"No, not yet." Ciel said as she gazed at Noah who was beside her, as she stood on her feet.

The cold air released from her body seemed to negate the intense heat around them, healing the burns on their bodies. However, it had no effect on their other injuries, so it didn't really improve their situation.

"Do you have a plan?" Noah asked.

"Do you remember the Advancement phase of a Fallen when they're advancing to the next level?"

"Wait, do you want to use the vulnerability of Fallen during their advancement? But that's risky, we don't even know when her advancement is." Realizing this, Noah replied with concern etched on his face.

"Don't worry about it. Just focus on holding out for 5 minutes after her 5th step." Ciel calmy instructed.

'The Fallen during the advancement phase will be in Berserk, causing a significant rise in their strength. Adding the uncertainty of the situation greatly increases the risk. With my current level, holding out for 5 minutes might seem impossible,' Noah thought to himself.

'But,' He clenched the hilt of his sword tighter, as he struggled to rise to the ground. 'Who decided that?'

"5 minutes right? Consider it done." He declares as he walks in front while wiping the blood in his head with the sleeves of his clothes.

Despite being battered with blood and wounds, he confidently stands in front of Ciel.

Right after he said that, the Witch finished her 5th step and suddenly came to stand still.

The air crackled as the fierce flames intensified with their intense heat covering the sky.

Meanwhile, Ciel's icy sword suddenly began to disintegrate into a puff of cold air.

The cold air swirled intensely around her body.

It's so intense that touching it a bit from outside will froze the body immediately.

However, as if the heat around them was nothing but an ember, a thin layer of ice slowly appears in her body as the cold continues to intensify.

At the same time, the Witch's flames further intensify as it burns fiercely till it reaches the sky.

Pwoosssh!!!

Suddenly, a massive amount of magma pours out of crevices around the Witch which surged like a tidal wave around her.

Seeing the Magma flowing rapidly towards them, Noah couldn't help but tense up.

The Magma was flowing rapidly around them with no way out.

‘Should I cut the Magma to nothingness with Sword of Beginning? But I feel like it's a waste.’

‘Right now, I could only use it one time.’

'Wait? Maybe if I just use Cut to it? I don't necessarily need the Magma to disappear, I just need to cut it so it will not hit us.'

‘I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to cut through.’

‘But.....’

‘I need to.’

Holding his sword above his head, Noah heightened his focus to cut the surging magma in front of him.

However, what happened next is something he didn't expect.

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His focus heightened to the point that could feel the change around him.

His mind became sharp, cutting away any distraction, leaving only the thought of cutting the magma in front of them.

Every senses of his became amplified as he could clearly feel the sounds of magma flowing, the change in temperature, the rustle of the fabric of their clothes and even movement and flow of the magma in front of them.

Everything was so clear that time seemed to slow down. It was completely incomparable to what he had experienced before.

What he is experiencing right now is the result of his overall strength increasing when an Ego Master advances.

It should be noted that his synchronization rate was already 19%, placing him at the peak of Level 1 and could enter to Level 2 anytime he wanted if given enough time.

However, given the situation they were in, Noah advanced to Level 2 without even realizing it.

Noah, who just entered level 2, swung his sword vertically.

The hazy white aura around his sword grew stronger like a flame that seems to devour anything as a surge of strength coursed through his veins, with his muscles tensed, he could feel the grip on his sword feeling perfect, and his body moving with fluid precision as if his sword is the extension of his body.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Noah could only feel a profound sense of inner calm and control. As his attention was narrowed to a single point, the magma front of him.

Whether it was his enemy or the surging magma in front of him, what matters is to cut it with one strike.

A flash of white light came from his sword as it cut apart the surging magma in front of him. The blade sliced through the molten rock with ease, creating a safe place.

After a while, Noah finally came to his senses.

"What the....." he muttered, staring in disbelief at the clear path he had just carved through the magma.

The magma had been completely sliced apart, the power he had unleashed left him stunned.

He gazed at the Witch's direction, who was still stand still with flames surged around her. But as his eyes landed on her—

"Aaaaahh!!!"

Noah couldn't help but clutch his eyes as excruciating pain coursed through them. Images of a woman burned in a stakes suddenly appeared before his eyes, overwhelming him as it put a strain on his eyes.

"What the hell happened!?"

He could feel his blood dripped on his hands as he clutched his eyes because of the pain.

Before Noah could catch a breath.

"Damn it."

Another round of flames erupted violently around the Witch, turning the sky into a blazing inferno. The ground and molten rock around the Witch cracked and split as flames surged forth, forming a large flame tornado, tearing the place apart.

Seeing that he couldn't use his eyes, he immediately closed it which lessened the pain and uses his senses to feel the change around him.

He swung his sword in the direction where he sensed danger, cutting through countless fireballs shooting from the tornado as they covered the sky. While those fireballs who flew past him, exploded as they hit the ground, sending shockwaves through the air.

As he sliced the fireballs apart, intense heat brushed past him, searing his skin with every strike. Despite the pain, Noah held on, relying on his instincts and skills to guide each swing of his sword.

He swung his sword and cut the fireballs countless times.

But it doesn't seem to end.

“How many more of these... do I have to cut?” Noah muttered as his breath became ragged.

Just as he says that, a fireball is as big of a small hill, descended from the sky.

!?

Noah, noticing the abnormality in the sky, opened his eyes which already got used to the pain and covered in blood.

The blood might blurred his vision, but it's not enough to hide fireball before him.

“The hell!!!”

Seeing the huge fireball, Noah jaw dropped in shock as he tightened his grip on his sword.

However, instead of being scared, Noah swung his sword downward with all his might.

[Genesis Sword Technique First Form: Sword of Beginning]

A flash of white light erupted from his blade as he slashed through the massive fireball in the sky. The impact split the fireball in half, causing a massive explosion that shook the air.

The force of the blast sent shockwaves rippling through the place, and the intense pressure pushed Noah back, knocking him off his feet.

“Tsk, still not strong enough to make the aftermath disappear,” he muttered in frustration.

Before Noah could hit the ground, Ciel, who had just finished her preparations, caught him from behind.

“That's okay, it's enough.”

“[Absolute Zero: Ice Age]”Ciel whispered softly.

With a graceful motion, she brought her right hand forward and gestured toward the ground.

Hisss.....

A massive pillar of blue light descended from the sky, enveloping the Witch and her surroundings. The intense cold instantly froze everything in its path, turning the Witch and her sanctuary into a vast, icy wasteland, encased entirely in ice.

Seeing the frozen body of the Witch of Fire before him, Noah's body gave out.

His vision blurred as the icy landscape before him fading as darkness crept in.

Noah could feel his energy slipped away as his eyes fluttered shut, and he finally lost consciousness.

***

Noah woke up and found himself floating in a void.

‘Where am I.......?’

[The All-Seeing Eye of the Sorrowful King is Activating]

A large, blue translucent screen appeared before his eyes.

[The Trauma of 'Lost Soul' is being reenacted.]

‘Huh?’

Noah tilted his head in confusion.

However, before he could think anymore, the world in front of him turned white.