His statement didn't sound like a request.
Noa demanded, completely going against the creed the Order worked with.
Every member obeyed and respected Tifa.
They wouldn't even breathe if she didn't allow them to, and it was precisely because of her that they were alive.
But seeing Noa's attitude towards her rubbed them the wrong way.
Especially the bald man who was the most vocal about his actions.
"You don't decide what you want to do. Wait for your orders!" he spoke harshly.
Noa wasn't affected by his words.
"Seems like everyone has the wrong idea about me. I didn't join you because I was forced to. It was my decision, and don't forget that I am more than you think."
His cocky notion wasn't news to them.
"You are hiding my family because I allowed you to. I am not the one at a disadvantage, and your role is to help me aid Tifa," Noa continued, speaking much more eloquently than before.
Even though he was the weakest one grade-wise, it was true they didn't want to risk losing him.
And the fact that Noa somehow knew all of them—their personalities, future plans—and wasn't afraid that they would harm his family didn't help the case either.
He used the knowledge to the best of his abilities.
'You guys will fall for me soon enough,' he thought, but tried not to miss his chance of meeting Arthur.
The scheme had already started when Tifa left the bunker.
She frequently visited her workshop, giving Noa the perfect moment to manipulate his way through the gate.
After his speech was done, and everyone went back to their business, Noa neared Viktor.
The alcoholic man was still angry at him.
His punishment for day drinking haunted his dreams, as Tifa never held back.
Seeing the man working with heavy machinery, he said to him softly, trying to gain his trust.
"I know that you are angry at me. You might even feel betrayed, but you should know that I did it for you."
He whispered, hiding what he was doing.
Viktor was a stupid genius.
He was a brilliant inventor, with his talent boosting his brain capacity.
But it came with a price, and it made Viktor dumb in almost every other aspect of his life.
The alcohol was like a fuel, helping his invention process, but it was draining his mental capacity.
Noa knew Viktor was a suitable target.
The latter didn't answer, only lowered his brows.
"Remember when I promised I would give you the booze Caroline had hidden? Guess what—it's time for me to uphold it, and for your information, I sold you to Tifa so she would lower her guard."
He used every body language trick he had ever heard.
It seemed like it worked.
"Really?" Viktor asked, lowering his guard.
"Of course," Noa said. "You just have to let me go inside the gate and it's all yours."
The man shrugged and massaged his forehead.
"But Tifa would get angry at me. I don't want her to hate me," he said, conflicted.
Noa waved his hands.
"I need to go because I have to help her. She told you I would help her daughter, right? Forget about punishment—she might reward you this time."
These were the right words Viktor needed to hear.
Ten minutes later, when Noa showed the hidden stashes of alcohol, the man told him,
"Come with me. But be quiet, Vivi might hear us."
Even though she looked like a soft, adorable woman, Vivi was strict with rules, and angering her meant that blood would be spilled.
The Red Order had its own private gate to the Abyss.
It allowed them to explore not only the first but second and third Abysses as well.
Noa could only return to the same gate, meaning even if he roamed inside, he wouldn't be able to escape.
But not everything would go according to plan, and just before he and Viktor reached the stairs before the chamber, the bald man caught them.
"What are you guys doing?" he asked, his eyes darting with suspicion. "You still have a practice with me. I don't remember giving you a break, and if you thought your previous speech ignited something profound inside me, sorry to break it to you, but I don't care."
This young man was someone Noa didn't really like.
He was a cliché character who constantly harassed everyone if given a chance.
His only redeeming quality was his loyalty to the Order.
Still, Noa preferred talking with the team's women or drunk Viktor over the bald man.
Yet, Tifa assigned them as sparring partners.
It left Noa no option but to travel with him, and actually practicing with an Arised Ember was a tremendous opportunity he didn't want to waste.
The strength difference was too much for him to overcome.
Especially since Noa only showed the skill he got from Klaus.
"This bald man is irritating me," he said loudly.
Noa wasn't afraid of speaking his mind, and knowing his personality, he also knew that the man would appreciate this rough attitude.
As for why Noa didn't say his name, it was quite simple.
'Damn, what was it?' he thought to himself.
He was the only one who introduced himself but didn't allow them to do the same.
Trusting his memory, it was too late when he realized his mistake.
However, Noa remembered the bald man's origin story.
He was a practicing maniac and spent so much time in Abysses that he lost his hair from overwork.
"Get ready!" he roared at Noa, attacking him without giving him a second to get ready for the fight.
The bald man never went easy on him because, as an adept cleric, he could heal Noa from any wound.
As for Noa, he immersed himself in the fight, honing his senses.
He no longer had his sword with him, but at least the rebirth allowed him to keep the gear he had recently bought from Tifa's smith.
The bald man's hand movements and footwork were in harmony.
It made it impossible for Noa to read his patterns and predict his attacks.
Nevertheless, he had to react to them, and each blow and the sustained pain only increased his reaction speed.
It also made him more resilient to injuries, allowing him to use every means in his arsenal to continue the fight.
"Wow," the young man said, looking at his bloody hands and almost blacked-out Noa. "You have improved."
Five minutes was Noa's new record.
He had never lasted this long before, and seeing that he couldn't keep going, the bald man left.
After seeing that he was gone, Noa darted his eyes and rose from the ground.
'I remember now. His name is Punchy,' he thought and smiled at Viktor.
"Let's go. This is our chance. Lead me to the chamber. I can't wait to meet that bastard."
Viktor ignored his rambling and showed the way.
Noa also knew the items Viktor had in stock and asked for them shamelessly.
"Can you give me the Red Mask? You know I need that."
Viktor didn't argue.
The mask was something the Order used on special missions, and it perfectly concealed their identities.
Soon, the darkness arrived, indicating Noa's teleportation from the Velrox to the Abyss.
'The doom is coming,' he thought as his heart trembled in excitement.