Magus Supremacy

The townspeople hurried through the dense fog, guided back to what remained of their town. As they emerged, they were met with destruction—charred buildings, smoldering ruins, and the eerie silence of a place that had already endured devastation.

Greg and Arthur didn't stop there. They led the townspeople toward the town's edge, where a group of survivors sat in exhaustion. Two glowing white birds fluttered overhead, their soft light radiating healing energy as they tended to the wounded.

"Hold on! That's Vanica's creation magic." Arthur said as he recognized the birds moving around and healing the people.

"Vanica who?" Greg asked.

"Seriously?! You don't know who Vanica is?" Arthur shouted back and Greg just shrugged.

"The female that accompanied us along with Scarlet! That has healing magic." Arthur described.

"Oh! That peasant." Greg said with a scoff as he led the townspeople towards the other survivors while Arthur was seen clenching his hands in frustration. But he calmed down and walked to the survivors being healed by Vanica's healing birds.

"The mage who created these birds, where is she?" He asked.

"She… she is still back in the middle of the town. East from here and… and she is surrounded by bandits." A woman replied sniffling.

"Ba… bandits?!" Greg asked as he sharply turned around towards the woman.

"Yes! About five of them." The woman replied. "Sh… she… she risked her life to let us escape."

"Damn it! Vanica isn't a combat mage. She won't stand a chance against them," Arthur muttered, his face tightening with concern.

"As much as I hate to say this, we need to go and save her and then look for the others so we would regroup and go back to the main town." Greg said with his hands clenched.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Arthur asked as he prepared to move when he felt a touch on his hand and he turned around to see the woman that answered their question.

"Please… please ensure you save her." The woman begged.

"Don't worry, I promise, I will get her back here safe and sound." Arthur said clenching his hands tightly.

"Says the most useless support." Greg said as lightning began crackling around his legs.

"I can't carry us both like that arrogant peasant, so I'll go ahead. Catch up however you want." In a flash, he was gone, streaking toward Vanica's location.

Arthur gritted his teeth. "I won't be left behind." With that, he took off, pushing his speed to the limit.

_____

Meanwhile, in another part of the town, a fiery red haired female could be seen with her back against a wall heaving in and out in exhaustion. As sweat dripped down her forehead while she clutched her aching sides.

"I thought I could find a safe place to rest after that fight, but my body is completely drained," she muttered, shaking her head. "My mana… I barely have a fraction left."

With a sigh, she forced herself to stand up and took a deep breath while looking up. "I can't just keep sitting here, I need to find the others and regroup with them. But where are they? I only remember where Vanica was dropped and I think it's not really far from here.

The most logical thing to do would be to find her and get her to heal my injuries and probably, my stamina would be restored and the fatigue would be gone." She said as she picked a direction and began walking slowly there.

'Although I managed to win my fight,' Scarlet thought as she began making her way to where she thought Vanica would be. 'It wasn't easy and I only managed to dominate the fight because of my creation magic.

And my saving grace was that my opponents were weaklings and mere bandits. The higher I go in this life, the more tougher opponents I face.

I… I need to grow stronger! But how? How even does that peasant does it? He just keep growing stronger and surpassing the rest of us even though we are nobles and should have more mana than him.' she thought as she was finally nearing the town and in two minutes, she finally walked in and could see more destroyed buildings which was no surprise.

While on the ground were dead bodies of the inhabitants of the town which was no surprise also. Walking forward a bit more, she saw five bandits laying down seemingly either unconscious or dead but she couldn't care less.

Lifting her head up, she could see Vanica standing rooted like a statue while her eyes looked to be closing in and out and Jay could be seen laying face flat on her soft chest comfortably as if he was laying on a bed.

"Huh?! When did this happen? I didn't know that a proud noble like Jay would fall for a peasant." Scarlet said as she walked forward and on hearing her voice, it pulled Vanica out of her thoughts.

"Sc… scarlet!" She almost screamed but managed to hold her mouth.

"What happened here?" Scarlet asked while pointing towards Jay.

"It's a long story and it definitely is not what you are thinking." Vanica replied with her cheeks all flushed up.

"Whatever. Will you be able to heal me? Considering your awkward position." Scarlet asked.

"Yeah sure! Healing creation magic! Healing butterflies!" Vanica called out and about three butterflies appeared and headed towards Scarlet resting on her body while her body glowed soft white and her injuries began to heal up.

"Thank you." Scarlet said softly when they heard sizzling noise coming from above and then something landed in their mist throwing lightning everywhere with a bolt hitting Jay causing him to scream awake.

"An attack! An attack! Dad save me!" He shouted as he fell down hitting his butt down while Vanica was seen a few feet away with a bruise on her arm.

"Quiet down you pimp!" Scarlet shouted as the dust began to settle down and Greg could be seen standing there with lightning hitting the ground.

"Are you guys okay?" He asked as his eyes surveyed the whole place before landing on Vanica.

"Do we look okay to you? You senseless fool! It feels like you have lightning for a brain." Scarlet shouted in anger.

"Will you just stop shouting?! I really wish the lightning had even hit your running trap we would have had a moment of silence here." Greg replied.

"I dare you to say that again!" Scarlet said with a flame appearing above her hand.

"Gu… guys!" A voice was heard calling from behind while a panting Arthur appeared falling to the ground in exhaustion as he heaved in and out.

"Oh! The useless support actually made it." Greg said.

"Vanica! Are you okay?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah! All thanks to Jay." Vanica said with a smile.

"I did it because you are part of the squad not for anything else so don't get funny ideas. I still see you all as beneath we nobles." Jay replied standing up.

"Says the weakling noble that was screaming and calling for his dad in fright of being attacked. Are you sure he really saved you? Vanica! He looks more like someone that needs to be saved." Scarlet said.

"You…" Jay was about to say when a still panting Arthur stood up and came between them.

"Guys! Now's not the time. There is something more important right now." He said.

"What could be more important than me trying to drown this arrogant queen!" Jay said as water began surrounding his hands.

"The mission is." Arthur replied.

"Mission? Haven't we already completed it? I mean all the bandits have been dealt with and for you two to be here, means that Grey has round off the rest of them." Vanica said.

"Still amazes me how he does that. He keeps growing stronger than us all." Scarlet scoffed.

"He is right, the mission isn't over and it has just gotten more deadlier." Greg said.

"Meaning?" Jay asked.

"The bandits' main boss has arrived and he is on a whole different level. By my estimation, he should be at the rank of a three star mage or so." Arthur replied.

"What?!" The others all shouted at once.

"Wh… where is Grey now?" Vanica asked.

"Facing off against him on his own." Greg replied.

"Bu… but he is just a two star mage which is also a surprise. Even if he has two affinities on his side, a three star mage is still a three star for a reason." Scarlet stated.

"Yeah yeah we know. He had us do an escort mission leaving him alone." Greg said.

"Then we need to head back and help him now!" Vanica said.

"But are we enough?" Arthur asked. "Don't get me wrong, I want to help but Greg can testify to what I'm saying. That boss dude kept on summoning ice shards upon shards endlessly. Can we do it?"

"Speak for yourself you weakling! I know that with me there, we can win so let's go darn it." Scarlet shouted.

"Who's in?" Vanica asked. "Let's go rescue Grey and finish this mission."

"I don't really care whatever happens to Grey but the mission is what's important to me so I will go." Jay said with a shrug.

"Same here." Greg added.

"Me too." Scarlet said.

"Fine! I will come along." Arthur said.

"Even if you didn't, we would have been fine." Scarlet said and Arthur clenched his hand tightly in anger when a flashback to when the assessment took place when Grey had advised him.

"Show her how powerful and useful your magic is."

"So it's settled, let's move now!" Vanica said.

"Who died and made you the leader?" Scarlet asked but they all ran forward nevertheless on their way to go save Grey.