Two Methods? New Companions?

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"Crack—!"

Accompanied by a crisp cracking sound, Noah's Knight Sword plunged straight into the ground some distance away. Its sharp blade sent fragments of stone flying. It was easy to imagine what would happen if someone were truly struck by such a sword.

"This ends now!"

The corner of Erza's lips curled up as she decisively thrust out the Knight Sword in her hand.

Her target was Noah's neck!

Given Erza's skill, she should have been able to stop with perfect control when her weapon was about an inch from Noah's throat!

However, just as Erza was certain the battle was over, Noah suddenly raised his head. His bandage-wrapped left hand swung out, and a shadow immediately flashed forth, crashing heavily into the tip of Erza's charging Knight Sword.

"Clang—!"

The next second, a loud collision rang out between Noah and Erza. Erza was momentarily stunned by the sudden turn of events. Only when a force traveled through the Knight Sword in her hand and made her involuntarily take a step back did she understand what had happened.

In Noah's other hand, there was another weapon he could use.

A scabbard!

The scabbard Noah had been holding in his other hand all along!

Just then, Noah had used the scabbard in his left hand as a sword, meeting Erza's Knight Sword head-on. He had neutralized Erza's certain strike and turned the battle around!

Seeing the astonished look on Erza's face, Noah stomped hard on the ground, his figure flashing before her like lightning.

"It's still too early for this to end!"

Under Erza's slightly constricted gaze, Noah gripped the scabbard and rapidly borrowed momentum, spinning half a circle in midair. He strangely slipped into Erza's embrace, paused for an instant, then brought the scabbard in his hand crashing down toward Erza's chest with a sharp whistle that seemed capable of tearing through the air.

Feeling the force rushing toward her, even Erza's expression changed as magic power surged from her body.

"Requip—!"

A ring of dazzling silver light bloomed before Erza.

It was the distinctive light of Requip Magic.

When the light faded, a small silver shield the size of a washbasin appeared out of thin air before Erza.

At the sight of it, even Noah froze for a moment.

A shield?

Over the past three months, Noah had seen Erza use Requip Magic many times, and he had seen all kinds of weapons she kept in reserve. But this was the first time he had seen her use a shield.

Did this mean the battle had become urgent enough that Erza had no choice but to use a shield?

Even as that thought arose in his heart, Noah's movements did not hesitate in the slightest. The force behind the scabbard in his hand only increased as it slammed heavily into the silver shield.

"Bang—!"

The muffled impact spread outward from between Noah and Erza like ripples of invisible force.

"—!" Erza only felt that although the blow against the shield before her had not injured her, its pushing force remained. Already retreating, her stance was immediately broken, and she stumbled backward again and again.

After retreating nearly twenty steps, Erza finally steadied herself.

However, Erza did not move again.

That was because a figure had already appeared before her. The tip of the scabbard in his hand stopped about an inch from her throat, pointed directly at it.

This scene had also appeared in Erza's imagination the instant she knocked Noah's Knight Sword away.

Unfortunately, the roles in Erza's imagined scene should have been reversed.

"This is the real end!" With the tip of the scabbard pointed at Erza's throat while she had yet to fully react, Noah laughed heartily.

"Erza, you underestimated me!"

Erza truly had underestimated him.

It was not that Erza had been holding back all along. Rather, after knocking Noah's weapon away, she had assumed victory was assured. Naturally, she had relaxed slightly and had not expected Noah to counterattack with his scabbard, leaving her caught off guard.

Had it not been for that, with Erza's combat reactions and reflexes, this battle would never have ended so quickly, nor would Noah have won so smoothly.

Looking at the scabbard stopped before her throat, Erza helplessly lowered her arms, a dissatisfied expression appearing on her delicate face.

"Using a scabbard to counterattack... that's really underhanded!"

"Same to you." Noah rolled his eyes, lowered the scabbard, and walked toward his Knight Sword, which was embedded upside down in the ground some distance away.

"Didn't you use magic power and a shield too? That makes us even!"

Over the past three months, Noah and Erza had sparred like this almost every day, but they had always used only pure swordsmanship, honing their sword skills.

This time, Erza had first used magic power and cleanly gained the upper hand. Noah had then unexpectedly countered with his scabbard, and afterward Erza had even used a shield. Compared to their previous practice-oriented duels, today's fight had felt more like a real battle.

Of course, both Noah and Erza were quite satisfied to have fought seriously for once.

Still, serious as they had been, only the two of them knew how much of their true ability they had actually used in this battle.

At the very least, Erza knew Noah still had two methods he could have used in this battle.

The first was the magic power Noah was so proud of!

Over these three months, Noah had not only developed swordsmanship capable of making even Erza suffer if she let her guard down, but his control over magic power had also improved considerably compared to three months ago.

And three months ago, Noah had already been able to control an amount of magic power equivalent to dozens of mages at once to activate Lake of Rituals. The amount he could control now could not possibly be less than it had been then.

If Noah had enhanced his physical abilities with his own magic power during their fight, just as Erza had done, then even if he had not used all his magic power and only used an amount within his control, the increase would have far surpassed what Erza could achieve. The battle would have been far more favorable to him as well.

The reason Noah did not use magic power, and always said he could not use it casually, was simply because he had his own concerns.

Erza had often heard in the guild that shortly after Makarov adopted Noah, Noah's emotions had become so agitated that his magic power went berserk. There had been quite a few times when the entire guild had nearly been destroyed because of it.

With that being the case, before Noah could fully control his magic power, he would certainly have concerns in every respect.

Moreover, his opponent was Erza—not an enemy, but a companion with whom he sparred and improved together. That was why Noah instinctively refrained from using magic power when fighting Erza.

As for the second method...

Erza's gaze shifted toward the Knight Sword Noah had just picked up. Sensing the faint traces of aura emanating from it, recalling the first time Noah had truly used that sword before her, she gave a bitter smile and changed the subject.

"I never expected that three months ago, you couldn't even see the trajectory of a sword I swung casually. Yet three months later, not only can you keep up with my speed, you can even defeat me..."

"You're admitting defeat just like that? That doesn't sound like something you'd say, does it?" Noah waved the Knight Sword in his hand and looked at Erza provocatively.

"What do you say? Another round?"

"Of course!" Erza answered with conviction, then abruptly changed her tone.

"Though I'd like to say that, I stopped by the guild first. The Guild Master asked me to bring you back."

"Back?" Noah paused in surprise.

"What happened?"

Erza smiled brightly and said one sentence.

"We have new companions!"