CHAPTER 280: WAR

What followed was a masterclass in swordsmanship that made Grim’s previous training seem like children’s games.

Yang Jian’s blade moved with precision that bordered on the supernatural, each cut and thrust placed exactly where it needed to be.

Grim tried everything he knew.

He attempted the Celestial Mist techniques, but Yang Jian cut through them effortlessly.

He drew on his speed and agility, but Yang Jian was faster.

He even tried to use his dark mana, but somehow Yang Jian seemed to anticipate even that.

During the next exchange, Grim dropped Echo. The sword fell from his fingers as Yang Jian’s blade struck his wrist with the flat end of the blade.

Hitting him with enough force to numb his entire arm.

Instinctively, Grim caught the falling sword with his left hand and immediately thrust upward, hoping to catch Yang Jian by surprise with the unexpected switch.

Yang Jian sidestepped the attack so casually it was almost insulting.

"Ambidextrous fighting requires years of practice to be effective," Yang Jian observed as Grim switched Echo back to his right hand. "Desperation is not a substitute for skill."

The fight continued, and with each passing moment, Grim’s situation became more desperate.

His fox companion darted in and out of the combat, trying to create openings, but Yang Jian seemed to track both opponents effortlessly.

Sweat stung Grim’s eyes, his breathing was ragged, and his arms felt like lead weights. Yang Jian, by contrast, looked like he could continue fighting for hours without fatigue.

"Enough," Yang Jian said suddenly, stepping back and lowering his sword. "I think we’ve learned what we needed to learn."

"The fight’s not over," Grim protested, though he was grateful for the respite.

"Yes, it is," Yang Jian replied with finality. "You’re exhausted, outmatched, and bleeding from a dozen small cuts. Continuing would serve no purpose except to demonstrate your stubbornness."

Before Grim could respond, the air around them shimmered, and another presence manifested on the platform.

At first glance, it appeared to be a massive dog. Its fur was silver-white, and it moved gracefully.

"Xiaotian Quan," Yang Jian said with obvious affection, reaching out to scratch behind the creature’s ears. "I was wondering when you’d show up."

The Howling Celestial Dog studied Grim with the same intense scrutiny that Yang Jian had shown earlier. When it spoke, its voice resonated directly in Grim’s mind.

"This is the human who has caused such interest?" the dog asked, its mental voice sounded skeptic. "He seems... ordinary."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Yang Jian replied. "He lasted longer than most would have, and he adapted to my fighting style faster than I expected."

"Still," Xiaotian Quan said, padding closer to Grim, "he has a long way to go before he’s ready for what’s coming."

"What’s coming?" Grim asked, though part of him wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

Yang Jian and his companion exchanged a look to each other.

"Training," Yang Jian said finally. "Real training. What we’ve done today was just an assessment."

Yang Jian had just demonstrated how much he still had to learn.

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Three days had passed since Emperor Yanyu Du Shi Wang had retired to his private chambers to deliberate on the fate of the prisoners.

Most people had spread rumors about the prisoners and everyone already knew the verdict that was coming.

Lianna was brought in first.

Her time in the dungeons had taken its toll. Her usually immaculate appearance was disheveled.

Her clothes had stains of them, and there was a hollowness around her eyes that spoke to countless nights of no sleep.

Morris and Willem followed behind her.

Both men had served the empire faithfully for years, and now found themselves facing judgment in a foreign court for crimes they had committed in service to their duties.

Emperor Yanyu Du Shi Wang entered the throne room with slow, measured steps that emphasized the gravity of the occasion.

"Lady Lianna Levenhart," the emperor began, his voice carrying clearly across the vast chamber despite the constant sound of flowing water.

"You have been found guilty of espionage, illegal use of fire magic within our borders, and conducting an unauthorized mission in my kingdom without my consent."

Lianna straightened her shoulders, meeting the emperor’s gaze directly despite knowing what was coming. "Your Majesty."

"Furthermore," the emperor continued.

"Your association with the Luminaris family, and specifically with Max Luminaris. Your presence here, regardless of your intentions shows that you are here to worl against me."

"Your Majesty, I must protest.." Lianna began, but the emperor raised his hand for silence.

"The evidence is clear," Emperor Yanyu Du Shi Wang stated.

"You entered our kingdom under false pretenses, engaged in activities that threatened our security, and your very existence serves the interests of our enemies."

"Such actions cannot be tolerated, regardless of the perpetrator’s noble birth or diplomatic status."

The throne room fell completely silent except for the flowing sound of water.

"Therefore," the emperor announced, "I sentence you, Lady Lianna Levenhart, to death by execution. The sentence will be carried out at dawn tomorrow, allowing you time to make peace with whatever gods you worship."

No one in the hall looked around at each other. No one gasped or looked shocked.

Every person there knew what sentence the Emepror would make.

Lianna closed her eyes briefly, then opened them with renewed resolve. "Your Majesty, I accept your judgment, though I maintain my innocence of the charges against me. I ask only that you allow my men to return to the empire with news of my fate."

"Your men share your crimes," the emperor replied coldly. "They will share your punishment as well. All three executions will proceed simultaneously."

Morris stepped forward, his military training overriding his fear.

"Your Majesty, we were following orders from our legitimate government. If you must take lives, take mine and spare Lady Lianna and Willem. They..."

"Enough," the emperor commanded. "Your loyalty is commendable but irrelevant. The sentence stands for all three prisoners."

The emperor rose from his throne, preparing to conclude the formal proceedings and retire to his chambers while the prisoners were returned to their cells for their final night of life.

But as he began to speak the closing words of the ceremony, the massive doors of the throne room burst open with a thunderous crash that startled everyone present.

A palace guard rushed in, his armor clattering as he ran across the polished floor.

His face was flushed with exertion and panic, and he clutched a scroll in his right hand.

"Your Imperial Majesty!" the guard shouted, dropping to one knee before the throne but continuing to speak without waiting for permission.

"Forgive the interruption, but urgent news requires your immediate attention!"

The emperor’s expression darkened at the breach of protocol, but something in the guard’s manner suggested genuine emergency rather than mere disrespect.

"Speak," the emperor commanded.

"The eastern border fortresses are under attack, Your Majesty!" the guard announced, his words causing immediate uproar throughout the throne room.

"Elven forces have crossed into our territory in massive numbers. General Liu Wei reports that at least three major incursions are underway, with more expected."

The emperor’s face went pale beneath his ceremonial paint. "Elven forces? Are you certain?"

"Absolutely certain, Your Majesty," the guard confirmed, rising to hand over the scroll.

"The attacks began before dawn. Fortress Qingshan has already fallen, and Fortress Bailu is under siege.

General Liu Wei requests immediate reinforcement and asks for your strategic guidance."

Emperor Yanyu Du Shi Wang broke the seal on the message with trembling fingers, his eyes scanning the contents rapidly.

As he read, his expression shifted from disbelief to rage to grim determination.

"How many casualties?" he asked quietly.

"Initial reports suggest hundreds dead, Your Majesty, with more expected as the attacks continue."

The emperor crushed the message in his fist, his knuckles white from anger.

The elves had not engaged in open warfare with any human kingdom for over a century, and their sudden aggression represented a threat that dwarfed any concerns about Celestis prisoners.

"Summon the war council immediately," the emperor ordered, his voice carrying new urgency.

"Mobilize the eastern armies and send word to our allied kingdoms about the elven aggression. This cannot be allowed to stand."

As the court erupted into controlled chaos with officials rushing to carry out their emperor’s commands, Lianna found herself staring at the man who had just sentenced her to death.

The irony was not lost on her. She was about to die for allegedly threatening a kingdom that was now facing actual war.

The emperor paused in his urgent consultations to glance back at the prisoners who still stood under guard in the center of his throne room.

For a moment, his eyes met Lianna’s, and she saw something that might have been uncertainty flicker across his features.

Then his attention returned to the crisis at hand, and the moment passed.

Lianna’s heart raced at wondering if she would die first from execution or from the elf invasion.