Chương 59: Nox Ōkami

Nikolai stared down at Noah as he stood back up. The glove lay between them in the sand. A formal challenge. A promise of violence. Noah's fingers twitched toward it. Before he could pick it up, Fortuna darted forward and snatched the glove away.

"No!" Both Noah and Nikolai froze. Fortuna clutched the glove against her chest, tears gathering in her brown eyes.

"Uncle, please don't fight." Her voice trembled.

"There's no need to." She looked up at Nikolai with desperate eyes.

"Please." Nikolai stared at her. For a moment, the hatred in his face remained. Then it cracked. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Damn puppy dog eyes." His voice softened into a weak laugh.

"I can never resist those." Noah slowly straightened, still fully prepared to draw his sword if needed. Nikolai noticed. Then chuckled. The tension in the street did not vanish, but it loosened slightly. Nikolai stepped closer and flicked Noah hard on the forehead. Noah blinked.

"Make sure you do well in the tournament," Nikolai said.

"That way, I can crush you properly." Noah's eyes narrowed.

"That's where we'll have our duel." Nikolai's smile returned.

"A public fight on a grand stage is much better anyway." Noah stared at him. Then smiled.

"Fine." Nikolai raised an eyebrow.

"I'll crush you completely." Before Nikolai could respond, Noah stepped forward and slammed his forehead into Nikolai's nose. A sharp crack sounded through the street. Nikolai staggered back half a step. Blood ran from his nose. The crowd gasped. Fortuna stared in shock. Noah rubbed his own forehead and smiled.

"Now we're even for the punch." For a moment, Nikolai simply looked at him. Then he laughed.

"Well played, brat." He wiped blood from his nose with the back of his hand.

"Well, I should be going." Nikolai turned toward Fortuna and offered his hand.

"Come on, Fortuna. Let's buy a bunch of pastries for the rest of the kiddos." Fortuna hesitated. Then she nodded and took his hand. Nikolai cleaned more blood from his nose as they walked away together. Fortuna looked back once. Her brown eyes lingered on Noah. Then she turned away and followed Nikolai into the crowd. Noah watched them go. His jaw still hurt. His forehead throbbed. His instincts still screamed that Nikolai Hermes was dangerous. But despite all of that, Noah could not help it.

He laughed quietly to himself.

"This tournament is going to be fun."

"I see you're still an over-energized puppy." Noah turned. A familiar voice called out from behind him. Cyrus stood a few steps away, a grin spread across his face. Noah's eyes widened.

"Cyrus?" Beside him stood a younger boy. He had white hair, dark blue eyes, and a black face mask covering the lower half of his face. White fox ears twitched on top of his head, alert and restless. Noah's gaze moved to him. Cyrus rested a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"This is my younger brother." His grin softened.

"Nox Ōkami." The boy glanced up at Noah. His ears twitched again. Noah stared at him for a moment. Then he smiled. Noah's gaze shifted toward Cyrus.

"It's good to see you again, Cyrus." Nox blinked. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"I'm glad it seems like you were able to help him." Cyrus's grin softened. For Noah, the sight of Nox standing there was more than just a reunion. It was proof. Proof that something from six months ago had mattered. Proof that entering Reverie's castle had not only led to pain, betrayal, and another trap. Had Noah never gone there, Nox might have died. But he was here now. Breathing. Standing beside his brother. Alive. Noah let out a quiet breath.

"So what are you two doing in Lævateinn?" Cyrus sighed immediately.

"The Emperor sent us an invitation." Noah's expression sharpened.

"In order to promote good relations between nations," Cyrus said, his tone making it clear how little he believed that, "he requested that three of our generals attend this event." Nox crossed his arms.

"It's obviously a ploy." Noah looked at him. Nox's dark blue eyes narrowed.

"He wants his people to publicly defeat us in a tournament and call it diplomacy." Cyrus pointed at him.

"Smart kid."

"I manage the region's finances," Nox said flatly.

"I'm supposed to be smart." Cyrus ignored that.

"I heard two of his children are coming," Nox continued, "along with the captain of his guard." Noah's stomach tightened. Valor's children. More pieces moving across the board. Cyrus rubbed the back of his neck.

"In total, Helheim has seven generals. We drew lots to decide who would be sent here." He sighed again.

"Nox and I are two of the losers." Nox glanced at him.

"After Cyrus got picked, Amber eagerly volunteered." Cyrus looked away. Noah raised an eyebrow.

"Amber?" Nox's ears twitched.

"She likes him."

"She does not," Cyrus said immediately. Nox looked at Noah.

"She does." Cyrus pointed at him.

"You were dying six months ago. Show some gratitude."

"I am grateful," Nox said.

"That doesn't make you less oblivious." Noah smiled faintly. Helheim had seven generals. Each represented a specific element. Each managed a different aspect of the region. Cyrus of Water. Head of research and development. Nox of Fire. Manager of Helheim's finances. Amber of Life. Chief strategist and head of the military. Three generals, gathered in Lævateinn under the Emperor's invitation. Noah could already feel the shape of Valor's game around them. Still, his smile did not fade.

"If we run into each other in the tournament…" Cyrus looked at him. Noah's eyes sharpened.

"I won't go easy on any of you." For a moment, Cyrus simply stared. Then he laughed.

"I can tell you've gotten stronger." Noah's smile widened. Cyrus adjusted his glasses.

"Who knows?" He smirked.

"Maybe you can stub my toe." Noah's expression flattened. Nox looked at Cyrus.

"That was unnecessary."

"It was funny."

"It was cruel."

"It was both." Noah sighed, but there was no real anger in it. Six months ago, Cyrus had been a bitter ally forced into trusting a Hero. Now he stood here laughing beside his healed brother. For one brief moment, Noah allowed himself to enjoy that. Then Cyrus pushed his glasses up.

"So what about Ava?" Noah blinked.

"Is she around here too?" Cyrus asked.

"I wouldn't mind a proper rematch against her." His grin sharpened.

"Now that I'm fully trying." Noah smiled.

"She's gotten much stronger too." Cyrus raised an eyebrow.

"Has she?"

"Maybe this time, she'll beat you black and bloody." Nox glanced at Cyrus.

"That would be deserved." Cyrus sighed.

"You're supposed to support me." Noah laughed. Cyrus's smile softened.

"I'm looking forward to it." Then his expression grew more serious.

"But I promise you this, Noah." Noah looked at him. Cyrus's eyes sharpened behind his glasses.

"We won't play to the Emperor's tune." The festival noise swelled around them, but the words cut cleanly through it.

"We'll show everyone that Helheim and the other nations stand as equals." Noah nodded.

"That sounds like you." Cyrus gave a faint smile.

"There's another reason I'm here too." Noah's chest tightened. He already knew where this was going.

"My mother was looking for Alaric," Cyrus said.

"That psycho, The Doctor, said he was here." Nox grew quiet beside him. Cyrus looked toward the streets of Lævateinn, his smile fading.

"So I'd like to meet my cousin." His voice softened.

"It's been so long, after all." Noah said nothing. Cyrus continued.

"He wasn't frozen in time like Cynthia and I were. He had to live through everything that followed my father's death." His fingers curled slightly at his side.

"All those years of hatred. The way the world treated demons afterward." His jaw tightened.

"And then his parents were killed by the Emperor." Cyrus looked back at Noah.

"I imagine it was painful for him." Noah swallowed.

"Yeah." His voice was quiet.

"I know where he is." Cyrus's eyes widened.

"You do?" Noah sighed.

"The Fist King and Alaric have been beating me up for the past six months." For a moment, Cyrus simply stared. Then he laughed.

"That explains why you look sturdier."

"I hate that sentence."

"It was a compliment."

"It felt like an insult." Nox looked at Noah with faint sympathy. Cyrus stepped closer, excitement and nervousness mixing in his expression.

"Can you bring me to him?" Noah hesitated. Only for a second. But it was enough for his own unease to crawl up his spine. Alaric was kind. Alaric was strange. Alaric was dangerous. And somewhere beneath that gentle smile, something else was watching. Still, Cyrus deserved to meet his family. And Noah could not keep running from every thread in Lævateinn just because it looked like part of a trap. He nodded.

"Sure." Cyrus's expression brightened.

"I'd love to meet him after so long," he said.

"And maybe bring him back to Helheim." Noah forced a small smile.

"Follow me." He turned toward the Jupiter residence.

"Plus, I'm sure Ava will be happy to see you again too." Cyrus grinned.

"Good." Nox adjusted his mask and followed silently beside him. Together, the three of them stepped back into the festival crowd. Above them, banners snapped beneath the desert wind. Around them, Lævateinn laughed and sang. And somewhere ahead, waiting, was Alaric Sanguine.