Emperor's Reckoning

The number indicating the weight shot through like a rocket. The spectators gawked as they couldn't utter a word. There was one crucial thing in this world that was mak

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Oi stop..."

"One hundred, two, three, four... five... six?!"

"Seven! Seven no, eight Eight hundred?!"

"Nine... It stops at nine..."

Ivy turned around without even looking at the number. The Ice beauty had smashed Porealus's record in a blink of an eye. 

First Heaven was stumped. They couldn't comprehend as if they couldn't read the number displayed perfectly. The Mortal Cultivators had yet again, surpassed their own cultivators by far. There was no contest.

Folcre couldn't believe his eyes as he gawked against the total number that made his looks like a joke. They all had demeaned them to the point that they shouldn't have pride. The outsiders were never meant to smash records.

"That's..." Rupert stood up as his lips trembled. Forget the previous record. The all-time record couldn't hold a candle against what Ivy had scored. 

"That's..." the matriarch made a harsh swallow as even she couldn't believe her disciple could score such an absurd amount. "This must be..."

Tael nodded, "Our dear hero, he must have played a part in this, I'm sure of it. Also, I think my grandson got some spoils too, though... his face doesn't seem to be happy at all."

Zet's Father furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at his dejected son. (What happened to him? He is not as fiery as he used to be).

"I-Ivy! Nine... Nine hundred and eighty pounds!"

The spectators could see the numbers clearly but they still gasps in astonishment as the host called it out. The absurd number was unprecedented.

Carius looked at Hezar before he snorted as he averted his glance back toward the arena. "What's wrong? You need want some candy?"

"Kh!" Hezar glared at the man beside him. (How did this happen goddamnit! How could they perform so well in the first round!) thought Hezar as he tapped his right foot in a repeated manner.

"Ivy...!!" Felicia gritted her teeth. She was the one that hit her before and retaliated against her brother. Now, her total number far surpassed the number even if hers and her brother combined.

The cold beauty looked at Felicia before she averted her glance. She paid no heed to the things that Felicia had done to her. The pain already subsided but without her interference, she wouldn't have met Zet, which eventually led to that young man. She grinned before approaching Zet. "Give yours, it seems like they have changed the assessment."

Zet nodded before he walked forward. He cared not for the numbers that he scored and he cared not for the gasps of the spectators. He was thinking about the young man that had helped him return.

Zet took a deep breath before he lobbed the pouch that he was given. He quickly turned around without caring for the result.

"One.. two... five... seven..."

"Eight... Ni— oh Eight..."

"It's eight hundred! Flat!"

The number might not be able to surpass Ivy's but it still surpassed the whole heaven cultivators. Whilst the spectators glared and the royal stood up in disbelief, Prince Raul stood up.

"Impossible!"

"Hm?" Zet looked and the others took a glance to see Raul was pointing at the former.

"That number is absurd! There must be something wrong with the platform used! I request for the experts to check if they were flawed! Because it seems to me and any other sane eyes, the numbers seemed to be in reverse!"

The spectators had an epiphany with a snap of a finger. The participants naturally nodded in agreement.

"I think so as well, there must be something wrong with this platform."

"I see, so that's why they got such a high number, the number must have been in reverse."

Prince Rupert stood up before he commented, "I think that the number is also in reverse, for the past ten winners, if you are in favor to inspect the platform please raise your hand." He raised his.

Raul naturally raised his hand, then one by one, it was followed by the others. 

The Pala Kingdom already had a huge influence compared to the Golden Dragon Kingdom. They had occupied most of the talents in the top ten in the previous tournament. Naturally, most of them agreed.

Only one figure didn't raise her hand. She was the daughter of the Borg Kingdom. The princess where Lyon had a chance to have lunch with. Princess Hildegarde.

"Hilde..?" Raul furrowed his eyebrows.

"What?" asked Hilde. She was still in the arena with the other participants unlike the royals with their luxurious seats.

"Why don't you raise your hand? Don't tell me that you believe the platform is not faulty?"

Hilde crossed her arm as she looked at the prince. She had her back straight with her chest tightened. "I have my own opinion and you have yours, it's not like it's needed to be a unanimous thing."

"You.." Raul glared.

Hilde snorted before she turned around. She returned to her seat shortly after whilst watching the twilight blaze in the sky. One young man that sparked wildly out of nowhere still had not shown himself yet. 

"Then the decision has been made, please, double-check the platform to see if there is something wrong with it."

The experts from Afurnae immediately rushed to the scene before examining the platform. There was nothing wrong at a glance nor there were any significant changes. 

"This is why I don't enter the tournament even if they begged me," muttered Cecile as she furrowed her eyebrows. The absurd abuse of power could leave people gawked and no longer shaking their heads. The blatant discrimination against the Mortal Cultivators was apparent and left on. "That, and nothing could be gained from this tournament."

"I see," muttered Lumina. "Heh, even I just noticed that the Golden Dragon Kingdom is here too."

"Oh? What's wrong?" asked Cecile as she took a glance at Lumina.

Lumina shook her head. "Nothing, just a stupid arranged marriage that has been canceled, by blood."

"Oh, I see," Cecile smiled as she chose not to pry further. "So you don't tell Lyon that you knew him?"

"I did," answered Lumina. "However, I didn't tell him what he was."

"I appreciate that." Cecile nodded. "He must know the past by himself and less by others."

"I still can't believe it, he is the Lyon Torga," she crackled her fist.

Cecile took a quick glance against her fury mood before she let out a sigh. "There is no need to regret what happened. You got the present and the future now, all that pain of waiting for him was worth it in the end. The fact that you live, the old him would have been glad."

Lumina was silent.

"I'm sorry! Older Sister!"

A shout broke out the silence as Porealus and Ivy looked at Zet with their eyes opened wide. 

The young sword genius was bowing against the auburn woman. He closed his eyes with his teeth gritted.

"Z-Zet?" muttered Porealus before she was stopped by Ivy from approaching the young talent.

"Hm?" Cecile lazily turned her glance at Zet. 

"I'm sorry!" He repeated. "Big brother Lyon, he sacrificed his Returning Jade Stone so I can return!"

"Hm?!" Hezar opened his eyes wide as his heart twitched in happiness. "Hahaha! Hahahaha!"

He immediately let out a hearty laugh as he stood up. "Look's like your husband truly has a noble heart! However, such a shame, his only fate was to be eaten by the boars in that place."

"SHUT UP HEZAR!"

Cecile raised one of her eyebrows before she smiled. The roar didn't come from her throat but rather the red-haired swordsman himself.

Hezar's nose slowly wrinkled as his eyebrows furrowed. The vein in his temple was slightly visible. His killing intent erupted and enveloped the youth. "Watch your tone..."

Zet opened his eyes wide as the crawling cold traversed his spine. He immediately drew Irae before pointing it against Hezar. "I will not let you tarnish his name!"

"You!"

"Lay one finger against him then we will make a scene," Tael was standing with his hand already touching the hilt of his sword. He might be old but the fire inside his body won't be put out if his grandson was at stake.

"Heh, you? You think you can take me?" said Hezar.

"Maybe not, but you won't have full limbs when we're done."

(G-Grandfather...) thought Zet before he made a harsh swallow. "He won't be eaten!"

"What?" Hezar turned his glance back.

"He won't be eaten! There is no way that he would, I apologized not because I put him in danger, but because I'm afraid that he was late for the tournament since dusk is approaching its end."

"Heh, hahaha! What makes you so sure about this, big brother of yours!"

"He had defeated a four-horned hellboar," Zet smirked. "Singlehandedly."

The wrinkled nose of Hezar immediately relaxed with his eyes opening wide. The words that came out from Zet's lips felt like a crashing wave against the brittle sand.