Emperor's Reckoning

The huge impact froze Nostria before the collapse of the tower soon followed. The loud boom made a cloud of dust as debris scattered to their silence.

One passing cultivator looked at the fall of the palace as his pupils shrunk. His throat rang, "We're under attack!!"

The scream let out a wave of panic throughout the kingdom before everyone scurried away from their sanity. They had thought that nobody would dare enough to offend the Kingdom of Nostria with how unified Deo was right now, however, the reverie that they thought soon turned into a nightmare before their unsuspecting eyes.

The palace, the symbol of the kingdom had fallen from a strike that none of them anticipated. Nostria was on high alert. Hundreds of running soldiers immediately came out of their camp with weapons in their hands.

"Everyone! Don't panic!" shouted a soldier to his vain.

"Lukas, what the hell are you doing?! Nobody listened to 'don't panic' at all!"

"Huh? Commander Zusk?! You came out of the brothel!"

"SHH! What the hell are you saying in these panic times! Stop making them worry more than necessary!" Zusk slapped the back of his subordinate's helmet before it spun and covered his facial expressions. Zusk snorted as he walked before adjusting his groin once with a pinch. "Everyone! Don't—"

"Aah!!" a screaming cultivator passed by.

Zusk frowned before he opened his mouth, "Don—"

"Are you kidding me! I thought Nostria won't have any enemies!"

"Shit I gotta store my goods!"

"Oi! Listen to—"

"Are you jesting right now?! We're about to die, and the brothel won't give me a discount! Unbelievable!"

"What the fuck just came out of your tongue!? They're trying to make a living too! Come here you piece of shit!" Zusk immediately jumped into the fray before quickly beating the guy up.

"C-Commander! Now is not the time! You got to check Her Majesty!"

"What?!"

"YOU GOT TO CHECK HER MAJESTY!" shouted Lukas at the top of his lung.

"Tch!" Zusk darted back toward the guy he grabbed by the collar. "Don't say mean things to those girls!"

"Y-Yesssory!"

"Hmph!" Zusk pushed him down before he nodded at Lukas, "Let's go!"

"Yes sir!" Lukas gave a salute before they rushed toward the palace through the panicking crowds.

...

A figure dashed through the corridors with sharp eyes. Her purple hair fluttered slightly before she punched the wall nearby.

"Young Miss!!"

"Ah!"

The water of the shower still basked her naked body. Her damp silver hair was resting on her shoulders as her arms covered her breasts and groin. "Fei! What was that just now?!"

Fei took a huge sigh of relief, "First, let's get you some clothing."

"A-Alright," Sylviana gulped before she immediately dry herself out with a pack of towels.

"Sylviana!" a shout immediately came as golden hair fluttered across the hall.

"That's, Karina!" Sylviana immediately got out through the hole that Fei just made.

"Ah! There you are! Thank goodness you're fine!" Karina immediately ran toward her before her pupils shrunk in the middle of it. Her brows furrowed before she made a huge turn left and broke through the wall with a leap. A huge boulder was waiting for her the moment she got out.

"Hmph!" she let out a palm strike before shattering the huge boulder apart. The excessive blow made the debris to flew out of the kingdom even before Karina landed on the ground.

"Tch! I can't fly," Karina muttered. "This Anti-Mana thing is really annoying in the Mortal World—Huh?!" Her pupils shrunk as she noticed what was hovering in the sky. "Impossible..."

Rains of huge boulders were aimed against the palace.

"What the..." Sylviana's pupils trembled before Fei immediately pushed her down and one of the huge boulders narrowly past over their heads before destroying pushing through the opposite wall.

(This is bad.. just when those twelve are away too! ... wait a minute... don't tell me..) Fei's eyes shivered at the thought. "It was pla—"

"How dare they..." Sylviana's back turned cold as her eyes landed on a wasted garden below. Flashes of her memories played in her mind. Where her mother was, where his father was, where the three of them were. The joy she felt vanished as well as the meaning the garden withheld. It was crushed by several huge boulders. The sight was gone, her shoulders shook before it suddenly stood still. Her red trembling eyes immediately shifted to black as well as her silver hair.

"Wait! Sylvian—" Fei could only reach out her arm before a rising killing presence leaped against the sky with maddening battle intent.

"Huh?" Karina looked up before she frowned. "That's... her curse!"

Sylviana was grinning with her arms open before she ripped the huge boulder that was coming straight at her.

"Die!" a black spark ensued before the next huge boulder shattered. A slim black spear was in her hand as she ravaged the sky.

"Huh?" Zusk paused his steps before he looked up and furrowed his brows.

"Wow, who is that? Nostria really seems to have many hidden heroes at their sleeves lately," mentioned Lukas.

"Her Majesty?" Zusk raised his brows.

"What?!" Lukas darted back and forth from his commander back toward the sky.

"Zusk! Make sure the people are safe!"

"Huh? Y-Yes sir! Supreme Commander Chun, sir!" Zusk immediately bowed. (Wow, even in this situation he still wears short and sleeveless clothing).

"Lukas, you heard the Supreme Commander! Let's go!" Zusk immediately turned to the crowds.

"Yes sir!"

Chun crossed his arms before Grandmaster Zitian appeared right beside him.

"Who do you think would attack us like this?" asked the grandmaster.

"Hard to say, I doubt the neighboring kingdoms would want to act aggressively against Nostria, especially with our current status."

"The resurrection of the Heaven's Dawn?"

Chun shook his head, "The Heaven's Dawn won't use huge boulders to attack us, that would damage the kingdom itself, beside, Lyon had already finished their bloodline."

"What concerns me is what are they after, what are they after that they are so willing as to offend someone like Lyon. Everyone knew he is one of the strongest in the Mortal World right now."

"I'm afraid, it might be Lyon's enemy."

Chun sighed, "It is inevitable then, someone that great would definitely gain a lot of enemies."

"Work your old bones, Chun," said Zitian. "We got a kingdom to save."

"You're one to talk," Chun grinned as he rotated one of his arms, "This is all part of my retirement plan!" he leaped toward the sky before following right behind the black-haired Sylviana.

"Crux!" Grandmaster Zitian immediately called.

"Yes, Grandmaster," A hoarse bald old man appeared. He didn't cover his face anymore with the thick hood.

"I will need you to protect the kingdom with your magic."

"We are already harnessing the mana necessary for it, tch! If only Young Master Albert is here, we could repel this shit even fas— oh shit, they have planned this, haven't they."

Zitian let out a sigh, "Sadly so." He leaped toward the sky before destroying the incoming huge boulders as best as he could.

"Everyone! Come pick a weapon!" shouted Charlie the blacksmith. "My fine piece will keep you guys alive— at least some of you."

"B-But the cost! Your weapons are expensive!"

"Forget about the cost! As long as you're breathing, Nostria can be saved! And that's more important than money!"

"Ah! We owe you our life! Grandmaster Blacksmith Charlie!"

Charlie felt a little sting on the point of his nose as he heard that. He rubbed his nose before turning away to hide his bashfulness. "Stop saying that."

...

Meanwhile at a fairly faraway place.

The orc's chieftain was crossing his arms before he chuckled seeing the smoke coming out from his target. "Damn it, I never thought it would be that easy."

"I told you before, didn't I," Nora replied from the side.

"I thought that they would have some powerful humans guarding the kingdom, that huge boulder just smashed right against the tower," the chieftain chuckled before he darted below. "Keep at it boys! Those boulders are not going to fly themselves."

"Hahaha!" the orcs simply picked up the boulders that were placed in tandem and threw them with the force of their arm and legs.

The chieftain furrowed his brows, "Then when are we going to attack?"

"Right now, is fine."

"Are you playing with me?" the chieftain solemnly said.

"No, no, these boulders are just for poking their strength. You know, to see if there are some powerful cultivators staying at the place."

"Oh," The chieftain darted back toward the kingdom.

(Man this orc is really just a meathead, if I were to rely on them, then it would be pretty much a waste of time) said Nora inwardly before his brows raised. "Oh look, you guys have a guess already."

"Oho?" The chieftain smiled as he saw an enlarging dot coming at them.

Chun furrowed his brows the moment the figures that were responsible for the flying huge boulders came into his focus, "Orcs?!"