The Psychopathic Beast Emperor

Bahamut and Exildra walked silently down the streets of the outer sect in silence. Bahamut’s face was expressionless, but Exildra could sense that he was tense.

"Bah..." She made to speak, but stopped herself, her face showing worry.

"I’m okay," Bahamut suddenly spoke with a wry smile. "Were you worried?"

"Do I look like I’m not? You were too harsh on her," Exildra said, looking at him.

"You don’t understand..."

"What don’t I understand? That she loves you? That she wants me out of the way?"

"Exi..."

"We share almost the same kind of curse, so I understand her. This curse doesn’t adhere to reason. She can never and ever love another person. Even if she dies, she will only love you."

"So, would you be happy to share me with her? Do you understand what you are saying?"

"Harem is common in this world, Bahamut. And I am not saying I’m willing to share you with another woman, but this situation is simple yet complicated. You do not understand the kind of pain she’s going through. Even death would be better than what she’s experiencing."

"I am not a savior."

"She fell in love with you as I did."

"No one asked her."

"No one asked me either."

"What made you like me?"

"To be honest, I don’t know. Maybe it is because of the time we shared or your presence. But for me, I don’t know."

"Then it is probably the same for her."

"It isn’t. She claimed you at first sight. I don’t know if you heard of this, but she tried her very best in the trial to have a chance with you. You are the reason why she stayed in this sect."

"I don’t understand you, Exi. It’s as if you are trying to justify her actions."

"What if I am? You don’t realize that you are one of the most wanted males in the whole sect. There are a lot of beast-kin here. There are different races here, but you are different. Don’t you understand what that means?

Lily is from the Kurama Tribe, a powerful fox-kin tribe with an innate sense of finding their mate. Unlike normal people who need some time to build intimacy, the fox-kin, especially the Kuramas, sense their mates instantly and work to build their relationships. If I hadn’t become a variable in her path, you would have been with her, not me. And she would have killed any other person. They are that possessive."

"This is harder than cultivation."

"It is, but don’t push her away, or else she might do something crazy, and we will suffer the consequences. I know she hates me, but she doesn’t hate me for hate’s sake. She hates me because you chose me over her.

You don’t have to go and apologize to her, but next time, don’t push her away. Talk with her. And I don’t mind if you make a harem. You are enough for me. I don’t have the energy to be fighting others."

"Your expression tells me otherwise."

"It depends on the woman!"

"Cute."

"Ugh! Be serious, Bahamut!"

"Gimme a kiss, and I will be serious for a hundred years."

"Really?"

"Fat chance."

...

The outer sect disciples streamed hurriedly to the courtyard upon hearing the announcement that resonated everywhere. They recognized the announcer’s voice instantly as Elder Hakar, the titleless elder. Most have been wondering just what his position was in the sect, apart from being just the examiner, but this was a question the elders themselves asked, as most of them came to meet Elder Hakar in the sect, and he’d always held that name since. There were countless rumors and assumptions surrounding his existence in the sect, but no one knew what was true or false.

Elder Hakar stood atop the elevated stone platform at the center of the courtyard, his long, weathered robes fluttering despite the still air. His presence alone commanded silence. It wasn’t overwhelming like Elder Silvia’s cold authority or Elder Iset’s quiet dominance; it was... absolute. Like a rule that had always existed.

The murmurs died almost instantly.

Hundreds... no, thousands of disciples filled the courtyard, arranged in loose clusters based on familiarity, yet all eyes were locked on him.

His gaze swept across them once, slowly as though weighing every one of them.

Then he spoke.

"Listen carefully."

His voice wasn’t loud, yet it reached every corner of the courtyard with eerie clarity, as though it bypassed the ears and settled directly into the mind.

"In a month, the sect will commence its Grand Evaluation."

A ripple surged through the crowd. Some straightened immediately. Others exchanged glances. Elder Hakar raised a hand slightly, and silence returned just as quickly.

"This is not a routine assessment. This is a restructuring. Your current standing, the ones you perceived worth within the sect, will all be subject to change."

Now the tension truly began to build.

"The evaluation will include all disciples: Outer, Inner, and Core."

That sent a visible shockwave through the gathering. Even the most composed among them couldn’t fully mask their reactions now. Outer disciples looked both excited and terrified. A chance to rise had been offered, and they were going to grab it. The inner disciples stiffened and realized that they would fall if they didn’t prepare adequately.

As for the core disciples, they were unaffected. After all, they’d been in the sect for years and knew almost what to expect. And it wasn’t like if they failed, they would drop like the inner disciples. They were so small in number that they could be counted on both fingers.

Elder Hakar continued, his expression unreadable.

"Each tier will be evaluated separately and ranked accordingly. Your rewards will reflect your standing within your respective class."

He took a step forward, the faint sound of his foot touching stone echoing far louder than it should have.

"Understand this clearly..."

His eyes sharpened.

"This is not a competition of talent."

A few brows furrowed.

"This is not a competition of strength. This is an evaluation of everything... Your mind, your instincts, your adaptability, your will, and your survival. You may possess overwhelming power and still fail. You may be weak... and still rise."

A faint breeze swept through the courtyard, though none could tell where it came from.

"And no..."

A few disciples leaned forward instinctively.

"I will not disclose the nature of the trials."

Groans threatened to rise, but died before they could form under his gaze.

"Prepare in any way you see fit."

He folded his hands behind his back.

"Train harder. Think deeper. Or... Do nothing at all."

That... unsettled many more than anything he had said so far.

"A month from now, you will all gather once more."

His gaze swept across them again, this time sharper, more piercing.

"And on that day, the sect will decide who you truly are."

The weight of those words lingered long after he finished speaking, and then was gone. For a moment, no one spoke.

Then, the courtyard exploded. Voices overlapped in chaos.

"What do you think it’ll be?!"

"They said everything, what does that even mean?!"

"If I drop ranks, I’m finished..."

"This is our chance!"

Excitement.

Fear.

Anticipation.

Dread.

It all mixed into a storm that swept through every disciple present.