Emperor's Reckoning

Fear. The word made their heart skip a beat because the one that said that word was none other than a master that honed the way of the sword more than half of his life. The shaking sword was not uncommon since every newbie will experience it, however, the man was a master in his craft.

His skills in the way of the sword were honed to the point that he decided to detach himself from worldly affairs.

"Hahaha!" Tael laughed his heart off. Seeing the disbelieving faces of the two he couldn't help it.

Carius furrowed his eyebrows, "Why are you so happy about it?! The fact that those two could make your sword trembling in fear does not concern you?!"

The matriarch of the Yuki clan nodded. A figure that mighty was unheard of, let alone two. Even when he was sitting here between the two his sword didn't react one bit.

"Why wouldn't I be happy? It means that there is still a huge mountain on my path that I needed to climb! Bahahaha!"

Tael's laugh was almost heard by the elders surrounding the empty island as some of them turned around with wary on their faces.

"Hahaha...." Tael's laugh gradually died down before he let out a sigh. "However, those two were not the only dangerous ones."

"Are you suggesting that there are others?" asked the matriarch.

Tael slowly crossed his arms before he nodded. "Don't forget the fact that the city didn't suffer at all. Someone or maybe a group of cultivators protected it."

"Ah," the matriarch contemplated. (He is right, the ones evoking the natural disasters are not the only ones that we should be wary about but the ones protecting the city from harm... but...) her eyebrows twitched as she couldn't believe that intercourse could ignite multiple disasters at the same time. The place was worse than warfare.

"First and foremost, that brat Garuda won't be the one doing it," said Carius as he shook his head to further cement his opinion.

"Lyon was in the city or maybe currently is," said the matriarch.

"Lyon... hmm... there is something about that young man that felt off."

Though the matriarch didn't notice it, Tael sure did. He raised his eyebrows at the polite words Carius said when he was mentioning Lyon.

"Must be the three powerhouses that protect him, I'm sure of it," said Carius as he nodded.

The matriarch slightly furrowed her eyebrows, "The giant, the elf, and the butler. Quite odd for a trio but, this odd combination makes them more mysterious."

"The butler is one thing, but the other two," muttered the matriarch.

"Maybe... the era will change..." said Tael as he looked against the empty fourth sit.

The vacant seat belonged to Treas, the old man that was greedy for treasures and richness. He earned what he had deserved, money and fame at the cost of his own family before the latter executed him.

For now, and all three of them agree, of the new owner of the fourth seat.

"Tael, if you, me, and the Yuki clan all combined, can we destroy his forces?" asked Carius.

Tael and the matriarch immediately furrowed their eyebrows. However, they understand what he was saying. Playing the devil advocate was necessary. Not everything will go smoothly.

"You mean to say that if they went rough, could we stop them?" asked Tael with a smile against this noble friend of his.

Carius only gave him a side glance for affirmation.

"Maybe," answered Tael.

"I don't have a definitive answer either," said the matriarch of the Yuki clan.

Without the knowledge of Lyon's forces' power limit, it would be hard for them to gauge the outcome.

"If you can pick one to fight, who would you rather fight, Tael?"

"That's a hard question, but I think any one of the three would be more than enough."

"More than enough?! Are you sure?"

"Though the people might be overexaggerating their power my feeling said otherwise. They might be underestimating them instead.

"I don't disagree," said the matriarch. "There is still a whole lot that we don't know about them despite being powerful."

"I know something about the butler though," said Tael.

"What is it? Couldn't you have said that sooner?!" said Carius.

"I couldn't, the opportunity had not shown itself before now. Besides, it is not that important," said Tael.

"Patriarch Tael, I'm sorry, but I disagree, every little detail would prove to be worthwhile," said the matriarch of the Yuki clan.

"Well, the butler was good at cooking and mixing drinks," said Tael before laughing.

The two of them had black lines over their head as they heard his words.

"Hahaha! I'm not kidding, my grandson loved the drinks that he made. He said that he was preparing a unique drink for each of them. Try asking your disciple about it hahaha!"

"I take back my words," muttered the matriarch.

Carius stood up, "The matter regarding the Garuda City needed to be pending until the condition of the world was accessible."

"Oh, are we ending it here? Damn, after all these years, no one brought a table," said Tael before he slowly stood up.

Carius took one step forward before his eyebrows rose. He turned around before asking them, "Tael, matriarch, do you ever heard the legend of War Maiden?"

"Oh? Are we starting again?" Tael sat back down on his seat.

Matriarch's eyes had turned sharp (He must be talking about that place). She had heard the report from her bright disciple, Ivy, what happened in there. Especially since how she saw firsthand that Lyon was fighting against something huge made of rocks.

The matriarch said, "I've heard about it, the War Maiden, the one that defeated the Eternal Golem."

Carius nodded, "That's right. The successful expedition this time was led by none other than Cecile, daughter of that brat Jin."

"Cecile..." muttered the matriarch. (There was a time where I tried to recruit both her and Ivy, that sure brings some memories).

"I've heard that she is married to Lyon. I still haven't seen them myself, I should give them some gifts later," said the matriarch.

"Their marriage is not what's important here," said Carius with a little hint of a scowl.

The matriarch shook her head, "It is important, I would want to avoid meaningless war if I can."

Carius shook his head, "Never mind."

Carius refused to explain further before he took off.

"What? That's it?" said Tael before letting out a sigh. He averted his glance toward the veiled beauty beside her. "Please don't mind that old bones attitude, his personality is quite uptight but he is generally a good guy. Just not capable of socializing with your generations, well, any generations actually."

The matriarch chuckled before she stood up, "I don't mind at all, but it surprises me though, I thought I would see my generation to lead the clan but it seemed like I stuck with the legends instead."

"Oh, hahaha, I thought too, well I get to meet one though, beggars can't be choosers," said Tael before he laughed.

"Well then, I need to excuse myself, patriarch."

"Oh don't call me patriarch, I gave that title to my son already hahaha! I'm just an old man now."

"Then, High Elder Tael, please excuse me."

Tael nodded with a wry smile.

The matriarch of the Yuki clan proceeded to leave the same way she departed here.

Tael looked at the woman riding the pillar of ice before turning around. He put his glance on the horizon with his weary eyes being basked by the sun.

"Hah," he let out a sigh. "That young man's power was really extraordinary."

"I'm sorry that I had lied to you people but, you wouldn't believe the two identities of that silhouettes. I caught a glimpse of their faces. The auburn hair could only belong to Cecile. Then the man was, of course, Lyon."

"It was a mere flash of a second before three pairs of eyes were glaring me down. Almost putting my heart to a stop. That man is more dangerous than what you guys think. The new era is dawning."

The old man leaped before going his way toward his clan.

---

While they were returning home, the news about the receding natural disasters inside that world started to spread among the cultivators.

Garuda City opened again and the structure of the world started to return normal, though some of them were completely different than the last time.

"What the..."

"What happened?"

"Is this the same place?"

The visitors that were coming out from the gate of the world gawked at the new layout where Garuda City lie. Their eyes were feasting something that their brain did not expect.  After the colossal disasters that happened at the same time. They were expecting some land shifts and an unsightly world but instead.

"This is... magical..." said one of the visitors as their pupils dilated.