Emperor's Reckoning

"Hahaha," the man slapped his thigh before standing up. He had a smirk on his face looking at the flabbergasted group. "You did a very naughty thing yesterday night, one of my dear friends dies, and all he did was try to keep peace in this good ole singing forest. Oh, you just have to kill him, did you know that he has a thing for playing the flute? Heh, who am I kidding, of course, you don't, you people kill mercilessly without a second thought? We barely scraping by, and we don't even have that much expense to buy a gravestone for the... er..." he snapped his fingers a few times.

One of the people in his group noticed his cue before saying, "Loran."

"Loran!" said the man with his eyes souring down. "What tragedy, the lad was living a simple life, yet you took them away from us." Then his eyes brightened as he said with holy radiant, "Nevertheless, we are a forgiving folk, we will turn our head away if you pay us... a significant sum. Let's start with what you have inside the caravan first now shall we?" he snapped his fingers once more before two of his group nodded with evil chuckles.

"That's the soup... for... darling..."

Lyon raised his brows as he took a meaningful glance at his wife. His pupils shrunk and trembled as he noticed that his wife's eyes were horridly vacant. He gulped before he leaped back and grabbed two collars of the three students and threw them away.

Reinhard and Rayus soon found themselves rolling on the ground a few steps away. The former got up before catching Noah's back with his face.

"Guha!" Reinhard and Noah rolled on the ground a few steps further.

Rayus opened his mouth, "Tea—?!" his words stuck in his throat as he saw that the man that inspired his worldview was also running toward them. ( E-Eh?! )

"The plan is fucked! Get out of here!" said Lyon before he abruptly stopped and saw that the horse was still laying on the patch of grass. His instinct kicked in and with gritted teeth, he turned to reach out for the horse. "I got the horse, go! Hide behind the trees!! Stay as further as you can!"

"B-But!" Reinhard rebutted.

"Just go! I will follow behind you!" he picked up the horse to his shoulders to the horse's disbelief eyes and started to make a run for it.

"!!" Rayus snapped out. He turned to Reinhard before tapping his shoulder, "Let's go!"

"But—"

"Let's, go!" said Rayus before he pushed Noah as well.

Reinhard looked at Selena standing alone with furrowed brows, but with an apparent heavy heart, he turned and followed right beside Rayus.

"What the fuck, Rayus! We shouldn't run!" said Reinhard. "We can pull something off! I'm sure we can!"

"Run faster boys!"

The three students raised their brows before someone with a horse on his shoulders bypassed them all with huge steps.

"How did he run so fast?!" asked Noah before he shook his head, "Why did he run faster!?"

"Teacher! You left your wife!" shouted Reinhard with gritted teeth but the man who guided his class was already an out of sight between the trees. "Tch!" he pulled his brakes with both feet, dragging some of the soil up.

"Oi, Reinhard! What are you doing?!" asked Rayus as he stopped too, which made Noah also do the same thing.

Reinhard clenched his fists, "We can't leave her there alone! The things they will do?! How can you not think of that?! It's like what, twenty against one! Even her, even her wouldn't be able to beat that many!"

Reinhard turned his back, "I'm going back there."

"Stop it, Reinhard," said Rayus. "He must have a reason to leave his wife there."

"Even so still, I can't fathom the fact that he leaves a woman behind!" Reinhard furrowed his brows.

"Now is not the time to chivalrous!" said Rayus as he pulled Reinhard's shoulder. "You know you will only hinder her, you think you're more powerful than her? Stop dreaming for a second and have a taste of reality, we're weak!"

"Then what, Rayus?! We should leave her there and then!?" Reinhard said before his head was slightly pushed down by another hand.

"Teacher..." Noah exclaimed with widened eyes.

"Well, well, you really are a knight with shining armor," said Lyon before he laughed. "But unfortunately for you, that's my wife and fortunately for me, that's my wife."

"Teacher..." Reinhard looked up. "You're having a second thought?"

"Where's the horse..?" Rayus raised his brows.

"Second thought? About what?" Lyon turned and looked at the distant plain where he left his wife alone with a group of bandits.

"You're not going to save her? A-Are you going to watch?" asked Reinhard.

"Save her?" Lyon smirked and crossed his arms, "She doesn't need saving."

"Huh..."

"Told you," Rayus rolled his eyes.

"You think women are weak, Reinhard? Your chivalry heart always denoted them so, but lo and behold, what you're going to weakness is someone that deserved my ring on her fingers."

Meanwhile, in the plain area where Selena's emotion was hidden under the shadow of her hair.

"Huh? Hahahahaha!" the leader of the group laughed with his back arched backward. "I can't believe it, they left the beauties for us to savor? That's it?! Loran you dog! Your sacrifice shall not be in vain."

The group laughed with him.

"He.. spat my soup... soup... for darling..." she muttered under her breath. She raised her head, "How dare you..." the cold voice fringed up all their goosebumps.

Lyon's eyes twitched, "Brace yourselves, boys! Remember to breathe."

"Huh?" the three students were caught off guard by his words before a wave of surging killing intent deafened the entire forest. Their pupils shrunk and trembled as their eyes widened. Knees bent and dropped on the ground as the feeling of helplessness blanketed their thoughts. The sheer cold of their souls being shackled by the chain made out of ice made them wonder about the man that was still standing with his back straight, and his lips smirking. Against the wave that rendered them helpless, he showed his class and they now knew the word overqualified.

The entire group of bandits heard the rattling of their weapons. Those with sentient, all shivered.

( What the fuck is this woman?! ) thought the leader of the bandits as he gulped. He force himself to pull out his saber and made a try of a strong front.

"Feast the blood of your enemies..."

"Heh," Lyon was amused from afar. ( Well, try your best Scarlet ).

A black ominous sword that was seemingly crafted by a cursed metal appeared in her hand. The existence of the blade enhanced the already all-encompassing killing intent to a new height and challenged all of the sentient weapons present. The rebellion of heaven—  one-quarter of the soul of the Eternal Golem was consumed within as it cried for its destruction.

The bandits couldn't even think of running away, despite the odds of one woman against more than twenty men. The leader who was having a way with his words, couldn't utilize them as all of them were stuck in his throat. He couldn't persuade nor begged to the woman in front of him.

Reinhard's eyes captured what was happening. She stepped once, and four heads flew— detached from their respective bodies. Blood churned from their necks but before the heads even made a thud, five more headless corpses were made.  The bandits couldn't even scream as they were butchered so easily.

The leader of the bandits couldn't even see what was happening to his fellows. His neck was stiffened cold. He could only see an occasional splurt of blood passing his eyes before a warm one splashed against his cheek. He was startled, and even his weapon was begging to flee.

"An Origin God cultivator," said Lyon, "In case you're all wondering," he made a playful leer against his students.

Then all of the bandits died except for the leader who witnessed, felt, and heard their death.

Selena brandished her sword as blood jumped out of the dark blade. Her sharp eyes looked at the leader of the bandit from behind before she slowly walked around the leader.

The leader's lips were trembling as he came face to face with the butcher. His lips tremblingly puckered up. "B-Bu-Bur..."

"Void Art..."

"Ngh?!"

Selena raised her word, "Cleave."

The leader's eyes widened opened as his ears heard the rhythm of the hymn from the sword before his eardrums exploded. The sword swung down as if it was cleaving a mountain. His body was ripped apart, along with the line of trees behind him. A deep and long crevice was made as the entire forest shook in horror.

After a snort, the killing intent dissipated.

The three students quickly searched for more oxygen the moment they regained normal mobility.

Lyon made a wry smile looking at the state of the forest.