Emperor's Reckoning

The waves of the calm ocean were soothing to the ears as the big ship keeled against them. Three huge masts opened their wings to catch the sea's blowing nature as the anchor slightly dangling like a keychain. One knight was standing inside the crow's nest on the lookout while everyone else was sailoring the vessel. 

At the tail of the ship was the captain's cabin. His door was made of thicker woods than the rest of the ship and one circle window was embedded on it. Inside his room was nothing but a single desk which he sat behind. Disregarding the papers he deemed as useless the man stood up before a knight knocked on the door.

"Come in."

One of the knights under his division opened the door before giving him a salute. The former didn't let out a single pause before he said, "Excuse me sir, but the prisoner-r-r-r, I mean, the guest required your attention."

The black knight didn't show any emotion before he nodded. He walked past by the knight before the latter opened the door for him. The smell of the sea immediately entered his nostrils before he saw a seagull in the sky. All of the knights gave him a salute before he made his way to the guest room.

"Commander, if I may," said the knight behind him.

"Hmm?" the black knight paused before facing his subordinate.

"It is the will of the emperor," said the black knight before his subordinate even asked the question in his thought. He saw the dissatisfaction on their faces before he continued, "The emperor must have his own reason to do so. I understand how you are all dissatisfied with the decision but I'm only following orders."

The black knight turned around before one of them asked, "Then, commander, is it true that he had all of us as a hostage? His power is almost the same as us, there is no way right?"

The black knight didn't turn a glance before he answered, "Maybe not all of you, but certainly most of you."

One of them slammed his hand against the air in denial. "That's impossible commander! With you around, the maximum number he could take us out is probably one!"

The one he was referring to was of course the archer who tried to utilize a sneak attack that ended in utter failure. 

"N-no, the commander is right."

The knights darted their eyes toward the source of the voice. It was none other than the archer himself. Though he only suffered a minor injury thanks to the commander's effort. It was apparent that his soul was shaken. His face was no longer the proud archer he was once before. There was something significantly changed about him. His gaze was no longer as bright as he used to be and his voice trembling.

"I-I saw it..." said the archer as he reminisced.

"Hahaha, what are you talking about?" said one of the knights jokingly before his collar was grabbed by the archer. His eyes were traumatic dead as the latter looked at him. "Y-y-you don't understand!"

He let go of the collar before he explained it to his colleagues. "The moment I released the nock, the moment the string started to push the arrow."

He took a big gulp as the images resurface, "Hh-he took a glance right back at me... as if he knew that I was going after his blindspot from the beginning!"

"Maybe it's just luck you know?" said one of the knights.

"You can ask all the other archers if you didn't believe me. You guys were lucky that you get to see how he moved from a different perspective! If you were on a wyvern, you would see how powerless you are!"

He looked at them each in the eyes except for the commander who didn't turn around. He looked at his trembling hands before he continued, "H-his speed, it was incredible. He was even faster than my arrow that could break a stone, not only that..."

"At the time I saw, how he would smirk at me even before the arrow even hit the ground. He took the time to actually smiled at the enemy before spinning a kick!"

The knights turned silent before one of them asked, "Aren't you archers going to deny one thing this guy said? This is the enemy we talked about?! Commander?!"

The black knight was silent before the knight asked again, "Y-you could beat him right?"

The commander crossed his arms before he answered, "If he were to be exhausted, then the answer is probably yes."

The knight gulped, "Y-you're joking right?" he smiled wryly, "Y-you are not just an ordinary Godhood cultivator commander!"

The black knight was silent the whole time before he stretched out his arm for the knights to see. All of their eyes opened wide in disbelief as the archers looked down. The proof was laid bare for them to see.

"Y-you're joking...but that's that's a black Mythril!"

The armor that covered his forearm was cracking the whole time from the kick as pieces dropped to the wooden floor. The knights gulped as they never saw a black Mythril at the peak of breaking point as if a regular fall would do it. All their words stuck on their throat as they realized how strong the enemy was. How lucky they were that the black knight was there. 

"I thought too, that he was using special items, magic items, weapons, or so on to kill King Loewe and his strong four. However, that single instance wiped my opinion like dust on window glass."

The black knight retracted his arm before one of the knights said with his knees turned weak, "B-but he is just a peak Divine Cultivator."

The whole ship trembled as they realized what was the scariest thing was. Potential. It was deemed impossible for a Divine Cultivator to kill a Godhood Cultivator. Yet, if one was capable of doing it without special means. What kind of cultivator would he become then.

"Monster. We are having a monster as a guest right now," muttered the archer.

The black knight let out a breath before he walked forward toward the guest room. He knew himself what kind of person the young man behind that door. The raging hate against the demi-humans had been going on before he was born. Skirmishes kept happening for the smallest grudges and offenses. It was a war that could only end with one side being totally terminated.

However, the person that destroyed the Andro Kingdom was a human who sided with the demi-humans. This made him puzzled alongside the emperor's request to meet him. 

The black knight was about to touch the doorknob before he heard the little girl demi-human said something.

"Older brother, you are a human but, why are you siding with us?"

The black knight refrained his action as he listened closely. His answer was the one he was seeking the most. If one of his allies asked it then that would be the best scenario. You could only believe what the enemy is saying fifty percent of the time.

"I'm not siding with you guys at all."

His answer caught the black knight off guard but he waited for his explanation.

"Then, whose side are you on?"

Lyon crossed his arms and legs on the sofa as he answered with pride on his chest.

"The one with the prettiest woman of course!"

Tuey's mouth immediately twitched as she asked, "Y-you're joking right?"

"All the pretty women in this world or the next, whether they have ears like a dog or tails like a fox, (Man I miss Kyoko), as long as I love her, I would try my best effort for her to fall for me."

Tuey put her hands on her face as her tail wiggled. (Ouwh, why am I being saved by such a pervert!).

"Just imagine an empire where all races living harmoniously with each other. They will only insult your differences as a joke between friends. All under one banner. Then I as the emperor shall marry a whole lot of beautiful women from all races to make it possible and love them all equally! HAHAHAHA!"

He heartily laughed like a pirate that found a once-in-a-lifetime treasure.

(Ouwh god in heaven, why such perfect man had to have flaw) thought Tuey though her face blushed like one of her blood vessels in her cheeks decided to pop.

"You know what's funny though, you are asking the same question a beautiful woman I come across two days ago, I think, or was it three days."

Tuey rubbed her eyes before she asked, "Oh really who?"

Lyon smiled, "The answer to that question will be revealed after I know her name. HAHAHA!"

Black lines covered her face as her mouth twitched once more. She couldn't believe how shameless this human older brother was. 

"Anyway, you can come in anytime you know, your black helmet looks like a sore thumb from the window."

Tuey raised her eyebrows before she darted a glance toward the door in which it was turning clockwise. The door was opened with a push before the black knight revealed himself.. Lyon smiled as he saw the latter.