Emperor's Reckoning

"The Fang? You're here to visit her?" the Sword Prince asked.

"Of course," said Lyon with a smile. "But really now, why is everyone so shocked?"

"I can't say that this is something new, however," the Sword Prince pulled out his sword and pointed at him. "If you want to get near her you need to get past me."

"Oooohh!!" the crowd was riled up with the open challenge from Sword Prince. The latter was smirking with his chin raised higher than usual. The obnoxious face was irritating but the adventurers in the vicinity seems to side with him rather than the stranger.

Sakya furrowed his brows before Farash stopped her with her hand. The former furrowed her brows as she looked at the Water Guild guild leader.

"Let's not be too hasty now," said Farash with a smile. "If someone wants to test his might, why should we stop them? After all, we are all curious if his arrogance matched his power."

"You call that arrogance? You have no idea who you're talking about," said Sakya.

"Oh? Now I'm more interested in him!" Farash had her eyes piqued.

Lyon sighed, "Really? Who are you supposed to be again?"

"I'm Sword Prince! I will not let you put a shame on Zelena's name," said the Sword Prince with his hand on his chest.

"Oh, you like her?" Lyon raised one of his brows.

"My affection shall be unturned! Yes! I like her!" said Sword Prince with a proud grin. ( Did you hear that, Zelena? How gallant your future man is? ) he chuckled inwardly before looking down on Lyon. "C'mon then, draw out your sword, this is a duel, first ass on the ground loses."

Lyon sighed as he looked at the chandelier above before darting his gaze against the reflection of the floor. He shook his head before clicking his tongue, "What the hell, I'm here to chat, eat, and drink, and might get lucky, but I never expected a duel."

"What are you murmuring about?!" said the Sword Prince.

"Nothing that you would concern," replied Lyon as he waved his hand. He turned to the guild leaders, "Are you guys blind? Are you allowing this, in this festive?"

"Well, would be a dull gala without some entertainment now would it?" Farash smiled and winked.

"Oh, you better be careful with that invitation lady," Lyon laughed before his face shifted flat toward Baiyun, "So, can I guess that you're into this duel."

Baiyun frowned. It was a deliberate obnoxious tone being shoved to his face.

"Gah! If you want to fight then fight already!" shouted White Crow.

"Sheesh, calm down would you, won't hurt to be patient a bit," Lyon smirked.

"Perhaps you're killing your time because deep down you know you will lose against the Sword Prince?" Morris gave out an unpleasant smile as he raised one of his brows.

"Woah, that's some really heavy bags under your eyes, did you peek into the women's bath all night?" Lyon laughed out loud.

"Kh! Don't put me into the same mud as you!" shouted Moris as he gritted his teeth.

"Woah easy there," Lyon chuckled. "It's a nice mud though, you're missing out, gahahaha!"

"You wrench!" Moris burst his presence but Lyon merely turned around and faced the Sword Prince.

"Listen, Sword Prince," said Lyon. "I don't want to fight you, because you are clearly trying to show off here."

Everyone inwardly thought the same but they never thought that Lyon would say it out loud for them to hear.

"Kh?! What are you talking about?!"

"Go and feign innocent," Lyon smirked. "If you proceed with this, you will face unimaginable shame, you might not even pick up a sword once more."

Zelena raised her brows as she heard Lyon's threat. A man that had devoted his entire life to the way of the sword had a nightmare. ( Selena, you're man really is arrogant as you say, but is this also his diversion tactic ).

"Heh, ha, HAHAHAHA!" The Sword Prince laughed till he bend his back outward. "You talk too high for someone that has not yet broken through the True God Realm!!"

"True God?" Sakya muttered. ( No it can't be! If he really is a True God, then oh my god!! His potential is immense! ). She gulped.

"?!" Zelena's eyes opened wide. ( What... he is at the peak of True God already?! That's impossible! The day I met him he was a mere....?!).

"Zelena, you alright?" a silvery voice was heard.

"I'm fine, Nise," said Zelena as she kept a composed look and belied her agitation.

Nise furrowed her brows as she frowned inwardly before she spoke softly, "Hey, is he really your brother-in-law?"

Zelena's eyes were unperturbed by her voice which could send shivers against any male's nape. She was focused on every little detail of movement that Lyon made. The latter might look like a fool and worse, act like one; however, it won't fool her instinct.

( He is deliberating to act like a fool ) thought Zelena as he saw Lyon's innocent chuckle. ( He is diverting with every movement that he showed, that sword fool is swallowing his act whole! ) She furrowed her brows.

"Hmm, I think she is on to something," Cecile smiled as she carefully examined Zelena's smallest gesture all the while benign that Luna was having the same thought of stroke as Lyon's sister-in-law, albeit she was on Lyon's side rather than neutral.

"Enough chit-chat," said the Sword Prince with a smile, "I already draw my sword, draw yours or get out of her face."

"Woah Zelena, you have quite the fan here, hahaha!" Lyon laughed.

"You! How dare you address her that casually!"

"It's her name, you stupid idiot."

"Kh!"

"Heh," Lyon smirked before he crossed his arms, "Are you sure about this, this is the second warning."

"In my eyes, you are clearly afraid here," Baiyun remarked audibly before he smirked.

"In my eyes, I don't see you," jested Lyon as he leered over his shoulder before catching Baiyun's foul scowl of a face.

"Enough!!" The Sword Prince shouted and emptied his lung before Lyon sighed as he rubbed his ear canal with a finger.

"If you don't draw your sword, don't blame me if you have your pride on the ground," said the Sword Prince before he took his stance.

"Cecile, I think I'm gonna need a weapon, can you hand me over one," said Lyon as he raised his hand open before an item was thrown from Cecile's side.

Lyon grabbed it before his eyes turned flat as his mind went blank for a little, "Are you serious?"

Everyone was curious about what Cecile gave him since they saw no blade, however, they saw a silvery glint from Lyon's hand.

"That's all I can find at the moment, can't have you destroying a beautiful gala," said Cecile as she smirked before she sat down on an empty sit and crossed her leg on top of one another.

"That's a!!" Sakya exclaimed before Farash finished it, "Fork??????"

"A fork?!" The whole gala exclaimed.

"Are you stupid or something?" asked the Sword Prince who got an item that was an actual weapon and not a culinary piece in his hand.

"Lyon, you are disrespecting your enemy," said Baiyun with a snort. "If you want to be a comedian, you should have said so, I would invite you myself, hahaha."

"Nah, this is enough," said Lyon as he played with the fork, "If my wife gave me this, then it suffices."

( So that auburn woman is his wife... ) thought Sakya before she was caught by Cecile's gaze and her smile. The latter put her index finger over her lips before she grabbed an empty glass by the mouth with her five fingers like a crank. She showed it to her just as Lyon stood straight with one hand on his back. Gently she let go of her five fingers.

The glass fell and reflected everyone's expression before breaking the silence with a loud crack.

An immense aura burst through the Sword Prince's meridians as he leaped forward with his sword thrusting forward against Lyon's chest.

"Hm?!" his eyes widened the moment Lyon made his move. In a fraction of a second, his goosebumps were pulled out by the presence of three glares from three pairs of eyes. Three giant beasts suddenly looked down upon him before the fourth pair of eyes moved with a grin.

( The space bend?! ) Farash had her pupils trembling before a loud shock fluttered her hair.

Blood splurt out without a wail as everyone recovered from what just happened before a thud and a roll of something hard was heard.

"Gh! Guha!" the Sword Prince was lying on the floor face up with blood running from his lips. His body had a gruesome wound of slashes but everyone's attention soon shifted toward something that had stopped rolling. The podium was missing its chalice, the head of the Bahamut.

All guild leaders present had their breaths robbed away the moment they saw deep cuts on the severed head.

Sakya gulped before she saw Lyon was already standing right in front of Zelena at an arm's distance with his eyes looking her down.

"Hey there, sister-in-law," Lyon smirked as he put his hands on his waist.

The whole gala froze in place.