Emperor's Reckoning

At the south gate, Dina already stood up as he faced a middle-aged man. There was not a tension between them, but the atmosphere was surely suffocating.

The man looked at the three of them with no seeable worries. His hand carefully stroke an ugly clay doll as no word escape his mouth.

"Well, aren't you a strong a fellow," said Dina with a smile.

However, her compliment got no response whatsoever. Dina didn't feel bothered either, but a gaseous shadow immediately flew behind him before a huge scythe was swung at a blinding speed.

The middle-aged man didn't even bother as he propelled himself forward and attacked Dina before the blade of the scythe even reached his hair.

(He is fast!) thought Grim before he saw Dina caught his knee strike with her wrinkly hands.

"Older brother!" shouted Duffous as he joined Dina and attacked the middle-aged man together. Despite his stature, he was pretty agile and embodied an unruly force that could devastate a mountain.

"Hmm! I told you to lose some weight, you fat mammoth! Otherwise, this would be over in less than a minute!" reprimand Dina even though her attacks were blocked and countered.

"Sorry," said Duffous as he kept launching his punches.

The middle-aged man didn't bother that he was left out, in fact, he didn't use his right-hand to counter both of them.

Dina furrowed her eyebrows as she leaped back while pulling Duffous to stop their barrage encounters.

"Why are we stopping grandmother?" asked Duffous with his grunted stomach.

Dina didn't answer his question but instead, she realized something was wrong. (I gave him opening several times but he didn't take it?).

"Young man, you deliberately stalling aren't you?" asked Dina with a smile.

Once again, he didn't answer and just rubbed his clay doll. There was not a single flinch that proved that she was right. He was as silent as the night and a professional.

---------------

"Vale, it's your turn, I want to take a nap," said Albert as he closed his eyes and leaned under the tree.

"I guess so," said Vale as he took a step forward.

Standing in front of the gate was a bald man that appeared to be a monk. With his hands behind his back, he smiled at the incoming young man with wolf ears.

"Good afternoon," greeted the monk.

Vale smiled, "You seem polite."

"I mean you no harm."

"Oh?" Vale was a little surprised by his response before he smiled once more.

"I see, I guess stalling is your duty here."

This time the monk was surprised by Vale's quick assumption. Right out of the bat, he correctly guessed his task.

"I know, I cannot beat you, let alone two, but I can handle a few rounds," said the monk with a smile.

If Lyon and Jugen were here, they would surely recognize this monk. It was the same monk they encountered in the restaurant in the Mist Clan.

"You seemed like a nice monk, why would a monk involved in a war?" teased Vale. He knew that monks were isolated people that enchanted their beliefs every single day.

"That, I cannot answer," said the monk with a smile as he readied his stance.

"Well, I will not force you to answer, you ready?" said Vale before his aura of a prince exuded the vicinity.

"Ple-?!" before the monk could finish his word, Vale already bare its fangs right in front of him.

*boom

The monk managed to cover his kick but his figure got dragged backward by the force.

(Such speed!) thought the monk before he felt that his radial bones cracked just from one blow.

"How much is a few exactly?" taunted Vale with a smile.

---------------

"Well, well , well, what a rowdy bunch,"

Parriot and Elaine furrowed their eyebrows as a middle-aged man leisurely walked up to them. The army that was left alive immediately scattered and flee the scene as they couldn't handle the pressure anymore.

The middle-aged man smirked as he saw the fleeting army, "What kind of army that foolish king was training, to flee at the sight of their own reinforcement,"

The army immediately halted their movements as they heard what the middle-aged man said, "S-sir is the reinforcement? Then-"

*splurt

His head was sent flying before he could even finish his word. Disbelief was in his face but horror was in their allies'.

"I don't need you bunch, all of you are just deadweights," said the middle-aged man before he faced the Elaine and Parriot with a smile.

He didn't care about the fleeting deadweights, he leaned in both of them as he asked, "Hey, tell me, where is your savior?"

Both of them opened their eyes before they took a step back.

"Looks like, you are knowledgeable," said Parriot.

"What do you want with savior? Who are you?" asked Elaine.

"It's not a secret anymore, is it? You guys were entrapped by someone and he happened to be there and let you out, everyone knows the story," said the middle-aged man with an opened arm.

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners, my name is Zeth, I'm currently the leader of Legion in Deo's branch."

Jugen opened his eyes wide. This was the group they were looking for.

"You are surprised aren't you, Jugen?" asked Zeth as he faced toward a certain bush.

---------------

On the shore of Undine Lake, a certain woman finally opened her eyes and stood up.

Lyon gulped as he could feel that this teacher of his had finally reached up to his level in less than two days. (For some reason, I don't have confidence in handling her power).

"L-let's go, I'm ready," said Lyon albeit nervously.

Karina shook her head, "There is no point, we need to go to the battlefield."

"But, I told you, you need to-"

Karina took a few steps to the edges of the barrier which Scabbard was formed before she lightly put up her right hand and knocked.

*crack

Just a simple knock and Scabbard slowly scattered like it was when Lyon used Gungnir.

Lyon couldn't help but gulp before smiling, "W-what the hell."

He was glad that Karina was sensible enough not to punch his gut. Otherwise, he would be bedridden for a few days even with his speed of recovery.