### Chapter: 393
The Red Witch, Abella.
She appeared alongside the Sarion and immediately fixed her gaze on one spot.
That spot was none other than Kraush.
Seeing him, Abella twirled her staff around playfully.
But then, her staff suddenly came to an abrupt stop.
‘Space magic is blocked.’
Originally, she had planned to head straight for Kraush, but now her eyebrows raised in surprise.
The magic she wielded was deeply rooted in ancient practices.
Many modern mages struggled to counter ancient spells that had faded into history.
And now, her own magic had just been interrupted.
So, who had blocked Abella’s magic?
Only two names came to mind.
One was the Demon King.
However, he was currently busy traveling across the world, setting up magical barriers to keep her in check.
She knew he wasn’t here.
Then there was only one left.
‘The Immortal.’
Crimson Garden August.
Abella shifted her gaze.
Before her was a colossal magic circle encompassing the entire Freya Forest.
It must not have been easy for the Giant’s Forest to conjure such a magic circle, given the overwhelming force of World Erosion.
Impressive preparation, for sure.
‘Is the plan to block space magic and prevent my escape using it?’
Well played.
But that didn’t mean she was out of options.
If all else fails, she could just raze the entire Freya Mountain range with a single blow.
And she intended to do precisely that.
“Sarahion.”
The Sarion, Baraka, opened his mouth.
“Blast it away.”
And with that, the Sarion struck down toward the Freya Mountains.
It was the moment when—
A beam of light erupted from below in the forest, shooting a freezing breath straight at the Sarion.
With its massive size, the Sarion had no room to dodge the oncoming icy breath.
It was hit dead on.
Kwaaaang!
The impact of the icy blast staggered the Sarion.
“Hmmm?”
With much more force than she expected, Abella took notice.
Who could possibly unleash such power?
As she enhanced her vision with magic, she spotted a white-haired girl, panting heavily as she stood there.
Even with the Sarion’s own overwhelming power pressing down, she had utilized the spirit beast to shoot forth a blast.
Thanks to that shock, those trapped under the Sarion’s pressure finally regained their senses.
Abella recognized her.
It was Bianca Hardenhartz, none other than Kraush’s fiancée.
Moreover, she had heard of Bianca’s past with the White Ghost.
‘She’s still quite young.’
Such an achievement at her age was impressive.
If she stayed on a normal path, she’d surely reach the Ten Great Lords.
‘Maybe not being suppressed by the Sarion is a leftover effect from the curse she had before.’
Abella was aware of Bianca’s curse.
Though it had been taken by Kraush, it had tormented her since before she was even born.
It was rare to be cursed from the womb itself.
It’s possible that some emotions still tethered the remnants of that curse.
This was, for Abella, quite an interesting situation.
Faced with a crisis, her body had instinctively suppressed the inherent fear.
‘She’s going to grow.’
It seemed she was on track to grow far beyond the White Ghost she once was.
The problem, however, was that with the lifting of the Sarion’s pressure, chaos broke out below.
No matter how powerful Icarus was, he’d be perplexed dealing with a Sarion larger than any Giant.
Additionally, those who had just emerged from a fierce battle had almost no strength left to take on a Sarion.
This was also true for the Sanctuary of Stars.
Given the fight with the Giants, the other Sanctuaries weren’t in peak condition either.
The very fact that they hadn’t immediately attacked the Sarion was proof of that.
“Ah, Abella?”
At that moment, Abella locked eyes with a woman who recognized her.
It was Mary Diana, the former spear knight, staring up wide-eyed at Abella while gripping her spear tightly.
Kuwung!
In that moment, the Sarion collided with the magical defenses layered by Crimson Garden.
The defenses designed entirely for physical force were more like accumulations of aura than true magic.
That much was evidenced by the fact that the Sarion couldn’t break through.
However, even that couldn’t withstand the Sarion’s size and strength for long.
Soon, the barriers would shatter, and the Sarion would run rampant through the Freya Mountains.
Kraush, fully aware of that, didn’t even flinch.
“Yeah, I see.”
For Abella, this was good news.
Originally, the Sarion was just a smokescreen placed to prevent him from meeting Kraush.
Now that she had encountered him directly, what happened to the Sarion no longer mattered.
Light began to flow from the Transcendence Stone connected to her staff, resembling a river of stars.
“Well, that settles it.”
Abella stopped asking questions and activated her magic.
In an instant, everything around transformed into a pitch-black space.
It happened in a heartbeat.
The acceleration from Kraush’s Excel couldn’t keep up as everything turned obscured in darkness.
Amidst this sheer blackness, only Kraush and Abella stood facing each other.
Crimson Garden had blocked the escape route for Abella using space magic.
But now, why had the landscape suddenly changed?
“To those outside, it looks like we’re both just standing still.”
Abella casually explained, her expression radiating confidence in her imminent victory.
“From the outside, no one can intervene anymore.”
No matter how Crimson Garden tried, she wouldn’t be able to undo this magic.
This prison was Abella’s original spell that connected their souls and stopped all time except in the spiritual realm.
If undone carelessly, Kraush could face complications.
“Abella.”
At that moment, Kraush called out to Abella.
Despite being in a precarious position, he remained focused on her.
“What happened to Aria?”
The one thing Kraush was curious about was—
What had happened to Aria, who had regained her memories?
Upon hearing the question, Abella blinked for a moment, then raised her head.
“What do you think you’re seeing right now?”
Kraush’s face turned to confusion.
But soon, he grasped what Abella was staring at.
Indeed, her attention was directed at the Transcendence Stone.
Kraush’s eyes slowly widened.
“It seems Aria thinks I am waiting for her to regain her memories.”
Abella shook her head disinterestedly.
“All I needed was Aria who had regained her memories. I needed her as a material to interfere with other timelines.”
Thus, Abella had been waiting for Aria to regain her memories.
And the moment Aria did, she had captured her.
Using her as material for the Transcendence Stone, no less.
After saying this nonchalantly, it was clear she felt zero guilt about her actions.
To her, it was just a necessary step toward her goal.
Plus, she calculated that Kraush would never think of touching the Transcendence Stone.
Kraush’s eyes widened with suspicion as they began to tremble.
“You...”
Kraush’s voice dripped with rage.
Abella had used Aria.
Yet beyond that, he had spent significant time by Aria’s side in the previous cycle.
He had expected even the least respect from her.
Alas, it seemed there wasn’t even a speck of empathy left in her heart.
“You’re not human.”
Hearing this from Kraush, Abella tightened her grip on her staff.
“No, I’m more human than anyone.”
Her red eyes shone brightly as she looked at the Transcendence Stone.
“Only humans hold curiosity above all else in this world.”
As Abella’s words sank in, Kraush shot forward, kicking the ground.
Kaaaang!
Kraush’s sword, reaching right in front of Abella, was halted by her magical defenses.
Abella gazed at Kraush who had wasted no breath on his futile actions.
“So, I can do whatever it takes to satisfy that curiosity. Kraush, if you were me, you’d be no different.”
Upon hearing those words, Kraush began to radiate a white light.
“Get lost.”
Such insults fall flat in the face of a true warrior.