Emperor's Reckoning

Hazelnut haze occasionally swam around Selena's figure as she stood on top of the squirming being from Paradise itself. Her eyes were sharper than daggers as she looked down at the Seraphim Cultivator that couldn't even afford to cough out blood.

His eyes were bloodshot. He was stronger than him on every paper yet he was the one on the ground. He could feel his ribs pricking and his thumping heart as a few of his blood vessels burst out through his nose.

"Who are you?!" shouted the Seraph with every last bit of his strength left.

Selena didn't answer as she scowled at the person under her legs. She snorted before chanting.

"Feast the blood of your enemies, Scarlett!"

The black sword appeared in her hand before she hovered it around his head.

"Heh, hahaha, you think that little sword could kill me? I'm a Seraphim Cultivator! Normal death won't kill me that easily!" shouted the Seraphim Cultivator as he smirked.

Selena frowned before she reversed grip of the sword and stabbed downward.

"Hold it!" an empress-like voice managed to alter the Seraphim Cultivator's fate.

Selena frowned before she darted her glance toward the source of the voice. "It's you."

"Who else dares to be here and this close against such a high-skilled swordswoman," Cecile smirked.

"Hmph! Spare me your flatter, War Maiden," said Selena.

( A help? ) thought Seraphim Cultivator before he laughed, "Heh, hahaha."

"What are you laughing about?" asked Selena before she bashed his head with the sword.

"Gah!" the Seraphim Cultivator spit out blood. "H-Hurry! Help me! Woman, you will receive extravagant prizes! I will take you to Paradise! The place where no mortal can go to! Get rid of this woman off of me!"

"Aren't you a little pathetic to be making a deal with a mere mortal," said Cecile.

"?! W-What?!" the Seraphim Cultivator had his eyes widened.

"I don't think you understand, I'm not here to save you," said Cecile before she snorted a smirk and then shook her head, "Pretty disappointing, but maybe it's a good thing, looks like even Paradise is on a decline as well."

"What?!"

"What, what, what? Keep yapping and I will cut your tongue next," Selena glared and succumbed to him with her killing intent. She darted her glance back toward the auburn-haired woman before frowning, "You better have a good reason to stop me from killing him."

"First of all," Cecile bowed. "Nice to meet you, mother-in-law."

"I see," the Moon Hare revealed herself on Selena's shoulder. "You're the one that inherited his ultimate physic, Cecile, was it?"

"Just one glance is enough for you to recognize me, I'm truly honored to be remembered by such a legend as yourself," Cecile kept her face down.

"Heh, enough of your flattery, by inheriting that physique it only means that he thinks that you're more worthy than my child."

"I believe that would be a false statement, mother-in-law," said Cecile before she retracted her bow and revealed a smile.

"Oh?"

"I believe that he chose me because he knew it would be troublesome were Lyon to have the physique instead, especially if he lost his memories in the new beginning," said Cecile.

"Heh, so he trusted you more than," the Moon Hare smirked.

"That's what this lowly one thinks," Cecile nodded.

"Don't be so modest in front of me, you have no idea how much you have to contribute to Lyon's happiness and well-being."

"You lot will die a miserable death!" shouted the Seraphim Cultivator.

"Hmm!" Selena grunted before she stabbed his neck and locked the sword against the ground.

"Cold as always," Cecile snorted.

"You better have a good reason why you stop me from killing him, he wounded Lyon!" said Selena.

"Oh, he did?" Cecile frowned.

"She is right, you better have a good reason," said the Moon Hare.

"I do in fact have one and it's pretty simple," said Cecile, "We can't afford to kill him, at least not yet."

The Seraphim Cultivator couldn't believe his eyes as heard what she said. She spoke like he was some sort of an important cattle that yielded the highest grade of milk.

"He is the very same thing that was guarding the biggest seal to Hell, right?" asked Cecile. "It would raise the eyebrows in Paradise if they found that one of their insignificant died in the weakest realm of three."

( Insignificant?! ) screamed the Seraphim Cultivator inwardly.

"That's a fair argument," said the Moon Hare. "He has been indeed loftily guarding the seal and stirred up trouble for the adventurers and the nearby city without making his own hands dirty or his identity being sniffed out."

"Truly befitting the being from Paradise, they all love to be clean but won't give up dirt," Cecile smacked her lips.

"Then, what do you want to do with this one? Do you want to make the initial attack against Paradise?" asked Selena.

( Attack against Paradise? Hehehe, do it, I dare you to do it, see how you vanished into dust! ) the seraph laughed inwardly.

"It's way too soon for us to attack Paradise, but perhaps he can be our pawn in the meantime," said Cecile coldly.

( Pawn?! From the likes of you?! ) the seraph could only grunt in spite.

"See, he looks pretty excited by being our tool," Cecile laughed despite the glare that the Seraph gave her. She approached the being from Paradise before looking down at him. "Aren't you thrilled? You're going to be our pawn, so prepare to dance as you watch the destruction of Paradise with your wails."

The Seraphim Cultivator glared at her. ( I will find an opportunity to escape! I only need one window! One opening! That is all! Then the table would turn, and you will be kneeling headless! ) the seraph squinted his eyes and smiled. Though, his smile only merely flashes like a comet peeking at the earth. His goosebumps were electrified as his pores tightened. Someone was approaching but he could only leer. His pupils shrunk the moment a huge shadow swallowed up his face.

"Empress Selena," Graham knelt.

"Empress Selena," Kesya knelt with a smile on her face.

"Empress Selena," Assid wholeheartedly knelt with his knees as well as his soul.

The Seraphim Cultivator had his pupils shrunken into a dot as they watched them kneeling. ( W-WHAT ARE THEY?! Every single one of them is a nightmare!! How come they grew so powerful without my notice?! That's impossible! This is the Mortal World, they shouldn't have these three in their arsenal... yet. ). His eyes darted from the three of them toward the woman they were kneeling to, the woman that pinned him down like a dead fish on a chopping board. An empress that encompassed the way of the sword to an extent beyond his comprehension.

"Hm? Graham, Kesya, and Assid, where are the rest of you?" asked Selena.

"Sadly, we haven't met them yet, you know it would be a lot easier if all six has assembled, but nothing ever goes to plan," said Cecile.

"Don't act like you planned this," Selena squinted her eyes before she stepped away as her eyes turned ocean blue.

The Seraphim Cultivator smirked. The chance would come eventually and he was right. (It's done or die! ) thought the Seraphim Cultivator before he released his domain.

However, none of the eyes present flinched as Graham muttered, "Domain."

His heart thumped as his domain was triumphed by another. The excellency of the new domain casually suppressed his, shrinking it thin like a piece of fabric before being swallowed up entirely. His ears perked as he heard his footsteps. The dread took a vehement grip on his shoulder as his pupils tremored before a hand swallowed his face.

He was lifted up with his eyes seeing through the fingers, the face of the man whose hair was ashen.

( A giant? No, a half-giant?! ) thought the Seraphim Cultivator before he caught the others smirking at him. There was no loath in their faces except for the one that overpowered him through seer battle.

"You didn't even wait for a second to run away," Kesya chuckled. "I guess Paradise has fallen so low huh."

"Spare your insult," said Assid. "They don't deserve a word from us, only spit."

"For once, I agree with you."

'You will never get away from this!' shouted the Seraphim Cultivator through mana transmission.

"Oh?" Cecile approached forward. "I don't think you understand what situation we are in."

Cecile smiled, "You see, we are not running away, we are facing Paradise."

'Heh, you all talk a big game, but you would cower once you see stronger cultivators in Paradise!'

"You think too highly of yourself," said Selena before she twitched her brows.

Blood spurted out as the Seraphim Cultivator had his head repelled by the sudden shock against his glabella.

"Paradise shall fall, as well as your all-father, and you will play an important role... as a messenger," Cecile smirked as she sent the Seraphim Cultivator's mind into spiraling dread.