Sovereign of the Ashes

Evon Makhast, the Third Pharaoh of the Amenkha Empire, was a burly man.

He was slightly shorter than Ozman Dias, the renowned First Pharaoh, but far more built than the Second Pharaoh, Sathograel Mokorn.

When he appeared before the Cosmic King, the Fire Phoenix, and Vivian, his thick arm was still locked around the neck of a Rank Seven overlord from the Grand Cosmic World.

The unfortunate overlord bore a faint resemblance to a rooster. His bright, five-pointed red crest looked ready to burst at any moment from the pressure.

Even now, the Third Pharaoh had not unleashed his full strength.

Up to this point, he simply had not faced an opponent worthy of it.

Vivian, the Fire Phoenix, and even the Cosmic King had all been deliberately avoiding a direct clash with him.

From the very beginning, they had relied on flanking maneuvers, staggered ambushes, and constant harassment.

But the Third Pharaoh was not the type to play along.

The viziers who returned after the decapitation operation had made one thing clear through both their injuries and their condition—the Magus Civilization was an even more formidable foe than the Luminara Civilization.

It had been far too long since the Third Pharaoh had been pushed to his limits. He was eager to see what the top-tier powerhouses of the Magus Civilization were capable of.

He was a battle maniac, someone who constantly sought to break past his limits through combat.

Having long stood in the shadow of the First Pharaoh’s divine brilliance, he now yearned to carve out his own legend within the civilization!

Snap!

The neck of the Rank Seven overlord locked in Makhast’s arm broke under his immense strength.

A wisp of pale black soul mist flowed from the overlord’s mouth and nostrils before getting absorbed into Makhast’s body.

For such a weak opponent, Makhast did not even bother flaying its skin to wear as a trophy.

To him, that would not showcase his strength—it would only tarnish his reputation.

“Chir Pheasant Overlord!” the Cosmic King roared.

The overlord’s life force faded rapidly before vanishing completely.

After a prolonged battle, this Rank Seven overlord of the Grand Cosmic World had become nothing more than another stepping stone to elevate the Third Pharaoh’s fearsome reputation.

Makhast casually tossed the corpse aside. Rather than looking like the one about to be outnumbered, he advanced step by step, closing in on the Cosmic King and the others.

At that moment, war was erupting across the entire Grand Cosmic World Star Domain.

The Amenkha Empire’s legions, the forces of the Magus Civilization, the native armies of the Grand Cosmic World, extraplanar mercenary troops, and even opportunists from foreign planes—including star pirates—were all active across the Grand Cosmic World.

At the same time, clashes between overlords were erupting throughout the region.

But none of that mattered as much as the battle between the Third Pharaoh and the Cosmic King and his allies.

After all, the outcome of this fight would decide the Grand Cosmic World’s fate.

“There’s no running from this. We fight!” the large-headed Cosmic King growled.

He had no intention of retreating. If he abandoned the Grand Cosmic World, where could he even go?

In truth, he had long been dissatisfied with the war plans Vivian had put in place over the past few years.

Her strategies preserved the Magus Civilization’s strength as much as possible, but they had come at a heavy cost to the Grand Cosmic World.

That was simply how the major civilizations of the Astral Realm operated.

Everyone only looked out for themselves. There were no saints out there sacrificing everything for others.

Back then, the Grand Cosmic World had tried to play both sides, submitting to the Amenkha Empire while secretly aligning itself with the Magus Civilization.

It was the crushing pressure from the Amenkha Empire that drove the Cosmic King to seek a backup plan by clinging to the Magus Civilization.

Even now, a grotesque wound remained on the surface of his massive head. A patch of skin had been forcibly torn away by the Third Pharaoh, who stood right before him.

It was a nightmare he would never forget.

By stepping forward to challenge him now, the Cosmic King was facing that nightmare head-on.

His declaration drew a cold, cruel smile from the Third Pharaoh.

A vast surge of power erupted from Makhast, rolling outward like a tidal wave.

The sheer pressure alone was enough to make even Vivian pale.

Among the older generation of the Magus Civilization powerhouses, this Rank Eight witch was not particularly known for her combat strength.

Magi and witches were not fighters by nature.

Their true pursuit lay in unraveling the boundless mysteries of the Astral Realm.

Even so, no one could deny that a magus was a unique profession, wielding some of the most bizarre and versatile powers.

As a witch, Vivian not only wielded her own unique power, she had also brought a rare artifact to strengthen her presence on the Grand Cosmic World battlefield.

The Cosmic King was right. It was too late to run.

The Third Pharaoh was already closing in for a decisive clash.

If they tried to split up and retreat, his explosive speed would let him catch at least one of them. Whoever faced him alone would stand no chance.

Only by combining all three of their strengths could they hope to resist him.

Screech!

The Fire Phoenix let out a cry that ripped across the starry sky.

A vast wave of flames surged outward from its body, spreading in all directions like a blazing tide and forming its overlord domain.

Seeing this, the Cosmic King’s eyes lit up. He immediately drew on his law power and threw himself fully into combat.

He might not be a great fighter, but the law powers he wielded were exceptional, encompassing both the laws of the stars and space.

Either one, when mastered, could grant tremendous power.

Yet somehow, in his hands, their fusion had only produced a weak Rank Eight overlord.

The problem was never the laws themselves, but his aura and the depth of his Overlord Soul.

Ever since the Third Pharaoh nearly killed him back then, the Cosmic King had never fully recovered.

The only reason he now dared to stand and fight was because two Magus Civilization overlords stood beside him.

The Fire Phoenix embodied an endless domain of fire, while the Cosmic King was wreathed in a unique ring of starlight.

As the two Rank Eight overlords charged toward the Third Pharaoh together, Vivian let out a quiet sigh and raised her staff.

An eye formed from a strange law power appeared in her hand.

It was azure in color, with no visible pupil. Only a mysterious glow of law power swirled within.

The moment it appeared on the battlefield, the Third Pharaoh frowned.