Magus Supremacy-Chapter 898: Painful Memory (2)

Chapter 898

Grey sat in stunned silence, anchored to his earthen chair by the sheer weight of what he had just heard.

How could he not be?

The Captains and Principals of the four magical academies within the Velzoria Kingdom were not merely teachers; they were titanic, powerful figures.

The four Principals specifically served as the Emperor’s right-hand men, each a pillar of the realm’s defense.

To stand side-by-side with an Emperor who possessed such devastating magic, those men had to be unfathomably strong themselves.

That strength was the primary reason they were feared and why rival kingdoms had never dared to launch a full-scale assault.

To hear that these Principals, their Captains, and entire veteran squads had perished in the struggle illustrated just how cataclysmic the Otherworlders’ offensive truly was.

... Furthermore, an entire Kingdom had been erased? If this wasn’t even their "all-out" effort, Grey shuddered to imagine what a true, unrestricted invasion would look like.

After a brief, heavy pause, Amir continued:

"We would have lost Lunaria Academy as well if it hadn’t been for the Emperor’s direct involvement.

When the initial ripples of the attack began, he believed the academies would be capable of handling the threat themselves, so he didn’t interfere.

But upon discovering that not one, but three academies had fallen—and that the final bastion suffered a betrayal from one of his own trusted right-hand men—he finally stepped in.

That was the only reason we were saved.

Unfortunately, the Emperor was injured so severely in the clash that he hasn’t made a single public appearance for a month.

Lunaria Academy has now become the sole survivor of the original four.

We were forced to rebrand from an institution that trained youngsters into a full-blown military squad, dedicated to ensuring such a massacre never happens again."

Grey listened intently, the jagged pieces of the puzzle finally connecting.

With Lucien’s treachery revealed, the path to Amir’s promotion as the new Principal became grimly clear.

"... During the onslaught, one of the... uhm... Zodiacs, yes, the Zodiacs, mentioned something revealing.

They claimed they would have launched their strike much sooner if it hadn’t been for your presence in this world.

Given your burgeoning strength, they knew that if you had joined forces with the Emperor, it would have been game over for their ambitions.

They needed to remove you from the equation first, which they successfully did. That served as the final confirmation your squad needed to believe you were truly gone—and in the wake of that realization, everything fell apart."

"Fell apart? What did?" Grey asked anxiously, a cold dread clawing at his heart.

Amir sighed heavily, his fingers digging into the fabric of his robes, his face contorted with a pained expression.

"I lost Dave in that attack—my eldest son is dead. Vince, on the other hand, simply lost his mind. The Otherworlders made an offer to everyone, inviting them to join their ranks. Seeing the raw potential of your squad, they wanted you all for themselves.

They promised forbidden power and eternal status. Vince was intrigued and accepted right off the bat, claiming they were the winning side. He argued that since you were gone, there was no longer a point in remaining loyal to the squad."

Grey’s hands fell limp in shock at the man’s revelation.

"Vi—Vince has joined the Otherworlders?"

Amir nodded, his eyes clouded with agony. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"In a fit of fury, Dave tried to attack them to drag his brother back from their clutches, but they finished him off right then and there.

Afterward, the unity of your squad vanished. Though the survivors are technically in the Special Ops now, they are unable to function with the synergy they once possessed. Everything is shattered. I lost two sons in a single day."

Tears welled in the Principal’s eyes as he clenched his teeth so hard it seemed they might shatter under the pressure.

A dormant rage bubbled within him, threatening to rip the surrounding world to shreds.

His anger knew no bounds as he stared down at his lap, his shoulders trembling.

Grey was a whirlwind of confusion, shock, and mounting annoyance.

"Wh—Why did they fall apart? What happened to our bond?!"

Amir laughed bitterly, lifting his head to meet Grey’s gaze.

"You think keeping that bond alive was easy? In case you didn’t realize it, Grey—you were the glue.

You were the magnet that pulled those disparate personalities together. You were the one who bridged the ancient gap between commoners and nobles and made them truly care for one another."

"The moment you left, cracks appeared in the bond. Scarlett tried holding onto the rope, refusing to let go, but after losing Vince—her childhood best friend—she fell apart all the more, and this made the whole squad crumble."

The Captain grabbed his hair furiously, his composure cracking to bits.

For the first time since Grey had known the man, he saw a side he had never witnessed from the veteran leader.

He had always thought the man was a cool, collected, and calm figure—someone who didn’t break no matter what happened.

But right now, he was seeing a broken father, a man who believed he had failed those he took under his wings.

"I—I—I saw my kids go away from me; I saw the same squad I witnessed growing together fall apart. I witnessed other Captains I took up missions with lose their lives, their heritages crumbling. This is fucked up!" The Captain screamed into the air, his voice echoing loudly across the desolate clearing.

Grey let the man vent for a few seconds before exhaling and leaning back into the earth chair.

The weight of the tragedy was immense, but his mind was already moving toward the logistics of the situation.

"One thing still confuses me, though," Grey spoke, his voice grounding the Captain’s hysteria.

"What are you doing here?"

Amir blinked, a stray tear dropping down as he tried processing the mage’s question.

He slowly lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot from grief and exhaustion.

"I heard a voice. I was working when a voice spoke to me, loud and clear, giving me directions on how to get here. It said, ’He has arrived. The legend is back.’ I didn’t understand at first and thought maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, since I hadn’t slept in weeks."

Amir paused for a few moments, his expression distant, before adding:

"... Refusing to leave, the voice spoke again, saying that an Otherworlder attack was about to happen and I needed to hurry. I didn’t even think twice when I heard this; I decided to trust the voice and rush down here, and that was when I saw you."

Pausing, his eyes suddenly widened in pure, unfiltered surprise.

"Wait! Of course... you are the one the voice was telling me about! You are the one who has arrived!"

Grey lifted an eyebrow at the man’s words.

It sounded like the ramblings of a madman, yet a familiar suspicion began to take root in his mind.

’A voice? Who could know that I...’ His eyes narrowed. ’The First Mage.’

Sighing, Grey rose, causing the earth chair he was sitting on to sink back into the ground and merge with the soil.

He walked forward until he stood face-to-face with the seated Captain.

"I’m not good at comforting people, and honestly, I won’t comfort you. That anger, that pain, that fury—that is exactly what we need if we want to permanently erase the Otherworlders.

And I promise you, I will make things right again. I will bring Vince back from the clutches of the Otherworlders, and I will rebuild my squad. I have returned! The Supreme Magus has returned!"

The Captain looked at the mage for a few long seconds, a flicker of the old fire returning to his gaze, before he managed a small smile.

"Sure."

Grey was about to turn and leave when a sudden thought struck him, and a confident smirk curved his lips.

"Can I ask for a favour?"

Amir rose from his own chair, causing it to sink back into the ground as well.

He brushed off his robes, his posture straightening.

"Shoot."

Grey huffed before replying, his eyes glowing with a renewed ambition.

"I want you to teach me. I want to learn how to manifest a domain. Teach me how to use Magus Dominion!"

Amir paused for a second, his eyes twinkling with a mix of shock and respect before he let out a genuine grin.

"And the monster wants to become an even greater monster. Hahaha~! Good. I will teach you."