Emperor's Reckoning



Yuri's eyes remained locked on Lyon, a sense of caution emanating from his every movement. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Lyon than met the eye, and he needed to be on guard. The duel between Lyon and Esmeralda only intensified his vigilance, as he observed Lyon's fighting style and tactics with keen interest.

Mavis, ever the observant one, couldn't help but notice Yuri's seriousness. He chuckled to himself, knowing full well the reason behind it. He had been persistent in inviting Yuri to Second Heaven for a reason – to introduce him to the enigmatic Lyon and perhaps uncover the secrets that lay beneath the surface of his calm demeanor.

With a smirk, Mavis settled into his own seat, leaning forward in anticipation. He knew that whatever unfolded on the stage had the potential to be both exhilarating and enlightening.

"That's a weird combination, are you sure you can keep up?" teased Esmeralda.

Lyon smiled as he closed his eyes, and then his ears twitched. He opened his eyelids and found Esmeralda already one step off from severing his head.

"That's a great question," said Lyon as he parried her chakram slash with his black blade.

The first contact was made and the resounding sound of metal clashing filled the silence of the tensed crowd. As the two struggled for might, with a smirk on each, the crowd uproared. 

Lyon leaned his face forward despite the obvious danger. His confidence was foolish to some, but those who read a history about him know how dangerous he was.

He continued, "But I know the answer."

"Oh?" Esmeralda's amusement was evident in the glint of her eyes as she skillfully maneuvered her chakrams against Lyon's black blade. The two weapons clashed with a resounding metallic sound, each strike echoing their owner's confidence and skill.

The clash between Lyon and Esmeralda was a display of pure raw power, with no traces of mana or any other supernatural influence. It was a battle of physical and martial prowess, a true test of their strength and skills.

Esmeralda's chakrams whirled and sliced through the air with deadly precision, while Lyon's black blade moved with effortless grace, deflecting her attacks and countering with precise strikes of his own.

Their movements were fast and fluid, each strike executed with impeccable timing and accuracy. The force of their blows created shockwaves that rippled through the air, and the ground beneath them trembled with each collision of their weapons.

The crowd watched in awe and disbelief, unable to tear their eyes away from the intense spectacle unfolding before them. It was clear that both Lyon and Esmeralda were masters of their respective weapons, and their battle was like a dance of death, a symphony of blades clashing in perfect harmony.

"A-Amazing!" Nyi was on the edge of his seat as he saw Lyon perform toe-to-toe with one of the young masters of Sixth Heaven. He himself was beaten so shortly at the time, but Lyon was able to smile even under the horrendous raw technique that Esmeralda performed.

"I know he is good with the bow, but..." Isabella hardly could wrap the scene in front of her inside her mind. She could still vividly remember where his bow was taut and overwhelmed their best archer. Yet, with the blade, he was something else entirely. A display of master, a higher degree than even her favorite son had ever displayed.

"Hehe, he's playing," said Kesya as she leaned back with both hands behind her head. 

( Playing? ) thought the three students.

Then the two separated from each other at quite a distance. 

"That's a good warm-up, don't you think?" asked Esmeralda as she seemed not to be out of breath even after the exhilarating impact of blades.

Lyon raised his chin, "It seems so, but I have to mention, you smell really nice."

"Oh? Glad you like it," a smile played upon her lips, a mischievous glint danced in her eyes and she looked at him with keen interest.

"Sly..." Lyra mentioned, "She always does that."

"That's her strength," said Azleid, "Would you insult a fish because it swam faster than you?"

Lyra smiled before she took out her feather instrument, "Let's make it fair."

"Lyra, we should respect the battle by not intervening," said Ning without looking at her.

Lyra frowned. She was more certain that there was something going on between Ning and Lyon. ( Oh my, lovers? ) She suddenly blushed and hid away her cheeks. ( Aww) She shook her head over the cuteness if that truly was the case.

Kesya's nose twitched before her delighted face turned into a frown.

"Sit down!" Cecile and Selena shouted. The three students were shocked to their veins. They glanced over before seeing Graham, Kesya, and Assid were about to leap from their seats.

Old Gu who caught a glimpse of their group, gulped in anxiety. He knew the person who almost crushed his neck to smithereens obeyed the beautiful lady without retort.

Esmeralda paid no heed to them, she had her eyes fixated on Lyon. She threads forward calmly as if victory is already within her grasp. "How does it feel, how many I am in your eyes?"

Lyon narrowed his eyes, "Huh?"

"This brew is freshly made, premium ingredients were used and  I need a review," said Esmeralda.

"What are you... oh..." Lyon began to notice something strange happening. It was as if there were two Esmeraldas before him, mirroring each other's movements. His vision blurred for a moment, and he blinked in confusion. "You're twins?"

"Hehehe, don't be silly, I don't have siblings," said Esmeralda with a delighted face that her product clearly working.

He shook his head, attempting to clear his mind, but the double image of Esmeralda persisted. He resigned in washing the false vision away and smiled. "Fine then... I can handle two of you."

Esmeralda smiled as her steps were deliberate. She took a turn but the 'other' took the opposite turn. They all looked at him as they encircled him. Whenever they spoke, their lip moved at the same time to the core of her breathing pattern.

"Quite the predicament you've found yourself in, Lyon," she teased, her voice carrying a hint of mischief. "You must be feeling a bit outnumbered right about now."

"Which one is the real you?!" said Lyon as his hearing started to deafen a bit, he no longer saw the crowds in his vision.

"C'mon, why don't you take a guess?" asked Esmeralda as she let a joyful laughter that echoed.

"Alright then, Hajin," said Lyon as he looked at his javelin. "This time, you take the spotlight."

Esmeralda was a bit shocked as he saw Lyon lob the javelin and let the weapon roll, though. it rolled and pointed to one of Lyon's sides.

"Heh," Lyon slashed toward the Esmeralda at the pointed side. The slash went through her and the figure vanished like a phantom. He quickly jumped the opposite way and slashed the other one, "Got you!"

But the slash went through her as well. 

"Oh, c'mon!" Lyon rolled his eyes.

Esmeralda's laughter filled the air, a melodic symphony that resonated through the hearts of those watching. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she saw Lyon's realization, the faintest hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"This poison of yours is great for running away," said Lyon, "but if you attack me, you will reveal your location."

Esmeralda's clapping was light and playful, a touch of admiration mixed with surprise evident on her face. "Impressive," she said with a chuckle. "You caught on faster than I expected. I must say, you are quite perceptive, Lyon."

"Is that a lie?' asked Lyon.

Esmeralda chuckled.

Lyon returned back to Hajinseh who was lying on the floor. 

"Oh, are you sure you're going to do that? That technique is based on luck, and quite frankly, you wouldn't leaned your face forward at the time if you had that much luck," said Esmeralda with a disappointed tone.

"Well, if I can't pull you in, maybe I can push you out," said Lyon before he stabbed the stage and let the black sword etched.

"The fact that you're still here is probably necessary, you need the poison to keep smearing at me through the air to keep activating it, then... let me show you the new trick I learned since I gained Origin God Realm."

Esmeralda laughed at how insignificant it was, and it was the only laughter he could hear inside this hallucination.

As Lyon balled his fists, a radiant aura surrounded him, each representing the mystical beast that had blessed him. The essence of each beast coiled within him, their colors intertwining like a mesmerizing dance at the center of his meridians. The air seemed to hum with power as the mana condensed, a testament to Lyon's connection with these legendary creatures.

"Impossible!!"  The voice inside Yuri exclaimed in distress.

"Ha!" Lyon's war cry exploded as his mana burst out in omni-direction. The shockwave instantaneously cracked the stage like glass, before his vision returned.  "Huh?"

Cecile and Selena were standing behind Esmeralda with their hands on her shoulder, preventing her from crashing the wall