"Robin Burton, wait!!"

    A sudden, thunderous female voice ripped through the air like a divine decree, shaking both the heavens and the earth in a way that commanded immediate attention. All eyes snapped toward its source, a presence impossible to ignore.

    "Your Majesty."

    In an instant, the twelve elders bowed in synchronized reverence, their movements disciplined and respectful. Darmek, on the other hand, responded with a lazy, half-hearted military salute, one hand lifted in routine rather than respect.

    "Your Maj—"

    The head of the gate guards barely managed to speak before he was cut off—violently. Soul creature, Cilibus, allowed him no time to breathe, let alone perform a proper salute. In a flash, he was overwhelmed.

    By now, he was utterly surrounded, helpless amidst a storm of chaos. His comrades—dozens of elite palace guards—were all sprawled face-first on the courtyard stones, completely subdued. Some groaned in pain, others lay unconscious, their armor cracked, their pride shattered.

    Reinforcements from the inner palace hadn''t fared any better. Many had already fallen, their bodies limp across the grand stone floor, while the rest remained locked in desperate struggle—each trapped by not one, but three or four soul creatures, their otherworldly forms swirling like living nightmares.

    "What is happening here?!"

    From atop the grand balcony, Empress Renara gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief. The chaos that now defiled her private courtyard was something unseen for hundreds of millennia.

    "Robin Burton why are you fighting my guards?!"

    At that moment, Robin Burton slowly lifted his head. The glowing tattoos on his body pulsed softly, even as the battle aura surrounding him began to recede. He had stopped channeling the technique—but the remnants of divine force still clung to him like a second skin. Without a hint of hesitation, he raised a steady hand and pointed directly at the shackled soldier lying on the cold, cracked ground.

    "Was this what we agreed upon?!"

    His voice cut through the air with cold, controlled fury.

    "Is this the kind of friendship you promised me?!"

    "How dare you raise your voice at Her Imperial Majesty?!"

    Darmek roared, his cloak billowing behind him as if caught by a storm of righteous indignation. His stance was noble, but his words rang hollow.

    "Silence, Darmek!"

    Renara''s voice cracked like a whip—sharp, precise. She then turned to the shackled soldier, her expression unreadable.

    "What is the meaning of this? Explain yourself."

    Darmek stepped forward, confused but defiant.

    "He is the deputy of the traitorous Human Division. I captured him and brought him here so that we may decide what punishment to deliver to them."

    His brows furrowed. He truly didn''t understand why Her Majesty was questioning his actions.

    Robin''s eye twitched, his fury no longer hidden.

    "Who''s the traitor, you decrepit old fool?!"

    "Enough, Robin Burton!"

    Renara lifted both hands in a calming gesture, trying to defuse the explosive energy still radiating from him. She turned her gaze once more to Darmek.

    "...Did I ever instruct you to do this?"

    "Did you not tell me to bring him for interrogation? To find out why his general withdrew?"

    Darmek''s voice rose slightly in protest, frustration lacing his tone.

    "And you interpreted my words as: imprison him, bind him in chains, and call him a traitor?!"

    Renara''s voice rose as well, emotion finally breaking through her otherwise calm exterior. Then, she turned back to Robin, her face softening into a forced smile.

    "It''s nothing more than a misunderstanding, Robin Burton. Please, lower your weapons, come inside with me. Let us speak as allies."

    "....."

    The silence that followed was deafening. Darmek, the twelve elders, and even the elite guards who still stood—all were frozen in place, brows furrowed, mouths slightly agape. Their minds could not comprehend what they were witnessing. Why was Planetary Empress Renara speaking so gently to this human?

    Had any of them focused closely enough, they might''ve seen it—a single, betraying drop of sweat sliding slowly down Renara''s flawless forehead. Sёar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The truth was... she didn''t know whether Robin could truly defeat everyone in this courtyard.

    And it didn''t matter.

    What mattered was the soul shard present in his soul domain.

    And Robin, knowing this, pointed once again at the shackled young man.

    "I will be satisfied only if he is satisfied. This soldier of mine was humiliated without cause, simply because he served under me. Return to him what you stole—his dignity."

    "...."

    Renara''s smile faltered, lips trembling for a moment. She turned slowly toward the shackled soldier and forced words past her clenched jaw.

    "We apologize deeply for the unfortunate misunderstanding. I will personally see to it that you are compensated—ten thousand pearls, as a token of our regret and to assist in your healing."

    "Your Majesty!!"

    The twelve elders cried out in unison, shocked beyond measure.

    Ten thousand gems?!

    That amount represented a portion of the imperial treasury—a figure that would make even hall lords hesitate.

    "Silence."

    Renara''s voice rang out, sharp and commanding, as she swept her hand through the air with unmistakable authority. The tone left no room for debate. A silence fell over the ruined courtyard like a weighted shroud.

    She took a deep breath,. In her mind''s eye, she could still see it: the shining skyline of the imperial capital in the region of Jura. She could remember, in vivid detail, the towering crystal spires, the floating gardens, the shimmering light that bathed its golden streets. And more than anything, she remembered the unearned luxury the citizens of the True Beginning Empire enjoyed, wrapped in comfort and oblivious to the burdens of leadership.

    And now... she found herself forced to offer ten thousand pearls—an amount that would send a shock through any treasury minister. She only hoped it would be enough.

    Then, without hesitation, she extended her finger toward one of the elder advisors.

    "You. Step forward. Take this soldier into your personal care. Ensure that his injuries are healed, every last wound. And once he is stable, deliver to him his reward. Make it clear that he is not a prisoner nor a subject—he is to be treated as an honored guest of the imperial court."

    The courtyard was silent.

    The elder bowed and moved to obey, while the soldier in question—bloodied, broken, and bound—lifted his eyes with visible disbelief.

    "Ah..."

    The sound escaped him involuntarily, as if he were speaking from a dream. His bloodshot eyes, swollen and filled with dust and tears, widened until the whites showed.

    It wasn''t the reward that shocked him. Pearls were irrelevant to a man like him. After decades of loyal service and daring missions, his contribution points alone could buy him a small city. No—what rattled him to his core was this:

    Empress Renara herself, the legendary ruler whose name echoed across galaxies... had just apologized to him. Not through an intermediary. Not through a decree. But with her own voice.

    "Hey," Robin called out gently, nodding toward the kneeling soldier, "Are you satisfied?"

    The soldier blinked, trembling, then struggled to raise his head.

    "S—Satisfied! Completely satisfied!!"

    He dragged his battered body forward, falling to his knees before Robin, his forehead nearly touching the ground. Even if he had been denied every pearl, every apology—he would have still say the same. The last thing he wanted was to bring more trouble to his Emperor.

    Robin gave a calm, approving nod. At his command, the twin glowing spears in his hands evaporated like mist in the morning sun. The swirling tattoos etched across his skin—runes pulsing with otherworldly power—began to dim and retract into his flesh, disappearing one after another.

    Then, with deliberate slowness, he turned his gaze to Darmek—who still stood stiffly, fury carved into every wrinkle of his aging face. Robin raised one hand and pointed directly at him, like a judge pronouncing sentence.

    "I could, at this very moment, request that Renara punish you."

    His voice was even, but it carried the sharpness of a blade.

    "And I know... I know she would do it. Because if she refused—then she wouldn''t touch what I brought her today."

    He lowered his hand, slowly, like a blade returning to its sheath.

    "But if I did that—it would place her in a difficult position. And honestly, Darmek..." he exhaled, "You''re not worth straining the bond between me and her."

    Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.

    Whooom. Whooom.

    Tent of portals opened haphazardly around the courtyard. They crackled with raw force as the soul creatures began their return. One by one, their howls fading into his soul domain once more.

    BAAM.

    The Head of the Palace Guard, a warrior reputed to be a World Cataclysm Realm, collapsed to one knee the moment his adversary vanished. His body trembled violently, lungs desperate for breath, blood pouring from his mouth in steady streams. His armor was shredded, his pride destroyed.

    It had been too close. One more minute, and he might have been lost forever.

    Renara took in the sight with a heavy gaze. Her eyes swept across the destruction like a queen appraising a battlefield. Deep cracks marred the courtyard''s polished tiles. Statues were reduced to rubble. The once-beautiful garden was charred and trampled.

    Her heart sank. This level of damage—caused in mere minutes—would take years to repair. The resources it would consume were astronomical. But worse than the cost in materials... was the cost in perception. The empire had looked vulnerable today.

    Meanwhile, Robin didn''t even glance at the guards sprawled in agony. He didn''t offer pity. He didn''t offer help. He simply raised his arms wide and declared loudly, like a herald of judgment:

    "Let it be known—by the high and the low, by the emperors and the peasants—that the Empire of True Beginning is not a follower to anyone. We are allies to whom I choose. We are enemies to whom I will."

    There was a terrible finality in his tone, one that carried across realms.

    "That''s enough now. Come with me."

    With a subtle flick of her fingers, Renara invoked a silent technique. In an instant, she and Robin vanished—dissolving into light, leaving behind only the chaos and silence.

    In their wake, more than a hundred palace guards, twelve elders, and Darmek himself stood frozen in place. Sweat beaded down their faces. Their jaws were clenched tight. Their eyes remained locked on the spot where Robin had stood.

    And in their hearts... one single, terrifying thought echoed:

    Were we just threatened—by someone at only level 44? And right in front of the Empress?!