2310 - Kiryān
“…Why don’t you show yourself in your true form?” Helmor revealed a faint smile.
“Why don’t you take your children and leave?” The Spear Wielder spoke calmly, his manifestation trembling for a moment. “You have no business crossing five sectors to attack me here, in the heart of my domain.”
“Hmph, so this is the great Kiryān, the Oppression Behemoth, famed for his sharp wit and strength in the arenas…!” Helmor said mockingly. “In the end, you’re afraid!”
“I fear no one, Helmor. One-on-one, I never back down from any fight—even if Marlik himself came, he’d find me waiting!” The man called Kiryān waved his spear angrily. “But I don’t fight cheaters.”
“Oh, making excuses now?” Helmor shook his head. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“I have an eye that sees.” Kiryān pointed toward the ongoing battle. “An eye that can distinguish what is possible from what is impossible.” Then he continued, glaring at Helmor with hatred. “Who exactly are these people?”
“Haha, have my children already given you nightmares?” Helmor raised his voice.
“Your children?” Anger began to build on Kiryān’s face. “They’re mere machines. I can’t see distinct personalities while they fight, I can’t detect hesitation in decision-making or a moment of error or oversight—everything is far too perfect.”
He then continued, "Second, what is this power?" Kiryān pointed toward the battle. "The Law of Destruction is immensely powerful, but it is still a fundamental heavenly law like many others. It has strong aspects and weaknesses, limits and loopholes. Yet what I see before me now is not what it should be!"
"My disciples are not as weak as they appear in this battle. Any one of them could become a Behemoth if they possessed a Seed. With their help, I even have Sector 120 under my control. No one dares to establish an Artificial Galaxy near me. I know their strength well because they are the product of my own training. Yet they are being manipulated by those things you claim are your children... What is happening? Where do they get such power? And if they are this strong, what about you?!"
Then he raised his voice slightly. "Why is every single one of them stronger than Hedrick, who has been the subject of rumors for millions of years? Hedrick, who supposedly wounded you in that dubious battle—a battle that occurred at an extremely suspicious time!"
"...Thank you for the praise. They are good children." Helmor replied seriously, but his brows furrowed for a split second.
"Is that all you have? Thank you for the praise?" Kiryān raised his eyebrows in disappointment. "...Why did you come today, Helmor? If you have conditions, state them."
"Conditions? You mean the conditions of your surrender? That won't matter." Helmor shook his head. "You should have bowed your head when you learned that Middle Sector 114 belongs to me. Now that a war has broken out, don't come back expecting conditions and light penalties... This galaxy is mine now. If you don't want to come out and fight like men, then wait quietly inside until I come to you."
"..." Kiryān stared at Helmor's face seriously and calmly for a few seconds.
Then
Whoosh
His figure vanished without adding another word.
"..." Helmor remained silent for several minutes, his serious expression growing deeper and heavier. Afterward, he waved his hand and raised his voice, "Come on, finish the battle faster!"
Commotion
———————
Middle Sector 100—
Robin let out a long sigh... sitting in a meditative posture inside a giant dark cave that looked like a cavity within the earth, the same place where he had met Renara... At this moment, it seemed nothing in the world could ruin his mood.
Whoosh
"Your Majesty," at that moment, Shadow Sword arrived beside Robin, kneeling on one knee. "The updates you requested are here."
"..." Robin quietly opened his eye, took the chip from Shadow Sword's hand, and gestured for him to leave.
Then he closed his eyes again for about a minute, trying to analyze all the information on the chip.
After that, he smiled and rose from his seat. "Alright, it's time to continue the tour."
"Does Your Majesty feel better now?" Standing to the side, leaning against the wall in a guard stance, Glacion showed a joyful smile.
"Mm." Robin nodded. "Things were fine, and my body could handle continuing the tour the moment Renara's limits were undone. But then I don't know what hit me with this overwhelming fatigue." He sighed and began to stretch. "But it doesn't matter. We can continue now. Everything is fine."
Then he gestured with his head toward Richard. "You look better too. Good. At our next destination, you need to appear in handsome form."
"It's been two weeks since I stopped doing anything about the antimatter," Richard also began to rise slowly from his seat with a smile. "It feels nice to look like a normal person again, even if only for a brief while before I resume closed training after this tour ends."
"You don't need to do anything. You're just punishing yourself and finding a way to pass the days... but you won't have time for that. And even if you did, you wouldn't have the chance." Robin shook his head. "We're going to meet your mother-in-law."
"....?!?" Richard jolted as if a snake had bitten him. "W-We're going to—Serene?!"
"Haha." Robin laughed out loud, then pointed beside him. "Glacion, help him fix his hair and adjust his clothes. I want him to look like a neat young man."
"At once!" Glacion chuckled and began winking at Richard.
"Be confident, head high, shoulders back—act like you're not intimidated by the situation!" Robin started lecturing with a smile, trying to hide his laughter, like a father preparing to go ask for his eldest son's hand in marriage. "If you show you're desperate, they'll exaggerate their demands!"
"......" Richard's face remained serious, but it turned red as he stood still while Glacion adjusted his clothes.
"Heehee~" Robin savored the moment as much as possible.
Then the Golden Scale appeared
completely
, something vanished, and power enveloped Robin, followed by a massive spread of Golden Engravings covering him.
"To middle Sector 101!" Robin shouted with a smile, then pointed toward a specific spot, and the Golden Door opened.
"....." Robin's expression shifted for a moment—a look of surprise and confusion—then he stared at his hand for a few seconds.
After that, he gestured with a forced smile toward Glacion and Richard. "Alright, let's go!"