Mommy Villainess

That was Julian's first thought when he finally regained consciousness.     

He couldn't count how many times he had passed out from pain while Saint Forrester was putting his new heart in his chest.     

"Julian, baby, how are you feeling?"     

[Mother…?]     

Julian was pleasantly surprised.     

Of course, he vaguely remembered his mother telling Winter and their father to go ahead. But since he was in too much pain back then, he thought he was just having a nice dream.     

But he wasn't dreaming.     

"Mother," Julian said, smiling weakly at his mother. "You stayed for me?"     

"Of course, baby," his mother said while wiping the beads of sweat on his forehead. "Your father and brother would have stayed as well if they didn't have an arrogant god to kill."     

Julian's smile grew wider.     

[It's warm… my family's love for me is warm…]     

"How are you feeling, Julian?" his mother asked worriedly. "Does it still hurt?"     

Julian shook his head. "I can barely feel the pain, Mother. But my body feels heavy. I can't move the way I want to…"     

His mother turned to the saint who was currently drinking a potion.     

[It's probably for replenishing his Mana or divine power.]     

"Don't worry, Supreme. It's only normal for Lord Julian to feel weak," Saint Forrester assured his mother. "To be honest, it's already a miracle that the young lord woke up after an hour. It's probably thanks to his divine blood."     

Julian's heart sank after hearing that. "One hour had already passed? How about Father and Winter…"     

"They'll be fine, Julian," his mother said firmly. "We have to put our faith in them."     

To be honest, he was still worried.     

But he decided to trust his mother.     

[Yes, Father and Winter will be fine.]     

"Solenn, please look after Julian in the meantime."     

"Of course, Lady Soleil."     

Julian knitted his eyebrows when his mother asked Solenn to take care of him. "Mother, where are you going?"     

"I'll be back, son," his mother said, smiling. "We'll just get rid of the Abyss using the Holy Scepter."     

Ah, right.     

That was the main reason Julian had to suffer and lose his heart. He didn't mind that since he knew what he had to do for his family.     

But now, he was nervous.     

[We don't know how it would affect Mother once the Abyss is removed from the Plane…]     

He was worried, but he also knew he couldn't stop his mother who had already made up her mind.     

"Be careful, Mother," Julian said worriedly. "Please return quickly."     

His mother smiled and nodded, then she kissed his forehead. "I'll be back, Julian."     

***     

TILLY followed Serafina, the deity of the Plane, cautiously.     

Right now, they were walking on an aisle that seemed endless.     

Of course, she brought Saint Forrester with her since the saint was still the owner of the Holy Scepter.     

[Speaking of which…]     

"Your Holiness, is it really alright to use the Holy Scepter for this cause?" Tilly asked again. "I know I already sound like a broken record, but I need to make sure that you weren't being forced to do this. I, of all people, should know how much you've treasured the Holy Scepter. Moreover, you've been looking for it all this time."     

Saint Forrester fell silent for a moment before he spoke. "I've always wondered why my father gifted the Holy Scepter to me when he knew I hated being the saint. But I believe this is the reason. I have a feeling that Father knew from the very beginning that the Holy Scepter would end up stopping the Plane from going awry."     

"But are you ready to let go of it now?"     

"Of course," the saint said, shaking the Holy Scepter in his hand. "This Holy Scepter is nothing but the shell of my friend."     

By "friend," the saint was talking about the consciousness of the Holy Scepter.     

And that consciousness had already become Julian's Spirit Guardian.     

"My friend has become Lord Julian's Spirit Guardian now, but his form isn't important to me," Saint Forrester said. "As long as I can talk to him again, I'll be fine."     

"Aww… I didn't know you were that close to the Holy Scepter, Your Holiness."     

"The world where gods live is much sadder and depressing than you think, Supreme."     

Well, she wouldn't know.     

After all, she never ascended to the heavens as a god.     

[And it seems like I made the right choice.]     

<"Lady Supreme, Saint Forrester, we're here,"> Serafina said, her spirit stopping in front of a huge door. <"Please don't be startled. It may look like the floor would swallow up, but it's nothing but the Abyss' reflection.">     

Tilly was curious about what Serafina meant by that.     

But her curiosity was satiated as soon as the deity opened the door.     

"Oh, it's actually pretty," Saint Forrester said while looking at the floor. "It looks like black marble."     

Tilly had to agree with the saint, then her curiosity got the better of her.     

She abruptly entered the room, half-expecting to experience a free fall since the floor was totally black. It wouldn't be a surprise if she ended up falling from it. But that didn't happen.     

"So, is this the Abyss?" Tilly asked, staring at the black floor. "What should we do now?"     

<"All the souls of your loved ones who departed the human world would get absorbed by this place, Lady Supreme. To answer your question, yes. This is the Abyss that gets in the way of the Plane,"> Serafina explained, her voice sounding bitter. <"Please use the Holy Scepter to absorb the Abyss and removed it from the Plane.">     

That was easier said than done.     

However, the saint suddenly stepped up.     

"My instinct is telling me what to do," Saint Forrester said, and then he unceremoniously stabbed the end of the Holy Scepter's staff into the floor. "The Abyss is begging to be purified by my divine power."     

Huh?     

Tilly was confused, then she noticed the sudden change on the floor.     

The black floor suddenly turned into a puddle filled with black water, forming ripples on the spot where the Holy Scepter was stabbed into.     

Then the ground shook hard as the "black water" suddenly grew big.     

It was as if a tsunami was about to happen.     

But Tilly didn't have the time to worry about that.     

COUGH.     

The sound of Tilly coughing up blood filled the room.     

Ah, no.     

It wasn't blood.     

"Lady Tilly!" Saint Forrester yelled her name worriedly. "What's happening to you?!"     

[That's what I want to know, too.]     

After all, Tilly began coughing up her Black Flame.     

***     

"ARGH!"     

Aku was forced to drop Winter when the child's skin suddenly turned hot.     

Burning hot, to be precise.     

[But the child looks out of it…]     

Winter was clearly spacing out, but his small body was starting to change.     

For once, the child's skin was quickly getting covered in silver scales.     

[Is he going to transform into a snake again?]     

Aku wanted to laugh, but he had a feeling that Winter's transformation this time would be different.     

Run.     

That was what his instinct was telling him.     

"You can't run, "Uncle" Aku," Winter said, his eyes glowing menacingly. And when he laughed, his forked tongue came out. "You have to become the moon for me."     

***     

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