Emperor's Reckoning

The chieftain’s remaining eye squinted in pain before it snapped open as a figure was blocking the view of the sun. The bundle of muscles immediately rolled over to the side and narrowly dodged the incoming stomp.

Lyon didn’t even leer nor hear the orc’s ‘Tch!’ before an ax was coming his way. The world was creating a subtle movement as the land slightly shift from the momentum of the swing, however, the dark mist sword immediately repelled the incoming hack with a loud ding.

“Die,” Lyon whispered before he took a half step further and once again entered the orc’s range.

“It’s you who is going to die!” shouted the orc before his pupil’s shrunk as a dark flash went past him.

Lyon was standing a distance away with his back facing the orc to the silence of the battlefield.

*Thud…

No blood sprayed the air but a piece of bone fell with a thud. It was one of the pair of the tusk of the mighty orc.

The latter stood in disbelief. There was no blade that could severe his limbs in all of his experience living a war-like life, yet a human did so. The sharpness of the blade and the force of the swing were able to cut through the toughest part of the body, the bones.

“A human cutting an orc’s bone mid-fight, what kind of strength is harboring in that little body of yours,” the chieftain turned with his hands tightened. “Blessing of three mythical beings, how can you sustain that form.”

He saw with his remaining eye, the there names that as glowing out of his back. The three beings were no joke. The amplified power of his swing could support the real sharpness of the sword he was holding now. No more grazing, no more parrying, the man was on the assault.

“Heh, since you are riddled with that corrupted energy, then I shall show you mine!” shouted the chieftain before Anti-Mana from within the core of his meridian burst out. “You’re not the only one with that buff trick. This is the blessing of my ancestor! The ancestors before me! The bloodline of the Rakumtatak!”

The veins inside his body lit up as the vascularity of his body was ever more vivid. With speed and strength, the chief slowly turned into the ultimate warrior, one could even hear his heartbeat on the battlefield.

“I never thought that I would use this against a human, I swore I thought I would use it against those seraphim cultivators,” said the mighty chief to the roar of his subordinates. “Now then, let’s start round two.”

“Rakumtatak?” Galaeron frowned. “Where did I hear that before.”

“Rakumtatak? That guy is still alive?” muttered Assid before he frowned as he darted his glance against the chief of the orc before penetrating his four fingers against a coming orc without sparing a leer. He pulled them out before adjusting his glasses with the finger of the same hand, “Now this is a surprise.”

“You seem to be not deterred by the name that I shout, but your followers sure do,” the chief grinned. “You shall see the power that is my birthright!” said the chief before he roared and moved forward like the wind.

“Hm?!” Lyon raised his brows before he quickly slashed his sword as he turned. However, his blade only penetrates a grinning image.

“I’m over here, human,” whispered the orc against Lyon’s ears.

Lyon had a crawling cold shooting from the base of his spine to the peak of his nape just right before his back arched the wrong way.

“Gah!” Blood penetrated through his gritted teeth before the punch from the orc propelled him toward the forest. Lyon’s body crashed against the set of trees in a line in the forest before finally stopping down with a somersault in mid-air and using his feet as brakes against the soft ground.

“What the…” Agist blinked a few times. “What kind of black magic did the orc do?!”

“To think that the juvenile monster would be propelled with a single fist. What the hell is happening on the battlefield right now?” Connak squinted his eyes.

“Hahaha, war was never a sure thing even though one might be more overwhelming than the others, at the end of the day, the victors are those who are still breathing,” said Galaeron before he furrowed his brows. “Though, I never thought that green-skin half-giant half-pig would have such tremendous power hiding inside him.”

Galaeron rubbed his chin, “Rakumtatak, I swore I have heard that name before.”

“Rakumtatak,” Agist muttered. “Does the orc also have a powerful bloodline?”

Nora grinned. (That pig bastard! He is hiding his ace card all along! Damn! I never thought this thick-headed creature would be this powerful! The leader was right, going against the orc is a no-go, though, if we could cultivate out his Anti-Mana the seal would have weakened no problem). “Huh,” Nora suddenly had his shoulders locked before he leered left and right, darted forth and back, “Where is he?”

Though he had suffered the first blow, there was no way that he would die from it. The ruthless fist against his chest was immediate and horrific, but he was still a dark elf.

“What’s wrong, Lyon, don’t tell me this is all you’ve got?” the chieftain laughed. (Weird… why are his three subordinates didn’t come and help him? They surely could intervene with their speed, especially that crazy woman. And where is that damn dark-elf).

“Hmm!” Lyon took a stomp before he vanished forward.

“I can see you!” shouted the chieftain before he swung to the right instead of forward, “And as always, an afterimage!”

“Kh!” Lyon immediately put up Scarlett against the giant ax before he was propelled once more.

“Big brother!” shouted Jugen. “W-What’s going on, how come the tide of battle is being turned in an instant.”

“Hmm,” Yoji crossed his armed. “Rakumtatak is an old name that has long since not heard ever since I settle down in the Mortal World.”

“What?”

“It is a name of a mighty orc warrior, Rakumtatak, his feat was legendary,” Yoji shook his head, “Never thought his lineage would stuck here in the Mortal World for centuries.”

“Orc warrior?”

“What’s wrong Torga? Is this all you’ve got?! Don’t disappoint me now, my ax is itching to cross with your blade!” the chieftain grinned his teeth before he leaped forward and chased Lyon.

“We should help him!” shouted Jugen.

“No, no need,” Yoji shook his head. “If he needed help he would say so.”

“What?!” Jugen frowned.

“Tch!” Lyon roared forward with Scarlet in one hand.

“That’s more like it!” the chieftain hacked down whilst Lyon slashed up. The two blades connected and the struggle of might between them was adorned with the clash of two opposite energies. Mana and Anti-Mana were contending and repelling each other.

“Kh!” Lyon had one knee on the ground whilst the orc was pushing him down with one arm holding the ax.

“You sure look weak from this side, Torga,” said the chieftain as he grinned before he applied more pressure in his force.

The ground under Lyon’s feet cracked with his teeth gritting. Even with three blessings activated, the orc not only sustained but overwhelmed him. He had never met such a powerful opponent that could last more than five minutes having an all-out battle with him, yet now, even with the gruesome state of the orc, the latter was still holding the flag of victory.

(What power!) thought Lyon as he shuddered under the mighty ax.

“He is losing!” shouted Jugen.

(What are you planning??) thought Galaeron from afar.

“Why are they not helping him? Surely one of them could,” said Agist. “This is absurd.”

“I think they have an underlying meaning behind their ignorance.”

“No it’s not ignorance,” Galaeron shook his head. “Despite the other two killing the fodders, they have their senses focused on their master at all times. What concerned me is, is that they are doing this to bait us.”

“Us?” the two elves frowned, before Connak stepped forward, “What does that mean, Your Majesty?”

“They are trying to force our hands into releasing our arrows,” said Galaeron with a chuckled. “They clearly sensed us despite my great effort of hiding the moment they arrived here.”

“What? Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I don’t understand, why they would want us to release our arrows?” asked Agist.

“Well, their objective was that blonde half-elf, and they got her, with that chariot at their disposal, would they have any problems getting away? The worst scenario for Lyon was that the second he was out of consciousness then one of the three would save him just narrowly, they got the speed.

However, if we release our arrows in the hope of helping him and that brute green skin is still alive, we would be plunged into this mess too. Though sadly for them, our objective was neither killing the Legion nor the orcs, our target is also the blonde woman. If she is out of harm or better yet, dead, then we are done here.”