两男一女的双龙挺进

Because of Nox and Wendy\'s absence, Nathan barely noticed their presence and completely ignored them, taking a seat on the left side of Duke Felix, who, as usual, had a curtain covering him, revealing only a faint outline of his figure.

Seeing how Nathan ignored them completely, one of the barons present gritted his teeth and smirked as he spoke mockingly. "I wonder how long the Cromwell Barony will last with just three competitors."

"I say they save face and pull out now, while it\'s still early," another, who disliked Nathan, added with ridicule.

"Hahaha, just like the rumors say. That Nox is truly a coward! To think he would chicken out of the tournament so early. Is he that scared of young master Hendrix?" another sneered, a hint of mockery in his voice.

Nathan heard their mockery but made no effort to respond, which irritated the barons even more. Their eyes twitched at being so blatantly ignored, but they wisely chose not to press further, knowing they would only embarrass themselves.

Meanwhile, down below, the various towns were beginning to enter the portal one after the other. Now, only Nyx remained. She lingered intentionally, hoping Nox and Wendy would show up.

"Miss, we don\'t have all day," the officiator\'s impatient voice echoed in her head.

Nyx clenched her fists and glanced around one last time. Her gaze swept across the surroundings, but there was no sign of her silly brother.

"You\'re our hope now, Nyx. The barony is depending on you," Nathan muttered as he observed his granddaughter\'s features, which showed a hint of anxiety and relentlessness. Despite her best efforts to hide it, Nathan could tell she was deeply conflicted.

"Miss," the officiator growled, his voice deeper now.

"Let\'s get this over with," Nyx muttered, her eyes burning with determination as she stepped toward the portal.

Her footsteps echoed on the platform floor. The crowd held their breath, knowing that as soon as Nyx entered the portal, all hell would break loose. They were silent, their hearts beating in unison. The only sound was the thud of Nyx\'s boots.

Nyx\'s eyes blazed as she drew closer to the portal. Like her grandpa had said, with or without Nox and Wendy, they would win this tournament. *She had to*—the future of the barony she loved was at stake. Just as she was about to enter the portal, a sudden cold wind swept through the arena, making everyone pause. The sky darkened without warning, casting a heavy shadow over the platform.

\'Huh?\' People looked around, confused, trying to figure out what was happening.

All the barons, along with Felix—still behind his curtain—tilted their heads slightly when they sensed the oppressive shadow. Despite their enhanced eyesight as Awakened, it took some time before they finally saw the creature blocking the sun, like an ominous omen.

"Is that…?"

"An Elemental Beast?" The duke, hidden behind the curtain, jumped to his feet, shock written all over his face.

"No way. It can\'t be…" another baron shouted.

High above their heads was a gigantic, jellyfish-like creature with tentacles dangling in the air.

Nyx froze mid-step, her eyes turning skyward as she tried to figure out what had darkened the arena. Even the judges exchanged uneasy glances. The barons who had mocked the Cromwell Barony moments earlier fell silent, their faces pale with fear.

It was no secret that Elemental Beasts were terrifyingly powerful. How could they not be frightened?

"An Elemental Beast... here?" Bridget, the vice principal of the Vermilion Kingdom, muttered, her eyes narrowing. "This isn\'t right."

While the others had ashen faces, Zarek smiled. *\'Could this continent get any more exciting?\'*

"What\'s happening?" someone in the crowd shouted.

"Why can\'t I see anything?"

*Shing! Shing!*

Awakened individuals in the arena began summoning their weapons, their collective aura bursting forth, ready to engage the Elemental Beast if it came to that.

The representatives from the other household, along with Bridget, looked excited. This was a rare opportunity to obtain an elemental crystal.

\'This…\' Nathan was at a loss for words. He didn\'t know whether to feel grateful or saddened that the beast had disrupted the tournament.

At the Cromwell Barony stand, two people stood at the front, glaring at the beast menacingly. They were Aina and Hans, both radiating an intense aura. Their postures were sharp as blades, and merely watching them made the citizens feel a surge of security.

Suddenly, the creature let out a shriek-like roar, shaking the entire arena. It dived down without warning, causing several people to flinch, some even making a break for the exits.

Then… *BOOOOM!*

Just inches before landing, the tentacled creature stopped abruptly, though the pressure from its descent caused a loud boom like the sound of a bomb all around. Now that it was no longer blocking the sun, the crowd could finally see clearly.

Standing on the head of the tentacled creature were two figures: an extremely handsome black-haired boy with a strand of red, and a white-haired girl whose skin seemed to glow slightly. Their hair fluttered in the wind, making them look like a young, powerful couple.

Gasps spread across the Cromwell Barony stand as they recognized the figures.

"Oh, I didn\'t expect this," Bridget said, covering her mouth as she giggled seductively. These two—Wendy and Nox—were the ones at the top of her radar!

Nathan trembled as he looked at the figures standing on the terrifying yet oddly cute creature. He couldn\'t help but mutter, "This brat…"

Like the crowd, Aina and Hans had mixed expressions of relief and disbelief. As for Nyx, she couldn\'t stop her lips from twitching, her eyes flashing with annoyance. Her gaze seemed to slaughter Nox over and over again at least a hundred times.

Nox ignored her expression. He and Wendy dismounted the beast with practiced ease, his gaze sweeping over the arena before landing on the officiator. He nodded at the frightened man who had trembling lips as he stared at Astralux. He looked like someone who had seen his dead great grandmother.

"I hope we weren\'t too late?" Nox said with a smile.

The officiator, still in shock, fumbled with his words before finally managing to announce, "The Cromwell Barony… is now complete."