Chapter 237: Number 1 versus number 1

Words : 1906 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

As Noah left the arena floor, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins, he expected to find Lila waiting with that knowing smile of hers. Instead, when he spotted her in the competitor waiting area, her expression stopped him cold. She looked mortified—eyes wide, face drained of color. When their gazes met, she turned abruptly and walked away without a word. No congratulations, no acknowledgment of what they'd been practicing together, nothing. 'What was that about?' Noah wondered, a knot forming in his stomach. If anyone should be pleased with his performance, it should have been Lila. She'd been the one pushing him to explore other aspects of chi manipulation. Before he could process this, Kelvin bounded up, slapping him on the back hard enough to make him wince. "Dude! That was insane!" Kelvin's face was animated with excitement. "You just took down a third-gen mirror user! How did you even—" "Nice work out there," Lucas interrupted, more reserved but clearly impressed. "Not many first-years could handle those mirror techniques." Noah nodded, accepting their praise while scanning the waiting area for Sophie. He found her standing a few feet away, hands clasped in front of her, expression carefully neutral. She approached slowly, and the others fell quiet. There was a painful awareness between them—every interaction now colored by what had happened with Lila. Noah had been expecting cold fury or cutting remarks, but Sophie surprised him. "Congratulations," she said, voice steady and mature. "Your technique was... impressive." "Thanks," Noah replied, aware of how inadequate the word sounded. Sophie held his gaze for a moment longer than necessary, and he saw the hurt she was trying to conceal. She was being the bigger person despite everything, and somehow that made him feel worse than if she'd lashed out. Her eyes flickered away, unable to maintain contact. "Your counter to her mirror abilities was clever. Using chaotic chi patterns to disrupt her reflections." There was a professional distance in her voice—analyzing his performance as a fellow soldier rather than as someone who had once been much more. "I should go now. Got to catch up with something," she added, already turning away. "See you later, Noah" "Sophie—" Noah started, but she was already walking away, shoulders straight and head held high. Lucas gave Noah a sympathetic look. "Give her time, man." "Yeah," Noah muttered, though he wasn't sure any amount of time would fix what he'd broken. The small group dispersed, heading back to their designated area. Noah was about to follow when a firm hand gripped his shoulder. "Eclipse," came a familiar voice. "A moment." Noah turned to find Master Anng standing before him, his weathered face unreadable but his eyes sharp with intent. "Master Anng," Noah inclined his head respectfully. "Is something wrong?" The old master guided Noah to a quiet corner away from the other competitors and officials. "That technique you used against Cadet Cena," Master Anng said without preamble. "Where did you learn it?" Noah's expression remained carefully blank. "Which technique, sir?" "Do not play games with me, boy." There was steel in the master's voice now. "That dar....that chi manipulation," master Anng looked around, almost like he was scared someone was watching. "The negation effect that dissolved her mirror barrier. That is not a technique taught at Academy Twelve—certainly not to first-year cadets or anyone for that matter," Noah feigned confusion, his brow furrowing with practiced innocence. "I'm not sure what you mean, Master. I just channeled my chi to disrupt her connection to the barrier. Standard chi conduction through a medium, like we practiced in your advanced sessions." Master Anng's eyes narrowed. "Standard chi is white or blue in color, Cadet Eclipse. What you manifested had a distinctly red tint. And standard chi conduction does not create void points in matter." "Red tint, void points?" Noah shook his head. "It must have been the arena lighting. Or maybe the barrier's composition altered the appearance of the energy." The master studied him for a long, uncomfortable moment. Noah maintained his expression of confused innocence, though his heart hammered in his chest. "I've been teaching chi manipulation for forty years, Cadet," Master Anng finally said. "I know what I saw." "With all due respect, sir," Noah replied carefully, "I'm just a first-year with basic abilities, as Nala pointed out. I got lucky with some techniques I've been developing through extra practice." Master Anng's gaze didn't waver. "There are only two possibilities here, Eclipse. Either you're naturally manifesting abilities that take decades of training to develop—which would make you a once-in-a-generation prodigy—or someone is teaching you forbidden techniques. Neither scenario is particularly comforting." Noah held the master's gaze with what he hoped was the right mixture of respect and bewilderment. "I wish I could explain it better, sir. I just... reacted in the moment." A long silence stretched between them. Finally, Master Anng sighed. "I'll be watching your next matches very closely, Cadet Eclipse," he said quietly. "Very closely indeed. And if I see that technique again, we will be having a much longer conversation—one that won't end until I know exactly who's been teaching you." With that warning hanging in the air, the master turned and walked away, leaving Noah alone with the uncomfortable knowledge that his secret training with Lila might not be as secret as he'd thought. And more troubling still—why had Lila looked so alarmed by what should have been the desired outcome of their training? As Noah walked away from his encounter with Master Anng, his mind raced. Despite his outward show of ignorance, he couldn't help but feel a surge of vindication. Lila had been right all along. The Academy masters, even ones as respected as Anng, were gatekeeping techniques and abilities that could make all the difference in real combat. 'Standard curriculum wouldn't have gotten me through that fight,' Noah thought, remembering how helpless he'd felt against Nala's mirror abilities until he'd tapped into the techniques Lila had shown him. What excited him most was what had happened in that critical moment—for the first time ever, he'd managed to fuse his chi and void energy as one cohesive force. The notification confirmed what he'd felt: [Skill Evolution: Null Strike → Chi Fusion (Level 1)] The implications were staggering. He'd always treated his chi manipulation and void energy as separate abilities, one taught at the Academy and one... well, one he'd always had but never fully understood. Fusing them opened up possibilities he could hardly imagine. He was eager to test this new ability, to explore what being Level 21 meant and what other skills might have unlocked. But that would have to wait. Noah checked the tournament bracket displayed on the massive screens throughout the venue. The next match was one he definitely didn't want to miss: Jayden Smoak from Academy 8 versus Luis Quinn from Academy 1. Number 1 versus Number 1. And not just any opponent—Jayden Smoak was Lucas's sworn enemy, which by association made him Noah's enemy too. The bad blood between them had started years ago during their first year at the Academy, but he'd heard enough stories to know this wasn't just a competition—it was personal. Noah made his way to the spectator stands where Kelvin had already saved them seats. The arena was buzzing with anticipation; matches between top-ranked cadets always drew attention, but the history between Academy 8 and Lucas's former Academy made this a particularly charged encounter. As Noah settled beside Kelvin, he scanned the crowd for Sophie. He spotted her a few rows down, sitting with a group of other Academy 12 students. She must have felt his gaze because she glanced up briefly before returning her attention to the arena floor. Even that fleeting moment of eye contact left Noah with a hollow feeling in his chest. "You made it just in time," Kelvin said, nudging Noah's arm. "They're about to start. Man, this is going to be epic—Number 1 from School 1 against Smoak. I can't believe they got matched up!." "They've been on a collision course since the beginning," Noah replied, though he suspected there might be more to it than that. Nothing about this tournament had felt truly random so far. The crowd's murmurs rose to a roar as the two competitors stepped onto the platform. Luis Quinn moved with the fluid confidence that marked all Academy 1 elites—polished, precise, every movement economical. Jayden Smoak, by contrast, stalked onto the platform like a predator, his eyes cold and focused. "Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer's voice boomed through the stadium, "our final match features two of the most outstanding talents in this year's tournament!" Noah studied both competitors carefully. As a first-year cadet, he wouldn't face either of them in competition, but he was gathering tactical information for future years. "From Academy One, their number one ranked third-year cadet, Luis Quinn!" The crowd erupted, particularly the section filled with Academy 1 students, who rose to their feet in unison. "And his opponent, Academy Eight's top-ranked third-year fighter, Jayden Smoak!" Another wave of cheers rolled through the arena, though Noah noticed Lucas, who had just arrived and taken a seat nearby, remained stonily silent. "I'm guessing you know the story with those two right?" Noah asked Kelvin, nodding toward Lucas's rigid profile. Kelvin lowered his voice. "Everyone knows this one. Back in first year, Smoak tried to molest Lucas's sister who was also at Academy 8. Lucas confronted him, and they've been bitter enemies ever since. It's their final year now, and this match is basically three years of tension coming to a head." Noah's eyes narrowed as he studied Smoak more carefully. " Yeah, can't blame Lucas though. No wonder he looks like he's ready to jump in there himself." "Yep," Kelvin agreed. "As first-years, we're lucky we don't have to face third-years like them. But mark my words, when we're in our final year, you'll have rivals just as intense." The implications weren't lost on Noah. Academy politics, personal vendettas, and tournament advancement were all converging. And somehow, he'd found himself bearing witness to the culmination of a years-long feud. The platform beneath Quinn and Smoak illuminated, signaling the start of the match. Both competitors dropped into fighting stances, the air around them already crackling with energy. This wasn't just another tournament match. This was a collision of rival academies, personal histories, and fighting philosophies. And as Noah watched the two elites circle each other, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more at stake than just a championship title. "Begin!" the announcer shouted, and the two fighters exploded into motion. The crowd roared as the match began, but Noah's mind was already racing ahead. Between his evolving abilities, the mystery of Lila's reaction, Master Anng's suspicions, and the tournament's increasingly complex web of rivalries, one thing was becoming clear: What he was witnessing today would set the stage for his own future battles. And whatever came next would test more than just his fighting skills.

Chapter 237: Number 1 versus number 1

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