“Everyone looks like they’re completely exhausted,” Asta said, glancing around at Klaus, Mimosa, and Yuno as they caught their breath on the grassy hillside.
He turned to Luck.
“Senior Luck, since we’re all out of energy, why don’t you head back first and ask Finral to open a spatial portal to pick us up?”
“Good idea!” Luck grinned, blue lightning instantly crackling around his legs.
“I’ll be right back!”
“Wait!
Take me with you!” Klaus shouted, exhausted and desperate not to walk a single mile back.
“We’re completely out of mana!”
“Me too…” Mimosa raised a weak hand, completely drained from maintaining her flower tracking magic inside the collapsing complex.
Seeing the Golden Dawn members practically collapsing on the grass, Asta didn’t want to linger around the ruins any longer.
He knew the Diamond Kingdom’s main reinforcement forces could arrive shortly to investigate the dungeon’s destruction.
With Luck zapping off toward the hideout, the hillside fell into a quiet hush.
But before the dust from the collapsing dungeon could fully settle, a thick, billowing plume of dark smoke began to snake its way out from a nearby rocky ridge.
Emerging from the fog was a middle-aged man with both arms heavily bandaged—Lotus Whomalt.
Floating behind him on a series of smoke-constructed platforms was the entire massive mountain of ancient gold, artifacts, and treasure from the vault.
Asta glanced at the treasure, instantly understanding why the veteran general had shown up instead of running away.
Without a word, Asta casually picked up the unconscious, bound Mars and threw him across the clearing like a sack of grain.
Lotus reacted instantly, extending an arm of thick smoke to gently catch the battered boy before pulling him safely onto his floating smoke engine.
Asta crossed his arms, staring at Lotus with a sharp, calm gaze.
“Aren’t you worried I’ll just change my mind and kill both of you right here?”
Lotus let out a low, tired laugh, scratching his scruffy beard.
“Kid, you’re an absolute monster, but I’m no slouch either.
I know I probably can’t beat you, but if we fight for real, I can guarantee I’ll take at least one of your tired comrades down with me before I drop.”
Asta stayed silent for a second, then a faint, knowing smile touched his lips—a non-verbal cue signaling that the deal was struck and it was time for Lotus to take his leave.
Lotus didn’t waste a second.
With a wave of his hand, his smoke platforms tilted, dumping the entire glittering pile of gold, jewel-encrusted chests, and ancient magical tools onto the grass right in front of Asta.
“Pleasure doing business with you, kid,” Lotus sighed, turning his smoke vehicle around and speeding off toward the Diamond Kingdom border with the unconscious Mars.
Not long after, Luck returned with Finral’s spatial portal, allowing the exhausted Golden Dawn squad to safely depart with their share of the report, while Asta and Noelle stayed behind on the quiet hillside waiting for the sunset.
Luck and Noelle’s eyes lit up at the exact same moment.
“Then I’ll be taking my leave now!” With a bright, cheerful shout, Luck transformed into a jagged bolt of blue lightning, zapping into the distance toward the Black Bulls hideout.
“Things are really going smoothly…” Asta lay back comfortably on the grass, resting his hands behind his head as he watched the sky.
The setting sun painted the clouds in brilliant shades of gold and purple.
“What went smoothly?!” Noelle jumped back from Asta like a startled kitten, her face flushing crimson as she suddenly realized they were completely alone on the hillside.
“When we left, Finral told me the sunset here is beautiful,” Asta said, looking up at her with a meaningful smirk, his clear amber eyes fixed on her without blinking.
“He said it’s a textbook date spot.”
Oh no…
it’s the feeling of my heart fluttering!
Noelle quickly turned her head away, her small hands fidgeting nervously with her skirt.
If she had known it would be this awkward, she would have shamelessly squeezed onto the Windless Ark with Mimosa!
“Haha.” Asta couldn’t help but laugh softly.
He patted the soft grass beside him and said seriously, “Come on, sit down and take a look.
There aren’t many peaceful moments like this.”
Noelle looked at him hesitantly.
A part of her longed to drop her noble pride and sit beside him on the soft grass just like he asked.
Yet, the sheer romantic ambiguity of sitting together under the glowing sunset made her chest tighten.
Giving in to her feelings, Noelle sat down right next to him.
The two sat quietly side-by-side in the warm glow of the setting sun, listening to the gentle breeze rustle through the grass as dusk began to fall.
Looking at Noelle’s blushing side profile, Asta smirked subtly and casually shifted closer.
Reaching out, he began to slide his hand toward her waist—but the very second his fingers made contact, Noelle snapped!
“YOU BASTARD!”
Noelle’s face exploded into pure crimson, and her noble pride reacted on pure instinct!
She whipped out her wand and pointed it right at his face.
“WATER CREATION MAGIC: SEA DRAGON’S LAIR—WATER BOMB!”
BANG!
Asta was hit squarely in the face by a massive sphere of high-pressure water, blowing him backward into the dirt.
“Damn it!” Asta scrambled up, completely drenched, water dripping from his clothes and hair.
“You know what?!
Even that Diamond Kingdom monster couldn’t land a single hit on me!”
“Serves you right, you pervert!” Noelle burst out laughing at his soaked, disheveled appearance, her embarrassment completely washing away into triumphant smugness.
Just then, space rippled beside them, and Finral stepped out of a swirling portal with a cheeky grin.
“So you two really were on a date out here?
Did I interrupt something juicy?”
“Interrupt your head!” Noelle practically screamed, her face burning all over again.
“Little Noelle!
Asta!
Come in quickly!” Vanessa’s slurred, warm voice echoed from within the portal.
“Your big sister was so worried about you two!”
“I heard what happened from Luck,” Yami’s voice boomed from the hideout.
“All in all…
good job, brats.”
“Let me help you up,” Asta smiled, wringing out his wet sleeve and extending his hand to Noelle.
His amber eyes shone with a clear, earnest warmth.
Noelle stared at him for a second, then took his hand tightly.
It has to be said…
when this idiot is being serious, he really is charming.
Back inside the Black Bulls hideout, the atmosphere was lively.
“As your senior, I gotta say, I really admire how you handled that fight!” Magna gave a massive thumbs-up.
“Asta!
Noelle!
I saved some cupcakes for you!” Charmy happily ran over, holding two delicious pastries she had refused to share earlier.
“Thanks, Charmy,” Asta smiled, taking the plate.
As he took it, his fingers deliberately brushed against her small hand.
Charmy’s face turned as red as a chili pepper.
“Y-You perverted underwear-peeker!” she squeaked, backing away with her hands over her cheeks.
Asta chuckled and took a bite.
It was the first time Charmy had spoken directly to him since their bet.
“Fickle, womanizing, scumbag leader…” Noelle delivered her signature triple-insult under her breath before biting into her cupcake—and finding it unexpectedly delicious.
“I’ll be heading to the Capital to report this mission to the Wizard King personally,” Yami said, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke.
“You might even get a personal commendation.
Beating that Naraku’s Lotus guy is a pretty big deal.”
“It’s General Lotus, Captain!” Magna corrected quickly.
“Huh?” Yami narrowed his eyes, a dangerous vein pulsing on his forehead.
“N-No, wait!
My mistake!” Magna panicked instantly, sweating buckets.
“It’s definitely called Naraku’s Lotus!
Captain is always right!”
Everyone stared at Magna in silence.
Where is your dignity?!
“Whatever, the name doesn’t matter,” Yami waved his hand, signaling everyone to disperse.