Grimhild journeyed out on her own, soaring through the sky via Flonta. Her mind lingered on the words of Kyto, realizing how much damage they did to her frail heart.
"You should've stayed."
Chroliosa spoke to the witch in her subconscious, but Grimhild ignored her.
"They need your help, master."
"..."
There was no response but only silence and the sound of the wind passing over them.
"We've formed a contract together, and I've read everything in your mind. I'm now part of you, master, and there is nothing you can hide from me. I know how you feel."
"Is that so?" Grimhild left the Ashen Burial Grounds and out into the clear skies.
"Yes. You're heartbroken."
Grimhild slowly came to a stop, gazing ahead.
"Kyto and Elizabeth may have their own goals, but Jean decided to follow you of his own volition. Will you really leave him behind?"
The witch was quiet, only hovering in midair before closing her eyes.
"If Jean was to stay with me, I'd only bring ruin to his life."
"Master, that is not true!"
Grimhild shook her head in denial to Chroliosa's words.
"As much as I hate to admit it, it is true. I am destruction."
"...Master?" Chroliosa's tone of voice changed into a more subtle timbre.
"Everything in my life will be destroyed, and I cannot change that..." Grimhild reopened her eyes. "I've destroyed many things in my past that I wish I hadn't, and they can never come back."
"It isn't your fault, master."
Grimhild frowned, albeit barely.
"Do not give me delusions, Chroliosa. I've already learned to accept the obvious truth."
"Master, it is you who decided to hide your past as the Witch of Destruction with the title of Witch of Justice."
"..."
"Are you really going to throw away the meaning of that title?! If you leave them, then that's no different than destroying something you care about!"
Grimhild clenched her hand around her staff, frustrated.
"I'm not destroying anything... I'm saving them."
"Saving them from what?"
"Myself."
Chroliosa went quiet.
"I'm saving them from... myself."
"..."
"I hate myself, Choliosa—I hate that I am someone who embodies destruction while I adore creation—and yet I exist to destroy it all."
Grimhild's frown mutated into a saddened gaze.
"I cannot change who I am, no matter how hard I try." She looked down, regret in her eyes, "In other words, you cannot destroy the destroyer."
"I'm sure there will be a way in the future."
"The future is bleak."
"It is not! Do not say that!"
Grimhild shook her head.
"I'm afraid I'm right; the reason for the Elohim being sealed in Asgard, the reason for hatred existing in Mortalkind's heart, and the reason for the chaos of this world is because of me."
"It wasn't only you. Agnes and Beatrice were part of it!"
"That changes nothing."
Grimhild cast Rulmedia, connecting spatial coordinates to teleport to the ground below.
"I will be arriving in Mesnil fairly late. I wish to sightsee a bit more."
Grimhild ambled ahead through the vast fields of grass, staring off into the horizon of forest and mountains.
"It's been ten long years since I last stepped outside the Midland Forest, so it's wise to see what has changed."
"Not much has changed, master, except for the forces of Nosferatu."
"Hm?" Grimhild widened her eyes. "What have I missed?"
Chroliosa emerged from the witch's subconscious in physical form, floating next to her.
"During the last ten years of your inactivity, Dracula has made his army far more powerful than you could ever imagine. Even Lancelot and his army are struggling against him."
Grimhild closed her eyes, seemingly unamused.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. There are rumors about Dracula being connected to the Other Gods."
Grimhild opened her eyes, glancing at the spirit.
"So, Gunavoe wasn't lying."
"Gunavoe?" Chroliosa lifted her brow, puzzled.
"He was a former general of Lancelot and an old friend of mine. We talked about Lancelot and his current status, but he went behind my back and reported the details to Mesnil Kingdom."
Chroliosa widened her eyes.
"And you didn't stop him?"
"Of course not. This makes things much easier."
The Spirit blinked a few times, visibly confused.
"How so, if I may ask?"
"Gunavoe knew that I was one of the Three Witches of Calamity who sought to destroy the world, long ago. It was obvious that if I told him about me visiting Mesnil Kingdom, he would use that chance to tell King Lancelot about my true identity."
Chroliosa hummed in thought.
"I see. But how did you figure that out?"
"As much as Gunavoe hates how corrupted King Lancelot has become, he still wants to stay as his general. It's the only life Gunavoe has known, and without it, he's some lousy drunk who's trying to make a name for himself."
"So you were two steps ahead of him this whole time?"
Grimhild smirked.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
The Spirit of time came to a halt, hovering a few feet above the ground.
"I see where Merlin gets her confident and calculating demeanor from."
"Afraid you're wrong. Merlin was born the way she is now; it's one of the reasons I made her my student."
"Oh, I see."
"But that's beside the point. If Dracula truly has a connection with the Other Gods, then that could mean a lot of trouble."
"Afraid it is only rumors. But let's not have those rumors end up creating a Spirit out of fear."
"Indeed." Grimhild nodded. "Now then. Before we continue, it's wise to conceal your Nucleus."
Chroliosa widened her eyes.
"Conceal my Nucleus? Are we running into danger?"
"Something like that. There's a certain item I want."
"I see. Then I'll do as you wish, master. But what may this item be, if I may ask?"
"A Fusion Core."
"Huh?!" She gasped. "What in the world do you need something like that for?"
"I'm just going to sell it for some coin, don't worry about it."
Chroliosa crossed her arms as she lifted her brow, totally not buying it.
"Selling it for coin, huh?"
Grimhild's stoic expression remained as she glanced away.
"How disloyal. Are you questioning your master?"
"Of course I am! Something like that is dangerous, even for you!"
Grimhild turned around, facing the other way.
"Alright, fine then, I'll find it on my own. Don't feel bad if something happens to me."
The spirit's eyebrows shot up as she reached her hand forward—
"Wait! I'll do it. I'll do it! Just give me a second." She slumped over, sighing. "I never had my Nucleus tampered with before... so this is quite worrisome."
Grimhild smirked, turning her head to face the spirit.
"Oh, don't worry, it shouldn't hurt... much."
Thus, Grimhild approached the Spirit of Time.
"Nielkaht."
The Witch of Justice lifted her hand, casting a magic circle in front of her. Chroliosa was anxious, closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath.
"As you may know, the Nucleus is at the core of your existence. It's the central and most important part of a person, holding their information, history, physiology, bloodlines, and entitlements. Without the nucleus, a person cannot exist, or even function, since it's the core of their being."
Mana empowered the magic circle in front of her.
"Some magicians can manipulate their nucleus or another person's nucleus, but first, they must understand it."
Chroliosa gasped, feeling her nucleus being tampered with.
"Once a magician understands a nucleus, they can change the traits of an individual; for example, if one manipulated the nucleus of a ghost, then they could change the idea of the ghost being incorporeal, or a spirit being invulnerable to magic."
"Aaghhh... Aaahhh!" Chroliosa wailed in pain.
"Powerful magicians can remove traits from their enemies or themselves, allowing a ghost to become tangible, for them to become intangible. It depends entirely on them."
"M-My body... what's happening to me?!"
"I'm temporarily transforming you into a human. You'll lose your physiology as a spirit, just for a little while."
Chroliosa could feel her power being sapped from her body, draining her of her essence.
She fell to her knees, gasping for air.
"Welcome to the domain of mankind, Chroliosa."
The former spirit of time could barely even breathe.
She was panting, visibly exhausted.
"Why... am I... breathing... so hard?"
"That's called exhaustion; a concept you Spirits are unaware of from your limitless stamina."
"No... I hate this... turn me back!" She gasped between each word, trying to catch her breath.
"Afraid not, but you'll get used to it."
"What is the point of all of this? Where are we going, master?" Chroliosa stood back up, wobbling in her legs.
"We are visiting the Hidden Village of Goliath."
Chroliosa took a deep breath, finally regaining her stamina.
"I see... the village of golems."
"Indeed. Golems are creatures formed not only out of magic but also technology. They're powered by Fusion Cores which exist in their bodies, giving them immense power. It's what I need... to sell of course."
"Right... to 'sell'."
"Hm? Are you doubting me?" Asked the witch with a smirk.
"Of course not." Said Chroliosa sarcastically.
Grimhild turned around and headed toward a forest.
"Let us be off. It's wise to remain as human for now, considering the Golem's hatred for other races."
"That's hardly fair... why do you get to stay unhuman?"
"Because the Golems in the Village of Goliath know of me."