Adrian's voice echoed faintly through the metallic corridor. "Wait! Can I… join you?"
Cosmic stopped mid-step. For a moment, he said nothing—his silver eyes studying Adrian's face. Then, with a faint nod, he replied, "Sure. But let me handle the strong ones."
Adrian nodded quickly. "Understood."
Together, they began to move through the alien base. The halls were dimly lit, the air thick with dust and smoke. Every corner they turned revealed another group of aliens—dozens of them. Cosmic's blade blazed with white fire, slicing through enemies like paper, while Adrian followed close behind, striking at whatever Cosmic missed.
In minutes, the floor was littered with alien corpses. The pair moved quietly, determined, until the distant sound of footsteps caught their attention.
A small squad of A-class heroes appeared from a connecting corridor, their armor scratched and scorched from battle. One of them shouted, his voice breathless with urgency. "Hey! Did you know Zavier's dead?"
Cosmic froze mid-step. His calm expression vanished. "Wait—what? Where?"
"In the alien king's throne room," another hero answered grimly. "We'll lead you there."
Without hesitation, Cosmic followed. Adrian trailed behind, trying to keep up with their hurried pace.
As they ran, Cosmic called out, "How did you even find the throne room?"
"We got lucky," said one of the A-class heroes. "We searched a while and stumbled on it. Most of the guards were already dead—Zavier must've taken them out before he fell."
Cosmic's grip tightened on his sword. "I see…"
Before long, the group reached the end of the corridor. The throne room door loomed ahead—massive and half-broken from the earlier battle. Without waiting, Cosmic burst inside.
Adrian stopped a few meters away, remembering Cosmic's warning. He stayed near the entrance, peering inside.
The sight before him was chaos.
David and Chronos—the two Lights of Justice—were locked in combat with the alien king. The floor trembled beneath their blows. David's fist collided with the alien's leg, sending shockwaves through the room, while Chronos darted in flashes of light, time itself bending around him.
Both of them were bleeding heavily.
"We could use some help here!" David roared.
Cosmic needed no further invitation. He leapt into the fray, his plasma sword blazing brighter than ever. With one swift motion, he slashed across the alien king's chest, leaving a burning gash that glowed white-hot. David followed up immediately with a devastating punch to the torso, staggering the monstrous being for the first time.
For a brief moment, it looked as though victory was possible.
But then—silence.
The alien king stopped moving entirely. Its enormous body went still, its gaze fixed on nothing.
"Is… is it dead?" Chronos asked cautiously, his voice echoing in the vast room.
Nobody moved.
Then, without warning, the alien king's eyes flared open. Its hand twitched—and suddenly, all three heroes were hurled across the room, smashing into the wall with bone-shattering force.
Before they could react, the creature's leg shifted slightly. The ground rippled, and a crushing invisible weight pinned them in place. None of them could move a muscle.
"I'm afraid," the alien king's deep voice rumbled, "this is where it ends."
A low, guttural vibration filled the air. Pain—indescribable, searing pain—rushed through their bodies. They screamed, their voices drowned out by the alien king's laughter.
"Already feeling the pain?" the king mocked. "I haven't even started."
But then—something changed.
A sudden flash of white light split the air. Cosmic, his body trembling, forced himself forward. Somehow, he had broken free from the alien king's control.
Before the monster could react, Cosmic drove his plasma blade straight through its chest, piercing its heart.
The alien king's massive head turned down to look at him. "H-How were you able to move…?"
Cosmic didn't answer. He pulled the sword free and, with a single graceful motion, slashed again—this time, nearly cutting the creature in half.
The alien king roared and grabbed Cosmic by the throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. The air around them rippled with pressure as the king's grip tightened.
But before Cosmic could be crushed, Chronos intervened. Time itself slowed to a crawl. He appeared beside the alien king, delivering a blinding kick to its jaw. Then, in the next instant, he teleported above it and smashed his fist into the alien's face, the force echoing like thunder.
The alien king reeled, losing its grip on Cosmic.
And Cosmic—without wasting a second—landed on his feet, his sword glowing brighter than ever. With one clean, elegant strike, he swung upward.
The blade sliced clean through the alien king's neck.
For a moment, everything went silent. Then, with a heavy thud, the alien king's massive head hit the ground.
The war, for now, was over.