Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2069 Completing step two

Inside the academy building. ”....”

Robin slowly opened his eyes, his breathing steady and controlled, then lowered his legs to the floor after sitting in a long meditation posture that had left his body calm but his mind burning with thought.

He interlaced his fingers and squeezed them tightly, his knuckles paling under the pressure.

As he handed the Cosmic Elderʼs announcement to Temari, part of him had secretly hoped that Soul Society would refuse it, that Timari would refuse to hand it, or that Lord Morval would give a direct order to delay the announcement or block it entirely. Of course, that would have caused a massive rift between them and an even greater disaster, but still... in some way, deep inside, he had hoped that someone would stop him from walking this path, even if he was the one that choose it.

A path he must walk. Without doubt. Without retreat.

The second mission, the ascension of Nihari and its protection, was already in his pocket, secured through planning, manipulation, and positioning that had taken countless calculations and risks.

By keeping Kaylise in his pocket, by keeping the Cursed Behemoth and the Sorcerer Behemoth occupied, all other enemies could be dealt with one way or another during the ascension, delayed, distracted, misled, or crushed through indirect pressure.

All except the Syndicate.

Now he had to begin preparations for the first mission, the most dangerous one, the bloodiest one, the one that would drown entire regions of the universe in chaos and fear. First, he had to draw the Syndicateʼs attention away from himself. Then, second, he had to bring down Sivar.

How?

By bringing down the entire cosmic system itself.

Nothing less than that would occupy the Syndicate. Nothing else would loosen their iron grip over the entire universe, a grip forged through eras of control, contracts, fear, and silent dominance.

Swallow

Robin swallowed, his throat tightening, then stood up and began moving toward the door, leaving the apartment. He did not bid it farewell. He did not pause to look around the place he would most likely never see again. He did not let nostalgia, memory, or emotion slow him down. His mind was far too occupied for such things, drowning in calculations.

The atmosphere was already burning. The entire universe was standing on a hot plate. More than half of the Behemoths were clashing with each other, tearing through sectors and civilizations, and every empire, small and large, was desperately trying to find a place for itself within the new system before it was crushed by it.

What would happen after the announcement of the withdrawal of trust from the Supreme Council of the Stellar Academies by the Cosmic Elder himself?

In every sector, there were between two and five Stellar Academies. Most of them had stopped performing their duties, yet they were still Stellar Academies with immense power, terrifying legacies, and forces capable of reshaping entire regions. What would their leaders do?

Continue as they are and pretend nothing happened, hiding behind silence and tradition?

Or turn toward expansion and move to become private empires of their own, carving their paths with force and ambition?

What would the Supreme Council of the Stellar Academies do after losing the last drop of legitimacy, authority, and moral ground?

A woman like Althera would no longer need to communicate with them or supply most of her profits to them. Nothing would force her to. No law, no oath, no cosmic structure would bind her anymore.

Or perhaps she would continue to obey them, along with the remaining ten percent of active academies, for the so-called greater good, clinging to a collapsing order in the hope of stability.

The number of possible paths and choices was overwhelming, branching endlessly in every direction.

Step Step

Robin exited the academy building and reached the street, continuing to walk forward without paying attention to any student or teacher, without acknowledging faces, voices, or movement around him.

Whatever happened to the academies, the Syndicate would undoubtedly be affected.

The Syndicate had agreements with the Supreme Council of the Stellar Academies. They restrained each other to a degree, and at the same time avoided direct contact altogether, maintaining a cold balance of power. Once the council fell, what would happen to the Syndicate?

How would they deal with everyone afterward?

How would they deal with the Sacred Covenant Academy?

Well...

That was why the announcement existed.

A strange smile appeared on Robinʼs face as he walked, his gaze fixed on the ground while moving forward, his thoughts already racing far ahead into a future that would soon burn the entire cosmic order from its roots.

The stage had been set long ago, every piece already placed in its proper position, and the fangs were now bared for everyone to see.

With this announcement, the fangs were no longer symbolic; they were fully embedded into living flesh, sinking deep, and the feet were firmly planted into the ground, unmovable, rooted in absolute certainty and intent. ...The Behemoth of Gravity was trapped within its own sector, isolated and caged by the very forces he once sought to dominate. The Mid Sectors 91 and 93 were in a state of uncontrollable frenzy, slaughtering all forces loyal to it without mercy, supported relentlessly by the Shadow Swords and tens of billions of Pearls and vast amounts of military equipment, weapons, and strategic resources that flooded the battlefields.

Mid Sector 96 had become a complete and unquestionable ally, fully unified and embodied by the Galaxy of Sands of Time, forming a powerful economic, military, and political alliance that reshaped the balance of power in the surrounding regions and secured its loyalty beyond doubt.

Mid Sector 97 hosted the fiercest war in this half of the universe, a brutal, direct confrontation between two Behemoths: the Sorcerer Behemoth and the Temporal Behemoth. The Temporal Behemoth was overwhelmingly dominating the war, crushing resistance layer after layer, thanks to the continuous support of the Shadow Swords and the direct, unwavering support of the inhabitants of Mid Sector 97 themselves, who had fully committed to the conflict. Mid Sector 98 remained intact for now, but it was besieged from both sides, slowly being strangled by pressure and fear. In Mid Sector 99, Aro stationed an entire armada on the borders, never withdrawing it for even a moment. A constant, lethal threat that kept the defenses of the Sorcerer Galaxy permanently on high alert, permanently unable to commit their full strength to the war in Mid Sector 97, forced into a state of eternal restraint.

Mid Sector 99 calmed after the death of Silas, but it was the calm of submission, not peace. Aro began devouring empires and kingdoms at dinner with complete ease, as if consuming insignificant prey. The Vast Ice Empire and the Continuous Chaos Empire had not opened their mouths since the appearance of Lord Hedrick and the single-strike killing of Silas, frozen in fear and silence.

Mid Sector 100 was in a state of artificial stability. The Double Centennial Cradle Empire was expanding aggressively DURING its war against the Empire of the Seven Thrones, seizing planets from them daily, absorbing systems, and attacking other empires as well, in a complete display of utter disregard for balance, order, or consequence. The rest of the millennial empires in the sector remained silent, first because of the Shadow Swords, and second because of the terrifying news of Lord Hedrickʼs connection to the Cradle and Grave

Empires.

Mid Sector 101 burned as it should, endlessly consuming the armies of Kaylis, Hedrick, and Darfion day after day, becoming the largest corpse trap ever created in modern history, a massive slaughter zone moving steadily toward an inevitable fate already resting in his pocket, sealed and unavoidable.

Mid Sectors 103 and 104 were completely infiltrated by the Shadow Swords. They held every power there by the throat, controlling movements, decisions, and alliances, waiting only for a single command to tighten their grip. Even in Mid Sector 102 and Mid Sector 105 themselves, the Shadow Swords had penetrated everywhere except the central galaxy, spreading silently, patiently, waiting for orders, embedded deep within every layer of influence.

Young Sectors 99, 100, 101, and near future No.98 were under absolute control, total domination without resistance, and no one dared to open their mouth there, not even in whispers.

The Sacred Covenant Academy had become the most famous educational and defensive academy in the universe, a symbol of power, protection, and authority.

The Shadow Swords had become the most renowned, powerful, and dominant organization under the Hidden Hand Syndicate, feared across galaxies and respected across empires.

The Imperial Guard had become the most ferocious and diverse special forces unit in the universe, unmatched in training, discipline, and brutality.

He had become one of the ten richest individuals in the universe, and soon a massive flood of cosmic equipment would pour in, nourishing all his followers, strengthening his armies, and empowering every loyal force under his command.

Yes...

The stage was truly ready. The fangs were bared, and they were driven into the bodies of the strong before the weak. Even the Behemoths themselves felt massive chunks of flesh being torn from their bodies, ripped away without mercy or hesitation. ””

Robin slowly raised his head, his ambitious eyes staring at the space portal he was approaching at a steady, deliberate pace, calm on the surface, devouring the future in his thoughts.

Now...

It was time to devour. ==========

End of the volume: Baring the Fangs

Next chapter, we begin the volume: Digesting the Greats