Chapter 2213: The executioner

Lord of the Truth

"I... I don’t understand." Robin’s voice began to fail him from exhaustion and shock alike, his breathing growing rougher as blood slowly dripped from the corner of his lips. "Why are you trying to push an outstanding universe back by millions of years like you claim?" Then he raised his voice despite the strain tearing through his body, "Isn’t the purpose of Planet Spirits and power systems to increase the strength of the universe’s inhabitants? Isn’t everything moving toward that path?!"

Robin had noticed this long ago, and the Planet Souls had confirmed it for him in indirect ways again and again over the years.

The simplest example, the clearest proof, was the Hundred-Thousand-Year Rule and the connection to Planet Spirits. Whoever wished to prolong their lifespan had to enter planetary conflicts and become stronger, individually or collectively, in order to protect their planet.

Beyond that, there existed hundreds of signs pushing every intelligent creature toward conflict, toward innovation, toward producing geniuses!

The strong obtained more.

The weak were crushed.

Entire systems were designed to accelerate evolution through struggle.

Wars.

Inheritance grounds.

Natural selection.

Everything pushed toward growth.

Yet now she stood before him claiming that becoming too strong was itself a crime?

"...For the sake of fairness." The female beast spoke calmly, as though discussing something simple and obvious. "If the difference in power between universes becomes too great, then it would not be fair... it would not be enjoyable."

Then she continued quietly after a brief pause, her white eyes remaining fixed on Robin.

"Yes, the general direction is the acquisition of power... but only to a certain extent, within permitted limits... however, if a universe develops too quickly, it must be stopped at its boundary, otherwise the system collapses."

"What system exactly?" Robin took a step forward, his blood boiling violently. "Who is doing this to us?!"

What kind of nonsense was this?

They were pushed to become stronger, yet once they truly became stronger, they were killed and weakened?

What kind of idiotic system was that?!

The more Robin listened, the more disgust rose inside him.

A universe filled with countless civilizations, countless lives, countless dreams... all treated like pieces on a game board.

"...." The female beast stared for a long time into Robin’s face with her white eyes. "I am not obligated to tell you anything."

Then she continued after a slight pause.

"I said what I said out of respect for the level you reached with the Master Truth Law. You deserve some answers before your departure, but not all of them. That would merely be a waste of time."

"....?"

Robin shuddered slightly as he began feeling the ancestral beast preparing for battle once more.

The surrounding void subtly changed.

The nearby beasts lowered themselves instinctively.

Even the energy fluctuations in the region began growing heavier.

"There should be another way..." Robin muttered in a low voice, his mind racing rapidly.

Then he suddenly raised his voice into a furious shout.

"When the shell was breached millions of years ago, the punishment was applied to the universe, yet the shell piercer was not killed! She is still living peacefully even now. There must be room for negotiation, for bypassing those idiotic laws!!"

"The shell was opened here before?!"

For the first time since the conversation began, the eyes of the space beast fluctuated noticeably.

Then she slightly raised her head.

"No wonder you are not overly shocked by my existence... by the difference in power between us. So you have experienced the power of another colleague’s executioner before. No wonder."

Then she continued with the slightest wrinkle forming between her brows.

"Where is he? Is he still inside the universe causing disorder? I apologize on his behalf for that. He will regret more than anything his failure to submit the report and execute the shell breaker as the law requires. I will personally ensure that."

Then faint anger entered her voice for the first time.

"And he will regret allowing another shell-breaking incident to occur while he remained inside among you. That is unacceptable."

"He was killed." Robin waved his hand with a small smile, though his heart was pounding wildly inside his chest. "Not a single intact piece of him remained, and every beast that came with him was either killed as well or banished like stray dogs."

"....?"

The female beast’s expression worsened immediately.

"That is a lie."

Robin’s smile widened further despite the cold sweat beginning to gather across his back.

"What? Did you not believe me when I said there are people inside stronger than me?" Robin pointed toward the portal behind him. "Then believe this... even if you pass through me today, you are dead the moment you enter."

He was deliberately increasing the danger level of Universe B-14, deliberately pushing the situation further toward chaos, yet deep inside he wanted to see whether he could force out a result different from the originally expected one.

And what was the expected result?

That this executioner would kill him and enter the universe alongside her squad, beginning another cosmic punishment upon B-14.

Would she truly die inside at the hands of Sevar or Athena? Perhaps, perhaps not... it did not matter anymore.

He himself would already be dead or half-dead by then!

Any other outcome would be good... any other outcome!!

Even a temporary retreat.

Even hesitation.

Anything was better than allowing this creature to calmly carry out whatever horrifying procedures she spoke about.

"So that is how it is..." The executioner slightly raised her head, traces of anger and humiliation lingering within her gaze for the first time since their conversation began. "This universe produced a shell breaker millions of years ago, that shell breaker killed the executioner responsible for him, and that same shell breaker is still alive? And now you are another one besides him?"

Then she slowly turned her gaze toward the portal behind Robin.

"...This is no longer a Class-B universe. I must report what is happening after enforcing the law."

"There shall be no laws enforced here!" Robin waved his hand forcefully despite the pain raging through his body, then pointed directly at her. "Did you not understand yet? I alone am enough to take at least half your life, and if you attempt anything else against the universe after what your filthy colleague committed when he tore away ninety percent of our world, you will be killed and your corpse publicly desecrated. Sevar might even order you violated before that, do not overestimate yourself!!"

"...?!"

The executioner was visibly stunned.

Not merely because of Robin’s words.

But because of the confidence behind them.

The surrounding beasts themselves stirred uneasily at Robin’s threats, while Althera and the others felt cold sweat gathering across their backs.

Robin... was provoking something far beyond their understanding.

"Look." Robin pressed his left hand downward in a suppressive, dominating motion, the surrounding void itself trembling faintly beneath the pressure of the four Master symbols revolving around him. "As long as the previous executioner carried out what he did and died without anyone discovering it, then that means there is a way for both of us to escape today’s encounter without anyone being harmed."

Then he pointed behind the executioner.

"Leave, pretend you saw nothing, and I will return behind the shell and never emerge again. That way, each of us keeps their head attached to their shoulders and we all finish today peacefully."

Then he gestured lightly toward the surrounding beasts.

"If you wish, we can even allow those things to enter. They can try destroying the universe however they like, but we will hunt them down. That is our legitimate right."

Then he smiled at her with naked hostility, blood still staining the corner of his lips beneath the golden glow.

"Ha, what do you think? Shall we choose peace tonight?"

Robin’s harsh smile, coupled with the gigantic opened Eye of Truth above him and the four symbols revolving around him like divine authorities orbiting their master, made him appear like a supreme existence issuing commands beyond argument.

At that moment, he no longer resembled a human standing before a superior enemy.

He looked like a ruler negotiating the fate of worlds.

Even the adult space beasts, along with Blokan and the others, felt pressure merely from witnessing the scene.

Some of the surrounding beasts even lowered themselves unconsciously, their instincts unable to fully separate Robin from the terrifying eye floating above him.

Yet the executioner did not appear nearly as tense as Robin hoped.

After several seconds of thought, she slightly raised her head.

"...I will not enter."

The moment those words left her mouth, Robin’s heart skipped violently.

Then she stared directly into Robin’s face with cold certainty.

"But I will take your corpse with me."

The atmosphere instantly froze.

Blokan’s expression changed.

Morgana clenched her fists.

Even the surrounding beasts retreated slightly as killing intent slowly spread through the void once more.

Then the executioner extended her pointed mace forward and began walking toward him.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Every movement caused ripples across the surrounding darkness, while the pressure radiating from her body grew heavier and heavier.

She had made her decision.

Robin’s gamble... had failed.