Alice was enjoying the serenity of one of the hot springs under the castle for what felt like the first time since an eternity. Even if there currently were a few dysfunctions in the castle and her usual work as the leader of monsters, the days were going smoother and smoother, and the lamia was even starting to get bored.
Maybe I can see with Luka to make another tour of the world once the first part of the Remina rebuild is complete… It's so calm right now, Tamamo won't even have to deal with much work while we're away, and Saja can even lend her a hand. He also said he wanted to visit the Four Spirits for the sake of visiting them without the pressure of having to save the world for once…
That would be a good idea actually. Between my Heavenly Knights and half the Ancestors supporting us, he has no reason to run around and risk his life, maybe we'll finally be able to relax for once. He's been so tense those last months…
Not that I don't understand why… Those damn succubi, those damn Ancestors, that damn Minagi… Just how much did she accept obeying us actually? Tamamo told me that her sister was finally settling down for good, but I can say that she isn't persuaded herself. And I'm not exactly fond of still having her cute little daughters run around either, even if Alma Elma is seemingly doing fine with them. Still, another small tour in family would be a nice opportunity to wind down.
…Although I have to be careful myself. As much as Tamamo nagging me and Saja standing around like a guard dog are annoying, they're right and I better not take any risk. I'm due for less than a few months now… Maybe we should start talking about their name. Alice started smirking. I wonder if he'll try to name the boy after a hero. I really hope not though. Even if he's the proof they can make for fine people and morsels…
…And now I'm hungry. I wonder what is he doing? My stomach needs a filling, and his cooking or his body would do nicely. I'm sure he had the time to rest since last time.
Alice slowly pulled herself from the pond and took the time to dry her body thoroughly with a towel, enjoying the tranquility of not having anything better to do today than some minor work. Both Tamamo and Saja had left the Monster Lord's Castle to check whether or not the ancient yoma could make for a valid, competent ruler. So far, she had proved extremely charismatic and had the wits to match even Tamamo. However she remained a bit harsh as her ego often got the better of her, and she still remained somewhat dogmatic. As the Monster Lord slithered through the hallways of her castle, she felt curiously lonely as nobody was watching her from afar for once.
At least she hoped…
Deciding that it didn't matter much, she searched a bit for Luka in the castle before soon giving up as her duties called out to her. Even if the sheer tide of work that had accumulated since the beginning of the minor crisis provoked by the Ancestors was receding, she still had some tasks to accomplish as the Monster Lord as a large pile of paper on her desk in the library testified. She felt unusually lonely when she unwrapped the first parchment, as she always did this job accompanied by Tamamo or one of her lieutenant, and, more recently, by Luka himself. Still, this was a part of her work, and she started examining the information she received: The situation in San Ilia had settled down after the True Faith scattered, and the greatest issue currently at hand was the great number of messages demanding the presence of Minagi to enjoy her company. A part of her hesitated to send them what they asked and let them realize how bad an idea it was after she would have sucked dry a few of them, but she did remember that Minagi remained her responsibility now more than ever. Even today, her guards in the castle had to regularly remind any visitor that she was a prisoner because of the sheer danger she represented. Most humans forgot about her as soon as they got to enjoy the touch of a monster anyway. Maybe one of those damn Lilith Sisters could do something about that…
As time passed by, she noticed that the castle was unusually calm. Sure, she enjoyed the tranquility, particularly after those troubled times, but the silence started getting to her. There should at least have been the occasional guard patrolling close by… An horrible feeling filled her guts.
As she started to grow uncomfortable, she eventually decided to take a break in her work and started checking the hallways herself. There were indeed unusually few guards patrolling, and, as Alice further examined them, she realized that most of them looked unusually grumpy and frustrated.
"There were supposed to be more of you standing guard there. Where are the others?"
A vampire grunted back. "Getting busy."
Alice frowned, but let the lack of respect slide for this once. At least, she had answered… The Monster Lord continued checking around, and made her way to the entrance of the castle out of curiosity while carefully examining her surroundings: Even amongst the numerous shadows in the hallways, there wasn't a single monster hiding in ambush. Granted, there weren't any real threat for now, but it seemed like too many guards lost what little discipline they had in the first place. As time passed, a few of them periodically reappeared, and her nose indeed confirmed that the vampire had been right on the spot… Granted, they had the decency to use the soundproofed private rooms. Maybe she could reward their good behavior…
No, she'd discuss the issue with her Heavenly Knights and maybe even get Saja involved on this matter. It was one thing to relax, it was another to leave the castle wide open without anyone guarding the entrance. She shivered as she looked at the rocky, gloomy plains that made for most of Hellgondo. Even if they always made for her home, they felt unusually unwelcoming. A familiar tingling sensation ran up her spine, and, the next instant, the small silhouette of Tamamo appeared in front of her. The kitsune's expression was particularly downcast, and she stumbled a bit before starting to fan herself.
"I take it Saja created you more troubles again?"
"Huurghh… I swear, each time I think she's starting to get this new world, she proves me wrong…"
"What happened this time? She nearly beheaded a worker for putting up a column improperly?"
Tamamo shook her head negatively. "Nothing as brutal fortunately. She learned that the Dark Goddess apparently escaped her seal and abandoned everything to find her."
Alice completely froze, her mouth hanging wide open. "I wished I had been warned earlier… I mean, didn't you say not so long ago that it was a big deal?!"
Tamamo raised a suspicious eyebrow. "I asked a guard to pass you the message since you were still resting… You didn't receive anything?"
Alice sighed. "Take a look around. There's nobody. They're apparently all too busy screwing our human guests…"
Tamamo's shoulders slumped. "I did expect them to give in to their instinct, but I didn't think it would be this bad… I guess we'll see with the other knights to shake our guards up. I admit, it's a huge, basic blunder there…"
"Yes it is... Anyway, what was that about the Dark Goddess getting unsealed? I expected you to immediately warn me!"
The kitsune answered in a monotonous, almost moribund voice. "To be honest, I didn't sweat it because it's apparently been some time since she left. I had just decided to check on the seal this morning before going to Remina to maybe start discussing and reconnecting again after our little spat and… there were no traces of the seal, which means it's at least been several days since she left."
"And I suppose that you briefly tried to find her through magic means, which wasn't enough for Saja, who decided to try looking for the Founder on her own."
Tamamo nodded.
"Alright, who else is aware?"
"Sena, since she was supposed to tell you, and Micaela, for safety reasons…" Tamamo started fanning herself, but with an unusual stiffness in her movement, which wasn't a good sign of things to come. "It was the first time I've seen her at loss of what to do next. And I have no idea what to do myself either. She might have been free for weeks, and if she didn't do anything since then, it's safe to assume that she's just touring the world."
"Is she for real? I mean, I can understand that she wants to appreciate her freedom, but as the mother of monsters, she has a responsibility to everyone! What kind of leader would screw off when their people need them? I don't think I'll ever…"
Alice trailed off when she realized Tamamo was looking at her haugtily, her eyes half-lidded in contempt. She shifted uncomfortably.
"That was… Okay, that was actually still less than a year ago. But in hindsight, I met Luka and we did end up taking Ilias down, so it was for the best…"
"And who said that whatever she's doing right now won't be for the best too? Like great-grandmother, like daughter, I swear… I bet she even found herself someone to accompany her and go on a gourmet tour just like you."
Alice smirked. "Fine. You got me… How about we deal with those nymphomaniacs that are currently skimming on their duties? I swear, this smell is already giving me an headache."
"Give me an hour, I have to check on a few people first…"
The Monster Lord nodded in agreement, and decided to resume her search for her husband. She briefly castigated herself as she realized that she hadn't checked the training ground yet, which was where he was usually hanging out. Her frown deepened when she didn't see the hero around. Instead, there were only a few monsters fighting each other in the arena while a relatively young man with a mandolin was awkwardly shuffling in a corner. Alice ignored the scuffle between her subordinates and continued searching once again, her worries increasing by the second. She closed her eyes and focused her magical senses in hope of finding him, and her worries kept increasing by the second as she didn't feel the faintest trace of him around. However, there were several dark spots across the castle, like their own bedroom, a few guest rooms, and the place where they organized councils and other meetings. Furthermore, the hallways seemed to be subtly bathed in pleasure magic… Even as she felt her pulse rise in anxiety, the Monster Lord started slithering at a high speed toward the last of them. As she reached for the door, she stumbled a bit with the handle as nervousness got the better of her until she finally saw the room's insides.
The hero was indeed apparently asleep on a chair, wallowed on the table, and the Monster Lord started calming down ever so slightly, even as her instinct told her that something was wrong deep down. She inhaled as she prepared to call out to Luka, but her instinct stopped her a second short. She moved back out of the room and raised a powerful barrier in front of her. She then casted a small spell at Luka to poke his unconscious form.
When her magic connected, an explosion shook the castle and she found herself forced to focus additional energy onto her shield, even sweating under the effort to contain the explosion. As the smoke cleared, nothing remained of the furniture in the room. Alice remained at the entrance of the wrecked place, staring at its burning remains with her arms crossed under her chest for a second before Tamamo appeared on her side in a panic.
"OH SWEET ALIPHEESE WHAT HAPPENED?! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"
"I'm fine, and as for everyone else… It depends on what happens in the next three minutes…" Alice was panting in absolute fury. "If none of the guards show up and Luka doesn't reappear, there won't be a single soul fine in the castle."
Tamamo looked at the remainder of the room and gulped.
"I was looking for Luka and I found a trapped puppet of him. I'm pretty confident I know who the culprit is…"
The kitsune gulped again as Alice glared at her. "I was looking for her, and I couldn't find her anywhere in the castle…"
"Didn't you have Yao or Nanabi keep an eye out for her?"
"The former is in kitsune village as the tanuki queen is acting up, and the latter is currently in Sabasa to help finish the reconstruction effort…"
"Great…" Alice's growling tone made it clear that she thought the exact opposite. "Maybe we can get your dear sisters to give us a hand then… Minagi might even prove useful for once!"
"Actually… They both disappeared from the castle."
Alice raised an inquisitive eyebrow as her tail started shaking like a rattlesnake while she rose up.
"I mean… I can tell Kanon is currently alone in the far east of the continent, but I have no idea where Minagi is…"
"What about the others? They can't help us either?"
"Kanade is resting from her cleaning work, Saja is too busy looking for the Dark Goddess and is actively ignoring my calls, and Hiruko is involved in Fairy's Island to examine and clean the remainder of the Drain Lab that was located there."
"Great… They can't help us…" The Monster Lord apparently calmed down. "They can't help us find my cute little idiot… Two of them might even be involved in his disappearance… He might even be dying, slowly devoured alive…"
"Alice?"
Alice ignored her as she kept talking. "Slowly dying after so much time and spreading peace, killed by monsters who want to trample his naïve vision of a peaceful world before they sweep in on the remainders and kill every single human one by one while the only ones that can stop them ignore them…"
As she kept trailing off, the Monster Lord suddenly collapsed, her fall only cushioned by Tamamo's tails. The kitsune gently slapped her cheek in an attempt to wake her up, but she didn't react.
"Come on, Alice, wake up! Come on!"
As Tamamo looked up, she saw several guards timidly stepping closer. The kitsune pulled out her fan and hid her rage-filled expression.
"We will all have a long talk tomorrow… You three carry her to the healing ward. THE REMAINDER RETURN TO THEIR POSTS NOW!"
The monsters scattered while Tamamo started sniffling as she felt overwhelmed. That failure was entirely on her. She steadied her breathing and managed to slightly calm down as she cleared her mind. First things first, was the disappearance of her sisters related to a ploy involving Kagetsumugi? Both Kanon and Minagi were impossible to contact, but the alraune was still highly visible. She'd maybe inquire with her directly later. Minagi however... Alma Elma was always with her daughter both to keep an eye on them and support them after the attack on Succubus Village. If they knew where their mother were, she could easily make them spit it out. However, she didn't want to accuse her yet...
I'm still focused on my sisters. They're more dangerous, but Kagetsumugi is the one who crafted this trap. I'm getting off track. What has Kagetsumugi done exactly since we first heard about her activity a few months back?
I'm pretty confident Lilith told me everything she saw. Since her sisters had been put in danger, she wouldn't spare a single information that wouldn't condemn that damn puppeteer…
…Unless she knew about her plan and basically brought her here as a seemingly harmless prisoner in preparation for the next step.
…No, she wouldn't have risked her sisters and this would have been the single best opportunity to kill Alma Elma. As to Minagi herself… Hurgh, her aura is everywhere. But it is barely a tenth of what Lilith herself had used when she attacked. It would barely be enough to…
…Have the guards jump on every opportunity to get laid. I'm going to have a serious conversation with her once we're done!
…Still, I have no idea as to what she could currently be planning. Where could I get started…
Damn it! I nearly forgot that report from Akyia! Lucia told me Hiruko noticed that the last monsters the puppeteer transformed were sloppily done!
So did she rush them because she was afraid of something? Or is it because her plan was already in motion and it no longer mattered?
No. Kagetsumugi is smart, but she isn't half the strategist Black Alice was. Gghhhh, I'm getting nowhere!
…I should at least try to contact Hiruko, I don't think talking with her will disturb her that much in whatever she's doing.
Tamamo slowly breathed in and out while making her way to her own room. She hoped that she would at least get enough information to not send everyone on a wild goose chase.
If that wasn't the case… Well…
There was no else. They were going to find him, and he would be fine, whatever the cost was. She sat in a meditative posture and focused her mind on Fairy's Island, trying to find Hiruko. The sensation of being grabbed caught her by surprise before she steadied herself as a childish voice answered her.
"Good morning sis! What can I do for you?"
"Sorry to disturb you, you're busy?"
"Nope, I'm rewarding the men that helped me.
Tamamo grimaced as her imagination vividly pictured what those last few words meant. "I need some information about Kagetsumugi's creations, you told that her last creations were sloppily done. Do you remember enough to elaborate?"
"Oh, that? Well, the connection between the subject's nervous system and her magical thread was imprecise. They reminded me of my first attempts a long time ago."
"Any idea as to why?"
"Lucia already asked and nope, I don't have any idea. For all I know, she could have rushed the process, damaged or lost her tools, or even gotten bored of trying to turn monsters into a puppet."
Tamamo sighed. "…Thank you, I'll try to see what I can find."
"…You're alright? You don't sound good?"
Tamamo hesitated for a minute, gauging the good and the bad in each decision of telling Hiruko the truth. Eventually, she settled for a half-truth.
"Kagetsumugi and Minagi have disappeared. If you find them, warn me."
"Okay! Knowing Minagi, she's probably already riding someone… Oh, before I forget, the Sabasa King wanted to know if we had plan with the great tower?"
"The what now?"
"The tower you apparently used to attack Heaven… I didn't understand everything, but apparently you used them to be able to attack angels?"
"Oh. Those towers. I nearly forgot since the end of the war against Ilias… They're completely isolated, we could only get in them by flying or teleporting."
"Yes, he was worried about the unusual holy aura but since it died down… Anyway if you don't need anything more..."
Something ticked in Tamamo's mind. Those towers had been used to generate an aura to make angels vulnerable world-wide through channeling holy energy. Ironically, it hadn't even been enough to prevent them from losing energy themselves. Only enough to make them targetable. However, tthere was still another issue that could be related… There were still those disappeared angels.
"Wait wait! Hypothetically, and I say hypothetically, if you needed to turn angels into puppets… Would using the energy in those towers help?"
"Well the two best places would be Heaven and those towers, and since Heaven fell… And no, I don't count the hamlet that first seraph is building."
"…Thank you, sincerely, thank you. I got my answer."
"No problem at all! Huuh, small problem actually… Someone's going to need a healer to be rehydrated."
"I'll pay extra for the service."
Tamamo cut the conversation before castigating herself: She had completely forgotten to check on those towers since the end of the war. She had no doubt that Kagetsumugi had somehow discreetly flown her magical tower to one of them and had done her dirty deeds there.
Then what would that puppeteer do afterward? She would probably attack the Monster Lord's Castle. The small puppeteer knew the place was badly defended thanks to all the guard getting busy.
No. Kagetsumugi would at least expect Tamamo to make sure the Monster Lord was safe and keep the castle defended while having the remainder of her informant network busy looking for the hero. She'd attack a vulnerable place that would be hard to come defend. The human kingdoms had mostly recovered from the assault of the Ancestors, but smaller town were still vulnerable. If she wanted to create a mess, she would attack a few of them. Some humans would end up accusing the Monster Lord, even with the evidence that someone else is responsible. Some people would blame monsterkin at large for the action of one of them.
On the matter of blaming monsters… What if she attacked Haven? The angels there would fight back and crave for retribution, attacking monsters randomly before getting picked one by one by her dear sister and maybe even herself, even as the angels would keep killing monster left and right until they died, all while Micaela would go mad in despair.
I need to warn her. But in the meantime…
"Granberia. Alma Elma. Erubetie. We have a problem. Get back to the castle at once."
Lilith was thoroughly enjoying a slow day in Succubus Village when she noticed the disappearance of the presence of Alma Elma. The succubus carefully finished her meal and dressed herself as she examined the men that made for her latest companions. They would all recover without issue, making for a fine dinner in a day or two...
She slowly descended downstairs, enjoying the ambient debauchery that permeated her home as both her sisters also indulged in their favorite activities in their own room. So far, even after several weeks, this party hadn't lost any of its savor. The only thing that would make this village perfect were a few little angels to corrupt, and although she could tell that some of the ones residing in San Ilia wanted nothing more than to enjoy the touch of a succubus or to learn how to properly wallow in carnal pleasure, they were still too shy to come to Succubus Village. Well, maybe once the Chains of Pleasure houses would be set up, they would finally drop any pretense and join the succubi in their perverted, pleasure-filled games…
She frowned when she felt the signature of an angel suddenly appear by the entrance of their mansion. When she opened the door, she was greeted by the ecstatic expression of Endiel. The angel whore was wearing her usual purple nightgown that fully showed her legs, and bowed with a surprising formality.
"Greetings. I bring new of the Ancestor of succubi, Minagi. May I enter?"
Lilith unceremoniously invited the angel inside. Of all of those Heaven purists, of course the only one that came was the one who saw in her title of whore a badge to wear with pride. Still, if the angel had new of her master, she would listen. She closed the door behind her and stood at the entrance, keeping an eye on the angel that was supposedly keeping company to her leader. The latter was looking around, and slowly started transforming, her outfit becoming the large tent Lilith already saw. When Endiel opened the flaps of her tent, Lilith instantly kneeled as she recognized her superior.
"Lord Minagi…"
The Ancestor giggled and stretched as she hovered out of the tent, briefly caressing Endiel as she stepped out.
"Now, now, get up, all of you, you don't need to be so formal in my presence."
As she got up, Lilith noticed that both her younger sisters had joined them and had prostrated themselves.
"I came here as soon as I noticed that the current succubus queen left. Now, now, I know what you're thinking, I shouldn't be here in and my dear sisters will want to punish me again once little Tamamo tells them that I gave her the slip… However, I have detected an opportunity that I have no doubt will interest you… But first, are you still interested in the hero or the First Seraph?"
All three succubi eagerly nodded.
"Good. Then I will make it short. I'm not the only one who left the Monster Lord's Castle without being noticed. That little puppeteer, Kagetsumugi, has taken upon her to restart the war between monsters and angels by launching an assault on Heaven with monsters she transformed… The way I see it, whatever is said and done, the most fanatical elements will accuse the Monster Lord of being behind it, and several may leave Micaela. The Monster Lord cannot even have my sisters step in without making things worse."
"If I may, and with all my respect…" Astaroth sighed. "They will just send the hero Luka again. While he faced most angels, they don't know that he's the one who took down their goddess, and they're gullible enough to accept anything Micaela tells them."
Minagi grinned. "Kagetsumugi somehow captured him. I don't know how, and what plans she has for him, but the hero is out of commission."
"She took out the hero who repeatedly saved the world? That's… surprising, and extremely devious. The Monster Lord's Castle must be in complete panic, and if the rumor spreads to human settlements that the hero who saved the world disappeared…"
Minagi nodded. "Chaos will ensue, and people will look for any source of comfort. But first, let's focus on our little party at hand. Kagetsumugi will then attack my dear sisters in Remina with the angels she had taken under her control. However, she doesn't intend to waste them, and has let slip where they will regroup before and after their assault. We can hide here once they leave the place, and enjoy all those weakened angels as they return after forcing her to give up on the hero… I'm sure we'll even have the opportunity to appreciate his company before returning him to a grateful Tamamo, and we'll be able to use those angels to bargain with Micaela. Are you all willing to follow me?"
All the three succubi enthusiastically nodded.
"Good. Because I'm unfortunately still quite weak from Tamamo's treatment, and I don't have the time to properly recover. I hate to ask you this, but I will have to rely on you."
The three succubi kneeled again.
"We are your firsts, my lord. We will protect you."
"Good. Then let us get ready for another feast."
"Thank you Tamamo, we will stay on our guard… I don't think those wards will actually work against them, so I'll prepare for the worst."
Micaela cut the mental communication and groaned. So Kagetsumugi had apparently gathered angels to attack Haven… Learning that monsters were toying with their fellows would certainly deal a fatal blow to the moral of quite a lot of angels, and the more extremist ones would certainly use it as an opportunity to rally the other ones to her cause. And that wasn't even considering the fact that the Dark Goddess herself was still roaming around.
And furthermore, this had to happen the day Mariel had some fellows visit Haven in an attempt to bridge gaps… This made an already delicate situation extremely dangerous. Luckily, she herself and the small archangel now had several followers who were loyal to a fault to them, and they would be able to rely on them without creating a general panic.
Once she was sure no sign of magic was remaining, she opened the door leading to her private quarters to see two valkyries standing guard. She had hand-picked them not only for their martial prowess, but also for their ability to think on their own when trouble popped up and to take measured, sometimes even diplomatic responses that broke away from the old dogmas.
"We might have a problem. I will count on you."
Both valkyries kneeled. "We're waiting for your order, commander."
"Make sure that no conflict erupt with visiting angels. Keep an eye out for anyone that could look controlled like a puppet. You're dismissed."
"As you wish."
Both valkyries left her as the seraph herself made her way to her balcony. Haven was starting to look like a real city, as simple but elegant white buildings had now risen from the ground. After much persuasion effort from her as well as the constant overwatch of her fellow supporters, the structures were more functional and practical than the old temples of Heaven. Of course, rising them had only been possible thanks to the phenomenal effort some angels, had accepted to deploy, and, most of all…
They better never know that monsters provided most of the material… Marble dug up from the quarries by golems, purified by kitsunes, and then teleported by fairies.
As she felt slightly ashamed for lying again and again to her followers, she started feeling some movement far away as the wards surrounding the mountain informed her a small group of angels was coming. It looked like Mariel and her fellows were arriving right on time, and she wanted to be there to receive them properly. She frowned when she noticed Ariel's haughty expression as the archangel was staring off in the direction the angels were coming from. A part of the seraph appreciated the fact that the archangel was questioning authority and thinking of her own… If only it wasn't because she was still completely engrossed in the commandments of Ilias. Micaela jumped from the balcony, and, with a slight flap of her wings, landed delicately on the ground by the Archangel's side.
"You don't seem happier than that to see them…"
Ariel didn't even turn as she answered her. "I maintain that welcoming angels tainted by monsters is a mistake. We should live on our own, distancing ourselves from those that want to welcome the monsters that stood against them."
"Never forget that Ilias died alone. All angels had left her for long on her order when she was struck down. Isolating yourself from those that wish to help you will bring you nowhere."
That, and we're actually indebted to everyone. I don't want to give anyone a reason to attack Heaven.
A few minutes later, Mariel and a few fellow angels landed in the plaza under mixed looks from the crowd. While her fellows were ignoring them as they were too bedazzled by the structures, Mariel herself was focused on Micaela. Both angels smiled and exchanged a symbolic shake.
"Greetings. Whether it is only temporary or forever, you will always be welcome in Haven. Now, shall we let our fellow exchange news while we talk ourselves?"
Mariel nodded in agreement while Micaela took a brief glance at the angels that had accompanied her. None of them looked like they were under any form of outside influence, and while a few locals kept at bay from them, most of them were already discussing news in the world or making other small talk that reassured her: there were still reluctant specimens, but it looked like she would be able to keep the race mostly united.
Mariel followed Micaela back to her office. The seraph closed the door, and once she was sure that nobody could listen to them, she wallowed on her chair and allowed herself to relax.
"Nothing unusual happened since last time?"
Mariel shrugged. "Everything's calm for now. There's still that large group of angels unaccounted for, but otherwise, most of them are living their own lives in the company of humans and monsters."
Micaela grimaced. "About those disappearances… Please keep it under wrap, but Tamamo has a sneaking suspicion that Kagetsumugi has taken the control of them and plans to attack Haven."
The small archangel froze for a short moment. "What? Why?"
"She doesn't know herself. Our guess is that she expects the more fanatical angels to attempt to strike back and force the Ancestors to move out to finish us."
"But… How did she get them in the first place?"
"This is a mystery… And yet, I have a small suspicion myself as to how she did it. In any case, please, I insist you must only warn people you trust to keep this information to themselves."
Mariel nodded in agreement. As the two of them relaxed, a strident noise suddenly echoed in her room. Both angels jumped up in surprise.
"Someone's attacking the wards. But that can't be them, those protections are supposed to let angels through... Let's go."
Mariel followed Micaela even as the latter readied her sword. With her full might at her disposition, she felt ready to even face one of the Six Ancestors… Although it would make no sense for a single one of them to attack alone. Either they all banded together, or they were bound to get a beating from Saja and Tamamo. Eventually, as Micaela looked in the far distance, she saw the reality of the situation as a few wards were indeed getting destroyed.
"Those are monsters, not angels."
Micaela focused her senses toward the direction of the broken ward. There was indeed a large group of monsters closing in, including spiders, beasts, elves… Even a few vampires and yomas were accounted for.
"They're puppets. It looks like Kagetsumugi still had quite an army."
"And they must be slain appropriately."
Ariel had joined them, and was looking haughtily at the group of monsters. As Micaela analyzed the situation, she placed a hand on Ariel's shoulder to calm her ardors.
"Wait. We must incapacitate them without killing them."
"What? Why? They're monsters! They're the enemy of the goddess."
"Don't be short sighted. We need them as a token to bargain with the Monster Lord."
As Micaela weighed her sword in her hand, she assessed the situation. This fight wouldn't be a big issue for her, she might even be able to take all of them head-on on her own without too much difficulty… No, the bigger issue was the fact that, contrary to what she was told, not a single angel was in sight.
Tamamo made a HUGE mistake. For everyone's sake, I really hope she decided to stay in the Monster Lord's Castle.