Chapter 183: I Know Your Every Move

“Did that…”

Cecilia narrowed her eyes, her Phoenix vision piercing through the veil of dust.

As she saw the view of what had happened, her brows rose.

But she said nothing, only a smile appearing on her lips.

The dust slowly thinned, drifting away to reveal the cracked floor and Damien kneeling at the center of the crater he’d made.

But Noah wasn’t there.

A low chuckle came from the edge of the training hall. “Not bad. Working together to corner me… smart.”

Damien’s head snapped up just in time to see Noah blur forward with a Flash Step, reappearing at his side.

The blows came fast. Faster than he could stop.

A hard strike to his ribs, sending him doubling over.

Then his shoulder was hit, sending him staggering back.

Then there was a final hit to his jaw.

Damien staggered under the onslaught, grunting as his body buckled, finally dropping to one knee.

But Noah was already gone.

Another flash, and he was on Arlo.

His strikes whipped through the air, but Arlo bent and twisted unnaturally, his body folding at impossible angles, slipping away from every punch and kick like smoke.

Instead of frustration, Noah only laughed, his orange eyes gleaming.

“You’re fast, Arlo. But I know you.”

The grin never left his face as he began putting more pressure in his attacks.

His movements grew faster, cutting off the routes he knew Arlo would take.

And each dodge slowly narrowed the net.

By the fifth blow, Arlo twisted to the side, right into Noah’s waiting fist.

Arlo’s eyes widened in shock. “What the?!”

The hit landed with a sickening crack, launching Arlo across the hall.

He hit the ground hard, skidding until he finally rolled to a stop.

Noah straightened, wisps of darkness licking at his feet, his grin widening with delight.

“Got you.”

Before he could do anything about it, Damien’s fist came out of nowhere, a blur of raw power cutting through the air.

Noah barely had time to Flash Step aside, his form streaking into view at the edge of Damien’s reach.

But Damien was relentless.

He followed instantly, his fists streaking through the air with a weight that felt heavier than it should be.

This was the essence of the domineering fighting style Cecilia had taught him.

It made use of a mana manipulation technique to put more force behind his blows, making retreat the only inevitable option for Noah.

Retreat or be crushed.

But Noah was nothing if not stubborn. So, he stood his ground.

Their blows collided with soft cracks, each impact ringing through the hall.

None of them wanted to be hit by the other, as both styles prioritize inflicting great damage, so they either hit each other knuckles, or blocked with crossed arms.

And before long, Noah found himself being pressed back.

Damien’s sheer force was imposing itself on the battle, dragging him into defense, whether he wanted to or not.

Every time he tried to slip out, Damien was there, hammering him back down, forcing him to parry or evade.

“Tch.” Noah’s eyes narrowed.

If Damien wanted to play high and heavy, then he’d just change the field.

He dropped low, sweeping his leg hard.

The sudden shift caught Damien off guard, his balance stolen as his feet were yanked from under him.

Before Damien could recover, Noah’s fist was already descending.

The blow connected with his face, driving him into the floor with bone-rattling force.

The stone beneath them cracked, spiderweb lines racing outward from the impact.

Noah’s arm drew back for the finishing strike, but a blur of motion cut in.

Arlo’s foot snapped forward, his body twisting unnaturally with that impossible grace.

Noah felt the pressure of the kick whip past his face, forcing him to abandon his follow-through and Flash Step back, skidding to a stop with his grin returning.

Arlo lunged in, refusing to let him breathe.

His limbs twisted unnaturally, joints bending in ways no human should manage.

A kick cut through the air where Noah’s ribs had been, forcing him to Flash Step a half-pace back.

Arlo followed instantly, body flowing like liquid, fists and elbows snapping out in a barrage.

Noah ducked one strike, countering with a jab to Arlo’s shoulder.

The hit connected, but Arlo rolled with it, spinning low to sweep at Noah’s legs. Noah hopped back, boots scraping the sand.

He went in again, putting his weight into his punch.

His knuckles clipped Arlo’s cheek, but only barely.

Arlo’s body seemed to melt around the blow, his blindfolded face grinning as if mocking Noah’s effort.

That was when Damien entered the fight once more.

Blood still streaked down from his nose, but his roar filled the training hall like a drumbeat.

He charged, fist cocked. Noah twisted aside, Arlo’s fingers brushing his sleeve as he moved.

The three became a whirlwind of motion.

Noah ducked, weaving between their attacks and landing quick blows.

Arlo slid, contorting to avoid his strikes, and Damien hammered forward like a storm, each punch cracking the air.

Flash Step blurred Noah across the hall, reappearing just in time to deflect Damien’s haymaker with a forearm.

He retaliated with a knee to Damien’s gut, but the bigger boy tanked it, slamming a backhand that Noah barely ducked.

Arlo used the moment to slip in low, hands snatching for Noah’s arm.

Noah twisted away, elbow lancing down toward Arlo’s back, but Damien was already there again, forcing him on the defensive.

Noah gritted his teeth, dodging left, then snapped his leg out.

His boot slammed into Damien’s knee with a sickening crack. The bigger boy staggered, buckling down onto one knee.

Seizing the opening, Noah spun, caught Arlo as he surged towards him, and with a pivot of his hips slammed him into the ground.

The impact shook the hall, dust kicking up in a ring around them.

Noah straightened, chest heaving, eyes alight.

His grin grew wider as he looked at the two of them.

“Commendable effort,” he said, “but I’m simply stronger.”

His gaze shifted to Arlo, who was still on his knees, panting hard with sweat dripping down his chin.

“And you…” Noah pointed at him with a faint smirk. “I know your every move. Because we’ve fought together. You’re predictable to me.”

Arlo’s chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, but he smirked faintly under the blindfold, as if daring Noah to keep talking.

Noah opened his mouth, then trailed off, a frown appearing on his face.

For a moment, he wasn’t in the training hall.

His mind drifted back to the monolith. To the smell of dust, blood, and death. To the fights he’d shared with another classmate.

Leo Hargreaves.

The arrogant boy who always seemed to know someone.

The one who had introduced them to the gang who granted access to the monolith in the first place.

Noah blinked, his thoughts spinning.

’Of course. Leo has the connection to enter the underground. If I want to track Snake, he can be my starting point!’

His eyes widened slightly at the realization.

But the training hall wasn’t frozen in his epiphany.

Arlo and Damien shared a quick glance, both recognizing the brief distraction.

Their bodies tensed, and then in perfect unison, they surged upward.

Sand crunched beneath Damien’s boots as his fist drove toward Noah’s chest like a hammer.

At the same instant, Arlo twisted forward, his body bending impossibly, his fist snapping out toward Noah’s face.

Noah’s head jerked up, eyes flashing.

Both blows were already inches away.

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