Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2297 bullʼs rage

Somewhere in Mid Sector 98—

Rumble...

Rumble...

KRAAASH!

”....”

Beneath a sky completely consumed by violent thunderstorms, in a place where countless tiny bolts of lightning literally descended from the heavens like raindrops, striking the earth one after another without the slightest pause... Aro was relaxing.

The young man with bull horns reclined comfortably upon a long chair of the sort normally placed along the shores of tranquil beaches, his posture loose and entirely at ease despite the terrifying environment surrounding him.

He wore nothing more than a pair of loose, comfortable trousers. His upper body was completely bare, exposing his broad chest to the raging storm as he faced the endless lightning with closed eyes and a faint, contented smile resting upon his face, as though he had somehow found the most peaceful and refreshing place in the entire universe.

There was no beautiful shoreline nearby, no calm ocean stretching toward the horizon, no pleasant scenery worthy of admiration.

Instead, an impossibly dense forest spread endlessly in every direction.

Above him, there was no warm sun shining through a clear blue sky. The storm had swallowed every trace of daylight. Furious winds tore through the clouds, bent enormous trees until they groaned beneath the pressure, and swept across the forest with overwhelming force, while relentless lightning continued raining down from above as naturally as ordinary rainfall.

To anyone else, every aspect of this place would have resembled a living nightmare.

To Aro...

It was the very definition of comfort.

For someone possessing an extraordinary affinity with lightning, followed closely by wind itself, this violent environment nourished both his body and his spirit in ways that no peaceful landscape ever could.

Yet despite the satisfied smile resting upon his face, his appearance revealed a truth that his expression could not conceal.

His nearly bare body had become noticeably thinner, weakened to an alarming degree, and was covered with numerous wounds, scars, and fresh patches where injuries had only recently begun healing. His neck, once as thick and powerful as the trunk of an ancient tree, had become remarkably slender, matching the rest of his emaciated frame, while even his muscles seemed to have lost much of their former fullness.

Anyone observing him carefully for more than a few moments would immediately realize that something deeply abnormal had happened to him.

”Husband, the report regarding the long-awaited galactic battle has finally arrived.”

At that moment, Flora quietly approached.

As beautiful, elegant, and graceful as ever, she showed none of the physical deterioration that had overtaken her husband. If anything, her appearance remained almost exactly as it had always been, though beneath her composed expression lingered unmistakable concern as she gently handed a small metallic data chip to Aro.

”Hm?”

Aro opened one eye slightly in surprise.

”Itʼs already over?”

He slowly reached out, accepted the chip without haste, and immediately examined its contents through his soul perception.

”....”

The mild surprise gradually disappeared from Aroʼs face.

It was replaced by absolute stillness.

He remained completely motionless, silently reading through the report for nearly an entire minute without uttering a single word or changing posture, the only sounds surrounding him being the endless thunder and crashing lightning.

Then—

BZZZT!

A sudden surge of lightning erupted violently from his body, striking the chip directly before it could even leave his fingers.

The solid metal instantly melted into liquid.

Without another glance, Aro casually flicked the molten remains aside with obvious irritation.

”Is it really that bad?” Flora asked softly, her heart tightening as she watched his unusually restrained reaction. She knew her husband well enough to understand that silence often worried him far more than anger.

”Has His Highness Theo returned with what I requested yet?” Aro abruptly changed the subject, asking in a direct tone without answering her question. ”Several weeks have already passed. He shouldnʼt still be occupied with such a matter.”

Some time earlier, Theo had personally come to meet him and informed him that His Majesty had issued a direct order granting unconditional support to every operation taking place throughout Mid Sector 98. Whatever Aro required—as long as it was within their ability to provide—would be supplied without hesitation or negotiation.

Naturally, Aro had taken full advantage of that opportunity.

He requested sixty additional Royal Soul Masters from the Burton Family to reinforce the battlefield.

He requested fifty billion pearls so the cannons aboard the Note-4 fleet under his command could be fired with exactly the reckless intensity the coming battles demanded, without needing to worry about conserving resources.

And finally...

He requested a single Guardian.

Or, if that proved impossible...

A Seven-Star Royal Soul Master.

Just one.

Nothing more.

Aro had even boldly told Theo, with complete confidence and without the slightest trace of hesitation, that if those requests were fulfilled, he would personally erase the Sorcerer Behemothʼs entire galaxy from existence and end that threat once and for all.

As for the fifty billion soul pearls, that request had already been approved almost immediately.

However, Theo had been unable to deliver them directly to Aro himself, since withdrawing such an enormous quantity while inside Mid Sector 98 simply wasnʼt possible under the current circumstances.

Instead, he dispatched several members of the Shadow Swords to retrieve the resources from Mid Sector 99 before escorting them back through the safest routes available.

After an operation that had undoubtedly required considerable effort...

They had successfully delivered the entire shipment to the army.

As for the other two requests, Theoʼs reply had been short and straightforward:

{Iʼll see what I can do.}

”Not yet.” Flora gently shook her head. ”His Highness says that most of the Royal Soul Masters are currently occupied on Planet Donara, making it impossible for him to withdraw that many. However, heʼs planning to provide you with a comparable number of Nexus State experts from both the Cradle Wing and the Grave Wing instead. At the moment, heʼs negotiating with them over the price of hiring their services, so it may still take some time before everything is finalized.”

”Donara again?” Aroʼs brows immediately knitted together, the name alone enough to deepen the irritation already visible on his face. ”Just what in the world is happening over there? Every report I hear somehow ends up leading back to that planet.”

”....” Flora simply shrugged, having no better answer than he did.

Anyone who wasnʼt personally involved with that planet received virtually no information regarding what was actually taking place there.

Meanwhile, reports concerning Nihari reached them freely and without delay.

It was almost as though Donara had become a secret considered even more important than the galaxy itself and everything unfolding within it, hidden behind a wall that no ordinary person was permitted to cross.

”...Did he at least say anything about the Guardian?” Aro asked through clenched teeth, refusing to let the subject go. His patience had already begun wearing dangerously thin.

”He said heʼs negotiating with Lord Omes and Lord Omira,” Flora answered with a faint smile, trying to soften the disappointing news. ”But the negotiations may take quite a while. Neither of them is willing to travel alone to confront an entire Behemoth galaxy by himself. Even for Guardians of their caliber, thatʼs not a decision anyone makes lightly.”

”And who exactly told him Iʼd send the Guardian I requested to fight an entire galaxy by himself?” Aro snapped irritably, immediately raising his voice. ”Does he seriously take me for some inexperienced fool who was born yesterday?!”

The outburst immediately caused a sharp pain to spread through his chest.

He instinctively pressed a hand against it before forcing himself to calm down again, his breathing gradually returning to normal.

”...Did he at least try asking the Six Great Powers of Mid Sector 101?”

”The Six Great Powers arenʼt official subjects of the Empire,” Flora replied patiently. ”His Highness Theo occasionally persuades them to act within Mid Sector 101 by spending enormous amounts of money, but theyʼve consistently refused to leave the sector itself. Donʼt forget that the sons of the Cursed Behemoth are still there. Theyʼre constantly searching for opportunities to hunt and attack every major power they can reach, so none of the Six Great Powers wants to abandon everything theyʼve spent their entire lives building just to fight another Behemoth in an entirely different sector.”

”.....”

Aro slowly lowered his head, unable to conceal the frustration weighing heavily upon him.

”We possess enormous wealth, limitless resources, overwhelming technological superiority, brilliant commanders, and a ruler unlike anyone else in the universe...”

His voice gradually became heavier.

”...yet we donʼt have a single Law Dominator whom we can simply order into battle whenever circumstances demand it.”

His frustration continued building until he finally threw back his head and shouted toward the storm-filled heavens.

”When the hell are these damned restrictions going to disappear?!”

The thunder answered him.

Nothing else.

”Calm down.”

Flora stepped closer before gently placing a comforting hand upon his shoulder, slowly rubbing it in an attempt to ease both his anger and his frustration.

”Youʼre supposed to be on leave while recovering your health. Donʼt burden yourself with all of this. The others can handle things for a while.”

”Leave?” Aro snorted dismissively.

”What nonsense.”

His teeth ground together.

”The very day I regained consciousness, I returned to directing operations and issuing orders from afar. Officially Iʼm on leave simply because Iʼm not personally fighting, but Mid Sector 98 is still being managed under my direct command. Every important decision still reaches me before itʼs made.”

He shook his head with obvious dissatisfaction.

”What kind of leave is that supposed to be?”

Then his eyes drifted toward the distant horizon with open resentment.

”But if I donʼt do it...”

”...who will?”

His voice carried absolute certainty.

”Who besides me can command all those armies with that level of efficiency? Who else understands every battlefield well enough to coordinate them all at once?”

”Hmph.”

”Even that lucky Caesar wouldnʼt survive here.”

Then he laughed to himself.

”Perhaps only if His Majesty personally came could anyone truly replace me.”

Hummm...

At that exact moment, a small golden door quietly opened out of thin air.

Robin stepped through first.

His expression was visibly irritated, and he appeared to be muttering to himself before he had even fully emerged.

”Every random person, every cat and every damn dog, arghh...”

”...?!”

Aroʼs eyes instantly widened.

”Please, My Lord, calm down!” Behind Robin, Glatheon stepped through the doorway while supporting Richard, who still appeared exhausted and continued letting out quiet sighs as he walked.

”.....?!!??”