Lord of the Truth

1078  Won?

BOOOOOOOOM!

Pythor struck down the Planetary Emperor, Robin Burton, and for a moment, it seemed as though he had killed him. However, in the process, Pythor had also struck himself, and his massive head crashed into the ground like a falling meteor.

The sheer spectacle of the event sent waves of shock and chaos rippling through the entire battlefield. In every combat zone, from the outermost trenches to the heart of the city, warriors on both sides paused momentarily, trying to grasp the reality of what had just occurred.

But nowhere was the reaction more immediate and intense than among the Martial Emperors.

"Your Majesty!!"

The Seventy-Seventh Son of the Great Serpent Empire cried out in terror before immediately turning and bolting toward the city. If His Majesty Pythor had fallen, then everything they were fighting for would be meaningless!

"The Lord!"

"The Lord has fallen!!"

The demon army, too, was thrown into a frenzy at the sight. Pythor's previous agonized screams had drawn the attention of all, and in that brief moment, every eye had turned toward the scene. Everyone had witnessed exactly what had transpired, and the battlefield trembled with the weight of their uncertainty.

"Stop them! Trust in the Lord and hold back these sons of snakes! Don't let them reach the city!!"

A high-ranking demon general, one of Amon's personal aides, bellowed his orders with all the authority he could muster, pointing directly at the retreating Seventy-Seventh Son. Without hesitation, he abandoned his position among the ranks and personally leaped forward, ready to fight.

But in the end, there was no need.

BAAAAM!

A tremendous slap struck the Seventy-Seventh Son square across the face, sending him hurtling into the ground headfirst.

Despite the force of the blow, he scrambled back to his feet almost instantly, his eyes darting toward his attacker in sheer disbelief.

"Impossible!!"

The one who had struck him— was the soul creature that looked exactly like Marshal Lonta!

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...Caesar's entire being tensed when he first witnessed the event, his instincts screaming at him to abandon his current battle and rush toward the city immediately. His body nearly moved on its own.

But when he saw the Seventy-Seventh Son get slapped into the ground by a soul creature, a smirk formed on his lips. His tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and he turned his full attention back to his own fight.

"What are you doing?! Don't you care about your father?! Go to him and let us go to His Majesty already!!"

The Martial Emperors surrounding Caesar erupted in frustration, their rage fueled by their inability to push past the hellish black flames he had cast around them.

The sheer quantity of the black fire was overwhelming—it engulfed the air itself, creating a swirling inferno that prevented them from advancing. Their only option was to continuously use the Corrosion Mist technique to slowly erode it over time.

Seeing Robin buried beneath Pythor's devastating attack, they had expected—even hoped—that Caesar would abandon the fight and rush to his father's side, giving them a chance to break free.

But he stayed.

His piercing gaze swept over them, unwavering, his voice booming with unshakable conviction, "Planetary Emperor Robin Burton is not that weak, you worms!!"

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Above him, the black firestorm stirred to life once more, sending down another volley of flaming arrows.

"Damn it!!"

The 130 Martial Emperors surrounding him were forced to retreat again, their movements turning into an erratic dance as they struggled to dodge the relentless barrage.

08:21

These attacks might not be lethal to them, but they were more than enough to force them away from the main battlefield!

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"...Get out of my fuckin' way!!"

Richard's aura exploded like a raging volcano. The new surge of power coursing through his veins was too much for his body to handle—his very skin began to crack and peel away, flaking off in a grotesque display of self-destruction.

".....!!"

The remaining Imperial Guards and Elite Marshals instinctively recoiled, their bodies moving away of their own accord. Whatever that lunatic was trying to do, one thing was clear— he would die attempting it, but he would take them all with him!

"Son of the Lord, calm yourself! Look behind you!" Sakaar moved swiftly, placing a firm hand on Richard's shoulder before gesturing toward the battlefield.

His finger pointed toward Hofenheim, the colossal soul creature still standing tall in the midst of battle.

"I do not know much about soul creatures," Sakaar admitted, "but I do know this— they wouldn't still be here, fighting with such focus and intensity, if something had happened to their master!"

"Tch...!!"

The other Martial Emperors of the Great Serpent Empire took notice as well. Their eyes darted toward the remaining battle zones.

And there it was—proof.

Every battlefield where Robin's soul creatures fought remained just as active, just as fierce, as before. Not a single one of them had disappeared.

BAAM! BAAM!

Richard exhaled sharply, easing the torrent of life energy he had been forcing through his body. He flexed his fingers, then suddenly burst into laughter, "Hahaha! Good, good!"

Grinning wildly, he clenched his fists and cracked his knuckles menacingly, his eyes locking onto his enemies once more, "Then let's continue!!"

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Buzzing. Buzzing.

"Mmmh..." Robin slowly raised his trembling hands, placing them over his ears.

"Shut up..." The buzzing was unbearable as if a swarm of a thousand bees was rattling inside his skull.

"Shut up..." He groaned weakly, shaking his head left and right, but the relentless noise only grew louder, pushing him closer and closer to madness.

"SHUT UUUUP!!!" He slammed his fist into the ground beside him in frustration, trying to silence the relentless phantom bees buzzing in his mind.

"Hmm...? Where... am I?" Finally, Robin's eyes fluttered open, and he slowly took in his surroundings.

There was nothing but darkness.

But as his vision adjusted, and The Eye of Truth activated instinctively, he saw it— he was buried beneath the rubble.

Not just under the rubble, but several meters underground.

"What the...? Oh... I remember now." Robin let out a long sigh as the last thing he recalled resurfaced in his mind. That damned monster must have landed a lucky hit on him with its tail.

After quickly assessing his situation, Robin exhaled again, preparing to push himself upright and finish what he started.

"...Hmm? Tsk, tsk, tsk~" The moment he tried to move, pain exploded throughout his entire body.

It felt as though every bone in his frame had shattered.

Activating The Eye of Truth once more, he scanned himself— and his suspicions were confirmed.

"Urghh..."

That miserable attack from Pythor had carried every ounce of power he had left. Meanwhile, Robin had been left completely defenseless, throwing all his strength into breaking the crystal core.

Taking damage was inevitable. But this much?!

Flicker. Flicker.

From beneath the rubble, Robin's body began to glow once again.

He was burning his life force once more.

(Hey, stop already! What exactly are you trying to do?!)

Evergreen's voice rang through his mind, its tone sharp with concern.

(Yes, you have a link with me, and I am constantly replenishing your life force, but you're burning it far too quickly! If you reach zero, I won't be able to help anymore. I can supply energy, but I cannot resurrect the dead!)

"It's fine..." Robin chuckled weakly. "I'll use another 40% to heal myself quickly. I don't think I'll need life force anymore after this..." His grin widened slightly, "Because... I already won."

(Oh, really?) Evergreen's voice dripped with skepticism. (Then you might want to tell that to the one waiting outside. Because if my senses are correct, you need to use the Gift—immediately.)

"Hmm?" Robin's brow furrowed.

Clatter. Clatter.