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Chapter 382: The Resurrection of the Witch of Envy!
🕑 Added 2024-11-14 11:00:06 +0000 UTCIndeed, after the Witch of Greed, Echidna, was revived, chaos spread throughout the Sanctuary.
With Echidna no longer suppressing the Witch of Envy's power, that force found its way to Emilia during her trial, using her as a vessel.
Though it was not a complete resurrection, the Witch of Envy, Satella, was notorious for being a calamity, one who had devoured half of the world. Even with just a fraction of her power, she could easily overpower most of the world's strongest beings.
Satella, using Emilia as her temporary vessel, was dressed in a long black gown, her fingers unnaturally pale. Her face was obscured by a dark shadow, making it impossible to see her features.
At that moment, Satella was facing off against another woman, who also possessed breathtaking beauty. The other woman had platinum hair that cascaded down to her ankles, and she wore nothing but a simple white robe. She looked like an unassuming, lazy girl from the neighborhood.
If any other witches had been present, they would have recognized this platinum-haired woman instantly. She was none other than Pandora, the Witch of Vainglory, a figure hidden from history!
Pandora had used her words of power to twist reality, gaining control over Subaru.
Satella seemed intent on taking Subaru back from Pandora, which led to their current standoff.
Pandora had been weakened after being defeated a thousand years ago, and Satella was also in a similar condition.
Pandora's reason for controlling Subaru was to use him as leverage, compelling Satella to go to the Elven Forest and undo the seal, releasing her full power.
Those who were familiar with Satella knew that the Witch of Envy had two personalities. One was the destructive Witch of Envy, whose madness and cruelty led her to destroy half the world. The other was "Satella," who was more akin to a normal girl—sensitive, gentle, and even demure—beloved by the other Great Witches, except for the Witch of Greed.
Emilia was not only the ideal vessel for the Witch of Envy but also the key. If the seal was broken, the berserk "Witch of Envy" would once again walk the earth.
Pandora knew how important Subaru was to Satella. Both the "Witch of Envy" and "Satella" loved Subaru deeply, enough to grant him the power of "Return by Death" to protect him.
While "Return by Death" was an incredible ability that even influenced fate, Pandora's power allowed her to manipulate reality itself. This meant she could take control of Subaru, turning him into her puppet, even if she couldn't kill him outright.
Satella couldn't accept this. She was the Witch of Envy, and jealousy was her very essence. There was no way she would share Subaru with anyone else.
"Do as I say: go to the Elven Forest and use your vessel to unseal the power, and I will return him to you.
Do not try to resist me. You must know, even though neither of us is at full strength right now, I can still influence this boy without any issues."
Pandora's Authority was terrifyingly powerful; she could use words to twist or alter reality itself. Under the influence of her Authority, illusions could become real, and real things could be reduced to nothingness.
"Return by Death" was a forbidden power that surpassed the life force known as Od Laguna, capable of altering entire timelines. But Pandora's ability to twist reality could also influence the world at large.
In fact, when Wood had first heard Echidna's explanation of Pandora's Authority and abilities, he had wondered just how someone with such a ridiculously overpowered ability had ever lost...
"Fine, I will do as you say, but I hope you keep your promise. Once the seal is broken, return him to me.
And you'd better prepare yourself. Once I regain my full power, don't think you can run away like you did before."
The personality currently taking control of Emilia's body was the gentle "Satella," but after the shift in her tone, it was obvious to anyone that the dominant personality had switched to the "Witch of Envy."
With her cruel and violent nature, the Witch of Envy shot Pandora a glare filled with malice.
Satella didn't understand why Pandora was so determined to have her unseal the power and regain her strength, but that had always been the Witch of Envy's goal.
The "Satella" personality was kind-hearted, wanting to remain sealed away forever or even be killed. However, the "Witch of Envy" personality desired freedom and intended to carry on her mission.
She didn't understand why Pandora kept helping her unseal herself, even going so far as to create the "Witch Cult," but since Pandora dared to use Subaru as a bargaining chip, she would be the first one Satella would kill once she regained her strength!
With Subaru in her grasp, the Witch of Envy couldn't afford to take risks with his life. Ultimately, she had no choice but to comply with Pandora's demands.
The Sanctuary's barrier could keep non-humans from leaving, but for Pandora and the Witch of Envy, the so-called "barrier" was nothing more than a toy.
They effortlessly walked through the Sanctuary's barrier and soon arrived at the Elven Forest.
The Elven Forest was the same place where the previous Archbishop of Sloth, Juice, and Emilia's foster mother, Fortuna, once lived.
This place, once isolated and untouched, had now turned into an uninhabitable ice field. What was once a lush and vibrant forest was now covered in layers of frost, with frozen elves trapped beneath the ice, their forms visible like sculptures.
And the person responsible for all this was none other than seven-year-old Emilia herself.
When the Archbishop of Greed, along with Pandora, attacked the forest, Emilia had witnessed Geuse, who was like a father to her, being driven mad, and her foster mother Fortuna being killed. Emilia's magic had gone berserk!
At just seven years old, Emilia's out-of-control power had frozen the entire Elior Forest, sealing herself within until she was later rescued by Puck.
Because of her contract with Puck, Emilia had forgotten those childhood memories, but during the Sanctuary's trial, all of those memories had resurfaced, breaking her spirit. The Witch of Envy's power took advantage of this and found its way in.
Walking through the frozen landscape, the thick ice could do nothing to stop Pandora and the Witch of Envy. The ice that had remained unbroken for centuries melted away like spring snow as the two approached.
They soon reached a stone wall, the place where the first Sword Saint, the Divine Dragon, and the Sage had sealed the Witch of Envy.
Pandora had once controlled Emilia's foster mother, Fortuna, and tried to undo the seal here, but Fortuna had managed to break free, preventing the attempt.
"I'm quite curious—if you know where the Three Heroes sealed my power, and you also know Emilia is both the key and the ideal vessel, why not just do it yourself?
A hundred years ago, you tried to use Fortuna, and after Emilia left the forest, you tried to have the Witch Cult do it."
Indeed, while the Witch Cult worshipped the Witch of Envy and sought her resurrection, the cult wasn't actually founded by Satella—it was Pandora, the Witch of Vainglory, who had created it.
"If I'm not mistaken, the reason you haven't touched the seal yourself is because you're afraid of being detected by the Infinite Holy Dragon or the Seven Divine Maidens, right?
Your Authority, combined with the Vainglory Factor, allows you to veil yourself—a 'veil' that shields you from the world's awareness.
However, if you were to touch the seal of the Three Heroes, there would be a conflict between the Vainglory Factor and the seal, revealing your deception.
Being hidden from history and repeatedly escaping past battles relies on that ability, right? If the Vainglory Factor is compromised, all of your enemies will find you immediately."
The one who spoke was Echidna, the Witch of Greed. Behind her, emerging slowly through a portal, was Wood.
As the wisest of the Great Witches, Echidna was likely second only to the Witch of Envy herself. Her vast knowledge extended to every form of magic in the world, making a simple spell like a "portal" child's play for her.
Echidna's words were merely guesses about why Pandora wouldn't break the seal herself, but the reasons might also be something else entirely. Either way, with her new partner here, it didn't seem like Pandora would have an easy time accomplishing her goals.
"Who are you, truly? I have never seen your existence recorded in history.
I do not know you, yet you have constantly stood in my way, obstructing my wish."
Pandora's platinum hair flowed in the wind, her "robe," which looked more like a white sheet, fluttering with her aura's surge. Wood's sharp eyes even caught a glimpse beneath her robe, revealing that she wasn't wearing anything underneath...
Unfortunately, Subaru's vacant expression showed he was still under someone's control, causing him to miss this eye-opening opportunity—he'd be devastated to know later.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that if I kill you all, I will have cleared this world."
Wood spoke words that left both Pandora and the Witch of Envy puzzled, and then, for the first time in this world, he unleashed his magical energy without any reservations.
No denying it—Pandora was stunning. Platinum hair, matching eyebrows, flawless white skin and eyes—she looked like an angel fallen from heaven.
But Wood wasn't some shallow fool who let his morals sway with someone's looks. No matter how adorable the opponent was, if he needed to, he wouldn't hesitate.
The runes representing the "Heart of the Gods" glowed on Wood's chest, causing Echidna to blush furiously beside him.
She realized that Wood possessed yet another thing that fascinated her. The mysterious runes were likely another piece of knowledge from a different world, and although she didn't understand them, their enigmatic nature captivated her.
The Witch of Envy had manifested using Emilia as her vessel, and since he at least knew her, Wood decided not to make her his primary target. Instead, he dashed towards Pandora.
With a burst of pressure, the air shattered beneath him, and Wood moved at incredible speed, appearing before Pandora in an instant.
Pandora had considered using Subaru as a shield, but when she saw the decisiveness in Wood's eyes, she realized that using Subaru to threaten the Witch of Envy might work, but it would be useless against Wood.
If Subaru died, she would lose her leverage over the Witch of Envy. Therefore, Pandora chose to meet Wood's attack head-on to prevent Subaru from getting hurt.
The ice blade, covered in Armament Haki, cut through the air, creating a powerful gale that tore the ground apart.
Faced with such a fierce attack, Pandora remained expressionless. She reached out slowly with one hand, and the massive crescent slash disintegrated into fragments upon touching her body, vanishing.
Wood was stunned as he watched his attack turn to nothing. He had heard from Echidna about Pandora's power, but even he hadn't expected it to be this ridiculous.
Pandora, the Witch of Vainglory, could twist reality with her words—using "lies" to obscure the world's perception, rendering real things nonexistent.
Such a powerful ability was even trickier to deal with than the Archbishop of Greed he'd faced earlier. If his attacks could be rendered useless, what chance did he have? Could Pandora always remain invincible?
"No, just like the Archbishop of Greed, there can't be a truly invincible power in this world.
If her ability were unbeatable, how could she have been defeated by the Maiden of Truth a thousand years ago?"
There had to be a weakness—he just hadn't found it yet.
