Chapter 233

Chapter 233: 233

Noah’s gaze flickered as he looked around nervously, checking whether anyone else had noticed what he had sensed.

Fortunately, the others were still focused on the match and had not yet noticed anything unusual.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

If someone else had noticed it, the situation could become troublesome. He needed to investigate the matter properly before drawing any conclusions.

After all, what he had sensed was still faint. Although he was certain that the energy possessed an unusual quality, he would need an energy-measuring instrument to examine it more accurately.

Nevertheless, he had a strong suspicion that this young woman was far from ordinary.

But...

His expression soon turned serious.

Why was Aisha Novalis listed as a D-rank Guide?

Noah frowned as he returned his attention to the arena. He had a feeling that the girl before him was hiding something extraordinary.

He had to investigate her. And he had to do so carefully, without attracting the attention of any of the three powerful forces in Gaia. He didn’t want to risk them discovering her and taking her away from him!

Unfortunately, Noah wasn’t the only person who had noticed something unusual.

On the royal family’s side, Prince Gabriel’s eyes brightened as he watched the scene unfold.

He had initially been somewhat curious about Aisha Novalis, especially after seeing her performance in the previous match. But he hadn’t expected to witness something so interesting today.

The corners of his lips lifted into a small smile.

"What a well-hidden woman," he whispered.

***

Below the arena, Aisha continued pouring her guiding energy into the tadpole beast.

Even she was surprised by how much energy she still had left. She had almost depleted it when she went to rescue Zenick, and although she had rested since then, she hadn’t expected to recover so quickly.

Perhaps the time she had spent resting had helped replenish some of her guiding energy.

Nevertheless, Aisha knew she was far from being in her best condition.

She glanced at the beast again.

Its wounds hadn’t closed, and the scars covering its enormous body remained unchanged. However, it had stopped struggling against the chains. The madness that had clouded its eyes had also gradually disappeared, and it no longer looked as though it were struggling to stay alive.

Aisha’s eyes brightened.

It was working!

Although she hadn’t managed to heal its physical injuries, the improvement in its condition was obvious. At the very least, it no longer seemed to be in danger of losing control.

Aisha was about to stop when a strange feeling of loss suddenly washed over her.

Her brows furrowed.

What was that?

The pain in her head throbbed again, making her feel slightly dizzy. She knew she shouldn’t continue, but for some reason, she found it difficult to withdraw her hand.

It was as though she were reluctant to let go of something she had only just discovered. Yet the strange sensation disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

Although everything seemed to be happening slowly to her, only a few seconds had passed.

And Corwin had been waiting for this very moment.

The instant he noticed that Aisha’s attention was focused on the tadpole, his eyes flashed with viciousness.

He had been watching her from the side, waiting for her to become distracted. Now that she was occupied with the beast and seemed to be in discomfort, he finally found the opportunity he had been looking for.

He kicked against the ground and shot into the air. His leg swung toward Aisha with enough force to send her flying.

"Aisha! I’ll make you regret looking down on me!"

He had already decided that he would make her pay for humiliating him in front of everyone. He didn’t care whether his attack was fair. As far as he was concerned, she deserved it!

However, Aisha had never forgotten about him.

Even with her head throbbing in pain, she had been keeping an eye on Corwin. The moment he moved, she immediately raised her arm to block his incoming kick.

The impact rippled through her arm, causing her expression to tighten.

Corwin gritted his teeth when he felt the resistance.

Instead of pulling back, he immediately activated his ability. His leg began to change, its surface hardening until it resembled metal.

Aisha’s eyes narrowed.

This was becoming troublesome.

With her current condition, she couldn’t afford to take a direct hit from a metal leg reinforced by a Sentinel’s ability. Even if she managed to block it, the impact would likely injure her arm.

Then, just as Corwin’s metal-reinforced leg was about to strike her, Aisha suddenly stopped resisting.

Instead, she allowed the kick to land.

BANG!

Her body was thrown backward, hurtling several meters through the air.

The spectators watched in shock, unaware of what was really happening.

Corwin’s lips curled into a vicious smile.

"That’s what you get for—"

His words abruptly stopped.

Aisha was flying toward the arena’s barrier, but there was something strange about her expression. There was no fear in her eyes, nor did she look surprised by what had happened. Instead, she appeared strangely calm, as though she had deliberately allowed herself to be sent flying.

Corwin’s smile stiffened.

A sense of foreboding stirred in his chest, but he couldn’t understand why.

Before anyone could figure out what was happening, Aisha’s back was about to collide with the barrier.

However, just as the distance between her and the barrier shrank to almost nothing, a figure suddenly appeared behind her and caught her effortlessly.

At the same time, a furious roar erupted across the arena.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

The voice was so loud that it shook the entire arena, silencing every spectator in an instant.

Aisha flinched slightly at the sudden outburst before lifting her head.

When she saw the man who had caught her, she wasn’t particularly surprised.

It was Ares.

The Lieutenant from the Association had arrived.

Ares held her steady with one arm while his eyes swept across the arena. His expression was stormy, and the pressure radiating from his body made the surrounding air feel unbearably heavy.

His gaze eventually landed on Corwin.

The latter had barely managed to turn around before an overwhelming pressure slammed down on him.

BANG!

Corwin crashed onto the arena floor, his body pinned flat against the ground as though an invisible mountain had fallen on top of him.

He struggled to lift his head, but he couldn’t even move properly under the terrifying pressure.

Ares stared down at him, his expression growing even darker.

The people in the arena were completely stunned.

Who was this man?

Aisha, who was still being held by Ares, glanced at Corwin lying helplessly on the ground. She had noticed Ares entering the arena from the corner of her eye just before Corwin’s kick landed.

That was why she had stopped resisting.

Ares tightened his hold on her slightly to keep her steady before turning toward the stunned spectators.