Magus Supremacy

Just when the Cromwells thought the battle was over, another threat—eerily similar to the one that had almost gotten Yami killed earlier—suddenly arrived.

A captain from the Midnight Sun Clan had just appeared, and his presence immediately shifted the air around them.

His appearance and powerful aura drew several raised brows, and within seconds, everyone was ready to engage in battle. But just as tensions rose, a sentence from Finral suddenly threw everyone off.

"Wait, I know you!" Finral suddenly blurted out, causing heads to turn towards him. He kept staring intently at the bulky man in front of him, brows furrowed in deep thought.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Vanessa asked quickly, puzzled by Finral's reaction, as he continued to study the man's face.

"And I also remember you, boy," the man replied with a faint smile, which only made more eyebrows lift in surprise.

"Duke! What the hell are you doing here?" the injured captain suddenly shouted, recognizing the bulky man immediately.

"I had just returned from a mission when I heard about the stupid mistake you were going to make. I came rushing, hoping I wasn't too late… but I guess I was," Duke sighed as he facepalmed, clearly disappointed by the injured state of his colleague.

"Finral, how and where do you know him from?" Clarice asked, eyes narrowing as she continued to stare at Duke. There was something oddly familiar about him.

"Remember that one time when Grey and the girls went into town? They were attacked by a Midnight Sun member who claimed Grey was a terrorist—and he was even about to attack Millie until I stepped in?" Finral asked, and everyone nodded, remembering the incident clearly.

"We got into a fight, and I was about to lose my life when he," Finral said, pointing at Duke, who gave a sheepish smile, "interrupted the clan member and saved me."

"I was just trying to stop a subordinate of mine from committing a terrible mistake," Duke added with a humble grin as he scratched his head. "The same kind of mistake this fool here just went to make."

"Meaning?" the injured captain asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Who the hell sent you on an errand to attack the Cromwells?" Duke asked, his tone turning sharp as he glared down at his colleague. His sudden shift in mood caused everyone around to exchange looks.

"A general did! Was I supposed to ignore a superior's command?!" the injured man barked back, his voice rising in frustration as he glared at Duke.

"Which general?" Duke asked, his eyebrow arching even higher. This version is sourced from MV3L3MPYR.

"The newly elected one," the man replied bitterly.

Duke let out a heavy sigh and facepalmed once again, this time much louder. "Damn all these newbies. I'm sure that foolish general didn't consult the others before doing something this reckless and upsetting the Cromwells."

"Uhm, excuse me? What the hell is going on here?" Grey asked as he stepped forward, his tone demanding answers.

Duke turned to look at him, but his gaze quickly shifted past Grey and locked onto Yami, who stood nearby with his arms crossed, his abdomen still bleeding.

"Yami Cromwell. I'm deeply sorry for what our clan put you and your family through," Duke said sincerely. "I hope this doesn't damage our relationship or anything." He gave a respectful bow in Yami's direction, which made several heads turn to Yami for his reaction.

"Ah, it's nothing," Yami replied with a sheepish smile, scratching his head awkwardly.

Just then, the door behind him opened, and the hundred injured and unconscious men began to stagger in, limping and groaning as they entered the room.

"I'm glad you let them live," Duke smiled as he saw his subordinates walking over.

'What is going on? Isn't he a captain? Why is he suddenly afraid of Yami?! What's going on?' Grey thought as he turned to stare at Yami, who just kept smiling.

"Pick your foolish captain up and let's head back now," Duke ordered.

"Who the hell are you calling foolish?!" the captain shouted in anger as his subordinates grabbed him and picked up his sliced limbs from the ground.

"You messed up big time," Duke whispered as he crouched down beside the captain, shaking his head in disappointment.

"What are you on about?" the captain asked angrily, albeit in a whisper.

"You and that damned General are newly elected, so I don't really blame you both," Duke replied in a low tone. "You know not of a certain rule... a saying that's been passed down."

"What's that?" the captain asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Never mess with the Cromwells if you value your life," Duke whispered back. His blood suddenly ran cold as he turned slightly, casting a side glance at Yami from the corner of his eyes.

Standing back upright, he signaled for the men carrying the injured captain to leave. Then he bowed slightly towards Yami once again.

"Thank you for sparing all their lives. I promise you, I'll try my possible best to ensure the clan never bothers you again," Duke said sincerely.

"And I said, it's fine. I also didn't want too much trouble for myself, which is why I ordered my family not to kill them," Yami replied with a smile, while Grey kept staring at him with a suspicious brow.

'Something definitely caused that captain to get so scared like that. I thought all captains were strong... or is this one just a weakling? I mean, look at what Yami and that other captain did—they practically destroyed the whole place during their fight.

So why is this Duke guy suddenly scared of Yami?' Grey scratched his temples as he watched the drama continue to unfold.

"And just a small piece of advice," Duke said as he turned to Yami, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"Although I will try my absolute best to prevent something like this from happening again, the General who ordered the attack is quite the hot-headed one. He won't rest until that red-haired boy is taken into custody."

"Kek!" Yami chuckled. "He better not try this again. Otherwise, I might not be so kind in the future," he said with a hint of seriousness in his voice, causing the hairs on Duke's body to stand on end.

"Right! Which is why I have a suggestion," Duke added. "Get that red-haired boy into the Aetherian Academy. They're the only ones strong enough to shield him—and train him too.

Although you're strong, you can't possibly protect him forever. But in the academy, the strong individuals there would always ensure his safety, preventing the General from getting his claws on him."

"Even if I want to do that," Yami said as he rubbed his temples, "his red hair is a problem right now."

"I wouldn't have suggested that idea without a solution to it. The clan possesses many artifacts, and I'm sure one of them could help conceal his hair," Duke said with a nod.

"Are you sure you can pull it off? And that this would work?" Yami asked while Grey's eyes darted between the two men, his mouth opening and closing without a sound.

"I'm ninety percent sure it will work," Duke replied with confidence.

"I'll take that chance," Yami said with a smile and a nod.

"Great. I'll see you in a week," Duke grinned. Then, crouching down low, he jumped into the sky with a loud bang, as if a gun had been fired, disappearing from view.

"Wait a moment! I didn't even get a chance to decide!" Grey shouted out loud, arms flailing.