The morning light shone down on Luka gently. It was dimmer than usual thanks to the abundance of clouds in the sky. The Hero was dealing with the cold air fairly well thanks to the clothes Tamamo had given him back in Yamatai. It insulated him far better than his Enrikan shirt did, but for sentimental reasons, he decided to just wear both.

A smile reached his face as he looked around. Monsters and humans were walking down the path as they talked to each other. This was the first step. Once the two races get used to each other's presence, they will eventually start to get along. Or at least, that's what happened in his world.

Though all of us unifying against Ilias certainly helped a lot.

Now that I think about it, something similar is happening here. All of the monsters that have fled here have actively chosen to go against Alipheese. Even they know that what she's doing is wrong.

...But I suppose she didn't start this war, did she? Tamamo said that Ilias started it, and Ilias herself said something similar a while back.

Still, that's no excuse. She treats humanity even worse than Ilias did. She has to be stopped.

Luka looked troubled as he walked down the path. Even with both Alipheese and Ilias's armies being weaker than ever before, the war was still raging on. The newly made ruins in Noah were a testament to that fact.

So, what do I do now?

...What would Alice do?

Once again, the Hero's thoughts drifted back to his wife.

...She would probably tell me to stop being an idiot first... Then... Then...

Haah... I don't know. Even after all these years, I still have no idea how her brain works. Half of it is already taken up by food, but the other half is still a mystery to me.

Well, Tamamo said I should just leave it all to her. Apparently, she has some sort of plan—one she's keeping very close to her chest. Not that I can really blame her. She's been keeping secrets for hundreds of years now. It's probably a tough habit to break.

Suddenly, a silver-haired girl ran across the path. The Hero barely noticed her in time.

...Luna?

Luka started to follow her, having to speed up to a light jog to catch her. They were currently in the village part of the Gelon camps, which meant Luna could use a nearby alleyway to her advantage.

Why is she even running from me? Did something happen?

"Luna, wait up!" The Hero shouted, running up to her. Luna slowed down upon hearing his voice, turning around to face him.

I guess she just didn't notice me.

Wait a second, is she crying?

"Luna? What's wrong?"

The boy kneeled down to her height as she wiped her tears away. She muttered something under her breath, but Luka couldn't make it out. Her sniffling wasn't helping.

"Rinoa." She said. "Rinoa is..."

So, it's about Rinoa...

Wait, she couldn't have?

But Rinoa said she was going to wait, didn't she?

But there's no other reason for her to be crying like this.

"Rinoa is... a monster!" Luna said, looking up at the Hero. "She told me earlier."

Luna looked like she was about to bolt again, but Luka held on to her tightly. If she ran off alone, she could get herself hurt.

"So, Rinoa told you," Luka said. "I suppose now was as good a time as any."

The young girl's face dropped as she listened to the Hero. She couldn't believe it; he knew it the whole time. "Both of you lied to me!" Luna shouted loudly.

The Hero hushed her. "I-I know," Luka muttered. "We should've told you sooner, but... Well, there's no going back now. The truth is out in the open. Look, Luna. Even if Rinoa is a monster, what does that really change? She's still the same person as before."

"No, she's not! Monsters are evil, abominations made by the fallen angel Alipheese!"

Haah... Did I really used to believe all of that? It sounds so dumb now.

There was nothing Luka could say now. He and Rinoa had been trying to convince the young girl that her views on monsters were wrong for a long time now but had clearly failed. He thought that after the actions of the monsters in Gelon, the ones who helped defend the city, Luna's hatred might have tempered.

I guess I was just being naive. She has all the reason in the world to hate monsters, and from what she's saying now, it seems to have barely lessened. She's nearly as bad as Lazarus.

The Hero sighed. In his world, hatred this deep was rare enough. There was far less reason to hate them. However, in a world filled with war and murder, they were seen as nothing but pure evil, and Luka couldn't really blame the humans for seeing them that way. Exceptions could be seen here and there, but the majority were unforgivable in their eyes.

But that is the culture they have grown up in. How are they supposed to know better? They are the predators, the strong. They are simply doing as nature dictates.

Still, I can change that. I can stop all this senseless violence and slaughter.

Luka knew that his goals were far-fetched and that they were almost impossible for a mere human to accomplish, but that never stopped him before, and he wasn't about to give up now.

Besides, I'm not really human, am I?

"Luna... I know you don't really believe that. You know that monsters aren't all evil. Sure, some of them are really terrible, but you can't just apply that to all of them. You've seen it for yourself. There's good and bad everywhere, and Rinoa is one of the good ones." Luka said.

Luna looked down at the ground, unsure of what to make of everything. Luka was just glad she didn't try to run off again. "Do you want to go find her again with me?"

The young girl said nothing for a moment. Her breath steamed up in the winter air. Eventually, she muttered something. "Okay."

The Hero offered his hand to the girl. She took it after a moment's hesitation. They left the alley and walked out to the path. Rinoa's home was not far.

This is something they'll have to deal with on their own. For now, I better go see what Tamamo wants.

After leaving Luna at the door and making sure she got inside safely, the Hero walked off. Tamamo, Promestein, and Ilias were all discussing in one of the tents when he arrived. The inside was surprisingly well insulated, staving off the cold chill of winter.

"Luka, you've arrived," Tamamo said, looking at the Hero. She noticed his unusually sullen expression. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing." He said, walking over to one of the seats. Ilias was next to him, admiring her crossbow. Luka never imagined that such a weapon would suit her, but it did. It must have belonged to a powerful angel before Tamamo No Mae got her hands on it. It was even stronger than the bows Cupid's would often use.

The small goddess looked up at Tamamo and Promestein, who were both standing by a worktable. The scientist was fiddling with a strange Makina. It was bigger than the watch Luka had brought with him but still had many of the same components. Ilias did not know what Tamamo was planning to use it for, but her suspicious side told her it was nothing good.

A few minutes later, Tamamo lifted the Makina up in her hands. She looked pleased. "There we go. It's done." She announced proudly, even though Promestein had done most of the work.

Luka stood up so he could get a closer look at the device. It had lights on it, blinking every now and then. There was no longer any screen, replaced instead by a large dial. There were three words above it: one to the left, one to the right, and the last one in the middle.

Off, on, and... standby?

The Hero could not make sense of the device. He never really understood technology that well, but it never failed to amaze him. Granberia was like him in that way. They both struggled to use machines like this one. They preferred the simpler things in life, like the way of the sword.

For the last few years, we've been sparring almost every day. She says she wants to get to my level, to the same strength I had when I used my mother's power. Nowadays, she's not far off.

Huh... Now that I think about it, Granberia didn't just spar with me. She was always fighting with Alma Elma constantly.

And she still hasn't won a single time. Seven hundred and eighty-four losses and zero wins...

"So, what's it for?" He asked, trying to shake off the thoughts of Granberia and Alma Elma's 'sparring'. He had watched it once when he spent his first night in the Monster Lord's Castle. It was... quite the sight. From then on, whenever the dragon knight challenged the succubus, Luka's face would turn red as the memories of that day flooded back to him.

"This is the Makina that I asked Promestein to make a few days ago. With it, we should be able to connect to souls themselves." She revealed, pocketing the device. Promestein handed her a clasp, saying that it was ready to be fitted. Tamamo nodded.

If it still needs a clasp, then it must be some sort of watch, right? I guess they did use my old Makina to make it, so it would only make sense that they would still be similar.

Still, I wonder what she plans to actually use it for. All I know is that it has something to do with Mom.

"Hmph. You really should've gone to me for all this soul-related business." Ilias pointed out, standing up. She looked surprisingly hurt. "I am the Goddess of Creation after all. I know everything there is to know about souls."

"I suppose you would be slightly more skilled than I am," Tamamo admitted. "But I was the one who came up with the plan. Besides, I'm far more pleasant to talk to."

Ilias's frown deepened. Before she could continue the growing conflict, Luka stepped in. "So, what now?" He asked.

Suddenly, a newcomer entered the tent. It was a soldier, clad in the metalwork of a monster, with a short spear in his right hand. "Hero Luka, I bring news! The king told me to tell you immediately."

Luka turned to the man. He was panting, with sweat trickling down his forehead. He must've run here. "What is it?" He asked, walking over to him.

The man handed him a letter before running back out. He had many more to deliver. Luka was surprised that a knight was the man for the job but shrugged it off as the king simply running out of workers.

He opened the letter, reading it quickly. The handwriting was strange—an older style than he was used to. Still, he understood the text. His mother had taught him well.

"It's about my mother." He told the others, turning back to them. "It says... She was spotted on the Ilias continent, training angels...? Why does that matter?" He wondered aloud, re-reading the text to make sure he was not mistaken.

"That was my doing," Tamamo said. "I asked the king to send some humans to go there and report back once they saw her. This is perfect..."

"Perfect? How come?" Luka asked, rolling the letter up.

Tamamo had an odd smile, one that looked worryingly similar to that of her counterpart's. "The Makina was finished just in time... Rinoa should stay here to make sure Gelon is safe while we're gone. With her here, we'll have nothing to worry about. Ilias, you should also stay back. You won't be much use anyway."

"What was that!? How dare you talk to me like that!"Ilias would've turned the fox to ashes for that if she still had the power for such an undertaking.

"Wait a second, what are you even talking about, Tamamo? Where are we going?" Luka asked.

"To go visit your mother. It's well past time we dealt with her."

It just doesn't make any sense.

Ilias looked at the gaping pit before her with contempt. For some reason, it suddenly appeared a month or two ago. She did not know why or how. It just did. She did watch the Hero and the other version of herself venture through the tunnel, but not for long. She had other things to do, but she did note it as something she should explore later.

I did see them meet up with that rabbit girl though. White Rabbit, I believe she called herself.

I had never imagined the Spirit of Time was a real thing. I had thought of it before, sure, but I never thought she really existed.

And she seems to be on that Hero's side, for some reason.

And on top of that, she blocked me from listening to them with her magic. That vile creature... I'll be sure to smite her the next time I see her.

"Well, there's nothing to be done now," Ilias muttered to herself as she gracefully descended down the pit. "A Tartarus... What an odd name."

"No matter. I will find all your secrets, Tartarus." Ilias said, talking to the structure as though it were another person.

She walked along the metal floor, keeping an eye out for the creatures she could sense all around her. They were strange. Not exactly monsters, but nowhere near angels or humans either. These were new.

Apoptosis, the rabbit called them. That was before she blocked me off. I wonder, did she sense me?

No, that would be absurd. Such a weak creature could never do something like that. It must've been a coincidence.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

A creature stumbled out before the Goddess of Creation. She had a sick smile on her face, barely standing upright as she laughed at the angel. Then she looked her up and down. Her eyes widened, realising who it was she was looking at.

Do they know who I am, or are they sensing my power?

Either way, it is irrelevant. I will rid the world of this abomination immediately.

And so, with the snap of the goddess's fingers, the creature was no more. She was disintegrated into a pile of ash with a single spell. Ilias smiled, pleased with their weakness.

I doubt they could stand up to a single one of my angels, even in a group. They are even more pathetic than the monsters.

More came out of hiding, running to their doom as they hunted the angel down. Each one died in only a few moments, which annoyed the goddess. She could not hold back her power enough to cause them much pain.

Eventually, the Goddess of Creation stopped. An odd-looking door was in front of her, its surface filled with some sort of inscription. She failed to recognise it. She lightly shrugged, deciding it was best to just be rid of it and continue on. But when she tried to destroy it, the door simply stood still, not even a mark being left on it.

So, Ilias tried a little harder next time. She sent a barrage of holy spells towards the surprisingly tough door. Still, it did not budge. This annoyed the goddess.

Take this, you damn door!

It took a moment to charge up the spell, but the power it had was worth it. Strong enough to kill even an ancestor, she unleashed it directly at the door's weakest point.

Not even a mark could be seen, just as before.

"I wouldn't recommend that, you know! I once watched Tamamo spend four days charging up a spell to break it, yet it still did nothing! Imagine that!"

By instinct, the intruder was vanquished. Ilias moved fast. When she turned to the source of the voice, she was already a pile of ash. A white top hat was sitting atop the remains, something Ilias quickly recognised.

That's... the White Rabbit?

How weak.

A smug smile reached the goddess as she looked at the ashes.

"There's no need for that! I'm just trying to stop you from wasting your time, you know?"

Ilias turned to the newcomer, startled. She managed to stop herself from instantly killing her this time. It was the White Rabbit, in perfect condition. "Or actually, would it better if I let you waste more time down here...? It would help him out a bit."

How the hell? How is she back? I just destroyed her; I'm sure of it.

It's the same body, but... the soul is ever so slightly different. Or wait... is that even a soul? What the hell am I even looking at?

White Rabbit smiled as she looked at the Goddess of Creation. Ilias had been staring at her for a while now. "Heh, I know I'm quite good-looking, but I didn't know you swung that way, Ilias! You know, if you want, we could—"

And in record time, another pile of ashes was created. When Ilias turned to the last one, she noticed it was gone.

How the hell... Haah... nothing makes sense anymore. I give up. I might as well just study this door for a while longer. I know it has secrets behind it; I can sense it. An opening to another world... The world the Hero Luka came from.

I will break this door. I will get through to the other side, no matter what! Even if it takes me all day!

Luka's breath steamed up in the air as he walked across the snowy plains of the Ilias Continent. His boots crunched on the snow below.

He looked behind him. Ilias was wearing his cape as a scarf; he had offered it to her earlier, but it did little to protect against the cold. Tamamo was perfectly fine, her fluffy tails keeping her warm even in such harsh cold. Promestein was cold but didn't seem to react to it at all. She just kept walking, her body occasionally forcing her to shiver. Not one complaint was heard from her, something Luka wished extended to the goddess who made her.

Complaint after complaint. It was all the Hero heard. Her own spells were too weak to repel the harsh cold, leaving her defenceless. Tamamo was unwilling to lend her any help, and Luka wasn't very confident in his own ability. Promestein just didn't care.

As if things were not already bad enough, the winds started to pick up. Promestein commented that it might've been the beginning of a blizzard. Luka hoped not.

Thankfully, the red-haired angel was wrong. It got warmer as the day progressed, and the wind started to die down.

It's only been two or three weeks since we were last here, and the cold has already gotten this bad. I wonder if Hellgondo is the same...

"She should be somewhere around here," Tamamo said, surveying their surroundings. "If I were the Daystar, where would I hide..."

"Lucifina would not hide." Ilias pointed out, proud of the fact. "In fact, she's probably sensed us already. She would start by picking off the weakest one, Promestein in this case, then she'd go for the second weakest, the third... You get the picture. Then... She might leave the last one alive for a bit. Let them flee for a while, or not. It all depended on her mood."

Luka did his absolute best to ignore Ilias's horrifying descriptions of his mother. He looked around but could see little other than snow in the fields. There were a few broken trees and shattered rocks, but nothing else stood out.

This must be the area they use to train.

Lucifina as a teacher... I can't even imagine it. Not this version of her. Her students must be terrified of her.

"I don't see her," Luka said. He drew Angel Halo just in case. Tamamo was sure of her presence here.

Where is she...? And where are her students...?

An arrow flew through the air, aimed directly at the Hero's head. Luka stopped the arrow, slicing it in two.

Another arrow, then another. Before long, Luka was cutting through an entire volley of them. Some rained down from on high, but a spell of fire from Tamamo turned them to cinders.

Ilias looked for the source and found it quickly. From the shadows of the nearby forest, multiple angels were loosing arrows at the group. The small goddess aimed her crossbow towards them, managing to strike one in the wing. She was actually aiming for her chest, but it was good enough.

Being forced to fight my own angels like this...

Doesn't matter. This is self-defence anyway.

Luka spotted the angels. He could count six of them. Surely, Ilias would've sent more than that to kill them.

Is this the group that Lucifina was training...? And if so, then where is she?

Tamamo set up a one-way barrier around the group, breaking the arrows apart whenever they approached. From here, Ilias could fire her own arrows outward while they were helpless.

But it did not last long. The barrier shattered into pieces far too easily for any mere arrow to have done it. Tamamo looked up.

A crazed smile met her eyes. She knew who it was. In moments, she transformed into her more powerful form, allowing her to fight the Daystar head-on. She was careful not to strike her whenever she used her signature move, something she had picked up over the years.

But Lucifina didn't need it anyway. She cut through the Kitsune's many tails and spells, struggling at times to break through her tough skin. Tamamo No Mae used every trick she knew to keep the Daystar at bay.

An arrow found its way into the back of Lucifina's shoulder. It was an angel's arrow, but not from Ilias. Lucifina would have to kill the angel who had accidentally hit her later, but the monster in front of her was the more pressing matter.

Promestein set up another barrier, this time made of light rather than dark. It stopped the arrows just as well, but now they were trapped inside with the Daystar. The red-haired girl could do little to help Tamamo No Mae.

The Hero jumped in front of Lucifina, parrying an attack from her. The Daystar seemed to not even notice him, just using the same attacks over and over. It was a vicious display of skill, her sword managing to instil small cracks in Angel Halo as they clashed.

Eventually, she got the better of him. Her sword sliced along the back of his hand, drawing blood. The Hero cursed as he felt the pain but quickly regained his composure.

Tamamo No Mae's nine tails wrapped around the angel, pulling her away from her son. Luka took the opportunity to try knocking the sword out of her hand instead of going for her now-vulnerable body. The Daystar thrashed in Tamamo's grip, but her tails were surprisingly strong.

Ilias didn't have to do anything. Luka hit his mother on the wrist, loosening her grip on her sword. He grabbed its hilt and pulled it away from her. Tamamo No Mae failed to keep the Daystar down, but Luka made sure to at least keep the sword away.

Lucifina, now swordless, looked around her. Her angels had all been picked off by the small angel who accompanied the Hero, though she did note that they were all still alive for some reason. The red-haired girl was standing next to the Hero Luka, now holding her sword.

Fly to her, take the sword, kill her, then kill the other angel, then the boy, then the fox.

When Lucifina started to dash towards Promestein, Ilias shot an arrow into her wing. She lost control, flying headfirst into the barrier. The scientist ran to the other side, standing behind Ilias and Tamamo for protection.

Luka walked in front of the Daystar. She still had plenty of fight left in her, but less than before. Little by little, they were tiring her out.

And now that she has no sword, there should be much less danger. The barrier will keep her from flying away, and with both me and Tamamo here, this battle should be over quickly.

...And then what?

Even if this world's version of her is like this, she's still my mother...

...

Lucifina laughed as she looked around her. Three children and one ancestor. Was that all it took to take the great Daystar down?

As if. If I can't catch that red-haired girl and get my sword back, then I'll just have to take the boy's weapon instead.

The Daystar inched forward, her smile widening as she imagined the fight to come. Even if three of them were children, they were surprisingly brave. Nobody this weak had ever dared to oppose her.

Another arrow, this time deflected by a wave of light. A swipe from Angel Halo was stopped by Lucifina's bare hands. It cut into her skin, mangling her flesh. She did not care. Luka summoned one of the four spirits, his sword bursting with fire. Lucifina did care then, backing away from the Hero.

Tamamo launched a barrage of fire spells at the angel, while Luka unleashed a flurry of attacks. Lucifina used her signature move, but without her sword to guide the comet, it did little damage. Tamamo No Mae sought to end the battle quickly, using her dark magic to bind the angel in place.

Luka used his own holy magic to help bind her, then closed the distance between them and summoned Gnomaren to help keep her down. Tamamo No Mae got close enough to assist him.

"Now, Promestein!" Tamamo shouted, looking towards the angel. The red-haired scientist nodded, taking a Makina out of her pocket and throwing it at the kitsune. Tamamo caught it and placed it on the angel's wrist.

It quickly got to work, the device beeping loudly as it attached itself to Lucifina. The Daystar managed to thrash out of her bindings, pushing the Hero down and kicking the kitsune away. She stood over the purple-haired boy, who had just lost his grip on Angel Halo.

Tamamo's tails grabbed the angel and pulled her back, keeping her still. She started the process she had been preparing for all this time.

Here goes...

Angels are a unique species in that their soul has fundamentally different properties when compared to a human or monster. Seraphs are even more so. When one dies, their soul might not really be gone.

Or at least, that's what happened with Lucifina. That's what Luka said...

"I saw her... When I lost to Ilias, when she was in her true form, my mother saved me. Somehow, she gave me an evaluation meeting. I don't know how, but... It's the truth."

...If her soul is still alive and she still has enough power left to do an entire evaluation meeting... Then maybe this plan might just work... maybe.

Tamamo concentrated all of her power on finding Lucifina's soul. As a master of soul magic, such a thing was trivial to her—or it would've been if it weren't for the fact that she was a world away from where said soul should be.

But it was far easier than she expected. She found it only moments, and it was nearby, almost as if it were right beside her.

Impossible... I'm not getting mixed up with the souls or anything, am I...?

Has... Has Lucifina been watching over Luka this entire time, even after the events with Ilias?

That's... That's perfect!

Immediately, she used her magic to bring the soul into the physical realm. It took a great deal of effort from her to do so. Eventually, she appeared—a glowing silhouette of a person. Instead of the angelic appearance Tamamo expected, Lucifina looked more like a human villager. No wings, no Halo. No extraordinarily revealing seraph outfit.

This is her soul; the form it took after coming to reality is the same one she died as. She died as a human, so it would only make sense that she'd still look like one.

Lucifina's body was glowing with light. She was see-through, but the others could still somehow make out her appearance clearly.

"What... where..." Were the angel's first words. Tamamo found it hard to look straight at her; she was shining too brightly for that. "I am... in the real world...?"

"M-mom!?" Luka looked at the angel, studying her appearance. There was no doubt in his mind. That was Lucifina, his mother.

The Daystar looked at the newcomer, confused. It didn't take long for her to recognise herself. It was like looking in a mirror.

"Lucifina, I was the one who summoned you here," Tamamo announced, somewhat weary of the soul. "I have a plan, and you're the crux of it. I need you to do as I say."

But the soul did not listen. Instead, she looked over at her son, the Hero Luka. He looked just like when she left him, if not a good bit taller.

When I watched him from afar, I could never see him as clearly as I do now...

It's... It's really him. After all this time...

At that moment, Lucifina wanted to do nothing more than run to him. She wanted to embrace her son and tell him everything would be okay. But she couldn't, not now. She knew what Tamamo's plan was.

I have no choice. This is the only way to get rid of her for good while also not having Luka kill her. He couldn't take it; I know it.

I'm sorry, Luka; I wish there was another way. But perhaps, in a few decades... I'll be back to normal.

...I hope.

"Promestein! Do it now!" Tamamo called out. The angel nodded, clicking a button on a controller. The Makina beeped loudly as it activated.

Lucifina looked at the machine, not understanding what was going on. Moments before she could crush it, the Makina began to physically pull Lucifina's soul towards it. It was assisted by Tamamo No Mae, and within moments, the souls of Luka's mother and the Daystar became one.

An explosion of light shook the ground, destroying the barrier and flinging all those around Lucifina away. Luka tumbled along the snow.

Urgh... What the hell just happened?

He stood up, reaching for Angel Halo. He walked over to the explosion's source. An angel was lying on the ground, with a halo and wings. It was the Daystar, her body largely untouched. The explosion destroyed some of her clothing, most notably that around her chest, which caused the Hero to immediately avert his gaze.

Eventually, Tamamo approached the angel, fixing the ribbon in moments. When Lucifina was decent, she stood her up. The others had arrived in this time.

"Did it work?" Promestein asked, fixing her glasses as she studied the seraph's body. She wrote some things down on her clipboard.

"It did," Ilias announced. "I can sense it. That is not the same soul as before."

"What do you mean?" Luka asked, looking at the angel. "And earlier... that glowing... thing. That was a soul? Really?"

"It is the truth." Tamamo sighed. "I brought her soul to this realm, the same soul that raised you. In other words, I brought your mother back from the dead."

Luka looked shocked. Before he could say anything, Tamamo continued. "Then I combined her soul with this version of her. Your ring helped me do it. It was the last thing binding you and Lucifina together, thanks to part of it being made of your old one. It allowed her to keep watch over you all this time."

"That's..."

"Combining souls is a difficult task, or it would be if they weren't the same person. It was only possible because they are both technically Lucifina, even if they are very different. With such stark contrasts between them, the combination would be a mixture of both. What happens when you cross black and white?" She asked rhetorically. She pointed towards the angel below her.

"You get grey. She will not be the same as before, but she won't be good either. The mother you knew is gone now, for good. But the blood-thirsty seraph Lucifina is also gone. This new version of the Daystar is neither bad nor good, or at least that's how it should be. I've never actually done this before, so I'm not entirely sure."

My mother...

She was watching over me this entire time?

...For some reason, when I lost to Ilias, Lucifina appeared and saved me. That was the only evaluation meeting I remember vividly. The others are all a blur.

I saw her again after defeating Ilias, and my father too, if only for a moment...

She was alive, if only as a soul... and now she's gone forever?

Luka didn't know how to feel. It was all far too complicated for him to bear. He chose to leave it for later. They were still in hostile territory, and they had to get out of there as soon as possible.

...Though, I am glad I didn't have to kill her.

The Hero picked Lucifina up, holding her in his arms. The group started to walk back from where they came. The seraph was surprisingly light.

Should I blame Tamamo for this?

She really should've consulted me beforehand. She should've told me what she was planning to do.

Luka looked back at the kitsune. She was staring up at the clouds, her mind elsewhere. He was angry with her, but again, he would have to deal with it later.

Still, she did me a favour. I don't know if I could even kill Lucifina if it came down to it.

The Hero thought back to his earlier encounter with the soul. She looked like she wanted to say something to him, but the Makina stopped her.

The group was mostly silent; only Promestein was left mumbling to herself about souls. Luka turned around, looking at Tamamo. "Tamamo... If my mother wanted to, could she have chosen not to merge?"

"She could have." The golden-haired kitsune said. She was now back in her smaller form. "In that moment, she chose to make that sacrifice. By joining her soul with the Daystar's, she knew she would spare you from the fate we were forcing on you. She must've been watching over all of us for her to know, though..."

"I see," Luka muttered. He couldn't help himself; he had to ask her. "Tamamo... why didn't you tell me? This is something I should've known about beforehand."

Tamamo sighed. She was ashamed, but it was something she had to do. "I know." She replied, her expression sullen. "But I was worried that you might have objected to it. It was selfish of me, I know. But I didn't see any other way for us to deal with the Daystar while also sparing you from killing her yourself."

After a few moments, the Hero nodded. He accepted it, but he was still somewhat annoyed.

Well... the real victim here is Lucifina. I don't know what she'll be like once she wakes up but... Some part of me still hopes she comes back.

Luka's eyes drifted to the angel.

It's been so many years, mother. If half of your soul really is the same person who raised me, then maybe I can...

The Hero's thoughts were interrupted by whispers. It did not come from someone around him, but rather from inside.

"—just going to let her go?" Somebody whispered. Luka recognised the voice as belonging to Salamander.

"All this soul nonsense is confusing enough as is," Undine said. "I'm still not sure if Lucifina counts as dead or not. Her soul is different now, not the same as before... but her body is still alive."

"...Sounds like somebody else," Sylph muttered. Luka assumed she was talking about Gnomaren.

"So, she is dead, but she's also not?" Salamander asked, confused.

"I don't know. Go ask that damn fox if you're so curious." The Spirit of Water said. Luka heard her sigh. "Anyway, we should just be happy that nobody got hurt."

"So what, we just let her away with it? She killed Gnome!" Salamander shouted.

Sylph stayed silent. Undine was not so reserved. "And who is to blame for that? It's not Luka, so why punish him by making him kill his mother? Do you realise what you're asking for right now? We should be happy that there was a solution in which no one had to do that."

Salamander's fury grew. "I don't care! The Daystar is still alive, and Gnome is dead! I don't care if that's not really her soul anymore or if it's cruel to make Luka do that. I'll do it myself if I have to!"

"Salamander..." Sylph looked up at the spirit. "I think... I think Undine might be right. Luka didn't even know about this whole plan, so it's not like he chose it. I want revenge for Gnomey too, but... I don't want to kill his mother."

"I..." Salamander had nothing to say. She stood there, trying to refute her point. But the words would not come. "I..." She repeated.

Luka stopped listening in. He still didn't know what to make of everything.

"Luka, are you alright?" Ilias asked, walking next to the Hero.

"Yeah, I'm... fine."

"You don't look fine." She said. "Is it about Lucifina?"

"..."

"I get it. That whole soul-merging thing was... odd. I don't know what to make of it, but... I think it will be okay." She said, oddly optimistic. "I'm happy. For a moment, I got to see Lucifina again. The real Lucifina."

Luka looked down at the small angel. After a few moments, a smile reached him.

"Besides, she only killed Gnome on Ilias's orders." The angel pointed out. "If the spirits still want revenge, this world's version of me is still out there."

Afterwards, the group trekked back out of the Ilias Continent and took a ship to Sentora. Thankfully, no angels spotted them on the way back.