"18 entire years!" The fraud Elizabeth lowered their head into a sinister frown. "It's been 18 years since I was last sealed away into this useless, Manaless child! Those filthy, scummy, snot-nosed Rozenhearts will pay! Every last one of them!!"
A dark mana surged around the malevolent figure's body, enough to scare away the Qlippoth spirits, despite them having innate immunity to fear, it mattered naught.
They were dealing with the Queen of Helheim herself.
"Boris, that swine, how dare you?! How dare you place me inside this weakling child you call a daughter? Your soul will be mine! I'll tear you apart, and feast upon your very essence!"
In a fit of rage, the Queen of the dead vanished in an instant, appearing in front of the fleeing Qlippoth.
The shadowy spirits ceased their advancement, standing face to face with a terror far more ominous than even Oblivion.
"And where do you think you're going? Running away so early? But we didn't even get the chance to... PLAY!" Emphasizing her last word with a shout, the malevolent entity plunged her hand deep into one of the spirit's stomach, killing it instantly.
The others turned tail and flew away, but she ran after them like a wild beast, elongating her claws and jabbing her hand toward them like a spear. "Ahaha! What's this? It's not like the Qlippoth to run away! Are you perhaps experiencing fear?!" Piercing through another Qlippoth with her hand, she slammed it into the ground, watching it slowly dissolve into nothingness.
Each and every attack done by Hel would lead to one's death.
Spirits, and even Elohim who were immune to instant death magic were subject to her wrath. It mattered naught.
She could kill anything and anyone!
Her legend predates even the Ancient War.
She was a fearsome Ruler who worried even the Legendary Heroes of Yggdrasil. Her nature was death itself—a natural force—nobody could escape.
"It's been so very long since I've killed with my own hands." She lifted her palm, looking at her hand covered in a thin shadowy substance from the Qlippoth. "I've been sealed away inside this body, unable to escape due to this girl's pathetic Antimana!" A scowl crossed her face.
Hel was sealed away inside a Kaizamei by a powerful Sigil, and like all Sigils, they functioned differently from magic; operating from a collective desire of people, rather than the singular desire of a magician.
The sigil that sealed her away was from the collective desire of the entire Rozenheart family. A desire to contain the powerful Queen of the Dead inside a vessel that would ensure she could never escape, and it had to be a vessel that contained... Antimana.
As long as Elizabeth had Antimana, Hel would be unable to use her magic power from within the girl, and break the seal, unless the Kaizamei herself died.
"I had this entire world wrapped around my finger after those witches were defeated, but now look at me... I'm nothing more than a fool!" Balling her fist, her nails dug into her palm as her magical aura flared around her body.
The group of Qlippoth that were eating away at Elizabeth's Antimana took notice and decided to flee towards the hole to oblivion in the sky.
"Oh? More of those lousy little spirits are trying to escape I see!" Lifting her hand toward the sky, quantum particles gathered together, forming a magic circle with the symbol of a skull in the middle. "Have a taste of my death magic!"
The magical skull seemed to glow with fiery red eyes, gnawing its teeth as mana surged through the magic circle.
"Zolkick Dienma!"
In a flash of light, the skull launched from her magic circle at lightning speed, closing the distance between it and the Qlippoth.
"Kehahaha! Perish under my power, you worms! Learn true fear!!"
The spirits nearly reached the rift to oblivion, but were intercepted by the flaming skull.
"Fly away if you desire, it wouldn't change a thing! My little slave will follow you until the end of Tellus to ensure your demise!"
The Qlippoth, instead of flying away, would charge at the skull with their weapons of oblivion, attacking it all at once.
"Fools..."
But to no surprise, the magical skull exploded, engulfing the spirits of nothingness inside its radius. Those hit by Zolkick Dienma, whether physical or not, are turned brittle and frail, killing them afterwards without mercy.
Each spirit was effectively killed, causing the hole to oblivion to slowly close.
"Well that was quite the show, but it's still not enough to satisfy me." Hel stretched her arms above her head, casually loosening up her muscles. "I need bigger playthings, someone who can actually give me a challenge."
+
"Where is it? I can't find it anywhere!" Frantically running through the forest, Kyto was being chased by a horde of Hexbeasts from behind. Each one was a different size and had its own unique way of killing its prey. "At this rate, Elizabeth is screwed!" The Cyrodel worried not for himself, as all Demigods had a limitless mana supply. He could run for days without breaking a sweat. It was Elizabeth who gave him anxiety. She could fight an entire army for a day, and keep going, but against a group of Hexbeasts, the chances were drastically low.
With Gilfronta still around him, he suddenly turned around, hearing a massive explosion in the distance. "Woah!" Shockwaves swept across the forest, sending a wave of terror throughout his body. "Holy... holy shit! What is this magical power?!"
Kyto could feel a magic power so deadly and intense that even the Hexbeasts that chased after him would stop in their tracks, scattering away like roaches.
"...!" Widening his eyes at their departure, the Cyrodel stopped in his tracks to face the deadly magical power, feeling his heart sink in his chest. "Who is that? That can't be Elizabeth... what's going on? Is that one of the Ancient Dragons...? No... that can't be it! This power feels... like death!"
Even with anti-magical defesnse, Kyto could still feel it's deathly presence overwhelm him. It felt as if he were a mouse that entered a lion's den.
"I-I have to go back... Elizabeth is that way!"
Taking a step forward, a deathly feeling would suddenly creep up Kyto's back.
It was a pulse... so thick and heavy that it rolled through the forest like a tidal wave. The mana in the air grew dense as Kyto watched a black aura traverse the forest, weighing down everything, as if gravity was increased. It wasn't just seen—but felt. The Hexbeasts were caught in the deathly aura, dying in an instant while other creatures buried themselves under root and rock. Even the trees creaked and bent subtly inward, as if nature itself recoiled.
Kyto wanted to run toward Elizabeth, but he couldn't move.
"What... what is this presence?"
But through sheer will alone, he turned around and tried escaping. The only thing keeping him alive right now was Gilfronta, the anti-magical barrier.
"If I'm exposed to this aura, I'm dead! There's no question about it!"
Despite resisting its instant death properties, Kyto still felt fear. If he didn't hone his mind and keep his thoughts together, he'd be driven into utter madness.
"I-I have to run... I have to escape!" Closing his eyes, tears streaked down his cheek, and he felt regret for his actions. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... Elizabeth!" Kyto couldn't stop himself. He ran for the hills, boosted by adrenaline.
"I'm useless, I can't save you! Not with that monster around... please forgive me!" Tripping and falling over a few roots, he kept sprinting with tears blurring his vision. Kyto knew he was weak on his own. "There's no way... there's just no way I can fight that monster...!"
+
"It seems nothing in this world can resist my Aura of Death." Hel casually strolled through the forest with a calculating look, observing how the trees and plant life rotted away. "Finding a challenging opponent may be difficult, how bothersome."
Hel cared not for the lives of those around her. She was a being without dreams or goals. By nature, she was a sadistic, egotistical, and hedonistic entity that only desired death above all else, but with a challenge.
"I already grow bored of this place... no one has the guts to emerge from the shadows and fight me." Stopping in place, she'd frown, lifting her arms at her side. "I am the Alufray of death! I am the Ruler of the Dead! I am Hel!" She arched her head back, shouting to the sky. Beasts and animals from kilometers away could hear her. "If you value this forest and your home, then bring out your best warrior to challenge me, you cowardly mortals! You can pray all you want to the Alufray, Gaia, who owns Midgard, but it matters naught! I own Helheim itself! Even she is subject to death!"
Kyto stopped running and turned to face the irritated voice, widening his eyes in fear.
"No... that's... impossible! Hel was sealed away, eighteen years ago! How is she back? This must be... some illusion!" Closing his eyes, the Cyrodel balled his hands into fists. "I'm trapped in an illusion... that has to be the only logical reason!"
"I'm afraid not, lad."
An unfamiliar voice breached from the forest behind the demigod, forcing him to turn around, erecting a magic circle.
"Hey, stop right there!" Don't come any closer! I'll blow you away!"
Unable to take his threat seriously, the figure walked out from the thick bushes, revealing itself as... Fhiron.
"Huh? Who... are you?"
Behind the Elf King emerged five other figures; Grimhild, Chroliosa, Jean, Zarutha, and Obsidia who was still unconscious.
"J-Jean? Grimhild...?" Kyto took a step back, puzzled by their arrival. "What... what are you two doing here?"
The Great Witch walked forward, standing beside Fhiron with her usual stoic expression.
"Did you really think I'd be the type to let you two die like idiots?"
"You... you're lying! I won't let you play me for a fool!" Shouted the demigod.
Jean walked beside Grimhild with a big smile, facing the Cyrodel.
"Didn't Elizabeth already tell you, Kyto? Grimhild isn't the same person that she was many years ago. She's changed!" Ambling toward the halfbreed, Jean extended his hand. "We've come to help you and Elizabeth, so... join us! Let's do this together!"
Kyto widened his eyes, glaring at the Ayleon's hand with hesitation.
"But... Elizabeth... she's probably...-"
"Elizabeth is fine." Muttered Grimhild, interrupting his speech. "She was taken over by an Alufray spirit; the Queen of Death, Hel."
Kyto shot open his eyes, now frowning at the witch.
"And how do you know that?! That monster can't be Liz! You set this up! You weren't here to witness any of this, so tell me, how do you know!?" Kyto stomped over to the witch, leaning into her face. "I don't trust you for a second!"
Grimhild looked the Cyrodel into the eyes with regret... before sighing. "I was traveling beside you and Elizabeth all along." The witch lifted her hand to the sky and released a wave of mana.
Everyone, confused, stood silent for a few seconds until the sudden screech of an Eagle came from overhead. It was Vedrfolnir; the bird Grimhild created out of magic.
"Huh?" Kyto stood there, puzzled, watching the eagle latch onto the witch's arm, lowering its wings. "So you were watching us this entire time? I knew I had a strange feeling about that bird…" He frowned, still hesitant to trust her.
"Of course I was watching you two, both of you are naive children." Grimhild shook her head back and forth, disappointed. "I knew from the very start that you'd both get into some trouble before reaching Mythical Valley, and my suspicions were right."
Kyto took a step back, calming himself, though his scowl still remained, albeit barely.
"If I let you two wander off without me knowing what's going on, I wouldn't have found you so quickly, and you'd likely already be dead by now, Kyto." Walking forward the petite witch would glare the Cyrodel in the eyes with a fierce stare. "Do not be such a fool, Cyrodel. Are you willing to let Elizabeth be consumed by this spirit, or will you accept our help? The choice is yours, because it is your journey, not ours."
Chroliosa chimed in, placing Obsidia on the ground.
"What my master says is true. Can't you see? Grimhild made Vedrfolnir so she could watch over you two, and ensure that Merlin wouldn't capture you both!" The former spirit stepped forward with a gentle smile. "I'm part of Grimhild, and we share memories since I'm her contracted spirit. I saw everything! Grimhild created this eagle to ensure your safety and watch out for Merlin."
Kyto averted his gaze, balling his fists.
"Please Kyto… let us help you!" Jean offered his hand once again, but this time, determination brewed within his eyes.
The Cyrodel faced the Ayleon with a contemplative look, gritting his teeth and growling under his breath… though he sighed.
"Fine…"
Finally accepting their help, he outstretched his hand, gripping Jean's palm.
"I accept your help."
Everyone in the group smiled as Grimhild lowered her head with a relieved smirk.
"Good… I'm glad." Grimhild walked passed Kyto, heading toward the danger without a care in the world. "I planned multiple failsafes for you and Elizabeth. My first failsafe was Vedrfolnir awakening whenever you two were in danger from a spell of mine, but it seems that Elizabeth's Antimana neutralized that spell. My second failsafe was Obsidia coming to help you both if things got messy, but she proved inefficient from her rebellious nature." The witch seemed disappointed as she ambled into the forest, though a confident grin would soon cross her face. "That is why I'll rely on my third failsafe… and that failsafe is me."