Chapter 61 – War of Creation
The Astral Sea quivered. Stars tore themselves apart as Hayden, the Shadow Emperor, hovered above the void, his aura radiating black-gold infinity. Shadows rippled like oceans; dragons of light and darkness circled, their roars shaking galaxies.
From beyond the dimensions, the Cosmic Entities arrived. Beings of pure creation, light, and order they had betrayed him eons ago, and now they sensed his full power. Their combined presence warped space, bending stars and fracturing time.
The eldest among them, a being whose eyes held entire galaxies, stepped forward. "Hayden… you were never meant to ascend. This universe cannot endure your dominion."
Hayden's calm gaze met theirs. "Then we shall see which endures: your order, or my shadow."
> [System Notification: Chrono-Shadow Authority Activation Available]
[Shadow Legion & Dragons Fully Deployed | Conceptual Powers Peak]
He raised a hand. Shadows exploded outward, bending time itself. Every strike, every clone, every dragon moved before the attack even began, warping past, present, and potential futures into a seamless assault.
The first Cosmic Entity struck, unleashing a cascade of pure creation energy. Reality shattered, space twisted, and entire constellations dissolved. But Hayden's Chrono-Shadow Authority responded instantly: time slowed, shadows intercepted the energy, and the attack became part of his Shadow Legion.
> [System Update: Assimilation Protocol Omega+++ | Time & Shadow Control Absolute | New Ability Unlocked: Chrono-Shadow Authority]
The duel escalated. Hayden's clones struck in infinite angles. Dragons tore through dimensions, fire and darkness merging into sentient weapons. Conceptual constructs of Chaos, Eternity, and Dominion materialized, turning abstract ideas into tangible shields, blades, and engines of war.
The battlefield expanded into a multiversal storm. Every realm trembled under the clash:
Shadows devoured light, yet creation bent around them.
Time fractured, then rewove itself under Hayden's command.
Dragons and clones intercepted attacks before they occurred, striking in preemptive infinity.
The Cosmic Entities faltered, realizing the scale of their miscalculation. Hayden's shadow dragons had evolved beyond physical form; each was a conscious extension of his will, and every assimilated foe added their strength, knowledge, and instincts to the Legion.
One Entity cried out, "Impossible… no one"
Hayden's shadow surged forward, merging all dragons, clones, and conceptual forces into a singular, infinite strike. Reality trembled. Time itself knelt.
> "Every force that defies me… becomes my strength."
A cascade of light and shadow collided, shaking the foundation of creation. The first Cosmic Entity dissolved into Hayden's system, its powers absorbed, adding a new layer to his Omnipotent abilities.
> [System Update: Cosmic Entity Assimilated | Shadow Legion Infinite | Chrono-Shadow Authority Absolute]
Even the remaining Entities sensed the shift the Shadow Emperor had become untouchable, the axis around which all realms now pivoted.
Selene hovered beside him, silver light entwined with shadows. "Hayden… they're retreating," she said.
Hayden's eyes glowed. "No. They're recalibrating. They'll learn, as all must, that resistance only strengthens the Monarch."
The multiverse stretched infinitely beneath his feet. Shadows, dragons, and conceptual constructs moved as one, preparing for the next phase. The War of Creation had only begun, but Hayden had already proven one undeniable truth:
> Time, shadow, and reality obeyed the Supreme Monarch.
And from the heart of the storm, a voice whispered through infinity:
> "Next…"
The battle would continue, but Hayden's rise to true omnipotence had become inevitable.