Chapter 353: Final Goodbye

[WINTER...]

Tilly was worried about her son.

Before she and Kiho fought Nia and the Crades, they secretly sent Winter to safety with the help of the snakes lurking around them.

She was a Fire Mage, hence she could tell that those snakes weren’t ordinary snakes.

Her theory was confirmed to be true when she saw the snakes carry her son using magic.

["They’ll bring and hide Winter in the cave. The cave is protected with magic, so the snakes can defend our son even if a few Crades happen to find them. But it’s unlikely to happen, so don’t worry too much."]

That was what Kiho said to her.

But a variable changed everything.

[Elis Ripperton, you bastard!]

She was pretty sure that the strong burst of power that she felt earlier belonged to the Blue Dragon.

[I hope Kiho brings that bastard to me alive.]

Because she wanted to kill Elis Ripperton with her own two hands.

"Soleil Rosenberg!"

Tilly looked up at Nia Moonchester who couldn’t get out of the huge hand made of Black Flame grabbing the dethroned princess by the waist.

[Ah, why am I looking up at this wench?]

Tilly raised her hand, then she dropped it as if telling the Black Flame to come down.

Of course, her flame listened to her.

The Black Flame purposely dropped Nia to the ground before grabbing the dethroned princess again.

Nia Moonchester’s agonizing scream was heard, but no one cared.

Now, the dethroned princess was in front of Tilly while her face was covered in blood.

[At least, Nia’s physical strength remained. If she was an ordinary person, she would have died already. It’s probably because of her origin as a lesser spirit.]

But that was the end of the dethroned princess’ ability.

Aside from the fact that Nia Moonchester already lost her abilities, there was no way a mere spirit like her could break free from the Black Flame. And yes, the dethroned princess returned to what she was after her ties with Aku Moonchester had been cut off for real.

[The fake daughter of the Spirit that guards the Great Fire Tree...]

That was what ’Nia’ truly was.

[She was born a Moonchester in this lifetime, but her soul remained the soul of a lesser spirit.]

"I guess the weak have their ways to survive," Tilly said, then she paused before shaking her head. "No, the weak could survive fighting the strong because you have the desperation and tenacity to live that the strong do not possess."

She said that out loud because she wondered how Nia managed to survive as a lesser spirit when both Tilly and Kiho were godly. In the end, she concluded that she shouldn’t underestimate the tenacity of the weak who wanted to live.

After all, even a rat would bite a cat when cornered.

"It was a shame that I let you destroy my life when I could have just killed you easily."

Of course, she couldn’t do that because she lost her memories. Moreover, her power was sealed. She was talking about the Black Flame and not the Red Flame.

"Even if you kill me now, the past won’t change. The people and the things that you’ve lost won’t return to you anymore," Nia growled angrily. "Aren’t you supposed to be the benevolent Supreme Fire Mage? So, why don’t you just leave me alone?! You have your family anyway! That’s all you need, right?!"

"That’s true. I’m already happy that Kiho, Winter, and Julian are with me," Tilly said while nodding her head. "It’s also true that even if I kill you now, my loved ones who died because of you won’t return back to life."

"If you know it, then set me free–"

"However, how am I supposed to face Mother and Father if I don’t kill the bitch who killed them?"

Nia killed Tilly’s mother and fed her heart to the Crades.

Although the dethroned princess didn’t kill her father directly, she was still involved in her father’s death.

[And Captain Denver’s father also died that day.]

"I understand that you blame me and the curse I put on you for living several lifetimes tied to Aku Moonchester," Tilly said, smiling bitterly at the dethroned princess who now had a frown on her beautiful face. "But wasn’t it YOU who wanted to spend her life with Aku Moonchester anyway? You even killed Elaine Moonchester just to take her place."

"That was before I found out about how obsessive and possessive that emperor bastard was," Nia said in a frustrated manner. "And don’t you already know that, like you, I also lived in the modern world for quite some time? That was the world I fell in love with at first sight! And that was also the world that taught me marrying your sibling was immoral! That was why I became desperate to cut my ties with Aku Moonchester!"

"And because of your desperation, you killed many Fire Mages– including my mother– in hopes of finding the fire that could end the curse."

This time, the dethroned princess just bit her lower lip until it bled.

But Nia’s glare was still as sharp as ever.

"You could have just talked to me, you know?" Tilly said bitterly. "If you repented on the sins you’ve committed during our first life and lived a decent life as Nia Moonchester, I would have considered setting you free from the curse."

"I’ve already lost my mind a long time ago," Nia said in a silent and emotionless voice. "Like you said, I was desperate to be separated from Aku Moonchester. I tried to kill myself several times in hopes of waking up in the modern world again. But that damned emperor kept on reviving me."

It was because Aku Moonchester would die as well if Nia died.

[But it’s also probably because Aku Moonchester can’t live without Nia since he "loved" her to the point of obsession.]

"I didn’t consider simply asking for your help because I didn’t even know that Marianne Prescott’s daughter would be born as Soleil Rosenberg’s reincarnation," Nia said, her face and voice both blank. "I already killed your mother the moment you were born as Matilda Prescott. I knew you wouldn’t have forgiven me. That’s why I never considered the option of simply "talking it out" with you."

Ah, right.

Nia was born a lot older than Tilly.

[And the dethroned princess has already committed many heinous crimes by then.]

"You should have lived decently from the beginning then," Tilly said indifferently. "Now, my Black Flame will judge you."

"Give me a chance, Soleil– no, Tilly Nystrom."

"A chance?"

"A chance to be reborn again," Nia begged her in a desperate voice. "All I want is to be reborn in the world I fell in love with now that my soul has been freed from Aku Moonchester."

"The curse has already been placed, Nia Moonchester," Tilly said, clasping her hands together as if she was praying. But she wasn’t praying– she was gathering her Black Flame. "It’s time for you to receive your divine punishment."

The dethroned princess looked desperate.

But, in the end, she closed her eyes.

"The Moon God has probably possessed Aku Moonchester’s body."

To say that Tilly was surprised would be an understatement. "What?"

"Aku sent me a message earlier. He asked me to save his physical body from the Moon God," Nia said, then she opened her eyes. For some reason, there was a look of peace in the dethroned princess’ eyes as if she was angry and desperate a moment ago. "Kyro is desperate to have a human body for some reason. He already gave up on possessing Kiho Nystrom’s body for now, so he probably chose the second best thing to possess."

And that would be Aku Moonchester.

"But why are you saying this to me?" she asked, confused. "Nia Moonchester, I already told you I can’t take back the curse I put on you anymore."

"If I’m going to die, then might as well drag the people around me to hell."

As expected of her life’s biggest villainess.

"And I still have hope."

"What kind of hope?"

Nia smiled sadly at her. "Hope that you will give me one last chance to be reborn to the world I loved."

"If that hope gives you peace in your last moments, so be it," Tilly said, ordering her Black Flame to swallow up Nia Moonchester. "Goodbye, Nia."

And Tilly’s Black Flame devoured Nia until she turned into ashes.

Into nothingness.

Forever.

***

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay