Chapter 178 - Blood Moon (1/2)
”YOU ALWAYS sprout the most random things in the most inappropriate time,” Tilly scolded Kalel while smiling faintly. ”We'll do more once we killed Aku so don't you dare sacrifice your life like this, you fool.”
Kalel's face turned red. ”More…?”
”More,” she promised. Then, she cupped his face between her hands. ”You can't die yet, Lord Kalel. Our son has already been born in this lifetime.”
He looked pleasantly surprised to hear that. ”Really?”
”Don't you have your memories as Kiho?”
”My memories are still hazy,” he confessed. ”My mother forcefully awakened me.”
She let out a frustrated sigh. ”I should have roasted that old wench…” She bit her lower lip when she realized she was being rude to her mother-in-law. ”Sorry.”
”It's okay,” he said. ”I understand.”
She didn't want to talk about the White Snake so she changed the topic.
”Our son is already here so we can't die yet,” she told him. ”So please don't sacrifice your life, Lord Kalel. There has to be a way to kill Aku Moonchester without you dying.”
”What if there's none…?”
”Then, I'll make a way to kill him while keeping you alive,” she said determinedly. ”I won't let them steal you away from me again.”
”This is why they call you a fool, Soleil,” he said with a heartbroken look on his face. ”I don't deserve you.”
”Yes, you don't,” she said with a sad smile. ”That's why you need to spend your lifetime proving to me that I didn't make the wrong choice by choosing you.” She pinched his cheeks gently. ”And that's my punishment for you, Lord Kalel. So you have to live, okay?”
His red eyes turned gold as he nodded.
To be honest, she liked his gold eyes better. They only became red because he was reborn as a Moonchester. But whenever he would use his power as Kalel, his eyes would turn gold again.
I hope his eyes stay gold forever.
Her thoughts were cut-off when the sword was suddenly pulled out from their bodies.
It hurt like hell, but they didn't have the time to dwell on the pain.
Fortunately, both she and Kalel had fast regeneration for wounds that weren't that deep. As long as their vital organs weren't hit, they would heal. That was how hard it was to kill them, and so it was for Aku Moonchester.
As soon as the sword impaling them was gone, she and Kalel literally turned their backs on each other.
She kicked Aku Moonchester in the face hard enough to send him flying.
Even without turning around to look, she knew that Kalel was dealing with Elis who attacked him as soon as the sword was pulled out.
”Lord Kalel,” she said while summoning her flame. She didn't want to take her eyes off of Aku Moonchester so she didn't turn to her husband even though she wanted to. Instead, she just believed in her heart that they would have all the time in the world to spend together later. ”Don't die on me.”
”I won't– not after your sweet promise,” Kalel promised, making her giggle like a lovesick fool that she was. ”Let's figure it out together this time, Soleil.”
”This time,” Soleil whispered to herself with a smile. ”We really learned a lot of good stuff in this lifetime as Tilly and Kiho.”
***
AINSWORTH was shocked when he finally caught up with the Black Serpent Knights.
Shit, what happened?
Most of the knights looked like they just woke up with a terrible headache.
He didn't know what exactly happened but he can guess based on the awful smell in the air. And he could still feel the trace of a strong Mana released around the area.
The smell of Moonflowers and the remains of the Mana unique to Aku's sister…
He growled lowly.
That kid emperor is still as cunning as ever.
His thoughts were cut-off when he heard a loud cry from a child. He turned around to see a knight comforting a young boy. And then, he noticed that the knight wore the badge of a captain.
”You,” Ainsworth said to the captain when he reached them. Much to his surprise, the captain and the knights around him drew their sword and pointed their weapons at him. He didn't want to start a fight so he raised his arms in surrender. ”I'm here under the Supreme's order.”
”Supreme?” the captain asked with furrowed brows. ”Who's that?”
Instead of explaining, he just put a hand on top of the captain's head.
Before the knights could even move to attack him because of his sudden movement, he growled loud enough to knock everyone out. The only people who remained awake and standing were the captain and the child hugging the captain's leg.
The knights need to sleep anyway to completely get rid of the Moonflowers' effect.
Anyway, the captain looked like he was in a daze right now. And that was because she was showing him the memories of when the Supreme gave him the order to support the squad.
Well, I just revealed the Supreme's identity but if the squad is an ally, then it's alright.
”You,” he said to the young boy who stopped crying. He liked that he didn't look afraid of him. There was fire in his eyes, and Mana warm enough to tell him that the child was a Fire Mage. ”Why are you crying?”
The young boy let go of the captain's leg before he spoke. ”When I came back to my senses, my younger brother was already gone.”
The princess kept the knights alive and only took a child with her?
That only meant that the child must be special.
”Sir, you're an ally, aren't you?” the young boy asked.
He raised a brow at him. ”And how did you know that?”
”Because I know who the Supreme is,” the child answered. ”If she sent you here to help us, then it means she trusts you.”
Hearing from a Fire Mage that the Supreme trusted him made him feel so proud of himself. ”That's right,” he confirmed with a grin. ”The Supreme trusts me.”
”Then, can you help me?” the young boy pleaded. ”I need to find my brother.”
His smile disappeared when he heard that. ”I can't do that,” he said while shaking his head. ”We need to get away from here, boy.”
”But my brother–”
”The princess took your brother,” he said even though he didn't see it himself. But he had to say something to shut the boy. ”I can fight the princess, but that wasn't the Supreme's order. My top priority is to bring everyone to the North.”
The child looked confused. ”But why would the princess take my brother?”
”Who knows what goes in a lunatic's mind?” he said with a shrug. ”Anyway, I'm pretty sure that your brother is still alive. If the princess took him instead of killing him, that means she needs your brother.”
”I don't care. I still need to find my brother,” the child insisted. ”If I have to do it alone, I will.”
”The Supreme told me to bring everyone to the North,” he snarled to intimidate the child. ”Since I arrived when your brother isn't here anymore, I won't add him to the lives I need to protect.” He pointed a finger at the feisty young Fire Mage. ”However, you're here when I arrived so you're not going anywhere.”
The young Fire Mage just smirked at him. Then, he ran away.
He laughed at his cute attempt at escaping him.
That's right– a Fire Mage should be as feisty as the Supreme!
However, he couldn't allow the boy to chaste after the princess. If he did, the young Fire Mage would only die. The Supreme would be more disappointed in him if that happened.
”I'm sorry, young Fire Mage,” Ainsworth said when he caught the resisting child. Of course, no one could outrun him on land. When the Fire Mage tried to heat up his body in an attempt to burn him, he growled loud enough to put out his fire. Then, he covered the child's eyes with his hand. ”I have to bring you all safely to the North.”
***
TILLY breathed fire at Aku Moonchester causing his whole body to be engulfed in red flame as he dropped to the ground.
His agonizing scream was music to her ears.
To stop the dumb emperor from rolling to the ground as if doing so would put out her fire, she stepped on his bleeding chest.
He glared at her.
She just smirked while looking down at him.
To be honest, she wasn't satisfied yet. Her flame wasn't strong enough to inflict much damage in his body. Yes, he was writhing in pain because of the heat. Still, her flame couldn't burn his skin as much as she wanted to.
His Divine Protection is still strong.