Chapter Text
This shouldn't have happened.
How could it have happened?
Nozel rushed into the hospital and ran down the hall.
Please let it be wrong. Please let it be a mistake.
He entered the correct room.
And it wasn't a mistake.
In the medical bed, lied Noelle Silva.
The sides of her face, her arms, her chest and her legs all wrapped in bandages.
Nozel's heart sank as he took in the image as it flashed with memories of the past.
He managed to walk beside his sister looked her over.
She must've been through so much to end up like this.
"Lord Nozel?"
Nozel looked up to see a nurse standing intot the door way with a tray of medical supplies.
"Is everything okay?"
okay?
Okay?
Okay?!
OKAY?!
No, nothing was 'Okay' His sister was injured by who knows what and now accoridng to the note from the hospital she might die from her injuries.
Who did this?
They would pay with their life.
Nozel marched over tot he nurse and held him by his collar. "Where is the Black Bull Captain?" He asked in a dangerous voice.
"I'm right here Nozel."
Nozel looked at the doorway and Yami was there with Charlotte.
"You, Foreigner." Nozel let the nurse go and unleashed a dangerous wave of mana as Charlotte helped the nurse up. "How did this happen?! Why is Noelle in this state?!"
"Hey pal, let's not lose our cool here of all places. Your sister was out on a mission with Asta and Finral when they encountered someone from Spade." Yami answered.
Nozel regained control of his magic and calmed down but only slightly. "And..?"
"What do you mean and? They fought her, Noelel got hurt, Asta got pissed, me and a few others arrived and we killed her."
Time slowed down. "...Her...?"
"Yah, Asta said he name was Vanica or something. He rushed your sis here in that's what you're wondering." Yami said.
Nozel's heart dropped.
Vanica.
It was her again.
She came back and nearly took his mother from him again.
But.
She was dead now.
Killed by this, Asta.
Who was also the someone who brought Noelle here.
Yami walked past Nozel and pulled out a get well card that was sighed by all the Black Bulls. "Your sister's become pretty powerful in ehr time with us. She's got this armor, this sea dragon's roar and a whole load of other cool spells."
Nozel came back to reality upon hearing his words. Noelle was powerful.
But, the whole reason he put her in the Black Bulls was because she couldn't get stronger.
Could she?
Then again with siblings like Nebra, Solid and... him. It probably wasn't easy to develop magic in such an environment.
"Anyways we came to drop off the card and to say hope you get better. So we're gonna leave. See ya."
Yami and Charlotte took their leave, leaving Nozel with his unconscious sister.
He once again walked to her side.
"You've gotten stronger. In all the years I never thought you could be stronger.... You proved me wrong it seems, Noelle.... But that means... If I'd let you into the Silver Eagles... if I had helped you.... If I had trained you.... If I'd been a better, or rather just a brother to you... Then maybe, you wouldn't be in this state...."
All his life he worked hard to become stronger to kill Megicula and avenge his mother, and in that time he made the decision to keep Noelle from the battlefield to protect her. That's the main reason he put her in the Black Bulls, not the lack of control. But because their family squad fought some of the worse threats to their kingdom ever.
The Black Bulls had nothing better to do then run low level mission.
It may have not been ideal but keeping Noelle safe was his top priority.
But...
The price he paid was a high one.
He destroyed his sister's self esteem and any chance she had at a happy childhood by allowing Nebra and Solid to bully her.
He though once he defeated Megicula he could explain everything to her and they could make up.
But a part of him felt he pushed her far enough away that it wouldn't matter in the end of he did defeat the devil. She would probably already hate his guts by then.
Maybe she already did when he sent her to the Black Bulls after the exam where he gave her one last insult.
Those were the last words he ever spoke to her.
Sure he saw her from time to time but they never spoke.
A few decoration ceremonies and several star festivals over the few years but there was no interactions, he only saw a glimpse of her at best.
Now here she laid.
The last he had of mother.
His youngest sibling.
His little sister.
On a hospital bed.
On her potential death bed.
And it was all his fault.
Just like mother.
Nozel reached for his little sister's hand but stopped himself from even touching it.
He only stood there as tears started falling from his eyes.
"I'm Sorry. So very, very Sorry. Noelle. I'm sorry."