...

The Witch turned her frustrated gaze towards the unconscious Fate, a mysterious look in her eyes as she did so...

[Clang!][Clang!]

The Witch was forced to once again gaze upon the creature, who had now begun to continue its trek down the chain, now increasing its pace with every movement. Her disgusted gaze now returned as she began to swirl her staff in the air, a storm of glowing purple particles suddenly emerging and gathering into a vortex!

However, despite the sudden appearance of the massive maelstrom of magical energy, the creature stayed its course, seemingly not even glancing back for a second while it continued its climb downward.

The irritated Witch, scanned the creature, looking for any sign that it was watching what she was doing as she spoke, once more…

Witch of Fate: “I do not believe a simple, mortal ego, such as yourself, can even begin to attempt to exert any level of control over that which has been infused with my divine power, but nonetheless, I see no reason to waste my resources on such a decadent effort. As such…”

She pointed the tip of her staff towards the creature as the storm set aflame!

Witch of Fate: “I would demand that you restrain yourself and abort this mundane plan of yours...though I seriously doubt you would listen.”

The creature continued to crawl its way towards Fate, but a sudden change began to take place on its backside, black blood oozing out into the black sea below as a hunk of distorted flesh was opened...from the inside…

A large eyeball, almost exactly the same as the one in the creature’s mouth, though this one was slightly smaller and of an amber color scheme as opposed to the original’s piercing gold, emerged from a hole in its back, attached to a large accordion-like spring that stretched out in the Witch’s direction!

The Witch’s expression did not er, as she swung her arm downward, causing the immense storm of purple flames to burst towards the outstretched eye, which began to manifest a devilish grin below itself!

The creature leaped off of the chain, soaring through the air as the flames made contact with the chain, enveloping it in their collective purple radiance! Their sizzling and crackling could be heard coming from the burning section, making it sound as if the strange black metal was being cut through by a plasma torch!

The Witch smiled as she gazed at the now white-hot chain, certain that it would be melted in half in but a few moments, as she slowly began to ready another spell in the air, a strange circle of indigo light that seemed to have a thin disc of liquid in the middle…
However, as images of forests, rivers, lakes, and villages suddenly sprang into existence across this spectral screen, a strange sound rang out from behind her.

[Boing!]

A spring-like noise had come from her backside, the Witch turned around to witness what inane plot the creature would attempt next with a smirk, but was taken back momentarily by what she saw!

[Giggle!]

A rapidly pulsating amber eye had emerged before her, crackling with midnight blue lightning as it slowly swelled in size while a loud chorus of laughter broke out from the ghostly mouth that floated beneath it!

???: “Anything you can do I can do better...I don’t need you so...SCCCRRRREEWWWW OOOFFFF!!!~”

The Witch once again became expressionless as a swarm of flaming purple particles spawned in to existence in the path of a newly formed explosion that surrounded the Witch’s view, while the slow-forming gate behind her scattered into the same indigo light particles that formed it! Almost immediately, the springlike appendage, now devoid of its eye and spectral mouth, retreated down the still intact chain, out of view!

However, the explosion and resulting smoke soon cleared, as the expressionless Witch directed her gaze towards the chain, aiming at paying back the creature for disrupting her spell. Suddenly, the chain snapped in half, splitting at the point where the purple flames had now melted through! A small smile emerged on her face, only to be replaced by an angry frown as she began to yell…

Witch of Fate: “What do you think you’re doing, you vile ego?!!”

A mad cackle filled the sky...

???: “What am I doing?!~ Do you really need to ask that question because I think it’s pretty obvious what I’m doing!?~”

The deranged voice rang out across the black sea, causing the darkened waters below to swell and crash upon the surface as if to show its joy at the Witch’s hatred. Strangely, though, the source of the voice could not be found in the air, the sea, nor on the slowly falling and vanishing remains of the chain, as the Witch slowly began to lower towards one point on the violently ‘applauding’ sea with a grimace on her face…

In front of her, on top of a crystalline red platform, surrounded by a pair of ruby-like hands...sat the creature with its hand thrust into the still unconscious Fate’s skull, surrounded by a mysterious black fog, grinning ear to ear.

In its other hand, rested the still barely visible journal…

???: “Now do I have your undivided attention?~ Hahaha hahaha!!!~ C’mon, kiddo, wake up and let’s chat with our precious guardian goddess here!~”

A flash of midnight-blue lightning shot into the mist surrounding Fate’s head, causing his eyes to suddenly open, both of them now fixing themselves on the Witch...

Fate: “We need to have a chat…”
...