The sky above Astraeus Academy darkened as colossal warships emerged from the void, descending toward the artificial moon like celestial omens. Their hulls, adorned with the insignia of the Human Supreme Society, gleamed under the artificial sun, casting ominous shadows upon the academy grounds.
Students murmured anxiously, their hushed voices barely concealing their growing dread.
"Why is the Human Supreme Society here?"
"They sent their fleets... Just for NOX?"
"Two generals... Rank 9 Awakeners! They're treating him like a war criminal!"
"Is NOX really that dangerous...?"
From the skies, Professor Varion straightened his robes, suppressing the unease that gnawed at his insides. He had prayed for their intervention, yet the sheer scale of their response unsettled him.
With a wave of his hand, a golden platform materialized beneath him, elevating him toward the flagship that now loomed over Astraeus Academy's grand courtyard. As he ascended, the massive ship's ramp extended, and two figures emerged.
The first was a towering man clad in ornate silver armor, his presence exuding an aura of unwavering authority. His golden eyes radiated quiet menace, and despite his calm demeanor, the air around him felt suffocating.
General Aldren Valor.
Beside him stood a woman wreathed in flowing crimson robes, her long violet hair swaying like silk in an unseen breeze. She bore a deceptive gentleness, but the moment her piercing blue gaze swept across the academy, an invisible pressure gripped the surroundings.
General Seraphina Kyros.
Behind them, hundreds of soldiers followed in disciplined silence, their power ranging from Rank 4 Awakeners to Rank 7 elites, forming a formidable force that could lay waste to entire civilizations.
Varion took a deep breath before stepping forward. "General Aldren, General Seraphina, the academy welcomes you."
Aldren's golden gaze lingered on him for a moment before he gave a slight nod. "We appreciate your cooperation, Professor Varion. Given the... concerning nature of the situation, the Society deemed our presence necessary."
Seraphina's lips curled into a polite smile, though her eyes held no warmth. "We are here only to ensure that justice is maintained, and that the balance of the Genesis Realm remains undisturbed."
Varion nodded, though his mind raced. Their words were carefully chosen, revealing nothing yet implying everything.
They were here for NOX.
On the ground, NOX remained unmoving, standing amidst the murmuring students as the ships loomed above. His blindfold hid his eyes, but his smirk was ever-present, as if the arrival of these so-called 'elites' was nothing more than a mildly amusing inconvenience.
[+1832 Anxiety...]
[+951 Fear...]
[+722 Excitement...?]
NOX tilted his head slightly. 'Huh... Some of them actually want to see what I'll do. Interesting.'
The grand ramp of the flagship descended fully, and the two generals, flanked by their elite guards, stepped onto the academy grounds.
The moment they arrived, an almost unnatural stillness took hold of the air.
Students instinctively backed away, as if their mere presence was enough to stifle breath itself.
Seraphina's gaze drifted to the crumpled form of Histaria, still on her knees, her body trembling from the lingering despair that had devoured her will moments ago. A brief flicker of something unreadable passed through the general's eyes before she looked to NOX.
Her smile remained intact. "Young Master NOX Ashborn, it is truly an honor to meet you at last."
NOX remained silent, his smirk never wavering.
Aldren stepped forward, his golden eyes locking onto NOX with the weight of a man who had conquered countless battlefields. "I'm certain you understand why we are here. There have been troubling accusations concerning the nature of your.... abilities."
Students around them shivered. The generals were being polite, but everyone could sense it—an undercurrent of force, of dominance, of undeniable authority.
NOX exhaled lightly before tilting his head. "Ah, I see. So the Human Supreme Society cares enough to send two esteemed generals to personally... investigate my well-being? How touching."
Aldren's expression remained unreadable. "We merely seek to clarify the truth. Surely, you can understand that?"
NOX chuckled softly. "Oh, absolutely. You just want to have a friendly little chat. A civil discussion, perhaps over tea and biscuits?"
Seraphina's polite smile never faltered. "You are as witty as they say, Young Master NOX. But we would prefer if you came with us willingly."
"Came with you?" NOX echoed, amusement lacing his tone. "Now, that's quite the proposal. I assume this is a simple invitation, yes? One I am free to decline?"
Aldren's golden eyes darkened slightly. "Declining would be... unwise."
A sharp, cold silence followed his words.
The murmurs of students grew more frantic.
"They're trying to take him...!"
"This isn't just an investigation! They're here to arrest him!"
"What will NOX do? There's no way he can fight against two Rank 9 Awakeners!"
[+1906 Fear...]
[+1021 Anticipation...]
NOX's smirk widened slightly. 'Ah… How predictable.'
The two generals, despite their civility, had already made their decision.
This was no request.
It was a veiled ultimatum.
And NOX despised ultimatums.
His blindfolded gaze turned toward the soldiers standing in tight formations behind the generals. Hundreds of warriors, battle-hardened and prepared to move at a moment's notice.
"Shadow Uncle!" NOX called out.
Surprisingly, his notoriously lazy guardian responded immediately, as if he understood the gravity of the situation.
In the next instant, NOX's shadow stirred, stretching unnaturally before tendrils of darkness slithered and coiled into the shape of a man. Slowly, the figure took form—a towering, burly man dressed in rugged gray clothes, his wrists and feet wrapped in worn white cloth, resembling the bandages of a fighter. His posture was slouched, exuding sheer indifference, but his half-lidded eyes were anything but dull—they were sharp, predatory.
His gaze swept lazily over the soldiers, and with nothing but his mere presence, an invisible force sent several of them stumbling backward. He released a slow, exaggerated yawn before his focus finally settled on the two generals at the forefront.
"You people sure are nosy," he muttered, rolling his shoulders as though shaking off dust. "Did the weeds under your feet grow too tall, making you bold enough to try and arrest my nephew?"
The moment those words left his mouth, General Aldren Valor and General Seraphina Kyros stiffened, their expressions twisting in shock. Their eyes darted toward each other, disbelief flashing between them before one of them whispered,
"Tirius Ashborn?"
A murmur rippled through the soldiers. The name itself carried weight—a legend thought to be long dead. A man who had once been on the cusp of becoming an Astral Lord.
One hundred years ago, he had been a contender for the coveted title, only to disappear before he could claim it. His death had been recorded. Confirmed. There had even been an official funeral.
Yet here he stood.
A living, breathing nightmare.
General Aldren Valor and General Seraphina Kyros instinctively reinforced their internal defenses, suppressing their fear as they took a cautious step forward. They had never expected the Dark Heaven Clan to assign a Rank 9 Awakener as NOX's guardian.
General Aldren Valor, his tone measured and carefully composed, spoke first. "Lord Tirius, it is an honor to see you in the flesh. We, of course, meant no offense. There has been a grave misunderstanding. We are not here to arrest NOX Ashborn."
His words were chosen with meticulous care. Even a hint of aggression could trigger a fight that none of them wanted.
Tirius let out another slow yawn, cracking his neck to the side. "Misunderstanding?" he echoed, his tone laced with amusement. "That so?"
His lazy demeanor did little to conceal the suffocating pressure he emitted, pressing down on the soldiers like an invisible storm. The students and professors watching from the sidelines exchanged fearful glances. Tension thickened the air like a coiled beast waiting to strike.
If a battle broke out here—between Rank 9 Awakeners, no less—the entire academy would be reduced to nothing but dust and echoes.
General Seraphina Kyros stepped forward cautiously, knowing that any sudden movement might be misconstrued as hostility. "We are merely following protocol, Lord Tirius," she stated, her voice steady yet carefully neutral. "The Human Supreme Society has concerns, but we would never take action without concrete evidence. NOX Ashborn has yet to be officially accused of anything."
She was threading a fine line. A Rank 9 Awakener was an anomaly even within their ranks. If Tirius had been alive all these years, hidden within the Ashborn family, then what else were they unaware of?
Tirius grunted, unimpressed. "You lot sure are good at dressing up your words. I almost believed you for a second."
The tension in the air crackled, as if Tirius's very presence warped the battlefield. Even without unleashing his full power, he was enough to suppress an entire army.
Down below, the students whispered among themselves, their hushed voices betraying their fear.
"A Rank 9 Awakener is NOX's guardian? Since when?!"
"He was supposed to be dead! If he's been alive all this time… doesn't that mean the Ashborn family is far more terrifying than we thought?"
"If this turns into a fight, we're doomed. The entire academy will be erased from existence."
Even the professors, who had initially maintained a composed facade, could not hide their apprehension.
Histaria, still kneeling on the ground from the lingering effects of NOX's earlier display, clenched her fists. She had already realized her mistake in underestimating him. But now? Now she was realizing something far more terrifying.
NOX had never needed to endure. He had simply allowed them to believe he was helpless.
And they had all fallen for it.
Meanwhile, NOX stood amid the chaos on the ground, silent. He neither spoke nor moved, allowing the weight of the moment to unfold around him. His expression remained unreadable beneath his blindfold, yet his mere presence was a silent statement of authority.
He had nothing to fear.
Not from the Human Supreme Society.
Not from the academy.
And certainly not from fools who thought they could dictate the course of his story.
Finally, after a long, heavy silence, he tilted his head slightly, his voice slicing through the thick atmosphere like a blade through still water.
"So, what now?"
It was a simple question, yet it carried immeasurable weight. The answer to it would decide everything.
Would the Human Supreme Society back down?
Would they push forward despite the looming threat above?
Would they dare challenge the unknown?
Though NOX already knew that they still had a few more tricks up their sleeves. The higher-ups of the Human Supreme Society wouldn't make a move if they didn't have absolute confidence.