Magus Supremacy

"Grey!!!" the entire team screamed as his body slammed into the cave wall with a sickening crunch. Rocks crumbled around him, blood splattering across the stone. For a moment, his body lay motionless—lifeless.

Having taken down its greatest threat, the beast charged at Scarlet next. She barely dodged in time, launching a barrage of fireballs in retaliation. Some missed entirely, while the few that struck only left shallow scorch marks on its thick hide.

It came at her with a savage swing aimed for her head. She ducked at the last second, retaliating with a fireball to its abdomen before leaping back. Her half-formed construct trailed behind her, flickering as she desperately poured mana into it, trying to complete it in time.

But the beast was relentless. It pursued her around the cave with terrifying speed, forcing her to focus solely on dodging rather than attacking. Her breath became ragged, her body sluggish, but still she danced with death, evading by mere inches.

This deadly game of cat and mouse continued for nearly a minute until—

"Finally!" she shouted.

A colossal burst of fire erupted from her hands, sending the beast skidding back. Hovering above her was a newly completed construct—a miniature fire dragon with flames licking its body and steam hissing from its nostrils.

"Beast for beast!" she roared.

She lunged forward, the dragon soaring behind her. The beast met her charge, swinging its claws—but she weaved under the attack, vanishing behind it in a blur.

The fire dragon unleashed a volley of rapid fireballs. Unlike her earlier attacks, these struck true, searing flesh and drawing blood with every hit.

Scarlet jumped back, only to wince as a sharp sting bloomed across her cheek. Though she had dodged, the beast's claws had grazed her, leaving a thin trail of blood.

The dragon inhaled deeply before expelling a wide stream of fire. The beast attempted to dodge, but the inferno was too broad, burning away large swathes of its skin.

Yet, even as it took damage, its wounds began mending instantly.

And once more, it charged at Scarlet.

"Damn it! How can we help if we can't even track their movements?!" Vorden growled, hands outstretched, searching for an opening to release his mist.

Scarlet ducked just in time to avoid another claw swipe. Flames wreathed her hands as she slammed them into the beast's abdomen, sending it skidding back ever so slightly—just enough to give her a fleeting moment to breathe.

"Don't worry about me—check on that arrogant peasant and make sure he's still alive!" she shouted, sweat trickling down her face. "Vanica, save him! If something happens to him, I'll kill you myself!"

"Shit!" Arthur cursed. Pushing himself to the limit, he summoned a shield just as the beast's claws tore through the air toward Scarlet. The barrier manifested in time—but it shattered the moment the claws connected.

"Not again, darn it!" Arthur yelled, his heart pounding as the claws drew closer.

Bang!

A thunderous explosion rang out. Heat and dust surged through the cave. And when it cleared…

A young man stood tall, brown hair tousled, brown eyes fierce, gripping the beast's claws with his lightning-wreathed hands. Sparks danced across a pair of glowing gauntlets.

"I... I told you… If you want to kill someone, then do it properly, darn it!" Grey roared.

A violent wind storm erupted around him, twisting into a tornado that rose with furious might. Its sharp tip slammed into the beast, launching it across the cave and smashing it through a thick stone wall.

Grey dropped to his knees, coughing blood. His robe was torn, a deep claw wound gashing his stomach, blood dripping to the ground.

"Grey!" Scarlet cried, rushing to his side. "Vanica, help—now!"

Four glowing butterflies emerged, fluttering toward him. They settled gently on his body, and within seconds, their healing magic began to mend his wounds.

In under a minute, Grey stood once more, fists clenched, his eyes locked on the rubble.

From the broken wall, the beast emerged—fully healed once again. A smug, almost mocking glint sparkled in its eyes as it surveyed the team.

'How?! How the hell am I supposed to kill this thing if it keeps regenerating?!' Grey raged internally. His gaze swept across the beast until he spotted something—something embedded in its head.

A small red crystal.

'What the hell is that?' he thought, his mind replaying every moment of the battle. Every time they struck near the head, the beast had defended it. Even when taking massive damage elsewhere, it always protected the crystal.

'That's it... That has to be it,' Grey thought, a surge of determination flooding his veins.

A dozen razor-sharp wind blades materialized around him.

Before the beast could charge, he launched them—each one aimed at the crystal.

The beast froze for a split second before raising its claws to shield the crystal, swatting the blades away.

"Bingo," Grey muttered. "Scarlet—aim everything you've got at the red crystal!"

In a flash, he dashed forward, a lightning-forged blade forming in his grasp.

'I didn't want to rely on anyone… I've got four magic affinities… But right now, I need her firepower,' he admitted to himself.

The beast met him halfway, slashing with lethal speed. But thanks to his lightning boots, Grey zipped around the attack and plunged the blade into its back, sending a pulse of electricity through its body.

Scarlet and her fire dragon unleashed a joint assault. Fireballs roared through the air, each one zeroing in on the crystal. Even under the sword's stunning effect, the beast tried to raise its arms.

"Not this time!" Grey snarled.

He slammed his lightning-charged fists into the beast's chest, amplifying the paralysis. Then he slid beneath it and drove a wind blade deep into its torso.

On cue, the fireballs struck the crystal—cracking it. Black blood poured from the beast's mouth.

Grey surged forward, wind blade in hand.

The beast's eyes widened in panic.

"Do you know why you're going to lose?" Grey said coldly, his blade inches from the fractured crystal. "Because you went up against the Supreme Mage."

He rammed the blade into the crystal—shattering it completely. The blade continued through, piercing the beast's brain.

With a final, guttural groan, the beast collapsed to the ground with a thunderous thud.