"WONG, who told you to attack the Royal Palace?"

Wong glared at Kelsi but he couldn't really get mad at her.

After all, he knew he was at 100% fault for the injuries that he received. So instead of complaining, he just remained silent while sitting in the center of the flaming cube that she created to heal him.

Just like what its name suggested, it was a transparent cube engulfed with Kelsi's flame. An ordinary person would literally get toasted inside the cube. But for a Keeper like him, Kelsi's flame actually refilled the amount of Mana that he lost when he created a giant mass of flame a while ago.

"You better have gotten something useful from your useless attack," Kelsi, who sat on the sofa of the Nystrom Mansion's tea room, said. Then, she sipped her tea before she continued. "Have you confirmed that Kyro's body is hidden in the Royal Palace?"

"I don't have a solid proof but I have a reason to believe so," he said. "Yumi, the White Snake, came out and attacked me."

She raised a brow at that. "The White Snake has escaped from the Supreme's curse?"

"No. Kyro cut the White Snake's link to the Black Serpent as his spirit guardian," he explained. "Then, he found a new host for Yumi."

"A new host?" she asked in disbelief. "Yumi is a minor god. An ordinary human, even if they turn out to be excellent Mana-user, can't contain her soul."

"That's the strange thing I discovered, Kelsi," he said seriously. "The White Snake's new host is a witch with pink eyes just like Lady Luna. She called herself 'Stella.' And if I remember it correctly…"

"That's the name of Lady Luna's sister in this lifetime," she said, cutting him off. "I remember because back in Solarium, Lady Luna and I used to talk a lot about her personal life." She bit her lower lip, and she does that whenever she was nervous. "She's supposed to be dead."

"She's alive and she's real," he confirmed. "She's not a puppet. It doesn't seem like she's being controlled, too. But since she's sharing her body with Yumi now, it's inevitable that her consciousness could be snatched by the White Snake from time to time."

"That's how it will be if you don't assert your dominance over a spirit guardian," she said. "But the fact that Stella is able to contain the soul of a minor god is already a huge feat. I guess the witches from the Colorless Covern are really special."

"No, that's not the only reason why she was able to contain Yumi's soul."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I felt the aura of a Moonchester coming from her, Kelsi."

Like he expected, she let out a loud gasp. "Impossible," she said. "Only Aku and Nia are the remaining Moonchesters of this era."

"Aku Moonchester has had three lifetimes just like the Supreme. Obviously, the third one is the Aku Moonchester of this era," he explained. "His first life was when he was turned into a human, the one where the Supreme and the Black Serpent saved him. And the second one…"

"The second one was when he lived as King Auro," Kelsi said, cutting him off again. "Back then, he became the Black Serpent's younger brother."

"They weren't the only children of the royal family back then, Kelsi."

She fell silent, then she gasped. Again. "Ah. Before Auro died back then, it was revealed that he killed his real sister to bring Nia to the royal family. Are you thinking that…"

"Stella might be Elaine Moonchester's reincarnation," he said, cutting her off this time. "The Moonchesters special ability is linked to their souls. If Aku Moonchester was able to choose when to be reincarnated in what kind of body, it's not impossible for Elaine Moonchester to have the same ability."

"But if that's the case, why did she reveal herself as a Moonchester now?" Kelsi asked, confused. "She could have done that earlier."

"There could be a slight difference between the ability of Aku and Elaine Moonchester," he said. "Since Aku Moonchester was blessed by the stupid Sky God, he has the privilege of remembering her past life, save for the part where the Supreme put a spell that would make Aku and Nia Moonchester forget her face until she retrieves her memories."

"Oh, that's true."

"Since Elaine Moonchester isn't a god, her memories of her previous life must have been erased when she was reincarnated as Stella," he continued. "But since she's also a Moonchester, she must have an ability that allowed her to retrieve her memories. A trigger may have caused it, but I have no idea what it could be."

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Kelsi asked, now more serious than a while ago. "Even if we don't have solid proof, we have to let the Supreme now about what you discovered. But we have to be careful."

"I know. The nasty twins are on their way to the North," Wong said while nodding carefully. "Aku and Nia Moonchester may not be aware of the possible reincarnation of Elaine Moonchester– and we have to keep it that way."

***

"YOU'RE asking me if I was the one who killed you in the past?" Wixx asked Julian with a raised brow. "Do you really not remember how you died back then, my dear nephew?"

Julian flinched, then he bit his lower lip.

"The answer is yes and no," he said. "You understand what I mean, don't you?"

His oldest nephew didn't avert his gaze from him but he could tell that he already intimidated the poor child with just one question.

And that seemed to irritate his youngest nephew.

"Uncle Wixx, what's your problem?" Winter asked coldly, then he stood protectively in front of his brother. "Why are you bullying my Brother Julian?"

He didn't like what he was seeing.

Although he was feeling sorry for Julian, he didn't want to take the risk of letting him stay longer with Winter.

The Holy Scepter is inside Julian and it's the only thing that could kill the Moon Serpent.

Seeing Winter protect Julian, the weapon that could kill him, was ridiculous. Even though there was a way to pull out the Holy Scepter from his oldest nephew, keeping him was still risky.

"Grandpa, my father told me how protective you are when it comes to the Supreme. He used to say it in a way that makes me think if I'm supposed to admire you for that," Solenn said, then she stood beside Winter as if she intended to protect Julian from him as well. "Although being protective of your little sister is a good thing, being overprotective is not– it's actually toxic. The Supreme isn't a child, and you don't have the right to meddle with her family's business."

"I won't kill Julian," he told the kids. "Why are you treating me like a villain?"

"Because you're acting like a bad uncle," Winter said firmly. "Even if you don't want to accept Brother Julian as your nephew, then at least give him the basic respect that he deserves."

Solenn nodded in agreement. "Grandpa, please don't be mean to Julian."

He smirked at how these children were treating him. "I'm not being "mean" because of my personal feelings," he said slowly, his Mana increasing with each word that he had to emphasize. "I make decisions as a god and not as a brother, a grandfather, or an uncle. Do you even know why gods are worshipped?"

The children flinched.

He didn't mean to but his oozing Mana seemed to have scared them. The kids, at that moment, remembered that he was a god.

"Gods are worshipped because of our destructive power," he reminded the children. "But of course, we could only use that power to protect the weak."

"As your fellow Beast God, I beg to differ."

He rolled his eyes when he heard the Black Serpent's voice behind him. When he turned around, he saw Tilly and Kiho who were both looking at him with cold eyes.

"Gods are worshipped because we made humans believe that we will protect them," Kiho said in a voice filled with disgust. "But in reality, most of the gods only care about their pleasure and displeasure. You should know, Winchell. You've ascended the heavens in the time."

"I know what you're talking about, Black Serpent," he said. "But have you forgotten why those gods chose us and turned us into Beast Gods?"

"I haven't," the Black Serpent said. "Our superiors made a huge mess and they want us to clean it up for them. And that mess is Aku Moonchester."

Of course, that would be the Black Serpent's interpretation of their major job as Beast Gods.

But he couldn't say that he was wrong, not in front of Tilly. After all, his precious little sister was one of the biggest "mistakes" of their "superiors."

Kiho didn't know that because he refused to ascend to the heavens back then.

The little tiger only played while we were in heaven so he probably has forgotten our main job. The only one aside from me who knows about Tilly as the gods' "mistake" is Elis Ripperton. But that Blue Dragon ended up being a traitor.

"Brother, I thought I already warned you to not touch my children?" Tilly asked him threateningly. "Are you trying to make me angry?"

"I didn't lay a finger on any of your children," Wixx denied firmly. Ever since he returned, he had done nothing but fight with his sister. He hated it, but he knew it was inevitable. "I know that there's no point in fighting among ourselves now. Plus…" He turned to the direction where he felt the enemies' arrival. "The ice puppets are here."

***

"MOTHER, I am sorry."

Tilly, who stood in the frontline with her immediate family, turned to Julian with a smile. "Why are you apologizing, son?"

"I was the one who acted hostile towards Lord Winchell first," Julian said in a voice filled with guilt. "It was my fault why he got agitated. I'll apologize to him later."

"If you believe you are at fault, then you may apologize to your uncle if you really want to," she said carefully. "But Julian, please remember that the tension a while ago wasn't your entire fault. Brother Wixx is a lot older than you, and he's a god for Pete's sake. He should have been more patient with you."

Julian just smiled, then he held her hand and squeezed it gently. "Thank you, Mother."

"I think I should apologize to Uncle Wixx as well," Winter, who stood on the other side of Julian, said. "I've been rude to uncle."

"Then, go with your brother later, little rascal," Kiho, who stood on the other side of Winter, said while ruffling their youngest child's hair. "I'm proud that the two of you know how to acknowledge your mistakes, and take accounability as well."

She nodded in agreement. "Very good, children."

Julian and Winter both smiled as if they were happy to be praised.

Gosh, they're so cute.

Her thoughts were cut-off when their guests finally arrived.

She and Kiho instinctively stood protectively in front of their children at the same time. In the corner of her eye, she saw her husband extend his hand to her. She quietly grabbed it.

Then, finally, she faced Garnet Nystrom.

His army of ice puppets stood behind him. Each of the ice puppet now wore a dark blue cloak with a hood. She recognized the material used to create those cloaks.

"Kiho, aren't those cloaks the same one that you used to wear as Kalel Nystrom?" she asked her husband. "It's the 'Anti-Soleil' cloak."

Kiho turned to her with a horrified look on his face. "Honey, I didn't make that cloak specifically to fight you."

She laughed softly. "I'm just kidding, hon. But it's true that the cloak is made of material that is fire resistant, isn't it?"

He nodded. "Since my dominant Mana is ice, my biggest weakness is fire. I created a cloth that will protect me from it."

"It looks like our dear descendants found out a way to mass produce it," she said, then she faced the North King. "You came prepared, Garnet Nystrom."

Garnet Nystrom had bluish and definitely cold skin just like his father had after being turned into an ice puppet. And just like his father, the North King also retained some of his prominent features when he was still alive.

Dark burgundy hair, deep blue eyes– almost the same hair and eye color that Julian had.

Brother Wixx, too.

"I know that you wouldn't hesitate to burn us alive, Supreme," Garnet Nystrom said. "I wouldn't let you melt my family with your flame easily."

"I'll admit that when I found out that you're the reason behind my father's death, I made a promise to myself that I will kill every single one of you," she confessed. "But when I discovered that the people of the North are actually our cursed descendants who were supposed to be long gone, I realized that killing you wouldn't be the right punishment."

"You say that but you already killed my son," the North King snarled at her. "Are you happy now that we're even?"

"Of course not," she said without missing a beat and confusing Garnet Nystrom. "My father didn't come back when Thaddeus Nystrom disappeared."

"We didn't kill your son," Kiho added in his usual cold tone. "We only helped Thaddeus Nystrom to pass on peacefully."

The North King looked confused for a moment, then he laughed like a lunatic. "Don't even try to deceive me," he snarled at them. "This clan will never find peace until the Red Phoenix is alive!"

"Is it the same for every single person in your clan?" she asked him carefully. "Or is it just you, their clan leader, forcing your beliefs down their throat?"

Their poor descendant didn't have a retort for that.

In fact, he looked surprised as if it was the first time that he considered that.

"Thaddeus Nystrom, despite having lived for so long, still acted like a child," she continued in a more understanding tone. "He didn't grow despite being "alive" as an ice puppet. Do you know what happened to him after Kiho gave him back his memories as a human?"

Garnet Nystrom looked surprised by what he heard. "You made my son remember the memories of his life as a human…?"

"Yes, and that's what I intend to do to all of you," she said firmly. "Garnet Nystrom, we'll give all of you two choices: first is to regret everything that you have done wrong, then pass on peacefully. Second, to continue being an ice puppet and stay as our enemies in the upcoming divine war."

The North King seemed to get angrier by then.

On the other hand, the ice puppets behind him started to talk to each other in hush whispers. But she could clearly tell that most of them were considering her offer.

"You were cursed by the Moonchesters so that you wouldn't be able to betray them," she said. "That's why the only way to save your souls is for you to pass on peacefully on your will. We will help you leave this world as humans instead of ice puppets."

The North King smirked bitterly. "We will only leave this world if the Red Phoenix joins us in hell."

Ah, she could feel Garnet Nystrom's hatred through her bones.

"It's not just the Red Phoenix," Kiho said, making the North King flinch for some reason. "The root of this all is me. If only I succeeded in killing Aku Moonchester, none of this would have happened."

"This is also my fault," she said. "I didn't know that my second child back then survived."

Their descendant looked confused, but it also seemed like he became angrier. "I don't need your apology!"

"But you deserve it. You and every single one of the clan that we failed to protect," Tilly said in a sad voice. Then, she let go of Kiho's hand and stepped aside to make way for their children. Winter and Julian stood between her and her husband. "Let's end the cycle of hate here, Garnet Nystrom."

"We will take responsibility by making sure that all of you will pass on as humans," Kiho promised in a gentle tone that he rarely used on other people. "Garnet Nystrom, please accept our family's apology."

Tilly, Kiho, Julian, and Winter then all kneeled down and bowed their heads.

***

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