Sovereign of the Ashes

Despite years of contact with Sein and others from the Magus Civilization, Auron had never once expressed any intention of joining the Magus Alliance.

Yet now, with war looming over both the Shadowbat Civilization and Marvelous Plane, he chose to step in without hesitation.

Part of this was because Sein and his group had always interacted with Auron from a rather “utilitarian” angle, focusing on practical benefits.

Darian, Beatrice, and the others, however, connected with the Voltaran emotionally, or rather, through shared ideals.

And of course, another factor was that Auron acted solely on his own behalf. His choice to join the Shadowbat Civilization’s counteroffensive had nothing to do with Voltara World, just like how he offered almost unconditional support for Blue Star all those years ago.

Auron’s declaration earned a sideways glance from Sein.

But what truly caught everyone’s attention was Karl’s stance.

His performance in the Sanok Star Domain battle had proven that, despite his youth, he was already Klythera’s strongest fighter.

And now that Klythera had joined the Magus Alliance, Karl’s decision represented not only himself, but potentially the will of the remaining Klytherans and even the alliance.

After consulting Feylis and other leaders of the Magus Civilization regarding Karl, Darian, and the others, Sein decided to allow their return to join the war.

Only by experiencing the terror of their enemies firsthand could they truly understand the value of joining the Magus Alliance.

However, Feylis and the others advised Orric of Aquaria to wait, preferably moving together with the Magus Civilization’s main forces.

The Orric of old would have erupted immediately.

“Wait? How long do you expect me to wait? Who knows when the Magus Civilization’s main force will even be ready?”

But now, weighed down by the upheaval of his homeworld, Orric had calmed considerably since his initial burst of rage.

To Sein, who had come to persuade him, Orric replied, “Return straight to Aquaria? I’m not that stupid. Going back now would only get me surrounded by Orven and his forces.”

“I plan to observe the Shadowbat Civilization’s frontline first. Since Orven chose to drag Aquaria into Arid Expanse World’s camp, I’ll see for myself what makes Arid Expanse World so impressive,” he added with a cold snort.

Sein saw a newfound clarity and calmness in Orric’s eyes. He nodded—Orric’s reasoning made sense.

Orric ultimately did not choose to join the Magus Alliance, so Sein and the others could not order him to stay against his will.

Besides, it would have been pointless. Someone like Orric responded far better to persuasion than orders.

Compared to Orven—who had already defected to the Gallant Federation—the Magus Civilization’s leaders, including Sein, naturally favored Orric, whom they knew personally.

When push came to shove, the Magus Civilization might even help Orric reclaim his homeplane.

Restoring Orric’s rightful authority would even serve as great propaganda within the Magus Alliance.

“Your little brother, Orven, seized the Ocean King’s throne under unjust circumstances, crushed the civil war with suspicious speed, and aligned Aquaria with Arid Expanse World. I’m sure the Gallant Federation is behind all of this,” Sein said.

“Rest assured, our Magus Civilization will not ignore something this unjust. I believe you have already witnessed our strength,” Sein told Orric.

Orric nodded firmly, then boarded Darian’s Phantom Chariot with the others and sped toward the Shadowbat Civilization.

Before leaving, Darian had approached Sein several times. From his hesitant expression, Sein could tell what he wanted to ask.

Unfortunately, Sein could not promise him anything this time.

Until Feylis said something, even Sein did not know when the Magus Civilization’s main forces would arrive at the Shadowbat Civilization’s frontline.

Besides, the negotiations with the Shadowbat Civilization and their potential entry into the Magus Alliance were not something that could be decided in a brief exchange.

From the Magus Civilization’s viewpoint, what did the fall of the Shadowbat Civilization or the Marvelous Plane have to do with them?

Even so, Sein still spoke to Darian kindly, not wanting the significant investment made in them earlier to go to waste.

Though the Magus Civilization found itself in a position to wait for better terms, Sein refrained from overplaying his advantage, ensuring Darian and the others left with a favorable impression.

“Don’t worry, once our Magus Civilization is ready, we’ll definitely send troops to aid your Shadowbat Civilization!” Sein told Darian.

“Of course, when you return, you must first discuss joining the Magus Alliance with your higher-ups,” he added.

***

Darian, Orric, Karl, and the others departed on their own.

Karl, in particular, left without saying a word to Karazo or anyone else, and he brought no Klytheran fighter with him. He joined the Shadowbat Civilization’s resistance entirely as an individual.

To the other Rank Four Klytheran powerhouses, Karl’s behavior came as no surprise.

Ever since he had openly aligned himself with the Blue Star natives, he had drifted away from most of the Klytherans—even if many of the lower-ranking fighters still admired his strength.

The departure of a few Rank Four and Rank Five beings did not disrupt the Magus Civilization’s deployment in the slightest. The vast army continued moving according to plan.

Once they entered the Chaos Sea Star Domain, Feylis divided the army into three.

The largest force advanced toward the Golden Rock Worlds.

According to verified intelligence, the Gallant Federation had already stationed a substantial fleet there. The Golden Rock Worlds were also the federation’s most critical source of metallic raw materials in this war.

Sending the main legion toward the Golden Rock Worlds would also make future joint operations with Master Fathis far easier when striking the Gallant Federation.

Another detachment, led by Gregory, was assigned to purge loose factions and wandering races within the Chaos Sea.

The Chaos Sea and its surroundings were destined to become the Magus Civilization’s backyard. No unaffiliated species could be allowed to remain.

Cleansing the Chaos Sea would also prevent the wandering races of the Astral Realm from harassing the Magus Civilization’s rear or from causing trouble for its logistics convoys once the main forces departed.

Lastly, the smallest contingent was scattered across the Chaos Sea and the outer region surrounding Blue Star.

Their mission was to search for inert crystal deposits such as Gray Quartz.