Sovereign of the Ashes

Klytherans’ homeworld should not have been far from the Magus Civilization. Otherwise, they would not have known devils and demons.

But it seemed that after leaving their homeland for too long, these Klytherans could no longer tell the difference between the two.

Sein had no devil blood in him, but he had indeed absorbed and mastered an immense amount of demonic power.

“I’m a Rank Five mage of the Magus Civilization, honored fighter of Planet Klythera. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Sein said after suppressing the turbulent Ashen Flame swirling around him.

That strange and potent flame had kept the Klytheran powerhouse on edge ever since he stepped out of his warship, but Sein’s identity as a mage from Magus World made him pause.

“You come from Magus World?” the Rank Five Klytheran asked, visibly surprised.

As the strongest and most senior survivor of Klythera, Karazo—though born after the planet’s destruction—had inherited nearly all the knowledge his people had managed to preserve.

Magus World was a mighty realm the Klytherans had once encountered, and back then, their relations had been friendly.

The Klythera Civilization, once thriving and rapidly advancing, was ultimately destroyed by the Gallant Federation.

The Klytherite within their bodies had made them a target of the federation’s greed.

After all, it was a rare and powerful resource needed for constructing the federal warships and secret weapons.

That insatiable desire for Klytherite drove the Gallant Federation to launch a full-scale war, one that ended with the near-annihilation of the Klytherans.

Faced with extinction, most Klytherans fought to their last breath.

A few, protected by the desperate final stand of their kin, barely escaped the federation’s relentless pursuit and fled to another star domain.

Sein did not know the full history between Klythera and the Gallant Federation, but he could tell that the Klytherans and the Magus Civilization had no real conflict of interest.

After all, any civilization that held a grudge against Magus World would have long since been wiped out by its overwhelming power.

If certain hostile species from other worlds had managed to escape the Magus Civilization’s pursuit, Magus World would still usually record them in its archives.

Yet in Sky City, Sein found no mention of the Klytherans being hostile toward Magus World.

Whether hostility existed could often be sensed from a civilization’s demeanor and the faint pressure it exuded.

After studying Sein for a while and confirming his identity, the Rank Five Klytheran named Karazo finally relaxed and raised his hand.

The two Rank Four Klytheran powerhouses behind him exchanged a glance and lowered their guard, while their warships slowly turned their cannons aside.

“I see. I never expected to meet someone from one of our allied civilizations mentioned in our ancient records,” said the leader of Planet Klythera, his gaze sincere. “I am Karazo, a Rank Five. That’s my true name,”

Sein took a moment to observe the Klytheran before him, then nodded and replied, “My name is Sein.”

“Master Sein, would you grant me the honor of joining us aboard our ship for a discussion?” Karazo extended a hand to invite him aboard. “My civilization once shared an exceptionally close relationship with Magus World.”

While exceptionally close might have been an exaggeration, they certainly were not enemies.

Sein glanced at Karazo, then at the massive fleet behind him, and nodded. “Very well. I only recently came into this star domain, and there’s some information I’d like to ask you about, Your Highness.”

“We Klytherans have no royal bloodlines or rigid hierarchies. All Klytherans are equals, working together for the rise of our race. So, Master Sein, you can just call me Karazo,” the Rank Five Klytheran explained.

“Understood,” Sein replied with a nod.

***

These Klytherans turned out to be far more welcoming than Sein had expected.

In fact, it was obvious in many ways that they lived far better than the Huusians he had encountered before. Their overall strength, too, clearly surpassed that of the Huusian race.

As Sein watched the Klytherans move about, he had to fight the urge to dissect one for research.

“So the Klythera Civilization and the Gallant Federation are connected after all. The Gallant Federation truly lives up to its reputation as a ruthless, heretical civilization driven by destruction. Our Magus Civilization acts not only for our own sake but for the peace and stability of the surrounding star domains. Such an evil power must be eradicated!” Sein declared with righteous conviction from within the relatively luxurious warship.

After leading Sein aboard the Klytheran warship, Karazo went straight to the topic of the blood feud between the surviving Klytherans and the Gallant Federation.

His words made it clear that he burned with a deep desire for vengeance.

Sein naturally aligned himself with the Klytherans’ stance. After all, they shared a common enemy, and the atmosphere inside the metal vessel gradually grew more cordial.

“I hear the Gallant Federation has gone to war with the Magus Civilization?” Karazo asked.

“Yes. The Gallant Federation brazenly shattered the peace of the surrounding star domains, leading their vassal forces in a cowardly surprise attack on our borders. That was how the war between the two top-tier civilizations began.

“But the Gallant Federation hasn’t had it easy either. Their main vanguard fleet is trapped in the Netherworld Star Domain, and our Magus Civilization is pressing the advantage on other fronts, like the Grand Eye Demon World. The balance of power in this war is plain for all to see.

“Evil will inevitably be purged. The Magus Civilization, standing for justice, will undoubtedly claim the final victory!” Sein said, his confidence unwavering.

But to a veteran like Karazo, mere talk of justice and evil meant little.

Having inherited the burden of leadership from his predecessors, Karazo had guided the survivors of Planet Klythera through endless hardship in the Astral Realm. After all he had endured, what storm had he not faced?

Only the victor had the right to define justice and evil!

The winners were always called righteous, and the defeated were branded as wicked.

Yet from the Klytherans’ point of view, the Gallant Federation was unquestionably evil for destroying their home and slaughtering countless of their kin in the past.

Karazo was a staunch opponent of the Gallant Federation, determined to lead his people in avenging their fallen ancestors.

Otherwise, he would not have kept his people away from the star domains controlled by the Gallant Federation and the Magus Civilization for so many years.

By now, even those two supreme powers might have assumed the Klytherans were extinct.

Yet under Karazo’s leadership, they continued to monitor both powers and were even aware that war had broken out between the two civilizations.

It was impossible that they had no schemes of their own.