Sebastian felt upstaged.

That was his first thought after witnessing the Ancient One dispatch the Witch Heart Demon with effortless power.

He’d known she was formidable, but her strength surpassed anything he’d imagined. His past life’s lessons rang true: in this real world, the plots he remembered were mere guidelines. Trusting them blindly was a death sentence.

If he’d assumed the Ancient One was just the melee mage from his memories, he’d have been gravely mistaken.

Am I… thinking like a villain now? he wondered, catching himself.

At the spot where the Witch Heart Demon vanished, the Ancient One frowned slightly. As she’d prepared to finish him, she’d sensed another force—likely Mephisto, his father—whisk him away, leaving only a husk of his power.

Pursuing him into Hell was possible but pointless, a needless complication. She sighed, deciding to let it go.

As she turned toward her mages, her gaze paused on Sebastian—crouched by the corpse, scalpeling with methodical precision.

For a heartbeat, she considered interrupting. Instead, she tucked that impulse away, noting a flicker of something in her chest, she chose not to interrupt, instead approaching the Ghost Rider. With a gentle spell, she realigned his broken neck.

Black smoke swirled as he reverted to Johnny Blaze, exhausted from his clash with the Witch Heart Demon.

After thanking her, he glanced at Sebastian, still engrossed, and rode off with Roxanne on his motorcycle.

“Casillas, Mordo, arrange for the mages to return to Kamar-Taj,” the Ancient One instructed.

“Tend to the wounded and honor the fallen.”

Casillas nodded, ready to leave.

But Mordo leaned in, whispering, “Master Ancient One, Sebastian Shaw used unmistakable dark magic—Crucio, no less. It felt… malevolent.

Even if he spared innocent lives, dark magic corrupts. I fear Kamar-Taj shouldn’t deepen ties with him.”

Before the Ancient One could respond, Casillas hissed, “Mordo, what are you saying? Sebastian’s magic saved our mages and defeated the Water Demon.

His actions were just, dark magic or not!”

“Casillas, I know you’re close to him,” Mordo countered, “but Kamar-Taj exists to uphold peace and light. Dark magic isn’t the issue—it’s how it twists the user’s mind. You know this.”

Casillas faltered, his secret study of dark magic under the Ancient One’s guidance making him hesitate.

Mordo turned to the Ancient One.

“Master, that’s just my view. The decision is yours.”

“Mordo,” she said calmly, “Kamar-Taj maintains peace, not war. Sebastian is our ally and friend. Until he harms the innocent, our bond remains. I trust he won’t stray that path.”

Mordo bowed silently, accepting her words, and left to organize the mages.

Mordo led the other mages through a portal, returning to Kamar-Taj.

After Mordo’s departure, Casillas glanced at the Ancient One, hesitating. His dream was a world of peace, where everyone could thrive without fear. Achieving that required immense power.

Sebastian had once told him power wasn’t inherently good or evil. If one’s heart remained true, even dark magic could serve peace. Sebastian’s actions proved it—using Crucio, a forbidden spell, he’d shattered the Water Demon’s subspace, defeated the demon, and saved countless Kamar-Taj mages. It was exactly as Sebastian had said.

Steeling himself, Casillas bowed to the Ancient One and opened a portal, leading the remaining mages back to Kamar-Taj.

Watching him go, the Ancient One exhaled softly, a satisfied nod crossing her face. Among her students, Casillas was finally showing the true spirit of a mage.

As the Kamar-Taj mages withdrew, the Ancient One approached Sebastian, who was packing away demon materials he’d harvested. “Master Sebastian, have you finished collecting your materials?”

He nodded. “Yes, I’ve got what I need. I’ll process them later. My potions require rare ingredients, and these might prove useful.”

“Master Sebastian,” she said, her tone measured, “does your inherited magic include as much dark magic as we saw earlier?”

Here it comes, Sebastian thought. He’d known using Crucio would spark questions about his dark magic, and the Ancient One wouldn’t let it pass unaddressed.

“Master Ancient One,” Sebastian began, “of the magic I’ve inherited, about seventy percent is light or neutral—spells for healing or utility. Thirty percent is dark magic, but most of it’s fairly standard, no worse than a strong jinx. Only a few spells, the powerful or morally tricky ones, stand out. The one I used earlier, Crucio, is among the worst. It’s one of three spells called the Unforgivable Curses—Crucio, Imperio, and Avada Kedavra. They’re the darkest in my arsenal, forbidden for their cruelty.”

“Master Sebastian,” the Ancient One replied gently, “don’t misunderstand. To me, magic’s nature—good or evil—is secondary. I trust you have the strength to wield dark magic responsibly. I only ask to understand your craft better. Please don’t take offense.”

“Of course,” Sebastian said with a wry smile. “I saw this coming.”

The Ancient One nodded, her eyes warm. “When can you begin the task you asked for my help with?”

“Right now!” Sebastian answered.

————————————–

Muspelheim, one of the Nine Realms, burned with unrelenting fire.

A massive dragon, its red scales glinting and black bone spurs jutting from its back and head, plummeted from the sky.

It crashed through the thick rock crust above a lava sea, sinking partially into the molten flow. Born in this fiery realm, the dragon was unscathed by the searing lava.

Clawing its way out of the shattered rock, magma dripping from its hide, the dragon roared, unleashing a torrent of blazing dragon’s breath into the sky.

The dark clouds above churned, glowing black and red.

A streak of black smoke burst from the clouds, hurtling toward the dragon at breakneck speed.

The dragon swiveled, its fiery breath chasing the smoke. But the smoke weaved like a serpent, too agile for the flames to touch. It plummeted, coalescing into Sebastian, black tendrils of Apparition swirling around him. Without hesitation, he raised his wand, firing a red beam at the dragon’s eyes.

The Conjunctivus Curse struck, clouding the dragon’s vision in darkness.

Blinded, it spewed erratic bursts of flame, its strength waning as heavy gasps echoed. Sebastian seized the moment, dissolving into black smoke to close the distance. Aiming his wand at the dragon’s neck—already marred by overlapping gashes from earlier Sectumsempra spells—he struck again.

After the San Venganza battle, Sebastian had asked the Ancient One to help him find and slay a formidable dragon.

To his surprise, she brought him to Muspelheim, the fiery realm of the flame giant Surtur. With her aid, they located a dragon among the realm’s mightiest. The Ancient One dealt a crippling blow, leaving Sebastian to finish it.

She’d sealed the area in a dimensional barrier to avoid drawing Surtur’s attention—a wise precaution.

With a flourish of his wand, like brandishing a blade, Sebastian cast Sectumsempra again. The dragon’s massive head severed, tumbling as scalding blood sprayed. Its body collapsed onto the rock crust.

Sebastian rushed forward, using Diffindo to slice open the dragon’s chest.

He extracted its heart and collected vials of blood, working swiftly. A terrifying, fiery presence was closing in—Surtur, likely. Time was short.

Securing the materials in a charmed satchel, Sebastian called, “Master Ancient One, we need to leave!”

The Ancient One descended from the air, grasping his shoulder without a word. A portal flared open, and they vanished from Muspelheim.

Her mastery as Supreme Mage shone through—her portals bridged Earth and Muspelheim effortlessly, a feat few could match. Sebastian suspected that, were it not for Odin’s might, she could even traverse to Asgard.

As Sebastian and the Ancient One stepped through the portal, a colossal hand erupted from the lava beneath their feet, shattering the rock crust and lunging toward them.

But as the massive fingers closed, the portal shrank rapidly, vanishing without a trace, leaving the hand grasping at empty air.

A roar of fury and frustration reverberated across Muspelheim, shaking the fiery realm. For Sebastian and the Ancient One, however, Muspelheim’s wrath was irrelevant—they were already gone.

“Whew… that was close,” Sebastian said, catching his breath. “Thank you, Master Ancient One, for getting us out in time.”

The Ancient One, calm as ever, gave a slight smile. “Our actions were a bit bold, drawing Surtur’s notice. It’s his realm, after all. Best to avoid him when we can.”

“Master Ancient One, I owe you for this.”

She waved it off. “No need. If dragons hadn’t nearly vanished from Earth in modern times, we wouldn’t have needed Muspelheim. Surtur, though weakened from his battle with Odin and his brothers, remains formidable. Even I’d rather not face him directly.”

Sebastian sighed. “The universe is full of mysteries. The deeper I dive into magic, the more I realize how little I know. Maybe when I’m stronger, I’ll explore beyond Earth to understand it better.”

“I’d encourage that,” the Ancient One replied warmly. “I wish I could join you, but my duties keep me bound. Otherwise, I’d love to unravel the cosmos’ secrets alongside you.”

For her, feats like space travel were simple, but unseen responsibilities tethered her to Earth.

They chatted briefly before parting ways.

Since casting Crucio in front of the Kamar-Taj mages during the San Venganza battle, Sebastian noticed a shift in their demeanor, especially among those close to Mordo. He shrugged it off. Casillas, Daniel, and Wong, his allies, treated him as always. The opinions of others didn’t matter.

He stepped through a portal to the New York Sanctum but didn’t head home. Instead, he went to Stark Tower. The dragon heart he’d harvested wasn’t something to handle casually, like a Pegasus feather. He also saw a chance to craft a second wand—a powerful new tool.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep