Chapter 87: Scathach's Expectations Begin
Scáthach hadn't fully enjoyed herself in their last battle.
This was something Noah could clearly sense during their previous encounter.
Because she had only been interested in his martial skills before, Scáthach had spent the entire last battle competing with him purely through martial arts.
But in reality, Scáthach possessed far more than just those techniques.
Her spear was heavy enough to tear through divine bodies, and her speed was so great that even gods couldn't evade it.
Precisely because she could kill even gods, she was the Queen of the Land of Shadows, the gatekeeper of the realm of death, the war king who stood closest to death yet was cursed with immortality.
The gods Scáthach had slain at the entrance to the Land of Shadows before were all killed with just a single strike like this.
Currently, Scáthach wasn't in the Land of Shadows but in Noah's empty secret realm, so she couldn't unleash her full power now.
Yet what differed from last time was that this time, Scáthach was exerting every bit of strength she could muster!
Although her power still fell short of her peak state within the Land of Shadows, in terms of speed, Scáthach felt she had pushed herself to the absolute limit!
Even if she were in the Land of Shadows, it wouldn't make her any faster.
It would only allow her to handle this speed more effortlessly.
But...
The spear that even gods couldn't react to when she used this speed before was now directly blocked by Noah!
"If you want to climb into my bed, you must first catch my spear!"
For a fleeting moment, Scáthach suddenly recalled the words she had once spoken.
But such distracting thoughts quickly vanished from her mind.
Because the pressure this guy before her exuded had multiplied the moment her spear was caught!
Just as she had never met anyone whose fighting style fit so naturally and similarly to her own before knowing Noah.
She had also never fought a god as powerful as Noah!
If described in simple terms... this newly ascended god's level of divinity wasn't that of an ordinary deity but rather that of a divine king!
—To possess nearly immeasurable, supreme-level divinity right after becoming a god!
Interesting!
After Noah blocked Scáthach's strike, she smiled even more brightly and attacked even more fiercely.
If Noah had just managed to catch it by relying on some skill like Instinct or Mind's Eye, then in this relentless offensive rhythm, Noah's defeat would only be a matter of time.
But unfortunately, what allowed Noah to perceive Scáthach's movements was Observation Haki, which could foresee the future!
Moreover, at this moment, the Gandálfr emblem on the back of Noah's left hand was constantly flickering.
For normal people, even if their minds could react, their bodies couldn't keep up with such ultra-fast attacks, but for Noah, this posed no problem at all.
As long as his Observation Haki kept up, then with the enhancement of the Left Hand of God—Gandálfr, Noah's movements would definitely keep pace!
This enhancement wasn't usually so obvious.
It mostly only took effect when Noah picked up a new type of weapon he had never handled before.
But when facing a formidable enemy like Scáthach, the amplification from the Left Hand of God...
How terrifying!
Movements that could absolutely keep up with thought!
This is the horror of the Left Hand of God—Gandálfr!
With Observation Haki and the Left Hand of God empowering him, Noah directly dragged Scáthach's ultra-fast offensive into a prolonged battle while maintaining the rhythm.
During this period, Scáthach considered intensifying her efforts to break through.
But Noah also took the opportunity to test his equally deified innate divine strength!
Even Noah had to admit that Scáthach's spears were truly heavy, but if this was all there was to it... he could still handle it!
Noah had never fought at such a suffocating pace of attack and defense before.
The rhythm of this battle was so fast that if you brought Kay over now to watch, what he'd likely see would be like watching an anime—like Dragon Ball Z—where two people constantly flicker in mid-air, exchanging blows here and there.
The pace of this battle was just that intense.
This was something Noah had never experienced before.
However, after dragging it into a prolonged battle, Noah gradually adapted. In fact, he began to understand more and more just how powerful he had become.
But just as Noah was getting fully immersed in the fight, he noticed Scáthach suddenly stop.
"You..."
Noah originally intended to ask something, but when he saw Scáthach's current state, the words he meant to say transformed into something else entirely.
"Are you alright?"
Scáthach looked somewhat disheveled at this moment.
Her hands gripping the twin spears and the legs supporting her stance were trembling slightly.
Clearly, exerting that level of strength and speed outside the Land of Shadows placed a tremendous burden on Scáthach.
But Noah wasn't asking about Scáthach's physical condition.
Because such injuries weren't particularly significant—not just for Scáthach, but even for Noah in his current state. They wouldn't even affect his combat ability in the short term.
And Scáthach... she wasn't so easy to kill.
She was the kind of person who could return to the Land of Shadows and revive even if her body was torn to shreds.
Her immortality was just that potent—otherwise, she wouldn't have been constantly seeking death.
Such injuries would affect her, but they absolutely wouldn't interfere with her will to fight.
And if her fighting spirit remained unshaken, this condition wouldn't excessively hinder her.
So that was what Noah was asking.
He was puzzled why Scáthach had suddenly stopped. His question about whether she was alright was also inquiring why this ultimate battle maniac—who never held back even in practice and could traumatize her disciples during training—had halted the fight prematurely.
Scáthach understood exactly what Noah meant. She stored her twin spears away, looked at Noah before her, and slowly spoke.
"Nothing much. I just started feeling that fighting you in this current state is... somewhat unsatisfying for me."
As Scáthach said this and looked at Noah again, the smile on her face returned once more.
Her expression returned to that cold yet subtly warm smile she wore in her rational state.
"Hurry and fulfill your mission, come stand before me—I've already started looking forward to an unrestricted battle with you. I'm afraid if we continue any longer, I won't be able to restrain myself now... So, let's end our fight here for today... Yes, we'll stop for today."
"Remember this well—you owe me. When the time comes for you to truly fulfill our promise, I'll reclaim every unfinished battle from today and last time all at once!"
"After all, I am just that kind of greedy woman."
Watching Scáthach like this, Noah also sheathed his weapon and walked over to her side.
Even though Noah knew that Scáthach's current physical condition wouldn't actually affect her much, the memory of her legs trembling just moments ago made him instinctively reach out to support her when he approached.
Scáthach seemed slightly surprised by this but didn't refuse or push Noah away. Instead, she tacitly accepted his gesture and even leaned slightly into him—which immediately allowed Noah to perceive her curves, warmth, and the faint fragrance she carried.
"Really now... Wasn't our agreement based on your craving for death, hence your desire to battle me? Why does it seem like you've started enjoying the process instead?"
Hearing Noah's words, Scáthach didn't look at him, but her amused voice drifted over.
"Who knows? For a warrior, battle and death have always been two sides of the same coin."
"Besides, aren't you planning to conquer even my death? If that's the case, making me start to enjoy the fight is just one step you're taking toward that goal."
Noah watched Scáthach as he supported her through the gate of the hidden realm, casually responding to her words.
"So, how far is that step from the outcome I desire?"
"Still very far," Scáthach replied.
But only she knew that the thing she had once solely anticipated—death—had now subtly shifted in her expectations.
First, she'd indulge in every battle she hadn't had her fill of, and only after being completely satisfied would she...
As for what counted as "having her fill"?
Well, who knows?
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan