"Noah... becoming friends with you is the decision I regret the least."
"Turn into meat paste, you damn brat!"
The warhammer fell, shaking the earth.
The whole forest quaked under the sheer weight of that blow.
That strike was enough to kill any S-class dangerous species. Adam had always been this ruthless and decisive. He wouldn't go easy just because the opponent was a child of only a dozen years.
"Heh... hahahaha, finally dead, you damn brat, I—wait... no. That's not right."
The feeling still wasn't right.
"It's been a long time since I've stretched my limbs."
From behind, Noah's voice overlapped with that of a mature queen, echoing faintly.
Adam slowly turned his head.
Out of the thick mist, a white silhouette gradually emerged.
"They often say, true friendship shows in hardship."
"I just saw that so-called true friendship, but I still don't really understand it."
"Later, I plan to ask this brat carefully."
"So she can't die yet."
Majestic magic burst outward, scattering the mist, parting the clouds. A ray of sunlight broke through the gloom, shining down on her.
Noah spread her fingers slightly, then clenched her fist tight. From her center, white ripples of energy spread outward.
"And another piece of advice for you, hammer-wielding clown."
"Never push your opponent into a corner."
"Because..."
"The desperate are unstoppable."
Clap!
Her palms pressed together, pure white flames shot straight into the sky, their aura sacred and lofty, like an angel's descent.
"Let's go, Noah!"
———
Adam studied the girl before him, so different from the one who had been fleeing in panic just moments ago.
Her silver-and-black hair had now turned pure white, with only the tips faintly black. The strands drifted with the magical waves, as if floating in water.
Around her eyes was what looked like a light layer of white eyeshadow, and her pupils had become heterochromatic. One blue, one white.
But of course, appearances weren't the most important thing. Adam noticed that the power erupting from her was drastically different from ordinary magic.
His brows furrowed as he observed closely, muttering,
"Power completely opposite to the Black Dragon Scale that 'Shadow' gave me, huh... hm, interesting."
With that, he swung his warhammer and roared, "Then let's see if this new form of yours is just a bluff!"
———
"Thank you, Noah."
"You really had to hold out until the last second before asking me for help. Do you like showing off that much?"
"No, before the exam started, you said you didn't want to use your power, because that might be detected by the minions of 'Ultimate Fear.' That's why I never asked for your help until now."
"...you stupid girl."
That indeed was why Noah couldn't easily act, but it didn't mean she would just sit by while this little girl faced life and death.
The old ancestor never expected Noah would actually be so intent on hiding the power of Origin, that even at the last moment of desperate struggle, she still wouldn't ask for help.
"Well, fine. I have plenty of questions I want to ask you, and plenty I want to say. But for now, dealing with this problem comes first."
"Mm."
"Let me remind you: because you forced yourself to use the Nine Gates Hell so many times earlier, your body is already in overdrive. And my Primordial Power also puts heavy strain on your body. So consider this form of power something you can only hold for ten minutes."
She paused, then added softly, "Maybe less."
"Alright, understood."
———
Exiting the shared consciousness, Adam was already swinging his warhammer, charging in.
But this time, his once lightning-quick movements seemed slower in Noah's eyes.
She could clearly see his attacks, and her body could respond appropriately.
The warhammer came crashing down toward Noah's face.
BOOM!
The hammer struck the ground, kicking up dirt, scattering the fog.
But it didn't touch Noah in the slightest.
Adam looked up to see the small white figure leaping high, raising her hand in the air to gather lightning magic.
At once, a sharp bird's cry rang through the forest.
"Lightning Dash, huh... heh, idiot. At this close range, Lightning Dash can't show its true power. Looks like you've got strength but don't know how to use it."
But Noah didn't launch the Lightning Dash at Adam.
Instead, she landed lightly on top of Adam's warhammer, one foot forward, one foot back, posture tall and elegant.
Her left hand hung naturally, while her right held the Lightning Dash.
Blue lightning lit up her cold little face. She stared straight at Adam, her eyes completely fearless.
"Damn brat. Gathering Lightning Dash at close range is one thing, but not even daring to fire it off? What a coward."
Noah still didn't move, continuing to pour power into the Lightning Dash.
The bird's cry grew sharper, more piercing.
"With the Primordial Power added, your Lightning Dash has terrifying explosive force. Even at close range, that hammer-wielding clown wouldn't dare take it head-on."
The ancestor spoke, "You can strike without worry."
"Not yet. It's not enough."
"Not enough? Not enough what?"
Before Noah could answer, Adam swung his warhammer to fling her off.
Using the momentum, Noah flipped neatly backward, landing steadily on the ground.
But the Lightning Dash in her hand hadn't faded, still blazing with light and sound.
"This damned brat!"
The constant bird cry grated on Adam's nerves. Furious, he swung his hammer again, blasting it toward Noah.
Noah chose to dodge again, not attacking at all.
With several swift moves, she drew the battle farther away, so the aftermath wouldn't harm Helena.
Adam followed with his hammer.
The warhammer was several times bigger than Noah's entire body, but against her nimble footwork, it seemed clumsy and heavy.
After several rounds, Adam seemed to realize something, "Damn brat... from the start, you never intended to use Lightning Dash to attack!"
Noah landed gently on a boulder, her voice calm, tone icy,
"Finally figured it out, big oaf."
"W-what did you just call me?"
"Big oaf. Don't like it? How about 'hammer-wielding clown' instead?"
ROAR!
An enraged dragon's roar, Adam's fury ignited again.
Seeing this, Noah smiled with satisfaction.
At first, she had thought she must never anger this Dragon King.
But now, the brute had already been provoked into a frenzy, and since Noah had gained a way to survive, she didn't need to guard his emotions anymore.
In fact, quite the opposite. She could use this to make him lose control even more.
Now someone might ask: Princess Noah, Princess Noah, you're usually so quiet. How did you suddenly learn to "break your opponent's mental defenses"?
The academy never taught giving your opponent nicknames in battle.
Then the answer can only be one thing:
General Leon: That's right, it was me!
———
Inside the consciousness space, the ancestor also understood Noah's plan after hearing Adam say, "From the start, you never planned to use Lightning Dash to attack."
"You're using the bird cry of Lightning Dash to draw the attention of the teachers and classmates outside. And by provoking Adam into roaring, that only helps you further, right?"
Noah nodded, "Because you said this form of power could only last ten minutes at most. But I wasn't confident I could defeat him in that time. So I stuck with the original plan, make enough noise to get outside help."
Hearing this, the old ancestor didn't complain, nor sink into despair again. She just answered calmly, "Then I'll make the commotion bigger during this time, so it's easier for the teachers and students to hear."
Even after gaining overwhelming Primordial Power for a moment, Noah hadn't lost herself.
That was something most people couldn't do.
Especially for a five- or six-year-old child, restlessness should've been natural. Yet Noah held firm to her resolve.
The ancestor, hearing her words, was deeply satisfied.
'Who says my dragon bloodline gacha is trash?'
'This king slept for thousands of years, and the moment I opened my eyes, I drew a top-tier host!'
"But you can't use that trick again. Adam's already noticed. From here on out is the real battle," Noah said.
"Alright. Don't underestimate yourself in this state, Noah. Go all out."
"Mm."
Exiting the consciousness space.
Noah opened her eyes. Waves of white energy spread out around her.
Round Two, begin!
Adam swung his hammer and charged. Noah slipped past with nimble footwork.
The Lightning Dash she had been charging for so long finally unleashed at this moment.
Adam immediately sensed the terrifying power within it.
Since it was a force completely opposite to 'Shadow's' Black Dragon Scale, it was best not to take it head-on.
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