Earth's Greatest Magus

Emery had been maintaining a careful line of communication with Lyanna for some time now. Their cooperation had been meticulously coordinated, with each move calculated to counter the growing threat against him. Lyanna, as Azula, had kept him well-informed about the assassins’ plots to capture him. Because of this, Emery had made a deliberate decision to keep his acolytes away from the battlefield. Bringing his acolytes into such a situation would not only endanger them but also provide the enemy with potential leverage against him.

However, even with this level of preparation, Emery was still in the dark about certain critical elements. He had yet to learn about Major Zoller’s involvement, nor was he aware that the Major chose not to help him. These unknown factors had prolonged the battle unnecessarily, leading to a grim toll on civilian lives. The prolonged duel with Syltrith had drained Emery’s energy and left the situation precariously balanced. It was only thanks to Lyanna’s covert assistance, feeding him critical details about the female assassins, that he had managed to escape from Syltrith’s deadly Cloud Wave Prison earlier.

Now, with Azula receiving direct permission from the Red Demon to join the battle, the two allies had an opportunity to shift the tide decisively.

Emery’s first move was misdirection. He created three clones, each with an identical energy signature. Lyanna, maintaining her facade as Azula, used this as a pretext to scatter her magus teams, ostensibly to pursue the false targets. Meanwhile, Emery concealed himself, remaining near Syltrith’s position.

The real chaos began when the elf grand magus Hulu engaged Major Zoller. With the Scarface grand magus preoccupied, Emery and Lyanna enacted the next phase of their plan. The artifact chains wrapped around Syltrith’s arms and legs, binding her movements. As Syltrith struggled against the chains, Emery struck from her blind spot. His blade claws extended. With one swift motion, he pierced Syltrith’s back, bypassing her weakened defenses. The dark elf let out a sharp cry of pain, her struggles growing frantic as she realized the depth of her predicament.

“You traitorous bitch! Why, Azula? Why betray us?!” Syltrith’s voice was a mix of fury and disbelief as she glared at her former ally.

Azula’s expression hardened, but she remained silent.

Emery wasted no time capitalizing on Syltrith’s disarray. Activating his [Prism of Light], he summoned his third pagoda and unleashed a powerful spirit attack, targeting her mind. The dark elf’s eyes widened in shock as the mental assault took hold, pulling her into a disadvantageous soul battle.

“YOU BASTARD!!!” Syltrith shrieked, “RELEASE ME! RELEASE ME NOW!!!”

But her protests were futile. The female assassin had already exhausted most of her strength during the earlier battle with Emery. The combined power of Azula’s chains and Emery’s relentless spirit attack left her utterly defenseless. Within minutes, Emery shattered her mental defenses and forcibly trapped her consciousness within his domain prison, ensuring she was completely subdued.

“It’s done!!” Emery said in relief.

Capturing Syltrith was a significant victory. Not only was she a high-ranking member of the elf assassins, but her aperture—where her domain lay hidden—was also a treasure trove of potential spoils. Emery couldn’t help but anticipate the rewards that awaited him, though he knew those would have to wait until the battle was over.

Azula, maintaining her guise, turned to Emery with an expectant expression.

“Are you satisfied now?! You’ve got what you wanted. It’s your turn to help me!” she demanded firmly

Emery nodded, already anticipating her request. Lyanna needed a victory of her own to maintain her cover. Returning empty-handed—without Syltrith or Emery—would not only tarnish her credibility but could also implicate her in the loss of a grand magus figure.

“I understand,” Emery replied. “Would a Grand Magus Major suffice as a replacement?”

Lyanna’s eyes narrowed, her sharp mind quickly piecing together the full extent of his intent.

Azula, with her position as head of intelligence, had access to the message that had tipped off the assassin groups about Emery’s location. However, it wasn’t until Emery closely observed Major Zoller’s actions on the battlefield that the entire picture became clear. It was evident that Zoller was the mastermind behind the attempts to eliminate him.

Adding to this revelation was Zoller’s known connection to the Nephilim. The affiliation made his motives crystal clear—this was no coincidence. It was a calculated, deliberate plan to ensure Emery’s downfall.

The Major’s audacity in orchestrating such a scheme, especially one that endangered civilians during a critical battle, only fueled Emery’s resolve. He didn’t need to think twice about turning Zoller into a stepping stone for Azula’s rise to merit.

With Twik and Livi protecting the civilians, Emery had a clear grasp of the situation. Major Zoller was locked in a fierce, evenly matched battle with the Scarface Grand Magus, Hulu.

All they needed to do was wait for one of them to falter, providing the opportunity to act.

Unfortunately, it was far from simple. The challenge lay in assisting Azula effectively without endangering the civilians or exposing Emery’s machinations to others. Complicating matters further was the necessity of keeping Azula’s cooperation hidden, especially from his trusted ally, Hulu.

Azula’s tone carried an edge of impatience “How are we going to do this?!”

Emery’s mind raced as he processed the situation. After a moment, he asked, “How loyal is Hulu? How far is he willing to follow your command?”

Azula responded without hesitation “He’s very loyal… he would willingly lie and betray the Khan for my safety. But that’s Azula’s safety—not mine.”

Her words were clear. If Hulu discovered her cooperation with Emery, there was a certain risk that her true identity would be exposed.

Azula, ever pragmatic, added with chilling detachment, “It’s better that he’s dead. It’s not a big deal… there are several more servants like him back in my clan.”

The suggestion hung in the air like a shadow, cold and heartless. Emery’s expression hardened. Both Azula and Lyanna were equally ruthless, never hesitating to sacrifice a loyal follower if it served their goals.

“If that’s the case, it should be much easier,”