Warning: Spoilers for Black Clover chapter #359Many fans consider the Seabed Temple Arc to be one of the worst storylines in Black Clover, but something that just happened to Noelle justifies her time spent in the eponymous temple since this latest development wouldn’t have been possible if she never went there.
When confronting her mother Acier during Black Clover’s expedited final battle, Noelle is able to cast Valkyrie Armor: Dragon Form because she merged with the water god Leviathan in Black Clover chapter 359 by mangaka Yuki Tabata, translator Taylor Engel and letterer Annaliese “Ace” Christman. A quick flashback reveals that she came across Leviathan after Kahono asked Noelle to come to the temple to merge with the god.
Noelle’s Valkyrie Armor Explains Black Clover’s Seabed Temple Arc
Noelle first befriended Kahono and readers first learned that Kahono worshiped a sea god during the Seabed Temple Arc. In this latest chapter, Kahono finally shows us this sea god and Kahono clearly believes Noelle can form a contract with them by drawing on these experiences with Noelle that she would have never shared if Noelle never came to the Seabed Temple. Of course, Noelle could have just randomly stumbled upon Leviathan, but the effect wouldn’t have been as powerful since the series is instead drawing from previous moments and using foreshadowing to bring them together and finally introduce the once-nameless sea god.
That said, not everyone dislikes the Seabed Temple Arc. In fact, many critical events happen during these chapters. In addition to Noelle finally gaining a handle on her magic, one of the best romantic moments between Asta and Noelle occurs at this time. Moreover, Yami teaches Asta about ki, which foreshadowed Asta’s recent foray to Yami’s home country. Most fans’ problems with the arc mostly concerns how the temple felt like a random location since the only reason why they were there was because one of the magic stones that the Eye of the Midnight Sun was collecting were there. Also, the game that the Black Bulls had to participate in to obtain the stone felt unnecessary and more like filler even though Tabata wrote the arc himself.
Noelle Finds the Perfect Replacement for Undine the Water Spirit
Even though Noelle’s partnership with Leviathan was contingent on this arc, are a few satisfying panels enough to make up for nearly 20 chapters of something that most fans didn’t like? Those who were trudging through those chapters at the time may not have felt that anything could ever be worth the torture, but because of how close Noelle and Kahono became during that time and the fact that the arc first teased the existence of a sea god that Kahona prayed to, it feels appropriate that Kahono would seek out and trust in Noelle to merge with a god fans were already aware of. Plus, Kahono was born and lives in the water, an element that Noelle controls with magic.
A convincing explanation therefore really is necessary because it’s such a critical moment for Noelle. Noelle recently had to relinquish her temporary contract with the water spirit Undine, which allowed Noelle to wield the much coveted and rare spirit magic that only Yuno can control. In fact, she could only don her most powerful Valkyrie Armor because of Undine and so it’s appropriate that upon finally merging with another being arguably more powerful than a spirit, she has now assumed new Valkayrie Armor after that god’s image. Moreover, in this latest chapter of Black Clover, it just so happens that when Noelle first arrived on the scene before donning the new armor, her older brother Nozel serendipitously stated that without Undine she had no chance of winning. But now she’s contracted with a likely more powerful god and just underwent an impressive transformation. Noelle is more than powerful enough.
Black Clover’s Seabed Temple arc might be considered the worst by many, but its payoff with Noelle’s new Valkyrie armor more than makes up for it.
Black Clover chapter #359 is available in English on Viz.com.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
