Emperor's Reckoning

"Come then!!" shouted the king of the Golden Dragon Kingdom with a trembling and daunting roar. Though his kingdom was suddenly cornered, he was able to ignite his people's morale.

"Ya!!!" The Golden Dragon soldiers immediately railed up according to their king's wish. They didn't lack power, after all, the Golden Dragon was the strongest dragon in this land. They ruled the sky and oversees the ground.

The Sverine Kingdom had their morale being trampled by the roar of the Golden Dragons. There was only a handful that could withstand the mountainous pressure that they exuded, many else, collapsed.

"Do you still dare to fight us to the bitter end? Wanda?!" shouted the king of the Golden Dragon Kingdom with a destructive tone. The king had a pair of golden wings spurted out of his back. It was broad, broader than what Lumina had on her back. He was the pureblood lineage of the magnificent beast, both ancient and powerful.

The queen heed the call as she furrowed her eyebrows. Position-wise, she was at disadvantage due to her being more crafty at magic rather than art. The imposing king had done some number on her mentality the moment those blue eyes turned golden. However, experiencing the heavy aura, she wondered, for that young man had actually overcome this with ease. Instantly she knew, the only one capable to kill the king of the First Heaven's sky was other than Lyon.

However, the problem immediately arose. Lyon was still young, his cultivation level had not yet reached True God, heck, he didn't even ascend to Ascending God cultivation yet. The disparity between the youth and the old king's cultivation was still too far.

"The question is," the queen smiled wryly, "do you dare to fight to the bitter end? You might win, but at the cost that even you would get hurt."

The King of the Golden Dragon smiled before his feet slowly left the ground he was standing. His smirk was condescending as he crossed his arms. This power move instantly garnered the attention of the whole city.

"At the 'cost'? Killing you would be enough cost that I can handle, a magic-type cultivator, you are clearly at a disadvantage."

"Tch!" she quietly clicked her tongue as she furrowed her eyebrows. The king didn't bite the bait. It was clear that they could maul them since they were almost artless.

"Hmph!" The king let out a disdainful snort before he looked at the Bolg Kingdom. The weakest kingdom of the four. "State your stand Bolg! Are you against me, or are you joining me, cleansing First Heaven once and for all!"

Wanda saw the chance with a twitch of her eyebrows. She immediately sent a mana transmission to the youth below.

'Lyon, the Golden Dragon king is a powerful figure, we can retreat now and achieve victory in the future. With your talent, there is no need to worry, we will keep you safe from their advancement. War is inevitable Lyon, we are your ally. Focus on your cultivation in a safe place then we will come knocking at their door with you as our gigantic spear.'

'Hmm...' Lyon replied.

Wanda narrowed her eyes, she squinted her glance as she saw the young man standing with a smirk on his face. (What is he thinking?).

"We..." Hilde hesitated. Her hands were trembling even when she balled them into a fist. Though she had conquered Gae Bolg, the sentient weapon and pride of the Bolg Kingdom, it was not enough to face the king of the Golden Dragon.

Through bloodline alone, the king had conquered one-fourth of First Heaven.

"There is no need to rush to answer that, princess."

Hilde raised her eyebrows as the king furrowed. She was looking at Lyon who had his arms crossed.

He was facing the hovering king in the sky with dauntless eyes. His legs were slightly spread. The death of King Pala was like the death of some random bandit to him.

"Lyon!" the king roared as the mantra traveled by air as its medium. However, the blow of the shock only fluttered the youth's hair.

(Wh-What?!) said the king inwardly. The devastating blow of his mantra should have obliterated him, but the dauntless young man didn't even have a single hair plucked out of his scalp.

"Do you think that it would be enough? A mantra from such weak bloodline dare to prance against the true ruler of the firmament?"

As the words fell, everyone knew Afurnae will be destroyed today.

"You dare to mock me?!" said the king as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Wait, father!" shouted the prince of the Golden Dragon Kingdom before he continued, "Let me handle him!"

The king didn't even nod and his son already leaped.

Rupert landed perfectly on the arena and he had a similar daunting aura that his father had. It was obvious to the crowd that he had good genes inside his body. The dominating aura of the Golden Dragon might not be as conquering as his father, but it was there and ready to grow.

The prince was the role model of most youth, he was the winner of the last tournament. His achievement was far more elusive than Raul and he was famed for his nobility and justness. He was as talented as he was charming, a bright future awaits him if things didn't suddenly go sideways.

"I've been itching to fight you, Lyon Torga," said Rupert as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you dare to accept my challenge, with one on one duel between you and me?"

The sudden challenge from Rupert's mouth had yet again, changed the way the sudden skirmish was heading. The crowd was astounded, but with this way, he might be able to avoid the destruction of Afurnae.

"I refuse," answered Lyon flat out.

Rupert couldn't believe his ears, but the queen of the Sverine Kingdom had a smile on her face. She knew that Lyon was not a nobleman, he was in fact leaning toward debauchery than the act of nobility. 

"W-What?!" exclaimed Rupert.

"It's no use, my son! There is no need to speak a lot of words to a man like him! He has not the pride of a dragon yet dare to ridicule the might of our bloodline," said the king of the Golden Dragon.

"Oh?" Lyon raised one of his eyebrows before he smirked. "The pride of a dragon you say?"

"That's right! You might have a goat and a giant monkey, but it is nothing compared to the Golden Dragon that ruled the sky of First Heaven!" the king stated proudly.

"Oh, that son of a bitch dies today!" said Sun with a full hint of rage.

"What makes you think that I don't have a dragon with me?" said Lyon as he smirked.

"Huh?" the king furrowed his eyebrows along with his son.

Wanda had her mouth slightly gaped open as she muttered, "It can't be... no.. you can't be..."

She knew of the Seven-horned Calamity Goat and she knew of the Devil Ape. Those two were paramount beasts that resided in the deepest of hell. If the young man still had another blessing up with his sleeve, then even she couldn't fathom how far he will go.

Lyon's eyes turned sharp before his pupils turned a jade glow. 

"Just because you have wings... you think you have ruled the sky?"

The king's pupils immediately shrunken as he looked into Lyon's eyes. It was the color of jade but it was purer than the Jade Dragon race. He faintly recognized the feeling. His bloodline immediately submit as the surrounding mana on the youth's figure shifted its color as well.

The firight feeling was intensely instincetive. No image behind the youth had formed yet his soul was already submitting. Drench sweat was covering the king's face as he looked closer at the young man from the Mortal World.

His heart thumped as seconds went by. No one in the entire First Heaven had ever made him feel this way. He knew he was holding something grand, something that shouldn't belong in First Heaven.

"Heh," Lyon smirked before he opened his crossed arms. He spoke hardly any words as his presence suddenly changed. The conquering aura of the Golden Dragons immediately felt minuscule compared to him. 

*Thump!

The king felt the wild thump from his chest. His pupils shrunkened as he made a harsh gulp. His aura was immediately pulled by the fright that his soul was tormented by. His mind figured out what he was seeing. A jade that was purer than the Jade Dragon. There was only one being that could overcome even his bloodline with those characteristics.

(The haughty and cold race that said to rule Paradise!) thought Wanda as her pupils shrunk. "Impossible... that race knew no man."

The image started to flare out behind Lyon's back as the letters vibrantly illuminated.

"A...A... True.... Dragon!" muttered the king as he came face to face with Shen's enormous head.