Adam observed the girl before him, her transformed appearance a stark contrast to the desperate figure who had been fleeing moments earlier.
Her once silver-and-black hair had turned a radiant, flowing white, save for faint, shadowy streaks at the tips. It floated around her as if suspended in water, carried by invisible currents of potent magical energy. A faint, ethereal sheen of white highlighted her eyes like pale eyeshadow, and her irises were now mismatched—one remained its original blue, while the other glowed with a piercing, primordial white.
But these external changes weren't what truly held Adam's attention. The energy radiating from her core was alien, unlike any conventional dragon or human magic he had ever encountered.
Adam frowned, his single crimson eye scrutinizing her closely before he muttered, almost to himself, "This energy... it feels like the direct opposite of the black dragon scales' corrupting power. Interesting."
With a ground-shaking roar, he swung his massive war hammer and charged. "Let's see if this new form of yours is anything more than a pretty light show!"
Inside Noah's consciousness, a serene, layered voice spoke, its tone a mix of amusement and admonishment.
"Thank you for finally relinquishing control, Noah."
"You always wait until the very last moment to ask for my help. Do you enjoy playing the cool, self-sacrificing hero that much?"
"Tch, you know why I held back," Noah's mental voice retorted. "You said not to use your power unless absolutely necessary, to avoid attracting the attention of the 'Ultimate Fear.' That's why I didn't ask earlier."
"Stubborn as always," the Ancestor's voice replied, though not unkindly. "But you knew I wouldn't just stand by and let us be extinguished."
"You're an infuriating child, but you're also correct," the voice continued. "I've got questions to ask and things to tell you, but first, let's deal with the immediate problem."
"Just remember—your body has already endured significant strain from overusing the Nine Hells Gate. This merged form places an additional, immense burden on you. At best, you'll have ten minutes of use. Probably less."
"Understood," Noah replied, her focus turning outward.
.
.
Snapping back to reality, Noah saw Adam's war hammer descending toward her. Yet, as she watched its arc, the world seemed to slow to a crawl.
She could trace every minute shift of his muscles, and her body reacted on pure, enhanced instinct.
BOOM!
The hammer struck the ground where she had been standing, sending clods of dirt and rock flying and scattering the mist—but not a single strand of Noah's white hair had been touched.
Adam looked up to see her high in the air, one hand raised as she gathered crackling lightning magic. A sharp, piercing cry, like that of a thunderbird, echoed through the forest as her spell charged.
"Lightning Thrust? Hah, you idiot!" Adam taunted. "At point-blank range, that technique loses most of its penetrating power. You clearly don't even know how to use the strength you've been given!"
But Noah, now a vessel for ancient wisdom and power, remained utterly composed. Her movements were fluid and graceful as she landed lightly atop the head of Adam's own hammer. She crouched slightly, her posture poised and elegant, the crackling blue sphere of energy still growing in her hand.
"You stupid brat! You're just going to stand there holding that spell? You don't even dare to release it?" Adam sneered, trying to shake her off.
Noah ignored him, focusing instead on channeling even more raw energy into the spell. The birdlike cries grew sharper, louder, becoming a deafening screech that tore through the air.
"With the Primordial Force enhancing your inherent magic," the Ancestor's voice noted, "your Lightning Thrust will unleash an explosion of unparalleled force, even at close range. He will not dare take it head-on."
"Not yet," Noah thought, her mental tone calm but resolute. "It's not loud enough. It's not bright enough."
Adam, increasingly annoyed by the relentless, piercing noise, swung his hammer violently, forcing Noah to backflip gracefully through the air and land softly several meters away. Her spell, however, remained active, its radiance growing blindingly bright with every passing second.
Adam's frustration finally boiled over. "You noisy little brat!" he roared, swinging his hammer in a furious, relentless barrage.
Noah dodged each swing with effortless, minimal movement, leading him further away from where Helena lay injured. Her actions were quick and deliberate, ensuring the destructive ripples of their clash wouldn't harm her friend.
Suddenly, Adam stopped, a dawning realization cutting through his rage. "Wait... you never planned to use that Lightning Thrust to attack me directly, did you?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Perched on a nearby boulder, Noah's cool, steady voice cut through the fading echoes of her spell.
"Took you long enough to figure it out, you oversized oaf."
"What did you just call me?" Adam bellowed, his rage rekindling.
"A big, slow oaf. Don't like it? How about 'clown with a hammer'? Does that suit you better?"
Adam let out a furious, guttural dragon's roar, his anger exploding past the point of reason. A faint, satisfied smirk touched Noah's lips. She had provoked him exactly as planned.
.
.
Within her mind, the ancient dragon's voice spoke with approval. "Your plan is to use the sound and light of the overcharged Lightning Thrust as a beacon—to attract your teachers and classmates outside the forest. And by enraging Adam, you're making him loud and reckless, which only helps draw more attention."
Noah nodded silently in agreement.
"You only have ten minutes, but with our combined mastery, that is more than enough time to settle this—or to ensure reinforcements arrive," the Ancestor stated.
"I'll do everything I can to make sure we're noticed," Noah replied, her focus absolute.
The ancient dragon's pride was palpable. "Whoever said dragon-kind has bad luck? I've been asleep for thousands of years, and the first host I wake up to is you—an absolute prodigy!"
.
.
Returning to the present, Noah refocused her energy, letting the potent power ripple through her body.
"Round two. Let's begin."
Adam charged again, his hammer swinging with wild, destructive force. Noah evaded each attack with a dancer's grace and precision. The Lightning Rush, now charged to its absolute limit, finally shot forth not at Adam, but into the sky above the canopy. It exploded in a magnificent, thunderous flash of light and sound that lit up the entire section of the forest.
Adam instinctively raised his hammer to block, a defensive array glowing faintly on its surface. The shockwave from the aerial explosion washed over them, but the hammer held.
"You've got some skill, kid," Adam said begrudgingly. "But it won't change your fate. You'll end up just like that little girl thirty years ago!"
Noah's eyes narrowed. She didn't know who this "little girl" was, but the vile, mocking tone in Adam's voice filled her with cold, pure disgust.
Despite the raw power of her display, Adam's hammer remained intact. The ancient dragon's voice murmured grimly in her mind, "That weapon... it's not normal. It's infused with Chaos. Only a force born of the Void could withstand a full-powered beacon from the Primordial Force."
Noah processed the information instantly. "If magic alone won't break him, I'll rely on enhanced physical combat."
"A sound strategy. Your senses, strength, and regeneration are now greatly heightened. It will give you an edge. But be careful; his strength is still immense."
Switching tactics, Noah launched herself forward, moving like a white blur. Her speed clearly surprised Adam, but he still managed to bring his hammer up to block her initial punch. However, the sheer, concussive force behind it sent him skidding backward, his feet carving long trenches in the forest floor.
"Damn it... what kind of monstrous strength is this?" he muttered, his confidence wavering for the first time.
Noah didn't respond. She disappeared from his sight, moving faster than his eye could track. Her punches and kicks rained down like a relentless storm, each blow carrying more weight and precision than the last.
"Enough!" Adam roared, finally managing to release a surge of black, chaotic magic that sent Noah flying backward. She landed gracefully on her feet but winced, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of her lip. Her body was reaching its absolute limit.
Seeing his opening, Adam's aura darkened exponentially, an oppressive, void-like energy swelling around him.
"The power of Chaos, drawn from the Ultimate Fear itself," the Ancestor confirmed, her tone grave. "We cannot let him escape. If he reports back to his master, our secret—your existence—will be exposed."
"I understand," Noah said, forcing her trembling body to stand straight. Determination burned like a supernova in her mismatched eyes.
Her body shuddered violently, the white energy around her flickering like a dying star. Yet, she forced her feet to plant firmly on the ground.
"You're done for, brat! You'll die here, and I'll hunt down your foolish father next!" Adam sneered, summoning a cage of swirling black cubes of Chaos magic. The cubes shot toward Noah, enclosing her in a prison that began to contract, crushing the light from her form.
"Noah!" Helena's terrified scream echoed from the sidelines as the dark cubes tightened around her friend.
But a defiant, layered voice, brimming with absolute fury, erupted from within the collapsing prison. "You will not insult my father!"
With a final, explosive detonation of pure white light, the chaotic cubes shattered into nothingness, the white flames tearing through the dark magic like paper. As the light faded, Noah collapsed to one knee, her transformation flickering, her energy completely spent.
Adam wasted no time. He raised his hammer high, its head gleaming with murderous intent, and charged toward the fallen girl.
"Die, you little pest!"
Helena's screams of despair filled the air.
But just as Adam's hammer began its final, fatal descent, a voice roared from the sky above, a sound of pure, unadulterated paternal fury that shook the very leaves from the trees.
"You dare lay a hand on my daughter?! Adam, I'll tear you to pieces!"
The air cracked with thunder and the forest was painted in the hues of raging fire, heralding the arrival of two furious fathers. Leon and Constantine had arrived.