Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2118 Meeting of the Giants

Mid Sector 97-

Only a few years ago, this planet had been one of the most prominent commercial hubs spread across the sector, a world that had preserved its neutral standing for tens of thousands of years, carefully maintaining balance among all sides, serving everyone without exception and, in return, being protected by everyone...

Until the war began out of nowhere, sudden and without warning.

A war launched by several planetary kingdoms and empires against a millennial empire within the sector. At the time, no one could comprehend how or why they dared to commit such an act that seemed outright suicidal, an action that defied both logic and the established order of power.

But it did not take long for the observers to realize it was not suicide at all. The alliance possessed a powerful weapon and sharply refined intelligence that allowed it to secure rapid and decisive gains, forcing the millennial empire to intensify its offensives in response and eventually request support openly from the Sorcerer Behemoth, Zargul.

Zargulʼs intervention did not stabilize the situation as expected. Instead, it provoked the other powers of the sector against both him and the millennial empire... and thus, a total war erupted, spreading uncontrollably, consuming everything in its path, leaving no one untouched.

Amid this chaos, the Temporal Behemoth Arkail also made his move, stepping into the conflict and deploying his personal armies, further escalating the madness... and in response, the Sorcerer Behemoth sent his own forces as well, refusing to yield ground, pushing the entire sector into the peak of disorder within only a few short years.

A chaos and brutality that could be compared to what is unfolding in the Mid Sector 101...

And yet, no one truly knows why or how all of this even began!!

...On this planet, a world that was once a thriving commercial center full of life and endless movement, now reduced to a dead husk filled only with drifting ash, toxic gases, and scattered corpses, a planet whose atmosphere had collapsed entirely and whose remains had turned into nothing more than a wandering meteor...

There stood a bald man in his fifties, with heavy black kohl surrounding his eyes and a thin, sharp face. His brows were tightly furrowed as he stared toward a certain distant direction, his hands clasped calmly behind his back, his posture steady despite the devastation around him.

Then he finally opened his mouth, without shifting his gaze, his voice carrying distinct vibrations that rippled through space itself:

”I did not expect you to accept my invitation.”

About a light-hour away, upon the surface of another equally ruined planet, a man sat with dignified composure at the peak of a towering mountain, gazing downward with a heavy sense of sorrow at the death spreading endlessly below him.

That man, bearded and appearing to be in his sixties, wore white and blue robes, with a white scarf wrapped neatly around his head, his presence calm yet weighed down by what he witnessed...

He slightly raised his head and replied, his voice steady and composed,

”There was no reason to refuse a colleagueʼs invitation. No matter the differences between us, Zargul... you are still a Behemoth worthy of respect.” ”Respect does not translate into hostility, Arkail.” The sorcererʼs brows furrowed even deeper, his tone growing sharper. ”This war will lead us to no good outcome... especially if you are doing this for someone else, for a child!” Then he pointed forward with clear frustration and suppressed anger.

”Are you truly prepared for what will come next? Have you seen what happened to Hedrick, Kaylis, Darvion, and even Zavaros? Do you wish to become yet another example of what happens to those who deal with the Shadow Swords hounds?!”

The war had finally escalated over the past fifty years to the point where the Sorcerer Behemoth could no longer remain calm, no longer watch from afar with calculated patience and silent observation...

Arkail had been gaining momentum with each passing day, his influence steadily expanding. More and more forces within the sector were facilitating his movements, providing him with resources, opening paths for his fleets, and ensuring his armadas received everything they required to sustain the conflict.

At times, those same forces even fought alongside him directly, standing under his banner as if they had already chosen their side without hesitation...

Why?!

Zargul would roar in unrestrained fury every time a new report reached him, his patience thinning further with each passing moment.

Why was it that the entire population of the sector seemed to be fighting against him, while at the very same time extending support, resources, and even loyalty toward Arkail?!

Were they not, in essence, both invaders?

Was he the one planning to conquer and subjugate them, while Arkail was some benevolent figure distributing favors and rewards?!

These deeply infuriating reports continued without pause, arriving one after another like a relentless tide, until the reality became undeniable... Arkail had already placed more than half of the sector firmly under his control. Within that vast portion, Zargul had lost every trace of influence, whether military or political, cut off completely as if he had never existed there to begin with. And then... Arkail began tightening the noose, slowly advancing into what remained under Zargulʼs control.

Mid Sector 97... his carefully cultivated strategic depth, the very region into which he had poured years of effort, planting loyalists, weaving influence through its systems, infiltrating it layer by layer so that one day he could seize it swiftly and effortlessly... that entire foundation was now slipping from

beneath his grasp!

When the situation could no longer be denied, when it had fully transformed

from possibility into harsh reality, Zargul made his decision. He gathered a number of his sons, assembled an enormous armada, and personally advanced toward Mid Sector 97.

At that point, there was no longer any shame in acting directly... not after Darvion had moved into Mid Sector 101 and had entire planets hurled at him

there!

With a massive armada numbering nearly 5,000 fleets, led by Zargul and accompanied by thirty of his sons, they began a systematic campaign of slaughter and domination, crushing the sectorʼs forces with calculated brutality and overwhelming pressure.

The armada Arkail had previously dispatched to support the local powers found itself unable to withstand such a sweeping and crushing advance.

So Arkail responded without hesitation...

He too gathered thirty of his sons, expanded his armada until it approached the

same scale of nearly 5,000 fleets... and personally took command, leading it forward to subdue what remained of the sector under his opponentʼs influence!

And along those fragile borders, across a narrow strip cutting through the very heart of the sector, the two massive armadas collided in a thunderous and devastating confrontation, a clash that shook space itself, while the two Behemoths stood not far away, observing in silence, neither making a move.

Lethal spells erupted across the battlefield, and the Fundamental Law of Time revealed its overwhelming might once more, bending the flow of events and drawing the attention of countless observers across the universe. Yet the war was not confined to that narrow frontline alone...

Arkail continued to receive steady and continuous support from the local powers, aid that never seemed to cease... equipment, supplies, manpower, all flowing toward him as if guided by an unseen current.

At times, those same forces even fought directly under his banner, aligning themselves with him without hesitation or doubt.

As for Zargul, his situation grew increasingly dire... he was being attacked from the rear on a near-daily basis. Swift and precise raids would strike along his lines, destroying several ships at once, or focusing on a single vulnerable point to collapse it entirely, before the attackers vanished with equal speed, leaving nothing but destruction behind.

To this day, that frontline still exists. The war continues to burn fiercely, its flames far from extinguished... yet Zargulʼs fleets are diminishing at a noticeably faster rate, and the line itself is being pushed steadily and relentlessly back toward him, without pause or mercy.

...As for Zargulʼs words, Arkail nodded slowly several times, his expression

thoughtful.

”You are right. Even if I win this war... I will lose a great deal.”

Then he lifted his gaze, fixing it directly upon Zargul with calm intensity.

”What do you propose?”

Zargul extended his hand swiftly, opening his palm as if presenting an

undeniable offer.

”Ally with me,” he said, his teeth clenched tightly, his voice carrying both urgency and determination. ”Join me, and let us destroy the Shadow Swords together... and once they are gone, we will turn our power toward Mid Sector 99 and destroy it side by side!”