· · · · · · ·

Xelloss could drag some pride from his recovery rates because in the last ten years he had had more run ins with powerful enemies than in the millennium before. That did little to combat the sense of danger that now happily inhabited the backspace of his mind, competing with boredom for being the biggest nuisance. Unlike boredom, it couldn't be driven off with diversion here. No, it liked to plant little red flags over half the diversions, helped along by that newfound tendency to link his experiences to other people. This one here's a god, they can kill you easily and have reason to. And there one here is just a weak dragon, but they have connections or skills you don't and that could kill you. This one here is a mere human but you would be dead if she hadn't done earth magic at a specific time and location. His own liege, when she was emotional. The entirety of this island.

So when Xelloss shifted into the central hall and projected and there suddenly was a new person that he couldn't astrally see, a dozen flags got planted while the avatar of sensical danger did a ceremonial dance around said person.

"Xelloss, this is a projection of Mother Earth," Zelas said. "Be polite."

Ah. That explained that he would have passed over the astral plane's outline. He would have mistaken it for earthly energy.

Mother Earth had taken the form of a human woman with a sleepy expression, wrapped in scruff green clothing. Her hair was floor length and wavy, and where it merged into the floor seemed more a rockslide than hair. She spoke in a soft voice, "Allo."

"Hello, miss planet," he said, because what else could one say someone who one walked on every day?

In a circle around her were projections of the four gods, Zelas with her remaining lieutenants, Lina with her spouses, royalty from Sailoon and Taforashia, lords of elves and dragons. Milina and Orun stood with their respective gods. Uniform among the circle was a sense of weariness, a tinge of fear and a lot of anxiety, none of which seemed to affect the planet's avatar.

Lina herself stood at their center, a bright, dizzying golden point. The shadow of the Lord of Nightmares remained strong over her.

"I haven't had a chance to pay you my respects, Apostle of Chaos," he said, taking a knee before her, as befit one chosen by Lucifer. Assuming that meant anything.

Lina just bonked him on the head. "Are you kidding me, Xelloss? Cut it out."

He hadn't hoped any less than that — Lina Inverse was still Lina Inverse. Probably.

"He were just in the were just in the middle of discussing what we should name the island," Lina said. "You need to break a tie."

That got a collective groan from the group.

"What she means is that we are discussing strategy," Zelas said.

"Yeah that too, but we can settle the name much quicker. Xelloss, should it be Tel al-Metallium, Har Megiddo or Elmegiddo?"

"I do not know, nor care," he said, a beat too distracted with the circle of flags and ongoing cognitive screams to realize his liege might have a preference. Oops.

"Oh come on, we need a tie breaker. There's too much pass votes already."

"There is too much time wasted," Zelas said. "Why do you not just ask Megiddo itself, if you find this so desperate."

"That's a great idea!" Gourry said. "Oh, and we should ask the moon spirit too!"

Cue arguments over whether a moon spirit even existed. Xelloss used the chance to step out of attention and stand next to his liege. He took a closer look at the gathering, with one of the wolfpack lieutenants catching him up.

Rangort, Valwin and Vrabazard had no experience navigating the world using only mortal eyes. With Vrabazard lacking dragons and angels, he was relegating to patrolling the outer perimeter of the island. The Aqualord would divide time between assisting the northern lands and occasionally return to help fix the machine.

Until the machine was readjusted with Lina's new knowledge and Shabranigdu's pieces under control, the project was on hold. Lots of talk concerned everything but the outcome of that project, the one thing that had the biggest flag planted in its quaint metaphorical self and the one thing Xelloss didn't want to ask.

Amelia and Zelgadis really wanted Lina to come to Sailoon to help deal with the war, but she wouldn't leave the hosts or the island unattended. Xelloss already knew what was coming the moment she looked at him.

"Xelloss doesn't have anything to do, he can help you liberate Sailoon."

Before he got a word in, Amelia bounced up to him.

"It's so great to have you on the side of justice!" she thundered. Xelloss felt the abnormal need to hurl despite not having a stomach.

"I will never be a human, miss Amelia," he sputtered. "You know that."

"Who's talking about human? I stopped being one perfectly years ago, thanks to you. You don't need to be a human to be a good person! You're going to be the pinnacle of astral evolution, the lead example of the ability to change!"

"That's not really how evolution works," Zelgadis said somewhere.

Xelloss would have liked to latch onto that, maybe make a huge argument about etymology, but Amelia had put an arm around his shoulders. A dramatic finger at the sky, she declared, "Now that all pretenses have been shed and Zelas Metaliom has no more reason to be angry at you for heroics, we can look forward to days where you explore the delights of righteousness!"

Xelloss had the dreadful sense that she both wholly meant this and fully intended to get back at him.

"Princess Amelia, it would be just of you to stop torturing my priest." Zelas coated her words with ice.

"Oh, he's just unused to being righteous!" she beamed.

"He's never going to be a good person," Zelgadis grumbled.

"I'm not—" he started, and stopped. He had no idea what he was going to be. His eyes met Lina's, who gave him a curious look back. He didn't know what it meant.

"Xelloss, go help liberate Sailoon," Zelas said.

He couldn't suppress a groan. "Yes, my liege, but whyyyyy? I had close encounters with Valgarv, Shabranigdu and Dynast Grauscherrer, should I really be going to Sailoon?"

"A sign of good will," Zelas said. She didn't look or feel like she was into signs of good will.

"We're not going to feign to be good, are we?"

"We are currently doing the opposite of their version of bad, so we do not feign much. You may avoid the royals, but end anything invasion like either way," Zelas said before turning to Lina. "And you, lady Inverse, I would prefer you leave commanding my priest to me."

The extra sting in those last words was lost on anyone but Xelloss.

Lina shrugged. "Sure."

· · · · · · ·

Luna, Filia and Jillas were in the old work room, packing. Jillas chattered on about finally returning to Elena and the others, Luna cleaned up, and Filia had too much luggage already. If he hadn't been able to eat emotions he would have been fooled by her act, but the truth was that Filia just wrapped up her sorrow as baggage.

He knocked at the open door.

"Hello there. Neither of you were around for the good parts, or around at all." He cracked an eye open at Luna. A more thorough meeting between the sisters would have been very interesting to see.

"We had a heartfelt moment on the beach where I tearfully blessed your imminent marriage," Luna said. "I wish you two all the happiness in the soon to end world."

"Miss Luna, please. This is nothing to joke about."

"But you're terrible at jokes so we have to celebrate the one time you make a fantastic one," Luna said.

"Hmm, speaking of Inverse reactions, how do we keep miss Lina from finding out about the specifics of our scheme?"

Filia mortified on the spot, then frantically stuffed a bundle of clothes in her fifth bag. "I hadn't thought of that. Good heavens, she'll never drop it!"

"Why don't I tell her?" Luna said. "I'll promise to tell it in the most pragmatic and unsexy way possible. Even your infamous duck sex noises."

"No!" Xelloss and Filia yelled.

"Just kidding. I'm going with you to the shore. Have some countries to clean up," Luna said. "Taking it there's already plans for that?"

Xelloss nodded. "Unfortunately, I'm assigned to Sailoon."

"Aww. I'm so glad that you've talked things over and Zelas isn't angry at you anymore."

"My liege isn't ... " Hmm. He actually didn't know exactly how she felt about all this. That was one hell of a red flag.

· · · · · · ·

Rygoon hadn't become any nicer since the last time he'd been here. Xelloss got out first and had to wait a while before Filia emerged; dragon formed with passengers on her back.

He joined them by flying along, but at a distance so he could catch up with reports. One of the Wolfpack's few pure devils had taken the initiative to infiltrate the Sailoon invasion forces and now reported that most of devils left there were masses of low rank fools. A thick but weak shield. Dynast had spread rumors of a victorious defeat of the capital of justice, but he fact that the virtually intact Sailoon forces were later seen aiding in the war anyway put a dent in that.

Reclaiming Sailoon would benefit organization to drive out the devil forces, as well as prove what a chore it would be. There wasn't a single mighty overseer to defeat, just a mediocre one that Xelloss was sure could be handled by the Sailoon royalty, be it with magic or optimism. The more substantial issue was that almost all of the armies consisted of mindless lower rank enemies. Xelloss could defeat them with a pinky, but not without incinerating the city, farmlands and forests. It would have to happen the slow way.

When Filia crashed at the edge of Sailoon, she did the best job at pretending she was fine. Not that this was so hard when the others lay squashed under her.

"I admire your devotion to the art of landing. Truly touching," Luna said, while wiping away nonexistent tears. "You have me convinced you don't need any sleep at all."

Filia might have replied in dragon language, or that was just a pained groan. Xelloss saw a need to learn dragon language.

"One hour," Luna said. "If you're not back at the tree to sleep by then, I'm dragging you back on the tail of the Zephyrian health laws."

Jillas would locate their family, but Filia decided to locate random strangers to heal. Said that due to her superior link with the only flow ready god, it was her obvious duty.

When she flew off she avoided the east, where a group of other golden dragons worked. She didn't manage a straight line, or even the same air level.

Luna tapped her foot. "How long's she been awake?"

"Since yesterday. How well can you drag dragons?" Xelloss asked.

"Bet I can handle it now," he said, projecting a giant dragon claw to her leg. Some nearby Sailoon folk screamed and ran when they saw that, calling for reinforcements.

Luna pointed her thumb at them. "And that's why I'm going to work in the forest. Wanna come fulfill your Sailoon salvation orders there?"

"Are you inviting me for dinner?"

"Absolutely," Luna said. "See it as making up for earlier."

"For what?"

"My poor memory. I haven't the faintest bloody clue."

Smirking, she led the way into a sunny morning forest ripe with miasma and the occasional corpse.

Many devils had no positive emotions, ever. Not even the sadistic glee of the higher ranks. Incapable of anything positive, the itch to end the world drove them to take suicidal risks unless they were so weak they were under sway of a leader. A lot of the army here consisted of these, which explained why a mediocre devil was given the reigns. They had to be good at control.

For Xelloss, this meant one of the purest feasts, because pure devils meant no need to filter away anything positive. They couldn't even revel in destruction or torture executed well, let alone were they masochists. Quick, easy and sickeningly sweet, but also boring.

He killed most of them instantly, but a few more animated ones they took further into the hills, to avoid being seen by Sailoonians. That might result in a lecture about just treatment of prisoners, and who had time for that when you got your food from torture?

Luna introduced him to a few unique methods of her own. One involved peeling off astral layers, seeing power as wrapped around a soul. Devil souls didn't so much have walls as they were sticky, and Luna knew how to pull that apart as much as possible without outright destroying them. She also could use her holy powers tor each into their minds and mess with them somehow. He couldn't tell most of what she did, but it was both delicious and horrifying.

If it came to flags, Luna just earned herself another one. Xelloss had always known she could kill him and needed very little provocation to do it. When appropriate, he feared her. Facts and a reasonable response, but now it was more. A warning that he had to work to avoid that, and could do that by different actions than just toning down his obnoxious self. Given that she had ingenious ways to get to him, beyond simply killing, that was a need.

Luna was less amusing and well, abusive of those close to herself. His newfound mental flexibility kindly informed him he was dangerous in the same way to others, a factually pointless reminder. Was it going to be like this forever?

Just when he was in the middle of tearing up a middle class devil in such a way that it couldn't move anymore, but still think, Luna let it go.

The devil couldn't stop projecting quick enough and just rolled down the hill, bumping into trees. Luna staggered back on her feet.

Luna might be eating miasma again. Should he comment on it, warn her?

He killed the devil before it could get away, while Luna staggered aside until she dropped to her knees.

Opting to be safe, he asked, "Should you be picking off my plate, holy one?"

"So what if I am? I can still want that."

Hmm, this started to sound like something that could come to bite back later.

"Miss Filia isn't the only one who is ill, if she? Anything I can do?" he asked.

She looked at him like one would see a madman. "Don't fake, clown. I know something's behind it."

Well, yes, but he wasn't sure what it was. He didn't actually feel bad for her in any way. Didn't suffer along or anything, but he did more or less understand and wanted it to stop. Maybe it was just bad experience with unstable holy beings,

"How about this : I'd like to know whether this is related to your quasi-possession by my liege the Beast Monarch."

"That's better." Luna chuckled. "I guess it is, but it's also you. You hurt Zelas for her goals. You know, I don't get why you're satisfied just serving someone like Zelas. She's godawful. I could only spent time near her because I'm full time channeling away all my negative emotions. How do you live with her?"

"It's my kind of natural," he said. "I was made to want to serve, how can I live without it?"

"Isn't it better to just control your own fate just a little?"

"I'm afraid that's a matter of identity and circumstances, so I don't care to get philosophical about it. I don't think you care either. You only asked about yourself, didn't you? Say, what would you do with this control of your fate?"

She frowned. "As much as I want it, I can't really imagine myself as I'd be if I'd never been the Knight of Siephied. I probably wouldn't be so confident about everything, but there are so many ways that could mean my life went differently. Would have met other people, made different decisions, had different expectations. Who am I?"

This would be a bad time to bring up Leyunso having similar curiosity, regardless of how interested he was in the response to that.

"It wouldn't really have been the same you, just a version of you," Xelloss said. "Most cakes have eggs and flour and sugar. They're not all the same cake."

"Still, if I see what's the same ... hey, Xelloss ... if you can cut and repaste Val and Valgarv, could you do the same with me? Would you?"

"No, I would not try. You're not trying to destroy the world or defy the Lord of Nightmares, so I don't find you objectionable." He was nearly done with his ice cream, she wasn't even a few bites in. She just stared at it. "Though perhaps I'd add some appreciation with good food."

"Hmm. You're useless."

· · · · · · ·

Once Sailoon was secure and Luna had moved on to making people work, Xelloss looked around for Filia. However, the entire district where her house lay had been evacuated. A few soldiers told him in Sailoon justice voice that they would very much prefer it if he went away. Devils hanging around would only unsettle both the Sailoon citizens and the many refugees.

He wasn't sure what he'd do if he found her anyway. Filia hadn't sought him out, and he could guess why. Val hadn't survived. Rumor among the dragons was that Valgarv had killed him or made her kill him, something to that effect. Not anything he could handle, but it felt like it should be.

He moved on to a small shrine in Dills, the same where he had stored all his junk before defecting. Having to no longer play mole, it was safe to take it back. The shrine had been abandoned, but his things remained. After stuffing it all back into his pocket dimension, he returned to Elmegiddo.

Most of the wolfpack had left, either to feed or as token of alliance. Dragons and elves had swarmed from the island at a rate higher than one would expect with their gods present, though he could imagine the gods were a disappointment. The only humans left were Orun and a few others of her tribe, who attempted to help Valwin reconnect with the flow. He thought he saw Milina pass by a hall, but wasn't interested enough to find out.

His curiosity lay with the Aqualord. She wasn't doing anything useful with herself, and she also could shed some light on what exactly had gotten Filia down so deep. The obvious of Val's death didn't explain the act of cheer and lack of mourning.

It took some asking around, but an angel eventually told him that the Aqualord was high in the tower. She had taken a room balcony that let view on both sides of the island.

Turned out she had company of Leyunso, who sat cross-legged on a couch doing little but watch.

The Aqualord had pulled all power together into the form of a child, who had curled up on a thick armchair. On her knees was an old tome, which she scribbled in without break. "Hello, Xelloss," she said without looking up. "Did you need something?"

Answers, but he already had a hunch he wouldn't get them.

"Hello ... What are you doing here?" Xelloss asked, the latter to Leyunso.

"Observing her." Leyunso stood up and left the room, closing the door behind her. The Aqualord didn't respond.

"When one is in a position like I am, relationships can save or kill. At first I only had a passing interest in the name of survival, but over time it has become fascination and now, a hobby," Leyunso whispered. "I cannot see into minds, so I must learn differently. Miss Claire interests me, you see, as she can turn off and on her personal attachments, or at least the feelings of it. I am curious in the name of extropy."

"Really? That's it? You are as old as the world and have lived as god and as human, yet it's just science to you?"

"Got me, beast priest. It's about me too. I started out not just with nature but also the effects of past nurture. I've done things most of my lives would not agree with because sometimes, I'm insane. Sometimes, I'm autistic. Sometimes, I'm born with a great inclination for temper and other times, I'm very serene. All of that carries along and shaped my astral self, which still exists in a way unlike the erasable mortals. Sometimes it is harder to hold onto the values I live by, sometimes I grew new ones, sometimes I discarded long held ideas. In linear mind terms I am is Siephied, but the personality that decides what I do would never have existed if I'd not been put back in the world like this. Identity is not a monolith. Tell me, who am I?"

"More than Red Dragon God Flare Dragon Siephied, though with a less redundant title," Xelloss said.

"Joke as you want, it's on your mind too." Leyunso's grin unsettled him. "Identity is already a lottery for organic creatures. People can drive themselves mad wondering, like Zelas did not so long ago. Will you follow her footsteps, or is your conflict over something else?"

He couldn't say there was no conflict, he realized. There was entirely too much, he realized. Zelas, Leyunso, the Lord of Nightmares, and Lina, all people who couldn't quite place. No master of the board gets anywhere without knowing the hands or the pieces.

Leyunso's all too knowing smile drove him up the wall. She leaned out a nearby window and pointed at the sea. From up here, the distorted water around one of the hosts of Shabranigdu could be seen. A twisted flower pulsing red on the astral plane, yet calm blue on the physical. Lina worked there on some barrier of sorts, if he had to guess. Zelas was on the shore

"They're testing the range of Shabranigdu's voice, see whether it matters that it's the real voice or Zelas just thinks it's real," Leyunso said. "Your standard security measures against someone else using your body to carry out their will. Speaking of that ... what's your range?"

"What?"

"Your limits to obeying Zelas Metaliom. How far away can you hear her voice?

"What does it matter?"

"Oh, it will matter if you find yourself not knowing what she'll do. Can you even tell whom she is?"

Chaos be damned, he could not. Zelas might have considered ending the world. That seemed reasonable enough if she felt that she was wrong, thus having only her natural devil instinct left. That wasn't what bothered him. It was the rumors that Luna might have held her back. She'd allowed her to cut down on her emotions, some of the angels had said.

If that was absurd to believe that Luna had held her back. More likely she had been a crutch, which bothered Xelloss. The great Beast Monarch Zelas Metaliom should not be so in need. She was stronger than any mind, she fought down even the instinct to end the world every day, did she not?

Did she?

Zelas didn't know Leyunso was Siephied and could not know. What did that mean when it came to whether or not she respected what the Lord of Nightmares appeared to wish? Did it matter if She never commanded, yet Her Wish was their command by virtue of creation?

"Why not ask her who she is?"

"Just to satisfy your curiosity? No, I won't."

"For yourself, too. Of course, you already know you are in no position to have deep conversations with your liege. You just obey. You can't learn anything. You're powerless."

This wasn't the kind of bait Xelloss usually had difficulty avoiding, but knowing the speaker was a god brought down to earth and having turned words to power ... well, that nagged just a little too much at his devil pride.

Besides, he probably should get an update on his orders anyway.

Zelas stood in the shadow of a rock formation, her human projection in traveler form. Keen eyes watched what Lina did on both planes, which currently was some sort of water shield that she directed with power from the Aqualord.

He couldn't be near Zelas without her noticing he had doubts.

"What is the matter, Xelloss?"

He had to tell her, yet didn't want to spill that the doubts were about here. He could only give a vague answer to compromise.

"I'm unsure whom we can trust."

"Much as I am. What do you think are our odds with the lady Lina Inverse? For one moment, she will hold sway over our lives. If she could destroy us somehow, would miss Filia let her?" Zelas whispered.

"I ... don't know. Miss Filia has always been someone who believes the end justifies the means. Now she is more extreme, I do not know for sure. She is as altruistic as ever, but her law or ethics don't mean much anymore."

"Well, that should prove interesting."

"I think ... " Oh, out with it. "My liege, is everything alright with you? What I heard of ... my absence ..."

"No," she growled. "We will proceed and you do not need to worry about what I should understand for myself. It is not your concern how I fare, you have no place asking."

If he went on, she might just outright forbid him to bring it up. He stayed with her, standing in silence until Lina came floating over.

She was half wet, and her emotions were on the bright side. "You're done in Sailoon, Xelloss?"

"Yes, I am here for further orders from my liege the Beast Monarch."

"Okay, she can tell you for me that tonight we're gonna need fusion magic. I think I have a way to filter Shabranigdu's mind from pieces of his power."

"Really? Is it just Shabranigdu whom you intend to craft, or others too?" Xelloss asked on a whim. "I've recently learned just how much that can entail, I think we'd rather know a little more before we agree?"

"Oh really?" Lina's smirk bothered him more than it should. "You want to talk about soul formation of wolves?"

To Xelloss's utter surprise Zelas just got up and flew back to the island. Xelloss went after her.

"My liege, where are you going?"

"This conversation is going in directions that aren't important," she said. "I have better things to do."

That was too peculiar. Her sudden disinterest was too quick.

He hesitated to follow, then decided to turn back.

Lina still floated near the rock formation.

When he got back in her range, her emotions were a little anxious, but most of all confident. Lina's attitude had always been something he admired and was fascinated by, but now it unnerved him.

He began to see a pattern. Lina might just been immune to Leyunso, and at this point he would be willing to believe anyone had secret plots in motion.

"Did miss Leyunso talk to my liege three years ago?" He held his staff tighter, more out of a sense of defend himself than anything.

"Why don't you tell me?" Lina said.

"There are many ways to attack someone on the astral plane. Raw power, or words laced with intent. If your intent was not to tear down our power, but to change our mind, how could we tell the difference?" he asked.

Lina floated just a little higher, set her foot on the tip of his staff and let go of her flight magic. All her weight came down and forced him to the ground. He could land on his feet, but he couldn't lift his staff from here Lina had it pinned to the ground.

"So you admit you already did it?" Xelloss bit.

"Is that what you hear?"

"Yes."

"Let's say it's true, what are you going to do about it?" Lina leaned over. "Is it gonna depend on how much I was responsible for any change? 10%? 50? 90%? Or how about this? It turns out I just poked at potential. What then?"

"Why are you doing this, miss Lina? You were never the kind to meddle with worldly affairs unless you were forced to."

"Oh, at the start I really didn't have any intent to meddle. Now, I see I can't afford that. I'm not going to be a slave like you are. I'm not going to enslave anyone either, but I will use you as you have used me."

"The same we've always stood, I suppose." He jerked his staff free. "Though on a field we've not yet been on, and with a lot more red flags."

Lina stood straight and shrugged. "You're gonna have to live with it, Xelloss. We all do."

Now he noticed Leyunso, who had sat down high on another set of rocks. Lina got airborne again and flew over to her.

Xelloss couldn't imagine what this was all about, but it felt like he stood on the brink of losing every shred of choice.

· · · · · · ·