Magus Supremacy

"Can't believe Dame wants me to play babysitter. I should go look for those duo and watch over them? Tch!" Finn scoffed as he walked into the town with a deep frown carved across his face. His hands were in his pockets, his mood already sour before he even set foot in the busy street.

That was when he noticed something strange. The townspeople were running helter-skelter, some clutching baskets, others dragging children along as if trying to escape or get somewhere quickly. Dust filled the air from all the commotion, and the chaotic chatter of fear spread like wildfire.

"Huh? What's going on?" Finn muttered aloud, his confusion growing. One of the townspeople, breathless as he sprinted past, turned his head just long enough to reply.

"Didn't you hear? The orange tiger is clobbering someone badly!" And with that, the man dashed away without waiting for further questions.

"Clobbering someone? Who went ahead to annoy Zach now! Does the person have a death wish or something?" Finn asked himself, his palm smacking against his forehead. He could already picture Zach's fiery temper exploding in the middle of the town square. "Unless the person isn't from around he… oh shit! Please don't let me be right." His mutter trailed off as his expression stiffened.

Without wasting another second, Finn picked himself up and darted toward the direction of the growing crowd, following the trail of panicked citizens. His speed was sharp, his mind racing with bad scenarios.

In less than a minute, he arrived at the market square—just in time to see a robed figure hurled brutally into the air before crashing into a wooden stall with a deafening crack. The stall splintered apart, fruits and goods scattering everywhere as the figure rolled out motionless for a moment.

"The Supreme Magus? Crap! This is bad." Finn muttered under his breath, his eyes widening. His instincts screamed that this wasn't just a casual brawl anymore. "I need to stop Zach." He braced himself, ready to step forward, but before he could move, a strong hand clamped down on his shoulder.

The grip was iron-tight, so unyielding that Finn couldn't even budge an inch.

"Sit tight and watch the show." A calm voice whispered into his ear. Finn spun around, his frown deepening, only to see the young man who was often shadowing the Supreme Magus—always at his side like a loyal bodyguard.

"Wait! Aren't you with him? Why aren't you stopping the fight?" Finn asked, his eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Don't count him out yet. Let him cook in peace." Thalos replied flatly. Without another wasted word, he simply raised a finger and pointed toward the destroyed stall.

From the debris, Grey slowly staggered out. His movements were steady despite the blood staining his mouth. What shocked Finn most was that Grey's hood was still perfectly over his head, concealing his identity as though the violent clash hadn't disturbed it in the slightest.

A long sigh escaped Grey's lips as he shook his head, casually wiping the blood with the back of his hand. His voice was calm, but the weight of his words echoed across the silent crowd.

"I forgot that humans are never civil. You behave more like beasts. Tch. I shouldn't have tried to act mature. Instead, I should have schooled you properly on who you've just messed with."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" the orange tiger, Zach, asked with a frown that showed no fear.

"Actually," Grey muttered. He stretched out his hand, and immediately the pendant inside his robe shimmered with a brilliant glow. In the blink of an eye, his sword materialized in his grasp.

He swung the weapon aside casually, but the motion unleashed a sharp gust of wind that swept across the square. The crowd flinched as they felt the pure, oppressive power radiating from the weapon. Murmurs spread instantly among them, fear lacing their words.

"You should tremble," Grey declared, his tone icy. "Because you've gone ahead and pissed the Supreme Magus off. And he isn't about to take things lightly."

With another sigh, Grey swung the sword down—only this time, the blade clanged against something strapped to his hand. A loud metallic ring resounded, and with a thud, a heavy weight dropped to the ground. He repeated the same motion against his ankle, and another massive weight hit the earth with another dull thud.

As he stepped aside, the crowd finally got a clear view of what those objects were. Thick, dense, metallic weights, each one giving off a sense of crushing heaviness. The sound alone when they struck the ground was enough to make people imagine how impossible it must have been to wear them casually.

'Wait! He's been casually wearing that all this time? Who the hell is he really?' Finn wondered inwardly, his jaw nearly dropping.

Grey flexed his shoulders, bouncing lightly on his feet, testing the sudden freedom in his limbs. His movements became quicker, sharper, almost predatory.

"Now, where were we?" Grey asked, his voice cold but calm as a faint grin tugged at his lips.

The square fell silent, all eyes locked on the Supreme Magus as the real battle was only just about to begin.

The wind slowly whipped around his feet while he had a casual grin on his face, though it was obviously hidden as usual.

"Oh right! We were at the part where I f*ck you up!" Grey thundered, his voice echoing across the battlefield as he exploded from where he stood. His speed surged, boosted by his wind magic, while his Ki swirled furiously around his feet like a raging storm.

The Supreme Magus was now a blur of motion as he zipped towards Zach, who wasn't taken aback in the slightest. Instead, the orange tiger readied himself, his fists pumping rapidly as he punched the air and released bursts of Ki with every swing.

"That won't work on me the second time!" Grey roared as he swung his sword out, clashing against the incoming Ki energies.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

His blade carved through the invisible currents of Ki as if they were nothing more than fragile sheets of paper, not once slowing his pace. His movements were fluid, seamless, as though his entire body had become one with the sword.

He leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding a burst of Ki, and then—without warning—he sprang high into the air, his voice thundering with power.

"Breathing technique: Second formation!" he bellowed, twisting his sword skillfully in his hands while his body spun midair.

"Wind Wheel!"

The words rang out like a war cry as he swung his blade forward, invisible steam seeping from his nostrils.

The wind howled viciously, and then a massive wheel of pure, condensed wind formed before him. It shot forward with breathtaking speed, the sheer pressure stunning the entire crowd—and even forcing Zach's eyes wide in disbelief.

"ARGH!" The orange tiger growled with rage, slamming his hands together and surrounding them with a dense layer of Ki. With a roar, he crossed his arms in an X just in time as the Wind Wheel smashed into him.

The collision sent him skidding backwards across the ground, his teeth clenched, his heels digging furrows as the earth cracked and split under the force. Trenches and craters carved into the arena floor as he fought to hold his ground, his face darkened by a deep frown.

Finally, the attack dissipated. Grey landed smoothly on the ground, his eyes narrowing in frustration.

'It didn't cause any damage to him? Is Stage Four Ki really that great?' he thought, unease settling in his chest. But he had no time to dwell on it—Zach had already vanished and reappeared right before him.

"You use a sword and I use my fists, how is that fair? You mother f*cking bastard!" the orange tiger bellowed as his fist came crashing forward.

Almost instinctively, the Supreme Magus brought his sword up to intercept the strike. Even then, the sheer impact forced him to skid backward, teeth grit, though he managed to hold his ground without being blown away.

"All is fair in love and war. But sorry—I don't play fair," Grey murmured softly, and then his body shot forth like a rocket. The ground cracked and shattered beneath his feet as he accelerated with overwhelming force.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Zach, his sword poised like a spear ready to thrust. But as though reading his intent, the orange tiger shifted, preparing to counterattack.

"Fool," Grey mouthed, his lips curling into a grin. In the next instant, he pivoted sharply on one foot, slipping to Zach's side before blitzing behind him in a blur of speed.

"Breathing technique: First formation," he intoned softly, his voice barely above a whisper as he hovered behind a stunned Zach.

"Gust of the Wind."

Grey thrust his sword forward with devastating force. The air shrieked and howled louder than ever, the very atmosphere trembling as his strike closed in.