Prompt: Loosely inspired by a request by MoonLightAbyss. What if Noelle became a Paladin instead of Sister Lily.
—
The Clover Kingdom was radiant that morning. Sunlight spilled across the capital like a blessing.
A small crowd gathered early, lining the Magic Knight headquarters. The ceremony was to be a private one.
Limited to select members of the magic knights, as well as friends and family of Asta.
After all—he was finally being promoted.
But with Damnatio's absence he had yet to be exonerated for his supposed crimes during the Elf incident.
Technically he was still in exile.
They couldn't hold a public award ceremony for a crook, now could they?
Asta stood at the center, straight-backed, fists clenched tight at his sides. His cape fluttered in the wind.
Noelle stood amongst the others on the side. She couldn't stop staring at him.
He looked... older somehow. Ever-so-slightly Taller. His jaw was more defined. His eyes were calm, not wild.
When did that happen?
No one else noticed the way his gaze flicked to her. Not even Mimosa, who stood nearby.
Fuegoleon Vermillion, who has taken on a sort of Interim or Acting Wizard King role ever since Julius disappeared after Spade—called Asta forward.
"By royal decree," Fuegoleon spoke, voice smooth and proud, "Asta of the Black Bulls, you are hereby appointed Senior Magic Knight, First Class."
Cheers erupted from every side. Asta's family from Hage screamed his name. While the others smiled softly and clapped.
But Noelle couldn't hear any of it. Her ears rang.
He really did it.
Asta smiled sheepishly as the Captains surrounded him offering him some praise or apologetic condolences on Fuegeoleon's part.
Then, something shifted.
Instead of stepping back, Asta raised a hand. His voice was steady. Loud.
"There's something I need to say."
Murmurs rose. Fuegoleone tilted his head. "Go on."
Asta turned, facing the crowd. But his eyes... his eyes were only on her.
"I've waited long enough," he said.
Noelle's heart stopped.
"I always thought I was too weak. That I needed to become stronger first. That I didn't have the right."
He looked down for a moment. Then back at her. No one else.
"But now I see... strength means nothing if I don't say this."
Silence dropped like a stone.
"Noelle Silva," Asta said, voice cracking just slightly. "I love you."
Time fractured.
Gasps exploded around them. A certain Silver-haired Magic Knight Captain dropped a glass. Mimosa's hands flew to her mouth.
Noelle's world tilted.
What?
She blinked. Swallowed.
What did he just—
Her magic flared unconsciously. A soft spray of water lifted from her shoulders.
She didn't speak. She couldn't.
Asta kept his eyes on her. Vulnerable. Real.
"I know I'm blunt. I know I'm not smart about feelings. But I've known for a long time. I just didn't know how to say it."
He stepped forward. Just one step.
"I love you, Noelle. I love everything about you. And if you feel the same... I want to be with you."
Her lips parted.
"I..."
Her heart was hammering. Her chest hurt. She wanted to laugh. Scream. Cry.
She could barely breathe.
He loves me.
The thing she never dared to hope for. The thing she buried so deep it almost stopped hurting.
It was real.
But before she could answer—
The sky ripped open.
A twisted halo of golden light spiraled above the courtyard. Dark mana bled through it like veins.
People screamed and then froze.
A figure descended, arms spread, white cloak rippling in the wind.
"Wizard King?," Asta raised a brow in surprise, "Where have you been all this time—"
Asta paused, and then went wide eyed. "W-wait you're not Miste Wizard King. Who are you?"
Asta probed cautiously, instinctively stepping in front of Noelle to face the newcomer who's Ki felt so wrong.
Lucius Zogratis landed like a god among ants. Calm. Controlled. Smiling.
"Julius is gone now, forget about him." he said softly.
Asta froze.
"You—"
"Silence, you'll be joining him in a moment, and I'm not here for you, not really" Lucius interrupted, looking past him.
His eyes locked on Noelle.
"I'm here for her."
Noelle stiffened.
"What...?" she managed.
Lucius raised a hand.
No.
Light gathered in his palm. Not holy. Not divine. Wrong.
"Noelle!" Asta shouted, lunging back toward her.
Too late.
Lucius's magic surged.
Time distorted. Gravity warped. Symbols etched themselves into the air around her.
Asta reached for her hand.
Her fingers brushed his.
And then everything snapped.
Noelle's body convulsed. Her eyes widened. Light swallowed her whole.
"No—Noelle!!"
He tried to pull her back. His Anti-Magic flared violently. But the spell was already done.
When the light faded, Noelle stood tall... and different.
Silver armor clung to her frame. A halo of cracked gold hovered above her. Wings of light pulsed behind her back.
Paladin Noelle opened her eyes.
Blank. Empty. Gone.
Asta backed away like he'd been stabbed.
"No... no, no, no..."
Lucius floated behind her, hand on her shoulder.
"She will be a warrior of peace," he said softly. "And the first to remake this world."
"She's not yours!" Asta shouted.
Paladin Noelle stepped forward.
Magic condensed around her like a pressure system.
Water shaped into jagged spears and floating rings. Her grimoire hovered at her side, glowing bright white.
"She's not doing this!" Asta barked, eyes wide. "Noelle! It's me! It's Asta—you love me!"
Her expression didn't change.
"Don't make me fight you," he whispered. "Please..."
Lucius raised two fingers.
Noelle moved.
In a flash, water roared from her palm. It slammed into Asta before he could react.
He grunted, flung back, bones screaming.
"Noelle—Noelle, stop!"
He staggered up.
She was already above him.
Mana gathered like a hurricane. Her eyes were still blank—but her hands trembled.
Some part of her is still in there.
He could feel it. See it.
"Fight it," he pleaded. "You're strong. You're stronger than anyone I've ever met."
Lucius narrowed his eyes.
"Send him away."
Noelle hesitated.
Then—
She struck.
Light flooded the platform. Asta's Anti-Magic surged too late.
Pain. Darkness. Falling.
And then—nothing.
He vanished.
Noelle collapsed to one knee, hand over her heart.
Lucius looked down at her.
"Well done."
—
The sky had returned to blue.
The crowd was gone.
The palace courtyard lay in silent ruin. Shattered marble. Scorched stone. Water puddled across the broken floor.
Lucius stood still.
Paladin Noelle knelt at his side, head bowed.
Her armor glinted under the sun. But her eyes… her eyes twitched.
He's gone.
She'd sent him far, far away. Her hands still shook from the force of it.
She didn't kill him.
She couldn't.
Lucius didn't notice. Or didn't care.
"Peace begins with sacrifice," he murmured.
Noelle didn't respond.
Inside her mind, she was screaming.
—
Thousands of miles away, a boy crashed into a sandy beach.
Asta's body skidded across the shore, carving a deep line in the earth.
He didn't move for a long time.
The waves lapped at his boots. Wind tugged at his torn cloak.
His fingers twitched.
He groaned.
Then sat up slowly, wincing. His body ached all over. His vision blurred.
Everything felt... wrong.
Where...
He looked up.
The sea stretched out behind him. In the distance—towering cliffs, bamboo forests, bright red shrines built into the mountainside.
He was somewhere else.
Definitely not the Clover Kingdom.
What happened?
The last thing he remembered was her.
Noelle. Standing above him. Radiant. Empty. Breaking.
And then—
He stared down at his hand.
It still tingled. From where her magic touched him.
He clenched it into a fist.
She didn't kill him.
She saved me.
That thought hit harder than any spell.
His mouth tightened. His eyes burned.
She's still in there.
—
The Land of the Rising Sun was unfamiliar. But beautiful.
Fishermen lined the beaches. Children played with wooden swords. Strange birds called from the trees.
Asta stumbled into the village an hour later, half-dead.
The people didn't panic. They didn't even look surprised.
They brought him food. Medicine. A straw bed.
He couldn't stop shaking.
He didn't ask where he was.
He didn't care.
He just kept whispering her name.
—
The next day, he woke to voices.
Loud. Confident. One voice in particular made the air crackle.
A man in a dark red kimono crouched beside him, arms folded, the right side of his face covered by an eye-patch.
"So," the man grinned, "you're the one she sent."
Asta blinked. "Huh?"
"Name's Ryuya. Shogun of this land. We've been expecting you."
—
The next few days were a blur.
Asta didn't sleep much. He didn't talk much.
He trained.
When his body failed, he trained anyway.
When he vomited from exhaustion, he kept swinging.
The Ryuzen Seven watched silently.
He didn't ask for their names. Not yet.
All he wanted—all he cared about—was getting stronger.
I wasn't strong enough to stop her.
He'd replayed it a hundred times. The moment she changed.
The tremble in her fingers. The way her lips parted just barely, like she wanted to say something.
He saw it. He felt it.
She didn't want this.
But he let it happen.
He was too slow. Too blind.
Too weak.
—
That night, he sat by the river, knees pulled to his chest.
The stars in this land were brighter than in Clover.
He couldn't look at them.
Noelle's face hovered behind his eyes.
Smiling. Blushing. Rolling her eyes. Scolding him.
Then the version burned into his memory.
Cold. Empty. Controlled.
He clenched his fists.
"I'll save you," he whispered.
He didn't care how long it took.
—
The Ryuzen Seven tested him without mercy.
Yosuga almost broke his ribs on the first day.
Ichika insulted him constantly. "If you can't even control your emotions, you'll never master Zetten."
He didn't argue.
He just kept going.
—
A week passed.
He still hadn't smiled.
—
In Clover, the kingdom was shaken and panicking.
Asta didn't get a funeral. As things stood perhaps everyone would die in a week's time.
They needed to prepare for Judgment Day.
Nacht stood in silence. So did Yami.
The Black Bulls refused to believe it.
They searched for his body. They searched for Noelle's whereabouts.
Magna punched through walls. Charmy cried herself to sleep.
No sign of either of them.
The Black Bulls left to find their favorite magicless idiot and snobby princess.
—
In Hino, Asta didn't cry.
He bled. He trained.
He screamed into the trees when no one was around.
He watched birds fly overhead and wondered if she was watching too.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her standing over him.
Not killing him.
Saving him.
—
"Why didn't she finish me off?" he asked Ryuya one evening.
The shogun didn't look surprised.
"'Cause she's stronger than he thought."
Asta swallowed.
"Stronger than me?"
Ryuya chuckled. "Yeah. But you'll catch up."
Asta looked down at his hands.
"They were shaking," he said quietly. "Her hands. When she attacked me."
"That's her heart, trying to break free."
—
That night, Asta didn't sleep.
He trained until his arms gave out. Until his knuckles split. Until his vision blurred.
He collapsed in the dirt, gasping.
"I'll get strong enough," he panted. "I will. I'll break that curse. I'll bring her back."
His voice cracked.
"I swear it."
The stars above him said nothing.
But the wind shifted.
Soft. Like a whisper.
—
Back in his base, Lucius sat on his divine throne.
The world was changing. Slowly. Quietly.
One Paladin at a time.
Noelle knelt beside him. Motionless.
But inside—
She still heard his voice.
Over and over.
I love you.
It echoed louder than Lucius's commands. Louder than her own fear.
Her heart beat painfully in her chest.
He's alive. I know it.
Somewhere... she felt him.
Training.
Fighting.
Coming back.
—
The days in Hino were long.
The nights were worse.
Asta didn't rest. Not really.
He moved like a ghost through the Ryuzen Seven's temple grounds—punching, swinging, sprinting, shouting into the mountains until his voice gave out.
He didn't want comfort.
Didn't want sympathy.
He wanted strength.
—
His hands were wrapped in bandages. Always bleeding.
His arms trembled when he lifted his sword now.
But he kept going.
Because every time he stopped...
He saw her face again.
That moment. Her trembling hand. Her eyes wide. Lips barely moving.
And the way her magic wrapped around him, not to destroy...
But to save.
He refused to waste that gift.
He wouldn't let her down.
—
The Ryuzen Seven didn't treat him gently.
Yosuga dropped him off a cliff on the third day.
Ichika nearly drowned him in the river the next.
He didn't complain once.
"You're too slow," Ichika snapped, arms folded. "Again."
Asta coughed up water, dragged himself back onto the rocks, and stood.
"Again," he rasped.
—
Every breath hurt.
Every muscle screamed.
But inside—
His heart burned hotter than ever.
—
Ryuya watched from the top of the temple steps, sipping tea.
"His heart's unbreakable," he murmured.
Yosuga grinned. "Bet he breaks Zetten before the week's out."
Ryuya chuckled. "I bet he's faster than that."
—
Asta didn't hear them.
He was too focused.
Every cut, every fall, every failure became fuel.
He stopped thinking about the pain. About fear.
He only thought of her.
Noelle.
The girl who always stood beside him. Argued with him. Believed in him.
The one who smiled at him with eyes full of pride.
The one who saved him when it mattered most.
The one he loved.
And he never even got to hold her hand.
He grit his teeth and raised his sword again.
This time, it felt lighter.
—
By evening, Ichika changed tactics.
She stopped holding back.
"You want Zetten?" she growled. "Then stop swinging like a lovesick idiot."
He glared at her. "I am a lovesick idiot!"
And then he lunged.
She dodged, but barely.
"Good," she muttered. "Finally, some honesty."
—
The others joined in.
Jozou hurled kunai at him.
Daizaemon buried him under boulders.
Fujio played him a song that resonated with his soul.
And Asta laughed through all of it.
Because every moment brought him closer.
Every hit made him faster.
Every hour made his sword feel more natural, more right.
Zetten wasn't just a technique.
It was focus. Timing. Resolve.
It was everything he'd learned since he was a kid.
Never give up.
Never stay down.
Protect the ones you love.
—
That night, when the others were sleeping, he stood alone in the clearing.
Sword in hand.
Eyes closed.
Noelle's voice echoed in his head.
The real one.
Not the cold, empty one Lucius forced her to wear.
But the real Noelle.
Her teasing. Her shouting. Her awkward, vulnerable moments when she wanted to say more but couldn't.
"I love you too," he whispered into the dark.
And then—
He swung.
Zetten burst from his blade.
Clean. Fast. Perfect.
The bamboo trees behind him split in silence.
—
He stood still.
Chest rising.
Heart pounding.
He didn't smile.
He didn't cheer.
He just whispered, "Wait for me."
—
Far away, Noelle blinked.
Her fingers twitched.
Something in her chest ached.
She didn't understand why.
But her heart whispered the same thing back.
I'm waiting.
—
The next morning, Ryuya handed Asta a bowl of rice.
"You've got it."
Asta nodded.
"I know."
But he didn't celebrate.
There was no time.
Lucius was still out there.
Noelle was still under his control.
The clock was ticking.
—
For the first time since arriving, Asta sat quietly on the temple roof and just breathed.
The sea wind cooled his skin.
He stared at the horizon.
Somewhere out there… she was fighting too.
Maybe crying.
Maybe struggling.
But still holding on.
Because that's who she is.
And he was going to reach her.
No matter what.
—
Yosuga sat beside him, arms crossed behind his head.
"You're still training in your sleep, y'know."
Asta blinked. "Really?"
Yosuga smirked. "You keep mumbling her name. Loudly."
Asta's ears turned red.
"Sh-shut up."
—
Ichika leaned out the temple door, scowling. "He's wasting time. Tomorrow's a full-power spar. If he can't handle it, I'm kicking him off the mountain."
Asta stood up.
"Bring it."
—
That afternoon, he trained with one hand.
Just to see if he could.
And because part of him wanted to be ready if he ever had to fight Noelle again.
No, he told himself. When I fight her again.
Because he knew Lucius would force it.
And he knew she'd hate herself for it.
So he'd have to carry that pain for both of them.
He'd have to win without hurting her.
—
He stared at the foggy and obscured sky again.
This time, he didn't look away.
"I'm coming back," he promised. "Stronger than ever."
"And I'm bringing you home."
—
She stood on the cliff, the sea wind biting at her face.
The Five-Headed Dragon stirred below, its massive coils rising through the mist.
She didn't flinch.
Didn't blink.
Didn't move.
But inside…
She was screaming.
This isn't me.
This isn't my will.
This isn't what I wanted.
Lucius's voice echoed in her mind like a chain around her throat.
You will bring peace. You will serve the new world.
You were broken. Now you are complete.
—
She hated it.
Hated him.
And hated herself for not being able to fight it.
Paladin Noelle looked composed. Regal. Cold.
Her silver armor shimmered with god-like magic.
Her hair floated like it belonged to a goddess.
Her voice came out hollow, robotic.
But her soul—
Her soul was cracking.
—
Heath stood beside her. Yrul hovered just behind.
Their eyes were empty too.
But they liked it.
They embraced it.
They didn't resist.
Not like her.
Because she remembered.
She remembered everything.
The way Asta looked at her during the ceremony.
The moment his voice broke when he said her name.
The way her chest had felt like it would explode from happiness.
And the very next second—
Lucius stole it all away.
He stole my moment.
He stole me.
—
When she'd raised her lance against Asta, her heart had tried to stop her.
But her body obeyed Lucius.
Her voice called down silver destruction.
And Asta…
Didn't fight back.
He smiled.
Even as her magic pierced him.
Even as his blood sprayed across her armor.
Even as he fell.
He smiled at her.
—
And just before he vanished…
She felt it.
A flicker of something.
Her own magic, changing. Curling around him.
Protecting.
Guiding.
A split-second defiance.
Lucius hadn't noticed.
But she had.
She'd saved him.
Somehow.
Even under control…
Her heart had chosen him.
—
But now she was caged again.
Lucius had tightened the leash around her soul like she was his dog.
Every step she took in Hino felt like she was dragging a mountain behind her.
Every time she summoned her Valkyrie Dress, she wanted to vomit.
Because it wasn't hers anymore.
It belonged to him.
—
He told her to revive the Five-Headed Dragon.
She obeyed.
She wanted to scream as Yrul's magic poured into the beast.
She wanted to scream as she remembered Lucius' special instructions just for her.
It shouldn't be her about to do this.
It should be one of them.
But Lucius had picked her.
Because it would hurt Asta the most.
—
And the worst part?
She knew he was still alive.
She didn't know how.
But she could feel him.
Far away. Angry. Heartbroken. Determined.
His presence was like a heartbeat echoing in her chest.
—
Every second, that pulse grew stronger.
And it scared her.
Because the stronger it got…
The harder it was to obey.
—
Her armor would flicker sometimes.
Her steps would falter.
Lucius's control would squeeze tighter.
But she wouldn't let go.
She'd grit her teeth and smile the fake Paladin smile.
Because she was waiting.
Waiting for him to come.
To free her.
To remind her that she was still Noelle.
Not this... puppet in silver skin.
Then, Yrul laughed, perched on top of the Torii gate which the beast was suppressed under.
"We're going to crush this country in a moment."
Heath nodded. "And then we return home. With the dragon. And the boy's corpse."
Noelle said nothing.
She just stared into the distance.
Because if she opened her mouth…
She might scream.
He's alive.
I know he is.
He has to be.
—
In the shadows of her mind, she clung to that thought.
It was the only piece of herself she had left.
A single thread of warmth in a sea of ice.
She saw him in her dreams.
Not the version she attacked.
But him.
Smiling. Dumb. Loud. Brave. Real.
Her Asta.
The one who never gave up on her.
—
When she snapped out of her daze, her cheeks was soaked.
Her armor was dented from how tightly she'd clenched her fists.
Lucius's voice echoed in her skull again.
Soon, the boy will fall by your hand.
And when he does, your soul will be complete.
—
She almost laughed.
Because he didn't understand.
My soul already is complete.
It's his.
—
Noelle closed her eyes and pictured him.
The scar across his chest. The calluses on his fingers. The goofy way his hair stuck up no matter how much water she poured on it.
And the way he said her name like it meant something sacred.
—
He would come.
She knew it.
And when he did—
She wasn't going to be a burden.
She wasn't going to cry and collapse in his arms.
No.
She was going to fight.
Fight him.
Fight Lucius.
Fight for control.
Fight her fate.
Fight everything.
—
Her fingers tightened around her lance.
If she couldn't break free yet…
Then she'd prepare.
Memorize his rhythms.
Watch her own movements.
Learn to resist.
Bit by bit.
Until the moment came.
Because it would come.
Lucius couldn't control her forever.
He didn't understand what it meant to love someone.
He didn't understand what it meant to choose them.
She may be a Paladin now.
But deep inside…
She was still Noelle Silva.
Black Bulls.
Royalty.
Stubborn to the core.
And hopelessly, stupidly in love with Asta.
—
So she waited.
And fought.
And dreamed.
And whispered to herself when no one could hear.
I'm still here.
Come find me.
Please.
—
He felt it before he saw her.
A pulse in the air.
A chill that had nothing to do with the weather.
Asta raised his head.
Across the battlefield, cloaked in silver light, she hovered.
Noelle.
But not his Noelle.
Paladin armor gleamed on her body like a cage.
Her eyes were cold.
Her hair flowed like moonlight.
Her magic crackled with unnatural power.
—
But even with all that—
His heart still skipped.
His breath still hitched.
Because it was her.
She's alive.
But she didn't smile.
Didn't shout his name.
Didn't run into his arms.
She raised her lance.
And pointed it straight at him.
—
Yrul and Heath flanked her.
But Asta didn't see them.
Didn't hear the Ryuzen shouting behind him.
Didn't feel the wind or the dust or the shaking ground.
Just her.
Noelle… please…
—
She launched forward like a thunderclap.
Her lance sang with magic.
The first strike cracked the earth.
Asta barely blocked it in time.
He gritted his teeth as their weapons clashed.
Her eyes didn't blink.
Her lips didn't tremble.
But—
I know you're in there.
—
He jumped back, deflecting another strike.
"Noelle!"
Nothing.
He tried again.
"It's me!"
Still nothing.
Just a flash of silver and another explosion of water magic.
She wasn't holding back.
Every hit rattled his bones.
Her lance moved like lightning.
Like his Noelle—only sharper. Crueler. Empty.
She landed a clean blow across his side.
He staggered.
Coughed.
Blood hit the dirt.
—
She's serious.
Lucius really did this to her.
—
The others stayed back.
This fight was theirs.
Asta raised his blade again.
His arm ached.
His chest burned.
But he didn't stop.
Because behind every attack she threw—
He saw it.
A flicker.
A tremble.
A crack in the mask.
Her mouth twitched.
Her eyes shimmered.
Her stance faltered, just once.
Just enough.
—
She's fighting it.
"Noelle!" he shouted again, louder.
"I'm not giving up on you!"
She surged forward.
Their blades clashed in a spray of water and black lightning.
"I know you can hear me!"
Another strike.
Faster.
Sharper.
But her breathing hitched.
Just for a second.
He was right.
She could hear him.
—
He pressed on.
"Back then… at the ceremony…"
His eyes locked with hers.
"You heard me, didn't you?"
Her strike paused mid-air.
The lance trembled in her grip.
"I love you!"
The words hit harder than any attack.
They echoed across the battlefield.
Even the Ryuzen stopped fighting.
—
Noelle froze.
Her magic flared uncontrollably.
Her eyes widened.
But Lucius's voice slammed into her mind like a whip.
Silence him.
End it.
—
She screamed.
A horrible, twisted, agonized scream.
And unleashed everything.
A tidal wave of silver-blue fury.
Asta braced himself.
His Anti-Magic roared to life.
He charged straight through the storm.
Not to fight.
But to reach her.
Their powers collided.
The impact shook the skies.
Magic and Anti-Magic exploded in every direction.
—
Her armor cracked.
His arms bled.
But he kept going.
Because this was it.
The moment.
Zetten.
Time slowed.
He saw her face.
Tears in her eyes.
Real tears.
He focused.
Everything he had—
All his power, his love, his will—
Poured into his next strike.
—
"NOELLE!!!"
He slashed.
Clean.
Precise.
Right through the soul magic binding her.
The light shattered.
Her lance fell.
So did she.
He caught her before she hit the ground.
Her body was limp in his arms.
Her armor crumbled away.
Her hair was soaked.
But her eyes were open.
—
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
So quiet, he almost didn't hear.
"I didn't… I couldn't…"
He pulled her close.
Held her like she was the most fragile thing in the world.
"You came back."
His voice cracked.
She buried her face in his chest.
"I never left," she choked.
Lucius's control was gone.
The spell broken.
Noelle Silva was finally free.
—
She shook in his arms.
Whether from guilt or relief or love—maybe all three.
He didn't care.
He just held her tighter.
"I hurt you," she breathed.
"You saved me."
"I was going to kill you."
"You sent me away."
"I almost forgot who I was."
"I never did."
—
The battlefield was silent.
The others didn't move.
Even the malevolent dragon paused, as if stunned.
They were both trembling.
Bloody. Exhausted. Scorched.
But together.
And that was enough.
For now.
—
Asta pressed his forehead to hers.
His voice low.
"I told you before, right?"
She nodded, barely.
His words brushed against her lips.
"I love you."
And this time…
She said it back.
"I love you too."
—
Noelle was light in his arms.
Too light.
Like the fight had taken everything from her.
Like she'd been carrying a weight far heavier than armor.
Her magic was gone.
Her mana was still there, but dim.
Flickering.
Like a dying candle.
—
Asta didn't let go.
Even as the world moved around them, he held her close.
Like if he loosened his grip, she'd vanish again.
Nothing else mattered.
Not Yosuga facing Heath and Yrul.
Not Ryuya commanding the rest of the Ryuzen to battle the dragon.
None of that registered.
Only her.
—
She didn't speak.
Didn't need to.
Her fingers clenched the front of his shirt.
Tight.
Like she needed to make sure he was real too.
—
Even as the battle raged on, the Ryuzen didn't say a word.
Not even Ichika.
They all just stood still, watching, waiting.
Respecting something sacred.
Noelle's head rested against his shoulder.
"I was awake," she murmured.
"Every second."
Asta's throat tightened.
"You remember everything?"
She nodded once, slowly.
"I saw myself hurting you."
A pause.
"I hated it."
He gently brushed silver strands from her face.
"You weren't in control."
"That doesn't matter," she said quietly.
"I still remember every time I raised my weapon against you."
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
No magic. No explosion. Just water.
Real tears.
"I wanted to scream every time I attacked," she whispered.
"But my mouth wouldn't move."
Asta pulled her in again.
Not like before.
This time it was her—pressing into him, clinging.
Shaking.
"You fought back," he said.
"You gave me the opening I needed."
"I almost gave in," she admitted. "To Lucius."
Her voice broke.
"I almost forgot who I was."
He held the back of her head.
"You didn't."
She bit her lip.
"I was scared. Still scared."
"Me too," Asta said honestly.
"I thought I lost you."
She looked up at him.
Eyes red. Face pale. Voice raw.
"But you didn't."
He smiled.
Not the usual blinding grin.
Something smaller.
Softer.
"Not a chance."
—
Noelle laughed once. It cracked.
It sounded like it hurt.
But she didn't stop.
She pressed her forehead against his chest.
"Lucius is still out there."
"I know."
"He'll come back."
"Let him."
Her arms wrapped around him.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Then she squeezed.
Like if she could just press hard enough, he'd sink into her and never leave again.
Asta blinked quickly.
He was crying, too.
He didn't even notice when it started.
—
The others finally moved.
Ichika stepped forward, but paused.
"Is she…?"
"She's free," Asta said.
His voice cracked like ice.
Yosuga gave a slow nod.
"Good."
The Five-Headed Dragon roared in the distance.
Still raging. Still wild.
But the battlefield belonged to them now.
"We need to regroup," Ichika said.
Asta didn't answer.
Noelle was still wrapped around him like she was afraid of gravity.
"Can she move?" Yami's sister asked.
Asta shifted his arms slightly.
"She doesn't have to."
Noelle didn't argue.
Didn't let go.
Didn't care if it made her look weak.
She was tired.
Tired in her bones, her heart, her soul.
Lucius had used her as a weapon.
Turned her against the one person who never gave up on her.
And still—she'd broken free.
That had to count for something.
—
They found shelter among the hills of Hino.
Some ancient seals kept them hidden.
The others went ahead.
To finish the battle.
Asta stayed behind.
Still carrying her.
—
Noelle stirred weakly.
"You can put me down."
"Don't want to."
"I'm heavy."
He snorted.
"You're light."
She smiled, just barely.
Then closed her eyes again.
"I don't deserve this."
"You deserve everything."
They sat together under a tree.
The wind moved gently around them.
The world felt… quieter.
Even the guilt in her chest seemed to pause.
"You saved me," Asta said.
She blinked.
"What?"
"You could've killed me. But you sent me away."
"I didn't mean to," she confessed. "Not really. I didn't know I could."
"But you did."
He looked her in the eye.
"I was falling, and you threw me toward hope."
Noelle looked away.
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"I didn't want you to see me like that."
"Controlled?"
"Empty."
"I've seen you broken before," Asta said.
"And I've always been proud of how you rise again."
Noelle went quiet.
The kind of quiet that only comes after pain.
And honesty.
—
"Why me?" she finally asked.
He blinked. "What?"
"Why do you love me?"
Asta leaned back.
Smiled softly.
"You're strong."
She rolled her eyes. "So are a hundred other mages."
"You're kind."
"I can be awful."
"You're honest."
"I lie to myself all the time."
He reached out, cupped her cheek.
"You're you."
And that, somehow, made her cry again.
She leaned into his touch.
Then into his chest.
She could feel his heart beating.
Strong.
Steady.
Real.
"I wanted to believe you," she whispered. "At the ceremony."
"You didn't?"
"I thought I was dreaming."
He chuckled.
"I wasn't."
—
"I wanted to kiss you," she added.
Asta swallowed.
"You still can."
She glanced up, face burning.
"Now?"
"Now."
So she did.
Not perfect.
Not polished.
Just lips against lips.
Trembling.
Tasting tears.
But real.
—
When they pulled apart, she buried her face in his neck.
"I'm scared."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"What if Lucius tries again?"
"Then I'll fight him again."
"What if I lose myself again?"
"You won't."
"And if I do?"
"Then I'll come find you."
Noelle was quiet.
Then she nodded.
Slow. Fragile. Sure.
"Okay."
They didn't say anything else for a while.
They just sat there.
Two kids who had almost lost everything.
Finding their way back.
And in that moment…
She wasn't a Paladin.
He wasn't a savior.
They were just Noelle and Asta.
And that was enough.
That was enough to anchor Noelle to the world of the living.
She didn't fall into a deep coma, like others may have.
Asta severed her fate and connection to Lucius, and she fully drew the line.
Her soul stabilised.
Noelle was free.
Noelle didn't fade away.
—
Noelle didn't sleep the first night.
She lay beside Asta in silence, watching him.
Making sure he didn't disappear.
Making sure she didn't wake up as a Paladin again.
His breathing was steady.
He didn't snore like he used to.
That worried her.
He'd changed.
Not just stronger—different.
Sharper.
Like every edge of him had been forged and reforged.
She reached for his hand.
He squeezed back, not even opening his eyes.
"I'm still here," he whispered.
—
Morning came too fast.
The clouds in Hino were heavy, like the sky knew what was coming.
Judgment Day wasn't just near.
It was waiting.
Ichika led the briefing.
She spoke in clipped tones, efficient and cold.
"Everything has been dealt with."
"Here at least… Ryuya-sama has said lots of trouble will be waiting for you back home."
Asta and Noelle already knew that.
"We don't have time to rest," Asta said.
Noelle stood beside him, arms crossed.
"No one's resting."
Yosuga smirked. "You two are scary together."
Asta blinked. "Huh?"
"Noelle's ki has changed," Ichika said. "It's not like a Paladin's anymore. But it's still different."
Noelle said nothing.
She didn't understand it either.
Lucius had changed her, yes.
But Asta had changed her back.
—
There was still something foreign inside her.
Some echo of divine manipulation.
But it didn't control her.
She controlled it.
Training began at dawn.
The Ryuzen went full force.
Noelle didn't back down once.
Not even when she collapsed, panting, trembling.
She wanted to feel pain.
She needed it.
To remind herself this was real.
That she was alive.
That she had agency again.
Asta never left her side.
Even when they trained apart, she felt his presence.
Like gravity.
They didn't talk much the first day.
Too much to work through.
Too much to prove—to themselves and to each other.
—
That night, they sat under the same tree.
Not touching, just close enough for their shoulders to brush.
The stars in Hino were quiet.
But Noelle's mind was loud.
"I should've been stronger," she said suddenly.
"You were," Asta replied.
"No," she shook her head. "Strong enough to resist from the beginning."
"You resisted in the end. That's what matters."
"I almost killed you."
"You saved me." Asta repeated for the fiftieth time.
But he didn't care, he'd remind her as many times it took to get it through to her.
He was here today only because of her.
They reunited because she resisted.
She is his savior, not his slayer.
—
She stared at her hands.
The same ones that had aimed spears of water at his chest.
The same ones that now trembled when he was too far away.
"Do you think we'll win?" she asked.
Asta didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
"How can you say that so easily?"
"Because I have to."
—
They didn't kiss that night.
But they didn't need to.
The closeness was enough.
For now.
Day two was worse.
The Ryuzen pushed harder.
Asta sliced through illusions and afterimages with precision.
Noelle stood in the eye of her own storm, commanding new spells.
Ichika watched them spar.
Her expression unreadable.
"They make each other stronger," she muttered.
Yosuga crossed his arms. "No. They trust each other. That's the source."
—
Noelle discovered something strange in her mana.
Not Light.
Not Paladin.
But a cold clarity, sharp like ice.
Still hers.
Just… reforged.
She learned to bend it, shape it.
Not like her old Valkyrie armor.
This one didn't look like armor at all.
It looked like wings.
—
She didn't name it.
Names felt too permanent.
This wasn't who she was now—just a piece.
Something temporary.
But Asta smiled when he saw it.
"Looks good on you."
She flushed. "Don't say weird stuff in the middle of battle."
"It's not weird if it's true."
That night, she was the one who reached for him.
Not out of fear.
Out of want.
Their fingers linked.
Neither said anything.
Not even when her head tilted to his shoulder.
Not even when he rested his cheek against her hair.
—
Time felt stolen.
Every second together was a rebellion.
Against fate.
Against Lucius.
Against everything that tried to pull them apart.
On the third morning, Noelle stood before the cliff's edge.
The wind tangled in her silver hair.
She didn't flinch anymore.
Not even when she thought about what Lucius did to her.
—
She turned around.
Asta was waiting.
He held his Demon-Destroyer in one hand.
And extended the other to her.
She took it.
No hesitation.
"We're ready," she said.
Asta nodded. "We are."
There was nothing left to train.
No spells left to test.
No fears left to confront.
They knew what tomorrow meant.
And they were done being afraid of it.
—
Later, in the quiet, Asta sat beside her again.
Only now, his hand was on her waist.
Her head tucked beneath his chin.
Like the space between them had vanished for good.
"Did you mean it?" she asked.
Asta blinked. "Mean what?"
"Back then. At the ceremony. When you said you loved me."
He turned to look her dead in the eye.
"Every word."
She looked away.
"I didn't answer you."
"You didn't have to."
"I want to now."
She took his hand again.
This time, lacing their fingers with slow intention.
"I love you too."
He swallowed hard.
But smiled.
"Guess that means we're really fighting for each other now."
"No," she said.
Then leaned closer.
Kissed his cheek.
"We always were."
That night, she slept with her head on his chest.
And for the first time since her transformation…
Her dreams were her own.
—
The night before Judgment Day came quietly.
No thunder. No wind. Just silence.
Too silent.
Asta couldn't sleep.
He sat on the rooftop of the inn, legs crossed, staring at the moon.
It was full.
Too perfect.
He hated how peaceful it looked.
Like the world didn't care about tomorrow.
Like nothing was about to break.
Footsteps behind him.
He didn't need to look.
"I knew you'd come," he said softly.
Noelle climbed up and sat beside him.
The air around her shimmered faintly, not with magic—but tension.
She was holding it in.
Neither spoke for a long time.
They just sat there.
Shoulders brushing.
Hearts pounding quietly.
—
"I had a nightmare," she whispered.
Asta looked over.
Her eyes were on the horizon.
"I was back in that white space," she said. "Paladin me."
"No voice. No body. Just floating."
She clenched her fists. "Lucius was laughing."
Asta didn't interrupt.
He let her talk.
Let her release.
"And then I saw you. Bleeding. Alone. Reaching for me."
"But I couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Couldn't even cry."
She turned to him.
"I know it wasn't real. But it felt real."
Her voice cracked. "I hate that part of me still exists."
Asta shook his head.
"That wasn't you."
She looked away.
"Yes, it was."
"No." His voice was firm now. "It wasn't. You weren't in control. He was."
"You fought your way back."
He took her hand. "You won."
Noelle didn't respond right away.
Then slowly… she squeezed his hand back.
—
"Are you scared?" she asked.
Asta didn't lie.
"…Yeah."
They both looked up at the stars.
So many.
And yet the sky felt empty.
"I'm not afraid of dying," Asta said.
"I'm afraid of losing you again."
Noelle's breath caught.
She turned to him, eyes wide, vulnerable.
"I won't leave you," she said. "Not again."
"Promise?"
"I swear it."
He let out a long breath, and his shoulders dropped.
Noelle leaned into him, her head against his chest.
"You always did this, you know," she said quietly.
"Held me together when I was falling apart."
Asta chuckled, low and warm.
"I thought you were the strong one."
"I am," she smirked. "But strength needs a reason."
—
The wind picked up slightly.
Just enough to rustle her hair.
Asta gently tucked it behind her ear.
"I still remember the first time you yelled at me," he grinned.
Noelle groaned. "Don't remind me."
"You were so angry."
"You were so dense!"
They both laughed.
It felt wrong.
But also right.
Noelle went quiet again.
Then whispered, "Do you think we'll live through it?"
Asta's smile faded.
"I don't know."
That honesty hurt.
But it grounded her.
She nodded.
"I'm not afraid of dying either," she said.
"But if we do… I want to die fighting."
"For each other," Asta added.
She nodded again.
—
He looked down at her.
Then slowly, carefully, leaned in.
She didn't pull away.
Their lips met.
Not desperate.
Not rushed.
Just true.
A slow, soft kiss under a quiet moon.
A promise without words.
A vow without magic.
When they parted, their foreheads touched.
Noelle's eyes shimmered.
Asta's thumb brushed her cheek.
"You've always been the one," she whispered.
"You too," he breathed.
—
As dawn hit, they didn't go back inside.
They stayed under the fading stars.
Wrapped in each other.
No more nightmares.
Just warmth.
Morning came with pale light and tension.
Everyone gathered.
Weapons ready. Wills steeled.
Ichika eyed the pair of them.
"You two seem… different."
Noelle didn't respond.
But Asta smiled.
The others could sense it too.
Something had shifted.
Like a storm had learned how to love.
As they stood before the cliffs, gazing into the dawn, Noelle reached for his hand again.
Tighter than ever before.
"Let's end this," she said.
Asta nodded.
"Together."
The calm was over.
Judgment was waiting.
And they would face it not as knights…
But as one.
A spatial portal in front of them slowly opened up.
And then a familiar hand reached out, beckoning them to step forward. To come back.
Asta and Noelle did.
Hand in hand they leaped into the portal.
—
Epilogue:
The sky was quiet.
Not silent.
Just peaceful.
For once, it wasn't the calm before a storm.
It was after.
Lucius was gone.
Judgment Day had passed.
The world… survived.
Barely.
The final battle had shaken everything.
Clover, Hino, Spade, Heart—every kingdom bore scars.
Diamond was no more.
But they endured.
Because the ones who fought hardest… never gave up.
Especially them.
It was three weeks after the final clash.
Asta sat alone on the hill outside Hage.
The wind rustled the grass.
His sword rested beside him, plunged into the dirt.
Noelle approached from behind.
No armor.
No robes.
Just her.
She stopped beside him, arms folded, eyes scanning the village below.
Children were playing.
The church bell rang in the distance.
Sister Lily's voice echoed faintly, calling for lunch.
"I still can't believe it's over," Noelle murmured.
Asta gave a soft chuckle.
"Me neither."
They stood in silence.
It wasn't awkward.
Just full.
Like their hearts didn't need words anymore.
Finally, Noelle sat beside him.
Her hair brushed his shoulder.
He didn't flinch.
He leaned into it.
"I had a dream last night," she said.
Asta turned to her.
She wasn't smiling.
Not quite.
But her eyes were soft.
"You were gone," she continued.
"Not because of Lucius. Just… gone."
Her voice trembled.
"And I kept waking up, but the feeling wouldn't leave."
Asta gently reached for her hand.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said.
She nodded, but didn't answer.
He knew she believed him.
But fear wasn't logical.
Not after everything.
"I'm glad I confessed when I did," he said after a moment.
"I almost didn't."
Noelle glanced at him.
"Why not?"
He grinned sheepishly. "I thought you'd punch me."
She smirked. "I might've."
"…Totally worth it."
She laughed.
Really laughed.
It echoed across the hill like sunlight.
He closed his eyes and just listened.
"You know," she said, "we never really… talked about what happens now."
Asta nodded.
That truth had lingered between them for days.
The war was over.
But their story wasn't.
"Do you want to go back to the Black Bulls?" she asked quietly.
"Of course."
He smiled.
"That's home."
She nodded again.
"I'll go with you."
He looked at her.
Eyes wide.
"I mean," she said, blushing, "of course I will it's my squad too, and it's not like I want to quit nor am I going because you're there, I just—"
He kissed her.
Right in the middle of her flustered rant.
When he pulled back, her face was red.
"…You jerk."
"Worth it again."
They lay back in the grass, side by side.
The sun filtered through the clouds.
He reached for her hand again.
Fingers interlocked this time.
"You still afraid of waking up and I'm gone?" he asked softly.
She didn't answer right away.
Then, "Yeah."
He turned to her.
"Then I'll just keep reminding you I'm here."
Every day, if I have to.
Noelle smiled.
Not a smirk. Not a bluff.
A real one.
"You always do," she whispered.
Later, they walked back down the hill.
Asta carried his sword.
Noelle carried wildflowers she'd picked along the way.
They stopped near the church.
The kids ran to Asta, cheering.
Noelle got dragged into a game of tag.
She pretended to protest.
She didn't mean it.
Sister Lily watched from the doorway.
Her eyes softened.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Asta met her gaze and nodded.
That night, the two of them sat by the fireplace inside the old chapel.
The same spot where they'd sat as children.
Now older. Changed. Whole.
Asta stretched and yawned.
Noelle leaned against his shoulder.
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Can we stay here a while longer?"
He nodded.
"As long as you want."
They watched the flames flicker.
The night wrapped around them like a blanket.
No monsters. No Paladins. No Lucius.
Just peace.
And for the first time in their lives… they didn't have to fight for it.