Chapter 180: Hikari and an Awkward Welcome.

Hikari arrived at the training ground twelve minutes early, and Noah knew because she told him herself.

"Twelve minutes..."

Noah looked up from his phone.

"What?"

"I’m here twelve minutes early."

"Ah, good."

"I wanted to survey the terrain."

Noah looked around.

They had chosen a secluded area, fairly spacious and surrounded by barriers Luna had prepared beforehand to prevent unnecessary damage.

"Did you already do it?"

"Yes."

Hikari pulled out a small notebook, and Noah frowned.

"Wait a second, you brought notes?"

"Of course I did."

"I don’t know why I’m surprised."

Hikari ignored the comment and opened the notebook.

"The usable area measures approximately forty-eight meters long by thirty-six wide."

Noah blinked.

"You measured it?"

"With steps."

"I see."

"There are three trees that can work as obstacles."

Noah looked at the trees.

"That’s right."

"Two zones where the ground is uneven."

"Of course."

"And a bench that will probably end up destroyed."

Noah looked at her.

"Why that conclusion?"

Hikari lifted her gaze.

"Because of Yume."

Noah went silent.

"That was fast."

"I don’t need to know her much to figure it out."

Noah tried not to laugh while Hikari put the notebook away.

"When are the others getting here?"

"Soon."

As if they had heard her, a voice appeared behind them.

"Noah."

Luna approached with Yume walking beside her, while Iris trailed behind looking at her phone and Aria came last.

Yume saw Hikari, then looked at Noah and back at Hikari.

"She was already here."

Noah answered.

"That’s right."

"Since early?"

"That’s what she told me."

Yume narrowed her eyes.

"How much?"

Hikari answered before he could.

"Twelve minutes."

Yume looked at her.

"Why so early?"

"To survey the terrain."

Luna nodded.

"Good idea."

Yume turned toward Luna.

"Good idea?"

"Yes, like you heard."

"I survey the terrain too."

Luna looked at her.

"You normally survey it after destroying part of the terrain."

Yume’s eyes went wide.

"That was only at the beginning!"

Noah covered his mouth to keep from laughing while Hikari wrote something down and Yume saw it.

"What are you writing?"

"Nothing important."

"Is it about me?"

"No, it’s nothing."

"You sure?"

Hikari closed the notebook.

"Yes, I promise."

Yume watched her with suspicion while Iris barely lifted her gaze from her phone.

"She’s lying."

Hikari looked at her and Iris went back to her phone.

"You didn’t need to say that."

Aria smiled.

"This is going to be fun."

Noah sighed.

"Before something starts, let’s train."

Hikari turned serious at once.

"Alright."

Noah pointed to an open area.

"First I want to see what you can do."

Hikari raised her hand.

"I have a question."

Noah looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Do abilities activate by intention, words, movements, or specific energy consumption?"

Luna looked at her with interest and Noah thought.

"Mainly by intention."

"Does movement help?"

"Yes."

"Is it necessary?"

"Not always."

"Does the energy recover automatically?"

"Of course."

"And the speed?"

"That depends."

Hikari frowned slightly.

"I need an estimate."

Noah pointed at Luna.

"She can explain it better."

Luna stepped forward.

"At the beginning it depends a lot on control, so if you waste energy, you tire out sooner."

Hikari nodded.

"And recovery?"

"Faster at rest."

"During combat?"

"It exists, but it’s slow."

Hikari started writing while Yume crossed her arms.

"Does she always take notes?"

Noah answered.

"Yes, always."

Yume looked at Hikari.

"I don’t like it."

Hikari lifted her gaze.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Luna ignored the exchange.

"You also have to learn how much power you need for each technique."

Hikari put the notebook away.

"That makes sense."

Luna raised a hand and created a small barrier.

"For example, a big barrier isn’t always better."

Hikari watched carefully.

"Because it consumes more."

"Exactly."

"So it’s better to adjust size and thickness."

Luna nodded.

"That’s right."

Noah smiled.

’These two are going to get along well.’

Yume noticed.

"Why are you smiling?"

Noah looked at her.

"Because they’re understanding quickly."

Yume stepped closer.

"I understood quickly too."

Luna looked at her.

"Don’t lie."

"I’m telling the truth!"

"Of course you’re not."

Yume pointed at Noah.

"Tell her!"

Noah raised his hands.

"Don’t drag me into this."

Aria let out a small laugh, which Hikari observed for a few seconds before asking.

"Does this happen often?"

Iris answered without lifting her gaze.

"Yes, very often."

Hikari nodded.

"I understand."

Yume frowned.

"What did you understand?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

Noah brought a hand to his forehead.

"Let’s start, okay?"

Hikari advanced to the center, transformed, light covered her body and her magical outfit appeared.

Noah pointed at a target placed about thirty meters away.

"Try to create an energy sphere and hit that."

Hikari looked at the target and then at Noah.

"Distance?"

"Approximately thirty meters."

"Twenty-nine."

Noah blinked.

"What?"

"Twenty-nine meters."

"You measured it?"

"Earlier."

Noah closed his eyes.

"Of course."

Hikari extended a hand, energy began to gather, but she didn’t fire. Instead she first observed the sphere, reduced it, then increased it and reduced it again.

Luna nodded discreetly and Aria also seemed interested, but Yume looked at both of them.

"What’s special about that?"

Luna answered.

"She’s testing consumption."

Hikari heard.

"Exactly."

Yume frowned.

Hikari fired and the sphere struck the center of the target, so there was no exaggerated explosion, just a clean impact.

Noah smiled.

"Very good."

Hikari turned immediately.

"How much energy do you think I used?"

Noah went still.

"What?"

"I want a reference."

"I can’t measure it exactly."

"Luna?"

Luna thought.

"Less than necessary."

Hikari nodded.

"Then I can reduce it even more."

Yume crossed her arms.

"You could increase it."

Hikari looked at her.

"For what?"

"To make sure."

"I hit the center."

Yume went silent and Hikari looked back at the target.

"I don’t need more power."

Noah saw how Yume was starting to feel judged, since it was obvious.

"Alright."

Noah pointed at another target.

"Now one in motion."

Luna activated a sphere that began moving slowly, but Hikari didn’t attack. Instead she first followed the movement with her eyes.

She counted mentally, waited, and fired with a direct hit.

Noah raised his eyebrows.

"Excellent."

Hikari smiled slightly, and Noah saw it.

"Thanks."

Yume saw it too and didn’t like it.

"I can do it faster."

Noah looked at her.

"Yume, no."

"I’m just saying."

Aria approached.

"Hikari has good precision."

Hikari looked at her.

"Thanks."

Aria smiled.

"And she doesn’t waste energy."

Yume raised an eyebrow.

"Was that aimed at me?"

Aria answered.

"If you interpreted it that way..."

"Aria!"

Noah intervened.

"Okay, I’ll stay quiet."

Iris was still looking at her phone and Noah looked at her.

"And you?"

"What?"

"Aren’t you going to say anything?"

Iris thought.

"Hikari is good."

Hikari looked at her.

"Thanks."

Iris went back to her phone, since that was all, and Hikari seemed to accept Iris’s way of speaking perfectly, so she had no problems with her.