Luka was walking through the halls of the castle while shifting uncomfortably. There was one loose end he wanted to tie up before the assault on Snow Continent, and simply thinking about it made him nervous. As he reached his destination, he steadied himself, even using the power of the earth to boost himself. Then he finally knocked at the last obstacle between him and the next fight: A simple, but almost unbreakable door.
"Enter!" The voice on the other side was extremely enthusiastic.
Luka entered the room, and was surprised by the relatively messy, weapon-covered floor.
"Luka!"
He was not midway when Lucifina-chan threw herself at him to hug him. At that precise moment, he was glad to have summoned the power of the earth, as he felt that the small seraph's grip could have shattered his spine. She hugged him for a few awkwardly long minutes before she finally let him go free, and sat on the bed.
"What can mommy do for you? You just have to ask!"
"Well… I only had to ask one question… I wanted to know about what happened between you and… Morrigan…"
Lucifina-chan looked up, her feet swaying by the side of the bed. "Well, people from other worlds were making Luka sad, and she was from another world, and I can't accept that someone made my Luka sad!"
"But why did you kill her?" The hero tried to keep a neutral tone, but he could feel his voice slightly crack. He didn't particularly hold a strong affection for the succubus, having only few good memories of her which mostly involved nightly activity, and Alma Elma had stepped in to fill his cravings just as fine. Still, she was one of his friend, an ally, and her death at the end of another of his companion had only served in feeding his self-loathing issues further.
"What else?" Lucifina-chan shrugged. "Besides! That was funny to see her beg for her life!"
"That was excessive and cruel! I mean, I wanted to punish her for contacting her sisters, but I didn't want her to die!"
He looked at Lucifina-chan to see an expression of confusion on her face, as if he was speaking in another language. Emotions were mixing in his mind: the anger at the seraph's happiness for murdering one of his companion, regret at the death of the succubus, but the predominant one was fear. Fear to lose the seraph, and fear to see that tragedy repeat again. It was a miracle that nothing like that happened earlier considering his colorful teammates, but it didn't make it any better. If anything, he expected an incident to come from Spider Princess or Cassandra. Not from one of his closer partner.
Eventually, he remembered Tamamo's lessons and realized how he could reach her.
"I mean, you're my friend, right?"
Lucifina-chan looked offended. "I'm closer to you than any friend! I'm your mother!"
"Then why did you kill my friend? It… Made me sadder than everything else you or she did."
Luka could finally see guilt appearing on Lucifina-chan's face.
"I mean… She did cause me some issues, but… She was a friend, and even then, I don't want my friends to attack each other… I want them to talk to solve their conflict and go on together well…" Noticing that the seraph was now deflating more and more, he decided to put the final nail in that coffin. "You disappointed me."
She was now sniffling. "I'm… I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"
"I don't know if I can…" He shook his head negatively. "You did a lot for me, but…"
"I will do anything!" She was almost begging him on her knees.
"Well… You can start by fighting as hard as you can to defend the apoptosis getting closer to Ilias Village. But first, please swear that you won't attack any of my friend again."
"I swear! Do you forgive me?"
"…Later."
Lucifina-chan was still tearing up when Luka silently left. The hero felt bad for manipulating her like that just like Tamamo taught him, but the feeling of guilt the seraph was going through was a big enough punishment for now. As he stepped away, he started feeling lighter. It was just a small action that didn't give him the succubus back (as even if she was a questionable companion, she still had uses), but he no longer felt the guilt gnawing at the back of his mind.
He didn't even hold it against his aunt for hiding the issue. He wasn't happy about it either, but there was no ill intent.
And besides, his focus was already on something else. It was time to prepare the strike that would save them.
The MS Fish was gliding on the sea, not making the smallest splash on the water, the enchantments covering its sails and its bridge reflecting and diffracting the moonlight. Everybody aboard was deadly silent, not making a single noise as they were still getting closer and closer to the coast of the Snow Continent. As they got closer, there wasn't a single sign of an angel before the entrance.
"It looks like what we learned about her is right. Strategy isn't Uriela's forte."
"There's strategy not being her forte, and then there's…that. All the angels above us are looking at the horizon. A monster could come from under the water to attack the coast, they'd notice it at the last moment…"
"They're just overly confident. A slow and insidious killer if anything…"
"It's going to be a fast one here… Ok, be prepared to land. Don't forget the equipment, and, most of all, use everything when the time's right, and don't mix them up. That one's for the beach, that one for angels, and that one for Lilith."
"I understood everything already, don't be patronizing! And I maintain that it is a stupid plan… All that to earn time…"
"And avenge the Monster Lord… And still, thanks you for going with it Erubetie."
"I'm fine, just… Please make sure that the hero will make this one count for my kin."
"I did, and I will again."
"Thank you."
A few people landed in complete silence on the coast, carefully bringing with them marked crates and satchels. Using every one of their skills, they hid themselves amongst the snow, making sure that neither a single noise disturbed the silent night, nor that a single spot of snow was marked or stained by their presence. The angels might be tired by their unending, standing vigil, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
And so the boat left silently, eerily gliding on the water once more like a ghost, the tension aboard rising by the second. After a few more hours of sailing around the Snow Continent, the ship got closer to the mountain, and the smallest splash of water could be heard as the boat touched the rocky side as slowly as it could. A number of concealed shapes got down.
"Let's get started, we have until dawn for opening and closing that path, afterwards even with the concealing spells we're too likely to get detected by angels."
"Mmmh, that will sure last longer than Luka… And its size…"
"Alma. Reminds me that if we ever meet your true history counterpart, I should slap her HARD. And I mean across the continent of Hellgondo hard."
A duo of mental whine answered her.
"Sorry for that master. Neris, please focus on the job and don't say anything about being bored."
And so they worked tirelessly on the mountain, until eventually the sun's rays started shining on the horizon.
"We did enough. Everybody get in, I'm closing the entrance."
As the sun reached the mountain, there wasn't a single apparent difference with the moment the party arrived. One would have needed to check the unusual deposit in the sea, or knocked on the rock to state its hollowness to notice anything.
"Alrauna? Airy? How is the situation on your side?"
"Everybody's ready."
"Erubetie?"
"Everything is set up as it should."
"In that case… Luka, anything to say?"
"Not much. I only wanted once again to thank you all for supporting me. I cannot decently swear that everyone will come out alive from this fight. And time is against us, as even now, our friends who are defending Iliasville won't be able to hold forever, no matter how powerful they are. But I want to make one thing clear: As grim as it sounds, if we fail, this world and every single other universes are doomed. If we fail, there won't even be another day of happiness. It's likely there won't be another day at all. And if we're our back to the wall today it's because those intruders from other worlds wanted their own cake. It is time to give them a lesson that will force them back to their own worlds!"
Silent acclamations echoed as the sun was setting up. A few minutes later, it was time to act.
"Erubetie? If you would kindly start our little party…"
As the sun was now in full view, a few angel soldiers came out to patrol in front of the only passage that led inside the Snow Continent with Zion haranguing them from afar.
The seraph was itching for a fight, walking back and forth while still carrying her banner. Just like every day, she reminded her followers that they had a duty to their goddess, and that they were to exterminate every one of her enemies as they were their own. She looked at the troopers that were under her orders with mixed emotions: They had to do a lot of "trimming" and training before the angels could be considered worthy servants of Ilias, spending so much time away from the goddess had done a number on their conviction, and she even discovered that the angels befriended local polar bear girls. The resolution of that issue had been particularly bloody and unpleasant.
After a small campaign to turn back those angels' minds toward the goddess as they should always have been, the seraph grew bored. Several weeks happened without anybody showing up. She tried to push Uriela into taking a more active stance against the enemies of the Goddess, but the archangel adamantly refused, repeating her that their mission was to defend the goddess against all those that wanted to harm her. Zion could tell that deep down, however, Uriela was just like her, itching for a fight: She had come back here in hope of fighting the hero again, and instead they snuck in under the covert of one of Raphaela's spell, joined the Snow Continent, convinced the locals to support them, and then…
They started waiting. Even as the succubi reappeared and played around, they waited. Even when they made a pact with that fallen seraph, they stood still. Even when all the Tartarus started expanding and the apoptosis stepped out to attack everyone indiscriminately, they remained inside the Snow Continent, ready to defend this place against any invader while leaving chaos spreading unchecked. Their duty to defend the goddess came first.
Now more than ever, Zion was hoping that someone, anyone would come to attack them. Or maybe she'd try to convince Uriela once again…
She suddenly heard a warning cry from above, and could see a large boat sailing toward them at high speed. Good, it looked like the hero finally decided to come give them a visit...
The boat was going too fast to land without crashing, which instantly raised suspicion in the mind of the seraph. She raised her mechanical gloves and started blasting it with beams of light. As her assaults were apparently deflected by a shield, she could notice the hero Luka standing proudly atop the bow of the ship, his closed fists on his hips.
Zion grinned and charged at Luka, her mechanical fist at the ready. Euphoria was taking hold of her as the hero was still looking ahead haughtily, as if disregarding her challenge. Well, if he wanted to die that badly… She struck him with all his might, almost expecting to face a daystar as a counterattack…
…And was bewildered when her fist encountered absolutely nothing. Her assault only met air, and as if to taunt her, the image disappeared, only leaving behind a talisman whirling in the wind. Before Zion could cry her rage, a dark arrow rose from the sea and caught her in the back. The attack glanced, but left back a small gash in the back of the outfit of the seraph. She turned to see a vague shape dive into water, and took an ice bolt from the other side, slightly knocking her around. In a fit of rage, she rained down a storm of thunderbolts in the area, and the assaults stopped.
She turned back toward the entrance of the Snow Continent, and saw Luka, Alma Elma, an eight-tailed kitsune, and a strange golem that looked like an old proto-human from afar. They were now attacking the angels who were already panicking without their leader. She started flying back toward her line, but disgracefully crashed in a wall of ice that instantly appeared from the sea. During the split second she used to recover, another salvo of arrows hit her from behind, leaving a few more gashes in her uniform.
Damn it! I must stop screwing up!
Zion inhaled slowly and shattered the wall in a single punch from her mechanical arm while shielding herself from further attacks. Projectiles bounced harmlessly against the shield, but before she could start moving again, tentacles coming from the sea tried to grab her. She blasted their sources with a bolt of lightning, but it didn't even slow them down. The seraph elegantly dodged them, and saw their source, Kraken, rising from the sea. The large squid-like monster was showing a ring on her hand.
"I thought your kin would have learned after Esta. It's clear you didn't get any better. Does that stubbornness come from your pseudo-goddess?"
The insult directly struck a nerve harder than the last attacks did. Zion's expression contorted into a look of pure anger.
"Those defenses are too powerful for your friends anyway. They'll wait. And I'm up for some takoyaki."
She charged back at Kraken, and was hit by yet another darkness-infused arrow coming from behind the queen of the southern seas, courtesy of Zenovia. The wound was minor, and Zion healed it instantly, but it stopped her assault. Laura, the queen mermaid, took an instant to contact the Heavenly Knights.
"She has fallen for the bait hook, line and sinker. As long as she remains angry, we'll be able to hold her in."
"Good, be careful, we still don't know if the two others will take it."
"Lilith Orgia!"
Alma Elma incapacitated another small group of angels with pleasure magic, reducing them to twitching messes, while Yao dodged the attack from a valkyrie and countered with a dark talisman, making her collapse. The group had barely entered the cave before they were assailed by an impressive number of angels coming from every direction.
"It seems our plan is going well so far." Yao frowned. "Although even after hearing the reports, I'm surprised to see how well entrenched those angels are… Do they realize they're dooming themselves and everyone else for nothing?"
"They're followers of Ilias." Alma jumped back just in time to dodge a salvo of light arrows. "If their goddess tells them to die, they'll die with a smile on their face." She smiled. "I'll make sure they'll have that one done right!"
"Stay focused." Yao winced in pain as one of the light arrows hit her, but she managed to dodge the other ones. "We're not here to kill angels. Be prepared for the next step. She turned toward the other two party members. "Are you alright, behind?"
"The detection spell is in place, and our escape route should be ready." The Grangold King was tracing runes at the entrance of the door. "And you?"
Luka groaned as he was lagging behind. "I still can't believe we're doing this…"
Yao chuckled. "Sheer up, you stick in the mud…"
"It's easy for you to say this. You're not the one who will be targeted by those flying semen guzzlers…"
An arrow of light bounced against a magic shield before Alma Elma rushed the cupid that had targeted them and physically got to work. She jumped back as several angels appeared and threatened to swarm her.
"There's a Trinity to support them."
The song of a trio of angels started to echo through the caves. As it gained strength, the angels against the group doubled down their efforts and started attacking with a renewed vigor.
Alma Elma was exchanging blows with two valkyries while Yao and the Grangold King were slowly moving back to avoid getting surrounded. Yao threw a talisman that started a hurricane amongst the angels, but it barely slowed them down. The Grangold King was shielding his allies with a barrier while occasionally throwing a fireball amongst the angels.
"We're going to get overwhelmed too soon at that rate!"
"Moonlight Cannon!" Yao blasted the two valkyries that were attacking Alma Elma with a beam of energy. The succubus queen instantly targeted the Trinity that was supporting them with a pleasure spell, and although they weren't knocked down, they still stopped singing, slowing down the assault and allowing the group to get a short reprieve.
However, before they could start resting, they heard a shriek from one of the harpy sentries.
"Prepare yourself, the Lilith Sisters are coming."
"About time!"
Morrigan cut apart one of the angels that was standing in her way in two while Lilith was rushing toward the entrance of the Snow Cave, more determined than ever. A few unlucky angels had prepared to strike the hero's group from the back by entering behind them, but the two sisters arrived in time and were slaughtering them methodically in particularly gruesome ways. They wanted to make everybody pay for the death of their sister, and a few unfortunate angels happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Lilith fried the mind of an angel in a heartbeat, while Morrigan was taking the time to torment one of the angels with her aura, making the latter squirm in a mix of primal terror and arousal. They didn't have time for such games.
"Sister, focus. The hero first."
The blue haired succubus parried one of the angel and used her aura to stimulate her, instantly incapacitating her. "Yeah, you're right. We get the hero. We get back home thanks to him. We get the whole family in. And we kill everyone, right?"
Lilith gave out an evil smile as an answer for a split second before becoming serious again.
"Be careful, this reeks of a trap. You can be sure that this Luka is a magically disguised Tamamo. If it's indeed the case, we'll kill her on the spot."
Morrigan grinned back. "Right behind you! I'm fine with it."
A valkyrie jumped at Lilith with her sword raised, intent on striking down the succubus. Lilith nonchalantly dodged, and threw her knee at the throat of the valkyrie at lightning speed. The angel spat up blood, and took a fist in her temple, falling down and left behind to choke on her own fluids.
Lilith proceeded to shatter the barrier at the entrance in a single punch, and saw Yao, Alma Elma, and the Grangold King fighting back a group of angels while Luka was standing back. Her senses also confirmed her that the hero had his aura concealed. There was no doubt it was Tamamo…
The purple haired succubus summoned a storm around the disguised hero, but the Grangold King stepped in to shield him… Lilith snarled at the golem-like human and punched him away. In the meantime, Morrigan was exchanging blows with Alma Elma at lightning speed.
"Your tricks are a nuisance, you pest." She casted a blade of wind which "Luka" proceeded to dodge while getting closer to her. "No magic, no trick, only the real you." The moment she dissipated the spell around the hero, a tsunami of blue slime caught her and hardened.
"Yao. Now." Lilith recognized the almost murmuring voice of Erubetie. She struggled against the slime and started breaking it away, but the small second of immobilization was enough for the kitsune who threw a talisman on the succubus' forehead while whispering an incantation.
Lilith found herself teleported against her will in the middle of Snow Heaven, surrounded by shocked angels. She reduced the first to a dry fish into the blink of an eye, and started preparing to fly away when the seraph Eden intercepted her.
"Filthy succubus! Your tricks have failed! You will not profane the sanctity of this place!"
She raised a barrier around the village. "None of your allies will be able to help you! You shall die here!"
"Shut up."
Lilith charged the seraph and deviated her spear with the palm of her hand before kicking Eden straight in the stomach. The seraph flew back and summoned a beam of light toward the succubus who narrowly dodged it, getting one of her wing singed. The succubus grimaced and grabbed one of the angel on the side, using her as a shield against Eden while absorbing her victim's energy before tossing her aside, her wing regenerated.
Eden snarled. "You can't even face someone stronger than you?"
"Lilith Orgia."
Lilith didn't answer and focused every bit of her power toward devouring Eden's energy with her aura. She rushed at her, taking her by surprise and managing to pin her on the ground. However, before she could start draining her at full strength, a few of the angels finally gathered their courage to attack the succubus. Lilith moved away and reduced a few more to husks before taunting Eden.
"You can't even fight alone?"
Eden snarled. "Strut all you want, you whore. Today, you die!"
She resumed her assault on the succubus, this time supported by her angels. Lilith was dancing while moving back, carefully avoiding her opponent's attack while using her magic to drain the weaker angels.
"Stand still you coward!"
Lilith smirked, only aggravating the seraph further while she dodged her attacks. She riposted occasionally with a blade of wind or a pleasure spell, but only managed to slow her opponent down by doing so.
Eventually, Eden and the angels rained down a series of beams of light. Several connected with the succubus, wounding her further down. Lilith didn't even cry out in pain, not wanting to grant them that small victory. Still, she could feel Eden start to exult as her victory was approaching.
Suddenly, a meteor shattered the barrier, drowning the village in a deafening shattering noise. Lilith backed away from Eden who noticed the projectile was aimed straight at her. The seraph flew back to dodge it, and was bewildered when it bounced on the sound with a small noise instead of crashing violently as she expected. The projectile unfurled and several yellow fluffy limbs grabbed her. She realized too late what was happening, as Tamamo No Mae dusted herself while looking at Lilith. The angels around scattered in a panic, primal fear filling their heart.
"Well, that was easy…" The kitsune started fanning herself, ignoring the seraph who was now struggling against the grip of her captor's tails, even as wisps of energy started leaving her body. "Sorry for interrupting your fight, but I noticed the opportunity to accelerate our plan… And to get a good source of energy for our spell. She showed Lilith the still struggling seraph. "If you would kindly do me the honor…"
"Don't… you dare… lay your hands… on me!"
"Oh I will. I will also turn you into a tool to help us against Uriela. I'm sure she will appreciate the irony."
Lilith's hand started glowing as strange symbols started forming in the sky. Eden kept struggling as her energy was now drained by the succubus as well. Meanwhile, Tamamo placed a few talismans on the ground, and soon enough, succubi and vampires started appearing in the center of the village. She then materialized a strange, conical pyramid in her hands. The succubus recognized the tip of Azi Dahaka's tail.
"Hurry up. We don't want to be interrupted before it's finished, ufufu…"