Ziegfried, Walter Yang, and Delisa followed Judah's guidance to a massive cocoon-like structure.
"What exactly is this thing?"
Delisa reached out, curious to touch the enormous cocoon, but Walter stopped her.
"Don't touch it. There's a flow of Corruption Energy inside."
But Walter warned too late. Delisa was grabbed by countless hands and pulled into the unknown.
Ziegfried lunged forward to save her, but Walter held him back.
"Ziegfried, calm down! We don't know the enemy's capabilities yet. Charging in blindly will only get you killed."
"Get killed?"
Walter looked at Ziegfried's white hair and blue eyes, symbols of the Kaslana family.
"No matter the danger, I have to save Delisa. Kaslana family members never abandon their comrades."
"Impulsive as always."
"If you're afraid, you can turn back. I can handle this alone."
Ziegfried reached toward the unknown, determined to see what awaited inside.
But what he encountered was a Monarch-level Corruption Beast – Ashipo.
"Corruption Beast? W-wait!"
Meanwhile, Delisa found herself in a strange, suspended space, witnessing the horrors the test subjects endured, including Xilin's own torment.
Bound to terrifying experimental equipment, she was forcibly stripped of her Stigmata.
"No! Wait!" Delisa tried to stop it, but all she could see were illusions of past events.
The agony of the experiments had filled Xilin with terror. Even after it ended, she had called out desperately for her brother, but no one answered. The despair of those memories slammed into Delisa's mind.
"This isn't how it's supposed to be!" Delisa strode forward, determined to stop the experiments, but collided with the surrounding mist.
After pushing through layer after layer of haze, Delisa finally saw Xilin standing alone on the snowy plains.
Delisa rushed forward and embraced Xilin from behind, as if that could make up for everything that had happened.
"I'm sorry, but it's okay now! As long as you come back with me to St. Freya Academy, all danger will be gone!"
"Heh, you only just remember to apologize? It's too late. I want revenge. I will destroy everything Fate has ever done☆"
"Of course. That St. Freya will remain. Let's see how you protect them while the world crumbles☆"
"No! I will make you abandon your revenge, and I will protect this world!"
"Suit yourself☆ I won't kill you, but this little toy of yours is mine☆"
Delisa was transported beneath the ice lake of Belgard in southern Siberia.
"This is… underwater? I need to get back quickly."
"Judah was left behind… Einstein said Judah could track using Corruption Energy…"
"If Judah can sense me… Judah…"
Suddenly, in the virtual space, Xilin, playing with Judah, was startled as Judah grew larger.
"What?"
Judah, sensing Delisa, brought her back into the virtual space.
"You can't escape me. Judah will link us together. Let's go back."
"Ungrateful, what do you mean go back? My brother and Bella are gone forever. It's… too late☆ Die here!"
Xilin unleashed a Subspace Spear toward Delisa.
"Judah! Stop it!"
"Judah's defense didn't work?! The spear pierced through! Was it just a phantom?"
A crisp snapping sound rang out. "Snap☆" Delisa's body was impaled by the Subspace Spear.
"This… this spear is real…"
Meanwhile, Ziegfried, still struggling against the Monarch-level Corruption Beast, began to falter.
"Hey! Someone help me!"
"Didn't you just say you could handle it alone?"
"I… I was wrong. Please help me, Uncle Yang."
"Fine, but remember, you owe me one."
"Knight of the Second Lawgiver, step aside."
Walter used his mimicry ability, the "Star of Eden," to effortlessly destroy the Monarch Corruption Beast, Ashipo.
"Next, quickly find Delisa."
"There's nothing in the shell. Where was Delisa taken?"
Ziegfried scratched his head, hoping Walter could locate her.
"They're right here, you just can't see them. Using the ability to manipulate space, she created a [Virtual Space] layered over reality."
Walter placed his hands on a barrier, tearing through it with his Lawgiver energy.
"She's inside. Come out. The hide-and-seek is over."
Xilin appeared in reality, her long purple hair flowing to the ground. Her cold golden eyes bore a cross in the center.
She wore a dress formed from Corruption Energy, white cloth tightly wrapping her body, leaving her back exposed, as if inviting Stigmata marks. Purple bandages wrapped her legs, but her feet were bare on the snow, with three Subspace Spears floating behind her.
A disdainful smile crossed her face as she prepared to strike Delisa.
Ziegfried saw Delisa fall, pierced by the spear, and his rage surged.
"Delisa is still alive. Take her back to the Babylon Tower for treatment. I'll hold off the Second Lawgiver."
"But on your own…"
Ziegfried gritted his teeth, unwilling to give up.
"I owe you another favor. Don't die before I come back!"
He quickly carried Delisa away.
Xilin, hovering above, could not stand it.
"Who allowed you to take her? Stay here☆"
A Subspace Spear shot toward Ziegfried.
Walter blocked it at the last moment.
"You blocked my attack? Who are you?"
"For me, a spear in virtual space is just a normal spear."
"First time meeting, I'm Walter Yang, a Lawgiver like you. I want to talk."
"A Lawgiver like you?"
"[God], what do you want to tell me?"
"[God]? Does that mean… a complete Lawgiver can communicate with the Corruption Will?"
"So you're just a counterfeit, a traitor betraying [God]. And you call yourself a Lawgiver?"
"I will kill you to repay the price of betrayal."
"Your [God] is only using you. I must defeat you to talk properly."
Mimicry "Star of Eden" launched a destructive attack toward Xilin.
"Such an attack is useless to me☆"
"Then fall, Second Lawgiver!"
Walter released the last of his "Heart of Eden" energy, creating a massive attack. Black energy surged, shrouding his figure.
"I told you, this attack is useless! Wait, where are they?"
Walter reached Xilin, neutralizing her virtual barrier with the Lawgiver core's energy.
"You've been tricked☆ Those were just decoys. Become their food."
Xilin's power grabbed Walter as a legendary dragon-shaped Corruption Beast swallowed him whole.
"I need to find that white-haired girl, Delisa. Fine, I'll kill everyone around her, make her feel despair."
On a distant cliff, a small clown in a white dress silently observed the dragon-shaped Corruption Beast.
"I've caught up. Let's see to what extent the Second Lawgiver has awakened."
In Stigmata Space, Yubo sensed the Virtual Space trembling, desperately trying to break through, but still could not.
"I… I'll… destroy you… crush your corruption… die…"