Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2421 The quiet sector

Mid Sector 114—

Not too long ago, this place had been widely regarded as one of the safest, calmest, and most peaceful sectors in the surrounding regions, a place where the inhabitants had grown accustomed to a level of stability that many other sectors could only envy.

Under the explicit instructions of the Cosmic Elder, Kiryan the Conqueror had been unable to invade it, and under Helmorʼs constantly watchful eyes, Kiryan hadnʼt attempted to approach it any further or push beyond the limits imposed upon him. Besides, by his very nature, Kiryan had never been particularly fond of that kind of expansion in the first place.

He had earned the title of Conqueror because of his unique fighting style and the extraordinarily difficult path he had personally carved for himself, rising all the way from poverty until he ultimately became a Behemoth through Soul Force, relying on techniques that he had personally created and developed by himself. But after reaching that point, he gradually settled down and instead devoted himself to taking disciples, looking after his disciplesʼ disciples, and then caring for the disciples of his disciplesʼ disciples...

Kiryan had ultimately decided that what deserved his investment was people rather than stone, placing his efforts and attention into human beings instead of territories and material possessions.

And it was precisely because of that decision, and everything that had resulted from it over the years, that he had managed to halt Helmorʼs invasion to some extent.

When Helmor arrived accompanied by fifty Soldiers, with Helmor himself personally participating as well, he encountered an enormous number of Kiryanʼs direct and indirect disciples standing in his way, people who were genuinely willing to place their own lives on the line for the sake of the galaxy, for the sake of their teacher... And that willingness to fight regardless of the cost was the only thing that enabled Kiryan to continue holding out until the promised reinforcements finally arrived.

Even after those reinforcements eventually arrived, however, the Nota fleets themselves werenʼt capable of directly fighting Soldiers on equal terms. Their presence merely gave Kiryanʼs disciples hope by proving that they werenʼt standing there completely alone and that someone was supporting them, and that realization strengthened their resolve even further, encouraging them to endure more and pushing them to continue fighting through increasingly bloody battles...

With a man like Kiryan beside them, the inhabitants of Mid Sector 114 had been able to live in prosperity and relative peace without constant interference, without having to fear hidden conspiracies around every corner, and without having to endure the devastation brought by major wars...

But that was no longer the case—

Swooooo

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The vast space of Mid Sector 114 had been transformed into something resembling broad daylight beneath the endless flashes of destruction, as projectiles launched from space vessels and countless other sources continued crossing the battlefield without stopping for even a single moment.

The sheer scale of the clash unfolding throughout the region was horrifying to behold. At first glance, no observer would even be able to determine exactly who was attacking whom amid the overwhelming chaos and the countless attacks moving in different directions, but there was no doubt whatsoever that an enormous battlefield had formed there, stretching across an area roughly comparable in size to an entire cosmic field.

Swoosh

At that moment, an entire fleet swept rapidly across the battlefield while maintaining the formation of an enormous spearhead, with numerous smaller combat vessels positioned along its outer edges to form and define the boundaries of that formation.

It was a Note fleet.

Behind that rapidly moving fleet, a white-haired man was relentlessly pursuing them while continuously firing small but incredibly fast projectiles directly from his eyes. Every single projectile that struck its target instantly transformed one of the vessels into something resembling scattered powder, yet despite destroying them one after another, his expression remained unchanged. ”Youʼre only delaying the inevitable.” The man muttered quietly.

Hummm At that very moment, the space beside him suddenly tore open with tremendous violence, and from within that shattered opening emerged a fist that slammed directly into the side of the manʼs jaw with enormous force, sending his entire body flying uncontrollably through space.

”Ughhh!!” The white-haired man finally managed to stop himself after being hurled across a considerable distance by the unexpected blow. With one swift and practiced movement, he grabbed his dislocated jaw and forced it back into its proper position, then immediately raised his gaze and stared toward the exact place from which the attack had come.

Then his eyes slowly narrowed as he recognized who was responsible for the attack. ”Helen...”

Crrrk The shattered opening in space continued expanding until it became large enough for a breathtakingly beautiful young woman to emerge from within, her attention immediately settling upon the white-haired man before her. ”You should call me Big Sis, you second-row bastard.”

”I shall call you Dead Sis.” Zzng The white-haired man immediately drew a short blade, his posture changing as he prepared to charge directly toward her and was only an instant away from launching himself forward.

”Wait.”

At that exact moment, a thunderous voice suddenly struck the entire surrounding area with such overwhelming presence that it seemed to shake the battlefield itself.

”...” The white-haired man immediately stopped what he was about to do the instant he heard that voice, then calmly returned the short blade to its place before shooting off in a completely different direction without showing even the slightest moment of hesitation.

”...?” Helen, on the other hand, remained where she was and turned her gaze toward a particular direction with deeply furrowed brows, because unlike many others who might have heard that voice, she knew it extremely well.

Whoosh The space in that direction slowly opened outward like a blooming flower, and from within it emerged Helmor with both of his hands clasped calmly behind his back, his gaze immediately settling upon Helen as he looked directly into her eyes. ”Itʼs been a long time.”

”...Not long enough.” Helen turned her entire body until she was fully facing him, maintaining her attention on Helmor as she deliberately took a single step backward.

”You disappointed me with your decision to join my enemy in this war... Helen.” Helmor spoke calmly, his voice carrying none of the anger one might have expected from such an accusation. ”Couldnʼt you have simply stayed in the rear and watched everything unfold from a distance, just like the rest of your useless siblings?”

”Perhaps I simply didnʼt want people to start saying that Iʼm useless as well.” Helen revealed a strange smile as she answered without appearing particularly bothered by his words. ”Besides, I didnʼt join just any random enemy of yours. I merely chose to join my elder brother.”

”Same thing.” Helmor raised his head slightly, apparently seeing no meaningful distinction between the two statements. ”Come over to my side instead. Thereʼs still a place waiting for you here... After all, youʼre one of my finest works.”

”Thank you for the compliment, but there was never any love lost between the two of us to begin with. What my brother eventually saw in you because of his incident, I had already seen in your eyes ever since I first became aware of the world around me.” Helen spoke while keeping her unwavering eyes fixed directly upon Helmor. ”Iʼve always felt that you werenʼt truly human, that there was something dead inside you that I could sense but could never quite identify or understand. I was never comfortable around you because of that feeling... And judging by what I can see in our second-rank siblings, it seems that particular trait is something you managed to pass down to them as well.”

”Youʼre making a grave mistake.” Helmor narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at his daughter. ”The roosters inside a coop can fight among themselves over who gets to lead that coop as much as they please, and they can continue struggling against one another however they want, but in the end, theyʼre still trapped inside the exact same coop. Their boundaries are the same, and ultimately, their fate is the same as well... You need to leave the roosters to their pointless fighting, little hen, and start thinking instead about how you might jump over the fence surrounding the coop. Thatʼs something I can actually help you accomplish.”

Wooooom

At that moment, the space nearby suddenly split apart, and from within the newly opened spatial tear emerged someone with a broad smile already spread across his face... Hedrick.

”Well, well.” Hedrick chuckled as he looked at the two people standing before him. ”Did the quarter-century family gathering somehow come around again without anyone bothering to tell me about it?”

”....” Helmor gave Hedrick a brief glance after his sudden appearance, but almost immediately afterward, he returned his attention to Helen and looked directly into her eyes once again. ”Think carefully about what we talked about.” Then, without explaining anything further, he calmly gestured for her to leave.

”....” Helen furrowed her brows deeply after hearing those deliberately vague words, then calmly turned her head toward her elder brother as though waiting to see what he wanted her to do.

”Go.” Hedrick nodded to her without hesitation. ”This place is about to become considerably less safe in a little while.”

After the siblings exchanged one final look with each other, Helen released a quiet sigh, then finally turned away from the two men and began leaving the area. ”All right.”

Only after Helen had left did Hedrick finally laugh again as he turned his full attention toward the man before him. ”Youʼre really filthy, Helmor.”

”Thatʼs no way for someone to speak to his own father.” Helmor the Destroyer slowly turned his entire body until he was fully facing Hedrick.

”You donʼt deserve the title of father in the first place.” Hedrick immediately stopped laughing, and a visibly angry expression replaced the amusement that had been on his face only moments earlier. ”ʼThink about what we talked aboutʼ... What a convenient thing to deliberately say at the exact moment I arrive here.” Then he released a sharp breath through his nose before continuing, ”What now? Am I supposed to start doubting her and stop relying on her simply because you whispered a few magic words in her ear? Perhaps I should even kill her myself just to completely eliminate any possibility of suspicion? And out of everyone you couldʼve tried this little trick on, you deliberately chose your own favorite daughter? What a filthy move.”

”....” Helmor revealed a faint smile after listening to Hedrickʼs angry response. ”I taught you well, but what a shame.” Then he raised one hand and tapped his own head twice with a finger while continuing, ”Your mentality isnʼt the mentality of a leader, and it isnʼt even the mentality of an obedient subordinate soldier who can properly follow someone elseʼs command... Instead, itʼs the mentality of a solitary rebel, someone whoʼs only useful for being exploited for a little while until the appropriate time finally comes to dispose of him.”

Then, using that same finger, Helmor calmly pointed directly toward Hedrick. ”Sooner or later, your new master will recognize that same trait within you and dispose of you in whatever manner he considers appropriate as well... Thatʼs assuming, of course, that I donʼt kill both of you before that happens.”

Clang A long sword instantly appeared in Hedrickʼs hand as his fingers closed firmly around its hilt. ”Come kill me.”

It was obvious that his fatherʼs words had genuinely affected him despite everything he might have wanted to show otherwise, because the anger written across Hedrickʼs face had become far too clear and intense to conceal.

”Again?” Helmor laughed when he saw Hedrick preparing himself for another confrontation. ”How many times have the two of us already fought since this campaign began? Every single time we clash, youʼre ultimately the one who retreats in the end.”

”Three times... The first time, I was severely injured after experiencing the full extent of your true strength for the first time and discovering exactly what I was dealing with.” Hedrick nodded without attempting to deny any of those previous retreats. ”The second time, I suffered only a single injury, and the third time, I retreated without receiving so much as a scratch.”

Then Hedrick began steadily advancing toward Helmor with the long sword still held firmly in his hand. ”I want to see exactly what happens the fourth time.”

Whoosh