Emperor's Reckoning

"?!" Lyon was swung upward before his back smashed the ceiling. His pupils almost rolled up after the recoil of the impact, but the grootslang didn't stop there.

"Tch!" Lyon raised his brows before he used his tails to swerve away from the large jaw.

The grootslang missed its target but proceed to burrow into the walls of the cave.

"Eh?" Lyon landed as he saw the giant hole the grootslang made, "Damn he ran away?"

*Thump!

"Fuck," Lyon gritted his teeth as he felt a constant burning sensation in his chest. He looked down to find his chest had a hole, "Hehe, I can see the other side."

*Boom!

The grootslang appeared from the opposite wall to Lyon's surprise.

"That jaw again?" Lyon frowned before dodging to the side and saw the beast burrowing the walls once more. "Damn, now this is a boss fight."

*Boom!

The wall crumbled as the jaws were coming for him.

"It's going even faster?" Lyon frowned before he dodged it once more, and again, the beast burrowed into the wall as it pleased.

"Valor!" Lyon uttered before one of the four banners vanished, then his armor lit up a golden sparkle. His pierced wound not only regenerated but his armor did the same.

*Thump!

"Tch," Lyon suddenly found himself out of breath. "So it drains out my vitality, huh."

He felt weakened after activating one of the banners but his figure spoke another tale. His wound was completely shielded with a thick plate, and his entire body sparkled a golden tranquil. "Where is it going to be...? Left!"

Lyon jumped before seeing the beast burrow into the walls (Is it trying to eat me or destroying this cave?). He noticed that for every attack a new hole was ripped open, but as soon as he landed his feet on the ground, the jaws that were chasing him returned from above. "Huh?!"

He quickly rolled over before he felt the tremble on the ground as the tusk thrust against where he was standing.

...

"Woah that's a strong one!" said Mavis has struggled to keep himself steady.

"Empress!" Graham looked over.

"Just as I thought," Cecile nodded. "The king of the cave is undoubtedly a grootslang."

"Then!" Graham's legs itched but, he wasn't the only one. Kesya's hair started to turn a shade darker.

"Calm down, both of you," said Assid as he put his presence to work against both of them.

"A grootslang?" Nit raised his brows, "You mean, 'the' grootslang?"

"Is there any other grootslang?" Cecile chuckled. "But thankfully, this is not a king grootslang."

"Grootslang, the name itself is intimidating," muttered Mavis as he felt shivers.

"That's not all, young master Mavis," said Nit as he gulped. "If it's the real grootslang, then we have a solid reason why anyone that ventured deeper into the cave never returned!"

"Really?" Mavis's lips twitched before he glanced at Cecile, "Isn't your husband in grave danger?"

Cecile nodded, "He is."

"Then!" Cherie opened her mouth. "What are you waiting for?"

"You think he will die?" asked Cecile with a smile.

"I..." Cherie stood shut.

"Let's proceed," said Cecile before Assid led the way.

(What a woman) Mavis gulped. (Lyon my friend, you have scored yourself a ruthless one, I pray for your everlasting hardship!). He continued with the party with slight doubt in his heart.

(Grootslang) Hilde shook her head to hold her clarity. "That is a next-level beast, and that madman is fighting it? Heh, why am I not surprised anymore."

...

"Oh? You're stuck? Hehe," Lyon didn't manage to savor his mocking before had to jump once more to avoid being splashed open by the giant tail. "Tch! You're not the only one with a tail here, in fact, I have four!"

"Stick to the original plan, grandson!" said Sun as he laughed.

"Use my power!" shouted Shen before Sun quickly replied.

"No need! Mine is more than enough, stack those fists!" shouted Sun.

"Heh," Lyon grinned, "Watch me!"

Lyon used his tail to spring himself toward the head of the grootslang that was still stuck on the ground before the first punch after a while connected right against the flap. "Damn, even your hood is as hard as a mountain! Haha!"

A barrage of fists soon followed as Lyon encircled the vain grootslang's head. Every hit was heavier than the prior and there was no stopping him. The tail of the beast couldn't reach him, as it wiggled wildly.

"What's wrong? Is this all you got? Haha!" Lyon laughed as he spare a breath to mock the beast.

*Roar!"

"Have you finally realized? This small fist of mine is getting heavier each second!" Lyon grinned as he took the grootslang's glare with his own. "Your scale might be thicker than a mountain, but it is no match against me!"

A large shadow slowly crept up his head before he had to stop and looked. "What the... what are you? A scorpion?"

The large tail bent in reverse and was threatening to squash his entire being. Lyon couldn't believe what he saw, "I know you have no bones, but that must have broken some rules."

"No rules applied in life and death," said Bapho as he chuckled.

"I know that," Lyon nodded before he gained momentum by spinning and kicking the tusk that was stuck in the ground. The impact trembled his shin before spreading to his entire body. "Tch!"

Lyon jumped back before the tail slapped down, but he soon had his tongue clicked once more as he saw the beast cork itself out of the vain situation it was in.

"Should have taken the chance!" Lyon shook his head before the grootslang opened its jaw and roared.

"No need for that, I can hear you loud and clear," said Lyon as he rubbed his inner ear with his pinky. "Huh?" He actually managed to fork out a bogger out of it, "Damn, I really need that thigh-pillow romantic scene— do you want this?" He smirked.

*Roar!

The beast sprung itself forward and glared its jaw opened in obvious rage.

"Heh," Lyon smirked before he jumped and saw the beast going into a hole in the wall. "You never learn! You might get faster and faster each time you came out of your little dollhouse, but so is my fist! Each time I land it on your face!"

Lyon landed before he turned, "Now then, where are—huh? Is it going what I think it's going?"

...

Assid suddenly stopped in his track, "Hmm..."

"W-What's wrong?" Hilde asked. "I don't want to say anything right now, so please just drop the suspense."

The ground shook heavier than before as the passage was in constant threat of burying them alive.

Mavis gulped, "Hehe, something is coming right?"

"Good sense," Cecile nodded.

"S-Something is coming?!" Hilde quickly readied herself for the worse—with her spear standing across her body.

"I will end it," said Graham before Kesya took one step further. However, Assid stopped them with a wave of his hand.

"You guys never saw a grootslang before right?" said Cecile with a smile.

"Please don't tell me that you're implying what I think you're implying!" said Hilde as she gulped.

"By the scripture of my clan, are you serious?" Mavis gulped as he took a step back.

The ground shook immensely each second as Lumina furrowed her brows. "It's coming."

"You're fight is with our young master, not with us!" said Assid before he pushed his glasses upward with a finger just at the right moment where everyone saw the grootslang's giant head.

The two glared at one another intensely for a fraction of a second, but Assid's killing intent struck the innate fear that a cold-blooded beast didn't realize it had. Whilst everyone was gaping, the beast burrowed down in an extreme turn as the next second ticked. Its massive long slender body went underground before the passage was revealed to them in a straight line.

Hilde was catching for breath as she was found tumbled down. Her eyes refused to blink as the large beast image burnt inside her mind. Perspiration adorned her body as she failed to notice the small being at the end of the now-wide passage.

"Hi, Lyon!" said Cecile as she waved with a bright smile. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, OH?! Cecile! Haha! I can recognize your pretty hair stri—?!" Lyon raised his brows before he noticed a small fang protruding out of the ground. "Huh?"

The grootslang leaped from the underground and then consumed him along with the ground he was standing on before burrowing into the next wall. For the next few seconds, things were more silent than a calm sea.

"Huh?"

The group froze as they watched with slacked jaws. They never thought that he would get swallowed like that even in their wildest dream.

"He, Ehem, the young master got eaten," said Kesya as her hair color shifted back to its usual. "Baha! Bahahaha!" Kesya rolled on the ground clenching her stomach.

Lumina regained her senses as her eyes opened wide, "LYON!!!"