Lord of the Truth

One Week Later – Planet R2 – Near the Space Gate

The tension in the dimly lit chamber was palpable. Chains rattled slightly as Keri shifted in her seat, her piercing glare fixed on the two figures before her. Aro, dressed in his usual crisp yet understated uniform, sat with an air of growing impatience, while Elizabeth lounged beside him, exuding nothing but cold amusement.

"…Alright, this isn't working. There's no real progress happening here. Why are we all wasting our time?" Aro finally declared, his tone laced with frustration as he tapped his fingers against the table.

"That's what we've been saying from the beginning," Keri shot back without hesitation, her voice firm, unwavering. "There's nothing to discuss with you." She lifted her chin in defiance. "The relationship between an occupier and the rightful owners of the land is one of killer and victim. There's nothing to talk about unless you leave us alone and get out of our property!"

"Hmph, no talking is no problem for me." Elizabeth let out a short, mocking laugh, tilting her head as if barely interested in the conversation. "We've already located your little hideout in the Northern Misty Mountains. That's your third-largest base, correct? Well, it won't be for much longer. By the end of the day, it will be wiped off the map."

"You crazy whore!!" Keri snapped, her body jerking forward as she tried to lunge at Elizabeth. But the thick restraints binding her to the chair held firm, and the sealing nail embedded in her chest ensured she could do little more than seething with rage.

"Whore?" Elizabeth finally turned her gaze toward Keri, an expression of pure disgust flickering across her face before she lazily gestured toward the elderly woman seated beside the prisoner. "The real whore is sitting right next to you—your dear mother, who doesn't even know who your real father is. Why drag me into your personal mess?"

"..." The elderly woman remained completely still, her expression unreadable, as if the gaze of her empty eyes fixed somewhere far beyond the walls of the chamber.

"Ahhh!!" Keri let out a raw, furious scream, her entire body trembling. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!!"

Elizabeth merely smirked. "Kill me? How ridiculous. Even at your peak, you couldn't so much as touch me. Maybe you had a better chance when Xanox was the one tormenting you for thousands of years." She then turned her cold, calculating eyes toward Aro. "I told you negotiating with this pathetic race was a waste of time. I tried to be civil with them. And what did they do? They killed me. I still don't understand why His Excellency sent you."

"I'm trying, Lady Elizabeth." Aro exhaled heavily, pressing his palms against his forehead before rubbing his temples. "I'm doing everything I can to fulfill His Excellency's wishes." His voice was weary, "But what do you expect me to do? These are noble warriors who have no desire other than freedom."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Hmph, at least one of you understands." Keri finally swallowed her anger and turned away, her expression hard but victorious. "There is nothin g—nothing— that will make me stand before my people and tell them we have accepted submission. We would rather be erased from existence than live under your rule."

"That's already happening~" Elizabeth's chuckle was laced with venom.

"You little—" Keri's voice rose in a furious snarl, her body tensing as she prepared to spit another insult.

But before she could, Aro abruptly stood, stepping between them. He then turned to Elizabeth, his expression unreadable. "My lady, why don't you leave us alone for a few minutes? I'll make one last attempt. I feel like your presence here is only making things worse."

Elizabeth's brow furrowed.

Something about this didn't sit right with her. Aro was a man who had been personally promised a status equal to Alexander's, a man carrying an official decree from His Excellency himself. T

echnically, his authority exceeded hers. And yet… the way he spoke to her, the way he carried himself— it was almost subservient, like a desperate servant rather than an equal.

A gnawing unease settled in her chest. A part of her wanted to refuse outright, to state plainly that she did not trust him.

But he had been appointed for this task. This was his mission, granted by His Excellency's own hand.

So instead, Elizabeth merely let out a slow breath before giving a small nod. But not before turning to Keri, her lips curling into a smirk. "Mind your manners with the guest, or I will pull out all of your finger nails once more."

And with effortless grace, she turned on her heel and walked away, her regal presence lingering even after she had left the chamber.

Keri's eyes followed Elizabeth until she completely disappeared from sight. Only then did she shift her sharp gaze back to Aro, her expression twisted with disgust and barely contained rage.

"Thank you for getting that wretched occupier out of my sight, but don't waste your time trying—I will never—"

Before she could finish, Aro let out an exaggerated sigh and all but collapsed into his seat, stretching his legs out with a dramatic groan.

"Ahhh~ Finally, that insufferable woman is gone," he muttered lazily. "I was wondering when she'd stop tormenting me with all that pointless chatter." With that, he shut his eyes, propped his feet up on the table, and allowed an eerie silence to settle over the room.

Keri's brow twitched, "...?!"

Was he being serious right now? She had expected a long-winded speech, some drawn-out attempt at persuasion, or at the very least, a smug remark about her impending doom. But instead, he just… sat there? Silent? Acting as if none of this even mattered?

She waited.

And waited.

But the longer the silence stretched, the more her patience frayed.

"..."

"..."

Her fingers twitched. The tension in the room became unbearable.

"Are you seriously not going to say anything?!" she finally snapped, her voice brimming with frustration.

Aro merely opened one eye, looking completely unbothered. "There's nothing for me to say." His tone was calm. Too calm. "You warriors are strong, but you've chosen death, haven't you? Well, congratulations." He shrugged indifferently. "I'm just like you—a representative of a conquered people, sent here to do a job. But honestly? I don't see why I should even try. Brave soldiers like you don't need convincing from someone like me, so what's the point? We can just sit here quietly for a few minutes, and then I'll go outside and inform General Elizabeth that negotiations have failed. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Keri clenched her fists, her heart pounding. "We didn't choose death—we chose to fight!" she corrected him sharply, her voice filled with defiance.

Aro simply chuckled, but there was no amusement in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I heard you saying the same thing twice." He leaned back further in his chair. "It's not about you anymore. That man, Robin Burton, killed Pythor in single combat. His sons slaughtered every last one of Pythor's marshals, then paraded their desecrated corpses for all to see. Now, their primary goal is to subjugate every remaining planet that belonged to the fallen Planetary Emperor. And they will accomplish that in one of two ways—through negotiation, like what we're doing now, or through absolute annihilation."

He let those words sink in before continuing. "Unlike the Serpent Empire, they won't start a hunt down while searching for treasures at the same time. They'll actually kill you first and take whatever is left afterward, they don't like headachs, and you saw for yourself. If negotiations fails today, Robin Burton will unleash his entire army to wipe out every last one of you. And once you're all dead, then he'll see what your planet has to offer."

"Liar!" Keri stomped her feet against the ground, her fury boiling over. "You're just like that woman— both of you are liars! Kill Pythor? The marshals? That's absurd! I lived through Xanox's reign— I know what he's capable of! There's no way they could have won so easily! This is just a cheap trick to break our will!"

Aro slowly opened both eyes this time, staring at her with something resembling pity before letting out a heavy sigh. "How unfortunate," he muttered, shaking his head. "A child who hasn't seen the world for what it really is." His voice dripped with condescension. "Just because you lived under that lunatic Zanox, you think he was some kind of god? That he couldn't be defeated? How naïve."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp. "Tell me, have you ever laid eyes on Robin Burton himself? Have you seen what his tyrant sons are capable of? Or what about that brute head, Holak? Have you ever crossed paths with the demons Sakaar and Amon? No? Tsk tsk~ You only see what's right beneath your feet."

He finally lowered his feet from the table and leaned in closer, his voice dropping to something more personal—almost intimate. "But I understand you. I pity you, even. You refuse to believe that the Great Serpent Empire fell so easily, and that makes you think you stand a chance against the True Beginning Empire." His lips curled into a small smirk. "Fine. Let's see something together, then."

With a casual motion, Aro reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a small metallic disk. At a flick of his fingers, a holographic projection flickered to life above it.

Keri's pupils shrank in shock, "What… is this?!"

It was a battlefield.

The projection displayed a brutal clash between two warriors. One of them —Caesar— was fighting an opponent wielding a massive greatsword. The enemy was writhing in agony, his body engulfed in sinister black flames that clung to his form like a living curse. From the looks of it, the battle was nearing its end.

Keri felt a cold chill crawl up her spine.

"Oh? I don't see your precious Xanox in this image. Maybe you'll recognize this one?" Aro swiped his fingers over the disk, and the projection changed.

This time, it was Holak.

The towering brute leaned upon a severed head, resting lazily against its remains, watching the massive battle raging in front and behind him as if it were nothing more than a Sunday picnic.

Keri's lips parted slightly, but she said nothing.

Aro frowned. "Hmm? No reaction?" He swiped again.

And this time—

"Ahh—!" Keri gasped, her entire body freezing in place. "Xa—Xanox?!"

The new projection showed Richard, his figure wreathed in brilliant green flames. But what made Keri's blood run cold was the identity of that opponent. It was Xanox.

Richard's arm was outstretched, his bare fist piercing cleanly through Xanox's back, exiting through his chest. The fire burning in Richard's hair made him look almost divine, while the fading light in Xanox's eyes made the scene feel like something out of a legend.