Please take care of me
While everyone was sleeping Noelle was awake contemplating why did she behave like that in the morning.
'I don't want them to hate me too for not being able to control my magic. I don't want them to find out ' is what she told herself.
'As long as I stay away from them and ignore them, it will be better. I long as they don't make fun of me it's okay ' she reminded herself. But still, she was reluctant to do that, she too wanted to have fun and talk to them but feared that she would ruin everything like she was told in her childhood.
She watched the interaction between Julian and Asta from the window and got to know that they were like siblings. There was so harmony between two brothers who were not related by blood but in her case even her own blood siblings hated her.
'I wish I had a sibling that loved and cared for me too'
The next morning everyone left for their task and Asta began training. Julian went to the top of the base and started absorbing natural mana and running through his body as fast as possible and trying to mix with the surrounding. This is one method to blend with the surroundings and dim one's presence.
He had done some more experiments with Asta and found that he cannot enter Asta's mind space nor drag him into his as if something was interfering. Julian knew it was the devil in Asta's Grimoire but he had no way to interact with the devil for now.
Afternoon
Asta while practicing heard small explosions from inside the forest. When he went towards the sound she saw that Noelle was target practicing but none of them were hitting but destroying the nearby area.
Asta accidentally stepped on a twig and Noelle got aware that he was standing there. She panicked and accidentally shot another shot towards him and that too destroyed the surrounding area.
'No No! he found out about my secret ' she panicked and all her trauma resurfaced. Magic is said to respond to the user's feelings. In the current case, Noelle's mental turmoil was at its peak with fear, frustration, and panic.
'It's over'
This emotional influx made her lose all her control over her mana and they burst out covering her entire body and forming a giant orb of water about a radius of 5 m around her. It kept feeding more and becoming larger.
All she wanted was now to hide from the world. She couldn't maintain the form and she began choking in her magic.
'I can't breath'
'Maybe it would have been better if I never existed. At least mother would be alive'
When the man burst out from her body it caused an explosion uprooting the nearby trees and throwing Asta back.
'What the hell happened !!' Asta screamed inside his mind.
"Oh, we have trouble " Julian came down from the roof of the base to the ground.
Everyone felt the high mana fluctuation and came down the base to witness the scene.
'Another mana monster ' thought Finral as he looked at Noelle.
"What happened ? " asked Vanessa"
"Lost control over her magic, " said Julian
"Should I do something? " asked Luck
"You will kill her idiot !!" rebuked Gauche
"That is not something only losing control over magic would do, " said Magna.
" That's a huge amount of mana and if I attack it, it's not guaranteed that she will come unhurt. Oi Julian deal it with" said Yami.
" I have a better idea "
Kagune extended from Julian's back and carried back Asta from the forest.
" Good idea, " said Yami.
'Ehh! What is happening? Why do I feel like something terrible is going to happen to me'
Before Asta could say anything he was thrown towards her.
" Go nullify it, surpass your limits ".
Asta somehow understood the situation and took out his sword mid-air and slashed it towards the spell destroying it and freeing Noelle. While they were about to fall, Finral created a portal below them and dropped them safely near everyone.
By now Noelle has left all hope of living a normal life.
'Now all of them know I am a failure, everyone will make fun of me and hate me. I have nowhere to go anymore' tears started dropping from her eyes.
As she prepared herself for hearing harsh rebuke she heard something she never expected to hear.
" You are so amazing Noelle!!!" said Asta
Noelle opened her eyes wide hearing this.
'Huh! What did he say? '
"I never knew you had some much power, who cares if you can't control it now you can do it later. I am born without magic and feel so jealous of your power . " said Asta.
" You could have told us your problem earlier, we all would have helped you. Who cares if you have a defect or two, we are a squad full of people who are failures," said Magna.
" Yeah yeah if you want to control your magic, ask Julian -ni he taught Yuno mana control too you know. He will treat you like his own sister " said Asta.
A warm coat of red mana enveloped her drying her clothes and healing her injuries. Julian who applied the coat said " We won't ask many things from you, you just have to trust and believe in us. We will help you with anything. You are a member of your family after all "
The black bull's robe floated and repositioned on Noelle. Asta forwarded his hand towards her for support. "Come join us "
At that moment something inside Noelle moved, she felt like she was freed from her shackles. For the first time in her life, she heard the words she always wishes someone told her.
'Believe …family …help me ?'
Asta's hand felt like a stairway to heaven.
'Will they accept me? a failure like me?'
"What are you hesitating about, didn't we tell you to trust us, " said Asta
She took his hand to stand up and somehow stopped her tears stopped.
" Please take care of me !!"
A beautiful scene unfolded with a person breaking away from her shell and on her way to find her true family.
Yami smiled and Julian thought ' squad of misfits indeed '.
------
At night everyone was present at the dinner table including Noelle who was trying to blend in. Vanessa told her about different magic items to help her in controlling magic better.
Julian was thinking about the correct time for going to the witch forest. It can be said that the extent of her power was unknown. She is someone who is alive for more than 500 years.
Who knows how she might react after hearing the name of Alexander Ragnvindr. From the anime, Julian remembered that she was an insane lady.
The entire witch forest was her domain and her powers were strong enough even for Yami to be warry of. Julian was sure that he could most probably escape if things were in his favor.
' A little more preparation and I would be ready '
Training had made him bored so decided to spend a few days on the base relaxing