The Lost God of War Returned

Chapter 6

The doors to the hall swung wide open.

A young woman in a crisp white professional dress stepped in, standing at an imposing 175 centimeters (5’99”). Her strides sharp and commanding.

Her jet-black hair fell in a sleek cascade that caught the light with every step, framing her face with an air of untouchable elegance.

Her brown eyes gleamed like cutting jewels, refusing to glance at the people bowing their heads in respect. Indifferent. Dominant.

Her lips, strawberry-red, were neither curved into a smile nor set into a frown.

The steady click of her heels came to a halt the moment her gaze landed on Curtis standing at the center of the crowd.

“Ah, there he is.”

She quickened her pace, letting the elegance and cold poise slip away, like a child catching sight of a candy gift meant just for her.

“It’s been a while,” she murmured softly. “Master Fox, we finally—”

“Jasmine. You came.” Curtis cut in. “Tell your master I owe him.”

Jasmine froze on the spot. With those words from Curtis, she understood immediately. He didn’t want his cover blown.

“Of course,” she replied with a faint smile, her tone cooling once more. “Someone had the audacity to insult your childhood hero. That cannot be allowed. Master Fox himself ordered me to protect you and your family. Anyone who dares stir trouble will face the consequences.”

Curtis gave a single nod. Satisfied. Jasmine’s act was flawless.

Jack’s legs buckled, and he dropped to his knees before everyone.

Never in his life had he imagined that Curtis truly had ties to Jasmine Young.

In an instant, every hope he had was shattered.

The Nine Dragons Alliance was finished. His father’s life hung by a thread. Everyone was blaming him.

If only he had known Curtis wasn’t bluffing, he would’ve licked his shoes for forgiveness.

“Miss Young!” Jack sobbed, tears streaming down his face. “I never knew Curtis was connected to Master Fox. Please… forgive my ignorance! Surely the great King Fox would not punish a man for what he didn’t know!”

Jasmine gave him only a passing glance, utterly disinterested. Then her voice cut cold, “Everyone is given a second chance. You threw yours away without hesitation.”

“I… I thought Curtis was bluffing!” Jack stammered. “If I had known he was serious, I would’ve fallen to my knees before him!”

Curtis cut in, his tone cold, “I never asked for your knees. I told you to beg Serena and Mr. Lorenzo.”

Jack looked from Serena to Lorenzo, dragging himself forward until his forehead hit the ground. His sobs grew harsher.

“Mr. Swan, Serena, I was blind! Please forgive my foolishness. I swear I’ll never speak such nonsense again, just spare me this once,” he begged, his words breaking apart. Snot and tears smeared his face, leaving him no better than a starving beggar.

But even with his pride crushed into the dirt, neither Serena nor Lorenzo moved.

“You deserve this,” Serena said coldly. “You preyed on the weak. You used the Swan Observation Group’s struggles to force me into marriage. I’m done with your cruelty.”

Curtis gave a slow nod. That was enough for him.

Then his eyes locked on Jasmine Young, said, “I hear Nine Dragon Alliance has been bleeding small business owners dry. Calling it a ‘security tax.’ That’s not protection—it’s extortion. And it drags your leader’s name through the mud. Tell me, Miss Young… are you just going to stand by and let it happen?”

Jasmine Young didn’t need to think twice. She raised her voice so it carried through the hall.

“The Nine Dragon Alliance has been running wild under the Fox Company’s name. That’s no different from smearing filth on our leader’s face. And we will not tolerate it with light punishments.”

The air in the room grew heavy. Everyone held their breath, waiting on the word of the Fox Company’s second-in-command.

“We declare open war. The Nine Dragon Alliance will be crushed to the last member. You have twenty-four hours to surrender unconditionally. No leniency. No excuses.”

Fox Company had just turned its guns on its own ally! And for the people of Seraine, it could only mean one thing: disaster.

“If war truly breaks out, we’ll be the first to suffer.”

“Pack your things now. We need to leave this city before nightfall.”

Someone spat the words with bitter hatred, “The Nine Dragons Alliance is a curse. They’ve poisoned this city for too long. They should never have existed.”

Another voice cut in, grim yet certain, “Fox Company will wipe them out, that much is clear. But this city… it will burn with them. Waiting is pointless. We have to leave now.”

Meanwhile, Jack’s face had gone pale as death. His heart no longer beat steadily, each breath a struggle. In that moment, death itself seemed far more merciful than what he was enduring.

The news of Fox Company’s declaration of war against the Nine Dragons Alliance spread like wildfire. Jasmine Young’s video shot to the number one trending spot online within minutes. The stock market shook violently. Partners severed ties without hesitation. This was the beginning of the end for the mighty Nine Dragons Alliance.

Then, Jack’s phone rang.

It was Dylan Wilson, his youngest brother. Jack answered with trembling hands, his strength already drained.

“Brother… Father’s been killed! The leaders of the Nine Dragons Alliance murdered him! They murdered him!”

Jack clawed at his own hair, disbelief and terror ripping through him. His brother’s hysterical cries couldn’t possibly be a lie.

Their father was dead.

The man Jack needed most in this crisis was gone.

Jack hurled his phone across the floor and let out a deafening roar. Blood vessels burst in his eyes, turning them crimson. He tore open his shirt and laughed like a madman.

“YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS, CURTIS! YOU’LL PAY TENFOLD! HAHAHAHA!”

He leapt and flailed like a drunken beast, attacking every guest in sight.

The security moved in at once, striking the back of his head until he collapsed unconscious, then dragged his body out of the hall.

Now, every eye in the room turned toward Curtis completely different than ever.

No one had ever imagined that this young, retired soldier was tied to King Fox.

Fear gripped those who had poured wine over his head just moments ago.

“Shut the exit ways,” Jasmine Young commanded again. “Don’t think you can just walk away. I’ve already checked the CCTV in this hall. Every one of you who humiliated Curtis will face judgment from Fox Company. No one leaves.”

Almost everyone here had thrown wine at Curtis. Now, they all dropped to their knees, weeping.

Darius Matthew was the first to lower himself and kiss the tip of Curtis’s boot.

“Master Curtis, this old man’s eyes are failing… I couldn’t recognize your greatness. Please, forgive me,” he pleaded.

Behind him, everyone pressed their foreheads to the floor.

“We were wrong! Please forgive us, Master Curtis!”

But Curtis only shook his head slowly. His voice was calm, yet merciless.

“It isn’t me who decides your punishment. It’s Miss Young.”

Their eyes darted toward Jasmine Young, but the girl refused to even look at them. Her judgment was final. Irreversible.

Suddenly, Lynn crawled forward and clung tightly to Curtis’s leg. She no longer cared about appearances, her tears poured even harder, her sobs growing louder, shattering the image of the dignified woman she once claimed to be.

“Curtis, please… forgive me! We’re still husband and wife, aren’t we? That divorce paper, it doesn’t mean anything, it never did! I never wanted to leave you, not really. It was Janson… he twisted everything, he made me do it! I was so stupid, so blind. I regret it all, I swear I do. Just… let’s go home, Curtis. Please, let’s forget this nightmare ever happened!”

Curtis took her hand and gently pulled her to her feet.

A glimmer of hope lit up in her tear-streaked eyes, as if believing he still had room in his heart to forgive her.

“There’s nothing for you to regret, Lynn,” Curtis said softly.

And for a fleeting moment, no one could tell if those words carried mercy… or something far darker.