If someone were to ask, which is the most famous Essence Stone in history?
The answer would likely be the same for almost everyone—the Divine Rank Essence Stone: "Freedom."
This legendary stone became famous because it was used constantly by the Hero two hundred years ago. His name echoed throughout the world, and so did the Essence Stone he relied on the most.
As the name suggests, "Freedom" grants absolute freedom.
But this stone was unlike any other.
Most Essence Stones run on mana, but Freedom didn't. It worked on something else entirely—lets talk about it later.
What truly made Freedom special was its power to break free from anything that tried to control, bind, or restrict its user.
- Mind control? Useless.
- Hypnosis? Won't work.
- Enslavement? Completely ineffective.
- Barriers, mana circles, or sealing spells? They simply don't exist for the user.
It didn't matter if it was a lowly Rank D barrier or an S+ Rank barrier made by the strongests.
As long as it wasn't something physically real—like an actual wall or chains—Freedom would let its user walk through it as if it never existed.
And that was exactly why Maruti had passed through the S-Rank barrier without even trying.
It was also the reason why, when Kaelith had used her Rank C-level hypnosis—a spell powerful enough to control multiple people at once—Maruti wasn't affected at all.
Sure, her constellation ability gave her some resistance to charms and mind control.
But that alone wouldn't have been enough to resist Kaelith's hypnosis.
The Freedom Essence Stone, however?
It made it laughably easy for Maruti to ignore it.
And the funniest part?
She didn't even know she had it.
Of course, the power of the Freedom Essence Stone didn't stop there.
It also had unique side abilities—one of them being Happiness.
Because what is freedom without happiness?
Freedom gives happiness.
Whoever possessed the Freedom Essence Stone would have an invisible aura around them. Anyone who got close would start feeling happy for no reason at all.
If a person stayed with the user for a long time, their personality would start to change. They would become more lighthearted, more carefree.
They would laugh in situations where they should be serious.
They would joke around even when things were dangerous.
And worst of all—they would stop fearing death.
That was exactly what had happened to Esdeath.
At first, it wasn't noticeable.
When she was with Maruti for short moments, nothing really changed.
But then they left the academy together. They spent hours, even days, traveling side by side—first to Vanara Tribe, then to Colac, and finally to Trynne's Castle.
During all that time, Esdeath had unknowingly fallen under Freedom's influence.
Maruti hadn't done it on purpose, but her very presence had manipulated Esdeath's thoughts.
That's why Esdeath had started acting differently—laughing in serious situations, making reckless decisions at train and vanara tribe, and treating life like a joke.
She had somewhat become like Maruti without even realizing it.
But then she returned.
The moment she was back in her dorm room—alone—her mind slowly started clearing up.
She was thinking straight again. She was going back to normal.
This was both a blessing and a curse.
Because while the Freedom Essence Stone spread happiness to those around its user…
It didn't do the same for the user themselves.
The most important part?
Freedom didn't use mana as fuel.
It used happiness.
That meant if the user wasn't happy, then the stone wouldn't work at all.
That's why the true value of the Freedom Essence Stone was only realized in the hands of someone like Maruti—someone who was always happy for no apparent reason.
The Freedom Essence Stone was so famous that almost everyone in the world knew about it. Many people had dreamed of obtaining it.
Esdeath stared at Maruti, her eyes wide in shock.
But Maruti? She was still playing around, stepping in and out of the barrier like it was some kind of joke. She hadn't even heard what Esdeath had said.
"For two hundred years, no one has been able to obtain that essence stone... But to think she actually has it!" Esdeath muttered, still finding it hard to believe.
Then she let out a sigh. "So, what are you going to do? You can leave right now. You can escape and survive."
Hearing those words, Maruti finally stopped.
She turned her head and looked at the battlefield.
Monsters were everywhere, storming through the academy grounds. Humans were fighting back, slashing and casting spells, their attacks filling the air with fire and blood.
The ground was breaking apart. The buildings were crumbling.
It was pure chaos.
But then, Maruti just smiled.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her fake glasses, slipping them on like some kind of hero preparing for battle.
She adjusted them with a confident touch and raised her head high.
"It seems I have no choice, do I?" she said, grinning. "Well, I'm not the type to run away anyway!"
With that, she took a step back inside the barrier.
"I already know who's behind all this," she said. "Let's end that person."
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—----------------
Meanwhile, at the academy, things were even worse.
Half of the academy had been completely destroyed. The left side, in particular, was barely standing.
A huge chunk of the wall suddenly tore away from the building, falling straight toward the ground.
Below, a group of students was hiding inside the library on the ground floor.
They saw the massive wall coming toward them, but there was nowhere to run.
All of them crouched down, covering their heads, waiting for the worst.
BAM!
A loud sound echoed through the air.
The students slowly opened their eyes, shocked to find that they were completely unharmed.
They looked up—
And there he was.
A boy with dark blue hair and soft blue eyes that looked as deep as the ocean.
His face was sharp and handsome, like a noble prince from a storybook.
"Ethan?" one of the girls gasped, her voice filled with joy.
He wasn't alone.
Sylvania and Violet stood beside him, both of them busy fighting off the surrounding monsters.
Ethan turned to the group of students. "Come with us. We're heading to the academy gardens!"
There was no hesitation.
No one asked questions.
There was no time for that.
They simply nodded and followed him.
As they stepped outside, they saw dozens of other students gathered there.
Ethan and his group had been saving students non-stop, using every bit of their strength to protect them.
Not even the academy's teachers had managed to save this many students on their own.
And because of that, everyone who followed Ethan felt something deep in their hearts—
A sense of safety.
A feeling of admiration.
At that moment, Ethan wasn't just another student.
He was someone they could trust.
Ethan and his large group rushed out of the academy and ran straight toward the academy gardens.
"There's an underground tunnel here," Ethan explained as he walked quickly. "It connects to the underground library in the academy's basement."
The students felt a small sense of relief. If there was a tunnel, then maybe they could hide there.
But then Ethan frowned.
"I don't think the basement is safe," he said. "If the academy collapses, there's a high chance the basement will go down with it. So let's just hide in the tunnel instead."
Everyone nodded without hesitation. At this point, they had completely forgotten their status, their pride.
Right now, they were only thinking about survival.
And Ethan was the one leading them to safety.
But just as they were heading toward the tunnel—
A massive creature stepped in their path.
It was over eight feet tall, with a body as hard as steel. Its grey skin looked like it was made of metal.
Eight thick, sharp horns sprouted from its head, and its bloodshot eyes glowed with rage.
Smoke puffed out of its nostrils as it took a deep breath, the ground shaking beneath its weight.
It was a Rank B Monster.
The Eight-Horned Raging Bull.
Ethan's face turned pale.
"Oh, shit…"
------------------
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Maruti was on a rampage.
She had already killed dozens of monsters, and yet, she still had a big grin on her face.
"Wohoo! This is so much fun!"
She slammed her fist into the ground, and the earth cracked beneath her.
From the shattered ground, several worm-like monsters shot into the air. Each one had six eerie eyes covering its disgusting face.
But Maruti didn't even flinch.
"Fire Thrust!"
She punched the air, and a powerful wave of fire exploded outward.
The worms barely had a chance to scream before they turned to ashes.
Maruti sighed, shaking her head.
"Sigh… I never even use holy magic. What's the point of having light affinity if I never use it? What a waste…"
Behind her, Esdeath and Selene were also fighting.
Selene was completely destroying the monsters with her raw physical strength.
No monster even came close to matching her.
Esdeath, on the other hand, was using guns.
Yes, guns.
The more time passed, the more fragments of Fable's memories were merging into her mind.
She suddenly winced in pain.
"Ugh… My head hurts even more…"
But while she was dazed, Maruti was still going crazy.
"Hahaha! Who here can defeat me?!" Maruti shouted, laughing like a maniac. "I'm just born stronger than you fools!"
But then—
Something hit her.
A tail.
A massive tail.
"Oh… shit…" Maruti barely had time to react before her body shot through the air like a cannonball.
She was flying so fast that if it were anyone else, they would have been torn apart instantly.
Within moments, the distance between Maruti and Esdeath had become so huge that Esdeath couldn't even see her anymore.
She had no idea whether Maruti landed safely or if she was still flying.
But there was no time to worry about that.
Because—
All of the monsters suddenly ran away.
Like cockroaches fleeing from the light.
An overwhelming aura spread across the battlefield, pressing down on everything.
Even breathing became difficult.
Esdeath fell to the ground. Selene, despite her strength, was no exception.
They both looked forward.
And what they saw made their faces turn pale.
A massive snake stood in front of them.
Its entire body was blazing orange, covered in flames and flowing lava.
But instead of a snake's head, it had the head of a bull—with huge, curved horns.
It was none other than the Rank A Monster—Scorching Lava Snake.
Two words escaped their mouths.
"Oh… shit…"
---------------
"We will talk after your death!" Vaelthara roared, her mouth opening wide as flames flickered in her throat.
Then—
Splaash… Splaash… Splaash…
A massive beam of fire erupted from her mouth.
It was huge.
More than four times bigger than the divine flame phoenix's attack.
The scorching light filled the sky, roaring toward Lilith like an unstoppable tidal wave of destruction.
BOOOOM!
The fire beam struck Lilith directly.
But Lilith had already transformed into her dragon form.
A powerful, almost invincible aura surrounded her, forming a barrier to block the attack.
Yet—
This beam was different.
It didn't stop.
The endless fire kept pushing, burning, and grinding against her defenses.
Then—
CRACK!
The barrier shattered.
The flames landed on Lilith's body.
But they couldn't burn through her dragon scales.
Even so, the sheer force behind the attack was terrifying.
Lilith was sent flying backward.
She crashed straight into the academy.
SWOOOOSH!
Dust and debris exploded into the air as Lilith's massive dragon body smashed through the academy walls.
The whole academy rubbed off from the ground, There was no academy no now, It was just flat space.
Her head scraped against the ground, dragging along the ruins.
Finally, after tearing through the earth, her body came to a stop.
Lilith groaned.
Her head ached.
Shaking off the dizziness, she opened her eyes.
And then—
She saw someone standing in front of her.
A girl.
She had pure white hair, a delicate, innocent face, and…
A very seductive body.
Her chest was especially large—too large for the modest nun outfit she was wearing.
Lilith blinked.
Then she recognized her.
"Calista!"
The girl turned toward her with wide eyes.
"Oh! Vice Principal, it's you! I was really scared!"
But Lilith had no time for small talk.
She immediately sat up.
"Do you remember what I told you to do?" she asked urgently.
Calista nodded.
"Then do it," Lilith ordered. "This is your best chance! Don't hesitate to use your secret. I'll take full responsibility!"
She spread her wings wide.
"Now go! Hurry!"
Calista didn't argue.
"Okay!"
She turned and ran.
The battlefield was complete chaos.
Monsters and demons roamed everywhere, tearing through the academy grounds.
But Calista moved like a shadow.
Despite her long nun's robe, she was agile, slipping between the creatures like a fish in water.
Minutes passed as she ran, her heartbeat racing in her chest.
Then—
She stopped.
Right in front of her—
A massive wolf stood tall, its piercing yellow eyes glowing like lanterns in the dark.
It was more than seven feet tall, its black fur crackling with energy.
From its forehead, a long, sharp horn gleamed like polished steel.
Sparks of lightning flickered along its length.
A single glance told her what it was.
A Rank B Monster.
The Lightning Charm Wolf.
Calista's face turned pale.
Her breath hitched in her throat.
Only two words escaped her lips.
"Oh… shit…"
-----------
Lilith was locked in a massive battle against Vaelthara and another dragon.
All three of them were in their dragon forms, their enormous bodies soaring through the stormy sky.
They clashed fiercely—biting, scratching, and tearing at each other with their razor-sharp claws.
The red dragon, Vaelthara, roared and slashed her claws deep into Lilith's side.
But Lilith didn't flinch.
Instead, she opened her jaws wide and *chomped* down on Vaelthara's neck with terrifying force.
"ROAAARRR!" Vaelthara howled in pain.
At the same time, Lilith swung her long, powerful tail around—coiling it tightly around the other dragon's neck, choking it.
Even though Lilith was no longer in her prime like she was two hundred years ago, she was still stronger than both of them combined.
But then—
A voice called out from below.
"Ms. Lilith! Hold on for a few more minutes! I'll join you once I'm done with these scoundrels!"
It was none other than Principal Elara.
He was locked in battle against three high-ranking demons.
One against three.
But he was an S-rank fighter.
And even against those odds, he had the upper hand.
Lilith gave a quick nod, acknowledging his words.
But just then—
Vaelthara sucked in a deep breath, her chest expanding as flames crackled in her throat.
She was about to unleash a devastating fire beam!
Lilith's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, she let go of both dragons and shot backward into the air.
The sudden movement made Elara glance at the sky, momentarily distracted.
That was a mistake.
The three demons smirked.
They saw their chance.
"You damn elf! You dare take your eyes off us?!" one of them sneered.
"You'll regret this!" another hissed.
Without wasting time, all three demons shot high into the air, positioning themselves in a triangular formation.
Then—
They raised their hands.
Their lips moved in unison, chanting an ancient, forbidden spell.
A thick, dark energy gathered between them.
The sky trembled.
A massive vortex of black energy swirled into existence.
It grew bigger.
And bigger.
Until it was so large, it looked like it could swallow the entire battlefield.
The three demons grinned wickedly.
"Combination Killer Move—Dark Vortex!" they roared together.
Elara looked up from the ground, his sharp eyes widening at the terrifying sight.
For a moment, he was silent.
Then, only two words slipped from his lips.
"Oh… shit."
----------------
Lilith flew backward, her body trembling as she was forced out of her dragon form.
She landed on the ground, stumbling slightly before steadying herself.
Her breath was heavy, her chest rising and falling.
She gritted her teeth, frustration flashing in her golden eyes.
"It's getting harder to stay in my dragon form..." she muttered under her breath.
She wasn't as strong as she had been two hundred years ago.
Back then, she could fight endlessly in her dragon form.
But now...
Her human body was more stable, easier to control.
Yet, despite her weakened state—
A smirk crept onto her lips.
"Of course, I'll still win this."
She lifted her head, her eyes gleaming with confidence.
"I can hear their thoughts... every single word they're sending to each other."
At that moment, a voice echoed in her mind—
[Now's the time. I'll create a smoke field to blind her. Veldia will fly high and attack from above while I act as bait in the front.]
Lilith's smirk deepened.
"So that's their plan?"
Vaelthara was preparing to be the decoy while Veldia—most likely the other dragon—would strike from above.
She had read them like an open book.
And just as she expected—
BOOM!
Thick smoke exploded into the air, covering the battlefield in a dense fog.
It wasn't just any smoke.
It was the Famous "Lost Direction Smoke"—a rare technique that distorted both sight and sense of direction.
To anyone caught in it, the world would spin, making it impossible to tell left from right, up from down.
But Lilith—
She only grinned.
"I know exactly where you are!"
She tilted her head back, opening her mouth wide.
A brilliant white light began forming in front of her throat—
A devastating beam ready to pierce through the sky and strike Veldia before she could attack.
But then—
Swishhhhh.....
A sharp pain exploded in her chest.
Lilith's body stiffened.
Her eyes widened in shock.
She gasped—
Blood spilling from her mouth as she coughed out blood.
The glowing beam in her mouth vanished instantly.
Slowly, with trembling hands, she looked down.
A massive sword had pierced straight through her chest—from behind.
She turned her head, struggling to see.
And there, standing with a cruel grin—
Was a dark-skinned girl with twin-tails.
Her crimson eyes burned with amusement.
She looked young, almost like a teenager.
But Lilith knew—
This was no ordinary girl.
It was Veldia.
The second red dragon.
In human form.
"You relied too much on reading our thoughts," Veldia whispered mockingly.
Lilith's heart pounded.
Her vision blurred.
Realization hit her like a hammer.
"They trapped me..."
She had walked right into their trap.
She gritted her teeth, barely able to form words.
"Oh… shit."
[Author's Note]
Yes, This was one of the two reasons that i made esdeath regain control, Because Fable will never run away towards barrier to try that if they can get out, It was a foolish decision but by this I wanted to expose that Maruti actually have an divine rank Essence stone....
And this was also the reason why both esdeath and Maruti were so comedic during the side arc of vanara tribe and all that shit, Many people were even saying that why the vibe of fable changed?
Well this was the reason, He/she was actually influenced.... Damn I really took a long time to introduce it, Many might have left the book thinking it's bad character writing 😅
Also I'm restarting Demonic angel again, So if someone was waiting that you can continue...