From far away, Kagetsumugi was looking at the scene currently happening at the Navel of the World. Without surprise, those monsters she had controlled and then released were going to take a lot of time to take care of those pesky wards. She couldn't see what the angels were doing, but she had no doubt that their leader was preparing them for the inevitable fight ahead of them. Of course, her monsters would get decimated, but it didn't matter in the slightest. Even if she had spent a lot of time crafting them, they had served their purpose and could as well be discarded without a second thought, and the first part of her plan would be complete anyway. Afterward, it would just be a matter of sending her angel puppets on the town of Remina. That damn Tamamo had certainly prepared the defense of the castle with the support of her sisters, and she'd do more psychological damage with the destruction of the city that was still getting rebuilt in the first place. The symbol of coexistence wasn't allowed to rise again.

The small puppeteer had thoroughly followed the war against Ilias, enjoying her tranquility thanks to the isolated location of her tower even as monsters, humans and angels had clashed through the world as they respectively fought for their lives, their loved ones, or for an egomaniac goddess. She even had the opportunity to grab herself a few specimens to work on, and managed to follow what happened between two experiments. At the heart of the victories humans and monsters got against the alliance of the Goddess of Light, she always saw that purple-haired hero. Although he had attracted her attention, the man and the war itself remained barely more than entertainment at best. Kagetsumugi had been a bit disappointed that the main patron of her clan, Black Alice, hadn't called upon her to support her plan. But it didn't matter, she had more important work to do: namely keeping alive the craft of the puppeteer clan and be better than the Artiste family.

Ironically, she only got involved after the war, as more and more monsters that had joined force with the Goddess and the clan's past creator ended in the isolated valley that made for her home. A few curious ones even checked on her tower, and, after talking a little with them, she soon invited them in. At first, she didn't care much, those were just monsters fleeing by fear of reprisal and wanting to keep raiding humans, and as long as they didn't disturb her in her work, she was fine with them. As time passed, however, she ended up with a small army of monsters that were dissatisfied with the Monster Lord and wanted more than living side-by-side with humans. She even heard them talk about how she was the best chance to oppose the Monster Lord, and considered that maybe, with her power, she could even put pressure on the different human kingdoms and show monsters that the Fateburn bloodline left her alone for a good reason. Even as the latter wanted to impose co-existence between species with the power of the hero by her side, she wanted to show monsters that there was an alternative, and, most of all, that they were free to treat humanity as the inferior species it was, just like their old master told everyone. She even started preparing plans to attack the Monster Lord's Castle…

Until she heard about the return of the Six Ancestors. She was better versed in history than most monsters, and knew the danger those six demi-goddesses represented. Their powers were only matched by their hunger, and she knew herself that if they decided to side with the Monster Lord, she would end up smashed in a heartbeat. However, if she did manage to convince at least one of them to join her… She would become an actual threat herself.

However, Kagetsumugi quickly became disillusioned when it was clear that they all had their own petty, personal goal and preferred screwing around the world on their own instead of uniting to put the world under their boots. Even her personal encounter with one disappointed her, as this scylla acted like a complete child before trying to eat her. Fortunately, she had prepared for worse scenarios and managed to escape unscathed, even as her army had grown in number. As she kept an eye out for opportunities, she even managed to get some angels after they ended weakened by another Ancestor. And even some powerful ones at that… Granted, working on them took more time than she wanted, as she had needed a source of holy energy to help them, forcing her to move most of her equipment at her new working station. The result proved worth it, however. She had worth several queen monsters at the ready afterward.

However, she was forced to acknowledge that no matter how much effort she poured into her creations, they were still outclassed at best. Even her most prized creation would at best barely hold a candle to one of the Six Ancestors. She then tried to actively recruit other monsters and… ended up biting more than she could chew.

When she saw the Lilith Sisters in Succubus Village, she saw a great opportunity to weaken the Monster Lord by recruiting those ancient monsters while eliminating one of her Heavenly Knights. The hero was also apparently busy dealing with one of the Ancestor who had decided to strike a coup against the Monster Lord, and since her own plan was targeting the only flying Heavenly Knight, no real threat would be able to step in before her plan reached completion.

However while she had planned for Lilith to refuse her offers, she hadn't planned for the succubus to somehow recover her power and to go on a rampage targeting her. Luckily, she had already moved her most important equipment and works a while back, but her defeat and capture had caught her flat-footed.

And then… She had been judged and put under probation by the Monster Lord. She chuckled again when she remembered what happened back then. The small puppeteer initially thought that they would at least always have someone on her back… If anything, it comforted her in her choice to oppose the Monster Lord, who had clearly lost her mind if she let enemies like her roam free in her own house. And that succubus had incidentally been quite helpful making sure all those weak-minded horndogs that were supposed to guard the castle remained busy with any man strolling around. She then just had to grab the hero and teleport away, unnoticed. It had been so easy… Why did nobody else try simply attacking him when he was asleep?

Of course, he was just a bonus in all that. Contrary to all those nymphomaniacs, she wasn't even interested in him, she just wanted to remove the hindrance to her plans he represented. Even then, he had been quite an opportunity that she would exploit in due time.

Right now, her plans was about to bear fruit. She looked from afar at the monsters that were starting to wreck one of those magical stones protecting the Navel of the World. She was herself already far from the fighting.

Attacking the unfittingly named Haven with monsters would rile up the more fanatical angels who would ask for blood. Now she only needed to make sure that angels would attack the locals in Remina. She didn't even need to wait for the counter-attack from Haven itself. Attacking the Monster Lord's Castle was tempting, but that little kitsune and the Monster Lord herself would pierce through her ruse. The Ancestors, however… They would be all too eager to jump at the opportunity to kill the attacking angels without a second thought in a violent counter-offensive.

And if a few more monsters recognized the lack of leadership abilities from the current Monster Lord in this disaster, it would be even better.

Now to make sure that the attack on Remina happened…

Micaela analyzed the large group of monsters that had destroyed the warding stone and was now readying its assault on the settlement of Haven. Even from afar, she could see that several of them had been altered with strings and other mechanical parts, as they moved around like clockwork rather than organically.

There are less than twenty monsters… Spiders, elves, vampires, and a few mermaid. They're certainly the remainder of those monsters transformed by Kagetsumugi. We can easily take them on without a single loss, they're not even enough to actually kill any angels. Micaela looked on her side, and saw electric current run through Ariel's arms. But it will be enough to rile them up, and some of them will ignore my orders and kill monsters. Ilias would then slay them for going against her word, but… No, there's no way I can do that. The best I can do to make sure they don't make things worse is to do everything on my own.

"I will take them all myself." Micaela readied her sword under the dumbfounded gaze of all her allies. "I told our Goddess that I would preserve the lives of angels. I won't renege on my word by letting you defend yourselves."

"Nobody ever doubted you would!" One the valkyries exclaimed herself in surprise.

"Maybe. But even then, I can't afford to have you take any risk. Organize a defensive line in case some of them try to escape me. Herja, take the lead."

"Your wish is our order, my lord."

"Good."

I hope I didn't go too soft. And I hope that I won't go too hard on them either.

In the blink of an eye, Micaela charged in the middle of the group and created a holy explosion that knocked most of the monsters around, scattering them. When she saw all of them get up and charge at her, she already felt relieved by the fact that her fellow angels were now more likely to stay out of this. She imbued her whole body with magic, and started striking her enemies faster than the eye could see. The first seraph didn't even need to dodge any attack as the monsters simply didn't have time to react between the moment she struck one of them and moved on to the next target. As the monsters wandered around confused by the seemingly uncatchable attacker, Micaela exploited the opportunity to slowly weaken them one after the other. She made sure that her movements were chaotic enough so that no enemy could discern any pattern in her attacks, all while giving more attention to the few mermaids who could heal their allies. She was surprised by the resilience of her enemies: most monsters would have fallen after the first strike, and even the more powerful ones would have been weakened a good deal, but most of them were holding strong, and even as she kept attacking, she started preparing for a coherent counter-offensive from the horde of monsters.

However, as she kept the pressure on the small horde, it became clearer and clearer that they had no leader and were completely unable to coordinate themselves. Spiders were using their skills in magic to attempt to trap her into webs or enhancing their own selves with spells, but Micaela just had to take to the skies to avoid them, and, instead of supporting the vampires who could reach her thanks to their flying abilities, or even the elves who were attempting to shoot at her with their bows, they were just futilely pestering to the skies in frustration.

The first seraph managed to knock down the vampires that followed her without killing them with a beam of light. She continued her relentless assault, tossing enemies around like a tornado and incapacitating them one by one with barely a sweat. As she remained standing tall amongst her fallen opponents, she could hear the loud acclamations from the settlement as angels praised her. She ignored them, focusing on the enemies she had just taken down instead.

Once Micaela was sure that not a single one of them would get up, she used her magic senses to scan her surroundings: there wasn't a single one of the disappeared angel, only a very subtle, extremely familiar signature.

"Teleport them away, and move up. Kagetsumugi is going to use the angels to attack Hellgondo. She wants to restart the war between monsters and angels."

Tamamo's image briefly shimmered as the kitsune temporarily lost her focus in shock.

"What?! Are you sure?! Why would she do that?!"

"They'll get slaughtered by the Ancestors, and I won't be able to hold the monster-hating fringe if this happens. It will only spiral out of control afterward. If you can manage to prevent their deaths at the hands of your sisters, we'll be able to stop the conflict before it even starts."

"…Someone is blocking teleportation to Hellgondo. I can only say it's angelic magic."

Micaela snarled. Even from here, she could detect the barrier. They weren't many angels able of such a feat in the first place, although depending on the enhancements Kagetsumugi brought to her creations, there could be more of them around now…

"Give me a second, I'll carry you there."

In the blink of an eye, Micaela was back in the middle of Haven, and all the angels silently kneeled in front of her. Luckily, she had already planned what she would say in such a case.

"I will personally ask the Monster Lord what is going on. Herja, I let you take the responsibility of the city for now. No angel should leave until I return."

"You're joking! This can only be a trap!" Unsurprisingly, the first to contradict her plan was Ariel, although she was slightly surprised that the archangel apparently did it out of concern instead of a desire for payback.

"Then they'll pay it with their blood. I'll be back before the next dawn."

Micaela turned her back and started flying northward. She briefly dived to grab the still invisible figure of Tamamo who pushed a surprised yelp.

"Micaela! I appreciate the support, but kitsunes aren't made to fly!"

"Didn't you have Minagi drop you in the middle of fighting formations during the Great Monster War?"

"That was an eternity ago!"

"Yes. Now hush, I don't want to see a second round."

Kagetsumugi was slowly strolling amongst the angels that she had turned into her own puppets. Naturally, all of them were glaring at her, which didn't matter much to the small puppeteer. Even if they were now her creations more than the ones of that sorry excuse of Goddess of Light, they were still enemies. She walked straight at their leader, a confident smirk on her face: She had not expected this one to come with such a devious plan… To dress as a human and to fan the embers of hatred while using a decoy dressed like her…

The angel was still fully concealed by her clothes. Kagetsumugi had taken care to fix her white, feathered robe that had been damaged by the Ancestor and the golden mask. Maybe seeing the leader of the supposedly dismantled True Faith movement assaulting the Monster Lord would push more humans to get into the conflict?

The leader crossed her arms in front of her body, and the small puppeteer could feel her hatred pouring through the mask. She shrugged it off and checked what was happening in Haven. The seraph was taking care of her horde alone, and it did look like she was making efforts to hold back her strikes and not kill anyone. Kagetsumugi frowned. That damn Micaela was refusing to play her role… In that case, she'd just have to hurry slightly and send her angels before the first seraph went to the castle herself.

"Prepare to move on Remina."

"No. We refuse. One of the Ancestor is there."

Kagetsumugi raised an eyebrow. "You are my puppet. This is an instruction."

She revealed a series of magical strings in her hand that were connected to all the angels around her, including the leader. Still, not a single one moved, and as she tried to understand why they were not doing as she instructed, she felt the thread burning her hand. She eventually dropped them, and, as she took a good look around her, she finally understood what happened.

"This flimsy magical thread is only material that cannot resist the divine holy energy granted by the Goddess. Your mere excuse of shoddy craft would be an affront to our very light if it couldn't have been put at the contribution of her noble cause.

Kagetsumugi was aghast. Of course, her work on angels had been very experimental… She never had the opportunity to get her hands on one before, and realizing that her work had been turned against her was hurting almost as much as the insults the angel was throwing toward her skill…

Still, how did she turn her power around like that? As far as she knew, angels that could directly alter the world around them weren't exactly numerous in the first place. She became lost in thoughts even as the leader summoned a powerful orb of light. Trying to defend herself was useless. Even if she was able to protect herself against the spell, she would be slaughtered by all the other followers.

"Rejoice, for your incompetence will allow us to claim victory against the leader of monsters in the name of the Goddess of Light! For Ilias!"

As the attack came, Kagetsumugi didn't bat an eye, still too focused on trying to understand the reason her plan failed. Even as her body was completely blasted by a beam of light, she didn't care as much about what was happening to her than she did for the fact that some creations escaped her grasp.

It's only when she understood that she was dying that she took relief in all her preparations.

She still had yet another backup plan.

"The angels just turned on Kagetsumugi and are starting to move. We can move there now."

Minagi raised an eyebrow. She was surprised by Lilith's report, but decided to shrug it off. It looked like that small puppeteer wasn't as fully in control as she thought. Well, she was just one less toy to play with, and not the best one in the first place. Nobody would shed a tear for her death.

The quartet of succubi moved in the place the angels were occupying not so long ago and used a minor spell to conceal their signature. Minagi herself sat on a large stone cross-legged in a meditative posture, not so far from the pile of ash that made for the remains of the small puppeteer. While she could fully feel the world around her, she was forced to rely on Lilith to keep an eye on the actions of the angels as her powers were still quite weakened. She could still observe her surroundings, and even got to enjoy the opportunity to examine in thorough details the changed the small puppeteer had brought to those angels: She hadn't found herself a way to stop angels from losing their energy, which meant that she somehow had found another way to have them replenish themselves… This would require a more thorough examination.

The way she integrated her work in those angels was… Unusual. It wasn't quite the work she had expected from a puppeteer, as she remembered Lilith's own hobbies in that regard. They were… somehow reversed? The parts that had been integrated into angels to turn them into puppets had been altered to be fully part of themselves, erasing any grasp the puppeteer could have on her creation. Now as to which angel had that power…

"I apologize, my lord, but the angels are not going in the direction of Remina. They're marching on the Monster Lord's Castle."

"Mmh… An unexpected development. I'm sure Saja will still deal with them appropriately."

…Although she would also certainly be more violent. Her dear sister would riposte appropriately and in a measured way if they attacked Remina, but if they attacked the place where the Monster Lord herself was…

Minagi longingly exhaled. Even less toys for her. Maybe she could convince her sister that leaving them alone with her would be a worse punishment than death. However, communicating with Saja in her situation would make her run the risk of warning Tamamo too, and she had no doubt the kitsune wouldn't appreciate her little games.

"Hey, shouldn't have Tamamo or Saja reacted by now?"

"Shush Morrigan, let the adults think for once."

"Not cool sis. Not. Cool."

"Although she's right… They did just break in the gates of the castle. Why has no one else showed up?"

Making a huge effort, Minagi fully focused her senses on the castle. She could detect the now familiar signature of the succubus queen, as well as two of her fellow Heavenly Knights. However, Tamamo was curiously missing… The next instant, everything went dark as the angels deployed one of their barrier to stop anyone from intervening. It wouldn't be quite enough to stop the Lilith Sisters themselves though.

She fully relaxed herself as she attempted to at least see what her dear sisters were doing. The only one whose current location didn't surprise her was Kanade, and the slime was "busy" recovering her energy, which meant tgat she would need a small hour before properly reacting. Kanon was in the north-east corner of the continent at the edge of mountains, probably sulking if her position alone was anything to go by. As to Saja and Tamamo… The former was flying like a giant light into the skies of Sentora, apparently desperately searching for something, while the latter was in the Navel of the World, quite subtly concealed and very close to the First Seraph. Of course, Hiruko was nowhere to be seen.

She reexamined the traces left behind by the angels. The changes brought by Kagetsumugi had definitively enhanced their power, if ever only a little. That succubus queen definitively had some skills if the fight that she had put on against Lilith was anything to go by, and it was safe to assume that her two companions were on the same level. They would hold easily…

…If they were not overly distraught by the disappearance of the hero. This might be a bigger issue than she expected, as she knew herself how much moral played a role into a fight. She remembered how majestically organized angelic formations fell into utter chaos as soon as one of the angels saw her. Of course, in the present case, the Monster Lord herself would rally them, and, as much as Minagi played down her skills, she was still a powerhouse in her own right who could slay most angels with only a few minor wounds.

…If she wasn't pregnant, naturally emotional, and as close to the hero as one would ever be. She was certainly in the worst state of mind of the lot that was currently in the castle. And if the Monster Lord died, then the Dark Goddess would be very angry once released from her seal.

Minagi got up in a smooth motion. There was no time to waste.

"Change of plans. We're moving in."

"Come on! Swing that arm harder! You're supposed to be the elite of the elite of the Monster Lord's forces, not some fancy street lady strolling in a park!"

The succubus that Granberia just scolded started training harder while the Heavenly Knight of Fire continued walking amongst the monsters sparring in the arena, all watched over by Alma Elma.

The three Heavenly Knights had all been surprised to be called by Tamamo for an emergency. When they arrived, they were all shock by the lack of guards, and became utterly furious when the kitsune laid down what had happened only a bit earlier. When the kitsune left, Granberia had shown an impressive alacrity and barged in each room occupied by a monster and a guest to force the former ones to train after laying a verbal smack down. The dragonkin had been extremely firm every time, no matter her interlocutor. As she looked at her friend, Alma Elma wondered if it wasn't out of a desire to prove her worth to her Ancestor.

She shook her head and dismissed the idea. Granberia had always kept training herself and the others as hard as she could, no matter how exhausted she was.

Alma Elma herself felt a tinge of guilt for failing to keep an eye out on her Ancestor. Even if the ancient succubi made an effort, they had always made their desire to indulge in more preys clear. They had even tried seducing a few angels, but Alma Elma always made sure that they weren't overstepping their freedom by using supernatural coercion.

If she had known earlier, maybe she would have asked the Lilith Sisters about their progenitor… It would have been a good occasion for them to show where their loyalty really lied. Did they really accept the coexistence offered by the hero and Alice, or was it just a feint as they waited for an opportunity to strike the world as it offered its throat?

She focused again on her fellow's training to clear her mind. However, she soon found herself thinking again about Luka and Alice. The Monster Lord had taken the hero's disappearance extremely badly, and was now apparently in a coma. Erubetie was now always by her side to make sure that her life wasn't threatened. Even if Alma Elma herself had only been following Alice's orders her whole life in the loosest sense, she had always respected the Monster Lord if only for the nightmare the latter had been put through. She only regretted that she didn't show Alice that she could be a friend as loyal as Tamamo or Granberia. As for the hero himself… Alma Elma loved to tease him, but after so much adventures together, she started doubting that she would get him for her even if given the opportunity. Maybe a few one-night stands with Alice's consent…

No. The lamia would never accept to let the succubus queen get a bite out of her hero. Even if Alma herself found him. She tried letting her growing magic senses run wild in hope of finding him, even she knew it was useless… And indeed, she didn't feel any trace from him.

She couldn't feel the Lilith Sisters either. As she tried to push her magical senses to the limit, the Succubus Queen realized that she couldn't feel anything beyond Hellgondo. She sensed the power of Kanade as the slime Ancestor was cleaning Remina, but nothing else.

At least this time a few guards are standing at the entrance…

Still, something's wrong. And I won't let anyone think I skimmed on my duty ever again.

Alma Elma jumped down and made her way to Granberia. The dragonkin was looking at her stone-faced, and she hoped that her own expression made it clear that she wasn't here to play around.

"Have everyone on guard. I think we have problems incoming."

Granberia nodded in agreement. Even if Alma Elma could be wrong, it was still a good way to make the guards recover some measure of discipline. And if she was right... They would be ready to defend the castle.

"Everybody moves to their position! Ready for a fight!"

Monsters groaned but obeyed none the less. Even Alma Elma was impressed by the aura of sheer authority that emanated from Granberia. While the dragonkin always had a strong presence, it had seemed to have grown even stronger those last weeks.

Is this the result of training under her Ancestor?

I wished Minagi would teach me actually useful skills instead of being a hindrance…

An explosion followed by an alarm suddenly echoed in the Monster Lord's Castle. Soon after, the sound of battle started echoing and the two of them hurried to the front door, even as monsters were still getting to their position.

A large battle had suddenly exploded in the main hall. The guards of the castle were facing unidentified opponents, and Alma Elma needed a minute to recognize them as angels as their modifications were extremely severe. Some of them had mechanical limbs and wings, while other had their torso replaced. The fight was an absolute mess, and it was clear that her fellows were at a disadvantage because of the surprise.

"Succubi and vampires, flank them! The remainder, with me! Form a defensive line! They shall not pass!"

Alma Elma reflexively obeyed and started exchanging blows with an angel that would just look like any another valkyrie if it wasn't for her mechanical wings. The war angel parried her attack and turned an emotionless expression toward her, making her uncomfortable. Alma Elma smirked and struck between the valkyrie's legs with a power imbued hand in hope of instantly making her opponent crumple in throes of bliss, but, to her shock, the angel didn't react. Instead, the succubus jumped back to avoid the attack of a strange enemy that looked more like an insect than an angel, and had mechanical blades for claws. Alma Elma tried to take her down the same way, but her attack failed just as well. This time, the angel smirked and struck the succubus who ended with a small gash on each arm as she barely dodged the assault.

"They're immune to pleasure attacks, forego them entirely!"

The insect-like angel and the valkyrie started ganging up on Alma Elma, forcing the succubus to move back as her opponents mechanically attacked at an impressive speed. However, the valkyrie ended up rushing her and caught a darkness imbued fist straight in the stomach for her trouble, ending straight into her companion who stumbled before the latter resumed her assault. Even as the monstrous angel waved her blades around while grinning, Alma Elma slowly moved back and summoned a powerful gust of wind. While it barely destabilized her opponent, it was enough for the succubus queen who rushed straight under her guard and threw a flurry of punch before kicking her away with a powerful leg sweep. Even before she could enjoy some reprieve for her victory, several strange snakes tried to wrap around her. She managed to dodge them, and they instead wrapped around another succubus in an attempt to crush her. Alma Elma took a look at their source and saw an angel sitting on a throne looking smugly at her victim . Alma Elma directly rushed her head on and punched her in the face, breaking the angel's focus and making her release her prey. As the elder succubus fell on her knees, barely breathing, she looked up to her superior and nodded in thanks just before getting swept by a large metallic tentacle, crashing in a wall with a sinister crunch.

Alma Elma glared at the monstrous angel that had killed her subordinate, and, even if the latter had an indifferent gaze in her eyes at first, the succubus queen detected a hint of fear in her. Several tentacles attempted to sweep the succubus who parried them with the palm of her hands before forcing them to strike their own users straight across her body. The angel ended up caught in her own momentum and turned several times before being punched across the main hall by a brutal strike from the succubus. As no immediate angel threatened her, Alma Elma flew as high as the ceiling allowed her and took a quick glance to try to gauge how the battle was going.

Even with the sight from her vantage point, the battle was a total mess. The angels were barely more than a dozen, and had made the basic mistakes of letting themselves get huddled together which allowed the flying monsters to surround them while the line of defense organized by Granberia made them unable to progress an inch. The Heavenly Knight of fire was exchanging blows with three angel soldiers who each had different limbs replaced with mechanical parts. The dragonkin was visibly in a state of serene mind, avoiding their attacks with flowing movements while her own strikes were leaving a visible shockwave. Alma Elma was shocked by the fact that, even as they lost some mechanical parts of their bodies, they were still attacking relentlessly.

They're not feeling anything… It's horrible, what's the point of a life without pleasure?

Abandoning her philosophical questioning just as fast, she rushed in again to support a vampire and a succubus who were having difficulties against an angel who seemed to be trying to pull her opponents inside the large egg she was holding. She struck the unwary angel in the temple, stunning her and interrupting her attack for the shortest of moment and allowing the two monsters to recover. The angel summoned a holy wave that Alma Elma failed to dodge in time, burning her. The succubus gritted her teeth and moved behind the angel to grab her in a full body lock.

You can't feel anything, but I can still drain your energy!

The angel struggled desperately while the succubus queen prayed that all the monsters around her would keep other enemies from attacking her. She felt her energy return even as the angel struggled less and less. Once the angel went limp, she let it go to the ground.

The moment she got up, she felt an horrible feeling in her stomach.

Deciding to let her instinct take over, she rushed away from the battle as it was clear the defenders of the castle were now at an advantage. She noticed Granberia starting to follow her, lagging behind even if she was running at full speed.

After what felt like an eternity but actually hadn't been more than a few seconds, she arrived in sight of the Healing Ward where the Monster Lord was currently comatose. And, just as she suspected, several monsters were fighting angels and barely holding them back. Worse, a trio of angels broke from the fight to intercept Alma Elma in a heartbeat. The succubus queen tried to slip around, but the angel soldiers somehow always blocked her way, even managing to score a hit in one of her wings. Alma Elma yelped in pain and used her tail to grab her assailant, throwing her against a wall before preparing to fight the two remaining ones. When she finally managed to examine them, she realized that they had been altered more deeply than those that she had fought earlier: Even the surface of their body seemed to be made of a shiny, metallic material. The angel that she had thrown against a wall a second ago was already back up, and the only reason that she didn't try to backstab the succubus queen again was because Granberia had intercepted her.

Alma Elma herself was forced on the defensive against the two enemies: their speed was on par with her own, each wind blade she launched only made a small dent, and she didn't even consider attempting to use pleasure attacks after her experience against the past group. She didn't manage to make a step closer before the last monster guards fell in a bloody gurgle, and the angels visibly exulted as they opened the door of the Healing Ward where the unconscious Monster Lord was resting.

The moment they opened the door, the angels were greeted by a storm of projectiles that knocked them back slightly. Alma Elma's own opponents turned in surprise, and the succubus queen caught both of them mid-section with a powerful kick. The angels stumbled, but didn't went down. Alma Elma pushed her assault with a series of punch, finally knocking both of them down and finally being able to move on to support Erubetie against her own enemies.

"Die, foul succubus!"

Alma Elma could only be thankful for the fact that her attacker announced herself before casting their spell, otherwise she would have never been able to react in time and taken the wave of light head-on. Instead, the spell hit a few angels who seemed to reel slightly, even if they weren't more affected than that.

The succubus queen glared at the newcomer as she recognized the figure of the leader of the True Faith. The same robe, the same mask, the same speech… The succubus queen directly rushed at her without a second thought, but she was suddenly pushed back by an anomalous aura. The figure emitted a mocking laugh.

"You will never get your hands on me, you filth! Now, I will enjoy killing you like you enjoy making your victims suffer!"

Alma Elma suddenly found her movement limited, as if the gravity was trying to hold her into place. The figure started accumulating an enormous amount of holy energy even as the succubus queen tried to struggle against whatever force seemed to bind her, but it was a losing battle. She eventually braced herself for the attack, but the beam of energy directly hit her only for the shortest moment before the attack suddenly stopped in a crackling noise while she finally recovered her freedom. However, she instantly collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, and could only see dancing shapes while her ears were ringing.

She still managed to recognize Granberia attacking the form relentlessly, the latter taking hits even as she tried to raise barriers to protect themselves. The dragonkin was a dancing storm of steel that broke protections after protections as her blade tore some part of the robe her opponent was wearing. The being attempted to blast Granberia with a blade of pure energy, but the dragonkin parried it with her own blade, dissipating it.

"How did a dumb lizard break my holy magic?! You're too dumb to use spells!"

Granberia answered in a measured tone. "I learned to. A warrior always strives to get better."

"You will still fail! We are still more powerful than you pathetic monsters! Soldiers, finish that succubus and move on to the Monster Lord! We will kill her before more foul abominations arrive!"

One of the angel soldier rushed toward Alma Elma with her sword aimed straight at the throat of the succubus, but her attack was deviated at the last second by a water barrier. Alma Elma silently thanked Erubetie even as she got up with difficulty. This simple act of defiance was enough to bring a frustrated cry from the mysterious silhouette.

"Why don't you whores stay down for good!? Lay down and beg for your life so that I can cast you back to hell!"

Alma Elma gritted her teeth in pain as her opponent prepared yet another magical attack. This time, Erubetie was completely focused on trying to keep angels out of the Healing Ward to defend the Monster Lord, while Granberia herself was doing her best to keep more angels from finishing off Alma Elma themselves. The masked angel immobilized the Succubus Queen again, and took her time yet again to prepare another spell as scorn poured through every hole of her mask.

"This time, with the goddess as my witness, you will die."

This time, Alma Elma readied her own wind spell as her opponent prepared her beam. Once she was sure she got enough energy, the succubus queen released her spell around her, and moved on the little winds she created to reach her opponent and deck her straight in the stomach, interrupting her attack again.

"…How-"

This time, Alma Elma didn't let the angel finish and chained on another strike, even if she was utterly exhausted. The strange being glided back in an otherworldly fashion to avoid the clumsy punch and started cackling.

"You will never be able to harm one of her magnificent servant again! You're just a filthy whore."

As Alma Elma attempted another unsuccessful attack, the angel was suddenly pushed forward by an unseen assailant and ended straight in the punch of the succubus, throwing her backward toward her first assailant. Surprised, the succubus queen recognized Astaroth's red mane as the ancient succubus ducked to grab the hovering angel by her ankle before slamming her in the ground with all her might. As her victim bounced off the rocky floor in a loud crashing sound, she kicked her away in a spinning kick. A wave of light kept her away from her opponent as the latter slowly got back to a hovering position. The succubus loudly exhaled.

"One millennium later, and it's still the same chorus… change it up already."

"I take it that your whores of sisters are also here… typical monsters, cowardly hiding behind each other!"

In a gust of wind, Astaroth charged the angel who disappeared in a beam of light. The red-haired succubus whistled disapprovingly before turning toward the scene behind her. Erubetie and Granberia seemed to do mostly fine, but Alma Elma herself felt about to collapse on the ground.

Before Alma Elma could do anything, she felt her older counterpart grab her face and forced her mouth open. She reflexively tensed before relaxing as she felt her senior share some energy. As Astaroth removed herself, the Succubus Queen smiled.

"You know… Simply doing that in the colosseum would have earned you a legendary popularity."

"Later. Stay here to defend the Monster Lord, we're taking care on the angels of the roof."

"Take care."

Alma Elma turned back toward her fellow Heavenly Knights. Both of them had their jaw dropped on the floor in surprise, completely dumbfounded. Alma Elma giggled.

"Awww… Are you jealous?"

"Yes… Wait, no! It doesn't matter, what are the Lilith Sisters doing here? We couldn't reach anyone!"

Alma Elma's expression became serious again as the succubus queen became lost in thoughts.

"Good question actually..."

"COME ON! I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO CRUSADE AGAINST MONSTERS! WASN'T THAT EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND?! YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY!"

Lilith smirked as she looked at Morrigan who was chasing two angel soldiers that were running around in a panic. The two white-winged beings of light had shown up a second ago, completely exhausted, all that to be greeted by the sight of Morrigan's grin.

When the Lilith Sisters arrived, they had noticed the large battle at the entrance of the castle as well as the presence of angels on the roof. Minagi had decided that the latter was a bigger priority, and the Lilith Sisters fully focused their attention there while their still weakened lord hid herself in a corner close by. The angels had made the mistake of not letting one sentinel behind, and were teleporting small number after small number here periodically in a now-hopeless attempt to regroup.

Astaroth had rushed in the castle to support whoever was in need of help while the two remaining sisters took down the already exhausted angels that kept appearing regularly. They were careful to not kill them, they still wanted their toys intact for later. However, the succubi were disgusted by the fact that the angels had somehow become unable to feel pleasure. Lilith herself was completely aghast, and, if anything, it was the proof that she had been right in attacking Kagetsumugi herself.

This is an abomination… This puppeteer died too soon and should have been tormented for years for her crimes against nature!

Lilith knocked down two more angels with a blade of wind just as they teleported in. She hoped that the Monster Lord and her Heavenly Knights would appreciate their support. Every little bit of goodwill would afford them a little more leeway for their games.

After a few more minutes of incapacitating any angels that teleported here, Lilith frowned when she recognized the already-familiar silhouette of the True Faith leader. She blasted them with a blade of wind while Morrigan charged her with her sword raised, but the being tanked both hits and riposted with a wave of light that both Lilith Sisters dodged elegantly.

"I knew that cowards like you would lie in ambush!"

"Oh, shush miss I'm using the weapons a monster gave me. At least you confirmed you're an angel with that level of hypocrisy… "

"It doesn't matter. You will all die!"

A blinding light suddenly surrounded the silhouette. While Lilith felt herself slightly burned, the succubus became critically alarmed when she suddenly felt her master in pain.

"LADY MINAGI!"

Lilith rushed to her master's side while Morrigan started striking the angel with absolute fury, forcing the latter to defend herself again.

Minagi herself was laying unconscious just behind one of the niche all around the roof. Lilith castigated herself for involving their weakened mother in such a risky operation. Of course, the angels would attempt to target her... She desperately poured some of her own energy, ignorant of the angel that was stepping closer while preparing another attack to take the duo from behind while still trying to hold Astaroth and Morrigan at bay. The oldest of the Lilith Sisters didn't even react either when a sudden surge of dark energy appeared into the sky and the angel disappeared with her companions in a panicked, shrill scream.

Before she understood, Tamamo was by her side in her Ancestral form, applying a healing talisman on her sister. Lilith felt herself slightly tear up, and Tamamo patted her on the back without controlling her strength, making the succubus stumble forward.

"Oh, don't worry, she'll be fine, she saw worse during the Great Monster War… Now if you would kindly accompany me with her in the Healing Ward, we have a lot to talk about." The kitsune effortlessly lifted the succubus over her shoulder and started walking away. The three succubi didn't follow her at first.

"We have to chase those angels."

"Micaela is going care of them. I'll take care of the defense of the castle before anything else."

Lilith stepped in front of the kitsune in a heartbeat and glared at her. "Micaela? You really think she will do anything to take care of her kin? Have you come to trust her that much?"

"I certainly do trust her more than the succubi that wrecked havoc less than a few months ago and who might be associated with the one responsible for the attack on the castle." Both Tamamo's tone and expression remained neutral during her short speech.

Lilith blinked in surprise. "Wait, what does that mean? And why weren't you in the Monster Lord's Castle in the first place?"

"I made mistakes. Just like a lot of people today apparently… As for the other issue, barring exceptional circumstances, nobody will get in and out of the castle until I get an explanation of what. Exactly. Happened."

Lilith tried to intimidate Tamamo No Mae with a glare before feeling Astaroth's gloved hand over her shoulder. When she checked behind her, she saw her two sisters looking at her with a mix of fear and concern. It's only then that the elder of the Lilith Sisters realized that she let her emotions dictate her behavior. She was even showing hostility to Tamamo No Mae right after the kitsune helped healing their superior. She looked down in shame.

"I apologize. I never wanted to antagonize you. Please forgive me."

Tamamo looked down with empathy on the trio. "Then please, for the sake of everyone, my sister included, I better get the whole truth on what happened those last days."

Micaela was flying full speed toward the Sealed Sinner's Prison, an expression of pure determination on her face, even as she felt bile rise through her body in anger: She herself and Tamamo had reached the continent the instant the magical barrier fell. They had both noticed the presence of the Lilith Sisters in the Monster Lord's Castle, and the angels were apparently near Sealed Sinner's Prison. They had decided that the seraph was better off dropping the kitsune so that she would take care of the situation at the castle while the seraph herself made her way to the place where the angels had apparently fallen back.

She was not enthusiastic at the idea of having to take care of angels that hated monsters so much they had chosen to go on a hopeless crusade against them instead of… Doing anything that would have given them a chance of surviving. And she knew that Kagetsumugi had defiled them, which would definitively make any chance to reconcile with monsterkin or even ask for peace a dream at best. However, if she captured the puppeteer and gave her a trial for everyone to assist to, it would be a good first step.

When she arrived in sight of Sealed Sinner's Prison, she almost instantly noticed the remaining angels, looking pathetic with their mechanical alterations. However, she didn't pick any sign that could tell her that they were still under the influence of the small puppeteer. As she realized that there were no signs of Kagetsumugi, she came to the only possible conclusion.

Someone killed Kagetsumugi, and they were crazy enough to attack the Monster Lord's Castle on their own afterward, even after they all already got wrecked once by an Ancestor… This is going to be a nightmare to convince them to soften up.

She violently landed near the still masked leader who seemed to be stumbling around. As the latter turned, Micaela glared at her with every single bit of her willpower, silently challenging her to try her luck. Even if she couldn't see who or what was hiding behind this mask, she could still feel her glare being returned.

None of the angel around the pair tried anything. The closest ones even stepped back a little, if only to avoid being caught in any possible crossfire. After a moment, the masked silhouette turned down a gaze and sighed.

"…you abandoned us, traitor."

"I will repeat what I kept saying those last weeks. My departure was done under order from Ilias herself to make sure angels would survive if Heaven fell because of Black Alice and Promestein's own designs."

"I don't believe a word of what you say… Why would you be colluding with monsters and the son of the Daystar if it was the case?"

"I do it because it is necessary? I do not know if you took a single instant to observe the world around you before going on your crusade. Both humans and monsters were willing to make peace right after the war to move on."

"They all betrayed Ilias to the last! You're no different from them!"

"…In a way you're right, I only want to maintain the peace needed to protect what remain of our kind." She looked at the angels around them. The few that were still standing up recoiled slightly under her gaze. "I'm willing to help and defend each and every one of you, to save your life and offer you a refuge, for as long as you stop attacking people in the world. This is my sole and only condition, and out of this one demand, you will be free to live your life as you wish."

An imperious voice echoed from behind Micaela. "Then prove it."

The next second, Saja landed in the middle of the group of angels. The few that were still standing instantly fainted in front of the yoma's gaze. Even their leader fell on their behind, panicking before fainting just as well. Before Micaela could react, all the angels were teleported away, and Saja had her glare turned toward the seraph.

"I let you live after our encounter only by respect for your rebellion against that phony goddess Ilias. I let you go afterward only by respect for the hero. I said nothing about Haven by respect for the Monster Lord's and Tamamo's wish. I will, however, not let you carry away criminals that assaulted our home in an attempt to kill the very descendant of the Dark Goddess."

Micaela groaned. "Oh, don't worry, I don't intend to let them be free…"

"They attacked us. They'll pay for it with their blood."

The first seraph stepped closer to the yoma, keeping her voice equal and her emotions in check. "I accept that you want justice for what they did, however I want to point out that the real mastermind is that damn Kagetsumugi. But more importantly, I was sincere when I said I would do my utmost to keep every angel alive. They will be judged, but I refuse to stand down and let you slaughter them."

Saja flapped her wings and rose up to the sky. "Then prove it with your actions."

Micaela summoned her sword as she kept her eyes locked on the yoma. Before she realized it, the both of them were in a pocket dimension the yoma had created herself.

I'm about to risk my life against an Ancestor for the lives of angels that hate my guts…

Even if they don't want to accept my world to the letter after that, they will follow me.

I will make sure of that.