Micaela opened her eyes and instantly sat up, warily looking at her surroundings. She was in a small furnished oriental-styled room, now sitting on a futon and wearing her familiar green outfit. Her last memories involved Saja laying the hurt on her, and yet, she felt entirely fine, which meant…

The seraph sighed. She had already anticipated that scenario in the past, and had hoped that she would never have to deal with that precise one. And yet, she was now forced to... She stood up and opened a large wardrobe. Just as expected, there was only one outfit inside: A kimono that looked incredibly conservative, but would certainly fall of in a way to accentuate her figure while showing as much skin as possible. Putting it on confirmed each and every one of her suspicion, as no matter how hard she tried, the cloth slipped from her shoulders to rest on her breasts, providing a copious amount of cleavage. She slowly stepped toward the door and took a final inspiration to brace herself before sliding it open.

"You're finally awake… Please, have a sit."

Just as expected, she was now in a relatively large, windowless but perfectly illuminated oriental wooden room. Tamamo was present, her small frame sitting Japanese style behind a small table upon which laid a kettle and two teacups. Micaela gritted her teeth, but obliged to her request. The small kitsune started serving her and herself, all in silence.

Micaela brought the cup to her lips and attempted to analyze it before accepting that it was useless and giving up: Considering how weakened her body certainly was, any number of monsters could finish her off without mentally breaking her first. The taste itself was familiar, but different than what she remembered. She then delicately placed back the cup on its support and looked inquisitively at Tamamo, waiting for the kitsune to finally make her obvious request.

"I need your help."

There. The second stone was here. Only one more, and she would be able to predict exactly what would happen until the end of this conversation.

"My situation is slightly complicated right now after what Saja did to me. I'm not exactly able to provide any form of assistance."

That was a lie, of course. She just wanted to see how far she could string her along.

"We can easily restore your power if that's the only issue… and we'll need to."

Mmmhh… Did she make a mistake? Maybe, those last months had put her so much on edge, after all.

Micaela raised an eyebrow. "Tell me more."

Tamamo sighed. "I think Mariel told you by now that she's having a lot of difficulties with angels after the recent events..."

Micaela nodded. "I heard about the disappearance of several of them, and the situation getting even worse when she told them that that Minagi was able to pretty much return them their immortality. She even used the term schism."

"They had… mixed results. I can understand that they're afraid after what Minagi did-"

Micaela slammed her cup and aggressively leaned above the table. "You mean now or in the past? Because even if there are only a few angels remembering her, they were really easy to identify… They were the first to leave Mariel!"

Tamamo simply nodded, unsurprised. Micaela steadied her hands. The third brick had hit the ground. She was entirely right. The buildup was way too obvious, as her interlocutor had lost her touch. The hardest part was now keeping a neutral expression until the end of this exchange.

"Please calm down. I still have a lot I want to talk about."

Micaela sighed and sat back. "Sorry."

"It's okay. And I understand what you mean. She has got the worst track record of everyone alive when it comes to contact with angels. However, I'm forced to admit that the facts are here. She's the only one who can successfully give them back their power, whether they like it or not. Now, I don't want you to force their hand as they should remain free to make their choice, but too many angels are completely crazy about their goddess and completely disregard Mariel, even for all the good work she did."

"She's too young for the old guard and a criminal for the younger ones. I'm a criminal for all of them. What makes you think I will be treated better?"

"Mariel and her loyalists could easily be convinced to follow you, and…" Tamamo turned away, red faced before pulling her fan and starting refreshing herself. "…There's an alarming number of them that are more than willing to go to Minagi on their own."

Micaela sighed. "I heard about that too and I'm not surprised. I don't know if the death of Ilias made them suicidal or if they realized they could fully release their pent-up lust." She served herself again. "Although I suppose we're not here to focus on those ones, but instead to talk about the ones who left…"

"As one of the direct creation of Ilias, you carry a bigger part of her power than all remaining angels combined… I hoped you'd be able to call upon it to convince them to at least stand down."

"And then you will brainwash them."

Tamamo shook her head. "No. It's out of the question. The Monster Lord will disapprove, and even if I could, it would take too much time. I'm not even sure I could brainwash the more powerful ones."

The seraph stretched herself as she leaned back. "Then why don't you ask Tamamo for help? She knows how to do it and slip under anyone's guard…"

The kitsune raised an eyebrow. "Micaela?"

Micaela's expression was now a severe stone mask. "Please, stop with all the pretends and the technical truths, my patience for you can only hold for so long."

Tamamo sighed and closed her eyes. "Very well…"

The next instant, the kitsune had been replaced with Minagi. The succubus was wearing a black kimono with red trim that only barely held onto her breasts and was kept open, revealing her intimacy.

"…What betrayed me? I knew I had her mannerisms down to perfection..."

"The lack of reaction when I lunged forward weren't exactly befitting of someone who has been escaping assassinations for more than a millennium… But I can't blame you considering that you haven't seen her for the last five hundred years, that is until a few months ago…"

Minagi's red eyes seemed to pierce through Micaela. "Please stop with all the pretends and technical truths, I can read every one of your thoughts."

"Then why do you bother asking? Pure politeness? I'm almost surprised you bothered with all that set up instead of directly going in for the kill…"

"Then it should be telling of how much goodwill I'm putting in… I was completely sincere when I told you we need you to take control of the rogue angels."

"And you take control of me afterward, getting to violate every single last creation of Ilias in the process."

Minagi smirked. "No, I don't even need to do take control of you…" She sighed sensually, and Micaela already felt her mind being affected. "I could bargain for your company in exchange for their will, but I was thinking about both saving and having someone closer to you than any alive angel."

"Spare me the whole flourishes. You need me to convince Tamamo and Alice to let Luka in your care so that you can save him and then you have your way with both him and me."

"That's blunt, even for you. But yes, you're entirely right. You're my ticket to everything I ever want…" She licked her lips. "This is a win-win for everyone. Your nephew is safe from holy erosion. Those angels are safe and happily mingle with monsters. I get my fill of pleasure. What's the issue?"

"You mean out of the fact that nobody would trust you alone with Luka? Let alone any angel?"

"Endiel and Vale can safely tell that yes, you can…"

Micaela sighed. "Of course, Endiel…"

Minagi's smile disappeared as she attempted to look more sincere. "Then please see it as a bargain. Would you simply take so much risk for your nephew and your angels alike simply so that your enemy can't get laid? That's low."

"You have a history of killing everything that gets between your legs."

"If I wanted to do that, I would have directly violated you through this dream..."

"And if you wanted to show that much goodwill, you would have relayed a message through Tamamo to meet me! By the way, is she involved too?"

Minagi was smiling again. "Little Tamamo is completely out of the loop… I couldn't take the risk of having her piece everything together and ruin my plan. She's skilled for that, don't you agree?"

"You are telling me that she doesn't have an eye on you and what you're doing? She would have noticed by now…"

"She's in Remina. It's fortunate, isn't it?"

"And you're telling me that she didn't even leave one of her lieutenants to keep an eye on you?"

"And what would they do if they caught me?"

"Minagi… With all the respect I owe you, which doesn't mean much… I thought you knew your sister better than that. There's a reason she didn't step in. We simply don't know why."

The succubus smirked. "Maybe…" She stretched herself again, showing off her generous forms to a still jaded Micaela. "I will let you some time to think it over. I wouldn't want you to take the wrong decision because you feel rushed, but I should remind you that, whether you like it or not, your nephew still needs my little handiwork."

"At least don't say it like that…"

"Bye bye, little seraph… I will see you very soon…"

Micaela felt herself being swallowed by the dark blanket of unconsciousness.

She welcomed it after having dealt with Minagi. Anything to get away from her.

Just as she released her grasp on Micaela's spirit, Minagi opened her eyes in her all-too familiar room in the Monster Lord's Castle.

"There's a reason she didn't step in."

The hedonistic part of her wanted nothing more than to ignore that line from Micaela and return to indulging herself in dreams. However, she had spent so long working out that plan and she didn't want everything to go down the drain simply because she had chosen to ignore a red flag that big.

The succubus briefly fustigated herself. Saja had wrecked every wards in the castle with her intrusion, giving Minagi an opportunity to influence the outside from afar, and Tamamo's absence allowed her to put her plan into action without the constant fear of being interrupted.

Except that in her hurry she had forgotten that Tamamo's right hand was still in the castle. And the kitsune would have definitively reacted, unless she had her hands full…

What could justify her being busy?

Minagi steadied her breathing. Those known unknowns annoyed her to no end. So many little unrelated events that could ruin her plans… Did Tamamo also have to deal with that when she played her own games too?

If she left her room and met one of her sister, she would hear no end from it. And yet… Something in the ambiance of the castle reminded her of a time she needed to "intervene."

What would Tamamo do?

First observe. Then act only if necessary.

The first thing Luka did when he arrived in front of the Monster Lord's Castle was wondering if putting Saja on trial was even necessary. For a brief moment, he even considered asking Alice and Tamamo to simply forgive the yoma until he realized how selfish it was of him. The monster had still assaulted and put Micaela's life in jeopardy, and she did explicitly threaten his village even if it was clear by now that she would not have carried her threat through. She had even protected his hometown. He just wanted to be done once for all with that mess the Ancestors had put everyone through, even if it meant skipping a few steps, even if he shouldn't.

Still, he had to stick to the procedures they always followed. It was a way to impose their authority over the ancient, whimsical monsters to show them that this world was different with with its new set of rules. He groaned in pain as he descended from the Garuda Girl, soon followed by Mariel and the still sealed Saja. The group was greeted by Yao, and Luka saw the orange kitsune frown for a second before her natural smirk reappeared.

"Greetings. We are glad to see you return… Now, I think you are as eager as her majesty to deal with that pesky trial, and she told me to bring you in as soon as possible."

When Saja flapped her wings, Luka couldn't tell if she was angry at being judged or wanted to get it over with just like him.

"In any case, she's waiting with my mistress in the throne room." She then looked at Mariel. "In the meantime, we should start talking about a few things."

Mariel nodded, but it was clear she was reluctantly following the kitsune. Or maybe she was afraid of something else? The hero couldn't tell. In the meantime, Luka was slightly surprised that they had set up the court so fast. Still, it was a good sign. It meant that Alice had likely reconciled herself with Tamamo, and everybody had agreed to get this over as soon as possible to get all this mess behind them.

A small voice in his head reminded him that this huge boobed succubus lady still had to be dealt with properly.

Thanks Sylph.

"You're welcome!"

When he entered the throne room a minute later, Alice and Tamamo were already waiting for him on the other side, the Monster Lord sitting imperiously on her throne and the kitsune by her side. Maybe it was the exhaustion or maybe it was because of how unusually fast everything was going for once, but Luka didn't feel as much as ease as he thought he would.

Then again, he never felt at ease during those shows of power. At least this time the monster on trial was apparently more reasonable than her sisters.

"Let us get started without losing any more time. Saja, you are accused of assaulting close allies and supporters of coexistence with the person of Micaela. How do you plead?"

"Guilty." Even if she was now sealed, Saja's voice still carried an undeniable authority.

"Then do you have anything to say for your defense?"

"The Monster Lord should know that I also defended Ilias Village against a large group of angels who disappeared afterward."

Alice and Tamamo both looked surprise, but something in their expression tipped of Luka that something was definitively wrong. They were too alike. Did the new affect them in the exact same way? Or…

"Very well… I… We will see that later. Let us return to your case. You are to put yourself at our service immediately."

"You know perfectly that you have no authority over me. Please stop this farce."

Luka felt bile rise from his stomach. Saja just had confirmed what he already thought. He didn't believe it. He instantly decided to take the matter in his own hands.

"Wind…"

Both the Monster Lord and Tamamo raised an eyebrow.

"Earth…"

"Wait, you're not seriously going to do that? Why?"

"Water…"

"Okay! Okay! I yield! You found me! Now stop! Let me tell you something!"

Tamamo and Alice turned into bundle of tentacles that fused and revealed Hiruko. However, Luka did not relent.

"Fire…"

"Are you even listening?!"

Luka raised his sword, but before he could strike, he felt a cloth hit his neck. He didn't give it any attention until he suddenly felt his mind completely freeze. The hero collapsed like a wet towel on the ground. Far behind him, near the entrance of the room, Minagi was standing with her arm extended in the hero's direction, her hand holding her ribbon. The cloth returned back to its holder like a snake as she stepped in the room while she clapped sarcastically while Saja glided to Hiruko's side.

"Oooh, please, no need to thank me… Is that one of Tamamo's plan? Do not answer me, of course it is…"

She passed Luka's body without giving him a second glance.

"Let's go straight at the heart of the problem… Where are they?"

Hiruko shrugged indifferently. "She didn't tell me. She simply wanted to show that she was as good as the old time."

"Mmh." The still-sealed Saja pushed a sigh of self-satisfaction. "I can confirm that she didn't lose her hand then."

Minagi retorted with a devilish smile. "Weeeeell, since she violated her promise of always protecting the Monster Lord, I can as well violate my own and her husband in the process…" She turned back to look at the spot where she remembered Luka's body being. Her expression soured ever so slightly when she realized she could no longer feel him, only the distinct crispy scent of teleportation magic. Saja's voice brought her back from her trance.

"One use teleportation spell. Classic but effective. The hero must now be in front of her, completely exhausted because of us."

Hiruko repositioned a loose strand of hair. "She told me to make sure that Luka would position where he usually does, which was there, and then she'd wait for the moment he'd black out…"

Minagi finally lost her smile. Tamamo might have even taken her into consideration in her plan. She had covered everything. On her side, Saja's chuckle was starting to actually grate her nerves.

"…You realize that if we don't find them, mother might just end skinning everyone alive?"

Both monsters aggressively looked at Hiruko, who still remained clearly unconcerned.

"I trust her. She probably planned for everything."

Minagi slowly inhaled and joined her hands in front of her face. "Dear sister… I do respect you a lot… But I swear on the Dark Goddess, if I don't get the ins and outs of what Tamamo is doing, I'm turning you into takoyaki."

Hiruko pretended to shiver. "Oooh, scary!" Her tentacles started expanding. "Do you want some action that badly? I can understand how frustrated you're getting… I'm also getting a bit hot and bothered myself…"

Saja started hovering toward the exit. "Please bring your conflict outside the throne room. This remains the Monster Lord's Castle, and the best of us are guests."

"We are not going to fight." Minagi frowned. "But I refuse to budge until this tentacled toff tells me everything she knows about Tamamo's plan and why she did it."

"Do as you wish… I have something more productive to do."

Once in the hallway, Saja started thinking the situation out. That teleportation spell had a long range, and the kitsune might even be out of the continent now. However, if she wanted to remain undisturbed, she would do it in a zone where the ensuing fight wouldn't attract attention. Even if she had likely prepared for a move from her fellow Heavenly Knights, she probably wished to keep them out of her personal attempt to grab the hero for herself.

But the fox would likely attempt to rile the hero up and fight in a dramatic place… That limited the options. The only ones that came to her mind where this very castle, which was unlikely, as well as the Navel of the World, and the ruined city of Remina. If she was fast enough she could visit both.

But first things first, Kanade was currently hanging around the castle to cleanse the area. If the slime accepted to share a large part of her vitality with her to at least restore her true form, she would be way more comfortable dealing with what could happen next.

A small hour earlier, Tamamo No Mae was touring one last time the castle she had prepared before her meeting with the hero Luka. She had passably restored the place to make sure it would hold during their inevitable clash, and several spells were ready to activate to make sure that they wouldn't be disturbed. She summoned an orb and took a quick look at the hero who was now travelling on the Garuda Girl with Saja and an unexpected passenger. Her expression didn't change. Yao would be able to handle their surprise guest without issue, and would even pass a good new the latter would no doubt appreciate. She pushed a satisfied sigh as she sat on the half-ruined throne. Her fellow Heavenly Knights were too busy with their own work to intervene until it was too late, her fellow Ancestors were likely already quarreling with one another, and a harsh lesson would soon be given. She detected a projection spell not far in front of her. Good, right on time…

The next instant, an image of the Dark Goddess appeared in front of her. Tamamo No Mae recognized that the first Monster Lord hadn't changed in the slightest, and although her more primal appearance differentiated her a lot from her daughter, she still shared the same reptilian appearance, the horns of her head, and the undoubtedly feminine forms. Even her posture with her arms crossed under her chest and her frown reminded Tamamo of her daughter.

"Tamamo No Mae. What do you think you're doing?"

The kitsune clapped the fan open and started refreshing herself.

"As you likely guessed, I am simply acknowledging my legacy as an Ancestor and attempting to get the hero for myself… They had their chance, it is only legitimate that I take mine."

"And without a regard for the world who might need him? Without even a second thought for his wife, the Monster Lord?"

Tamamo clapped her fan close and looked at her mother straight in her eyes.

"Did you ask my sisters the same question before they told they would try to get him and suck him dry? That they would devastate this world I spent millennia to mold to make sure monsters would thrive, all in your name?"

For the first time, the Dark Goddess hesitated when she saw the kitsune's determination to stand up to her. "You might stand a point. But is this something worth risking my descendant over?"

"Do you actually have so little trust in me that you sincerely think that I would run a single risk for your granddaughter, the Monster Lord, the child I personally raised?"

"I'm… Simply concerned that you would make a bad decision after having dealt with so much pressure."

Tamamo's eyes narrowed. "I see… This is a bit too late though. This discussion is over."

She dispelled the projection of the Dark Goddess in a single gesture of her hand. The latter would still have the possibility to watch afterward if she decided to make the effort anyway. The kitsune got up. She slightly regretted her violent actions, but this was a harsh lesson that several people needed. She stepped up from the throne and made her way to a side room secured with a magical barrier only her could pass through. There, the Monster Lord was sleeping comfortably. She delicately checked for her vitals. Her body was fine. She knew everything would be. Hiruko knew her work and the stakes, she wouldn't have hurt the Monster Lord unless there was a very good reason.

Tamamo No Mae checked her magic orb again. The hero was making his final descent toward the castle. She still had some time to kill. Maybe she could even afford to have a small discussion while waiting.

Or maybe not. She hesitated for a moment between waking the lamia up to talk to her and letting her sleep through the whole ordeal. Eventually, she took the decision she thought would be the most favorable on the long term.

"Wake up, you fake hero!"

Luka opened his eyes to see an angry Salamander leaning over him. His whole body felt sore, and when he sat up, he needed a minute to meditate and be able to clearly see his surroundings. His sight was filled by moss-covered ruins that, even if he only saw once or twice in the past, was still able to recognize.

The destroyed city of Remina. He remembered being in the throne room of the castle… Why was he here? Did the Ancestors trap him and kicked him out of the castle? Why would they send him here instead of violating and killing him then? Did they kill Alice first? If so, then why…

"So. Are you convinced now?"

Salamander's harsh tone brought Luka out of his thoughts and back into the present, although he still remained as confused as before.

"What? What do you mean?"

Salamander sighed condescendingly.

"In case you didn't get it, it was a teleporter trap to lead us away from the Monster Lord's Castle. The place we're in is surrounded by a magic barrier to prevent any intervention. Can you at least guess who did it, or do you want me to tell you as well?"

Luka sighed. "You think it's Tamamo. I got it…"

"What?! You don't believe me? Who else was in the Monster Lord's Castle? Who else is a magic specialist? Who else uses devious traps again and again?"

Luka stood up to Salamander, even as he felt his muscles struggle to even keep him standing. "The same one who raised Alice unconditionally, trained me repeatedly, fostered peace and warned us about the impending crisis caused by the return of her family."

The Fire Spirit was aghast.

"Are you for real? Why do you-"

"Hang on. Salamander is right on the fact that Tamamo is the most likely culprit for this teleportation, but I want to give her the benefit of the doubt as to why she did it."

Salamander groaned. "Of course, the slimy mermaid is against me!"

"Yes. Now get back in Luka and let's move forward. If you're right, you're allowed to tell me I told you so as often as you want. I'll even visityou in that damn volcano."

"Tch! Fine… Luka, you better be prepared for combat! I'm sure she's the one who orchestrated the Monster Lord's replacement! At least you saw through that one..."

Luka steadied his breath as Salamander disappeared and he felt her fiery presence once again inside him. As he checked around him, he could better examine the buildings. Even taking into account the thirty years of disrepair, it was clear that the town had been razed to the ground extremely brutally. The only exception was a larger structure down a less overgrown path, probably the king's castle. The hero cautiously stepped forward, and warily looked around him in case those monstrous chimera beasts he had met the first time were still around. He reached his goal undisturbed, and a moat that was half-filled with stagnating water and surrounding the large towers confirmed him that the building was indeed the central castle of Remina. He focused on the entrance, letting his supernatural senses run wild. He couldn't see what was beyond the entryway, even if the main door was broken down.

He carefully stepped in, his sword high and prepared for any trap that could be thrown at him. Several magic symbols were half concealed under the rubble present, and the hero slowly stepped around them. He didn't know exactly what they would do, and didn't want to find for himself. He kept progressing through ruined hallways for several minutes before he noticed he was running in circle. He heard Salamander sneer.

"And she placed a room loop. Classic. Foreseeable."

Luka groaned. "How am I supposed to clear it?"

"Just go back from where you came from, you oaf!"

The hero silently nodded and turned back. And indeed, he ended in a new, large dilapidated room with a large set of stairs at the center. He gulped loudly, and took the time to observe the ruins of the castle: The place was well built and had likely been fortified to sustain assaults after assaults. He wondered how everybody reacted when angels and chimera beasts stepped in. However, thirty years after, even their skeletons had disappeared for a reason.

Eventually, a small voice in the back of his mind interrupted him and told him that he was just trying to delay the inevitable. He had to face whoever was likely waiting for him upstairs. As he climbed up, he noticed that the place was cleaner, as the rubble and overgrowth had been removed. He felt his heart sink when he saw Tamamo No Mae in her ancestral form at the other end, patiently waiting, sitting on the throne as she was fanning herself while watching him from afar.

"I called it."

"Yes, now please shut up, we have a bigger issue at hand."

"Oy, what was that? Can't you at least give me the respect I am owed for once?"

"There's a time and place for everything, and now there are neither!"

"Stop trying to evade the subject!"

With much difficulties, Luka shut off the spirit from his mind and slowly walked toward Tamamo, half-walking and half-limping. She finally started speaking when he was right in front of the throne.

"Finally… Hero Luka, you reached me and successfully avoided my traps."

"I got Salamander's help."

"Honest to a fault, aren't you? But it doesn't matter. Being able to surround oneself with the good persons is a valuable skill in life"

"Just tell me where Alice is, please. I just want her to get back on the throne and get this whole mess with your sisters over with."

Tamamo frowned. "No. She has displayed a selfishness unfitting for someone who is reigning over the most powerful force in the world. This is all the more insulting after all the efforts I poured in her education to make sure she would be a fitting ruler."

Luka felt his throat unusually dry up, even as the spirits kept arguing in his mind. "She still always listened to you and thanked you…"

"Thanked me?" She clapped her fan close and dramatically stood up. "For each time she uttered thanks, she pushed me back twice. For each time she acknowledged my help, she bullied me and my fellow kitsunes. For all the effort I did to protect the ones close to me, I only got scorn and disrespect in return at best!"

Luka raised an eyebrow in front of the kitsune's outburst. Still, Tamamo recovered her composure extremely fast and hid her expression behind her fan.

"I spent so much time watching everyone make errors from the shadow… I used to draw plans beyond everyone's imagination, and all too often I saw them crumble because of a foolish mistake outside my control… And you saw my latest great scheme. You currently enjoy it."

"You are telling me that coexistence is one of your plan? That... I was your pawn in it?"

"It would be more exact to say that the moment I laid eyes upon you, I realized I could fulfill my mission to the Dark Goddess… If humans, angels and monsters coexisted side-by-side instead of fighting each other, then I could finally comfortably rest." She slowly walked down the stairs leading from the throne. "With Ilias' death, that goal was finally reached!" Luka saw her figure illuminate with a grateful smile that turned into a downcast frown just as soon as it appeared. "And then you brought me news of Minagi. Everything went downhill from there… I learned that my sisters would be free and would gladly treat this world as their sandbox, that mother didn't see any problem with that, then finally I nearly got killed… Luckily…" She pointed at her fan with Luka and smiled. "You were there each time to stop them, and I never properly thanked you for that…"

Already understanding her intention, Luka raised both of his hands. "I'm not interested. As I said, I just want Alice to be back on the throne and have that all mess be over with. And I'm sure you do too…"

Tamamo clapped her fan close and frowned at Luka. The hero didn't falter in the slightest. She gasped, then started chuckling before exploding into full-blown laughter, bent in two. Luka hesitatingly took a few steps backwards until she calmed down.

"That might just be the first time someone outright rejects what I offer without a divine intervention! I admire your loyalty, boy, you have no idea how much the human lords I played with were ready to throw their own under the bus simply to get a chance to taste this body." She licked her lips as she looked at Luka. "But that only makes you more desirable… By the way, do you know why I made sure we met in Remina?"

Luka kept a neutral expression, not wanting to invite Tamamo to go down a path that would make her just like her sisters.

"Of all the human kingdoms and locations, this place is the only one where my plans never pulled through. I never got to destroy one of its leaders, nor did I waltzed through the streets while watching the city crumble after one of my plan bore to fruition… Oh, don't get me wrong, I had a few one-night stands with most of the men and women on the throne, but I never did develop a longer relationship with them. The biggest reason was that it always was the city of coexistence, where monsters and humans happily mingled together and I didn't have a single reason to attack it. Today, however, I have no reason to hold back..."

"What about Alice? What about my children with her?"

"She never cared. Do you expect anything else from her?"

"Shut up Salamander!"

"I will still take care of them. Contrary to what everyone seems to think, my duty to protect the Monster Lord remains first and foremost in my mind. I'll simply spend a few additional months reigning in her stead while teaching her again a few lessons she seemed to have forgotten." She smiled devilishly. "I'll probably take you myself in front of her a few times to help her understand that what is acquired can be lost. It will be the price she will have to pay."

"Tamamo…" Luka gulped loudly as he still felt his sore body. He didn't want to fight her, but he felt his hand gradually being forced in that direction. "Please. I already fought you once. All the other Ancestors are either at peace or neutralized. I'm exhausted… I just want us to go back in the castle and rest."

"Of course she wouldn't even have the honor to let you rest first before fighting you. Underhanded tricks is how she always got what she wanted!"

The kitsune dramatically sighed. "I didn't survive for that long by playing fair against an egomaniac goddess and her cohorts. If I had given up, monsters would have been crushed under her heel. Even as I was left for dead… Even as all hopes seemed lost I had to stand when no one else could!"

She summoned a few fox-fires and twirled her fan threateningly. "Show me that you have the same resolve! Show me that you are ready to fight until the end!"

Luka finally grabbed his sword and raised his guard.

"I told you so! Finally! I wanted to take her down a few pegs!"

Luka heard Undine sigh. "Hold fast, Luka. Sorry, if I knew Salamander was right, I would have used some power to help you recover first."

The hero didn't have time to answer as the kitsune started casting her fox-fires while surrounding herself with a magical barrier. Luka dodged the magical flares and slashed at her protection to test it before jumping back to avoid her tails. The kitsune pushed her riposte by creating a whirlwind with her fan, surprising the hero and destabilizing him. One of her foxfire hit him straight in the chest, and he gritted his teeth as he endured the burning sensation. Still using her fan, she attempted to swat him away. The hero didn't move in the slightest, and Tamamo jumped back with a somersault to avoid the large comet that partly wrecked the castle's structure.

"Flash Kill!"

He then rushed forward in a blink and slashed through Tamamo's shield, and the kitsune felt Angel Halo's cold bite before she managed to swat Luka back with her fan, tossing the hero across the room. She sneered and fanned herself.

"Come on, Luka! I know you can do better than that! Get serious!"

The hero groaned and slowly got up, using Angel Halo as a crutch to stand up. The access to the first floor was now blocked by a shield, and it was clear that Tamamo wouldn't release it until they were done.

"What are you waiting for?! Attack her!"

Luka felt a boost of energy in his body and charged headfirst a smiling Tamamo. His attack only met air as the illusion disappeared, and the kitsune surprised Luka by reappearing on his side before slashing open his chest with her fan as she stepped behind him, projecting blood everywhere on her kimono before accumulating energy in her tails to deal the finishing blow.

She suddenly interrupted her attack and gasped, her whole body freezing for a second in shock when she realized what she had just done.

"No… No!"

She rushed at Luka's side before his body hit the ground, slowing her fall with her tails and shaking her negatively left and right.

"Sorry Luka… I didn't mean to… I didn't want to! Why did you attack me so recklessly?! Gnome should have reduced that attack to a scratch! Please! Answer me! I beg you!"

The hero's body didn't move in the slightest, even as Tamamo tried to stimulate him. The kitsune started sobbing, and, enraged, punched the ground with all her might.

The shockwave made the already fragilized castle collapse on the duo, and Tamamo threw herself across Luka's body to protect him."

"Ribs broken, lung shredded, windpipe opened and carotid cut… Wow, she didn't went halfway on this one!"

Hiruko was kneeled on Luka's side amongst the ruins of the castle, carefully using her tentacles on Luka's open wound to heal him, sewing him back with her innate biology skills while injecting compatible blood in his system, all to make sure that the hero would come out fine of this ordeal without worse than a huge scare.

"Just heal him… And please keep your comments to yourself. How is Tamamo doing?"

A whispering voice coming from behind her large slab answered. "Head trauma. Her skull didn't even split open. The slab hitting her head didn't have this chance."

Kanade gestured with a slime tentacle to a large rectangular stone freshly split in two. In the meantime, she was tending to Tamamo's head wound, her slime wrapping a large gash on the kitsune's forehead.

"Great. At least they're both alive. Does any of you know what happened?" The now unsealed Saja slithered closer to Hiruko, making it clear that she was addressing her in particular. The scylla grimaced.

"Well… She was looking particularly gloomy, and I told her doing one of her prank just like old time would put her in a better mood…"

"And she risked the life of the Monster Lord for her game… Saja glared at the unconscious fox. She has a lot to answer for."

"Awww… Come on, you know Tamamo, she wouldn't be that reckless! I mean, the Monster Lord got teleported safely to land in her lieutenant's hands. I bet she did it just before she started fighting the hero to rile him up while still making sure she was safe…" Hiruko retracted her tentacles from Luka. Although his wound had disappeared, the hero was still in a sorry state, his half shredded clothes covered in blood while he himself was unusually pale.

Saja nodded, silently agreeing. It was even that teleportation that brought her attention to Remina. The spell had Tamamo's signature all over it. She initially decided to go in alone, but Hiruko had felt guilty, Minagi was unusually worried, and Kanade wanted to take a break from her current task after purifying several springs. They arrived here just in time to see the castle collapse and the barrier surrounding the place fall apart.

Saja silently slithered to Minagi's side. The succubus was on Tamamo's side, trying to understand what went through the kitsune's mind. In an atypical display of frustration the succubus sighed.

"She just thought that she was in everyone's dog house."

Saja raised an eyebrow. "Mother respected her, she's the Monster Lord's advisor… What do you mean?"

"Her mind is filled with anger. Some of it is from herself, but most of that comes from her feeling of inadequacies after she's been pushed away by others. I'll need to have a little conversation with Kanon and my dear little Astaroth in that regard… I should have guessed Tamamo would have remained bitter after the attempt on her life and hearing again and again that she grew soft. And yet…" She stood up and stretched herself. "I really have to move this body more… Her adoptive daughter also scorned her, she had run-ins with Salamander, and reacted poorly to her friends' remark… At that point, she just wanted to live the good old times."

"Just what she deserves."

"I'm still surprised that she reacted so harshly. She was chosen by mother because she was the most level-headed of us."

Level headed my ass… The only used she makes of her head is for giving.

Minagi shrugged. "In any case…" She moved toward Luka. "I want you to see that I'm using my ribbon, so I'm still not technically touching the hero with my hands…" The cloth wrapped around Luka's exposed waist. "I do not do this in hope of getting any action, but I really, really need to do a lot of talking!"

When she pulled out her ribbon, the cloth was now wrapped around a very surprised Salamander whose face was brought barely an inch to Minagi's own face.

"You're talking too loudly. Let us bring that to my bedroom, shall we?"

The succubus and her prey disappeared in a heartbeat. Saja frowned, but before she could comment, Hiruko surprised her by talking alone.

"Hello? No, it's me… She's doing fine. Just had a small incident with the hero, he's also fine… What? Hooh… Owwwww… We'll be back soon…"

The two remaining Ancestors expectantly looked at their sister. "So that was Tamamo's lieutenant. She's asking for help."

"There's a conflict back in the castle? We left it less than an hour ago? Can't guards handle it themselves?"

"Well… Lilith suddenly returned home, and by Yao's tone, I can say that she isn't happy."

"Wait… She returned to the Monster Lord's Castle alone?"

Hiruko grimaced. "Not exactly…"