Emperor's Reckoning

The old man blinked twice in disbelief as his mouth slightly went agape. (Well this is not something I would have expected to happen).

He gulped his saliva before darting his glance from Lyon to the destroyed caravan beside him. Tuey was sitting dumbfounded with her hair fluttering from the open wind. The twins were holding each other by arms as they looked at their master in fright. The only calm one was, of course, the beautiful lady with deadly eyes that let out a sigh.

Lyon took his glance away from the bandit's leader that lost his consciousness from the brutal impact. The latter's pride as the leader was instantly crushed along with the ground he was standing on. 

"Hm?" Lyon furrowed his eyebrows toward the rest of the bandits.

"Eeek!"

The front-most person of the group immediately shrieked and ran away. Lyon witnessed the domino effect in place as the rest of them followed the first's action. The last one had his legs shaking as the sword on his waist trembled before Lyon took one step forward.

"Ah!"

The last bandit turned around too quickly and stumbled on his own legs as he tried to take the first step. He fell with a thud but quickly got up and continued running. The comical act broke Tuey's surprised face to a chuckle.

"Fusya!"

"Eh??"

Lyon was surprised as something was rubbing against his thigh. He naturally turned around before his face froze at the sight of the giant lizard.

"...."

(W-What is this?) thought Lyon with a gulp.

He knew that the lizard was showing its affection toward him as it kept rubbing its head against his leg however, this was probably the wildest things he had ever woken up to in his life. 

"Fusya?"

Lyon tilted his head as he muttered the word the being kept saying.

"Fusya! Fusya!"

The lizard being nodded twice before it actually stood up to Lyon's disbelief. The towering height surprised him but he kept his crossed arms before his figure was embraced by the soft skin. The giant lizard being closed its eyes and a giant smile was formed.

"Fusya! Fusya!!"

Tuey naturally pouted, she was jealous that Lyon could easily bond with the giant cutie that easily. 

"Hohoho~"

The old man laughed with his hands behind his back as he approached Lyon.

"Buwah!"

Lyon pushed the giant lizard away and kept his arms forward as to hold him off to embrace him. 

"I'm all in for being suffocated, hehe, but not from a giant salamander!" shout Lyon in annoyance. 

"Fusya!"

The lizard didn't mind nor did it understood what Lyon was saying as it kept its giant body against him.

"Salamander?"

The rest of the group tilted their head in confusion. It was a word that they never came across nor heard before. 

"Older brother what's a salamander?" asked Tuey.

"What? A talking dog?"

"Y-Y-You! You meanie! Hmph!" 

She couldn't believe that Lyon would still say the joke. She pouted with a crossed arms and refused to see his face.

Lyon took a peek at her expression and chuckled.

"A salamander is this guy! or gal! Honestly, I don't know if this is a female or male," said Lyon to Fusya blinking eyes.

"What are you talking about young man? This being is called Fusya, a type of demonic beast that roamed in this world. It is quite famous for its tendency with humans and their capabilities of dragging a caravan."

"Fusya? A demonic beast? You mean that this giant salamander is a demonic beast?"

"Yes, it is."

"Really?" said Lyon with a skeptical tone.

"Well, if you are talking about the aggressiveness of its race then no. Fusya is less aggressive than dogs but as loyal as them. Though, loyalty means nothing without sufficient strength these days."

Lyon smirked, "Loyalty is a type of strength in itself. Even the presence alone could bring power to others."

"Fusya Fusya!"

Fusya nodded twice in agreement as if it knew what Lyon was talking about.

"Alright that's enough," said Lyon as Fusya laid flat like a lizard.

Lyon stretched his neck against the sunset with a few popping sounds before saying, "So, Fusya, huh, where is your owner?"

The old man shook his head, "The young driver is dead."

"Oh..."

Lyon looked at the corpse of the young man on the ground before darting his glance at the bandit's leader.

"So, what are we going to do with him?" said Lyon as he pointed downward at the bandit.

"Hmm, I think tied him up and gave him to the officials? He might be a fugitive with a bounty on his head."

"Alright, fellas, tied him up!"

Lyon was obviously referring to the twin servants that he had not given names to yet. 

"Y-yes master!"

"Don—"

"Yes, master?"

"Ah forget it. Oh right, since I remember, here I got a gift for each of you."

"Gift?"

"Yeah."

"For us?"

"That's what I said, yeah."

Warm liquid suddenly built up in the corner of their eyes as they look at the new master. Kindness was the thing that they often forgot about. However, the aloof new master of theirs was someone that's unique and one of a kind, unlike their previous master.

(Oh crap, they're crying) thought Lyon before he shook his head with a smile.

"Held your head up high, both of you. I will be naming you two right now as the sun be the witness of this sacred moment." 

The twin servants looked at him in disbelief as tears rolling down their cheeks.

"You on the right, your name will be Rue!" 

"You on the left, your name will be Lue!"

Lyon grinned as he muttered, "Now prove your worth! Your desire to live!"

Lyon flicked his finger before a pair of sabers appeared on both of his hands. He stabbed them both to the ground before Lyon took a step back. 

"A sentient weapon?!"

"A twin sentient weapon?"

Lyon crossed his arms, "Yes, a twin sentient weapon! No rule does it say that only one owner could have them both."

"Now!" Lyon's eyes turned sharp before he continued, "call forth your names and conquer them!"

The twin was enveloped with anxiety as they hold each other's hands. Those innocent eyes of them looked at each other before they nodded. They both turned around before Lyon grinned as he saw the determination behind those eyes.

"Rue!"

"Lue!"

The moment each of them touched the hilt of their respective sabers. Their heart thumped almost as if they were about to explode. Their knees immediately gave out.

"AACK!"

"AACK!"

Both of them screamed before they gritted their teeth as they looked down with veins popping up on their foreheads. Their pupils and iris were already gone as they held the pain from the repelling force coming out of the two sabers.

"Don't falter now!" shouted Lyon.

"The two sabers didn't want to acknowledge them," the old man shook his head.

"They will."

"Forget it, Lyon, you are only hurting them."

"No, a sentient weapon does not judge the cultivation level of its potential users. It's their will, their personality, their morals, and everything else. It's all about feelings. Besides, I never said anything about acknowledging. Those sentient weapons are hard-headed and picky, so the ideal way of thinking is, conquer!"

"Don't think that you are beneath them! Think that you are above them! Rise and beyond! Rue and Lue, you are one that is two and two that is one!"

Hearing those words coming out of their master's mouth made their pupils and irises came back as they gritted their teeth. They looked at each other as a mirror to one another before both of them moved in the same motion. Their trembling knees started to raise up with apparent struggle before both of them were standing straight.

"Haaah!"

Both of them roared all their might as Lyon smirked. The sabers were pulled out by their hands.

"Good!" 

Lyon shouted as he looked at both of them passing out at the same time and fell with a unison thud. The rest of the group was agape at the performance they showed.

"Though they are not yet conquered, you guys are one step forward," Lyon muttered as he looked at both sabers stayed in their respective hands.

*clap *clap *clap

The group furrowed their eyebrows as someone came approaching. The person wore a cloak that covered his entire body as nothing but its height they could roughly measure.

"To think that I would meet one of the one hundred competitors in this road."

Lyon furrowed his eyebrows as he heard the slightly feminine voice however, he couldn't see her face behind the emotionless mask that she wore.

"The way you act, your bearing and the way you say your words, your nickname suits you well, Lyon Torga."

"Hmm..."

Lyon's eyes turned sharp before he muttered, "Are you... did we... I mean are you... one of my women?"

.

.

"Fusya?"

.

.

"What?"

The masked woman was not the only that was confused the rest of the group was frozen.