Sovereign of the Ashes

Blue Star—an azure world teeming with life.

Unlike most technological civilizations that pursued heavy industry, harmed their homeplane’s will, and endlessly extracted its resources, the Blue Star Civilization had taken a different path.

The unique evolution of Blue Star’s lifeforms allowed their civilization to coexist in harmony with their world’s will.

They never overexploited their planet. Instead, they deliberately preserved its ecological balance.

Because of this, and beyond their remarkable technological prowess, Blue Star’s surface was protected by a powerful planar barrier.

The arrival of Klytherans had long been foreseen.

In truth, Karl had first arrived at Blue Star as an invader, leading a small force of Klytheran soldiers.

At that time, Karl was only a peak Rank Four.

It was the guilelessness of the Blue Star people, combined with the world’s abundance of inert crystals, that helped him undergo a life-level transformation and advance to Rank Five.

It was also during this period that Karl abandoned his plans for conquest and began seeking a path of coexistence between the Klytherans and the Blue Star natives.

It was not that Karl was wrong; he was simply doing what he believed to be right.

“The Klytherans are advancing aggressively. Can we really hold them off?” the Blue Star commander asked in concern.

The people of Blue Star looked vastly different from ordinary humans. Their skin was blue, they had four arms, and their average height was under one and a half meters.

Since Blue Star was a planet dominated by the hydro element, its lifeforms were primarily composed of water as well.

Their evolutionary path was rather unusual.

Instead of relying on hydro elemental magic, the Blue Star natives had chosen to develop through technology.

On top of that, their technological growth had not harmed their environment or their planet’s will.

This development path, so distinct from other planar civilizations, was likely tied to the inert crystals produced by Blue Star.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain where they had obtained the immense energy needed to power their early technological advancements.

Only the vast energy contained within the inert crystals could have allowed the Blue Star natives to progress without damaging their environment.

This also showed that they had already learned to harness the energy within these crystals, at least to a limited extent.

At the Blue Star commander’s words, Karl pressed his lips together, momentarily at a loss for what to say.

Having ascended to Rank Five, he stood nearly twice the height of an average Blue Star native.

His build was lithe yet powerful, clad in a blue battle suit crafted for him by the Blue Star natives.

The crimson cape trailing behind him was a treasured relic, carried with him since the day he left Planet Klythera behind.

It was said to be one of the few possessions his father had left behind.

Karl’s father had been a hero of the Klytheran race, the greatest soldier of their civilization in its prime.

It was the hopes of his people, their faith and expectations, that had fueled Karl’s growth to this point.

Even before encountering the Blue Star Civilization, Karl’s progress had been astonishingly fast, his talent for advancement unmatched among his peers.

Many older Klytheran powerhouses believed that under Karl’s leadership, their civilization would one day rise again.

Karl never disappointed them. He had even taken the bold step of leading a small force of Klytheran soldiers alone to conquer Blue Star.

After all, he was the one who had discovered Blue Star!

Yet life has a way of defying expectations.

Karl’s expedition to Blue Star ended neither in triumph nor in defeat. He was, instead, moved by the Blue Star natives.

Their gentle philosophy of growth and their deep love for life touched his long-lonely heart.

Moreover, the inclusive nature of Blue Star’s planar will, along with the nurturing, almost motherly warmth it offered, made Karl truly reluctant to destroy the planet.

Ironically, this low-level world, which produced inert crystals, was far more suitable for Klytherans’ survival and growth than any they had found before.

And so, Karl chose a different path—one of coexistence. He even dreamed of uniting the Klytherans and the Blue Star inhabitants as one.

Karl had even fallen in love with a Blue Star native, whom he openly called his girlfriend.

Though the Blue Star natives did not meet traditional Klytheran ideals of beauty, he had chosen her precisely for her gentle spirit and kindness.

“I’ll do my best to hold off my uncle,” Karl said to the Blue Star commander beside him. “The rest of the Klytheran soldiers are yours to deal with. I don’t want needless bloodshed. This battle is for the coming negotiations of integration, not a fight to the death.”[1]

“Of course. That’s exactly what we, the people of Blue Star, hope for. Why must there be war?” the commander replied, spreading his four blue palms.

In truth, Karl and Karazo shared a blood tie. Both of them bore Ayer as their last names.

During the golden age of the Klytheran Civilization, Ayer had been an exceptionally noble and renowned surname.

Nearly all Klytherans once believed that those who carried that surname would one day lead them to greater glory, raising their planet to the rank of a large-sized world.

But alas... the Gallant Federation’s mighty warships and relentless artillery shattered everything that was Klytheran—not just their homeworld, but their pride as well.

Beyond Blue Star...

Upon reaching this star domain, Sein observed the defensive line that the Blue Star Civilization had established beyond several mechanical satellites.

Having grown accustomed to the Gallant Federation’s metallic frontlines, massive fleets, and seas of warships, he now found Blue Star’s interstellar defenses almost laughably... childlike.

The Blue Star Civilization was not one inclined toward conflict or slaughter.

Although they had developed technological weapons capable of threatening Rank Five beings, their technology was, for the most part, devoted to improving daily life rather than waging war or plundering others.

Before their conflict with the survivors of Planet Klythera, the Blue Star natives had never even fought in a true interplanar war.

Sein had noticed that this star domain had extremely low elemental energies and very few complete planes.

Even after traveling such a long distance alongside the Klytheran fleet, he had yet to encounter a single complete plane.

It was an utterly desolate, barren, and impoverished star domain.

The fact that these Klytherans had managed to survive until now and even discover a plane rich in inert crystals was nothing short of remarkable.

Staring at the “thin” line of metallic defenses before him, Sein turned to Karazo and offered,

“Since I’m the guest, may I do the honors?”

“Casting a forbidden spell would be too much, but I should be able to clear this metallic barrier with an area-of-effect spell,” he added thoughtfully.

Karazo’s pupils shrank, but he quickly recovered and replied calmly, “Very well, then. We’ll leave it to you, Master Sein.”

It was not only Sein who was intrigued by the Klytherans; these Klytheran powerhouses were just as curious about this Rank Five mage from Magus World.

Clearing the entire defensive line of the Blue Star Civilization with just one move?

Karazo could not help but wonder if Sein was bluffing.

1. Translator’s Note: The characters used for “uncle” here specifically refer to a younger paternal uncle, meaning Karazo is Karl’s father’s younger brother. ☜