because of your idea! I'm dirty too!"

"What the-How is this my fault? You wanted help, so we're giving you help. No pain, no gain as they say. Now come on, let's start up the next-"

"Wait, you guys." Asta hushed them, a finger to his lips."Do you hear that?"

"Sounds like..." Raiden closed his eyes, concentrating on listening intently."Someone is...singing, maybe? That's freaky."

"What is?" Noelle inquired.

"Well, who could be singing this late at night? I heard stories about a ghost that appears around places with water, alluring its victims to it by mimicking the voice of a woman. Once it grabs you...it pulls you right in."

"You seriously can't believe in that." Noelle deadpanned, grabbing Raiden by his arm and pulling him along."Stop being a scaredy-cat. Asta, lead the way. We'll find out who is the one behind this."

"Sure thing." Asta shrugged, pulling out his Grimoire just in case and receiving a disappointing look from the young Silva."What? You heard what happened to Raiden and Abel. Forget about ghosts, what if there's some monster there? Someone from the Children of Sceva?"

"Then be afraid of that rather than a supposed ghost." Noelle pushed him."Now let's go."

Raiden muttered under his breath a few curses while being pulled along by Noelle. Eventually, Asta rose his arms, indicating them to stop behind him."What is it?"

"Look." Asta pointed to the distance. Amidst the moonlight, a girl with long dark red hair tied up in a ponytail wearing a white dress sang. Bubbles were surrounding her, floating around and making the scene much more beautiful.

"You don't see that every day." Raiden grumbled as he felt Noelle and Asta squeeze him from both sides."Why are you so close?!"

"Stop being so loud, Dumbden!" Noelle hissed."You're running the atmosphere!"

"Dumbden?" Raiden sweatdropped, his jaw dropping.

"Guys, she'll hear us. You're being too loud."

"I don't want to hear that from you!" Both Raiden and Noelle snapped, causing Asta to shrink at their volume.

"Huh?" The girl suddenly stopped singing, squealing like a school girl while blushing."Eek! You heard that?! How embarrassing!"

"Aw, shit. We're busted." Raiden facepalmed."Guess none of us are cut out for espionage, huh? Oh, snap! She's coming. Act natural!"

"We didn't do anything wrong." Noelle reasoned, her eyes half lifted as she glared at him in disbelief."Why should we just run?"

"Yoohoo! Why don't we all be friends?" The girl skipped from rock to rock until she was face to face with the Black Bulls."My name is Kahono. What are your names?"

'What's with this girl?' Raiden visibly cringed at just how chirpy she was.'She's way too trusting. For all she knows we could be bandits or something and yet she just wants to befriend us like that? Maybe this was a mistake after all.'

"My name is Noelle Silva and these two muscleheads are Dorksta and Dumbden." Noelle introduced them with a poker face as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"My name is not Dorksta! It's Asta!" Asta protested.

"And my name is not Dumbden." Raiden folded his arms, his eye twitching."It's Raiden. Raiden Zareth. Noelle here just likes to be a jokester. Doesn't work well, as you can see."

"Being a clown is more of your thing, isn't it."

Electricity sparkled between both the royal and the peasant as they gritted their teeth at each other, with poor Asta trying to separate them.

" Oh my God."

The Black Bulls stopped, curiously staring back at the blushing mess that was Kahono.

"What? Did something happen?" Noelle asked in curiosity, returning to her normal posture.

Kahono began taking slow steps at them, going past Asta and Noelle. Raiden instinctively began to backpedal, holding his hands up."Uh...what are you doing?"

"A-ah, sorry...I didn't mean to startle you." The red-haired covered her face, sheepish staring at the ground, playing with her hair."It's just...What did you think of my singing?"

"Your singing?" Raiden was utterly lost at this point. Why ask him in particular. He eyed his friends for help but they both looked just as confused as he was."It was...very soothing. And fascinating. You have a very beautiful voice."

"I knew it..."

"Knew it, huh? I guess you must be really talented if you-"

"I knew you were the one!" Kahono grabbed Raiden's hands, her face getting closer to almost touching his."You're...my number one fan, aren't you?! And that means you must be my soulmate!"

"Say what?" Raiden took a second to process her words and the implication before exploding."SAY WHAT?!"