Emperor's Reckoning

It was time for the reward ceremony. Though the arena was undergoing some immediate repair, it was not enough for them to finish it in a single day.

The city was also undergoing rebuild as well. The cultivators didn't have that big of a smile now, but they didn't dare to show their dissatisfaction. For that young man was too difficult to guess. He might snap and made the city disappear forever. They doubt it would happen but they knew he could do it.

"Hey, look, it's the fortune-teller!" said one of the onlookers.

"Huh? Where? Oh, you're right!" said another.

The lady fortune-teller immediately courted all of the attention inside the city. Though her face was covered with a pink veil, her beauty was radiant. The red jewel on her glabella and the glossy black hair. No matter she had gone, heads would turn.

Meanwhile in the corner of an alley, far from everyone's attention.

"She really loves pink, huh," commented Lyon.

"Well, that's just normal don't you think?" asked Cecile as she smiled.

Lyon looked at his wife with a smile on his face. He was worried as to why the auburn beauty stormed off from the room like that. It was very unusual for the War Goddess to lost her cool.

"Huh?" Cecile raised her eyebrows as she felt a finger running through her hair. She turned around t see his husband grinning. "What's wrong? Is something on my hair?"

"Nothing," Lyon answered. "I was just worried about you, storming out of the room like that."

"Oh," Cecile's eyes widened slightly before she smiled wryly. "I guess I lost my cool, huh."

"Kind of, but hey, you don't need to hold it in, I'm here for you," answered Lyon as he smiled.

Cecile suddenly pulled him to his embrace. Her head was on his shoulder to the latter's surprise.

Lyon had his lips slightly opened but he reached out and embraced her back. There was not a single word uttered between the two. Only their hearts beating at each other.

He closed his eyes as Cecile did the same. The latter was in peace as the familiar scent, the familiar feeling, coursing her soul and body. There was no lust, there was love.

(You should say that to yourself) thought Cecile as she opened her eyes but her glance reflect a feeling of very deep sorrow. She closed her eyes to regain her composure before she slowly let go.

"Are you okay now?" asked Lyon with a smile on his face.

"I feel... amazing," said Cecile as she smiled. "Though..."

"Though?"

Cecile turned around with her hands behind her tailbones. She was looking at the sky with a smile on her face. "It is that weird personality of yours."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Cecile turned around before she crossed her arms. "Lyon, you are a real pervert."

Lyon was taken back. "O-Okay?" (That came out of nowhere, is it that time of the month?!).

"Women, beautiful or not, should have been wary of you, despise you, curse your ancestral graves," Cecile smiled.

"Okay, that's a little excessive but I'll allow it."

"It is this other side of you Lyon," said Cecile as she shook her head.

"What other side are you talking about?" asked Lyon (Just straight to the point would you?!).

"This side," Cecile smiled. "You are a pervert, that's good for me since you are going to drive away those pesky women away for me, but this, this version of you that made them come back. This, you somehow act so gently when it needs to, rough when it needs to, but you only act cowardly when it comes to perverted things."

"So.. Tha..." Lyon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion (Is this a compliment or an insult?).

"It's your duality," said Cecile as she smiled at her husband. "Chivalrous and perverted, silly and smart, just but unfair."

"I see," said Lyon as he smiled (I don't get it).

"You don't get it, do you?" Cecile chuckled.

"You're my woman alright," said Lyon before both of them chuckled.

"Lyon, are you not going to see how the lady fortune-teller read your friends' fate?" asked Lumina out of nowhere.

"Nah, why would I want to hear anyone else's future," Lyon shrugged his shoulder. "Hey, wait a minute, can't she just read my future?"

"Hold it right there," said Cecile before she shook her head.

"What?" asked Lyon who was about to take off.

"I told her not to read your fate," said Cecile with a smile.

"Eh? Why?" asked Lyon with his face blatantly seemed disappointed by her wife's action.

"Because it would endanger her more than it would help you," said Cecile as she shook her head.

(Endanger?) Lyon furrowed his eyebrows, "Is reading fate a dangerous endeavor?"

"Yes," Cecile nodded. "Reading one's fate means softly tempering with the nature of the entire system."

"Then my fate, or should I say fortune? Cannot be read by the fortune-teller?" asked Lyon with a sigh.

"Not necessarily," Cecile shook her head, "She is still a Red Jewel seer, which means she is still a newbie in terms of reading fate."

"Oh, so I would need a high-leveled seer to have my fortune read?" asked Lyon as he raised his eyebrows.

"In simple terms, yes, but if you want to know where to find them, I cannot give you an answer," Cecile shook her head.

"Of course," Lyon rolled his eyes.

"Even back in the glory days, we rarely meet them," said Cecile. "Well, by we, I mean not you."

"Huh? What is that supposed to mean?" asked Lyon.

Cecile shrugged as she smiled. "I mean, I won't stop you, but a certain woman with black hair certainly will."

"Ah..." Lyon smiled wryly. (Selena, huh). "Oh, right."

"Hm?" Cecile raised one of her eyebrows, "Myriad Devils?"

Lyon nodded rapidly.

Cecile smiled as she shook her head, "You're quite helpless, we will go there, don't you worry."

"En,"  he nodded with a smile.

Meanwhile back in the arena.

Vivi was scanning the arena with her glance (This is truly lacking the merry that it was in the last tournament).

She sighed inwardly. (Even the audience is less than half due to the state of the arena itself).

"But.." she muttered as she made her way to the center of the arena, at least to what was left. (Where are she and him?) thought Vivi as she didn't catch Lyon and Cecile there.

The princess of the Bolg Kingdom suddenly leaped from her seat and landed right in front of the fortune-teller. The driver immediately turned grim but Vivi already raised her hand to stop him.

"I'm terribly sorry for startling you but I need to tell Miss Fortune-teller something," Hilde bowed.

"Oh?" Vivi raised her eyebrows, "What is it?"

"Sadly my parents will not be joining your fascinating reading due to some, extreme development in the situation," said Hilde as she smiled wryly.

"I see.." (It must be regarding the Pala Kingdom and The Golden Dragon Kingdom. I don't see the king of the Sverine Kingdom either).

"I'm sorry," Hilde apologized and bowed her head once more.

"There is no need to apologize, the development requires them so," said Vivi as she nodded.

"Thank you," answered Hilde with a smile.

"Have you perhaps..."

"Yes?"

"See Lyon and Cecile? Why are they not here yet?" asked Vivi.

"Ah?" Hilde was at a loss. The fortune-teller was asking her about the whereabouts of a guy that had just ended two powerful kingdoms yesterday. The chances of how she knew where the duo was slimmer than the fortune-teller herself. (Wait a minute, aren't you a fortune-teller, why would you ask me?!).

"Sadly, I have no idea," answered Hilde as she shook her head.

"I see," Vivi nodded before she let out a smile under her pink veil.

"Hilde," a voice called out.

Hilde turned over to see Cherie was approaching her. The former furrowed her eyebrows before she asked, "What is it?"

Cherie smiled, "My mother told me that we both should open the reward ceremony unless you want to stand by mother's side while doing so."

Hilde's mouth slightly twitched as she imagined it. "G-Good point."

The onlookers and the audience was looking at the two representatives with sighs. They shook their heads. There were usually four representatives, mainly the four kings to open the reward ceremony, but now there were only two.

Porealus raised his eyebrows amidst the speech that the duo princess gave. He looked around but he didn't see a particular person.

"Hey, where is big brother?" Zet asked as he looked around.

"I don't think that he is NOT interested in this," said Porealus as he shook his head. "In fact, of all three of us guys from the Mortal World, he must be the one that is dying to have a glimpse of his future."

"En, en, en," Zet nodded as he crossed his arms.