Sovereign of the Ashes

Advancing to a higher life level was never an easy feat.

It had not been long since Sein’s ascension to Rank Four, yet his progress toward Rank Five was already within reach.

Such rapid advancement came from several factors, not the least of which was his consumption of several Golden Apple Potions.

Following Sein’s orders, Yuri piloted the Burning Flame Unit, patrolling the surrounding star domain with utmost caution while keeping watch over him.

Sein had built up a sizable stockpile of resources and items to support his breakthrough.

After all, he had long sensed that his advancement to Rank Five was near. Even before leaving Magus World, he had gathered numerous items specifically for that purpose.

Later, during his years of garrison duty at the logistics bases in the rear of the Grand Eye Demon World, his resources had only grown richer.

Once Yuri departed, Sein immediately began setting up energy-gathering arrays and placing various law-infused materials throughout the pyro-attribute demiplane.

The density of pyro elemental particles in the air surged dramatically. At times, the very laws of flame even became visible before his eyes.

Taking a slow, steady breath, Sein closed his eyes and sank into deep meditation amidst the blazing environment...

***

In the flow of cultivation, years passed like fleeting moments.

437 years later, a fleet of metallic ships appeared in this star domain.

It was clearly a technologically advanced civilization’s fleet.

Yuri, who had remained hidden nearby, instinctively tensed up upon detecting it.

But after observing the ships for a while, she concluded they were not from the Gallant Federation.

Having once accompanied Sein to the federation, Yuri had become well-acquainted with their fleet designs and aesthetics.

Moreover, her Burning Flame Unit’s database held detailed records of most of the federation’s known warship and mobile suit models.

The metal fleet before her was massive, but its design was nothing like that of the Gallant Federation.

From what Yuri could tell through observation and experience, its overall strength seemed underwhelming, perhaps even comparable to the Huusian fleet from years ago.

What truly unsettled her, though, was the presence of several beings within the fleet whose auras clearly surpassed Rank Four!

Fortunately, Yuri had concealed herself well, and the fleet’s detection systems did not seem particularly sharp.

From all appearances, they were just passing through this star domain on their own business.

Yuri had assumed they would simply pass by one another without incident.

But then, a familiar surge of law energy erupted from the very heart of the star domain.

The moment she sensed it, Yuri’s expression changed.

Forgetting her concealment, she immediately piloted the Burning Flame Unit toward the source of the disturbance.

That violent fluctuation, however, instantly alerted the mysterious metal fleet.

The moment Yuri abandoned stealth and became a streak of blazing light across the void, the fleet realized that a Rank Four powerhouse had been hiding close by all along.

“Lord Karazo, a Rank Five energy fluctuation has appeared. Shall we investigate?” a humanoid creature asked the commander aboard one of the ships.

Most of the lifeforms in this fleet were humanoid in shape, strikingly similar to the humans of Magus World or the Gallant Federation at first glance.

But a closer look revealed subtle differences—most notably the rhombic crystal embedded in each of their chests. It seemed to be their core source of power.

The fleet’s commander was a middle-aged man with a subtle aura. The crystal in his chest shone with a deeper hue than the others’, marking him as the strongest being in the fleet.

Yuri, observing from afar, had not realized that the man was a Rank Five; the ship’s energy barriers and his deliberate restraint kept his power well hidden!

The silver-haired commander did not wish to invite unnecessary trouble, especially now, on the eve of an important campaign. Yet his duty to his kind and the weight of their mission left him no room for carelessness.

“Hopefully, he’s not here to interfere with our war against Blue Star. Either we make him an ally, or we drive him out...”

The man’s gaze hardened as he looked in the direction Yuri had flown.

The Klytherans could not afford any more losses.

The sheer density of elemental energy around him made Sein pause to examine his own body with curiosity.

His current lawful body was clearly far more refined than it had been back at Rank Four.

Waves of radiant light and blazing fire burst from his core, sweeping across the void in every direction. The surrounding starry sky grew noticeably brighter.

Sein had never studied divine domains—or rather, the power of domains—in great depth.

But with the level of laws he now commanded and the intensity of his elemental energy, the power he released naturally shaped itself into a domain of its own...

The Ashen Domain!

Any creature that stepped into this domain would find itself eroded by Sein’s power. Conversely, within it, Sein would gain an overwhelming surge in strength.

But the changes brought about by his ascension to Rank Five went far beyond that.

There were countless transformations taking place, each demanding careful reflection and understanding.

Of course, the greatest gain of all was that Sein could now finally wield the full power of the Faceless Mask!

That meant unrestricted access to all the insights and knowledge left behind by its previous master, Jorces, one of Magus World’s best Rank Six mages.

Jorces’s mastery of lumen, pyro, sonido elemental magic, and alchemy was nothing short of extraordinary. Even Sein could not help but feel humbled as he absorbed those records.

The extent of the transformation following his breakthrough exceeded all expectations.

Sein was no ordinary Rank Five.

Even before his advancement, he had been able to hold his own briefly against an average Rank Five being.

Now, he radiated an elemental pressure powerful enough to challenge even late-stage Rank Fives.

Perhaps sensing this change, the metallic fleet that had been tailing Yuri into this demiplane came to a gradual stop.

Yuri swiftly returned to Sein’s side with her Blazing Flame Unit.

Seeing the Rank Five mage radiating such overwhelming power, the beings aboard the fleet clearly had no desire to pick a fight.

Moments later, three figures emerged from the fleet, each one a creature of at least Rank Four.

The figure leading the group was clearly the fleet’s commander, a powerhouse approaching the late stage of Rank Five.

Behind him were two Rank Four beings whose auras were noticeably weaker among their own rank.

The most distinctive feature of all three was the rhombic crystal in their chests.

Both sides stood facing one another in silence for a while. Perhaps they were each trying to discern the other’s origins, or had already recognized them.

Finally, Sein spoke first.

“Klytherans?” he asked.

During his early years in Sky City, he had come across some records mentioning this species.

They were said to be a civilization that had once interacted with Magus World long ago. According to the archives, though, they had gone extinct.

He remembered them mainly because of the Klytherite that existed within their bodies. It was an incredibly rare, inert crystal that held immense and mysterious power.

For a time, the Magus Civilization had gone to great lengths to search for similar inert crystals, but to no avail.

Alongside Klytherite, there was Tide Crystal, another unique mineral recorded in Sky City’s archives.

Fortunately, Sein was a well-read mage with a broad knowledge base.

If it had been a Magus World knight in his place, they likely would not have recognized who or what these creatures were.

As Sein identified the Klytherans, the leader seemed to reach his own conclusion as well.

“Uh, you’re... a demon... or a devil?” the Rank Five Klytheran leader asked, his brow furrowing slightly as he studied Sein.

At that moment, Sein looked nothing like a mage from the Magus World.

With his demonic lawful body active and verdant flames faintly roaring around him, he looked anything but benevolent.

The two Rank Four Klytherans flanking their leader were less knowledgeable. They did not recognize Sein’s identity and instead raised their guard, ready to fight at a moment’s notice.