Note: This chapter's tone is far darker than the ones that came before. If you don't like sad stuff, especially major character deaths, don't read this one. Skipping it will have no real effect on the story at large.
"What is that one?" Reaper asked, looking at the orb in White Rabbit's hand. "It's much dimmer than the rest."
"Well, you're the one who said you wanted something more intense." She pointed out. "This is one I never look at. It takes place during the Hero's younger years."
"Oh? Back when he was a child?"
"Yep. By an unfortunate twist of fate, a meeting that should've never happened did. It changed the young boy forever, and his view of monsters would never be the same." White Rabbit said, a frown appearing on her face. "To be honest, I really don't like this one, but we said we'd get through the whole pile, didn't we?"
"Right..." Reaper muttered, watching as the Rabbit placed the orb down. She used her magic to bring it to life, as always.
A young boy ran through a forest with a wide smile on his face. His purple hair was gently blown by the light wind. The smell of flowers reached him. Today, like most summer days, was a beautiful sight.
"Luka, slow down!" An older voice reprimanded. "You'll trip over a rock and hurt yourself at this rate!"
The boy turned back, looking at the woman who had called out to him. It was his mother, Lucifina. She was wearing her usual village gown, which complimented her already beautiful appearance. Marcellus, her husband, was the one who had purchased the clothing for her.
Luka was three at the time of his father's death. He had not known him well, or at all, really, but he had his mother to tell him tales of the man. He was a ferocious warrior, a Hero who stood for what was right. He was also a follower of the Goddess Ilias, something that both Luka and his mother now practised.
"Sorry, mom." The boy said, looking down in shame.
Lucifina wanted to be angry at the child, but when she looked down at his face, she sighed, giving up on her point. "It's fine." She said, patting the boy on the head. She ruffled his purple hair, which looked just like his father's.
"Now, those berries aren't going to pick themselves, are they?" She asked rhetorically. Luka nodded, walking off at a safe speed this time as he got to work. They did this often, foraging for food out in the forests near Iliasville so they could sell it for gold.
Unfortunately, few of the people in the village let the pair sell to them. Outsiders had always been looked down upon in this part of the Ilias Continent. Lucifina barely made enough money for herself, much less the child she was trying to raise. She hadn't had to resort to thievery quite yet, but she wasn't far off.
Once, I was the Second Seraph, the Daystar herself. Now look at me...
Lucifina sighed as she knelt down next to a bush with some ripe fruits. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her son eagerly picking the berries from a nearby bush. A smile reached her lips as she watched him.
But I wouldn't trade this life for anything in the world.
"Luka, watch out for the nettles; you could hurt yourself!" Lucifina pointed out.
Luka sighed. "I'll be fine, mom." He muttered. He picked all the berries he could see from the bush and placed them into a small pouch when he was done. He then tied it with some string and stood up, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Mom! I'm done!" He said, walking over to her. Lucifina took the pouch, happy with its weight.
"Well done." She said, tying the pouch to her son's clothes. The boy took another pouch and got right back to foraging, eager to make his mother proud. The Daystar knelt back down to the bush, taking another handful of berries.
I wonder how Micaela is doing. It's been a while since I last saw her... I should bring Luka over to that village she stays in now.
The Sword of Heaven, also known as Lucifina's sister, had abandoned Ilias long ago. Eventually, she found Lucifina in Iliasville, walking alongside her newlywed husband. Micaela never thought she'd see the day, but she was happy for her sister.
She decided to take up residence in Enrika, a nearby village where monsters typically hid from aggressive humans. She would sometimes visit the now-single mother and her son.
I hope she's doing okay. It's been pretty hard for her to adjust. She's never lived like a human before, after all.
The Daystar finished her foraging, emptying all the food into her own pouch. Once she was done, she picked Luka up and began to walk back to the village.
"Mom! I can walk on my own now. You don't need to carry me like this." Luka pouted, embarrassed by the act. His cute blushing made Lucifina smile.
Instead of answering the boy, she just held him tighter. Luka could not deny it; being held like this was comfortable, even if he felt too old for it.
"You're only seven, Luka. I can't have you wandering off on your own. You could get hurt." The slightly overprotective mother explained. The boy sighed. After another moment of pouting, he gave up and just enjoyed the calming embrace.
"It is strange to see the Daystar acting like this," Reaper commented. "I can hardly believe it's the same person who was responsible for more than half the deaths in the Great Monster Wars."
"Well, spending five hundred years living among humans and being just as weak as one changes you." White Rabbit explained. "Luka had a pretty good mother, all things considered. She was a much better parent than his father was."
Reaper nodded. It seemed that in almost every world where the Hero Luka existed, his father had always abandoned him. The Spirit of Death often wondered why. It was not out of a lack of love or anything like that, but rather some sort of necessity. It seemed the universe just didn't want Luka to have a father.
"Hmm... Couldn't Lucifina have just made money off of teaching her sword skills to people? I'm sure she would've been able to charge a fair amount once word spread." Reaper pointed out.
"I guess. Though I'd say few would consider such a frail-looking woman as her to be someone trusted to be highly skilled." White Rabbit said. "And she might draw unnecessary attention to herself. Ilias wouldn't be happy about it either."
"I suppose."
"Well, we could watch their whole day... But I think we should just skip to the important stuff instead. And that seems to be... in the evening." White Rabbit said, using her hands to skip forward in time.
Luka tightly clutched a blanket, using it to cover himself. Loud noises could be heard from outside. It started to rain a few hours ago, showing no sign of clearing up any time soon. As it poured, the young boy looked out of the window in fear.
From outside, loud shouting began to ring out. Multiple people were saying curses, all of them seemingly directed at a single person. Sometime later, the door opened. At first, Luka covered himself completely with the blanket, scared of the intruder. However, after hearing the soothing voice of his mother, he calmed down.
"It's okay." She said. "It's just a bit of thunder." Lucifina walked over to her son. She quickly recognised the blanket that he was hiding behind.
Marcellus...
The child had somehow found her husband's old cape. It was not particularly well-kept and had not been worn in years. Lucifina felt pain when she looked at the cape, a symbol of the man she used to love. Now, he was gone forever.
But she had to push past it. For her son and for herself. Wallowing her in misery did nobody any good. She had to be strong. "Luka... where did you get that old thing?" She asked, trying to keep her tone as gentle as possible.
"I found it in your closet." He said, scared that he had done something wrong. "I-I'm sorry."
"It's... It's okay." Lucifina said, approaching the boy. "If you want to keep it, you can. From now on, wear it whenever you go out, okay? It will keep you safe."
For a brief moment, the boy said nothing. The room would've been silent if it weren't for the heavy thunder outside. He noticed how much his mother seemed to care for the object. Clearly, it was important to her. Eventually, he found the courage to say something. "Thank you, mom."
The Daystar then picked the boy up, the blanket covering him making it look like she was holding a baby, much to his annoyance. She hugged him tightly, whispering in his ear that she would keep him safe.
"Get out, damn outsider! You're the reason Ilias is so angry!"
The voices came back. Men were shouting at them from outside. Lucifina sighed.
"Why are they angry?" Luka asked, confused. He looked up at his mother as she answered.
"They blame us for the thunder." She explained solemnly. "I'm scared of what they might do if we stay here. We're going to go to Enrika for a while and stay with your aunt, okay? We'll come back in the morning."
"My aunt...? Who?"
"Geez, Luka. You've already met her before, you know? Though you were only three at the time... Her name is Micaela. She's my sister."
Lucifina stopped her son from asking any more questions. She would have time to answer them later. For now, she had to get out of here, and fast. The men were becoming angrier and angrier as time went on, and the thunder quickly turned into a full-fledged storm, only making their anger worse.
"Damn whore!" One of the men shouted once they were outside. "You and that brat of yours should've died long ago! Get out of here and never come back!"
The Daystar held her son tight as she left. Her worries were legitimised when one of the men grabbed a rock and threw it at her. She dealt with the pain, ignoring it as best she could. Once she was outside of the village, she let her son down.
Luka frowned as he looked around. The thunder only seemed to be getting louder as they walked along. Soon enough, the sound of lightning crashing against the ground could be heard, something that frightened the young child to the core.
"You must be brave, Luka," Lucifina said. "Like your father was... like I was. Strength is in your blood, sweet child. And I will be here to guide you every step of the way. I won't let anyone hurt you, okay? So, be brave for me."
The purple-haired boy nodded, his hair damp due to the constant rain. A moment later, he thought of a question he had been longing to ask for a while now. "Mom... why do they all hate us?" Luka asked, looking up at his mother. "What did we do to them?"
"We did nothing." She said. "They only fear us because that's what Ilias taught them to do. They believe that because we are outsiders, we don't belong here, and everything bad that happens to them is our fault."
"But... Why?"
"Like I said, Ilias told them to. They take her word too literally. They are not like us, Luka. We are good followers, but they are bad ones. Got it?" She asked. The boy nodded.
The pair continued to walk in the dark. The rain seemed to only get worse as time went on. They ran past tree after tree, trying to find their way. Then Lucifina's heart sank. She recognised a tree that had a peculiar cut in it. They were not near Enrika but the Iliasville Mountains instead.
Damn it. We were going the wrong way this whole time. I got turned around with all this rain. Getting to Enrika is going to take ages at this rate.
"Oh? Well, what do we have here?"
Lucifina was startled by the new voice. She looked around her but couldn't find the source. It was too dark for that. "W-Who's there?" She asked, grabbing Luka and holding him close.
A green figure emerged from the darkness. It was a monster, a slime in particular. Her body rippled as the rain fell on her. "What is a woman and her child doing all the way out here?" The monster wondered aloud. "Did you get lost?"
"No matter. I'll help you find your way back. Come here, you two. I'll bring you to a human village." She offered, doing her best to sound as friendly as possible.
Lucifina did not move, only staring the monster down. She remained silent and alert.
"Heh, you're smarter than you look." The slime complimented, dropping her facade. "Have you seen my kind before?"
Too many times now, damn monster. I can see it in your eyes, eyeing us up like we're just food.
This is bad. I have no weapon; we're far from Iliasville, and we're alone.
...
I haven't tried to use my angelic power in decades. If I did, it would be me recognising the part of me that is still loyal to Ilias, so I never did.
But if it's to protect Luka, then I have no choice.
Five-hundred years... Does any of it still even remain? I've felt it slip away over the years...
Hmm... Now that I think about it, I still have my skill with a sword. I don't need angelic power to beat such a low-tier monster like this one. If I could just find something sharp...
Lucifina looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. The slime approached in this time, her gelatinous body making waves on the wet grass below her. Luka looked at the monster, terrified of her odd appearance. He clung tightly to his mother, hoping that she would keep him safe.
"Oh? I didn't get a good look at you until now, boy. Heh, you're pretty cute, you know? You're a bit young for my tastes... But I'm sure Erubetie would like you. You should come with me and we can meet her together, alright?"
"Don't trust her, Luka," Lucifina said, not taking her eyes off the monster for a moment. "She wants to eat us. Stay close to me."
Luka nodded. He wasn't going to go anywhere near the monster anyway. He had already heard about how evil they were from the local villagers, so he knew to keep his distance.
Over there! That could work!
The Daystar told her son to stay put as she quickly dashed over to a nearby stick. It had a shard end, perfect for stabbing. The only issue was that stabbing through slime never worked, and Lucifina knew as much. Still, it's not like she had much choice.
I'll focus on her weak spot and destroy her core. Then we'll run back to Iliasville.
Lucifina stood bravely against the monster, positioning her son behind her. The monster smiled as she watched the woman point a stick at her. The meal in front of her was only looking better and better the more she saw of it.
The monster wasted no time in attacking. She sent a small wave of slime towards the human; its acidity was enough to melt through stone. The Daystar's instincts kicked in, letting her dodge the slime. She dashed towards the monster but was slowed down thanks to the wet surface. Slipping now would mean her certain defeat.
"I like prey that fights back." The monster said with a predator-like smile. "It makes you taste all the better."
Lucifina ignored the comment. Throughout her lifetime, she had been teased quite a lot by monsters. It never had any effect on her, but that didn't stop them from doing it anyway. "Luka, do you know how to get back to Iliasville from here?"
The boy tilted his head in confusion. "I think so," He muttered. "B-but I'm not going to leave you!"
"You will do as I say!" Lucifina commanded. "Go back to the village and tell them there's a monster nearby. They'll send the guards here. You wait at home for me to come back, okay?"
I'll just have to hold out until they arrive.
"No way!" Luka said. "I won't leave you alone with her!"
Lucifina was about to retort but was stopped when she felt something touch her leg. A tendril of slime had reached her and was already starting to pull her in.
Damn it! I let my guard down! Ugh... it's been so long since I last had a real fight!
Doesn't matter; this is perfect. Once I get close enough, I'll...
The monster pulled the human close, her smile widening as she watched her struggle. She frantically grabbed onto nearby rocks or dug her nails deep into the dirt to try to stop it, but it was all futile in the end. Once she was close enough, she began the assimilation process.
Ouch! What the hell was that?
A stray rock hit the slime girl. Right in the eye, in fact. She rubbed it, her eyesight quickly returning. She looked around for the culprit.
And there he was, standing there, shivering both from the cold and from fear. He had a few more rocks, which he quickly began to fling at her. "Let go of her!" He shouted.
"I'll deal with you later!" She said. "Just be a good boy and wait your turn."
Then the slime girl felt something pierce her. She watched as her arms began to fall to the ground, the slime mixing with a puddle of water on the ground. The rest of her body quickly began to fall apart.
Lucifina stood proudly, pulling the stick from the girl's slime core. It was in bits now, so she threw it away. Thankfully, the slime was quite weak. Anything stronger than her would've been unaffected by such a weak weapon.
I should really save up for a sword. Anyway, we better get back to the village. We'll have to camp outside for tonight, I guess. Monsters probably won't risk coming that close to a human village.
"Come, Luka," Lucifina said, beckoning her son over. "It's time we go home."
It was almost inaudible thanks to the rain and thunder, but Lucifina could just about hear it. Her son was kneeling on the floor, tears streaming down his cheek. "I was so scared." He murmured while wiping his eyes.
"It's okay." The mother said, walking over to the boy and holding him in a tight embrace. "That scary monster won't hurt us anymore, okay? Come, let us go home."
She took the boy's hand, leading him back to the village.
I didn't know I'd gotten so rusty after all this time. Seems I'll have to train before I start to teach Luka anything.
"All seems well so far," Reaper said, leaning back and looking upwards. The void of Hades was as dark as ever and as empty as chaos itself. She knew it wasn't exactly a place somebody would traditionally call home, but she had grown accustomed to it. The visits from others like the White Rabbit and the Hero Luka helped to liven up the place.
"Don't jinx it." White Rabbit said. "It won't be long now. This is where everything changed..."
A blue slime moved along the wet grass. It's body rippled with the rain. She moved quickly, the darkness cloaking her approach. She could see her targets in the distance—a woman and a boy.
The older one is likely responsible for killing that young slime who came here. I will get my revenge in full.
In the distance, a voice could be heard. "It will be hard to find dry wood with all this rain. I don't think we'll be able to set up a campfire tonight."
The slime got closer. She could see them better now. A child, around five or six, with purple hair and a slim build, along with an older woman wearing plain clothing. The boy was being covered by a damp red blanket, clutching it closely.
They have no weapons and are alone. This will be simple enough.
Suddenly, the woman turned around, as though she had somehow heard the slime approach even through the thunder and rain. "Who goes there?" She asked.
She looked around but couldn't see anything.
I swear I heard something...
Maybe it was just my imagination.
A crackle of lightning crashed into the ground. Its light reached the pair, illuminating their surroundings. A blue figure was close, with a large red core and red eyes. She looked much more intimidating than the slime that came before.
"You are the one that slew my comrade, are you not?" The slime asked, looking the pair up and down.
Lucifina remained silent. Her body would've been shaking in fear if it weren't for her iron will. She calmed her breathing, trying to process the information. The monster before her was strong; even without her angelic senses, she knew that.
She might even be queen class... What should I do now? Luka won't run off alone, no matter how hard I try to convince him. He didn't last time, and he won't now.
Then we have two options. One: We run back together as fast as we can to Iliasville and hope for safety inside. Or two: we fight back and try to kill her.
...With what? A stick?
The Daystar cursed herself for not saving up enough to buy a sword. Some steel would certainly improve her odds. Even still, she had the same skills as when she was a seraph. But a swordmaster without a sword was nothing.
Then we have no choice. We have to run and hope she doesn't follow us into the village.
Lucifina slowly picked up her son, keeping an eye on the monster all the while. Once she had him secured, she began to back away slowly. The monster raised an eyebrow, a smile crossing her face. Lucifina was annoyed by her apparent amusement.
"Running away is futile." The monster said. "I, the Queen of Slimes, Erubetie, will enact revenge."
Luka clung to his mother tightly as she started to run. The sound of her ragged breathing and rain pouring was all that reached his ears. The boy opened one eye, looking behind him. The monster was following, catching up quickly.
The former seraph ran as fast as she could, being sure to avoid any bumps in the ground or rocks that she might trip on. Carrying her son slowed her down a little, but she was still quite fast. The Queen of Slimes, however, was faster.
A tendril snatched her leg, causing her to fall. Luka fell from her hands, rolling out onto the grass. She was pulled violently and quickly. She used every ounce of strength she had left to stop it, but it was meaningless in the end. When she tried to use her angelic powers, nothing happened. It was all gone.
Reaper and White Rabbit said nothing. Neither of them felt like watching this for any longer than they had to. Closing her eyes, White Rabbit simply skipped past the scene. She had seen much worse in the past, but it was not something she would voluntarily put herself through.
"So what was Erubetie doing there in the first place?" Reaper asked, looking away from the orb.
"She heard rumours of a spring near Iliasville and decided to check them out for herself. Then, due to bad timing, all of this happened." White Rabbit explained. Reaper nodded.
The orb shifted to a few minutes later. Luka had been knocked out by the fall. She sighed as she began to pay attention to the scene once more.
A purple-haired boy rubbed his head as he rose. He had clearly hit something, but he didn't know what. The memories came flooding back to him as he looked around.
M-mother! Where are you!?
Nearby, a scrap of clothing could be seen, along with a pool of blue slime. He walked over to it, holding it in his hands. It belonged to his mother, Lucifina.
Where did she go? And what happened to that slime?
"Oh. You are awake."
The boy screamed, startled by the voice. Erubetie approached him, her face was as neutral as ever. "Your mother is dead." She said bluntly. "She killed one of my fellow slimes, and so I took revenge. She tasted quite nice, for a human at least..."
Tears reached the boy's eyes as he heard the words. "N-no!" He shouted. "Y-You're lying! She's not dead!"
"I can assure you she is. But that is not what should be concerning you right now, little one. You should be thinking of your own life." Erubetie pointed out. She looked the young child up and down, a faint smile appearing on her face. "Hmm… I suppose I could keep you instead of killing you. You are not to blame for your mother's sins, after all."
"K-keep me?" Luka started to back away from the slime. But in his fear, he accidentally tripped over a stone. He fell into a shallow puddle, the water staining his clothes. He frantically crawled backwards, keeping an eye on the monster as he did.
"Running away… How bothersome." Erubetie, deciding not to play with her prey any longer, used the nearby water to bind the boy. She approached him, pleased with the prospect of him being her new toy.
Tears continued to flow down Luka's cheek. Fear had consumed him. He could hardly even think. However, in this moment of desperation, he saw a light in the darkness.
He closed his eyes and began to pray.
Please, Goddess Ilias, make all of this stop. D-don't let this monster hurt me or my mother anymore! I'll do anything!
Erubetie tried to teleport the boy to her spring but failed. No matter how hard she tried, it just wouldn't work.
What is going on?
A ray of light, puncturing the clouds and dark sky, fell upon them. The thunder died out, and the rain stopped. Erubutie looked up.
A figure of light could be seen. Large, angelic wings at its side, but missing the classical halo. Erubetie recognised the sight. She prepared for battle.
Luka, on the other hand, stopped crying. When the gentle light fell on him, he smiled. The Goddess had answered his call.
Within moments, the monster was gone. A bolt of lightning struck her, turning her into a puddle of water on the ground. Nothing else remained of the Queen of Slime's. This clone of her, at least, was gone forever.
Luka looked in awe as the goddess descended. Regaining his composure, he kneeled before her. He closed his eyes, a pang of fear hitting him as the goddess landed on the surface.
"Rise, my child."
Opening his eyes, the boy looked at the goddess. Her appearance was just as the statues depicted; her beauty radiated off her. But what surprised Luka the most was her smile. It was a gentle, comforting one.
"I saw everything, young Luka. This monster, a child of Alipheese, killed your mother, Lucifna." Ilias said.
He nearly collapsed at the mention of his mother's name and the confirmation of her death. "But I am here now, my child. In your last moments, you prayed to me, begging me to save you. This is why you lived and your mother did not."
"M-my mother… she didn't pray to you in the end?" Luka asked.
"No. If she did, she would still be alive. She's always been so defiant." Ilias covered her mouth, stopping herself from saying anything further. Thankfully for her, Luka didn't seem to hear that last part. "Ahem. Anyway, I will give you a choice."
"A choice…?"
"Yes, my child. A choice. You can either stay down here and the surface and eat scraps in that village of yours to survive, or you can come with me. I do not mind. I will take you in, young Luka." Ilias offered.
"N-no way… the goddess herself would take me in...?"
Ilias smiled. "I would." She said, offering a hand to the young boy. "I will save you from that fate, the road that your mother sent you down. Come with me, child."
Luka was still confused, hurt, and sad. But when the goddess offered him a hand, he took it. Ilias brought the boy to her home. For the first time in centuries, a living human was in heaven.
"Ilias saved Luka? It wouldn't be her first time." Reaper commented. "Did she really just watch as Lucifina was dissolved?"
"Well, she didn't actually watch it happen, but she didn't stop it either. If Lucifina had prayed to her at that moment, I bet she would've saved her. But here we are. Her stubbornness to defy Ilias has caused her own death and her son's future to be forever changed." White Rabbit explained.
"So... if Ilias took him under her wing, then he would've had a completely different upbringing... Combined with his mother dying to a monster... Do I even need to say it?"
"...Let us see what happens."
A tail swept through an empty hall, attached to a golden-haired monster. Figures could be seen in the distance, running the opposite way of the kitsune.
Cowards... But I cannot blame them.
None of them would stand a chance against him.
Memories of her first encounter with the man played in the kitsune's head. He had shown up in Yamatai one day, completely unannounced. A string of attacks had happened before this, on villages like Plancest and Port Natalia, but none compared to the damage in Yamatai. The purple-haired Hero slew most of the monsters living there.
Most had fled to Hellgondo. News of his presence in Sentora spread quickly. Eventually, he somehow found a way to the monster continent itself. Now, Tamamo No Mae, the current Heavenly Knight of Earth, had to find a way to stop him from reaching the Monster Lord's Castle.
But it was already too late. He had been getting closer and closer as time went on. Mass desertion had led to a heavily weakened army. Nobody wanted to face this Hero of Ilias. Even Graberia was scared of him.
As soon as Alice got back from her journey around the world, he appeared. He is the picture-perfect Hero of Ilias.
...I am a coward. Instead of standing my ground in Yamatai and attacking him with my true form, I fled. I knew I could not face him alone. Now, the other knights are here, along with Alice.
...Even with that much power, will it be enough to take him down?
Tamamo opened the grand doors, revealing the Monster Lord's throne room. Granberia sighed upon realising it was just her, dropping her guard in response. Erubetie was standing close to her. Almost all of her clones were dead at this point, thanks to the Hero. Tamamo knew this one was her last.
The kitsune was pleasantly surprised to see Alma Elma, the Heavenly Knight of Wind, standing guard. In all honesty, she half expected the succubus to just fly away. A modicum of respect was earned by her show of loyalty.
It doesn't matter anyway. We are in the end times now. Ilias has finally found the Hero she's been searching for. But why? Why is this one so exceptional? He has no spirits to increase his power, nor does he have monster blood. He shouldn't be this strong.
...Unless he has angelic power. It would only make sense for a Hero of Ilias to have such power... But how? Could it be... Is the human actually her child...?
Hah. As if Ilias would allow herself to do something like that. Even after all these years, her pride is as high as ever. Her having a child with a human would be absurd. So what else could it be?
"Tamamo!"
The Kitsune suddenly kneeled upon hearing the voice. It was a reflex for her, something she had done so many times before. "My lord." She said.
Alice slithered down from her throne, eager to hear what news the kitsune had brought. Her excitement was dashed when she saw her face. "W-What happened?"
"...All our attempts to stop him have failed. Even the biological weapon was destroyed. My lord, I believe you should leave. We are your knights. We are the strongest monsters alive. We can deal with a mere human like this one with ease." Tamamo said reassuringly.
Alice was unconvinced. "Where would I even go?" She asked. "There is nowhere left safe from him."
"...Do you remember that spell I taught you long ago? The isolation one?" Tamamo asked. "If you used that, you could stay there. Nobody could touch you. Not even Ilias."
Alice shook her head. "You are a fool if you think I'd run like that. I will help you fight him. I am the Monster Lord, the last living blood of Alipheese. I will slay this human and save monster kind."
"But Alice—"
"That is an order," Alice said. "I will stay here and help you all fight."
...Damn it.
"I am honoured to fight alongside you, my lord," Granberia said. Alice faintly smiled as she looked at the knight.
A thunderous crash could be heard in the distance. He was getting closer.
He's already in the castle. Damn it.
Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any.
The doors were pushed open, and a surprisingly small figure stepped out of them. His purple hair was familiar to the kitsune.
No way, is that... Heinrich?
No, it couldn't be. But that hair colour... His descendant?
I didn't get to actually see him in Yamatai... He looks just like an angel... He even has the halo.
The boy walked closer. His features were more prominent as he stepped into the moonlight shining through a nearby window. He was wearing white. A lot of white. Ribbons floated around his legs and arms, similar to what the Seraphim used to wear back in Tamamo's day.
Everything about him reminds me of angels. And that weapon doesn't help either.
Contrary to Tamamo's expectations, the boy was not using a sword. Instead, a large, holy-looking spear was in his hands. The hilt's design reminded her of an angel's wing. But the most prominent thing on his body was the magical holy wings coming from his back, along with a single, burning eye. Holy power was coursing through his body and overflowing from him.
There is no doubt about it now. Ilias has given him some of her power.
The spear scraped along the floor as he approached. The knights got into position around their lord. Granberia and Tamamo took the forefront, with Erubetie and Alma Elma on the sides. Alice stood proudly in the middle. "Before you die here today, human. Tell me, what is your name?"
The boy stopped moving. He looked up at the monster. "...Luka." He muttered. "My name is Luka."
Alice nodded. "Then... Luka, the last Hero of Ilias, you shall die here tonight. Afterwards, all of that pseudo-goddess's religion shall be wiped out once and for all."
Luka did not answer. He started to move once more, as though he were possessed by something else. He picked up the spear, now holding it in both hands. "You are Alipheese Fateburn the Sixteenth... The Goddess has told me a lot about you. I'll get revenge for all the humans you've killed!"
The Monster Lord raised an eyebrow. "You have killed far more humans than I have." She pointed out. "Just look at what you did to Ilias Kreuz... And here I thought they would've been your allies."
As Alice talked, the Hero looked at the group in front of him. He looked from left to right, his eyes widening when he saw a certain blue slime.
When their eyes met, Erubetie began to recognise him. "No way..." She murmured. "That's... You're that boy from the Ilias continent... But, how—"
Before she could continue, the Hero moved. A spear was flung straight into her core, destroying her in an instant. It smashed into pieces, the Queen of Slimes dying in a matter of seconds.
And then the fighting began. Granberia had little time to process the situation. Before she knew it, she was face-to-face with the Hero, moments away from cutting his head clean off. She thought he would be rendered defenceless without his spear, but a blade seemingly appeared from mid-air in his hands. It stopped her sword from going any further.
Tamamo's jaw dropped as she recognised the glimmering blade of light. She knew who it belonged to.
That's... That's the Sword of Heaven. How the hell does he have it!?
Luka and Granberia went head-to-head, both of them using their skills against one another. Their respective mastery of the blade was clear as the swords clashed. However, Luka was faster. His attacks only got quicker and quicker as time went on. Eventually, he managed to cut into her chest. Then he went for her legs. When she missed a parry, it was all over.
Tamamo was too slow. She had already used Words of Dispel in an effort to save the knight, but it did nothing. Luka kicked off the ground, dodging the ferocious claw attack that came from Tamamo No Mae. A sudden punch in the back caused the boy to fall to his knees. Alma Elma was enraged. The Hero rolled away, gaining some distance from the duo.
Alice sent spell after spell at the Hero in an effort to stop him. He was now fending off three monsters at once and was quickly being overwhelmed. But not quick enough. Tamamo was running out of time. She used every spell she knew, but the Hero was somehow always able to deflect them. The wound he gained from Alma Elma seemed to have already healed, an ability she had never seen before.
He can even heal instantly too!? What the hell is this kid made of!?
Alma Elma's rage consumed her. Pleasure was not something this child deserved. Instead, she used her martial arts to their fullest capabilities. Luka was surprisingly adept at dodging them, seemingly knowing them off by heart. The emotions had taken over her body, causing her to make a mistake. The Hero capitalised on this, using the opportunity to step closer.
The Sword of Heaven cut through the succubus's gut. It was pushed deeper and deeper, a pool of blood appearing on the ground below her. Luka retracted the sword just as quickly. He had two more to deal with now.
Two tails came rushing after him. One from a snake, and one from a fox. Instead of deflecting them, he ran. He dashed over to the other side of the room, picking up his spear. When he looked back, Tamamo was much shorter. Her time was up. Everything had happened exactly as the Goddess told him it would.
The rest was easy. They held on for a while, but they could not compare to his power. Ilias had blessed him long ago and trained him to perfection. By placing his trust in Ilias, he had been shown the true path to saving humanity and getting revenge. Once the Monster Lord and the Ancestor were killed, only the sealed ones remained. He and Ilias planned to defeat them together, one at a time.
Tamamo was on her knees a while later. Luka had already dealt with the Monster Lord. He decided she was unfit for such a title. In the end, she started to beg for her life, an unseemly display. Disgusted, he made her death quick. He did not want to look at her for longer than he needed to.
A grand display of light filled the room. A single tear went down Tamamo's cheek. She knew this was coming. Surprisingly, Ilias did not laugh. Instead, she began to walk on the surface, approaching her old enemy with a smug smile. She placed her hand under her chin, forcing her to face her.
"I won." She said, her smile widening ever so slightly.
"I... I don't even know what to say." Reaper muttered. She didn't want to look at this any longer.
White Rabbit got the message, shutting the orb off. "...It was important for us to see." She said. "Not every possibility is pleasant. Luka becoming Ilias's Personal Hero was a real possibility."
"Normally I would ask about what happened to Promestein and Black Alice but... I don't want to know. Let's just move on."
Reaper sighed as she stood up. White Rabbit frowned as she watched her walk away.
Well, I guess we should do something a bit lighter next time...
