Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 479

Chapter 479: War LII
An invisible force struck Aiden’s chest before the sword even touched him. His ribs cracked instantly, and his body was flung across the battlefield like a meteor. He crashed through the ruins, obliterating ancient structures as he skidded to a stop.

What was that?! Aiden gritted his teeth, forcing himself upright. His Spirit Sense scanned the battlefield, his mind racing.

The Nameless Warrior had not moved.

But Aiden knew the truth now—his attacks ignored time and distance.

“You are quick,” the Warrior said, his golden eyes impassive. “But that alone will not be enough.”

Aiden didn’t respond. Instead, his Death Dragon of Infinite Darkness unfurled behind him, its presence warping the very air. Black mist coiled around Aiden as he activated Reaper’s Domain, the temperature plummeting as an aura of absolute death spread outward.

The Nameless Warrior finally showed a flicker of interest.

“Ah… Death’s Path.” His gaze remained unreadable. “I once walked it, long ago.”

He stepped forward.

And the entire battlefield collapsed.

Aiden’s instincts flared. Everything turned golden.

A concept was being enforced.

⟪All things must kneel before the Sovereign.⟫

Aiden’s knees buckled. His entire body screamed in defiance.

His soul burned. His blood raged.

But the pressure was absolute.

The Nameless Warrior was not merely strong.

He embodied Authority itself.

Aiden clenched his fists. His mind raced. If Authority was being enforced, then—

He had to override it.

Aiden activated Lord of Pride, Lucifer.

⟪I kneel to no one.⟫

The golden pressure shattered.

Aiden’s aura erupted, black and crimson flames roaring around him. The chains of suppression snapped apart as he surged forward, his Reaper Scythe materializing in his grip.

The Nameless Warrior finally smiled.

“Good.”

Aiden didn’t hold back.

His Reaper Scythe tore through the air, leaving trails of death essence in its wake. His Million Soul Emperor Physique activated, his soul energy multiplying endlessly, fueling his movements to near-infinite speed.

But—

The Nameless Warrior simply stood there.

One step.

That was all he took.

The battlefield folded.

Aiden felt as if the universe itself was shifting against him. His scythe’s trajectory warped, and his momentum collapsed as if he had suddenly stepped into a different dimension.

“What?!”

The Nameless Warrior’s golden blade flickered—Aiden saw it too late.

SLASH!

Blood splattered.

Aiden’s left arm was gone.

His body staggered back, his breath caught in his throat as pain exploded through his nerves. His mind barely registered the loss before his Immortal regeneration kicked in, rapidly stopping the bleeding. But the wound—it refused to heal fully.

His Authority of Lucifer barely suppressed whatever power that blade had inflicted.

The Nameless Warrior lowered his sword slightly, his golden eyes staring at Aiden with an almost bored expression.

“You are powerful. You are fast. You have great will. But…”

He pointed his blade at Aiden.

“You do not yet understand the True Nature of Authority.”

The world trembled at his words.

Aiden’s grip on his scythe tightened. His mind raced, analyzing every detail. He had fought countless overpowered beings before. But this—this was different.

This man wasn’t just strong.

He was enforcing a fundamental concept.

Aiden’s eyes flashed. Akashic Insight activated.

The Nameless Warrior’s nature was revealed.

— [Sovereign Authority: The Absolute Command] —

⟪His blade does not move through space. Space moves through his blade.⟫

Aiden’s heart pounded.

“…That’s why my dodge failed,” he muttered.

The Nameless Warrior nodded, as if pleased that Aiden had realized it.

“Indeed.”

Aiden exhaled sharply. If that was the case… then normal speed wouldn’t matter. No matter how fast he moved, his opponent’s blade would always arrive first.

There was only one answer.

Aiden’s Death Dragon of Infinite Darkness surged behind him. His Destiny Thread of Million Miracles flickered, intertwining his fate with an impossible outcome.

His Lucifer’s Authority burned, rejecting all external laws.

And then—he smiled.

“Alright, old man. Let’s play for real.”

The Nameless Warrior smiled back.

“Show me, then, Reaper of Fates.”

Aiden vanished.

Not through speed.

Not through teleportation.

But through conceptual erasure.

The moment the Nameless Warrior’s blade moved, Aiden ceased to exist in that possibility.

“Hoh?”

The Nameless Warrior turned slightly, his golden eyes narrowing in intrigue. His blade traced a perfect arc through the void, yet there was no resistance. Aiden had simply chosen not to be there.

— [Authority Activation: Lord of Pride – Defiance of Fate] —

Aiden reappeared behind him, his Reaper Scythe coated in the Laws of Nullification. He didn’t just aim to cut—he aimed to erase.

“Nice trick,” Aiden muttered. “Let’s see if you can defy this.”

He swung.

The Nameless Warrior smiled.

CLANG!

A golden barrier erupted from his body, rejecting the concept of erasure. The scythe’s force sent shockwaves across the battlefield, but the Nameless Warrior stood unshaken.

Aiden’s pupils shrank.

This wasn’t an energy shield.

This was a pure manifestation of will.

— [Sovereign Authority: Inviolable Self] —

⟪What he does not acknowledge, cannot affect him.⟫

“Cheat.” Aiden spat.

The Nameless Warrior laughed. “You’re one to talk.”

Aiden didn’t waste time. His Death Dragon of Infinite Darkness roared, its abyssal flames coiling around him. His Destiny Thread of Million Miracles twisted fate itself, creating an outcome where he landed a hit.

And yet—

The Nameless Warrior moved first.

His golden sword descended.

Aiden raised his scythe—

But the moment their weapons clashed—

The battlefield collapsed.

Everything turned white.

Aiden’s mind reeled. His senses blurred, his body felt weightless.

A moment later—he was standing in an empty void.

A single voice echoed around him.

“You are not ready.”

Aiden clenched his fists.

“Like hell I’m not.”

The Nameless Warrior appeared before him, still holding his golden sword. His expression was neither mocking nor condescending. Just… patient.

“I see your potential, Reaper of Fates.” His gaze softened. “But potential alone is not enough.”

He gestured to the white void.

“What do you think just happened?”

Aiden narrowed his eyes. He replayed the battle in his mind.

The final clash…

The golden sword…

And then—nothing.

Realization dawned.

“You severed the fight from reality itself.”

The Nameless Warrior nodded.

“Authority is not just power, Aiden.” His voice was calm. “It is understanding. It is acceptance. It is the right to declare what ‘is’ and what ‘is not.’

His golden blade faded away.

“You have yet to comprehend this truth.”

Aiden growled in frustration. “So what? You expect me to just accept losing?”

The Nameless Warrior chuckled.

“No. I expect you to learn.”

The void trembled.

Aiden felt himself being pushed back.

Reality began to reform around him—

The battlefield, the broken sky, the lingering echoes of their clash—

And the Nameless Warrior, standing where he had always been, as if nothing had happened.

“Come back when you understand, Reaper of Fates.”