To their credit, nobody in the party panicked. The reactions brought on by the new was one of complete jading, as if they all secretly expected something like that or worse to happen. This fortunately helped them to keep their mind clear to analyze their situation.

Tamamo leaned back on the ground for a second before her eyes narrowed. "Ok, so… Who? Why? And How?"

Luka sat himself with his legs crossed, his gaze losing itself amidst the horizon. "Only a few groups would possibly be able to do anything like that: Nuruko, the Apoptosis, the twins and Black Alice. Nuruko is too attached to me to do anything like this, the twins support us, and if the apoptosis could, they would have done it on other occasions. Black Alice might have the ability, and has the strongest motive of all three."

His three companions nodded. "Now as to why… Wouldn't she attack us directly rather than isolate us if she wanted us removed?"

Tamamo shook her head. "You're not thinking like a psychopath would, and that's fortunate, but you have to think like someone who wants some fun no matter if it's at the expense of others. She does it because she wants to toy with our world's inhabitants, and throw them into despair as they beg for the hero Luka to save them as she slaughters them."

"That's… Horrible." Luka sighed and wallowed on the ground. "We shouldn't have come here…" A tear ran onto his face. Alma moved in close to console him.

"Don't be like that Luka-boy…" the succubus hugged him. "We needed to get there anyway to get the blue orb… And we're still all fine, ready to kick the ass of everybody who'll get in our way."

Luka chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry, but I maintain that we still shouldn't have-"

"Sorry to interrupt the upcoming diatribe, but we were deadlocked anyway." Micaela stood up and looked at Luka straight in his eyes, silencing the hero. "We had three possibilities: Proceeding without the blue orb and as such forego the Garuda Girl, but considering they're keystones of true history, trying so would have likely created a powerful burst of chaosization and screwed the world. We already talked earlier about what would have happened if we tried crafting one, and the last possibility… Well, we're in the middle of it. It was the only one case for which we didn't know we could get screwed." She held out her hand to Luka. "So please, don't think it's your fault in any way. Your life's already hard enough with the burden you carry around, don't start taking on your back those that aren't yours."

The hero grabbed his aunt's hand and let her lift him up. "…I'm really going to kill Astaroth for breaking the Blue Orb." Luka's voice was a low growl.

"That I approve. Just make sure you have a good team to do so at the ready when you fight her. She's not known as a legendary succubus for nothing."

"Ohh, I will help you, I also have a beef to fix with her…"

Micaela smiled for a second at the support from Alma Elma. She had shown herself to be surprisingly reliable throughout their adventures.

"Now, let's try thinking about how we could go back home…"

"Nuruko might have just been able to do that, but… We can't contact anyone back home."

Micaela grimaced. "The second other main possibility would be to spread a large amount of chaos by ourselves."

"That'd be bad for a number of reasons."

"The simplest way to do it is… one that was probably thought by Black Alice…"

"And this is?"

"Killing Heinrich before he does Black Alice in."

Luka's eyes widened. "No. Just no. No killing."

"I agree..." Tamamo started fanning herself. "Atlhough I'm not sure what we could do else. The best choice would be attacking landmarks, but considering how much got devastated by the war itself, that would be a drop in the ocean.

"…Even Yamatai?"

"Yamatai wasn't because I was there. And I did treat it like my home."

"Let's forget it then."

"What else remained untouched… The Monster Lord's Castle had to be rebuilt from its foundation after Heinrich decided to end everything with a quadruple giga."

"The Garuda Girl shrine?"

"Impossible to break without going full power. That's going to attract attention before we manage to destroy it."

"Then how about simply killing Black Alice yourself?"

The party turned toward the latest arrival. Everybody recognized Black Alice dressed as a mage, in an attempt at disguise that could only fool someone who had no idea what the real one did look like.

Tamamo sighed. "Of course… Since when are you listening to us?"

"Oh, how rude… I only arrived a minute ago. As for how long I've been listening to you…" She hid her smile under her hat. "I followed your little story since you set foot in my home. I had no difficulty keeping an eye on you."

The whole party awkwardly fidgeted in shame. "Ok, we did drop the ball on that one."

The tension climbed up between them and the one masquerading as Alicetroemeria. The latter was smiling innocently while gauging everyone.

"I apologize for interrupting you, your strange company just seemed… So interesting, it would have been a shame to ignore people travelling from so far away just to plunder only one of my riches!"

Nobody had pulled out any weapon yet, but Micaela and Alma Elma looked like they were ready to lunge at Black Alice, while Tamamo was preparing several spells, and Luka just looked confused.

"Mmmh, I see you're not really at ease. How about you come to my place so that we can discuss it properly? Just don't bring Heinrich into this." Her last sentence was said several octaves lower, making the death threat quite explicit. She disappeared the next second, leaving the group alone. Luka looked around him in confusion. There still was the lingering presence of a powerful threat.

"Sooo… What now?"

Micaela checked her surroundings unusually nervously. "Let's start by going to a more comfortable location. No matter where, I don't care… Just… Somewhere else."

The hero considered his options. If they had to stay away from Heinrich, the only available place was Remina itself. Luka used a harpy feather from his bag and teleported the party back in front of the city. The group made its way to the inn and took an expensive private room for themselves. Just after entering, Tamamo placed several runes around to make sure nobody could spy on them in any way. Once it was clear their temporary hideout had been fittingly fortified, Micaela turned toward everyone.

"We picked up Ilias's attention. And not the good kind, more like the kind one might want to avoid."

"I felt that one too. Do you think Black Alice is also aware?"

"She is." Luka sat down on the chair and massaged his face. "I have the feeling she's completely aware. The question is what she is expecting to happen."

"Sorry, but I couldn't read her." Alma stretched herself. "I mean, read anything new. She's just a pure psychopath with only the smallest stub of emotion, but that was already well established at that point."

Tamamo's ears flattened themselves on top of her head. "And what if her counterpart from our world contacted her? They could be preparing a trap for us right now…"

"And time's against us… Finding a way to get back to our home dimension is a priority. Preferably in a way that wouldn't attract apoptosis attention." Micaela groaned in frustration.

"It's fundamentally impossible. It's like wanting to take a bath without getting wet."

"Sooo… Any plan?"

"We go see what Black Alice wants, fully prepared for a fight. It's not like we have a choice anyway."

Everybody looked at Luka with surprised. Micaela raised a finger in objection, but instantly relented. They indeed had no other lead. She looked at Tamamo who just shrugged, while Alma Elma was apparently not even listening to the conversation. She smirked.

"All right, let's get ready to teach her a lesson."

When Luka and his friends were back in the Monster Lord's Castle, the first thing they noticed was the lower than usual number of monsters roaming in the castle, and that some of them seemed to be about to leave the place. The party members warily made their way to the throne room, keeping their eyes peeled for ambushes. Eventually, they climbed the final set of stairs that led them to their destination.

"Alma Elma? Please, keep an eye on the entrance when we deal with Black Alice. The last thing we want is someone to come attack us from behind."

The throne room itself was simply huge, with large stone pillars present every few meters to support the ceiling, and barely enough torches to illuminate everything. At its end, Black Alice was waiting on her throne, wearing her signature white and blue dress while hugging a teddy bear. She was sporting an evil smile, her eyes narrowed in contempt.

"For a moment, I thought your company would chicken out, fufufu…"

Luka stepped forward, ready to challenge their host. "Well, we're here. What do you want from us?"

Black Alice brought a finger to her mouth while sitting across the armrests of her throne. "Ooh, nothing you know, I just consider you an interesting bunch. I mean an ancient monster, a past lieutenant of Ilias, a succubus queen from the future and the grandson of the man that shall defeat me enter into the Monster Lord's Castle… The jokes write themselves! Don't you agree?"

In front of everyone's silent, severe expression, Black Alice repositioned herself more appropriately. "Mmh. I'd initially thought that such a strange group would show a little more humor, but… It looks like I ended with a bunch of sticks in the mud." She dramatically sighed as she looked at the ceiling.

"But I know how it is… I know that petty goddess plan… Heinrich, her chosen hero, must be the one who slays me, the tyrannical Monster Lord, to boost the currently waning faith in her…" She looked back at the party, who slowly spread apart and readied their weapons. "And she won't let a… Fallen Angel? Whatever you are exist just like that to break her myth. That is just too huge an insult. One she won't tolerate. Wouldn't you agree?" She shrugged. "Soooo… Good luck!"

"There's someone co-"

At the precise moment Black Alice disappeared, Micaela heard Alma Elma's mental message, just being interrupted by the sound of clashing steel. The whole party turned with their weapons raised high, and managed just in time to parry a series of rapid sword strikes.

The assailant was a hooded silhouette that would be unremarkable, if it wasn't for the sheer power emanating from it as well as the bloodlust that transpired.

"Mmmh. That's been quite a long time since someone managed to be a challenge." The feminine voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe you're actually the real deal."

"Lucifina…" Micaela held her sword in a defensive posture. "I suppose we can't discuss this like civilized beings for once?"

Lucifina removed her hood, freeing her long brown hair as well as her blue eyes. "We could… But why would I? If that piece of scrap Black Alice is right -and I have every reason to believe she is-, you know me well enough to know that I wouldn't turn an occasion for a fight down."

"Even if we tell you Ilias intend to save Black Alice?"

The seraph took a look at Luka who just uttered the sentence before exploding into laughter.

"Like hell she would! It's probably the funniest thing I heard from ages! Your parents must enjoy having quite the trickster as a… son…"

Her laughter completely ceased as she more thoroughly examined Luka. Her eyes narrowed.

"Undine."

In the blink of an eye, Luka dodged the angel's piercing attack, and Lucifina found herself on the receiving end of a surprisingly violent punch from Alma Elma. She tumbled back and lost the robe that made for her disguise, revealing her full, slim body barely covered by a yellow cloth barely thicker than a ribbon as well as her angelic wings. She meditated to heal her wounds and snarled.

"I don't know with WHO and WHY, but I certainly won't make that mistake here! I can as well erase it now!"

In the meantime, Micaela and Tamamo both turned into their true form, ready to face the hostile seraph. The two of them joined Alma Elma and started supporting her in her deadly dance with Lucifina. Each fighter was moving at a lightning speed, attacking their opponent in a flurry of blows before moving back before a possible counterattack could harm them. Luka was still hanging back slightly, his mind slightly dazed over what was happening.

I'm fighting my mother.

Luka finally jumped in the fight to support his allies, albeit reluctantly. He deviated a strike that was aimed at Tamamo, who gratefully moved back and started focusing on casting spells to support the party while weakening Lucifina. While most talismans the kitsune threw at her target were ineffective, a few of them hit and actually worked, occasionally forcing the seraph to switch her position to avoid suffering a storm of fire or a supernatural hurricane, preventing her to gain any advantage.

I'm facing my mother because Ilias sent her.

The small team was slowly but surely gaining the upper hand against the bloodthirsty seraph. They pushed their assault on her while she kept moving back to avoid being surrounded, as while she could overpower her opponents individually, their combined assault supported by the kitsune was a challenge even for her skills.

Ilias sent her because Micaela came into Black Alice's throne room.

Lucifina took on a strike from Micaela that barely notched her skin, and focused on trying to perforate her son from another dimension with a flurry of rapid sword strikes. While a few of them successfully landed, they were barely enough to make the hero stumble back and mark his armor, only the smallest trail of blood from a gash on his arm really testified of the effectiveness of her assault.

Micaela came here because Black Alice back home blocked us here. I'll kill her.

Luka's assault started intensifying as he unconsciously summoned Salamander, imbuing his strikes with the wrath of an erupting volcano. Lucifina tried another series of rapid strikes, but got surprised by a wave of magic that made her lose her step as she shivered in pleasure, her nervous system excessively stimulated. She swore loudly and focused her attention back on the succubus with a single powerful attack, but Alma Elma's supernatural speed helped the succubus dodge it, albeit barely. A small scar appeared on her waist.

We initially came here because we need the blue orb because Astaroth broke it. I'll kill her too.

Lucifina moved back. Instantly, Micaela placed a ward on her. Taking the cue, Tamamo and Alma Elma instantly stopped their assault and moved back while maintaining defensive stances, ready for the moment the seraph would jump back into the fray to attack them.

Luka, however, ignored every signal and continued attacking the seraph that was another version of his mother.

We need the blue orb because we have to save the world from Black Alice while trying to stay as close to true history as possible by summoning the Garuda Girl. Kill.

A comet appeared from nowhere and crashed on the hero while wrecking an impressive part of the Monster Lord's castle. Lucifina chuckled darkly before feeling a sign of magic in the rubble. Luka instantly rose up with an impressive amount of already drying blood on his face. His frustration was turning into rage.

"Luka ?!" The hero barely heard the voice, as if it echoed from far away underwater through his shrouded mind. He returned to assaulting the seraph again. While Lucifina was still smiling, a single trace of doubt started creeping through her mind. She parried an extremely violent attack that tore a large slab from the ground, and felt her mind slow down again as both Alma Elma and Tamamo started casting spells while Micaela stepped in to help her nephew.

And we have to stop Black Alice because fucking Ilias gave her holy powers. Kill. Kill.

As she parried another strike from her sister, actual hesitation started taking root in Lucifina's mind. It had been several minutes, and it was clear from the start that dealing with them wouldn't be that easy. Why wasn't Ilias sending more angels? Discretion for this assassination was now out of the question.

Her short moment of loss put her at a critical disadvantage. Both Micaela and Luka attacked at the same time, and she could only dodge or parry one without putting herself at risk. She parried her sister's own assault, and a large gash on her arm appeared where the hero hit her.

Just as Luka's attack connected with her arm, she realized Tamamo's eyes were glowing, fully focused on her. The kitsune's insidious attack had been more dangerous than most strikes she had endured for the past minutes. Her focus had been broken, and she was now paying the price.

And then we'll have to kill that bitch Ilias to restore the mana flow to be able to summon that damned garuda girl. Version of Ilias that are guarded by her dumbass angels from another world. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Luka continued attacking the wounded seraph as his sight was covered by a veil of rage. The young man had pulled himself out of his darkness induced apathy to fall into the pit of the deepest rage, and he was taking it on the one who was currently attacking his party. Micaela managed to disarm Lucifina, but Luka wasn't content with just that and kept attacking the seraph who was now trying to flee for her life. Unfortunately for her, while the hero was slower, he still managed to catch up and his reach was enough to completely slash one of her wing, bringing up a cry of pain from the seraph. He still didn't stop and continued his assault, his violent strikes drawing blood from the seraph who only looked at her incoming death with a mix of fear and rage.

The remainder of his party was standing back, staring at the hero who was slaying the image of his mother with an extreme violence as her limbs started flying around. A supernatural tremor shook the earth the moment Lucifina died, and, suddenly, an all too familiar voice echoed in Micaela's ears as a form suddenly appeared in the middle of the ruins.

"Class three cross world contact. Eliminate."

Of course, those fucking apoptosis monsters arrive. They're just fucking useless. I'll kill them too right after. Kill. Kill. KILL. KILL.

Luka charged at the newcomer without caring for his own self. Adramelech parried the assault and knocked back the hero violently, throwing him a few meters back. She summoned a large shield and bashed the hero's head, knocking him unconscious.

Micaela swallowed loudly as she was propelled back into the nightmare of their exploration of Sabasa's Tartarus. Several apoptosis had appeared, and she had to hold a few away while Adramelech was taking down her nephew. That damn apoptosis had nearly got her killed in the past. She braced herself for the monster's assault when she could feel another high class apoptosis appear. If they were two and with the distance the team had to cover to escape, their chances to survive were-"

"MOONLIGHT CANNON!"

A beam of pure light blasted the second apoptosis back an impressive distance, and Micaela swore she heard the monster hit a mountain back. The seraph turned to see Tamamo collapse as she returned in her small form. In the meantime, Alma Elma had engaged Adramelech, and while the succubus queen was having difficulties, she was holding her own alone fairly well. The seraph finally jumped in to support her.

"Don't kill her! She'll only revive! We must kick her away too!"

Alma nodded, and when Micaela started exchanging blows with the apoptosis, Alma Elma stepped back and started focusing her energy in her fist. Understanding the succubus' plan, Micaela fought defensively as her partner prepared her strike. Micaela noticed a small change in the wind behind her, and stepped on the side. The next instant, a giant fist of wind punched Adramelech across, throwing her in the same direction as the other apoptosis.

Micaela sighed in relief. "I feared the worst for a moment, there... Luka!"

The duo briskly made their way to Luka. Micaela used her magic to heal him, but he curiously remained unconscious.

Alma Elma shook her head. "It's strange… It's like his mind is gone…"

"Well, he felt he lost control of his adventure, now he lost control of himself. Take Tamamo, I'll carry him. Move!"

The duo flew at high speed toward Tartarus after Alma Elma grabbed the kitsune with her tail. The world around them seemed to quake periodically, and they could see parts of it being swallowed whole by chaos. Micaela was aghast at the consequences of their actions, but they had no time to focus on it. They flew down the hole that had reappeared in the Gold region, and landed at the bottom, rushing all the while and gracefully dodging the attacks from the apoptosis as they stepped through the ruins of a chaosized Remina. Micaela pushed her nephew against the door, and was relieved to see it opening. That whole situation was too familiar, and this time, there was nobody waiting for them on the other side. Still, she managed to carry Luka safely while Alma Elma destroyed any apoptosis that tried making their move toward them in a single punch. Finally, they reached the ladder that made for the entrance of the Tartarus.

When they reached the surface, Micaela was breathing heavily as she looked at her unconscious nephew, then at the succubus queen who wiped a small trail of blood from her mouth, then at her load, who seemed to fidget slightly, confirming she was indeed alive. She then looked around her and could see chaos spreading while apoptosis-type monsters were slowly walking eastwards, toward the Devastated Plains. She swore under her breath. There was no time to lose.

She grabbed a harpy feather from Luka's backpack while the succubus queen lifted the hero, and the team teleported back at the Pocket Castle. The first thing she saw were a few monsters preparing their equipment to depart for a fight. When they entered the Pocket Castle, the inn at the entrance had been turned into an infirmary, and mermaids freed Alma Elma and Micaela from their burden.

A few seconds later, the queen of Grand Noah descended from upstairs, almost stumbling on her way. While her attitude was still dignified, she showed up obvious signs of exhaustion and stress.

"Welcome back, I'm sorry to announce that one of the worst case scenarios has come to happen."