Kanon started her offensive directly by releasing a barrage of spores. Before they could reach the quartet, Alma Elma summoned a storm that shredded them apart. Simultaneously, giant flytraps and pitchers snapped at the party with the clear goal of eating them alive. Granberia could barely hold them back, the poison still active in her body, but Luka could easily push forward with the support of the Four Spirits. The hero slashed left and right with a blade of fire, cutting apart vines and plants with extreme ease. Behind him, Erubetie was keeping up a barrier of water to protect her allies when she was not using some of her slime to heal them. Around them, the plants of the Ancestor were flowing with grace, moving as if they had a mind on their own.
At first, Kanon was smirking, clearly confident that her victory over the party sent by her sister would come soon. However, as time passed, she realized that the hero was managing to make progress toward her, even as she spawned man-eating plants and poisonous thorns with an extreme regularity. As he got closer, the Ancestor of plants started preparing a plan to get rid of the hero once and for all, and she readied her resources even as she kept attacking the party with everything she had at hand.
The moment the party was close enough, a small black flower appeared and released a large cloud of black poison. Reflexively, Alma and Luka kicked the spores away with wind skills as Granberia and Erubetie protected themselves. Simultaneously, a large plant came from the floor and swallowed the large party. However, before Kanon could celebrate her victory, several large gashes appeared, and a second later the upper part of the plant fell on the ground, burning and fuming.
"These are my plants, damn it! I will show you!" She extended an arm, and magic symbols and patterns appeared in front of her. "You don't want to die in ecstasy? Then perish in agony!"
Large, thick thorny vines appeared in front of Kanon and kicked the party back. As they fell on the ground, more vines tried to seize them but failed to pin anyone. Alma Elma was simply too fast, Erubetie too inconsistent, and Luka and Granberia broke them through raw power alone.
When Luka looked around him, he swore under his breath: The plants were growing even faster than before, and the party would simply end up crushed if they didn't destroy them fast enoguh. When he slashed at them, cutting them apart required more effort as his sword kept getting stuck, making it clear that Kanon were magically reinforcing them as well. The hero slashed at a thorny vine and used the small window he afforded himself to check on his companions.
Erubetie was still doing her best to protect the group with a barrier while occasionally pushing a plant back with her slime, but Luka could tell that she had difficulties holding everything back. Luckily, she still had the case with the remaining firebombs floating in her body and was preparing them.
Alma Elma was dodging Kanon's attack to the best of her abilities, but the heavy air mixed with the ever decreasing space to maneuver made moving around extremely hard for the succubus, depriving her of one of her greatest assets. She was using martial arts as much as her mobility to defend herself, and those skills were less effective on the plants even as she managed to cut some apart with her bare hands.
Granberia however… The dragonkin was barely still standing. The early attacks from Kanon hadn't fully healed, and soon enough she was drowning under vines. Luka jumped at her rescue, but couldn't help the dragonkin at first. Besides, he already had to defend himself against more carnivorous plants.
"Ninefold Rakshasa!"
The series of fire imbued strike cleared the most threatening plants and managed to free Granberia, but before the latter could get up, she was once again swarmed by snake-like plants and disappeared under a thick green carpet.
"Come on! Last chance! Surrender, and you might still get a taste of the pleasure I can offer!"
As an answer, Erubetie threw a fire bomb at the Ancestor. Kanon reflexively summoned more vines to protect herself, and her wall burned and wilted as the projectile hit it, flames engulfing and destroying her plants against her own desires. She snarled at the slime, and threw a barrage of poisoned needles in hope of weakening her body. The projectiles were deviated by a gust of wind, courtesy of Luka, and, in the blink of an eye, the hero was right on top of Kanon.
The later yelped in surprise when Angel Halo hit her, leaving a small magic gash on her that disappeared instantly. She counter-attacked by summoning a magical rock that was projected at Luka at an impressive speed. The hero couldn't manage to dodge the assault in time and took the full brunt of the attack. Luka was knocked across the room, and felt several of his bones break on impact as he landed. He could feel his head spinning uncontrollably, but could still see the outline of a large flytrap trying to eat him.
The moment the plant tried to eat him, it caught fire and emitted a strange screeching noise. Luka closed his eyes and meditated to heal his wounds. When he opened his eyes again, he could see Erubetie's concerned face and Alma Elma fighting for her life.
"Can you still stand?"
"I'm fine." Luka got up in a leap, which didn't escape Kanon.
"Already healed?! That's cheating! Bah, it doesn't matter, you'll just suffer a bit longer."
Luka focused as he defended himself against Kanon's plants once again. The alraune was simply enraged at the battle that kept dragging on, even if she knew that time was on her side: Her enemies were getting weaker, while she had barely tapped in her reservers of energy.
In the meantime, Luka felt the heat of battle rise through his body, and finally noticed an opportunity to attack the alraune.
"Elemental Spica!"
In an elemental burst, Luka tore himself a path just in front of the alraune once again. The latter prepared another spell at the hero that dared return to end his life once and for all. She traced more runic symbols in the air, and an impressively large thorn grew to impale the hero. However, the attack merely glanced, surprising Kanon who realized all too late what was going to happen as she felt holy energy gather.
A comet appeared from thin air and hit her straight in her main body, stunning her. Before she could recover, Luka was on her again, slashing like a madman in a series of fast strikes as parts of her bodies started shimmering. She started panicking as she called on her plants to kill the hero, but they were still held back by a firewall born from an alchemical sphere which flames were fanned by Alma Elma. After another attack from the hero across her head, she felt all energy leave her body.
"No, NO, DAMN YOOUUUU!"
Kanon's female body and her flower started glowing before disappearing in a rain of sparkles to leave place to a smaller (but still man-sized) pink flower.
Silence fell as the plants around the party all stopped moving and calmed down, freeing Granberia in the process and allowing her to get up with much difficulty. Afterward, Luka and the Heavenly Knights remained on their guard, but it was clear that the plants weren't interested any longer in the party. They gradually, carefully got closer to the large bulb remaining where Kanon was standing a minute earlier.
Luka meditated again to recover. "One down… Four more to go."
Alma Elma carefully touched the plant with the tip of a finger before moving back like a gust. "Is she still alive? I mean, I know how your sealing sword work, but she doesn't look responsive."
Luka raised both of his hands. "I got bitten and pinched enough times by sealed monsters to not try to touch her." He directly glared at the flower. "I know you're listening and understanding. I'm sure you can even talk back."
The plant still didn't react to the challenge, and remained perfectly still. Erubetie sighed at the ridiculousness of the situation. "I'll take her. Even if she bites me, this won't be a problem."
"Spoil sport."
"So you can actually still talk."
"I don't talk with my food."
Erubetie grabbed the plant without further ceremony. "Hey, watch out! I'm more fragile now!"
"Whatever. I'm also getting hungry, so please remain silent."
As Luka and his companions prepared to leave, the hero noticed some movement at the bottom of the room. He slowly stepped toward a large, dying plant that was bulging, and slowly started cutting it open with his sword. It looked like something was trying to come out. Eventually, the plant gave up and a human woman covered in a mix of pestilent-smelling fluids stumbled on the ground, her head bobbing around.
"This castle is indeed fucking cursed. I quit."
The woman then proceeded to fall on the floor, cushioned by Erubetie who was already healing her to get sure her life wasn't threatened. An aghast Luka noticed there were several other humans behind her. The next instant, he turned toward Kanon.
"There are still people alive?! You didn't eat everyone?!"
"No, of course not! I only ate the minimum, I wanted to take my time with the others and make sure that they were terrified as I sloooowly ate them."
Luka slowly inhaled and exhaled to calm himself. This one reminded him too much of Cassandra… They would have to search everywhere to make sure nobody would die because of asphyxiation. Luckily, the Grangold King and several magi arrived at this moment. Most of them looked tired and covered in bruises, but as soon as they noticed the wounded people, they none the less rushed in to support Erubetie while the king made his way to Luka, exhausted but happy.
"Thank you for your help Luka! This is the third time you saved our city! I don't think we'll ever be able to repay you for everything you've done for us."
Luka slightly blushed in front of the compliment. "Thank you, your majesty. I just wished I was there earlier to save everyone."
"Don't mention it." He looked up to address the Heavenly Knights as well. "In the name of our city, I thank you. You mitigated the human damage to its maximum, and although the deaths we suffered are tragic, they're only a handful compared to what they would have been if you didn't step in. Please send my best regards to the Monster Lord."
Granberia, Alma Elma and Erubetie bowed in front of the king.
"Now, about Kanon… What are you going to do with her?"
"She will be judged by the Monster Lord first and foremost. Then… I don't know what we'll do with her honestly."
"I see…" The king glared at the bulb Erubetie was holding. "I am sure the Monster Lord will be fair in her trial. Please keep us informed of the result. The population will want to know."
Erubetie nodded. "We will keep you informed."
The quartet slowly started walking away, but Luka froze midway.
"Wait, what if one of the other Ancestors is waiting for us? I mean, Tamamo did tell us they're individualists, but…"
"I can tell that everything's clear. There's no succubus naughtier than me waiting for you up there..." Alma exaggeratedly swayed her hips as she answered in a light voice. Her tone became more serious right afterward. "Still, we are going to teleport back to the castle. We don't want to get attacked midway on our trip."
"I'd still thought they'd try to exploit the opportunity now. I'm pretty sure everybody saw that fight…"
Indeed, that fight hadn't gone unnoticed. Several people had observed the action from afar and reacted quite differently.
In a castle, one sighed in relief while her companion patted her on the back, just as reassured.
A few floors under them, two were completely dumbfounded, muttering words of denial again and again.
Another one beyond this dimension could simply not understand what she was feeling in front of this spectacle.
In the middle of nowhere, another one smirked in front of the lesson taught. Yet another observer simply shrugged and resumed her work, while a third one remained indifferent.
The last one kept watching, her expression an excited but also concerned smile. A result that she hoped for but also one that carried a meaning she didn't wish for.
It looked like she would have to resort to more drastic measures after all.
"Can you at least give me back my real form?"
"No."
"Absolutely not."
The sealed Kanon was now laying on the ground in front of a stern-looking Alice. Sitting on her throne, the lamia was gazing down at the sealed monster with every bit of her imperious authority while her arms were crossed and her tail was shaking threateningly like a rattlesnake, almost as if she was waiting for an excuse to strike her target down. And while the alraune's form made her reaction hard to judge, it was clear that even if she wasn't terrified, she was at least a little uncomfortable.
Alma Elma and Luka were both standing on each side of the plant that was standing for judgment in front of the Monster Lord. The hero knew that the alraune couldn't do anything, but everyone had insisted on the importance of his presence, as most of humanity would trust his report. Luka himself felt slightly oppressed by the heavy atmosphere.
"Kanon." When she started talking, Alice's voice was carrying all her authority as the Monster Lord. The hero felt the power almost hitting him like a storm, and could only thank the recent training sessions against her for being now able to endure her aura without flinching. "You are accused of assaulting the human city of Grangold in an attempt to weaken the alliance between humans and monsters. You committed twenty murders on humans and monsters alike, including a queen-class monster with the person of Spider Princess, as well as several hundred confirmed attempts, thousands of gold worth of destruction, and direct assault on my enforcers and family. What are your excuses?"
"…Is that a joke? You're sanctioning me because I attacked humans? They're weak! They're food!"
"Maybe they were back in your time, but now they are our allies."
"And since when did monsters became so weak that we treat humans as our equals?"
"Since they supported us in the war against Ilias. Since we discovered that a mutual agreement was more beneficial for us than simply dominating them."
"Sure, it's certainly not because you became so weak that you got beaten by a hero of Ilias." Luka felt Kanon's attention, and was sure that if the plant had eyes, they would be casting lightning bolts at him. "You're really a pathetic weakling if you have to rely on the one that beat you up as protection."
Alice's eyes narrowed. "Do you understand that your fate is in my hands? I could decide to kill you, or pluck your petals and add them to my meal while letting you rot in a cell until the end of time. I am willing to give you a chance to atone and join us, and instead you keep telling me that you only wish to kill more people to sate your desires. Is your pride so bloated that it blinds you from seeing the opportunity I offer you?"
The plant made a strange sound that Luka associated to a haughty chuckle.
"Sorry, but I am not like that damn kitsune that makes for your advisor. I don't mislead people from the shadows and pretend we're friends to stab them in the back."
Noticing the silence from the lamia, Kanon continued pushing forward.
"That's riiiight, your little advisor was the single most manipulative partner one could ever dream of… Until she no longer needs you for her plan. I'm sure even now she's only manipulating you, scheming to be the one to come out on top with a large pile of dead bodies under her feet and your husband of a hero between her legs."
Luka could see Alice's hand tense over the armrest of the throne as she looked down. He decided to step in.
"Tamamo is one of our most active supporters for coexistence!"
Kanon laughed again.
"Oooh, look who's talking! Did Tamamo tell you your mommy might have been the single biggest bloodthirsty murderer that this world has seen? Of course not. She was waiting for that one moment where she was sure that reveal would break your small, quaint little world. You might have even asked to pull her out of your misery."
Luka remained silent.
"Tell me then… If you know so much about her, what more can you tell me about Tamamo?"
"Finally asking something that you should have done a long time ago… Well, If you take into account all indirect kills through manipulation, she might have been the biggest destroyer of all of us. And she did enjoy it! Strolling through cities that burned after she manipulated them, falsely cajoling kings and queens before sucking them dry... She knew how to get what she wanted!" Kanon laughed. A cold, threatening laughter before her voice became lower, as if she was now a conspirator.
"And then she went soft. She forgot her heritage as an Ancestor, and lived her life like an old overprotective mommy… Or so she pretends. I know deep down that she's still scheming to get her cake and eat it too. You know it too, don't you?"
Alice sighed as she looked down.
"I see then… It looks like I misjudged you. You're not merely a hedonistic devourer…"
When Alice looked at the plant again, her power started flaring as her eyes started glowing with barely contained rage.
"You are a two-faced irresponsible bitch as well. During all my years, I have never seen someone try to so bluntly throw away her past partners to protect herself and doing it so incoherently. That would make you worse than her. In fact, you are worse than Ilias. She at least had the decency to owe up to her mistakes once beaten. You are even more spiteful than that dead goddess… And will be dealt with appropriately."
"Oooh, do you plan to kill me? I'm sure you won't do it since Tamamo doesn't want that…"
"Indeed I won't kill you-"
"Figures." A small flame formed on top of the plant. "Hey! That hurt!"
Alice's voice boomed through the room. "Kanon, Ancestor of Alraunes. To the crimes you commited are added the charges of defamation and attempt to discredit the throne with everybody present as my witness. Your sentence is to be locked in a cell as is with the bare minimum required for you to survive until you accept to pay your debt to society. Until then, you will be followed by a specialist, and every plant and petal you grow will be treated as the property of the Monster Lord throne which will use these to compensate the damages Grangold endured by your hand."
"WHAT?! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! THOSE ARE MY CHILDREN! YOU WILL SACRIFICE ME FOR THOSE PATHETIC HUMANS?!"
Luka appreciated Gnome's reassuring presence to stabilize him.
"You told my enforcers that the winner was free to do as they wished with the loser. Are you a hypocrite as well? TAKE HER AWAY!"
The flower slumped, as if Kanon was finally standing defeated, and Luka felt relieved by the lack of reaction when he brought the plant in a cell specially designed by Tamamo with Granberia accompanying him. By safety measure, that cell was far from the two already-captured succubi. As usual, the walls were covered with power-draining wards, while the floor was covered with fertile soil with a bucket of water tucked into a corner.
The plant made a last plaintive noise as Luka closed the door. The hero felt calmer with each step he took away from the newly occupied cell, but it wasn't before he reached the first floor of the castle again that he allowed himself to drop his facade.
When he was back in the throne room, Alice was already discussing with Tamamo.
"Yes, I'm sure sending a few experienced kitsunes to help reconstruct Grangold as a gesture of goodwill is going to sooth the population. Some peoples will still ask for that idiot's head and may even be stupid enough to attack monsters, but they'll likely be disparaged by their own peers."
The duo turned to see Luka arrive, completely exhausted. Alice smirked.
"I don't think I need to tell you you did a great job for you to recognize it, but still… Thank you." She sighed. "Now we're talking about the hard part… Namely dealing with that idiot and the aftermath of her little party."
"Do you think we'll be able to really socialize her?" Luka looked at Tamamo. "I mean, the only monsters that I remember being so single-minded were Spider Princess and Black Alice. And the latter was downright insane."
Tamamo shrugged, and hid her expression as she started fanning herself. Luka could tell that even the kitsune had her doubts before she started talking.
"I will be honest with you. I don't know at all. But I want to try. You've seen the healing capabilities of Queen Alraune when she put her powers and skills to good use. It would be a shame to waste all that healing potential."
"Still…" Alice shook her head in denial. "I can't believe that she's supposed to be one of the oldest monster. Her behavior reminded me of my angry teenager years."
"She was always a bit of a misanthrope, even amongst the Six Ancestors."
Luka's eyes widened when he remembered that there were four other monsters like her roaming in the wild.
"Wait, what about the other? Which other cities got attacked?!"
"…None actually."
"Wait, seriously? I mean I don't doubt you but-"
Alice raised a hand as she interrupted Luka. "We regularly communicated with the other human leaders as well as several queen class monsters when you were away. None of them had anything unusual to report beyond signs of passage. None of them directly dealt with one or the other Ancestor yet."
"This might be worrying though. I'm afraid they're planning something big for the birthday of Ilias…"
"Then we need to hunt them and stop them before they can do anything! I'm going to-"
Tamamo clapped her fan open in front of Luka, stopping him dead in his track. "We have spies and scouts to take care of that. You, you take a well deserved rest and make sure you're fresh to deal with those troublemakers."
"Rest? I think he has a wife to tend to after being away for so long…" Alice slithered closely to Luka.
"I've only been away for half a day."
She coiled around him. "Maybe, but those were looooong hours." She whispered sensuously in his ear. "And they were so stressing, I could appreciate some sweet, sweet relief."
"I apologize, buuuut, magical examination first. Remembered what we discussed?"
Alice pouted, but let the hero go none the less. Even Luka seemed just as disappointed with the event as a not so subtle sigh escaped his lips. Still…
"You're right. It will only take a few minutes at most, right? I'll be back soon Alice, don't you worry."
"You'd better." She licked her lips again. "I will be in my room. Don't leave me hanging, my dear hero…"
Luka started following Tamamo as he was eagerly anticipating his evening with Alice. He focused himself in an attempt to calm his rising ardors.
"Awww, how cute, it looks like the anticipation is going to kill you! But don't you worry, you'll be by her side fast enough!" Tamamo turned back toward the hallway and muttered for herself. "Besides, I'd like some extra time since I also have a little something to set up myself."
"What?"
"Nothing."
In the Forest of Spirits, Holy Energy kept accumulating in a small clearing, only visible to those with a keen sense of magic. After an undetermined amount of time, the energy started visibly swirling. The patterns were random at first, then they gradually took form. From afar, it only looked like a large light stain, but the more time passed the more a silhouette could be distinguished, although it was clear by its outlines alone that it wasn't a human one.
The transformation took several more minutes during which light fused in every direction. Then finally, light calmed as a strange creature materialized: She looked like a human torso surmounting a large, open pomegranate that was fully blooming, with several large berries attached to the lower part of a golden ring that was surrounding her. Only a pair of wings over her head could inform any onlooker of her identity as an angel.
The creature exhaled as she was now fully materialized back in the world. She was soon surprised that her body no longer had that divine protection, which used to ward her against the attacks from mortals. She soon shrugged it off, however. After all, she was still powerful enough to deal with any wildlife that would dare attempt to harm her.
What was her mission again? Oh, yes, taking care of the hero that had dared rebel against the majesty of Ilias… The boy had beaten her and likely formed a covenant once again with the Earth Spirit that she was supposed to guard, but now she had another chance at him. Finding him would take some time, which was for the better since she needed some time herself to fully recover. Time, and food…
She could feel that the latter was teeming all around her. Some fairies and other forest monsters had approached her in curiosity, as if she was a spectacle to be seen instead of one of the angel of Ilias to be feared. The more she looked at them, the hungrier she became. Their presence promised a feast like no other, and devouring them would clean the earth of the enemies of the goddess at the same time. She was killing two birds with one stone.
One of the elves near the edge of the clearing had likely understood her intention as she pointed at her before running away, soon followed by her kin. It didn't matter. It was only the will of the goddess that she was following by asking them to become her nutrition.
And even if she didn't catch the hero, she could still rain the wrath of the goddess on those that had deviated from her righteous path.
Of course, her reaction would have been radically different if she was aware of the pair of crimson eyes watching her from the shadows under a tree. The shortest time of observation had paid off faster than what their owner could have ever hoped.
That angel was more than a prey that was presenting itself. It was an opportunity.
"Sisters? I have a little favor to ask all of you…"