2386 - His Excellency, The Baby Deputy
*HOOOM*
The dust and stones, the air and everything it carried of particles and microscopic organisms, the space and frequencies and energy—and anything else that fell within that vast expanse Robin had pointed to—began to change.
Everything vanished and started transforming into a golden cloud, a highly unstable cloud whose shape constantly shifted, pierced by strange lightning bolts that emerged from within it yet never escaped its bounds.
"...?" Everyone focused intently on that cloud, each with their own initial analysis.
But immediately, they all spoke in unison, "Primordial Chaos?!"
An immense, illogical power that neither heavenly laws nor Soul Sense could penetrate, whose actions could not be predicted... It was difficult to gaze at that cloud for even a few seconds without grasping what it was.
"...". As for Robin, he waited until the cloud grew large enough, then moved it to hover directly before him. Afterward, he brought it back down toward the ground and made a specific gesture with his hand.
*HOOOM* The serpent devouring its own tail appeared. The golden Symbol of Creation declared its presence above the cloud and began operating under the commands it had received.
The cloud began to morph, compressing in some parts and expanding in others until a head, two arms, two feet, and a torso started to appear, then it continued until fingers, a nose, and small details emerged.
"This...?" Althera was utterly astonished, "A newborn?"
The golden cloud took the form of a just-born infant.
The child's body kept flickering with a golden hue for a few seconds until his internal organs finished forming perfectly, then the Symbol of Creation faded, and with it, the golden glow on the child vanished.
And the child just lay there on the dirt, a lifeless corpse.
Althera felt awe at the sight; Holak, Jabba, and Sakaar began focusing on Robin, then toward the infant, wondering what exactly this meant.
Until Robin pulled something from his forehead and gently presented it toward the child...
*Huum* The glowing orb moved until it softly pierced the infant's forehead, then—
"Waaaah—"
"This...?!" The four were instantly shocked.
"Ah!" Althera stepped forward and embraced the infant, then pulled a sheet from her ring and wrapped it around his body, after which she furrowed her brows at Robin, "What does this mean?"
Of course, many negative thoughts were racing through her mind, the first being that Robin was trying to show off his abilities in front of them, but what was the fault of this infant now? That is, if he was even an infant to begin with and Robin hadn't merely forced his mouth to move!
"Without much preamble, this is your deputy, Asr." Robin pointed toward the infant.
"Wh—?!" Althera opened her mouth in shock.
"I managed to sever his soul domain and used the Eye of Truth to take him before the Executioner could steal his corpse." Robin explained, "I didn't tell you this because I intended to return him to his family so they could do with him as they wished or give him a burial befitting him, but Arkail instead gave him to me as a gift to be a new son of mine." Then he shrugged, puzzled by the word he had just uttered, after which he pointed toward Althera, "I entrust Asr to you now; you will be the one to care for him."
"…….?!?!?" Althera's mind stopped working, and she merely stared at Robin in bewilderment.
"Asr? Deputy Asr from Dawn Light Academy?" Jabba was extremely puzzled, "...Why did he just cry if he is Asr, a Guardian of Law from the Path of Time with such majesty?!"
"The only thing I cannot create at the moment is the Primordial Soul; everything else is easy. I used the Master Law of Creation and my knowledge as a Soul Master of Ten Stars to build a new soul domain for the infant, while Asr's soul domain was planted beside the new one and connected to it."
Then he continued, "I arranged for that connection between the two domains to grow over time until a full merger occurs. For now, the connection is large enough to allow only the Primordial Soul to function without any memories or preserved powers... This is to spare Asr any embarrassment and give him a chance to get used to his new life."
"Why didn't you just create an adult body?" Jabba asked, gazing at the infant in Althera's arms with strange looks.
"I haven't reached that level yet." Robin sighed, "I cannot create a body that can withstand the power of a Guardian, nor can I anchor a massive soul domain onto a new body. I can only do things like this to avoid the problems."
He then stared at Asr, "But it won't be a big problem for him now—our little one here wasn't built from two drops, but directly from Master Laws and a design that avoided any kind of flaw. It's a perfect body, a perfect new Soul Domain, and with it a Second Soul Domain that feeds and strengthens it... it's only a matter of time before he becomes an unparalleled genius."
"...." When Robin reached this point in his thoughts, he nodded as if he had decided something, then gestured toward Asr.
*Hum* Six small Master Symbols appeared above his head, then descended gently and vanished into his Spiritual Domain.
Immediately, the infant stopped crying, and his expression changed.
Robin smiled, "Now he has the sun to show him the Path of Truth and guide him on his way from this day forward," then he smiled again, "Now all I can do is look forward to the day he reaches his prime and becomes a man."
"...." Althera kept looking toward Robin, then at the infant Asr with his striking expression, then back to Robin, "This is... truly my deputy?"
"It's him, and he will grow up like an ordinary child—smarter than average and stronger than normal, but Asr without a doubt." Robin gestured toward him with his head, "Take care of him if you wish, and if you want to focus on your training, I can find someone else to handle him."
"No!" Althera exclaimed at him, "I will handle him."
Her eyes began to tear up slightly. Even to this day, she still blamed herself for fleeing from the Executioner that day and allowing her deputy to die in her place... Finally, she has a chance to make up for what happened!
"Hmm, raising children with women's hands produces weak sons." Holak shook his head as if sacrificing his most precious possession, "Fine, I'll help raise him to become a strong Guard like me."
Holak had also witnessed Asr's death at the hands of the Executioner that day, powerless to do anything.
"What do you mean by raising children with women's hands?!" Althera pinched Holak hard.
"Ow!!"
"Alright." Robin clapped, then gestured toward the Gate, "Please go feed the boy and decide what you'll do with him elsewhere... I want Marshal Sakaar alone."
"...Understood."
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