Emperor's Reckoning

"That's!" the guards turned before hovering down and bowed his head. "Welcome back, young master Lyon!"

"Huh?" Lyon raised his brows (They call me young master too? Where did that come from? Well no matter) "How is everything? I reckoned nothing major happened?"

"Nothing major that reached our ears," said one of them. "Though, may I ask, where are the others?"

"They are still in First Heaven," Lyon shrugged. "Still shopping here and there." He waved his hand as he passed them by.

"S-Shopping?" The guards look at one another with blinking eyes. "E-Excuse me, young master Lyon but what do you mean by that?"

"It means a banquet will soon come," Kesya grinned as she passed them with her hands behind her head.

"A banquet...?"

*Screech!

The caws of a bird were heard before a huge shadow hovered over the party. Lyon looked up and saw the giant beast with a house on its back flying over before perching down right in front of him.

"Oh right, we did ride you, didn't we," Lyon smiled wryly before the bird nestle its giant head against his small figure. "There, there." He rubbed its beak.

Lumina furrowed her brows before she whispered to Cecile, "Why are certain beasts fond of him?"

Cecile smiled as her arms crossed, "I'm sure you know that he has twelve teachers that taught him all sorts of stuff when he was still a mere powerless child."

"Ah, I get it," Lumina nodded.

The bird caws unfurled her wings before she took off after the party was on board, leaving a feather or two as she went toward the horizon.

One of the guards gulped as he saw them shrinking as they went further away. Cold sweat coursed down his forehead before he shuddered as he realized something. "O-Oi" he turned without hiding his perspiration. "Do you think..."

"Think what?" his friend raised his brows before he squinted his eyes, "You look pale, are you alright?"

"No, No, listen... what are the chances that they actually.. you know... won?"

His friends' pupil's shrunk at his conjuncture. Their mouth gaped as they tried to make out a word but seemed to struggle in the throat.

"You know, there is no bruise, no nothing, the 'shopping' the 'banquet'... it all adds up!"

They suddenly had their toes curled up as cold electric frost shot from their spine to their shoulders. Their eyes trembled as gaped mouths as their brows raised toward the ceiling.

"We won... " muttered one of them before he looked at those beside him. "We won! WE WON!!"

"WE WON!!"

The guardians that guard the towers rallied their blades toward the sky. The victory was not Lyon's alone. His victory was the Mortal World's victory. Done the days where they spat on their cultivation. They have won, the tournament that existed for their humiliation and to remind them of their status had been conquered.

"Woah, you can hear it from here," said Kesya as she faced the tail.

"No, ordinary people won't hear it Kesya," muttered Cecile.

"Really? But you hear it too," Kesya puffed her cheeks.

"None of us is ordinary."

"Oh... right, a half-giant, a clean-freak, a female dragon, a cold woman, red-haired, a pretty woman, and then a cool young master," Kesya shrugged as she shook her head.

"Wait, who was the pretty woman?" asked Lumina.

"Me, of course," Kesya put her hand on her chest.

Black lines covers their head as they heard her astounding words.

"Oh? I think I forgot something," said Lyon as he opened his crossed arms and turned. "Does any of you bring any souvenirs?"

The party was silent...

"I guess not eh," he muttered before his lips twitched. "Then, let's just pretend that we lost the tournament."

"After they shout your victory like that?" asked Cecile with a smile.

Lyon turned around before he hunched his back and sighed. "Fine, the words spread faster than Assid anyway."

"I'm sorry young master, but I beg to differ," said Assid.

"It's a figure of speech Assid, calm down," Lyon rolled his eyes.

"Do forgive my lack of perception, young master," Assid bowed.

"You don't need to apologize—Oh?" He noticed a familiar vortex was closing in his view. "We're close to Garuda City!"

...

Meanwhile in a meeting room in Garuda City.

A woman with purple lips and a hat that couldn't be anymore witchy—the genius Yunesia was sighing. "I can't believe that they would start their skirmishes again." She crossed her legs as she shook her head.

Meanwhile, a man that exuded dignity—Garuda crossed his arms against his own chest with his eyelids closed. "I fear that the day must come since no reconciliation could be made. They sinned as we sinned."

"What steps should we make," asked the Avalanche Fist—Lyon's father-in-law, Jin. "By the way why am I here too? I thought I detached myself from worldly affairs."

"Because your daughter doesn't share your legacy," Yunesia sighed. "She is incredible and cold."

"Well, my son-in-law does," said Jin before he laughed.

"You two do share the same goofiness with each other," Yunesia sighed.

"Hahaha!" Jin laughed.

"Jin, my friend please be serious," said Verdu—the father of Zet.

"I mean I didn't sin nor did my ancestor sin," Jun shrugged his shoulder. "I never owned a demi-human slave."

"Do you want one?" asked Yunesia with a smile.

"No," Jin squinted his eyes, "Why are you asking?"

"Nothing," She giggled.

"That's so suspicious," Jin furrowed. "Are you a slave trader or something?"

"Oh absolutely not," Yunesia shook her head, "But if you want a slave, I know someone."

"Woah, you have some weird connections lady," said Jin. "Perhaps you should ask my son-in-law, perhaps he is interested in owning one."

"Or a hundred."

"What?"

"Oh nothing," Yunesia giggled.

"Eh-hem!" Verdu made a light cough. "This is clearly the worst time to discuss such a thing."

"Right," Jin raised his brows. "Are you not owning one yourself?"

"No! Don't be ridiculous," he glared.

"Alright, alright, no need to poke my eyes out for it," Jin shrugged his shoulders. "Well, what should we do, any viable options?"

"We should wait for the leaders to come back," said Verdu. "They are savoring the rewards they owned, they should come back soon."

Yunesia raised her brows before she stood up and pushed her hands against the table with her eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"Huh?" Jin raised his brows. "Oi wait a minute, did you say savoring the rewards?"

"Hmm? Is there something wrong with that?" Verdu raised his brows before his mouth slightly gaped, "Oh right, I forgot to tell you, they won."

Garuda stood up with his eyes glaring at him. "Is that true?! They actually won? They made it to the top ten?"

"Top ten? Well, not really, let's just say that perhaps we might face a greater threat than the demi-humans at the cost of it."

Yunesia put her finger on her lips. "Oh my, are they, no, did he come out on top?'

"Top?" Garuda opened his eyes wide before darting back toward Verdu, "Is that true? He won first place?"

Verdu nodded, "We meet the seers and all that, but there is a little detail you guys should know."

"What?" Jin frowned. "What did he do?"

"He destroyed two of the four kingdoms that ruled First Heaven in the process, err I mean post process."

The atmosphere inside the room was dead silent with not even a breeze from outside the window being made. Their mouths gaped open and Jin struggled to process his words. His son-in-law was joining a tournament, never did it ever cross his mind that not one kingdom, but two of them were being destroyed as a result.

"What the, which kingdoms?" asked Yunesia.

"Oh, you believe my words?" Verdu raised his brows before he smiled. "I thought the impossibility of this thing happening would render you in disbelief."

"This is Lyon we are talking about, the very same man that killed my brother Jin's father-in-law," said Garuda.

(You make it sound so weird!) said Jin inwardly before he nodded. "I once visit that place with Cecile when she was a kid, due to my wife forcing us of course. There is Sverine, Golden Dragon, Bolg, and Pala. The four kingdoms that struggled for absolute control over First Heaven."

"He and his subordinates have killed the King of the Golden Dragon Kingdom and the King of the Pala Kingdom right after... well... my father and the other two leaders were kidnapped."

"It seems there is more to a story to this then—"

*Rattles!!

The four people froze before Verdu looked at his sword that leaned against the table rattled. He quickly took his sword by hand.

"Oi Verdu, your sword," muttered Jin.

"This can only mean one thing," Verdu smiled. "They have returned, well, Lyon has, to be precise."

A loud caw was heard before a huge shadow crashed against the Garuda City.

"He's back..." a soothing voice was heard.