Lord of the Truth

"Aeh..." Merina hesitated for a few seconds as she stood there, her eyes wide, facing what looked like a small mountain standing before her. Her heart pounded in her chest. Then, finally, she summoned her courage, straightened her back, and began waving her arms in fluid, elegant motions like the ebb and flow of ocean waves.

Blop Blop

Her hair started swirling around her head like a crown of liquid threads, and from within it, strange gooey bubbles began to emerge — viscous, shimmering, and pulsing faintly. Those bubbles clumped together, fusing and morphing until they formed a tiny dragon made entirely of translucent slime. The miniature creature flapped its wings, twisted in the air, and began to spiral around her rapidly, circling like a guardian spirit. Then, she lunged forward with fire in her eyes.

"Here I come!"

Yaaawn Vanier let out a slow, uninterested yawn. His posture didn't shift in the slightest — as if none of this was worth the energy.

WHOOSH! The slime dragon launched forward with surprising momentum, a trail of droplets flying behind it, with how small it was, it still look dangerous.

"Hmph!" With a casual flick of his hand, as if dismissing an annoying mosquito, Vanier sent out a wave of force — and the little dragon exploded into a gooey mist, spraying slime across the field. But... it didn't end there.

"...?!" Vanier's calm expression twisted for a moment. He furrowed his brows, glancing down at his arm. It began to feel... heavier, slower — as if something was coagulating within.

Fwoosh! Seizing that precise moment of confusion, Merina dashed forward like a blur. In her hand, she now gripped a sword sculpted entirely from the same glowing, jelly-like substance. Without hesitation, she leapt into the air and aimed a powerful downward strike at Vanier's head.

"You've played long enough!" Vanier's other arm darkened rapidly — its color turning into a deep, almost black hue — before he launched it upward to counter.

Suddenly, his aura exploded outward. It multiplied, intensified — no longer just strength, but a bloodthirsty presence, suffocating and heavy, one that could make even veteran warriors step back.

But Merina didn't flinch. She gritted her teeth and brought her slime sword down with all her might.

BAM! Her sword shattered on impact like glass under pressure — yet, just as quickly, the goo slithered back together in midair, reforming between her fingers. She swung again, relentless.

This time, Vanier didn't allow any delay. He slashed forward with his arm like a beast's claw, aiming directly at the girl's chest. But Merina, now just a breath away, stepped backward with uncanny precision, narrowly dodging. She countered instantly, striking low at his leg.

The black aura vanished from his arm and surged down into his leg in the blink of an eye — blocking her strike with practiced ease. Then the energy returned to his arm as he twisted and slammed his elbow toward her ribs.

She spun to the side like a dancer mid-battle and slashed at his neck with her slime sword, fast and focused.

"…" Robin's brows slowly furrowed as he watched with intensity.

These two… they were supposed to be from the Clown Assembly, a name that evoked ridicule and mockery — yet here they were, showcasing close-combat proficiency beyond anything he'd seen.

In less than a second, the two had exchanged over thirty precise movements — strikes, counters, dodges, and parries — and not a single blow had landed clean.

This wasn't a level of combat Robin was familiar with. Or, to be more precise — this wasn't a battlefield he had trained for.

Neither he nor his entire army had invested time into mastering such intricate close-range combat styles.

He had faced powerful foes before — vastly superior in strength and numbers — like his brutal fight against Jabba and his men before becoming his disciple, or his war-like battles against Warlords.

But all those clashes were dominated by Laws — raw, overwhelming energies that shaped reality. Not weapons. Not physical finesse. Not hand-to-hand precision.

...Vanier, now growing slightly more serious, summoned a spear from thin air. He spun it with fluid grace, forming vortexes of wind as the weapon whirled around him. The air roared, pressure rising. At the same time, his hands moved with absurd speed, each strike a blur — trying to corner Merina.

But she responded beautifully. Her blade, her little dragon — they moved like parts of her soul. She stepped back just in time, dodged, then countered. Again and again. She advanced only when the opening was perfect.

Every attack she launched was deflected, yes — but she was gaining ground, and momentum.

Before long, their clash had reached over a hundred exchanges — fluid, brutal, and shockingly fast.

Even the so-called "clowns" of the Star Academy can fight like this?! Robin thought, eyebrows twitching slightly.

Even his children — trained from youth — didn't have this kind of fluidity, this mastery over footwork, timing, and weapon manipulation.

"Hyaaah!!" Suddenly, the girl let out a loud, battle-fueled cry.

Using her dragon, she struck Vanier's final arm, entangling it momentarily. Then — slash! — her blade struck his leg, numbing it.

BAM! She slammed the ground beneath her with her heel, creating a shockwave to launch herself forward — arms wide open, energy converging into her hands and chest, as she charged for the final move:

The Bear Hug.

"...!!" Shadad's eyes widened with pure excitement. His hands clapped together in a burst of joy.

But—

BAM!

The bear hug connected — but not quite as planned.

Merina found herself face-first into Vanier's abdomen — her hands awkwardly pressed against his rear.

"Aah... uhh…"

Her face flushed crimson, her eyes glossy with shame. Slowly, trembling, she looked up — only to see a massive fist descending.

BAAAAAAM!

"Ouch..." Every student immediately looked away. Even Shadad raised his hand to shield his eyes.

That punch had to hurt like hell.

"MERINA!!" Shadad shook his head, shouting furiously,

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"What do you think, Professor?! He's just too massive for me!!"

The girl replied in a strange mix of frustration and embarrassment as she got up from the ground, rubbing her bruised cheek with teary eyes.

She hadn't suffered this kind of humiliation since… well, last week.

"Jump! Use your slime ability to create longer arms! Think on your feet — improvise!" Shadad roared at her, his voice echoing across the training ground. His expression twisted with frustration as he shook his head and let out a weary sigh.

"Just... go back to your seat. You clearly need to work a lot more on your close-combat forms and engagement flow."

"Yes, sir..." Merina responded softly, her voice almost a whisper. She gently rubbed her reddened cheek, wincing slightly as she walked back with a limp in her pride. Her steps were quiet, hesitant, and full of self-doubt — her spirit weighed down by failure.

"Wait!"

A sudden voice rang out from behind, sharp and commanding — causing her to stop mid-step and glance back in surprise.

It was the professor seated atop the platform, the man with the calm presence and unreadable eyes.

"Me?" she asked, pointing to herself with confusion.

"Who else would I mean?" Robin replied with a puzzled expression, his tone laced with disbelief.

"What exactly just happened? Why were you defeated by something so ridiculous?"

"I... I have a weak body."

Faced with the man that Professor Shadad referred to respectfully as Elder Brother, Merina's confidence shrank further.

"I really try my best. I'm pushing myself as hard as I can. I'm truly sorry..." Her voice trembled, and her gaze dropped to the floor, avoiding his eyes.

"...?" Robin narrowed his eyes slightly, growing more curious than angry.

He turned toward Shaddad, his voice low and firm.

"Why isn't this girl using her ability the way it's meant to be used? Are her family even aware of what's going on here?"

Shadad scratched the back of his head, his expression caught between discomfort and explanation.

"Hmm... I think you're misunderstanding something, Elder Brother. Her family isn't just any family — they're the royal line of the Multi-Realm Slimeoria Empire — an empire that draws its strength from the ancient Sea Beast King: Ghattakh. You can imagine him as a gargantuan jellyfish-like creature that uses paralyzing slime to incapacitate his prey before consumption."

He sighed and continued,

"She was sent here under a massive fund — we're talking fortunes — with the mission to master her abilities in combat and be groomed for the throne. She's not just a student. She's the next Empress-in-training. And yes, she was sent to learn just that."

"…" Robin raised an eyebrow slowly.

The ability she had displayed earlier — while raw and unrefined — was indeed impressive, especially for someone of imperial heritage.

Had her opponent not been unusually strong, she likely could've won through strategy and persistence.

Even so… something felt off.

"Hey," Robin called out as he nodded toward Vanier.

"Get ready. I'm going to come at you. You're free to use whatever defensive techniques you prefer. If you need a break, take your time. No rush."

"No need for rest," Vanier answered immediately, a confident smile playing on his lips. He let out a calm breath as he rolled his shoulders.

"Just make sure you restrain yourself to the upper edge of the Martial Emperor Realm... don't go overboard."

Then he paused for a second and raised his brows, remembering something,

"Oh right... you're at Level 31, aren't you? I'll restrain myself instead."

"Hehe... how sweet of you," Robin chuckled, amused by the offer.

"No need to hold back for my sake — I appreciate your courtesy, really."

He extended his palm forward slowly, fingers spread, and focused.

Hoooooo~

A gentle surge of power pulsed through his arm, and a series of golden rune-like patterns emerged beneath his clothing — ancient, intricate, and glowing faintly. They crawled like living veins across the upper part of his arm, hidden under his sleeves, unseen by the audience.

Then—

Blorp Blorp

A thick, viscous green slime began to ooze from the pores of Robin's fingertips, glowing softly as it dripped and gathered in the center of his palm. The substance shimmered — not like ordinary slime, but like liquid emerald, pulsing with mysterious vitality.

The gelatinous mass hovered, swirling gently like it was alive. Then, within moments, it began to twist and shape itself — folding, stretching, and condensing — as if obeying a silent command.

Within seconds, the mass transformed into a miniature dragon made entirely of translucent, radiant green slime. Its wings fluttered, tail coiled, and it let out a tiny, silent roar as if announcing its birth.

"A-ah... Aahhh..."

Merina's eyes widened like saucers. Her pupils shook. Her jaw fell slightly open in disbelief, awe flooding her face.

She stared at Robin's hand as if watching a miracle unfold — one that used the very same ability she had always thought she was alone in.