章 10: Onward to the Kingdom of Pyroc!
The next day arrived, the sun standing high into the sky and casting down a beautiful glow upon the Kingdom of Arthirus. I finally got most of my belongings packed on Nebula's saddle and smiled at her. I turned to Azusa and Mari who were watching me pack up to continue my conquest.
I walked toward the two and crouched down toward Mari to meet her at eye level, gently rubbing her head. "Alright Mari, I'll be heading off.."
"Will you come back Papa?" Mari asked, her big eyes staring into mine.
"I will, Princess...When I come back I'll have lots of gifts for you. Speaking of gifts," I said, pulling out a box from my pocket then handed it to Mari.
Mari took the box from my hand then looked at it. She glanced up at Azusa, who smiled sweetly at her. Mari glanced at the golden box once more, opening it and her eyes widened in awe. Inside rested a set of jewelry specifically made for her, each one holding the Crest of Arcane as well.
"P-Papa..." Mari said softly, her voice caught in her throat. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes, quickly throwing herself at me with a hug.
I held Mari in my arms, gently rubbing her hair. I listened to her soft cries and smiled, closing my eyes.
"I'll miss you, Papa..." Mari softly cried in my arms.
"I'll miss you too, Princess..." I said softly, comforting her with gently head rubs.
Azusa watched the touching moment, trying her best to not succumb to her own sadness and remain strong for Mari. She watched as Mari finally let me go and hurry toward her.
I stood up and walked toward Azusa, giving her a gentle kiss upon her lips. "I'll be off now, my love.."
"Yeah..." She whispered, pressing her forehead against mine, fixing my kimono. "You better come back soon, Emperor..~"
I chuckled softly. "I will, Your Highness..."
We shared one last touching kiss, Azusa gripping my kimono tightly. I pulled away then walked backwards, mounting onto Nebula's saddle. I looked back at last time and flicked my earrings that Azusa gave me yesterday, chuckling softly. Azusa smiled at me, holding her necklace in her hand, a faint glow forming in her hand.
With a snap of Nebula's leash, Nebula neighed then galloped into the distance, the two of us starting our journey into the new unknown future. Azusa watched my retreating figure, finally allowing herself to be vulnerable and a few tears rolled down her cheek, her heart growing heavy as the sounds of Nebula's gallops faded into the distance.
Mari looked up at Azusa, seeing her sadness and held her mother's hand. "Mama...let's go draw together and draw lots of pictures for Papa~"
Azusa looked down at Mari, also noticing tears streaming from her cheeks. She gently picked Mari up, wiping both of their tears. "Okay, sweetheart. We'll draw so many pictures for him~"
The two began to make their way into the castle, exchanging bittersweet smiles and soft laughs.
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Nebula galloped through the outskirts of Arthirus Kingdom, into a forest leading to our next destination. As we traversed the paths, we stumbled upon a fork in the road that was split into three paths. I noticed a sign pointing in the direction of each path.
"The Kingdoms of Pyroc, Rivule, and Therris.." I said to myself, crossing my arms as I thought about where to go first.
Nebula whinnied, pointing her snout to the middle path.
"The middle path?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.
Nebula snorted, nodding her head. She let out soft neighs and whinnies.
I tried to decipher what Nebula was trying to communicate then looked down the middle path. "Are there no retainers? Is it more peaceful than what it was on my first day to Arthirus?"
Nebula whinnied happily, excited that I actually was able to decipher her neighs.
I chuckled softly, rubbing her main gently. "Alright, settle down..~ Let us take the middle path then."
Nebula began to gallop down the middle path, excited to explore this new kingdom. I glanced at Nebula, who seemed to have keen knowledge about Uthea which made it easier for traversal.
As we travelled down the path to Pyroc, I noticed a subtle change from less lush greens and a more fiery environment. The leaves of the trees slowly became less and replaced with Ignia Regia, a type of tree that can withstand intense heat and only grows in very hot climates.
Streams of river water slowly transitioned into rivers of lava, the ground below us shifting from dirt and stone to dried magma. The air around us picked up in temperature, but I didn't mind it at all as we pushed past the intense change of climate and environment.
I looked ahead and noticed a tall volcano in the background, but I didn't look active at all besides small splurts of lava escaping the peak of the volcano. I took in the new sights with open eyes, but my immersion was broken once Nebula and I heard a second neigh in the distance.
My eyes scanned around my surroundings, searching for the source. Soon, I noticed a fiery horse galloping beside us with a knight clad in black and red armor upon its back. I snapped Nebula's leash, Nebula letting out a neigh and racing the horse to leave them behind. Our pursuers were fast however, using their elemental advantage to gain speed upon us.
"Hmph. Looks like this is an inescapable encounter. Alright, looks like I get to get active today!" I said, jumping off Nebula's back then landed on the ground in front of her.
The knight stopped their horse, hopping off its back then approached me. The knight summoned their claymore, the blade emitting a red glow and becoming encased in flames. I watched the knight, bracing myself for battle.
"You're one of the men who wish to conquer Uthea aren't you? Emperor Ryoma of Eyica. If you think you're going to succeed, think again as I will be the one to conquer all 20 Kingdoms and meet with the Goddess!" The knight declared, taking his stance and pointing his sword at me.
"I, The Infernal Knight, Novis, will strike you down and not only claim your Crest but your life!" Novis bellowed, launching himself toward me.
He swung his sword downward, attempting to cut me in half. I watched his attack, sensing the animosity coming from his lethal strike, my body instinctively raising my power level. My aura formed around my body, blocking Novis's attack and repelling him back.
Novis grunted softly as he stumbled back from the repulsive force my aura released. He dashed toward me once again, slashing at me, but his blade met the air as I evaded his strike.
"You're too slow," I taunted, my tone a mix of arrogance and mockery.
I countered with a kick, sweeping him off his feet then grabbed his cape, tossing him into the air. My earrings shined brightly, the Crest of Silencer activating and a Phantom version of Azusa appeared above Novis. She landed a powerful axe kick, sending him crashing into the ground.
I walked forward and struck his stomach, causing him to cough a bit of blood, launching him backwards. Novis crashed into a fiery tree, landing on the ground with a pained grunt.
"Don't think for a second that you can even match my abilities. I am the Emperor of Eyica, Reincarnation of Emperor Ascea, Hero of Origin!" I boasted, taking pride in my lineage. I pointed to myself with an arrogant smirk. "The only person who can beat me, is ME!"
Novis slowly stood up, chuckling softly. He looked at me, fiery aura escaping his helmet. "I have heard the tales of your Lineage, however, that doesn't mean you are anything less than an Arrogant, Self-centered Tyrant! When I strike you down, I'll be doing the entire world a favor by killing you!"
Novis bellowed, his armor shattering and revealing his fiery red and orange hair, his burning red eyes which glowed with determination, and his sword burned even hotter, the blade itself becoming a raging flame. He got into his stance and his eyes burned with a fiery intensity.
I chuckled softly and got into one of my Eyican Stances. I set myself in a nimble position, leave no defense to guard against his future attacks. Lowering all of my defenses, I only focused on my attacking strength and my speed. "A little history lesson if you don't know...this is the Yascean Stance named the No Defense Stance. If I'm hit, I'm taking double damage, at the same time I deal double the damage and move at twice the speed.."
"Revealing your secrets to me is an idiot move, Emperor! Now I know what you can and will do! It's only a matter of hitting you once!" Novis said, lunging toward me.
Novis slashed at me at blazing speeds, his slash trailing fire behind his intense attack. Before his movement could finish, I stuck his stomach faster than his eye could see, knocking him back. Novis recovered, noticing I was moving in a blurred motion around him.
"Over here!" I called out, appearing to the side of him then landed a power strike to his jaw, staggering him.
Novis groaned as he was struck with another swift attack then I appeared in front of him knocking him into the air with a kick to his chin. I weaved my arms up and took a deep breath, copying Kotone's Breath Technique then blew out a powerful blast of wind, knocking Novis backwards.
I performed hand gestures, my left eye flashing blue. I exhaled, black smoke escaping from my mouth, creating a thick screen of clouds around the battlefield. 'Lightning Arts: Fulgur Nimbus,' I chanted in my head, lightning beginning to crackle around the layer of thunderclouds along the ground.
Novis felt static around his body, seeing flashes of lightning flickering upon his body. He noticed he was being locked on to, taking quick action to move out of the way, but was too slow. I fired a powerful bolt of lightning at him, the damage doubling due to the effects of my Yascean Stance. He groaned in pain as he was electrocuted, slowly falling to his knees.
I noticed Novis unmoving, smirking and walking by him. As I walked past him, Novis opened his eyes and swiftly got up, slashing at me and landing an attack to the back of my head, his sword severing the head from my shoulders. He let out a wide smile then noticed the phantom version of myself slowly disappearing into magic particles.
His eyes widened then a sudden barrage of invisible strike began striking him swiftly. He groaned as he was pushed backwards then he readied his sword, noticing multiple phantoms flickering in and out of sight.
"Pulling a fast one on me huh? Well maybe it would've worked if I was just some unsuspecting fool who doesn't know how to keep his guard up. You are overlooking one detail however, Knight. I have conquered an ENTIRE continent on my own. I have enough Battle IQ to even rival that of a Combat God. You stand no chance," I taunted, an arrogant chuckle escaping my lips.
Novis noticed a phantom rushing toward him, slashing at it and causing it to disappear. He continued defending himself against the phantoms, his flames slowly growing thin from exhaustion.
"I won't lose to you, Tyrant! I won't allow you to make a mockery of me!" Novis roared, his eyes shining brightly with rage. "Ignis Veiser!"
Novis slashed wildly around him, releasing fiery cutting waves in all directions in hopes of landing an attack on me. He slashed in a circle and watched the circular wave crash into the trees, his frustration palpable as he searched around for me.
I laughed as I appeared beneath him, knocking him into the air. I summoned my sword and the Crest of Arcane shined on my hand, my true power beginning to awaken. "That was cute, but now it's time for me to show you the difference between us."
I dashed forward, knocking him down with a powerful slash, his body bouncing back up after hitting the ground. I began to rush him with a series of slashes, each attack more merciless than the last. I struck him with a circular slash, knocking him back, following it with an upward slice to knock him back into the air.
I bellowed as I leaped in the air twirling around. "Emperor's Impact!" I roared, slashing down and sending him crashing to the ground.
Novis groaned as he slammed into the ground, his body leaving behind a crater and smoke and debris formed around his body. I landed on the ground and exhaled softly, a victorious smirk stretching across my face.
"I appreciate the warm up. Now you lay there and think about your failure... Peasant," I said mockingly, tossing my seared handkerchief toward him as I walked by.
Nebula approached from a distance walking by Novis and snorted, trotting next to me and whinnied.
"Was I a bit arrogant? Well when you have power like mine and the skills to back it up, is it really hubris?" I chuckled softly as I walked forward with my hands behind my head.
Nebula glanced at me, her tail swaying from side to side in a playful manner. She snorted and held her head high like mine. I chuckled softly, the two of us continuing our way into the Kingdom of Pyroc.
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Nebula and I finally made it to the Kingdom of Flames, Pyroc, a realm shrouded in perpetual fiery brilliance. As we approached its borders, the air became thick with the scent of smoldering embers, and the horizon danced with the mesmerizing flicker of flames. The kingdom was nestled within a rugged landscape, where molten rivers flow like veins through the planet, casting an otherworldly glow upon the land.
The architecture of Pyroc reflects the fiery temperament of its inhabitants, with structures crafted from obsidian and adorned with intricate patterns of flame-shaped designs. The city streets were alive with the vibrant hues of red, orange, and gold, as if the very essence of fire had been woven into the fabric of the kingdom.
According to Nebula, the people of Pyroc were known for their fierce passion and unwavering determination. They are masters of fire manipulation, harnessing its power for both protection and creation. The kingdom's economy thrived on the production of rare, enchanted flames, which are coveted by neighboring realms for their mystical properties.
At the heart of Pyroc stood the magnificent Flame Citadel, a towering structure that serves as the seat of power for the ruling monarch. Within its walls, ancient fire rituals are performed to honor the elemental forces that have shaped the kingdom's destiny for centuries.
"So this is the Kingdom of Pyroc. This kingdom looks outstanding. It reminds me of the Leo Kingdom of Earth from the records shown of Emperor Ascea's past. I can really see the work this kingdom has put in to maintain its fiery beauty," I said, traversing the streets of Pyroc Central, entering a plaza area.
The people of the city were curious about me, a few locals recognizing me and bowing toward me. I smiled at the hospitality I was shown, my title evident to the few who did recognize me. They were also curious about my steed, never seeing a horse of such magnitude and beauty before which caused Nebula to become flustered.
As we traversed the area, my eyes landed on two women who stood out amongst the rest like a sore thumb. I paused in my path, Nebula stopping beside me.
The first beautiful woman exuded a mysterious and enchanting presence. She had long, flowing black hair that transitioned into a vibrant orange at the tips, resembling flames, and her deep brown eyes are filled with a beautiful and slightly shy expression. She wore a form-fitting black dress adorned with a glowing, fiery butterfly motif at the center, which seemed to be the source of an ethereal light.
Her hands and arms were delicately wrapped in dark gloves that faded into a subtle, smoky texture. The woman was also surrounded by small, glowing orange butterflies, adding an element of magical realism and suggesting a connection to fire or a mystical energy.
The second woman radiated confidence and power with a fiery presence. She had striking orangish red hair that flows around her, adorned with phoenix feather-like ornaments that match her vibrant, warm demeanor. Her piercing orange eyes are filled with determination and passion.
She wore an elaborate red dress with gold detailing, emphasizing her elegance and strength. The dress was both revealing and adorned with ornamental gold, highlighting her graceful yet formidable presence. Accessories such as her golden earrings, a pearl necklace with a star pendant, and arm bracelets added to her regal and commanding look.
Nebula whinnied, her gaze looking at me.
I glanced at Nebula then turned my gaze back to the two women. "One of them is the queen?"
Nebula nodded her head, her eyes directed toward the first woman.
I stared at the first woman as well, slipping a hand into my pocket. "So she's the queen. Alright, it's show time..~"
The black hair woman noticed me walking toward her direction, her gaze fixated on me. "Sister... that man, he's walking over to us."
The red haired woman looked over at me, a smirk playing on her face as she stood up. "Well, if it isn't Emperor Ryoma..~"
I smiled at the two women, my eyes trailing toward the red haired woman. "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you were the queen of Pyroc."
The red haired woman laughed softly, placing a hand on her hip. "If I was the queen this Kingdom of Magma and Lava would've been something more striking. I would've had the Goddess of Eternal Flames watching over us everyday, but alas I am not the Queen."
"Are you sure? You have the persona and the striking beauty to be a Queen..~" I flirted, gently stroking her chin.
As I stroked her chin, a blush settled on her face, a soft giggle escaping her lips. "Mmm, flirting with me before you even know my name..~ You're dancing with fire, Emperor.."
I chuckled softly and looked at the black haired woman who remained seated. "By the process of elimination, I take it that you're the definitive Queen of Pyroc?" I said, offering my hand for a formal handshake.
"Y-Yes...My name is Claire, and the woman you spoke to is my older sister, Inoka," Claire replied, slowly reaching her hand out for me to take.
"It's nice to me you, Your Highness," I said soothingly, gently holding her hand and bringing it closer to plant a soft kiss upon it. "If I may, I request an audience with you.."
Claire's face flushed at my gesture, her heart skipping a beat. Inoka giggled at the interaction, slightly twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.
'This impossibly handsome emperor came to me and kissed my hand! I can't believe this is happening! What do I do?! What do I say to him?! I can't believe my dream has come true to be with an Emperor! Oh Goddesses, I need to answer! Say something you idiot! Say something! Anything!' Claire thought, desperately trying to come up with any response.
"YeS, yOu m-MaAy—" Claire responded, her voice cracking badly, eliciting an embarrassed expression as she covered her mouth.
I chuckled softly. "Seems like you're very excited to speak to me. Ahh, and Inoka, if you'd like you can join us as well..~"
"It would be an honor, Lord Ryoma," Inoka said, a warm smile playing on her lips.
The two women stood up and they walked to their horses. I whistled for Nebula and she trotted over to me then I pet her mane. The two women noticed Nebula approaching, their faces brightening with awe.
"I see you have a Mythical Horse. It is rare for one even for a royal to connect with a Mythical Beast," Inoka said, her gaze turning to me.
"Heh...Well I just happened to get lucky. She just kinda appeared and I was able to calm her down and claim her as my horse," I said, mounting onto Nebula's back.
"That's really neat..~ I've always wanted a Mythical Beast," Claire said, smiling at me.
The three of us set off to the castle on our horses and chatted along the way, sharing laughs and a few stories with one other. From the first impressions I got from the kingdom, I knew that I would wholeheartedly enjoy my stay here.
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