Emperor's Reckoning

Connak and Agist were caught off guard. They leered at the same time; however, their bodies could only make half a turn before their shoulders were frozen. The hairs on their nape stood straight as if they were being electrocuted. Their pupils shrunk to a dot and their hearts thumped against their rib cages. Their toes crawled as their ears heard a soft thud behind them. A grunt was heard and they made a harsh swallow.

An insurmountable mountain of a presence was upon them. Their souls were shackled by a rattling chain. They gritted their teeth, furrowed their brows, and sweated out their foreheads with a cold one. Their goosebumps rose as they felt a graze of gaze from the figure standing at the edge of the cliff behind them.

"Talk," asked Graham before he crossed his arms. The veins inside his forearms were challenging his skin. His towering height surpassed those of the elves, and his shadow was cast over the two. However, his eyes were spared against their struggling king.

Galaeron was on the floor with the dark elf by his side. He got up with the support of his hand and shook his head before leering against the dark elf. His leer soon turned into a flash of glare before he darted at the huge figure standing near the edge of the cliff.

"Just as I expected, you people knew our position despite the soft illusion that I put up, magnificent," Galaeron smiled before he stood up. He looked at his two generals, struggling to even loosen their shoulders. The disparity was quite obvious, so much so that he couldn't help but sigh. The tall man was powerful enough to catch him by surprise, and without a doubt, he too could have severely pulverized him if he so wished.

Graham didn't spare a snort.

"King Galaeron, the king of elves in the Mortal World, tell us, what are you planning to hide in such a perfect spot with your bows out," asked the dark elf by his side. "Surely you're not trying to end Lyon, are you?"

Galaeron leered at the dark elf. "Tch, you think that they are easily swayed by your pathetic attempt of framing? I hope you're not, 'cause it's pathetic coming from a leader that persuades the humans and non-humans to open the gate to Hell."

"Heh, why do you hate Hell so much? Is it because of what your parents told you?" The dark elf smirked.

"It's in my blood to hate your race," the king smirked back before darting at Graham. "We are here as an observer of the fight. After all your battle would determine whether the Mortal World will open the gate to Hell or not."

"It is a grave matter for the elves, but for me, it's a blessing!" added the dark elf.

"Stop dreaming, your plan is already foiled and you are critically injured, you have limited breaths left," Galaeron smirked.

"Heh, all of you people are really hypocrites," the dark elf sat back down with his eyes staring at the ground before darting to his open palm. "What's wrong with wanting to go home. Won't you do the same if you are in my place?"

Galaeron slightly furrowed his brows.

"The original state of the Mortal World was three worlds connected after all. They had the freedom to come and go as they please, yet why when I'm born in this world, the gate going to that realm is sealed? What's wrong anyway..."

"Are you the last of your kin?" asked Graham.

"Heh, I'm an only child. I buried my own parents, I have no real relatives, I don't even know which clan I belonged to," the dark elf shook his head.

"Spare me your sob story later," Galaeron rolled his eyes.

"It's not a sob story, it's just my reality," answered the dark elf.

"As much as I hate the humans, I will not let you undo the seal of that door," Galaeron shook his head.

"Heh, easy for a king to say, what do you know about loneliness? Having no one to trust? Having your cultivation stagnant for years, not because you're untalented but because you run out of the instruments? You would do the same thing," the dark elf obnoxiously smiled.

Galaeron didn't answer his question and darted at Graham.

"Are you going to kill me as well?" asked the king of the elves before the two generals had their hearts skipped a beat.

Graham looked at the weary eyes of the king. "Are you planning to kill my master?"

Galaeron shook his head, "I can't kill your master, I believe you know that. Our arrow couldn't possibly reach his brain nor his heart with the three of you around, no matter how much power we embedded in them."

"That's true," Graham nodded. "Then what is your real purpose."

"Our target is the same as the one this dark elf over here is coveting," said Galaeron. "We are aiming at the girl."

"The blonde woman?" Graham squinted his eyes.

"That's right, the blonde woman, the one that they wanted to extract her Anti-Mana out of and used it as fuel to undo the seal from that door."

"Heh," the dark elf smirked. "So you're planning a cheap shot all along?"

Galaeron snorted a smile. "You should be thankful that I didn't finish you off with my arrow."

"As if that would kill me, the last time I met you, you could hardly turn around."

"Even a giant would turn blind if a small work hit one of its open eyes," Galaeron added. "It would be a matter of your gasps once I released my arrows."

"Heh, whatever you say," said the dark elf. "I'm spent, my Legion is finished. Though maybe not all, I have some fanatics that probably continued my endeavor."

"Tch! You bring nothing but trouble for this world, even after you left, maybe I should finish you off right here, right now," said Galaeron with a snort.

"That won't happen, I'm already that guy's target," answered the dark elf with a smile as he darted at Graham, "Right?"

Graham darted at the king, "You do realize how much important that woman is to my master, don't you?"

"I am prepared to take the risk. I could only hope that your group of people would only kill me and spare my kingdom from utter destruction," answered the king to the two generals' disbelief.

Despite time having eaten away at his vibrant youth, the king was firm and unshaken. He laid out his objective with his own lips and through his wise gaze, even though the risk of death was nigh.

"Pretty commendable, for a king of a small kingdom that is," the dark elf commented.

"Unlike you, I actually have people to take care of, I'm a king, not a vagabond cult leader," answered Galaeron to the dark elf's sarcastic tone.

The dark elf snorted before darting at Graham. "What now? Are you going to kill me right in front of these three?"

Graham closed his eyes, "I pity you, dark elf. You wanted to go home but you chose the wrong path."

"Because I cross paths with him?" the dark elf snorted a smile before shaking his head.

"Because you cross paths with him," answered Graham. "However, know that in your death or not, Hell shall be opened."

"Huh?" the king and the cult leader raised their brows.

"What are you talking about?" asked the dark elf. "What do you mean by that?"

Assid suddenly appeared out of thin air and stood right in front of Graham to their surprise.

"Hmm?" Graham raised his brows, "Are you done?"

"Kesya can handle the rest of them, she is just having fun right now," answered Assid, before focusing his glance against the elves. "I see, so you guys are merely observing from the distant."

"How long have you been here?" asked Graham, despite the surprise of the elves.

Assid merely smiled before talking to the dark elf, "You stroke a bad luck of the draw here."

"What? What are you talking about?" asked the dark elf.

"Us would be going to Hell anyway, whether or not that involves you," Assid smiled.

"What?!" Galaeron snapped his eyes open wide while the two generals were saying the same thing, albeit inwardly.

"It is inevitable that my emperor would go to Hell," said Assid. "It is his destiny or sort."

"Do you know what you're saying?!" the elf king waved his hand in denial.

"Watch... your... tone..." Assid glared at the king before the latter immediately crashed his knees against the ground with a loud thud.

(Your Majesty!) said the pair of generals inwardly at the same time.

"Heh, what? What are you talking about?" asked the dark elf as he looked at Assid with a gulp.

"The seal shall be undone, regardless of your effort in building a cult for it or not," said Assid with a smirk.