As fate would have it, both the Sorcerer Supreme and the Supreme Mage reached the scene together, their attention drawn to the havoc Maverick was causing. With an unspoken understanding, they chose not to interfere just yet, instead observing the chaos from a distance, ready to move if things spiraled further.

Ahead of them, the sky churned with dense thunderclouds, stretching for hundreds of miles as violent winds tore through the air, strong enough to rip buildings apart. At the heart of it all lay an island, far from small, swallowed by the storm.

As their gaze sharpened, they found the source, at the center, a lone figure sat, radiating raw, violent energy like a vortex, like a raging hurricane, powerful enough to crush anyone below Archmage rank.

"It's like Mother Nature and Mother Magic are unconvinced."

Helga Hufflepuff broke the silence, speaking to no one in particular. Beside the two Supremes stood the four founders of Hogwarts, shock, confusion, astonishment, and curiosity etched across their faces.

Godric Gryffindor nodded absentmindedly, wholeheartedly agreeing with her remark. "I wonder if our breakthroughs caused this much chaos." His hand went to his chin. "It's been so long, I can't remember."

"I'm not surprised. I'd wager you can't even remember what you had for breakfast." Standing beside him was Salazar Slytherin, dressed in a sleek black suit, a dark fur coat draped over his shoulders, and somehow holding in place despite the wild winds that battered them.

His remark broke the tense atmosphere for a moment, the two ladies sighing as if it were nothing new, while Gryffindor's expression darkened.

"What did you say, you stupid viper?" He turned, magic visibly flaring around him in golden color, highlighting his broad frame.

Slytherin, however, seemed completely unbothered. He did not even spare him a glance. "And I stand corrected."

"Grow up, both of you." Rowena Ravenclaw let out an exasperated breath, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

Not even a millennium had done much to mature her two colleagues... rivalry of sorts. If one didn't know them personally, they would assume they were mortal enemies. But as students of the same mentor, they of course knew better. Polar opposites, perhaps, ones who might, no, would pick a fight now and then, but certainly not enemies who would kill.

She sighed again, though her focus never left the chaos ahead. "I remember that child was nowhere near the limit of the Archmage when we met last year," she turned to her teacher, doubt and curiosity clear on her face.

The others also shared the same look and followed her gaze. Very little could still surprise them, and those who held answers to their doubts were scarce enough to count on one hand. And Merlin, as well as the woman beside him, just so happened to be two of them.

"You must not measure him by the same standards as the rest of us, Rowena," Merlin replied, his brows having been furrowed for some time.

Though, it appears that not even their teacher had the answer this time.

"More importantly," Merlin went on, "we need to contain this area. The ward those two children are holding is containing some of it, but raw mana is still leaking out... and not little."

He turned to them. "Take positions beyond their barrier and deploy a formation, seal the area completely."

As he said, a knowing gleam flickered in his eyes, his brows drawing even tighter, as if he had just seen something unpleasant.

The four founders did not question him and moved at once. Though they could tell their teacher was displeased for some reason, they did not ask, knowing he would tell them at the right time.

The Supreme Mage then turned to the Sorcerer Supreme, who hadn't said a word until now, her attention fixed entirely on the boy far below.

"I must leave momentarily to greet those fellows coming from the desert..."

The Sorcerer Supreme finally showed a change in her expression, her brow arching slightly before she gave a small shake of her head. "That will not be necessary... I have already sent avatars to stall them, all of them."

"Is that so..." Merlin's expression eased slightly at her words, though not fully. He turned his gaze toward the east. "And is that who I think it is?"

The Ancient One nodded. "The child has drawn the attention of some very old beings." Her gaze also turned in the same direction briefly. "I had to send an avatar carrying half my consciousness there perticularly."

"The hell lord...?"

"Mephisto... yes," she inclined her head once.

Merlin's frown deepened. Of course he knew who Mephisto was, not just a typical demon, nor even a mere lord among them. He was a ruler of an entire realm, an immortal who had existed for ages beyond reckoning, a monarch among demons, a being who dealt in souls and bent entire realities within his domain.

What made Mephisto even more terrifying was that within his own realm, his power was vastly amplified, surpassing even the level of a "Supreme" and brushing against the limits of a universe itself.

The last thing Merlin wants is for Maverick to be noticed by such ancient monsters before he has the strength to defend himself. After all, he cannot be there acting like a bodyguard at all times.

"Are you telling me that thing has already set its sights on him?" Merlin's voice dropped, edged with restrained anger. And for good reason. The rank of Warlock was nowhere near enough to stand against a hell lord, even one outside its own realm.

"Isn't it your duty, Sorcerer, to keep ilk like that out of this reality?"

"We are not omnipotent, Ambrosius," the Sorcerer Supreme replied calmly. She was not fazed, nor did she show any displeasure at being called out like that. She understood where he was coming from.

She met his eyes only briefly before returning her gaze to the chaos below again. "Besides..." a faint smile touched her lips, "I do not believe he would dare make a move anytime soon. And even if he does, we are still here, aren't we?"

"You're... uncharacteristically confident." The old mage eyed her skeptically, holding back his displeasure. Of course, he knew the Sorcerer Supreme would not let a single demon, let alone a hell lord, slip through unnoticed. It had only been a momentary flare, his thoughts surfacing before he could rein them in.

Plus, she had always been the more cautious of the two, despite being his equal in power, so seeing her take things so lightly now left him more doubtful than displeased.

The Sorcerer Supreme let out a soft, knowing chuckle at his expression. "Before I could intervene, someone else had already taken care of it... sent the hell lord back to his summer home."

"Someone else?" Merlin's interest piqued, a few names already coming to mind. "Was it Frigga?"

He didn't consider Odin, simply because, as far as he knew, the Asgardian Godking was quite flashy in his appearances, and he was certain he would have sensed it if he had made a move. Frigga, on the other hand, was a supreme mage just like him, and between mages of their level, if one chose to act quietly, the other would not be able to tell.

"No..." the Ancient One shook her head just as calmly, glancing up at the churning sky. Then, leaving Merlin even more puzzled, she added with a hint of mystery this time, "Someone much... much higher up the ladder."

"Oh..." now it was getting interesting. However, Merlin did not press for an answer this time. Since she was not making it clear, it meant she either did not have the authority to say, or she was not certain if revealing it might affect future events. Though they were more or less equal in power, they respected each other's boundaries.

However, he had formed a few guesses... one being Agamotto, or perhaps another elder god closely tied to the mystic arts. Only, who he had in mind and what the Sorcerer Supreme was thinking might not be the same.

His gaze then turned to his four students who had already taken action. With four warlocks working together, the area was now under control. At least, no more energy was leaking enough to catch the nose of those old things hiding across the world, wherever they might be.

Already, from the center, they could clearly sense it, the unmistakable power of a warlock's magic, the presence of a being who had surpassed the boundaries of mere mortality, stepping half a step into the divine. In other words, a demigod.

Waves of kingly will pressed down across the island, no longer simply raging, but slowly beginning to settle, as if being brought under control. Above, crimson lightning twisted and tangled, gathering into form, shaping the outline of a colossal creature, its wings stretching as wide as the island below.

It was one of the clearest signs of a warlock's power, turning one's will into something tangible enough to affect the physical world directly.

A raven, just as expected. Merlin let out a quiet chuckle as crimson light brushed across his face.

Beside him, the Ancient One's eyes gleamed with a knowing only she understood. It couldn't be a coincidence, she thought, recalling what the memory of her half consciousness from earlier and the spectacle unfolding before her now.

At the same time, Merlin raised a hand, his focus turning to the two figures below who looked on the verge of collapse. It was Dumbledore and Edward. Even as archmagi, it seems the might of a demigod was too much for them to endure.

With a casual motion, he yanked them directly from their positions, like fish caught on hooks, only, the medium was space itself.

The two men were so focused, giving their all to maintain the fragile barrier they believed was holding, that they hadn't noticed the others who had arrived long before.

Though they were far from Maverick, high in the sky, they were still at the heart of the greater storm, drenched in sweat and barely holding on. Then, all of a sudden, their perspective changed, like a sudden flash of darkness, and the next moment, their bodies dropped onto an unseen surface.

Confusion, worry, and fear immediately gripped their nerves. To be moved while they were so drained, so absolutely that they realized it only after, could only mean someone at least on their level had taken action, or worse, someone stronger.

They gasped for a breath first, their vision shaking, limbs heavy with fatigue. But even so, they forced themselves upright, wands already raised. Edward, in particular, looked deeply unsettled.

Now who the hell are these two clowns, looking like cos players of some medieval drama?

—————————

Author's Note:

🔥 Drop those Power Stones! 🔥

If you're enjoying the story and wish to support me, you can visit my P@tr3on, where you can read 25+ extra chapters ahead!

You can find this story on Webnovel, Fanfiction, and ScribbleHub, all under the same author name: RyanFic. Updates drop first on Webnovel!

PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic

Thank you so much for your support. It means the world! 💙😊