Magus Supremacy

"Careful peering down there, peasant. Wouldn't want you falling off the cliff," a voice called out, and the trio quickly spun around to see another trio heading their way with deep frowns and sly smiles on their faces.

These were the three direct descendants, and Mada could be seen glaring at Grey with fury burning in his eyes.

"What do you all want?" Ray asked, staring at the trio suspiciously.

"Why are you so hyper, pretty boy?" Rivock asked, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"Did no one ever tell you that smile is creepy?" Ray replied with a raised eyebrow.

"You can tell me in my bed soon," Rivock said, licking his lips with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"What do you all want?" Grey asked again, his gaze fixed firmly on the trio.

"To speak with you," Noelle replied, turning her eyes to scan Grey from head to toe.

"Speak with me? Why would the so-called direct descendants want to speak with us?" Grey asked, his brow lifting slightly.

"Not all of you. Only you," Rivock answered as he pointed directly at Grey.

"Which is why we want the rest of you to leave. Right now," Mada ordered, stepping forward, but Ray instantly moved to block his path. His gauntlets smashed together as he glared at Mada.

"Take one more step, and I'll forget that you're an influential figure. Don't test me," Ray warned, his tone grave and heavy with irritation.

"Oh! Feisty. I like," Rivock commented as he also took a step forward, his smile widening.

"Guys," Grey called out, stopping any form of confrontation before it could start. He knew all too well how powerful the descendants were. "You both should leave. Go submit our crystals. I'll be back soon."

"As if I care about you," Finral scoffed as he turned and began walking away. But Ray didn't budge an inch.

"Ray…" Grey said again, more softly this time. Ray hesitated for a moment, his jaw clenched.

"Fine! I'll leave, but you better come back soon," he said at last, then began sprinting out of the forest, leaving Grey alone with the direct descendants.

"Now, what do you want to talk about?" Grey asked, his voice casual, one brow raised.

"Oh! Even knowing how strong we are, you can still speak without stuttering?" Noelle chuckled, her voice rich with amusement.

"All I want to say is that I want you to forfeit any thoughts of joining the academy. Leave now, while you still can," Mada said, his tone laced with threat, his scowl deepening.

"Haven't you already tried threatening me? Did it work? No!" Grey said with a grin stretching across his bruised lips. "Try something else instead."

"I'm warning you. Leave while you still can…" Mada muttered, his hand drifting toward the sword sheathed at his waist.

"Or else what?" Grey challenged, taking a defensive stance as his eyes darted toward the cliff just a metre behind him.

Mada sighed and slowly shook his head. "I already tried to be reasonable, but you chose to be stubborn. Just remember—whatever happens to you now is on your head."

Before Grey could even respond, something snaked around his legs. In the next instant, he was yanked forward violently, and a fist was already flying at his face.

"I don't like your face," Rivock snarled. His punch connected with brutal force, smashing straight into Grey's face. A tooth and a spray of blood flew from Grey's mouth as he staggered backward, clutching his jaw in pain.

"Just so you know, I held back. Didn't want to kill you. Yet," Rivock said with a sly grin, watching Grey struggle to steady himself.

"What do you have to say now?" Mada asked coldly, eyes locked on Grey again.

"I will say, screw you," Grey said, his voice firm and defiant.

"Very well," Mada muttered, and in the next second, a sharp bang echoed as he vanished from his position in a blur of motion and reappeared right in front of Grey, his sword thrusting forward at full speed.

"Damn it," Grey cursed, quickly drawing his own sword and raising it just in time to block the strike. A loud clang rang out as their blades collided, the impact forcing Grey to skid several inches backward.

"Noelle," Mada called out, leaping away just in time as a whip lashed out towards Grey's face.

'Quite slow,' Grey thought, easily sidestepping the strike. But just then, a thin, shallow slash appeared on his cheek, and crimson droplets rolled down from the fresh wound.

'What? How did that touch me? I thought I dodged it completely. Damn it. This fight is beyond me,' Grey thought, swallowing hard as tension surged through him.

"I warned you!" Mada shouted, now bolting straight at Grey. In the blink of an eye, he was back in front of him, his sword arcing towards Grey's neck. Grey ducked backward just in time, dodging the blade—but a brutal fist slammed into his gut right after.

"Argh!" Grey groaned, doubling over as blood and spit flew from his mouth. He stumbled backward, now barely half a metre from the edge of the cliff.

'Damn it. I can't fall. I need to move away now,' he thought, trying to muster the strength to rise. But before he could push up, Mada was already there, standing over him with his sword raised once more.

"I have never seen my brother smile or laugh at me. Not once. But today, he smiled at you. He complimented you. He praised you!" Mada yelled, his voice filled with rage and frustration.

"Huh? Is that what this is all about?" Grey asked, blinking in confusion, his face twisted in disbelief.

"Shut the hell up!" Mada screamed, swinging his sword down toward Grey's head. Grey spun around just in time and brought up his blade to defend himself.

CLANG!

The sound of metal on metal rang out as Mada's sword smashed into Grey's. Pain surged through Grey's hands as the blade cracked violently, then shattered entirely under the pressure.

"Look at you. Defenseless. Weak. Useless. You shouldn't even be allowed to breathe the same air as us," Mada spat, swinging his sword downward once more with lethal intent.

"And you should stop being so damn insecure," Grey barked, thrusting the broken hilt of his sword forward. It slammed into Mada's arm, drawing a sharp gush of blood and forcing the descendant to leap backward in pain and surprise.

"I'm not a weakling!" Grey roared, panting as he saw Mada staring at his bleeding arm, his eyes blinking rapidly in disbelief.

"Noelle," Mada called out calmly.

Right on cue, a whip snapped through the air like lightning, coiling tightly around Grey's arms. He struggled, straining with all his might, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free.

"What the…" Grey began, but the words died in his throat.

His body was suddenly yanked forward at incredible speed, so fast it shattered the sound barrier. His eyes widened in horror as he realized he was flying directly toward the trio—his face filled with helplessness, confusion, and pure dread.

"You shouldn't have drawn my blood," Mada said, now standing still, his hands trembling—not just with fury, but with the power rapidly building within him. A crackling storm of Ki began to swirl around his limbs.

"And you shouldn't have dared to draw my brother's attention to you!" he bellowed.

He launched himself into the air. With a deafening bang, Mada swung his leg forward and planted a vicious, earth-shattering kick into Grey's gut.

BANG!

BOOM!

The forest trembled violently. Grey's eyes rolled back as a torrent of blood erupted from his mouth. The ground cracked open beneath them with deep fissures, and the trees nearby shuddered from the force of the blast.

Then, in a blur of motion, Grey's limp body was hurled through the air, vanishing from sight. A heartbeat later, he was falling.

Falling fast.

Off the cliff.

Down into the fog.

"Shit! Mada, you've killed him!" Noelle screamed, her voice filled with horror as they all watched Grey's body disappear into the endless fog below.