Hunter of the Lost Gates-Chapter 44 - : The First War of the Heir

The Abyss **shook** as the Herald raised its hand, abyssal energy rippling outward in thick waves. The ground beneath Sai's feet **cracked**, sending jagged fractures through the stone ruins. The creatures behind him **howled in unease**, sensing the shift in power.

This wasn't like the battles before.

**This was something else.**

The Herald of the Betrayer wasn't just an enemy.

**It was a declaration.**

The Betrayer's will had **stepped into the world once more.**

Ezren moved first.

With a sharp inhale, the Warden of the Hidden Order **vanished**, his form flickering forward in a blur of golden abyssal fire. His blade cut through the air, aiming for the Herald's **throat.**

The Herald barely moved, raising a single hand.

The moment Ezren's blade made contact—**the world twisted.**

A pulse of abyssal force **rippled outward**, sending Ezren flying backward. He twisted midair, landing on one knee, his boots skidding against the ground.

Sai's heart pounded.

The Herald **hadn't even attacked yet.**

Lena cursed. "Okay, so *that's* a problem."

The Herald's golden eyes flickered toward Sai. "You are the Heir."

Sai swallowed hard. "Yeah? And?"

The Herald tilted its head slightly, voice layered with countless whispers. **"Then show me."**

And then, it **moved.**

---

### **The Battle Begins**

Sai barely had time to react before the Herald **closed the distance in an instant.**

Abyssal energy **screamed** through the air as a massive black blade materialized in its hands, swinging toward Sai's chest.

Sai **dodged**, bending backward at the last second. The blade **missed him by an inch**, carving a deep trench into the ground where he had just stood.

The force of the attack sent a **shockwave through the battlefield**, throwing back several abyssal creatures.

Lena barely avoided being **knocked off her feet.**

Ezren was already moving again, flickering through the air, aiming for the Herald's **blind spots.** His golden abyssal sword struck out in rapid succession—**each strike faster than the last.**

But the Herald was **faster.**

It twisted effortlessly, dodging Ezren's attacks like **it had seen them before.**

Ezren clicked his tongue. "It's reading us."

Sai's mind raced. The Herald **wasn't just strong.**

It was **learning.**

Every attack, every movement, every strategy—it was **adapting.**

Sai **gritted his teeth.**

If they kept fighting like this, they were going to **lose.**

---

### **The Will of the Abyss**

Sai exhaled sharply, closing his eyes for just a second.

He could **feel** the Abyss pulsing around him.

Waiting.

The creatures at his back still **stood ready.**

Ezren's words echoed in his mind.

**"A king controls. A leader commands."**

Sai's eyes snapped open.

He wasn't just fighting alone.

**He had an army.**

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With a flick of his wrist, he reached into the Abyss—not as an outsider, not as someone trying to steal its power.

But as **something more.**

A command rang through the battlefield—not with words, but with **will.**

**Attack.**

And the Abyss **answered.**

The creatures **moved in perfect unison**, their howls merging into a single, deafening roar. They **charged** the Herald all at once, abyssal fire crackling across their massive forms.

The Herald **turned sharply**, its golden eyes flashing in **something close to amusement.**

Then—**it met them head-on.**

The first creature lunged. The Herald **caught it by the throat**, crushing it effortlessly before tossing it aside.

The second leapt from behind, claws outstretched.

The Herald's **blade cut through its body in a single motion.**

More followed.

They came from **every direction.**

And for the first time—**the Herald had to fight.**

Sai and Ezren moved **at the same time**, following the attack.

Sai blinked forward, **Phantom Stepping** into the Herald's blind spot. His daggers flashed as he **slashed toward its back—**

Ezren **struck from the front**, golden abyssal energy trailing behind his blade.

The Herald twisted—but **it couldn't block both of them.**

Sai's dagger **connected first.**

His blade sank into the Herald's armor, cutting through the abyssal mist surrounding its form.

A split second later—**Ezren's sword cleaved through its shoulder.**

The Herald **staggered.**

Lena's chakrams **struck next**, slamming into its side.

The Abyss **shook.**

The Herald **growled**, golden abyssal energy crackling around it.

Then—**it laughed.**

---

### **The Betrayer's Shadow**

Sai's breath caught.

The Herald wasn't **afraid.**

It was **amused.**

Golden energy **poured from its wounds**, but they weren't closing. They weren't healing.

Because they weren't **meant to.**

The Herald exhaled slowly, then turned its gaze toward Sai.

**"You fight well."**

Sai tensed. "And you talk too much."

The Herald chuckled. "But it is not enough."

Sai's system **flared with a warning.**

**[Abyssal Disturbance Detected.]**

**[Hostile Presence Increasing.]**

A **second rift** **began to open.**

Sai's stomach **dropped.**

Lena's face paled. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

Ezren's golden eyes narrowed. "Reinforcements."

The Herald tilted its head. "The Betrayer's will is endless."

The Abyssal creatures **roared in defiance**, their energy surging forward, still ready to fight.

But Sai knew the truth.

**They couldn't fight forever.**

Not against an enemy that **never stopped coming.**

Sai clenched his fists. **Think. There has to be a way to turn this fight around.**

His system **pinged with a new notification.**

**[New Ability Unlocked: Abyssal Domain]**

Sai's breath caught.

*Domain?*

Before he could fully understand it, the Abyss **moved around him.**

The battlefield **shifted.**

The ruins **became something else.**

And Sai **felt it.**

Power.

Control.

A command that wasn't just a command.

It was **law.**

He exhaled slowly.

And then—**he reached for it.**

---

### **The Heir's First Domain**

The moment Sai **embraced the Abyss**, the world **changed.**

Abyssal energy **poured from him**, stretching outward in a massive, unseen force.

The rift the Herald had opened **shuddered**.

The creatures that had begun stepping through **froze.**

The Herald's golden eyes **widened slightly.**

Lena inhaled sharply. "Sai?"

Sai exhaled slowly, then **spoke his first true command.**

"Close."

And the rift **collapsed.**

The Herald **staggered.** "Impossible."

Sai lifted his gaze. **"Not anymore."**

Ezren smirked. "Well. That's interesting."

Sai **felt it now.**

The Abyss was no longer something he fought against.

It was no longer something he feared.

It was his.

And now, the **battle was over.**

The Herald **stepped back.**

For the first time, it looked... uncertain.

"You are more than I expected," it admitted.

Sai rolled his shoulders. "Yeah? Get used to it."

The Herald studied him for a long moment. Then, without another word—**it turned and stepped back into the Abyss.**

The battlefield **fell silent.**

Lena let out a long breath, shaking her head. "Sai. I need a drink."

Ezren watched the empty space where the Herald had vanished. "It won't be the last."

Sai already knew that.

The Betrayer was watching.

And next time, he wouldn't just send a Herald.

**He would come himself.**