NOVGO.NET Chapter 801: Father and Son
Chapter 801: Father and Son
(Sorry for the lack of Chapters in recent days…was handling some real life issues)
…
Coming out of the changing room was none other than the person Nox and Eve had been looking for all this while.
Jack.
“What is he doing there?” Nox voiced out as he leaned forward from his seat.
“Isn’t it obvious. He is part of the participants for today,” replied another spectator at the side.
“The second prince has been away for a while. This is a welcoming match for his return.”
“Huh, I wonder who his opponent will be,” another chuckled from the side.
The entire atmosphere was electric with anticipation as everyone looked forward to the match with excitement.
A deep frown appeared on Nox’s face. He looked closely at Jack and noticed the anxiety in the latter’s eyes, despite the fact that he was trying to project a calm and determined front.
But if one looked closely, they would notice that his arms were trembling.
“I wonder who his opponent is,” Nox muttered, frowning.
It was the first time Nox had seen Jack react like this since the Snowhelm incident, which meant that whoever his opponent was, they were no joke.
’What kind of tradition welcomes their own back with a fight?’ he subconsciously wondered.
The longer he stayed seated, the heavier Nox’s chest felt.
Something was wrong. He could feel it deep within him. This was not the excitement before a normal match. This was not anticipation. It was tension, the kind that came before blood was spilled.
At that moment, the officiator raised his hand, signaling for the crowd to quiet down. It took several seconds before the roaring gradually subsided, though the murmurs never fully disappeared.
“And now,” the man announced, his voice amplified across the colosseum, “the opponent for the second prince’s welcoming match.”
The gates on the opposite side of the arena creaked open, and heavy footsteps echoed out.
One step.
Then another.
The ground itself seemed to tremble faintly as a tall figure emerged from the shadows, broad shouldered and imposing, his presence alone enough to draw a hush from even the loudest spectators.
He wore no armor and carried no weapon.
His upper body was bare, his skin pristine as if it had never been tempered by decades of war. His expression was calm, almost bored, as though this entire spectacle was beneath him.
When Nox saw the man, an instinctive sense of fear surged through him, which was rare considering how many enemies he had faced in the past.
A frown deepened on his face. Looking at this man, he could not help but wonder how the demons had managed to capture Imperia in the first place.
“He’s stronger than elder brother,” Eve spoke, sensing Andre’s overwhelming power. “His aura is like a mountain on the verge of exploding.”
Nox did not say a word. He glanced at Jack and finally understood why he was anxious, his expression turning into one of concern.
Even if Eve had confirmed his strength, it was still shocking. The demon prince of Blight they had faced before did not feel this oppressive. Nox could not imagine how Jack would fare against someone like this.
He wanted to stop the fight, but at the same time, this was their tradition.
“I remember Jack saying that his father was very strict and did not really care if one was his child…” His train of thought ended there as Eve suddenly asked,
“Who is he, by the way?”
“From the resemblance, that must be Jack’s father,” Nox replied, his voice low. “The king of this island.”
“So this is how they welcome their prince back,” she said quietly. “By throwing him against the strongest person here.”
Seeing his opponent, Jack exhaled slowly and reached behind him, drawing out his lightning odachi in a smooth motion. The blade hummed faintly as arcs of electricity danced along its length, crackling softly through the air.
The crowd erupted once more.
“That’s right!”
“Show us!”
“The king himself is fighting!”
Nox’s fingers clenched unconsciously.
Andre stopped several meters away from Jack, rolling his shoulders once before cracking his neck from side to side. His gaze settled on his son, sharp and unreadable.
“You’ve grown,” Andre said calmly. “But you’re still too thin.”
Jack’s jaw tightened, but he did not respond.
“Begin!” the officiator shouted, slamming his staff into the ground.
The moment the signal was given, Jack moved.
Lightning exploded beneath his feet as he vanished in a flash, reappearing right in front of Andre with terrifying speed. His odachi came down in a blazing arc, thunder roaring as it cut through the air.
Andre did not dodge. He stepped forward and caught the blade barehanded.
CRACK.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the arena floor. Lightning discharged violently, crawling up Andre’s arm before dissipating harmlessly against his skin.
Jack’s eyes widened in fear.
Andre twisted his wrist and slammed his forehead into Jack’s face.
BOOM.
Jack was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing into the arena wall hard enough to shatter stone. Dust and debris exploded outward as his body slid down, leaving a spiderweb of cracks behind.
The crowd went wild, roaring in excitement, while Nox’s expression remained grim.
Jack barely had time to regain his footing before Andre was already in front of him again. A heavy punch landed squarely in his abdomen, the force lifting him off the ground before he was hurled across the arena.
He rolled, coughed, and spat blood onto the dirt.
Andre followed relentlessly, never giving him room to breathe. Every strike was clean, brutal, and efficient, with no wasted motion and no hesitation.
Jack tried to retaliate, slashing upward with his odachi, lightning flaring brighter than before.
Andre ducked, stepped inside Jack’s guard, and slammed an elbow into his ribs.
CRUNCH.
Jack screamed as bones cracked.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Finally, Andre grabbed Jack by the collar and lifted him off the ground with one hand.
“This is what happens,” Andre said coldly, “when you run away.”
He slammed Jack face first into the ground.
BOOM!
The impact shook the entire colosseum, and silence followed. For a brief moment, no one cheered.
Jack lay there, unmoving, his lightning blade clattering uselessly beside him.
Nox could barely contain himself. His aura fluctuated violently, and Eve had to grab his arm to keep him from charging down into the arena.
“Don’t,” she said firmly. “Not now.”
Meanwhile, Andre turned his back on Jack, already walking away as if the match was over.
“…Get up,” he said without looking back. “If you don’t, this arena will be your graveyard.”