Chapter Text
«««—Chapter 1—»»»
Vanessa set down her drinking glass with a thud. The inebriated witch sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. Staring at her younger squadmate, she smirked.
“Heh, I may be the one who’s buzzed, but your face is more flushed than mine!” Vanessa laughed.
The girl seated across from her fidgeted slightly and seemed to try to sink back in her chair. Placing her elbows on the table, and her head in her hand, Vanessa studied the girl. Her silvery hair gleamed in the candlelight as she nervously twirled a strand, her eyes darting around the room. It was unusual for Noelle to be acting this flustered, but she had just returned from a mission with Asta…
“Is this about a boy…?” Vanessa quizzed, her eyes gleaming mischievously like a cat’s.
“N-no!” The silver haired girl snapped, though her face betrayed her words. “M-maybe…” she eventually murmured. Vanessa stifled a drunken laugh.
“Noelle, it’s ok, you can talk to me, think of me like you would a sister! You have one right? Didn’t the two of you ever talk about boys?” She chuckled. Noelle dropped her head. Her thoughts swirled with memories of her sister’s torment.
“No… we never talked about boys or anything like that. We’re royals after all, we don’t talk about boys, boys talk about us!” She proclaimed with false bravado.
“I see,” Vanessa quipped. “Well, we’ll just have to change that won’t we!” Standing abruptly she grabbed Noelle’s hand. “C’mon, boy talk requires privacy.” She smirked. Pulling Noelle along the two young women raced off.
«««—§—»»»
“Ahhhh~ that feels lovely doesn’t it?” Vanessa soothed as she slipped into the hot bath. Though she had been a part of the Black Bulls for about four years now, Noelle was still somewhat timid about bathing with the other women in the squad, despite their relative closeness.
“Ah relax your majesty” Vanessa teased. “I know you never had the best relationship with your siblings, but I always considered you my little sister…” the young witch cooed.
“Come here,” She said moved closer to Noelle. Unfastening the clips from her hair, Vanessa let the girl’s silvery locks flow down her back. “I didn’t have the best childhood either, you know. For as rowdy as the rest of them are, the Black Bulls are my family,” she said as she gently poured warm water over Noelle’s head,massaging as she went. “Now sis, spill it, I wanna hear all about your boy troubles.” She teased.
“I-I don’t know… I’ve never felt… he’s stupid, rash, irresponsible, and reckless!” She sobbed. “But when I look at him, I just…” she sighed. “He’s cute, and kind, and is always there for me… he’s always willing to help even if it puts him in a precarious spot.” She sighed.
“Mmmmh… sounds like a lot more than a simple crush to me~” Vanessa tittered. “Do I know this boy?” She said sitting back in the sultry water, already knowing the answer.
“N-no…” Noelle stuttered. “I-I met him at a…er… a festival I went to with Mimosa! Yeah!” She said standing up and grabbing her towel, her face flushed red, and not from the heat of the bath.
“Ah, so that means Asta’s up for grabs huh? He may be young but those muscles of his…” Vanessa taunted, grinning devilishly. Noelle whirled around, the statements catching her extremely off guard.
“H-Hey! Back off witch! You're too old for him!” She shouted “He deserves someone his own age!” She rambled, losing her footing and splashing back down into the bath. Vanessa laughed as she moved to make sure the young woman was ok.
“Hahah! I knew it, it’s Asta!” She laughed. Noelle sat up blushing.
“H-how did you know!” She cried.
“Sweetie, we all know, except for maybe Magna and Luck, they’re too dense, and Gauche, he’s too obsessed with his sister, Charmy always has her face buried in food, and Captain Yami, well… ok maybe we all don’t know but me and Finral were taking bets.” She teased.
“So… what should I do?” Noelle asked.
“Asta’s a good kid, but he’s a little dense, why don’t you just see if he wants to go to the castle town with you?” Vanessa advised.
“L-like a date?! Just the two of us?!” Noelle squeaked timidly .
“I suppose, but trust me, he’s dense, but he’s not stupid. I see the way he looks at you too you know, there’s feelings for you somewhere in that muscle-bound head of his,” Vanessa soothed. “Now come on” she said, helping Noelle out of the bath. “Let’s go pick out an outfit for your date~”
«««—§—»»»
Noelle nervously fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. She exhaled and looked up. The autumn sky began to glow with golden light as the sun edged towards the west. She stared at the fluffy white clouds that adorned the sky. ‘I can’t believe Vanessa talked me into doing this…’ she thought.
Asta sat in the yard, book in hand. It was unusual for him, at least it was a long time ago. Quite a few years had passed since the whole “Judgment Day” fiasco, and most everything returned to normal, except Asta. His ashen grey hair came to rest just above his shoulders, and despite the years of people doubting, he had even grown a few inches taller, but that wasn’t even the most drastic change in the boy. The once uneducated commoner had taken an interest in learning for once. He spent most of his time in the past four years learning nearly everything about magic, devils, and the history of the four kingdoms. Whenever he was asked about his sudden change, Asta just played dumb and pretended he didn’t understand the question. Though he seemed to have gained some booksmarts, the same couldn’t be said for his other smarts. He was still the same naive, dense man he used to be. She smiled softly as she walked over and sat down on the lawn beside him.
“What are you reading?” She said, glancing over at the book in his hands.
“Ah! Noelle! I didn’t even notice you coming.” The boy laughed, brushing his hair from his eyes. Noelle looked up to meet his gaze, the setting sun reflecting in his glittering green eyes. Noelle felt her heart skip a beat as he smiled at her.
“Oh… I think it’s one of Captain Yami’s old books, I found it in the library,” He responded. “It’s really interesting, it’s got a bunch of cool swords in it! Some I’ve never seen before, ” He chirped, flicking through the pages. “Look! This one is the one that Captain Yami gave me!” He passed the book over to Noelle.
“It’s a katana, from the Captain’s homeland…” Noelle read off the pages. “You’ve been there before haven’t you?” She asked.
“Yup! It was really pretty over there, if it wasn’t for the circumstances I would have loved to stay longer! We should go back sometime!” He chirped. Noelle blushed at his offer, but Asta didn’t seem to notice. “Anyway, check this out!” He beamed, leaning close, flipping the pages to another blade. Noelle could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck, sending shivers down her spine. She quickly shut the book and thrust it back into his hands.
“Enough book talk!” she chirped. “I came here to ask…. to… ask…” She stammered, the words getting caught in her throat. Asta said nothing, but smiled and waited for her to compose herself. “I… wanted to ask if maybe you’d want to accompany me to the village? There are some things I need to do and I’d enjoy the company.” She squeaked with false bravado.
“I’d love to go! When are we going?” He chirped.
“Uhhh…. Not tonight… maybe uh, two days from now?! Yeah! Meet me in the village around sunset two days from now!
“It’s a date!” Asta smiled, not realizing his words caused the young woman to blush.
“I- I suppose it is! I, uh, I gotta go!” Noelle shot to her feet, and quickly raced back to the base, trying to hide her flushed cheeks. She dashed through the doors, slamming them behind her. Leaning back, she let out a sigh, she opened her eyes to see Vanessa, Charmy, Grey, and Nero all standing there, staring at her.
“Well?!?” Vanessa tittered. The other girls grinning wildly.
“I have two days.” Noelle peeped.
“Well girls… let’s get to work.” Vanessa sang.
«««—§—»»»
And now those two days later, Noelle sat on a bench in the middle of a bustling castle town. She looked at the sky, the sun hung low, sending rays of golden light through the streets. A soft chill swept through the plaza as Noelle shivered. The outfit the girls helped her pick wasn’t suitable for this kind of weather, she wore a silvery loose silk top embroidered with purple traces, and a long silky skirt to match. Her leather belt adorned with black feathers matched the feathered hairpin Nero made for her. She wore her usual brown leather sandals, with straps that wound their way to her thighs. The outfit was stunning on her, but not the best for the temperature.
“Ugh… why did Vanessa convince me to wear such a light outfit… it’s cold…” she shivered again. Suddenly a soft warmth enveloped her.
“That should keep you warm… Sorry to keep you waiting!” Asta chirped as he wrapped his cloak over Noelle’s shoulders. “I dunno why you’d wear that, it’s pretty cold out… not that you don’t look great or anything!” He blushed. Noelle looked up at the young man standing in front of her. His ash hair softly wisping in the breeze.
“W-won’t you be cold?” She asked. Asta wore a plain white tee and long black pants like normal, his leather bracer strapped over his right arm. Noelle noted how the tight leather curved across his well-defined musculature. His heavy leather belt hung semi-loose around his waist, being dragged down slightly by his grimoire. The weight of the belt and book pulled against his clothing, somewhat exposing his waist. Noelle quickly looked away, her cheeks turning red.
“I’ll be fine! I’ve survived worse!” He laughed. “Oh, you must be really cold huh, your face is turning red!” He held out his hand. Noelle slipped her fingers between his as she stood. His hands were rough with callouses, but warm, and hers, delicate and soft, yet cold. Hand in hand, his warmth chased the bitter cold from her.
“Y-yeah… it’s the cold…” she smiled. Hand in hand, the two walked along the canal road, watching the water gently lap the side of the wall. WIth Noelle leading the way, they walked around, window shopped, but nothing really caught their attention. Eventually they came to an indoor market.
“Ah, this place is new. Looks interesting.” Noelle said. She felt Asta tug her hand as he started towards the doors.
“Well? What are you waiting for?” He smiled. Noelle grinned back, and followed him with haste. The flavorful aroma of spices, food, incense and the like assaulted their senses immediately as they stepped into the bustling market. Stalls and vendors lined the long hallway, packed with various goods from both nearby and far away places.
“Oh… wow.” Noelle breathed as she looked up. Enchanted flames flickered above them, softly shimmering like ten million fireflies, illuminating the market in a warm gold glow. As the two walked through the crowds, Noelle pointed out various trinkets and magical goods, while Asta was drawn to the different foods and spices. While her back was turned, Asta noticed a stall filled with crystals and jewels.
“Anything catch your fancy?” An old man said as he appeared from behind a curtain. Asta smiled at the man as he turned his attention back to the stones. A plain pink crystal set in silver caught his eye.
“Can I take a closer look?” He asked. The man nodded, and Asta scooped up the stone. Holding up to the light, he saw the rose-hued crystal glimmer, absorbing the light.
“It’s enchanted, it absorbs light and emits a constant shimmer.” The old man informed Asta. Looking over his shoulder, Asta saw Noelle at another stall, looking at magic tools. His gaze softened as he stared at her. The old man followed his gaze and chuckled softly. Asta blushed and snapped his attention back to the jewelry.
“How much is it?” Asta asked. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his coin purse. The old man smiled.
“No charge.”
“What?” Asta asked, confused. The old man shrugged.
“You two remind me of me and my wife back in the day. The way you look at her, she’s a lucky girl.” He smiled as he placed the necklace in Asta’s hand and closed his fingers around it. “Treat her well.”
“Thank you, sir.” Asta said. “Really, thank you.” He said again as he raced off to catch up to Noelle. They continued throughout the market until the shops began to close, and they made their way back outside.The cold autumn air kissed their skin as they stepped out of the market. Asta stopped and looked at the sky.
“Wow, I guess we were in there for longer than we thought.” He smiled. The sun had disappeared behind the horizon and the sky was painted with hues of pink and purple, most of the oil lamps in doorways were lit. Noelle followed his gaze and stared at the stars that had begun to sparkle in the twilight hours. Their stargazing moment was interrupted as Asta slipped his hand into his pocket. Fidgeting with the necklace, he pulled it out and gently placed it on her neck.
“Asta, what?” She started, looking down at the necklace. The pink stone shimmered softly, emitting a soft glow like the man said it would.
“It reminded me of you,” he said, blushing slightly. “The stone, its color matches your eyes beautifully.”
“Thank you,” Noelle said, feeling various emotions rise in her. She couldn’t speak on it, she didn’t know how, but Asta didn’t need words to know how she felt. He took her hand, and gently smiled. As the two turned to walk off, Asta glanced over his shoulder. He thought he sensed someone staring at him from the shadows. Noelle squeezed his hand and he quickly forgot about the feeling the potential gaze had given him. He didn’t notice the shadows flicking in the nearby alleyway as the two walked by. A figure loomed, watching the young couple as they walked hand in hand. A malicious toothy grin spread across the figure's face as they disappeared back into the shadows.
«««—§—»»»
Later that evening, the two again walked along a canal that cut through the town. The sun had fully set and the stars glimmered in the moonless sky above. Looking over at Noelle he noticed her gaze stuck to the sky. He smiled as he watched the pale light of the night glitter in her coral eyes, the bouquet of wildflowers he had bought her clutched tightly to her chest. His heart fluttered as the autumn breeze swept past her shimmering silver hair, and its biting cold stained her cheeks a soft shade of red. Suddenly she broke her gaze and her eyes flicked over to him, as he quickly, yet obviously averted his gaze. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his, clinging to him. They walked still, Noelle looking down at the water in the canal. The soft sound of the water gently lapping against the stone, and the stars that shone in the pitch reflection. She stopped suddenly.
“Asta…” she started. The young man turned to face her, his warm breath condensing in the cold air. “Thank you for everything.” She smiled. Asta looked at her, his head cocked inquisitively.
“Oh?” He mused.
“And I don’t mean just about tonight, I mean about everything. When we first met, I thought you were a loud, obnoxious, filthy peasant… but if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be who I am today, you and the rest of the Black Bulls, showed me what it’s like to have a family, what it’s like to feel loved…'' She emphasized that last part. Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his chest. Standing for a moment, she just listened to the rhythmic thump of his heart. Asta reciprocated her hug, burying his head in the crook of her neck. Noelle felt his strong, muscular arms hold her gently. The two stood for a moment, before Asta pulled his head back slightly. Putting one hand under her chin, he tilted her face up slightly until her eyes met his. They stared at each other, before Noelle closed her eyes and leaned forward. Asta matched her motion as their lips met. The couple stood on the banks of the canal in a small town, embraced in each other’s warmth. Asta was the first to pull away. He gently caressed the side of Noelle’s face with his hand, staring into her eyes.
“For the longest time I felt alone too… yeah, I had Yuno and the kids from the church back home, but even back home, the others in the village treated me differently because I had no magic. I was a magicless orphan from a village on the edge of the kingdom, an outcast among outcasts…” He trailed off for a moment, setting his gaze on the shimmering water. “Captain Yami accepted me, the Black Bulls accepted me… you accepted me, and for the first time, I didn’t feel like such an outcast.” Asta wrapped his arms gently around Noelle and pulled her into a hug. “The Black Bulls mean the world to me… you mean the world to me Noelle, I… I love you.” He finally admitted. Noelle wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned close to his ear.
“Asta…” she breathed quietly, “I love you too.”
“Damn you two need to get a room.” A sharp voice snapped from the shadows. Asta whipped his head towards the voice as he put himself between it and Noelle instinctively. The voice came from a dark doorway. The shadows swirled as a figure emerged. Crimson eyes flicked back and forth between the two, a sharp toothy grin spread across the figure's pale face.
“God damn it Liebe!” Asta groaned. His brother swaggered over to the two, his pitch tail flicking wildly with amusement.
“Heheh, should’ve seen the looks on your faces!” He chortled. Noelle stepped out from behind Asta and grabbed Liebe by one of his horns, yanking him down. “Ow ow ow!” He whined.
“Were you spying on us?!” She snapped at the devil, her face redder than his eyes. Liebe reached up and removed her hand from his head.
“Not… for long…” he muttered. “Yami told me to come warn you guys about something, and well, I was bored so I… kinda followed you around for a bit.” He snickered. “You guys were pretty sappy.”
“What did Captain Yami want to warn us about?” Asta sighed, changing the subject.
“I dunno, he just told me it was important, something about enemies possibly being close, but when I got here, I figured what you guys had going on was a bit more important so…” he trailed off. Noelle flicked Liebe on the forehead.
“Idiot, if our captain needs us, it doesn’t matter what we were uh… doing…” her voice faltering at that last part. Asta put his arm around Noelle and pulled her close.
“Yeah, but it was fun…” he smiled.
“Hey, that’s what brothers are for, I got your back.” Liebe shrugged. “Anyway, we should probably get back, Yami is probably gonna take your heads off.” Liebe snickered.
“ Our heads? Oh no, that’s all on you Liebe!” Noelle scolded. The two bickered, yet Asta wasn’t paying attention to that. He sensed something else in the shadows. As he peered into the dark trying to make out shapes, he sensed a physical object speeding towards them.
Towards Noelle.
With reflexes that seemed faster than light, he grabbed the arrow mid flight. Noelle and Liebe stopped their bickering and stood, shocked.
“What the?! Is that an arrow?” Noelle gasped. Asta snapped the arrow in two with his bare hand.
“We’re surrounded.” Asta growled.
Five figures emerged from the dark. They surrounded the three, pushing them close to the edge of the canal.
“I’m such an idiot… I should have sensed them before they got this close.” Asta snarled.
“Yeah, but we got this.” Liebe sneered. “Let me at ‘em, I’ll rip them to shreds.” His tail flicked with excitement. Another arrow whizzed by, grazing Liebe’s shoulder. “Ow?! How the-” he started.
“They’re not magic arrows… our anti-magic won’t work.” Asta said, his grimoire in hand. The anti-magic book shimmered with a red energy as the pages flicked open. “ Demon Slayer ” he called out. Holding out his hand the hilt of his sword emerged. The long rusted blade rose out of the book. “Let’s go, Liebe.” He said.
Thud
“Liebe?” Asta said again, turning to his brother. The devil lay on the cobblestone street. The gash on his shoulder oozed as a green haze seeped around the wound.
“Poison!” Noelle cried as she grabbed the arrow that had grazed Liebe. “Hang on!” She said kneeling next to the devil. Opening her satchel, she pulled out a small vial of a golden liquid. “Oh Mimosa I owe you one…” She said as she popped the cork and poured the liquid into the devil’s mouth. Her cousin’s healing plant magic had drastically improved over the years to the point that even the honey made from the flowers in her garden had healing properties. The constantly worrying cousin of hers always made sure Noelle kept a vial of the healing liquid on her for emergencies.
“Dang, Mimosa’s magic is always so impressive!” Asta chittered, as impressed as always. Noelle glared up at him. “Er- but not as impressive as yours!” He corrected nervously. Noelle smiled. Standing she brushed the dust off her skirt.
“He’ll be fine. Now then, let’s show these insects the power of the Black Bulls!” She shouted. Asta readied his sword as another arrow made its way towards them. With a flick of the blade Asta deflected the arrow. “That was the only vial I had though so don’t let any more touch you!” Noelle called out. Holding her own grimoire she pulled out her wand. “ Sea Dragon’s Lair! ” She cried as water and mana swirled around the three of them, creating a barrier. “What’s the game plan?” She asked.
“You stay here, and take care of Liebe, I’m gonna head out there and take the fight to them, if they’re using physical attacks, at least I can sense them with my Ki.” He mused. Looking back at Noelle he smiled. “I promise I won’t let them hurt you.”
“I’m not worried about me… just be careful… idiot.” She teased, kissing him on the cheek. Asta gently touched the spot where her lips were and blushed.
“Right!”
Stepping out of the spell, Asta scanned his surroundings. He could still sense his opponents around him.
The five figures stepped forward, their black robes making them near invisible in the darkness. They wore bird-like masks, not unlike that of a plague doctor’s. Two were armed with bows, one on the ground, and the other firing from a nearby rooftop. While the other three on the ground held both grimoires and daggers.
“Hmph… I see.” Asta mused. ‘This will be tricky…’ he thought. Normally he could deflect any magic thrown his way, but dealing with physical and magical attacks put him in somewhat of a tough spot. Calming his nerves he focused on what he could do, and that was sense Ki, using all of his senses he could tell when a physical or magical attack would be coming, it wasn’t perfect, switching between defensive stances, but he knew he could make it work. Lunging forward he slashed with his blade. The shockwave of energy released from the Demon Slayer sword rattled the surrounding buildings. ‘Phew… at least we took a walk to the edge of town… looks like most of these houses are empty, hopefully no bystanders are around…’ His ears twitched like those of an animal as he picked up on the sound of an arrow notched in a bow. “ Demon Dweller! ” In the split second he heard the arrow release, he had drawn his second sword from his grimoire. Flicking the blade he deflected the arrow, and swinging it forward he slashed through a magic attack. The Demon Dweller blade absorbed the spell and Asta quickly swept the blade up, releasing the magic towards the archer on the roof, landing a direct hit on the attacker.
“One down, four to go!” He shouted. Stepping forward he suddenly staggered. A strange scent wafted through the air. In the midst of the battle he hadn’t noticed a haze falling upon the battleground. Falling to one knee, he reached for his grimoire, summoning his third blade.
“ D-Demon Destroyer! ” He stuttered. The blade flying into his grasp. He slashed it forward and slammed it into the ground, but the haze didn’t let up. “Wh-what? Demon Destroyer always cuts through spells like this… unless…” he coughed. “This isn’t a spell…” he gasped as the haze stole his breath. He realized now that the masks they wore weren’t like plague doctor masks, they were plague doctor masks, their purpose to filter the haze. His senses were dulling as whatever the haze was, sapped his strength. He staggered to his feet, and turned to get back into Noelle’s protective spell when he felt something wrap around his wrist. Looking down he saw a chain had snared him. He slashed at it weakly with one of his swords but the blade bounced off.
“N-not magic?!” He wheezed. Raising his arm again he went to bring the blade down harder to try and snap the chain, but as his arm was over his head, another chain whipped around his other wrist. Pulling his arm at an awkward angle, and forcing him to drop the blade as he cried out. He pulled against the chains as he felt something hit him in the back. Ripping one arm free, he reached over his shoulder and ripped an arrow from his back.
“ASTA!” Noelle cried. From inside the Sea Dragon’s Lair she watched as Asta struggled in the fight. Readying her wand she stepped forward, about to enter the fray.
“Noelle! Stay back!” He coughed. “There’s something in the air! If you breathe it in it will sap your strength!” He shouted between gasps. Noelle watched as Asta slowly collapsed, crumpling to the ground like a paper doll. The mages still standing rushed forward, and grabbed the incapacitated boy. Noelle watched in horror as Asta was bound in chains, unable to move. Once they were done tying him up they turned their sights to Noelle. The four mages on the other side of the canal had made their way over to the battle, two more archers, and two with swords at their hips.
“Liebe if you can stand, do it now, this is bad!” She called out. The devil groaned as he grabbed at his shoulder, staggering to his feet.
“Damn it…” he hissed, the surrounding chaos came into focus. “This must have been what Yami meant…” he groaned.
“What?!”
“He said that Nacht warned him about some bad guys coming to the area… said they might be coming for Asta and I, but I didn’t think he was serious…” Liebe snarled. Noelle glared at the fool of a devil, if only he had warned them sooner…
Noelle shook her head, dismissing the thought. ‘That's not what's important now. What is important is getting Asta and getting out of here.’ She thought as she reached into her satchel. Pulling out a communicator crystal she sent an SOS to the Black Bull’s base. “It will probably take a while for one of those slackers to get the message, but for now we gotta go on the defense.” Kneeling down she ripped the edge of her skirt off and into strips of cloth. Soaking it in water she wrapped part of it over her mouth and nose. “Here, you should do the same, Asta said there’s a haze out there that saps strength and it’s not magic, this should help at least slow it down.” She said, handing a damp piece of cloth to Liebe. The devil followed her advice and the two got ready to attack. Dispelling the Sea Dragon’s Lair, the two sprung into action. There were still four assailants, and with Asta incapacitated, it was only the two of them. Liebe lunged forward and grabbed the Demon Slayer sword that Asta dropped.
“Damn… it’s heavy!” He snapped, but he didn’t have much of a choice. With Asta incapacitated they couldn’t perform a devil union, and Liebe didn’t have any other way of attacking.
“Liebe, focus on getting Asta! I’ll take these three!” Noelle called, facing two mages and an archer herself.
“Right!” Lunging forward, Liebe wildly swung the heavy blade. Though the weight of the sword slowed him down he was still insanely fast. Cracking the mage that held Asta on head with the flat of the blade made him drop like a sack of rocks. “One down and one to go!” He huffed. Though the damp cloth protected him slightly from the haze, he could still feel it along with the poison in his system sapping his strength. “Asta! You idiot! Wake up!” He roared. His brother lay on the ground, bound in chains and unmoving. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth as he breathed raggedly. The poisoned air was taking its toll on the boy. Liebe snarled and lunged again, slower this time as he felt blood dripping out of his nose. ‘Damn it!’ He thought, as he brought the blade down a second time. The mage he was fighting managed to dodge, but tripped and fell back.
“Heheh,” Asta laughed as he staggered to his feet, hands still bound. “N-never turn your back on me!” He coughed. Using a loose end of the chain wrapped around his wrist he used it like a snare to trip their opponent. Though he was back on his feet he was too weak to perform a union with Liebe. “Sorry bro, looks like you’ll have to do the heavy lifting.” He wheezed.
“When do I not?” Liebe snapped back, smiling. It was now two on one, as the last mage fumbled for his dagger. He didn’t even get a chance to unsheath it before Asta whipped it out of his grasp with the chain and Liebe cracked him on the head.
“All right!” He roared, coughing up some blood. “Damn… my lungs feel like they’re on fire…” he coughed, dropping back to one knee.
“Let me see if I can undo those chains.” Liebe started, when they were interrupted by a scream. Asta’s head snapped to the sound as he staggered back to his feet. Noelle had her back to the wall, or more accurately the canal, surrounded by more mages then he had sensed.
“They called for backup!” He snarled as he raced forward. Though his senses were hazy, adrenaline cleared them enough for him to sense the Ki of four more individuals, and an arrow notched, aiming directly for Noelle. “NO” he roared as he raced towards Noelle. Using the chain around his wrists as a whip he snapped it at two of the mages cornering her, but he was too late. The arrow flew, and Asta had one option. He pushed Noelle into the canal. Time seemed to slow for her as she fell back into the water, watching Asta take the arrow for her.
“Asta!” She cried. Hitting the water she nearly lost her breath as the cold shocked her system.
“Crap…” Asta’s eyes rolled back in his head as felt two more arrows strike him as he hit the ground. He felt his body going numb as footstep approached. Liebe roared and staggered forward, dragging the blade, but the poison air had taken a toll, and he felt an arrow pierce his shoulder as well. The two boys fell. Though they put up an admirable fight, their opponents had planned accordingly.
“Mission accomplished.” A cold voice snapped. That was the last thing Asta heard before his vision went dark.