[Third Person's PoV]
Stephen's astral projection floated above his body as his grimoire hovered in front of him. His physical body lay below him, resting.
He soon detected movement, causing him to turn and look. Wanda had rolled over and began spooning him, making him chuckle in amusement at the sight.
He shook his head and returned to reading his grimoire, occasionally glancing over at Wanda as she shifted a lot in her sleep. Now that her body was free from its confinement, it didn't seem to want to stay still.
The Next Morning…
Wanda woke up abruptly, sitting up and looking around with half-closed eyes in confusion. Her hair was messy, with a few strands hanging near her mouth.
"Huh?" she asked groggily. "Where am I?" she muttered, her head moving side to side as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.
"Oh, what I would pay to be able to take a picture of this moment," Stephen sighed.
Wanda turned toward the voice to find Stephen sitting in a comfortable armchair with a book in hand.
Wanda blushed upon seeing Stephen, finally remembering where she was. "Well, this is just embarrassing…"
Stephen closed his book and stood up, setting it down on the armrest. "Just get ready. Everyone has breakfast together in the morning. I'll leave you to it," he said with a chuckle as his cloak flew to his shoulders and he exited, closing the door behind him.
Wanda soon joined everyone, wearing clothes Vanessa had made for her, mostly in scarlet to match her hair, with the Black Bulls insignia featured prominently.
---
After breakfast, Stephen was in the training area with Noelle, helping her work on her magic.
"Due to the nature of water magic, it's one of the easiest elements to manipulate structurally, so that's what we're going to focus on to help you control your magic. Plus, we'll make this training fun, which should help as well."
Noelle's eyebrows knitted in confusion, but Stephen waved her off. "You'll see as we go along… Can you make bubbles?"
"What kind of stupid question is that?" Noelle asked, offended.
"So, can you?" Stephen asked, already exasperated.
"I can, but only with my wand," Noelle muttered as she held out her wand, and bubbles began to form at its tip before popping.
"How fast can you do it?"
Noelle thought about it, then held out her wand and conjured a stream of bubbles. "How does this help? What am I going to do, bubble someone to death?"
"If you had great control over your magic, you could conjure a giant bubble that doesn't pop and use it to fly around," Stephen said with a straight face.
Noelle blinked. "Could… Could I really do that?"
"That's the beauty of magic—anything is possible. This is why we're training your control so you can one day do it. Now, conjure a water ball."
Noelle nodded, determined. She held her wand out, and a ball of water appeared at its tip.
"Don't fire it. Now, I want you to change its shape. Try making it into a fish," Stephen instructed.
Noelle gripped her wand and concentrated, causing the ball to tremble and shift before snapping back. She grunted, focusing harder.
"You can wave your wand like you're drawing it. A mental image will help a lot."
Noelle nodded, waving her wand. At first, she moved the ball back and forth, then it gradually took on the shape of a fish tail. Finally, with deep concentration, she formed the water into a fish. "Whoa, I actually did it!"
Stephen smiled. "Now drop it and try again until you can do it with a single wave."
Noelle hesitated to release her creation but did as he instructed. Each time she tried, it became easier. After twenty minutes, she waved her wand, and a complete fish appeared.
"I did it!" she exclaimed, jumping with excitement.
"Now, I want you to control that fish. Don't just send it flying—actively control its movements."
"I think I get it…" Noelle began moving her wand slowly, guiding the fish to swim in various directions. "Heh, this is quite fun…"
Stephen moved his hands in circles, summoning sparks around them, drawing shapes in the air. "I want you to 'walk' your fish."
"Excuse me?"
"Did I stutter?"
Noelle stared at Stephen before moving her water construct through the makeshift obstacle course. She started cautiously, her control a bit shaky, but soon the fish began moving more fluidly as she guided it with her wand, eyes following it intently until she completed the course.
"I'm getting good at this~," she said smugly.
"Need I remind you what happened last time you got cocky?"
Noelle glared at him. "You just can't let me have this achievement, can you?"
Stephen shrugged. "Someone has to keep you humble. Now, come on. Let's keep making different shapes and constructs."
---
A while later, Noelle was moving happily in a circle as a large school of fish swam around her, controlled by her wand. She laughed as she waved her arm above her head. "Hahaha! This is so cool!"
Her magic was so impressive that her grimoire began to lift, floating in front of her. As she continued, she sent the school of fish charging forward, causing small explosions upon impact. A new page appeared in her grimoire, displaying an image of the school of fish.
She grabbed her grimoire, jumping up and down with excitement, her pigtails bouncing. "Stephen! Stephen! Look! I made my own original spell!"
Unable to contain her joy, she hugged him. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She looked up to see him watching her in amusement, making her freeze.
She quickly pulled away, coughing. "I mean… It's only natural I'd create my own spell. I am royalty, after all," she said, trying to sound smug, though her excitement couldn't be hidden.
Noelle gazed at her grimoire with a soft smile, running her hand over the new page—a testament to all her hard work over the years.
…
Afterward, Stephen and Asta stood facing each other, a slight breeze rustling the leaves around them. Asta, gripping his brand new sword with a casual yet determined stance, gave Stephen a wry smile. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Stephen lifted his forearm to his face, which, like his arms, were wrapped in layers of deep red bandages that glowed faintly with otherworldly energy. "Just do it and stop being a coward. I've already cast a time spell in case things go south."
Asta took a steadying breath and then grinned with renewed intensity. "Fine! You asked for this! Don't blame me if something bad happens!"
With a powerful swing, Asta slashed his sword directly toward Stephen's arms. The sword connected with the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak in a fierce clash that sent a sharp, metallic ring echoing across the yard. Shockingly, Asta's sword was ripped from his hands, deflecting off the enchanted bands, and plunged into the ground a few feet away.
"Whoa! It worked!" Asta gasped, his eyes wide as he quickly moved to retrieve his sword, yanking it from the earth.
"But... my sword can cut through magic. Why didn't it work?" he muttered in confusion, examining his weapon closely.
Stephen smirked, lowering his arms. "Because I'm summoning them with magic, not actually creating them," he explained with a confident gleam in his eye.
Without missing a beat, Stephen raised his right hand toward the window of his bedroom. The window burst open with a sharp snap, and his sword, Dragonfang, shot out, soaring through the air to land perfectly in his grip. He twisted the weapon skillfully, passing it along his forearm causing sparks to spark as the indestructible items met while he locked eyes with Asta. Sparks of anticipation and competitive energy crackled between them.
"Shall we begin?" Stephen asked, his voice low and edged with challenge.
Asta's face lit up. "I was born ready!" he shouted, charging forward with his sword raised high. Stephen met him head-on, sprinting forward with Dragonfang at the ready.
They clashed fiercely, their movements swift and powerful as they danced across the yard, each trying to gain an edge over the other. Their swords collided in a series of fast, brutal strikes, the sound of metal against metal ringing in the crisp morning air. Stephen moved with a graceful precision, his every move enhanced by the magic of Dragonfang, granting him the skill of a seasoned swordsman. Asta, however, was the real deal as he had honed his skills through years of relentless training.
Minutes turned into hours as they pushed each other to the limit, neither willing to back down. Eventually, though, Stephen's stamina began to wane, his breathing becoming labored while Asta still seemed ready to go on for hours. Reluctantly, they decided to call it a day, both of them grinning as they caught their breath, satisfied with the intensity of their sparring.
Later, Stephen moved on to his next training partner: Wanda. He found her waiting nearby, her face a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty. Wanda's powers were raw, untamed, and she lacked a proper understanding of her abilities, not even knowing the full extent of her magic or its true nature.
Patiently, Stephen guided her through basic techniques, helping her channel her energy more effectively. "Magic is about control," he said, demonstrating simple spells. "If you can focus and understand it, it won't control you."
Wanda's powers flickered, a mix of red and pink energy sparking around her hands as she tried to focus. Slowly, under Stephen's guidance, she began to find her rhythm, her confidence growing with each attempt. They worked together until the sun was low in the sky, both exhausted but invigorated by their progress.
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