Sovereign of the Ashes

The moment Fallen Stars was unleashed, the attention of countless beings across the entire battlefield was drawn to it.

After all, this was a forbidden spell cast by a Rank Five mage.

In both coverage and destructive power, it far exceeded anything a demigod-level mage, or even a Rank Four mage, could achieve.

Moreover, pyro elemental forbidden spells were widely acknowledged as the most destructive among all.

Before the spell even struck the federal fleet, several small vessels and drones with extremely weak defenses had already melted into pools of molten metal under its terrifying elemental fury.

The unleashing of the forbidden spell greatly boosted the morale of the Magus Civilization’s legions.

More importantly, Sein’s spell was focused primarily on the silver fleet before him.

From the very first exchange, Sein clearly held the upper hand.

Although the silver fleet launched counterattacks during the engagement, they proved largely ineffective.

Sein’s formidable physique allowed him to avoid the exhaustion that typically plagued mages after casting a forbidden spell.

In addition, Fallen Stars relied primarily on magic bombs made of inert crystal as its spell nodes, leaving Sein’s own mana consumption minimal.

While the spell’s elemental radiance continued to linger across the surrounding sky, Sein charged forward once more.

In his pursuit of truth, Sein had developed a fighting style uniquely his own—close-quarters combat that seamlessly alternated between magic and melee.

Compared to Gregory, this approach was somewhat more conservative, yet to most, it was no less ferocious.

Bolgan, a Rank Four knight from the Jehannah Kingdom, could only stare in disbelief as Sein smashed a federal battleship hundreds of meters long with a single close-range strike, then unleashed countless beams that set off a chain of explosions across the fleet.

“Just who exactly is this mage named Sein?” he asked his comrade.

Standing beside him was another Rank Four knight, Skarna. Like Bolgan, he hailed from the Jehannah Kingdom, and the two had long been partners on the battlefield.

Unlike Bolgan, Skarna was one of the few Jehannah knights who possessed a sharp, analytical mind.

“I heard he has some connection to Master Feylis, the commander of this subspace battlefield,” Skanar remarked.

Bolgan had transformed into a green-skinned, muscle-bound monster, while Skarna took on a slimmer, shorter form with two blade-like horns. Despite the contrast, they made for an unexpectedly well-matched pair in battle.

Skanar wielded a short pike as a pair of grayish-white, fleshy wings spread and unfurled behind him.

The two were actually quite far from Sein’s position.

Bolgan was dealing mainly with a fleet of Gallant Federation Rank Four warships, while, in the distance, a giant mobile suit with Rank Four combat power charged toward Skanar.

Bolgan plopped down on a heap of metal wreckage, then sniffed the air dramatically before turning his head toward Skanar.

“This Sein carries a strong demonic aura. Looks like he is half our kind.”

“There’s no demonic aura in me! How many times do I have to repeat myself? My bloodline comes from the Caucasian Eagle!” Skanar snapped.

***

The fierce melee raged on for an extended period.

Only months later did the situation on Sein’s battlefield begin to shift noticeably.

The Gallant Federation withdrew its forces.

The vast disparity in strength made it impossible for the Gallant Federation to sustain a prolonged fight against Sein’s legion.

Moreover, retreat had become routine for the Gallant Federation in recent years.

During their withdrawals, they laid down extensive defense lines and erected layers of metal fortifications. This was a process the federation had grown increasingly adept at executing.

The smooth progression of events allowed Sein to secure victory without ever needing to summon Fermera.

This was a sign that the Gallant Federation was no longer a match for the Magus Civilization’s legions, at least not as it had been in the early stages of the war.

Of course, it could also be that Sein’s own growth over recent years had simply been too rapid.

Both the magic he wielded and the array of magic equipment at his disposal far surpassed those of his peers.

Among those of similar rank in the Gallant Federation, one figure commanded Sein’s respect—Bond, the Rank Five agent.

However, since rejoining the Magus Civilization’s main forces, Sein had received no further intelligence regarding Bond.

That formidable federal agent, who had once caused Sein immense trouble, had gradually faded into the background, just as Sein himself had, as the number of high-ranking combatants on both sides swelled into the hundreds.

Who knew—Bond might be fighting in another theater of war at this very moment. With his own abilities and the power of a world-class secret treasure, he was likely causing no small amount of trouble for the Magus Civilization legions on that battlefield.

Recalling a formidable opponent in the midst of battle was a strange experience.

By now, Sein was slightly exhausted after months of continuous fighting.

Watching the heavily damaged main force of the silver fleet attempt to withdraw under the desperate cover of its remaining ships, he spoke into his crystal ball.

“Deploy Fermera. Don’t let the main force of this fleet escape!”

Sein’s crystal ball was directly linked to the Ashen Fortress’ command center.

Not long after the order was given, an eight-winged angel radiating blinding light burst forth from the Ashen Fortress, flying straight toward the silver fleet.

The federal ships assigned to cover the retreat erupted into explosions as Fermera tore through the battlefield.

This angel robot’s individual combat prowess far surpassed Sein’s.

Once she was deployed as the final reserve force, the Gallant Federation fleet collapsed faster than expected.

Sein’s objective was to trap and annihilate that heavily damaged main fleet.

***

After the battle concluded, Sein’s legions began sweeping the battlefield for spoils of war.

Such engagements yielded substantial gains not only for Magus World’s knights and mages, but also for the extraplanar creatures of the Magus Alliance.

Neutral energy blocks produced by the Gallant Federation, neatly stacked in crates, naturally became the primary spoils claimed by the Magus Civilization powerhouses.

The creatures from the alliance, on the other hand, found their rewards in the battlefield’s leftovers, including energy cores inside destroyed low-tier cannon fodder robots that Magus World’s Rank One and Rank Two knights and mages rarely bothered with.

These allied creatures were not picky. They combed the hillsides for what others dismissed as “rubbish”.

Beyond low-grade energy cores, battle-hardened allied creatures could even identify valuable specialized components hidden within low-tier robots and federal warships.

No one knew how these illiterate, seemingly ignorant allied creatures managed to understand the Gallant Federation’s complex robotics and warship designs.

Perhaps familiarity came with time.

Perhaps, in this world, there truly were no ignorant lowly creatures.