[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-magus-supremacy":3,"chapter-magus-supremacy-magus-supremacy-chapter-196":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Magus Supremacy",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1243828,1673,"Chapter 196 196: Shattered!","magus-supremacy-chapter-196",196,"\u003Cp>The team soared steadily through the sky atop Grey's majestic Wind Bird, the creature's vast wings slicing through the cool air with rhythmic grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the chaotic collapse of the dungeon, their escape had been a narrow one — a desperate scramble against the raining rocks and crumbling walls that nearly buried them alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them, the dungeon had vanished without a trace, swallowed whole by the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, they glided above the sprawling borderlands, the fading battlefield nothing but a memory etched into their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts, the somber mood weighing heavily over them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seated near the rear, Dante sat hunched over, his gaze locked onto Kael's lifeless, headless body that Selene had solemnly withdrawn from her shadow space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers trembled, and his throat tightened as memories flooded him with brutal clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like only yesterday when he and Kael had first met during the Academy's assessment, a random grouping that fate had destined to be far more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, Kael had saved Dante's life, pulling him from the jaws of death when no one else would.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From that day onward, they were inseparable — partners in missions, comrades in battle, and brothers at heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever missions were assigned, Dante refused to go without Kael by his side, a bond so visible that even Captain Amir made it a habit to pair them together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how dangerous the task, they always returned victorious, stronger than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today... today was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dante's hands clenched into trembling fists as bitter tears blurred his vision. The sight of Kael's motionless body shattered something deep within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a choked sob, Dante suddenly threw back his head and screamed, a raw, anguished cry that split the heavy silence and startled everyone aboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charlotte, her heart breaking at the sight, moved towards him and pulled him into a tight embrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dante collapsed into her arms, his sobs racking his body as grief poured out of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's okay, Dante. Let it all out,\" Charlotte whispered soothingly, stroking his back as he cried harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why... why did he have to die?!\" Dante screamed, his voice cracking under the weight of his pain. \"This was supposed to be an easy mission! Kael wasn't supposed to die!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cries echoed across the skies, a chorus of grief that pierced even the coldest hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We all feel the pain of his loss, Dante,\" Lyra said quietly, her own voice tinged with sorrow. \"He wasn't just a squad member... he was our friend.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"ARGHHHHH!\" Dante roared, falling to his knees beside Kael's broken body, pounding the surface of the bird with clenched fists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of the others knew how to console him — they had never seen Dante, the unshakable pillar of the second years, crumble like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he and Kael bickered often, their bond had been unbreakable. And now, that bond lay shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few feet away, Grey remained standing at the front of the Wind Bird, his gaze fixed ahead, the wind whipping his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice, when it came, was low but carried across the bird with surprising clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dante,\" Grey called out, still without turning. \"I can't imagine how much it hurts... but you have to pull through. For Kael.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words floated through the heavy air like a lifeline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you think he'd be happy seeing you like this? Crushed, broken, drowning in tears?\" Grey continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're not dishonoring his memory by grieving... but if you stay here, in this pain, you'll trap him too. Let him rest. Let his spirit soar free.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You... you're saying I should just forget him?!\" Dante snapped, anger flashing through his tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grey turned his head slightly, his eyes gleaming with something deeper — experience, pain, and growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" Grey said firmly. \"I'm saying honor him. Carry him forward.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, his voice lowering even more. \"I lost my dad, too. Someone who meant everything to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That kind of loss doesn't leave you... it becomes part of you. But instead of letting it destroy me, I chose to fulfill his dreams. To protect the ones he left behind. To become someone he would be proud of.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grey's hands tightened at his sides as his voice dropped to a near whisper. \"Think about it, Dante. What would Kael have wanted for you? What dreams, what hopes did he leave behind?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dante froze, Grey's words stirring memories buried deep within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flashed back to a conversation — a simple walk to the Academy's canteen, laughter ringing between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, why did you even enroll at the Academy?\" Dante had asked, tossing an apple into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael had scratched his chin thoughtfully. \"Reason, huh? Well... I guess it's because Captain Amir saved me once when I was younger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I've always dreamed of becoming someone he could be proud of. Someone strong enough to protect the weak, just like he protected me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dante had scoffed back then, throwing a mocking glance over his shoulder. \"Saving the weak? Sounds pathetic. If they're weak, they don't deserve saving.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael had only smiled, his voice filled with quiet conviction. \"One day, you'll understand, Dante. You'll find something... someone worth fighting for.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memory shattered, and Dante found himself staring at Kael's body once more, his chest heaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new fire ignited within him — not of anger, but of purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I promise you, Kael,\" Dante whispered hoarsely, wiping the tears from his bloodshot eyes. \"I will carry your legacy. I'll make you proud, dear friend. You'll never be forgotten.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grey smiled faintly. \"That's the spirit. As long as you live for him, as long as you carry his dreams, Kael will never truly be gone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead, Lunaria Academy's familiar towers began to emerge over the horizon, the setting sun bathing them in a warm, golden glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charlotte found herself staring at Grey's back, her heart trembling slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Grey… he's changed so much. He's no longer the hotheaded boy I knew a year ago. What happened to him? How did he grow so much, so fast?' she wondered silently, a strange ache blooming in her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grey's own thoughts drifted inward, his hands tightening into fists at his sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Dad... I swear to you, I will become someone you can be proud of. I'll protect the Dawn family with everything I have. No one will ever take from us again. I'll become the greatest mage the world has ever known. That's my promise to you... and to myself.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wind Bird let out a soft, mournful cry as it began its descent, landing gracefully before the towering gates of Lunaria Academy — carrying with it not just the battered team, but the weight of promises yet to be fulfilled.\u003C\u002Fp>",1131,"2026-06-05T15:21:23.698Z",1,"novelbin.me","8208aee88524c0d6045b72814578fef764bd97d7b00a14c0fb800ceeeafc3806","magus-supremacy-chapter-197","magus-supremacy-chapter-195",1068,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmagus-supremacy-cover.jpg"]