Emperor's Reckoning

Chapter 1306: Simak Torga

"Simak...?" Lyon’s frown deepened, the name tugging at his memory like a distant echo. It wasn’t unfamiliar. Kyoko, the sly fox lady, had mentioned it before. "Are you the one who built that hundred-level labyrinth?"

Simak grinned, puffing out his chest with pride. "Oh yeah, that’s me!" He jabbed a thumb at himself as if expecting applause.

Lyon crossed his arms, the pieces in his mind clicking into place. The thought that Simak—the mischievous pig—was also his brother left him conflicted. Anger and curiosity clashed within him. "Why did you seal those people inside the labyrinth?"

Simak’s playful demeanor flickered. The sparkle in his eyes dimmed as an old, unspoken weight seemed to settle on his shoulders. "The Purge of Paradise," he muttered, his voice far more somber now.

Lyon narrowed his eyes. "The what?"

"The Purge of Paradise," Simak repeated, his gaze distant as if recalling a painful memory. "It was when the seraphs of Paradise hunted down anyone who wasn’t a seraph but dared to dwell in their realm."

Lyon’s brow furrowed deeper. "So, those trapped in the labyrinth...?"

Simak gave a small, regretful nod. "The only survivors of the purge," he admitted. "I could only save a handful... and even that was a struggle. It happened right after Paradise recovered from the chaos following your death."

Lyon’s jaw tightened. "You sealed them away... to hide them."

"Yes," Simak replied, his voice softer now. "With my little pig body, I couldn’t do much more than that. If they had found them, it would’ve been the end of the survivors."

"And I broke the seal..." Lyon muttered, his thoughts running wild.

"Well, of course you did," Simak chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. "You are my little brother, after all. It was only a matter of time."

Lyon’s head snapped up, eyes sharp. "Wait—so you knew I was alive this whole time?"

"Not exactly," Simak admitted, raising a hand to gesture vaguely. "I didn’t know you had returned until you cleared the labyrinth. Once you made it through, it was... obvious."

Lyon stared at him, stunned. "You knew... but never showed yourself? I figured the creator of that labyrinth was long dead."

"Not dead," Simak said with a smirk, "Just... well, half-dead. That whole pig disguise made it easier to stay under the radar."

Lyon exhaled slowly, still struggling to wrap his mind around it all. "You’ve been there this whole time. Hiding. Watching. But never stepping forward."

Simak shrugged, as if it were no big deal. "Hey, being half-ghost has its perks. Just because I’m dead doesn’t mean I’m broke." His grin widened. "I’m still filthy rich with treasures, you know, like then, like now."

Lyon couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, though disbelief still clung to him. "So, all this time... you’ve been hiding treasures ?"

Simak winked. "Hunting."

Lyon’s laughter faded, and for a moment, the two brothers stood in silence, the enormity of everything unspoken between them settling like dust in the air. There was so much left unsaid, so much history buried beneath the centuries, but Lyon knew one thing for sure: The pig was no ordinary trickster.

And this wasn’t the last surprise Simak had in store.

"And about the whole ideals thing," Simak shrugged, his playful demeanor thinning to something more thoughtful. "It was never about ideals, not really. You know how history tends to repeat itself?"

"Fear?" Lyon tilted his head, a flicker of recognition in his eyes.

"Exactly," Simak agreed. "Fear of power. Just like you, Father, and the entire Torga bloodline—we grew too powerful. Too powerful for the new balance."

"The new balance?" Lyon repeated, his brow furrowing.

Simak gave a sly grin. "Did you know that there was once only the Mortal World? No Heaven, no Hell. Just us. But... this old tree," he gestured toward Yggdrasil, "got curious. Too curious, if you ask me. He sensed something beyond, sniffed out the existence of two other realms—and offered them pathways into our world."

Lyon turned toward Yggdrasil, crossing his arms. "Well, well... Always knew you were a meddler."

The ancient tree let out a rumbling chuckle, its branches swaying gently. "Indeed. My roots reached beyond the veil, and what I sensed intrigued me. Two other planes—each vast, each powerful in their own way. So I reached out."

"And that was the beginning of it all," Simak continued. "What started as exploration turned into a cataclysm. When Father and the Torga family fought against the powers of Heaven and Hell, it wasn’t just some petty skirmish. It became a war that tore the Mortal World apart."

Lyon’s expression darkened, the weight of the revelation settling like a storm cloud. "So that’s why the Mortal World is fragmented... Why continents are scattered across the map like broken pieces of a mirror."

Simak nodded grimly. "The war was so destructive that nature itself was thrown off balance. The land was split, the skies churned with chaos, and the seas roared with storms for centuries. Father led the family into battle like a dragon diving into the heart of Hell’s fire and Heaven’s cold embrace." His voice grew quieter. "And we fought well, better than anyone thought possible. But in the end... we lost."

Lyon’s fists clenched as a bitter silence fell between them, his gaze drawn to the figure of their father, still trapped within the crystal. "We lost... or were we betrayed?"

"I don’t know," Simak admitted, his voice carrying a rare weight of seriousness. "The rest of the knowledge... it lies within him." He glanced at the man sealed inside the crystal, their father—the key to the truth buried in time.

"A promise is a promise," Lyon murmured, his eyes gleaming with determination.

"Indeed," Yggdrasil’s deep voice hummed from above, its branches rustling with unseen energy. "Though... do be prepared."

Suddenly, veins of light coiled around the surface of the crystal, wrapping it in glowing tendrils. With a light pressure—a squelching, organic squish—the veins receded, their task complete. Cracks began to race along the crystalline surface, threading out evenly like the pattern of shattered glass.

Lyon and Simak braced themselves, exchanging knowing smirks.

Then the crystal burst with a deafening explosion, releasing a monstrous howl of wind. A shockwave of energy blasted against them, forcing the two brothers to dig their heels into the earth. The storm’s ferocity tore at their robes and sent their long hair whipping violently in the air, as if nature itself rebelled against the release of such an ancient power.

Simak roared with laughter, his voice booming over the storm. "How powerful! Hahaha!"

Lyon grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he planted his feet deeper into the ground. "Well, well... I expected nothing less from my old man."

The windstorm roared louder, as if acknowledging their father’s freedom after eons of imprisonment. The sheer force of his presence was undeniable—raw, unyielding, and ancient beyond comprehension. Even without seeing him move, they could feel the pulse of dormant power surging outward, making the very air dense with mana and pressure.

The crystal fragments scattered into the wind like forgotten memories, and from the dissipating dust, a towering figure began to emerge—taller, broader, and more commanding than either of the brothers. His silhouette loomed with a heavy majesty, radiating the aura of a warrior who had once shaken the foundations of both Heaven and Hell.

In the heart of Empyrean, a heavy tension rippled through the atmosphere, like a silent thunderclap that only beasts and warriors could feel in their bones. The pool, a serene surface just moments ago, now quaked with ripples that expanded outward, echoing the presence of an overwhelming force.

Enya, the Immortal Phoenix, hovered by the pool, her fiery hair swaying gently in the wake of unseen waves of energy. Her red brows furrowed. "What... what kind of aura is this?" she whispered to herself, her eyes gleaming with concern.

Beneath the surface of the pool, Raja’s massive form stirred. The colossal beast’s crimson eyes shot open, their glow cutting through the water like twin suns. "This aura..." he rumbled, his deep voice vibrating the water around him.

Kesya, perched on the edge of the pool with a feral grin, shot to her feet, every muscle taut with anticipation. "What the hell is this?!" she growled, eyes wild. "It’s immense!"

"Incredible," Graham muttered, arms crossed as his sharp eyes flickered with analytical intrigue. His ever-stoic demeanor barely cracked, though inside, a storm brewed. "I haven’t felt something like this since..." His thought trailed off ominously.

Liu, on the other hand, bounced on the balls of his feet, barely able to contain his excitement. "This is insane!!" he exclaimed, practically vibrating from the thrill. "It’s like the heavens just cracked open!"

Assid’s sharp, calculating gaze narrowed as he adjusted his monocle, murmuring, "How could this be...?" His fingers tapped restlessly against his arm, calculating the variables of such a force appearing so suddenly.

Ian, ever the playful spirit, gave a low whistle, rubbing the back of his neck as if to shrug off the pressure building in his chest. "This feels raw." He paused and smirked. "Okay, maybe not the best phrasing."

By the pool’s edge, Harvestasya turned to her master, Maria, who stood deep in thought, her expression caught between contemplation and nostalgia. "Is this... Lyon’s father?" Harvestasya asked with wide, curious eyes.

Maria’s lips curled into a soft smile, her gaze distant. "Perhaps," she mused aloud, "this is my father-in-law."

From her desk, Cecile let out a low chuckle. "Father-in-law, huh?" she muttered with amusement, her sharp eyes glinting with mischief.

Near the throne, Selena slid her sword back into its scabbard, the tension in her posture loosening only slightly, though her gaze stayed sharp. "He’s free..." she whispered under her breath, sensing the magnitude of what was unfolding.

Karina stood alert, every sense heightened. Beside her, her little brother whimpered and clung to her arm, trembling from the overwhelming pressure. "Big sister, what’s happening?!" he cried in panic.

Above them all, Lumina’s silver wings unfurled with a soft whoosh, her body lifting gracefully into the air. Her radiant eyes scanned the horizon, glowing brighter as she prepared for the unknown. "This aura... it’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before," she murmured. "We have to be ready."

The beasts, warriors, and cultivators of Empyrean all felt it—a force ancient, raw, and unbridled, touching the edges of existence itself. They didn’t need words to know what it meant. Something had awakened, and it was tied to Lyon in ways that even they couldn’t fully comprehend.

The wind began to die down, as if granting reverence to the force now unleashed. The ancient being’s form became clearer—their father, the dragon of war and fury himself, standing free at last, with eyes that burned like embers rekindled.