Emperor's Reckoning

The young man had left the arena as his group did the same.

The cultivators from First Heaven were left in shock. The deliberate offends that Lyon had made caused them to have blanks for a mind.

The four kings were still standing on the eleventh step with their aura already pulled in. The cultivators from the First Heaven didn't feel the atmospheric disaster clenching their souls anymore. However, they could feel an impending rage coming from the four kings that governed the balance on First Heaven.

Wand sit back down before she leaned back to her seat. She had her eyebrows furrowed and her smile smirked.  "This is going to be either fun or chaotic."

She took a look at the Golden Dragon King. She could clearly notice the rage that he was harnessing, for the mortal young man was challenged by him and he answered it back.

Lyon might have a looming fate after the tournament but the act that he did was an insult to his prestige, bloodline, and all of his ancestor's merit combined. The shame might be brought upon himself but it was he who asked Lyon to go up instead.

"Forget the lustrous tenth step for a while, even Rupert could only best the ninth step. That man even went as far as standing on the eleventh step. The place where he could stand among the four kings!" said one of the crowd.

"I cannot believe it," one of the experts shook his head, "Look's like the Mortal World as birthed a monster unseen by our eyes."

Their status might be higher than the Mortal World due to their origins and the vast density of their mana, but a glance of look toward that young man, then not a status was worth.

Hilde shook her head before she sat back down. The act had surprised everyone equally, neither experts nor a high-status woman like herself.

She crossed her arms before exaggerating her sigh. Her mother immediately caught on to her daughter's emotion but she merely furrowed her eyebrows and spoke nothing.

"He even has the mentality of a conqueror for he had encountered beast far more dreadful than the Golden Dragon King. That show that he did was the testament as to why he dared to stand against the ruler. He has the power all along, and I saw it!"

She then takes a look at her mother, "Mother, what do you think now? Do you think that he deserves our help?"

The queen opened her eyes slightly wider before she let out a sigh. She looked at the bitter annoyance that she had on her face. She knew that she will eventually mention it.

"Hilde, I can't for the life of me," she shook her head. "You know it yourself what is our position in the hierarchy of the four kingdoms, it is too risky for us to contend against the two of them together over a young man that we hardly knew."

She knew that they were making a mistake. Both she and her husband were given a choice to either pulled in Lyon to their side with the risk of offending the Golden Dragon Kingdom and the Pala Kingdom at the same time or not. They chose the former after some quick logical judgment.

Hilde snorted against her mother in response. That was what she could do for now. She knew from the bottom of her heart that they were making the safest option to ensure their people's life prosper.

Choosing to take in Lyon would mean impending doom that would always cloud the people's minds. There was hardly any better option then.

The Sverine King quietly left the eleventh step before he returned to his seat. He looked at his grinning wife before he sat back down on his rightful seat.

"I guess... he is indeed worth the price."

Cherie smiled. "At this point, it would be even harder to get him."

Wanda sighed. "Indeed, he has shown his capabilities, though just a glimpse. However, the immense potential that he had, now that is something that I cannot fathom."

"Kh!" The Pala king furrowed his eyebrows as he narrowed his eyes. He could see that the crowd didn't look at him like he was before. Having a draw by a low-class mortal cultivator, he was shamed.

He jumped back to his seat with his daunting grim face. He sat back down without sparing a word.

"?!" Raul stood with his eyes opened wide. He made a harsh gulp as his cold sweat ran down to his chin. (I- I have never seen father so angry...). He force himself to lower down and sat back.

However, of all the people that were frightened. One particular middle-aged man was the worst. His eyes were glancing against the ground with his feet pointed away from each other. Both of his hands were on his hair and his pupils had already shrunk to a dot. He was panting irregularly as he clenched his jaw.

"You seem upset, maybe you should try taking a shit?" said Tael as he laughed (Goddamn it! His antics rubbed off on me!).

The famous commander couldn't even hear what Tael had just said. It was the first time he had ever experienced something like this. Something that was out of his equation. The young man had been implying time and time again that he was more than capable, yet his pride and ego denied it. Now, he had shown his final clue. He indeed had the power to sever his head, for he equally stood with the four kings.

He raised his head up as he took a long breath through his nose. He opened his eyes toward the sky before he looked at the three of them.

"It's over for the Mortal World," said Hezar as he scowled.

The three leaders from the Mortal World furrowed their eyebrows but they refrain to say a thing. Carius, though as temperamental as he was, knew that it was a waste of energy to insult a man, especially a dead man.

The Bolg King turned around before he let out a sigh. He leaped over the sky before landing on his sit. He sat back down before letting out yet another sigh. He could feel the pout that her daughter made.

"Hilde, please... you're a princess. You should know that we have to make a wise decision each time."

His daughter remained cold. "I know, but that is also why our kingdom stagnant. We, or should I say both of you are playing it too safe. Relying too much on Gae Bolg's power to gain power."

"Oh, that stings," said the Bolg King. "But I guess it is true. Our power might not be equal to them but they couldn't attack us either without having severe losses on their own."

Hilde said nothing. She was really close with the ticket. She was really close with the person that could open a new path toward a new glorious era.

One king was left standing on the eleventh step. He was not by any means weak, however, the blow that he received was more than tenfold as much as the others. He didn't even notice that he was alone as he leap back to his seat.

His back was straight with his shoulders back. He hardly blinks as the image was still etched inside his mind. The laughing giant ape with four tails. Prostrating was a word that kept ringing inside his head then. He could still feel his shaking knees begging to kiss the platform then.

Rupert didn't dare to ask his father anything after seeing his face. He could only sit back down as he balled his fist on top of his thigh. For all he knew, the problem stems from jealousy.

He was adamant, like Raul, to humiliate Lyon through any means possible. The case outside the arena was perfect but he was stupefied that he was actually the one that got humiliated instead. He knew he was dealing with a madman, he just never thought that he would be this mad.

The sheer silence caught the crowd's bones to chill. There was serious atmospheric damnation from the four sides. They could feel their riot after they stopped talking. The gaze of the four kings was not kind, nor the queens.

"T-The Second Round is over!!" The host announced as he broke the cold moment.

His words echoed in Afurnae but no cheers were heard. They were dead silent, and one brat caused this.

The young man was the husband of Cecile. The obtrusive young man that had reigned over the first round. He did it yet again, breaking all records possible. Perhaps the only living young mortal that stood toe to toe with the four kings. From this moment on, his name was a bane.

"Lyon Torga," Folcre gritted his teeth.

---

"Heh," Lyon smirked as he led his group to a local restaurant.