(AN: This happened just after Noah got his new Mecha)

  After Noah proposed a fight in the heat of the moment, he almost immediately regretted it.

  No matter how shameless he was, challenging his benefactor was still a bit too much on the wrong side of things.

  Yet Dorothy showed no sign of being bothered or finding him rude. In fact, she was showing a delighted smile which kind of perplexed Noah if he had to be honest.

  When Noah asked her why, her answer was quite simple.

  “Since you are going to hunt the Candy Witch, I believe you need to see what witches and mages are capable of if you want to smoothly subjugate them.”

  The answer was quite simple and plausible, however, it deeply showed just how much she cared for him which was honestly touching. Her mischievous smile and the luster in her eyes, as she told him to be ready, were quite striking.

  Noah immediately jumped from his Shadowbade and let gravity take hold of his body for a few seconds before landing heavily on the ground. A fall from a mere dozen meters could not harm him with his body’s present condition.

  Dorothy on the other hand appeared on the ground instantly alongside him.

  “No matter how many times I see it, I have to say that teleportation is a pure cheat,” Noah grumbled while scratching his hair. He was starting to wonder if challenging Dorothy as he was now was a good idea.

  Sadly, no matter how he thought about it… “This is the most logical idea I had in a long while.” He may have acted on impulse but there was no denying how much experience he could obtain from this fight with Dorothy. There was no way he was going to back out of this.

  “You are right. Fighting against someone as strong as me is pretty rare, you know? Generally, when I fight, someone dies.” Dorothy matched Noah’s energy in all points. She was showing an air of confidence that went beyond petty pride or over-the-top arrogance.

  It was a display of belief, a simple belief in her overwhelming power that made her one of the apex beings of their galaxy.

  “There is no way you can win against me. So how about we make a bet? I will be adding two handicaps for the bet too.” Dorothy was not insulting Noah nor looking down on him. He had already surprised her many times during his stay in Oz. Nevertheless, he had only managed to surprise her. That was all. There was still no way she would lose against him in a head-on fight.

  There was also the fact that she loved betting.

  “What is the wager?” Noah could only force himself to smile stiffly at her proposal. Simultaneously, he checked his condition, trying to get himself to tip-top shape for the ensuing fight. Arguing here with the Emerald Queen was going to be a waste of time, he just knew it. He simply needed to show her that he was not as weak as she thought.

  “It’s simple really. A wish.”

  “A what?” Noah made a surprised sound, mirroring the emotion he felt in his heart.

  “A wish. Firstly, If you manage to touch me even once, I will consider it your win. I will give you any one thing you want as long as it doesn’t harm me or anyone close to me. But if I win, you will grant a wish of mine.”

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  Dorothy explained while tapping her heels. They immediately transformed, taking a more comfortable appearance reminiscent of combat boots.

  “You have a secret skill, right? That power vastly increases your energy reserves and that black substance you cover yourself with from what I have observed. I will leave you the time to use your strongest attack.”

  Once her words ended, an expressionless face settled over Noah. He could now understand what some of his opponents must have felt when facing him.

  It felt extremely unpleasant to be looked down on so much. Yet he did not argue against the handicaps she was giving herself. Why should he when it made the situation advantageous to him?

  “What about the handicap?” He asked, prompting Dorothy to smile.

  “If I move from where I stand even once, you win as well. What do you think?”

  Looking at the confident Dorothy, Noah started taking in his surroundings in utter silence. They were close to a cliff near the sea. The breeze was fresh, the sky was beautiful, and the moon shone above everything else.

  “Do not regret giving me those handicaps.” He cracked his fingers and stretched slightly before he started jumping in place, raring to start the fight.

  “I rarely ever feel regret. I simply learn from my mistakes.” She grinned and immediately a lull fell between them, drenching everything in silence.

  By now they understood that it was time to fight. A fight that was happening for no particular reason and had no referee to judge them.

  Nonetheless, this was a very important fight for the two of them. In many ways, this might be one of the most important fights of their lives.

  As Noah adjusted his posture and slightly crouched down, he took a deep breath. An action that was almost meaningless for him nowadays. However, it helped him mentally to prepare himself for a fight. Old habits die hard, as they say.

  — Are we going all out from the start?

  Do we have any other choices?

  Noah was angry. An intense anger that threatened to consume him whole from the inside out.

  He was not angry at the ridicule he received from Dorothy. He was simply angry at his own inability to refute her words or reject her kindness.

  Dorothy could stop time and teleport, seemingly without restrictions.

  He didn’t know much more about her but those two skills alone were beyond anything he had ever witnessed and bordered the realm of god.

  Still…

  “This is going to be fun.” The anger in his heart did not only bring frustration. It also brought an endless desire for growth, a thirst that could not be quenched no matter what. Not until he reached the apex of all existence.

  Let’s do it!

  He shouted inwardly and like during his fight against Cowardly Lion, his Dark Matter reserves tripled almost instantly. Far from stopping just there, his body started filling up and growing more muscular and soon was covered entirely by Eve’s essence.

  This was currently his strongest state. The form that allowed him to bring forth the maximum amount of power in just a single strike— an all-out strike to annihilate his enemies in one go. He kicked off the ground, causing the earth to shatter as he flew like a comet toward Dorothy.

  He was not without hope. Dorothy could not use her Time Stop instantly. All he needed to do was reach her before she could use that skill or even think of teleporting. In the first place, she couldn’t even teleport because of the handicap she put on herself.

  I got you!

  Noah cheered inwardly as the distance between the two of them was covered in the blink of an eye and he brought his fist down, without any hesitation.

  This was it. This was the end— or that should have been the case. At least, that’s how things panned out inside his mind.

  The ground shattered when Noah’s fist connected with the ground. Dust rose and rock flew everywhere.

  When things finally cleared up, Noah could be seen sporting an incredulous look as he watched the destruction he brought about with his own hands. However, his shock was not due to the power he exhibited, no, the reason for his shock lay elsewhere.

  “Hey! I thought you said you wouldn’t move!” Noah asked, surprised Dorothy would voluntarily lose like this.

  But the answer he received forced him to reassess the situation.

  “I didn’t move,” Dorothy said in a calm and serene voice.

  Startled, Noah observed the place where he stood more carefully and finally realized what happened.

  Dorothy was not lying. She did not even take a single step, not even a twitch from her initial spot.

  The one who moved was him.

  “You… You teleported me?” He asked. Finally realizing that Dorothy was truly not someone to be underestimated.

  “This will be my first lesson, Noah. Never, ever fight a witch in her seat of power.”

  Noah sighed. This was a lesson he would never forget. He was sure Dorothy would never let him even if he tried to.