The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2463: Shakra, ruler of the Eternal Soul Realm

”Ancestor Art: White Mantle.”

Before Aerion could fully process the Scarlet King’s words, the space around Cain suddenly distorted.

The Stasis Force Field contracted, compressing the Eternum Flame that surrounded his body. The transformation happened instantly. In less than a heartbeat, the white fire condensed into a dense mantle of radiant plasma that wrapped tightly around Cain like a second skin.

Aerion’s eyes widened.

As he closed the final distance, he felt it—his speed was slowing.

Not enough to stop him. Not enough to allow him to withdraw or evade.

But enough.

Just enough for the Scarlet King to make his move.

Cain’s left hand moved.

His middle and index fingers flashed forward and lightly touched Aerion’s incoming fist.

The moment contact was made, the terrifying force behind Aerion’s strike vanished.

It did not dissipate.

It did not explode.

It was redirected.

The entire mass of strength, momentum, and compressed power flowed through Cain’s arm and gathered into his right hand.

The Scarlet King released the hilt of his sword.

Every ounce of his accumulated power concentrated into a single point.

His right hand moved forward.

It was not a punch.

It was not a piercing thrust.

It was only a tap.

A light touch against Aerion’s chest.

But for the Royal Blutlinie spy, that single tap marked the end.

The force traveled directly into his body.

Into his heart.

For a fraction of a nanosecond—

It stopped.

For most warriors, such a disruption would already be dangerous.

For someone sustaining Asura Form at Aerion’s level, it was fatal.

A heart that had been beating with the intensity of a collapsing star suddenly halted. The violent interruption generated a horrific internal backlash.

Blood burst from Aerion’s eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

Every vessel in his body began to rupture.

The world turned red.

Before he could even comprehend what had happened, a heavy kick slammed into his face.

The impact blasted him across the battlefield. His body tore through the earth before crashing into a distant mountain, stone and dust exploding outward upon impact.

Cain watched the broken figure from afar, his eyes cold and calculating.

As a master of Asura Form, he understood its greatest weakness. A sudden transition from extreme cardiac output to complete interruption was far more dangerous than any external strike.

It did not merely injure.

It destroyed the body from within.

Suddenly, Cain’s eyes twitched.

A solemn expression crossed his face.

Without hesitation, he flashed forward and appeared before the barely conscious Aerion. The Blade of the End of Time reformed in his hand, Eternum Flame surging along its edge as he prepared to deliver the final blow.

But just as he closed the distance—

A massive soul force erupted.

Space darkened.

An enormous, ominous figure manifested above Aerion’s body. It was the projection of a cold-faced man, his presence vast and oppressive. His eyes shone with distant light, as though connected to a consciousness far beyond the battlefield.

”I am Shakra, ruler of the Eternal Soul Realm.”

Each word carried immense weight. The overwhelming soul pressure forced the air itself to tremble, and even Cain paused, his gaze sharpening as he assessed the incarnation.

”You have won. Take the treasures and leave my warrior. Let him return home.”

Then the projection’s voice grew colder, its authority turning absolute.

”If you continue your attack, you will be the first I kill when the war begins.”

Shakra’s words were not empty threats. They carried the weight of a ruler’s will.

He was willing to allow Cain to take everything Aerion possessed—including the fragment of the Saint Treasure—so long as the man’s life was spared.

If Cain agreed, no one in the Dark Blood Kingdom would criticize him. On the contrary, they would praise him for securing such a prize without provoking a greater conflict.

If he refused, many would call him a madman.

The war would be extremely dangerous.

But being marked personally by the ruler of an entire realm would elevate that danger to another level entirely.

Yet the emotion that appeared in Cain’s eyes was not fear.

Nor hesitation.

Nor caution.

It was excitement.

A wide smile spread across his face.

”This makes everything much easier.”

The Scarlet King spoke without the slightest restraint.

Then he struck.

The Blade of the End of Time descended with full power, shattering the wrathful incarnation and engulfing Aerion’s body in blazing white flames.

The light faded from the Royal Bloodline spy’s eyes.

His heart stopped.

Yet he did not die.

On the contrary—Cain’s attack prevented his immediate death.

The Eternum Flame froze the moment of his body and soul, halting the catastrophic internal collapse caused by the backlash. Aerion was neither alive nor dead, but suspended in absolute stasis.

Cain had not acted out of mercy.

He simply needed the man incapacitated.

And this was the most efficient method.

With a wave of his hand, Cain sealed Aerion inside a spatial treasure.

The next moment, he merged with the Blood Avatar, drawing back a portion of vitality and spirit force. Without wasting time, he flashed away from the battlefield, rapidly increasing the distance.

His aura faded.

His presence vanished.

After traveling deep into a remote region, he slipped into an underground cave and concealed himself completely.

Only after confirming that no one was tracking him and no hostile forces were nearby did Cain finally relax.

Then—

”Znnnn—”

A deep, tearing sound echoed inside his body.

A massive wound suddenly appeared across his chest, right where his armor had been shattered earlier. Blood burst outward in thick streams.

The damage he had been suppressing finally manifested.

Using Null Eternum, Cain had delayed the injury from Aerion’s final strike. But delayed damage was not erased damage.

Now, he had to face it.

The wound was far more severe than he had expected. His vision darkened, and his body nearly collapsed as the accumulated trauma struck all at once.

It took all his willpower to remain conscious.

Immediately, Cain connected to the Ocean of the Blood Sun through the Power of Chaos, drawing in as much vitality as possible.

Fortunately, despite their severity, the injuries were purely physical.

None of Aerion’s attacks had reached his soul.

No foreign energy lingered within the wounds.

There was no corruption.

No spiritual damage.

Only catastrophic bodily trauma.

Even so, the recovery was slow.

It took an entire day of continuous healing before the bleeding stopped and his condition stabilized.

At last, Cain exhaled deeply.

The danger had passed.

For now.