Sovereign of the Ashes

“That battle in the Netherworld Star Domain nearly killed me! Shit! Was that Naeverynk really faking betrayal? It seemed to me he was going all out! And what’s the deal with those two overlord-class mobile suits developed by the Gallant Federation? I’d say they were far stronger than the overlord-class unit the Rosen Dynasty brought here with them!”

In the heart of the Magus Civilization’s territory, deep within the rear lines of the Sanoras Star Domain, Regalis could not help but curse in frustration. The Mother of Dragons had just returned, covered in wounds.

She was one of the earliest overlords born in Magus World.

Among beings of her level, she was not old. Yet, she was ancient enough to have witnessed the Magus Civilization’s rise from a medium-sized plane to a large one, and finally to its current spot at the pinnacle of the Astral Realm.

Since she had long stepped back from the Magus Civilization’s governance, many younger Rank Four and Rank Five beings who had only come into their power in the last tens of thousands of years had likely never even heard of her.

In her prime, Regalis had once presided over the Magus Alliance Conference on behalf of the Magus Civilization itself.

Within this top-tier civilization, chairing the Magus Alliance Conference had always been regarded as one of the defining symbols of supreme authority.

At that moment, Lady Bev, the current leader of the Magus Civilization, quietly approached the frontlines of the battlefield.

Hearing Regalis’ muttering, Bev smiled faintly.

“I believe we can still trust Naeverynk,” she said. “The Netherworld Star Domain has suffered heavy losses this time. If he doesn’t put on a convincing show now, and the Gallant Federation sees through the act, all that sacrifice will be for nothing.”

“As for those two overlord-class mobile suits... they’re truly a force to be reckoned with. I never imagined that after absorbing the Rosen Dynasty’s technological legacy, the Gallant Federation would surpass its predecessor.

“Still, you shouldn’t underestimate the Rosen Dynasty’s overlord-class mobile suit, Lady Regalis. When it fled to the Magus Civilization’s territory, it was already heavily damaged. Even their overlord’s soul had been severely weakened. Naturally, it could not compare to the Gallant Federation’s fully operational units.”

Regalis nodded at that. With her long nails, she flicked off a purple dragon scale from her shoulder.

“When do we move?” she asked. “It seems we have already filled our pockets.”

“Immediately,” Bev replied, her tone turning serious.

***

On the battlefield in the gray-white asteroid belt...

After enduring the overwhelming firepower of the Gallant Federation and Eye Demon legions for some time, Sein and his forces finally received the Magus Civilization’s order to withdraw.

Retreat was inevitable. The asteroid belt’s complex terrain had been reduced to almost nothing after the relentless bombardment from both the federation and the Eye Demons.

It was not hard to imagine the immense pressure Sein and his forces had endured, judging by the heavy damage his Ashen Fortress had taken.

Upon receiving the withdrawal order, Sein led the Magus Civilization legions toward the nearest Radbow Plane, reestablishing defensive lines both within and beyond the low-level plane.

The Magus Alliance legions had already purged the remaining resistance in Radbow World.

Although the Magus Civilization held no real advantage in this low-level plane, it also offered no benefit to the Gallant Federation or the Eye Demons once they arrived.

In truth, Radbow World was beginning to look like Black Tide Plane—yet another tragic world, ravaged and slowly decaying in the backdrop of the Clash of Civilizations.

Still, Radbow Plane held one distinct advantage over the asteroid belt: it was sturdier.

At the very least, with the Magus Civilization’s deliberate reinforcement, it would not be easily destroyed by the combined forces of the Gallant Federation and the Grand Eye Demon World.

Moreover, the three planar rings orbiting Radbow World served as natural defensive barriers.

The native radioactive creatures had once garrisoned those rings to fend off invasions from the Magus Civilization. Now, the Magus legions themselves were using that same terrain to resist their enemies.

Upon returning to Radbow World, Sein focused all his efforts on fortifying the defenses both within and around the plane.

The Gallant Federation and Grand Eye Demon World legions advanced menacingly, but the Magus Civilization legions were not about to yield so easily.

The Huusian King came with five Rank Four powerhouses, committing his entire reserve force to the defense.

In terms of numbers, the Magus Civilization’s law-wielding combatants were slightly outmatched, but the difference was marginal.

The only gap lay in the Huusians’ combat strength.

After all, even at their peak, the Huusians had been no more than a medium-sized civilization.

Compared to the Grand Eye Demon World’s creatures and the Gallant Federation’s troops of the same rank, the Huusians were inferior.

Even so, when it came to defensive warfare, the Magus Civilization’s performance was anything but inferior to that of the Gallant Federation.

The Gallant Federation relied on its own mechanical legions, forging a wall of gleaming metallic defense line.

The Magus Civilization, on the other hand, fielded space fortresses, prism forts, war airships, magic towers, elemental golems, and even artifacts like magic cannons.

Shortly after Sein and his group returned to Radbow World, the Magus Alliance sent over a massive shipment of war supplies.

Among them were nearly four hundred thousand elemental golems and an enormous stockpile of materials for constructing magic towers.

The supplies reinvigorated the Magus World’s law-wielding powerhouses, including Sein, filling them with renewed confidence in defending the star domain around Radbow World.

While Sein busied himself with reinforcing defenses both within and outside the plane, the Huusian King, who had just arrived at Radbow World, met his two daughters.

The Huusian Army had not stayed long at the asteroid belt.

They had barely arrived to provide support before the order to withdraw came through. As a result, the casualties among their ranks were minimal.

Even so, the Huusian King had personally witnessed the devastating firepower of the Grand Eye Demon World and the Gallant Federation’s combined legions. He knew that the upcoming defense of Radbow World would be brutal.

As he arranged his forces for the next phase of battle, the king called for a private meeting with his daughters.

“Has Master Sein bed either of you after bringing both of you back to Magus World?” he asked bluntly.

It was not the kind of question a father should ask. But with their mother long gone and his other consorts having strained relations with his two daughters, the Huusian King had no one else he could trust to speak to them about such things.

To him, this was a very important matter.

Bluntly put, it could determine the very survival of their clan.

Both Gwyneira and Gwyndira flushed and shook their heads. Thankfully, their pink complexions made their embarrassment less noticeable.

The Huusian King let out a sigh. “Watching this war between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation, it’s clear that no matter who wins, weak alliance members like us won’t have a good end. It’s not that I regret joining the Magus Alliance. Had we stayed under the Zeak Empire or the Gallant Federation back then, our fate wouldn’t have been much different.”

“I want you two to stay close to Master Sein. Earn his trust—better yet, win his favor. From what I’ve seen, the Magus Civilization holds exceptional young talents like him in very high regard. He shouldn’t fall on this battlefield. At the very least, his chances of survival are far greater than ours. I’ve also heard that his faction carries significant influence within the Magus Civilization.”

“If the worst happens, and I or the other Huusian elders don’t make it, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you use Sein’s connections to ensure our people’s safety. Preserve our tribe’s fire seed, and maybe, one day, fulfill our royal house’s long-cherished dream.”

The Huusian King’s voice softened as he spoke.

Gwyneira and Gwyndira grew pale at his words but ultimately nodded, accepting their father’s instructions.