Emperor's Reckoning

"So this is the place? This seems like a nice place for a date instead of something like this," commented Lyon casually.

"D-Date?!"

The onlookers were in disbelief as to how he casually said the sacred place was a better fit to be a dating place. He was standing in front of the mortal latest's geniuses and three of them came from great families that had the power to shift the world.

His unfazed and indifferent nature was a sight to behold. He stood against such massive force with not a shred of fear. It was as if he had stood above the rest of them even before he showed his prowess.

The nobles, swordsmen, and the icy female from the Yuki family had turned wary even before his arrival. Now that they were here the morale in the atmosphere immediately shifted. They didn't dare to gauge his cultivation level for they were afraid of offending him.

Cecile chuckled as she heard what her husband said before Assid and Kesya smiled.  The numbers in front of them meant nothing, not even Lumina was trembling.

She said she will go with him wherever he ventured and she kept her words. She didn't want a single slight of time where she could not see him nor sense him. She had gone through too much sorrow.

"What a surprise!" Porealus suddenly shouted as he opened his arms in welcome.

'Be careful, young master.'

Porealus paid no heed to the whispers of warning from his families. He glanced down to the young man that had conquered the Empress's heart. His grinning smile was looking as shrewd as a merchant. Nobody could tell what he was actually aiming for.

Graham furrowed his eyebrows before everyone suddenly found him standing right in front of the pillar where Porealus was seated on top.

The atmosphere turned cold in an instant as their hearts made a strong thump. Ivy, Zet, and Yunesia failed to follow his movement that was directly right in front of them.

(He is fast!) screamed Zet inwardly as his acute eyes failed to follow something that big.

The nobles couldn't react in time before a shout followed.

"YOU'RE TALKING TO MY MASTER! STEP!! DOWN!!"

Graham pulled his right hand as his fingers slowly folded into a fist.

"Graham."

Graham opened his eyes wide before he paused his punch. He quickly vanished from the spot before kneeling right in front of his master before an eye could even blink.

Porealus was heaving heavily as he couldn't close his eyes. The nobles were in despair for a moment there but the fear expanded and shrouded their mind.

(That strong man is... obeying him?) thought Ivy as she couldn't believe her eyes. She had heard rumors about the strength of the three. However, seeing it for the first time was still surreal.

Zet's pupils constricted (Again?! I can't see him again!). He was catching for breath as his swords and the rest of his families' tried to send warning signals.

The sight of their rattling swords was pathetic but they had no time to be concerned about their image. If that speed were directed to their young master, there was only a little thing that they could only spare their gasps.

Lyon squat down before he touched his shoulder after letting out a sigh, "Calm down, Graham. No need to act so hasty."

"Y-Yes, Master, I'm sorry."

"No need to say sorry either," said Lyon while he narrowed his eyes.

"Y-Yes, Master."

"Good, now stand up," said Lyon as he did it before Graham could.

The onlookers were holding their own chest as they thought their hearts's going to explode. They were not prepared for another war, no, a massacre. They knew that there will be a massacre if they started to move. The man called Graham had reduced those auction houses along with Ascending God cultivators with a swat of his hand according to the witness and just his presence alone proven their testament.

Ivy furrowed her eyebrows before she suddenly leaped from her pillar.

"Miss?!"

"Lady?!"

"Don't worry," said Ivy before she landed on the base of the plateau.

Lyon looked at the icy beauty before the latter opened her eyes. However, her pupils soon constricted as her muscles turned tense. Her soul was being pressed as if a mountain suddenly befell on top of it.

Looking at the five figures in front of her was akin to looking at the punishers at the world's end. Every single silhouette brought about a devastating aura that could render gods to ther knees and she was few steps away from them. (What monstrous path?! But, Yuki has no fear!) she swallowed her determination as one source of power before she step forward.

"What should I call you?" asked Ivy as she walked forward.

"Master Lyon."

"Emperor Lyon."

"Lord Lyon."

The three of them didn't hesitate to utter their answers out loud at the same time.

Lyon's eyebrows slightly twitched as he closed his eyes. Cecile chuckled whilst the jade-haired beauty meekly smiled.

He let out a sigh before walking forward with a smile but his shoulder was halted by a hand before his figure was pulled backward. Cecile stepped forward instead as she approached the incoming beauty.

Ivy furrowed her eyebrows but before she could say anything, Porealus and Zet leaped out of their seats and landed right on the plateau. The indomitable pressure quickly swept through their faces as the monstrosity of a paramount was present.

(This was the power of Lyon Torga! How frightening! Not even my old man could be this deadly!) thought Porealus.

(Crazy! This is crazy!) thought Zet as his sword was begging him to retreat.

"What is your purpose here, Cecile?" asked Ivy.

Cecile smirked, "I am going to join your little expedition."

Ivy and the rest of the two had their eyes opened wide. She was always invited by Yunesia but she always refused as if it won't matter to her. The discovery of the unknown might yield a powerful scripture of the ancient by the end of the road but she was indifferent.

"Yunesia had invited you a couple of times before and you reject all of them. Why now? What are you planning?" asked Ivy as she narrowed her eyes. (Are you going to kill us in that place and have the whole mortal world to yourself?) thought Ivy. She must address the issue now so that Cecile's stance was clear.

"Heh," Cecile smirked as she crossed her arms, "Don't get full of yourself Ivy, your worries are uncalled for, my mother and my father will also join this little picnic."

"What?" asked Ivy.

"What?!" exclaimed Porealus.

"P-Picnic?!" one of the onlookers exclaimed.

They could only smile wryly. The famous Yunesia went there and came out unscathed but how many experts had fallen there. Even the gallant Garuda was hardly in a good shape.

"Yunesia, you agree with her joining?"

Yunesia smiled before she leaped out of her seat. The graceful genius mage landed on her two boots before she nodded, "Of course, the more the better and the merrier."

Ivy furrowed her eyebrows, "Don't you find it suspicious that she suddenly want to join us?"

"I think there is a misunderstanding here, the way I see things, it is us who will be joining them," answered Yunesia.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" asked Ivy.

"After all, the most dangerous man in the mortal world is going there," commented Yunesia with a smile as her gaze landed toward someone.

Ivy slightly opened her eyes before she narrowed them. It was a rare case that a genius of her level praised someone. However, it was undeniably true. This young man suddenly shot through the list of people that should never be offended.

"She admits it!"

"The most dangerous man!"

Lyon smirked as he was drowned in praises that didn't faze him.

Ivy let out a sigh, "Fine then, but what about the treasures that we find. How should we split it?"

"Hah, there is no treasure there, it's just a graveyard at the end of the road. Nothing more.... but maybe, those scraps might be valuable to you," said Cecile before she turned around and waved goodbye.

"What? Empress... are you telling me that you've been to the end of the road?!" asked Porealus as he gulped.

"Even better," answered Cecile. However, she didn't continue and only let out a smile.

She went past Lyon before the latter smiled, "You just have to left them hanging, didn't you?"

"B-Big brother, can we have a spar?"

"Hmm?" Lyon raised his eyebrows before he turned around and looked at the red-haired young man. He was probably the same age as him or maybe a little bit younger, however, that shaking sword betrayed the convictions in his eyes.

"Graham, Assid, and Kesya stay out of this and pull your auras in," said Lyon before the shaking swords stopped.

Lyon took a step forward before crossing his arms with that iconic smirk of his, "Heh, fine then."