Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2224 Wound!

Drip. Drop.

Tanoya stared toward Robin with wide, conflicted eyes.

Eyes filled with hesitation...

And something dangerously close to fear.

She watched silently as blood continued dripping from the deep wounds spread across her face and neck.

Seven wounds.

Every single one deep enough to reach bone and scrape against it.

She had exchanged several attacks with the candidate—

No...

With Robin Burton.

And every single exchange always ended with two undeniable truths.

The first...

Was that Robinʼs body became weaker after every clash.

Even after restoring his energy back to perfection repeatedly, his body continued swaying more violently, and opening his eyes became increasingly difficult.

At this very moment, for example, it looked as though he was using half his remaining strength merely to remain standing upright.

She could clearly sense him attempting to use the Sovereign Law of Creation to heal himself.

But futilely.

The exhaustion generated by continuously using five Sovereign Laws for more than ten uninterrupted minutes was dragging him closer and closer toward death itself.

As for the second certainty...

Every exchange ended with her own defeat.

Her retreat.

And her injury.

In the latest exchange alone, Robin Burton had managed to directly toy with her using a scalpel forged from both Creation and Space-Time together!!

”So this is what you meant when you said you would die satisfied because you had done everything within your power?” Tanoya slowly raised her head, no longer capable of properly evaluating the man standing before her. ”Were these tiny injuries truly enough to satisfy your pride?”

”...Of course not.” Robin forced out a small exhausted smile. ”Iʼll only be satisfied once I cut off one of your limbs...” Then his smile deepened faintly from one side. ”Or perhaps two.”

”I see the exhaustion has finally reached your brain.” Tanoya immediately felt insulted before pointing toward herself. ”The Transcendents refined the bones of this body to absolute perfection so I could stand as an Executioner above the heads of all living creatures.” Then she narrowed her eyes slightly. ”Perhaps... just perhaps... my soul may suffer damage, or I may receive a strike that affects my internal organs and tears them apart. Surely youʼve realized that much by now...” Then she laughed mockingly. ”But losing one of my limbs? Impossible.” Her smile widened further. ”That would be a flaw upon the Transcendents themselves.”

”Those... Transcendents...” Robin hesitated briefly before continuing, almost fearful of hearing the answer itself. ”Are they the ones who created the Master Laws?”

”No.” Tanoya slowly raised her head proudly. ”But they are the greatest users of them.”

”Oh...” Robin showed half a smile afterward. ”So theyʼre creatures too. Thatʼs reassuring.”

”Do not compare yourself to them, you little thug.” Fury immediately spread across Tanoyaʼs face. ”Creatures, you say? You truly are nothing more than a worm incapable of understanding reality!”

”Youʼre right...” Robin chuckled weakly despite the blood dripping from his mouth. ”It seems weʼre finally beginning to understand one another. Thatʼs wonderful.” Then he slowly raised his head despite the exhaustion crushing his body. ”Indeed... I dislike understanding realities that fail to please me.” His eyes narrowed slightly afterward. ”So I change them.”

Znnnn—

Tanoya swung her mace once.

”I want to see how exactly you intend to change your fate.”

Every injury spread across her face and body had already healed completely.

Then—

Swooosh.

She rushed toward Robin with a speed resembling instant teleportation.

Krrr—

The Gear of Inevitability began rotating until it produced the sound of collision against the broken tooth.

Then threads emerged from it toward the symbols of Creation and Space-Time.

Above it, golden patterns spread outward before translating themselves into understandable language:

”Hmph!” The instant Tanoya read those words, she accelerated even further.

She wanted to see exactly what could possibly stop her!!

Pok

”Huh?” Tanoya suddenly felt an impact.

The incredibly sharp tip of her mace had accidentally collided against one of the focal points of the spatial-temporal waves released during her very first exchange with Robin.

That single collision disrupted her balance...

And slowed her advance.

Then—

Hoooom.

The creation symbol began drawing power directly from Robinʼs body and rapidly forged an enormous spear-like stake, sharp and terrifying at the front while slightly wider toward the rear, resembling an execution stake meant to impale gigantic creatures alive.

One several times larger than Tanoya herself.

And before the massive stake had even fully finished forming, Robin lightly flicked his fingers and threw an adult space beast crystal directly into the location of its sharpened tip.

Sure enough, the Law of Creation continued forging the weapon afterward, completely sealing the crystal inside the pointed blade itself.

Then—

Thaam.

The spacetime cube expanded slightly.

And the gigantic stake vanished instantly.

”Oh no!” Tanoya forcefully gathered every ounce of strength she possessed and violently shifted leftward.

If that crystal entered her body and exploded internally, it would inflict horrifying injuries upon her!

Kssshhhhh—

Tanoya successfully avoided the intended trajectory.

Yet even so, the enormous stake still tore away part of her armor along with the skin at her waist and an enormous chunk of flesh before continuing to fly far into the distance!

”Argh!!” Tanoya instantly grabbed her waist and retreated again before raising her face toward Robin with eyes filled with pure hatred.

”You filthy human!!”

Bfffff—

At that exact moment, Robin suddenly spat out an enormous quantity of blood.

And considering his body now resembled little more than skin stretched tightly over bone...

That blood looked as though it contained the very last drops still flowing through his veins.

Yet somehow...

Somehow, he still managed to slowly raise his head once more and straighten his back again.

Then he wiped the blood away from his face and mouth with trembling fingers.

”...Didnʼt I tell you?” Robin spoke weakly while breathing heavily. ”You wonʼt touch me unless I allow it.” Then he forced out a pitiful little smile despite the horrifying state of his body. ”The question is...” His eyes narrowed faintly afterward. ”Do you truly think Iʼll allow you to?”

Then he slowly pulled out a white cleaver from his spatial ring.

A fifth-stage planetary weapon.

One among the many treasures the Shadow Swords had gathered and brought to him so he could use them however he pleased.

Then Robin casually tossed the cleaver upward.

Ding—

The scale consumed another crystal and restored Robinʼs soul domain and life vein once again.

Then—

Hooom.

The symbol of Creation activated immediately afterward.

Golden light wrapped itself around the cleaver while another layer of unbelievably sharp steel slowly formed over its surface.

Robin was forcibly raising the weaponʼs power.

”...?” Tanoya, who had been focused on healing herself, slowly furrowed her brows while watching the scene.

”A cleaver?” Then she laughed mockingly. ”Are you planning to fight me at close range now?” Her eyes sharpened afterward. ”Or perhaps you intend to throw it at me through Space-Time the same way you launched that thing earlier?”

”Interpret it however you wish.” Robin replied weakly. ”This cleaver will end the battle.” Then he slowly raised his head once more. ”The next exchange...” His blood-covered eyes locked onto hers. ”...will be the end of this fight.”

”Are you even capable of doing anything in that condition?” Tanoya slowly removed her hand from her waist before beginning to circle around Robin from an extremely far distance away. ”Itʼs already a miracle that youʼre still capable of speaking, human.”

”Thatʼs exactly why Iʼm saying Iʼll finish you this time.” Robin revealed a grin filled with dried blood coating his teeth. ”What, are you slow?” Then he slowly spread one hand outward. ”Come on.” His voice gradually became colder. ”Try to take my life.” The bloodied grin across his face widened further. ”The life of the Shell Breaker.” Then his gaze sharpened completely. ”The life of the person destined to change the existence of everything that breathes...” Robinʼs voice lowered further and further. ”Come on... kill me...” Then his killing intent exploded once again. ”If you have what it takes.”

”...?” Tanoya stopped moving entirely.

Then she frowned deeply in confusion and disbelief.

”Those arrogant words...” Her grip around the pointed mace tightened gradually. ”I havenʼt even heard the Transcendents themselves utter something like that.” Then murderous intent erupted from her body once more. ”Come on then...” Her white hair began dancing violently around her. ”Wound me again and die, you arrogant thing!”

Swooosh—