Cosmic Lord: The Error Awakens
Chapter 104: The Enforcer’s Blade

Chapter 104: The Enforcer’s Blade

The ninety-eighth dawn tore across Kael El’s Ashen Empire with a fractured golden fury, the continental dominion—a sprawling titan—quaking under an unseen pulse. The capital’s skyline blazed—bone steel keeps dwarfed by the Golden Colossus, its hundred-meter frame a radiant fortress, core pulsing a volatile violet-gold that cast glitching shadows over the plaza. Kael stood atop the eastern ramparts, 1,200 kilometers from the capital, Stormforged Blade in hand, shard-pommel screaming like a chained storm. EX: Dragonflame Reaver glowed at his hip, Stormhide Armor scorched and dented, the shades’ beams and Lyra’s chaos burning in his grazed arm. His flirty smirk flickered, a cool dominance veiling a gnawing dread—the Empress’s trial, the "Error Rift," and Rhea’s trembling plea clawed at his blood. He flexed EX: Gold Dominion, golden veins surging through the stone, molten but heavy, answering the shard’s jagged wail.

Day 98. Her cage grows—her blade strikes. His dark eyes gleamed, pride a blazing inferno despite the ache—dozens lost, the trial’s truth, the Colossus’s glacial pulse gnawed deeper. My empire’s iron—millions strong, lands vast—but rifts shatter iron. The Nexus roared through the wind: "Kael’s reign defies!" He grinned, jaw tight, arm stinging. Defy? I break.

Day 98: Post-Peace Period. Territory Level: 6 – Continental Lord. Territory Size: Vast. Population: Millions. Food Stock: Thin. Resource Yield: High (Lord’s Blessing). Resources: Vast. Summon Limit: Ample. Territory Lv. 7 Conditions: Reach Greater Power, Global Empire (More Strongholds), Defeat Greater Foe, Immense Wealth, Grand Treasury, Army of Greater Elite, Build Greater Wonder.

Lord Nexus Leaderboard: Kael El reigns, Myra gone, Lyra broken, Gavrin fallen, Sylth dust, others fade.

Kael gripped the rampart, shard screaming as he scanned the eastern plain—1,200 kilometers out, a rift pulse flared. First place, unchallenged—enemies dust, but the Empress’s voice burned: Devourer, your flaw consumes. He rubbed his arm, pain flaring—the rift’s shadow loomed, tied to the Colossus’s glitching pulse. Blood consumes. A scout’s cry rang—Veyna’s wolves howled: "Nexus enforcer, east! Violet-gold, rift-charged, constructs at her side—her voice drives ’em!" Kael’s grin sharpened, blade raised. "Her blade? I’ll dull it."

Drayce strode up, glaive gleaming, gold-clad elite fanned below—thousands shining, the army lean but fierce. "Lord, she’s big—constructs like the lieutenant’s, but heavier. Elite’s gold—Colossus fuels ’em—but we’re raw." His voice held fire, trust iron, but his arm trembled—shade losses lingered.

Kael clapped his shoulder, smirk blazing. "Raw? We’re blades—5,000 elite’ll shatter her. Take her alive—her truth’s mine." He turned to Veyna, bow taut, wolves snarling. "Flanks—bleed constructs, pin her."

Veyna nodded, eyes fierce. "Wolves’ll shred ’em—constructs heavy, enforcer’s fast. Her heart’s yours." Her hunter’s fire roared, but her glance flicked to Kael’s arm—Rhea’s fear lingered.

Lena approached, map glowing, voice steady despite the tension. "Lord, keeps pile higher, gold flows thicker, resources stack endless. Food’s tight—days left. Her voice grows—subjects fear her enforcer." Her calm wavered, eyes on Kael’s scorched armor—raw, red—then the horizon. "Her blade—rift’s edge?"

Kael winked, masking a wince. "Edge? I’m sharper—hit her, dig her cage." He strode forward, shard screaming, the Colossus’s pulse rippling—colder, glitch flickering. Her cage—like Rhea’s eyes. "Move!"

The eastern plain roared, dust swirling as constructs surged—hundreds, violet-gold, Nexus energy pulsing, crystal limbs glinting, beams sparking. At their core, the enforcer—female, violet-gold armor gleaming, greatsword pulsing, her voice humming: Devourer, face me. Kael laughed, blade raised. "Her blade? Let’s dance."

He charged, EX: Stormwing Prime blurring him in, thousands thundering—gold-clad elite gleaming, Colossus’s morale a blazing tide. Drayce’s vanguard smashed—glaives slicing constructs, crystal shattering, beams glancing off gold. Veyna’s wolves flanked, frost fangs tearing limbs, her arrows piercing cores—constructs falling, staves clattering. Thora’s turrets fired—golden bolts shredding dozens, earth trembling.

Bone golems rose, EX: Bone Dominion summoning a handful, crushing machines, claws splintering crystal. The enforcer swung her greatsword, beams lashing—dozens caught, armor sizzling, screams fading. Kael dodged, arm burning—damn rift. EX: Volcanic Tsunami roared, fire melting dozens, crystal sizzling. The enforcer thrust, beam grazing Kael’s shoulder—pain flared, blood humming. He parried with the Stormforged Blade, shard screaming, EX: Gold Dominion flaring—gold veins bound her sword, EX: Vitality Reaper draining energy—she staggered, armor dimming.

Dragons dove, fire and ice raining, constructs vaporized. Elys’s lightning cracked, frying cores—her shout fierce: "Kael, she’s her Nexus—your blood’s louder!" Rhea torched machines, flames steady, but her eyes flicked to Kael—yesterday’s burns haunting. Lyra—his Lyra—blasted violet chaos, her wink strained: "Bind her, lover—her cage’s weak!" The constructs died, the enforcer bound in gold veins, her greatsword clattering.

Kael felt power surge, blood roaring—leveled up. He dragged her to her feet, her eyes defiant but wavering. "Talk—her cage, her plan." She spat, voice low. "Empress seals the rift—Level 100, her throne. Your blood—Devourer—cracks it. She shapes you—her cage binds all." Kael’s smirk faltered, shard jolting—vision: the Empress, rift pulsing, gold veins shattering, her voice: Devourer, you are my blade. He blinked back, veins tightening.

Drayce approached, glaive bloodied. "Losses light—dozens, not hundreds. She’s yours—east’s clear." His voice held relief, eyes on Rhea—crew’s bond tighter.

Veyna tossed Kael a violet-gold shard—enforcer’s core, Nexus-charged. "Her spark—stronger than shades. Wolves say east’s silent—her voice lingers." Her smirk softened, eyes on Rhea—losses weighed.

Back at the capital by dusk, the Colossus pulsed—jagged, colder, glitch rippling. Lena met him, map glowing, voice steady. "Lord, keeps soar—strongholds stack, gold flows, resources pile endless. Losses light—subjects cheer, but her enforcer spreads fear." Her eyes flicked to Kael’s shoulder—raw, bleeding—then the enforcer, bound nearby.

Kael nodded, wincing—power surging, stronger. He strode to the Colossus, shard screaming, Rhea trailing—flames dim, hand on his. "You’re hers," she said, eyes searching. "Rift, blood—’The Error’—it’s claiming you."

Kael’s smirk faltered, pulling her close. "Claiming? I’m gold, Rhea—her cage breaks for me." But the chill deepened—her voice, my blood. He turned to the crew, voice a rough drawl. "Enforcer’s ours, her cage cracks—Empress’s game. Thoughts?"

Elys sparked, grim but fierce. "You’re a titan, Kael—her cage is poison. Why shape you?" Her lightning dimmed—rift’s shadow stung.

Lyra—his Lyra—grinned, violet flickering. "Shape? You’re the blade, lover—her cage needs you. Break it." Her tease hid fear—her voice lingered.

Veyna notched an arrow, sharp. "Break? East’s silent—wolves smell nothing. Her game’s real—don’t dive blind." Her gaze lingered on Rhea—hunter’s edge softened.

Thora stomped up, hammer slung, gold dust thick. "Game? Core’s glitching worse—her tech, your blood’s screaming. She’s yours—but it’s colder." Her pride cracked, eyes on the core—pulse glacial.

Kael’s grin hardened, gold veins pulsing—EX: Gold Dominion heavier, like a throne’s crown. Error Rift—my blood. The shard screamed—vision: the Empress, rift pulsing, gold veins shattering, her voice: Devourer, my blade rises. He blinked back, pulse icy—her blade or mine? "Lena, map her—Thora, crack the cores—Veyna, scout—Drayce, sharpen ’em."

The council lingered, the harem gathering—Elys sparking, Rhea’s warmth fading, Lyra’s violet subdued. Kael waved them closer, voice teasing but strained. "Ladies, her blade’s ours, rift’s hers—Empress’s game grows. Truth?"

Rhea’s flames flickered, voice soft. "Truth? Your blood’s her rift—’The Error.’ Choose us, Kael." Her hand trembled—fear raw, burns aching.

Elys nodded, lightning dim. "She’s right—you’re a storm, but storms break. Her cage—let it lie." Her voice shook—losses echoed.

Lyra tossed a violet spark, smirk faint. "Lie? He’s the prize, ladies—her cage needs him. Break it, lover." Her tease wavered—her voice hit hard.

Kael laughed, rough and warm, blade spinning. "Break? I dance—her cage is mine." But Rhea’s tremble burned—Error Rift, in me? He turned to the enforcer, eyes cold. "More—her plan." She glared, voice low. "She’s Level 100—rift’s her prison. You break it, or forge it—Devourer’s blade." Kael’s blood surged, shard jolting—vision: the rift, glitching void, his blood pulsing. "Blade’s mine..."

The day waned, forges thundering as keeps rose—strongholds climbing, gold flowing, resources endless. Kael paced the plaza, shard humming, her truth heavy—Devourer, her blade. Drayce rallied the elite, voice gruff but strong. "Gold’s iron—ready, Lord." His trust blazed—victory held.

Lena scribbled, map glowing, voice steady. "Capital’s mightier—keeps stack, gold’s heavy, lands vast. Her voice spreads—subjects fear it, Colossus steadies ’em." Her calm held, eyes on Kael—crew’s worry mirrored Rhea’s.

Rhea stood closer, flames soft, voice low. "You’re not hers—rift, blood, ’The Error.’ Choose us, Kael." Her hand tightened, fear raw—burns, grazes, losses.

Kael’s laugh was rough, pulling her close. "Choose? I’m the storm, Rhea—her cage breaks for you." But her fear burned—Error Rift, in me? He gripped the shard, its song jagged, pulse colder—glitchy, whispering: Blood forges... A memory stirred—Vex’s cry: Rift’s end! He smirked into the dusk, gold molten. "End or cage—I’m the blade."

By night, the empire stood mightier—keeps soaring, gold heavy, lands vast, resources endless. Kael leaned on the ramparts, shard glowing, her truth heavy—dozens gone, Rhea’s fear heavier. The Colossus pulsed—jagged, shadow flickering, subjects chanting below. The east was silent—her game deepened. He spun the blade, gold veins flaring. "Cage or crown—I’m the storm breaking free."