Mersé held her half-empty bottle up to the dim light. She watched the contents swirl around.

Some people can have fun drinking alone… Apparently, I'm just not one of them.

With the ongoing downpour, Mersé couldn't lead her soldiers in their usual training—doing so outside would be dangerous for normal humans, and there wasn't enough space inside the barracks for more than a quarter to train at once.

Hmm… if I started being drunk all the time, would that get those bastards off my back…?

Yesterday, Mersé had received four separate visits from nobles and priests trying to bring her into their factions. Due to recent events, all of the upper class was jockeying to increase—or at least maintain—their power. Having a well-known hero as an ally, even if she didn't have a drop of blue blood, would be useful for that.

But so far, none of them's given a decent answer for how to deal with the monsters. Hell, a couple of them regurgitated the same plan that the Noscrim Faction put before the Senate a few days back, with some small changes. But even that wouldn't be enough for a serious monster army, let alone one led by a…

Mersé put some strength into her hand, sorely tempted to throw the bottle against a nearby wall. She stopped herself at the last moment.

No sense in wasting decent booze, after all.

Monsters…

In recent months, Mersé had mainly been training new recruits. However, prior to that she had years of experience in real combat, including expeditions to push Lescatie's borders slightly northward. Thanks to that experience, she was aware of the capabilities of monsters… and also of how monsters lived.

"You're pretty good!" Merse had said, brandishing her halberd against a lizardman chief. "This is one fight I'll never forget!"

"I can't say I feel the same!" the lizardman replied, swinging her sword in a lightning-fast arc. "But I won't let anyone hurt my daughters, even if they're a hero!"

Mersé clenched her empty hand into a fist tightly enough to draw blood.

Why… am I thinking about that now?

The answer to that was obvious. Back then, Mersé had been shaken by the lizardman's words, shaken to the point of letting her two young daughters flee. That had been a betrayal of a hero's duty…

...just like Primera had allowed those werewolves to flee, just two days ago.

"Ah…" Mersé said aloud. "Maybe we don't have any right to criticise those guys… not when we're failing to live up to the title of 'hero'…"

With slightly trembling hands, Mersé pulled over an empty cup and began pouring out another serving of whisky. When she was halfway through, she shook her head and poured the cup's contents back into the bottle—an affront to drinkers everywhere, but still better than just throwing it away.

Argh, I'm not used to being alone like this with nothing to do. And if I stay here, more idiots might come along to try and talk me into their factions. That would make my day even worse.

Mersé thought for a moment then came to a decision. She would go to the church where Elt lived. That would solve her isolation and also let her confirm his safety, as well as the safety of those around him.

Druella… she hasn't tried anything again, has she?

Mersé had fought many monsters, but none of them could have held a candle to a lilim. In fact, there were no confirmed reports of any lilim ever being defeated.

On the one hand, no lilim had attacked a country as powerful as Lescatie, with its dozens of heroes. On the other hand, Druella had already demonstrated she could sneak right into the capital city without being noticed. Furthermore, the current Lescatie was in no state to fight.

In any case, Mersé had to know more. She put on a hooded travelling cloak and left the barracks.

She also brought her halberd with her. Even within the walls of Lescatie, one could never be too careful… something more true now than ever before.

ooo-

It didn't take long for Mersé to reach the church and learn what had happened lately. Actually processing that information was another matter entirely.

"...So, let me get this straight," Mersé said, rubbing her temples. "One of Lescatie's heroes has been turned into a monster by… a tug-of-war between two gods? And even before that, she's been helping monsters in ways that are hard to believe?"

"Y-Yes…" Sasha admitted.

"I know it's heretical, but Sasha had a reason for it," Elt said.

"I'm not finished," Mersé said. "On top of that, Lescatie's top priest sent an assassin to kill you, failed, but turned into another monster in the process? And somehow, this has made the slums all decide to side with the monsters?"

"W-Well, we couldn't forgive the bastards who'd tried killing Miss Sasha," said a middle-aged man in patchwork clothing.

"And we won't back down!" said a young woman in clothing of similar quality. She was hiding behind Elt. "N-No matter what you say!"

"I'm not… I'm just…" Mersé said. "Ugh, anyway, this is a big deal. I know that monsters aren't what the Order treats them as, but…"

Mersé happened to look in the direction of Mimil Miltie, who was sitting nearby on one of the church's pews. By some unfortunate coincidence, the girl had also come to this church.

"...Lescatie couldn't win even if everyone was united," Mimil said coolly. "If we can have a future with monsters in charge, then it's better than fighting pointlessly."

"Maybe," Mersé allowed. She hesitated for a few seconds, trying to put her thoughts in order. "I can… see your point, all of you. Still, just how are you planning to… coordinate with the monsters? The ones outside, I mean."

Elt was the one to respond. He stood up from his chair.

"For that, captain, I was planning to…"

Suddenly, a green-haired half-elf dropped down from a hole in the ceiling.

"Someone else is coming now!" Primera reported. She looked towards Elt. "It's… It's her!"

"Wait, who is coming?" Elt asked.

"The one you were childhood friends with!" Primera said, visibly flustered. "Wilmarina Noscrim!"

That made almost everyone in the room nervous. Wilmarina was said to be the strongest hero in Lescatie, and while some might think that exaggeration, Mersé knew from personal experience that it most certainly wasn't. Furthermore, she commanded the strongest knight order in all of Lescatie and—thanks to recent events—was head of the most influential family. The sheer potential threat of her arrival was something that everyone could understand…

...everyone, that is, except Elt. He just started walking towards the exit of the church.

"I was planning to contact her eventually…" Elt muttered. "This makes things a bit easier…"

Mersé grabbed Elt by one arm, making sure to limit her strength. "Wait, Elt, are you serious about this!? I know you met her before, but that was before…" she gestured wildly in Sasha's direction, "THAT!"

Mimil grabbed Elt by the other arm. She shot an irritated look at Mersé, then said, "I know you're a reckless idiot, Big Brother, but this is too much! At least think about what you're going to say first!"

"Thanks for worrying about me," Elt said, his eyes resolute. "But this is something I have to do. So please let me talk to her."

There was a knock on the door.

With great reluctance, Mersé let go of Elt's arm. Mimil did the same on her side.

Elt reached the door and opened it. The sight on the other side caused Mersé to quietly gasp, and she wasn't the only one.

What the hell has she been going through?

A short time ago, Primera had scolded Mersé for letting Elt train too hard, leaving him exhausted each evening. And even now, without any training for the past couple of days, Elt still looked stressed due to issues at home.

Wilmarina Noscrim made Elt look like a boundless fountain of energy. Even with a hero's constitution, it was a wonder that she'd made it all the way here through the downpour. But rather than physical exhaustion, it appeared to be of a mental sort.

"Elt…" Wilmarina said. Her voice had none of the confidence that Mersé remembered, only a fleeting sense of relief.

"Mary, I'm so glad to see you," Elt said. "Please come inside."

Wilmarina smiled a little and stepped across the threshold.

Mersé watched it all with a stunned expression, as did everyone else in the room.

By the Chief God…

Wilmarina looked around and her eyes widened in surprise. It was impossible to blame her. Mersé had much the same reaction when she saw multiple heroes and several dozen slum-dwellers all gathered together in this small church.

Then she looked at Sasha, taking in the pink wings and tail, and her body tensed.

"Lots of things have been happening here…" Elt said, rubbing the back of his head. "To start with…"

Elt explained how Sasha had turned into a monster despite being in the heart of Lescatie. It was a hard story to believe, even for Mersé who was hearing it for the second time.

When the explanation was finished, Wilmarina warily looked between Elt and Sasha.

"Still… are you sure about this?" Wilmarina said to Elt. "Are you sure you're truly… safe here?"

Sasha's head drooped. Primera stepped forward angrily, saying, "How dare you say that!? Sasha is still Sasha!"

"Mary," Elt said firmly. "I'm sure. I'm more safe here than basically anywhere else. For one thing, Sasha just helped fight to protect me."

"I-I'm sorry," Wilmarina said, seeming to physically shrink on the spot. "And… wait, protect you? From what?"

As Elt explained more recent events, Mersé and the others continued watching in disbelief.

By the Chief God, he's got her in the palm of his hand. I feel stupid for ever worrying she was a threat.

And this makes it even easier to see why Druella sought him out. Hell, even if he only knew Wilmarina Noscrim and none of the other heroes in this room, he'd still be a top-priority target…

Meanwhile, Mersé noticed Mimil walk off. The magician returned a few moments later, dragging a certain prisoner behind her.

"Just in case you don't believe Big Brother, here's the proof," Mimil declared, pulling the bag off the prisoner's head.

"Kirsch!" Wilmarina exclaimed. "You… no, it can't be true!"

Kirsch—hero, assassin and now monster—kept her eyes firmly on the ground.

"It's true, Mary…" Elt said sadly. "She came here and tried to kill me. If it wasn't for Sasha and the others, I wouldn't be standing here."

Wilmarina shook her head. "Why… WHY, KIRSCH!? WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS!?"

"Because…" Kirsch said, still refusing to meet Wilmarina's gaze. "Because, Lady Wilmarina, he was leading you astray! The Sun Priest said—"

"MY FATHER IS NO AUTHORITY ON ANYTHING! IT'S THANKS TO HIM THAT LESCATIE IS IN THIS DOWNWARD SPIRAL!"

Wilmarina rushed forward in a blur. Mersé quickly moved to stop her, as did all of the other non-restrained heroes in the room. But even with four heroes working together, they could barely keep her still!

"Dammit—she's seriously going to kill her!" Mersé shouted.

"Just calm down already!" Primera added.

"I understand how you feel, but you mustn't!" Sasha pleaded. "She must stay alive to testify about her actions!"

"Stop… moving!" Mimil shouted. Unlike the others, she was using magic to bind Wilmarina, instead of her physical strength.

"Mary, please stop!" Elt pleaded.

The others in the room were running for the exits. Mersé was sorely tempted to order Elt to leave too, since he shouldn't be anywhere near an enraged hero.

Finally, after over ten seconds of struggling, Wilmarina stopped and the other heroes released her. She still looked at Kirsch with unmistakably murderous intent.

Huh, maybe Lescatie's situation isn't that hopeless after all, Mersé thought. If we point her in Druella's direction, she might actually beat the lilim to protect Elt.

"Th-Thank you, Mary," Elt said. "So, um, the important thing is that she didn't succeed. We're all perfectly fine."

"As if, Big Brother! If it wasn't for my protection, you'd now be—"

Mimil quickly slapped both hands over her mouth. Wilmarina was starting to overflow with rage again.

"Right now, the most important issue is to decide our next move," Sasha said. "However… that's something that should not come from my lips."

Elt stood in front of Wilmarina again, causing her to calm down slightly… emphasis on "slightly".

"So, Mary, we've all been thinking about this," Elt said. "Lescatie right now… isn't really serving its people."

"Don't listen to him!" Kirsch yelled, right before Mimil forced the bag back on her head.

Wilmarina looked around at the shabby church, at the poor clothing and thin figures of most of its current visitors. She nodded miserably.

"I… I was so focused on the high society, I didn't think about what was happening out here…"

"Come to think of it, what's been happening in high society?" Elt asked. "It's hard to get information that's right out in the slums, we actually heard the king had died until Kirsch told us he was alive. Is there anything else?"

"That's just the start of it…" Wilmarina said. She took a deep breath. "I'm not sure who attempted to assassinate the king, but almost everyone is taking advantage of the chaos to further their own causes. And… Alameria, one of my subordinates, has been arrested for…" she glanced at Kirsch and then Sasha, "the ridiculous charge of… being a monster…"

That news caused quite a stir within the church.

"Things must be moving fast, if I haven't heard of it until now…" Mersé said. "If they're now arresting heroes in internal power struggles, they must not care that much about defending Lescatie against monsters."

"That's another reason why we should change sides!" shouted the old man from earlier.

Wilmarina looked at the old man, causing him to flinch in fear. Even after seeing her behaviour around Elt, it would be hard for a normal human to remain steadfast a hero.

"Change… sides…?"

"That's what we've been discussing up until now, since Lescatie's not serving its people," Elt interjected. "Mary, do you remember everything I said five… no, six days ago?"

"I do," Wilmarina replied uncertainly. "But, Elt… there's always the chance that the lilim was showing you lies…"

That was something Mersé could definitely agree with. Even with all her doubts about Lescatie, about monsters, about everything really, she was still uncertain what to do.

If she hadn't come when she did, I'd be making this argument.

"I know that we can't trust her that easily," Elt said. "That's why, as I was about to say to Captain Mersé—" he glanced at the person in question, "—we should get in contact with Druella again. To get a better idea of what she's planning."

That caused Mersé's heart to race with trepidation. Even if this wasn't Elt's first time meeting the lilim, it would be for almost everyone else in the room.

However, Elt looked resolute. So did Primera, Sasha, Mimil, even the countless slum-dwellers who would be helpless even against a normal monster, let alone a lilim. There was certainly some hesitation, but they were prepared to do this.

"Well… I guess there's no other choice, then," Mersé said.

Wilmarina looked far less certain, but she eventually agreed.

So Elt went into another room and came out with something wrapped in a rag. He opened up the rag to deposit a large white pearl on one of the pews.

...Looks like this is the moment of truth…

Elt placed a finger on the pearl. Mersé felt the temptation to stop him but stayed her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone else reach out briefly.

"Druella… we'd like to talk to you again."

For a few nail-biting seconds, there was no response. Then the illusion of a succubus appeared above the pearl. She was similar to the few succubi Mersé had seen before, with a nonsensically skimpy outfit that made you wonder how it stayed on. But no mere succubus had hair as white as the full moon, nor wings and tail of the same colour.

Mersé remembered the presence of two other monsters in the room. One looked wary of Druella, the other… was unaware of the lilim's presence. Still, Mersé couldn't help but wonder if Druella had some role in their transformations.

On that topic, Druella looked around at the many people in the room, who in turn looked back at her with various expressions: suspicion was a common one, though barely concealed desire was also common.

"...Well, it's clear that a lot has happened," Druella said, her voice… not as devilishly seductive as Mersé had expected. "I think this is something that merits a personal meeting. Hopefully that won't make things too crowded over there…"

"Wait, a lilim's coming here!?" one of the women from the slums said. "But we're not ready for—"

The actual Druella teleported into the room with a flash of red light, causing everyone else to flinch away from her. Mersé grasped the shaft of her halberd on reflex, while Wilmarina drew a certain magic sword out of thin air and held it up in a combat stance.

So Elt and the others were telling the truth, she can teleport, even into the capital of Lescatie… And I never heard even a rumour about the last time she did it. That means no one else, not even those elite mages in their fancy institutions, noticed it happening.

...Well. That's just fucking terrifying.

"So, what has happened to make all of you gather here?" Druella asked. She looked in Kirsch's direction and raised an eyebrow. "And… just where in the world did she pick up a cursed sword?"

"You know full well how that happened, lilim!" Wilmarina retorted.

Easy, there, Mersé thought. I get that you want to fight, I really do, but fighting here's just going to get every non-hero killed and turn this church to ash.

...And how is it I'm the sensible one, with half a bottle of whisky in my blood?

"My information isn't that up-to-date," Druella said, unfazed by the legendary sword pointed at her. "So, if anyone would like to fill me in…"

Sasha stepped forward. "After interrogating Kirsch, we learned that the sword was given to her by Sun Priest Warran Noscrim." She glanced nervously at Wilmarina. "Furthermore… the Sun Priest sent her to assassinate Elt… apparently in the belief that Elt was leading his daughter astray."

Druella's jaw dropped. If she was pretending not to know about this, she was doing a fairly decent job of it.

"We fought her off, she attempted to draw on the hidden power of her sword… and this is the result," Sasha gestured at Kirsch's figure, surrounded and infused with black and red metal. "That is also how my new status was revealed to the rest of the slums."

Druella shook her head slowly. "Well… apparently, Lescatie has more problems than I first thought…"

"What do you know, exactly?" Mersé asked cautiously.

"Not as much as all of you put together, but a decent amount," Druella replied. "Including some facts you might not be aware of. For example, did you know that Alain Goldedge used to keep a woman from the slums for his own pleasure?"

That was met with gasps from various people. However, there was barely any surprise on the faces of the slum-dwellers.

"That's… no, it can't possibly be true…" Wilmarina said weakly.

"Beggin' your pardon, Lady Wilmarina, but it's possible, at least," the middle-aged man said. "Sometimes, people from the rich district come here to snap up young ones. Judging from her—" he pointed at Kirsch, "—some of 'em get turned into killers, while the others used for… other things."

"If that's too hard to believe, then I can share some more facts," Druella said. She began pointing at the people of the slums, one by one. "For example, I know that about seventeen days ago, you were begging on one street, you were cooking up roasted rats, you were patching up a draft in your house, and you and your sister pickpocketed a passing stranger."

These words were met with shock and alarm. One ragged boy, who couldn't be any older than ten, started backing away fearfully. Seeing these reactions, Mersé tightened her grip on her halberd.

"Don't worry, I wasn't thinking of punishing you for that," Druella said with unexpected gentleness. "Did you two manage to buy something good with that money?"

Sasha moved in front of the boy. "There were some rumours back then, since outsiders rarely visit the slums…" she said. "And since several people had suddenly improved in their health. You have made your point, Druella. There is no need to keep going."

Druella dipped her head in acknowledgement and said, "My point is that I do know what Lescatie is like. And that's why… come to think of it, have you explained what my side is planning to the others?"

"Most of it," Elt replied. "It's… you have to understand, it's not exactly easy for us to trust monsters. And what you suggest… it's something we'd have trouble trusting even if it was coming from other humans…"

Mersé had to admire Elt's newfound confidence. He'd never been the type to speak to, and while surrounded by, someone of higher status.

He must be sick of doing nothing while others protect him, so he's trying to be of use in a different direction. Anyway, I should help him out…

"If there's one thing we can all agree on, it's to watch out for offers that sound too good to be true," Mersé said. "What guarantees do we have that you'll help us in any way?"

All eyes fell on Druella again as she appeared to consider her answer.

"There's several things I could try… but only one that would make everything clear," Druella said. "Simply put, there are two options for you all. Either work with us monsters—which wouldn't just mean being conquered by us, we do hope to build a more cooperative relationship. Or you can fight against us."

"Or, if you were truly as reasonable as you claim, you could retreat," Wilmarina retorted. "You could leave Lescatie be."

"Only if Lescatie never raids monster territory again," Druella said in return. "Since that would be impossible if you kept going like this, we have to take action. And right now..."

Druella took out a green gemstone from her own shadow. The display of magic unnerved most in the room, who would've seen little to no magic before, and still set the others on edge. In Mersé's case, she recalled old stories of how monsters stole human souls to fuel their dark magics. She knew that wasn't the case—even monsters who'd never seen a human before could use magic—but the memories still intruded on her mind.

"What are you planning?" Wilmarina asked, looking ready to charge forward at any moment.

"You want to fight me, and I actually think that might be a good idea," Druella said. "Of course, there's nowhere near here where we could do that and not attract attention…"

The green gemstone glowed brightly. The interior of the church was replaced by a wide open plain with no landmarks in sight… save for a nearby crater that was big enough to fit a castle inside. Above their heads was an empty night sky filled with stars, but Mersé couldn't recognise a single constellation there.

"What… What is this place?" Mersé asked uncertainly. "Did you just teleport all of us to—"

"No, no, even I can't do that with so many people," Druella replied. "This is what you might call a pocket of space isolated from the normal world. It's useful for many things, one of them being to practice fighting without any collateral damage."

This was another ridiculous feat that Mersé had thought impossible until now. The sheer military applications of such a thing were endless. Even if this was the only one of its kind the monsters had—and Mersé had no evidence for that—it was unfathomable that the monsters had yet to triumph over humans.

"Wait—the children!" Sasha cried out. "I told them to stay in their rooms, but—"

"I won't force any of you to stay here," Druella said quickly. "If any of you wants to leave, you only have to ask."

"Then I must ask you to return me to the church," Sasha said. "I have no wish to participate in what you intend here."

Druella nodded and made the gemstone glow again. Sasha disappeared from the plain.

I can't feel any signs of her now… Mersé thought. Just like I can't feel any signs of those kids in the church, or anything else in Lescatie… And at the same time, I can't feel anything off, anything to show this is an illusion…

Suddenly, Druella flicked upwards with a finger, causing the bag on Kirsch's head to fly off. Mersé noticed Wilmarina grip her sword more tightly, but she wasn't sure who the younger hero wanted to use it on.

"Lady Wilmarina, you must list—" Kirsch began, then her eyes boggled at the abrupt change in her surroundings. "A-A-A lilim!? And where is this place!?"

"Hello, I'm Druella, and I'm leading the monsters currently camped in the outskirts of Lescatie," Druella said in an oddly cheery tone. "Now, I can't claim to know much about you, but would I be right in thinking you want to keep monsters out of Lescatie? If so, you'll want to observe what happens next."

Kirsch whirled her head around, appearing so confused that it almost made Mersé feel sorry for her… until she spoke again.

"You!" Kirsch glared at Elt. "You would even bring a lilim into Lescatie—mmph!?"

A midnight-coloured gag had appeared over the assassin's mouth.

"That said, I think all of us would appreciate if you were silent for now," Druella said. She then turned towards the others. "So, now it's time to get to business. If any of you wish to challenge me, we can fight within that crater over there, and the rest can watch from the edge." On seeing the alarm on Elt's face, she added, "Also, I swear on the names of my parents, Demon Lord Lilith and Royal Consort Adam, that I will not kill, convert into a monster, or permanently injure any of you."

"...An oath to those two hasn't got much value, from our perspectives," Mimil said bluntly.

"Still, it's the greatest oath I can swear," Druella said. She then reached a hand into her shadow and pulled out a rapier, an elegant weapon with a white hilt, red gemstones as decorations, and a jet black blade. "So, who wishes to challenge me?"

Wilmarina walked forwards. She hesitated when Elt placed a hand on her shoulder, but she brushed that hand aside.

"I'm sorry, Elt… but this is something I must do," she said quietly. In a louder voice, she announced. "Lilim Druella, on behalf of Lescatie, I challenge you to single combat."

"Wait right there," Mersé cut in. She walked forward while drawing her halberd. "I'm not about to let you hog all the fun." To Druella, she added, "Any problem with that?"

Druella shook her head. "Any number of you can challenge me, singly or together. It's up to you."

Mersé took up position next to Wilmarina. The two of them might be different in many ways, but here and now, they were united in their goal.

It was true that Lescatie was rotten to the core. It was true that monsters weren't the soulless abominations spoken of in the Order's teachings. It was true that a lilim might be impossible for two heroes to defeat.

But Mersé had worked herself to the bone, both before and after being chosen as a hero, to earn her strength. She hadn't come this far to just submit to a stuck-up princess whose power came from who her mother was.

You might be trying to prove that we can never beat you in a fight. Maybe we can't… but we can sure as hell make you work for it.

"Count me in as well," Mimil said.

"...I'll fight too," Primera said.

Those two were a mild surprise to Mersé, since they'd already fought powerful monsters—Druella herself, in one case—and lost. But those had been one-on-one fights. The outcome might…. might just be different with four heroes against one monster.

"...Please stay safe, all of you…" Elt said.

That heartfelt request was met with various reactions from the four heroes. In Mersé's case, she just grinned and replied, "Relax… we're heroes, this is what we're meant to do!"

Yet as Mersé turned away from him, she couldn't help but swallow nervously.

AN: While writing this chapter, I kept wondering if it made sense for these characters to fight. I eventually concluded that it makes sense. Even the ones who decided to rebel in the previous chapter would still have doubts, since a lifetime of being taught monsters are evil isn't easy to overcome. Thus, when given the opportunity to confirm things in a duel, they'll go for it.