Sovereign of the Ashes

Rank Five vizier Raebius of the Amenkha Empire ultimately ended up as just another specimen in Sein’s laboratory.

That said, there was a small dispute over how the spoils should be divided.

The Rank Four Dragon Warlock Mel insisted she deserved half of the vizier’s remains.

In truth, it was Sein who had suppressed Raebius during his burst phase and kept him locked in place, cutting off any chance of escape.

Facing Sein, who was backed by two world-class secret treasures, Raebius had no choice but to accept defeat!

Aside from the vizier, the other key figure on this battlefield was the Rank Six monster Fermera had engaged earlier.

Its immense physique and the single sharp horn on its head that was capable of firing strange, law-infused beams made it a formidable opponent.

At first, even Fermera had no effective way to deal with it.

But everything changed once Feylis and Kruiz arrived.

Feylis unleashed a powerful Verdant Flame spell that was far more than the monster’s scales and flesh could withstand.

The raging green flames clung to its body, burning relentlessly.

No matter how it struggled, it could not shake them off.

Kruiz’s fighting style, on the other hand, was far more direct.

He transformed into a massive crimson fire dragon and charged head-on, smashing into the Rank Six creature and sending it tumbling through the air.

In terms of sheer size and strength, Kruiz in his dragon form was even larger than the monster.

Feylis herself was no weakling in close combat either.

But Sein had never actually seen his grandmaster fight up close. On most battlefields, Feylis relied almost entirely on magic.

Perhaps that was simply because no opponent here had pushed her far enough to go all out.

With the arrival of Feylis and Kruiz leading their legions, the Amenkha Empire forces surrounding the Sea Melody World quickly began to crumble.

The empire’s reputation was fearsome, but they were far from invincible.

Faced with an overwhelming force, they suffered losses and were forced into a chaotic retreat.

***

As the battle wound down, Sein brought Tourmaline with him to meet his grandmaster and the others.

By then, Tourmaline had already shifted back into her human form.

In her dragon-turtle form, she was more than ten times larger than Sein in his demonic form. But in her current human form, she only came up to his waist.

When they approached Feylis and the others, Mel had just returned to her normal form and was standing behind her father, Kruiz.

She was not much taller than Tourmaline.

The two girls, both carrying distinct draconic aura, were meeting for the first time, yet they seemed to click almost instantly.

Tourmaline’s most obvious dragon trait was her pair of delicate horns.

Mel, on the other hand, had no horns in human form, but a pair of violet-golden dragon wings rested on her back.

After giving a respectful bow to his grandmaster, Sein briefly explained the situation in the Sea Melody World.

Meanwhile, the ever-outgoing Tourmaline had already stepped forward and held out her right hand to Mel.

Mel had still been a little annoyed at Sein for “taking” her share of the spoils, but in that moment, she seemed to forget all about it. She hesitated for a second, then reached out and took Tourmaline’s hand.

Before long, the two slipped off to the side, chatting quietly.

Tourmaline, generous as always, began pulling out small treasures from her storage and sharing them with Mel.

Mel’s eyes widened with each new item. But she was, frankly, a bit short on things to give in return.

After receiving so many treats and trinkets from Tourmaline, Mel searched herself. Aside from a few vials of Dragon Blood Potions she had brewed, she also offered a handful of her own violet-golden dragon scales.

Sein had one of those scales as well, but he had not expected Mel to treat them as gifts.

Tourmaline blinked in surprise. It was probably the first time she had ever received dragon scales from someone else.

Sein knew she would never pull off her own scales and give them away like that. She was afraid of pain.

Anyways, the bond between the two girls formed quickly.

Both were Rank Four, though Tourmaline was slightly bigger—and, being a bit wealthier, carried herself with the faint air of an older sister.

Ignoring the quiet antics between Tourmaline and Mel, Sein kept his focus on Feylis and Kruiz.

Given the Amenkha Empire’s fearsome reputation, he had already learned from their exchange that the Dragon Warlock Clan’s soul overmages had arrived in this star domain and were heading straight for its center.

“The Amenkha Empire is not to be underestimated,” Kruiz warned. “On the battlefields I passed through, even when our numbers were equal, the Magus Civilization’s legions struggled to gain any real advantage.”

He paused briefly before adding, “And those viziers and Pharaohs... their sealing techniques are especially troublesome.”

Although Kruiz was slightly weaker than Feylis, his words earned a quiet nod of agreement.

After all, they had not yet encountered a Rank Six vizier. If they had, things would not have gone this smoothly.

“So, what’s next?” Feylis asked. “Do we push deeper into the heart of the Mordora Star Domain, or hold position and support this outer battlefield?”

Since Kruiz represented the Dragon Warlock Clan, it was likely he had already been given a plan before arriving.

Until Feylis received direct orders from the Pyro Secret Society or other high command, coordinating with Kruiz was the best choice.

As expected, Kruiz already had a strategy in mind.

“We only need to stay on the periphery—”

Before he could finish, a thunderous dragon’s roar erupted from the distant depths of space, shaking the surrounding void.

Kruiz and the others immediately stiffened.

The roar had come from the very center of the Mordora Star Domain and it belonged to Bhaal.

Within the Dragon Warlock Clan, such a roar was more than just a sound—it was a signal.

Kruiz’s expression darkened as he turned to Feylis. “We need to leave. Now!”

“The situation in this star domain is far worse than we expected!”

As he spoke, a pair of crimson dragon wings tore through his robe, and in the next moment, he shifted into his dragon form.

“Even after Bhaal arrived... he still couldn’t handle the Amenkha Empire’s forces here?” Feylis asked in shock.

A deep rumble rolled through space.

From the distant void, even denser clouds of necromantic energy began to gather, along with new waves of Amenkha Empire legions radiating a far more sinister presence.

This time, among the encircling forces around the Sea Melody World were several Rank Six, and even peak Rank Six viziers.

It was clear the Amenkha Empire had planned this in advance. This was a deliberate encirclement, aimed at cutting off the Magus Civilization’s reinforcements.

“All units, follow my command! Break through the encirclement on the Sea Melody World front!” Feylis’ voice rang across the battlefield.

Sensing the crushing pressure from the approaching enemy, she did not hesitate to issue the order.