Chapter 181: Noah vs. The Five
Mirajane gathered her magic, and the other four followed suit, their resolve hardening.
"I'm not ready to give up just yet, either," Sorano declared, her voice ringing with determination.
"Even if I know it's almost impossible to win, I'll still see this through to the end!" Cana added.
"My goal is to get stronger! I can't let myself be beaten this easily!" Lyon shouted.
"I must continue to temper my own skills," Simon said, his eyes firm.
A smile touched Noah's lips as he acknowledged their fighting spirit. "Then come at me!"
With the strongest constitution and fastest recovery, Mirajane was the first to move. She shot forward, throwing a powerful punch at Noah. He raised his right hand to block it and immediately countered with a jab of his own. Mirajane pulled her hand back, crossing both arms to block Noah's fist, but the force of the blow sent her stumbling backward.
At that moment, the other four charged in, their fists and feet striking at Noah from all angles.
Noah's hands became a blur, weaving left and right as if he had eight arms, deflecting every single one of their attacks. He gave ground with each of their advances, stepping back for every step they took forward. Mirajane, having recovered, rejoined the fray, lunging in with a hook from the side. Noah's phantom-like defense seemed to sprout two more arms, easily parrying her attack as well.
The five of them pressed their assault from the front and sides, a storm of ten arms striking relentlessly. But Noah, moving with impossible speed, met every blow. Their rhythm became smoother, their strikes stronger and more coordinated. The air whistled with the sound of their attacks, and shockwaves radiated outward from the point of impact.
Thwack! Bam! Pow!
Every single punch and kick was blocked by Noah, the sound of their blows echoing across the battlefield. Their teamwork was impeccable—one would advance as another retreated, creating a continuous, flowing offense designed to overwhelm his defenses. Yet Noah remained as unmovable as a mountain. With his superhuman reflexes and mastery of martial arts, his hands flew, intercepting every attack.
He continued his controlled retreat, allowing the five to constantly press forward.
The guild members watching from a distance were captivated by the spectacular display of hand-to-hand combat, their eyes glued to the action, afraid to miss a single move.
"What an incredible fight," Gray said, his voice filled with awe. "Mira and the others are amazing on the attack, but Noah is on another level. He's blocking everything."
"Left hook, right hook, straight punch, front kick, roundhouse—" Natsu muttered beside him, mimicking the movements with wild enthusiasm, nearly clocking a few guild members in the process. They quickly gave him a wide berth, all of them too engrossed in the fight to pick one with him now.
'He's incredible,' Loke thought to himself, watching in silent amazement. 'Is this Noah's true power? Even in the Celestial Spirit World, I've never seen anyone with martial arts skills like his.'
Because of his constantly draining life force, Loke had never visited the training grounds and had never seen Noah fight. This was his first time witnessing it. The thought projection of Noah in the spirit world was always reading a book or asking questions; he gave no hint of having such devastating combat prowess.
Though Mirajane and the others were fighting with incredible spirit and coordination, they couldn't break through Noah's defense. Their stamina and magic were draining rapidly, and their movements began to slow. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, and their breathing grew ragged.
Noah, in contrast, was completely unaffected. He was as calm and composed as when the fight began, his movements just as precise.
Seeing that they were reaching their limit, their form faltering, Noah parried their next volley and gave a firm push. Their rhythm shattered. They all stumbled back several steps before catching their balance.
Only then did they realize how much energy they had expended. As exhilarating as the coordinated assault had been, it had been utterly ineffective. Noah had blocked everything.
"Your close-quarters combat is excellent," Noah said, offering genuine praise. "And your teamwork is very impressive. You have a great rhythm."
"But it was completely useless against you!" Sorano panted. "How are your fighting skills so insane? You blocked all five of us by yourself!"
Cana nodded emphatically in agreement. The other three remained silent, but their expressions said it all.
"I guess I've just had a lot of practice, so my reflexes are pretty sharp," Noah said with a shrug. "Alright, this is the last part. Give me everything you've got!"
The five of them exchanged a determined look and nodded. Gathering what was left of their magic, they unleashed their strongest attacks.
"Soul Extinctor!"
"Angel of Sunlight!"
"Card Magic: Thunderous Fate!"
"Ice-Make: Ice Dragon!"
"Dark Spiral!"
Five powerful streams of magic shot towards Noah. Unflustered, he clapped his hands together. A brilliant golden shield materialized before him. It was incredibly solid, comprised of seven distinct layers and shaped like a seven-petaled flower.
"Light-Make: Seraph's Seven-Ring Shield!"
The five colossal attacks slammed into the shield with a deafening roar. They shattered the first three layers, but their power was spent before they could break the fourth. The magic dissipated into the air.
With the attacks blocked, Noah dismissed the shield.
Across from him, the five participants were completely drained. They had poured the last of their magic into that final assault and were now so exhausted they could barely stand.
Noah looked at their state and decided on one final test. He began to release his own magic power. Pebbles lifted off the ground as the air and earth began to tremble once more. The mounting pressure bore down on them, and they knew this was the final hurdle. They grit their teeth, desperately trying to hold on.
Noah's magic was light-aspected, which was particularly taxing for Mirajane and Simon. Being the weaker of the two, Simon couldn't withstand the amplified drain. He was the first to buckle, collapsing to his knees.
Lyon was next. Despite his best efforts, his legs gave out from under the immense pressure, and he fell.
Cana and Sorano collapsed at the same time. Both had some experience enduring powerful auras—Cana from her time with Gildarts, and Sorano from her training with Noah. Their greater strength also allowed them to last longer than Lyon.
In the end, only Mirajane remained. Her jaw was clenched, and large beads of sweat rolled down her face. Her gaze was locked on the crowd of onlookers. Curious, Noah glanced over and saw that she was staring intently at Erza. He realized then that losing to Erza in the previous year's trial had become a deep-seated motivation for her. It was why she was pushing herself so hard now.
Seeing that only Mirajane was left, Noah slowly reined in his magic.
As the pressure gradually subsided, Mirajane's tense spirit finally relaxed. Her legs gave way, and she sank to the ground.
~~~
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