Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe
Chapter 1021: Reckoning

Chapter 1021: Reckoning

As the crowd rose to their feet, shocked senseless by the outcome of the duel between Edward and Michael, an ominous figure observed everything down below with an inquisitive look in his eyes.

The masked man—the master—from the Cult silently levitated high up in the air, hidden from all senses. He had never expected much from the Final Trial of the tournament. But surprisingly enough, Edward had caught his eye.

To be able to weave independent hand seals in separate hands spoke volumes about the youth’s control over mana. Moreover, from the energy fluctuations, he could tell it was a powerful Rank 2 Spell.

Now that... was quite the feat. It was enough to draw the attention of even the mighty and powerful Mana Core Magus.

As a Magus advanced through the ranks, they would require fewer and fewer magical components to cast spells of preceding ranks.

For example, a Mana Vortex Magus could effortlessly cast Rank 1 Spells without needing to weave hand seals, offer material components, or materialize the model structures.

But Edward had just cast a Rank 2 Spell using only hand seals—separate and independent at that. No materials. No model components.

That could only mean one thing...

He was extraordinarily gifted in the art of wielding mana.

The master’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at Edward rising to his feet, then helping Michael get on his. He deeply looked at the youth, his thoughts a mystery.

Then, he turned away and flew towards the Uptown Quarter, his eyes flickering with conviction.

At last, reckoning had arrived.

Inevitable and absolute.

***

As the morning sun glided over the pale blue sky, reaching past its highest peak and slowly moving across, the matches continued to happen in quick succession.

By the time the sun would have set below the horizon, the Final Trial of the Seventy-Third Grand Magus Tournament would have already ended, and the winner would have been crowned.

But strangely, a grim atmosphere had descended over the arena. No one could pinpoint exactly when it started or why it had started, but the crowd had a vague feeling... a sense of foreboding festering in their hearts.

Yet, watching the spectacular matches being played out and enjoying the violence being presented in the arena, they chose to ignore it. Most could not even properly identify it, to be honest.

But the same couldn’t be said about the Magi present in the stands. Even for a Mana Foundation Magus, their souls were powerful and greatly attuned compared to the mortals.

Thus, they were able to immediately notice the shift in the atmosphere.

It was like their intuition was warning them that something very terrible was going to happen.

But what confused these Magi... was that they were in the heart of Ravenfell, protected by the powerful security forces of the city.

So how could any danger befall them?

Not to mention, the experts from the other Pillars and Baja High Forest were also in attendance. But more importantly... the city was under the protection of the mighty Mana Core Magus, the Headmaster of Saratoga Castle.

This left them feeling perplexed. And when they saw the change in the expressions of the Ravenfell Magi inside the arena, the feeling of forboding started to grow deeper, like an invisible hand gripping their hearts and slowly filling their very beings with dread.

So while the crowd obliviously cheered for the contestants in the arena, the Magi present began to take matters into their own hands. They began asking their fellow Magi, who knew the locals, about what was going on... about what was going to happen.

Although they did not cause any commotion, their actions did not go unnoticed. Some of the keener mortals also started to notice the subtle shift in the air.

Alas, most of their fears and paranoia were bound to drown underneath the grand performance happening in the center of the coliseum.

And just like that, from the eight Magi participating in the quarterfinals, only half of them moved to the next round—the semifinals.

The matches got longer since the remaining contestants were the best of the best of the young Magi the Empire had. One by one, their favourites were eliminited and then... only two remained.

The final match of the Grand Magus Tournament had arrived.

From the left bracket, Edward Turner, the greatest talent of the Tower of Daybreak, had battled his way through, securing victory after victory, and ultimately emerged as one of the two finalists.

Meanwhile, from the right bracket, the tournament’s greatest dark horse had risen to claim the other spot in the finals.

The people called him... Merlin the Mad.

On one side was Edward. Polished, disciplined, and a prodigy among prodigies. The pride of the Tower of Daybreak, he was a master of lightning and strength.

With a flawless record and magic that shone with both elegance and power, he had long been the people’s favorite.

On the other side was Merlin. The rogue. The wildcard. The unpredictable storm. He didn’t just win, he dominated. Breaking his opponents’ body, spirit, and sometimes... even sanity, that was the way of the Mad Butcher.

No one knew what spell he would cast next, or whether he would laugh, cry, or explode while doing it.

Two forces.

One, the embodiment of order and potential.

The other, chaos wrapped in genius.

And now, the arena would witness their clash.

...Or would they?

Before the final match began, a brief ceremony was held. It was organized by the Magi of Saratoga and personally hosted by the Prince of Acadia.

And while the ceremony unfolded... elsewhere, events were set in motion. Events that would soon alter the course of Ravenfell, and shake the very foundations of the Acadian Empire.

In a vast underground chamber, the Dark King had summoned all the young Magi who had participated in the Grand Magus Tournament...

In the outskirts of the city, several powerful and mysterious figures made their presence known...

In the vast and complex sewers beneath the city, countless shadowy silhouettes began to move...

In the coastal waters, dozens of galleons suddenly materialized out of thin air...

In the dark slums of the Corvid Quarter, the unseen and quiet stench of rot and death began to rise...

In the depths of Marian Lake, the titanic ancient creature stirred awake...

Soon, the battle of Ravenfell would begin, and Old Ani’s prophecy would come to pass.

Just as foretold. Just as feared.

Fire, death, and...

A black comet.