Emperor's Reckoning

Luna was following the group that was led by Cecile and the rest of the gang at the very back of the trail. She furrowed her brows as she looked at the current active leader of the group walking back home without any hesitation. She pondered as she looked at the dancing grasses that accompanied her feet as he made steps.

( What tremendous aura ) thought Luna as she felt the fraction of a second in which Lyon let out a glare toward his own woman. ( I can't believe it, this is the first time I've seen him getting mad at his loved ones, would he also do that to me, were I in Cecile's shoes? ) Luna shook her head before darting her glance back at Cecile who was leading at the front.

The woman was composed. She had her hands opened, and not fisted. Her breathing was normal like any other would. There was no chance in her steps, nor in her overall behavior. The stern word that called her name didn't budge her at all.

( She is really amazing ) thought Luna before she sighed. She knew that she would be broken-hearted if she received such a harsh tone from Lyon himself. She frowned. ( Though, why do I feel like he is not the same Lyon.. ).

( The smile is the same, the haughty attitude is the same, and his face is still the same, however, there was a significant difference in his bearing if being compared to the time before he passed out and after, he seems so... powerful now ) thought Luna as she gulped. Her brows raised before her breath caught a chill cold air inside her lungs as her mind flashed to the time when he and she spent the first night together in the sky. He had told her that he had another life that he had yet to uncover yet.

"Don't tell me, that's him from the past? He did mention it!" said Luna before all the words the new Lyon had just said finally made straight sense. She gulped even more. She was faced with an incredible individual, someone that was at the peak of the world, and he was within reach. The man didn't have high cultivation compared to most legends, however, she could tell from the way he stood alone that he was the very same illustrious man that she was told about.

"Big sister Cecile," asked Luna out of the blue before the entire group paused their walks.

"Hmmm?" Cecile raised her brows before she turned around, "What is it?"

"Was that the real him?" asked Luna as she gulped.

"Huh?" Cecile raised one of her brows before she and Kesya laughed.

"Eh... what?" muttered Luna as she couldn't believe the response she was receiving. "What is it?"

"Hahahaha, what do you think?" asked Kesya.

Cecile smiled at the frowned Luna before answering, "The real Lyon, hmm, that's not really true."

"What?" Luna raised her brows. She saw him standing like one, acting like one, and even speaking like one, yet Cecile's answer contradicted her answer, well at least half.

"The Cockatrice heavily damaged the person's soul with a single glare, that is what was happening," said Cecile. "Lyon has two souls, to begin with, the one from before his death, and the one after. Now, the one after is currently hurt pretty bad that the old soul can occupy the body for a while. Just as you heard from the man himself, however, if you are talking about if he is the real Lyon, that's pretty subjective."

Cecile smiled before she continued, "To you, the Lyon you knew is someone that came down from the very clouds of heaven before getting his butt naked butt pierced by a heavy sharp lance. To me, the Lyon that I knew before his death, and the current Lyon, is the real Lyon."

"That's right," said Kesya as she nodded, "They are basically two souls in one body, both of them are real."

"Two souls..." muttered Luna. It was the first time that she heard about it. "But, won't they fight each other to win over the control of the body?" At the end of the day, they have to fight to earn the right.

"That, we don't know," said Cecile before she shook her head, "We can't take wild guesses either, the situation is best known to him, not us."

"I-I see," answered Luna.

"Why did you ask?" Cecile raised her brows. "Are you worried about something?"

"N-No, I'm not, not at all," said Luna as she avoided Cecile's glance.

"Are you worried that this Lyon would forget about you?" Cecile raised one of her brows and smiled.

"What? No!" said Luna hastenly.

"Hahaha, that's what I thought too," said Cecile before she turned around and saw the gate of the city in sight. "He won't forget if he can help it, that's the kind of guy he is."

"But... aren't you a bit irritated?" asked Luna.

"Hmm? About what?"

"About how Lyon addressed you, with a glare added to the mix," said Luna.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I am irritated by it," said Cecile. "However, I'm also his wife you know, not just a lover."

"A wife...." Luna muttered.

"Husband and wife fight from time to time, marriage is not all bliss, Luna, furthermore with him having three," Cecile chuckled before her eyes went to the distance. "It was hectic, but it was fun."

Luna stood silent as she watched the woman that was the idol of many feeling nostalgic about a past none of the public knew about. She was the war maiden herself, one of the vanquishers of the Eternal Golem. Her might was unmeasured as well as her own legend. Yet, it was the first time of many for Luna to see that Cecile the War Maiden was also a woman.

"We got company," asked Kesya.

"We got prying eyes to be exact," said Assid.

"Oh? They must be worried because of what you did, Kesya," said Cecile with a smile.

"What? What did I do?" asked Kesya as she feigned ignorance.

"You flared out that impressive aura of yours and scared the whole city," Cecile chuckled. "Never mind, they don't need to pry, we are going there anyway."

...

"Huh, something is coming!!" said one adventurer at the gate.

Di who looked from the thick walls of the city was furrowing his brows. His eyes squinted before a familiar voice called out from the side.

"So you're here in this city too..." a cold voice passed by.

"I have a bit of history here, how about you, I never see you make a public appearance," said Di before he called out the name, "White Perch."

"I have my own business to be here," said the White Perch.

"Oh is that so?" Di raised his brows. "I've heard some interesting stories last night about you and a guy."

"I believe so," said White Perch.

"Oh, what's this, I never thought that you would admit it so," Di chuckled.

( Of course, I would admit it, you have no idea the power his capable of exerting with his words ) the White Perch furrowed his brows before he stood by Di.

The two most powerful men in the city were standing side by side on top of the thick walls. The other adventurers stood in awe but gulped at the same time. They didn't dare to stay near them as they felt inadequate, however, they still dare to take about them behind their backs.

"Damn, I guess it needs a Swarm to have them working together," said one adventurer.

"But, but, if they work together, there would be less death!" said another.

"But would there be more gain?"

"..."

"I don't think so."

The White Perch furrowed his brows, "You must have felt that tremendous aura just like the rest, what do you think it was?"

"I don't think it's a beast at all, White Perch," said Di.

"Huh?"

Di furrowed his brows as he watched the group of cloaked people making their way toward the city. "It's a monster."

The White Perch furrowed his brows as he finally got a clear view of what was coming. His eyes slowly opened wide before the familiar dread pulled out his goosebumps. It was the same group that pulverized his pride in his own home.

"It's them!" said Mona before she gulped seeing the same cloaked group that ended the Swarm solo.

Abaddon made a wry smile as he looked at the five of them and made a casual walk toward the city. He had never known that such a monster existed. Even he himself didn't have the confidence in facing the Swarm alone, let alone beheading a Behemoth's head.

( Now it makes sense. That tremendous aura was comparable to a wave of a Swarm, and why did Boto get such a beating, even White Perch was not spared, they truly are a different class, monsters of cultivators! ) thought Abaddon as his heart raced.