Chapter 181: Information that would help Noah.

Noah continued with the training.

"Let’s try defense."

Hikari raised a hand.

"Do I have a barrier?"

"We don’t know."

"Then we have to check."

Noah pointed at Luna.

"Throw something weak."

Luna created a small sphere.

"Ready?"

Hikari nodded, so Luna fired and Hikari extended both hands.

By reflex, a sheet of energy appeared in front of her, so the attack hit and the barrier held.

Hikari opened her eyes slightly.

"Interesting."

Noah smiled.

"So you do have one."

Hikari touched the barrier.

"Can I change the shape?"

"Try it."

She closed her fingers, and the barrier shrank, then stretched and changed again.

Noah’s eyes widened.

"You learn way too fast."

Hikari looked at him.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all."

Noah smiled.

"I like it."

Hikari went still for a second, just one, but it was enough, and her expression shifted slightly, since the praise had hit harder than expected.

"Thanks."

Yume saw it. Luna did too. Aria smiled, and Iris looked up from her phone.

Noah immediately felt that something was off.

Yume stepped closer.

"Noah."

"Yeah?"

"I improved my barrier too."

Luna looked at her.

"You don’t use a barrier."

Yume froze.

"I could learn."

Noah blinked.

"Now?"

"Yes."

Aria took a step toward Noah.

"I can show you something more interesting."

Luna spoke.

"He should finish Hikari’s training first."

Aria looked at her.

"It’ll only take a moment."

Yume moved closer.

"No, I was first."

Noah raised both hands.

"First for what?"

No one answered.

Hikari watched the others, then looked at Noah, and she seemed to start understanding.

Luna approached Hikari.

"Your barrier could be thinner."

Hikari nodded.

"Like this?"

She reduced it, and Luna touched the edge.

"Yeah, like that."

Hikari looked back at Noah.

"Better?"

Noah observed.

"Much better."

Hikari smiled again, and Yume clenched her teeth.

"I want individual training too!"

Noah looked at her.

"We train all the time."

"Not like this."

"Like what?"

Yume didn’t answer, and Aria cut in.

"Maybe we should take turns."

Luna crossed her arms.

"We already have turns."

Aria smiled.

"I don’t mean those."

Noah felt a chill.

"Don’t start."

Iris put away her phone and walked up to Noah.

"I have a question."

Noah looked at her.

"About the training?"

"No."

"Then wait."

Iris stayed right beside him.

"I’ll wait here."

Yume pointed at her.

"That’s cheating!"

Iris looked at her.

"No."

"Yes it is!"

Hikari watched everything with growing confusion, and Noah sighed.

"Five minutes."

No one listened.

Yume wanted to show off a new attack.

Luna corrected her posture while trying to keep Aria away at the same time.

Aria insisted on demonstrating a different technique.

Iris had simply planted herself next to Noah and had no intention of moving.

Hikari took another step closer.

"Noah."

He looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"Does this always happen?"

Noah looked at the others.

"More than it should."

Hikari nodded.

"I get it now."

"What do you get?"

Hikari didn’t answer, but there was something different in her expression, and Noah noticed.

She wanted his attention too, she was just trying not to show it.

Hikari raised her notebook.

"I have questions about efficiency."

Yume spun around immediately.

"Me too."

Luna looked at her.

"I don’t think you understand that."

"Yes I do!"

"Since when?"

"Since now."

Aria smiled.

"What a coincidence."

Noah closed his eyes.

’This got out of hand way too fast.’

Then his phone vibrated.

Bzzzz.

Noah went still, and all of them heard it. Yume looked at his pocket.

"Isn’t that...?"

Luna recognized it too.

"The goddess."

Iris looked up while Aria smiled.

"Another mission?"

Hikari frowned.

Noah pulled out his phone. The golden symbol was on the screen, so he opened the app.

[NEW MISSION.]

Noah sighed.

"Of course."

He read.

[Main objective: Recruit Stella Lumina.]

Noah stared at the name.

’The last one.’

Finally.

Stella Lumina, the famous actress, magical girl from the original group, and the final pending member.

Noah looked up.

"It says I have to recruit a girl named Stella."

Hikari dropped her pen. Noah turned, and she was completely rigid.

Her serious expression was gone. Her eyes were wide open. Yume looked at her.

"What’s wrong?"

Hikari didn’t answer. Noah raised an eyebrow.

"You know her?"

Hikari reacted instantly.

"Of course not."

Noah watched her.

"That was really fast."

"I don’t know her."

"I just asked."

"I don’t know her personally."

Noah narrowed his eyes.

Luna studied her carefully while Iris pulled out her phone. Hikari turned toward her.

"Don’t look her up."

Iris stopped.

"That just makes me want to."

Noah looked back at Hikari.

"So you know who she is?"

Hikari crossed her arms.

"She’s famous."

"That’s true."

"Everyone knows who she is."

Noah nodded.

Stella had been in quite a few movies, series, commercials, and especially...

Noah remembered something.

’She does live-action BL.’

He slowly looked at Hikari, who avoided his gaze. Noah smiled.

"Hikari."

"What?"

"Your phone."

Hikari gripped it tighter.

"What about it?"

Noah raised an eyebrow.

Yume looked at Hikari. Luna did too. Aria started laughing, and Iris simply held out her hand.

"Hand it over."

Hikari stepped back.

"Absolutely not."

Noah’s suspicion grew even more.

"Hikari."

"I said no."

"I didn’t even say anything."

"You don’t need to."

Aria stepped closer.

"Now I want to know."

Hikari quickly shoved the phone into her bag, but it was too late, the screen lit up from a notification.

Noah caught a glimpse of it. It was a promotional photo of Stella Lumina dressed as the male lead from a live-action BL movie.

Hair slicked back, dark suit, serious expression, and the movie title at the bottom.

Silence fell.

Hikari closed the bag. No one said anything for several seconds.

Noah looked at her. Hikari looked at him.

"Of course not."

Noah smiled.

"I didn’t say anything."

"You thought it."

"Maybe."

Yume started laughing. Aria did too. Even Luna smiled while Iris pulled out her phone again.

"I’m looking up the movie."

Hikari spun around immediately.

"Don’t."

"I will."

"Don’t you dare!"

Iris was already typing. Hikari took a step toward her, but Noah raised a hand.

"Wait."

He looked at the mission again.

Noah should have been thinking about how to find her.

How to approach her, convince her, and get her to accept, but now he had something else right in front of him.

Hikari Amatsuki, who was apparently a fan of a movie starring the next person Noah had to recruit.

Noah smiled.

’This could help.’

Hikari pointed at him.

"No. Absolutely not."

Noah raised his hands.

"I haven’t said anything yet."

"I already know what you want."

"I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"Yes you do."

Noah put the phone away while Hikari narrowed her eyes. Yume stepped closer.

"Is Stella a good actress?"

Hikari answered immediately.

"Of course she is. She’s the best."

Then she froze. Everyone stared at her, so Hikari closed her eyes and Noah started laughing.

The training was over, and the next mission had already begun.