Sovereign of the Ashes

Feylis was not the only one sending reinforcements to the Mordora Star Domain.

As news spread that the star domain was under attack, Magus Civilization forces from nearby battlefields began converging on it one after another.

“Grandmaster, how much do you know about the Amenkha Empire?” Sein asked after the main forces had set out. He had come to Feylis’ space fortress specifically for this question.

He had heard fragments about the Amenkha Empire through various sources, but in truth, he knew very little about this top-tier civilization.

All he really knew was that it was extremely powerful and located far beyond Magus World.

After all, he had paid a staggering price through the Arriba Interstellar Chamber of Commerce just to acquire a single treasure from that empire, and the transportation alone had cost a small fortune.

Hearing his question, Feylis paused for a moment before answering.

“The Amenkha Empire is far stronger than our Magus World. I once heard Master Zenasus mention that in recent times, they have become our greatest threat, even more so than the Gallant Federation.”

She continued, “And it isn’t just us. The Amenkha Empire is hostile toward many other top-tier civilizations across nearby star domains. When dealing with other civilizations, they favor absolute suppression and conquest.”

Feylis took out a crystal ball from within her robe and handed it to him.

“This contains most of what I know about them, including records of Amenkha lifeforms I collected in my early years. You can have a look.”

“Thank you, Grandmaster,” Sein said.

After reviewing the information, Sein could not help but feel a renewed sense of awe at the Amenkha Empire’s power.

Feared not only by neighboring civilizations but even by distant powers deep in the cosmos, the Amenkha Empire was clearly a formidable rival for the Magus Civilization.

***

At the Mordora Star Domain...

By the time Sein and the others arrived, a fierce war had already broken out across the entire region.

The plane where Tourmaline was currently in was a low-level hydro elemental plane known as the Sea Melody World.

The Magus Civilization had established a highly efficient teleportation network across this hydro elemental world.

Tourmaline and the others had planned to use it to jump straight to Mordora, the planet where White Stella was.

Unfortunately, the Amenkha Empire’s blockade had rendered the surrounding spatial arrays unusable.

As a result, Sein and his group had no choice but to travel to the Sea Melody World the long way.

As for Planet Mordora... they had completely lost contact with that medium-sized world.

The fighting currently raging along the outskirts of the Mordora Star Domain was mainly between Magus Civilization reinforcements and the Amenkha Empire’s advancing legions.

So far, Sein had not seen any forces from Magus World’s sea races.

That could only mean one of two things. Either the Amenkha Empire had already wiped them out with overwhelming speed, or White Stella had recognized the threat early and pulled all her forces back to Mordora to make a final stand.

Either way, the situation was grim.

The only piece of good news was that the Sea Melody World, where Tourmaline was, lay close to the edge of the star domain.

After receiving Feylis’ approval, Sein immediately led a portion of his elite forces and headed toward its coordinates.

The composition of the Amenkha Empire’s lower-tier legions was incredibly diverse. Aside from the black-armored soldiers and the bandage-wrapped creatures that looked like Pharaohs, the largest portion consisted of massive monster legions.

These creatures varied wildly in size and form. Most stood over fifteen meters tall, though some were much smaller, possessing strange and specialized abilities.

The only thing they shared was their terrifying appearance and the overwhelming aura of brutality they radiated.

They were, in essence, living war machines bred purely for slaughter.

The moment Sein saw them, he was reminded of the Molten Steel T-Rex King he had encountered in the Golden Rock Worlds.

A thought crossed his mind.

If these creatures could be modified through mechanical arts... perhaps a new kind of mechanized monster legion could be created for the Magus Civilization.

Compared to Titans, these creatures seem even more mindless, more ferocious... and far more reckless. And with bodies like that, they would be perfect platforms for mounting magic cannons or other machinery made of alchemy!

With his alchemical skills steadily improving, Sein found himself instinctively viewing everything through the lens of mechanical arts and alchemy.

On their way to the Sea Melody World, Sein and his companions ran into battle after battle.

Anxious to reach Tourmaline, Sein released Fermera from the very beginning.

At his side were Yuri, piloting the Burning Flame Unit, and Reina, already in full combat mode.

The Ashen Army dealt with the lower-tier enemies, while Sein and his group focused on threats at Rank Four and above.

Sein had no intention of getting bogged down. Whenever powerful Amenkha powerhouses appeared, he simply forced them back and pushed forward without hesitation.

With the eight-winged angel clearing the path ahead, and no Rank Six enemies strong enough to stop them for now, their advance went relatively smoothly.

However, the sheer number of Amenkha forces in the region and the speed at which Sein pressed forward gradually caused them to drift away from Feylis’ main army.

Fortunately, they arrived just in time.

Beyond the Sea Melody World...

The moment Sein entered the battlefield, the first thing he saw was Tourmaline in her true form.

High above the ocean, she raised a massive dragon claw and brought it crashing down with overwhelming force.

At that moment, she was locked in combat with two Rank Four monsters from the Amenkha Empire.

One resembled a massive lizard with a tail that ended in a spiked ball. The other had wings on its back and a sharp, bird-like beak.

Even against two opponents, Tourmaline showed no sign of faltering. If anything, she only grew fiercer as the fight dragged on.

Two world-class arm ribbons coiled around her body, one on each side. Empowered by their law power, every strike Tourmaline unleashed carried crushing force.

The moment she sensed Sein’s presence, she lifted her head and waved excitedly in his direction.

Not far from her, a clash between Rank Five beings raged in the skies.

Wrapped in countless bandages, a vizier of the Amenkha Empire held a clear and overwhelming advantage over his opponent.[1]

Saxe, a Rank Five Magus World knight, had already activated his lawful body, transforming into a massive, elephant-like creature with four arms and eight razor-sharp tusks.

Even so, he was being completely suppressed.

His trunk was badly mangled, and three of his tusks had already been broken.

Seeing this, Sein immediately gave orders to his companions.

“You two, go help Tourmaline first. Fermera, come with me. We’ll assist Sir Zack!”

1. Translator’s Note: Viziers are members of the Pharaohs’ Temple who are below Rank Seven. In Chapter 1738, it was stated that anyone at the overlord level (Rank Seven and above) assumes the title of Pharaoh. Those among the top ten strongest are further ranked, such as the Tenth Pharaoh, Fourth Pharaoh, and so on. In the original raws, viziers are actually referred to as 法老 (Pharaohs), while Pharaohs are referred to as 法老王 (Pharaoh Kings). However, since “Pharaoh” already carries the meaning of a king in English, “Pharaoh King” feels redundant and unnatural. For this reason, I have chosen to translate those below the overlord level as “viziers.” Historically, a vizier was the highest-ranking official serving under the pharaoh (king) in Ancient Egypt across the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. ☜