Emperor's Reckoning

Chapter 1303: Side You Choose

The silence was deafening. Every leader in the room exchanged glances, weighing their options. Neutrality had always been a safe haven, but now it had become a death sentence. There was no middle ground in the conflict ahead—only loyalty or annihilation.

Amara’s fingers drummed nervously on the table. "You mean to say Paradise will not allow anyone to remain on the sidelines?"

Cecile’s gaze locked onto her, sharp as steel. "Do you really think they’ll spare anyone who stands idle? Paradise doesn’t tolerate uncertainty. If you hesitate—if you do nothing—you’ll die just the same as those who stand against them."

Kurogane clenched his jaw, veins bulging on his forehead. "And if we choose to side with Lyon?"

Cecile’s lips curled into a knowing smile. "Then you’ll have chosen survival—and something more."

Kairos leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "What more?"

Cecile didn’t blink. "Freedom."

The word reverberated through the room like the toll of a distant bell. The weight of it unsettled the clan leaders, but it also ignited a small spark in them—a possibility they hadn’t considered for centuries. The rules of the heavens had bound them for so long that the thought of freedom felt both alien and intoxicating.

Atrum folded his arms. "And what happens if we side with Lyon and lose?"

Cecile’s gaze darkened. "Then we’ll all burn together. But at least we’ll burn on our terms, not theirs."

Aelius exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. "This is madness... to go against Paradise itself. The Seraphs are only a fraction of their strength."

"You’re already in madness," Cecile shot back. "You just haven’t realized it yet. And the longer you delay, the worse it will be when it crashes down on you."

Alistair sighed deeply, "What makes him so sure he can fight Paradise?"

"Fight? No, ’destroy’ is the right word for it," Cecile corrected, her voice sharp and unwavering. "Did you know the last time Lyon lost, it took both Purgatory and Paradise working together to bring him down?"

"P-Purgatory? What is that?" Amara asked, her brow furrowing.

"You’ve forgotten that much, haven’t you?" Cecile said, almost pitying. "Purgatory is to Heaven what Paradise is—but its opposite. A force beyond comprehension. I suppose it isn’t surprising. Paradise erased so much from your memories, including that. But you’ve noticed it, haven’t you? His empty cultivation."

"Yes," Alistair was the first to respond, his voice low. "What’s up with that?"

"The source of your strength is mana," Cecile began. "His? It’s the antithesis—anti-mana. This entire world operates on three primordial energies. Mana, anti-mana, and Ley—the original energy that gave life to the Mortal World."

"I... I never knew," Aelius admitted, a rare trace of humility in his voice.

"Paradise has been thorough," Cecile replied with a faint smile. "They buried the truth so deep even the great clans forgot it. But there is more to the story—more than you’re ready to hear. Another time, perhaps."

Atrum cleared his throat, hesitant. "Empress... with all due respect, we’ve held the Gathering of the Six for countless generations. The strongest cultivators—our greatest warriors—all joined under Paradise’s dominion."

"Then they’re nothing more than slaves to the All-Father," Cecile said coldly. "Lost in a system that rewards obedience with hollow titles. All they care about is power. To climb the hierarchy. To be graced with the largest wings. To be deemed worthy of the Old One."

"The All-Father is that influential?" Kairos murmured. Then his expression shifted as a thought struck him. "Wait... Are you saying there’s someone—something—above even the All-Father?"

Cecile gave a grim nod. "There is. The Old One. And in the Lost History... Lyon’s father fought him."

The room fell deathly silent. Even the air itself felt heavier, as though the weight of Cecile’s words pressed down on them like an invisible hand.

"The Old One...?" Amara whispered, her throat dry.

"You said the fight against Paradise won’t be just a battle..." Kurogane began slowly. "Do you mean to say—"

"Yes," Cecile interrupted. "This isn’t just about Lyon reclaiming his place. This is a war that goes far beyond what you can see. And the All-Father knows it."

Her auburn eyes gleaming. "The Zodiac Emperor didn’t return just to fight. He came back to finish what was started eons ago."

"And if we side with Lyon..." Aelius ventured, hesitant but unable to stop himself. "Will we end up fighting that—the Old One?"

Cecile turned her gaze to him, unwavering. "That depends," she said softly. "Because whether you stand with us or not... he is coming."

The weight of her statement dropped like a stone into their minds. Every leader felt it—the pull of something ancient, stirring beneath the veil of history. Something far more terrifying than anything they had ever known.

"That is all," Cecile declared, placing a Returning Jade Stone at the center of the table. With a sharp motion, she crushed it beneath her palm, and the stone shattered, releasing a vibrant jade glow that engulfed her. As the emerald light enveloped her form, she gave them a knowing smirk.

"Storm’s brewing—prepare your ships," she warned, her voice fading as the light consumed her.

In a blink, Cecile vanished, leaving nothing but an empty chair and six Returning Jade Stones gleaming on the table.

Alistair narrowed his eyes at the stones. "Are those...?"

Atrum nodded gravely. "Ally or foe, she must’ve given us access to Empyrean."

"The greatest empire," Kairos murmured, fingers brushing the edge of one stone as if trying to feel its weight beyond the physical.

Aelius exhaled deeply, the tension in his shoulders heavy. "If we go, there’s no going back."

Kurogane cracked his knuckles. "Then we make sure we’re ready. Whether to stand by him... or fight him."

The six leaders exchanged looks, each burdened by the choice now before them. They could side with Lyon Torga and plunge headfirst into a war that could reshape Heaven, or cling to the fragile safety of their status within Paradise and face the inevitable fallout.

Amara folded her arms, her gaze sharpening. "What if we side with Paradise?" she asked, her voice heavy with thought.

Kurogane frowned. "I know your older sister’s a Seraph, but is that really enough reason?"

"This has nothing to do with her," Amara snapped. "Besides, she doesn’t even call my name anymore."

Alistair leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against the table. "If I were just a bystander, I’d pick Paradise over Empyrean without hesitation."

"But we’re not bystanders, are we?" Kairos muttered, shaking his head. "Even if Lyon killed one Seraph, how many more geniuses have ascended to Paradise? Backing Empyrean would be like slamming ourselves into a mountain."

Amara exhaled slowly. "We don’t know Lyon’s true strength... But we do know Paradise’s."

Aelius folded his hands together. "If Paradise wins and we’re on their side, things will return to normal."

"Is it really ’normal’?" Atrum asked quietly, crossing his arms in thought.

Kurogane shot him a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"You’ve heard what the Empress said. There’s more to history than we’ve been told," Atrum replied. His dark eyes flickered with insight. "Empyrean, the Zodiac Emperor, the seventh statue, the seventh seat... and even this chamber, shaped like a heptagon. She entered this room without so much as a whisper of resistance."

Kairos raised a brow. "Are you saying siding with Lyon is smarter than siding with Paradise?"

Atrum sighed, frustration flickering across his face. "If only I knew the future..."

Then a memory surfaced—Lyon talking with Luce Veritas, the Mother Clairvoyance. Atrum’s eyes widened as the realization hit him like a cold wave. Goosebumps rippled across his skin, and he abruptly stood from his chair.

The others watched him in silence, their expressions tense.

"Every clue points to him," Atrum murmured, almost to himself. "Not just his strength—but his existence. Even my progenitor..." He trailed off before shaking his head, determination settling in his gaze.

Without another word, he grabbed one of the Returning Jade Stones from the table, holding it up as if declaring his intent. The shimmering stone reflected the weight of his decision.

The others exchanged glances, the gravity of Atrum’s choice heavy in the air.

Kairos leaned forward, lips curling into a half-smirk. "Well... it seems you’ve made up your mind."

Atrum’s dark gaze didn’t waver. "I have."

With that, he tucked the Jade Stone into his robes.

As Atrum turned, his dark robes trailing behind him, he paused at the threshold. "Think about it more clearly, Amara," he said without looking back.

Amara arched a brow. "What are you getting at?"

"If Lyon wanted us dead, we would be," Atrum said flatly, his tone cold as steel. "Assassination is not beyond him. His wife entered this chamber without resistance. His empire arrived in the Sixth Heaven without hesitation. They have the heirlooms, the artifacts—everything."

A heavy silence fell upon the room. The weight of Atrum’s words pressed down on each of them like a hammer upon an anvil.

"In fact, he didn’t even need to invite us here," Atrum continued, his eyes narrowing. "Yet, he did. Ever wonder why? Perhaps... because of our progenitors."

Kurogane clenched his fists, the realization slowly settling in. "You’re saying... he doesn’t fear us."

Atrum nodded. "Think about it. The man who openly declares war on the All-Father—do you really believe he would fear the wrath of our clans? If Lyon Torga sought to crush us, he could have done so already. But he didn’t. That, alone, should tell you something."

Amara’s lips pressed into a thin line, her thoughts racing. Doubts began gnawing at the back of her mind.