100 Prompt Challenge - Astelle

Note: Sequel to What Remains Unsaid. Should I continue this story further from this point on, it will be under Reborn as Papa Silva (extras), as it will become more than simply Astelle.

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Prompt 6: Noelle refuses to just watch Asta be erased. Noelle steps up.

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Magic Knight Headquarters:

Shortly after his Special Distinguished Service Ceremony ended, where Asta was promoted to Senior Magic Knight First Class, he stood in the grand hall in silence.

His gaze was fixed on his foster family, smiling and chatting at the opposite end. His heart warmed as he took in the pride practically swelling out of Father Orsi. His eyes moved to his excited foster siblings, then finally settled on the unsuspecting Sister Lily.

Asta's smile fell for the briefest moment, his heart thumping in his chest, before he clenched his fist and yelled aloud to himself.

"Alright! This is it! Today I'm gonna…"

As Asta trailed off, Nero, in her bird form and perched on his head, narrowed her eyes. She flew away, unsealing herself into her human form before landing behind Noelle and Mimosa, who stood in silence, each seemingly consumed by their own thoughts.

An idea struck Nero. She stepped between them and whispered something inaudible into both of their ears.

Both girls turned to face her—Mimosa jerking her head back, visibly flustered, while Noelle spun on her heel, her expression unreadable.

"Whaaattt?!!!" Mimosa screeched, her face heating up as she grabbed her cheeks. "A-Asta's confessing his love??!"

"T-To whom??!!" she demanded, squirming and trembling as she broke down further. "C-Could it be m-me?!! Oh, n-no, n-not that I w-would dare imply that…"

As Mimosa trailed off, Nero remained silent. Normally, this kind of reaction from Mimosa would amuse her, filling her with giddy entertainment.

But that supreme joy didn't last long.

She glanced at Noelle, standing upright beside Mimosa—uncharacteristically silent when it came to matters regarding Asta. Instead, the silver-haired Silva princess simply crossed her arms, chewing her lip, brows furrowed, as if deep in thought.

Nero blinked. That wasn't the reaction she had expected at all.

A minute later, the three girls stood in a neat row behind an open brick window, overlooking an expansive cobblestone balcony where Asta and Sister Lily stood face-to-face.

Mimosa's heart raced as she watched Asta clench his fist and open his mouth wider. Noelle bit her lip harder.

Then Asta made his declaration to the nun.

"Sister!!! I'm sorry, but I can't marry you!!!"

Sister Lily and Nero froze in shock.

Mimosa let out a deep breath of relief.

Noelle? She stopped biting her lip as she continued to watch the conversation unfold, her eyes flickering intensely with some complex emotion.

Asta, to Sister Lily's further shock, bowed deeply to the nun.

"I'm sorry, Sister! For going back on my promise! But I've had time to mature and realize my constant confessions were just putting you in a tough position—an uncomfortable place!"

Lily Aquaria's pupils dilated as Asta stood up, locking eyes with her intensely as he carried on.

"To you, I've always been your little brother, yet I spit on that relationship time and time again. So please, give me a chance to be the brother you deserve from now on—to make things right! As family!"

Lily stiffened, her eyes watering, her frame starting to tremble. She was just about to open her mouth, but Asta wasn't done.

He placed three fingers across his chest in a mock Magic Knight salute and smiled brightly.

"Please watch over these unchanging vows of mine! I will be the family you deserve! I will become the Wizard King and create the kingdom of love and equality you dream of! I swear, from now on, I will never go back on—or break—any promise ever again!"

Lily froze before tears spilled from her eyes—tears of joy, of pride, of gratitude—as she gave her little brother a shaky yet beautiful, blooming smile.

"I-I know you'll be able to do it!"

Asta froze, then blushed deeply, rubbing the back of his head meekly.

That prompted a weak laugh from the nun as Lily wiped the tears from her eyes, chuckling further.

"Asta… y-you've really matured and grown up. C-Can you tell me what brought about such an outstanding change since I last saw you?"

Asta's blush deepened. He went crimson red, fidgeting, twiddling his thumbs like a grade-schooler.

Coughing awkwardly, he spoke aloud.

"I-I've found someone else—s-someone I think is a much better fit for me because… her feelings are mutual. I'm going to do e-everything in my power to prove I'm worthy of her love. I'm going to do everything I can to make her happy and show her she didn't make a mistake in laying her heart bare to me."

Sister Lily paused for a moment before smiling—just a tad mischievously.

"One of these days, bring her over to Hage. I'd love to meet her and get to know her."

Asta's heart fluttered as he nodded vehemently, albeit shakily.

From the window, the three girls watching were a whirlwind of emotions.

Nero looked blank and emotionless.

Mimosa, however, was blushing red, fidgeting like crazy.

"A-Asta f-found s-someone… i-is it me? H-Have I been that f-forward with my f-feelings… t-that he picked them up? I-I mean, n-not that I was complaining—"

She cut herself off as her peripheral vision caught her cousin's reaction.

Noelle hadn't moved her gaze from Asta the entire time. She smiled softly, her cheeks slightly rosy, looking at him with affection—pure love in her eyes. Her smile was confident, knowing, certain.

Mimosa froze, feeling her heart crack and shatter like glass.

Nero nearly dropped her jaw. When did this happen?!

Neither girl had much time to think. Their thoughts were interrupted by approaching footsteps behind Asta and Sister Lily.

Their eyes widened as they took in the new arrival—who clapped rhythmically, ominously, sporting a smile that rubbed them all the wrong way.

Asta turned to face him. A black-haired Julius lookalike, a black sun mark on his right lobe.

The man spoke in a voice eerily similar—yet distinctly different—to Julius Novachrono.

"Congratulations on coming this far. But this is your final destination."

—

5 Minutes Later

Noelle tried once more to pierce through the cube-like spatial prison, but her lance crumbled the moment it neared the wall.

Panting, cold sweat dripping down her face, Noelle stared in disbelief.

Someone who looked like the Wizard King—but wasn't—had turned Asta's beloved nun into a monster he called a Paladin and forced them to fight.

And now, Asta—her Asta—lay bleeding, limp, on the rooftop of one of the towers. Blood seeped from his chest, dripped from his mouth. And Sister Lily, that same nun, was about to erase him for good.

And Noelle?

Apparently, she was just supposed to watch it all unfold from the spatial cage where she, Mimosa, and Nero were trapped.

Noelle, clad in her Valkyrie armor, slammed her fist against the barrier.

BAM!

Sweat trickled down the side of her face as she screamed.

"STOP!!!"

She demanded, begged, pleaded for the nun to stop.

"You can't do this, you're Asta's—"

But Sister Lily didn't even look at her. Her focus was entirely on Asta as she stretched out her right arm, palm open, pointing at the dying anti-mage.

Noelle felt the magic gathering in Lily's hand. It filled her with despair.

Suddenly, time seemed to slow. Her surroundings blurred. Her thoughts raced, faster than she could process.

Asta's going to die. Asta's going to die. Asta's going to die. Asta's going to die. Asta's going to die. Asta's going to die. Asta's going to die. Asta's going to die. Asta's going to die.

What is this?! W-We haven't even gotten to do anything together yet! We haven't even—

We haven't even been together yet!

And he's going to die?!

Unacceptable.

UNACCEPTABLE!!!

Noelle frantically looked around for help, but it was pointless.

Mimosa and Nero couldn't fight.

The captains—though she could feel them nearing—were still too far away, much too slow.

They wouldn't make it in time!

Noelle's pupils dilated as she screamed inwardly.

What are you doing, Noelle?! No one's coming! No one's going to get here! If you want to save Asta—your Asta—you have to do it yourself!

I know! I know! Noelle yelled back at herself. But what can I do?! I can barely move in this cage!

She wanted to scream, furious at herself.

Fifteen months since Spade… wasted.

She had gotten stronger. A lot stronger. Not nearly as powerful as she'd been with Undine, but still—she'd grown.

Training with Asta, partnering with him on countless missions—it had opened doors for her.

She had taken up physical training, put on a little muscle, and even learned the basics of Ki from him. It had expanded her senses, helped her control her magic.

She had refined her own power further than ever before.

And yet—

It was pointless.

The two enemies before her were far stronger than Megicula.

Megicula—the same devil she had needed Luck, Gadjah, Charlotte, Rill, and Nozel to defeat.

Now, she was alone.

Noelle cursed herself for being lazy.

For not doing more.

For not going back to Elysia to learn her own Ultimate Magic.

She had thought about it. She had considered it. But she had always put it off.

Because she wanted to spend time with Asta.

Because she wanted to relax with her friends.

Because she procrastinated.

And now—

Now she was going to pay for it.

If she had Ultimate Magic, she knew she could do something—anything—to save Asta.

Or at least buy time for help to arrive.

But she didn't have it.

And she couldn't gain it without going back to Elysia, without becoming acquainted with the Origin of Souls—

Noelle froze.

Her pupils dilated.

Wait.

What am I saying? Why can't I?!

I've been exposed to the soul countless times.

She had witnessed the elves' reincarnation be undone.

She had felt her mother's spirit embrace her.

She had united with Undine.

Noelle was no stranger to souls.

She bit her lip.

What am I doing wasting time with my thoughts?!

Lily was about to fire.

Who cares whether I can learn and pull off Ultimate Magic right now or not?!

I have to try something!!!

Noelle blocked out all distractions. Her heart steadied as she thrust her lance forward, drilling against the wall once more.

Her water lance shattered the moment it touched the spatial barrier.

Yet she wasn't discouraged.

Faster. Sharper. Stronger. More resilient.

Using Mana Method, she continuously reinforced her lance, layering it with spells and arrays. Her Valkyrie armor unraveled, her magic pooling into a single point—her weapon.

For the first time, her lance held together as it reached the spatial cage.

But it did nothing.

It bounced off, repelled like a mere bouncy ball, leaving not so much as a dent.

Still, Noelle refused to stop.

She rammed her lance against the wall again. And again. Pouring in more mana. Weaving more arrays. Reaching further.

Then, she shifted.

She activated True Magic.

Not just formed water, but created it.

Real, natural, water.

The color of her lance deepened. From bright cerulean to an ancient, primal ocean-black blue.

Noelle didn't notice the way her attacks shook the battlefield.

She didn't realize that Sister Lily was losing focus.

As the ruler of this space—connected to it, aware of everything happening inside—the Paladin felt every strike.

Every impact sent a pang through her skull, a disturbance rippling through her mind.

In her vision, an illusion formed—a vast, serpentine sea dragon, biting against the walls of severed space.

Gritting her teeth, Lily tried to suppress the distraction, refocusing on the attack forming in her palm.

The glow intensified.

A brilliant yellow beam materialized at her fingertips.

With a sigh of relief, Lily aimed her magic at Asta, ready to end him.

But then—

Crack.

Her breath hitched.

Lucius, watching from afar, turned his gaze in the same direction.

Noelle.

They froze.

Noelle's Valkyrie lance was gone.

In its place, she held a blade.

A lean, predatory sword, its guard, pommel, and grip formed from reptilian-like scales.

Its tip pressed firmly against the wall of space—

Leaving a crack.

Lily's pupils dilated.

Noelle lifted the weapon above her shoulders, gripping it with both hands.

And then—

Her grimoire etched a new spell.

"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Sword!"

With a scream, Noelle swung.

Her blade sliced through the wall of space like a knife through hot butter.

A deep, resonant roar echoed from her sword, but she didn't stop to wonder why.

She simply kept slashing, carving, tearing the walls apart—

Until the entire cube-like prison collapsed.

Noelle wasted no time.

Her Valkyrie armor reformed, its edges sharper, its form rougher, wilder—a primal contrast to its once smooth and refined state.

Then she blasted forward, straight toward Paladin Lily.

Lily, regaining her composure, barely spared Noelle a glance.

She ignored her.

Ignored the threat.

And fulfilled her master's will.

She fired.

A crackling beam of severed space, aimed straight at the dying Asta.

To end him for good.

Noelle's pupils blew wide in horror.

Mid-air, she swerved at an inhuman angle, launching herself toward Asta, arm outstretched in desperation.

Asta, barely conscious, dizzy and trembling, reached for her in return.

His voice—hoarse, desperate.

"P-please… N-Noelle… stay away—"

But he never finished.

Noelle's fingers brushed against his.

And then—

The golden beam engulfed them both.

In an instant—

They vanished.

Mimosa and Nero collapsed onto the rooftop, clutching their faces in horror.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Their screams echoed through the battlefield.

Lucius blinked, then smiled.

Paladin Lily flew to his side, surrounding them both in a cube of space.

"I admit, this outcome strayed slightly from my calculations," Lucius mused, his voice calm, unshaken. "But in the end, the flaw has been erased. And as a bonus, it seems we've even snuffed out the future of a potentially troublesome girl."

He turned to Lily, his smile deepening.

"Well done."

Paladin Lily beamed, bowing deeply. "It is my honor to serve you, Master Lucius."

Lucius' expression softened as he shifted his gaze.

In the distance, figures loomed—watching, waiting.

He addressed them without hesitation.

"Judgment Day will arrive in seven days."

"This will be humanity's final holy war, fought to create a world where nothing as foolish as war exists."

"My foresight has already revealed the outcome… yet you'll fight anyway, won't you?" His white eyes gleamed. "I've foreseen that as well. Isn't that right… Captains?"

One by one, the Magic Knight Captains stepped forward.

All except Kaiser Granvorka.

Nozel and Yami led the charge—Nozel's face twisted with heartbreak, rage boiling beneath his skin.

Yami, drenched in cold sweat, stood frozen in shock.

Then—

"JULIUUUUSSS?!!!"

Yami roared, his voice raw with desperation, confusion—demanding answers.

Lucius didn't respond.

He and Paladin Lily vanished in a golden flare—

Leaving only a lingering star in their wake.

—

Woosh. Swish.

The sound of water lapping back and forth stirred Noelle awake.

Her eyes fluttered open—only to sting in irritation. She shot up onto her knees, rubbing at them with a grimace.

"Sand?" she murmured, confused.

Blinking, she gazed ahead—past the shore, toward the endless horizon.

And then she froze.

The ocean stretched before her, but it wasn't the deep blue she knew. It was black. Pitch black, radiating a dark presence that made her skin crawl—

Like devils.

A chill crawled down her spine. Swallowing hard, she glanced down at the sand beneath her, forcing out a weak chuckle.

"Where… am I?" she muttered. "The Underworld? Does the Underworld even have beaches—?"

Her breath caught.

A sharp pulse of ki sent her head snapping to the side.

Her pupils shrank.

Asta lay face down, not far from her, unmoving.

The sand beneath him was red.

Bleeding. Dying.

"Asta?!!"

Noelle shot forward, skidding to his side. Her hands shook as she reached for him, flipping him onto his back. Her heart clenched at the sight—his chest torn open, his blood soaking into the cursed black sand.

And he wasn't alone.

Just beside him, crumpled and unmoving, lay a small black creature—wounded in the exact same way.

Liebe.

Noelle's breath hitched. She knew Asta's devil well now. She'd spent time with him. Grown fond of the little imp.

Seeing him like this—small, fragile, bleeding out—made her stomach churn.

No. No. No.

She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, then gently lifted Liebe, cradling him in her trembling hands. Slowly, she set him down on Asta's stomach before leaning in, pressing her ear against Asta's chest.

Warmth. Sticky, wet warmth smeared against her skin. She didn't care.

Then—

Ba-dump.

A heartbeat. Weak. Slow. Faint.

But still there.

He's alive. Asta's alive. Liebe's alive.

The words repeated in her mind, steadying her for a moment—before the panic crashed back.

Because she could feel them slipping away.

Noelle trembled.

What should I do? What can I do?

Her eyes darted around, searching—desperate for anyone. Anything. But she was alone.

Tears welled up, falling onto Asta's face.

"Why am I here? Why not Mimosa?! I—I can't do anything for you! I never can—"

TWACK!

A harsh slap echoed through the shore.

Noelle bit her lip, tasting iron.

"What the hell are you doing, Noelle?!" she snapped at herself. "Crying and whining won't save them! If you want to help them—do it yourself! Make it happen!"

She didn't hesitate another second.

Fingers trembling but firm, she yanked her silver dress over her head, stripping down to her undergarments. She would've been embarrassed under normal circumstances. Right now? She couldn't care less.

Ripping a strip from the fabric, she carefully lifted Liebe and wrapped the makeshift bandage around his tiny, wounded chest.

She set him atop Asta's grimoire—his safest place.

Then she turned to Asta.

With the rest of her dress, she wrapped the torn fabric tightly around his gaping wound, pressing down to stem the bleeding.

It wasn't enough.

They were both still dying.

And they needed help.

Now.

Noelle turned away from the beach, eyes scanning the dense treeline. For some reason, she was certain—she was still in her world.

And that meant if she went deeper inland, she might find civilization. Humans.

But that didn't mean she'd find help.

And even if she did—would Asta and Liebe even last long enough to reach it?

They needed help now.

And she was the only one who could do anything.

Noelle trembled, panic clawing at her throat. W-what am I s-supposed to do? I'm an attack mage, not a h-healer—

She froze.

A face flashed in her mind. Someone she never thought about. Someone who, for all intents and purposes, was nothing more than a stranger in her life.

Her father.

Sebastian Silva.

A cold, distant man. A ghost of a presence in her childhood. The only things she knew about him were that he was a support mage, a healer, and that she and Solid had inherited their water magic from him.

Noelle swallowed hard.

Slowly, she placed Liebe back onto Asta's chest and hovered her hands over them, channeling her mana.

A weak smile crossed her lips.

I-I got my looks, my mana, my strength—everything from my mother. I've never cared for my father, never even thought of him since I read Mother's letter… but if there's any part of me that's his daughter…

Help me save Liebe.

Help me save my Asta.

A soft glow pulsed in her palms. Water formed at her fingertips, then trickled down, spilling over their wounds.

Noelle didn't smile. Didn't rejoice.

Because it wasn't healing magic.

It was just water.

Soaking her shredded dress. Washing away blood. Doing nothing.

Her teeth clenched.

She ripped her wand from her belt, forcing her mana to concentrate, refine, control. The water smoothed, steadied—but it was still just water. A glorified rinse.

Noelle bit her lip until she tasted blood.

"P-please… I-I know Granny could use healing magic too… If I have anything of hers—if I have anything of my father's—if I'm more than just their blood, then show me… help me save them!"

More water. More mana. But it wasn't healing—it was nothing.

She was drowning them instead of saving them.

She was hitting them with water, not saving them with it.

Her heart cracked.

Her gaze snapped to her grimoire.

"W-what are you doing?!" she screamed. "D-do something! Help me, please! I d-don't need a miracle—just something! Anything!!"

Any decent support or healing mage could cast an attack spell.

But an attack mage using a true healing spell? That was rare.

Noelle was begging for a miracle.

She didn't care.

She sneered.

"F-fine then."

Fingers tightening around her wand, she glared at her magic, at her grimoire, at the world itself.

"I'll do it myself."

Once again, Noelle wove arrays upon arrays of mana, hands trembling as she barked commands at the water.

"Cleanse."

"Heal."

"Rejuvenate."

She tried to imitate Lolopechka, recalling the gentle grace of her magic.

Then Mimosa.

Doctor Owen.

Kahono.

Any healer she could think of.

But the more she poured into the spell, the more her water changed. It darkened, sharpened—turned into an attack.

Again.

Noelle didn't stop this time.

She kept going, her expression twisting, manic and wild. For a brief moment, her pupils slit like a predator's, flickering in and out of her usual soft pink.

Then her steady eyes returned.

A hollow laugh tore from her throat.

"Who said healing has to be graceful?"

Her grin stretched, unhinged.

"Smooth and pretty? I'm not Mimosa." Her hands shook, pulsing with an eerie black-blue glow. "I'm an attack mage. So I'll beat your injuries out of you!!!"

Her grimoire snapped open, flipping wildly before settling on a blank page. A new spell carved itself into existence as the magic surged.

Noelle grinned.

The glow faded, revealing her hands—now encased in dragon-scaled gauntlets.

Her fingers had become claws.

Her teeth flickered between fangs.

Her pupils shifted again.

"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Guard!"

Noelle lunged.

She plunged a clawed finger into Liebe's chest.

Her entire hand into Asta's.

Both of them moaned in pain.

Then she ripped their wounds out.

Tore the injuries straight from their bodies.

Two streaks of bloody red floated in the air, writhing like living things, as Asta and Liebe's gashes sealed shut, leaving behind faint scars.

Noelle panted.

Then sighed.

Her gloves faded.

Her grimoire dropped at her side.

Her vision blurred—then darkened—

And she collapsed onto Asta's chest.

For a moment, everything was still.

Then, a shadow loomed over them.

A man stood there, his eye patch shifting as he scratched at it, fingers stroking his chin.

A quiet chuckle.

"Well, hey. There y'all are…"

His gaze moved from Asta to Noelle. He clicked his tongue.

"Not bad, little missy. Not bad…"

His smirk widened as he crouched.

"Now, leave everything to me."

—

Author's Notes:

[1] For a while, I've been working on a Black Clover x Wistoria fanfic with a similar opening to this chapter. The key difference? Noelle's actions in saving Asta would trigger Lucius' panic. In a desperate attempt to erase them himself, his magic would collide with Lily's attack, setting off a chain reaction—one that would warp them far away into the Lyzance world of Wistoria.

Noelle would then wake up in a dungeon, right in the middle of the Dungeon Attack Arc. And from there… well, chaos would ensue, as she would try to heal Asta, and run into Will's party.

I never published that story, though. Wistoria has so little content right now that keeping the story going would be tough—unless I completely made up my own plot. And that's not something I really want to do. So, I shelved it.

(For the record, I was going to call it Asteria: Tale of Star and Snow.)

That said, I ended up repurposing its intro here—with a lot of changes, of course. Guess all that work wasn't for nothing.

[1] Like I mentioned before, if this story continues, it'll be under RPS (Extra's), since it'll be an RPS alternate timeline special.

[3] Feel free to join the discord: https://discord.gg/s3MME8X8ar