Lord of the Truth

"…We have urgent news about Lady Renara."

"…?" Caesar lowered his legs and straightened his posture with a sharp motion. Then, with two crisp claps of his hands, he gave the order: "You may all take your leave for now, and begin the execution of the new strategy immediately."

"Yes, sire." The generals bowed one after another in practiced unison before proceeding toward the great gate. As they walked in pairs or groups of three, hushed conversations rose between them, their voices fading as they disappeared beyond the portal.

Once the last of them was gone, Caesar's gaze shifted toward Leonid. His tone was solemn, his face set with a weight that did not often surface. "Speak. What happened?"

He had been nothing but serious about this matter ever since his meeting with Renara several years ago.

For a long time, he had deliberately chosen to disregard her and her kin, convinced that no hope could be salvaged from cooperation with a fragile ruler and a disgraced Permissible Blood Clan.

He dicided in the end to tell if the came to him, just out of curtesy as she is the still the woman who crowned his father. Yet things had shifted drastically once he told her the truth.

He had imagined that once she hears about what Elenor and the four elders do, she would retreat into the shadows of diplomacy, weaving schemes to accumulate influence and legitimacy.

He thought perhaps she would first seek the loyalty of her other followers, bargaining for their recognition, or attempt to match her rivals in subtle games of power. The number of peaceful, strategic paths available to her had been virtually limitless.

But she had cast all of that aside. The moment she walked out from his presence, she did not turn toward politics, nor to alliances, nor to subterfuge. Instead, she struck like a storm. Without hesitation, she launched an assault against one of her own worlds—one that held one of the Four Great Halls!

For reasons still unclear, after laying siege to the hall and personally killing its master, she emerged not calmer, but more furious—her aura darker, heavier, almost suffocating. Without pause, she advanced toward the second hall with destruction in her wake.

The other halls, still ignorant of the unfolding madness, attempted to intercept her. They hastily rallied what strength they could muster, summoning their soldiers to block the path of their own sovereign who had turned rabid.

Their intervention slowed her progress just enough for her intended second target to sense the danger and flee, understanding all too well what awaited them if they stayed.

Renara, however, seized the moment to unleash her might. She clashed with the five hall lords not to slaughter them outright, but to shatter their pride and strip away their illusions. She beat them mercilessly, severing limbs —an arm here, a leg there— in a ruthless demonstration of supreme dominance. In that battle she reclaimed her full, undeniable authority.

Only after subduing them did she reveal the hidden truths: the corruption of the other Four Great Halls, and the treacherous moves of Elinor. Having delivered her message with the weight of blood and steel, she left them broken behind her and began a relentless pursuit of her other enemies.

The last report of her movements told of her chasing the mistress of the Third Hall. Through a whisper from the Shadow Swords, she had learned the mistress's location. Without delay, Renara stormed toward her prey… That was mere hours ago.

"The situation is grim," Leonid said, his brows furrowed deeply. "She attacked the site we directed her to. She succeeded in hunting down the hall mistress and ended her life… but in doing so, she fell into an ambush prepared by three Nexus States."

"What?!" Caesar erupted to his feet, his voice sharp enough to slice the air. "How could this happen?!"

Leonid's explanation followed swiftly: "After the hall mistress fled, she made her way deeper into the planet's wild regions, far from any cities or gates. It was there, in isolation, that Renara finally caught her, snapping her neck without hesitation. But in that very spot, she suddenly found herself surrounded—three Nexus States encircled her. All of them from the Twilight Spectrum Empire. We believe they had been lying in wait, prepared to manifest the moment Renara launched her strike against the city."

"This is…" Caesar's expression tightened, his brows drawn low with intensity.

Within the Twilight Spectrum Empire, there were only three Nexus States to begin with: the Emperor himself, a high-level Nexus State of terrifying might, and two of his close kin, each are low level Nexus states.

It was whispered throughout the realms that this very trio had once joined forces to slay Renara's father, and even further back, the same incident with her great-grandfather.

"…This is dire," Caesar muttered at last, sinking slowly back into his seat. The weight in his voice was heavier than iron. "Every plan I had that relied on her survival… all of it is now reduced to ash with her death."

"Strangely, she did not die," Leonid said, dropping a surprise that no one expected. "Our watchers reported that the moment those three appeared, a fierce battle started. Lady Renara fought them all at once, three against one. Even though the pressure was terrible, she held her ground. Near the end, she gathered her power and used a heavy strike—the Nine Stars together as one. That attack almost tore the sky apart. It crushed one of them so badly that he was left half-dead, and then she escaped."

"The other two—one of them the Planetary Emperor of the Twilight Spectrum—first checked if their brother was alive. When they saw he still breathed, they exploded with anger and rushed after her at full speed. But those short seconds of delay gave Renara enough time to break away. She shot through the skies, pushed beyond the atmosphere, and escaped into space."

"This…!!" Caesar's eyes opened wide in shock.

Everyone knew that Nexus States could travel in space, but most avoided it. The distance between planets was too large, and without careful planning it was easy to get lost forever. "Does this mean she survived? Where is she now?"

"We don't know yet. We have no eyes in space," Leonid answered with a slow shake of his head. "But it is clear she is still being chased. The Planetary Emperor and his companion have not returned."

"Amazing…" Caesar pressed his hand to his chin, his eyes flashing with thought. "Her escape into space makes it much harder for them to catch her. In time, they may lose track of each other and end up landing on the nearest planet they find. That woman… She has faced traps before, but nothing like this. To fight three Nexus States alone, survive, and even injure one nearly to death!! That is no ordinary feat."

He suddenly smiled, his mood lifting. "Maybe we must look again at the bloodline of the Nine-Tailed Fox."

Turning sharply to Leonid, he ordered: "Send my command. Open all eyes and ears on every planet in that field. Remember—it was us who gave her the information that led her to that world. She might think we were part of the ambush. We must not let her believe that. Find Renara, and tell her we had no hand in this. Give her help, give her healing, give her safety until she reaches a secure place. Understood?"

"Understood." Leonid bowed twice. "It seems Your Highness is paying much attention to the Nine Paths Empire lately."

"Tsk~" Caesar waved his hand. "I care nothing for their empire. I want nothing from them. But Renara… she is different."

"I see." Leonid nodded. "Then I will leave now to arrange your orders." He turned, walking in a formal pace toward the exit.

"Wait." Caesar's voice stopped him.

"Hmm?" Leonid turned back, raising his brows slightly. "Do you need something else, Your Highness?"

"..." Caesar tapped his chin, thinking deeply. Then he pointed lightly toward Leonid. "That Nexus State, the one she injured with the Nine Stars… is he still lying where he fell?"