Emperor's Reckoning



The announcer's voice wavered as he struggled to regain his composure, finally erupting in a loud proclamation of Kesya as the winner of the match.

"An incredible performance by Kesya!" he exclaimed, awe and excitement in his tone.

Linnea, Alaric, and Sylas were left stunned, their mouths slightly agape as they exchanged amazed glances. Linnea managed to mutter, "That's... unreal."

Kesya got out of the arena before she saw Karina smiling at her. Kesya nodded before raising her hand and showed her palm. "It's your turn, one hand is enough right? I can see you have harnessed the power that you got back in the Mortal World to its full potential."

"It's more than enough," said Karina as she clapped Kesya's hand with her remaining one. She walked up the arena and a shift of emotion emerged on a man's face.

As Karina stepped into the ring, Linnea's sharp eyes didn't miss the subtle change in Lyon's expression. His furrowed brows betrayed a hint of concern, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by his signature confidence. Lyon playfully winked at Linnea, as if to assure her, before turning his full attention back to Karina.

The announcer's voice boomed through the arena, "Ladies and gentlemen, presenting Karina, a... well, a half-human contestant, I suppose." His tone was noticeably less enthusiastic as he introduced Karina.

He continued with far more excitement, "And now, her esteemed opponent, the illustrious Elarion Moonshadow, an extraordinary elven archer, known far and wide for his remarkable skills!" The announcer clearly favored Elarion, and the crowd's cheers reflected his sentiments as they eagerly awaited the upcoming duel.

Elarion Moonshadow. His name carried a reputation in Felidora as a skilled and formidable warrior, especially in archery and agility. His silver hair and piercing blue eyes seemed to reflect the moonlight itself, adding an aura of mystique to his presence. Elarion was known for his precision and swiftness, and his skills were often the topic of admiration among the elves of Felidora.

"Heh," Lyon smirked. "Are all of your kin hate the humans so much?"

Lyon's question lingered in the air between the two captains. Alaric furrowed his brows as he was stuck on what to answer but Linnea was firm. 

"The humans are famous for their thievery, banditry, cunning, and heartless, it is no wonder that you're kin are not welcome in Felidora," said Linnea.

"I see," said Lyon.

Linnea raised her brows as she looked at Lyon, "I'm surprised, I thought you would be... annoyed to the very least."

"Hahaha," Lyon chuckled, "There is no need to worry, I'm an emperor, so I know a thing or two about society and stereotyping."

Linnea snorted, "It seems like you have emulsified yourself with the character."

"I am confident in my acting, but I'm not playing," said Lyon. "I am the emperor."

"Shh, I'm trying to watch," said Linnea.

Lyon darted his glance back to Karina.

In the heart of the grand arena, where the cheers of the crowd seemed to echo endlessly, Elarion, a haughty elf with an air of superiority, stood tall, a malicious smirk dancing on his lips. He looked down at Karina, his opponent for this round, and the corners of his mouth curled with a cruel satisfaction. The glow of his elven heritage framed his features, and his sharp, disdainful eyes bore into her with a mixture of mockery and contempt.

Elarion smirked, taunting her, "I can't believe how lucky I am, to fight my own kin, well, half of it, and half trash... furthermore, a cripple one."

Karina frowned as she held her crippled arm. Her eyes evolved into a fiery one. A gaze of determination that once challenged the descendant of the great orc Rakumtatak. She let her arm go and her fingers buried into her palm. The resilience of a human emerged through her burning heart.

"Tch, how unsightly, did you forget your heritage? Bow and magic," said Elarion as he summoned a bow.

Alaric made a subtle cough to gain Lyon's attention. He spoke with the intent of secrecy, "Lyon, the king wants you to lose in the final for a sum, but not by out of bounds."

"You want the emperor to purposely lose a fight?" asked Lyon.

"That's right." Sylas who stood behind him perched his hands on Lyon's shoulders, gripping it with an obvious intent.

"Captain Linnea, you're silent," said Lyon as he glanced over.

"Do what you want," said Linnea.

"This is a great opportunity for your kin, Lyon," said Alaric, his eyes showed a hidden intention and it was obvious that he was hinting at the grove.

"I'm sure many more humans will join because of you," said Sylas. "The future of humans, rests in your hands, if you lose, you will earn the respect of Felidoran, but if you win, they will despise you."

"How very politic of you, but I'm trying to enjoy the match, after all, that lady over there is my teacher. I forbid myself to miss a single scene of this match."

His words immediately pushed all of the captains' attention toward Karina. The revelation that Karina was Lyon's teacher sent a shockwave through the three captains.

Linnea, with her strict demeanor, was the first to break the silence. Her voice was laced with curiosity as she turned to Lyon, "You were trained by her?"

Lyon nodded with a nonchalant smile. "Yep, she's the best there is."

Alaric, always the one to seek deeper understanding, chimed in, "But she's a half-elf. How did she come to be your teacher?"

Lyon's smile widened, and he glanced at Karina with admiration. "Let's just say we had some unusual circumstances that brought us together."

The announcer's voice boomed across the arena, signaling the start of the match. As soon as the word "BEGIN!" echoed, Elarion sprang into action. With swift and practiced movements, he notched an arrow onto his bowstring, and it shimmered with dark, ominous energy – a manifestation of anti-mana. His cold, calculating eyes locked onto Karina, who was approaching him with determination in her stride.

Elarion's smirk grew wider as he charged the arrow with even more energy, causing it to crackle and hum with malevolent power. With a taunting tone, he called out to Karina, "EAT THIS!"

In an instant, he released the arrow, and it streaked through the air toward Karina with incredible speed. The crowd held their breath, fully expecting a devastating impact as the deadly arrow hurtled towards its target.

Karina breathed through her nose, she could see the arrow coming at her with great speed, however, the accumulation of years of martial arts made her slightly move her body to the side, critically missing the arrow with just a single piece of her hair.

"What!?" Elarion exclaimed with his eyes widened. He quickly taut his muscles and released a series of wider arrows, but Karina moved horizontally instead. 

"HAH!!!" Elarion erratically screamed as his veins popped, releasing arrow after arrow. ( W-What's going on?! She is not that fast, but she dodged it all! ).

Elarion's fury burned like wildfire as he unleashed a barrage of arrows, one after another, each imbued with the deadly power of anti-mana. He loosed them with lightning speed, but no matter how fast he shot, Karina displayed an uncanny agility, gracefully evading every arrow.

His frustration grew into an enraged scream as his attacks continued to miss their mark. Through gritted teeth, he bellowed, "How are you dodging them? This isn't possible! Standstill... DEMON!"

The last word echoed clearly in her ears and her lips pointed upward, her teeth grinning. She entered a new gear and with one leap, she was under Elarion's nose.

"Ah?!" Elarion quickly drew a knife but his arm was parried by Karina's stump. Karina's palm was trailing with a wisp of anti-mana, struck with a powerful force, sending a devastating shockwave surging through his meridians. The impact was thunderous, but to the astonishment of the crowd, Elarion did not fly backward. Instead, his body remained suspended in the air for a brief moment, as if held by some invisible force.

Then, with a mournful silence, his head drooped, and Karina withdrew her hand from his chest. Elarion's body crumpled to the ground, marking the end of the battle. The arena was engulfed in a profound stillness, broken only by the gasps of disbelief from the onlookers. Karina stood there, her chest heaving, having emerged victorious in a fight.

"T-The winner!! Ka-RINA!" the announcer erupted as the crowd cheered.

Karina turned over and saw that Kesya already stood on the opposite end of the ring with her arms crossed, much like her master's style.

The staff quickly rushed over and retrieved Elarion's body to be treated away from the arena.

"Looks like the contestants are eager to continue the fight!" said the announcer as he glanced over at the king before catching the nod. "Then, by all means, let's BEGIN!!"

"Don't hold back!" Karina said before she saw Kesya jumping out of the arena.

...

The crowd was stunned in silence as Kesya shrugged, "Oh no, oh well." A mischievous smile formed on her face.

An evident frown emerged on the king's face. His eyes squint looking at the mischievous Kesya.

The three captains were stunned by Kesya's obvious defeat before they heard a familiar chuckle.

"I told you before, I am an emperor. Your king doesn't know that this tournament is dancing to my will, the emperor's will." Lyon stood up and then stride toward the arena where Kesya stood once before.

Cecile shook her head with a smile, "Lyon you sly, now with this, Felidora will have a human as its champion, half or not doesn't matter."

"Darling is really cunning, though, sometimes for the wrong reasons," Selena sighed.

Karina's eyes dilated as she saw Lyon at the opposite end of the arena. "Lyon..."

Lyon crossed his arms under his chest as he faced Karina. A recognizable smirk emerged on his face, signifying the inevitable battle that had to begin.