War LIII

Aiden stood there, fists clenched, heart pounding. The battlefield had returned to normal, but he hadn't won.

No—he hadn't even lost.

The fight had been removed.

Like it never existed.

He ground his teeth, frustration bubbling inside him. This was different from any battle he had ever fought. He had clashed with monsters, gods, and reality-defying entities, but the Nameless Warrior…

He controlled the very concept of battle itself.

Aiden exhaled sharply. Fine.

If brute force wasn't enough, he'd figure it out.

He glanced at his hand—his fingers trembled slightly. Not from fear, but from the sheer weight of what he had just experienced.

Then—

"Aiden."

He turned.

Nexus stood there, arms crossed, his usual casual smirk absent. Instead, there was something close to… respect?

"You fought well," Nexus said.

Aiden scoffed. "I lost."