Published at 8th of January 2026 7:37 am

Chapter 1897 Panic

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<...We have fallen into a direct conflict with THE Syndicate.>

"Wha-?!" Robin's expression shifted sharply, changing from mild tension -the restrained look of someone bracing for troubling news- into sheer, unfiltered shock that he could not hide.

The Syndicate? There was no doubt about it. He could only mean the Hidden Hand Syndicate the terrifying entity operating under Sevar's protection. A force that had crept into every joint of the cosmos, spreading silently until it became the very public face of everything corrupt, cruel, and irredeemably evil!

Theo had issued strict, unmistakable instructions to keep all dealings with them as light, smooth, and minimal as possible: comply with their demands, pay whatever price was necessary, and under no circumstances provoke them or invite unnecessary attention...

For regardless of their monstrous power-power so great it allowed them to rent out Nexus States-and regardless of the overwhelming combat strength they had accumulated by harvesting intelligence from every other Syndicate through intimidation and threats-

The Hidden Hand Syndicate was Sevar's extended arm. Any excessive interference with them would only tighten the thread of fate binding Robin's side to Sevar even further, strengthening a connection that should never be reinforced.

Even routine, surface-level transactions with them were deeply unsettling-but for matters to escalate into a direct conflict?!

How had the situation deteriorated to such a catastrophic level, and in such a sudden, brutal manner, without any prior warning or buildup?!

Fortunately... the message had not yet ended.

<...This disaster is partially my fault, and I will accept any punishment you decide to place upon me.> Theo continued, his expressions heavy with pain and self-reproach. <News spread throughout Young Sector 99 about the existence of a zone protected by extreme measures, an area no one was permitted to approach. This secrecy only fueled the curiosity of the sector's inhabitants, who became convinced that we were guarding a hidden treasure, waiting for the right moment to extract it safely.>

<...As the number of attempts to approach the zone increased, the Prime Minister issued direct orders to massively reinforce the defensive arrays and greatly increase the number of stationed fleets. However, this only angered our neighboring powers even more, prompting widespread discussion and speculation... On top of that, several intelligence agencies noticed that Note fleets heading toward the Doubled Centennial Grave Empire were consistently departing from the Young Sector. With these observations combined, curiosity reached dangerous levels.>

<One of the leaders of that Syndicate summoned me to Mid Sector 101 two decades ago and demanded a detailed, comprehensive report regarding the protected zone in Young Sector 99. They are well aware that the Shadow Swords are connected to the Doubled Centennial Grave Empire, and that we are the ones orchestrating events there. They stated clearly that it was unacceptable for anything to occur in the universe without their complete and absolute knowledge. I refused their demand, instead changing the subject by providing them with valuable intelligence about other forces-without asking for anything in return.>

Theo clenched his teeth hard, the tension almost bleeding through the message. <They dispatched a unit composed of a Nexus State and dozens of World Cataclysms, attempting to forcibly breach the protected zone without informing me or seeking permission in any form.>

"...Oh no." Robin raised both hands to his head in disbelief. Had the secrets of the Nihari Galaxy finally been exposed?!

<And this is where the true disaster occurred. The defensive forces succeeded in intercepting them before they were able to witness anything of importance. The problem is that they completely wiped out the reconnaissance team- every Nexus State and every World Cataclysm was killed, and their bodies were handed over to the demons!>

"... Phew~" Robin released a long, strained breath upon learning that Nihari's secret remained protected and unseen.

Yet the turbulence in his expression did not fade... his own forces had eliminated a Nexus State and multiple world cataclysms belonging to that Syndicate?!

<Father, less than a month has passed since the incident. Now that Syndicate has issued me an immediate summons, demanding a full explanation for what happened to their followers. In the very same message, they threatened to organize a second expedition toward the protected zone if I fail to provide a satisfactory answer along with a detailed map of the area-this time led by a Guardian. They also warned that the next attempt will no longer be a mere exploratory mission...>

Theo then fell silent, lowering his gaze toward the floor. <...I understand that you entrusted everything to me, and I do not take that lightly. But this decision is beyond my authority-beyond even the matters we handle in Mid Sector 101 and Mid Sector 98. I cannot advance, nor take the next step, without receiving direct and explicit orders.>

".."

Robin's eyes hardened as they fixed in place, and his expression slowly returned to one of firm resolve and restrained authority. This was the first time he had ever seen Theo so unsettled-so visibly shaken, and so deeply afraid.

Robin knew well that this fear was not for Theo himself, nor for his own safety, but for Nihari. That was why Theo continued to refer to it only as the protected zone, carefully avoiding its true nature, guarding the secret even from the Soul Society itself.

Even when that Syndicate issued their threats, they spoke only of attacking Nihari and said nothing about punishing Theo personally. It was obvious that their appetite had grown frighteningly large ever since they learned that Nota's fleets were defending a zone in the Young Sector with such savage determination-despite the fact that those very same fleets were sweeping through Sectors 99, 100, and 101, crushing wars and obliterating everything in their path without granting consideration to anyone.

The reality that those terrifying fleets would abandon raging conflicts across three Mid Sectors just to remain stationed around a relatively small region in the Young Sector-and not only that, but that the surrounding space was filled with numerous star-scout vessels, as well as several dwarf planets hosting nothing but high-precision reconnaissance and surveillance arrays-

All of this pointed to one undeniable conclusion: there was something precious inside. Something unimaginably precious.

And that conclusion was not mistaken... for within lay a seed- no, a genuine artificial galaxy, fully formed, possessing three suns and hundreds of planets already thriving within it.

There lay the fleet-production yards and armament factories, deliberately hidden from the Syndicate's gaze in the Young Belt for all these years-facilities operating on costly alternative systems, assembled through extreme difficulty so they would not be easily destroyed, infiltrated, or stolen by any power from

the Mid Sector.

There lay the true Sky Opening City, containing an immense accumulation of research-research powerful enough to push the entire universe years, if not decades, forward in progress.

There lay the imperial treasury, filled to its absolute limits with priceless treasures gathered over hundreds of years. Even while relying on Robin's pearls, the Shadow Swords, the True Beginnin Empire, and the empires that branched from it had still managed to amass a quantity of wealth sufficient to sustain a millennial empire on their own.

Everything related to the Nihari Galaxy had to remain hidden. Every single truth about it was enough, on its own, to invite catastrophe. Those criminals of the Hidden Hand Syndicate would never witness all of this, pat Theo on the shoulder, and thank him for his honesty and cooperation.

There... lay Robin's very soul. It's not about the benefits of having a galaxy anymore, it's about his second mission... If the seed were to be lost or destroyed, he would be cast into eternal hell.

Everything he had built with his own hands would collapse into ruin. His children would become corpses-or worse, living slaves.

Crack

This time, Robin's eyes gleamed with naked hostility, sharp and dangerous.

"Sevar... oh, Sevar... will I truly be forced to deal with you this early?"

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