"On the day of the full moon, the magic currents under the sea will weaken. Noelle, you'll lead us in then."
Yami looked down at Noelle, his dark eyes unusually serious.
"I... I can't do it," Noelle said, shaking her head quickly. "Controlling that much water magic requires perfect control. If I mess up, everyone—"
"—will die in the currents," Yami finished flatly. "This is a top-secret Black Bull mission. Only you, with your Water Magic, can lead us beneath the waves."
His tone left no room for argument.
"There's still one week until the full moon. Starting now, you'll train here every day until you master your magic control. Push your limits, Noelle."
The Black Bulls' temporary base was a small wooden house by the beach — and from the noise inside, it didn't sound like a group on a dangerous mission.
"Another round!"
"Food! More food!"
"Marieee!"
The place was tiny to begin with, and the chaos inside was unbearable. Adam finally gave up and stepped outside, letting the cool ocean breeze wash over him.
The beach at night was peaceful. The waves lapped gently at the shore, and Adam breathed in deeply, finally relaxing.
Splash!
A sudden burst of water made him pause. He turned his head toward the sound.
"Noelle? That you?"
Sure enough, Noelle was out there on the sand, completely drenched, surrounded by puddles left from failed spells. She was panting heavily — training alone under the moonlight.
So that's what she'd been doing.
When she noticed him, she froze for a second. "Adam!"
She ran toward him, voice trembling. "I'm scared. If I can't control my magic in time, I'll ruin everything… the whole team—"
"Noelle, relax."
Adam placed his hand gently on her head. His voice was calm but full of confidence. "I believe in you. And everyone else does too. You can do this."
"Adam..."
Her cheeks flushed pink. Without thinking, she closed her eyes. Adam leaned in closer—
"Adam! Noelle! What are you two doing out here?!"
Asta's loud yell shattered the atmosphere.
Noelle immediately pushed Adam away, face burning red, and turned her head in embarrassment.
"Asta..." Adam's smile twitched as he stared at the boy with murder in his eyes. This kid had perfect timing — always the worst kind.
Before anyone could speak again, a soft singing voice drifted across the beach.
"Gugu~♪"
The melody was beautiful, haunting even. Who on earth would be singing here in the middle of the night?
"Let's go check it out," Adam said.
The three of them followed the voice to a cluster of rocks at the far end of the beach, where a girl stood singing atop a reef.
When she noticed them, she jumped down lightly and smiled. "Hi there! My name's Kahono."
"I'm Noelle," said Noelle politely. "This is Adam, and that's—"
"My name's Asta!" Asta interrupted immediately.
Adam sighed. If they weren't childhood friends, he'd have thrown Asta into the sea a long time ago.
Kahono was bright and friendly, a lot like Asta. Within minutes, she was chatting easily with both of them. She even cast Song Magic: Healing Chorus on Asta to ease his exhaustion.
"You've been training like this for years, huh?" she said, tilting her head. "No wonder your body's worn out already."
Adam blinked. "Wait, his body's what? The guy's built like a steel wall."
Kahono smiled and turned to Noelle. "If you want to control your Water Magic, you have to relax. Think of your family — release your magic from a peaceful place inside."
Family memories. For Noelle, that was like opening an old wound.
She fell silent, her face shadowed.
"Okay, enough about those jerks," Adam cut in, his tone gentle but firm. Seeing her tremble like that hit a nerve.
The next morning, while everyone else was still snoring away, Adam woke early and headed for the beach.
He stood at the shoreline, staring at the endless blue. "Guess I'll go scout ahead."
"The Clever Monkey grants me the ability to transform into seventy-two forms."
His body shimmered, shrinking into a small silver fish that dove into the depths.
The undersea world was breathtaking — coral forests, schools of glowing fish — but Adam had no time to admire it. He needed to check the path for their mission.
Soon, he reached a massive undersea vortex — wild, swirling, and impossibly strong.
"So, this is the Strong Magic Zone..." he muttered.
He tried pushing forward but the pressure was too intense. Even if he turned into a whale, he wouldn't make it through alive — and dragging others along would be suicide.
He sighed. "Nature's scary as hell sometimes."
The jade pendant on his chest glowed faintly, its warmth nudging him onward.
He smiled faintly. "Alright, baby. I'll come back for you soon."
The next few days passed in a blur of laughter and chaos.
Everyone except Noelle was having a blast — eating, drinking, and fooling around. But deep down, every single one of them believed in her.
Adam wasn't exactly idle either. He'd discovered a herd of magic boars in the nearby forest and spent days eating their meat to strengthen his Pig Talisman. By now, he couldn't even look at pork without gagging.
By the final night before the full moon, Noelle was still out training. The water around her shimmered, but her control was slipping.
"Just a little more!"
Adam closed his grimoire and stood. The Pig Talisman had reached the late second stage — only the eyes were left to awaken.
He walked over to Noelle. "Noelle, release all your magic power."
"What? If I lose control—"
"Don't worry. I'm here."
He touched her head again, pointing toward a nearby bush. "And they're here too."
The "hidden" Black Bulls popped up awkwardly, realizing their surprise pep rally had been spoiled.
"Go, Noelle!"
"You got this!"
"I even brought snacks!"
"If you fall, I'll catch you!"
"And if you lose control, my Anti-Magic will block it!"
Hearing her friends shout encouragement filled Noelle with courage she hadn't felt in years.
"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle!"
Her blue grimoire glowed brilliantly, and a massive sphere of water rose above the sand. She had done it — she'd finally controlled her power.
For a moment, her childhood flashed before her — the mockery, the shame, the loneliness. But ever since joining the Black Bulls, she'd found a family that accepted her.
"I won't hold anyone back anymore!"
"Success!"
The Bulls roared in celebration.
Adam smiled proudly, though he couldn't help muttering under his breath, "Man, this level of friendship power is kinda overkill…"
Boom!
The water sphere exploded, and Noelle plummeted. Adam reacted instantly, leaping forward and catching her in his arms.
"Hey, I was supposed to catch her!" Finral complained dramatically, tears almost spilling.
"Finral, maybe focus on finding a girlfriend first," Adam said with a teasing grin.
The spatial mage's jaw dropped. "I'm your senior, dammit!"
Adam just laughed, holding Noelle carefully.
Everything was ready now. The next stop — the Underwater Temple.