Chapter 206: Minister meets Mediocre

Words : 1342 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

The post-match atmosphere buzzed with excitement as Noah made his way through the corridor leading from the arena floor. His muscles ached pleasantly from exertion, the residual energy of chi still tingling beneath his skin. He welcomed the feeling—physical proof of what he'd just accomplished. "NOAH ECLIPSE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" The booming voice nearly made Noah jump out of his skin. He turned to find Kelvin barreling toward him, arms spread wide and face split into a grin that threatened to crack his face in half. Before Noah could defend himself, Kelvin had him wrapped in a bear hug that lifted him clean off the ground. "Put me down, you lunatic," Noah protested, though he couldn't help but laugh. "Put down the god of chi combat? I think not!" Kelvin declared loudly enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear. He finally released Noah but immediately began an animated reenactment of the match's final moments. "The way you just—and then she was all—and then YOU—" His hands moved wildly through the air, mimicking chi projections and Noah's counters with sound effects that bore no resemblance to reality. "It wasn't that dramatic," Noah said, trying and failing to temper his friend's enthusiasm. "Wasn't that dramatic, he says!" Kelvin turned to address an imaginary audience. "The man eliminates an entire Academy Three team single-handedly and says it 'wasn't that dramatic.' What do you want, Eclipse? Fire to rain from the sky? The earth to split open beneath your feet?" Noah shook his head, unable to contain his smile. Kelvin's joy was infectious, even if wildly exaggerated. It had always been this way—Kelvin celebrating Noah's victories as if they were his own, often with more enthusiasm than Noah himself could muster. Their laughter was interrupted by a polite cough. Noah turned to find Lucas Grey standing a few feet away, his posture relaxed but commanding. As the top-ranked student at Academy Twelve, Lucas carried himself with an effortless confidence that Noah still found himself studying. "Good work in there, Eclipse," Lucas said, stepping forward to clap Noah on the shoulder. His grip was firm, his smile genuine if reserved. "Clean execution. Smart strategy." Coming from Lucas, these simple words carried weight. The third-year student wasn't known for empty praise. "Thanks," Noah replied, feeling a surge of pride he hadn't allowed himself during the match itself. "Means a lot." Lucas nodded, his expression thoughtful. "You've improved. Substantially." He left the implications of this observation hanging in the air between them before adding, "Keep it up. Academy Twelve needs more fighters who think before they strike." Before Noah could respond, a familiar voice called his name. He turned to see Sophie weaving through the crowd, her dark hair catching the light as she moved. The sight of her still made his heart skip a beat, even after months together. "Noah!" She reached him and, without hesitation, threw her arms around his neck. "You were incredible!" Then, to the vocal delight of several onlookers (Kelvin's whoops being the loudest), she kissed him. Not just a congratulatory peck, but a proper kiss that left Noah momentarily forgetting they had an audience. When they broke apart, Sophie kept her arms around his neck, her blue eyes sparkling with pride. "I knew you'd be amazing, but that was something else. The way you read that last opponent's Chi patterns..." She shook her head in wonderment. "It was just pattern recognition," Noah said, though he couldn't help but feel a rush of warmth at her praise. "Just pattern recognition, he says," Sophie mimicked, casting an amused glance at Kelvin. "Is he always this modest?" "Always," Kelvin confirmed solemnly. "It's his most annoying quality. That, and his insistence on practicing something or training something when we could be having fun." "I happen to like his studiousness," Sophie said, giving Noah another quick kiss. "You would," a new voice interjected, its sweetness carrying an undercurrent of something sharper. Noah turned to find Lila standing nearby, her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail that emphasized her heart-shaped face. She wore the standard Academy Twelve uniform, but somehow managed to make it look distinctly non-standard. Perhaps it was the way she'd rolled the sleeves of her jacket or the extra button undone on her blouse to reveal an ample amount of cleavage. "Congratulations, Noah," she said, her smile brilliant as she stepped forward. "Your performance was... illuminating." Sophie's arms tightened almost imperceptibly around Noah's shoulders before she released him, turning to face Lila with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Lila. Didn't see you in the stands." "I had a good view," Lila replied, her gaze never leaving Noah. "I wouldn't miss seeing Noah compete." The tension between the two women was evident. Noah had long given up trying to understand its exact origins. To him, Sophie didn't like the former because she couldn't take rejection gracefully. Lila insisted Sophie was threatened by her. Noah suspected the truth lay somewhere in the murky waters of female animosity that had soured. "Your control has improved. I mean I'd know this since I watched the last practice you had with Raven and Danika under master Anng's watch," Lila continued, addressing Noah directly. "Those white projections you were using—they're new." "Just something I've been working on," Noah replied carefully, conscious of Sophie beside him. What also struck him was how openly Lila admitted to watching him and potentially following him everywhere. What did she do in her spare time besides that? Lila's eyes lit up. "Maybe you could show me sometime. I've taken a liking to the martial arts, I can't lie," she said with a smile showing her tongue slightly. Before Noah could formulate a response that wouldn't earn him Sophie's ire, the crowd around them began to part like water before the prow of a ship. Conversation died, replaced by respectful murmurs and the occasional gasp of recognition. Noah didn't need to look to know who was approaching. The shift in Sophie's posture told him everything—her spine straightening, chin lifting, expression composing itself into something more formal and less carefree. Minister Reign moved through the parted crowd with the ease of a man accustomed to making space bend to his will rather than the other way around. Tall and broad-shouldered, with steel-gray hair and eyes the same shade of blue as his daughter's, Defense Minister Alexander Reign commanded attention without seeking it. His charcoal suit bore no insignia of office, no medals or ribbons—he didn't need them. Everyone knew who he was. Sophie immediately stepped away from Noah, moving toward her father with a warm smile. "Dad! I didn't expect to see you now. Thought you'd be clogged up with meetings and stuff," Minister Reign paused, acknowledging his daughter with a brief nod and a touch to her shoulder that somehow managed to be both affectionate and perfunctory. "Sophie." His gaze, however, had already moved past her to where Lucas stood. Lucas stepped forward, extending his hand. "Minister Reign." "Mr. Grey," the minister replied, clasping Lucas's hand firmly. "Good to see you again. Your head master mentioned you might be competing today," "Not until tomorrow, sir. Just observing the preliminaries." The minister nodded approvingly before his gaze finally settled on Noah. There was nothing overtly hostile in his expression, but Noah couldn't help recalling their first and only previous meeting—walking into Sophie's off-campus apartment bedroom wearing nothing, only for her father to have arrived for a surprise visit. The memory still made him cringe internally. Noah straightened his posture, suddenly acutely aware of his disheveled appearance after the match. Sweat-dampened hair, academy uniform rumpled from exertion—not exactly the impression he'd hoped to make during their second encounter. To his surprise, Minister Reign extended his hand. "Mr. Eclipse."

Chapter 206: Minister meets Mediocre

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