### Chapter 358
With the Fainted Zodiac in Hand
The Armed Princess, Shua Delphia, slowly began to come to a halt after advancing for a while.
“Should be far enough by now.”
She stopped her feet and rummaged through her pockets.
Suddenly, a black frog popped out from her pocket.
The black frog landed right in front of her, puffed up its cheeks, and let out a short croak.
Seeing this, the Armed Princess crouched down in front of the frog.
“Hey, Black Witch, do you know what kind of gift I brought?”
A grin spread across her face.
“That’s right—your beloved Zodiac Cloria!”
She lifted Zodiac and waved him in front of the frog.
The frog puffed up its cheeks again, then shrank them down.
After a moment, the black frog turned its body, opened its mouth wide, and stuck out its tongue into the air.
At that moment, a pitch-black space emerged in the air.
The Armed Princess smirked as the space filled with darkness took shape, getting ready to welcome her.
“Where shall we have some fun collecting debts?”
With that, she boldly stepped into the dark space.
Before long, a line of pillars came into view.
Suddenly, azure flames flared up, brightening the Armed Princess’s view.
In an instant, a tangled world filled her sight.
The black space managed by the Black Witch.
Through this space, Ixion was moving freely without detection despite being pursued by the Empire and several nations.
Once inside, the Armed Princess shouted while keeping Zodiac close.
“Black Witch! A special guest has come with a gift. Where are you?!”
As soon as her voice echoed, the sound of high heels clacking could be heard from afar.
Lifting her gaze, she saw a woman dressed entirely in black descending the stairs.
The Black Witch—master of spatial magic and leader of Ixion.
She walked slowly down the stairs and stared at the Armed Princess with unremarkable eyes.
The dark energy emanating from her was enough to make even the Armed Princess feel uneasy.
“Zodiac Cloria.”
“Yep, that’s right. Zodiac Cloria,” she replied with a wide, toothy grin.
Then, she swiftly moved to stand right in front of the Black Witch.
“How about it? While you all were goofing off, I came through with action.”
She grabbed Zodiac by the scruff of his neck and shook him in front of her.
The Black Witch simply gazed at Zodiac in silence.
“Kraush Balheim has vanished.”
At those words, the Armed Princess’s brows furrowed.
“Where the hell did that jerk suddenly disappear to?”
“After contacting the Sword King, he went from Starlon to Jeblam. Then he vanished.”
“What? Contacting the Sword King?”
The Armed Princess looked utterly baffled, as if she’d just seen a chicken fly.
“That guy wouldn’t kill just anyone.”
But the Black Witch remained calm.
“Thus, the Hell Fairy has gone to the Sword King.”
“What for?”
“To draw him out.”
Hearing that, the Armed Princess’s eyes widened slightly.
With a vague understanding of the situation, she nodded nonchalantly.
“Whatever about that nonsense, just hurry up and hand over my reward.”
Casting a sidelong glance at the now bored Armed Princess, the Black Witch raised her hand.
With a snap of her fingers, a weapon materialized before her.
A short dagger, black as night.
But the power flowing from the engraved patterns on it was anything but ordinary.
The Armed Princess quickly reached out and snatched the dagger.
Without wasting time, she hurled Zodiac towards the Black Witch.
Zodiac flew through the air and came to an abrupt stop before her.
“Haha! I gave you what you wanted and got what I needed, so I’m outta here!”
Excited, the Armed Princess took a leap back.
Watching her leave, the Black Witch raised her hand to create a space for her to exit.
Once the Armed Princess was gone, only the Black Witch and Zodiac were left in the expansive dark space.
With Zodiac floating in the air, the Black Witch approached him with her hands clasped.
The intricacies of the Black Witch’s space were puzzling.
Every step she took caused the surrounding scenery to bizarrely shift.
At one point, she paused, and the sound of footsteps began to echo from the opposite direction.
The Black Witch lifted her head.
And there, a tall woman was walking towards her.
Upon meeting the gaze of the Black Witch, this newcomer parted her lips.
“Red Witch.”
The moment the Black Witch spoke, the woman paused mid-stride.
She wore a long veil that obscured her eyes, but her red hair peeked out from beneath it.
The Red Witch, addressed by the Black Witch, now stood at the forefront and finally spoke.
“Black Witch, the seeds of calamity have ignited. It’s time to prepare.”
The Black Witch nodded expressionlessly, already aware of the event.
“I’ve already sent them out.”
The world eroders placed around the Gold Kingdom were already in motion.
Not long ago, the incident in the Empire had served as the final exam for Ixion.
That test was over, and Ixion’s last plan was underway.
“What about the Holy Grail?”
“That’s….”
The Red Witch began to respond but then paused as her gaze drifted beyond the veil.
“Black Witch, what have you brought?”
The Black Witch tilted her head in confusion.
“Zodiac Cloria.”
Upon hearing that, the Red Witch squinted vaguely through the veil.
“That’s Zodiac Cloria…?”
In the next moment, a thud echoed.
Blood spurted from the Black Witch’s body.
It splattered everywhere, some even hitting the Red Witch.
She realized belatedly that blood was flowing from her own neck.
On her throat, a sword had embedded itself.
Stumbling, the Black Witch slowly began to fall.
And from behind her, a boy landed gracefully.
“Hey, Abella.”
The boy who landed smiled widely at the Red Witch.
That grin sent chills even through the Red Witch herself.
“Didn’t expect to run into you again like this.”
The moment those words lingered in the air, the expression of the Red Witch—Abella—started to twist.
“Kraush Balheim.”
That was the end of it.
Kraush summoned the Rain Thunder Prime and unleashed the White Flame.
In an instant, the raging flames stretched out and engulfed the Red Witch.
“Next time, let’s meet in your true form.”
Since first spotting her, Kraush had sensed she was a fake.
The real Abella was somewhere else.
‘Thought I could sneak in without being detected in the depths of the black space.’
But running into Abella had exposed his identity.
He hadn’t anticipated that even the Black Witch would be deceived, but Abella might see through him.
“…Kraush Balheim?” came a voice that made him lift his head.
There stood the Black Witch, the sword still lodged in her throat.
She wasn’t dead—at least not until the doll containing her true soul was destroyed.
Having that knowledge, Kraush had refused to kill her the first time they met.
It was a tangled situation thanks to meeting Abella.
“Now, Black Witch, it’s our first time meeting directly in your space, isn’t it?”
At the moment those words finished, White Flame erupted all over Kraush’s body.
His appearance began to change, and his dark blue hair billowed in the flame.
Kraush Balheim.
The moment the Black Witch confirmed his identity, her gaze shifted slightly.
The Black Witch yanked the sword from her throat, letting blood stream down her neck.
Yet she remained unfazed.
Kraush raised his hand.
At that, the Black Hood activated, and the Rain Thunder Prime was back in his grip.
“Here to be my offering?”
“Not at all—I’m here to smash your Ixion into pieces.”
Kraush said it calmly while spinning the Rain Thunder Prime in his hand.
Yet for the Black Witch, it made no sense.
From the moment he stepped into her black space, his defeat was all but guaranteed.
The black space was the Black Witch’s domain.
No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t escape without her permission.
Whether Kraush understood this or not, his attitude remained relaxed.
“You think that little thing on your wrist can save you?”
The Black Witch questioned again.
On Kraush’s wrist was a bracelet—a bomb created by Rona to summon the Heaven’s Sword.
Originally prepared for an all-out battle within the black space.
“Doesn’t matter. This thing has fulfilled its purpose.”
But Kraush had no intention of using it.
The bracelet was a device that specifically prevented Ixion from recklessly touching Kraush.
If they inadvertently provoked him, summoning the Heaven’s Sword would pose a significant risk to Ixion.
That was why they had avoided provoking Kraush until now.
Thanks to that, he had been able to grow continuously.
To the point that even in the Black Witch’s realm, he could stand his ground confidently.
“And more than that,”
Kraush said, smiling at the Black Witch.
“It’s already been adequately communicated.”
Even without summoning the Heaven’s Sword, the voices had reached them.
This was yet another device installed by the magical artifact creator, Rona Imblize.
Not long ago, Abella herself had mentioned it.
The seeds of calamity had ignited, and members of Ixion were scattered throughout the Gold Kingdom.
That news undoubtedly reached the ears of the Heaven’s Sword.
Without a doubt, those who had been gearing up to confront Ixion were now heading to the Gold Kingdom.
The moment Kraush disguised himself as Zodiac, he had hinted at this to the Heaven’s Sword.
To prepare for an all-out war with Ixion.
By now, the Ten Great Lords and the leaders of each nation would’ve all received the news.
With Ixion’s forces dispersed, it was the perfect time to take them down one by one.
“Don’t underestimate us.”
For such a long time, it had been you who managed the Gold Kingdom—not them.
As Kraush said that, the Black Witch finally caught on to his plan.
“You mean to bind me here.”
The Black Witch’s black space allowed Ixion to evade capture despite constant pursuit, enabling them to operate freely.
The same applied to the current Gold Kingdom.
Surely, they intended to use the Black Witch’s space to maneuver.
But now, standing before her was Kraush.
Even if she had subjected herself to immortality through her soul-separation, her body remained right there.
If Kraush delayed, he could very well do as he pleased.
But that would have been far too naive of Kraush.
Upon hearing the Black Witch’s statement, he scoffed.
“No, I’m here to kill you.”
The Black Witch’s eyes shifted subtly.
Having just experienced the clear reality that she could not die from physical damage, she looked confused as to where his confidence was coming from.
“Your soul is in that doll.”
At that remark, Kraush suddenly turned his body.
“I know exactly where it is.”
And at his last words, the Black Witch’s eyes flickered.
“And your dead daughter too.”
At that moment, a burst of black malice erupted from the Black Witch.
With that, her black space opened, and enormous tentacles came swarming towards Kraush.
Kraush kicked off the ground, dodging the tentacles, and directed his fierce gaze towards the Black Witch.
“Let’s see who comes out on top!”
Humanity versus Ixion.
The all-out war begins now!
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