Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 441

Chapter 441: War XIV

Aiden barely had time to react before the abyssal fire surged toward him, a roaring tide of darkness that threatened to consume everything in its path. He slammed his sword into the ground, releasing a burst of golden energy to form a protective barrier around himself and his team. The flames clashed against the radiant shield, writhing like living entities as they struggled to break through.

Rick, breathing heavily, wiped blood from his forehead. “That’s not normal Abyssal energy. It’s… alive.”

Dren clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. “Whatever it is, we can’t just sit here and wait for it to kill us.”

Aiden knew they needed to act fast. The abyssal fire wasn’t just an attack—it was corrupting the battlefield itself, warping reality and turning the ground into a twisted, blackened wasteland. If they hesitated too long, they’d be fighting on Varian’s terms.

Varian stepped forward, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. “Still standing? Impressive.” His blade pulsed with abyssal energy, distorting the air around it. “But this is only the beginning.”

With a flick of his wrist, he sent waves of abyssal fire crashing toward them again. This time, the flames twisted into monstrous forms—creatures born of pure darkness, with elongated limbs and hollow, glowing eyes.

Myne reacted instantly, sinking into the shadows. She reemerged behind one of the abyssal creatures, her daggers striking true, but the moment her blades made contact, the creature’s body reformed, swallowing her attack like liquid darkness.

“Damn it,” she hissed, vanishing again before the creature could counter.

Rick fired a barrage of energy blasts, but the abyssal creatures adapted, shifting their forms to let the attacks pass harmlessly through them.

Dren, ever the brawler, attempted to pummel one into the ground. His fists connected with solid mass for only a moment before the creature dispersed into smoke and reformed behind him, slashing his back with claws of pure void.

Aiden didn’t wait for the battle to turn further against them. He gripped his sword tightly, channeling his energy into its core. The blade flared with golden radiance, the sheer intensity of the light cutting through the abyssal corruption like a blade through mist.

Varian’s smirk faltered.

Aiden dashed forward, moving faster than the eye could track, his sword slicing through the abyssal creatures. Unlike the others’ attacks, his light-infused strikes didn’t just wound them—they erased them, unraveling their very essence.

One by one, the abyssal monstrosities shrieked and dissolved into nothingness.

Varian exhaled sharply, his amusement giving way to something else. Annoyance.

“You wield that light well,” he admitted. “But it’s still just a flicker in the dark.”

Aiden didn’t respond. He lunged, his blade aiming for Varian’s heart. But in an instant, the Abyssal warrior vanished, his form dissipating into shadows.

“Behind you!” Myne shouted.

Aiden spun just in time to block a deadly slash aimed at his back. The impact sent a shockwave rippling across the battlefield. Varian’s strength was monstrous—each strike carried the weight of a crushing void, trying to pull Aiden into oblivion.

But Aiden held firm, pushing back with everything he had.

Rick and Dren moved to assist, but another wave of abyssal creatures rose from the shadows, cutting them off.

“We don’t have time for this!” Rick growled, dodging a swipe from a clawed beast.

Myne reappeared beside him, her eyes narrowing. “Then let’s end it.”

She raised her hands, her shadowmancy flaring to life. Tendrils of darkness stretched across the battlefield, weaving into complex patterns in the air. A forbidden spell—one that required precision and sacrifice.

Aiden caught her gaze. “Myne—”

“Just keep him busy,” she cut in, her voice steady.

Varian noticed. His eyes flickered toward Myne, realizing what she was attempting.

“You think I’ll let you finish that?” He surged forward, his blade descending in a lethal arc toward her.

Aiden intercepted, parrying the strike with a resounding clash of steel and energy. “You’re fighting me.”

Varian snarled and retaliated with a flurry of abyssal slashes, each one threatening to tear through reality itself. But Aiden met him blow for blow, golden light clashing against endless darkness.

Meanwhile, Myne’s spell neared completion. The shadows coalesced into a massive glyph beneath the battlefield, locking everything within its domain.

Rick and Dren fought desperately to hold back the abyssal creatures, giving Myne the time she needed.

Finally, the spell was ready.

Myne whispered the final incantation, and the battlefield shifted.

The abyssal energy recoiled as the shadows consumed it—not as corruption, but as balance. The eldritch flames flickered and weakened, their power disrupted.

Varian’s eyes widened in realization.

“No—”

Aiden seized the moment. He channeled his remaining strength into one final strike. His sword burned like a miniature sun as he drove it forward, piercing Varian’s defenses and striking true.

A shockwave erupted outward.

Varian staggered back, abyssal mist pouring from his wound. His body trembled, struggling to hold itself together.

“You… think this changes anything?” he rasped, his form beginning to dissolve.

Aiden stepped forward, his expression resolute. “You lost.”

Varian’s eyes flickered one last time—then, with a final snarl, his body disintegrated into nothingness.

The battlefield fell silent. The abyssal creatures, now leaderless, withered and faded.

Rick let out a breath. “That… was insane.”

Dren sat on the ground, exhausted. “Next time, let’s not fight people who can warp reality, yeah?”

Myne merely sighed, lowering her hands as the last remnants of her spell faded.

Aiden sheathed his sword. “We need to move. The Abyss isn’t done with us yet.”

With that, the team turned toward the horizon, the war still far from over. But tonight, at least, they had won.

The aftermath of the battle left an eerie silence in its wake. The abyssal mist that once twisted and corrupted the battlefield had begun to dissipate, leaving behind scorched earth and broken terrain. Aiden took a deep breath, steadying himself. His sword, still glowing faintly with golden light, pulsed once before dimming.

Rick, leaning against a half-destroyed rock, groaned. “Tell me we’re not doing that again anytime soon.”

Dren wiped sweat from his brow, his breathing ragged. “If we are, I’m putting in my resignation.”