Boom!
A loud bang, accompanied by violent tremors of the ground, interrupted their thoughts.
That wild magic power completely erupted at this moment.
"Go!"
Ryoma was the first to transform into an ice-blue streak of light, rushing towards the entrance of the base.
Behind him, Magna's flames shot out, and Luck transformed into a lightning bolt, following closely.
The three of them reached the entrance of the base almost instantly. Then, they saw a scene that made their scalps tingle.
Inside the forest ahead, it was a mess.
A huge water sphere, over ten meters in diameter, floated in mid-air.
And at the center of the water sphere, a small, trapped figure could vaguely be seen, it was Noelle.
Even more terrifying, centered around this water sphere, several water tornadoes made of pure magic power, like raging giant pythons, violently thrashed and rampaged in all directions.
Trees were uprooted, and rocks were easily crushed wherever they passed. The destructive power made the entire forest wail.
"Whoa... you're kidding me!"
Magna looked at the giant water sphere with a surprised expression.
"Such incredible magic power... but it's completely out of control." Luck's face was a mix of excitement and solemnity.
At the edge of that chaotic scene, all the Black Bulls members who were at the base were startled.
"Captain!"
Magna rushed over.
Yami's gaze never left the rampaging water sphere.
"So you guys are back." His voice was low and hoarse.
"What exactly is going on?"
"What else could it be? That royal lady's magic power went out of control." Yami exhaled a smoke ring.
"What a troublesome fellow."
Yami looked at Noelle inside the water sphere.
"If we attack with magic, she'll basically be done for."
Indeed, Noelle was at the core of that wild magic power. Any offensive magic could potentially cause her fatal harm while also destroying the water sphere.
"Finral." Yami turned his head. "Can you use your Spatial Magic to pull her out?"
Finral's face was uglier than crying, and he kept shaking his head frantically. "No way, Captain! That's too reckless!"
"The magic currents there are too terrifying. I can't even get close."
"Tsk." Yami clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Yami looked around, his gaze sweeping over every member.
"It would be great if there was someone who could nullify magic."
Ryoma stood by, silently watching all of this. In his palm, ice crystals were quietly condensing.
If an unexpected situation arose, even to an irreversible point, he would act.
He would forcibly freeze the entire water sphere, then try to figure out how to rescue her.
Although the risk was extremely high, and he wasn't sure if he could freeze it, it was better than watching Noelle be swallowed by her own magic power.
However...
He glanced at another direction in the forest.
He should be arriving soon, right?
Just then—
"Waaahhhhhhh!!!"
Accompanied by a shrill scream, a figure shot out like a cannonball from the woods behind them, finally landing with a "bang," face down, in the center of the clearing, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"..."
The entire scene once again fell into an eerie silence.
Everyone's gaze was fixed on the short young man.
The young man raised his head, revealing a face covered in dirt and grass clippings.
Yami's lips slowly curved into a ferocious arc.
He had found him. The one who could nullify magic.
"Hey, kid."
Yami reached out his large hand and grabbed Asta by the back of his collar, like carrying a small cat. Then his arm muscles began to bulge.
"Go and deal with that."
"Eh? Me? But I can't fly... Ahhhhh!!!"
Before Asta could finish his sentence, Yami had already thrown him, like a shot put, forcefully towards the core of the rampaging water sphere.
Asta's screams echoed through the sky.
Ryoma's lips twitched imperceptibly.
Although he already knew the plot, seeing this scene with his own eyes still felt... too outrageous.
In mid-air, Asta, who had been thrown like a cannonball, was about to crash into the violent water tornado.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
He let out a roar and drew the giant, pitch-black demon-slayer sword from his grimoire.
It's here!
Ryoma's gaze narrowed slightly.
The moment the demon-slayer sword was drawn—
When it touched the massive water sphere, the magic was immediately nullified. With a splash, it completely burst, turning into a myriad of water droplets.
Finral was already prepared. A gate instantly opened below Asta and Noelle, steadily catching the two who were falling from the sky.
Asta, who almost thought he was dead, roared as soon as he landed, "Alright! I'm still alive!!!"
Noelle, on the other hand, lay on the ground, distraught. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
It's over.
She messed up again.
Once again, because she couldn't control her magic power.
Next, it must be... merciless ridicule.
Scornful glances.
"Useless," "dead weight," "disgrace to the Silva family"...
Those voices that had accompanied her since childhood seemed to already be ringing in her ears.
However, none of what she expected happened. Instead, there was a heartfelt shout, full of awe and envy.
"You... your magic power is amazing! So incredible!"
Noelle was startled, suddenly looking up at the source of the voice.
Asta was looking at her with shining eyes, without a trace of mockery on his face, only pure shock and admiration.
"I don't have any magic power, so I really envy you."
Asta gestured excitedly. "If you can control it freely after special training, then you'll be invincible."
Noelle's mind was blank.
"Eh?"
The unexpected words made Noelle hear praise and envy from others for the first time, and her cheeks couldn't help but flush slightly.
"That's right."
Magna walked over casually.
"You just can't control your magic freely. You should have said so earlier, you useless royal."
"We're the Black Bulls, who doesn't have a few quirks?"
Vanessa manipulated her cloak to put it back on Noelle.
"The only thing I'm good at is controlling magic, I can teach you."
"Let me tell you what an angel my sister Marie is." Gauche hugged his sister's portrait, mumbling to himself.
"You've used so much magic, you must be hungry. Here, have a piece of roasted meat."
Charmy conjured a large, fragrant piece of roasted meat from somewhere and offered it to her.
Yami extinguished his cigarette butt, looking at Noelle with his usual, seemingly all-seeing gaze.
"If you can't control it, then go control it. If you can't do it, then surpass your own limits."
One by one, simple, blunt, and even somewhat off-key words. Yet, they were like warm torrents, breaking down the high wall of inferiority and fear that Noelle had built in her heart.
No one here mocked her.
No one despised her.
They... accepted her.
Her nose stung.
Noelle's vision instantly blurred. Crystal tears, uncontrollably, slid from her eyes, one drop, two drops... finally forming a stream.
Asta broke into a brilliant smile and extended his hand to Noelle. "Come on! Let's work hard together!"
Noelle looked at that calloused hand, and then at the strange yet incredibly sincere smiling faces around her.
She sniffled, and slowly, extended her own hand.