Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein, who had just been on his grandmaster’s mind, was currently engaged in combat.

The sudden appearance of Bond and the other federal operatives caught Sein and his group completely off guard.

Several hundred federal agents, along with more than ten thousand angel robots, had appeared in this sector.

Among them were four agents with Rank Four combat strength.

Two especially dangerous opponents wielded Rank Five power—Bond himself and the eight-winged angel known as Fermera.

Fortunately, Sein had damaged Fermera so severely with a top-grade inert crystal that she had yet to recover fully.

Otherwise, facing a robot at full Rank Six strength would have placed Sein and his allies in an even more desperate situation.

In terms of law-wielding combatants, Sein’s group held a slight advantage.

Gilbert, Valerie, Roth, and Grethel quickly erected elemental shields, trading blows evenly with the four federal agents.

These agents represented the Gallant Federation’s most elite super soldiers.

Genetic modification was not the Gallant Federation’s primary specialty. This top-tier technological civilization focused mainly on developing warships and giant mobile suits, fields in which they had already produced overlord-class assets.

Still, a lack of specialization did not mean weakness.

It all depended on who they were being compared to.

The federation’s achievements in biological modification were nothing to scoff at, as proven by the creation of a high-potential Rank Five agent like Bond.

The four mages were research specialists rather than frontline fighters, so Sein dispatched Yuri and her Burning Flame Unit to support them.

Black Oblivion and his cousins were now fully transformed into their true forms. They focused primarily on engaging the eight-winged angel, occasionally lending support to Gilbert and the others.

After spending time apart, Sein’s group had grown dramatically stronger.

Supplemented by abundant genetic fluids, Black Oblivion and his cousins had recently pushed their bloodline power to its absolute limit.

Fortunately, Sein had been keeping a close watch on them to prevent them from overindulging.

The sudden arrival of the Gallant Federation’s combat forces might have caught everyone off guard, but their timing could not have been better.

With bloodline power surging within Black Oblivion and his cousins, they were already raring to go.

They no longer viewed ordinary Rank Four combatants as worthy opponents.

Without hesitation, the three of them launched a perfectly coordinated assault on the eight-winged angel.

Discoveries from the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization and the Black Merlot Civilization had significantly boosted the group’s overall strength, benefiting not only law-wielding powerhouses like Sein but also dozens of lower-ranking knights and mages.

While mages gained access to higher-level arcane mysteries, knights obtained genetic fluids from the Black Merlot Civilization to enhance their bloodline transformations.

It was a pity that there were only a small number of lower-ranking knights and mages in their group.

Master Gilbert and the others quickly erected a massive elemental barrier to shield these lower-level combatants.

In the midst of the battle, Sein also scattered a handful of verdant green seeds.

If everyone could hold out just a little longer, the situation would shift dramatically.

ROAR!

A monstrous, pitch-black beast head appeared before Sein.

When Sein countered with an elemental ray, the beastly head was blasted apart and reverted into Bond’s right leg.

Sein had to admit that among the physically frail races of the Gallant Federation, Bond was a true anomaly.

He had always assumed that Federation humans would only dare to confront the Magus Civilization’s powerhouses from behind layers of metal—like warships or giant mobile suits.

Bond, however, clearly represented the pinnacle of individual evolution within the Gallant Federation.

While the federation did have certain marshals and generals who had undergone extreme genetic modification, wielding combat power comparable to deities of the Astral Realm, their primary role was to command fleet formations.

It was almost unthinkable for such figures to venture out alone and engage Magus World powerhouses in direct combat.

Bond’s movements were exceptionally refined. Unlike the broad, sweeping fighting styles favored by Magus World knights, his approach emphasized precision and finesse.

Another monstrous beast head appeared from Bond’s right fist.

After smashing through Sein’s elemental barrier, it drove straight toward Sein’s lower ribs.

Faint vibrations of law energy and ripples of pitch-black power spread outward.

In response, Sein let out a low growl as his mage form instantly transformed into a terrifying demonic form.

The sudden increase in physical size brought a comprehensive surge in both his strength and elemental power.

Pale ashen flames slowly engulfed Sein’s body and his demonic wings.

The intensely powerful fire sizzled and crackled as it collided with the black ripples pulsing from Bond’s wrist.

Embers and sparks burst from the point of impact in great showers.

After several exchanges, Sein glanced at the blackened marks across his demonic form.

Bond slapped at his black combat suit, yet the stubborn Ashen Flame refused to die out, continuing to gnaw at his body with every passing moment.

Judging from this brief clash, Sein clearly held the upper hand.

“Black Merlot Civilization’s power?” Sein exclaimed in disbelief as another beast-headed phantom began to form once more between Bond’s fists.

Sein’s group had recently obtained a copy of the Black Merlot Civilization’s cultivation technique manual.

However, modifying the technique to suit Magus World beings would take a long time.

Moreover, the Black Merlot Civilization’s combat techniques appeared to require integration with certain beast taming and inner arts to achieve their full potential.

So, how had this Rank Five super soldier of the Gallant Federation managed to pull it off? Sein was utterly perplexed.

Naturally, Bond had no intention of answering his questions.

This Rank Five Magus World being was every bit as troublesome as the federation’s central database had warned.

Bond had initially tried to close the distance, relying on the widely held belief within the Gallant Federation that Magus Civilization mages were weak in close combat.

But once Sein revealed his demonic lawful body and traded several brutal close-range blows, Bond quickly found himself at a disadvantage.

In terms of raw power and physical resilience, Bond could not match this Rank Five Magus World mage who had undergone years of ruthless body-tempering experiments.

Bond’s true advantage lay in his agile combat techniques and the Gallant Federation’s versatile technological weapons.

He quickly deployed several V7 Particle Stun Grenades to force Sein back.

When the smoke and flash gradually cleared, and Sein was about to charge forward once more, he froze in surprise at the sight of Bond crouched amidst the metal ruins, bracing an ion cannon nearly twenty meters long on his shoulder.