A few years later — Planet: Destruction Pit
Step... step...
Hedrick sat in absolute stillness on a small, simple chair, both hands resting atop his knees in an almost ditative posture. Strands of his unkempt hair fell over his eyes, casting a faint shadow across his face, yet at least his long hair—usually left wild and untad—had been tied back today into a low ponytail, like the tail of a battle-worn horse.
"Will you sit down already?" he said with a steady voice. "This really isn’t worth all this turmoil."
Before him stood a woman cloaked in black—pacing restlessly, her every movent echoing frustration, anxiety, and a rising storm of fury. It was Helen.
Her signature suffocating hairpin was nowhere to be seen, allowing a shimring cascade of silver hair to spill freely down her back like a waterfall under moonlight. The furred mask that usually veiled her face had also been removed, revealing a visage of striking beauty—so striking it demanded attention like a full moon in the pitch-black sky. Even with her delicate brows furrowed in anger above a pair of blazing crimson eyes that shimred like twin rubies, there was no nace in her gaze—only raw, wounded emotion, frozen in a mont that seed worthy of being carved into eternity.
And perhaps only her brother could remain seated, unaffected, before such an overwhelming sight.
Step... step...
"Not worth it? Seriously?!" Helen snapped, her voice sharp like a blade drawn too quickly. She clenched both fists tightly, then shot her brother a piercing glare.
"Do you even realize the kind of rumors that are swirling around now because of your ridiculous scuffle with that miserable little rodent? I’ve spent my entire life keeping the na Helen spotless—untouched, unblemished— I don’t even use it in my conquests, only for it to be dragged through filth over a single, careless encounter!"
She hadn’t been invited to the auction—everyone already knew how financially devastated the Empress of the Destruction Pit has beco. Naturally, she couldn’t afford to purchase a seat or even get invited among all of those legendary presence. She simply didn’t go.
But that hadn’t stopped the news from racing its way to her like a storm.
"It’s just idle gossip," Hedrick replied, calm and unmoving. "Words adrift in the wind—you don’t need to waste your energy on them."
"Words?!" Helen nearly scread. "It’s because they are just words that it hurts so much! I wish he’d said he defeated in battle—or even claid to have killed . But instead? The story now is that this little vermin—this nobody—bullied ? That he physically assaulted ?!" She growled through gritted teeth, pacing faster now.
"He didn’t even see clearly! The closest I’ve ever been to him—physically—was hovering in the uppermost layer of the atmosphere, tens of thousands of kiloters away from him!!"
She pounded her fists together with barely restrained fury.
"I’ll kill him. I swear I’ll kill him!"
Her eyes blazed for a fleeting second with killing intent—but then, almost as quickly, the fury faded. Replaced instead by a flood of tangled emotions, unspoken regrets, and silent wounds. She exhaled shakily, lowered her gaze, and sat down beside him—hands clenched, trembling slightly, staring at the floor like it held answers she could no longer find.
"...Tell what happened," Hedrick said softly, once he sensed her rage had begun to ebb.
"I already told you everything... back then," Helen replied, turning her head away. "No new scenes have been added to that mory, even after all these years."
"Tell again... Helen." This ti, Hedrick’s tone deepened, carrying weight.
"Now that I’ve t Robin Burton and caught a glimpse of the kind of man he truly is... I’m starting to piece together a theory. One that’s been gnawing at my mind lately."
"...Since you’ve seen how outrageously arrogant he is—and how utterly lacking he is in even the most basic instinct for fear—there’s no need to go through the whole thing again." She exhaled, drawing her arms around her body as if shielding herself from a cold mory.
"But those eyes..."
"The eyes of a Golden Soul Shard?" Hedrick leaned forward just slightly, hoping to coax her thoughts into words.
"...It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever experienced before. Not even close." Helen’s voice dropped to a whisper, her words trembling under the weight of what she recalled.
"There was no killing intent. No fury. Not even displeasure. All I could sense from him... was a faint irritation. Like a person mildly annoyed that they had to lift a finger."
She paused, drawing a shaky breath.
"He didn’t even look in the eyes—not as a threat, not with caution, not with interest. His gaze passed over like soone glancing toward a gnat buzzing in the distance."
Her crimson pupils flickered.
"And then he just... waved."
She lifted her chin slowly, her eyes locking onto Hedrick’s, her expression torn between disbelief and helplessness.
"With a single, effortless wave he teleported ."
Her voice broke into awe and confusion, her lips trembling.
"From the skies above Young Sector 99, across the belt barrier itself... and dropped into my own chambers, on my own planet, in my private wing, right beside my bed."
She leaned forward, eyes wide with incredulity, voice rising like a rising storm.
"How, brother? How is that even possible?"
"That kind of power, that kind of spatial precision—it’s not just overwhelming, it’s unreasonable!"
She clenched her fists as her breathing grew heavier.
"And forget my teleportation for a mont. I secretly sent scouts to Planet Jura afterward, to check what had beco of it. And guess what they found?!"
She stared at him, voice thick with disbelief.
"The atmosphere had been restored. Completely. As if I never tore it apart!"
Her nails dug into her arms as she hugged herself.
"Do you know what it takes to restore a planetary atmosphere after its collapse? Nothing short of divine intervention!"
Her eyes glead now with desperation.
"You fought our father—twice. You know what real power looks like. You’ve seen what Tyrants are capable of. Be honest with : is this... sothing even a Tyrant could accomplish?"
"...You already know the answer." Hedrick’s voice was calm, but heavy.
"Even Intiras couldn’t do what he did. Not like that."
Helen fell silent. Her gaze drifted downward like the weight of the truth had just dragged her soul with it.
"...Then why bring all this up again?" she murmured.
"Do you just want to remind how badly I lost? That I should never cross that rat again? If so... fine. You’ve made your point."
Hedrick chuckled under his breath, a sly smile stretching across his lips.
"That ’rat’ is now richer than both of us combined. Maybe even richer than all five of us siblings together."
He pointed at her, eyes glinting mischievously.
"You should be thanking him."
Her eyes flared instantly. The re idea of being grateful to Robin made her stomach churn.
"Thank him? For what?! For humiliating ? For crippling my influence in the Youth Belt? For costing key supporters, entire planets, Millenia of control?!"
Her voice cracked with suppressed rage.
"He set back thousands of years!"
"And yet..." Hedrick raised a finger, speaking slowly and deliberately,
"He proved that he can craft fifth-stage martial techniques. That alone makes him valuable beyond belief. And based on his pace—and the fact that he’s still young—as you said yourself before... he’s just getting started."
He leaned back slightly, his voice low, ominous.
"If he were to release one, maybe two fifth-stage arts... and place a bounty on the Destruction Pit Empress—on your head—how long do you think you’d last?"
"He can try," she hissed, her ruby eyes igniting with quiet, concentrated malice.
"I know you’re not easy to kill," Hedrick admitted, raising his hands in mock surrender.
"But even you would’ve been forced to abandon your empire. Start from nothing, sowhere far away."
His smile widened.
"Maybe... even co live next to your darling older brother, eh?"
"...."
Helen’s fury evaporated slowly, and her gaze softened. She turned away, sha and bitterness mixing behind her eyes.
"...So that’s why you ca?" she whispered.
"To say I should be grateful... that he forgot ?"
"...No," Hedrick answered, and this ti his tone shifted, grave and focused.
"I ca to confirm sothing I’ve suspected ever since the first ti you told about him. A suspicion I couldn’t shake... and one that solidified after I t him—after I saw how he reacted to ."
He raised his head slightly, the strands of hair parting just enough to reveal the eerie stillness of his own gaze.
"Helen..." he said slowly, voice tightening,
"When he fights... what color do his eyes glow?"
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