Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1184 1184: The protector

Swoosh!

”Richard!” Caesar finally arrived at the scene, his breath steady but his heart pounding. His sharp eyes swept over the battlefield, taking in the chaos and destruction, ”Are you alright?”

The moment the words left his mouth, he realized how ridiculous the question was.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Right behind him, Raiden, Amon, and Sakaar descended in quick succession, with Aro following closely. One after another, the generals landed, their eyes burning with the intent to fight. They had leaped from the grand platform, ready for battle, prepared to face a rampaging monstrosity.

Yet—

What greeted them was nothing like what they had expected.

The colossal five-horned serpent, once a fearsome force of destruction, lay pinned beneath the feet of a single young man. His head burned with emerald flames, his stance unwavering. Of course, it was none other than Richard.

In his right hand, he gripped the giant tail of the beast, taking a U shape.

The monstrous serpent, which measured over 200 meters in length, was twisted into itself in a grotesque, unnatural shape. It writhed and thrashed, desperate to escape, yet completely helpless. It was like a worm crushed underfoot, its struggle utterly meaningless.

Rumble!

Then—

The grandstands exploded with cheers!

”HEEEEEEEEEYAAAAAHHH!!”

”LONG LIVE THE CROWN PRINCE!!”

”HE IS OUR PROTECTOR—OUR STRONGEST SHIELD!!”

The entire city shook as thousands of voices rose in unison.

That shadow of death, that unstoppable horror, that walking calamity—

Had been subdued effortlessly.

Completely.

How could they not celebrate Richard?

How could they not feel their blood boil with pride at having such a mighty guardian?

Meanwhile, the kings—Shamshon, Aeko, and the many rulers who had come to witness the grand gathering—exchanged uneasy glances.

The sweat on their brows doubled in intensity.

At that moment, every single one of them silently thanked the heavens that it had not been Richard who had first stepped onto their worlds.

For the first time, they truly grasped the terrifying scale of power that existed within the upper echelons of the empire.

And yet—while the spectators saw this as a glorious moment—

There were others who saw something far different.

Sakaar, Amon, Aro…

Even Holak, who still stood atop the platform, his massive arms crossed, his fingers digging into his skin.

They all saw something else. Something they did not like.

”Damn it!”

Holak suddenly turned and kicked a marble pillar behind him— CRACK!

As for Caesar?

He wasnʼt bothered in the slightest.

Without hesitation, he landed beside Durgerʼs massive eye and, without a momentʼs pause, reached out and grabbed its eyelid.

And pulled.

Hard.

”You insolent worm,” Caesar growled, his voice a blade of pure menace. ”I sent you an invitation as an honored guest—and you repay me by rampaging through my lands? By slaughtering my people?!”

His grip tightened.

”Did you think—even for a second—that I would hesitate to rip every last drop of blood from your pathetic body, roast your corpse right here, and feed your charred flesh to the dogs?!”

Durger let out a low growl, his voice strained from his pinned position, ”Haaah—what is happening?!”

His words were muffled, escaping only through a small opening in his mouth, since Richard still stood firmly on his skull.

”Did you invite me here only to insult me?! What citizens?! I saw nothing but a few insignificant humans in my path!”

The moment those words left his mouth—

THWACK!

Caesarʼs foot slammed into the serpentʼs eye, sending a fresh wave of pain through the beastʼs skull.

”Those ʼinsignificant humansʼ—are my people, you overgrown lizard!” Caesarʼs voice was booming, filled with unrelenting fury, ”Do you think humans are dust beneath you? Something you can trample as you please?!”

”Haaah! I wasnʼt thinking about it! I merely advanced forward!” Durgerʼs voice was laced with frustration, his struggle renewed—yet still utterly useless.

Finally, he was beginning to understand.

Or, at the very least, he was starting to grasp the situation.

They…

They were attacking him—Durger, the Devourer, the Calamity of the Eastern Stars—

Over a handful of mortals?!

Caesar let out a slow, tired sigh.

His fingers rubbed his temples.

Then, floating slightly higher, he moved to stand beside Richard.

”You heard him,” he muttered, his voice carrying faint exasperation. ”He didnʼt come here with bad intentions… Heʼs just a terrible creature by nature.”

”So…”

A pause.

”What do we do with him?”

Fwoosh…

The green flames atop Richardʼs head dimmed.

Slowly— They faded completely, revealing his long, flowing white hair.

He exhaled softly.

”You are the elder brother,” Richard murmured, his dull eyes gleamed like polished steel. ”You decide what is best.”

Caesar lowered his gaze back to Durger, his golden eyes gleaming with cold judgment.

”…Destroying the pathway and disturbing the festivalʼs atmosphere can be overlooked,” he muttered, tapping his fingers against his arm in thought. ”In fact, I believe your little display only heightened the crowdʼs excitement rather than diminishing it…”

His tone darkened.

”But those victims…” He shook his head. His grip tightened behind his back, ”Letʼs imprison him until Father arrives. Heʼll decide what to do with him.”

”Victims? Brother Caesar, Iʼm not selling potatoes here.”

Richard let out a low, amused chuckle before rolling his shoulders. Then, with nothing more than a casual flick of his wrist, he shoved the massive serpentʼs tail aside, sending it crashing into the distance.

Without even sparing Durger another glance, Richard turned to the ground beside him and slowly raised his hand.

And then—

Crack… Crack…

Before Caesarʼs eyes—before the hundreds of thousands in the grandstands—

Something miraculous happened.

The very ground, stretching from the cityʼs outer gates to the exact spot where Richard had intercepted Durgar, began to split apart.

And then—

One by one, people emerged.

The very same humans Durger had nearly crushed beneath his massive frame—

They were alive.

Not a single speck of dust covered them.

”The light! …Iʼm not dead?”

”Mom!!”

The blood in the crowdʼs veins surged wildly.

Some of them screamed in sheer disbelief and joy, others fell to their knees, clutching their chests, trying to process what had just happened.

And then—

The entire city erupted.

”HEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYHHH!!!!”

Roars of joy shook the very skies.

Tears streamed down faces.

Even the warriors standing on the pathway felt their throats tighten.

A miracle. The people of Jura had just witnessed a miracle.

”...Were you watching the whole situation using the Planetʼs Spirit?” Caesarʼs voice was calm, but there was an undeniable weight behind it. ”I began to wonder where were you...”

”A grand event like this requires careful monitoring.” Richard laughed lightly.

”…But youʼve gotten ridiculously strong, havenʼt you?” Caesarʼs sharp gaze scanned his brother from head to toe.

His level was still 47, just as before—

But his veins were far more prominent than they had ever been. Their pulses werenʼt normal—they throbbed as if each had its own heart. ”…Is this because of your refinement of Juraʼs Spirit?”

”Heh~ Donʼt think too hard about it,” he said, rolling his shoulders. ”I wasted a significant portion of the life energy I got from the Magma Sea on this fool…”

A sigh. ”Maybe I should pay that place another visit soon. I just hope the life energy hasnʼt dispersed completely yet.”

”Haaaah, excuse me?!” Durgar was whimpering at this point. ”Can you two haaah—take your conversation somewhere else?! The humans are alive, right? The problem is solved, right?! Haaaaah!!”

”…” Caesar stared down at the pathetic heap of scales for a few seconds.

Then, with a single, firm nod, he spoke, ”Let him go, Richard.”

”After the coronation, Iʼll inform Father of what heʼs done. Heʼll decide his punishment.”

Then, with a smirk, Caesar stomped on Durgerʼs head twice.

”I trust youʼll watch where you are going from now on, wonʼt you?”

”YES, YES!!” Durgar shouted immediately.

BZZZZZZZZZT!!

Rumble. Rumble.

Suddenly— A new disturbance echoed through the sky.

It was identical to the one that had announced Durgarʼs arrival.

Sakaar, Caesar, and Amon instantly tensed.

There was no way theyʼd allow Richard to handle another intruder while they were here.

BZZZZZZZT——

The space within the newly opened portal warped slightly.

Then, emerging slowly—

Came a white foxʼs head, pure as freshly fallen snow, without the slightest imperfection.

The foxʼs eyes opened.

It glanced left.

Then right.

Its gaze landed on Durger—and the two figures standing atop his skull.

Then, it turned toward Sakaar, Amon, Aro, and the others—

All of whom were staring at it with sheer hostility.

With an assassinʼs intent.

The fox stared, ”…Sorry, Iʼve come at the wrong time, you may get back to what you were doing.”

Then without hesitation—

Devios pulled his head back into the portal.

And the portal snapped shut.