Emperor's Reckoning

Jin approached his wife as the latter noticed his burnt arm was healing at astonishing speed with a raise of her eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" asked Jin as he touched her elbow.

"Huh? Oh, nothing,"

"Are you sure? You seem to be out of it."

"I'm sure... don't worry... we will talk about it later."

Jin nodded with an 'en' before he suddenly cherished her face with the back of his hand. Priscila's looks immediately changed to a surprise before she squinted her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing, it's just that, this burnt arm felt a little bit colder when I touch your face."

Jin suddenly heard her wife's veins popped before he noticed the bulging menacing veins on her forehead.

Cecile turned her glance toward her father that let out those words before she shook her head with a smile. Even Lyon was gasping against his father-in-law (This guy is suicidal!).

"Before you mad, it's a compli—"

*Boom!!

They could only hear the resounding explosion before the latter pierced the sky with blood running out of his nose.

"Lyon! Your head is mi—?! WH- WhAT?!" an incoming bounty hunter just about to spread his galore before he saw something coming straight at him as if he knew that he would be there.

"Die!" muttered Jin as he saw the opportunity. With a grin on his face, the bounty hunter stood no chance.

"Not so fast!" gritted the bounty hunter as he summoned a long pike and placed it diagonally to block the incoming attack.

"Avalanche Fist!" shouted Jin as he headbutted the weapon before it immediately snapped into two when they came into contact.

"You've gone soft, Jin!" smiled the old man as he suddenly appeared behind the bounty hunter.

"W-What?!" exclaimed the bounty hunter as his smile vanished before something grabbed his chin from behind before twisting his head to one hundred and eighty degrees straight.

Staring at the old man in disbelief the bounty hunter died with his eyes opened. (I cannot believe it, he is hunted by the most influential family... yet, somebody is daring to act as his backing... Those rookies... don't know what they're about to face... This bounty cannot be accomplished by one person!) thought the bounty hunter with his last remaining thought before he stopped feeling the breeze of the wind as he fell toward the sea.

After leaving a huge splash, Jin shook his head as he lamented the fate of the bounty hunter.

"Imagine training your whole life, only to die like that. Not to mention, the last thing he sees is your old face."

"Hmph! It's better to die by my hand than die ridiculously by your head that you call fist."

"At least he died knowing I'm using an art, though it's a fake one."

"You're screaming fist but using a head, Jin, I can't believe my beautiful daughter fall for you."

"I can't believe she came out of your ballsack."

"Your tongue is still rough as ever I see."

Looking at the two of them having their foreheads against one another made Lyon twitched his lips. (What's wrong with these two, why am I the sane one here?).

"Lyon."

"Hm?" Lyon turned around before looking at the tall auburn beauty. Her figure was mesmerizing as ever and he couldn't help but get taken away from reality for a second. The optimum beauty was smiling at him despite her was famous for her coldness and indifference.

"What is it?"

"I love you."

Lyon opened his eyes wide but he couldn't smile as his lips were locked against her. The assertive woman came so sudden that she triggered his bashfulness. As if the roles were reversed, his mind went blank for a second.

Cecile gradually let go of her moist lips before she chuckled against the man that was shorter than her. His mouth was slightly gaping as one could see the breath coming out of his mouth despite the warm temperature. His eyes were frozen open as his heartbeat risen, his bathrobe slightly slide down to the right and revealed his right shoulder blade.

"I did not expect that... and I'm the one that usually expecting that the most... so... again?" asked Lyon shamelessly as he grinned.

"Alright, hold your horses young man, you're not doing that in front of me the second time," said Priscila as she immediately stand in between them and slightly knock their foreheads at the same time with a light tap of her index finger.

Lyon rubbed his head as he felt a burning feeling from that slight tap. He couldn't believe this lady could exert such power with a little swing of her finger.

Meanwhile, Priscila was looking at him,

(According to the War Maiden story, she was married to a man that she met in a prison. The man would, later on, change the course of fate that she was living. He was basically the one that molded her into becoming the Battle Maiden before attaining the War Maiden title. However, the background of the said man was never mentioned nor his name was ever shared. Despite being having a crucial part of the story, the name was never once mentioned. How can that be?) thought Priscila as she furrowed her eyebrows.

(If... if Cecile is the reincarnation of the War Maiden... is it possible that... the man who changed the course of her fate reincarnated too... then... if that happens... THEN... this young man is... Lyon Torga.. is... War Maiden's husband?! This unruly ma—) she immediately got cold shiver as she mentioned the word inside her mind. Looking at how he behaved and socialize, acting like a fool and whatnot, all seemed to match. In the version of the story that she heard, the man would, later on, married another two. The fact that she already knew his name ever since she was a baby, the fact that she knew how to fight at a really tender age.

"Mother, are you really going to that place?" asked Cecile with a smile.

Priscila let out a sigh before she turned around, "Do I have a choice? I must affirm this by my own eyes and believe it, you guys are coming along! I will not take a no."

"Huh? What? Where are we going?" asked Lyon.

Cecile chuckled, "You know, you and mother have this one thing in common."

"What?" said both of them at the same time.

"Yunesia, I have some good news for you," said Cecile disregarding the two's expressions.

"Huh?" at the mention of her name Yunesia was definitely intrigued. The call didn't come from a nobody but the cold empress herself.

"What is it, dear empress?" said Yunesia as she puckered up her purple smile. Not too long ago, her life was by the mercy of the hand of the latter because of her peaking curiosity. She might be well versed in magic just like the fame that adorned her but she won't get a chance to even opened her mouth before her head was separated from her body if the empress willed it so. Though perhaps it was her will to relinquish the title of empress, everyone would still call her thus.

"Looks like I'm going to that place and took a stroll a bit."

Yunesia eyes slowly got wider and wider as she heard her words.

"You mean, you are partaking the next expedition?" said Yunesia after a harsh swallow.

Cecile smirked.

Yunesia's pupils immediately shrunken after seeing that smirk. Her gaping mouth turned into a grin in a matter of seconds. She had been waiting for this moment, she could have never believed it even if she could turn back time and told herself that the empress would someday join the expedition to that place. With her power, with her prowess, things would surely turn out differently than the last one where only she and Garuda was alive. It was grim news and they lost a lot of talented cultivators in that place, even the mighty Garuda that was beloved by many fell into a vegetative coma with no sign of healing up.

"Where are we going?" asked Lyon who still had no idea why Yunesia's face seemed to glow up for some reason.

"A special place, who knows, you might spark some memories of old there," said Cecile before she crossed her arms with a smile.

"You know I have some wild imaginations if you teased the words for me like that, just say the place."

"Hehe, not that easy," said Cecile with a chuckle, before she continued, "However, first, we need to crash into Garuda's place, all of us."

"Hmm? What for?" asked Priscila.

"To wake him up, he has been neglecting his daughter for a long time, isn't that right? Ayumu," answered Cecile as she took a lightly glance at Ayumu who was still stupefied by what's happening.

(Wait, her father is a bird? What... oh... well... I had sex with a dragon and a tiger so... god that sounds really weird) thought Lyon as he shook his head then suddenly took a glance at Lumina and Luna to which both the latter raised their eyebrows.