"AGh..."
He had courted all of the attention inside Afurnae. His presence bought the gasped and the gawked of others.
"Wh-What?! That bastard is alive!" Altre gritted his teeth as he looked at the familiar young man standing from the mass of spectators.
"I-Impossible," muttered Felicia. "Then where is the captain?!"
Hezar furrowed his eyebrows under his disbelieving eyes. He gritted his teeth before he muttered aggressively, "YOU..."
Lyon smirked as he took a side glance against Hezar. "I see that you wash your neck well."
"W-What?!"
Lyon leaped from his seat as he disregard Hezar in his place. His hair fluttered in mid-air before he landed on the arena. He was not as tall as Raul nor was he as handsome as Rupert. He was more than that.
The king of Pala Kingdom and his queen had their eyebrows furrowed. "Hezar, who is this man?"
"A-Ah, he is nothing but a mortal cultivator acting haughtily, I'm sure Prince Raul will put him in his place."
Hezar hastily answered with a bow as he cursed inside his heart.
"Is that so? It looks like he is keen on seeing you."
"Y-Yes, this one's fame is too loud, I'm sorry that my influence becomes troubling."
"Alright then, let's see if he can stand two punches from my son's fist."
"I'm sure he won't," Hezar laughed.
"Of course he won't!"
The king furrowed his eyebrows as well as Hezar before they all turned their glance against Carius who crossed his arms and kept his gaze toward the young man.
"What did you say?" the king furrowed but Carius paid no heed.
"My king, this is one of the three leaders of the Mortal World."
"I see, his detest is understandable."
The king brushed off the problem since it would be bad if he pushed it further beyond the current scope.
"It is you..." said Rupert.
Raul took a glance against Rupert before glaring back at Lyon, "You dare to sully Cecile's name by claiming to become her husband? Do you really want to die that badly?"
"Stop it you two!" shouted Hilde from behind. (He has to survive! He is potential is too big to be ignored. I will not let these two injure him!). She leaped before standing against them once more.
"Move it Hilde!" shouted Raul.
"I refuse!" said Hilde before she muttered, "Spear of Mortal Pain, Gae Bolg!"
The magnificent spear didn't appear to be menacing. It had an exquisite golden design, unlike Gungnir that Sylviana possessed. The edge of the blade was so thin that looking at it for too long might hurt one's eye.
"Gae Bolg."
"She has conquered it!"
"The ultimate symbol of Bolg Kingdom, Gae Bolg!"
The Bolg Kingdom stood proud as their daughter has earned her right to rule the kingdom. No matter if they were a dragon or a strong god, they would be deterred by the mere presence of the spear.
"Gae Bolg..." Prince Rupert muttered before he looked at Hilde. "I can't believe it."
"Tch!" Raul furrowed his eyebrows. "But you still cannot utilize its full power."
"Heh, do you think I need to do that against the likes of you?" said Hilde.
"What did you say?!"
The onlookers hissed as they heard what Hilde just said. The number three was practically challenging the number two. The atmosphere gradually turned heavy as no breath had passed.
"That's a nice spear."
Hilde raised her eyebrows as she heard Lyon's voice. (N-Nice? Is he for real?!)
"Hmph! The mortal doesn't know the immensity between heaven and earth, just like he is supposed to," said Rupert. "I will have you kowtowed and apologize for tarnishing Cecile's name."
"Tarnishing?" Lyon furrowed his eyebrows.
"Shamelessly claiming to be her husband, even a dreamer has a limit!" shouted Rupert.
"He is—" Hilde's shoulder was patted before Lyon stepped forward.
"Heh," Sakey smirked. "They are all the same."
"Of course they are," said Ruria. "Like anyone dares enough to fight against Prince Raul and Rupert."
"He ought to learn a lesson here onward," said Eduma as he chuckled. "Huh? Acres? Why are you looking so serious?"
The number five had his eyebrows furrowed as his eyes were fixated to look at the unknown young man. He had a drop of sweat running down from his temple.
"Weirdo," muttered Eduma before he returned back to a smile as he looked at the young man.
"I see that you know your place," said Rupert with his demeaning look.
"Kneel in front of the prince, you peasant!"
A shout came out of nowhere before Altre suddenly showed got on the circular plateau. Felicia raised her eyebrows before she followed suit.
"Who are you?" asked the prince.
"I'm Altre, prince, I have a little feud with this man before."
"I see," Rupert didn't spare another glance.
"Oh?" Lyon crossed his arms before he smirked. "It's you, I know I said 'till we meet again' but I was not hoping to meet you so soon."
"Tch! Stop your cocky smile and kowtow, you illiterate dog!"
"Me a dog? Heh, did you forget who was it that is running between his tails? Having his guard came all the way from this plane to Mortal World."
Felicia twitched her eyebrows before she said, "Where is the captain?!"
"Dead," said Lyon with a smirk. "He stood no chance at all."
"W-What?!" exclaimed the sibling.
"Enough!" shouted Raul. "It's time for you to kowtow! If you are not going to do so willingly then I will make you!"
"Do you think that you two are enough to make me kneel? Do you think that just because this is your home, that your backing is all sitting their ass on top of a soft pillow, are enough to make me cower and kneel?"
"What did you say?" Raul furrowed his eyebrows.
"Do you think, that just because the majority of the last top ten joined under your banner, that your head will be safe from my blade?"
"What?!"
"Do you think! Just because you're a self-proclaimed dragon that my fist won't break your soft hide?"
Rupert furrowed his eyebrows as he glared.
Lyon snorted as he kept his arms crossed. "Do you think two peak True God cultivators can kill me?"
"You...!"
(Oh crap!) thought Hilde before she leaped forward.
The two of them leaned their body forward before they disappeared from Lyon's sight with a sound of a step. The onlookers didn't manage to comprehend both of their movements before a few clashes were heard.
The two princesses were pushed backward to several steps.
"Hilde!" shouted both of them.
"If you want to fight him, do it after the tournament, don't waste everyone's time," said Hilde. (I can buy him some time but what the hell is he thinking anyway!).
"Princess, there is no need to do that, but thank you," said Lyon with a smile on his face.
The young man crossed his arms as he took a deep breath before pausing. He grinned.
The two princes furrowed their eyebrows.
His eyes flashed a jade. "I am... CECILE'S HUSBAND!!!"
The reverberating roar trembled the very city as the clouds above scattered in an instant.
The less powerful cultivator had their eardrums on the breaking point as their soul sunk in fear. Meanwhile, the kings and the queens had their eyes opened wide in disbelief.
"That was..!!" Acres was palpitating as his bloodline boiled to the brim. "This man...!"
"A dragon... roar...." muttered Rupert as he couldn't blink his eyes.
"What the...," muttered Raul as he instinctively took a step back.
Hilde was shocked to her core as her pupils were shrunken. "D-Dragon..."
"Heh," the young man walked between the princes with his hands behind his head. He said nothing. His smirk was enough.
"D-Dragon..." Hezar was stupefied before he heard Carius's laugh.
"He is a dragon..." muttered the matriarch.
"Hoho~ Now that's a nice surprise," said Tael.
Hilde's parents were on the edge of their seats with their mouths opened wide.
The king muttered, "Did you know this?"
The queen shook her head, "I have no idea."
Meanwhile, outside the arena, Cecile twitched her ear as she felt flutters in her stomach. She was in the middle of a walk with Lumina before she was abruptly stopped by someone's declaration.
"Heh, hahaha!" Cecile laughed.
"Aren't you going to reply?" asked Lumina.
"Absolutely," said Cecile before she spread her legs as wide as her shoulder. She slightly opened her mouth before she took a deep breath. Her lithe figure was flexing as her auburn eyes turned a jade glow. A tattoo on her back was formed and revealed the blessing of the mythical beast.
She grinned before she roared to the sky. "THAT'S RIGHT!!"
Afurnae was sent to a tremor once more as everyone inside the arena froze. The two princes opened their eyes wide as they recognized whose voice it was.
"Another dragon... Cecile is..." Hildegarde couldn't believe the reality.
"Heh," Lyon's smirk couldn't help but turn into a grin.
"Now then, shall we begin?"