Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 469

Chapter 469: War XLII
Aiden barely steadied himself before Ivan pressed the attack, moving faster than before. The abyssal flames licking his greatsword crackled with raw destructive energy, each swing warping the air around it.

Aiden parried the next blow, but the sheer force behind it sent a tremor through his arms. He’s stronger. A lot stronger.

Myne and Rick moved in, their instincts honed from countless battles.

“Myne, slow him down!” Aiden ordered, pushing back against Ivan’s assault.

Myne’s shadowmancy surged to life—dark tendrils erupted from the ground, twisting toward Ivan like serpents seeking their prey. But the moment they touched him, they burned. The abyssal flames consuming Ivan’s body devoured her shadows like kindling.

“Tch,” Myne clicked her tongue. “That’s new.”

Rick wasn’t deterred. He moved into position, his gauntlets glowing with concentrated energy. “Then we hit him harder.”

He unleashed a barrage of energy blasts, each one aimed at Ivan’s exposed flank. The blasts detonated upon impact, shrouding Ivan in an explosion of force and dust.

Aiden seized the opening and shot forward, his golden sword carving a radiant arc aimed at Ivan’s core.

But—

A dark hand shot out from the smoke.

Before Aiden could react, Ivan caught his blade mid-swing.

Golden energy sizzled against his abyssal fingers, yet he remained unfazed. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, an eerie smile forming.

“Predictable.”

With an effortless motion, Ivan crushed the golden energy around the blade, sending a shockwave that forced Aiden back.

Ivan’s aura flared—a tidal wave of abyssal flames engulfing his body. The cracks in his armor pulsed like a living entity, feeding off the energy of the battlefield.

Then, he whispered something—

And vanished.

Aiden’s instincts screamed.

“Above!” Myne shouted.

Aiden barely turned in time as Ivan descended from the sky, his sword now a colossal, flaming executioner’s blade.

Aiden raised his weapon to block, bracing for impact—

BOOM!

The ground shattered.

A shockwave rippled outward, obliterating what remained of the battlefield. Dust and debris surged into the air, swallowing everything in a choking storm.

Rick was flung backward, crashing through a ruined pillar. Myne barely managed to flicker into the shadows, escaping the worst of the blast.

And Aiden—

Aiden felt the weight of Ivan’s strike drive him down. His feet dug into the cracked earth as he resisted, but his arms screamed in protest.

Abyssal flames licked at his defenses, trying to consume him.

Ivan loomed above him, pressing his blade down. His grin widened, his abyssal eyes burning like endless voids.

“You can’t stop it, Aiden,” Ivan murmured. “The Abyss is eternal.”

Aiden gritted his teeth, forcing his strength to push back. His golden aura flared wildly, clashing against the darkness consuming the battlefield.

“I don’t care how many times you come back,” Aiden spat. “I’ll cut you down again.”

Then—

Aiden’s sword shifted.

The golden radiance around it grew denser, more refined. The threads of destiny intertwined within the blade surged, resonating with his will.

Aiden’s sword pulsed with an otherworldly radiance as he activated Destiny Severance. The golden energy surged, forming countless threads that wove through the air like the very fabric of fate itself.

Ivan’s abyssal flames flickered—as if sensing danger for the first time.

Then—Aiden swung.

The golden arc carved through the abyssal flames, severing their connection to Ivan’s body. A rift opened between them, the clash of abyssal corruption and celestial destiny sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

Ivan’s eyes widened in disbelief. His connection to the abyssal energy wavered—just for an instant.

Aiden capitalized on it.

He twisted his grip, reversing his momentum, and unleashed a second slash. This one was faster, sharper—imbued with Space Rend.

The blade sliced through reality itself, leaving a thin, dark fissure in its wake.

Ivan barely managed to shift his greatsword in time.

CLANG!

Sparks erupted as the two weapons collided again—but this time, Ivan staggered. His footing faltered, his abyssal flames no longer surging with their previous overwhelming intensity.

Aiden’s attack had weakened him.

Rick saw the opening.

“Now!” he roared.

Myne emerged from the shadows, both hands forming complex sigils. Dark chains surged forward, weaving through the battlefield like serpents. This time, without the abyssal flames devouring them instantly, they wrapped around Ivan’s limbs—binding him in place.

Ivan snarled, struggling against the restraints.

“Get… off me!” His abyssal aura flared in defiance, but it wasn’t as potent as before.

Aiden didn’t let him recover.

He dashed forward, his golden sword humming with raw severing force. He twisted his blade, adjusting his angle—aiming directly for Ivan’s core.

“Your abyss isn’t eternal, Ivan,” Aiden said coldly. “This is where it ends.”

Then—

Aiden thrust his sword forward.

The golden edge pierced through Ivan’s armor, sinking into his chest.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Then—

BOOM!

A burst of golden and abyssal energy erupted from the impact, shaking the battlefield. The force of the clash sent shockwaves through the surroundings, causing cracks to form in the very air itself.

Ivan’s expression contorted with a mix of pain and fury. He coughed, dark ichor spilling from his lips. His abyssal flames flickered violently, struggling to maintain their hold.

But Aiden wasn’t done.

He twisted the blade deeper, his energy severing the last remnants of abyssal corruption feeding into Ivan’s core.

“You… damn… bastard…” Ivan gasped, his voice hoarse. His body shuddered, the corruption within him unraveling.

Aiden didn’t flinch. He met Ivan’s gaze with unwavering resolve.

And then—

Ivan’s body collapsed inward, abyssal energy violently imploding around him. His form began to disintegrate, pieces of him breaking apart and dissolving into the void.

His red eyes burned with hatred until the very end.

And then—

He was gone.

The battlefield fell into silence. The only sound remaining was the quiet crackling of fading abyssal embers.

Aiden slowly exhaled, his grip on his sword loosening. His body was battered, his energy nearly drained—but he had done it.

Ivan was dead.

For now.

Aiden didn’t let his guard down. He stood amidst the dissipating abyssal embers, his golden sword still humming with power. He knew better than to celebrate too soon.

Rick and Myne approached cautiously, their eyes scanning the battlefield for any lingering traces of Ivan’s existence.