"This is absurd," Saja stated. "Minagi, Morrigan, Lilith, and Astaroth have all disappeared?"
"That is my current assessment. I've also lost touch with one of my clones. As you know, my true body was destroyed in the Noah region. Reforming it now will take some time." Kanade explained.
"How many clones do you have left?" The part-Lamia, part-Harpy ancestor inquired.
Kanade let out a small sigh. "Two, as far as I can tell. One in Vrimor and the one with whom you are currently conversing. As I previously stated, the one I left in Remina is simply gone. I have no idea what might have happened to it."
"I see," Saja muttered as she slithered down the corridor. Kanade moved forward, her body rippling against the cold stone floor as she closely followed her sister. It was unusually quiet in the Monster Lord's Castle. The Second Fateburn was currently talking to her mother privately. Unfortunately, the ancestors would be forced to interrupt them. They simply had to tell Alipheese the news.
The doors to the war room swung open, revealing the two ancestors. Alipheese the First had a gentle smile upon seeing her children. "Welcome." She said. "Please, sit."
Saja took a seat beside the Second, while Kanade sat on the other side of the table. Alipheese, as always, was at the helm. A frown appeared on her face as she looked at all the empty seats.
Where are Tamamo and Minagi? They should be here by now. Unless they are busy on the front lines.
"I hear we have lost our hold on the Noah region," Alipheese said. "Does anyone care to explain as to why?"
"I will, my lord. Lucifina has gone on the offensive. She took a large portion of Ilias's army with her as she rushed into Noah. Your daughter and I did our best to stop her, but we were forced to retreat." Saja admitted, ashamed.
"Retreat...? Why? It is only one seraph. You should've been able to deal with it." Alipheese pointed out.
"We might've been able to beat her, but only at a great cost. Thousands of our fellow monsters would've been slain, if not all of them. I judged it to be not worth the loss." Saja explained.
"Not worth it? I can create more if need be. What are a few thousand monsters compared to killing the Daystar herself?"
Those are lives you're talking about, mother. They may only be numbers to you, but I...
"I... I am sorry, mother." The ancestor said. She sighed, scared to speak. This was the part of the news she wished she didn't have to deliver, but as the leader of the ancestors, it was her duty to report her failures. "Tamamo No Mae and Minagi, along with the Lilith Sisters, have all disappeared."
The room fell silent. Kanade's expression was as neutral as ever, while the Second's was filled with shock. She knew Tamamo No Mae was not responding, but to have confirmation of her disappearance...
And what's this about Minagi disappearing too? Oh, and the Lilith sisters as well, I guess. This is all so absurd... I can hardly even believe it.
But the most shocked person was Alipheese herself. "This can't be." She said. "H-How!? How can they just disappear like that!?"
"We have no idea, my lord," Kanade said, stepping up for her sister. "Our scouts have informed us of Yamatai's destruction. A kitsune named Yano, also known as one of Tamamo's proteges, has offered to explain everything. And more importantly, she has decided to take the blame for Tamamo's death."
She is likely only doing that so none of her fellow kitsunes would be hurt. What a fool.
"I can't believe it," Alipheese said. "Two of my children are dead, and two are missing. Kanade, Alice, and Saja. You are the only ones I have left."
Tamamo and Minagi... Kanon and Hiruko...
All of them are gone. How? How could I have let this happen!?
...There is no point crying over it now. Saja said they disappeared, but we have no confirmation of their deaths... They may still be alive.
"..." Saja remained silent as Alipheese spoke. Out of all of the ancestors, she always had the closest bond with the Dark Goddess. She could tell just how hurt she was.
Even worse, with both Tamamo and Minagi gone, I am the only one who can hold off the angels. It is up to me and the Second to stop the Daystar. With Kanade still too weak to fight, we are effectively the only fighters left.
As if we weren't already in a bad enough situation, our infighting has stopped and turned into mass desertion instead. Our army grows smaller day by day...
"My lord, I know this is an inappropriate time, but... we need to talk about the war." Saja pointed out.
Alipheese sighed, leaning back in her throne-like chair. Mourning for her children would have to wait. Her daughter was correct; dealing with the war was their top priority. "Yes," She said. "Very well, how much of the army remains?"
"Our current estimations land around thirty-four percent," Saja explained. "Over five percent of our army has deserted us. The others were all killed in the war itself, half of them by the Daystar. If we extend this to the entire race, then we have lost a third of our population."
"A third..." Alipheese sighed. Even at the start of the war, such staggering losses were never seen. "And what of the angels?"
I never thought the angels would push us back so far... Ever since we lost Kanon, this whole war has turned around on us. I thought we had more or less won it when we dealt with the Sword of Heaven, but Ilias managed to start actually winning again even after such a loss.
Perhaps I should take a lesson from her book. Getting more clones for Kanade would be a good start...
"Compared to our losses of almost seventy percent, the angels, on the other hand, have only suffered around two-thirds of that," Saja revealed. "Most of our army is now in Vrimor. We believe holding off on attacking for a year or two until we increase our numbers would be wise."
"I see... And what of the Hero Luka? Have we captured him yet? His power would certainly help even the sides." Alipheese asked.
"My lord... we believe the Hero Luka is the one responsible for Tamamo's disappearance," Saja explained. "And, as you already know, he is also the one we believe killed Kanon."
"...Then he must die. But that can wait. We don't have the power for that right now... Is there anything else we can do? Have you tried asking the Spirits of Nature if they would consider joining us?"
"About that, I believe they have—"
The castle shook, cutting the monster off. Each member of the meeting looked up at the ceiling. Saja's eyes widened as she realised what it was she was seeing. A newly made hole was in the ceiling, with an angelic figure floating in the middle of it.
No way... This can't be! How is she here!?
"I told you. I won't let you escape."
She chased me all the way here!? This is Hellgondo, our most heavily fortified territory! How did she get here without us hearing a word about it!?
The Daystar laughed, pleased with the reactions of those below her. Even now, she was smiling.
Unlike the others, Alipheese the First did not look worried. "Lucifina... Is this bravery or foolishness? Do you truly believe flying all the way here, so deep into enemy territory, is a good idea?"
The seraph did not respond. Her wicked grin widened as she tightened her grip on her sword. Four monsters, all closely packed together, like lambs to the slaughter.
This is it, Micaela. When they are all dead, revenge will be ours.
Saja wasted no time. Her instincts told her to attack now while she was open, and so she did. A controlled beam of darkness was shot towards the angel, which was quickly parried away. Kanade took the time to set up small barriers for her sister and niece. Of course, Alipheese herself had no need for one.
But Lucifina did not remain idle for long. With a quick flurry of blows, she made her way to the floor of the room. Saja, thinking ahead, sent out a message for reinforcements.
You've made a massive mistake, Lucifina. This will cost Ilias the war.
Alipheese the First watched as her children fought the angel. Their individual skills were clear, but it irked her to see that the angel was the strongest among them. Her mastery of the sword was only paralleled by that of her sister, Micaela.
Why did she come all the way here? I cannot make sense of it. Did she go against Ilias's orders? And why did we only learn of this now? Dozens of monsters should've seen her fly here, and she couldn't teleport here either thanks to the seal. Just what is going on?
Ilias, even if this was not your doing, your daughter has escalated the war. Now, I have no choice but to step in. The world will take heavy damage from our eventual battle, but my victory is assured.
Now, then, it is time to rid the world of this angel.
The Dark Goddess closed her eyes, allowing the power of darkness to flow through her. An unfathomable amount formed at her fingertips, enough to kill even a seraph.
"I will show you the power of the Dark Goddess." She yelled, firing the spell. "Monster Lord's Cruelty!"
Lucifna was busy dealing with both Saja and Kanade at the same time, not to mention the spells being fired by the Second. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the darkness approach. Her smile widened.
Saja already knew what was coming. She had seen it so many times before, after all. As always, the angel's body began to glow.
Right, Mother has never fought the Daystar head-on before. She doesn't know all the inner workings of her move. Daystar only activates when countering an enemy attack. Well, it doesn't matter. The angel will run out of energy soon. There is no way she will get out of this alive.
Suddenly, Kanade's eyes widened. She had just received the memories from her clones. "What is... a castle? And my clone in Vrimor was destroyed... That means, this is my last one." She murmured.
My clone in Vrimor was killed by the Seraph..? How did she sneak in there so well...?
Damn it. And what's with this other castle I'm seeing? I'm already in the Monster Lord's Castle, so how am I seeing it twice?
Unless... It's not the same castle.
"What are you talking about?" Saja asked, looking back at the slime.
"This clone is my last one... in this world, at least." She explained.
"In this world...? What do you mean?"
"There is a castle, a castle like this one, in another—"
A comet crashed into the slime, interrupting her. Saja's jaw dropped as she saw what remained of the ancestor, or more accurately, what didn't. When the Daystar struck her, her body simply ceased to exist. Not even a trace of her slime could be seen.
N-No! Kanade!
"And there she goes... I already took care of her clone in Vrimor. Hehe... Now, all that remains is that one in Remina, is that right?" Lucifina asked, turning towards the last ancestor.
I-Impossible! How does she know all of that!?
"Kanade..." Alipheese whispered, looking at where she last saw the Slime Queen. "In front of my very eyes..."
I-I could've blocked it with my power. Why am I so inept at fighting? I'm not like Saja or the others; I've never been in a real fight before...
Could she still be alive? From what she said, it sounds like she has a clone alive somewhere... I hope so, at least.
"Lucifina... you will die for that."
The room began to fill with monsters, and the exits were all guarded. The Daystar was surrounded by a goddess, an ancestor, a Fateburn, and at least a hundred other monsters.
Guide my blade, dear sister.
Spells began to be launched at the angel from all over, with dozens of physical attacks heading her way at the same time. Lucifina's smile did not waver.
Saja rolled her eyes as all the attacks became meaningless. The same spell as always...
She was stunned, however, when she noticed that there was no light surrounding her but rather a holy barrier instead.
What the!? How could she make a barrier strong enough to stop all of that!?
"That's... There's no way..." Alipheese stood there in shock as she saw a figure floating above them. An intense holy light filled the room, illuminating everything inside.
"Ilias..."
The Goddess of Creation was not smiling. Her arms were crossed, and her expression was serious. "Alipheese." She muttered, looking down at her ancient foe.
"What are you doing here?" The Goddess of Darkness asked.
"What do you think? You tried to kill my daughter."
"She's the one who flew into my castle. Don't blame me for your poor management." Alipheese pointed out. Ilias was unamused.
"You did not need to attack her. You have escalated things, Alipheese." Ilias stated, her fingertips crackling with lightning. "Let us leave, or I shall be forced to fight."
Damn it... If we fight now with all of our power... the entirety of Hellgondo could be destroyed.
Do we really have no choice but to let her just leave?
I still can't believe it. Ilias herself has never descended for battle before, not even to defend Micaela. Is this her way of making up for that?
...The Earth cannot handle all this power. If this continues, by the time the war ends, there will be nothing left to rule.
Alipheese sighed. This was no choice at all.
Ilias smiled, pleased with her rival's discontent. She already knew that Alipheese had chosen to let her go. Without another word, she flew away with her daughter. The monsters made way for her at Alipheese's command.
This is the end of the world. There is no stopping it now. Maybe not today, maybe not even in this decade, but eventually, we will fight one-on-one, and then there will be nothing left.
"My lord..." Lucifina flew close to the goddess as they returned to heaven. "Our plan has worked. The monsters are weaker than ever before, and we have only lost a few hundred angels in the process."
"Indeed. Now, we just have to deal with the Hero Luka. There is also a Tartarus in Safina that I plan to explore." She explained once they got back to the comfortable realm of heaven.
"A Tartarus..? I've never heard of them before. Would it not be wiser to let one of your children explore it in your stead?" Lucifina asked.
"No. I fear they would be killed, and that would just be a waste of time and resources. I shall go myself. For now, you should go to the Ilias continent. Inspire our troops and train them to perfection. Be the leader you were made to be." Ilias said.
"Yes, my lord."
"What on earth was that!?" Ilias exclaimed, the clear disappointment in her voice only making the Hero feel worse. "That might just be the most dreadful display of magic I've ever had the displeasure of witnessing, you fool!"
"G-geez, sorry." Luka awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "But I didn't think it was that bad. I mean, I did manage to make it at least."
"Tell me, what is the point of a pocket dimension if you can't even access it?" She pointed out, crossing her arms. "I don't know how Micaela managed to teach you anything when you are this incompetent."
"I think you're overreacting a little." The Hero said. "I've always been better with a sword than I am with holy magic anyway. I don't know why, but it's hard to use for me."
"Hmm... Perhaps the human part of you is making it hard to use that kind of magic. Fine then, I'll have to change my method." Ilias said, approaching the Hero in a huff. "I'll show you in person, alright? Just do exactly as I do."
The small angel took a deep breath. What little power remained to her was still enough to make such a simple spell. She waved her hands, allowing her to access her own personal storage.
"That's it. That's all you have to do." She explained. "Even with my minute amount of power, I was able to do it easily. Just imagine what you want to create, and then use your magic to bring it to life."
"Really? That's nothing like what you said earlier... Alright, I'll give it a shot!" Luka said, copying her movements. Using his mother's magic, he waved his hands.
I-I did it! I can feel it!
In front of him, a small hole in space opened, leading to a dimension of his own creation. The spell was a common one among both monsters and angels, and even if it was fairly easy to pull off, it was one of the more useful ones.
"Hmph. I suppose that is decent enough." Ilias commented. "Then, I guess levitation is next."
"Levitation...? Like what you did back at the Tartarus?" Luka asked. Back then, she had managed to make him float down without worry while she used her wings, and they used the same method again to get out of the deep hole.
"Yeah. It's fairly difficult, I'll admit. Especially for someone of your... 'talent'." She explained. Luka frowned but refrained from commenting. "In theory, you should be able to combine the spell with Sylph's power to make yourself fly."
"Using the wind and holy magic to fly? Is that really possible?" Luka inquired.
"How would I know? I've never tried it before." Ilias pointed out. "But I'll be here to help you if you should need it."
"Thanks," Luka said with a smile. He did as she asked, doing his best to pull the spell off.
A few hours passed. The sun rose high in the sky, now marking it as midday. The pair had gone out to an empty field to train. Walking to Gelon did not take long, especially when they all had conveniently fast methods of travel that didn't rely on the crutch of teleportation.
By the end of the session, the Hero was exhausted. He sat down on a rock, and Ilias stood beside him. He had improved, sure, but not as much as he would've liked. It seemed to him that as he got older, he got slower and slower at learning new things.
Holy magic just isn't my forte. Still, I have the Goddess of Light herself here to guide me all the way, even if she isn't the most positive teacher I've ever had.
"Hey, Ilias. Did you really watch me and Alice travel around the whole world together?" Luka asked, taking a swig of his canteen.
"Well, not all of it, but most of it. I still can't believe it took you that long to figure out that Alice was the Monster Lord. If Tamamo hadn't said it outright, you probably would've never caught on." She observed.
"No, I think I would've figured it out..." Luka said. Then he thought about it again.
Actually, it probably would've taken me a few weeks... Now that I look back on it, I can really see just how dumb I was sometimes...
"Luka... what do you think will happen when we all go back?" Ilias asked, a hint of worry creeping into her voice. "I mean, that is if you let me come back with you."
"Oh, right. I haven't really thought about it..." The Hero said. "Alice wouldn't be happy at all, and I can only imagine what the public will think about it..."
Ilias's face scrunched up in fear. "Y-You wouldn't let them hurt me, would you? I mean, you'd protect me, right!?"
Luka remained oddly silent. He looked down at the grass, pondering the situation. On the one hand, Ilias had tried to destroy his entire world. On the other hand, she was not the same as before. Even he could tell.
But that could be just because she's weakened...
I need proof. Proof that she has changed.
"Ilias... If you really have changed, if you really aren't the same goddess that tried to destroy my world, then prove it. Show me that you're different now, that you're better. Otherwise... I'll be forced to leave you here." Luka said coldly. Ilias didn't know what to do.
I've never seen him act like this before...
Are his hopes misplaced? Am I still the same as I was back then?
...Do I even want to be different?
Ilias dropped to the ground, sitting on the grass. Luka decided it was best to give her some time to think it over.
Back then, I only ever saw things from heaven. Humanity was little more than ants to me—playthings that only existed to worship me.
But now that I've spent some time here, I can see how wrong I was. Not only humanity but all life down here is worth cherishing, worth protecting. Even... Even the monsters
...Then I've already made my mind up, haven't I?
Ugh... but for someone of my stature to apologise to a human! It's...
Ilias's voice was tiny, almost inaudible. Still, Luka was just about able to hear it. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "For everything I did. For all those I hurt... I'm sorry."
For a moment, Luka said nothing. He just looked down at the small, weak angel. She looked to be on the verge of tears.
"That's all I needed to hear." He said, smiling. "It's okay. I can't say I forgive you, since it's not really my place to make that decision, but I can promise to protect you when we get back, alright? I won't let them hurt you... But I can't swear that you'll be free from punishment."
...That is only fair, I suppose.
"...Alright." She said, standing up. She wiped away the tears in her eyes. Luka also stood up, taking her hand as they walked back to the camps.
"Well, hello, other me," Tamamo said, looking between the metal bars. "You look quite miserable. It's only been one day, you know?"
In the corner of the dark cell was a kitsune, huddled up in her tails so she could keep warm. Her eyes were looking at the nine-tailed ancestor with hate. "Have you come here to laugh at me?" She asked, her voice hoarse.
"No, actually. I just wanted to see what kind of conditions you would be living in." Tamamo explained. "I assume Rinoa chose this cell for you. Not that I can blame her."
"What do you want?" The three-tailed kitsune asked, standing up. Dust was swept up along the floor thanks to her tails as she rose.
"I already told you." The ancestor pointed out. "Tell me, other me. What do you plan on doing now? Bide your time and wait for Alipheese?"
"What other choice do I have?" She asked, walking closer to the bars. "You took all my power. Every. Last. Piece. Look at me now."
The kitsune motioned to her form. "Never have I been so humiliated. Never have I been so weak. Know this, me from another world: you will die for this. I will take my revenge." She declared. Tamamo was unfazed.
Haah... Is this really what I used to be like? I was insufferable.
Looking at her now, she just reminds me of everything I used to be. All those that I killed; all those lives I took... They will haunt me forever.
But I must move past it. I cannot mope around here forever, wishing I knew better back then. There is nothing to be done about it now. I must take action and change the future for the better.
"You and I are one in the same," Tamamo said. "That means that one day, sooner or later, you will realise that what you did was wrong. You will change, just as I have. And... I will be here to help you through it, every step of the way."
If I could change with time, so can she. And with my help, it shouldn't take a thousand years this time... Probably. Still, this is going to be quite the challenge. It will have to wait for the war to be over.
"What are you talking about...? I have no reason to change just to satisfy your whims. Humans are prey—food to be eaten whenever we monsters wish. We are stronger, smarter, and more beautiful. We are superior in every way. Those who deny that are fools. Sentimentality has corrupted you, other me. Why do you even care for them so much?" She asked, perplexed.
"I don't know... Perhaps it's all the time I spent living among them. They're far from perfect, I'll give you that. But just like the other two races, they have both bad and good parts. If we all try to understand each other, if we just make that effort, then the future will be brighter than ever."
Geez, I sound just like Heinrich or Luka. Well, I am stealing some of this from their annoyingly hopeful speeches, so I guess it would only make sense.
"Heh. Now I know you are insane. You sound like one of those fools who believe in coexistence. I wonder, is this all a facade? An elaborate scheme of ours? Do you think that by acting like this, you could get to fuck that Hero?" She asked, a sly smile crossing her face. "That's it, isn't it? I know you better than anyone."
Tamamo shook her head. "No. You know nothing about me." She said firmly. "Well, I have no reason to stay here any longer. Continue to rot away here, won't you? I'll be back in a few days or so."
And there's my cruel side yet again. Damn it. It's hard to stop myself sometimes...
After Ilias was defeated, I started to raise the Hero's children, Nero and Neris. Their innocence helped me get rid of the last remnants of myself... Or so I thought. It seems I still have some work to do.
"Hey, where are you going?" The three-tailed kitsune asked, her hands gripping the bars. "Come back here! Don't you dare speak down to me like that!"
Tamamo sighed as she walked away.
There is still hope for you, other me. It will take a lot of work, but I know that you can change as well, just like I did.
Anyway, I should go talk to the King about her imprisonment. Oh, and I should ask Promestein if she's finished that Makina yet.
Sylph soared through the fresh Natalia air. Gelon's camps were a little south of the main city, making them not far from San Ilia itself, the city that the Spirit of Wind hated most. The spirit was not currently thinking of that city, however. Instead, she was preoccupied with something else.
It's just not the same...
Like most days, the spirit's thoughts drifted back to her old friend, Gnome. They were always best friends, even though they controlled the opposite element of each other. Often, they would play in the sand, or Sylph would pick Gnome up in her larger form, flying her around. Now, all of that was gone. She would never be able to play with her again.
Loss was not foreign to the Spirit of Wind, but she had never felt it this badly before. Everything she did was worsened by her best friend not being there. It had been eating away at her for a long time now.
Hmph. Look at them, playing around like that without a care in the world...
Sylph spotted two figures playing around in the grass. They were close to a small tree, with one of them climbing it while the other watched. They were smiling, and having fun.
It's been so long since I played with anybody...
Maybe they'll let me join?
On a whim, she descended. Gnomaren tilted her head as she looked at the newcomer. Nuruko didn't notice her at first.
"H-Hi," Sylph said, suddenly nervous. She had never actually spoken to the new spirit before. It was strange, sure, but Undine had encouraged her to give the new spirits a chance, and so she did. There was no reason for her to be mad at them, after all.
"..." Gnomaren remained silent, much like her predecessor. After a moment, she raised her hand, waving at the fairy. Sylph awkwardly waved back.
"Kyu, kyu!"
Nuruko, upon noticing the spirit, climbed down from the tree to greet her. Sylph shook the Scylla's tentacle. Nuruko was smiling like she had just met an old friend.
"Kyu Kyu, kyu?" The Spirit of Chaos asked, pointing towards the tree.
"Sure," Sylph replied, understanding her perfectly. And so, the three of them started to play, with Sylph flying around the base of the tree and Gnomaren doing her best to climb it while Nuruko took the lead. After a few minutes, they all sat on one of the branches together.
...Maybe they aren't so bad after all.
Sylph had a small smile as she relaxed on the branch. Far away, two other spirits watched.
"So, what do you think?" Undine asked.
"I'm not so sure. I don't hold any hatred for them, but I cannot lie when it comes to Gnomaren. Seeing Gnome's corpse walking around like that creeps me out." Salamander admitted.
However, that strange colour does seem to be going away. She's looking more and more normal as time goes on. Is this due to Tamamo's magic?
"Hmph. I've seen worse. I mean, there was that time I splashed you with water and all your hair disappeared..." Undine mused.
"I thought we agreed to never bring that up!" Salamander complained. The Spirit of Water chuckled, amused by the other spirit's annoyance. After a long while, they decided to join the other three. Undine smiled as she watched the others play; even Salamander was taking part in the fun.
Even if they are new, they are still spirits. It is only fair that we give them a chance. Perhaps one day everything will be like it was before... Maybe.
Rinoa let out a long sigh as she leaned back in her chair. Training the guards was a surprisingly difficult task, especially when they were so inept. Now she understood how Granberia felt.
Luka and the others are back now, at least. That's some good news... And I heard he managed to contract with all of the spirits too. He should be much stronger now. Unless they discover that old dispel strategy...
Eh, I'm sure it will be fine.
"Rinoa!" Luna said as she entered the room. They were currently in the village part of the camps, where Rinoa had been given one of the houses to live in. She had a spare room, so she offered it to Luna.
"Luna." Rinoa picked the young girl up, letting her sit in her lap. "How was your day?"
Luna snuggled into Rinoa's embrace and replied with a bright smile, "It was so cool! We got to see how swords are made in person!"
"Oh? Who was the blacksmith?" Rinoa asked.
"She was… a monster," Luna admitted, using the word as though it were an insult.
So, she's still not past her hatred.
…Ugh. Luka said I should just tell her now, rather than later. But… what if she hates me?
No. It would be wrong to keep this from her any longer. I have to tell her the truth.
"Luna, there's something I have to tell you," Rinoa said, suddenly serious. "It's important, so listen up."
The young silver-haired girl looked confused but did as Rinoa asked. The Doppel sighed, trying to build up the courage to say what she had to.
"Luka and I... We are not siblings." Rinoa admitted. "In fact, we're not even from this world."
"W-what?" Luna exclaimed. "What do you mean 'not from this world'?"
"Right... You've probably never even thought about something like that before... Here, let me try to explain it this way." Rinoa stood up, bringing Luna down to the wooden floors. The girl sat down when Rinoa asked her to while the Doppel went to get a few toys.
When she returned, various toys were in her hands. "Okay, so. This one is our world." She held up a wooden ball. "We call it the Earth. All the oceans, all the lands, all the cities and people—everything is here. Got it?"
Luna nodded. "And this one is a completely different world." A wooden ball was in her hands, which was made of a darker oak than the one before it. "It's similar to this one in a lot of ways, but not the exact same."
The young girl's eyes lit up with understanding. "And you're from that world?" Luna asked, holding the ball.
"Exactly. Both me and Luka, that golden-haired kitsune—all three of us are from that world." She explained.
"But... how did you get here?" The young girl inquired.
"That's a long story," Rinoa said. "But all you have to worry about is that we're not from here."
"...Why did you lie to me then?" She asked. "Why did you say you were Luka's sister? And why didn't he tell me any of this!?"
"That's... Well, we couldn't risk it. If people knew we were from another world, they might hurt us out of fear." Rinoa explained. "Just like how people hurt monsters because they don't understand them."
"People hurt monsters because they hurt us!" Luna pointed out.
Rinoa sighed.
Now's as good a time as any...
Come on, Rinoa. Just... Just say it.
"Luna... That wasn't the only thing I wanted to tell you. I... I'm not a human." She said.
Silence fell upon the room. Only the wind coming through one of the windows could be heard, along with the song of some passing birds. Rinoa went pale out of fear. She looked over at Luna.
The young girl said nothing for a while. Eventually, she spoke. "What... What do you mean?"
"I'm not a human." The Doppel repeated. "Do you know what a Doppelganger is?"
"No..." Luna admitted; her voice was tiny, fragile.
"It's a special type of monster. I might be the first one, to be honest. I was made in a lab seven years ago by a scientist. I was made to defeat the Hero Luka. I was injected with his DNA, permanently fusing my body with it. Now, I can never change back. When I confronted the Hero, I was soundly beaten."
The silence returned in full. Luna focused on that word. Monster. Rinoa, the one who had been taking care of her for the last few weeks now, was not a human.
Monster... Rinoa is a monster...
"You..." Luna muttered. "You lied to me all this time..."
Rinoa looked down in shame. "I know." She said. "I'm sorry, but if you knew what I really was, you never would've trusted me."
The girl looked up at the monster. Tears formed in her eyes.
"I-I hate you! Y-You're a liar!" She said, running towards the door.
"Luna, wait!" Rinoa chased after her but stopped herself when she got outside.
...Damn it.
It was best to leave her be. The girl would be safe in the village, but that was not the issue.
She hates me now... I knew it. I should have told her sooner.
This is all my fault.
Luka, what do I do now? Do I give her space, or should I try talking to her again?
I don't know... What should I do?
Rinoa sighed as she sat back down. There was nothing she could do now. In truth, she was slightly relieved. She had finally gotten the lie off her chest, but at what cost?
Should I have just kept it a secret instead?
Haah... It will be fine, I'm sure. I just need to give her some time to process this.
