Tamamo wrapped her tails around the battle-scarred wolf girl, taking her by surprise and making her drop her spear. She then proceeded to throw her on the ground a few times before releasing her, completely stunned.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this match's winner is once again Fluffing Maid!"
She basked in the crowd's cheers for a few seconds. She had to admit it, even if the vengeance from her fellow knight felt slightly humiliating and ridiculous, she did enjoy fighting in the colosseum. It was an occasion as good as any to stay physically sharp, and, for once, she could fight without having the pressure of the world's safety on her shoulders. She waved back to the crowd a few times as she went back to the arena's entry.
She happily hummed a small song as she straightened her outfit out. Tamamo was surprised to find that it was designed to be extremely practical to move around. There was no doubt that Alma Elma was indeed the one who designed it, and the kitsune felt dirty just thinking about the ways the succubus queen likely already used it.
Well… If anything, the "punishment" would soon be over. There was only one fight remaining, and even if most challengers she had faced so far were skilled, Tamamo was in a league of her own. She just hoped that while Alma Elma was enjoying the show, the succubus queen wouldn't keep bringing it on and distract everyone from their duty...
A few minutes later, the door opened once again as the guard led her in the arena for the final fight. The crowd was already cheering wildly.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Let us welcome the challengers for the final of the ultimate beast tournament! First, the hot sensation that served defeat to her opponents and pleasure to our eyes, Fluffing Maid!"
Tamamo waved around, answering the crowd's wild cheering.
"The other finalist is a warrior who showed that under all these clothes, she can handle her staff, no matter how long, please welcome Sticky Business!"
Tamamo smiled and gauged her opponent who was likely doing the same. She was dressed like a Sabasan belly dancer, but had an extremely strong build that was comparable to an amazonness. Her face and her monstrous features were hidden under an elaborate veil, with the only visible feature being a long, relatively thin tail. Last, she was wielding a large quarterstaff that seemed to randomly extend and shrink.
The kitsune's tails tensed as her eyes narrowed on her target. Sun Wukong. That one… Was definitively not a random nor a fortunate encounter. The kitsune inwardly whined about the magical shield used to prevent interference that also prevented her to contact others. Things could get ugly if her opponent's lord appeared to wreck the place…
"Let the fight begin!"
Sun Wukong extended her staff to a disproportionate length and launched a sweeping attack against Tamamo. The kitsune jumped over the staff and rushed straight at her opponent who instantly shrank her staff and raised it defensively. Tamamo disappeared into a puff of smoke and sliced the surprised Monkey Queen's side with her fan. The latter instantly answered with a wind imbued fist that knocked the kitsune away. Tamamo managed to land on her feet while keeping her determined eyes on her opponent. Sun Wukong started casting a dance, and soon several copies of her materialized out of thin air.
Already summoning clones? What an annoyance.
Tamamo summoned the power of a mountain coupled with the power of fire, and turned herself into a ball which proceeded to rush at Sun Wukong. The Monkey Queen swatted her away, and Tamamo crashed in a rumble in the side of the arena. Sun Wukong retracted her staff again, and only then noticed the talisman at its tip. The next second, a seism kicked her up from her feet while blades of wind cut her skin in a tempest. All her clones lost consistence and disappeared while her veil was torn.
Tamamo shook her head to clean her ears of the dirt while the crowd's cheering was getting louder. This time, it was Sun Wukong who rushed at her opponent with a series of rapid-fire holy imbued punches. Tamamo barely managed to tank them before being thrown midway across the colosseum. The kitsune was having difficulties recovering from the assault as she stumbled a bit.
"Sheesh, were you always this weak?" Sun Wukong pointed her quarterstaff at Tamamo. "Tells you what. I can tell you only wanted your fun and won't fight seriously. How about we increase the stakes a little? If you win, I join you and the hero, and if I win, you join me and Black Alice. Deal?"
Something snapped in Tamamo who froze instantly. When she turned toward Sun Wukong, her eyes were blazing with rage. She made two steps toward her oppoent, each making the ground quake. "Counter offer. You win, and I don't rip you apart and scatter your insides through the arena for suggesting that I serve Black Alice." Tamamo spat on the side and healed herself. "I'd rather die than live under her for a single day."
Sun Wukong's expression decomposed while the announcer voiced her thoughts in her usual cheery voice.
"Ooooh, shit! Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like it's going to be one of those fight! Every person scared for their life should probably start running! It looks like Fluffing Maid is going to serve an extra helping of pain!"
Sun Wukong started cloning herself again and summoned a large cloud of dust to conceal herself while trying to create more copies. Several talismans landed around, and storms of rock shards indiscriminately blasted the copies and the real one around.
Every copies rushed at Tamamo while the real one made herself invisible. Each of the Heavenly Knight's tails struck independently of their own accord, swatting the clones like so many dead leaves. Sun Wukong tried to join them to strike down the kitsune, but only when she was midair did she realize her mistake: The kitsune was accumulating an alarming amount of energy and was slowly turning toward her specifically.
"Moonlight Cannon!"
She had forgotten how keen her opponent's magical senses what, and paid the price by being blasted by a beam of pure energy. Her body was projected across the arena and formed a crater in the wall where she landed.
Tamamo was slowly walking toward Sun Wukong, her aura flaring. The monkey queen disappeared and left a decoy in her place. She moved to the side of the kitsune and charged her with a holy fist, and almost stumbled when her assault only met air.
She looked around the arena in confusion, trying to guess from which direction the invisible kitsune would attack. She only noticed too late the shadow above her, when she was covered in talismans.
"Die."
In the blink of an eye, Sun Wukong was swallowed by darkness directly trying to devour her essence. Just as the assault ended, she was hit by the missile that was Tamamo in her ball form. Then a maw rose from the earth to try to hit her. She managed to react just in time to not be crushed by the sheer power of the attack, but as she scrambled around, Tamamo's nine tails hit her simultaneously and threw her around like a doll in the wall of the arena. This time, Sun Wukong felt hers arms getting petrified and realized she could not use any form of healing.
Tamamo's eyes were still blazing with a hatred the monkey queen recognized all too well, and all those that had been its targets were removed from their mortal coil in the following seconds.
She was dead. She was so dead. She was going to get killed in a ridiculous outfit by a weakened ancestor who looked like a child in a just as ridiculous getup, a monster that she pissed off to a level she didn't initially consider possible and certainly not wanted. This was definitively not the end she was looking for.
"Wait… I want to talk… Please…"
She raised a hand in desperation. Nobody was even trying to step in to save her. She would certainly not have come to expect anyone's help when she joined Black Alice.
"I only thought it would be fun…"
"Don't worry. It will be." Tamamo's words were laced with venom. The kitsune's tail rose high above the Monkey queen before she struck down with all her might, creating an earthquake and kicking up a cloud of dust that hid everything.
When it cleared, Tamamo was standing in front of a large crater, and Sun Wukong was still stuck in the wall on the other side, wide eyed. The kitsune was smirking.
"Gotcha."
Sun Wukong coughed a lot before spitting a small blood clot. "That wasn't fun at all!"
"And neither was your offer." Tamamo clacked her fan open and hid her expression. "But you lost, and I want to make it clear that you're only still breathing because I want to. I have several questions for you, and I want you to make up for joining Black Alice by helping us. Deal?"
The Monkey Queen sighed. "You beat me fair and square anyway. And besides, Black Alice sucks. As long as the hero is in it for the fight and not the slaughter, I'm fine with it."
"Well, we have a few issues to deal with, but otherwise…" Tamamo pulled Sun Wukong from the wall.
"…Welcome aboard."
Micaela was calmly meditating under the waterfall in Lyra Falls. She didn't understand if the water had therapeutic properties because of the mermaid's presence or if it was the other way around, but she never felt better, and could feel the flow of the whole world around her. It was this type of moment that she cherished when she was not wielding a blade of light. The tranquility needed to achieve inward piece and be as sharp as the blade she was wielding on the battlefield.
Her senses picked up slight movements at the limit of her perception field. Someone was trying stealthily to make her way to her by flying. It was the grace of one who mastered the wind before walking, but with the step of a naughty child who came to confess his latest prank.
"What is it, Alma Elma?" Micaela had still her eyes closed, but her heart was already racing. "Is it about Luka?"
"Noooope. I'm only here to inform you that Tamamo managed to deprive Black Alice of one of her critical assets."
Micaela's analyzing mind picked up full speed the various clues the succubus gave her. Something naughty, removing one of Black Alice's best assets, Tamamo was fighting in the colosseum…"
"So she managed to recruit Sun Wukong, the one who wrecked the sanctity of Heaven and who even managed to escape me? Impressive."
Alma Elma remained silent and tried to examine the angel.
"You know… I could read anyone in the castle, but I can't tell if you're mad or not."
"Why would I be? Truly that was a streak of fortune that will yield a great result in the long run. I am more than fine with it, as far as I'm concerned."
"So you're not mad?"
"Of course not. I will join you as soon as I finish my meditation."
"Take your time. Also, she told something about two idiots facing off near the mountains east of Magistea Village. I thought you'd be interested to deal with that."
The succubus flew away, leaving a still meditating Micaela under the waterfall. The First seraph focused, and slowly slipped from the rock she was sitting on to end into the stream below. She resurfaced a bit later, planking, her eyes still closed. A small paper was flying, carried by the wind to conveniently land right on the seraph's face. She opened her eyes in annoyance, and read the few words scratched around it.
"Yes, destroying a mountain would be disastrous for chaosization. Please don't. XOXO. Signed: Me."
Tamamo was slightly limping when she was back in the Pocket Castle. Her fight with Sun Wukong had actually done quite a number on her, but it wouldn't stop her from carefully helping Luka. She stopped a few meters before his room, as the sight of the small form of Ilias greeted her. Both of them looked suspiciously at each other.
"Hello, Ilias, did you need anything?"
"I only wanted to check how Luka was doing with your… support."
"Or were you worried that I would try manipulating him? It takes one to know one."
"You're just projecting here. I'm only saying the truth."
Tamamo's eyes narrowed. "Then what are you really doing here? I don't remember you caring much for those under you."
Ilias sighed. "Look, you remember that Lucifina went from a psychotic blood crazed warrior only looking for her next fight to a caring mom. You've seen Micaela go from cold, ruthless strategist to a village chief that wanted nothing more than welcome all those that felt lost and wanted peace. And you yourself went from a monster that wrecked kingdom to suck its inhabitants dry to one of the last defender of this world."
She started tearing up. "In the meantime I lost everything. I realized what it meant living at the bottom. Look at me!" She gestured at her body. "If we fought now, you could tear me apart before I even manage to start calling for help! So please, can you accept that I also changed? We even have the same goals, the same purpose! I don't want you to like me, I only want you to accept to work with me. At least for Luka's sake."
Tamamo looked on the sight, slightly ashamed. Ilias was a hundred percent right. "…Sorry. It's just those last months have been so crazy…"
Ilias nodded. "The Monster Lord's bloodline in this world died because an alternate version of you couldn't be bothered to care. I understand that. We're defined by those we care and who care about us, and…" Ilias shook her head. "I failed to remember this lesson twice. I know there can't be a third time. This world won't allow me to. Soooo…" She held out her hand with a sad smile. "Until we sort this whole mess out… partner?"
Tamamo looked at Ilias's hand for a second.
"…You know that I asked Sun Wukong to join us, right?"
Ilias chuckled. "Please just keep her pointed at Black Alice. Let her get a taste of her own medicine."
The kitsune smiled back and took the small angel's hand. "Partner then. Let's start our work by helping your grandson."
The duo entered the hero's room after knocking to see him lying face down on a pillow. He instantly emitted a displeased groan, informing the two newcomers that he was still alive and somewhat displeased with the intrusion.
Tamamo jumped right by his side and poked his face with a tail.
"Come on Luka! There's even someone else who came here."
Luka opened an eye to see Ilias gently smiling. The hero groaned again. "Sorry to have pulled you through the mud like that. I was an idiot."
"It's okay… I was neither a great goddess nor a good companion either…"
"Now Luka, you said last time that you wanted to ask questions?"
The hero sat himself on the bed, with the marks from the sheet still present on his face.
"…I wanted to know the whole truth about my mother Lucifina. I've seen how Lucifina-chan can be and… I wonder how she really was and what happened to change her that much."
Tamamo and Ilias awkwardly looked at each other. Ilias was the first to talk. "I'll start by saying that she was first and foremost very energetic, and…" She looked down, ashamed. "Let's just say she was a projection of my more destructive side. At first, I didn't give it much thought, she was just what she was, and she loyally followed me. That was enough for me, and I was even glad to have her by my side like that when the war with monsters started. She was one of the brightest light against darkness."
Tamamo frowned. "She might have been the best warrior walking the earth, but in term of cruelty, she could hold a candle to any of us in our worst days. She was such a blood knight she wasn't even happy when you came up with your plan to have us sealed to get rid of us."
"Consider yourself lucky that Micaela didn't judge necessary to share your escape from the seal with her."
Tamamo cleared her throat. "The most important is, she hated manipulation enough to rebel when you decided to keep Black Alice rather than kill her. Since she wanted to be left alone, she had to seal her power to disappear from your sight, and that's pretty much when she actually started changing. I suppose finding herself on equal ground with all those she considered inferior humbled… her…"
Ilias and Tamamo looked once more at each other. "I think everybody would agree that going from the top of the food chain of the world to just being another inhabitant would take anyone down a few pegs. And I think it's safe to say we speak from experience."
"…And then?"
"And then she fell for Marcellus. I still have no idea why even today, but she did. Then you were born and she cared for you. I suppose at that point she was that caring mother you always knew."
Luka sighed. "I wonder if I make her proud…"
Ilias instantly threw herself in the breach that she noticed. "As of now? I'm sorry to say, but no, you currently don't. As I said first and foremost, she was always energetic. She never let little things such as the death of all those under her get in the way of her day. She kept fighting, and eventually, she changed for the better."
At first, Tamamo was surprised by the seemingly harsh words from the goddess, but she decided to press in herself. "She changed because she wanted a better world, and had come to the realization that she needed to act herself. Be the change that she wanted to see."
"Besides." Ilias grinned evilly at Tamamo. "She also wanted to peeve us by living happily. That was quite the message."
Luka groaned again, his head hanged down in a mix of shame and depression. "What am I doing with my life…"
"You've taken quite a few hard hits. You lost a close childhood friend. Then you lost several other friends. And then the monster lord you've already worked with -even if it was in another time- died. You'd really have to be the last of the psychopath to not care." Tamamo ended her sentence by fanning herself, as she suddenly felt uncomfortable.
"You're an actual hero… I wish everybody that carried the title in the past was as selfless as you. Even if you cross with monsters, you help people selflessly because you can. And you have a lot of support at your disposition." Ilias held out her hand to the hero. "Luka, please, you're the best hope for this world!"
Luka sighed, before giving a small smirk and taking Ilias's hand. "Fine. I guess I can at least try for all of you."
"Thank you. Now rest, brave hero Luka, for getting the remaining six orbs and the fight through Snow Heaven will be long and difficult. Be ready to fight."
"I will. I won't disappoint you."
The two young-looking girls left through the door. As they were back in the hallway, Tamamo happily shrugged. "Well, it's not the solution I hoped for… But it's a first step in the right direction. Thanks."
Ilias raised her head high and haughtily declared. "It's natural for a goddess to be able to rouse a hero's spirit. After all, I was the one who pushed heroes to surpass themselves against all odds."
Tamamo raised an eyebrow while grimacing. Upon seeing her interlocutor's confused and passably hostile expression, Ilias raised her hands defensively. "Sorry, I wanted to see how you would react to the old past me."
"Not really well. And besides, even if he's active again, it will still take time for him to recover something resembling the spirit of a hero. We're not done yet, the path in that direction is a very long one."
When they entered the completely empty pub, Ilias whispered into Tamamo's ear. "You know… Should it come to the worst case, I'm pretty sure we could awaken the dormant ruthlessness that he seems to have inherited from his mother and just turn him toward Black Alice's goons…"
The kitsune answered with a jaded tone. "Do you really want another version of Lucifina running around? Or a post-Black-Alice Heinrich again?"
Ilias raised her arms defensively. "No, no! Sorry for even suggesting that, that was… just dumb."
Tamamo shrugged. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that it was a desperate idea. We have to focus on supporting Luka on his quest to get the orbs. Let's sure his current energy is put to a good use. We still have orbs to get and rumps to kick."