"So, even if you did use Words of Dispel, nothing would change?" Luka asked.
"Yeah," Tamamo answered. "When I gave my power to Gnomaren, it came from my real form. So even if my seal were to break, I would still be the same as I am now."
"Oh... So there's no way to get your power back?" He asked, worried about the potential answer.
"I can build it back up over time. A few decades or more should be enough, at least to get back to eight tails. The full set would take a while longer." She explained. "Besides, it's not so bad once you get used to it. Though, I do miss my tails." Tamamo stroked her three remaining tails.
"I bet they're not even as fluffy as before..." Tamamo sighed. "If only someone could check for me..."
...Subtle, Tamamo. Real subtle.
Luka rolled his eyes as he felt the tail offered to him. "No need to worry." He said. "They're just as fluffy as ever."
Tamamo smiled, just before taking the tail away. "Good, good... Now then, do you have any other questions for me? We'll have to pass the time somehow."
"Hmm... What do you think Ilias is doing now?" He asked.
"That's a good question... Well, let's look at it from her perspective. Her grand plan to capture you has failed. The only reason I can see why she'd want to capture rather than just kill you would be so she could use you. If you were on her side, the war would be over within a few months, or even weeks... But from what you told us... I wonder why she chose Rinoa over you..?"
"Well, I was contracted with the spirits at the time, and she knows how... 'Acquainted' I am with monsters. I think she chose her because she's less of a hassle for the same amount of power."
"Hmm. Yeah, that might be it." Tamamo said. "Moving on, with her plan in the dumps, what's next? Did she have a backup plan? Or is she just winging it now?" She wondered.
"Personally, I think she had another plan. As for what it is, I couldn't really say. Now that the Earthquakes have completely stopped, the war will continue. Which is the exact opposite of what we want... Once we do what Reaper and the other one asked, we should get back to stopping the war."
Luka nodded in agreement. He and Tamamo were currently sitting below decks in one of the ships. Thankfully, Port Natalia had been filled with Humans once again. And it just so happened that they were offering rides from the Port to Ilias. Luka had to smuggle Tamamo on board in a barrel. This is why they were now talking in such a secluded room.
"Once we do end the war, what then?" Luka asked. "It's not like Alipheese or Ilias will just give up..."
"I'm not sure," Tamamo admitted. "I can try talking to Alipheese... But I don't know how much I could really do. And as for what we should do with your mother and aunt, and even Ilias herself... It's something for future us to figure out."
"Right..." Luka said. "I wonder how long it will be until we get to Ilias."
"Shouldn't be long now. The sea separating the two was never very wide. We'll be there in another few minutes."
"Hmm... So... When we do get back home, what will you do with the Kitsunes? Without your power, you might end up getting challenged for the throne." Luka pointed out.
"Oh, that's easy. Yao will be the next leader. I've been ruling the Kitsune race for two thousand years now." Tamamo said. "It's time someone else takes charge."
"Do you really think she's up for that?" He asked.
Tamamo raised an eyebrow at Luka's question. "Luka, I've been training right-hand Kitsunes for leadership for centuries now. I've always been prepared. If I ever were to somehow die, they would be there to take over. Even during the Great Wars, or I suppose it would be better to say, even now, I'm probably training a few for the role." She explained.
Impressive, she's been ready for anything and everything for her entire life... Must be tiring though.
"It's a good thing though," Luka said. "You deserve the break." The hero smiled at the Kitsune.
"Not as much as some of the others deserve it, like Luna... She's lost so much now. I just hope we can help her now. If she takes one wrong turn, she could end up just like Seth."
Luka nodded. He took was worried about Luna's potential future, but there was one thing he was even more worried about.
"Tamamo... What's the deal with the Natsumi thing?" Luka asked. "I get why you'd you want to conceal your identity, but why that name? I've heard rumours about another Kitsune with the same name..."
Tamamo sighed. "I was wondering when you'd ask about that... Yes, those rumours are true. During the early years of the war, I decided I could increase the power of our army by having a child. It took me out of the fighting for a while, but the others picked up my slack. It was a long, long time ago now, so I don't remember much about her. But I do remember one thing."
"Her smile," Tamamo said. "It was... It was just like mine. Her eyes were like mine. Her fur was like mine... She was another me. Though, a fair bit smaller. And I loved her. I loved her as much as I could love anything back then."
"But then, after a few decades of her fighting, tragedy struck. Your mother, Lucifina, cornered her. With one swing of her blade, she took her life. And I've hated her ever since. Even now, I can't truly forgive her. That girl was the closest thing I had to a real family. One that I wanted. One that I chose."
"... I'm sorry," Luka said. He awkwardly patted the Kitsune on the back.
"It's not your fault... And besides, I have a new family now." Tamamo said. "...Let's just move on. I don't really want to talk about it anymore."
"Sure."
The silence between them was broken when the ship started to slow down.
"Looks like we're here," Luka said.
"Alright. Let's go find this little Goddess." Tamamo said as she stood up. Luka quickly followed her out.
Rinoa watched as Luna played in the streets. The girl was talking with other girls and boys her age. She was running around, playing tag, or hide and seek. Rinoa was surprised by how skilled she was at both games.
"Rinoa, I was wondering..." A voice said.
The Doppel sighed. "Another sample, is it?" She asked, despite already knowing the answer.
"Yes. If you don't mind, that is."
"Knock yourself out," Rinoa said as she offered her hand to Promestein. The scientist was grateful to the Doppel.
"This should prove instrumental in helping both you and Luka. Holy corrosion is clearly caused by the use of holy power in the human body. One way to avoid these symptoms would be by transforming the body into something more suited for that element, like an angel, for example."
"But neither of us wants that," Rinoa said.
"Exactly. So, finding an alternative is my next task. From what I've seen, neither of you has displayed symptoms of the corrosion. You've both moderated your usage of it well. Still, finding a more permanent solution would be better. On top of that, you should both really be stronger than you currently are, even without the Spirits. I think changing your tolerance for holy power should help out there."
"...Just because I'm not trying to hurt you, doesn't make us friends," Rinoa said coldly. "I'll keep giving you the blood you want, but don't expect more than that. I don't care about the science. Just get it done."
Promestein was surprised by Rinoa's aggression.
She really, really doesn't like me... She's nothing like the actual Luka...
But, she's right about it being my fault. I made her that way, didn't I?
Is that all I am? Just a selfish scientist who only cares for herself? Who doesn't care what destruction she leaves in her pursuit of science?
No... This is a warning. A warning to me from the universe, or more precisely, another universe. I can't do it again. Even if it slows down my research, as long as people like Rinoa aren't left behind, then it's okay...
Promestein decided to leave Rinoa alone. She walked back to her room, placing the syringe filled with blood on the table. She leaned back in her seat and sighed.
Yet another roadblock... Seriously, if I'm ever going to crack this, I'll need help.
Thanks to studying the Makina further, Promestein managed to improve her computer. It could now show detailed information on whatever she may want. Power was a small issue. Holy magic was excellent at creating electricity, so she'd just use that to fill up the battery.
One day, technology like this will be widespread. According to Luka, the world he comes from already has some of this. Computers haven't quite advanced enough to be found in every household, but they can be seen in certain workplaces. But once they are widespread, scientific research will explode, I'm sure of it. We could make a database filled with research and data, letting other up-and-coming scientists access it, and together, we can keep making strides.
And one day, we'll find the truth. The truth of the entire universe, or no... Multiverse now... But that's for the future. For now, I must focus on the present. First, I need to get back to working on the other thing I need to research. I wonder which one is harder. Making angel magic work on a non-angel body, or creating a whole new way to traverse worlds?
Still, this is far better than being in that damned cave again.
Promestein got straight to work. She started looking at the blood cells through a microscope, trying to get a better look at their composition. If she could understand the Hero's DNA then she would know how to prevent Holy Corrosion. For now, it was only a matter of time.
But how much time do we really have left? Have we even made any real progress on ending the war?
"Promestein."
The startled scientist turned to the source of the voice. Rinoa had entered the room and was standing by the door.
"Oh..? It's just you. What is it?" She asked.
"...I'm sorry for what I said earlier. And I'm sorry that I tried to hurt you back in Safina. I was just... I don't know. I'm sorry." Rinoa said.
"Oh... It's fine." Promestein said. "I got plenty of death threats back in Heaven, so I'm used to it."
Rinoa nodded. She waited by the door awkwardly for a few moments, but eventually decided to step in. There was nothing better for her to do today. She could at least try to find out more about her creator.
"I don't mind, by the way," Promestein said.
"You don't mind what?"
"That we won't be friends. It's fine. I've never really had any friends to begin with. To be honest, I doubt I can even really socialize properly anymore. I used to be somewhat good at it when I wanted to be."
"...How long were you in that cave?" Rinoa asked.
"Oh you know, a few thousand years or so," Promestein explained. "It was... difficult. Getting through that without going insane... I still don't really know how I did it. I suppose my desire to live on just to spite Ilias got me through it. I've forgotten most of it now... But still. I don't think I can ever forgive that pseudo-goddess for what she did to me."
"Neither can I... But, was it worth it?" Rinoa asked.
"I think so." She said. "Look at what humanity has done with my fire. I freed them from the shackles on Ilias. Not completely, mind you, but just a little. With one small step, look what they have done with it! It's amazing!"
Promestein was holding the Makina in her hand as she spoke of her achievements, or more accurately, humanity's. Rinoa found herself agreeing with her. The scientific progress since Promestein's death was incredible. Surely, now that she is alive, technology would only improve further and further.
"I see..." Rinoa muttered. "Anyway, I should get back to keeping watch of Luna. I promised Luka I would keep her safe."
"Alright," Promestein said. "Good luck."
Rinoa left the room. She returned to her seat by the window. Somebody had to take responsibility for that child now that her parents are gone, and who better than her?
Luna was still outside playing with her new friends.
This is good for her. She needs to talk with people around her age. Socializing is a hugely important part of growing up, and I doubt she did much of it in Gelon.
"This is the entire army..?"
"Well, most of it." Tamamo No Mae said. "We have to leave some troops at our borders to protect our land, and some of them are in Hellgondo, training for battle. Those are our reserves."
"I see..." Alice said. The pair were standing on the castle walls of Vrimor. Alice was looking down at the legions of soldiers beneath her.
"We have Succubi, Slimes, Scylla's, Harpys, Kitsune, Elves, Alraunes and so on. Each one has sworn loyalty to you and your mother. They will obey any command you give them, my lord." Tamamo No Mae said.
"Would Aunt Saja not be better for this?" Alice asked. "I've never even been in a real battle before..."
"Saja is not the leader of our kind," Tamamo said. "You are. You have to be the one to do it. Represent your mother on the battlefield. Slay every angel you see, and bring glory to our kin. Besides, we've sparred a few times before. You have enough power to fight. And I'll be there to protect you. The others will be there too."
"All of us?" Alice asked. She was still sceptical about the whole arrangement. Never before had all six ancestors fought together.
Or five now, I guess. Though, Aunt Saja said something about Kanon being reborn in Remina... Just what are they doing to her..?
"Everyone. Even Saja." Tamamo said. "This castle alone now holds nearly half of all monsters alive today... Twenty thousand soldiers... But, this is not the largest the army has ever been... Do you remember your history lessons, Alice?"
"Yes... When the war began, there were over a hundred thousand monsters alive. There were fifteen-thousand angels, and nearly a million humans." Alice recited. "In the first ten years of the war, those numbers dropped by roughly thirty percent on each side. Populations have only been dropping ever since. Now, we have just over forty-thousand monsters left, even with mass reproduction. Half of those are already in our army."
"Good... I'm glad you were listening. Today marks our first attempt at expansion into Noah. Ilias has fumbled. She had a winning hand, and she lost it. Now, with our race united, we can take back our land... Alice, I believe you should make a speech to our troops." She suggested. "Inspire them with your words."
"What? N-No... I wouldn't know what to say." Alice said.
...Can she really lead our troops like this? I fear her heart is too weak for this war...
"You are Alipheese Fateburn the Second. The daughter of the Dark Goddess herself. There is nothing you cannot do." Tamamo encouraged.
Alice thought about it for a while but eventually nodded. Tamamo was happy to see it. She lead the Fateburn down the walls, and onto a podium, from which she could speak to the army. Even as she stood up, the monsters did not turn to look at her. They continued to look forward, unmoving, like statues. Alice psyched herself up and prepared to read off the lines Tamamo had given her.
"Greetings, my fellow monsters. I am Alipheese Fateburn the Second." Alice said. "Today, we make our first move in the war in years. When this operation is complete, we will have expanded our territory by more than thirty percent. Join me in battle, fellow monsters. Represent your queens on the field. Fight with us, fight with your ancestors, to rid this war world of the worm that calls herself the Goddess of Creation. Even if you fall, know that you have fought for something more than yourselves. You have fought to rid the world of oppression. There is nothing more honourable."
"Once we have taken Noah for ourselves, we can move on to San Ilia. In the name of Alipheese, we will destroy it. Then, we march on the Ilias continent, and then finally, Heaven itself. Ilias will know what a fool she was to oppose us by the time were done with her. Join me, fellow monsters! We will destroy her, and purge the world of everything rotten she has made!"
Alice finished reciting her speech. There was a moment of silence in the crowd. To the still-young Fateburn, it felt as though it lasted forever. But after a few moments, one monster spoke up, then another, and then another. Eventually, the entire battalion was shouting.
"For Alipheese!" They repeated, over and over.
...Is this what's it like to lead..?
This isn't so bad...
Alice smiled as she saw her army shouting her mother's name, and her own.
Ilias... you may have had a few seconds of hope in recent times, but now, we will squash it. You stand no chance against us. Not when we stand together like this...
"So, did you sense her yet?" Tamamo asked.
"No..." Luka admitted. "There's too many angels here. They're interfering... Just how are we going to find her like this? It's not like she'll just drop out of the air..."
"Yeah, I know," Tamamo said. "If I were Ilias, where would I hide? After losing to the Hero Luka, seven years later, I find myself back in the Great Monsters Wars, and in a sealed form... where would she go? It's not like she'd be dumb enough to tell everyone she's Ilias, right?"
"I don't know..." Luka said. "Maybe we should ask around?"
"...Well, it can't hurt," Tamamo said. "Besides, it's not there's anyone looking for you here. Ilias is too busy trying to get her army back in one piece, though, she probably knows we're here. I wonder why she hasn't tried to stop us..? Anyway, you should be the one to ask. They don't take too kindly to monsters here..."
"Speaking of... Tamamo, why don't you just go into a human form? Alice used to do it all the time."
"...I...I kind of forgot I could do that." She admitted. "It's been decades since I last went into it..."
"Well, do you want to? It would make it so we don't have to sneak around as much."
"Sure." She said. "Give me a second. I think I have just enough power to do it." Tamamo sat down on the ground, harnessing dark power from the air around her. Once she had gathered enough, she started one of her spells.
Luka watched as the golden-haired Kitsune turned into a still golden-haired young girl. The only real difference was the disappearance of her three fluffy tails and her fox ears.
Seeing Tamamo like this really reminds me of how young her sealed form looks... I mean, she looks only a little bit older than Luna!
Tamamo pouted as she felt the place where her tails used to be. "It's just not the same without them." She muttered. "Anyway, we should get going."
"Yeah. Let's head into town."
Luka and Tamamo walked along the grassy fields. It was easier than they expected to sneak around the Ilias continent. Keeping off the main roads worked like a charm. Luka was surprised by how full the continent was. On his first trip here, he didn't exactly take the scenic route. He got in and out as fast as he could. But now, he could explore. And he'd need to. Ilias was proving more difficult to find than initially anticipated.
Searching for a Goddess in a sea of angels... Sounds like a bad saying.
"There, Luka." Tamamo pointed at an angel, walking on a nearby path. "Go ask her."
Luka nodded and walked up to the angel. She was a common Valkyrie, holding her signature, thin blade.
"What is it, human?" She asked.
"I was wondering... Have you seen a small, blonde-haired angel around here?"
"Before asking me any questions, it is customary to kneel before an angel. We are the messengers of the Goddess herself, after all." She said.
Kneel to angels..? I don't remember that in the commandments.
"I'm not looking for any trouble..." Luka said. "If you could just answer my quest-"
"Kneel." She commanded. "Show proof of your faith in the Goddess. Or... perhaps you are a sinner?" Upon saying the words, the Valkyrie unsheathed her sword. "Do you need to be purified, boy?"
I know exactly what she means by that... Even now, angels are just the same as before.
"No," Luka said. "You're the only one who needs that!" The hero unsheathed his sword, its grotesque appearance surprising the angel. "Tell me. Did you see her or not?"
"Do you think you can scare me?" She asked. "I have fought in countless battles before this, pipsqueak. I will destroy you. Let all heretics know, this is what happens when you oppose the Goddess."
Luka tapped into his angel powers, managing to dodge the blow before it ever had the chance to hit him. Each swing of the Valkyries sword was met with nothing but thin air. Once Luka saw an opportunity, he swiftly drove Angel Halo directly into her chest. The end of the sword was not sharp enough to actually pierce her skin, but it did succeed in knocking the wind out of her.
The angel did not remain stunned for long, however, as she quickly swung right back at the hero. Luka was just slightly too slow on the dodge and got a large slash in his shoulder for his trouble. He ignored the pain, however, and continued to weave between the attacks.
"Arh! Get off me!" The valkyrie said. Luka looked up to see the angel being wrapped up in three tails, limiting her movement.
Tamamo must've changed back into her monster form. I have to help her!
Not wasting a second, Luka jumped up to her and assisted Tamamo in keeping her down.
"Surrender!" Luka said. The angel continued to trash around, but after seeing the futility of it, looked Luka in the eyes.
"What do you want, sinner? Should I be begging for my life?" She asked. "The Goddess has already blessed me. Dying for her is the greatest honour there is!"
"Shut up!" Luka said as he covered the angel's mouth. "Don't throw your life away for her! She doesn't care about you. She doesn't care about any of you!"
The angel's reply was muffled by Luka's hand.
"Luka, ask her the question," Tamamo suggested. She looked to be struggling in keeping the angel down.
She really is quite a lot weaker, isn't she...
"Did you see her?" Luka asked. "A small angel, probably a little bit shorter than me. She has blonde hair and wears jewellery... Uh... She has a big, red jewel on her necklace... Yeah, I think that's it." He said. The angel raised an eyebrow at the description. Another muffled response came out, and Luka realised he had not yet taken his hand off her mouth.
"Oh, sorry about that." He said. The hero took the hand away, letting the angel speak.
"Hmph. Why would I tell you anything?" She asked.
"Haah... so we're going to have to do this the hard way..." Tamamo said.
"The hard way..?" Luka asked, worried about what she could mean.
"I've done this plenty of times before," Tamamo said. "Leave her with me for a minute. I'll make sure we learn everything we can from her."
"W-What!? You wouldn't dare lay a hand on me, monster!" The valkyrie said.
"Tamamo... are you sure there's no other way?" Luka asked.
"Hmm... There might be... but do I have enough power left for that..?" Tamamo wondered.
"I can give you some of mine if you need it."
"No... I need dark power, not... your kind." Tamamo said, careful to not say too much in front of the Valkyrie. "Say, why don't you bring Gnomaren out here? She can let me borrow some of my old power back, if only for a moment." Tamamo suggested.
"Oh, sure," Luka said.
Gnomaren, can you hear me? We need you for a second. Would you mind materialising for us?
The hero heard no response. Instead, she simply did as he asked. The spirit appeared before both Tamamo and Luka.
"Hello, Gnomaren," Tamamo said. "My name is Tamamo. I don't think we've ever actually introduced ourselves... Anyway, I was wondering if you could give me some of your power? I need it to get some information out of this angel." She explained.
Gnomaren stared at the Kitsune for a moment. After a while, she nodded and stuck out her hand.
"Thanks," Tamamo said as she took it. A fair amount of power coursed through her body as she did.
Better return this quickly. Don't want to cause yet another calamity...
"Are you sure it's enough?" Luka asked.
"Should be," Tamamo said. "Prop her up for me."
"Let go of me, you damned sinner! Get your filthy-"
Before the angel could continue any further, Luka wrapped his cape around her mouth. Tamamo was grateful. She got closer to the angel, their eyes only inches apart.
"Eyes of obedience," Tamamo said. Her eyes flashed, causing a spell to take over the angel's body. "Have you seen an angel that looks like Ilias lately?" She asked.
"I have." The valkyrie said. "In fact, she even called herself Ilias. She said she was the one true goddess, and we locked her up for it. She was a liar, obviously."
"Where is she now?" Tamamo asked.
"In Iliasburg's prison. She will be judged and punished tomorrow." The Valkyrie explained.
"Right in the nick of time..." Tamamo said. "Hmm... while you're here, what else has Ilias been up to?"
"I do not know." She admitted. "But I have received orders from Lady Eden to protect this continent. My fellow angels are doing the same in San Ilia."
"Where are all the humans?" Tamamo asked. "I haven't seen any so far."
"They are being brought down from heaven as we speak. San Ilia must be restored first, which will prove difficult. Thankfully, the major towns on this continent are mostly fine. Still, it will take a long time until everything is back up and running. On top of that, there have been reports of monsters gathering in Vrimor. Some of the others think Alipheese is planning to move on Noah and strike while we are weak."
"Hmm... I see... That's perfect." Tamamo muttered.
"What do you mean?" Luka asked. "How could that be a good thing?"
"I'll tell you later," Tamamo said. "For now, we should go get Ilias, before she's executed that is."
"Right," Luka said. "And what should we do with her?"
"Oh... I've got that. Angel. Forget everything you've seen her." She ordered. The angel nodded. Tamamo could not hide her smile as she punched the Valkyrie, knocking her out.
"Couldn't you have just told her to fall asleep?" Luka pointed out.
"I could've... buts it's more fun to knock that smug smile off their face." She said. "Anyway, we should get going."
Luka nodded, gently laying the Valkyrie down on the floor.
Alright, Ilias... Let's see what really happened to you...
Notes
Had to split the chapter, which is why it ends so abruptly. I'll finish the second half soon.
