Magus Supremacy-Chapter 869: What the Future Holds

Chapter 869

Bang—!

Someone streaked forward with overwhelming speed, and in a heartbeat, they were positioned directly before Grey.

A hand shot forward, fingers clamping firmly onto the steel blade that was now mere inches away from the prone mage’s throat.

No matter how desperately Finral leaned into his sword, he found himself unable to move it even a fraction of an inch as he looked up to see exactly who was obstructing his path.

Killian! The formidable vice leader of the Crimson Lotus Clan.

"What are you doing?" The stage six warrior asked, his voice a low, dangerous growl that resonated with suppressed fury.

"What does it look like?!" Finral bellowed, his face contorted into a frantic scowl.

"I’m taking his life as rightful payback for my sisters’ deaths! He needs to go. Now."

Killian growled once more, his eyes narrowing with a sharp, predatory intensity.

"He saved your damn life! Orion could have slaughtered us all without a second thought!"

Finral spat on the ground, his expression twisted with grief and rage.

"And what is the actual use of my life when my sisters are gone, huh? He didn’t even have the decency to tell me earlier. I had to find out mid-battle for my existence, and from our sworn enemy no less. Tell me, how long was he planning on hiding the truth for?!"

Grey listened helplessly to the heated argument raging above him, his consciousness flickering like a dying candle as he remained currently incapable of moving a single muscle.

He was still spasming violently on the uneven ground like a fish out of water, his nervous system completely overloaded by the previous breakthrough.

"Look, now is not the time for all of this," Alba interrupted sharply.

She was currently walking forward, the rest of the survivors trailing cautiously behind her.

Finral scowled at each and every one of them, his grip on his hilt tightening until his knuckles turned white.

"You all should stay out of this for your own good. Don’t test me."

Killian let go of the blade, shifting his weight into a lethal combat stance.

"Threatening me?"

Finral lifted his sword in front of his face, the metal glinting coldly.

"Yes."

Everybody stared incredulously at the scene; after all, this whole situation was not only ridiculous but entirely foolish on Finral’s part.

He was seriously intending on facing off against a seasoned stage six warrior?

Finral was merely a stage four warrior.

Nobody knew whether it was blinding anger, sheer foolishness, or a massive ego that prevented him from seeing reason. ... Or perhaps it was the fact that Orion had dismantled them all so easily that it was causing him to underestimate Killian’s true prowess?

Forget Alba; the rest of the Crimson Lotus Clan knew exactly what Killian was capable of.

A literal killing machine. A battle-crazed fellow who thrived specifically where there was bloodshed. That was the man Finral wanted to challenge?

The situation was comical yet strangely intriguing.

Nobody could move for a few tense moments as Finral prepared to lunge forward, but his shoulders were immediately grabbed from behind.

Turning to glare at whoever had forced him back, he saw it was Ray.

"Sorry pal, but this is for your own sake."

Instantly, the pair of heavy gauntlets on Ray’s hands shone with a brilliant radiance as lightning began to fizzle around the metallic edges.

In the process, Finral began to spasm uncontrollably.

Crackling pain coursed through his very veins, making his entire frame shake for several agonizing seconds.

He was desperately trying to clench his teeth in order to avoid falling.

He even went as far as biting his lower lip, drawing blood in an attempt to keep his mind focused through the electrical shock.

Seeing that the lightning wasn’t enough and that Finral was still ready to swing his sword toward Ray, Killian moved with overwhelming velocity.

Unsheathing his own weapon in one fluid, practiced motion, he bashed the heavy pommel against Finral’s head with all his might.

Almost immediately, Finral’s eyes rolled into the back of his head.

He was unable to keep up with the rhythmic jolts of pain tearing through him, followed by the concussive hit to the skull.

He crumpled to the ground with a loud, heavy thud.

Everybody stepped back for a moment, heaving collective sighs of relief at the warrior’s neutralized condition.

Quickly, their eyes drifted toward Grey, who had finally lost consciousness a while back, unable to sustain himself any longer.

"Killian, Lance, Dame; take the Supreme Magus with you now. He needs urgent treatment!" Alba barked the orders with maternal urgency.

"Wait!" Judy shouted as she slid on her knees toward the fallen mage.

Quickly pulling out a vial, she uncorked it and emptied the crimson liquid into his mouth, making sure he swallowed every vital drop of the concoction.

"... This should stabilize him long enough for us to get back."

Seeing what she was doing, Ash and Lilly quickly moved toward Thalos and Rivock to perform the same task.

Walking over with a grunt, Gunther lifted the direct descendant up with Mada’s assistance.

Ash grabbed Noelle in a princess-like style, his expression solemn.

Alba and Brook moved toward Thalos and helped him to his feet.

Though severely injured, the gargoyle was still conscious.

There was no way these two humans could have carried the massive warrior, so they helped him to his feet and supported him as they began walking forward.

Sera moved toward Leo, helping the vice principal to his own feet and supporting him as they moved.

In that fashion, everybody was accounted for.

Taking a few steps forward, they paused, glancing behind them to stare at the monumental destruction they had caused.

Ray and Liam carried the unconscious Finral off the ground as well.

They stared at the wasteland that once housed the coliseum with solemn, weary looks on their faces.

Despite the overwhelming odds stacked against them, despite how much more powerful their opponents were, and despite how everyone thought they would fail, they had actually prevailed.

... Prevailed against the powerful leaders of the Aetherian faction.

They had proved to themselves and the entire world that they had strength on their side.

Though they had lost nobody and suffered no deadly casualties, the sacrifice every one of them made would still remain with them forever.

With Noelle losing her eye, Leo losing his arm, and the mountainous, soul-crushing blow dealt to the Supreme Magus, they would have to live with the scars of this day.

And soon enough, they knew words would spread through the entire continent.

The fall of the Aetherian faction was imminent.

Leo’s eyes gleamed for a moment as a complex plan began formulating in his mind. An imperceptible smile crossed his face for a fleeting second as he turned to stare at the Supreme Magus being carried.

’Good job, kid. Now the next phase begins. It’s time for a great change in this world, and you are the genesis of it.’

Not knowing what the future held for them all, they turned away from the ruins.

They began walking away from the wasteland, back toward their faction and their own territory, carrying the hopes of a much better future.

****

End of Volume 7.

A/N: Well, here we have it, folks! The seventh volume of the book has officially ended.

Thank you all so much for reading the story this far.

Though we are not many, I still deeply appreciate those who have stayed from the very beginning until now. Thanks for all the support so far!

Up next: Volume 8. I can’t believe it—we are rapidly nearing the end of the book. 🫩🥲