Emperor's Reckoning

The atmosphere was tensed with their arrival, but it was significantly magnified the moment the blonde middle-aged man stood right in front of the hosts with the group that followed behind him. He put his hands behind his back before deliberately contracting his chest upward to show a hint of superiority. His head was straight forward as his glance stand toe to toe against the man that was called Avalanche Fist, Emperor Jin Haga.

He only briefly glanced at Sophia, his niece that he got from the side of his wife before turning his glance back against the man that was the most revered in the room by the older generation with a smile on his face.

Few of the onlookers had a harsh gulp as they tried to lose their collars because of the choking atmosphere. They were not standing right beside them but the palpitations that they felt were surreal. Two titans were staring at each other with a smile, but the gravity between the two was so great that the tile below had a hint of a crack before a third party joined in.

"I think it's not so nice to be all tense am I right? Borton?"

The blonde middle-aged man raised his eyebrows before he turned a glance against the one called Luke. The latter was smiling against him with his eyes turning thin into a line.

"I see, Luke... I almost didn't see you there."

"Well now, that's quite rude... haha."

Luke let out a hearty laugh before he slightly raised his hand to slap Borton's shoulder. However, the experts, particularly the leaders were opening their eyes wide as they could see a hint of mana right in that palm of his. (He is going to start the battle!) thought the experts as they clenched their fists and looked at their surroundings. Anyone could be an ally and anyone could be an enemy. There was nothing that could reveal their identity before and only a split second was left for the neutrals to chose sides. Alrude or Nistan.

*Pak!

The room instantly turned silent as the onlookers could be seen having their mouths agape. Meanwhile, Kyoko picked up one of the slim glasses of wine that was half full. Her eyes were sharp, especially the red ones of hers. She didn't take a glance at the drinks she was having but instead, her gaze was locked against the man called Luke as she put the glass on her lips before she slowly drank it. She didn't mind the taste before she gulped it down.

(That man, just right before his slap hit the shoulder, dispersed the mana) thought Kyoko before she smiled and watched the events in front of them behind the table. Only a few could take the conclusions about what just happened and Kyoko was amongst them. (Looks like, these two are the real deal, not some stupid cocky ruler of higher born. Two snakes in a den that was not theirs, however, the den is currently hosting a sleeping monster and I'm the nine-tailed fox). She smiled before she poured another wine.

"Hahaha, it has been a long time since I last meet you, Borton you look older now," Luke jokingly said.

Borton smiled as he said, "You look the same as I last meet you, must be a sign of a breakthrough, surely you can forgive this brother for the late congratulatory."

"Oh not at all, not at all, just seeing you fine makes me relief."

Jin Haga smiled as he thought (These two reptiles! They are trying to bite each other without opening their fangs! Unlike their wives, however).

Feine and the woman that Priscila threw to the ground yesterday were glaring at each other without reserve. Their emotions were widely exposed as both of them crossed their arms to exude superiority and authority against the other. They were having their own battle without a word spoken.

(Looks like I won the lottery in this one, hehe) thought the emperor Jin before she took a glance at her beautiful wife. (Eh.. why are you glaring at me?!) thought Jin with a raised eyebrows of disbelief.

"Cousin, it seems like our arrivals caught you by surprise?" asked Russel Treas Nistan with a smirk on his face and a crossed arms.

Sophia furrowed her eyebrows before she lightly glanced at Luna's groups and then back at him but with a smile, "Of course, even aunt Priscila is surprised, but not at your arrival, but the group behind you that looks slightly menacing with their innocent smiles."

Priscila raised one of her eyebrows at the mention of her name before she puckered up a smile against the young woman that was smirking. (Sly, Sophia you clever girl) thought Priscila as she played along.

Russel furrowed his eyebrows with a hint of scorn before he smiled and bow against the true host of the banquet, "Aunty Pris, you are getting younger faster than I'm getting older."

"Oh my, Russel, if only your mother could have that attitude of yours," she let out a fake sigh before she looked at her squinting little sister.

"Titania, thank you for coming in such short notice, and you even brought out a large group of guests here that I don't recall any of their faces."

Suddenly one mand of the group made his presence known as he stepped out of the group with a handsome smile on his face. The clean expression of his bright smile and long black hair could captivate young lass with a blink of his eyes.

"Oh, let me introduce myself, my name is Cliff. Borton and I have been good friends for a long time, and just when we were out for good old drinking, the empress's invitation came up. Then one thing led to another and I was dragged here as you can see. I'm really sorry for the clothes that I and my friends wore as we came in haste," Cliff tried to reach out for her open hand and kneeled at the same time. He closed his eyes as he kissed the back of her hand under the onlookers' jolted hearts.

Luna let out a snort before she looked away smiling.

"Buha! Hahaha!" Ryona on the other hand didn't hold back as she rolled herself on the floor while holding her stomach.

All the noble aristocrats looked away while hiding their giggles as the sect leaders did the same.

"Hahaha!" Tusak's master laughed as he slightly bent his back backward and let his happiness roared to the ceiling.

Cliff twitched his eyebrows before he opened his eyes and looked at the hand in which he held. The skin complexion was slightly different than the woman that he was originally aiming against before he slightly averted his glance toward the owner of the hand. His face immediately turned bitter as his heart turned into stone the moment he saw who he was greeted with a kiss.

"Well, Borton, I must say that you must choose your friend carefully, or else, he might steal you away from Titania," said Jin as he looked at the bitter face that Cliff had. He laughed as his wife pinched her glabella and shook her head.

Borton grimaced as he slightly fidgeting his fingers to calm himself in this situation. He slightly glanced back and looked at the group that revered Cliff had their hands into a fig leaf position but no hint of anger or whatsoever appeared in their stances. The glance was only half a second and nobody cared enough of this subtle movement of his.

"Of course, I'm just joking! haha! Now then, looks like everyone is here! Let us continue where we left off shall we?" said Jin before he nodded against Sophia.

Such a powerful display of averting a topic was worth praise but nobody but a select few could notice this quality of his. He was using the court attention that he knew only last momentarily to the fullest.

"Sorry for the slight interruption everyone, but I hope Lady Yunesia to please proceed with the ceremony, the empty throne is waiting for her rightful owner," said Sophia as she took a smiling glance against the lady that won the hardest competition for her peers.

Her purple lips puckered up a smile as she took the steps of stairs leading to the empty throne above. All eyes were on her as she ascended those stairs. Each stair meant the loss of her competitors. Though some of them had bitter faces, what complain could they utter. They have lost fair and square according to the rule. It was, after all, the last-man-standing type of competition.

She stood before the throne as her back was against them. (Fine then, this title I will accept) thought Yunesia as she sat on the throne before thunderous applause immediately followed. (However, how could they know, what truly happened back then, these fools are too lazy to connect the dots. Fine, fine, fine.... Let me do you a favor and sit on your behalf, Young Emperor).