Above the academy, the battle had shifted.
Director Adler moved like a force of nature—his presence now tilting the entire fight.
With each strike, each ripple of mana, the three Legendary Spirits were forced to adjust, their perfect balance broken.
Aqua, the massive crystalline whale of water and ice, spiraled upward to avoid Adler's latest burst of energy, frost shimmering through the clouds.
The Fire Spirit, obsidian-scaled and blazing, roared in frustration—lunging toward Adler but missing by meters as the human twisted away, laughter echoing behind him.
The Gaia Spirit, its great antlers aglow with life energy, sent roots lashing toward Adler's path—only to have them sliced apart mid-air.
And beneath it all, unseen by the titans above—
Noah moved.
He crouched behind a shattered stone beam, katana sheathed across his back.
His crimson eyes flicked between the pulsing defenses around the collapsed Training Hall.
The barrier was breaking.
Aqua's warding shields drifted higher to counter Adler's strikes.
Gaia's roots were pulled away to reinforce the ceiling.
The Fire Spirit abandoned part of its perimeter to chase Adler across the sky.
A faint, perfect gap opened.
Noah's grip tightened.
'Now.'
He gathered mana into his legs—channels pulsing bright beneath his skin.
Muscles coiled with raw force.
He shot upward.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he launched into the breach—a blur of motion, faster than the eye.
Fragments of broken wards flickered past him.
For one breathless second, he was inside.
The air was thick—oppressive with pure mana.
And there, within the swirling storm of roots and shattered glyphs—
Lys Everin hovered, suspended by unstable runes, her small frame glowing faintly beneath the tangled web of magic.
Noah landed in a crouch beside her, boots skidding on the cracked stone.
He looked up.
She was unconscious—but alive.
Noah exhaled.
'Got you.'
A faint hum ran through the fractured chamber.
Mana pulsed erratically around the collapsing runes.
Lys Everin stirred.
Her eyelashes fluttered, her head tilting slightly.
The unstable energy crackled faintly against her skin.
Then her eyes opened—clear blue-grey, wide and disoriented.
The first thing she saw was light—twisting, broken beams of mana swirling above her. The world blurred and spun.
Then a shape came into focus.
A figure standing nearby—steady, solid amid the storm.
Noah.
Her lips parted, voice hoarse.
"...What... what's happening, Noah?"
Noah glanced toward her, one knee braced as he kept watch on the chaos outside their fragile pocket of calm.
He gave a dry smile.
"Hey. Well... it looks like trying to form a contract with three Legendary Spirits didn't exactly go as planned."
Lys blinked again, struggling to process his words.
"I... I didn't mean to..." her voice trembled. "I just wanted to form a contract with a high-ranked Spirit..."
Noah's gaze softened slightly, though his posture remained alert.
"I figured as much. But with your affinity, you're… in high demand. As you can see."
Her breath hitched.
A flicker of panic crossed her face.
"I didn't want this... I didn't mean for any of this to happen..."
Her voice cracked fully now.
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes—unwelcome, but unstoppable.
"I… I just wanted to meet everyone's expectations," she whispered, shoulders trembling.
Noah shifted fully toward her then, letting out a quiet breath.
"You don't have to," he said, voice steady.
She blinked rapidly, eyes shimmering.
"But... if I don't, they'll think I'm weak, I don't want to disappoint them," she choked out.
Noah shook his head slightly.
"Let them."
She looked down, biting her lower lip.
"You don't owe them your life, Lys," Noah continued, voice calm but firm.
"Or your worth. The more you give them, the more they'll want. That game never ends."
Her fingers curled into her lap.
"But... I wanted to prove I was strong enough..."
Noah's gaze sharpened—not cold, but unwavering.
"Then prove it by living. By learning from this.
Strength isn't about standing tall in front of a crowd—it's about knowing when to stand... and when to walk away."
A small, broken sound escaped her lips—a bitter breath somewhere between a laugh and a sob.
"And now..." Noah said softly, almost smiling, "it's time to walk away."
Her lip trembled.
"You really think... that's enough?"
Noah leaned slightly closer, eyes locked on hers.
"It is."
"And if anyone says otherwise..." He smirked faintly. "You let me handle them."
For a long moment, she just stared at him—tears threatening again, but her breath finally steadying.
"...Thank you," she whispered.
Noah gave her a small nod.
Lys wiped at her eyes with the edge of her sleeve, breath still shaky.
The chaotic sounds of the battle raged on above them—deep rumbles and sharp cracks of magic tearing through the air.
Noah's voice cut through the tension.
"Alright," he said, eyes flicking upward for a moment. "Now—how do we send these Spirits home?"
Lys swallowed, then forced herself to speak through the lingering panic.
"I... I need to reach an agreement with them," she said softly.
"A peace pact. It's... a magical negotiation—a contract without binding them permanently. I need to convince them to withdraw willingly."
Noah frowned slightly.
"And how likely is that?"
Lys bit her lip.
"Not very... Not while they're fighting each other. Right now, they're each trying to be the one to claim me as their contractor."
Noah exhaled through his nose.
"I see. And I assume being right here... right next to them... isn't exactly helping."
Lys shook her head.
"The longer I stay here, the more they'll focus on me again. Right now... they're distracted by the Director, but if they sense me—"
Noah stood fully, checking the surrounding energy again. The barrier was thin, unstable. It wouldn't hold long.
"Then we move," he said simply.
"See if we can draw them away from the academy. Give you a chance to negotiate without everyone else in the blast zone."
Lys looked at him, hesitation flickering in her eyes.
"Can... can we even outrun them?"
Noah's mouth curved into a slight, dangerous smile.
"With a little help... yes."
He reached toward her again.
"With your permission, my lady."
Before Lys could object, Noah slid one arm beneath her knees, the other supporting her back in one smooth motion.
Her breath caught—soft, involuntary.
"W-wait—"
Too late.
With a faint smirk, Noah straightened, holding her in a perfect princess carry.
"Don't struggle," he said lightly. "You'll only make this harder."
Lys flushed instantly—blue-grey eyes wide, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks despite the surging mana and chaos all around them.
"I… I wasn't going to!" she stammered.
Noah's legs tensed—mana surged through his channels, focused and clean.
A beat later—he moved.
The floor cracked beneath his feet as he launched forward—darting through the broken gaps in the barrier, weaving between drifting shards of ice and twisting roots.
Outside, the air was a storm—Adler still danced among the Legendary Spirits above, bursts of radiant force echoing across the sky.
But as Noah and Lys shot free of the collapsed Training Hall—the Spirits stirred.
The great Aqua whale shifted first—its massive eye gleaming with ancient hunger.
Then the Fire Spirit's molten gaze locked downward.
Gaia's roots tensed—vines coiling, sensing the movement.
From above, a low, thunderous chorus rolled through the air.
Lys gripped Noah's coat tightly.
"They've noticed," she whispered.
Noah's grin didn't fade.
"I wouldn't worry too much," he said, voice almost casual. "I mean—if I'm holding you like this, they wouldn't dare hurt me… right?"
Lys's face turned scarlet.
"I-I—That's—That's not how this works!" she blurted out, voice rising in protest despite the situation.
Noah chuckled low in his throat—but didn't slow.
His steps blurred as he pushed further—racing away from the academy grounds, the roar of pursuing Spirits shaking the air behind them.