Emperor's Reckoning

Inside a dark hall that was only illuminated with nothing but hanging torches, a clanking noise of armor was heard along with something that was being dragged against the ground. The light from the torch slightly revealed the grimacing face of the knight and the glare that proved he hated the job. Fatigue was his everyday fuel and sweat was his drug, however, today was a special day as he grabbed an unruly criminal by the ankle.

The latter's had his hand-tied and clothes ripped off. Bruises adorned his upper body, while he wore nothing but culottes made from hempen. Despite so, there was only a smile on his face as his back grazed the ground. He relaxedly looked up before muttering.

"Wow, this place is dead! Don't you have something better like a chandelier? Haha!"

"Shut up felon!"

The felon chuckled, "Alright, no need to get your high horses. Does the job not paying you well?"

"Tch! Shut up!"

The felon smirked while being dragged, thought the knight was the title that the man had he was nothing but a prison guard or some sort.

"You spend half of your days here?" the felon added. It seemed that he was trying to get the bad side of the prison guard.

"Keep talking! See if you—"

"Ok."

"Bah! You!" the prison guard turned around with his fist clenched before the felon suddenly added, "must be tough, huh, living a life like this."

The prison guard let out a sigh before he put his clenched fist to rest. He couldn't believe how piercing the words were coming out of a criminal. He almost shed a tear as his heart was slightly grazed. He turned around before he continued his walk with a bit of sorrow.

"Oh round and round we go, to the valley of death and the scheming shadow ♪♪"

The felon suddenly sang a song as his back grazed the ground with both of his hands on top of his bare chest. However, the prison guard seemed to pay no mind to it, in fact, he was slightly going into tune with his steps to the felon delight.

After some time, they had arrived in front of a cell where no light was present. The prison guard opened it with a rusty key. After the click, he pushed the stained steel before a screeching sound that was piercing the ears was produced. The prison guard let out a sigh before tightened his grip on the felon's ankle.

"Wait, you're not going to throw me in there aren't you?"

"Sorry, it's the kingdom's policy."

"What?! Oh c'mon!"

"Just.. just put your hands over your head."

"But they are tied?"

"I know, stupid policy am I right?"

The felon didn't manage to utter a word before he was thrown inside the jail. To his surprise, he was still rolling on the ground and didn't even manage to hit the wall before stopping naturally. The felon woke up before he rushed into a slammed bars. His hands quickly grabbed as he tried to push his face between the bars to talk to the prison guard.

"Hey, you can't do this to me!"

"What? What are you talking about? This is my job."

"Yeah, but I don't think the punishment should be this severe!"

"You are a thief!"

"Sure I stole, but I didn't steal weapons nor golds! I'm not even working for the other kingdoms!"

"Yeah, but you stole... goddamnit! You have massive balls, I tell you that!"

The knight suddenly turned around before he shook his head. He had enough energy spent for the day. He walked outside despite the screaming felon that called him out.

"Hey let me out! Let me out!"

The felon was banging the bars. He couldn't believe that the stained steel was actually quite sturdy despite its fragile look.

*Clank!

The felon twitched his ears before he slowly turned around against the darkness. His mouth slightly pointed up before as he muttered.

"It seems like I'm not alone."

With his hands tied he confidently walked forward as if the unknown was nothing but air. His bare feet soon felt the ground had changed to that of a paving way before his eyes caught a showering light to a wall that was partly occupied by green moss. Fireflies were present despite the shimmering of a day. They were flying freely as if they were dancing. However, the felon furrowed his eyebrows as he saw chains.

Four sets of chains were connected to the wall. It was quite long as he could see it piling up on the ground. However, what made his tongue turned bitter was what the other end they were connected to.

It was to a woman... with beautiful auburn hair.

Her wrists and her ankles were bound. Her head... faced down. She wore nothing but ragged clothes. How many days did she go out without a shower? But the smell didn't bother the felon one bit as he walked forward.

He made sure the steps were heard before the woman's ears slightly twitched. Her head slightly tilted up before the chains immediately rolled. The felon looked at the dirty hand reaching out to his neck in a split second before to the latter's surprise, he jumped over her head with one finger touching the peak of her scalp. The event was so fast that it left the dust inside the prison to scatter.

"Huh?"

The woman couldn't believe she missed it. She slowly turned around before seeing the felon youth under the shower of light.

Under the shower of light, the felon chuckle before turning around. Her face was clearly visible before he said with both of his thumbs pointing his chin,

"My name is Lyon! Lyon Torga, what's yours?"

The woman's face was covered with auburn hair but the eyes between that curtain were glimmering as she saw his face. They blinked before Cecile was taken back to the present.

She slowly let her lips off of him. There was a shade of blood surrounding her glistering lips but she didn't bother to wipe it off as she looked at Lyon's face.

"No..."

Ayumu couldn't believe her eyes as she shook her head. There was no way that it happened right before her. However, the reality was such as that. She saw her idol, the epitome of what she would want to become had fallen under Lyon's charm.

"No... no... no..."

She was out of it while her fate was dangling by the old man's grip, even Madoku didn't realize that her best friend passed out as she saw the event in front.

Lumina and Luna furrowed their eyebrows as they saw the person that could make their world was blatantly kissed by another woman. The aura permeating from the two was scary enough to make the abyss looks light.

Yunesia pressed both of her cheeks as she saw how the onlookers were petrified to stone. The escalation of development was so fast even she couldn't react fast enough. The strongest woman had publicly kissed a man. The news would surely tsunami the entire multi-worlds without delay. There was nothing that could have stopped the madness that would ensue.

"Empress...." Sophia muttered. She still didn't know how did they got together but the fact that they were together was proven right before her very eyes.

"Empress Cecile... you...."

Even the old patriarch couldn't help but taken back by the sudden action that she took. He would have never thought a woman of her class would do something like that. There was no hint that proved the two were together, at least, that's what he thought.

"That's right!"

Cecile shouted as the mantra sent a quake to their souls. Her hair slowly fluttered as the aura she exuded was mountainous. She stood as if there was nothing in the world both heaven or hell that could stop her.

"The young man that you wanted to kill, the man that is now in my arms, is no one but my dearest husband!"

The words choked the onlookers indirectly as their eyes opened wide in disbelief. They thought that they misheard it but the firm tone was clear as day. The Empress, the untouchable Empress was actually married before the public knew about it. There was not even a time for scandal, she just promoted it herself. She was already a wife before the bachelors knew it.

"However, if you really thought that you can touch my man without your clan erased, then you are severely wrong."

Her eyes glared as killing intent spread out to the entire millions of student and their elders. The clouds immediately had a shade of dark as a giant dragon was swimming while the land trembled as a giant buffed ape was jumping from a tiny island to the next.

"Bahaha! Our grandchild truly knows how to pick his woman!"

"I see so this is the one that got 'his' blessing during the reincarnation process, interesting!"

Both Sun and Shen grinned in their true form before both of them stood beside Cecile. The woman furrowed her eyebrows as the head of a giant true dragon put the pressure in the atmosphere to astonishing height while the devil ape crossed his arms with his glaring golden eyes staring down the world.

The presence of the three instantly shattered their opponent's morale without repair!