KRRRRRR
The tiny sphere Robin had pulled from between his brows wasn't even the size of a grape—small enough to be crushed between two fingers, insignificant in appearance. Yet, as it moved forward, the very fabric of space trembled in response, quivering like the surface of a still lake struck by a sudden stone. Chaotic ripples spread outward in all directions, distorting the air, sending waves of invisible force crashing through the void.
It was a terrifying sight, one that defied common sense. How could sothing so small, so seemingly fragile, exert such overwhelming pressure upon reality itself?
Soul Force was fundantally different from natural energy in its very essence— born of an entirely separate origin— yet, for all their differences, the two forces also shared uncanny similarities.
Natural energy accumulates on a planet's surface due to the planetary spirit's continuous absorption of primordial chaos from the surrounding void, refining it into a usable form for living creatures.
Soul Force, however, was sothing else entirely.
It did not erge naturally from the environnt, nor did it exist in a raw, untad state like natural energy. Instead, it was born from death itself—the lingering remnants of once-living souls, the final echoes of consciousness dissolving into the great unknown.
This stark contrast made Soul Force seem far rarer, far more finite. It was not sothing that simply gathered and replenished itself within the atmosphere. It was fleeting, fragile. And yet…
How many living beings had walked upon the surface of a planet since its very inception? How many creatures had been born, lived their lives, and perished across the eons?
Even the smallest of organisms —microscopic lifeforms invisible to the naked eye— had souls, no matter how faint. Even the trees, unmoving and silent, housed spirits of their own.
This realization was why scholars and sages had debated endlessly over the ages: which was more abundant, in the grand sche of existence? Natural energy, ever-replenishing, drawn from the boundless primal chaos? Or Soul Force, accumulated over an eternity of death and rebirth?
The answer had always been elusive, frustratingly relative.
No one had ever been able to say with certainty which was more widespread. No one could definitively claim which held greater power.
But as Robin stood there now, his gaze locked onto the swirling mass before him, watching space itself twist and crack under the imnse strain of forty thousand condensed Soul Force units, he found himself reevaluating those comparisons once again.
The sight was… monstrous. Terrifying. Beautiful in its own way.
The air humd with tension, thick with an unseen weight, as if the universe itself was holding its breath.
"This…?" Helen's shadow, hovering in the distance, narrowed its eyes slightly as it observed the spectacle before it. Then, as realization struck, those narrowed eyes widened, filled with disbelief, "Have you gone insane?!"
Robin t her gaze without hesitation, his eyes alight with sothing fierce—sothing unrelenting.
He tilted his head slightly, a slow, knowing grin forming on his lips.
"Yes," he said simply. Then, voice sharp as a blade, he added, "And why the hell not?!"
His presence was electric, his very aura exuding madness and defiance.
"When dealing with the wise," Robin declared, his voice unwavering, "there is no one wiser than . But when dealing with fools?"
His grin widened, eyes burning with an unholy rage.
"...There is no one more insane than I am!"
Then, without hesitation, he pointed toward the two surging masses of energy and bellowed:
"COMPRESS!!"
The shadow's expression darkened. "...Fools?"
A flicker of irritation crossed its face as it waved a hand towards Robin.
BOOOOM!
BOOOOM!
BOOOOM!
Massive walls of molten lava erupted between Robin and the shadow, exploding one after the other in an attempt to intercept his attack.
Amid the chaos, a voice rang in Robin's mind.
"Hey… are you sure about this? Everything's going to be fine, right?"
It was Néri.
The planetary spirit's voice carried a rare trace of concern.
"Creating soul fragnts isn't sothing you should be capable of at your level. Especially not one of this size. Do you even understand the risk you're taking?"
Néri had understood Robin's intention the mont she sensed the force within that compressed mass.
He hadn't simply severed a portion of his soul domain and fortified it.
No— that sphere contained a piece of his consciousness.
This is the very foundation of creating a Soul Fragnt.
"...A Soul Fragnt?!"
Robin's thoughts briefly faltered. He hadn't even considered that, he never *read a book* about how to create soul fragnts, he just did it.
He quickly shook his head, dismissing the notion.
He didn't have ti to dwell on it.
Right now, his focus was divided into two critical tasks:
One part of his mind was locked onto the shadow, analyzing its movents, and planning his next strike.
The other was maintaining control over the compression process, ensuring that nothing spiraled out of control.
Yet despite his focus, pain erupted through him like wildfire.
"AAARGH!!"
Robin clutched his head and let out a tortured scream.
There was no pain like soul pain.
His soul domain within his mind was still torn and unstable.
anwhile, the miniature soul domain he had cast outside felt like a tiny boat lost in an ocean storm, thrashing wildly, struggling to hold itself together.
The pain and confusion from managing both domains simultaneously crashed over him like a tidal wave, making him feel as if the end was near.
This was his first ti attempting sothing like this.
Crack! Crackle!
Even amidst the excruciating pain, the fusion process continued.
Twenty-plus thousand units rged with another forty thousand, causing the misty sphere before him to erupt into a vastly larger mass. It then began to fold upon itself, shifting and changing— the once perfectly spherical shape was now distorted beyond recognition.
"No!"
For the first ti, Helen's shadow moved from his spot, closing the distance between himself and Robin with incredible speed, trying to weave past the obstacles created by the planetary spirit. But—
Kacha! Crack! Chains of energy and bolts of lightning found their way toward him, blocking his advance.
The silver mist rapidly coalesced, forming two massive arms, followed by two legs and a torso. Slowly, flowing garnts took shape, followed by a head. Finally, as the mist settled, distinct facial features beca visible—features that were identical to Robin's own.
The colossal soul shard —now essentially a giant version of Robin— appeared almost like a soul creature, akin to creatures like Hohenheim and others of his kind. However, the difference was clear— this was not a re construct. It was not a simple tool to be wielded.
Its expressions, its movents… it carried a will of its own.
Cough! Cough!
Robin spat out a mouthful of blood, then wiped the remnants from his lips and nose with a slow, deliberate motion. He locked eyes with Helen's shadow once more, and then… he laughed.
His voice and the voice of his colossal soul shard overlapped in eerie unison. "Now… let this insect show you his fangs!!"
Boom! Boom!
The footsteps of Robin's soul shard sent waves of molten lava crashing in all directions. As it advanced, closing in on Helen's shadow, it raised its massive fist, preparing to strike.
"Hmph!"
Helen pointed a single finger at the approaching soul shard.
"Material, energy, soul… even the very laws themselves— everything is subject to destruction!"
Whoosh!
A concentrated gray beam shot forth, aid directly at the chest of Robin's soul shard.
But then—Whooom!
A golden cloak materialized over the massive entity, enveloping it from head to toe.
Ssssssshhhhh!
The mont the gray beam made contact with the cloak, a significant portion of its energy was instantly nullified. However, a fraction of the beam still managed to pierce through, creating a gaping gray hole in the soul shard's chest. The corruption began to spread outward from the center, attempting to devour the entity whole— but not fast enough!
"What?!"
For the first ti, Helen took a step back. Never in her life had she seen sothing resist her destructive power like this!
"It seems," Robin and his soul shard spoke in perfect harmony, "that your secondary Destruction Law isn't as powerful as you believe."
A sharp grin spread across both of their faces.
"This battlefield… now belongs to !"
With that, the colossal soul version of Robin clenched its massive fist.
BAAAAAANG!
It ca crashing down— right onto the shadow's nose.
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