Lord of the Truth

”...?” Aroʼs mind instantly flashed back to their previous encounter—the battle they had fought during His Excellencyʼs first visit to the Orphan Blood Planet. At that time, Aro had been at level 43, while Raiden had been at level 41.

Despite the gap in power, Raiden had persistently provoked him, relentlessly challenging him.

In the end, Aro had agreed to limit his strength to level 41 match Raidenʼs, and fought him in front of everyone.

That battle had ended in a draw.

But now…

Aro was at level 46.

And Raiden?

From the overwhelming pressure he exuded… it was clear—he was on the verge of breaking through to level 49!

”If youʼre looking for a fight, our Supreme General doesnʼt have time to waste on you! But if you insist, Iʼll play with you instead!” A sharp female voice suddenly cut through the tension, heralding the arrival of new guests onto the scene.

The speaker was none other than Flora—her signature crimson flames dancing wildly between her curved horns, radiating an intense heat. She wasnʼt alone.

Beside her stood a girl whose physique was an uncanny fusion of human and raptor-like beast, her piercing golden eyes surveying the gathering like a predator analyzing its prey. Next to her, a figure with eight tendril-like legs moved effortlessly, wielding a trident with three deadly blades that gleamed under the light. And among them, standing tall and composed, was Sandria.

Raidenʼs eyes lit up at the sight of them, and a wide grin spread across his face.

”Haha, why not? A little warm-up sounds fun! Come at me, all of y—” Before he could finish his sentence, a firm hand clamped over his mouth, yanking him backward with sudden force.

It was Caesar.

With a single fluid motion, he locked Raidenʼs head under his arm and effortlessly pulled him back to the center of the platform.

”Shut up and come along,” Caesar said in a voice that was both calm and commanding. ”I donʼt want any trouble before the coronation is over!”

Seeing this, Flora sighed and relaxed her stance, letting the embers flickering around her horns settle down as she walked over to Aro.

”…Whatʼs with that clown?” she muttered.

But Aro didnʼt respond.

Crack.

The sound of his fingers tightening into a fist echoed subtly as his knuckles popped. His expression remained unchanged—his lips curled into a stiff, polite smile.

But behind that facade…

His gaze flickered—first toward Caesar and his generals, then toward Sakaar and his subordinates…

And the more he observed, the more his heart pounded.

In terms of sheer numbers, the Third Army boasted the largest force. But when it came to elite warriors—when it came to true power—he was still leagues behind…

Standing among them today, he could feel the undeniable truth pressing down on him.

He had no one.

No one in his army who could stand on equal footing with the titans before him.

Caesar.

Sakar.

Amon.

Richard.

Each of them held an overwhelming presence—an individual force capable of shifting the tide of war on their own.

And now, even Raiden was creeping into that tier?!

Aro clenched his teeth.

He had no one. Not a single one!!

Marshal had been his only obstacle thus far, and he had barely managed to keep him at bay. Meanwhile, those four had already proven themselves capable of annihilating marshals with ease.

At best, Servon and Haros could challenge Raiden—and that was their ceiling!

And that was without even factoring in the others.

Peon.

Theo.

Alexander.

Sayer.

Vairon.

The list went on, each name belonging to an experienced war general, each of them a seasoned veteran of interplanetary battles.

Who among his generals could hold their ground against any of these figures in a duel?

No one.

Even Martin and Elizabeth —who are seemingly a little weaker than the rest— were stronger than every single one of his commanders, except for Haros and Servon!

His only glimmer of hope lay in His Excellencyʼs words.

When His Excellency entrusted him with the Third Army, he had made a promise—

That he would search for a power to grant Aro the strength he lacked.

A force to rival the Flames of Life and the Flames of Death—or at the very least, something close enough to bridge the gap.

But when?

When would it come?

Even if such a power were found, who knew how long it would take before it could actually be used?

”...If only he would agree.”Aro muttered the words through gritted teeth.

”Who are you talking about?” Flora leaned closer, wrapping herself around his arm with curiosity.

”…Itʼs nothing.”