Lord of the Truth-Chapter 1196: Between the hammer and the anvil-1

(...The direction of the spatial rupture... It must be heading toward Planet Jura!)

"What?!" Robin froze in place, utterly shocked, his entire being was paralyzed for a second. It was as though he'd momentarily forgotten that he could still communicate with Neri through their shared soul link. His jaw dropped open, and with a voice full of urgency and confusion, he bellowed, "What are you talking about?! Who exactly is it that's coming?!"

"..." Rinara, who had been pretending to leave the negotiation room as part of her psychological tactic to gain the upper hand, instantly halted. Her expression shifted subtly, her eyes narrowing as she caught the sudden intensity in Robin's voice. It was clear from his tone and posture that he wasn't speaking to anyone physically present in the room.

She blinked, realizing that something—someone—was communicating with him through other means. Naturally, leaving now would be foolish; she would risk losing access to this bizarre and fascinating place forever. She folded her arms, pretending to linger casually, while secretly tuning in to every word Robin muttered. Whatever this unexpected development was, she intended to see it through. Once it was over, she would resume her act of departure—hopefully with better results this time.

(I don't know!) Neri replied quickly, her mental voice slightly panicked. (But whoever it was, she scanned the entire planet in one sweep, using both soul sense and a dense wave of energy. I could feel it—it wasn't subtle at all. There was fury in that soul pressure, real rage. And also, that woman… she definitely wasn't just a World Cataclysm!)

Robin's heart skipped a beat. His eyes darkened with realization. "What do you mean she wasn't a World Cataclysm?!" he shouted. "Then what else could she possibly be?! She's tearing through space as if it's paper, traveling solo across interstellar voids… What else could do that?! She's clearly not just some powerful Martial Emperor. Wait… don't tell me— Nexus Stage?!"

As the words escaped him, the weight of the possibility struck him like a hammer. His voice rose in volume and panic. "Are you telling me someone at the Nexus Stage is headed to Jura right now, and is angry for some reason?!"

He turned sharply toward Rinara, pointing a trembling finger at her, his voice edged with both suspicion and disbelief. "You?! Are you coming here in person? With your real body?! What exactly are you trying to pull?!"

"Don't point fingers at me," Rinara said coolly, unfazed by his outburst. "Yes, I am a Nexus, but my actual body has far more important matters to attend to. Personally arriving in the young belt just to scare you would be an utter waste of time. It would cheapen my reputation, and you, frankly, haven't earned that level of concern. Also—if you must know—traveling between sectors at such speeds is quite literally impossible, even for someone like me."

She smiled smugly, folding her arms across her chest as her soul fragment hovered calmly. "And yet… you've managed to enrage a Nexus to such a degree that she's crossing countless hardships just for you? That's quite the talent, Robin. Tell me—do you enjoy provoking beings stronger than you? Is that your secret skill?"

"Provoke? How would I even provoke a Nexus?! I never communicated with a—" Robin's voice faltered. A beat passed before a chilling realization dawned on him. His eyes widened with dread. "...The impatient woman! The impatient woman is a Nexus?!"

(Of course! Didn't you hear her yelling at me during the fight? She warned me she's more than just a World Cataclysm!) Neri replied innocently, as if it were the most obvious thing in the universe.

"I thought she meant she was just a stronger-than-usual Cataclysm or something!!" Robin exploded, slapping his own forehead in frustration. Then, with a defeated sigh, he staggered backward and collapsed into his seat, burying his face in his hands. "Oh, this is bad. This is so bad. I called her a bitch!!"

Suddenly, a memory flashed in his mind. His head jerked upward as he yelled, "Evergreen!! Didn't you tell me she wouldn't get involved directly because of the Law of Karma or something? Were you lying to me all along?!"

(Kyaa!!) The girl with the deer-like antlers yelped and bolted from her spot, quickly hiding behind Hofenheim's towering frame like a child caught stealing cookies.

(Little Evergreen didn't lie! Don't yell at her! Maybe she just came to scare you a little bit, that's all…) Neri tried to calm the situation, waving both her hands in the air defensively. (Even if she is a Nexus, that doesn't mean she can do whatever she wants whenever she pleases!)

"I'm tired of hearing that bullshit!" Robin slammed the armrest of his chair with a loud thud. His voice trembled with frustration and fear. "There are people out there who don't care about reason or logic at all, and it seems that I got to deal with one of them now!"

He looked around frantically. "Juri! Juri, get in here immediately!!"

Wooo~

The air within the chamber began to ripple unnaturally, thickening and twisting as if being stirred by an invisible force. Gradually, it condensed into a semi-solid mass, then began to morph—taking on the form of a young girl with an unmistakably irritated expression. Her figure was human-like, but the annoyance etched on her face gave her an aura of restrained wrath. Arms crossed, she hovered slightly off the ground, casting an unimpressed glance at the man who had summoned her.

With a sharp, cold tone, she snapped, "What do you want this time? You are not my owner. You're not permitted to summon me in such a reckless manner."

Robin waved his hand urgently, brushing her complaint aside. "That doesn't matter right now!" he said quickly. "Juri, listen to me. There's a woman coming here, A Nexus... and she's clearly in a state of rage. Tell me—can someone like her break into the planet's defenses and launch an attack? Could she abduct me or destroy this place from the outside? Can you raise a defense layer strong enough to stop her?"

"W-- WHAT...? A Nexus?" Juri blinked several times in disbelief. "A Nexus-level expert is headed here? But… how? And why? That level of power—it shouldn't even be active in this region!"

Her glowing eyes widened as her thoughts spiraled, and she clutched her oversized head with both hands, trembling.

"Answer the question, Juri!" Robin barked, his voice sharp and commanding to snap her out of her panic.

"N-No... She can't enter the planetary shield to get you, not physically at least," Juri stammered. "But it's not just about strength this time. There are layers to the defense system. Some thresholds can be breached—like the limit placed on soul force usage. For instance, that soul fragment earlier had exceeded such a limit, which triggered a countermeasure. It wasn't just repelled—it was targeted for destruction. Even you, Robin, could breach it if you really wanted to… but I'd be forced to retaliate. I'd have to engage defensive protocols, even against you—after providing multiple warnings—regardless of your position as one of this world's registered inhabitants."

She paused briefly to collect her thoughts, then continued in a more grounded tone. "But... there are certain boundaries that are absolute. Unbreakable. World Cataclysm and Nexus beings are strictly prohibited from physically entering the atmosphere of the Young Belt planets. No matter how powerful they are, no matter how determined, they cannot force their way through that layer. It's not a matter of resistance—it's a matter of universal law. There's no room for manipulation or negotiation."

Her voice, however, began to tremble again as a new realization struck her. "But… but someone in the Nexus Stage doesn't need to enter. They can move through outer space freely, as if walking across a field. They don't need ships or portals. They can hover outside the planet's orbit and launch attacks. Powerful, devastating attacks."

She pointed to herself, eyes wide with urgency. "If a World Cataclysm tried to strike from space, I could defend against it with the sixth and final tier of planetary defense. It's designed to counter threats of that magnitude. I could stall them—maybe even repel them. But if it's a Nexus… I won't survive. Their energy output is too massive. Each strike could obliterate an entire continent of mine! If she really wanted to destroy me, I'd be gone after a handful of hits!"

Robin narrowed his eyes, trying to keep his composure despite the storm building in his chest. "…There's no need to panic just yet," he said, though the strain in his voice betrayed his own anxiety. "Maybe… maybe she just wants to talk. Maybe she's looking to negotiate, or perhaps she wants compensation for something. It doesn't have to be the end of the world. I can try to reason with her."

But as he spoke those words, his eyes betrayed him—staring off into the distance, unfocused. His thoughts were no longer in the room.

Juri noticed. "You really believe someone in the Nexus Stage crossed the cosmos just to have a casual chat with you?" she shrieked. Her voice cracked with panic. She clutched her head again and shouted, "This is your fault! All of it! I knew keeping you around would bring disaster! Nothing good ever comes from your presence! You're going to drag me into ruin!"

Robin said nothing. He didn't flinch. Perhaps he hadn't even heard her at all.

At this moment, there was only one thing occupying his mind—a single, desperate plan.

Activate the planetary portal… and retreat. Flee to Nihari, the central planet in his dominion. Nehari was not only larger and better protected than Jura, it had before withstood a battle that would have annihilated a place like Jura. More importantly, the Impatient Woman had already searched for him there and found nothing. That would buy him time.

But the price…

Leaving now would mean abandoning Planet Jura.

She had gone from Nihari straight to Jura. That meant she had access to his planetary coordinates. Somehow. It was likely she acquired them through the

Great Serpent Empire—they once held the full list of his planetary archives.

This wasn't a random rampage. She was looking for him.

Otherwise, why leave Nihari so quickly after performing a soul scan?

But if she searched every planet and still didn't find him… then what? Would she start the cycle over?

No… this woman didn't seem the type to repeat steps. She was impatient. Too impatient.

Would she start attacking planets out of frustration? Could she do that without hesitation?

But what about the Law of Karma? What about the consequences from the Star Academies and the web of interstellar politics? Would she really throw all of that away?

…From what he had seen of her so far?

Yes. She absolutely could.

And she probably would.

"Ahem, ahem…"

A soft, deliberate cough echoed across the room, slicing through the thick tension like a blade.

Robin's head rose instinctively toward the sound.

Standing there, watching him, was Rinara—her expression calm, her posture composed. And on her lips… was a faint, enigmatic smile.