Chapter 88: Chapter 88: A Song of Ice and Fire

The moonlight was like water, as still as ice.

In the night sky, a tall, noble figure descended, her bare feet treading upon a floating staircase of ice crystals.

With every step she took, snowflakes like loyal servants gathered beneath her feet, coalescing into a new stair. The moment she passed, the stair would disperse, returning to a swirl of snow around her.

Her blond hair flowed freely, and she wore a coronet of ice crystals. A translucent gossamer gown woven from ice and snow draped her form, its hem undulating like waves and creating a clear, melodious chime like a wind bell.

Each ice crystal sparkled like a Little Elf in the moonlight, accentuating her fair skin and making it look even more flawless.

On her delicate face, it was her jet-black eyes that drew Wang Xi’s attention—they were as deep and tranquil as the night itself.

They were, however, somewhat detached and devoid of emotion.

「Ice and Snow Queen · Isabella (Yellow/Skull)」

The entry was surrounded by resplendent golden patterns.

She was clearly a powerhouse of the "Skull Legend" tier, the same as the Fire Witch Lillian.

Her power far surpassed Wang Xi’s current level.

’So this is the Ice and Snow Queen?’

Wang Xi looked up, marveling.

Just then, Queen Sianna, dressed in a white nightgown, stepped forward. She looked up and called out a name.

"Isabella... Sister."

The Ice and Snow Queen smiled at her.

But it was only for a fleeting moment.

Then, she resumed her detached expression. Abruptly, Isabella paused in midair and turned her head to look toward the top of the Queen’s Tower.

Without a word, she raised her right hand.

SWOOSH—

The once-tranquil snowflakes suddenly turned violent, whipping up a blizzard that howled and shrieked.

CRACKLE...

CRACK... CRACKLE...

In an instant, a layer of ice crystals coated the Royal Palace grounds. Bloodstains on the ground froze solid, snow piled onto the trees, and the tower’s outer walls and roof looked as if they had been coated in white paint.

The very instant the blizzard appeared,

a giant "torch" erupted from the top of the tower with a WHOOSH, bright enough to illuminate the entire Royal Palace.

The flames twisted into a spiral, forming a tornado.

It emanated from a young girl.

Or more precisely, from the match in her hand.

The Fire Witch Lillian stood atop the tower, her calm gaze meeting Isabella’s across the distance. She cupped a tiny match in both hands, but the resulting flame soared high into the air, pushing back against the raging blizzard.

In the blink of an eye, the flames licked at Lillian’s white dress, making it look like a crimson gown.

The very air of the night sky seemed to waver and distort from the clash of their immense Magic Power.

’This is truly a battle between gods...’

Wang Xi felt himself buffeted by fierce winds, alternating between biting cold and scorching heat. It was incredibly uncomfortable.

He pulled Queen Sianna behind him, called Pinocchio to his side, and then erected a Jellyfish Barrier to block the stray gusts of snow and embers.

The barrier crackled and sputtered, straining to resist the aftershocks of the battle.

If even Wang Xi was in such a state, there was no need to mention the members of the Swordsmen Corps and the Warlock Corps.

They screamed in terror and scattered, but a few unlucky souls were instantly frozen into ice sculptures by the snowy gales or were touched by an ember and burned to a crisp on the spot.

Wang Xi looked up, his eyebrows raised.

Atop the tower, besides the three Witches, stood three unfamiliar, powerful Demons.

「Flaming Demon Horse · Tariel (Light Green/Five Stars)」

「King of Granite (Incarnation) · Simon (Light Green/Five Stars)」

「Flower Fairy (Thumbelina) · Tomelese (Light Green/Four Stars)」

The entries for these three were all framed by Bronze Patterns, marking them as Elite units.

All three of them wore grave expressions.

Clearly, the Ice and Snow Queen’s power was immense; her every move placed them under enormous pressure.

WHOOSH—

The Flower Fairy named Tomelese flapped her scaly wings and flew to land on the Fire Witch Lillian’s shoulder. She took out a Harp and began to play.

TING TING DONG...

"Vines kiss the morning dew, thorns entangle the golden cup, the oak silently counts its rings, daisies weave a verdant crown. Mead is filled with moonlight, the forest floor stained berry-red..."

The Little Elf closed her eyes, her voice rising in song.

Though her body was small, her voice was powerful. Her sweet, melodious song pierced the air, echoing across the Royal Palace and through the night sky.

Her slender fingers danced across the Harp. Accompanied by a melody as clear as a babbling brook, Tomelese continued her song:

"Thunder shatters the crown of kings, gales sweep across the fields of wheat, ashes drift and cover the earth, flames gnaw upon the ice and snow. When gods cast their dice, mortals know not the turning of an age..."

A chorus of myriad living things seemed to echo in her song, and a shimmering, verdant light began to emanate from Tomelese’s body.

Amid the nocturnal interplay of ice and fire, her song wove a rich, epic atmosphere.

Her song seemed to possess some sort of magical Enhancement, causing Lillian’s Fire Dragon Tornado to suddenly intensify, threatening to overwhelm the blizzard.

Isabella’s expression remained unchanged.

She raised her other hand.

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH—

The blizzard raging across the sky swirled together, forming a gigantic hand that loomed over the entire Royal Palace Castle.

Then, it closed its grip around the Fire Dragon Tornado.

The great hand of ice and snow seized the throat of the fiery dragon.

HISSING white steam rose and billowed out, obscuring all sight.

The expressions on Bev and the others’ faces changed, and they prepared to act together to counter the Ice and Snow Queen’s blizzard.

Wang Xi quickly whispered a few words to Queen Sianna.

He had gone to such great lengths to win her trust precisely to avoid a conflict between the two sides.

Now that the main culprit, Calvin, was dead, there was no reason for them to keep fighting. But only Sianna, the key figure, could persuade the Ice and Snow Queen to stop this conflict.

After hearing Wang Xi’s concise words, Sianna nodded gravely.

The young man had protected her just moments ago and successfully foiled Calvin’s plot, earning her trust.

Sianna looked up and called out to the noble figure on the staircase of ice crystals,

"Sister, this is a misunderstanding!"

Wang Xi whispered in her ear again.

His warm breath on the Queen’s earlobe sent a shiver through her, and her cheeks flushed faintly red.

Following Mr. Jai’s instructions, the Queen called out again,

"You... both of you, stop fighting!"

"The Witches mean no harm! They already sent a messenger to tell me the truth! The culprit behind everything was Calvin, and he’s dead! It’s all over!"

"..."

The Ice and Snow Queen glanced down.

Her gaze fell first on her younger sister, Sianna, then lingered for a moment on the black-haired young man beside her before she looked away.

Isabella flicked her sleeve.

With a howling cry, the swirling snow swept sideways. The great hand of ice and snow snapped the Fire Dragon Tornado in two. The immense Energy from the collision of ice and fire detonated, sending a terrifying shockwave blasting out into the night sky.

BOOOOM!!!

A visible ring of white mist billowed outward.

WHOOSH—

The gale tore through the Royal Palace, leaving chaos in its wake.

The Jellyfish Barrier Wang Xi held up crackled, now covered in fractures.

He fought back the exhaustion surging through him and held on. After the fierce battle, his frequent use of Water Magic, on top of the shot he’d fired at Calvin, had nearly depleted his physical strength.

It couldn’t be helped.

He lacked a mana bar and had to use his stamina to fuel his Magic Power, a conversion that came at double the cost.

Just then, the blizzard in the sky began to dissipate.

As if by tacit agreement, the Ice and Snow Queen and the Fire Witch ceased their attacks.

Only then did Wang Xi let out a silent sigh of relief.

With a POP, the Jellyfish Barrier shattered and dissipated.

’It’s finally over.’

...

...

Late at night, with the bright moon hanging high.

A large group of Palace Guards bustled in front of the tower, cleaning up the battlefield.

The cratered ground looked as though it had been trampled by giants, the entire area churned up as if tilled by a plow. The sight of maimed corpses, bloodstains, and the wreckage of Mechanical Dolls was horrifying.

The Guards broke out in a cold sweat, their breathing becoming labored.

That battle just now...

It had been absolutely terrifying!

Thank goodness they hadn’t gotten any closer, choosing instead to hide and watch from afar. Otherwise, their own corpses would now be lying on the ground.

At this moment, Stag Queen Sianna, Ice and Snow Queen Isabella, the Witches, and the Lords were in the tower’s main hall, secretly discussing peace talks.

Wang Xi and Pinocchio, meanwhile, were enjoying the evening breeze under a tree.

"Gai, you killed Calvin."

The boy scratched his head and said quietly.

"I was hoping we could capture him alive. Father would have been really happy."

"He wouldn’t have survived."

Wang Xi said, shaking his head.

"Calvin was the one who started this whole conflict. Even if I hadn’t killed him, the Queen and the Witches would have... Besides, if I hadn’t shot him down at the end, he might have escaped."

Pinocchio nodded, though he didn’t seem to fully understand.

Wang Xi glanced back at the tower.

’Once this is all completely over,’ he thought, ’I wonder if I can borrow the technical documents Calvin stole from Master Geppetto from Queen Sianna.’

’If I can bring that knowledge back to the Main World, it might sell for a good price.’

With that in mind, he turned his attention inward.

To review his gains from the great battle—

Warlock Card Pool: 6 Green, 10 White.

Swordsman Card Pool: 2 Green, 3 White.

Swordsman Chief Franz: 1 Deep Green.

Calvin: 1 Blue.

A total of 23 cards.

’Not bad at all.’

A smile spread across Wang Xi’s lips.

Just then, the sound of carriage wheels could be heard rapidly approaching.

He looked up.

A strangely shaped carriage was heading toward them: a giant pumpkin for a body, wheels made of chili pepper rings, and two enormous mice pulling it...

A bright jack-o’-lantern hung from the vines that snaked down the carriage roof. It was carved with a smiling face, which looked rather frightening in the dark of night.

Both Wang Xi and Pinocchio were taken aback.

"Gai—"

Suddenly, a girl’s head popped out of the pumpkin carriage’s window—it was Goddalir, wearing her gray dress and a hairpin.

She waved, her face filled with unconcealed joy.

「Cinderella · Goddalir (Green/Two Stars)」

The entry was framed by Bronze Patterns.

Wang Xi was rather surprised.

In just a few short months, Goddalir had grown from an ordinary farm girl into a Two-Star Elite.

This showed that her Magic Talent was exceptional.

The pumpkin carriage pulled up under the tree, stopping in front of the two of them. The door opened, and a figure was promptly thrown out.

It landed on the ground with a THUD.

Wang Xi took a closer look and couldn’t help but smile.

It was none other than the fugitive Warlock Master, Bertrand.

The old man was missing an arm, his face was deathly pale, and he had fallen unconscious.

Immediately after, two beautiful young women descended gracefully from the carriage.

Goddalir, and the Woodland Fairy, Betina.

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