### Chapter: 296


    “Hah, ha.”


    Kraush exhaled, finally letting go of the breath he had been holding to his limit.


    White smoke continuously poured from his mouth.


    His body felt like it was overheating, teetering on the brink of losing consciousness.


    Even with the physique of Dragon Royalty, pushing himself to the absolute limit came at a cost.


    ‘Memory Devourer.’


    A dirty trick that drastically boosts current output at the cost of his own memories.


    ck Bird was all in, so Kraush had no choice but to give it his all too.


    If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t have to overexert himself like this.


    There was no way he could afford to take it easy and still beat the elite member of Ixion, ck Bird.


    ‘Damn it, I used more power than I expected.’


    Kraush staggered as he looked at the crumbling barrier.


    At this rate, he was going to get caught up in that damage.


    Just when he was about to make a break for it, ck chains suddenly wrapped around his body.


    When he lifted his headte to check, there was the Hell Fairy, arms outstretched while pressing down on her chest.


    Had she regained her senses?


    She must have shattered a few ribs and nearly punctured a lung.


    That’s some serious mental fortitude she’s got.


    “Can’t, go.”


    The strength of the chains tightening around Kraush began to increase.


    Kraush tried to move, staring at the firmly wrapped chains.


    But his body didn’t budge an inch.


    ‘Abe might arrive too.’


    Actually, he was starting to question why Abe wasn’t already here.


    ‘Maybe…’


    Was she biding her time?


    Eyes narrowed, Kraush couldn’t read her intentions.


    He had noticed Abe really did want to retrieve Arthur, but all he knew was that she needed the god of World Erosion involved, and everything else was just a big mystery.


    ‘Could she be deliberately not helping Ixion?’


    Kraush tsked inwardly, pulling in heat.


    He was all messed up physically, but finishing the Hell Fairy off was a necessary task.


    “Do you really think you can hold me by yourself?”


    “……”


    The Hell Fairy remained silent in response to Kraush’s question.


    Ixion must have believed that with ck Bird and the Hell Fairy, they could easily bring Kraush and Bioeren down.


    Kraush’s abilities had been confirmed during the upheaval in the Holy Kingdom not too long ago.


    Given the time that had psed, he thought they would have grown significantly, which was why he had intentionally matched them up.


    But Kraush had grown at an unfathomably rapid pace, surpassing all expectations.


    Even if he ounted for growth, the speed at which he advanced was just ridiculous.


    ck Bird was among the higher-tierbatants among the World Erosion creatures.


    If he wasn’t careful, he might be on par with the Ten Great Lords.


    Yet, he had single-handedly defeated her.


    No matter how vulnerable he was to the aura of the World Erosion, this was simply uneptable.


    Now, Kraush had be quite a threat to the World Erosion creatures.


    As if to overshadow this fact, she raised her arms while keeping Kraush bound.


    Just as Kraush was about to break the chains, something unexpected gripped her hand tightly.


    It was a willow branch.


    Seeing that, Kraush’s expression fell, but soon confusion reced it as his eyes widened.


    The moment she grasped that one willow branch, the previously split willow instantly wilted.


    “You!”


    Kraush shouted, questioning what she was doing, just as he tried to tear free from the chains.


    A strange breeze began to weave around them.


    Boom—


    Kraush raised his head as a sound reverberated throughout the barrier.


    Above the Hell Fairy’s head, the space around her began to darken and warp.


    ‘So you’ve finally shown yourself.’


    Creeeeak—


    A disturbing sound resonated from beyond that space.


    At the same time, Kraush felt an unsettling sensation enveloping his body.


    It was as if his body rejected the very existence of that entity.


    A chilling feeling crept through him.


    In that moment, a figure slowly peeked into view across the warped space.


    A woman with a wide-brimmed ck hat.


    Eyes that absorbed all light and lips stained ck.


    Apletely pitch-ck woman was staring at Kraush.


    The ck Witch—


    Deashilus Makina.


    The one who gathered Ixion and sought to create the god of World Erosion—a lunatic.


    Here she was, appearing on the scene.


    Under normal circumstances, he’d be facing a life-or-death scenario.


    But the instant Kraush met her gaze, he chuckled.


    “What are you looking at? You can’te out from there.”


    When Kraush spoke, the ck Witch fell silent.


    The ck Witch was undoubtedly an uncontroble monster.


    She was considered one of the most dangerous of the World Erosion creatures, with power rivaling that of the Beast King and Swordmaster.


    But she had one significant limitation.


    She could not step outside the space she had created.


    This world rejected her very existence.


    Thus, the moment she did step beyond Kraush’s world, the very power of the world itself would try to crush her to death.


    This world was toxic for her existence.


    And that was precisely why she couldn’t act directly and relied heavily on Ixion.


    Whu-whu-whu-whu—


    In that moment, a wind blew toward the space the ck Witch opened.


    Kraush felt himself being pulled toward her by that wind.


    Before long, the Hell Fairy also got swept up and began to flee toward the ck Witch’s space.


    But that was a clear underestimation of Kraush.


    Keeping his position while being dragged, he squeezed out everyst ounce of strength to form the de of Rain Thunder.


    Kraush screamed loud enough to make his heart ache, feeling intense pain, almost like his insides were falling apart, but he didn’t care.


    He threw Rain Thunder with everything he had.


    With the ck Witch pulling him in, Rain Thunder utilized the very wind she conjured to soar forward.


    Phew—whoosh!


    “Kyaah!”


    Rain Thunder found its mark, embedding itself in the Hell Fairy’s corbone.


    That was supposed to have been a deadly blow aimed at her neck, but midway, the ck Witch altered its trajectory with the wind.


    Kraush gritted his teeth in frustration, recovering Rain Thunder with ck Hood.


    The sudden shift in wind allowed him to bring Rain Thunder back down to the ground with a thud.


    However, his body felt like it fell apart and made no effort to move.


    That was a clear sign he had drained every ounce of strength he possessed.


    Hooow—


    At that moment, the ck Witch began to absorb Kraush’s form once more.


    Kraush drove the remaining de of Rain Thunder into the ground.


    Thud—thud—thud—thud!


    The wind pulling him from behind was so powerful that even Kraush’s body trembled violently as he tried to keep the de steady.


    Kaboom!


    Simultaneously, ck octopus legs began to emerge from beyond the ck Witch’s space.


    That had been a familiar sight from before.


    “If you don’te, the Assistant Examiner’s life will be forfeit.”


    As expected, the ck Witch dragged the Assistant Examiner along with her.


    Kraush already knew the Assistant Examiner was in trouble, but hearing it felt entirely different.


    Kraush furrowed his brow.


    And yet, he mockingly responded.


    “So you’re saying he’s still alive?”


    “See for yourself with your own eyes.”


    All of the ck octopus legs surged toward Kraush simultaneously.


    Even if he was being pulled, he had his own countermeasure ready.


    Kraush had a safety in ce.


    If Terasius was in character, he would’ve ryed the safety measure to the others by now.


    Even if not, he would undoubtedly respond to a summoning.


    But that would be ast resort.


    Kraush hesitated on whether to use it when—


    Sizzle—


    Kraush heard something rising behind him.


    Upon hearing the sound, a smile slowly spread across Kraush’s face as he turned to face the ck Witch.


    “Don’t want to?”


    Just as Kraush spoke, a translucent barrier formed above him.


    Ka-ching!


    The ck chains binding him snapped apart forcefully.


    It was a barrier meant to block mana.


    Simultaneously, an array of red magic circles began to materialize behind him.


    The magic circles soon filled every inch around them.


    There were well over a hundred of those circles.


    The sheer power pulsing from those circles made even the ck Witch grimace slightly.


    Kraush realized this was the magic of An.


    While he had been busy fighting ck Bird, the two had continuously been waiting elsewhere.


    With Bioeren’s barrier, they could avoid the ck Witch’s gaze.


    Taking advantage of that window, An had been preparing a massive spell all along.


    One that he could unleash just once using everything he had.


    “Did you think it was just me here?”


    A provoking smile escaped Kraush as he directed it towards the ck Witch.


    “Watch closely.”


    Scrolls began to shatter all at once.


    “This is the strongest sorcerer on our side.”


    As the shattering magic circles simultaneously erupted into brilliant light, they obliterated everything around them, including the ck Witch’s space.


    Ancient Magic—


    Fiat Lux!


    A searing white light engulfed everything, swallowing the ck Witch’s space whole.


    “Kraush!”


    Hearing the voice of Bioeren calling out his name, Kraush turned his head.


    There was An alongside Bioeren, who had also ced up a barrier.


    Blood streamed from An’s nose and eyes, dripping onto the ground.


    He had sacrificed a myriad ofplex spells from different circles to activate this monumental spell.


    This meant An was out of the game now.


    But the effect was sure to be significant.


    Fiat Lux was a one-hit-kill magic that obliterated anything thought to be an ally.


    Given how perilous its usage was, hardly any modern magicians could utilize it.


    ‘He must’ve found it in Terasius’s magic library.’


    Now considered virtually extinct.


    The spell was initially unfinished.


    To sessfully cast Fiat Lux, six circle mages were needed.


    Even then, if those mages didn’t trust one another, the effects of the spell could backfire. Absurd, right?


    Hence, Fiat Lux wasbeled an iplete spell.


    The idea was that magicians, who typically don’t trust each other, would have to rely on one another for it to work.


    Rumor has it, the creator of Fiat Lux was tired of untrustworthy mages and crafted the spell to mock them.


    However, An saw light in that spell and continuously improved it.


    When he stripped the vile aspects away and retained only the essentialponents, he ultimately perfected Fiat Lux as his original spell.


    And he could cast it alone now.


    ‘What a genius.’


    He was holed up in the wizard’s library, and yet, he came up with such a brilliant move.


    But the ck Witch was no cker either.


    Beyond the white light, Kraush nced at her trying to seal the space.


    Somewhere along the line, she had also recaptured the Hell Fairy and the ck Bird.


    The ck Bird, scorched white by the mes, looked undetectable, alive or dead.


    But even if she were alive, given the toll of the Memory Devourer, it was safe to say she wouldn’t be returning to the fray anytime soon.


    “See you again.”


    Now, all of his ns had been shut down.


    Yet the strangelyposed voice of the ck Witch gnawed at Kraush’s nerves.


    Afterward, as the ck Witchpletely vanished, the effects of An’s Fiat Lux began to wane as well.


    “Cough, cough.”


    Simultaneously, blood gushed from An’s mouth as he crumpled to the ground.


    Thud—


    Kraush caught his falling body.


    Both of them were in shambles, staring at one another before they burst into absurdughter.


    They couldn’t help butugh at each other’s wretched state.