Chương 66: Two Tricksters

Noah steadied himself. Unfortunately for him, Ava was the worst kind of opponent he could face. Noah's combat style depended on precise footwork. Once he closed the distance, he chained one attack into the next, building momentum until his opponent had no chance to recover. Ava fought in the exact opposite way. She controlled the battlefield. She ruined his footing, dictated the distance between them, and forced every fight to move according to her rhythm. Against her, maintaining a combo was nearly impossible.

Noah watched as Ava raised her bow again.

"A large attack won't work against her speed." His grip tightened around the Lion King of Heroes.

"Fine." A smile crossed his face.

"I guess I'll have to get creative." He took a deep breath. Then lowered his stance.

"Remember, no mercy." Ava's crimson eyes narrowed. Noah chuckled.

"So don't cry if I play dirty." Ava drew back the string.

"Bring it." She released. Three arrows tore through the air. Noah moved. He slipped past the first. Twisted beneath the second. Then deliberately allowed the third to strike him. The arrow buried itself in his shoulder. Ava's eyes widened. The Arrow of the Kingless Forest activated instantly, beginning to drain Noah's vitality through the wound. But Noah was ready. The black spots across his body shifted. He forced the negative energy stored within him toward the point of impact.

Instead of consuming his life, Ava's Regalia drank the darkness first. Pain struck her through the connection. Ava flinched. Her fingers tightened around the bow as the negative energy flooded back toward her. She immediately deactivated the draining effect. That moment of hesitation was all Noah needed. Golden circles ignited beneath his feet.

"Royal Arts—Knight Killer!" Noah vanished. Knight Killer was his fastest technique. Royal March propelled him across the battlefield in a single burst, allowing him to slip behind his opponent before they could turn and drive his blade into their exposed back. Ava reacted at the final second. She twisted aside. The Lion King of Heroes missed her spine— But not completely. The blade tore across her side. Blood sprayed onto the sand.

Ava leapt backward, widening the distance between them before Noah could follow with another strike. She landed lightly and pressed one hand against the wound. When she lifted her fingers, they were covered in blood. Ava looked at them. Then back at Noah. A slow smile spread across her face.

"Oh." Green-gold light gathered around her bow.

"So that's how dirty we're fighting." Noah pulled the arrow from his shoulder and tossed it aside. Ava's crimson eyes gleamed.

"Good to know." She drew her bow again. Then turned and fired toward the imperial balcony. Noah blinked. The arrow struck Ars in the arm. Compared to his enormous body, it was barely more than a paper cut. Ava smiled innocently.

"Sorry." Her Regalia activated. The Arrow of the Kingless Forest drank from Ars's overflowing vitality and poured it back into Ava. The wound across her side closed almost instantly, leaving behind smooth, unbroken skin. Ars looked down at the tiny arrow embedded in his arm.

"All good." He ripped another bite from his food."'Tis but a scratch." Noah laughed in disbelief.

"Hey, that's cheating." Ava stuck her tongue out at him.

"Efficient use of the battlefield."

"That is not the battlefield. That is the host." Ars waved dismissively from above.

"I don't mind." Ava's wound finished healing. Her smile faded as she studied Noah.

"That strategy will only work once," she muttered.

"So I can't let him hit me again." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. She leapt backward. Then fired.

"Wind Arrow." One arrow became three. Three became six. Each projectile rotated violently, generating cyclones that tore through the arena. Reversed Chariot flowed through the spinning winds, turning every gust into a field of paralysis. Noah moved. Golden circles flashed beneath his feet as he dodged the first cyclone. Then the second. Then the third.

"So you're going on the offensive." He smiled.

"Then let's try something I came up with after fighting Nameless." Another arrow raced toward him. Noah twisted aside. He could not afford to deflect them. If one touched his sword, Reversed Chariot could freeze its movement. If one grazed his body, Ava could control the pace of the fight again. The attacks reminded him of training with Adam. Never block what was designed to punish defense. Keep moving. Find the opening. Create one if necessary. Noah raised the Lion King of Heroes.

Golden rings appeared around the blade.

"Royal Arts—Noah Original." Light gathered within the sword. Not as much as Light That Burns the Night Sky. But compressed in the same way. Reflected. Condensed. Forced into a smaller, unstable point.

"Nova Burst!" Noah threw the sword into the air. The condensed light erupted. The arena vanished beneath a blinding golden flash. Ava instinctively raised one arm over her eyes. The crowd cried out. For a moment, vision became useless. But not for Noah. Golden circles appeared beneath his feet.

"Royal March." He charged through the light. The Fafnir bloodline developed slowly. Their scales. Their breath. Their full draconic strength. Most of those abilities did not awaken until adulthood. But the eyes always developed early. Every descendant of Fafnir was born aligned with an element. Walter's had been fire. Noah's was light. A mere flash could never blind him. Through the golden glare, he saw Ava perfectly. Her stance. Her raised arm. The opening beneath her guard. Noah appeared directly in front of her.

He pulled back one hand.

"Royal Arts—Air Palm Adapted." Golden rings wrapped around his palm. He combined the defense-piercing force of Air Palm with the repelling nature of the Royal Arts. The two principles struck together. One forced through defenses. The other hurled everything away. Noah drove his palm into Ava's stomach. The impact exploded. Ava's eyes widened as the air left her lungs.

Then she was launched across the arena with twice the usual force, her body tearing through frozen mounds of sand before crashing near the outer wall. The golden light faded. The Lion King of Heroes dropped from above. Noah caught it by the hilt. Across the arena, Ava forced herself onto one knee. She coughed once. Then looked up at him. Noah smiled.

"One clear path." Golden circles appeared beneath his feet.

"A road to glory." He charged. Ava forced herself upright and raised her bow. She was not finished yet. Arrow after arrow tore across the arena. Her hands moved faster with every shot, her technique improving even in the middle of battle. Soon, she was firing several arrows at once, each aimed along a different path to cut off Noah's approach. Noah twisted between them. One passed his shoulder. Another grazed his cheek. A third struck the ground beneath him, freezing the sand's movement and forcing him to leap.

Ava's eyes sharpened.

"Bad move!" The moment Noah entered the air, he had nowhere left to dodge. She drew several arrows at once and aimed directly at him. Noah grinned.

"Then try it." Golden light wrapped around his body.

"Royal Arts—Shooting Star!" He turned in the air and descended. Ava released. The arrows struck him. One pierced his leg. Reversed Chariot activated instantly, paralyzing the limb and stopping its movement. But Noah had already begun to fall. Gravity carried him onward. He could no longer control his movement, but he did not need to. The Lion King of Heroes came down in a heavy golden arc. Ava twisted aside. Not fast enough. The blade cut across her shoulder. Blood scattered through the air as she staggered back.

Noah crashed into the sand, his frozen leg buckling beneath him. Pain tore through his body. He clenched his teeth. Then forced himself to move. Every muscle screamed against Ava's paralysis, but Noah pushed forward through sheer will. One final step. One final swing. The Lion King of Heroes stopped inches from Ava's neck. The arena went silent. Noah stood before her, breathing heavily, his sword trembling in his hands.

"I win." Ava stared at the blade. Then at him. Finally, she laughed.

"Fine." She lowered her bow.

"You beat me." Her crimson eyes gleamed.

"Not entirely fair and square, though." Noah stared at her in disbelief.

"You shot the host to heal yourself."

"Efficient use of available resources."

"You fought just as dirty as I did."

"That's different."

"How?"

"Because I did it." Noah laughed. Then he allowed the Lion King of Heroes to dissolve into golden light. He stepped closer, placed one hand against Ava's wounded shoulder, and activated The Ladybug. The pain and damage flowed into him. Black spots spread faintly across his skin as Ava's wound began to close. When it was finished, Noah leaned forward and kissed her. The audience erupted. Some cheered. Some laughed. Several gamblers screamed over lost bets.

High above them, Ars rose from his seat and clapped enthusiastically.

"That's it!" His voice boomed across the arena.

"Noah Fafnir will be moving on to the next round!" The crowd roared louder.

"I would like to congratulate both fighters," Ars continued.

"Despite your age, you fought beautifully!" Noah smiled. He took Ava's hand and lifted it alongside his own. The crowd cheered for both of them. Noah pulled Ava closer, supporting her as they stood together beneath the arena lights. They had fought without mercy. They had used every trick they possessed. And when it was over, neither stood beneath the other. They accepted the crowd's praise together. From the front row, Oz watched with bright yellow eyes. He reached into his popcorn bucket. Empty.

He turned it upside down and shook it once, just to make sure.

"So that's this era's Hero." A playful smile spread across his face.

"He really is a cute little puppy." Oz adjusted his circular glasses. His smile sharpened.

"I hope he stays that way."