Magus Supremacy

'Crap! He noticed. This is only going to get worse,' the assassin thought, then raised his index finger, pointing it toward Grey.

"You shouldn't have done that. Now this has just gotten worse for you," the assassin said, and suddenly, Grey lost control of his body, his limbs frozen in place as he floated helplessly toward the assassin.

"Crap! What the hell is going on?!" Grey shouted, panic flashing in his eyes as his body sped uncontrollably toward the masked man. Beside the assassin, something was beginning to take shape—dark, ominous, and fast.

Bang!

The assassin swung his hand forward, and the newly formed figure shot toward Grey at breakneck speed. It slammed into him with crushing force, launching him across the street like a ragdoll.

Boom!

Grey crashed into the wall of a nearby house, tearing through it and skidding violently across the floor. Blood oozed from his mouth as he groaned, sprawled in pain.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?! And how dare you break into my home?!" a man's voice barked from inside.

Grey lifted his head slowly, vision blurry, and saw a man standing protectively in front of a woman and two young girls. Magic surged around his hands, ready to be released.

"Where are you, little Grey?" the assassin taunted as shadows rippled along the floor, twisting and slithering like snakes. The masked figure rose up from the darkness, his twisted smirk visible even through the gloom.

"Do you all need an invitation before you freaking run outta here?!" Grey growled, dragging himself up. Earth spears burst out from the floor, floating midair, pointed menacingly toward the assassin.

"Run?" the man echoed, glancing nervously between Grey and the shadowy figure now locked in a deadly standoff with him.

In a flash of frustration, Grey flicked his hand—and a lightning bolt exploded at their feet.

"Run. Right now!" the man shouted. With no hesitation, he grabbed his family and bolted, dragging them through the crumbling hallway toward safety.

"If that helps you focus better, then why not?" the assassin smirked as shadows gathered beneath him, swirling faster.

Suddenly, constructs of pure darkness burst forth—shadowy birds with razor-sharp wings, snaking chains, clawed hands, and other monstrous forms shot toward Grey like bullets of terror.

Grey snapped his fingers. The earth spears hovering around him launched with explosive speed, aiming straight at the assassin.

But the creatures didn't even flinch.

The spears sliced through them harmlessly as though they were illusions. The assassin merely shook his head and vanished into the shadows. The spears crashed into a wall, tearing down another part of the house.

The shadow creatures lunged at Grey.

He fired fireballs. Nothing. Launched bolts of lightning. Useless. Sliced with wind blades. No effect.

They ignored everything.

Then—

Impact.

They turned solid all at once and struck him.

Grey gasped, dropping to his knees as the air was knocked from his lungs.

Shadow chains wrapped around his mouth, silencing him. The birds flapped their wings around his throat, tightening. The monstrous hands grabbed both arms, pinning him to the floor like he was nailed down.

He struggled, gathering mana, trying to summon anything—something—to break free.

Nothing worked.

He was trapped.

Bound by fear. Bound by shadows.

"See, there's a reason I'm part of the Twelve Zodiacs. Although, I'm the weakest among the twelve," the assassin said as he rose from the shadows, his eyes locked onto a helpless, pinned-down Grey.

"Let me tell you something. Although the Twelve Zodiacs are the pinnacle of the Otherworlders, we still follow a hierarchy. I'm the Number Twelve Zodiac. And the higher you go on that rank, the more terrifyingly powerful the Zodiac becomes.

The Number One Zodiac... his powers could rival your so-called Emperor. And that's not even the peak. Our true leader—" he paused, grinning wickedly "—is the Devil himself."

The assassin chuckled ominously as he spoke of their ranks, like a fanatic sharing prophecy.

'The Devil?' Grey's mind spun in turmoil. 'Wait… the ogre I killed a month ago… he said those words—'Hail the Devil.' Could this be the same Devil? Is that bastard the leader of the Otherworlders? What the hell is going on in this world?!'

"You think the world ends at the borders of the three kingdoms on this continent? You think your so-called elites are the peak of human strength?" the assassin mocked, taking a slow, deliberate step toward Grey.

"You haven't even scratched the surface of this universe's true power. You humans are mere insects—insignificant bugs waiting to be crushed at our leisure!"

As he spoke, the shadows coating the assassin's body slithered and receded, revealing his full figure—tall, clad in dark armor, with veins of black mana coursing through him like a cursed river.

He raised his arm and swung a heavy fist forward—Crack!

The punch slammed into Grey's face. Blood spurted from his lips, but he didn't budge—held firmly in place by the countless shadow constructs binding his limbs and neck.

"I still don't understand what the Oracle was worried about," the assassin sneered. "The Devil said you were a threat. But look at you… pathetic. Just a worm writhing in the dirt."

He kneed Grey in the face with brutal force—crack!—blood trickled from his nose.

"I've never seen the Devil so merciful before," the assassin continued, voice dripping with venom. "He asked me to give you a chance—to offer you a seat at our table. To let you join us instead of eliminating you. I obeyed. I gave you a chance."

His voice rose in fury.

"But you refused. You spat in my face! And because of that… because of you—your mother died!" the assassin roared and began slamming his fists into Grey's face again. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Blood now poured freely down Grey's face, nose, and mouth, but he didn't scream. He stared through swollen eyes at the masked monster before him.

"You're all weak. All of you! And when I'm finished with you, I'll drain your mana dry and make it mine!" the assassin cackled.

A small shadow bird materialized beside him. Its body twisted unnaturally, its mouth a swirling vortex like a miniature black hole.

The moment it opened—

Grey felt it.

Something was leaving his body.

"ARGHHHHHH!" Grey screamed as wisps of invisible essence were pulled from him, drawn into the bird.

'Appraisal!'

<Name: Grey Dawn>

<Status: 3-Star Mage>

<Mana: 50/70>

<Elements: Four>

{Wind: 75 | Colour Grade: Purple}

{Earth: 60 | CG: Blue}

{Fire: 60 | CG: Purple}

{Lightning: 65 | CG: Purple}

Grey's heart skipped. 'Wait—my mana's dropping?! That thing's draining it!'

He began to struggle harder, trying to summon strength, power—anything to break free—but the restraints held firm.

"Look at you," the assassin mocked. "You can do nothing but wriggle like a dying insect. Your kingdom, your continent… the weakest we've ever seen."

The bird continued sucking his mana.

"Kek, kek, kek!" Grey suddenly chuckled.

His writhing ceased. His eyes narrowed, blazing with clarity. "You call us weak…" he muttered.

BOOM!

Thunder cracked above.

"…Yet none of you are brave enough to attack us outright," Grey said coldly. "Doesn't that make you the real cowards?"

He clenched his left fist, and the heavens roared.

Lightning answered.

A massive bolt surged from the clouds above, blindingly bright. It shot down and exploded into Grey's body.

CRACK!!!

A sword of pure lightning materialized in his hand. The blast instantly vaporized the shadow figures holding him down.

The surrounding house didn't stand a chance. A shockwave erupted, walls shattered, and the assassin was blown back like a rag doll.

The entire building collapsed.

Sunlight spilled across the ruined ground—and the battlefield was reset.