The Sinful Life of The Emperor

Among the wreckages of helicopters and remnants of corpses, Zed and Ashlyn stood across each other.

Her emerald eyes flashed with murderous intent while anger engulfed her flawless face.

Blue current erupted on her suit and strands of black hair fluttered under the violent currents.

BANG

The ground below her feet began to crack and disintegrate.

"Murderous intent?!" Zed was startled.

As Kiba, he has been in her company for almost two weeks but he has never seen her like this. Much less anger, she wouldn't showcase any emotions at all. She has never paid any attention to the people she met unless they did something offensive.

Now, as Zed, he was meeting her for the first time. Instead of indifference, she was blazing with fury and targetting him with a sharp murderous intent.

"This can't be true, right?" Zed wondered in his heart.

He was already exhausted and he didn't want any more complications now.

Both Zed and Kiba shared a common body and source. The injuries of one form would automatically be transferred to the other form after transformation.

The same applied to stress and fatigue. When Kiba suppressed his bloodlust, it resulted in intense stress on his physical body.

Zed's body was now tolling the same. Naturally, he was in the worst state he could be.

"What have you done to him?" Ashlyn's cold voice ringed in his ears like a clap of thunder.

"Huh?" Zed was completely at a loss.

He was having a hard time understanding her, much less answer her strange question.

Getting no meaningful response, Ashlyn didn't waste any more time. She tossed the discs out and they spun at high speed.

TRINGGGG

The discs whistled through the air, creating a sharp sound, leaving behind two strips of blue light. Piercing ripples surged out as they flew towards Zed at sonic speed.

"What?!" Zed was shocked.

He needed no introduction to the power of discs. They were strong enough to slice through Spirit Manifestation of Mendel, much less a human.

There was no doubt on what would happen if the discs slammed onto him.

Without wasting any time, he conjured a large amount of flames around his body. The flames amplified his reflexes and propelled him sidewards.

The discs brushed passed his body, missing by a hairsbreadth.

The ripples from the discs were as sharp as a blade. They instantly impaled the trees behind, slicing them into two.

BANG

The sliced portions of the trees collapsed on the ground with a loud sound.

Zed felt a tingling sensation from the back of his head. He didn't need to think much about what this sensation implied.

Instantly, from his hands, he released streams of fire at the ground below. Using these streams of fire as a support, he catapulted himself high into the air.

Just as he did, from behind, the discs made a curve and shot at him. Thanks to his quick action, he once again survived and the discs cut through the fire streams, extinguishing them.

His connection with the ground was severed but by now, he was able to summersault and land on ground.

The discs returned in Ashlyn's hands but her cold eyes were still focused onto him. The anger on her beautiful face showed no sign of easing down.

Zed secretly complained of hardship. She has shared a silent but warm relationship with him as Kiba, and yet, now, she came close to killing him in cold blood.

"Miss, we have no enmity with each other, " Zed tried to reason politely. "There is no need for us to fight."

Ashlyn responded to his reasons by locking the discs on to him.

Ever since she saw the bracelet clad on his wrist, her mind has been in a mess. A fury she has never known raged in her heart, pumping her blood violently.

She recalled the original owner of the bracelet.

Their first meeting where they were complete strangers in Blue Cliff Group. How they then robbed Stardust Mushroom by tricking both Blue Cliff Group and the Blood Demon Flower.

A faint smile bloomed on her lips as she remembered the lessons of wisdom he taught her. Her eyes turned soft as she recalled the sadistic pleasure he took from all his fights.

Then she remembered the bittersweet memory of events inside Garrick Angel Inn. Finally, she recollected her conversation with Denisa.

Threads of blood swept in her eyes and her killing intent surged like never before. Even the air turned cold by her raging intent.

Some two hundred meters away, Zed felt a chill crawling up his spine despite large amount of fire around him.

His eyes turned wide as he saw a disc appearing before him, as quick as lightning. He crossed his arms and the flames around him amassed into a wall.

The disc cut right through the wall but by now, he has jumped away from its range. He aimed a hand at the disc as it made a curve, and shot out a column of fire.

The column of fire slammed on the disc and violent heatwaves swept out. Grass and trees in the vicinity burned to ashes while even the ground showed signs of melting. From the massive swirling heat, the air became distorted like water ripples.

RIPPPPPP

The disc slashed forward, bisecting the column of fire. The severed portions of fire fell on either side; joining the wildfire.

Surrounded by flames, he backflipped and the disc moved right below him.

"I don't want to fight her but if this goes on..." Zed thought as he got back on his feet.

He body was already under too much stress due to his activities as Kiba and he was in no state to fight someone of her caliber.

"No choice but use domain..."

He has just decided to summon domain when he saw a blurred motion from the corner of his eyes.

Flames swiftly fluctuated and broke apart along with an ear-piercing sound.

He ducked backward and another disc swept past him. Alas, the ripples pierced his left shoulder and blood splattered out.

His face turned a little pale as an intense pain devoured his senses into a tormenting sensation. He didn't even get time to suppress pain as the same disc retraced its movement to attack him again.

Zed retaliated and avoided the disc, but by then, he heard a whizzing sound of rushing wind from behind.

He quickly turned around and noticed another spinning disc coming at him, cutting through everything in its path.

From another side, Ashlyn was rushing at him like a tornado. Her emerald eyes filled with madness.

"Miss, I don't even know your name, much less you!" Zed bitterly said while propelling himself high into the air.

Her movements were so quick that he wasn't even getting time to concentrate on launching powerful attacks. All he could do was try to defend himself in his exhausted state.

"....." Ashlyn obviously didn't reply; she seldom spoke.

If there was a respone then it was from her actions.

Two discs rotated in a rapid flash, like meteorites, hurtling towards him. The very air was distorted under the fluctuating ripples from the discs. Turbulent winds crashed out along with blue sparks.

"And I don't think you know me, Zed, as well," Zed completed his words.

His breathing was heavy as he noticed discs close to him; ripping through his defenses within a twinkling of an eye. They were even faster than he imagined and so far, he got no time to use basic attacks, much less summon a domain.

If he was shocked, then Ashlyn was shell-shocked, completely dumbfounded. It was like someone had exploded a bomb before her eyes, and her mind buzzed.

As soon as she heard his last statement, her pupils dilated to the size of a needle, and with urgency, she made a grasping motion towards the discs just as they were about to slice him.

A drop of blood drew out of his neck and a stream of blood splashed from his stomach, dyeing his clothes into crimson.

This was created by the murderous ripples from her discs, and if he hadn't concentrated great amounts of fire around his vitals, he would have suffered fatal injuries.

"?"

Zed was stunned as he witnessed the discs flowing back after coming this close to him. He felt a severe pain from his injuries, but he suppressed the pain, and looked in front.

Ashlyn was looking back at him with a scrutinizing vision.

"You are Zed?"

"?!"