Emperor's Reckoning

The meadow under the sun was basked in the glory of gust. Adventurers started to encircle a wide space as two people stood opposite of each other, between them was nothing but fierce tension. However, that was what the adventurers felt.

Boto was glaring at Lyon with a scowl. The man in front of him had no status in Farvan, he had no guild to back him up, yet he dared to challenge him, a Five Star adventurer. It was unbelievable that the situation would escalate to this point. However, the words that Lyon had said struck the string of his proud self.

"This is his plan?" Lumina sighed. "It's unbelievable."

"Did you see his performance just now, he made a deal with no chips in hand," Luna said with a glimmer in her eyes. The man she slept with was standing with his arms crossed and half of his face covered, however, the skill that he exuded with his lips and perfect tone, brought the escalation to this point. A zero-star adventurer with no guild nor wild reputation was standing against the person who was regarded by every adventurer she could currently glance over.

"Yes, but what is his real intention here, I feel something is off," said Lumina.

"There are a couple of ways," said Cecile. "You know how fast his hand is."

"Ah, you mean he is going to? Steal?" Luna said the last word softly.

"It's not that his hand is fast, but more so, his natural diversion," said Lumina. "The greatest thief will always use diversion as their main spot of ability to train on."

"Not agility?" asked Luna.

Lumina shook her head. "If you want to mug or rob someone then agility will be your main arsenal, but they are called thieving because we don't know the perpetual of the act, all we know, we are missing the item."

"I see that a lot of books," Cecile smiled.

"However, that beautiful yet sinful ability is actually being mastered by a man that can be said immoral," Lumina sighed. "How did the world turn like this."

"Hehe," Luna made a small chuckle at the side.

"He didn't get to that level alone, you know," Cecile smiled. "He trained for it."

"That makes it worse," Lumina sighed.

Boto put down his ax and immediately fascinated the adventurers all around. He cracked his neck with a loud pop to the right and then to the left. He rolled back and loosened his shoulders a bit.

Meanwhile, his opponent was yawning with his jaw lowered so much he could fit a whole apple. He didn't even bother to cover his mouth while doing so.

"Hmph! You think too highly of yourself if you think that I needed my ax to defeat you."

"You can use your mother's broom if you want," said Lyon as he shrugged.

"Pfft!" Kesya burst out at the side, "Aha! Ahaha! Ha! Hahaha!" she was rolling on the innocent grass while clutching her stomach.

"Oof! Such fierce words, damn!" one adventurer clicked his tongue and shook his head, while some took a cold breath.

"Tch! You! You will shut that mouth of yours!" Boto glared before he took one step forward.

"Wait a minute, what's the hurry," said Lyon to the bewildered adventurers.

"You're not backing out now!" shouted Boto.

"Please," Lyon shrugged. "I'm talking about the condition to win."

"What?"

Lyon sighed. "This is a duel, not the duel to the death, I don't want to wipe your mother's tears. So, we must have a rule that we both comply with."

"Kh! You bastard," Boto cursed. He was inaverdently defeated in the verbal war, no, he was abused. He had no retaliation whatsoever against the man who challenged him.

"How about this," said Lyon before he smirked, "We make a wide circle, and whoever stepped outside, the circle loses, no matter which body part touched the ground, loses."

"A circle? Don't hope that you can lessen the beatings that are fated upon you," Boto smirked.

"Yeah, a circle, whoever's feet, or limbs touched the ground outside the circle, loses, pretty fair right?" asked Lyon. "Convenient right?"

The adventurers were looking at one another and nodded in agreement. However, one man stood up from the rest and said, "That's a fair deal."

"Huh?" the adventurers immediately glanced over to the man.

He carried no weapons beside his waist. No hidden garment as well, only gloves and sleeveless garb. However, he had an insignia the group recognized from Mona back at Ahkam.

The man had short golden hair with a smirk on his face. He had bright blue eyes and he was wearing jogger pants where it only reached just above his ankles. He was slimmer than Boto but the adventurers around him seemed to respect him just the same.

"The Burning Fist of the Flame Guild, Abaddon!"

"The Burning Fist?!"

"Abaddon?!"

Everyone turned their heads in gasps but Boto was furrowing his brows. "Abaddon, you stay out of this."

"What? Did I say something that offends you?" Abaddon smirked. "You owe me a fight, remember?"

"What are you doing here," Boto scowled.

"How can I miss this festive event, it's pretty rare seeing you fight, even more so when you are not planning on using your ax."

"Hmph! As long as you don't interfere," said Boto before he darted his eyes at Lyon. "Are you ready or what?"

"Everyone please step back," said Abaddon as he let out a striking palm to his right. The mana combusted before burning the grass at rapid rate

"Woah woah!" the adventurers hastily took a step back before seeing the light fire that moved in a circle.

The fire barely grazed Abaddon's left foot before it was put off naturally. A wide circle was evidently made through burnt grasses.

"Woah, such control over the fire element."

"That's some master-level control right there."

Abaddon smirked at both fighters inside the circle before he opened his arms. "The arena is set, you can now fight to your heart content, or should I say, until someone steps outside."

"Heh, show off," Boto smirked. "You don't need to do that, this will be over in a flash."

"I won't say that if I were you," said Abaddon with a smirk. "You will end up embarrassing yourself, you know."

"What?!" Boto frowned.

The adventurers were stunned by the remark that Abaddon gave.

"Woah, Abaddon is praising that broke newcomer!"

"Damn, I knew it! That newcomer is really special, I felt it when I first met them at the line."

"Yeah, bullshit."

Abaddon's unruly smile gave Boto a second thought.

( That guy is a fight freak, did he sense something that I don't? ) Boto darted his glance toward the man who now had his knee bent down as if he was taking a shit.

The latter let out a sigh even though the enemy in front of him could get him in a single leap.

( This guy, what the hell is he planning, is he stronger than he looks? Wait a minute, he was unimpressed by Abaddon's fire control either, hmmm, or was he surprised by it? I failed to catch that, especially with his eyes covered by that cloak ) Boto frowned. He glanced over at the ax he put down on the bed of grass. He clicked his tongue, it was too late to change his mind.

"Well, well, it seems like you hesitate a bit," Abaddon laughed. "Why don't I take his stead and fight you instead?" said Abaddon.

"You think that just because you have the same rank as me, you can do whatever you please?" said Boto with a smirk. "This is between me and him!"

"You are a Five Star Adventurer, he is a newcomer, this doesn't seem fair. While you and I, we have the same rank Boto," said Abaddon with a snort and a smile.

Lyon sighed before he put his butt on the grass and lay sideways, "If you two are done dating each other, wake me up." He yawned and slowly covered his mouth but deliberately made the yawn as loud as possible.

"Hahaha!" Abaddon laughed at the jest. "Fine! I'll be the judge of this fight!"

"Duel," said Lyon.

"Duel!" shouted Abaddon in correction. He raised his arm before looking at Boto then slowly darted over at Lyon who was in the middle of a squat position. "Whenever you're ready."

"I am always ready," said Lyon as the other adventurers had their excitements clenched.

"As you wish! Fight!" shouted Abaddon as he slashed his arm down.

The air was pierced as Boto was already right above Lyon with his fist retracted. "Fool!"

"Exactly," Lyon answered before he looked up and smirked at him.

"Ngh?!" Boto's pupils shrunk.

Lyon burst through the momentum with his fist sunk inside Boto as the flare of a True Dragon rumbled his inside. However, Lyon's left hand was also moving rapidly.

The loud boom shocked the onlookers before they saw with their petrified eyes the two of them repelling each other and both crossed over the burnt grass at the same time.