Emperor's Reckoning

Three. 

There were three mortal cultivators standing on the opposite end of the seventh step. The three of them were outnumbered and they only need one more elimination before advancing to the next round.

One was noble, one was a swordsman, and the last one was a wild young man. The combination of the three couldn't hope to overcome the numbers in front of them if they were ordinary.

The atmosphere was choking. They were witnessing that at least three of the four mortal cultivators will be the next top ten winners of the competition. History was about to be made and records be broken.

Lyon smirked as he took the lead of the three.

"Look's like we have to fight," muttered Porealus as he sighed.

"There is no other way around it," said Zet before he smiled. "But with big brother here, there is no way that we can lose."

The four kings above didn't stand idly either as the four of them gave a variety of expressions. The fight on the ninth step had stopped as Ivy and Folcre couldn't manage to land a hit against one another.

"Hmmm, with Ivy being there, she basically locked Folcre through his ego," uttered Wanda.

"I see," nodded Cherie. "Folcre being the favorite will burden him for sticking at least on par with Ivy, however..." her goosebumps suddenly rose as she jerked off her shoulder. "I feel like, the tenth step will be stepped on."

Wanda grinned, "We both know who of all of them had the ability to cross that barrier."

Kesya furrowed her eyebrows as she took notice of the mother-daughter duo from the Sverine Kingdom.

"Hmm..." she crossed her arms. "It seems like our emperor is at it again."

Cecile raised her eyebrows, "Again?"

"Again," nodded Kesya as she grinned.

Cecile blinked twice before she averted her glance from this half-elf toward the Sverine Kingdom.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the expression of the woman. "I see... looks like everywhere he goes, he always charms the powerful women in the area."

Cecile chuckled before Lumina furrowed her eyebrows.

"Hm?" She noticed Lumina's gaze before she smiled. "Being angered by something like this is not my job, that's Selena's job, she is a jealous little girl."

Kesya chuckled, "That's true, that's true!"

Assid let out a sigh, "It's hectic every time Empress Selena got jealous, she even outrun the Tetragram Chariot once."

"That 'once' is because you only saw it once," chuckled Cecile. "She is more capable than just outrunning the four stallions."

Lumina pondered amidst their laugh of reminiscing. (Selena...).

"Cecile, can you tell me about Maria?"

The atmosphere suddenly shifted and turned damp.

Cecile's turned sharp before she closed her eyes. Lumina noticed that the other had averted their glance toward the ground.

"Maria..." Cecile muttered before she shook her head. She smiled as she looked at Lyon crossing his arms against the cultivators from First Heaven. "She is... special."

"Hmm?" Lumina narrowed her eyes.

"Empress Maria is... very kind," said Kesya as she smiled. "She always smiled at me and everyone she met."

Lumina could see a hint of tear from Kesya's eyes as she looked at the ground. However, she noticed that Graham balled his fist as he clenched his jaw. (What happened... who is she...).

"Hold it down, Graham," uttered Cecile as she crossed her legs, "You too, Assid."

"My apologies, empress," said Assid as he bowed down.

Graham let out a sigh as he looked at his master on the seventh step.

Lyon crossed his arms once more. Despite the number didn't favor his group, he was still nonchalant. With only one elimination left to do, he could close his eyes and pick a random cultivator standing behind the siblings.

"I do say, that I was not expecting you guys to be so much of a coward," said Lyon as he shrugged his shoulders with his eyes closed. He shook his head, "And you put your pride as the First Heaven cultivators."

"What?!"

"You dare mock us?!"

"Know your place trash!"

The cultivators furrowed their eyebrows in unison. They all gritted their teeth, spouting insults, but they didn't take a single step forward. The pathetic profanity was subpar compared to his sharp tongue.

"Dare to mock you? Do you think I dare to mock your two princes and I didn't dare to mock you? Are you saying that you are higher than the two princes? Then, I apologize," Lyon raised his chin.

The cultivators immediately gawked in disbelief as they heard his words. They immediately palpitated as they look back and forth against the princes.

Meanwhile, the lady of the Sverine Kingdom grinned. "He is really dangerous, he twisted their insult just like that."

The four kings furrowed their eyebrows. The mortal cultivator might get a bat of an eyelid but it won't be bigger than that. To think that he dared to twist their words right in front of them and make the cultivators of the First Heaven look bad.

"Cease your twisting word!"

The crowd was stumped before the cultivators on the seventh step turned around to see Hezar standing up while pointing at the young man that wanted his head.

"You dare to disrespect the cultivators of the First Heaven, don't you realize that your remaining lifespan is only as long as the tournament?" Hezar inwardly grinned. (The young brat couldn't keep his act together and offended both Pala and Golden Dragon at the same time).

"Heh, are you talking about me or are you talking about you?" said Lyon as he raised his chin.

"Kh! You!" glared Hezar.

Lyon averted his glance from the raging middle-aged man toward the man in front of him. The siblings might not be as powerful as that one-fourth soul of Eternal Golem, but going all out against them would be overkill.

"Porealus, Zet, why don't you guys go to the eighth step and test your limit, I will handle this."

Porealus and Zet raised their eyebrows as they saw the back of the youth. 

"Are you sure, big brother?" asked Zet.

Lyon nodded. "There is no need to worry."

"Welp, can't deny that offer," said Porealus as he was the first to cancel his stance. "Thanks."

He jumped toward the eighth step before the atmospheric pressure made his landing not a pretty one. He immediately felt his knees wanting to kiss the stair he was on.

"Damn... talk about a monstrous aura," he muttered. 

He forced up a smile before he took a glance at the woman on the ninth step. He couldn't imagine how strong it was on that platform, but furthermore, the woman that was standing there. (What a woman).

Ivy couldn't be bothered by what's happening below as all her concentration was occupied for Folcre and the steady pressure from above. 

"Go, Zet," said Lyon.

"But..."

The young swordsman was doubting himself. The young man in front of him had to make sure that he went past the first round. Without him, he wouldn't have made it to the second round.

Zet shook his head as his eyes turned sharp, "No."

"Hm?" Lyon raised his eyebrows but he didn't turn around. "What do you mean no?"

"I won't leave you behind big brother, not again," said Zet. "The Argonaut Family won't have any of such thing!"

(Damn, alright) thought Lyon as he smiled (But he will spoil my plan though).

'No, you need to go to the eighth step, it is crucial that you do so.'

Zet raised his eyebrows as he receive mana transmission from him. (He got a plan?).

'But big brother, you have saved me from elimination in the first round, it was only because of you that I'm in this round, I can't leave you alone! It would be a spit to my soul!'

'Goddamn, it kid! If you want to repay me then do so by introducing me to your beautiful sister or something!'

'I-I don't have a sister, sadly.'

'Then shut up and do as I say!'

'But...'

Lyon's face turned to a scowl before he turned around to Zet's and everyone else's surprise.

"Eh?"

He grabbed the youth by the collar before throwing him toward the eighth step.

"Woah wait!" said Porealus as he couldn't even raise his arms fast enough to catch Zet.

The two of them crashed before they rolled on the eighth step.

"Kh!" Porealus was faced down (Damn bastard! I can't get up!).

"I-I can't move..." said Zet as he was hardly hanging on from being blasted away by the four kings combined aura.

Lyon clapped his hands as if he was cleaning the dust. 

"Now then," Lyon crossed his arms as he smirked. "Time for me to go to the eighth step."

He leaped before landing right between his two fallen brothers.

.

.

.

The crowd was silenced. They thought that Lyon was about to rumble against all of them.

Altre, Felicia, and the rest of the cultivators stood in disbelief as they saw the youth walking to the edge of the step before staring them down with his confident smile.