The Story so Far: Arriving in Iliasport, Balthazar, Alice, and Luka learn that powerful storms arrive and destroy any ship that sets sail for the Sentora continent. They learn of a treasure cove, and after encountering Tamamo and her underlings, obtain the Poseidon's Bell. As a round of destabilized storms arrive to Iliasport, the three decide to stay the night at an Inn, where Balthazar and Alice converse, revealing more secrets between each other. Next, the three set sail after Alice uses her abilities of 'persuasion'. In mid-transit, Alma Elma, another Heavenly Knight, appears, and challenges Luka. Negotiating on an extremely one-sided fight, she loses on accident, but is surprised when an Incubus-possessed Balthazar, by the name of Lugalbada, takes over. Easily overwhelming the Succubus, she admits defeat and retreats.

Just after that, their vessel encounters a pirate's vessel, known as the Dreadnaught. Avoiding a narrow encounter, they finally reach Port Nautilus. However, just as they arrive, a terrorist act by Ilias Kreuz takes place. The three are powerless in the situation, but no harm comes of it. Shaken the three take refuge in a hotel, where Luka explains the motives of Ilias Kreuz, and Balthazar hunts down Lazarus. Finding him useless, he gives a warning for his father, Astaroth, and spares Lazarus. Shortly after, Alice converses with Balthazar, but the tone under is darker than they would prefer.

Balthazar found himself back in the black canyon. Thunder rolled ominously in the background as Lugalbanda appeared out of the mist in front of him.

"I see. So I get stuck with you on a frequent basis now that Ilias brought you out of the stasis I put you in." Balthazar commented.

Lugalbanda nodded. You've not figured it out yet? Gods…"

Balthazar nodded his head. "You said it yourself, you're some Incubus that has been reincarnated into me. I've figured that out long ago."

"No, you fool." Lugalbanda shook his head wearily. "I only said that to them to prevent unnecessary questions. Everything else you know about me is correct, I only lied about what I was."

"Lied about… What you are?" He asked.

"Come on! Can't you figure out why I look so similar to you?" The incubus(?) asked. "Think about it. Long and hard. What am I?"

"I don't get it. You're just some monster that wound its way into my mind." He scoffed.

"That hurts… But you're not far off the truth." Lugalbanda smirked. "We are monsters, I'd suppose."

"I'm not a monster." Balthazar stated.

"Please, as if. I know the truth. The power we have? It's all us. Your half was sealed by Ilias, but…"

Balthazar gestured wildly. "What the hell are you trying to say? Spit it out!"

"No…" He smiled darkly, as an incredibly thick white fog settle down on the black canyon, completely offsetting the darkness. "And it seems as if your own soul is rejecting you too, because you're getting further from the truth."

"Black Moon Blade." A cloak of black created seemingly out of nowhere wrapped itself around Balthazar, causing the fog to part, if not enough to simply see through it.

"Seriously? You're trying to reject me yet again?"

"Of course I am." Balthazar grunted, his swinging blade drawing arcs of black wisps.

"Black Moon Blade." A similar, although inverted cloak enveloped Lugalbanda. "You're an idiot." He sighed.

For hours, the two waged war. Blades gleaming with dark energy, the landscape varied as it was stressed under the stimulation. Black blood dripped from Lugalbanda, while white blood shed from Balthazar, as the two panted when their skirmish began to unwind.

"This is going to get us nowhere." Lugalbanda sighed. "Look. What's your deal? Why aren't you able to figure any of this out?"

"I already told you, I've got no idea what the hell you're trying to get at! It's like you're referencing something that has no relevance!" Balthazar shouted.

"Fine. I'll let you get away this time. But don't think that it'll be as easy next time. If you as so much as give me a chance, you won't like what happens next, I know for a fact. I know." He said ominously as he faded into the fog.

"Bastard." Balthazar cursed as the fog thickened.

"Just so you know…" Lugalbanda's voice emanated from the whiteness, "The more you reject me… The stronger those feeling become… The stronger I become. The more you try to get rid of me, the faster you'll lose to me." Now, his disembodied voice completely vanished as Balthazar jumped into consciousness.

Morning light drifted onto Balthazar as he realized that he was the only one awake so far. He rolled out of his bed. Wearily, he walked to a mirror, and looked at this reflection. Black lines emblazoned his right eye, which the sclera was completely black, tinging his irises yellow. Finding his ability to still see odd, he noticed what he saw on his neck even stranger.

"Forty… Seven?" He wandered aloud. In arcane font, but still vaguely recognizable was a number branded to his throat. He rubbed it, and the number 47 swirled, but reappeared. "The hell is this?" He wondered.

"The hell is what?" Alice asked, awakened and looming over Balthazar. "You keep rubbing your neck for no reason."

Balthazar jumped, and faced the lamia. "What, can't you…?" He asked, but a number on Alice's bust caught his attention.

"Your eye!" She murmured, taking notice of the Black Narcissus. "… Wait… What are you staring at…?" She asked, noting the object of his stare.

Quickly, he averted his eyes. "What's on your chest…" A purple number, just darker than her normal skin tone, was visible: 145.

A dark smile etched on the Monster Lord's face. "Ah, is the incubus waking up and taking an interest in me?" She muttered, her fist clenching up. "Ah, don't look away. It's not like I detest the stares of men."

"Ah… Ah…" Balthazar tried to back up, but he was pinned to the dresser. "It's not what you think!" He stuttered.

THWOCK! Alice smashed her tail into the broadside of Balthazar's head, knocking him flying through the room and smashing into the wall. At this sudden collision, Luka woke, exasperated from being crudely awaken.

"Wh-what's going on!?" He shrieked.

"Gah! What the hell, Alice!?" The rogue warrior yelled, dazedly getting up. "That hurt like a-"

Alice folded her arms, glaring at Balthazar. "Fucking Incubus thinks that…"

"Wa-wait! I thought we cleared this up!" Balthazar moaned. "It's not like I wanted to look at your chest!"

A dark blush appeared on Alice. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

"Crap… Er…" He frantically raised his hands. "Don't' get me wrong here…"

"Seriously you two, what in Ilias' name is going on here?" Luka roared, trying to reign in the situation. Then, he noticed the Narcissus on Balthazar's eye. "Is that… Lugalbanda!?" He asked, unsuccessfully trying to prepare himself for a fight.

"No you moron! Look at Alice's chest! That's what's going on!" Balthazar yelled.

Luka immediately blushed, and Alice's darkened aura only decayed even further, until the air hung heavy with toxicity. "So you were looking at my chest…"

"…" His eyes hooded over as Balthazar cringed. "N-no… It's the number that's suddenly appeared on your chest…"

"Number?" Alice asked, her dark aura dissipating as the absurdity of a deflection worked. "What're you talking about?"

"One hundred and forty five." Balthazar announced. He looked at Luka to make sure he wasn't falling into insanity. "Come on. I even got the number forty seven on my neck!" He pleaded, pointing at the spot on the neck he had seen it at. However, as he looked at Luka, the number 14 appeared on Luka's Enrikan shirt. "Wait."

"I don't see anything." Luka shook his head.

"And there's nothing unnatural on my chest, either." Alice scoffed.

What are these numbers I'm seeing? Oh great… I'm going insane. He sighed, but when he looked up again, the numbers vanished. "They're gone?"

Alice frowned. "So is the Black Narcissus."

"Black… What?" Balthazar tilted his head.

The lamia shook her head. "Man… You don't remember a thing? That's what the Incubus inside of you told us what those black lines were." She moved out of the way of the mirror, which revealed the Narcissus had indeed vanished.

"I could see out of both eyes though." Balthazar mumbled.

Suddenly, a semi-relieved look reflected in Alice's face. "Oh. I thought that Lugalbanda had hijacked you, and decided to stare at me like that."

Luka's eyebrows scrunched together. "How… Is that any better…?"

"Anyways, that's not important right now." Alice shrugged off the accusations without a second thought, leaving an irate Balthazar in confusion.

"Wait, how…? What…?" He muttered, trying to reign in the situation.

"Ugh… I was woken up for this?" Luka asked. "Well, it is about time to get up anyways." He stretched.

An unsettled peace resumed to the group as the three gathered their belongings. Luka's demeanor depressed, and he stopped moving when his pack was gathered. "Hey. Should I really defeat the Monster Lord?"

Alice scowled. "Why would you ask me that? Out of all the things…" She muttered.

Balthazar pinched his nose before laughing. "You do realize you just asked the Monster Lord herself if you should defeat the Monster Lord, right?"

"S-shut up." Luka growled.

"Isn't the entire point of your Heroes existing to defeat Monster Lord?" Alice asked. "If you want to be a Hero, then defeating me would be your penultimate goal."

The boy nodded. "Yes. That's true…" He recalled an earlier vision of Ilias he had in his sleep that night. "A Hero… Huh? I wonder what I should do." He despondently asked.

Alice looked outside of the window, her possessions, few in number, had left her ample time while the three prepared. "Follow your own road. Find the path you want to travel. You might get sidetracked time to time, but you don't get to have your cake and eat it too."

"That's an obscure reference." Luka sweated. "…? Aren't you going to call me an idiot like usual?"

"Pft. I'm not as one-dimensional as you think I am. You didn't think that my mind was consumed by thoughts of food, did you?" She scoffed.

"It's… Not out of the question." Luka giggled.

"Oi." Balthazar snapped his fingers, ready to go. "We going to chat here all day, or are we going to be making progress?"

Luka perked up, and within a few minutes, the three left San Ilias. Tracking west along the beach to San Ilia. The warmth of the northerner continent pleasantly wrapped around the three compared to the warm of the village the three had met in.

"So, San Ilia is our target, eh?" Balthazar commented.

"Yes. It's a three day walk from Port Natalia. I wanted to ask the King about the path of a Hero." Luka nodded.

Alice shook her head. "How foolish."

The banter was interrupted as a shrill scream cut the air. A beautiful woman, most likely from a higher class family, stood against a mass of tentacles, with a female human's upper torso fixated on the top. The body wore a thick crust on herself, although the mass of sea cucumber under her lay unprotected.

"Get back, lady! I'll take care of this!" Luka yelled, jumping between the two. Alice had vanished, as per usual, and Balthazar lazily sat down, crossed legged.

"What… About that guy?" She asked hesitantly as she backed up.

"Ugh… Just… Don't mind him, and get to safety!" Luka ordered, drawing Angel Halo.

"Hey, do you mind making quick work out of this one?" Balthazar groaned, laying on his back after the woman ran off. "These wastes of time get boring after a while."

Luka blushed slightly in frustration. "At least get off your ass! The battle shouldn't take that long."

The Sea Cucumber girl simply watched. "… Hey, don't ignore me, or I'll completely consume you."

"Like hell." Luka retorted.

In a flash, Luka stepped in the Sea Cucumber's range, and thrust forward his blade. The girl was startled by the stronger attack, leaving her open to Luka's second attack, which cracked apart the girl's chest piece.

"Gah… That hurts." She moaned. Taking advantage of her opponent's close proximity, she grasped Luka in a few of her tentacles. Although he struggled, eventually, she caught him in her lower mouth at the end of the mass of her lower body. "There we go." She smiled as he was waist deep in her mouth. "Don't resist, and I won't have to hurt you."

"D-damnit, I won't lose here!" Luka squirmed as much as he could as he was drawn in deeper, finally succeeding in kicking a tender spot inside her mouth. Scrambling out, shivered with disgust as slime dribbled off of him. "Good Ilias, disgusting…"

The girl frowned. "I take offense to that. Many a man love the sensation."

"I can't think of anyone who'd actually like something like that." He murmured. He shook his head, and made sure he could properly grasp Angel Halo. He twirled the blade a couple of times, then took his stance.

He rushed in once more, but the girl's tentacles caught him off guard as he rushed in, and he tripped as he grew close. However, out of both of their expectations, Luka stumbled directly onto the girl, his blade piercing directly through her stomach as he landed on her. In an explosion of light, all that remained of the girl was her small, sealed form.

He dusted himself off as he stood up, looking over his premature victory. "Well. That could have gone better, but it wasn't that bad of a fight, eh Alice?" He asked, sensing a presence walking behind him.

However, instead of Alice or Balthazar, it was the woman from before. When Luka noticed this, Balthazar was still lounging in the sand, staring bleakly into the sky. "Ah, thank you so much for saving me! I'm so lucky to have met someone like you!" Luka scratched his head, embarrassed. "Um… But… Could you be my husband? I want to have children with you?"

Luka flinched. "Eh!? Something like that…" He muttered nervously.

The woman looked dejected. "Then… I'm no good master?"

Luka took step back. "Ehehe… Look, I'm not your master. Besides, suddenly proposing marriage like that is…"

"Then live with me for a while~" She smiled. "Isn't that a great idea?"

"Oh gods, here we go again…" Balthazar sighed as the girl's appearance mutated. Her dress transformed into a giant shell, her torso and head sprouting from the bottom half of the shell.

Luka jumped back, still shocked from the transformation. "You too, huh…"

However, the Shellfish girl remained undaunted. "We can spend time together here in my shell… I'll keep you satisfied, and we can live in here forever." She giggled.

"I can't do that." Luka replied.

The girl's face fell. "Why not? Is it… Because I'm a monster?"

Luka scratched the back of his head. "No, it's just that… Well… You're way too forceful." He laughed sheepishly.

"Then I'll take you by force." The girl's eyes hooded over as the tentacles in her shell sprouted out.

Looks like I'll have no choice but to fight her. Luka thought, taking his stance. Immediately, he started the fight with Thunder Thrust, keeping his tactics in mind. He nimbly avoided a few of the thrashing tentacles, but wound up hit, the recoil allowing him to be caught by the girl's shell. He struggled, but in vain as the shell kept the two encased together.

"My, now we're both in my shell." Her smile was barely visible in the flesh of the darkness the two were encased in.

Luka sighed. "But… " He shook his head. "I'll give you one chance to surrender."

The girl adamantly refused. "Why would I accept an offer like that?"

"Very well then." The boy replied, and slashed the flesh of the Shellfish girl with Angel Halo, which had been encased with them. The shell opened from her pain, and Luka escaped just as the shell miniaturized into a small shell.

Luka sighed as the shell dropped by the Sea Cucumber. "This probably doesn't make me look good."

Sensing the battles to be over, Balthazar walked over and inspected his companion's handiwork. "No, but good and evil are subjective. I think this looks like you defeated two monsters, and under the circumstances of someone I didn't know, you were probably defending yourself."

Alice nodded. She too had returned. "It's true. She's incredibly forceful, not to mention annoying. Monster girls like that only ruin the reputation of all of us." She looked down to the two sealed monsters. "Your new forms look painful and humiliating… But I hope you change your ways, so you don't have to deal with this again." She scooped a bit of sand and buried the two.

"Uh… Hey… Why'd you bury the Cucumber girl as well?" Luka pondered.

Alice shrugged. "She won't die. It's just a bit of punishment."

Luka shuddered. "Anyways… Let's hurry on. We should be close to the road that takes us to San Ilia by now."

The lamia sighed. "I don't understand why you're in such a hurry to meet some suspicious king… You're really an idiot."

Luka's voice raised in pitch. "Why are you doubting the king? He's a great person. We can't say anything like that if we haven't met him…"

"Well, same applies in vice-versa." Balthazar pointed out. "Hell, he could be quite the prick."

"I'm a million times greater than some suspicious guy, idiot. And that's being conservative." Alice shook her head.

The three resumed their journey. A couple of uneventful days passed before the walls of San Ilia came into view, bringing hope to mainly only Luka. However, as they closed in on the city, the group was inevitably ambushed by yet another monster.

Alice spontaneously vanished, as per her cue, and due to the lack of trees, Balthazar stood out like a sore thumb, looking bored as a lamia in skimpy white clothes covered in large gray, plate mail-like scales appeared before Luka. She looked down the two of the remaining travelers, propping herself up with her tail.

"Oh? You two are unbaptized. Now that's a rarity." She observed. "If that's the case… I'll coil around you, and steal your life as I torment you."

Luka drew Angel Halo. Lamias are supposed to be quite powerful monsters. This one doesn't look too strong… But this is how Alice might fight. He thought.

Drawing first blood with Thunder Thrust, he was surprised when the damage dealt to him from the lamia's claws wasn't as severe as expected. Tempted, he closed in on the lamia and unleashed a string of attacks, only to lose his breath as her thick tail rammed into his side.

Stunned, Luka could do nothing as the lamia rolled her tail around Luka, securing him in place. "This isn't the way I wanted to go about it… But isn't this what you wanted?" She taunted.

Luka resisted, but as the Lamia's clenching tail only persisted, he found no choice. Drawing his dagger, he cut an opening between the scales on the lamia's human half. She bled for a few seconds, but the wound closed as she dipped from her own supply of magic to heal herself.

Balthazar watched from the sidelines. Drawing from his own power, his right eye clouded over, before regular vision returned to him. The number fourteen appeared on Luka's shoulder as he fought, and the same number was etched onto the side of the lamia girl's tail. With the feeling of suddenly falling, the Black Narcissus vanished. Huh. I wonder… Is this strength assessment?

"Even though you're a human…" She growled, ripping off the plated scales to leave only the trace amount of clothing which barely covered her modesty. "Now you've pissed me off. You aren't getting away anymore."

She reached out and tackled Luka, who had just reacquired his breath. Instantly coiling around him again, she grabbed his arms while her lower half coiled around his legs, his shirt slightly lifting to accommodate the strange position, revealing his midriff as he struggled.

"There we go. No surprises this time around. And now…" She coiled herself her, where only his chest and head remained free. "I'll keep tightening around you until I break every bone in your body."

Frantically, Luka tried to resist and break the lamia's bonds. Balthazar, from afar, snorted as he watched. Curiously, the lamia looked him over, buying Luka extra time to think. However, just as a plan came to mind, the lamia returned her attention to him. Her tongue flitted out of her mouth, licking his cheek.

All right… I can take a little pain… I've just got to… Luka thought, as the coils ascended to his chest. The lamia affectionately rubbed his cheek with her own. "I'll let you die a painless death, you know…"

Luka smiled, and head-butted the lamia dead-on. The surprise attack started the lamia, causing her to drop him. "Ah! You little shit…" She cursed, rubbing her forehead. Luka gave no time to recoil, he lunged Angel Halo at the lamia, causing a torrent of silvery liquid to spill from the wound. As her reserves of magic faded, the human torso and head diminished, and she returned to her reptilian form.

Luka sighed as he dropped to his knees. "Wow. I won…"

Alice scoffed as she returned. "Is it over? Well, let's get a move on."

The victor sweated. "That's it? You don't think I've gotten any stronger?"

She paused. "Eh. A little."

Luka dropped his shoulders. "That's… It?" He asked dejectedly. Alice did not respond as the three continued on their way to San Ilia, only leaving Luka to wonder just how strong he'd need to be.

Eventually, the three arrived at San Ilia. Being the capital of Ilias, it was a gargantuan cathedral, with its walls and innards being that of a city where the center focal of the cathedral ended. From legend, the archbishop was the head of the cathedral, but as the city grew around it, he eventually gained the title as king.

Arriving at the front gates, the three met with a large group of Heroes and adventurers, all assumedly waiting for audiences with the king. However, as the guards in front cycled through the intentions of the guests, they eventually reached Luka's party. After filing paperwork, he was informed that the wait would take three days at the least, but were invited inside at no expense.

Inside, the décor was filled with inspiring scenes of Ilias and Angels, over pillars, arches, and the walls themselves. Stained glass filled every other wall, almost always of Ilias. Many statues of angels, and a larger one of Ilias, stood in a particular antechamber. Luka's awe brought him to tears as he admired the work.

Stopping in front of the statue, Luka clapped his hands together and bowed his head. "This is the Magnificent Ilias Goddess Statue. It's much more amazing than anything back at my village…"

Balthazar and Alice seemed un-amused as Luka spewed off facts. "Really. How… Interesting." Balthazar spat.

"The great Ilias created the first man and woman… So to lead them, she bestowed upon them this magnificent statue." He said, matter-of-factly. "For thousands of years, this statue has guided the hearts of humans."

Balthazar grimaced. "I could list of ten different things wrong with that statement." He said, under his breath.

Luka took his comment in stride. "Did you notice that everyone is careful when walking around to not point their sheathed sword at this statue? Do you know why?" Luka acted almost as if he was at a show and tell.

"How would I know?" Alice asked, annoyed.

Luka raised a finger in the air. "It's because one of the five commandments is 'Point your sword at the Goddess, and thou shalt cry.' I've been careful to not let my sword point at the statue as I walk around." He pointed at his sword, which he held on as if to keep the blade pointing down.

"How stupid. Since I hate this stupid thing, can I destroy it?" She asked.

Balthazar laughed. "I'll treat you to dinner if you break that statue, Alice."

Luka was horrified. "No! What are you two saying!? Didn't you hear anything I just said?"

Alice smiled. "Can I choose the meal?"

"It's on me, milady." Balthazar gave a mock bow.

"G-guys…" Luka took a step back from the two.

Annoyed, Alice returned her attention to Luka. "Seriously? Don't point your sword at the goddess? Even at just a statue? That's to ensure the slaves don't revolt against their owner. You idiots apply it to inanimate objects…"

"Seriously." Balthazar nodded.

"… Anyways, we can spend some time relaxing now. They said it'd take three days before we can meet the King anyways, so why not?" Luka asked, hoping to change the topic.

"Three days? I might die of boredom…" Alice complained.

Balthazar gave an ominous laugh as he lifted his shoulder-cape dramatically when he pointed at the statue. "My offer still stands!" He teased Luka.

Alice nodded. "I think I've figured out his plan. He's so weak, he figured he could just defeat me by boring me to death." She exclaimed. The two laughed as Luka pressed forward.

After wandering through the cathedral for some time, Luka eventually decided to call it a day. As they prepared to find a room, a guard captain stopped them. "Are you the Luka that applied for the audience with the King?" Luka nodded as the ornate guard addressed him. The guard looked the three over. "The King will meet you right away." He hurriedly pushed Luka, Alice and Balthazar irately following behind.

The throne room appeared slightly different than the rest of the buildings, as the main chamber. Several suits of armor stood guard, as interlaced with real guards. Red tapestries hung from the wall, as did chandeliers from the ceilings. Next to the throne, a sword rested, sheathed, but in a metal rack of display.

After a brief discussion with the captain, the king dismissed him and the rest of the guards, leaving the four alone. "Traveler by the name of Luka. I wish to ask you a question. Are you not baptized?"

An arrow pierced through Luka. Right off the bat… Huh? "That's… That's correct. I was not baptized."

"And this is happening." Balthazar groaned.

Suddenly, the old man lit up. "Oh! So it really is just as Ilias revealed to me in the dream!" After a moment of silence, he clarified. "Last night, Ilias came to me in a dream. With her beautiful hair, pure face… Her angelic appearance was like a breath of-"

"Get on with it." Balthazar crudely interrupted. Alice appeared to have been going on the same route, but looked surprised when she was beaten to the chase.

"H-hey! Watch what you say, man!" Luka scolded to no avail as Balthazar picked his teeth. Well… He is a Sinner… So I guess he has his own disposition in this situation.

But the King nodded. "I suppose I do rant, don't I? Anyways, Ilias gave me a revelation. An unbaptized person named Luka would come before me, and this particular individual would be the one to defeat the Monster Lord."

"Huh." Luka thought. So it's like this…

"Now, I shall indicate the path you should take!" He raised his arms, almost with a majestic flow. "There are three wise men on this continent. You need to demonstrate your power to all three, and receive their blessings. I shall bestow upon those that succeed this holy sword." He pointed towards the dazzling sword next to his throne. "The sword of a true Hero… The Goddess Sword." He said, drama rising in his voice. "If you wield this sword, it's said all monsters – even the Monster Lord herself – will bow to you." Alice simply watched the man. "Now, begin your quest to get proof from the wise men! Then, I shall bestow this sword upon you."

"What a fool's errand." Alice scoffed. With an elegant stride, she snatched the sword, unsheathed it, and raised it over her head. "Pft. Junk." She muttered, as it shattered over her head.

The King fell back in his throne. "What? How can this be!?" He gasped.

Luka was stunned. "Alice!? What the hell?"

"It's as you can see, Luka. With crap like that, you would even be able to scratch someone." Alice looked down at the shards. "Three wise men? Proof of your power? What a load of crap from this old man." She looked at the king, who had begun to twitch as he stared at the ceiling almost comically. "I'll show you the Hero's way instead of this worthless King. Go to the Four Spirits and ask for their blessing."

"Four spirits?" Luka questioned.

"Oho." Balthazar looked interested. "Things are getting interesting."

Alice nodded. "Salamander, Sylph, Undine, and Gnome. They should be on this continent, somewhere. Locate them, and prove your power to them."

"What happens then?" Luka asked.

"You'll gain a mighty power from each of them." She explained.

Luka tilted his eyebrows. "Really? No, more importantly, why would you of all people show me the Hero's way? I mean, I'd more expect it from Balth- … Er… Actually, never mind."

"What? You going to do what this worthless King said?" She asked. "Even if you do what he said, the Goddess Sword is already broken." Suddenly, the King started a deranged laugh, and muttered to himself. "Hora. Did you break?"

Suddenly, a battalion of guards rushed into the throne room. "My Lord! What happened to you!? My Ilias, the Goddess Sword! It's shattered!?"

With speed, the captain looked at Luka. "What the hell happened in here!?"

"Uh…" Luka stopped, at a blank for words. "The Monster Lord appeared and shattered the sword."

The captain's eyes widened. "Th-the Monster Lord!? Indeed, no other being would be able to destroy that sword…" He looked at the rest of his squad. "Men! Increase the castle's defenses right away!"

Amidst the confusion, Luka, Alice, and Balthazar manage to slip away, watching as the soldiers ran by like a hive of startled wasps. As the chaos continued, the castle shook from an explosion. As the soldiers assess the situation, Granberia appeared, knocking out soldiers left and right.

Luka jumped between her and a group of guards. "Granberia! What are you doing here!?" He drew Angel Halo.

"Oh. You've certainly changed. You're completely different from Iliasburg." She said, noting Luka. "But your air… It's gotten darker. How curious." She observed Balthazar.

Luka briefly smiled from her praise. "So you've come to attack San Ilia this time?"

She scowled. "Don't joke around. There's no point in attacking some castle in the middle of nowhere. I came…" She said, grasping the hilt of her sword. "To cross swords with you!" She pointed at the two warriors.

"I pass." Balthazar raised his hands in mock defeat.

"I want to see if the others were just exaggerating your abilities… But more importantly, I learned that you're an Incubus." She said to Balthazar. "Now, let's go."

"If I call shotgun, does that mean I go last?" Balthazar wondered aloud.

"What kind of obscure reference is that?" Luka murmured.

"Well, go get 'er, kid." Balthazar shoved Luka up front as he waited by the sidelines like Alice. "At least manage to do something to her this time."

Luka's aura became more serious as he opened the fight. "… Fine, whatever." He said, pulling Angel Halo in front of him.

"Saving the best for last." Granberia laughed. "I'll savor every fight."

Luka dashed in with Thunder Thrust, but even though Granberia did not even try to block it, it did a pitiful amount of damage to her. "Oh? Thunder Thrust again? It looks like you've gotten pretty good at that skill." Luka pulled back, and swung. Even though she left her guard down, his critical strike proved barely as effective. A guard, who had just entered the room, stepped up next to Luka. "Don't interfere in this fight!" She yelled, using the flat of her blade and knocked the guard into the wall, causing cracks in it to appear. "Come on! Show me your skills!" She taunted.

Luka gave a couple of strikes, easily parried, as two more guards entered the fray. Granberia wordlessly swung her blade, the shockwave from the air sending the two flying. "Their courage is commendable… But they need the ability to match." More guards appeared, in disbelief of how easily Granberia incapacitated them. "Well then, it seems the disturbances are over. Now show me what you've got!"

Luka rushed in with Demon Decapitation, which caused sparks as it grazed Granberia's scaled neck. "Not even that will work…" He stammered.

"Huh. That move again. But it's a lot more powerful than before, in comparison. I can see that you've been training quite a bit." Granberia noted. She swung at Luka, whose blade barely intercepted it, knocking him back.

"How's this!? This is Demon Skull Beheading!" He yelled, jumping on a wall, and using the momentum to carry him even higher. His blade with all of his weight descended, but it appeared to have no effect as the blade connected.

"Demon Skull Beheading. So you've made that technique your own as well." She commented. "Huh. Even as immature as you are, you still have quite the potential… But if that's all, I think the real battle is going to take place now."

"You're done with him already?" Balthazar asked. "But he's still standing." He observed, folding his arms.

With a single swipe of her blade, she sent Luka flying off of his feet, landing some ways behind Balthazar. "Do you still have any problems?"

"Tch." Balthzar drew his katana fully. "Very well."

"You're going to oblige her?" Alice asked.

He shrugged. "Might as well."

"What about Lugalbanda?"

"One thing at a time. Besides, where's that usual apathetic attitude you usually wear?" He teased.

"If you're done, I'm waiting." Granberia coughed.

Balthazar raised a hand up. "Forgive me, it won't happen again."

"Then why don't you show me your competency?" Granberia taunted, holding her blade less casually than before.

"Then I'll start things off. Magnetize Beta." Balthazar dashed in, connecting his blade with Granberia's, but kept in place as she pushed back. "You know, you two aren't the only ones who have special attacks…"

"What are you implying?"

"Hellfire Beta!" His katana turned red with heat, but the scorching waves of air barely affected the dragon. "This fight isn't going to go the way you want it to, I can tell you that now." He taunted.

Granberia parried the attack, but shock etched her face. "That power… It's of Salamander! Where did you get that power? Why don't I sense her within you?"

"Heh. Your senses must be off. I carry no spirit as a vessel. All my strength was created from sheer will." Balthazar smirked, his blade crackling as sparks flew off from the heat.

"You're getting more and more interesting…" Granberia frowned. "You said Beta, though. What does that mean?"

"It's exactly what it means. There are different versions of all of my techniques, molded so I can use my attacks in different methods. Hellfire Alpha!" He roared, swinging his blades as an inferno discharged from his blade.

With a swift movement of her blade, she fanned the flames away from her. "I see. Alpha and Beta. Is that all you can pull off?"

Balthazar wagged a finger. "That'd be telling. Hellfire Alpha!" He slashed the air, and a shockwave of fire leapt off of his sword slicing through several pillars. Granberia knocked the wave away with ease, but she was still disgruntled. "Beta!" Balthazar kept his assault going, but each attack was parried.

"Come on. You've got to have more techniques than that." She frowned. "Besides, I heard you were able to push back Alma Elma with some power. Use that."

"I can push you back even without using that power." He smirked, twirling his blade rapidly. "There are a ton of tricks I haven't used yet. Hellfire Mu." He said quietly. He began to circle Granberia, who watched intently, his blade leaving wil-o-wisps. When he finished, he looked confused at Granberia. "Well, I've seen wiser enemies than you in my time. Now, just using my Hellfire with Mu, I can do two different things."

Alice took a step back from the battle. Luka had gotten back to his feet, and walked to Alice's side. The two watched as Balthazar and Granberia exchanged words, flames dancing in the air. "He's… Using fire techniques?" Luka asked.

"It appears so. I bet he's just getting serious though." Alice commented.

Luka shook his head. "Why didn't he use these attacks back in Iliasburg?"

Alice shrugged. "I can guess a few reasons."

"Now take your pick, Granberia. Do you want me to use a new Alpha, or show you the power of Hellfire Psi?" Balthazar was honest in letting her decide.

Granberia dug her sword into the ground. "Whatever you think will actually pose a threat to me. I want to see all of your potential."

Balthazar smiled wickedly. "I hoped you'd say that. Gale Alpha!" He slashed vertically, making sure he had ample distance between them. Granberia seemed to realize his intent at the last second, and as the whirlwind of razor currents rushed against the wisps of fire, she was caught inside an intense inferno, burning white hot at the core.

The fire lasted several seconds before it died, and Balthazar lowered his sword. "Did I… Overdo it?"

However, the fire vanished in a few swipes of Granberia's blade. "Far from it. That was Sylph's power. You mean to tell me that you've never had contact with any Elemental Spirit?"

"Oh… You survived." Balthazar replied dejectedly. "And didn't I tell you before? This is all natural."

"You're getting more and more interesting. But is this your potential? What about your Mortal Sin, or that Incubus form?" Granberia asked.

He shook his head. "I'm afraid my power is sealed."

Granberia dashed forward, locking blades with Balthazar. "I'll have to draw that power out, bit by bit then, won't I?"

More guards had arrived, almost several battalions' worth of soldiers. They were surprised to see Luka on the sidelines now, not fighting the Monster himself. The captain from before walked over to Luka as a gust of wind howled through the room from a few clashes from Balthazar and Granberia.

"Sir Luka?" He addressed. "Just what the hell is going on here!?"

"Balthazar… He's going up against one of the Four Heavenly Knights…" Luka muttered, watching Balthazar's attacks slowly being overwhelmed by Granberia's sheer strength.

"Is he even a Hero?" The Captain asked. "He didn't ask for an audience…"

Luka shook his head. "No, he's not a Hero. He's fighting for his own reasons though…"

"I… See?" The captain was clearly confused, but a burst of fire scorched the air. "But I didn't imagine someone who wasn't a Hero could stand on par with a Heavenly Knight."

Alice watched the fight with cold eyes. "Humans are idiots." She muttered. "It's clearly obvious that Granberia is far from serious right now. She's restraining her power so she can see everything he can do."

Luka looked exasperated. "So does that mean that he has no chance of winning?"

Alice shrugged. "I can't say anymore. It all depends on a few things."

"Destruction Gale Beta!" ~ "Thunder Thrust!"

A shockwave rattled the floor. "He's not using his Incubus' power. Alma Elma backed down from a fight with Lugalbanda. But Granberia's more persistent than her…" She continued.

"So he has a chance? I don't get it." Luka scratched his head.

"More importantly, should we evacuate the cathedral?" The captain asked. "They're already causing some damage, if it keeps up or escalates…"

"Balthazar will most likely run out of tricks before a structure like this is brought down." Alice chided. "However, if you don't want any casualties, I'd recommend staying away from the fight."

"Hey." Luka grasped Alice's shoulder and whispered. "You're the Monster Lord, right? Can't you make her stop?"

"She's… A complicated case." Alice looked on, wearily. "She won't go on a killing spree though."

Granberia smiled as Balthazar's stamina was spent faster and faster. "Are you going to start giving it your all yet?"

He growled in response. "I'll be damned the day I take orders from an advers- Gah…" He clutched his eye and blinked several times, before an arcane number appeared on Granberia's helm. "Another number… One hundred and twenty five…"

"Black Narcissus…" Alice murmured under her breath. "Is this it?"

"Fine… Drowning Torrents." Water from the air condensed and formed around Balthazar.

"Using a mock-Undine's power now. Interesting. I bet you can probably use even more abilities. Why're you dragging this out?" Granberia demanded. "It looks like you're losing control…" She noted, as Balthazar neglected in attacking.

"I'm steadily getting annoyed by how much you want me to attack you." Balthazar growled. "But I suppose I have no choice now that we're this far Alpha!" He slashed vertically, and a winged serpent made of water emerged from the cascading torrents of water encircling him. Granberia's blade cut through the aqua serpent. "Torrent Mu!" The remnants of the water splashed on the ground, and droplets floated in the air. Granberia snickered as her expectations rose. "Torrent Psi!" The vapor in the air condensed as well, and shot off at Granberia at lightning speed, cutting her in several places, and damaging the wall behind her.

"Gah… Undine's abilities should have only have been focused around defensive…" She grimaced. "But you're using the power of water offensively?"

Balthzar staggered. "I don't have to explain my methods in detail."

"True. But it was intriguing." She wiped off a bit of blood from her forehead. "It's been awhile since I've smelled my own blood."

"Unfortunately, I think it's long due that this skirmish ends before we get any more excited." Balthazar stuck his blade in the ground.

"You're not giving up, are you?" She growled. "I won't accept it."

"No, this attack will finish it all." He giggled. "This entire fight… Do you remember at the beginning, I used Magnetize Beta?"

Granberia frowned. "So your sword's magnetized? What good does that do?"

He shook his head. "This fight has been in the presence of Magnetize Beta. Each time one of my attacks connected, I've been setting up energy in you." He smiled. "And now, I've accumulated just enough to deal damage with my follow-up technique."

Granberia smiled, almost as if she were insane. "Oh my god, I love it when I get a good opponent."

"Heh. Don't get infatuated yet." He gripped the hilt of his blade. "Degauss." Color began to warp, and as the colors became more and more bizarre, a pulse shot from Balthazar's katana, correcting the disturbance in color. The shockwave was strong enough to send Granberia off of her feet and into a wall, crashing through it in the process.

"T-the wall…" The captain absentmindedly complained.

Granberia sighed as she climbed her way out of the rubble. "That's…" She swayed. "The hell was that?"

"Like I said, Degauss." Balthazar explained. "I've effectively incapacitated your fighting ability for the moment. Your senses should be screwed just enough that even Luka could beat you."

"That's imp-" She stopped, swaying. "God, I'm dizzy."

"That's what Degauss does… It disrupts the victim's senses and magic, effectively neutralizing their fighting ability, or if the individual is preparing magic, it disrupts it." Balthazar scratched his head. "Of course, the longer Magnetize in any form is used, the more powerful Degauss becomes. I honestly didn't mean to blast you through the wall…"

Alice walked up, examining her underling. "I can't believe a technique like this even exists."

"The concept is easy once you think about it." He shrugged.

The lamia sighed. "I swear, it's like it's one thing after another with you. It's getting irritating."

Granberia growled. "Tch. I can't fight like I want to then… I'll be taking my leave." She announced. "But when we see each other again, I want a proper fight out of you." She said, promptly vanishing.

Balthazar sighed and leaned on a nearby pillar. "Lovely. Making enemies everywhere I go." He sat down. "Yeah. That really did happen."

"She was driven off twice…" Luka said in amazement.

Alice folded her arms. "Granberia wasn't serious at all in this fight. She's really taken an interest in you."

"I wish she didn't. It's becoming more of a hassle than anything else, really." Balthazar complained.

The guards downed by Granberia's attacks finally came to. Luka pondered on Granberia's intentions as Balthazar rested his eyes. "Hey, Alice. If I get the power of the Four Spirits, will I really get stronger?"

She nodded. "If they deem you worthy, they'll transfer their power to yours."

Luka put scratched his chin. "Alright. I believe you. Then where are they located at?"

Alice shook her head in disbelief. "Are you really asking me that? You're going to ask the Monster Lord how to gain the power to defeat the Monster Lord?"

"It's not like I particularly want to defeat you, Alice."

"That's irony gold, if I ever heard it." Balthazar scathingly laughed, his eyes still closed. Finally, the Black Narcissus was retracting.

Luka shrugged. "Fine. I'll find them myself."

Alice looked around. "Isn't there a large library in the basement of the castle? Surely a book on the Four Spirits must exist in there."

"True. But after this huge commotion, getting in will be an ordeal of itself." Balthazar reminded. "The Goddess Sword shattered, a Heavenly Knight attacking… Who knows what we'll have to-"

"Hey, sir?" Luka had ignored Balthazar, and was conversing with one of the captains.

"Oh, Sir Luka. I'm yours to command." He replied. "I'll not only give my strength, but my body and soul as well!"

"Oi, don't just ignore me…" Balthazar growled.

"Well, I wanted to know… I need to get access to the Library…" Luka suggested.

The captain shifted. "Understood. Usually, it takes a week for permission to be granted into the Library, but we'll make a special exception for your party."

With special clearance, the three made their way to the Library. Inside was a massive multi-floor library with dozens upon dozens of bookcases and shelves, all arranged, by impeccable odds, symmetrically.

"Woah. This place is huge…" Luka said in awe. Not a soul was in sight as the three walked in. "Man. Libraries are so creepy when they're empty…"

"I thought a library was supposed to be quiet and peaceful?" Alice asked, looking around as well. She sniffed the air. "But… The library smells like monsters. Slipping into even a place like this…" She muttered.

"Eh? Monsters? Here?" He looked around, grasping Angel Halo nervously.

"Stop looking around like an idiot, idiot. It's not like you'll find one sitting at a table. They're most likely possessing a book."

"Huh? I didn't know monsters can do that…" Luka thought aloud.

Alice scowled. "Whatever, just hurry up already and find what you're looking for. I don't want to spend too much time here."

Balthazar broke the back to browse through some of the aisles, while Luka and Alice went to one of the main catalogs. After several minutes of scanning, the two walk over to an aisle and pick out an old, worn out book with the text Four Animists and Their Sources just barely legible on the surface.

Luka opened the book, and flipped through a few pages. However, as soon as he reached just past the foreword, a page ripped out, and a black-haired woman appeared to come out of the page itself. Luka dropped the book in surprise as the half-embedded woman stared him down. Alice, like normal, had vanished without a trace, and Balthazar had gone off two who-knows where.

"Woah! Is this what she meant? A monster is literally created from the book!?" Luka asked.

"It is forbidden to read this book…" She stated.

"Forbidden?" Luka asked. "Why can't I read this book?"

"It is the Monster Lord's order." She said, several more pages from the book falling out and floating around her. "I'll relentlessly attack you now." She stated.

Luka tried to attack her, but as paper, she easily floated around the blade. Slash after slash was futile as each strike missed. In response, the woman's pages folded themselves, and in a whirlwind, danced around Luka, cutting him in many places.

"Ilias… What even is this…?" Luka gasped as blood trickled down his hand. "Well then, if speed is the issue… Thunder Thrust!" He roared. With that technique, he successfully sliced the page into two, and the woman burst turned into ink and words as the page fitted itself properly back into the book. "Is… She dead?" Luka wondered.

"She's not dead." Alice observed. "Her soul has just been sealed. She's now just stuck inside that page. Just put the book over there." She pointed to some miscellaneous shelf. Luka wandered over to Alice, and found her starting a small bonfire with a few books, a potato on a stick in hand.

"Hey! What are you doing!?" Luka exclaimed.

"Oh, this." She didn't look particularly phased. "Don't' worry. These are just books about Ilias. Probably all junk anyways."

"What do you mean, 'Don't worry'!?" Luka groaned. I don't think I'll get anywhere with this girl… "… Whatever." He said, returning to the book. "Why did a monster come out of this book?"

"It must be a type of monster that possesses books and attacks whoever opens them." Alice speculated. "But usually they possess books in storerooms. How curious one is here."

"But she said that she was told to not let anyone read to from an order from the Monster Lord." Luka recalled.

Alice shrugged, and kept her attention on her fire. "I don't know. A lot of monsters drop my name without having actually gotten any orders from me. She must have been that kind of person." She started to eat her potato, but jumped. "Ah!" She closed her eyes for a split second. "… I don't have a clue."

Luka looked at her questioningly, but shrugged. "Whatever." He looked around, and caught movement in his eye from the third floor. During his battle, Balthazar had already moved that far up, and had a couple books in hand. "I suppose I better do the same." Luka opened the book again, but the book opened, and a horned woman in pajamas appeared, a giant hand looming ominously behind her.

"The hell? Again!?" Luka groaned. He noticed that the girl looked a little shy, and tried to appeal to her. "Hey… Could you please leave me alone? I just want to read this book."

"No." She quickly responded.

"How fast…" Luka complained. "Please? I won't damage the book or anything."

The girl responded with efficiency, leaving no time between his words and hers. "No. Go away."

"Then I have no choice…" Luka got into his stance once again. "Thunder Thrust!" He yelled, dashing in for the first strike. It landed nicely, but overall, the girl appeared fine.

"Wait. I need to look something up." She murmured.

Luka shuddered. Could there be dark magic in that book? Luka attacked the girl, his blade connecting, but the girl seemed engrossed in her study. "Are we… Even still fighting?" He asked, as his third strike in a row connected to the reading girl. When he got no response, Luka jumped onto one of the many bookcases, and swung his blade down as hard as he could. "Demon Skull Beheading!" He roared, hitting her directly on the head.

The girl finally seemed to be aware that her magical reserves were completely drained as she began to dissolve into ink on the page. "Defeated before I could finish…" She moaned.

The book closed again, and landed on the floor. "… What's going on here? Two monsters from the same book?"

From overhead, now from the fourth floor, Balthazar peered over. His voice carried down easily. "Hey, moron. You're supposed to be quiet here." He stated, in a normal voice. "Gods…" Even his mutters carried down.

Alice avoided Luka's accusing glares. "I don't know! But my amazing intuition tells me that there's one more monster in that book." She paused. "And it's a powerful monsters too, so be careful."

"That's some intuition." Luka muttered as he opened the book a third time. He flipped through a couple of pages, his caution exceeding him as nothing happened. "Um… You were saying?" He asked Alice. Suddenly, as he flipped through the pages, a gargantuan monster sprouted from the book. "Ah… Of course…"

Taking the appearance of a librarian, outfit and all, dozens of tentacles swayed behind her with scrolls, parchments, and other books in hand. "By order of the Monster Lord, I cannot allow you to read this book. Especially not if you're a Hero."

Luka brandished his sword. "I'm sorry, but I'll read it even if I have to do it by force."

She narrowed her eyes. "I love silence… Therefore, I hate energetic people like you. Therefore, I'll kill you."

Luka dashed in with Thunder Thrust, dodging a strikes from her thrashing tentacles as the first strike landed. It barely seemed to affect her as she went to reading a book, allowing her tentacles to deal with him. The fight continued like this, as the tentacles worked together like a squad on their own, Luka's own advances were cut short when he was bound. Ripping forth from her base, a large mouth opened. It seemed more like a prison than anything else, but he realized as he was being dragged into to it, that he'd be torn to shreds in her demonic mouth.

"Oh come on, just give up. You're making a racket." She protested. "Let me end you, so this library can be peaceful again." She said, dragging him to her mouth.

Luka struggled, nearly in vain, but just as he reached the point of no return, he managed to free his sword hand, cutting off several of the tentacles that bound him, which turned to ink on the floor. "Ilias… That was close."

Mild shock wore on her face. "You broke free?" She asked. But as her shock faded, her usual frown returned. "You cannot remain free from my tentacles for long." Her demonic mouth's wicked teeth snapped shut.

Luka regained his distance and composure before attacking again. With a timed strike, he dodged many of the tentacles, connecting a blow with her head. As her hair fell down and covered her bowed head, Luka dropped his sword slightly. "Did that work?"

However, the librarian monster simply lifted her head, her hairband undone. "You had to go and do that." She growled. "It's time I got serious. How about this technique?" She opened a book, letting her tentacles strike down Luka. After a few minutes, she closed it, and looked at Luka. "Now then, should we try this?" Her eyes began to glow.

Luka smirked as he avoided her gaze. "I've seen this trick before." Making sure her eyes were out of even his fringe vision, he spun in an attack as her eyes flashed. As the technique failed, Luka scored an attack, knocking the librarian back. The fight resumed its casual face, now with the librarian fight more irately. With yet another determined blow, the librarian's glasses shattered off of her face, and she stopped, frustrated.

"To think you would go that far… I'll never forgive a man like you. I'll kill you, no strength barred." She opened an old book, and started to read it. Luka took this opportunity and closed his eyes, meditating as she read. "Now then. I'll finish you off." Her eyes flashed, but Luka closed his eyes at the last second. "You're annoying."

"The trick wouldn't work before, why would it now?" Luka taunted.

Calm as she sent several tentacles spiraling at him, he swung broadly, slicing off many of the tentacles, all of which turned into ink. The tentacle simply sprouted back, but it was obvious that she was now exhausted, with only slivers of stamina left.

"To be pushed this far by a human…?" She muttered, holding her side.

Luka raised Angel Halo. "It's time we ended this!" With a valiant strike, he leapt off a bookcase, and dealt the final blow to the woman. As she returned to ink, Luka lowered his sword. "Well… At least… Eh?" The ink reformed, and the librarian monster returned to her original form, back to full strength. "But I just…" He groaned. "I can't take much more of this…"

"Because of how my body is composed, I can resist the sealing effect of your sword." She giggled. "You won't be able to seal me like the others. All that effort has gone to waste, human!" She laughed as Luka staggered. "My only weakness is fire, but a human swordsman like you can't use such magic."

No, but… Damn, I wish Balthazar could give me a hand here… Luka groaned as he meditated during her speech.

"Therefore, the only thing left for you to do is be defeated by me." She folded her arms. "Is that a sign of surrender?" She asked. "Now, just come into my mouth, and I'll make it quick." As her tentacles stretched out, flames appeared around the library. "What? How is this possible?" She asked, watching the fire spread.

"No way… Did they help me?" Luka asked. He looked up, to see Balthazar looking down, annoyed. He had a pack of books with him, but abandoned most of them as he jumped off the railing, his feet landing directly on the librarian's face. Luka turned around, to see a startled Alice looking at despair at the fire.

"I screwed up the potato! This isn't good… The fire's going to burn the rest of them!" She wailed.

"I see…" Luka shook his head. Balthazar leapt off of the librarian's face, landing behind Alice. "An accidental fire."

However, the librarian was less nonchalant than the three. "My face… I can't maintain my body from these flames… I have failed you my Lord…" She gasped as she burst into ink, which evaporated.

"Yosh!" Luka gave an arm pump. "Wait… No, this isn't good!" He fretted as the flames grew more intense.

Alice watched from the back, giggling a little. "Heheh, look at it spread."

Luka glared at her. "The hell are you laughing for!? We need to do something! Use some water magic!"

Balthzar chuckled nervously. "… Alice… Are you a pyromaniac…? Do I have to start watching the campfire more closely?"

"… Who do you think I am?" Alice laughed as the flames continued to spread. "I could submerge this entire castle if I wanted, with my power." She frowned. "But it's difficult to limit my power. I don't think I can control it too well…"

"What the hell does that mean!?" Luka exclaimed. "Oi, Balthazar, don't try to walk out on your own!" He yelled, as the one in question backed up. "I saw you use a water technique against Granberia, do something!"

"Er… About that…" He laughed sheepishly. "My power would pretty much demolish the room… I don't think I'd leave anything of value intact."

"I don't believe this… Two powerful magic users and they can't use their magic practically." Luka sighed.

A guard walked in, nonchalantly nodding his head at the three. "Finding everything okay, Lu-… What the hell is this?" He screamed at the raging fire.

Luka's thoughts pleasantly rang empty in his head. "Oh hello. What's going on?" He asked pleasantly. "Oh look, a fire."

The guard looked dumbfounded. "You didn't notice the fire!?" He screeched. "Is this the work of another monster?"

A tricky play appealed to Luka. "Oh, my memory came back to me! It was the Monster Lord! She attacked the library!"

"Oi… What kind of-" Balthazar began, but found his mouth covered my Alice's hand.

The guard shook his head. "What? The Monster Lord!? Not only did she destroy the holy sword, but she set fire to the library?" He gasped. "Anyway, we have to rescue the books! We must put out the fire, we can't let it spread!" He began to issue orders to the guards which had just entered the room, looking as confused as he did.

As the confusion and flames intensified, the three took their opportunity to slip out and escape the castle. Before long, the three made it to one of markets in the town surrounding San Ilia.

Alice seemed shaken, but Balthazar seemed to be preoccupied with a book open in his hands. Alice shook her head. "Really, this time I'm sorry. Accidental fires like that are horrible. I try to avoid them in my own castle too."

"You don't say, Alice." Balthazar teased, taking his eyes off of his book for a second. "I thought it was the everyman's hobby of setting fires to semi-important places."

Luka shook his head at his sarcasm. "I think they were able to save the valuable books. But I left the Four Animists in the library. I wonder if it burned…" He paused. "By the way, did you just steal those books?"

Balthazar looked up. "What?" He realized under the circumstances, he did steal them. "Oh. Uh… Yeah. Pretty much. Look, I'll give them back when I'm done with them if it bothers you."

"No, it's not that… But what are they?" He asked. All Luka could make out was an arcane sigil on the cover of the book.

"Um… Rare?" He asked.

Luka slapped his forehead. "I.. Ugh, never mind. I don't think I even want to know."

Balthazar smiled. "You had your things you wanted to look up, and so did I. It just so happens that in the older catalogues, this 'Lugalbanda' is referenced…"

Alice nodded. "Huh. I didn't think you'd actually research the thing." She paused. "Oh, here." She pulled out the Four Animists from a pack on her side, and gave it to Luka. "I took it in the commotion."

"Than-" He stopped himself. "No, I'm not going to thank you. You were the cause of the entire problem in the first place."

Alice bowed her head. "Sorry."

"I'll cut you some slack if you really are sorry. Now, I can actually read this book properly." Luka said, flipping the pages of the book. "… Your 'amazing intuition' doesn't tell you that there aren't any more monsters in here, is there?"

"I don't sense anymore." She said. Still keeping up the façade… Oh well. Luka sighed. The three sat on a bench, Alice in the middle as Luka began to read. She looked between both books as the silent males read.

From the Four Animists, Luka learned the locations of the four spirits. Salamander lives in a volcano in the Gold region of the Sentora continent. Undine resides in the east, near the holy springs of Noah. Gnome resides in the expanse of the Safin desert, lost in the sand. Slyph, conveniently for Luka, plays in the Forest of Spirits, nearby San Ilia.

"It seems Sylph is the closest, in the Forest of Spirits." Luka paraphrased the book. "We should go there first. It should only be a three day trip."

"Elves live in the Forest of Spirits. As the Monster Lord, I don't want humans to go into the Forest…"

Luka nodded. "I know. As long as they don't attack me, I won't bother them."

She nodded passively. "Good. You're a human I can trust. I'll allow you to enter the forest."

"Do I count as human, or something else?" Balthazar questioned.

"Something else." She replied without hesitation.

Balthazar playfully cringed. "Your words wound me, milady." His expression soured. "Gods…"

"Ah, Luka, my love, I've finally met you again! I shall shower you with the affection I've built up over the past hundred years!" Amira appeared, resting comfortably on the ground..

Balthazar's eyes hooded over. "Say, didn't we lose that thing back in Iliasport?"

Amira laughed haughtily. "I am Amira, an Unfortunate Lamia. My fiery passion burns brighter than a transient phoenix, as it rebirths stronger every time it is shot down."

"A transient phoenix? That doesn't sound quite right…" Luka shook his head. "But yeah. How the hell did you cross over to Sentora? I thought the sea route was still blocked."

Amira shook her head, a feat that only made her look more comical. "Actually, I was hiding on the same boat as you. Together on boat of love, I'll follow my darling anywhere!" She moaned.

"I see…" Luka cringed. "Why are you so fixated on stalking me?"

"An ugly lamia like me is avoided wherever I go. Everyone pokes me with sticks, or throws stones at me as I pass." She replied.

A small group of kids passing by stopped and noticed Amira. Quickly, they surrounded her. 'Hey! Big-sis snake is here!' 'Let's play, let's play!' 'Hey sis, are you strong?' 'Can you defeat all the ghosts in the haunted mansion to the north?'

"My design is specifically for impact, I'm afraid physical strength is not in my repertoire of skills…" Amira responded.

"A haunted mansion, you said?" Balthazar questioned. "What's the story there?"

"It's a huge mansion with ghosts infesting it. They're really bad, and don't' let us play there anymore." One of the kids answered.

In an outburst, Alice shouted unexpectedly. "Ghosts don't exist!"

"Hey, if you yell like that, you'll scare the children." Luka chided. However, the kids ignored her, playing with the other lamia instead.

"Stupid humans, believing in such superstitious crap like ghosts." Alice scoffed. "Fearing such stupid things… How foolishly foolish."

Balthazar scratched his head. "But… Ghosts do exist though… After all, there are such things as Ghost girls…"

"That's a completely different subject." Alice scoffed, turning her head to her side.

"Sure, sure." Balthazar teased.

"Hey! A monster is in the town!" A group of guards on patrol noticed the commotion. "She may know something about the Monster Lord's break in earlier! Catch her!" The patrol started to run down them.

"Crap, let's go!" Luka grabbed Amira and ran off, leaving Balthazar and Alice looking in bored as the guards running after them.

"Why do these things happen around us?" Alice complained.

"Pft. Technically, this started because of a certain somebody broke a sword and became an arsonist."

"I didn't mean to set the library on fire, I told you guys that already."

He simply waved his hand. "I know, but I have to give you a hard time. If I didn't, people might think I'm getting soft. Besides, there weren't a lot of books of value in that library, despite what the King's lackies will tell you. Mostly just crap about Ilias."

"… I see." Alice nodded.

"Anyways, I think we ought to follow this guy." Balthazar said, closing his book. "Don't want to lose him, eh?"

After a few minutes of slightly aimless walking, the two wound up in the city's main plaza. There, the two found Luka wandering around. As the three reunited, a bulletin board caught Alice's attention. Luka read over the board intrigued, leaving the two to their own devices. Just as Luka gave up, a carrier pigeon fluttered overhead.

"This pigeon… How curious. What is it doing?" She asked.

"Alice, this pigeon is working hard, please don't eat it." Luka teased.

Alice looked in disgust. "Please, as if I would."

The pigeon, trained and honed in the process, untied the paper with its beak, and placed the note with its foot onto the board before taking off. "That's a Notice Pigeon. Just like that, they deliver notices to settlements all over the world." Luka explained.

Alice looked thoughtfully as she began to notice the books fluttering around. "I see. Humans trained pigeons to do such a thing. How interesting."

Luka, however, was more interested in the new note. Slowly he read aloud, "To those who don't have a bias against monsters… I have a request, so please listen to my story… I live at 6th Street in the South District of… Port Natalia. Huh." He looked at his two companions. "Without a bias against monsters? Well, I'm interested. Lets' go and see what they have to say."

Alice shook her head. "You surely aren't going to return to Port Natalia."

"I know it'll be a long walk, but I want to go. I'm sure this will be something that brings together humans and monsters." Luka nodded, determined.

"Whatever. Just don't go off biting more than you can chew." Balthazar shrugged. "Oh, but while we're there, might as well."

"What?" Luka tilted his head.

Balthazar tapped his pack. "While you go off doing who-knows-what, there's a couple of things I want to do if we're going back. You'll probably just be a gopher-boy anyways."

"I don't like how you put that…" Luka looked in indignation.

Alice sighed. "You really like to do these stupid acts of kindness, don't you? Just leave it alone."

"I'm a Hero, its' my job to help those in need."

"A pseudo-Hero."

"It's because I'm not a real Hero that I have the heart of a true one!" A fiery passion flowed out of Luka.

She sighed. "Huh. You've started to learn how to talk back."

"Well, before we do anything, let's walk around town. I want to go north to the haunted mansion that we're hearing a lot about. Maybe we can learn something…" Luka said, walking off.

Alice and Balthazar both sighed. "Call me when you're done. I've got stuff to do." Balthazar said, lounging back on a nearby bench and taking out a book. "Damn kid's bringing us on so many miscellaneous quests we'd probably be in Gold Port right now if the brat didn't get so sidetracked…"

Alice looked over him a couple times. "Tch. I'll grab you when we're done. It'll probably be a waste of time… But someone's got to make sure we eventually leave." She nodded while walking away as Balthazar gave a two-fingered salute.