Chapter 850 A BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE (1)
HELSTOR ran away while Princess Neoma was saying goodbye to Emperor Nikolai.
That was the best move he could do because he was severely injured. The eye that he stole was stolen from him, and he even lost a hand.
But that was the last of his concerns since his limbs and organs would come back later.
[The first timeline is the problem!]
It wasn't like Helstor wasn't aware that there was a first timeline before the current one.
He had a chance to eat some of Ruto Solfrid's memories before. According to the images he had seen, it seemed like the commander and Princess Neoma had a baby in the past.
But those were just images with no context.
Hence, he just made a story to mess with Princess Neoma.
["Lord Helstor ate some of Ruston Stroganoff's memories, and there he saw a snippet of your tragic love story. You had a baby with Commander Yoan, but you killed that baby while the poor thing was still in your womb."]
That was what he told Calyx to tell Princess Neoma before.
[The de Moonasterios are easy to mess with since they have weak minds.]
Although he was a little aware of the past timeline, he didn't care about it before because he thought it wouldn't be a big deal.
[After all, it seems like Ruto Solfrid has no intention of telling Princess Neoma the truth.]
Since he thought Princess Neoma wouldn't be a threat without her memories, he brushed it off as something that he should worry about the least. He only remembered about the first timeline when he encountered the Princess Neoma who claimed to be a god earlier.
[Gods aren't supposed to get their memories erased, but we did.]
It seemed only a few had their memories intact when the time was reset.
But that wasn't the only problem.
[If the Imperial Family can summon people from the Dead World!]
None of the people from his side had their memories of the past.
[Tsk.]
"Ruto Solfrid," Helstor whispered to himself. "I need to find that boy and feed on his memories again."
***
[AH, IT HAS been refilled.]
Nikolai's Moonglow had been refilled inside his body.
The last time he felt this powerful was during his prime– the time when he seized the throne from his tyrannical father.
It was inevitable for the emperor to lose his Moonglow slowly once their heir was born. And it was worse for Nikolai since he had two children that the throne considered to be BOTH deserving to be his successor.
But, right now, he actually felt stronger than he did during his prime.
"Uncle Emperor, you're literally glowing!" Monik said while clapping her tiny hands. "And you're so powerful now!"
"Thank you," Nikolai said, grabbing Calypso by the handle. "Let's do this again."
His Soul Beasts that fell from the sky earlier had returned– now in their Soul Beast form.
After Nikolai's Moonglow was replenished, his Soul Beasts also recovered right away.
[I can't believe Neoma left us this precious gift.]
"Calypso, you better devour all the Darkness in this sky," Nikolai said, infusing the Holy Sword with his newly-replenished Moonglow. "Don't stop until every single blob of Darkness has disappeared."
***
[I GOT stronger?]
That was Hanna's thoughts as soon as the older Neoma disappeared.
The traces of her Moonglow lingered.
For some reason, it felt like her body had absorbed the bluish lights around them. And that was what made her feel powerful.
But that wasn't the only thing that Hanna received from the older Neoma.
"I remember it now," Hanna whispered, clenching her hands. "I remember my first life."
Not everything, though.
She only remembered the part where the Pirate Princess had completed the Black Hole…
… and some information that made her feel shy.
"Princess Hanna?"
Hanna flinched when Lewis called him. "Y-Yes?"
"Are you alright?"
She felt her cheeks burn a little, but she still hoped that she didn't blush.
[Or, at least, I hope Lewis didn't notice it.]
Hanna was aware that she was the Pirate Princess of the first timeline.
Even so, she still thought that the Pirate Princess was a different person from her. After all, she lived a very different life from her.
[But why did the older Neoma have to show me THAT?]
"I'm just a bit surprised by the memories that I retrieved," Hanna said. It wasn't completely a lie anyway. "Did you… retrieve some of your memories, too?"
Lewis nodded, his face still blank. "I did. I think I can go on Berserk mode if I follow what 'Lu' had done in the first timeline."
Okay, the fact that the fox also retrieved his memories made her nervous.
"Uhm, did you remember anything else?"
Lewis paused for a moment before he asked: "Is there something else that I need to remember, Princess Hanna?"
Hanna immediately shook her head, then she avoided Lewis' gaze. "No, none at all."
[Lewis doesn't need to know that 'Lu' SEEMS to have a crush on the Pirate Princess during the first timeline.]
***
"JASPER HAWTHORNE, look at me!"
"I am looking," Jasper said while clapping his hands. He was looking up at Duckie who, for some reason, had finally returned to his old form. "Wow. You're really a Winged Serpent, huh?"
When Duckie– old name Wilton– accepted him as his new master, he regained some of his power that allowed him to turn into a medium-sized water serpent.
But, this time, the Elemental Guardian had reached his full potential.
Duckie grew into a giant, beautiful serpent with wings.
[And now he's flying as if he wants to dominate the sky.]
"It must be the older Neoma's influence."
Jasper nodded in agreement with what Duke Rufus Quinzel commented. "I think so, too, Your Grace," he said, then he looked at his hands. "I felt a boost in my power after the older Princess Neoma left."
"That's the same for me," Duke Quinzel said with a regretful look on his face. "Despite all the hardships that the older Princess Neoma had experienced in the first timeline, she remained generous and merciful. She didn't have to help us, but she still did."
He could only nod in agreement with the old duke.
[Princess Neoma, why are you so selfless?]
"Duke Hawthorne, don't die if you can help it," Duke Quinzel said, lightly patting his shoulder. "My daughter asked you not to die. Hence, I will make sure that you won't die during this war. You have to live longer this time."
Jasper chuckled while shaking his head. "Well, it's assuring to know that you have my back, Your Grace."
***
MONA felt something strange in her body, but she couldn't pinpoint what it could be.
All she could tell was she felt refreshed and energized.
[But there's something inside me that has changed a bit. I guess it has something to do with the gift that Neoma has left for me.]
And she wasn't the only person who felt the same way.
"Wow," Trevor said while looking at his hands in amazement. "Did the older Princess Neoma boost our Mana? I feel a lot more powerful now."
Dahlia nodded in agreement. "I feel the same. And it seems like the older Princess Neoma has also weakened the seal tied around my Core…"
[It was probably because my daughter wanted to free the Black Witch.]
"Ah, Empress Mona, we should seriously leave now," Trevor said in an urgent voice. "I can feel the Cosmic Tree moving to shut down all the Doors leading to her Garden."
She could feel that, too.
"I understand. We should leave for real this time," Mona said, then she faced Dahlia and put her hands on her shoulders. "Please take care of Nero for me, sweetheart."
Dahlia blushed, then she nodded eagerly. "I will protect Prince Nero, Your Imperial Majesty."
***
ARGH.
Nero couldn't move even though he was in his Spirit form. Moreover, the 'space' where he had been brought to was a dark room instead of a white one.
[Where am I?]
"Nero de Moonasterio, we finally met in this timeline."
He turned around and found a strange version of his lovely twin sister.
[That Neoma is taller and bigger and more powerful.]
Nero raised an eyebrow when the realization hit him. "Are you the Neoma of the first timeline?"
"That, I am," the older Neoma said, sneering at him as her eyes turned glowing red. "Finally, a chance to get my revenge on you."
Oh, right.
[I killed Neoma in the first timeline…]
Damn.
***
"'VITU' doesn't really exist– he's nothing but a mirage created by the World to keep Neoma de Moonasterio sane."
Neoma heard what the big baby said, but she couldn't comprehend it.
[A mirage, he said?]
Hmm.
Come to think of it, Calyx said something similar before.
["You had a baby with Commander Yoan, but you killed that baby while the poor thing was still in your womb."]
She was startled when she first heard that bullshit from Calyx.
[I lost my mind for a moment and almost killed that crow psycho.]
She tried to ask Ruto about the baby they had, but he never gave her a proper response because it happened during the time his feelings for her got erased.
"I decided to forget about that bullshit because I didn't have any reason to believe Helstor and Calyx's bullshit," Neoma said, then she crossed her arms over her chest. "It's bullshit. If I killed you back then, how did you grow up then?"
"I lived in your imagination, so how could I die, Mother?"
She didn't want to admit this, but she was starting to get antsy.
[This is bad. My mental state isn't as strong when I'm in pain. I should avoid this confrontation.]
"I don't want to hear it from you," Neoma said. "I will just ask Ruto about you later."
"No can do, Mother," Vitu said, laughing while approaching her. "You should face the music now."
"I don't want to–"
She was forced to stop talking when, all of a sudden, the bastard giant baby cupped her face between her hands.
[If this wasn't my baby, I would have punched him already…]
"Mother," Vitu said in a serious tone, then he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers. "It's time for you to remember the past."
[What? No! I said I don't want to!]
Neoma wanted to complain, but she was soon overwhelmed by unfamiliar families that flooded her mind…
***
"YOU'RE PREGNANT…?"
Neoma smirked at Commander Yoan's question. "Don't worry– you're not the father."
"I know that," Commander Yoan said, his entire face turning red from embarrassment. "We haven't done anything that would result in us conceiving a child, after all."
"How can we do that when your divine father is always watching your every move?"
Once again, the commander blushed. Then he changed the topic. "Neoma, did you create the child using your power as a god?"
"Gods can procreate using their Mana and divine power. That's how the other gods gave birth to children after Lord Levi forbade the major gods from getting together," Neoma said, touching her belly. "To be honest with you, my child isn't complete yet. I only said I'm pregnant because I'm almost there."
"Why?"
"What do you mean 'why?'" she asked, scoffing. "You know I've always wanted a child. But Lord Levi and the other gods wouldn't allow us to conceive our own baby. Apparently, they didn't want another de Moonasterios in the human world."
Commander Yoan looked at her with a sad look on his face. "Why are you so adamant about having a child, Neoma?"
Of course, he would ask that.
[Yoan never understood my loneliness because he grew up with love and attention.]
But she didn't resent the commander for that.
[Hence, I didn't force him to have a child with me and I just took the matters into my own hands.]
"Because I'm lonely," Neoma said, her voice almost a whisper. "I never had a normal, happy family– not as a de Moonasterio or a Quinzel. That's why I want to build my own family– I want to raise a child with the kind of love and attention I craved my entire life."
***
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