Emperor's Reckoning

Dora the horse was getting kicked from left and right. Her glistening black eyes didn't even blink as blood kept pouring out from the gruesome wounds and dyed the ground red. The caravan had turned over as one of its empty boxes was outside.

The old farmer couldn't blink as tears poured out the corner of his eyes. He kept wailing and wailing, only to have laughter from the tavern in response.

"Please... stop..." the old farmer punched the ground before he stood up with his entire youth gathering on his knees, only to fall once more.

"Hahaha!"

"Look at that old man go, get some rest old man!"

The taverns were enjoying themselves. The sight seemed ordinary despite the condition of the horse.

Raksih had his arms crossed and smirked. "That's a warning, dear young master."

"Have a thought for a second," Raksih continued, "Pay the money and we will let you go. Give everything you got, we would give you a new horse," Raksih smirked with one brow raised.

"Hahaha! Good one boss!" the taverns had their fills once more.

"Aren't you adventurers!" a hoarse voice came from the old farmer. He was struggling to breathe as he looked at the condition of his beloved Dora. "W-Why... Why are you doing this... this sort.... my Dora..."

"My Dora? Is that the name of your horse?" Raksih turned before he snorted a grin. "Hah! Hahahaha! What the fuck? Why are you naming your horse?! It's just an animal old man!"

"Why are you doing this! Aren't you supposed to be a noble adventurer?"

"Noble? When did we ever say that we are noble?" said one of the adventurers.

"W-What? What do you mean?"

"This Guild settlement, it's just a ruse old man, hahaha!" one of the adventurers laughed with tears in his eyes.

"A-A-A ruse? But, my son! He said that this is a legit guild!" said the old farmer.

"Well it is, please excuse the stupid mouth of my fellow adventurer," said Raksih before he threw one of his chakram toward the blabbermouth.

The chakram move swiftly before half the adventurer's face was cut cleanly. The blood smeared on the blade immediately left with the momentum generated by the rotation before the chakram returned back to its rightful master.

The tavern was stunned once more, even those that got a patch of blood grazing their cheeks forgot to take a breath. Only after Raksih glossed his lips with his tongue did they gasp in disbelief.

( He is a madman! ) said the old farmer inwardly.

"Your son?" Raksih smirked. "What is your son's name."

"D-D-Darius..."

"Darius? I don't remember having someone named Darius," said Raksih before he turned to his fellow. "Well, if anyone wants to splurt out something then do it!"

"I-I think that the Darius he meant is the errand boy boss," said one of the adventurers.

"The errand boy? Ah," Raksih made a nasty grin. "The shoe licker."

"W-What..." the old farmer muttered.

"Your son is Darius, the errand boy, he is basically a slave for us," Raksih snorted a smile. "We gave him meat and little coins as, you know, compensation or some sort. After all, can't have my shoe licker all thin and weak, otherwise, it would dirt my shoe."

"No... He... my sweet boy is..."

"Hahaha! Of course, he wouldn't tell his old man, he even goes as far as saying that our guild is amazing! The Hydra Guild, however, is indeed amazing, but not in the way the shoe licker is dreaming about," Raksih shrugged. "I mean, you see the notice board being filled with a lot of papers right, well, they are just fake requests."

"But... why..." the old farmer couldn't even shed a tear as he looked helplessly against Raksih.

"Heh, go ask your son, doubt that he would be able to tell you though," said Raksih. "After all, you will be joining Dora soon, unless of course..." He turned around and faced the cloaked group that had their heads down at the round table.

"What about it, a fair trade right?" Raksih crossed his arms and smirked. "You seem to be so nonchalant about what's going on, are you trembling in fear perhaps."

"Oh!" he faced up with a snap, "Please don't worry my friend, no need to tremble, we just want some beads. I'm sure your loaded family has it."

The group was silent, not even a breath they could hear nor notice.

"Heh, alright, alright, let's make a deal," Raksih shrugged and shook his head. "Two Imperial Beads, that's right, I'm talking about those quality beads, the Imperial Beads, not the pure beads, but the top-of-the-line, Imperial Beads, one that can change a fortune of someone quite entirely!"

"I-Imperial Beads?!" one of the adventurers exclaimed. "Is-isn't that a legendary currency? I heard that Heaven used it."

Raksih clicked his tongue, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, it might be much here, but I bet they use it to buy a loaf of bread for a single bead."

"You're kidding...." said one of the adventurers before he quickly shut his mouth.

"Now, then what would it be?" Raksih smirked. "Two Imperial Beads, I let you guys go, I might chip in a horse to pull that broken caravan if you play nicely. Or, you can go the hard way..."

The adventurer immediately geared up as they drew their blades and staffs out. They were looking at the cloaked group with grins. They outnumbered him, and also they were in their lair. They got the obvious advantage that even a king must admit.

"I don't mind squeezing a little bit extra fortune from the rest of your family," Raksih smirked. "There is no way that they won't pay for their dear sons and daughters."

"I have some bad news for you, I am really homeless," said Lyon.

"Heh, you can tell your lies to yourself, I knew how much you paid my men," Raksih shrugged. "They are still over there at the gate, I can bring them here, if you want, however, you would need to pay up three Imperial Beads now for that lie."

"And if I lie again?"

"Four, or ten, depending on my mood, and trust me, it's descending by the seconds," Raksih's words turned cold as his killing intent started to spread.

"What a coincidence," answered Lyon as Raksih's killing intent was instantly repelled.

Cecile let out a sigh as Lyon's hands' grabbed his own hood before slowly uncovering his face. He leered over his shoulder before revealing a terrorizing glare against the boss of the adventure guilds.

"Kh?!" Raksih immediately had his pupils shrunk as he took one step back in an instant. The face alone made him tremble his chakrams. A legendary figure whose face was spread all over the Mortal World. The one who had an unprecedented meteoric rise. Both nasty and superb rumors went around the figure in front of him. His jaw couldn't clench anymore as he made a harsh swallow pacify his striking goosebumps. The sight alone made his heart skip a beat. This was the young man that stood against all odds and prevailed, the man was the very definition of a miracle. The man was recognized as the strongest of the generation with no contest. He inhaled a cold breath before he shouted,

"WHY ARE YOU HERE!!!" Raksih had the veins in his throat popped.

Lyon placed his hand on the table in a manner that Raksih could see it. He raised his index finger before he tapped it down.

Raksih's ears immediately caught breaking bones and shredded meat before three of the cloaked person sitting around Lyon was revealed to be an afterimage. His eyes couldn't keep up as blood splatted his shocked face. Not a single cry of his fellow adventurers was heard before their heads fell off, their jaws broken and their hearts hollowed. The entire tavern was in a blood fest. The flooring, the table, and the drinks were all painted red, even the ceiling as well.

Raksih couldn't look around, the brutal massacre happened in a fraction of a second. The entire structure that he built over the course of time had been killed without a burial. His chakram still stayed low, there was no use in swinging them around anymore.

"Grr! AAAHH!!" He screamed at the top of his lung and swung his chakram one last time. If he was going to die, he will die trying.

However, before his chakrams could make a full swing, before his chakrams could leave his hands. A hand grabbed his face, then the immense grip broke his entire skull as blood escaped out his eyes.

"GH!" Raksih's last glance was the young man glaring him down.

Lyon pulled his hand before striking a palm with infused mana directly against his chest.

Raksih screamed at the top of his lung as his entire meridians shattered in an instant. His soul vaporized and blood oozed out of his orifices before following a thud.

Lyon dusted off the blood in his hand as he snorted against the oozing corpse.