Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

The owners of these silent, watchful eyes that always perched upon trees, rooftops, and towers, suddenly took flight, their wings beating like wardrums.

All across the city, countless ravens stirred into action.

They erupted from every shadow, rooftops, alleyways, gutters, steeples, and shattered windows. Nests were abandoned, feathers were scattered, and the air was suddenly filled with the deafening whoosh of tens of thousands of wings beating in unison.

The sky over Ravenfell instantly darkened… not from the clouds, however, but from the sheer number of birds circling over the city skyline like a black storm.

They weren't aimless. They rose together, all turning towards a single direction… the arena!

Their shrill and unnatural cries pierced the hearts of those below, whether they were local residents or the invading evil cultists.

Some people dropped to their knees, while others fled indoors. Even seasoned Magi stared skyward in stunned silence.

Ever since the founding of Ravenfell, one could always find an abundance of these dark birds in the city. But never had the residents seen these creatures act this way.

This was a response. A summons. An omen!

As the countless ravens spiralled through the smoke-choked sky, their inky shapes started to change. The ginormous unkindness of ravens gradually coalesced together, turning into a river of dark light.

As the ravens… no, the river of dark light quickly flew towards the Northern Quarter, it began to radiate an otherworldly pressure.

Then, it arrived right above the arena and, in the blink of an eye, enveloped the large meteor suspended high up above the air by Gerald's Heavenly Chains!

Everyone below was stunned by this sudden change of events. Even in their wildest dreams, they had never imagined that these ravens, which were ever-present in the city, to turn into something so… murderous.

Although the mortals and the weaker Magi couldn't tell the oddity in the river of black light, the more powerful ones instantly knew. Their instincts screamed at them that should they ever come in contact with that river, then they would not live to tell the tale.

While everyone was thunderstruck seeing the river of black light enveloping the titanic meteor, Gerald Acadia remained calm and tranquil. If anything, there was a hint of recognition and even... admiration in his blue eyes.

The ravens… the river of black light… this was the legacy of the Night Magus, Dendar Saratoga!

And only the Headmaster of Saratoga Castle had the right and the strength to wield this magic.

The moment Gerald saw the river encase the meteor, he immediately cancelled his spell. In the next moment, the colossal chains slithered back inside the portals, and the moment after that, the portals mended themselves back, returning the skies to normal.

And a few moments after that, the river of black light that had wrapped around the meteor like a clinging shroud began to stir.

It pulsed once, then suddenly… burst outward in all directions, shooting across the sky like tendrils of darkness.

The eerie, dark glow scattered over Ravenfell, sweeping over rooftops and spires, before vanishing into the air as if it had never been.

There was something else that had also disappeared…

The meteor!

The combined spell conjured by four powerful Mana Core Magi had also vanished, seemingly devoured by the river of black light.

And in its place, a lone Magus levitated in the air. He was an old man, wearing dark robes that strangely seemed to absorb any light around it.

The Lord of Ravenfell...

The Third Headmaster of Saratoga Castle…

The mighty Mana Core Magus…

Marcus Blackwood!

In but a few moments, the Emperor Emeritus and Saratoga's Headmaster had nullified a combined spell cast by four Mana Core Magi of the Cult of Bones.

This spoke volumes about the two's tyrannical strength.

As the people in the arena reeled in from the shock of having been at death's doorstep and nearly taking the next step to its cold embrace, Gerald turned to look at his grandson.

Cedric Acadia was drecnched in a layer of cold sweat as he gazed at the dark-robed Headmaster levitating high up in the air.

"Gather your bearings, you fool."

Those cold words echoed in Cedric's ears, making him flinch. He immediately straightened up and turned to the old man.

"Lord Grandfather, what… what do I do?" He asked, feeling greatly lost.

Gerald Acadia's feet had already left the ground as he flew towards the lone Headmaster. Without looking back, he left behind his parting words:

"Do what a ruler must. Protect your people."

Cedric felt his body tremble. Those were only a few words, but each of them contained boundless weight that bore down on his shoulders.

Protect your people…

He repeated those words inside his mind as he saw his grandfather levitate beside Saratoga's Headmaster.

The two Mana Core Magi exchanged glances, then gazed at the four dark-robed cultists hovering a little distance away from them. It was as if all four of them had come to a tacit understanding.

What happened next… happened in the mere blink of an eye. It happened so fast that Cedric couldn't quite comprehend it.

All he saw was his grandfather and the Headmaster fly towards the four cultists at unfathomable speed. There were a few explosions of light and darkness, the sky shuddered, the earth trembled, and then… all six of them disappeared.

BOOM!

A loud, thunderous explosion originated north of the city, towards the distant mountain ranges. And in that moment, Cedric knew that the six Mana Core Magi had taken their epic battle in that direction.

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Yaka's loud words snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to his guardian, his blue eyes flickering with conflicting emotions. Then, he gazed at the countless spectators who were scrambling to find safety in the sea of chaos.

A few moments ago, Cedric had wanted nothing but to leave this hell and get as far away from this place as possible.

But now, he felt boundless guilt. And then… a sudden and overwhelming sense of duty.

His blue eyes burned with determination, and he strangled the fear and helplessness growing in his heart.

Cedric resolved himself and made a decision, his grandfather's words still echoing inside his mind.

Do what a ruler must.

Protect your people.

***

Underneath Ravenfell, in the vast and complex labyrinth of sewers, Adam had an extremely dark expression on his face as he led close to two hundred people behind him.

The contant rumbling above and the falling of dust and debris, add to that the vicious sound of explosions, made one thing certain…

The battle of Ravenfell has already begun, he thought, gritting his teeth.

For now, he was responsible for one thing and one thing only: protecting the lives of the people behind him.

The future of Acadia... they were the Cult's primary target, after all.

I need to reach my estate as quickly as I can!

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and he raised his hand, clenching it into a fist. The crowd behind him came to an abrupt halt, their motions almost mechanical.

Adam's eyes narrowed.

Through his Sphere of Resonance, he sensed a large, hostile group of people ahead of him. His expression twisted into a dark scowl when he realized something else…

They had sensed him, too.