Some things, while unexpected, feel completely inevitable.
The Tower Master, in his planning, had not only invited numerous Dragon Kings to witness the upcoming duel but had also extended an invitation to St. Heath Academy for a small teacher-student delegation.
"Noah is one of Leon's most accomplished successors in lightning magic," the Tower Master had likely reasoned. "The Academy must have found an excellent excuse to send her."
It was true. St. Heath Academy focused heavily on academic rigor and rarely allowed students to leave for non-essential reasons. Their method for sending Noah was undoubtedly ingenious.
"Noah, should you not be in class right now?" Leon asked with a raised eyebrow, though a smile tugged at his lips.
"Oh, teacher," Noah replied with a sly grin, falling back into the familiar address. "I heard there would be an epic elemental magic duel here in Sky City. Since my primary attribute is also lightning, the professors decided it was a perfect learning opportunity. They sent me to observe and take notes."
As she spoke, she gestured to the elegant woman standing behind her.
The woman, named Mavis, stepped forward. She exuded a calm, scholarly air, her glasses perched neatly on her nose. She offered a polite nod to Leon, Rossweise, and the other high-ranking dragons present.
"Greetings. I am Noah's personal mentor, Mavis. It is a pleasure to meet you all."
Unlike the Young Dragon Division, which followed a standardized curriculum, the Youth Dragon Division employed a tailored mentorship system. Each student was assigned a dedicated mentor based on their unique talents and elemental affinities.
Given Noah's rare and powerful lightning affinity, it was only natural for Mavis, a specialist, to be her guide.
After exchanging pleasantries with Mavis, Leon and Rossweise understood. Noah's presence was not a coincidence; her exceptional talent had earned her this opportunity to witness a historic event.
"Oh, the Crimson Flame Dragon King is here as well," Mavis noted, her gaze shifting to Constantine.
The red-haired dragon gave her a brief, acknowledging nod, his expression typically unreadable, and replied with a simple "Hmm."
After a few more polite words, Constantine gestured for Leon to step aside for a private conversation.
Leon nodded. He crouched down and carefully passed the wriggling Muse into Noah's waiting arms. "Take good care of your sister for a moment."
"Got it, Dad," Noah said, adjusting her hold on the toddler.
Rossweise stood behind her two daughters, giving Leon a subtle, encouraging nod. With that, Leon followed Constantine to a more secluded spot.
As Noah held Muse and watched her father walk away with the formidable dragon, her face briefly lit up with curiosity. But in the very next instant, her surroundings shimmered and changed. Muse vanished from her arms, and the world dissolved into walls of dim, shimmering gold.
When she turned, a massive white dragon loomed before her in this mental space.
"Do you need something?" Noah asked, familiar with these sudden visits.
The dragon spread its magnificent wings, flooding the space with a radiant, pure light. When the glow subsided, the Ancestor stood before her in human form, draped in white robes, her feet resting gracefully on the shimmering surface.
"My power is within that Constantine fellow," the Ancestor stated without preamble.
Noah blinked, the memory surfacing clearly: the ruins in the Far North, where Constantine had absorbed the primal energy from the Ancestor's stone statue. The Ancestor's soul had fled at the last moment, finding refuge within Noah's consciousness.
"So... do you want to take it back?" Noah asked after a moment's thought. "But Constantine is an ally now. He helped us against Adam."
The Ancestor shook her head, her expression cool. "The primal energy has fully fused with him after all this time. Forcibly extracting it would kill him. Let it be. Consider it a king's gift to a temporary ally."
Noah tilted her head, a playful glint in her eye. "If you are so generous, why did you not prepare a gift for me, your host?"
Before the Ancestor could retort, a tall, watery figure emerged from the glowing surface, offering a subtle, formal bow.
The Ancestor crossed her arms, maintaining her regal superiority, while Noah stared, the atmosphere turning awkward.
Suddenly, the Ancestor closed the distance, scooped Noah into a tight hug, and vigorously rubbed her cheeks against the girl's. "You little rascal! Did you have to bring that up?"
"Do you really need to do this?" Noah deadpanned, her legs flailing slightly in the embrace.
"Look at you, getting all worked up."
"I am not worked up!"
"If you are not, why are you squirming?"
"Is this your so-called 'gift'?"
The Ancestor finally set Noah back down, a smirk on her lips. But her demeanor quickly turned serious again as she crouched, bringing her gaze level with Noah's.
"Remember in the Demon Moon Forest, when Adam used those bell seeds to suppress our primal magic?"
Noah nodded. "I remember."
"After much analysis," the Ancestor continued, her voice low, "it seems the only magic capable of countering primal energy is its opposite: chaos magic. A specific, potent form known as 'Ultimate Fear.'"
"Ultimate Fear?" Noah's brows furrowed.
"Yes. Adam's bell seeds had been tempered by a trace of Ultimate Fear, which proves his connection to it."
The Ancestor's tone grew darker. "The spell he used to trap you, 'Dark Oblivion,' is also a derivative of chaos magic. If you had not unleashed your full primal power in time, it would have consumed you utterly."
She added a crucial piece of information. "And such chaos magic... it requires a 'Black Dragon Scale' to catalyze."
"The Black Dragon Scale?" Noah repeated, perplexed. "I have never heard of it. What is it?"
"It is a Heartguard Dragon Scale that has been corrupted and tainted by Ultimate Fear," the Ancestor explained grimly. "It grants the wielder immense power but slowly erodes their sense of justice and conscience. There are likely other abilities tied to it that I do not fully understand. However—"
She paused, her expression grave.
"However, what?" Noah prompted.
"I sensed the faint, residual power of a Black Dragon Scale on that Constantine fellow."
Noah's eyes widened slightly. "Are you saying Constantine is connected to Ultimate Fear?"
"No, I am not certain," the Ancestor replied. "The trace was old, faint. But I need you to investigate it. We cannot afford unknown variables."
"How should I do that?"
"First, find out what he and your father are discussing right now. If it is so private, it must be important."
"But Dad would never let me eavesdrop," Noah said flatly.
"True. That does make things rather tricky..." The Ancestor scratched her head in frustration, muttering about the complications of dealing with such an unpredictable ally.
Just then, a sweet, childish voice echoed strangely through their mental space, a bridge from the real world.
"Big sister~ Hug hug~ Hug hug~"
"Is she going to grow up to be a sister-obsessed clingy type?" the Ancestor muttered, rolling her eyes despite the situation.
Noah's focus returned to reality, where little Muse wriggled in her arms, blinking her innocent red eyes. A spark of inspiration ignited in Noah's mind.
"I might have an idea," Noah said, a sly smile forming on her lips.
She pulled out a small, smooth recording stone from her pocket—a tool specially provided by the Academy to document the duel for later study.
Noah glanced at the stone, then down at her sister. After a quick check to ensure no adults were watching her specifically, she deftly slipped the activated recording stone into the pocket of Muse's little robe.
"Muse," Noah whispered, leaning close to her sister's ear. "Do you want to play a game with me?"
Muse blinked, tilting her head. "Not hing~"
"...Why not?"
"You will have to get used to it," a new, earnest voice chimed in. "Your sister only says 'Not hing.' You have to guess her meaning from her tone."
Noah looked up to see a little girl with fiery red hair and intense black eyes standing nearby.
"And who are you?" Noah asked, raising a brow.
"I am Hefei," the girl replied proudly. "Constantine's daughter."
Noah blinked in surprise. So this was the child of the formidable Crimson Flame Dragon King? She was surprisingly adorable.
"Interesting," Noah thought, a plan fully crystallizing in her mind.
She smiled warmly at the red-haired girl. "Alright then, Hefei. Do you want to play a game with me?"
Hefei's eyes lit up with immediate excitement. "Yes! Yes! What are we playing, big sister?"
Noah's gaze flickered toward the distant figures of Leon, Constantine, and Rossweise. She leaned in closer to Hefei, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
"The game itself is not important," she confided. "What matters is the mission."
She pointed subtly toward their fathers. "And how we are going to sneak my little sister over there to listen to what they are saying."