Mommy Villainess

Kiho was shocked when both the ground and the sky shook because of a very strong and loud explosion.    

When he turned in the direction of where the explosion happened, he got shocked.    

That place…    

[It's where the cave the snakes brought Winter to!]    

And the power that caused the explosion…    

"Elis Ripperton," Kiho cursed under his breath, his chest filled with an ungodly amount of anger towards a single individual. "That blasted Blue Dragon…!"    

His thoughts were only interrupted when a Crades he missed growled and almost bit him in the arm. Before he could even swing his sword, the monster was suddenly engulfed in a black flame that burned it to ashes.    

Huh?    

[Black Flame…?]    

"Kiho!"    

He immediately turned to Tilly who yelled his name in a shaking voice. And he knew exactly why his wife sounded anxious.    

"Go," Tilly said, her purple eyes glowing. "Go and save our Winter."    

As a former captain of an Order, he wasn't used to leaving the battlefield when a war was still ongoing.    

However, this time, he had to leave to save his child.    

  Kiho looked at Tilly with glowing gold eyes that assured her he would make everything alright. "I'll be back, Tilly," he promised her. "I'll be back with our son."    

***    

ELIS RIPPERTON laughed when everything around him disappeared.    

The cave, the pesky snakes, and the forest that hid the cave. A huge crater was left where the cave used to be. The debris from the destroyed cave and the forest was reduced to dust and pebbles.    

Hence, the thick dust around blocked his vision at the moment.    

But it didn't matter.    

[I don't feel Mana or any life form.]    

That meant he succeeded in eliminating the Black Serpent's stupid son.    

"That was easy," Elis said to himself, sneering. "Ah, I should have gouged out the child's eyes as a gift to the Black Serpent."    

He had always hated the Black Serpent's gold eyes.    

Hence, it was only natural that he would hate the child's gold eyes, too.    

"Oh, well," Elis said, shrugging. "I'm sure Soleil and the Black Serpent already knew that their son is dead."    

HISS.    

He suddenly froze on the spot when he heard a loud hiss that reminded him of the sound gigantic snakes would make when cornering their prey.    

[But I already killed the snakes in the cave, and there's no way those things would survive…]    

His thoughts trailed off when he realized that there COULD be one snake that could withstand his attack.    

[No, it can't be…]    

<"Stupid Blue Dragon.">    

He felt chills all over his body when he heard a child's voice in his mind.    

And then he saw it.    

When the dust surrounding him began to dwindle away, he saw a pair of gold SNAKE eyes staring at him viciously.    

But the size of the gold orbs was as big as an adult's head.    

[A giant snake…?]    

Elis gasped out loud when the realization finally hit him. "The Moon Serpent!"    

***    

[A few moments before the explosion…]    

IT WAS as if Winter's physical body pulled his soul back inside his body.    

He was just on the Plane a moment ago.    

But when he gained consciousness, he already found himself back in his body– and his body was burning hot.    

[Argh!]    

He clutched his chest tight because his heart was burning up.    

[It hurts… Mom… Dad… Brother…]    

HISS.    

Hmm?    

He forced himself to open his eyes when he heard that sound. And that was when he saw where he was.    

[A cave…?]    

To be precise, he was lying down on a flat stone that could be mistaken for an altar.    

The snakes that he talked to before surrounded him. He could hear the snakes' voices in his head despite the pain that was killing him.    

<"Young lord, we're sorry!">    

<"The stupid Blue Dragon followed us!">    

<"Our other friends are buying time for us as they fight the stupid Blue Dragon in the cave's entrance!">    

Winter frowned after hearing that.    

[You can't fight the Blue Dragon…]    

He wanted to tell the snakes to call their friends back, but his throat was also burning up. And he couldn't even open his mouth to speak.    

<"Young lord, I know it's hard, but we need to run away from here!">    

<"We can use our remaining strength to carry you again, but it will be faster if you run using your own legs.">    

<"We're sorry for being weak servants, young lord!">    

Winter wanted to tell the snakes that they had nothing to apologize for, but he could only close his eyes as he continued to lose the strength in his physical body.    

<"The stupid Blue Dragon is here!">    

<"He killed our friends…">    

<"Don't cry! We don't have the luxury to mourn right now!">    

<"It's too late to run now, so we're going to defend!">    

<"Gather all the strength you have and protect the young lord at all costs!">    

<"We're going to create a shield to protect the young lord!">    

<"Endure and survive! Once we do, we'll kill that stupid Blue Dragon for our fallen friends!">    

Ah, why were these snakes trying to sacrifice their lives just to protect him?    

Winter couldn't move or talk, but he still felt his tears roll down his face.    

His heart hurt again, but for a different reason this time.    

[I want to protect these little fellows. I've always known they aren't ordinary snakes. But I'm still quite surprised to know that they can use magic. I wonder if they came from the Snake Clan where my father's mother came from…]    

Unfortunately, he didn't have the luxury to focus on that.    

He could feel the Blue Dragon's hostile energy. Although he couldn't clearly hear it, he could also tell that the Blue Dragon was saying stupid things to himself.    

And then it happened.    

The Blue Dragon gathered his divine power strong enough to erase the entire forest from the map.    

Winter knew that he and the snakes would die if he didn't do anything.    

[I have to protect my people!]    

And that was when he opened his gold eyes at the same time a powerful divine power exploded within him.    

***    

NOW…    

Winter had fully regained consciousness, and the pain that almost killed him earlier was gone.    

It was gone along with his physical body.    

[As a person, I mean.]    

It was a familiar yet unfamiliar sensation.    

He was talking about the feel of his soul occupying a 'vessel' much different from the one he was used to.    

To be honest, he didn't know what triggered his change, but it was glad it happened.    

Winter glared at his target standing right in front of him.    

The stupid Blue Dragon was murmuring something to himself again.    

He couldn't help but hiss at his PREY's stupid actions.    

Because of the sound that he made, the enemy finally realized what was going on as he stood there frozen in shock.    

"The Moon Serpent!"    

Yes, Winter had transformed into his Moon Serpent form.    

[But I'm small…]    

Based on his estimations, he was twenty-five meters in length. It was indeed large for a snake. But for the Moon Serpent that swallowed the moons in the past, this size wasn't enough.    

He didn't have time to worry about that, though.    

Elis Ripperton, the stupid Blue Dragon, lunged at him.    

<"Young lord…">    

Winter turned to the little snakes riding on his tail.    

Fortunately, he was able to protect the snakes. After all, when he transformed, a very powerful barrier protected them from Elis Ripperton's deadly attack.    

[I'm glad I was able to protect these little ones.]    

"Go and hide somewhere safe," Winter said to the snakes. "I promise to avenge your fallen comrades."    

<"We understand, young lord.">    

<"We'll leave it to you then.">    

<"Please take care, young lord!">    

After saying that, the little snakes quickly crawled to safety.    

Winter then faced Elis Ripperton.    

[I can't let him transform into his god form.]    

Winter then hissed and came at Elis Ripperton, too.    

"You should have died earlier!" Elis Ripperton yelled at him angrily, his entire body engulfed in a violent wind. "You and your father should stop getting in my way!"    

He couldn't believe the enemy had the audacity to say that.    

<"You're the one who's getting in the way of my family's happiness, you stupid Blue Dragon!">    

Elis Ripperton's wind took the form of a giant spear.    

He could see the wind because it was mixed with the Blue Dragon's Mana, and his Mana had the same color as his blue scales.    

"Die, Moon Serpent bastard!"    

The giant spear that Elis Ripperton threw at Winter was strong enough to blast away a castle.    

Winter opened his mouth and hiss loudly.    

The Mana that came out of his mouth froze the giant spear made of Elis Ripperton's wind. But since the giant spear was also made of Mana– it became possible for Winter to freeze it.    

And he froze it in a very quick manner that shocked the Blue Dragon.    

This time, Elis Ripperton stood on top of his giant spear that was now frozen in ice and suspended in the air.    

[He's going to attack again!]    

"Blasted Moon Serpent," Elis Ripperton said, raising his open arms in Winter's direction. "Who gave you the permission to breathe in my presence?!"    

It looked the Blue Dragon was trying to suck the air out of Winter's lungs.    

[As if I'd let you do that!]    

Winter hissed again and this time, his twenty-meter body shrank in just the blink of an eye. He was now the size of a normal snake. But his quick movements were god-level. Moreover, even in that form, he was able to fly using flight magic.    

[I'm also a Fire Mage, and Fire Mages are MAGES because we can use magic.]    

He aimed for Elis Ripperton's arm.    

As soon as Winter wrapped its body around the Blue Dragon's arm, he immediately bit Elis Ripperton in order to poison him.    

Elis Ripperton growled and covered his bitten arm with his sturdy blue scales.    

But it didn't work on Winter.    

Of course, if he was an ordinary snake, he wouldn't have been able to pierce through Elis Ripperton's blue scales. But he was the Moon Serpent. Hence, his fangs were sturdier than the stupid Blue Dragon scales.    

He made sure that his fangs dug deep into Elis Ripperton's skin for the venom to take effect quicker.    

Elis Ripperton sneered at him while grabbing him by the head. "Do you think venom works on a god like me?"    

<"Do you think THE Moon Serpent is venomous because it's a snake?"> Winter snapped back at the Blue Dragon. <"Don't forget about my other title, you stupid Blue Dragon.">    

The Blue Dragon was confused at first…    

… then he turned pale when the realization hit him.    

Elis Ripperton's pupils shook in fear. "God Slayer…"    

Winter laughed, but it sounded like a hiss. "That's right– I'm THE God Slayer."    

***    

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