Chapter Twelve: Battle Against the Celestial Hunters
The atmosphere warped.
Air pressure collapsed inward as if the entire city was holding its breath. The Celestial Hunters formed a wide ring around Aiden, weapons pointed, halos flaring like miniature suns.
Dara trembled, clutching Maya to his chest.
"Bro… these guys look like final bosses."
Aiden didn't blink.
He couldn't afford fear now.
Golden energy licked around his arms—unstable, flickering, but rising.
The Hunter in front spoke again, his voice cold and resolute:
"Star-Vessel detected. Extraction protocol initiated."
He tapped the butt of his spear against the asphalt—
K O N N G —!!
A shockwave of white rings rippled outward.
Aiden slammed his foot into the ground, countering with a burst of golden force.
The shockwaves collided, ripping a crater between them.
Dara shielded Maya. "WHAT KIND OF ANIME-DEMON-FINAL-FORM FIGHT IS THIS?!"
Aiden ignored him.
The Hunters began to move.
Their steps were silent. Perfect. Inhuman.
Like they'd rehearsed this exact scenario a thousand times.
One leapt forward—a blur of silver.
Aiden reacted on instinct—Starbreak Guard—
CLAAAANG—!!
Sparks exploded as his glowing fist collided with a blade made of frozen starlight.
Aiden skidded back several meters, arms shaking from the force.
The Hunter didn't move an inch.
He spoke calmly:
"Your Heavenly Aura is incomplete. Your level is insufficient."
Aiden spat blood onto the pavement.
"Still enough to break your face."
Two more Hunters lunged from the sides.
Aiden ducked under one spear, twisted, and fired a golden palm strike into the second's chest—
B O O M — !!
The Hunter flew back, smashing into a car and flipping it over.
Dara's eyes widened. "YOU SENT A COSMIC PALADIN INTO A TOYOTA—BRO RESPECT."
But Aiden didn't celebrate.
Because the Hunter he hit… stood back up.
Without a scratch.
Aiden's heart dropped.
The System flickered next to him:
[WARNING: CELESTIAL HUNTERS POSSESS DIVINE ARMAMENTS]
[HOST DAMAGE OUTPUT: 3% EFFECTIVENESS]
"Three percent?! Are you kidding me?!"
Before he could react, the leader appeared in front of him.
He didn't move.
He just appeared.
Aiden's eyes widened—
Too fast—
SHIIINK—!!
The spear pierced Aiden's shoulder.
Straight through.
Aiden choked, dropping to one knee.
Golden energy leaked out like liquid light.
The Hunter twisted the spear.
"Your resistance is meaningless. The Star-Vessel belongs to the Dominion."
Dara stepped back, gripping Maya tighter.
"Bro… BRO—GET UP—!"
Aiden grit his teeth. Pain roared through him.
Then—
The Hunter raised his spear for a killing strike.
Aiden's vision blurred.
No…
Not now…
Not like this.
He couldn't die.
Not while Maya needed him.
Not while something inside her was awakening.
Not while the Dominion wanted her for something impossible to understand.
Aiden's fingers dug into the ground.
"System… anything… anything I can use…!"
The System flashed violently:
[LOCKED FUNCTION DETECTED]
[DANGER LEVEL: CATASTROPHIC]
[UNSEALED UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITIONS]
Aiden's eyes widened.
"…Unseal it."
[WARNING: ACTIVATING THIS MAY DAMAGE YOUR SOUL]
"I said—UNSEAL IT!"
[CONFIRMED]
A second interface opened—one he'd never seen before.
Not blue.
Not golden.
Black.
A single line of glowing crimson text appeared:
"CELESTIAL APEX PROTOCOL: BLOOD ASCENT"
"CONDITION: HOST MUST BE AT DEATH'S DOOR"
"STATUS: MET"
Aiden's heart stopped.
Blood Ascent…?
The interface glowed brighter.
Then—
"DO YOU OFFER YOUR BLOOD TO RISE?"
Aiden's fist tightened.
"Yes."
The world detonated.
B W O O O O O O O M — !!!
Aiden's blood ignited with black-gold light, swirling upward in a violent vortex that shattered the ground. The spear stuck in his shoulder melted like wax.
The Hunters staggered back, suddenly alarmed.
The leader's voice quivered:
"Impossible…
That technique is forbidden—
Even among the Celestial Lineages—!"
But Aiden didn't hear them.
He couldn't.
The world had gone silent.
Black-gold fire wrapped his body like armor.
His eyes burned with celestial darkness.
His veins pulsed with ancient symbols he didn't recognize.
Dara fell on his back. "BRO—BRO—YOU JUST WENT EVIL SUPERNOVA MODE—!!"
Aiden took a single step forward.
The ground cracked.
The Hunters raised their weapons.
Aiden vanished.
FLASH—!!
A fist slammed into the first Hunter's helmet—
S M A S H — ! !
The armored mask cracked.
A celestial elite… bleeding.
The leader's eyes widened.
"A… mortal shouldn't have that power…"
Aiden's voice echoed—deeper, layered, distorted:
"You want my sister…?"
He vanished again—
Reappearing behind another Hunter—
CRACK—!!
Spinning kick.
Armor shattered.
"Then come take her."
The Hunters faltered.
For the first time—
They felt fear.
Aiden's black-gold aura surged into a storm.
This wasn't Starbreak.
This wasn't Heavenly Ascent.
This was something older.
Something forbidden.
Something he wasn't meant to touch.
The leader raised his spear shakily.
"All units—fall back!
The Blood-Ascent bearer must not—"
Aiden appeared right in front of him.
"You're not going anywhere."
The leader thrust his spear—
Aiden caught it with one hand.
Crushed it.
C R U U U N C H — !!
The leader staggered back in terror.
Aiden's fist glowed black and gold.
"I protect my family…"
He stepped forward—
"Even if Heaven itself comes for them."