Stepping into the deserted land of deceased Gods, Grimhild took the lead, lifting her hand into the air and casting a Clairvoyance Spell.
"Treata."
Protruding from a magic circle was a floating ball of light, buzzing through the air as if it were sentient.
"What kind of spell is that?" Asked Elizabeth.
"It's a Clairvoyance spell that guides you to your desired location, it's your common Primary Magic." Said Grimhild.
"Uhm, I'm confused, what's Primary Magic?" Asked the Rozenheart.
"It's pretty simple." Said Kyto as they walked behind the witch. "Flonta, a spell that allows you to fly. Rezeck, a spell that connects people's consciousness for telepathic speaking. Rivonza, a spell that can tear open a rift in space, allowing you to store things inside." The Cyrodel lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, erecting a barrier around his body. "Or Gilfronta, another Primary Spell that's commonly used among Magicians to resist all magic. It's an anti-magical barrier, similar to your Antimana, Elizabeth."
"Sheesh, there's a lot to know when dealing with magic, huh?" Her brain was nearly fried.
"Ahahaha, you'll get the hang of it, but you don't have to worry so much about it since you're a Kaizamei, remember?" Proclaimed Jean.
Liz frowned at his comment, glancing toward the Champion User.
"I won't be a Kaizamei forever, it's only temporary! I'll make sure to achieve magic so my father can accept me, and then I'll become a magician just like the rest of you."
"Primary magic is generally used by every magician in Yggdrasil." Muttered Grimhild as she continued onwards. "To study the arts of other magic, you must first learn the arts of Primary Magic. If you don't have that basic knowledge engraved in your head, then you aren't ready to become a Magician, Elizabeth."
"...You're so straightforward when you say things, Missus Grimhild..." Said Liz with obvious strain.
"You're only a mere child. You must learn that you cannot have everything in life." Grimhild lowered her head, reminiscent of the past. "Nothing in life is fair, it's why you must learn how to deal with your burdens, and not take them away. Burdens make you into the person you are today, understand that, Elizabeth."
The Rozenheart contemplated her words with silence, until she glanced to her side, muttering, "I think I'll stick with my original idea, but thanks anyway."
Grimhild side-eyed Elizabeth, but continued forward, following the orb of light.
Trotting through the deserted landscape, the sun was setting on the horizon over the massive mountains of sand.
It slowly became dark, sending shivers up their spines, but Grimhild remained calm.
She wasn't so easy to scare.
"Is it safe to be outside at night?" Muttered Kyto.
"No." Said Grimhild vaguely.
"T-Then what the hell do we do?!" Asked Kyto as the others started to worry. "There's no way in hell we can take on spirits, I've never even seen them except for those horses of yours!"
The witch smiled, bewitchingly.
"That much is true, spirits operate differently than mortals. They're invulnerable to all magic unless it is that of Spirit Magic."
"And where do we find that?" Questioned Kyto.
"Don't get your panties in a bunch, just stay close to me. The Elufray won't harm you as long as I'm present."
"I trust in you, Grimhild." Proclaimed Jean with a smile.
The spirits proceeded to manifest around their bodies after the sun finally set. Some were big, and some small; while others had humanoid appearances, most of them looked like animals.
Transparent wolf spirits, floating spirits with the appearance of zombies, and crawling arachnids.
There were a variety of these Metaphysical entities who sought only blood.
"They look hostile..." Said Elizabeth as she took a fighting stance. "What did we ever do to make them so angry?"
"These spirits have been trapped here for so long that they desire fear above all else. Fear is what gives a spirit its power. They believe that the more they're feared, the stronger they'll become to break out of these burial grounds."
"That's horrible... I couldn't imagine being trapped in a place like this." Said Jean.
"Some would call this a fate worse than death." Proclaimed Kyto as he prepared a magic circle.
"They may seem weak, but we are dealing with powerful spirits, so stay close and prepare for battle." Declared Grimhild.
"Right!" They shouted in unison.
But all of a sudden, there was an eerie silence.
No spirits moved.
They only glared at the four adventurers who stumbled upon the Ashen Burial Grounds, as if they malfunctioned like a machine.
But perhaps that wasn't the best way of putting it.
"W-What happened?" Asked Elizabeth.
Everyone was stagnant.
Nobody could move an inch.
There was no feeling of air.
There were no sounds of battle.
There was only nothingness.
"Time is frozen."
Grimhild's words sent a shiver up the Kaizamei's spine.
The Witch of Justice was right.
Time had come to a complete stop.
"Grimhild, what caused this?! A-And how can I still move?"
"She's here."
"Whose here?"
"The Spirit of Time, Chroliosa."
Time warped in their area, weighing down spacetime and causing temporal anomalies across the Ashen Burial Grounds.
Reality was glitching- no... time was glitching.
Chroliosa was a Spirit that followed a non-linear system. There was no concrete "present" except for a continuum of time anomalies. All events were happening simultaneously to her, even in the midst of contradictions.
Cause, prolongation, and inevitably were indescribably laughable in the face of this Spirit.
She appeared within the sky in a flash of light, dressed in white robes with long blonde hair that was flowing in the wind.
Large clocks materialized behind her body, ticking back and forth as if stuck in a loop. These clocks represented the fear of time that all mortals dreaded at least once in their lifetime.
Even Chroliosa's pupils were that of your average Mantel clock. She was indeed the incarnation of time but in the form of fear.
"Why are you here, Chroliosa? It's obvious that the entire mortal population fears you since you're the doorway to death." Grimhild frowned. "You have no reason to spread the fear of time, unlike the rest of the spirits here who seek that desire."
"I've watched everything up till now. You merely experienced the halt of time, once, from that Champion, and now you're immune to its concept. Very interesting indeed, Grimhild Yorgana; you're truly fearsome."
"Surely you didn't come here to give compliments, have you?" Asked the witch with sarcasm. "You're one of the most feared spirits with a strength unmatched, you have to be here for good reason."
Liz gazed at the beautiful spirit above their heads in awe, but Grimhild managed to capture the Rozenheart by surprise from her last comment.
"Wait... are you saying she could willingly access the Ashen Burial Grounds at will? I thought spirits couldn't leave once they enter!?"
"Chroliosa is a different case. She was once a bundle of clocks with a humanoid shape..." Grimhild paused in her words, closing her eyes in shame. "But then she took a human and used them as her vessel. She's no longer a Pure Spirit, but one of the very first hybrids among their kind."
"Ufufufu, you know your history, don't you little witch?"
"Uhm, witch?" Questioned Elizabeth.
"Tell me why you're here, before I remove you myself, false spirit." She lowered her brows, gripping her staff with malicious intent. Grimhild's mana poured from her body, prepared for combat if need be.
"It is quite simple, Grimhild Yorgana, I seek to destroy you under the commands of Merlin, the Great Magician. She seeks your death above all else."
Grimhild laughed. "You honestly believe that Merlin, out of all people, has what it takes to destroy me? She's only using you for personal gains. You're nothing more than a pawn to her."
Chroliosa frowned.
"I know a human desire when I see one, and Merlin desires your death. I'm merely fulfilling her wish by destroying you for good."
A sinister chuckle left the witch's lips.
"You're nothing more than throwaway trash. Merlin has done this in the past; sending powerful spirits to test my strength, and get a reading on how powerful I am. It's her way of preparing against me ahead of time. She knows you're going to die if you truly challenge me."
"...Merlin... do you mean 'the' Merlin?" Muttered Elizabeth.
"Yes, I suppose you can say we are archenemies." Grimhild cast Flonta, taking flight toward the sky while Elizabeth was shocked to her core, realizing how truly powerful her companion was. "I'll give you two choices, Chroliosa; Abandon your contract with Merlin so that you may create one in my name, or suffer the consequences of approaching me."
"Abandon the contract with a powerful Magician like Merlin? Do you take me as some joke, little witch?"
"No, I'm merely pitying you. I believed you were more insightful of people since you were such a powerful spirit, but I guess I was wrong."
Grimhild's words ignited a fire in the Spirit of Time's nonexistent heart, pushing her to the brink of anger.
"It will be satisfying sending you in the currents of time, for eternity, Witch of Destruction."
"Hmph," Grimhikd smirked. "Let's see you try."
Elizabeth gasped, finally realizing the truth.
Grimhild was one of the Three Witches of Calamity. She could feel her heart sink in her chest, widening her eyes in both awe and despair.
It felt like a dream.
A really... bad dream!
"Grimhild... the Witch of Destruction?!"