Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 443

Chapter 443: War XVI

Dren and Myne moved instantly. Myne’s shadows swirled, forming barriers to absorb the aftershocks of Aiden’s clash with the Herald. Dren, his fists crackling with kinetic energy, launched himself at the enemy’s side, aiming for an opening in its defenses.

But the Herald was faster.

With a mere flick of its wrist, the space around it distorted, warping its form out of the way of Rick’s strike. It reappeared behind him, one abyssal-clad hand raised. A pulse of dark energy erupted point-blank.

Rick barely managed to activate his shield in time, but the impact still sent him flying, slamming into the ground with a grunt.

Dren roared and threw a devastating punch aimed at the Herald’s core. But before his attack could land, the abyssal energy around the Herald condensed into a jagged barrier. The force of Dren’s blow struck the shield, creating a massive shockwave—but it held firm.

The Herald turned its gaze toward Dren.

“A brave attempt,” it said, voice dripping with eerie amusement. Then, with a mere gesture, the abyssal energy exploded outward, hurling Dren back with bone-crushing force.

Aiden moved on instinct. His sword flashed in a brilliant arc as he closed the distance between himself and the Herald, aiming for its exposed back.

This time, he struck true.

His blade cut into the Herald’s robes, and for the first time, he felt resistance—a sign that the entity wasn’t invulnerable. The golden energy from his sword burned against the abyssal force, causing the Herald to recoil slightly.

Aiden didn’t waste the opportunity. He pressed forward, unleashing a relentless flurry of strikes, each one imbued with his radiant energy. The battlefield became a blur of light and darkness as the two forces clashed.

But the Herald, though caught off guard, quickly regained control.

With an unnatural movement, it twisted its form, evading Aiden’s final strike and countering with a devastating palm strike to his chest.

Aiden barely had time to react before he was sent hurtling backward. He crashed through layers of debris, his ribs screaming in protest as he rolled to a stop. Blood dripped from his lips, but he forced himself to his feet.

The Herald stepped forward, unscathed, its violet eyes burning even brighter. “You are persistent,” it mused. “But it is not enough.”

Aiden wiped the blood from his mouth and smirked. “Yeah? I’ve heard that before.”

Rick and Dren, despite their injuries, pushed themselves up, standing by his side. Myne emerged from the shadows, her hands already weaving intricate spells.

They weren’t done yet.

The Herald regarded them all for a moment, as if considering something. Then, with an almost imperceptible sigh, it raised a single hand. The abyssal energy around it surged, condensing into a swirling vortex of darkness.

“This battle is over,” it declared.

Aiden’s instincts screamed at him. Whatever was coming next wasn’t something they could block—it was meant to erase them entirely.

“Move!” he shouted.

But just as the Herald was about to unleash its attack, something shifted.

A ripple in the air.

A new presence.

One that even the Herald hesitated at.

From the sky, a rift tore open, and a voice, calm yet filled with overwhelming authority, echoed across the battlefield.

“That will be enough.”

Aiden’s breath caught in his throat as a figure descended, bathed in an ethereal glow.

Who the hell was this?

The battlefield fell into an eerie silence as the figure descended. Their presence alone sent ripples of power through the air, distorting the abyssal energy that had once dominated the field. Aiden clenched his sword tighter, his instincts flaring—whoever this was, they weren’t ordinary.

The Herald, for the first time, hesitated. Its violet eyes flickered with something Aiden had never seen before—caution.

“You…” the Herald murmured, its voice losing its usual mocking edge.

The figure landed gently, their form fully materializing. Clad in flowing robes of silver and black, they exuded an aura that blurred the line between light and darkness. Their face was obscured beneath a hood, but Aiden could make out piercing golden eyes that seemed to pierce straight through reality itself.

“Your interference is unwelcome,” the Herald growled, abyssal energy writhing around it like a living storm.

The newcomer tilted their head slightly. “And yet, here I am.” Their voice was calm, yet it carried a weight that even Aiden could feel pressing against his very soul.

Aiden forced himself to his feet, ignoring the pain. “Who are you?”

The figure turned slightly, their gaze falling on him. “A passing observer,” they said cryptically. “And one who dislikes unnecessary destruction.”

The Herald scoffed. “You think you can stop this? The Abyss does not fear your kind.”

For the first time, the figure smiled—a slow, knowing expression. “Is that so?”

Without another word, they raised a hand.

A pulse of energy rippled outward, a force so pure and precise that Aiden felt his very bones hum in response. The abyssal energy surrounding the Herald twisted violently, then shattered as if something had forcibly unraveled it. The Herald staggered back, its form flickering.

“What…?” the Herald hissed, its composure breaking for the first time.

Aiden’s eyes widened. Whatever technique the newcomer had used, it wasn’t something he had ever seen before. It hadn’t been brute force, nor was it purely light or darkness—it was something else entirely.

Rick, recovering at Aiden’s side, muttered, “Okay… that was insane.”

Dren let out a low whistle. “I don’t think the Herald expected that.”

Myne, who had remained silent, narrowed her eyes at the newcomer. “Their energy is strange. It’s like… they’re not bound by the same laws as us.”

Aiden didn’t have time to analyze further. The Herald, realizing its situation, snarled and took a step back. “This isn’t over.”

With a sharp motion, it thrust both hands outward. Abyssal energy surged once more, not in an attack, but as a tear in space itself. The darkness expanded, swallowing the Herald whole before collapsing in on itself.

The battlefield fell silent once more. The enemy was gone.

The newcomer exhaled softly, lowering their hand. “That should keep it from interfering… for now.”

Aiden took a cautious step forward. “You just made the Herald retreat. That’s not something just anyone can do.”

The figure turned back to him, studying him for a moment before speaking. “And you stood your ground against it. That is not something just anyone can do either.”

Aiden frowned. “You’re avoiding my question.”

The figure chuckled softly. “Perhaps. But for now, consider this an act of… goodwill.”

Before Aiden could press further, the air around the stranger shimmered. A spatial distortion rippled outward, and in an instant, they vanished—gone as mysteriously as they had appeared.

Aiden exhaled, tension leaving his body all at once. He exchanged glances with his team.

Rick was the first to break the silence. “So… do we talk about what just happened, or do we pretend we didn’t just witness someone casually scare off an abyssal nightmare?”

Dren cracked his knuckles. “I say we figure out who the hell that was before they show up again.”

Myne remained quiet for a long moment before finally speaking. “They weren’t ordinary. And if they chose to step in now, that means something bigger is coming.”

Aiden looked up at the sky, his mind racing. Whoever that was, they had just changed the course of the battle—and possibly much more.

One thing was certain.

This war was far from over.