Meanwhile, chaos brewed indoors…
"Yo, Magna! You're really starting cleanup early!" Luck Voltia flew through the air with his broom like a maniacal fairy.
"Hey! I'm a Magic Knight, not a janitor! Don't call me that!" Magna yelled back.
"But you're doing Asta's chores, right? That's cleaning!" Luck replied, all innocent smiles and excitement.
"I've had it with you!" Magna flared up. "Flame Magic: Exploding Fireball Shotgun!"
"Yay! A fight!" Luck's eyes gleamed. Nothing beats a morning brawl!
"YOU TWO—" Yami's voice thundered from the second floor like a death knell.
"…Sorry, Captain!" Magna and Luck both bowed instantly before bolting out the door to continue their duel outside.
"Peace… at last…" Yami mumbled, crawling back into bed. "Now let me finish this dream… where I beat the God of Gamblers in poker…"
Back at the training ground:
"Hah… second one done…" Noelle muttered, dropping the second water sphere into Asta's second trench. Her face was flushed, magic almost drained.
"Silk Magic: Instant Rest Sofa!" Vanessa conjured a plush couch with a flick of her hand.
"Thanks, Vanessa… but I'm not done yet." Noelle shook her head. "I'm going to push past my limit too."
She glanced at Asta—who was already digging trench three with tireless energy—and clenched her fists.
"Today, I catch up to him!"
Vanessa smiled. "He's rubbed off on her… in a good way."
Nearby, Asta paused, watching Noelle summon the third sphere. His grin widened.
"Banasa, your magic's really handy. You think you could make tents and food too? That'd make you our camping MVP!"
Vanessa laughed. "As long as I've got wine, I can conjure whatever you need."
Together, the team continued their absurd training session—one river at a time, surpassing their limits in true Black Bull style.
****
"Little Asta is misbehaving again!" Vanessa giggled teasingly as she leaned closer, eyes sparkling with mischief. She flicked her fingers, and with a swirl of red thread from Rouge, a magical illusion of an LV hat appeared right on Asta's head.
"Why is it LV-colored?!" Asta yelped, grabbing the brim of the luxury-brand illusion. "I'm still single, y'know! I can't be walking around looking like someone's boyfriend!"
"Haha! From now on, if you call me by my name again instead of 'Vanessa-senpai', I'll put it on you every day!" Vanessa winked playfully, enjoying his flustered reaction.
Just then—
"Fireball Scatter Shot!"
"Lightning Creation Magic: Thunderbolt Spheres!"
BOOM!
Magna and Luck had gone at it again, their magical duel erupting from the training grounds and barreling toward the group like a pair of wild animals. One of Magna's explosive scatter shots ricocheted off Luck's lightning shield, sending fiery orbs flying through the air.
"Water Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle!" Noelle instinctively activated a defensive spell, but in her panic, she instead launched several water bombs, each crashing with deadly precision—into Magna's fireballs.
"Woah! Nice one, Noelle!" Vanessa said, genuinely impressed. "Your aim's way better now!"
"I… I actually hit them?" Noelle blinked in surprise. She wasn't used to praise, not for something that once felt so out of reach.
"You're getting stronger every day, Noelle!" Asta grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. He then hoisted the heavy Demon-Slayer Sword and returned to his usual training — digging magical trenches to store water and build stamina.
"Yeah!" Noelle nodded firmly, pride swelling in her chest. She had trained without end, even when her spells went wild. Now, she could feel the growth, the control — and it drove her even harder.
"Wow... so full of energy." Vanessa yawned, stretching lazily. "Alright, I'm heading home. Don't forget to take breaks on the sofa I made — it's enchanted for optimal naps!"
"Understood, Vanessa-senpai!" Asta and Noelle replied in unison.
"And Noelle—don't let this guy slack off!" Vanessa teased, vanishing into a swirl of red thread and drunken giggles.
Asta, meanwhile, glanced at the magical sofa with an impish grin. It would be even better if Noelle gave me a massage while I rested...
SPLASH!
A massive water bomb crashed onto his head.
"I knew you were thinking something perverted, you muscle-brain idiot!" Noelle huffed, arms crossed and cheeks flushed.
"I didn't say anything!" Asta gasped, soaked to the bone and trying his best to look innocent. "I was just thinking about rivers! Big, long, flowing rivers!"
"Hmph. You're definitely hiding something!"
"Well, since we're both getting stronger… let's make this more fun," Asta said with a sly grin. "Wanna compete?"
"What kind of competition?" Noelle raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued.
"We race. You try to conjure a giant water ball, and I'll dig two full river trenches. Whoever finishes first wins!"
"And the stakes?" Noelle asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Loser gives the winner a massage," Asta declared proudly, pointing to Vanessa's enchanted velvet sofa.
"You're on! A royal like me isn't afraid of a little commoner challenge!" Noelle smirked, missing the glint of mischief in Asta's eyes.
Training Match Start!
With a massive swing of the Demon-Slayer Sword, Asta began digging trenches like a crazed farmer with super speed. Sweat flew, dust kicked up, and the ground trembled beneath his relentless strength.
"Is he even human?" Noelle muttered, swallowing her panic and closing her eyes to concentrate on Water Magic: Creation - Aqua Sphere Formation.
Both of them pushed themselves hard — Asta with raw strength and Noelle with honed mana control.
SPLASH! Just as Asta finished trench four, Noelle's enormous water ball splashed into the riverbed.
"I won!" Noelle cried out with a gleeful spin.
"Guess I gotta give you that massage then," Asta said, pretending to be disheartened but internally screaming with joy.
****
Noelle plopped onto Vanessa's magical sofa and lay down with a dignified pout. "Yesterday's mission was a long one. My legs are sore. Massage them."
"You got it!"
Asta's hands, trained from years of physical combat and anti-magic conditioning, expertly pressed into her calves with gentle strength. Warmth flowed from his palms as he unknowingly channeled latent life energy into her tired muscles.
"Mmm… so good…" Noelle sighed, her usual tension melting away. "How… how do you know how to do this?"
"Training! Captain Yami says, 'A warrior's body is his weapon. Gotta know how to maintain it!'" Asta grinned.
After a blissful thirty minutes, Noelle dozed off slightly, drool at the corner of her lips. Asta couldn't help but smile.
She looks kinda cute when she's not yelling at me.
"Wake up, sleepyhead. You'll catch a cold." Asta gently tapped her cheek.
"Huh…? Oh! You stopped! Idiot Asta, why'd you stop?" Noelle sat up groggily.
"I was just thinking… want a rematch?"
"No way! Unless you give me another massage after!" she demanded, not even trying to hide how much she enjoyed it.
"Deal!" Asta laughed.
"Let's go again! Two trenches versus one water sphere!"
"I'm gonna win this time and keep the massage coming!" Noelle declared proudly.
As Asta opened the First Gate of the Eight Inner Gates, his speed doubled instantly.
"Y-you cheated with that last time too!" Noelle gasped, but the challenge only fired her up more. Asta smiled.
Training like this… with her, is actually kinda fun.