Central Continent, east of the Imperium Continent.

Circle of Pandragean League, The Tower.

A figure with light-green wings on her back floated in front of her desk, reading an ancient book of sorts. Her very revealing clothes and fluttering light-green wavy hair as her wings gently flapped in the air would bring a unique sensation of fascination to anyone who saw her right now.

There was a belt on her waist with the insignia of the CPL at the center. The insignia had a planet with some landmarks on it, depicting the world of Pandragea. On the sides was a column of multiple crescent-shaped symbols.

"Hmm…" She was thinking deeply about the book she was reading.

The fair-white skin of her body made her look like a maiden in her twenties, smooth and supple without a trace of wrinkled or aging skin.

She closed the book she was reading and put it back on a bookshelf behind her by waving her hands.

Her green eyes looked outside.

"Blackout, blackout, blackout." She repeated. Her high and bossy voice resounded throughout the room.

'Boom!'

The ground shook, "Hmm?".

She turned in the direction of the Imperium Continent and gathered mana essence to her eyes, making it glow and enhancing her eyesight. She saw a pillar of dark mist protruding from the ground towards the dark sky.

`It's devouring life.` She remarked before setting up a telepathic link,

A devil-like sound asked.

Supreme Elder Wyngella responded.

She then vanished from the room while dragging the three people to the Imperium Continent, arriving in less than a minute.

"Supreme Elder Wyngella, where are we-?!" A devil figure with two dark-blue horns protruding from his forehead asked, "Eh?"

He and the other two were shocked when they saw the tornado of a dark mist inside the Imperium Capital City.

"Be careful of that dark mist, it's filled with an aura of death." Supreme Elder Wyngella warned.

"Give us your orders, Supreme Elder." The devil figure bowed.

"Elder Sylvia, please evacuate and tend to the wounded people in this city. Elder Jasker, create a barrier to isolate this area from the rest of the city. Elder Rashomon, come with me. We will deal with the Witch ourselves." Supreme Elder Wyngella ordered, then vanished again together with Elder Rashomon, the devil figure.

"See you around, Jasker." Elder Sylvia bade goodbye. Her ethereal-like green wings fluttered for a bit before disappearing.

Elder Jasker was left alone. He had a white blindfold strapped on his bald head, exuding a mysterious aura within.

He wore a scholarly robe, with the insignia of the CPL embed on the left chest.

He performed some hand signs before incantating, "Realm Isolation!".

Light-blue lines extended from his body throughout the entire kilometer radius with the dark tornado at the center.

They formed a mystical linear connection with one another then flashed in extremely bright light, illuminating the darkness.

An extremely huge transparent dome-shaped barrier was then formed, containing everything that happened inside. It even removed the dark tornado from everybody's sight.

The sudden appearance of the barrier concerned many people who were watching from a distance.

"Hey, what's that? It's so big!"

"A barrier! Must've been to contain something dangerous!"

"Oh no, things are getting worse. Let us out of here, please!"

The people pleaded to the Imperium guards but it fell to deaf ears.

"You bastards, I'm forcing my way out!" A fighter snapped and fought his way through.

The others who were carried away by fear also followed suit, creating a mass panic at the gates.

This also forced the Imperium guards to fight back.

"Hmph!" A golden armored figure slashed his sword at the air, repelling the public aggression.

"Anyone who dares to take one more step will be charged with attempted assault and insubordination. Don't think we're here just for show." He threatened.

"You think I care about that? Out of my way!" One of them attacked by punching the guard.

The guard grabbed the attacker's punching hand then crushed it to pieces.

"Aaaahhhh!!!" The bones were pulverized and blood gushed out of them.

He knelt on the ground, holding his pulverized hand in pain.

The golden-armored guard snorted and coldly looked at everyone, "Anyone else?"

The rest became nervous. With a formidable opponent like him guarding the gate, they didn't dare to charge through anymore.

…

Back on the Imperium Ward.

Captain Assha and her guards rushed to the scene but were repelled when they made contact with it.

They were stunned.

"You are not allowed to be within a hundred meters near this barrier. Please distance yourself away."

The guards wondered what was a Higher Elder from the Tower doing here in the Imperium Capital City.

`Don't tell me things have gone worse now?` Captain Assha worried.

…

In the throne room at the Imperium Palace, Emperor Marcus sat on the throne while anticipating something from the black-clothed figure in front of him.

"Your Imperial Majesty, the Higher Elders have arrived, blocking our communication at the Imperium Ward." The black-clothed figure reported.

"Any information?" Emperor Marcus inquired.

"It is as what you have said, Your Imperial Majesty. Victoria Spencer holds half of the fragment of power that she stole from Prince Kane."

"Hmph, I'll find a way to have her transfer that power to my son in the next few days."

"What about the upcoming supreme trial, Your Imperial Majesty? We should not underestimate the power of the CPL's intelligence network agency."

"So what about those fools? They're almost non-existent. Tell Wille about what happened there earlier. Maybe the verdict might change with this information we have gathered." Emperor Marcus jeered.

The black-clothed figure nodded and left the throne room.

`Amelia Strom, Zachariel Strom, Victoria Spencer. Your days as a Prospect candidate are now over.`

Emperor Marcus smirked.

He thought that his son was done for, but a sudden twist of events has opened a new way for him to salvage the current desperate situation he was in.

…

Inside the barrier.

Supreme Elder Wyngella and Elder Rashomon floated above the ground, surveying Victoria who was still focused on channeling and absorbing life around her.

"So, she's the vessel of the Witch?" Supreme Elder Wyngella inquired.

"No, Supreme Elder. It is Kane Cromwell who is primarily the main vessel of the Witch." Elder Rashomon corrected.

"What is this thing in front of us then?" She raised her eyebrows in doubt.

"That, I do not know, Supreme Elder.", Elder Rashomon shook his head, "All I know is that 16 years ago, Empress Elaina was cursed by the Fleeting Shadow with the Demon Death Witch and Kane should've died instead of being born."

"Died?" Supreme Elder Wyngella wasn't that much knowledgeable in terms of the mystic arts, and she didn't give much thought with regards to the matters in the Imperium as well.

Compared to Elder Rashomon, she was inexperienced.

"The Curse of the Demon Death Witch feeds off on the sacred essence that any living being contains. Most people do not have a sacred essence, and those who have are labeled as 'blessed'. We still do not know exactly how blessed they are, but it must have enhanced their aptitude, providence, or similar things."

"Kane Cromwell is an example of this, and the Fleeting Shadow cursed Empress Elaina, consuming the sacred essence in the still fetus Kane. The Witch would then be reborn, firstly killing the mother and the child, then bring chaos to Pandragea." Elder Rashomon explained.

"But what does the Fleeting Shadow get from this?"

"We do not know the entire reason, but one probable cause was to consume the Witch that would come out of it, and then they would ascend to the higher realm."

"Unfortunately, an anomaly occurred and this is what happens now." She added.

"Yes, Supreme Elder." Elder Rashomon concurred.

"Does the Fleeting Shadow know of this?" She further inquired.

"I do not know, Supreme Elder. If anything, I think they might be as clueless as us in this matter." He concluded.

Supreme Elder Wyngella nodded then surveyed the area once more. She found out that there were a group of humans lying unconsciously on the ground. She then waved her hand, teleporting them out of the area.

`These spies. How annoying.` Supreme Elder Wyngella grasped the air and groans of pain resounded in the area.

Black-clothed figures fell on the ground, dead.

`Immolation: Firestorm.`, she then burned the dead bodies to ashes.

"Supreme Elder, there's a boy beneath that girl." Elder Rashomon pointed at Zachariel. He didn't care about those spies.

"He's not affected by her?" Supreme Elder Wyngella noticed.

`The death aura is evading him for some reason. Is that girl protecting that boy from harm?`, Supreme Elder Wyngella guessed, before noticing another peculiar thing, `Also, why do I feel like that boy isn’t really unconscious?`

Zachariel’s body could be compared to a healthy young student, `This is weird. My eyes could see that a part of his abdomen was just penetrated earlier, but now, it’s all gone.`

She tested her hypothesis on Victoria by sending a feeble attack to Zachariel.

Victoria noticed this and slashed at the incoming attack.

"How dare you try to touch him?! Die!" Victoria bellowed, casting the same spell she did a few minutes ago.

Supreme Elder Wyngella waved her hands and gathered light mana essence, `Shield Projection!`

However, the expected outcome did not happen, and instead,

'Boom!'

An explosion occurred.

`It did not reflect her attack?`, Supreme Elder Wyngella was surprised.

Victoria attacked again but Supreme Elder Wyngella evaded this time.

'Boom!'

The finger strike from Victoria struck the ground, cratering a radius of 10 meters around the point of impact.

`Such potent mana amplitude! This could rival a Lesser Divine being!` Supreme Elder Wyngella remarked, but she didn't feel threatened at all.

"Elder Rashomon, prepare your extense and wait for my signal." She commanded.

Elder Rashomon nodded and closed his eyes, gathering light mana essence in preparation.

"Call of Nature!" Supreme Elder Wyngella incantated, sprouting huge amounts of trees then sending their roots and branches to attack Victoria.

They were so large and tall that they could block out the sky.

Elemental beasts were also summoned, such as an elemental wildfire that was a volatile and fierce flame floating on the ground, emitting very hot flames. The trees remained unaffected, however.

The summoned beasts and trees charged.

Victoria defended against them, striking at the elemental beasts and slashing at the branches and roots.

'Brk!' 'Boom!'

However, there were too many of them, and in addition, the trees would regenerate as well.

Supreme Elder Wyngella floated, looking down at Victoria being beset by her creations. Victoria noticed the cold expression from Supreme Elder Wyngella's face and this made her mad, "I will not fall, I will not let him die!"

Her red eyes widened, and her arms enlarged, "Roar of the Dark Tide!".

A huge explosion was set off again. This time, the dark mist was now backed up by the wraiths Victoria absorbed earlier.

The dark mist expanded as the wraiths charged, eating through everything, except Zachariel.

"Elder Rashomon, now!" Supreme Elder Wyngella signaled.

"Aura of Purification!" Elder Rashomon shone brightly, with a soft call of a maiden in the background.

The light materialized, becoming laser-like and struck at the dark mist. The wraiths wailed in pain.

They tried to fight back but the purifying light overpowered them.

The light pushed back the dark mist until only Victoria was left. Elder Rashomon intensified his extense's power, pounding Victoria with his purification.

Victoria cried in pain.

"No! This can't be happening, this can't be-! I can't!"

The light purged the dark mist out of her, returning to her original body.

She slumped to the ground, reaching her hand to Zachariel's hand while muttering his name. She thought she was going to die now, closing her eyes, awaiting her end as she slowly lost consciousness.

Their hands touched, looking dramatic to the eyes.

The entire area was burned.

The aura of death still permeated in the air and the screams of the wraiths echoed as well.

After Victoria was purified, Elder Rashomon took back the light and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thankfully, the girl didn't die there."

Supreme Elder Wyngella nodded to his statement. Elder Rashomon's extense was extremely lethal to everything he considered as 'dark' and/or 'poisonous'.

`She must've been protecting him from something. We'll get a clear answer tomorrow.`

Many people died and suffered from this event and Supreme Elder Wyngella wanted someone to take the blame. Otherwise, severe public unrest will transpire, which was not good for her and the CPL's plans.

"Have Raskael report to me later. I want a full detailed description of this event, understood?" She commanded.

"Yes, Supreme Elder."

"Oh, don't forget to come over too as well. I still have other questions, especially about that Demon Death Witch subject we talked about earlier."

Supreme Elder Wyngella vanished, leaving Elder Rashomon alone.

, he messaged.

The dome-shaped barrier faded away and everyone could see what was on the other side again.

"General Astrid!" Captain Assha saw the unconscious general among the other bodies.

She approached the general and checked her pulse, "Thank the Elders, she's still alive. All of you, bring them over to the wardrooms now."

She then turned around, "Thank you, Elder, for your help.", bowing down to Elder Jasker.

Elder Jasker nodded, "Two students are needing your help over there.", then disappeared.

Captain Assha was stunned when Elder Jasker mentioned the two students, `Don't tell me they're those two students from earlier?`

"Lieutenant Arfet, get two guards and follow me."

"Yes ma'am.", the lieutenant then turned around and said to the two guards in front of him, "Follow me."

They then set off to find the two students that Elder Jasker mentioned.