Chương 52: Leonardo Jupiter

Meanwhile, in the Jupiter residence— The once-quiet manor had become a battlefield. Seven-year-old June Jupiter zipped through the living room, tiny flaming wings fluttering wildly behind her. Each frantic flap sent sparks scattering across the ceiling, threatening the curtains, the furniture, and Leonardo Jupiter's remaining patience. She had long crimson hair, red eyes, and the face of a child who had decided the entire world was her enemy. She wore a pink dress and slippers.

And she was throwing a tantrum in the air. Leonardo Jupiter, one of the Seven Martial Arts Kings and the legendary Fist King, was sweating. Not from battle. From babysitting. The man had long black hair tied into a ponytail, and his crimson eyes carried the exhaustion of someone who had fought many monsters, yet had somehow met his match in a grieving child. Despite the heat of Lævateinn, he wore a black suit and black tie. At some point, the tie had been pulled crooked. He had stopped fixing it twenty minutes ago.

"June," Leonardo called, trying and failing to maintain the dignity of a martial arts master.

"Please calm down."

"Shut up!" June yelled mid-spin.

"You're not my dad! Don't tell me what to do!" Leonardo's eye twitched.

"I am still your uncle," he replied patiently, though that patience was thinning by the second, "and the one currently responsible for keeping you alive." June stuck out her tongue. Then she flew higher. Leonardo exhaled.

"Martial Arts Technique — Sky Walk." In the next instant, he stepped onto nothing. His foot pressed against the air as though it were solid ground. Then another step. And another. Leonardo ran through the sky itself. June's eyes widened.

"Wait, that's cheating!"

"It is a martial arts technique."

"That's worse!" Before she could dart away, Leonardo reached her and grabbed the back of her dress collar mid-hover. June flailed. Leonardo descended gracefully back to the floor, landing as if he had merely stepped down from a low stair instead of casually defying the laws of nature. June kicked uselessly in his arms.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

"No."

"I want my dad, not you!" Her voice cracked. Leonardo went still. June's small hands clenched.

"Why has he been avoiding us?" The flames around her wings flickered violently.

"First Mom leaves us…" Her eyes filled with tears.

"Then him." Leonardo's grip softened. For once, he did not lecture her. He did not correct her. He did not tell her to calm down. He simply pulled her into a tight hug. June struggled for half a second. Then she broke. Her flaming wings vanished as she buried her face into his chest, fists clutching his shirt.

"Your father is going through a lot," Leonardo said quietly.

"He just needs time to process things." June sniffled against him.

"When is Dad coming home?" Leonardo closed his eyes.

"I don't know." June's shoulders shook.

"I miss him…" Across the room, Mars sat peacefully on the couch. He had short black hair, crimson eyes, and small glasses resting on his face. He wore pajamas and sat with his legs tucked beneath him, quietly flipping through old family photos. Unlike his sister, he was not screaming. He was not flying. He was not setting anything on fire. That somehow made it worse. His sadness was quiet. Too quiet for a child. Mars stopped on a photo of their mother.

Flare Jupiter smiled from the page, her arms wrapped around Charlie, June, and Mars. Mars stared at it for a long moment. Then he touched the picture gently with one finger.

"Uncle Leo…" Leonardo opened his eyes. Mars did not look up from the photo.

"Did Dad forget us too?" The room went silent. June lifted her tear-streaked face from Leonardo's chest. Leonardo's heart twisted. He had been punched by monsters. He had broken mountains with his fists. He had stood at the top of the martial world and earned the title of Fist King. But no blow had ever hurt like that question. He crouched down with June still in his arms and looked at Mars.

"No." His voice was firm.

"Your father did not forget you." Mars finally looked up. Leonardo forced himself to smile. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"He is lost right now. That is all." June wiped her eyes.

"Then why won't he come home?" Leonardo had no answer. Not one that would make sense to a grieving child. Not one that would make it hurt less. So he held June tighter and looked at Mars with as much certainty as he could manage.

"He will." The words were a promise. Even if Leonardo had no idea whether Charlie was strong enough to keep it.

"He will come home." As if answering the promise, the front door opened. Noah, Ava, Lux, and Charlie stepped inside. Charlie stood in the doorway, painfully sober. His eyes moved across the room. The scattered photos. The scorched curtains. Leonardo crouched on the floor. Mars on the couch. June in her uncle's arms. His children. For a split second, no one moved. Then June slipped clean out of Leonardo's loosened grip. Flames flickered wildly behind her as she launched herself forward.

"Dad!" She crashed into Charlie's torso, wrapping her arms around him with all the force her tiny body could muster. Charlie staggered back a step. His hands trembled at his sides. For one terrible moment, he looked like he might run. Then, slowly, hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey…" His voice cracked.

"Hey, I'm here." June buried her face into his sweater and sobbed. Charlie's fingers clenched against the back of her dress.

"I'm here," he whispered again, as if trying to convince himself too. Leonardo stood. His expression softened.

"You're home early." Charlie looked at him over June's head.

"Yeah…" He swallowed hard.

"I'll try to be home more often." The words came out clumsy. Awkward. Painful.

"Not…" His jaw tightened.

"Not relying on you for everything." Leonardo folded his arms and gave him a faint smile.

"Good." Mars slid off the couch. He did not run. He did not shout. He walked over quietly, still holding the photo album against his chest. Then he leaned into Charlie's side and wrapped one arm around him. Charlie stiffened again. His breath caught. Mars pressed his forehead against his father's sweater. Charlie looked down at him. Then his shaking hand moved to rest on Mars's head. His other arm tightened around June. For the first time since Flare's death— He did not pull away. He held them. Both of them.

And broke quietly where they could not see his face. Noah watched from the doorway. Ava stood beside him, her expression soft. Lux floated a little behind them, unusually silent. Leonardo's gaze shifted toward Noah.

"So…" He studied him carefully.

"You're the little Hero Cyril mentioned." Noah straightened immediately. Leonardo's eyes moved over his horns, his black hair, and the tired weight in his face.

"You look just like Walter." Noah froze. Leonardo's smile grew faint.

"Though not as grumpy." Noah scratched the back of his head.

"Thanks…" He paused.

"Sir." Leonardo chuckled.

"You don't need to call me that." Ava bowed her head politely.

"Lord Jupiter."

"That one I'll accept." Noah glanced at her. Ava smiled innocently. Leonardo's expression softened again as he looked back at Noah.

"I'm sorry about your father." The room grew quieter.

"He was a good man." Noah lowered his gaze. Leonardo's voice carried a rare weight.

"I wish I could have fought alongside him more." Noah's hand tightened at his side.

"Yeah." His voice was quiet.

"I wish that too." Leonardo studied him for a moment. Then his expression shifted.

"Erzabet visited me last night." Noah froze. Ava's eyes widened. Leonardo sighed, as if remembering something deeply unpleasant.

"Apparently, she wanted to tell me all about her current favorite toy." His gaze settled on Noah.

"And how I should train him." Noah slowly looked away. Leonardo laughed.

"What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into?" Noah sighed.

"A big one." Then he told Leonardo everything. The death of the Spear Lord. Adam's involvement. The Regalia. The challenge. Erzabet's interest in him. The promise that, one day, he would have to stand against one of the most terrifying monsters in the world and survive long enough to matter. He left out Gram for now. He left out Charlie. That conversation could wait until Charlie had both feet beneath him again. For now, Noah only spoke about the thing he needed most. Training.

When he finished, Leonardo stood in silence. June and Mars still clung to Charlie nearby, their father quietly holding them as if afraid they would vanish if he let go. Leonardo folded his arms.

"I see." His eyes narrowed slightly.

"That psycho has always been a handful." Noah waited. Then Leonardo smiled.

"Fine." Noah looked up.

"I'll train you." Ava's expression brightened. Noah straightened.

"You will?" Leonardo's smile widened.

"Don't look so happy." His knuckles cracked.

"I said I would train you. I didn't say I would go easy." Noah swallowed. For some reason, that sounded more frightening than encouraging. Ava quickly stepped forward.

"Wait. What about me?" Leonardo looked at her.

"I don't want to be left out," Ava said, crossing her arms. Leonardo chuckled.

"Don't worry about that." Ava blinked.

"Apparently, Erzabet took interest in you too." Ava went still. Noah turned toward her.

"She has some kind of plan for you," Leonardo said with a shrug.

"No clue what, though." Silence filled the room. Ava stood there, unsure whether she should feel honored or terrified. Noah slowly looked at Leonardo.

"Is there a third option?"

"No," Leonardo said.

"With Erzabet, those are usually the same thing." Ava stared ahead blankly. Charlie, still holding his children, muttered from the side of the room.

"That sounds awful." Leonardo smiled.

"It is." Noah looked from Leonardo to Ava. Then toward the blazing city beyond the window. Lævateinn had only just begun showing its teeth. The Crows were somewhere inside it. The tournament was six months away. The Emperor's deadline waited behind him. Erzabet's challenge waited ahead. And starting now, Noah would be trained by the Fist King. Leonardo cracked his neck.

"Rest today." His crimson eyes sharpened.

"Tomorrow, I break you." Noah stared at him. Ava stared too. Lux finally smiled.

"Oh, this is going to be fun." Noah sighed. For once, he wished she was wrong.