TO SAY that Alec Forrester was shocked after Kalel Moonchester, the Black Serpent, froze the entire Redsun Desert. The Crades had also turned into giant ice sculptures. And even if the climate in that area was very hot, his ice didn't look like they would melt any soon.

It required a very high amount of Mana to accomplish such task.

After all, the Crades in the Redsun Desert were the strongest kind. But when faced against a Beast God like the Black Serpent, they looked nothing like the fearsome creatures that they should be. For Kalel Moonchester, they were just insects that he could easily step on.

And the most amazing thing was the fact that the Black Serpent didn't even break a sweat despite using a huge amount of Mana.

"You're amazing, Lord Black Serpent," Alec told him. "Even though you chose to be reborn as human, discarding your divine body in the process, your Mana and divine powers still remain very strong."

"It's not as strong as it used to be," Kalel said while looking straight at Mount Sola. Even though it was a few feet away from them, he could tell that the Black Serpent could see the shrine where Soleil Rosenberg went to. After all, the Black Serpent had a sharp sight. Ah, to be precise, all his senses were sharper than normal people. "These Crades are just weak."

He laughed softly at that remark. "Of course, my lord. Any enemy, no matter how strong they are, will look weak in front of you."

"No," the Black Serpent said, then he turned to him. "These aren't the usual Crades that lurk around in this area. This is supposed to be their lair. But it seems like the stronger ones aren't here for some reason."

He was surprised to hear that.

Of course, he didn't doubt the Black Serpent's words. Even before he was reborn as a human, he had already faced the ancient Crades back when he was still Nystrom. That meant Kalel Moonchester knew what he was talking about.

"Then, maybe they were already eliminated by someone else," Alec said hesitantly. Admittedly, he didn't know much about the Crades because it wasn't a part of his job to deal with them. "Although I'm not sure if there are people like you that can easily eliminate them. I heard that even your brother, the second prince, has a hard time fighting them off."

"Auro isn't weak."

Ah, the Black Serpent looked offended. It seemed like the rumor about the first prince being overprotective of the second price was true, huh?

"I apologize if I sounded like I'm saying that Prince Auro is weak," he said with an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to offend you, Lord Black Serpent."

"You can just call me by my current name," Kalel said. "The way you call me is too mouthful."

He smiled and nodded. "I understand, Lord Kalel."

Thankfully, the Black Serpent looked satisfied now.

"I've seen some shedded skin around," Kalel said seriously, then he turned to Mount Sola again. "I have a feeling that the stronger Crades have already evolved and thus, this lair has become to small for them."

"'Evolved?'" Alec asked, then he gulped nervously. "Then, does it mean the ancient Crades have become stronger?"

***

"I AM here, Lady Soleil."

Soleil turned to her spirit guardian and smiled.

Lucina Morganna held the Core of her real power, the Black Flame. Although she was a spirit guardian, she looked like human. She had dark brown hair and eyes, and wore a maroon cloak that had the symbol of the Red Phoenix.

After all, the Beast God that the Fire Mage clan worshipped was her very own brother.

"It's been a while since I've summoned you," Soleil said to Lucina with a cheerful smile. "How have you been, Lucina? I missed you."

"I'm always with you, Lady Soleil," Lucina said in her usual indifferent tone. "How can I serve you today?"

"I need the Black Flame."

"No can do, my lady," the spirit guardian said bluntly. "Master Winchell asked me before to never let you use the Black Flame."

She groaned as a playful complaint. "Lucina, I'm your master and not my brother."

"But as your spirit guardian, it's my duty to protect you," Lucina explained patiently as if she was talking to a child. "Using the Black Flame weakens your body, my lady. You haven't tamed it yet so it attacks you each time you try to borrow its power."

"I can't tame it because you and my brother won't let me use it," she complained while shaking her head. In normal circumstances, she would have given up on using the Black Flame because she knew how stubborn Lucina could get. But not this time. "Lucina, I'm serious."

The spirit guardian flinched when she probably realized that she was really dead serious.

"Lucina Morganna, come," Soleil said in a serious tone, then she extended her hand to her spirit guardian. "Become my wings."

Lucina let out a deep sigh, then she smiled faintly at her before she took her hand.

As soon as she did, the spirit guardian became a lump of red flame that spread to her body like, well, wildfire. Then, the heat from her flame gathered on her back. When she moved her shoulders, she felt her wings sprout from her shoulder blades.

The flicker of flame around her had turned black now.

But she didn't need to see it to know that her flame had changed. After all, the fact that she was coughing blood now was enough proof that she had successfully summoned the Black Flame. And it wasn't happy to be summoned by her.

"Just lend me your power for a few minutes. Don't be stubborn," Soleil told the Black Flame in her in a playful voice. Then, she pressed her hands on the giant steel gate in front of her. "Melt this for me if you want to return to the Abyss, Black Flame."

She heard a sizzling sound from under the palm of her hands.

Then, it was followed by a loud bang when she released a huge amount of Black Flame from her hands. After that, she took a step away from the giant gate and watch it get melted by her flame. The heat coming from her own flame was enough to make her skin feel burned.

Yes, a Fire Mage like her felt like she was being roasted by her own flame.

I'm a disgrace to our clan, she said while clenching her hands tight. They celebrate me as the greatest Fire Mage in our history but look at me now. I can't even control the Black Flame. Even my brother felt like it was necessary for him to give me half of his Red Flame.

Her thoughts were cut-off when the gate finally melted.

It only took the Black Flame a few minutes to melt it down. The Black Flame didn't get put out even after burning the gate down. She didn't have the time to wait for it to cool down so entered the room.

Thankfully, the strong barrier that she felt coming from inside the room a while ago disappeared as soon as she stepped in.

The shrine has probably recognized me as the Beast Priestess because of the Black Flame.

And now, she stood in front of the three gigantic stone statues of the Red Phoenix, the Blue Dragon, and the little tiger.

Uh, the Golden Tiger, I mean.

She could feel the three Beast Gods' divine power coming from each statute, so they must had been sealed away in there.

Who could have done this to them?

She set that thought aside first to do her job. After all, she was sent there by their new Sun Priestess to free the Beast Gods that would apparently help her defeat the upcoming catastrophe that would hit the continent soon.

But they had no clue what kind of catastrophe do they had to prepare for.

The gods can't even tell us the whole prophecy and yet, they always ask us to save the world instead of coming here themselves to protect us.

"Tsk," she said. Clicking her tongue was unbecoming of someone her position. But thinking about how the gods had been ordering her around since her previous life never failed to piss her off. "They can't even give me a good reward," she complained, then she raised her hands while her palms faced the direction of the three stone statues in front of her. "Burn."

This time, the flaming black feathers of her wings began to throw themselves at the stone statues. As soon as a flaming feather hit the statue, it would melt the part that it hit. The process continued until the three gigantic statues began to melt.

Unfortunately, it seemed like she had reached her limit because she got into a fit of cough once again.

Bloody cough, if she may say so.

She clutched her stomach tight while her other hand was wiping the blood off her mouth. Black Flame, why do you hate me so much?

"My foolish little sister," Winchell, whose voice was coming from the statue of the Red Phoenix, said in a mocking tone. He always used that tone on her whenever he would scold her. "How many times have I told you that you can't use the Black Flame?"

She tried to stand straight despite her buckling knees because she didn't want to appear weak in front of her arrogant older brother.

"Hey, Soleil, have you gone weak?" the little tiger, whose voice was coming from the statue of the Golden Tiger, asked in an annoying voice. "I bet I can beat you now if we fight one-on-one this time."

As if.

"Soleil, I'm glad that your beauty remains the same."

To say that she was surprised when Elis Ripperton, the Blue Dragon, appeared in front of her. He was in his human form, and he still looked the same as she remembered before he ascended the heavens.

Elis was still beautiful, but she still hated how he never respected her personal space.

And I hate myself for not feeling his presence until he spoke.

Soleil was about to tell Elis off, but all of a sudden, her strength left her. She felt her flaming black wings vanish the moment she found herself falling on the ground. But instead of the cold and hard floor, she found herself leaning against a cold and solid body. She smiled because she already knew who caught her. "Lord Kalel," she said when she turned to look at him. "Thank you for catching me."

"Rest," Kalel said, then he gently covered her eyes with one hand. "Don't look at the ugly people in front of you."

***

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