Chapter 49:
The Long Way
Part 4
(Aden's Point of View)
I froze.....Six seconds ahead…That's how he knew and confirmed Julian's vision or dream whatever it was so this is really an over powered skills although I am not even sure if it's supported by supported the system or it doesn't.
The Emperor raised his sword — a gleaming weapon of pure light — and shouted, "Positions!"
Like an actual solder listing to the orders of his commander in a military drills,
Ajbadan slammed his weapon into the ground, and the earth answered. The soil cracked, lifted, and twisted, forming a thick barrier of rock just as one of the monsters swung its massive club. The weapon struck the stone with a thunderous impact, sending shards flying.
"Murad, now!" Haider commanded.
Murad blurred into motion. One moment he was beside me, the next he was on the monster's flank, his blades flashing like lightning. A dozen cuts appeared across the creature's leg and arm in seconds. It howled, turning to strike back, but Murad had already vanished replaced by an afterimage.
Ajbadan followed through, shouting, "Stone Vortex!"
The barrier exploded outward, sending spinning shards of rock slashing through the monster's fur and flesh.
The creature staggered, bleeding black liquid that hissed where it touched the ground.
I sprinted forward, channeling energy into my legs. "Flash!"
The world blurred. I appeared beside Ajbadan, driving my sword into the monster's knee. It roared, swinging its arm wildly. I jumped back just in time as its claws tore through the air where my head had been.
"Good timing!" Ajbadan shouted without looking back.
The second monster crashed into Murad's side, forcing him backward. The impact sent a shockwave that threw dust and embers into the sky. Haider's voice rang out again, "Murad—side step, now!"
He moved an instant before the monster's claws slashed through where he had been standing. Haider's prediction had saved him again.
The fight was chaos and rhythm at once, every movement flowing into the next, as if the Emperor was conducting a deadly orchestra.
"Focus on the injured one!" he yelled. "Aden, take its leg! Ajbadan, bring the ground down!"
I dashed forward again, my blades glowing faintly as I swung low. The monster howled in pain as I struck its ankle joint. Ajbadan raised his hand and roared, "Ground Splitter!"
The earth beneath the monster cracked open, swallowing its leg halfway. It screamed again, its balance breaking completely before collapsing with a heavy crash.
Captain Murad appeared above it in midair, I didn't even see how he got there, both swords raised. "Piercing Wind!"
Twin arcs of energy flew downward, slashing through the monster's chest. Black blood sprayed across the ground as the beast convulsed once, then fell still.
But there was no time to celebrate. The third monster at the portal let out a roar so powerful it shattered what remained of the burning rooftops. The portal behind it pulsed brighter — the white light now mixed with streaks of dark purple energy.
"Your Highness!" Murad shouted. "It's changing!"
The Emperor's eyes narrowed. "It's unstable. Everyone—fall back!"
The remaining monster backed away toward the portal, still growling, wounded but alive. Its enormous claws dragged lines across the dirt as it retreated into the light. The portal flickered, its glow dimming, and then it looked like it was collapseing.
The sound was deafening, a burst of air that knocked us backward. The light vanished, leaving only smoke and the faint scent of ozone in the air.
For a long moment, none of us spoke. Only the crackling of distant fires filled the silence.
Then a voice came from behind us — calm, female, steady.
"Over here… there are wounded."
We turned.
A woman stepped out from the forest's edge, walking through the smoke like she had been there all along. Her white coat was torn and blackened from ash, but her posture was straight. She knelt beside a crying child, pressing her hands over the wound. A faint blue light glowed between her palms.
I stared, still catching my breath. "Is she one of the villagers?" I whispered.
Haider didn't answer right away. His eyes were fixed on her, a strange unease in his expression. "No," he finally said. "She came from the forest… not the village."
The flames flickered low behind us, and the wind carried the stench of blood and smoke away. I sheathed my blades slowly, my hands still trembling.
That night, for the first time since I woke up in this world, I felt something colder than fear.
Because I realized — we hadn't survived the attack.
We'd only survived the beginning.
The ground trembled under my boots before I even saw them move. Every second felt heavier than the last. The fire roared behind us, the sky was painted in red and smoke, and the scent of burning wood and flesh mixed into something I would never forget.
The three monsters stood like shadows out of hell—massive, breathing hate. The one guarding the portal stayed still, its eyes burning white, while the other two stormed forward. One charged straight through the center of the village, breaking through the walls like paper. The other sprinted on all fours along the right side, moving faster than its size should allow.
"Positions!" the Emperor's voice cut through the chaos. His tone wasn't loud, but it carried a force that made my body move before my brain caught up.
Ajbadan slammed his massive blade into the dirt, taking a solid stance in front of me. Murad disappeared into the smoke to the left, his form vanishing between the burning buildings. Emperor Haider drew his weapon — a sword of light — and golden energy rippled outward like the beating heart of the battlefield.
I gripped my twin blades tighter. My body was still shaking, but something inside me steadied at that moment. This wasn't just about fighting anymore — this was about survival.
"Your Highness!" Ajbadan's deep voice thundered. "The big one on the right is coming straight at us!"
"I see it." The Emperor's eyes glowed faintly, gold reflections swirling like molten glass. "He'll swing low first, then crush from above. Brace!"
Ajbadan planted his feet and raised his blade high. The monster's shadow loomed over him, its claws slicing through the air. It swung exactly as the Emperor predicted — horizontal first, then down. Ajbadan met the first blow head-on, sparks exploded around him, his blade holding firm but the force cracked the ground under his boots.
Then came the second strike — a downward crush that could've shattered the village square. "Earthbreaker!" Ajbadan roared, slamming his weapon into the ground.
The earth erupted. A shockwave tore through the ground, throwing dirt and broken tiles into the air. The monster's second strike missed as its balance faltered, the shockwave throwing it back a few meters.
"Move!" I heard the Emperor's voice again before I even realized the second monster was charging from the left.
I dashed forward, instinct taking over. My Flash skill activated — the world blurred, and I was suddenly beside Murad. He was already engaged, his movements fluid and sharp, his sword cutting arcs of silver through the smoke.
"Good timing," Murad said, his tone calm even as he parried a claw that could've split me in two. "Watch the flank."
"I got it!" I shouted, diving under another attack.
The creature swung its arm, scattering rubble everywhere. Murad slid beneath its legs in one motion, slashing upward with his Blade Dance. Dozens of cuts appeared across the monster's thigh, spraying dark blood that sizzled when it hit the burning ground.
"Piercing Wind!" Murad's voice was steady, practiced. A flash of blue light erupted from his blade, cutting through the monster's side. It howled, stumbling, and I used the chance to leap and strike.
"Strike!" My twin blades flashed through its arm, carving through flesh. The creature's roar turned into a shriek of rage.
Behind us, Ajbadan had already recovered. "Bulwark Stance!" he bellowed, raising his sword in front of him. A faint brown aura spread from his position, creating an invisible wall between the villagers who were still retreating and the battlefield. The monster's massive fist slammed into it, sending shockwaves across the barrier, but it held.
Emperor Haider stood a few meters back, his sword glowing brighter. "Light Resonance activate!"
A pulse of light swept over us. I felt it instantly, my limbs lighter, my reflexes sharper, the fatigue in my muscles fading. Ajbadan grinned like a beast as his strength surged. Murad's next strike cut twice as deep, twice as fast.
The Emperor was glowing faintly now, his Predict skill active, I could see the faint afterimages of enemies' movements reflected in his eyes before they even happened. He wasn't fighting blindly; he was orchestrating. Every move we made felt like part of something bigger, precise, flawless.
"Ajbadan, now!"
Ajbadan swung, and the moment his Momentum Strike connected, I saw why he was called the High Guard. His attack didn't just knock the creature down — it broke its defense completely. Bones cracked, the ground split, and the monster slammed into the dirt hard enough to shake everything around us.
I moved in to finish the job, but before I could, a sudden flash of light behind me made me turn.
The portal was reacting.
The guardian monster — the one that had stayed motionless until now — had moved. Its eyes, glowing white before, now burned with a pulsing crimson. The air around the portal warped violently.
"Everyone fall back!" Emperor Haider shouted, his tone sharper than ever.
But it was too late, the portal flared open wider, releasing a gust of wind so strong it threw me backward. My ears rang. I barely saw Ajbadan grab Murad by the arm to keep him from being sucked in.
Out of the portal came a wave of energy and something else, a howl so deep it made my bones shake.
"That's not another monster," I muttered, barely able to hear my own voice. "That seems like there is something calling them."
The Emperor's eyes widened. "A summoner…? No — it's a signal!"
The ground beneath the guardian cracked open as it raised its arms and slammed them into the earth. Black mist spread like a living thing, stretching through the village ruins. Smaller monsters — twisted, malformed versions of the larger ones — began crawling out of the cracks, screeching.
"Murad!"
"I'm on it!" He dashed ahead, his body flickering as he used Mirage Step, cutting down two smaller beasts before they could fully emerge.
Ajbadan swung again, crushing another underfoot. "There's too many! If more come through that thing, we're done!"
I knew he was right. My pulse hammered in my ears. The only option left was to close the portal — or die trying.
"Your Highness!" I called out. "What do we do?"
Emperor Haider raised his sword, light gathering around it like liquid fire. His eyes glowed gold once more. "We hold them here. Ajbadan, Murad, push them back just enough — Aden, with me."
I ran beside him, my boots sinking into the burning ash. The closer we got to the portal, the more my skin burned from the energy pouring out of it. I could feel the pull — like gravity made of fire.
"On my mark," Haider said. "When I strike, use everything you have. Focus it on the light."
I nodded. I didn't understand, but I had to trust him.
The guardian roared, raising both arms high. It swung down with enough force to flatten a house.
The Emperor's eyes flashed, I could tell from that he activated his skill, "Predict" now.
He moved before the creature's arm even began to fall. His blade turned into a streak of light and cut upward. The monster's arm split apart, vanishing into ash.
"Now, Aden!"
"Flash—Strike!"
I dashed in front of the Emperor and plunged both blades into the base of the portal. The moment the steel touched it, energy exploded outward, white and black clashing in a storm that swallowed everything.
The world went white for a heartbeat.
When the light faded, the portal was collapsing. The guardian monster stumbled backward, its chest glowing where Haider's blade had pierced it. It let out one last roar before it fell, its massive body dissolving into mist.
The two remaining monsters, both wounded, turned and retreated — dragging themselves toward the collapsing gateway. They vanished just before it closed completely.
The earth settled. The fires dimmed. The battlefield was finally still.
I fell to my knees, gasping for air. Every muscle in my body screamed. My blades trembled in my hands.
Emperor Haider stood nearby, his sword dimming, golden eyes fading back to brown. "It's done…" he murmured. "For now."
Ajbadan limped toward us, blood on his arm but still smiling. "If that's what they call a warm-up, I'm not interested in the main fight."
Murad appeared from the smoke, his uniform torn, his sword dripping. "The villagers made it. We held the line."
The Emperor nodded slowly. "Good."
Then, from the edge of the forest, a voice called out — calm, unfamiliar, and cold.
"You fought well for a humans… but you ware late you couldn't do much."
We all turned. A figure stepped out from between the trees, a woman dressed in dark combat gear, her silver hair glinting in the moonlight, her eyes sharp and calm.
She moved like someone who'd seen a hundred battles.
I raised my guard instinctively. "Who are you?"
She smiled faintly. "Someone who's been waiting for this portal to close."
Before anyone could speak, she walked past us, stopping beside the Emperor. Her gaze was steady, assessing.
"Don't worry," she said softly. "I'm not your enemy. At least not yet."
Then she turned to me smiling, and for a brief second, I felt something familiar in her eyes, something connected to me.
The flames flickered one last time as the night wind carried the ashes away.
A/N
Hello everyone, this was a challenging chapter for me as I tried to balance the pace while providing as many details as possible. I hope you are all satisfied.
There is one more chapter to go until the end of the volume, and now is your chance to tell me what you really think about this volume and if you have any suggestions for the upcoming volume.
Meanwhile, please check out my other book also published here (Apocalypse From The Seventh Dimension).