Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 457

Chapter 457: War XXX

When the light faded, Aiden stood in the center of the smoking crater, his sword embedded in the ground. His chest rose and fell with labored breaths, his body trembling from the strain.

Eeh’liel was on his knees, his armor in tatters and his aura flickering weakly. His once-commanding presence now seemed frail, the weight of defeat settling on his shoulders.

“This… is not over…” he hissed, trying to rise but failing. “I will return… stronger than before…”

Aiden stepped closer, his eyes burning with determination. “No, you won’t.” He raised his sword, the Primordial Flame flaring once more. “This ends now.”

With a swift strike, Aiden plunged his sword into Eeh’liel’s core, the golden flame consuming the Lifeless Emperor from within. Eeh’liel let out a final, guttural scream before his body dissolved into ash, the death energy dissipating into the wind.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

Myne approached, her breathing ragged but her expression calm. “It’s over,” she said softly, glancing at the dissipating shadows. “For now, at least.”

Aiden nodded, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “One less threat in this world… but there will always be others.”

The sky began to clear, the oppressive darkness lifting as the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds.

Rick and Dren arrived moments later, battle-worn but alive. “You did it,” Rick said, a rare smile on his face. “That was… something else.”

Aiden sighed, feeling the weight of the battle settle on his shoulders. “We all did it,” he replied. “But this is just the beginning.”

He turned toward the horizon, his eyes narrowing. Somewhere out there, greater threats awaited.

And he would be ready.

Myne smirked. “You always say it’s just the beginning. One of these days, Aiden, I’d like to hear you say, ‘We’re finally done.'”

Aiden chuckled lightly despite his exhaustion. “If I ever say that, slap me back to reality. We both know peace never lasts.”

Rick leaned on his sword, taking a deep breath. “For now, we deserve a break. That was the most intense fight I’ve seen in centuries.”

“Agreed,” Myne said, brushing dust off her cloak. Her shadows retracted back into her body, though her eyes stayed sharp. “But we should secure the battlefield and check if Eeh’liel left anything behind. Artifacts, remnants of his power—anything we can use or destroy.”

Aiden nodded. “Good idea. Let’s move quickly.” His Spirit Sense swept the area, searching for hidden traces of energy. Even after Eeh’liel’s body had turned to ash, there was always a chance some fragment of his essence remained.

Suddenly, Aiden’s Spirit Sense picked up a faint glow beneath the layers of shattered rock in the crater. His heart skipped a beat. “There’s something here.”

He knelt and brushed away the debris, revealing a small obsidian orb, its surface swirling with traces of death energy.

“A Death Core,” Myne said, her tone serious. “Eeh’liel must’ve condensed part of his power into this. If someone absorbs it… they’ll inherit his abilities—or worse, resurrect him.”

Rick frowned. “What do we do with it? Destroy it?”

Aiden studied the core, weighing his options. “Destroying it might trigger a backlash, or it could explode and corrupt everything around it. No, it’s too dangerous to leave it here.”

Myne crossed her arms. “So, what’s the plan?”

Aiden clenched his fist around the core, his golden flame flickering in his eyes. “I’ll seal it—for now. Until we figure out a way to safely neutralize it.” He channeled his Energy Ruler ability, wrapping layers of sealing energy around the core, locking its power within a cocoon of golden light.

The core pulsed once, then fell silent, its energy completely suppressed.

“There,” Aiden said, tucking the sealed orb into his spatial ring. “It won’t cause any trouble for now.”

Rick glanced at him. “I hope you know what you’re doing. We’ve already got too many enemies. Last thing we need is some ancient monster’s core waiting to explode.”

“Trust me,” Aiden replied. “I’ll keep it safe.”

Myne gave him a long look but nodded. “Let’s head back. We’ll regroup, recover, and decide our next move.”

As they walked away from the battlefield, Aiden couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t truly the end. The Lifeless Emperor’s words echoed in his mind: “I will return… stronger than before.”

He tightened his grip on his sword.

If that day ever came, Aiden would be ready. No matter how many times it took, he would never let a threat like Eeh’liel rise again.

Back at their camp, Nexus stood waiting with a calm expression, though his eyes betrayed his concern. “You did it,” he said quietly, stepping forward. “I felt the surge of energy from here. I was worried for a moment.”

Aiden forced a smile. “It got close. But we’re still standing.”

Nexus nodded, his gaze flickering toward the sealed orb in Aiden’s hand. “That core… it’s more dangerous than you realize. We’ll need to consult the records to ensure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”

“Already ahead of you,” Aiden replied. “Let’s find a safe place for it.”

As the group settled in for the night, a quiet tension hung in the air. The battle might have been over, but the storm on the horizon was only just beginning.

Far to the north, shadows stirred. A cloaked figure watched the sky with glowing red eyes. A sinister smile spread across his face.

“Soon,” the figure whispered. “Soon, we will meet again, Aiden. And this time… you won’t escape me.”

Aiden sat quietly by the campfire, staring into the flickering flames. His Spirit Sense extended outward, but his mind was elsewhere. His hand rested on the sealed Death Core tucked inside his spatial ring, the ominous energy barely detectable through the layers of protection.

Myne sat across from him, her eyes never leaving his face. “You’ve been too quiet since we returned.”

Aiden blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. “I’m just thinking.”

“About the Death Core?” Myne asked, leaning forward. “Or about the next fight we’ll inevitably walk into?”

Aiden chuckled softly. “Both. It’s always both.”