Emperor's Reckoning

"There are lots of things in this world," said Lyon as he looked at the wondrous blue sky above. The fluffy huge clouds were traveling at discerning speed and the gentle free wind breeze his face.

"What are you talking about?" said Ivy as she averted her glance back at the sea and sat down. Her hand was fumbling for a little pebble before throwing it against the wave.

"Aren't you in doubt right now?" asked Lyon as he closed his eyes.

Ivy sighed but she spoke no word before throwing another pebble. The wave casually swallowed the little rock before kissing Lyon's toes.

"I wish everyone would be happy," said Lyon before he laughed at his own notion, "but it can't happen, that's not how the world works."

Ivy stayed silent, but she didn't leave her spot. Her hand searched for another pebble before throwing it away.

"What did your matriarch tell you," said Lyon.

Ivy raised her brows before she rested them, "Nothing really significant."

"You mean the 'you will always be welcomed in your clan' crap?" muttered Lyon.

"That's rude," mentioned Ivy before she sighed and hugged her knees.

"Sorry," Lyon smiled before he sat up. He looked at the wave with his hair fluttering against the gentle breeze. "You get to know your mother, why are you so gloomy?"

Ivy didn't answer as she buried her face in her knees. She pursed her lips and tightened them as her emotion surged up inside her cold soul.

"I guess, the reason for abandoning you in an orphanage is not as simple as you might have expected, huh," said Lyon as he smiled.

"What do you know..." she whispered under her arms.

"I know nothing," said Lyon, "But if you keep on looking at the darkness, you will miss the beauty in front of you."

"It's not that simple."

"It's not, it never will, but do you think those sisters from your clan would be happy seeing you like this," said Lyon. "Family does not have to be forged from the same blood."

Ivy felt her heart had been electrocuted as her eyes snapped open the moment she heard those gentle words. She slowly looked up and revealed her lachrymose glance, but she saw brittle sands fluttering away with the wind, escaping from Lyon's palm as the letter looked at it with a weak smile.

Her mouth gaped as she noticed how slightly misty his eyes were. (Lyon... you...). The same hollow, the same sorrow. She could feel a bit of connection with the young man in front of her. Though not much, they could possibly share the same fate. One was cold as ice, the other was a calm warm fire.

"Oh no," Cecile muttered as she watched the two from afar.

"What, what's wrong?" asked Lumina.

"He is going to charm her at this rate," Cecile chuckled.

Lumina let out a long sigh, "You want to stop them?"

"Why would I? Don't you see the mother is also watching in the distance," said Cecile as she pointed out with her nod.

Lumina turned her glance accordingly before seeing the lone woman standing and watching Lyon and Ivy.

Anna smiled as she looked at her daughter being consoled by the young man that had melted her frost.

"I have it coming," said Kesya as she grinned. "But, I thought that he would go for the matriarch instead, she is really gorgeous though."

"Is she?" Cecile raised her brows, "I've never seen her under her veil before, where did you see her?"

"When she was asleep, I just sneaked in and peek," said Kesya without a hint of guilt in her tone.

"Of course," Cecile smiled.

Lyon looked at the small pebble in his palm and no longer was sand covering it. He buried his finger against his palm with the little rock inside before he stood up. "If you want to throw a pebble you should throw it like this!"

His right hand went over his left shoulder before he gripped the small pebble between his index and middle finger. His eyes turned sharp as he grinned before he swung his hand with a powerful force.

The pebble left his fingers like a bullet left a gun. The sound barrier was broken from the burst acceleration and the little stone pierced the waves like it was thin paper. The low altitudes left a trailing surge of water pillars as it went on toward the end of the horizon.

"He... is really bizarre," said Mavis with a wry smile, "Is he always like this?"

"Always," Cecile chuckled. "I guess it's his unique charm."

*Thump!

A loud thump from Lyon's heart challenged his rib cage before the perspiration of sweat adorned his face. One of his feet gave up, "Ugh!?". He grabbed his chest in a worrying manner.

"Lyon?" Ivy snapped into reality.

Lyon coughed with gritted teeth before blood sneaked out with a sudden jump. "I've hit my limit..."

"Lyon!"

His vision blurred as he watched Ivy stand up and open her mouth wide. Her eyes widened in horror as she called out his name. However, he could only hear her clearly one time despite noticing that she called him more than that through her mouth that was opening and closing. Her voice echoed and got slower and reverbed each time she repeated his name. His eyelids felt heavier than before, he couldn't even feel the touch of her hands even though his body was shaken.

"What the~" Lyon felt his consciousness running away from his grip. He felt a mountain was pressing down his entire body. He couldn't even lift his finger nor he could feel the sands on his feet. (Shit, I want to...).

His consciousness left as he slumped down.

"Lyon!" Cecile dropped everything in her hand before she leaped faster than the wind toward her husband.

*Thump!

*Thump!

Her heart thumped rapidly as her auburn pupils shrunk. She looked at Lyon with trickling blood from his mouth in Ivy's embrace. Her auburn lips trembled as flashes of an image from roughly the same scene occupied her consciousness.

"Hah," Her eyes widened as she palpitated. Her bosom heaved up and down with her trembling hands slowly formed into hard fists.

"?!" The others who were on their way abruptly stopped.

"W-What the hell..." Mavis felt like his soul was being choked. "Gah!" Some of his spit jumped out as he was struggling for a breath. (This cold sensation! A killing intent?!) thought Mavis as his eyes opened wide (She has this much too?!).

"Kh!" A loud thud was heard. "She is as strong as ever!" muttered Graham with his teeth gritted.

"W-We, have to stop her!" said Kesya who was struggling to take another step.

"As expected from the Empress," said Assid as he was already had both knees on the ground.

"Are you kidding me, now is not the time!" said Kesya. (Damn it, her killing intent is even more chilling than my previous encounter with it! What amplifi—?! That's it! Her memory of that time must have surged! Shit!) Kesya gritted her teeth.

(What the hell, where did this come from!) Hilde screamed inwardly as she gritted her teeth. (Such bloodl—!) Her consciousness snapped before her body fell with a thud.

Cherie, Nit, and Anna were the same, whilst Ivy was already long gone.

"Ngh?!" something inside Mavis snapped before both knees fell and his body limped down with a thud with his last glance was the small wave. "Monster..."

"Sun!" Shen shouted, "This is dangerous!"

"No shit!" said Sun. "Stop stating the obvious and be helpful for once!"

"What did you say?!"

"You heard me!"

Bapho shook his head, "This is no time to fight."

"I know," Sun crossed his arms, "But what can we do."

Shen nodded, "This really cannot be prevented, the trauma of his death overlapped inside her memory, combined with the traits from her ultimate physique, she would go berserk at any moment!"

"The dragon girl is down too, only three of them left," said Sun. "Bapho, do you have any idea?"

"I sadly, don't have anything," said Bapho as he shook his head.

'Lyon!'

'Lyon! No, no, no, this is impossible! Impossible!!! Not you!!'

Cecile gritted her teeth as her pupils gradually lost their opacity.

"Calm down would you?" a familiar voice suddenly answered as her wrist was grabbed.

The killing intent was washed without a trace in an instant as she noticed Lyon was smiling at her. "I'm just sleeping, let me rest, this body is not strong enough to sustain one banner of the Heavens'e Fury, and that princess dragon told me to wash by swimming. Young me really is reckless, hehe, just like what you always said back in our adventuring days."

Cecile opened her eyes wide. "You're—heh, looks like I got out of control a little."

"A little you say?" Lyon raised his brows. "Well, I can't be conscious for long, or else, I might actually die."

"Don't."

"Heh, I'm just kidding," Lyon smirked as he closed his eyes.

Cecile sighed as she noticed he was already gone. She looked at Lyon's chest heaving up and down before she smirked and shook her head.

"Get well soon."