"LOOK AT how beautiful your mother's flame is," Kiho said to his children as they watched Tilly melt the Winter in the whole village by simply summoning his wide, flaming black wings. The snow-covered ground melted in a span of a few minutes. "Her Black Flame is definitely special."

"It's warm," Winter, who was holding his right hand tight, commented. "I feel like I'd melt too because of Mommy's heat wave."

"I feel like I'd melt too even though my dominant Mana is fire," Julian said, his voice sounded as uneasy as he looked. "It's so hot."

Upon hearing his children's comments, he increased the layer of ice barrier that he created for them. The air inside the barrier turned cooler, making Winter and Julian let out a relieved sigh at the same time.

Luckily, his ice was strong enough to withstand Tilly's Black Flame. He just didn't know for how long though.

Tilly, I can feel your anger, Kiho thought to himself while watching his wife's back. The blood in the cloak that she wore was already dried. He was also also certain that her light wounds were already healed. And yet, he knew that the pain in Tilly's heart for losing her father again was still aching. If you have decided to end the clan that came from our bloodline, then I will follow you unquestioningly.

***

"YOU'RE still so freaking weak, little tiger," Wixx told Ainsworth whom he found resting on a tree branch like a panther that he wasn't. Since the battle for today was practically over, he sat beside his fellow Beast God and watch the scene unfolding before them. "It took you five years and yet, you weren't still able to defeat the undead army. But my precious little sister only needed five minutes."

But of course, if he aided Tilly, it would only take them fifteen seconds to melt all the snow and ice in the North.

Yes, the whole village was melting fast. That also meant that the ice puppets, or the undead army, were melting one by one. Thanks to the Supreme's flame, her followers and allies didn't need to fight anymore. They were now taking a rest while watching the ice puppets turn into water after they melted.

But the battle was far from over. After all, a huge number of ice puppets managed to retreat when the snow-covered land started to melt.

Luckily, I caught the ice prince.

He surrended Thaddeus Nystrom to Luna and their son Roarke when he went to find Tilly a while ago.

"I have always known that I'm the weakest Beast God out of the four of us," Ainsworth admitted with a frown. "I have long accepted that I'm just a replacement for Soleil…"

""Soleil?""

"Big Sister Soleil," he corrected himself begrudgingly. "If she didn't refuse to enter the heavens back then, I wouldn't have been considered to be a Beast God."

And that was the reason why Ainsworth kept challenging Soleil to petty duels in the past. The little tiger wanted to prove that he also deserved the spot, that he wasn't just a mere replacement. But in the end, he realized that Soleil was indeed special.

Thus, Ainsworth ended up being tamed by his precious sister.

"What did you do for the past five years?" he asked the little tiger. "You're still a Beast God, Ainsworth. And you're with Asher Forrester."

"I know that this will sound as an excuse but the spell in the North limited the use of our divine power," Ainsworth explained. "The unending winter in this place is actually a spell that seals any Mana-user's power. It won't be an exaggeration to say that all of our fighting force combined was reduced to half. Even the Fire Mages with us find it hard to melt several ice puppets."

"Is it a miracle that you survived for the past five years?"

"Shut up," he snarled at his mocking tone. "I used my ability to control the earth to move the village that we found whenever the undead army would find us. Asher Forrester discovered that the village is enclosed in an ancient magic that hides it from being discovered by the enemies. Thanks to my ability to move earth and the ancient magic that Asher Forrester reactivated, we were able to avoid the undead army every time we needed to." He paused, then he turned to him with a serious look on his face. "Are you going to say that we're cowards for hiding instead of facing the enemies head-on?"

"If you were fighting alone, I would," he said bluntly. "But I know that you were protecting the people that chose to serve Tilly. You made the right decision, little tiger." He ruffled his hair despite his complaint. "You've matured. Tilly will be proud of you."

His face turned red from embarrassment. "Tsk."

"We found Faline."

The Golden Tiger's eyes widened in surprise. "Where is she? Is she safe?"

"Of course, she's safe," he assured the little tiger. "We found your spirit guardian in the volcano where I hid myself for many years. She was with Drake and apparently, Aku Moonchester ordered them to find me."

He growled lowly. "I knew that he sent my spirit guardian away while I was asleep…"

"Faline is safe now," he said. "I asked her to guard Drake for the meantime in a safe place. I will bring you to her once the cold war here is over."

"Is it going to end soon?" Ainsworth asked in a worried voice. "Is the Supreme going to end her own clan?"

"That's what I think Tilly would do," Wixx said, then he looked ahead. Now that the snow and the ice trees had melted, he could safely say that the long winter in the North had finally ended. And now, the sun was shining brightly in that land again. "Most of all, she has no choice but to end the lives of her descendants that should have been gone a long time ago."

***

TILLY felt her knees buckle as soon as she was certain that she finally put an end to the long winter of the North.

Thankfully, Kiho stood behind her and "caught" her discreetly by allowing her to lean against his chest. But he didn't touch or assisted her in any other way. If he did, the people around them would realize that she couldn't stand on her own.

She knew that her husband was very worried about her. But as a fellow leader, Kiho knew that she couldn't afford to show her people her vulnerable side. Especially not when they were in a war.

"Greetings, Lady Nystrom."

Tilly immediately stood straight when Lord Forrester and Solenn appeared before her. They received their greetings, hoping that their other allies didn't notice her weakened state at the moment. "I'm glad to finally see you again, Lord Forrester," she said, knowing for a fact that he no longer claimed himself to be a saint. "You know that you have a lot of things that you have to explain to me, don't you?"

Lord Forrester bowed to her. "I will escort you to our humble home, Lady Nystrom."

"Don't worry, Supreme," Solenn assured her with a smile and a thumbs up. "I taught the ex-saint a lesson that he wouldn't forget. He won't dare to keep things from you this time."

Tilly laughed softly at what Solenn said. "Thank you for a job magnificently done, Princess Solenn," she praised the little princess that made her smile wider. After smiling back at Solenn, she seriously turned to Lord Forrester. "Now, let's also summon my Brother Wixx for a meeting that we should have had a long time ago."

***

"WHY ARE you here, little brat princess?" Winter complained at Solenn. "I want to talk to my brother alone."

Right now, he, Julian, and Solenn were sitting in front of the fireplace in the biggest house in the village. It was the same house that received them a while ago. Since the "adults" were talking upstairs, they were left in the living room while being guarded by several knights led by the one called Lord Denver.

The captain was respectful enough to give them privacy. He and his men were out of ear-shot, but close enough to get to them if they needed to.

Anyway, it was still cold in the North even though the cruel winter had already ended.

"I want to be involved in this conversation," Solenn, seated between he and Julian, insisted. Then, she blew the top of the mug of her hot chocolate. "Most of all, I think I have more information than the two of you. Remember, I was here earlier. I already heard what the saint is currently reporting to the Supreme."

Winter couldn't refute that so he just clicked his tongue at her.

"Uhm, Princess Solenn…" Julian said in a shy voice.

Winter laughed at how his brother called Solenn. "Brother Julian, you can just casually call her name. It's not like she's a real princess or something– ouch!"

The little brat princess had the audacity to elbow him in the ribs!

"Being called 'princess' by a gentleman like Julian sounds nice," Solenn said, then she turned to his brother with a smile. "Carry on, Julian. Oh, can I call you by your first name?"

"Of course, Princess Solenn," Julian said with a shy smile, then he continued with what he was about to say a while ago. "Uhm, may I know if they have personally met the North King in the past five years?"

"Unfortunately, not yet," Solenn said while shaking her head. "But apparently, the North King built an ice palace where he's keeping the real body of the Moon God Kyro."

***

"WHAT DID you say, Brother?" Tilly asked in disbelief after she heard what Wixx just said. It wasn't only her. Even Kiho, Luna, Ainsworth, and Asher Forrester looked shocked. "I dare you to repeat it."

"Julian has been poisoned by the White Snake along with the whole clan that he founded," Wixx said in a cold voice. "For that reason, we have to kill him even in this lifetime–"

"Winchell!" Kiho snarled angrily, his burst of bloodlust freezing the floor and the walls of the entire room with ice. "How dare you say that?"

"We have to do it, Black Serpent," Wixx snarled at her husband. "The Holy Scepter has merged with Julian and once Aku Moonchester discovers it, he will use the second child to kill the Moon Serpent!"

Tilly had heard enough. This time, her mind, heart, and body couldn't take it any longer. Just when she thought she was going to lose herself in anger, everything suddenly went blank.

"Tilly!"

***

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