Luka pulled the hood over his head as he walked into the shop. He felt everyone's gaze focus on him once he entered. After a while, they turned away. To them, he was just another human. The Hero bought a coffee and sat down at an empty table. The shop was mostly filled with monsters, but he could see some humans here and there. He could also see some of them with collars proudly displayed and red marks from physical abuse. The sight disgusted him.

I've heard tales of what monsters did to humans in the past… And now I've seen it in person. When I set out on my adventure, they had become a lot kinder, and that's saying something…

Trying his best to suppress his heroic instinct to jump out and free the slaves, he instead focused on drinking the coffee. It was mildly warm and had a pleasant flavour, but was a bit strong for Luka's tastes. He never really liked coffee in the first place, preferring water or flavoured juice instead, even if it did make him look like a child when he drank it.

Suddenly, a figure hidden by a white cloak sat across from him. Her gloved hands took his cup and finished the drink in seconds. Unsatisfied, she ordered another round from a nearby waitress. Before Luka could say anything, she spoke.

"Been a while since we last talked, hasn't it?" She said. "Not since that little Tartarus visit, actually."

"Huh…? That voice… White Rabbit?"

The girl flashed a wide smile. "That's right!" She said loudly. The people around them didn't seem to care. "I saw what you did with Ilias, and what happened to your mother…"

White Rabbit's violet eyes met Luka's. "Listen… You remember what I told you about chaos, right?"

Luka held up his now-empty cup sadly. "I think so…"

White Rabbit rolled her eyes. "Well, as long as you remember most of it. Anyway, now that Ilias is dead, things have changed. Chaos has increased by a notable amount, just like when Micaela or Hiruko died. If this continues, the Apostles of Chaos could return…"

"Huh!? B-But… Why didn't you tell me that after they died?"

"Haah… I guess I'll have to explain it all to you then. Look, when this world doesn't follow the True History, chaos increases. The True History is basically just everything that happened in your world. So, since this world stopped following that ever since Kanon's death, things have been permanently changed. Now none of the three predetermined outcomes will come to be."

White Rabbit sighed. "This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Them dying was a possibility in the Great Monster Wars, so its effect wasn't too much for us to handle. All that's really happened is the Apoptosis have grown stronger. But I warn you now. Any further deaths could tip us over the edge. If that happens, and they come back… this would've all have been for nothing."

"I see…" Luka muttered. "About those Apoptosis, they didn't seem like that big of a threat to me. They were pretty weak, actually."

"For now. Only one world is messing with chaos, and as a result, the effect is lessened. Before the reset, there were hundreds of worlds all active at once, all worsening chaos… Anyway, Apoptosis will grow stronger as chaos grows. We could even see some XX-class ones at this rate. Cross-world contact may also hasten this, so you'd want to watch out for that."

Cross world contact…? XX-Class Apoptosis…? What is she on about?

"Uh-huh…" Luka mumbled. "So…Uh… What now?"

"Well, I guess I'll leave you be. I better get back to saving up energy." White Rabbit hopped out of the chair, her hood somehow not falling off her head. "Oh, and Luka. Keep an eye on Ilias. Power changes people."

Luka watched as she left. "I will." He said to no one. Deciding there was nothing left for him to do, he left the shop. He had only entered to pass the time, and he was sure Rinoa was ready by now. When he walked out onto the busy street, he was happy to spot her purple hair in the distance.

"Rinoa, did you get everything ready?" He asked, walking up beside her.

Rinoa nodded. "We're ready. Alipheese didn't even try to oppose us as we marched through Noah. The army is nearby. We can sound the attack at any time. And what about you? Have you checked out the defences here?"

"Not that many monsters, surprisingly. I asked around and found out that the desertion problem had only gotten worse since we beat Tamamo. It looks like they don't know about what happened to Lucifina either, so they really think the odds are stacked against them."

"I see… Their army took some massive hits when they took Noah. Ever since Gelon, they've done nothing but lose… which is great for us. They may not have enough forces to properly defend this city. Taking it shouldn't be too hard."

"Hmm… Well, we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. We don't want a slaughter. Forcing them to surrender peacefully would be much better. As for how many of them there are, I'd say there are around 5000 monsters here." Luka explained.

"Ancestors?"

The Hero shrugged. "None that I could see. It's odd. Minagi, Kanade and Saja are still out there, yet none of them are defending one of their most important cities." He said.

"Well, that's perfect for us." Rinoa pointed to one of the gates. "Let's start there. We'll open the gates and let our army through… Then, we liberate the city."

Luka followed along as Rinoa made her way to the gate. Pushing through the crowds, they were eventually stopped by a pair of guards. One was an unusually weak-looking dragonkin who was equipped with a spear instead of the swords they were more commonly known for, and the other was a small harpy knight. The Hero could swear he recognised the bird, but from where he did not know.

"Halt! What business do you have here, humans?" The dragonkin asked. Her claws tightened around her spear.

Before either of them could say anything, the harpy spoke. "Wait a second... I recognise you, boy. You were that slave that Syclla girl was bringing to Lady Kanon, were you not?"

And didn't I see him again later on? I don't know... my memory is fuzzy from that night.

"You know who he is, Riya?"

Rinoa turned back to Luka as if to ask if he knew what was happening. The Hero gave her a light shrug.

"I think so... Let's bring them in for interrogation. I'll talk to the boy; you'll keep an eye on the girl." Riya suggested, though it sounded more like an order from her tone. Small metal spikes could be seen protruding from her wings, which let her use them in combat while being light enough to sustain flight. From her armour alone, Luka could tell she was high-ranking.

And when she pointed those wings at the Hero, Luka felt it would be easier to comply. He told Rinoa through telepathy, something he had just begun regularly using. It was an odd experience to be sending the messages instead of receiving them, but he was proud of himself for learning the skill. Rinoa nodded once she got the message and went off with the guard.

Luka followed Riya into one of the nearby buildings. She locked the door and sat the Hero down at a table. She sat across from him. "So... what the hell are you doing here?"

"I... Well, that's a long story." Luka admitted. "I guess you remember that time I knocked you out and shoved you in that closet..."

"...Uh... yeah, I remember that," Riya said. "When... exactly did that happen?"

"When I left Remina and needed to get some climbing gear. We ran into each other on the way... Anyway, I'm only here to visit. I wasn't planning on staying."

Riya snorted. "As if I would buy that. What are you here for, hero? There's no way I'm letting you go now, not after last time! Every monster alive knows it was you that killed Kanon, even if Alipheese won't admit it out of embarrassment or whatever."

Luka looked nervous as he came up with an answer. "I-I... You're right... I'm not here to visit. I'm..."

"You're...?"

The Hero looked away. "Going to liberate this city."

A short silence passed. Riya looked the Hero up and down, trying to decipher whether or not he was joking. Then she thought about it further. Vrimor currently had no ancestors guarding it, and the current queen wasn't remarkable by any means. Taking over the city would be no big deal... especially for someone who had already beaten Kanon in a fair fight.

He, a human, wants to 'liberate' a city of monsters...? Does he mean to kick us all out and take it for humanity, or even worse, kill us all?

No... This human isn't like that. He knocked me out instead of killing me the last time we met, and I distinctly remember that I tried to rape him... Anybody who does that would never be so cruel...

"And how do you plan to 'liberate' my city?" Riya asked.

"Your city? I didn't know you were the new queen."

Riya frowned. "Well, not the queen herself, per se, but close enough. I am the new captain of the guards, ever since I was promoted for my efforts in the war."

"The war...? You fought in it?" Luka asked.

"I did. I led a legion of harpies into battle. Most of us didn't make it back... When we were forced to retreat from Noah, the Daystar chased us. She took out so many monsters with ease..."

"I see... That must've been... very hard for you." Luka said. "I've heard about what happened in Noah. My moth—I mean, the Daystar was able to push the entire monster army back all the way to Vrimor, undoing all of your progress in the region."

"Well, you don't have to say it like that!" Riya shouted.

"Oh... uh, sorry," Luka said. "Anyway, you asked me about my plan to liberate the city... Well..."

Should I trust her with the information? If I do convince her to help us, she could make sure as few people die as possible... But if she chooses not to join me... Then...

Damn it, I'll just trust my gut feeling! ...Here goes...

"We sort of have an entire army outside," Luka admitted. "I mean, not right outside, but close enough. I have another person on the inside as well. She'll lead the army while I deal with the queen... That was the plan, at least, before you caught us."

Riya studied Luka closely as he told her his plan. "That is..." She hesitated for a moment. "A terrible plan."

"Huh? Why!?"

"This city is filled to the brim with monsters—really strong ones too! Most of the army is either resting here or in Remina. We have over ten thousand troops stationed here! And what would you do if Alipheese sent reinforcements? What if Saja shows up!?"

...How pitiful. We only have one ancestor to call on... Tamamo and Minagi both decided to just up and disappear, and Kanade is rumoured to be dead... Ever since Kanon was killed, the whole war has gone to shit.

"Those are... some good points. Still, there's some stuff you don't know. We're not only attacking Vrimor." Luka explained. "At the same time, we have an army headed for Remina."

"Another army!? How!?" Riya asked, slamming her wings on the table. "How do you have two armies!?"

"It's... a really long story. Look, I can tell you all about it later. For now, though, are you with us or not? Will you help us save this city and the people inside?"

"Save? Save us from what? We're happy here; everyone is!"

"Not the humans." Luka pointed out. "I've seen how they're treated here... Like little more than cattle, like slaves... I can't watch it anymore. I know you feel the same, don't you, Riya?"

I really, really hope my hunch about her was right... Even if she did try to rape me, who hasn't? It's more or less the norm for monsters... Other than that, I don't think she's a bad person...

Riya looked away for a moment. She sighed, lowering her weapons, or more accurately, her wings. "I suppose we haven't been treating them the best... But what's in it for me? Why would I help you?"

"Cause you have a heart of gold...?"

"You're going to have to do better than that," Riya said. A sly smirk crossed the harpy's face. "Say... remember that time you snuck in here as a slave? I tried to purchase your... services... How about in exchange for me helping you liberate the city, you and I..."

Riya's expression was all Luka needed to know exactly what she wanted. Still, he was married. They would have to figure something else out...

Unless...

Maybe Rinoa would be willing...?

"I'll see what I can do," Luka said. "Now, will you help us or not?"

Riya smiled. "I will. I'll minimise the number of guards on watch, and maybe hiding their gear so they can't fight back would be a good idea too... Just be sure to tell me when you plan to attack."

"I will," Luka said as he stood. Riya opened the door for him and walked alongside him. "So... what about the queen? She's in the castle, I assume?"

"What's left of it," Riya said, pointing towards the half-finished structure in the distance. A few towers had been built, but the bulk of them were still under construction. The Hero's battle with Kanon had completely destroyed the castle. "Be warned. She was one of Kanon's best soldiers. She's a bit smarter than Kanon ever was too, but that's not saying much. Overall, shes above the typical queen-class monster you might've already fought. But for someone like you... I'm sure she won't be an issue."

"Other than that, this army of yours should be able to deal with the infantry. Like I said, we have ten thousand soldiers here, but most of them have just come back from the fighting in Noah. The sights they saw there... I don't think it would take much to convince them not to fight. But that's crucial. You have to explain that you want as little fighting as possible and that you won't hurt them if they surrender."

Riya sighed. "And lastly, you have to get the humans on your side as well. That won't be hard. Anything is better than what they currently have... So, do you have any plans for what happens after? Who will rule...?"

"That's... Well, we haven't thought that far ahead." Luka admitted. "Ending the war is more important. Afterwards, maybe we can have some sort of election or something." He suggested. Riya nodded.

"Well, I guess I'll go get everything ready." She said as she began to fly away. "I'll tell the guards to let you both leave. Good luck!"

Ilias smiled. "And how many are ready to fight?"

"All of us, my lord. At your command, we will destroy the city and rid it of the monsters staining it. Of course, we will have to punish any humans who have lost faith as well..."

Hmm... Although it is true that some of them really do deserve punishment... Luka wouldn't like that.

"No... They only fell to monster's temptation through trickery, pheromones, and magic. We cannot hold this against the humans here... As for the monsters, only kill those that pose a threat. Any unarmed monsters, or those that look to be civilians, must be spared. Do you understand?"

If we do kill monsters unnecessarily, it will surely be used against us when we try to sue for peace.

"Yes, my lord." The angel said, bowing before the Goddess of Light. Ilias gave her leave as she returned to the ground. The war had been going splendidly, for humanity, at least. This world no longer had any seraphs, no one to lead them through the darkness. Ilias would have to do it herself until she found suitable replacements.

But that will have to wait. Creating new seraphs would cost a huge amount of power... And besides, I'm not quite ready to let go of the old ones yet.

Micaela is still alive in Luka's world, isn't she? I wonder what she would say if she saw me now...

Would she believe that I have changed...? Or... would she see through me...?

No, I have changed! This... This isn't an act.

...

Ilias walked along the ground. A small army of angels surrounded her, more as a show of her dignity rather than for any protection. Ilias had longed to see her angels... but not like this. They spoke to her not as equals, but as someone who was far above them. Getting any meaningful conversation out of them was impossible. This was a problem she had run into before, and one she never found the solution to.

What if the same thing happens again...? If I rule the angels here, if I stay in heaven... what if I become evil again? There is nothing to prevent it...

Hmph. What nonsense... I was never evil in the first place. This is all so ridiculous... I am Ilias, the Goddess of Creation! What I say goes!

...Damn it. What is happening to me? I never used to think like that when I was weaker...

Just relax, Ilias. I can talk to Luka about this later...

Or maybe that fox would be better... She knows what it's like to be both weak and strong... She could help me.

"My lord, when shall we attack?" An archangel asked, kneeling before Ilias. The goddess almost didn't notice her. She also failed to notice Promestein, who had been walking beside her the whole time.

"Oh... Well, the city looks well fortified... It seems we will be in for a siege. Have the army surround the city. Burn the ships in the ports, set an anti-teleportation seal, and fortify all paths in and out of the city." Ilias explained.

"That is foolish," Promestein said. Ilias was startled by her sudden appearance. "Depriving them of food will only lead them to feast on the humans inside. Once they run out of them, they'll turn on each other. Then, there'll be no one left."

So...?

Oh, right.

"I see..." Ilias sighed. "That was an old war tactic... Fine, then, we'll just have to risk a frontal assault. They've definitely spotted us by now, so I'd assume they already have defences in place... but we have no choice. My child, tell the others. We attack upon tomorrow's first light."

"Yes, my lord!" The archangel said, flying away. Ilias turned to Promestein.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. The red-haired angel was reading her clipboard as she answered.

"Once you take the city over, I wish to consult the scientists in Remina's labs," Promestein explained. "They are the most advanced in the world, or so they say. I wonder if they can teach me anything... Well, even if they can't, consulting with other scientists will be a first for me."

Ilias looked bored as she nodded. "Uh-huh..." The goddess's mind drifted back to her favourite subject, herself.

I can't go down that path again... I have to talk with someone about this...

Alright then, Tamamo, let us see what wisdom you have for me.

"Huh, I didn't expect her to actually do it," Rinoa said. The outer gates opened slowly. Once they were fully opened, Rinoa led the army through, with Luka following closely. "So, in exchange for this, she wants to... have sex with me?"

Luka scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he nodded. "I'm married, so... you're the only real option for her."

Ugh...

I really hope she's not ugly.

"Whatever..." Rinoa sighed. "Let's just get this over with."

Luka felt guilty as he walked with his Doppel. Still, it's not like he had much choice.

Speak of the monster and she shall appear...

Riya flapped down gently, landing in front of the pair of purple-haired humans. Rinoa was wearing a full knight's set of armour, along with a pair of glowing swords on her hip and on her back. Anyone with working eyes could tell she was the leader of this army. "Don't kings normally lead armies?" Riya pointed out.

"He's busy. Somebody has to make sure Gelon is safe while we're gone. Now... as for the deal..." Rinoa blushed slightly. "I'm fine with it, I guess."

"You...? Oh, sorry. Don't take it personally, but I don't swing that way—"

"I can change gender!" Rinoa shouted far too loud. Some of the soldiers looked at her strangely. "Ahem, look, it's complicated, but just trust me."

Riya shrugged. "Fine..."

Luka started to walk ahead. "Rinoa, I'm going ahead to take care of the queen. I can trust you with the rest, right?"

The clatter of steel on steel could be heard in the distance. Clearly, somebody had finally spotted them. Bells began to be rung in a desperate attempt to wake the sleeping soldiers up.

"We've got this," Rinoa said. "Good luck."

Luka nodded as he ran off. Riya followed the Hero, flying just above him in the morning light. "I'll watch your back while you deal with the queen." She said.

"Got it."

The castle was still nowhere near completion, just as the Hero had observed before. Still, he had no doubt he would find the queen inside. He had heard some rumours about her. Supposedly, she was just as cruel as Kanon and somewhat smarter. Her power was nothing to scoff at either, but it wasn't anything Luka couldn't handle.

And so they quickly arrived at the grand gates of the castle. Made of thick wood and reinforced with steel, it would normally take a battering ram and a whole host of humans to break through. Thankfully, Luka could be his own battering ram.

"Gnomaren, come!"

Riya watched as the Hero ran into the gate multiple times, using his shoulder to try and break it. She sighed, wondering how someone like him managed to kill Kanon. "Luka... you know I can just fly you to a window or something."

Luka didn't seem to hear her. Tired of seeing him run into the gate over and over, Riya flew down and picked the Hero up in her talons. Oddly enough, even though his body felt like it was as tough as stone, it didn't weigh much. She broke through a window on one of the higher floors with her armoured wings and landed inside.

"Oh... uh, thanks," Luka muttered, rubbing his sore shoulder. He took a torch off the wall and started walking down one of the sparsely lit hallways. Riya followed behind, careful not to make a sound.

"They say the queen can hear everything. Some of the others said she is Kanon reborn, her very spirit brought back from the dead." The harpy knight explained. "Though she would probably take offence to that, she hated Kanon."

"Really? Why?" Luka asked. They started walking down one of the stairs. The castle seemed to be mostly empty.

They're probably out fighting Rinoa. Let's just hope the queen didn't follow them.

"Kanon ate her mother alive in front of her. Apparently, she annoyed her somehow. Her mother was Kanon's second in command for months before that and was one of the strongest alraunes ever." Riya explained. "Kanon's cruelty knew no end... It's sad to see that part of her was passed onto her successor."

Luka frowned. "I see... But how come she succeeded her? Shouldn't it have been one of Kanon's children instead?"

Riya shrugged. "I don't think she had any kids. Not any that are still living, at least. The queen was chosen by Alipheese herself to succeed Kanon. Ask her if you're so curious."

The Hero nodded. The throne room was not far now. In the torchlight, a figure in the distance was illuminated. Luka drew Angel Halo, but put it back down once he saw it was just a human male. He was in rags, with red marks all over his body.

"W...What happened to you?" Luka asked, trying to sound as friendly as possible. Riya stepped back, not wanting to frighten the man with her presence.

"W-Who the hell are you!? You... You're a human, aren't you? How are you just walking around like that? And who gave you the sword!? Quick, hide it! They'll kill you if they see you with it!" He shouted.

"C-Calm down!" Luka said. He dropped Angel Halo on the floor so that he would seem less like a threat. "Just... breathe. Tell us what happened to you."

The man looked at the harpy hiding in the shadows. "She's not a threat, I promise." He said. "Please, just help us out here. We need to know what happened."

His eyes darted between the monster and the human. Eventually, he calmed down. He sat down on the stone floor, leaning against a wall.

"So... who are you? Why are you roaming around here? Did you not hear the bells? Somebody is attacking. You should get out of here while you can... It's probably the angels. Again." He explained.

"Oh... Uh, that's us." Luka awkwardly admitted. "We're here to deal with the queen."

The man almost laughed, but it would've hurt far too much. "Hah... A kid and a harpy... Good luck..." He said bitterly. He looked at the purple-haired boy again. "Say... purple-hair, short stature... Are you that kid in all those posters?"

Luka looked slightly annoyed as he answered. "Yeah... Why?"

"Maybe you can take the queen down then... I've heard the others talk about you. Luka, right? Some big-shot hero here to save humanity... They say you're the one who killed Kanon. Some say you're the reason Hiruko and Micaela died too, but I find that hard to believe... But here you are, in the flesh."

Luka didn't know what to say. "Some of that is true... but I'm not trying to just save humanity. I want all of us, all three major races, to live in peace together. And I won't stop until that happens."

Even if it hurt, the man couldn't help but laugh. "Spoken like a true hero." He said. "Jumped right out of a fairy tale, didn't you... Coexistence is a nice idea and all, but I don't see it ever really working... Well, whatever. You do you, kid."

"Anyway, you wanted to know why I'm here... I'm one of the slaves. They needed somebody to fix up this castle, and the monsters sure as hell weren't going to do it themselves. There's a few hundred of us. And yeah, those red marks you keep staring at are from the monsters. Those vines sting like a whip..."

...They only needed to fix the castle due to my recklessness when I fought Kanon... Damn it.

"That's... horrible," Luka said. "Don't worry, once we liberate the city, you'll be free. Just hide for now, alright?"

The man stood slowly. "Liberating the city... You really are a hero, aren't you? Well, I'll gladly take any chance at freedom. Good luck, Hero Luka. Oh, and make sure you kill that bitch. She ate some of my friends..."

Luka said nothing. "You should get out of the castle, it won't be safe here," Riya suggested. "And go get some new clothes. Here, take this money."

The man carefully took the small pouch of money from the harpy. After a while, he walked away.

"Rinoa should be almost done with taking care of the army by now. Let's get rid of the queen." Riya said.

Luka nodded. He picked up Angel Halo and started walking towards the throne room once more. This time, he summoned both Gnomaren and Salamander and cut through the large doors in a single swing, abandoning any idea of subtlety. The room was smaller than he remembered and had far fewer vines and other plant life inside.

"Oh? What rude guests... have you never heard of knocking before?"

Luka could swear he heard Kanon's voice when the queen spoke. Despite having similarities everywhere else, she didn't look anything like Kanon. She reminded the Hero more of the old Alraune Queen, who was killed during the war against Ilias. Only her skin was the same vibrant green as Kanons. Her petals were all an odd purple, and her vines were a deep red.

"You're the queen, right?" Luka asked. He raised his sword, which was ablaze with Salamander's flames.

She does look a bit stronger than a normal queen... But I'm far beyond her.

For all those she killed, for the humans she enslaved...

...There's no way I can let her live. It was due to my indecisiveness that Omori was crippled. It was because I was too afraid to kill someone that... that Tamamo did that to my mother... It was my fault. If I had just taken care of her myself, then my mother's soul would still be intact... but now she had to sacrifice herself, all so her son wouldn't have to kill his mother...

It's all my fault.

"Ohoho, you look dangerous, boy. But also delicious... Hmm... And that face... I know who you are." She said, pointing a finger accusingly at the Hero. "You're the one that killed Kanon, aren't you?"

Luka didn't bother to correct her. The queen began to laugh. "Hahaha, perfect! I might've hated that bitch, but I was tasked with taking revenge for her death by Alipheese. If I do a good job here, she might make me a new ancestor!"

The Hero didn't waste any more time. He ran towards the alruane with Sylph's speed, attacking her with a barrage of flames and earth. Any attack sent at him was easily dodged through Undine's power. All the while, Riya launched attacks from afar with her wind.

A huge mess of vines flew at the Hero. In a second, he cut through them all. The burnt remains fell onto the ground. Luka used his mother's power to counter another attack from the queen, guiding the comet directly onto the monster.

And in moments, the queen was being burnt alive, screaming from the pain. A newfound fury brought her to launch a new volley of attacks at the Hero, including a large Venus fly trap. This too, was easily countered by the Hero.

Shit! I haven't even managed to scratch him... Kanon's killer is even stronger than I thought...

This fight is too much for me. I should back out now and return to Hellgondo.

The queen smiled as the boy approached. But when she tried to teleport away, the spell failed. Somebody had put up an anti-teleportation field. Unfortunately for her, she had let her guard down. Angel Halo sank deep into her chest, its flames burning her from the inside.

"You're not getting away!" Luka shouted, swinging his sword again and again. Riya watched as he attacked the already-beaten queen. In a desperate attempt to stop the human, the alraune released pheromone-filled gases, but these were quickly blown away by Sylph's wind.

"For all those you have hurt!" The Hero jumped back, launching himself high into the sky. Using five elements at once, he unleashed them all at the alraune, who had no time to defend. The attack almost split her in two.

Luka fell back down to the ground, huffing from exhaustion. He walked towards the monster, who was limping away. Giving into the anger in his heart, anger that he directed at her instead of at himself, he finished her off.

Riya said nothing. She couldn't blame him for what he did but... she couldn't help but be surprised. Nothing remained of the queen. Her body had been burnt to a crisp by the time the pair left.