Emperor's Reckoning

Cecile's abrupt arrival had not had any celebrational welcome. None of them would have ever thought that she would come to such meeting for more, now of all times. 

"E-Empress!" the onlookers exclaimed.

There was no mistaking that auburn beauty. Forever etched in their minds especially the young female cultivators. The number one idol that had influenced them all. She stood at the pinnacle of all women in the world.

Ivy narrowed her eyes before she took a glance against Yunesia who smiled at her. (It's your doing isn't it?) thought Ivy as she narrowed her eyes. 

Suddenly the atmosphere turned tenser with the budding anticipation. She had never come into the meeting and her position was unknown amongst the four of them.. They were all gulping down their saliva.

"W-What do you think?"

"Will she activate a higher pillar than them? I mean, her strength and beauty have been renounced for a long time now."

Porealus stood on top of his seat with both feet before greeted her with opened arms, "Well, well, well, this surely has become the meeting of the ages! Welcome, Empress Cecile! Your fame precedes you."

Cecile shook her head, "And who are you?"

"Ah! How cruel, don't you remember when we meet a long time ago at the banquet that your mother held?" smiled Porealus.

"Hardly," Cecile shook her head. Her mother threw a lot of banquets because she thought that her daughter had grown to be an introvert. She tried to get her to know the outside world as much as she could but to no avail. 

"How cold, all these two ladies are cold," said Porealus as he shook his head.

"Ivy, you look as cold as usual," said Cecile before she called out the cold beauty.

Ivy raised her eyebrows before she narrowed her eyes. She let out a sigh as she leaned back to her seat.

"Like you're the one to talk. However, what's the sudden change. You usually never go out much. We all know that you are colder than me even if I'm the one with ice," said Ivy.

Her tone was redundant. Nobody knew if she was being sarcastic or not but nevertheless Cecile smirked while slightly shook her head.

"I was never the cold type," muttered Cecile, "just indifferent I suppose."

"What makes you come here? Why now... of all time?" asked Ivy as she cut out to the chase.

"Wait wait! Let me ask the question first, Ice Queen," intercepted Porealus.

"Tch, Arunga."

"Thank you very much!" smiled Porealus as he disregard the glare she gave her.

"I've heard an unsettling rumor about you, Empress," said Porealus calmly with a hinge of a smirk on his smile.

"I'm no longer the Empress, I've let go of the throne for a while now. I'm Cecile now, just Cecile," said Cecile.

"I don't think anyone is going to do that," chuckled Porealus before he continued, "After all, you are the empress at heart and not just at papers."

Cecile shrugged her shoulders, "Do as you wish."

"Fine then, Miss Cecile, I've heard that you are married?"

Ivy's eyes instantly turned into a glare of disbelief. She had received the same information from the spies that he sent to. She didn't believe it. (There must be something wrong, there was no way that she of all people could find someone under the sun that she deemed worthy. Don't tell me..) her eyebrows rose as a smirk of a young man appeared in her mind.

Cecile smiled and nodded.

"She admits it?!"

"She is married?!"

"And from her smile, it seems that it's from love and not political marriage."

"Who could have... No... no way..."

Porealus lowered his eyebrows after he was surprised by her admission. (She is not an empress for nothing) thought Porealus as he smiled.

"Sorry Zet, you ran out of luck, look's like the beauty had been captivated by a man."

"Heh, what are you talking about big brother, I'm more excited to fight her! After all, I could hardly contain my scabbard anymore," said Zet as he glared at Cecile. His red hair flared with his right hand reaching out the hilt of that ominous but simple curved sword.

"A-Amazing, so this is the Empress!"

"Our swords seemed to want to come out and test their might just by being in the vicinity of her gaze!"

"This is the first time ever since the late ancestor!"

The swordsmen and swordswomen behind Zet were astonished and couldn't help but to admit the prowess Cecile had. 

"Big sister can I?" asked Zet as he grinned in excitement.

"You will lose though," said Cecile with a smirk.

The experts could see that she was not acting strong but there was some truth to her word. 

"Then...?!" his eyes suddenly opened wide as his heart thumped a wild thump.

"?!"

"Huh?!"

The swords were trembling to a concerning tremor. The intensity was never seen before in the history of their crafts. 

The nobles from Arunga's side immediately furrowed their eyebrows before they surrounded their young master. Porealus's eyes turned sharp as he remained standing while watching the surrounding sky.

The women from Yuki's side did the same as Ivy refused to remain seated. Her eyes were scanning as her divine sense spread outward. She was looking right and left but only came out with naught.

"Young master Zet, please be cautious!" said one of the swordsmen as they covered their young master to the fullest. Though, their rattling swords didn't give much reassurance.

"W-What's happening? Don't tell me, big sister? Did you do this?" asked Zet.

Cecile shook her head with a smile.

"W-What's going on?!"

"Why is everyone turning vigilant all of the sudden?!"

"Are we under attack?!"

"Then we must be ready too... whatever that is."

The onlookers could only help themselves in this situation. However, their gaze soon averted as someone from the crowd suddenly said.

"Look, Lady Yunesia is still sitting!"

Ivy was the first one to glare at her opposing side. Her eyebrows furrowed (She must have known something about this situation).

Zet looked at his shaking sword before he decided to hold it off with both of his hands. Suddenly he realized something as his pupils constricted. The flash of thought never crossed his mind before. The word that was far off and he rarely used.

(The sword is.... frightened?!).

"Well, well, well, I thought this meeting is a private one, heh."

The three geniuses immediately furrowed their eyebrows as their eyes turned sharp. Even with their heightened sense and alert stance, they couldn't detect where the voice came from.

The white cloud was pierced through before a figure landed right in the center of the plateau with a squat.

"Fuu~" the young man let out a breath before he stood up.

Four figures already stood behind him just as soon as he crossed his arms with his iconic smirk.

"T-That's!"

Ivy opened her eyes wide as she looked at the man in front. The iconic smirk had the uncanny resemblance against the copy of a poster that she got from her spies. Her gaze refused to blink as Porealus and Zet took the same stance.

Zet was embarrassingly holding his swords as cold sweat begin to adorn his forehead. He had never felt such nervousness before but seeing that young man that was probably at the same age as he frightened his soul. (Wh-What is he?!)

Porealus knew his hands were trembling but he refused to take a look at it. One blink away and who knows what that young man going to do. (Without a doubt) he grinned (This is the young man that could conquer Empress's heart!).

"Ah! He is here!" one expert suddenly screamed whilst grabbing his head with both hands.

Ivy furrowed her eyebrows (Being branded and put on a bounty by one of the great families in Mortal World, his demise was nothing but certain. Yet, the outcome was outward absurd. Treas destructions were sudden and devastating but under their fall, one name had recently surfaced like wildfire in a thick forest. Destroying every auction house that they had, he left nothing, not even the pot of lands that the building stood).

His sarong and hair were fluttering against the gale of spring as he courted all the attention in the famous meeting. Everyone knew his name but refused to utter it. The man that was responsible for the fall of Treas, the family that was dubbed to have the riches that could drown a world, was there in the Summit of Geniuses. 

"Lyon... Torga" muttered Ivy as she looked at the team as a whole.

Lyon and the others brought about a domineering bearing that far exceed the others. Her vanity meant nothing in front of him as none would dare to offend him.

"Look closely, Ivy, if you want a man strong enough to handle you, this is the man. You are looking at the paramount of genius!" said Yunesia through mana transmission.