Sovereign of the Ashes

“I have decided to lead the army myself and march against the Gallant Federation in support of the Magus Civilization!” Gongsun Wuji, the Dawn Emperor, declared in the imperial court.

It was, without a doubt, the boldest decision the Dawn Empire had made in nearly a hundred thousand years.

But with the Emperor himself issuing the decree, no one dared to object.

Even Crown Prince Gongsun Qi lowered his head in silence.

His standing in court was below even that of his paternal aunt, so speaking out against the decision was never an option.

Once the order was given, the entire war machine of the Dawn Empire roared to life.

This time, the Emperor would lead the campaign in person.

It was no exaggeration to say the empire was committing the bulk of its strength to aid the Magus Civilization.

During this period, Sein finally learned how many overlords the Dawn Empire currently had.

Two!

In addition to Emperor Gongsun Wuji himself, there was also his overlord-level dragon mount.

On top of that, the vast Dragon Qi surrounding the capital and extending beyond the plane could also be considered an overlord-level force.

That said, the Dragon of Fortune was primarily defensive in nature. Its offensive capabilities were somewhat limited.

According to the initial deployment plan, the Emperor, the Princess Guardian, and more than eighty percent of the empire’s elite forces would be mobilized.

Only a small contingent would remain behind to defend the homeland.

With the Crown Prince acting as regent and the imperial Dragon Qi safeguarding the empire, there should be little risk of internal trouble.

As the empire prepared for war, Sein finally crossed paths with the official envoy sent by the Magus Civilization.

To his surprise, it was someone he knew—Mel, a Rank Four warlock from the Dragon Warlock Clan.

The last time they had seen each other was during their dangerous mission in the Mordora Star Domain.

Meeting again now, both felt a sense of familiarity.

Still, given the close ties between the two civilizations, sending only a Rank Four warlock as an official envoy seemed... insufficient.

A Rank Six warlock would have been far more fitting.

After all, the Dawn Empire was committing to full-scale support.

But Sein quickly realized this was likely a deliberate decision by the Magus Civilization’s leadership.

It was not arrogance.

It was a clear sign that they had reached their limits—they could not spare even a single Rank Six powerhouse to send.

This only highlighted how intense the war between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation had become.

The handwritten letter Lady Bev sent to Emperor Gongsun Wuji was just as telling.

Not long after receiving it, the Emperor publicly announced at the very next court assembly that he would personally lead the campaign.

That alone said a lot.

The Magus Civilization would not have taken this approach unless its ties with the Dawn Empire were truly close.

If this had been a distant civilization with only loose diplomatic relations, such a move might have come across as weakness—and the Dawn Empire likely would not have been willing to step into such a complicated war.

“How did things turn out in the Mordora Star Domain? How are my grandmaster and my mentor? Have you seen Leena?” Sein asked, firing the questions in quick succession.

Mel answered just as quickly. “We eventually retook the Mordora Star Domain, but we failed to capture the main forces of the Amenkha Empire. They seem to have scattered and fled. Right now, the Marmett Union Alliance is leading the pursuit. After all, that region has the highest concentration of lumimancers, and the Amenkha forces seem especially terrified of lumen elemental magic. I also heard from my father that the Amenkha Empire has captured several important figures from our side, so the pursuit has never stopped.”

She continued after a brief pause, “As for Master Feylis, she has been operating on different fronts since the war ended. I don’t know much about her current situation. And the Leena you mentioned—is she the black mage with that unusually heavy aura? We worked together briefly during the Mordora campaign, but after it ended, I lost track of her. She may still be traveling with your grandmaster and the others.”

Sein nodded as he listened.

He then asked about the broader situation on the battlefield.

But Mel could only speak about the regions near where the Dragon Warlock Clan operated.

From what she knew, the overall situation for the Magus Civilization had remained fairly stable lately. It was definitely nowhere near as dire as what the Dawn Emperor had been told.

The Gallant Federation’s counteroffensive some time ago had been fierce, but the Magus Civilization ultimately repelled it. For now, the two sides were locked in a stalemate.

The Gallant Federation was bearing most of the pressure, while the Magus Civilization continued to reinforce its forces from the rear, steadily wearing down the federation’s remaining strength.

At the same time, the Amenkha Empire had shown little activity within the Magus Civilization’s territory in recent days.

In the end, this war was still a direct clash between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation.

The Amenkha Empire clearly wanted to support the federation and throw the conflict into further chaos.

But the sheer distance across space and time limited how many of their core legions could intervene.

Even their overlord-level powerhouses could not remain in the Magus Civilization’s territory indefinitely to launch repeated strikes.

They might have appeared successful on the surface during their last surprise attack, but in reality, they paid a heavy price and failed to inflict any decisive damage on the Magus Civilization.

“Where’s Tourmaline? Where is she? Why haven’t I seen her?” Mel asked curiously.

This Rank Four Dragon bloodline warlock, with her short violet hair, had bonded with Tourmaline during their brief time together.

“She’s in the Myriad Springs Worlds. She’s safe,” Sein replied. “If everything goes as expected, we should see her again soon.”

***

In the Myriad Springs Worlds...

Pitch-black waters churned endlessly across the Destruction Spring World.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, spreading across the vast sky.

Amidst the rising tides and brewing storms, more and more native creatures converged toward the central spring at the heart of this large-sized world.

Each of them carried traces of destructive essence to varying degrees. Together, they formed the most elite forces under Destruction Spring’s command.

Most were marine creatures, but there were also some land-dwellers and flying beasts. After all, Destruction Spring World was not entirely an ocean.

And it was not just natives answering the call.

From nearby affiliated planes to allied Spring Lords who had reached agreements with Destruction Spring, forces were mobilizing everywhere.

Armies were being assembled. Preparations were underway. All of them were eager to join the Clash of Civilizations.

The storm was growing stronger. The waves were rising higher.

“Are you truly prepared to join Magus World’s Clash of Civilizations?”

A dragonkin with golden fur appeared before Destruction Spring. His presence felt calm and warm.

Tourmaline clung to the long, silky fur along the creature’s neck.

His horns were smooth and curved, more like a cow’s than those of Tourmaline or others of her kind.

It also lacked the usual fierce, overbearing aura of dragonkind.

“Of course I am,” Destruction Spring replied, hovering above the Black Lotus of Destruction. “Why else would I have gathered such a vast army?”

The creature let out a soft sigh. “Pointless slaughter only leads to ruin.”

“That Supreme Knight Overlord may advance, or even transcend, by absorbing destruction. But that doesn’t mean you can follow the same path,” he warned.

Destruction Spring showed no visible reaction, though a faint hint of a sneer seemed to cross his expression.

The dragonkin continued, “On my way here, I encountered a rather unusual Rank Four creature—it looked like a meteor. It told me something...”