Re-Awakened :I Ascend as an SSS-Ranked Dragon Summoner - Chapter 178

Chapter 178: Lila Vs Albright 2
Noah followed Miss Brooks out of the hall, stepping into one of the quieter corridors of the academy.

She turned to him, arms still folded, expression unreadable.

“I’ve been keeping tabs on your points, Eclipse.”

Noah straightened slightly. He figured as much. Teachers were always monitoring their students’ progress, but Miss Brooks? She had a reputation for being especially thorough.

“You’re at ten points now.”

A small nod from him.

“I can tell you’re taking this selection seriously, just like I asked. But I want you to do more than that, Eclipse.”

Her sharp eyes met his.

“I want you to do everything in your power to come out on top. In every occasion.”

Noah let her words sink in. He wasn’t surprised she wanted him to push further—but before he could say anything, she continued.

“I also just wanted to let you know…”

She hesitated—just for a fraction of a second—before finishing,

“I’m proud of you.”

Noah blinked.

“And I think your parents would be most especially proud.”

And with that, she turned on her heel and strode back into the hall, leaving him standing there, completely confused.

‘My parents?’

Those weren’t exactly the people he expected to hear Miss Brooks mention.

Noah exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly.

Whatever.

He wasn’t going to let thoughts of them take over his mind.

Right now, he had a match to watch.

With that, he turned and headed back inside.

Lila versus Adrian.

This was one fight he didn’t want to miss.

The randomizer spun and selected fighters for matches.

Noah didn’t think it would pair up classmates—but apparently, it did.

The names flashed across the screen.

Lila Valentine vs. Adrian Albright.

Noah arched a brow.

Both of them were from 1B. His classmates. And both were formidable in their own right.

He’d seen them both use their abilities before.

Lila was a second-generation telekinetic, which meant her subsidiary ability was time manipulation.

The last time he’d witnessed it, she had sort of paused time. Or maybe she was just stopping the movement of particles in a given area?

Either way, it was terrifying. Fighting her meant dealing with something that could completely alter the flow of battle.

She’d come to his aid that day, though, and for that, he was grateful.

Then there was Adrian Albright.

Unlike Lila, his power was much more straightforward.

Just like his father—Commander Albright, one of the most feared military figures—Adrian inherited the power of the Albrights. Adrian was a third gen and the reason he was was the level of power and control he had over his ability. Although not quite at commander Albright’s level, he was a nightmare.

The Albrights were walking nukes.

Living, breathing bombs.

Able to self-detonate at will.

Noah folded his arms, feeling a surge of excitement.

This was going to be good.

He walked over to where Sophie was, standing beside her just as the match was about to begin.

Sophie smirked, giving him a teasing glance.

“Well, well,” she said, voice laced with amusement. “Looks like your admirer is up against the vice headmaster’s son.”

Noah smirked back.

She was playing.

Sophie liked to poke fun at him, and he was used to it by now.

But his focus quickly shifted back to the ring.

Because while she was having fun teasing, Noah was more interested in the fight itself.

His biggest question?

Who was actually going to win?

Well, he was about to find out.

First Clash: Speed vs. Control

The countdown began.

Three. Two. One.

Ding!

The moment the signal rang, Adrian vanished.

BOOM!

A concussive blast erupted beneath his feet, propelling him forward like a missile. Smoke trailed in his wake as he zigzagged across the ring, his speed erratic, his approach relentless. The moment he was close enough, he twisted midair—

BOOM!

Another detonation from his calf sent him spinning forward, his fist cocked back, aimed right for Lila’s stomach.

She moved, but not quite fast enough.

Bam!

The punch connected—not full force, but enough to shove her back. Dust swirled around her boots as she skidded to a stop, clutching her stomach.

Noah, watching from the stands, narrowed his eyes.

“She let that hit her,” he muttered.

Sophie scoffed. “What, to bait him?”

“Exactly,” Noah said, eyes locked onto the ring. “She’s playing weak. Adrian is a close-range fighter, and she wants him close enough to trap.”

Back inside the barrier, Adrian pressed forward, his body launching into another Blast Step, feet igniting as he blurred toward her.

Boom! His knee shot forward.

Boom! His elbow swung in a sharp arc.

Boom! A midair twist sent a spinning heel kick straight at her ribs.

Each explosion kept him unpredictable, a relentless barrage of raw power.

Lila dodged—barely.

A quick backstep. A sharp pivot. A sway to the side.

Her movements were precise, effortless—almost like she wasn’t even trying to win.

Adrian’s grin widened. “What’s wrong, Valentine? I thought you were stronger than this.”

No response.

Lila only smirked, and for the briefest second—her fingers twitched.

The air thickened.

Adrian’s body froze.

His limbs locked up mid-strike, his movements suddenly heavy as if he’d been submerged in deep water.

‘Shit—Compression!’ Adrian’s mind raced as he realized what she had done.

A force stronger than gravity was pressing down on him from all sides, pinning his joints, stopping him from detonating forward.

Lila stepped closer, her voice light, playful. “I wonder… how long can you last?”

The weight increased. His bones creaked. The pressure crushed his ribs, his arms, his legs—

Noah exhaled. “That’s bad.”

Sophie turned. “What’s bad?”

“She’s not trying to lift him, just hold him in place. He’s stuck. Can’t move. Can’t ignite. He’s screwed.”

Inside the ring, Adrian grit his teeth. ‘Damn it… she got me,’

But she made one mistake.

She was too close.

BOOM!

A sudden explosion tore through the air, directly from Adrian’s sh nooulder.

The blast ripped through Lila’s grip just enough for his right arm to break free—

And the second it did—

BOOM!

Another point-blank detonation sent him spinning out of her grasp, the force hurling him backward through the air.

Lila stumbled.

Adrian landed on the ground, panting, his left arm singed but functional.

He grinned. “Nice try.”

Lila exhaled…

“Interesting,”

For the first time, she took this seriously.

Adrian’s breath came sharp and fast, heat still radiating from his skin. His muscles tensed, ready to explode forward again—but something caught his eye.

Above the hall.

A figure stood near the VIP balcony, a silhouette against the glow of the observation screens. Broad shoulders. Impeccable posture. A gaze sharper than steel.

Albright.

His father was watching.

Adrian gritted his teeth. ‘ Tch. Of course he was here,’

That damn old man always looked like he was judging, analyzing, waiting for him to fail. It didn’t matter how much Adrian fought or how many people he obliterated in past matches—Albright never looked impressed.

And Adrian hated that.

Fine. He’d just have to step it up.

His fingers curled into a fist, heat crackling in his palm.

‘No one needs to die here,’ Adrian reminded himself. If he went full force, he might kill Lila. The Albright bloodline wasn’t meant for friendly fights—it was destruction incarnate.

But he also refused to lose.

BOOM!

A blast erupted beneath him, sending him airborne. His hand glowed, golden energy coalescing around his knuckles. The air warped around it, a high-pressure current trembling with barely-contained force.

Piercing Nova.

A focused explosion, refined into a singular shockwave cannon.

He thrust his arm forward—

FWOOOOOM!

The compressed blast tore through the air, a spiraling inferno of kinetic force surging straight for Lila. The sheer pressure shook the ring, the energy barrier around them flaring as it absorbed stray shockwaves.

But Lila—

Didn’t move.

Instead, she exhaled—and flicked her fingers.

The space around her distorted.

The instant Adrian’s explosive shockwave entered the field—

It slowed down.

The roaring flames that should’ve hit her like a bullet train became viscous, sluggish, thick—

Like watching an inferno underwater.

‘She’s slowing down the zone!’ Adrian’s mind snapped to realization just as his attack lost all momentum.

The explosion, once a raging beast, was now crawling forward, the flames weakening the deeper they pushed into the altered space.

Then, Lila simply stepped aside.

The Nova slid past her, dissipating into nothing.

Adrian’s chest tightened. He was already moving before he could think—his feet igniting, sending him into another Blast Step to close the gap.

But—

She was ready.

Lila’s gaze flicked toward him.

A flick of her wrist.

The moment Adrian’s second detonation launched him midair—

His entire trajectory twisted.

It was subtle—barely noticeable—but enough.

Instead of surging toward her, his momentum veered slightly sideways, forcing him to adjust mid-flight—

Which cost him precious time.

A millisecond of hesitation.

A fraction of a delay.

And that was all Lila needed.