Black Clover Chapter 178 Review by BelserionWe pick up from last week where Noelle Silva has defeated the elf Guwain after a hard battle. There’s no time for a respite because the exhausted Noelle has suddenly found herself surrounded by more enemies. She silently acknowledges that her magic power is not enough to take on all of them. One of the elves admits to underestimating humans and launches an attack towards the immobile Solid, who’s still cradling his injured sister Nebra.
Zora suddenly appears, blocking and reflecting the attack meant for the Silva siblings back at the elf who’s badly injured from it. He’s also brought along a royal attendant to help heal the injured siblings. While the attendant heals Nebra, he urges Solid to bring Nozel to him as well. Unfortunately Solid seems to be in shock and refuses to move. This infuriates Zora who proceeds to rebuke him about the fact that his siblings are badly injured whereas he’s barely hurt and will return to being high and mighty when it’s all over. Now for those of us who follow the manga we know the Royal Silva siblings are an arrogant bunch. With the exception of Noelle they take pleasure in looking down on commoners and think their royal blood makes them superior.
Not finished with his rebuke, Zora turns on the injured Nozel as well, asking him if he can’t even protect his own family. This prompts a brief flashback to the time a younger Nozel was instructed by his mother to protect his siblings with the steel magic only he inherited from her. Young Nozel also promises to become the strongest Magic Knight Captain just like his mother is. Back in the present, Zora urges Nozel to prove his bravery if he’s supposedly superior to commoners. Noelle thinks Zora is being too harsh and tries to interrupt his tirade; however Nozel suddenly stands up and admits that Zora is right. He states that if such an attack is enough to bring him to his knees then he doesn’t deserve to be the Silver Eagles captain.
Nozel proceeds to reinforce his body with magic, sealing the stab wounds inflicted on him a few chapters ago. He urges Noelle to prepare to fight, and Zora decides to add his magic to the mix, combining the three. Zora casts
Ash Magic: Coward’s Revelation on Noelle and Nozel. This is a magic that tells someone the location of the magic traps he set, admitting that he’s set a lot of them. So as Noelle once again enters the battlefield reinforced with Nozel’s Mercury Magic, she is able to see and avoid Zora’s traps, an advantage he hopes will give them an opening.
Noelle and Nozel manage to hit a few of their opponents when suddenly Noelle casts
Sea Dragon’s Roar and Nozel casts
Silver Rain. These attacks seemingly miss their opponents, with one of the elves starting to comment on the level of their magic. Before he could finish however, we see Noelle and Nozel were aiming not for the elves but for two of the traps set by Zora, with Zora commenting that from the elves reaction it was obvious they knew nothing about complex counter trap magic. This is a magic he’s been preparing from long months of hard work. A Magic he refers to as Human Magic! The chapter ends with Noelle and Nozel’s attacks hitting their opponents.
Personal ThoughtsI’d rate this chapter 9/10.I’m glad we got to see Nozel’s resolve. For such a stoic character it was satisfying to see him drop all pretenses and fight side by side, not only with the sister he’s just reconciled with but also with Zora, someone who on a good day he would never acknowledge. I also hope Solid is paying attention. He seemed frozen throughout the chapter. I think it was a bit of a shock to see his beloved older brother taken down like that, but of all the siblings he’s really the only one I see clinging to his disbelief that Noelle could be as strong as she is. I was proud of her for worrying about them and being willing to defend them despite their past. I hope this could be a new beginning for all of them.
This fight seems to be coming to an end so next I think we’ll see what’s happening on the Vermilion end of the castle with Mimosa and Kirsch.
