Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1981 THE Lord ”...Didnʼt he tell you that he is not your opponent?” ”Who?!”

Guardian Silas jolted backward instinctively, his blazing orange eyes flaring and trembling as if struck by a sudden shock.

The aura of the newcomer was unquestionably within a Law Domination Realm -and not the unstable pressure of someone who had only recently stepped into it. No, this was the aura of a man who had ruled over a Law for an unfathomably long time. An aura refined by endless battle, sharpened by slaughter, heavy with experience.

An aura that spelled one thing clearly to Silas-

Mortal danger. ”You...” Guardian Silas retreated again, his breath hitching. ”Itʼs you!!”

His voice rose despite himself. ”The Son of Destruction-Hedrick?!” ”The Son of Destruction?” ”Lord Hedrick?!” ”..?!”

Below them, everyone who still managed to remain standing felt those names strike their hearts like the final nail hammered into their resolve. The battlefield, moments ago filled with chaos and roars, fell unnaturally silent. The fighters and followers of the Silas family all looked skyward in fear. Every single one of them knew who Lord Hedrick was. His legends in the Mid Sector 101 had been recounted for centuries-stories spoken daily, endlessly repeated.

After all, this was a man who had slain a being with the power of a Law

Domination Realm, and even a Seven-Star Soul Lord. That alone was enough to shatter morale.

As for the remaining followers of the Grave Empire, they stared upward in disbelief and fragile hope, then turned their gazes back toward Aro with barely restrained fury.

Lord Ranther in particular looked as though he wanted to tear Aro apart-and then grab him and kiss his forehead in the same breath.

None of them had known Lord Hedrick was coming. They had only been told to fight, to give everything they had, and to trust that their actions would be rewarded.

Yet regardless of fear, exhaustion, or rising excitement, everyone present was thinking the same thing—

The battle was over.

What remained would be decided above.

And indeed-

Rumble.

The Domain of the Heavenly Lawʼs Grace rapidly withdrew, collapsing inward as if dragged away by an unseen hand. The sky returned to its usual darkness, and the apocalyptic vision vanished in the blink of an eye, as though it had never existed. ”...Lord Hedrick,” Silas began retreating at an almost imperceptible pace, his eyes flickering anxiously in every direction, searching for escape. ”What brings you here today? And why do you act as though I am your opponent? There is no conflict between us. I have nothing to do with what is happening in the Mid Sector 101.” ”But I do have something to do with what is happening here,” Hedrick replied in a deep, heavy voice that carried unquestionable authority. A smile-so faint it was nearly invisible-tugged at his lips. ”Allow me to put your eyes, and those thoughts of yours that are focused on escaping instead of properly assessing your situation, at ease!”

He raised his hand slightly... and clenched it.

KRRRRAAAACK.

Space itself shattered within several kilometers, collapsing like fragile glass and forming a distorted prison around Silas. ”You!” Guardian Silas stopped short and shouted toward Hedrick, then forcibly lowered his voice. ”Donʼt you think youʼre going too far? Donʼt you already have enough to deal with in your homeland?!”

Silas cast a furtive glance at the fractured spatial bubble enclosing him.

If he were in peak condition, he could have torn open a breach-ripped apart space itself and escaped.

But in his current state...

Without even realizing it, Silas looked downward in seething resentment, his gaze locking onto Aro. ”You...”

Then he roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. ”You sacrificed an entire fleet of space vessels, dozens of World Cataclysms, and Nexus States just to exhaust me?!” ”No,” Aro replied, a confident laugh escaping him-the confidence that had been absent for hours finally returning. ”So that I could kill you. Now the sector will remember me as the man who killed a Guardian.” ”Impudent!”

Silasʼs sense of danger spiked violently. ”Do you think I will-” ”Hey.”

Hedrick snapped his fingers once, sharply. ”Iʼm still here.”

Guardian Silas turned back toward Hedrick, his unease impossible to hide now. ”... What exactly do you want? I have no intention of fighting you.”

In truth, even at his very best, Silas would have chosen to flee.

Fighting Hedrick was not bravery-it was insanity. ”I came to kill you,” Hedrick said slowly, every word heavy and deliberate. ”What do you mean, you came to kill me?” Guardian Silasʼs eyes widened bit by bit. ”Do you think Iʼm easy prey? Show some respect to a fellow dominator of a Heavenly Law! Is this how the famed Lord Hedrick conducts himself?!”

Hedrick let out a long breath, briefly sending an annoyed glance toward Aro before returning his gaze to Silas-cold, steady, and absolute. ”Yes,” he said calmly. ”You will die today... for opposing the Doubled Centennial Grave Empire.” ”What do you mean I will die today?” Silas roared, his voice shaking with disbelief and fury. ”Did I live for millions of years-millions-to be slain by someone from another sector, all for the sake of a trivial empire that only came into existence a few centuries ago? I refuse to accept that fate!”

His aura flared chaotically as he continued, desperation creeping into his rage. ”...State your conditions. Youʼve won this round-fine. What do you want in exchange for letting me leave this place? Wealth, divine weapons, interstellar treaties... anything can be negotiated as long as it stays within reasonable limits.”

Hedrick let out a slow, indifferent sigh, as if the words he had just heard were no more than background noise. ”There is no reason to negotiate with a dead man.”

Down below, Rantherʼs brows knit together tightly. He turned toward Aro and sent a mental transmission, his tone sharp and confused: (Hey. What exactly is Lord Hedrick doing? Heʼs known for being a man of few words-why doesnʼt he just strike already? Donʼt tell me this is part of your plan.)

Aro cast him a sidelong glance, his expression flat. (Do you seriously think I asked Lord Hedrick to apply psychological pressure and talk him to death to achieve some grand outcome? Itʼs not that deep. What do you take me for-some kind of Demon lord?) (Yes.) Ranther nodded without hesitation. (Thatʼs unfortunate. I do tug a few strings here and there, but thatʼs about it.)

Aro shrugged lightly before continuing, (There are things even I canʼt control, as you know. Weʼre talking about Lord Hedrick here.)

Rantherʼs frown deepened further, but he returned his attention to the sky regardless. There was a real chance he might be dragged back into combat before this was over. ”What do you mean by ʼa dead manʼ?!” Guardian Silas shouted, his voice rising despite himself. The tension was now obvious-etched into his eyes, seeping into every syllable.

Hedrickʼs gaze-arrogant, distant, laced with faint pity-combined with his words, sharp as daggers, finally shattered what remained of Silasʼs composure. ”Do you truly believe I can be killed so easily? Do you think Iʼm a fish laid out on a butcherʼs board? If you fight me here, you will not emerge unscathed-no matter who you are!”

Hedrick exhaled slowly, then lifted his chin just a fraction, looking down at Silas as though evaluating a worn-out tool. ”Perhaps you could say that if you were in peak condition. But now?” He shook his head faintly. ”What do you have left, in your current state, to prevent your death? Maintaining the Domain of the Heavenly Lawʼs Grace has completely drained you. You are not a Royal Soul Lord, and your physical body is insignificant. What remains?”

He paused briefly, eyes narrowing. ”A planetary spirit gift, maybe? If thatʼs your last card, then itʼs trash-otherwise you would have shown it long ago. So why not simply extend your neck and let me crush it?”

His tone hardened slightly. ”As you yourself said, I have many matters awaiting me in my homeland.”” ”A useless planetary gift?”

Silasʼs eyes gleamed dangerously, the orange light within them flaring like ignited embers. ”Then watch it shatter your cage!”

Rumble.

An orange star ignited before Silasʼs forehead, blazing into existence. It rose rapidly into the sky, swelling and expanding until half the planet was once again flooded with blinding daylight.

Silas lifted both arms toward the burning heavens above, his aura surging violently as space trembled in response. ”Today, Lord Hedrick,” he roared, ”I will show you the price of looking down on me!!”

Meanwhile, far below-

Aro smiled.