Chapter 987

Shadows stretched across the entire battlefield, casting a somber veil over the carnage.

A member of the Behemoth Clan had just slain a Dawn warrior when his gaze naturally drifted toward the firmament, only to witness thousands of Ki swords hovering above them like a manifestation of divine judgment.

His quivering, trembling frame caused the soldier beside him to pause mid-strike.

One by one, every combatant began to stall, including heavy hitters like Rivock, Mada, Thalos, Alba, and their peers.

They were utterly bewildered.

Who possessed the monumental power required to manifest this many Ki blades simultaneously?

Logic dictated that only a Stage Nine warrior or someone beyond that threshold could achieve such a feat.

According to their collective memories, Devan was the solitary Stage Nine presence on this field.

Yet, there was no possibility he would orchestrate something like this; it simply wasn’t the Behemoth style of warfare.

In the sudden, eerie silence that blanketed the plains, they heard a familiar voice utter a word with chilling finality.

That was the exact moment the realization struck them with the force of a tidal wave.

It was Grey!

Grey had returned, and he had evidently decided to announce his presence with a spectacular, world-shaking bang.

The instant that realization dawned, the Ki swords descended.

They weren’t aimed at Devan, but rather at the sprawling army surrounding them.

It was as if the blades possessed a sentient mind of their own; they avoided the Dawn forces like a plague and sought only to eviscerate the Behemoth Clan instead.

The execution was so swift and shocking that the soldiers were unable to process the danger before the steel claimed the lives of more than four thousand men within a single second.

Each manifested sword tore through at least two enemies before finally dissipating.

With over two thousand blades in the air, the resulting casualties were staggering.

Within just one minute of stepping onto the battlefield, Grey had claimed more lives than even Thalos had managed to achieve in nearly an hour of grueling combat.

"...."

Stunned silence reigned.

No one could react as blood began to flow across the parched earth like a rising river.

Everyone was too paralyzed by shock to move an inch, and this included Devan himself.

Dust wafted through the air while the wind continued to howl with an unnatural, predatory ferocity.

The Behemoth Clan found themselves unable to resume the fight.

They couldn’t lift a solitary finger, instead gulping audibly while staring at the back of the seemingly ordinary fellow standing before their leader.

In fact, if it weren’t for his current, suffocating aura, he could have easily been mistaken for a common foot soldier of the Dawn forces.

"Ha-ha-hah-hah! You finally decided to show up, huh, Supreme Magus? Did you miss me?!" Alba shouted with pure, unadulterated, and shameless glee.

"..."

A fleeting frown appeared on the Supreme Magus’ face, but it vanished a heartbeat later.

"Alba, why are you so incredibly shameless?"

Alba’s expression fell immediately, a deep pout creasing her features.

"Hey, what do you mean by that? Weren’t we supposed to get married and have all the fun in the world... in my bed? Heh-hehe."

Her clan members stared at her in absolute horror.

What had suddenly possessed her?

Then again, why were they surprised? She had always been notoriously brazen.

Lifting his Ki spear, Devan pointed the tip at Grey, a thin, predatory smile playing on his lips.

"So, you are the Supreme Magus, huh?"

Grey tilted his head slightly in the man’s direction. "Did I stutter when I introduced myself earlier, weakling?"

"...?!"

"That’s my boy!" Rivock chuckled in pure amusement, a proud, satisfied grin resting on his face.

Devan’s eyebrows twitched in visible annoyance.

How could a mere kid talk down to him with such blatant disrespect?

Actually, he wasn’t ’mere’ anymore.

The proof of his power was laid out across the field in front of everyone; therefore, Devan wasn’t going to make the mistake of underestimating him.

Before the leader could respond, Grey looked around the battlefield as the distant sound of clashing steel still echoed in his ears.

That was when he spotted Gunther, still heavily engaged in his duel with Ortiz.

The two of them hadn’t even realized what was happening around them.

They were completely engrossed in their private dance of blades, tactics, and velocity.

It was as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist while they fought with rigorous, focused intensity.

"... I honestly don’t have time to spend here on meaningless banter and fighting, which is why," the mage began, his voice carrying effortlessly across the silent field.

Grey turned his back on Devan to address the remains of the Behemoth Clan.

"Kindly leave while you still can. I’m really in a bad mood, so don’t make it worse. I feel generous right now, so you all can depart. If you decide not to, I will take it that you are prepared to die."

"...!!!"

The men all glanced at each other in sheer disbelief.

Was this man actually serious?

They looked toward their leader, who was still clutching his spear with a murderous grip.

Veins bulged across Devan’s arm as his eyes bored into the warrior mage’s exposed back.

No... the answer was clear.

No matter how much power the Supreme Magus had just demonstrated, they couldn’t simply walk away.

Where would they go?

Back to the Behemoth Clan’s territory?

Back to Devan later?

That was more than a death sentence; it was an invitation to a slow end.

Seeing as no one was moving an inch, Grey exhaled and lifted his gaze toward the sky—aiming at the exact spot where Han and Dan remained hidden.

It was as if he were staring directly into their souls.

"Man... I’m really exhausted. Why can’t you all just give me space to kill the Otherworlders in peace? Why should I have to deal with all this crap?"

A sinister aura suddenly saturated the air.

"Rule one of being a warrior: never turn your back to an enemy!"

Grey’s ears perked up immediately as Devan closed the distance between them in a blink.

His spear was already in motion, whistling through the atmosphere with lethal intent.

The velocity he was moving at was simply too high for most to even contemplate dodging.

But not for Grey.

All he did was tilt his head around to look at Devan with a prominent frown on his face.

"Okay."

The earth burst open immediately as a giant pillar of stone hurtled toward Devan, forcing the leader to abandon his attack.

He leaped away just in time as the pillar crashed into his previous position, transforming the ground into a wide, jagged crater.

"I have tasted Orion’s strength as a Stage Nine warrior, and I’ve tasted Borfan’s strength. So, show me what you can do!"

With a fluid spin, Grey dashed forward with such a clamorous bang that the ground where he had been standing a moment ago caved in completely.

With lightning speed, he was already before Devan, his wind sword flashing forward like a streak of pure destruction.