Lord of the Truth-Chapter 1202: Same fate

Rinara turned sharply, her cloak fluttering with the movement as she locked eyes with Robin.

"…Did she just say Galactic Seed?!"

Robin's head snapped toward her, disbelief painted across his face.

"Are you serious right now?!" he shouted, voice echoing with frustration. "This isn't the time for that conversation!! Deal with the descending catastrophe up there first—then we'll talk about whatever seed you're obsessing over!"

But Rinara wasn't fazed. Not in the slightest.

Instead of flaring back, she smiled—slowly, knowingly. Her eyes shimmered with a peculiar glow, not just from power, but from sudden, dangerous curiosity.

"Interesting... so it really is true. We're going to have a long, long talk after this is over, Robin Burton."

The tension in the air thickened. It wasn't just Rinara who'd been affected by Robin's offhanded remark.

Even the woman hovering above the planet—froze. Her expression shifted ever so slightly.

The brows beneath her shadowed mask furrowed, a rare crack in her flawless control.

The reaction of the Nine-Tailed Fragment… Robin's words…

Could it be possible that she truly had no idea about the Galactic Seed?

That the Overlord who guided Robin, has no knowledge of Nehari?

But how? How could the one who granted him access to space portals, who sent him to that planet in the first place, not know what he was actually pursuing?

Especially considering the scale of the conflict he had willingly entered?

Was she… truly that ignorant?

Or—was she not his Overlord after all?

If that was true… then who exactly was Rinara to him? And why was she here?

"..."

The woman in black clenched her teeth hard, jaw tightening.

She had made a grave mistake—drawing unwanted attention to the Galactic Seed without realizing it. She had inadvertently added a rival to the board… A powerful one.

Rinara's attention returned skyward.

This time, she wore a softer expression, almost amused, as if she'd just discovered an opponent's hidden card.

"Why don't we… lower the heat a little?" she offered. "What's your name, really? I've heard quite a bit about you through whispers in the Soul society. Ilia Ghasan's agents talk of a woman cloaked in black, wearing a black mask with a red gem. They speak of your destruction—but none of them ever name you."

"My name is Goddess of Blood and War," came the cold reply.

"That's all you need to know."

"…Very well," Rinara replied with a casual shrug. "Your reputation precedes you regardless. Your name might be a mystery, but your wrath certainly isn't. Everyone's talking about the Path of Destruction. About your mastery over the Law of Ashification, if I'm not mistaken? They say you've clashed with Emperor Ilia Ghasan himself on more than one occasion. And each time… the outcome was a draw."

She then gestured toward the air above them, where the space continued to shimmer and crack.

"If I may ask… is that how you arrived so swiftly? Through sheer destructive force? Did you destroy your way through the fabric of space using the sixth stage of your law? That's… aggressive. And I imagine, incredibly taxing."

"What's with the sudden small talk?" the masked woman asked sharply, lifting her chin just slightly.

"We're not friends. We're not even acquaintances."

And with that—she dropped.

CRAAAAAACK!!

But this time, something was different.

The damage wasn't as immense as before. Her descent, while still powerful, was met with heavier resistance.

She hadn't pierced as deep into the planet's atmosphere as in her previous attempts.

"RRRAAAAAHHHH!!"

Juri's roar tore through the air like a battle cry, her body trembled,

All around the planet, energy surged like a tidal wave pulled by purpose.

Raw essence, pulled from every vein, every mountain, every breath of life, converged beneath the cloaked woman.

It resisted her presence, pushing back with a fury forged from desperation.

And the more she tried to descend… the slower she moved.

Robin's golden eyes narrowed. His mind raced.

He could see it all—the energy, the friction, the subtle shifts in gravity.

Every pattern, every vibration, every delay.

He was calculating… everything.

Rinara's words echoed in his mind—about the cost of using her Law to travel such distances.

Was this why she wasn't unleashing all her strength at once?

Was she pouring most of her force into her legs, trying to compress her own descent?

Was she focusing the Law of Ashification into narrow fractures, dripping it down like molten fire instead of flooding them?

Not a theatrical descent. Not a power move.

But because she was exhausted.

Utterly, painfully exhausted.

This… this was conservation. She was burning out.

And that… changed everything.

Robin's head snapped toward the spatial portal.

His heart pounded in his chest like a war drum, his pulse thudding in his ears louder than any roar of battle.

He was terrified to even make a move toward them.

What if the woman in black—hovering above like an executioner—noticed?

What if she took their movement as a sign of defiance? A signal to accelerate her descent?

Or worse, what if she unleashed one of her overwhelming attacks and annihilated the continent—obliterating everyone on it before they even took a step?

He bit his lip hard.

But maybe… just maybe… now that she was showing signs of fatigue, could he risk it?

Could he use this narrow window to escape?

How exhausted was she, really? Could she still release a powerful attack? Or had she already pushed herself to her limits?

And even if he managed to flee... where would he go?

And how long would it take her to realize he had vanished and track him down again?

Would she give him a second chance—another long-winded conversation?

Or would she simply destroy the next planet he landed on without a word of warning?

"Urrrgh…" Robin groaned low, pressing both hands against his head. His mind was spiraling out of control, each thought darker than the last.

Then came Rinara's voice—sharp, poised, and cutting through his panic like a blade.

"Of course we are not friends," she said firmly, her tone regal, filled with calm authority.

"We are not equals. I am a true Empress—the Empress of the Nine Paths Empire."

She gestured to herself with the quiet confidence of someone who knew exactly who she was.

"When it comes to individual might, I surpass Ilia Ghasan himself.

And when it comes to the strength of my armies, the breadth of my territories, and the depth of my resources—my foundations reach further than he can ever imagine."

The woman in black smirked darkly, mockery dripping from her voice.

"How delightful," she replied, sarcasm thick.

Then—CRAAACK—another step downward, straining against growing resistance.

"What now? You want me to clap for you?"

"What's wrong with this impatient woman?!" Rinara snapped, turning to Robin with a scowl.

"That's what I've been trying to say!!" Robin shouted, slapping both sides of his head in pure frustration.

Rinara turned her eyes upward again, clearly irritated.

"I'm starting to feel sorry for Ilia. Having to deal with someone like you for centuries must have been torture. But… no worries," she smiled coldly. "That might not be a problem for much longer—not after what we've discussed today."

She raised a single finger, slowly and deliberately.

"Today… right now… you must use whatever remains of your awareness.

Make the right choice—before you pass the point of no return."

Then her tone dropped—calm, yet thunderously threatening:

"If you ignore my words and destroy this soul shard, then be ready.

Because I, Rinara, will personally form an alliance with the Ghasan Empire. That is not a threat—it is a promise."

She swept her hand around, gesturing to the battlefield around them.

"And on that very day, I'll unleash my legions stationed in the Young Belt, and they will descend upon that so-called Galactic Seed like a storm.

Even if you burn this atmosphere down to ash, I have the means to keep this boy alive just long enough to speak. Long enough to tell me the coordinates.

And I trust he won't be shy about it—especially when the alternative is to let them fall into the hands of the one who murdered him."

A long pause.

...The woman in black, for the first time, truly stopped. Her head turned slowly—almost involuntarily—toward Robin.

Rinara's threat to ally with Ilia Ghasan? Meaningless. If she wanted to come—let her. She feared no one. Her armies feared no siege.

But the coordinates…

Rinara definitely had a few soul techniques—powerful ones.

She could preserve the boy's soul, even if just for a few breaths.

And that coward, Robin—he would absolutely give up the location, even if just to spite her.

Nehari wasn't just some random galactic prize. It was everything.

It wasn't just about resources—though it had plenty. It was about location.

Nehari was a lynchpin world, positioned at the edge of a mysterious wormhole that connected the hearts of two sectors.

Losing it was not an option.

And worst of all… she had recently lost her greatest support in the young belt—The Great Serpent Empire.

Without that pillar behind her, this kind of geopolitical war wasn't in her favor anymore.

After a long, calculating silence, the woman in black finally lifted her arm and pointed—directly at Robin.

"You," she said. Her voice was colder than ever—deeper, darker.

"I'll give you one final chance…"

Then her lips curled into a cruel, knowing smile.

"Kneel."