While the city below was descending into panic and chaos, the silhouette of a lone figure could be seen standing quietly upon the rooftop of a tall building, calmly observing the scene.
Neither the deafening noise nor the violent aftershocks seemed to trouble him in the slightest. Simply leaning lightly against the cane he carried, he stood there almost as though he were watching a play unfold.
Naturally, that indifference was only surface deep. He was the Supreme Mage, the unofficial monarch of the magical world, and tonight the safety of the capital rested partly upon his shoulders.
The Founders had long since spread across the city to do their part as well, while he remained the final line of reassurance Maverick had arranged for tonight.
A while into the chaos, there was finally a slight change in his otherwise motionless stance. His pupils quietly turned to the side where an all too familiar scene unfolded, followed shortly by the emergence of an equally familiar figure.
The Ancient One gave him a brief glance only before stepping beside him. She did not even bother looking toward the sky, where it had practically turned into a festival of lights and fireworks. Had it not been for the shockwaves and earth-shattering booms, it might as well have been one.
"I assume this whole performance is only for the the ignorant masses?"
Merlin also only glanced at her briefly before returning his distant gaze toward the city beneath them. At first glance he appeared idle, but a closer look would reveal his fingers subtly lifting from the cane every now and then.
He let out a quiet sigh. "What brings you here, Yao?"
The Ancient One gave a faint smile, ignoring the man's indifference. "You can hardly blame me for coming here with this much noise..." She paused, her eyes sweeping across the city while listening to the echoing booms mixed with the endless wailing of sirens. "I presume this entire spectacle is not mere coincidence?"
Merlin's index finger lifted slightly from the surface of his cane once more before he let out a quiet breath. "Ask your disciples not to involve themselves. Tonight's affair belongs to my people."
Merlin's subtle movement naturally did not escape the Sorcerer Supreme's notice. Her brows lifted slightly as she turned toward a direction where a family of four had just vanished from danger.
She chuckled softly, a flash of understanding appearing in her eyes. "If you insist... though surely I am allowed to be the exception?"
"So long as you refrain from interfering with the boy's actions..."
"Very well..." She lightly shrugged, still smiling before making a small motion with her hand as well. "And since I'm here, it would feel rather rude not to help..."
Neither spoke again for some time, leaving behind a strange silence.
They appeared to be simply standing there overlooking the city, though in reality their senses had already spread across the entire capital, subtle movements from their fingers quietly interfering with the chaos unfolding.
In one place, a child would suddenly be whisked away from danger, while elsewhere, an invisible barrier shielded an unsuspecting family.
In other places, flashes of orange light erupted suddenly, shaping themselves into barriers of their own while chunks of falling debris vanished through portals before reaching the ground.
Occasionally, only one such miracle would occur, while at other moments several happened together across the capital.
"Hm...?" After some time had passed, the Ancient One suddenly glanced toward a far corner of the city, "now this is unexpected..."
Merlin also turned toward the same direction at that exact moment, both of them appearing to have sensed the same thing.
"Isn't this the fellow who caused that big ruckus back then...?" the Sorcerer Supreme remarked inquisitively.
"So it seems..." A trace of surprise appeared within Merlin's eyes as well, "it looks like that small demi-plane has turned out rather useful for him..."
"Yes... quite ironic." The Ancient One's smile lingered as she gave a small nod. "I doubt Nicolas ever imagined things developing like this..." She paused for a moment, then glancing at Merlin, asked, "will he succeed?"
"He already has," Merlin replied with calm certainty. "A truly brilliant work of alchemy, concealing itself even from our awareness for so long..."
"And is this also part of... whatever you and young Maverick are doing?"
"Unlikely..." Merlin lightly shook his head, his eyes drifting toward the sky above. "He did not elaborate much on his plans... though I am quite curious about what comes next..."
In fact, back then it was this old fossil himself who did not care to hear the details, simply telling Maverick to inform them of their responsibilities and nothing more. Not that it mattered now, although Maverick would surely have plenty to say if he were present.
"I strongly advise against allowing those two to clash here, Ambrosius." The Ancient One raised a brow while her tone hardened faintly.
"I have not forgotten about the covenant, Yao. Who do you take me for?"
The Sorcerer Supreme eyed him quietly for a moment before her smile slowly returned, her expression relaxing once more. "In that case, I too am quite curious to see how young Maverick handles it," she said, "How about letting me arrange a stage?"
"Let us observe for now," Merlin replied. "We interfere only if things spiral beyond his control."
"Have it your way..." The Sorcerer Supreme gave a small shrug then turned her eyes back toward the city.
The shockwaves had begun appearing less frequently now, and before long, they almost ceased entirely.
The two Supremes had already vanished from the rooftop and were now silently hovering above the street where Maverick had cornered Voldemort, quietly observing the Dark Lord's final moments.
"Quite incredible, wouldn't you say? I distinctly remember demonstrating those spells just once, and he is already casting them like a seasoned master."
A rare look of genuine appreciation crossed her face, her pupils glowing faintly orange from the reflection of Eldritch magic while Voldemort remained helplessly bound by the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak.
A faint sigh slipped past her lips. "Such a shame... he would have made a perfect Sorcerer Supreme..."
Merlin suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, letting out a small huff instead.
"That child is a mage..." he said firmly. "So I advise you once again to abandon those fantasies of yours..."
"Ah... I was merely entertaining the possibility, dear Ambrosius. There is no need to sound so defensive—"
At that exact moment, both of them abruptly turned toward the same direction, the relaxed look on their faces diminishing faintly.
"This fellow truly lacks patience..." Merlin remarked quietly, narrowing his eyes. A subtle gesture left his hand, and moments later four muffled echoes rang out as figures emerged from nowhere.
"Do not involve yourselves," he said before any of them could speak. "Continue what you have been doing. If things go too far, we will step in ourselves."
The four Founders were naturally sensitive to any spikes in magical energy across the city, second only to the two Supremes themselves. However, whatever they had intended to say ultimately remained unspoken after Merlin's firm command, and they disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared.
"Ambrosius, a battle between demigods cannot be permitted above millions of lives." The Ancient One warned again, noticeably firmer this time.
Merlin did not hold back his eye roll this time, though he did not refute her words either.
Meanwhile, the distant point of light that had captured both their attention earlier suddenly exploded in brilliance before hurtling across the horizon like a blazing comet, and simultaneously, the two of them vanished from where they stood...
───
Above the deserted docklands near the edge of East London, space suddenly twisted like a vortex before solidifying into the shape of a man.
The moment Maverick appeared, invisible waves of magical sense spread outward alongside his sweeping gaze. Unlike the center of the capital, this place felt unnaturally still.
It didn't take long before the trail left within his magical sense led him to a lone figure standing atop a steel beam within the skeletal remains of an unfinished structure.
The other party wasn't trying to hide his presence, so neither did he. Maverick glided toward him as well before stopping some distance away, his hands slipping into the pockets of his coat as he quietly observed...
He looked... elegant would perhaps be the best word to describe the man. Impeccably dressed, perfectly groomed, in other words, someone who scored full marks in charisma. Only, Maverick had never seen this person in either of his lives, though he already had a rough guess about who he was.
That distinct white hair, a smile carrying both arrogance and absolute confidence, coupled with that strangely captivating presence, made Maverick think of only one person...
A moment of silence lingered between them at first, neither addressing the other, simply studying one another. Dark, cold winds brushed past them, the rustling hems of their coats against the night breeze becoming the only sound.
Perhaps it was the pale half crescent hanging above them, its light reflecting within their eyes, but as the silence stretched on, their gazes seemed to grow increasingly intense with every passing second, like two storms restrained behind fragile walls.
Unnoticed by either of them, the surrounding air had already begun to ripple faintly, as though the very atmosphere was slowly becoming heavier.
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