Luka awakened into a white room, lying in a bed. His head was spinning, while his body was painful and heavy. He was covered in bandages and could barely remember what happened for a while. He shifted around in hope of lessening the pain, but nothing seems to work.

"You're awake."

He looked at his side and saw a concerned Alice. She had her arms crossed, and didn't seem particularly distraught. Good, at least is predicament wasn't catastrophic…

"What happened?"

"Well, the Lilith Sisters had prepared a trap to poison you when you entered the arena, before you started fighting Heinrich. You attacked each other like madmen, and then, in the middle of your fight… You remember Sun Wukong?"

"That monkey we saw in the Demon Cow Queen castle?"

"Herself. She randomly decided to intervene in the fight between you and Heinrich, which created a three way battle between you, him, and her."

Luka repositioned his pillow. "What a mess. Attacked by one of Black Alice's lieutenant when I fight my idol. Can't get messier than that."

Alice cringed. "Actually, it got worse." Luka looked at her in confusion. "A group of monsters infiltrated the coliseum and joined the fray. Apparently, they included some monsters we fought who were now out for revenge. We managed to beat them back easily. In the confusion, Morrigan arrived and incapacitated you when you were about to kill Heinrich."

"…Morrigan saved Heinrich? From me?"

Alice slowly nodded.

The hero pushed a lamenting cry. "I can't believe it. We're indebted to Morrigan. For saving Heinrich from me. We owe her a favor because her sisters poisoned us. How-. What-. WHY?"

"Mephisto made it clear that Morrigan could not be held responsible for the actions of her sisters, and that we're thankful to her to have prevented a tragic death, but also that we are a bit wary of their antics. She will have to get her favor approved by you, Sonya, and Mephisto herself, and as such, she won't be able to push her luck." Alice shivered. "She said it was not a problem, and that she'd still find a way to make it worth her while. In the meantime, she's back to residing at the Pocket Castle, Mephisto pretty much gave up on teaching her manners." She shivered again. "It took a lot of convincing to keep her away from this room and Heinrich's. She said she wanted to be a better succubus, but... nobody is buying it for the moment."

Luka scrambled around on his bed. "Why couldn't it have been Heinrich and me getting her indebted to one of us. And where is he, by the way?"

"He's in the room next door. Pretty much in the same status as you. " Alice sighed. "Alicetromeria is with him right now, she's filling him on what happened while foregoing the most awkward details." She cringed. "We managed to conceal Sonya's true nature to herself for several months, I don't think forgetting a little detail on what happened will be a problem."

The hero tried to sit straight, but collapsed after barely a second.

"I feel like every one of my limbs got broken, glued back on, broken again, then healed for good."

"That's… pretty much what happened during the fight."

Luka groaned "So much for being a hero. At least all of this is over. I can't forget it fast enough."

Alice grimaced once again. "You still have your fight with Alma Elma for the final."

Luka exclaimed himself in surprise, and needed several seconds before he could form a coherent sentence. "What? It isn't cancelled after this mess? Wait, how did they even choose me as a winner in the first place? Nobody won anything on that one!"

She looked at the dumbfounded hero. "Heinrich called in quit, saying this is not his era to shine, and that he acknowledges you as the one who is more powerful. Nobody wants to contradict a legendary hero. Alma Elma also intervened and said she was fine as long as she got to publicly humiliate a hero." Alice chuckled darkly. "The queen shares her regret. But, as she said, even if it was the end of the world, the coliseum had to remain open, or everyone would raise hell through Grand Noah. The fight has been moved by a day to let you recover, but…"

Luka pulled up a pillow over his head. "This is a nightmare." His voice continued, albeit muffled. "Wake me up when the world ends."

Someone knocked at the door. Alice pinched the bridge of her nose as her sense already picked on the nature of the newcomer. "What is it Alma?"

By the time the door was opened, the succubus queen was already straddling the sheets covering Luka's form."

"Luka boooooooy-"

The hero grumbled, his head still covered by the pillow. "Damn it, Alma, I'm really not in the mood right now."

The succubus took a falsely disappointed expression. "Dawww…" She shifted her hips a few times on top of the bed. "…And if I do this?"

Luka threw the pillow at the succubus. "Hey! That was mean!" She smiled devilishly. "Or… do you want to play it rough?"

"I am trying to rest here! Didn't you see how my fight turned out? I feel like you're going to shatter my pelvis at this rate!"

"Oh I wasn't there. Mephisto had me sent on an errand because she was afraid I would influence the fight and try to make it more entertaining… For a certain fringe of fans that is." She raised her hand to her mouth. "And besides, I can feel you getting all excited under this cover… Don't you want to have fun with me?"

Luka gave Alice a pleading look. The latter decided to step up to her (theoretical) subordinate.

"Alma Elma. You should leave Luka alone."

"Oooh, is it an order?"

"No, just a few facts." Alice looked at the succubus queen, straight in her eyes. "If you exhaust Luka now, your fight will be either pushed back, or he will not live up to your standard. Do you want people to say the Succubus queen is a coward who exploited the hero when he was weakened? Or do you want them to watch your sexual skills in awe as you dominate him?"

Alma Elma pondered the situation for a few minutes. Luka was still waiting for his fate under her.

"Mmmh, you're right. I will wait for this moment. I want to be sure everyone see the hero giving in to me." She got up and exaggeratingly swayed her hips as she made her way to the door. She blew a kiss to Luka just as she got out. "Until then, keep yourself for me!"

The duo sighed in relief as soon as the succubus queen closed the door.

"Sorry Luka, I only delayed her for a while."

The hero was still lying, looking at the ceiling. "Why do they all want to suck me dry…" He turned toward Alice. "Still, thank you Alice, at least I'll have time to recover until then."

Alice smiled warmly. "You're welcome." She climbed on his bed. "And besides, I'm already here to keep you company."

Luka exhaled loudly in despair. Alice coiled around him, but apparently didn't want to go any further. Oh, well, he could at least enjoy some warmth.

A few days later, the final match of the Coliseum finally happened. Luka faced Alma Elma for the third time. And for the third time, the hero was victorious over the succubus queen, as the latter was focused on violating the hero directly, and had foregone the use of any other skill. Her single minded strategy had cost her the victory, as the hero had no difficulty attacking her each time she came in range to try having her way with him. In the end, Luka was to be crowned the undisputed champion of the coliseum at an upcoming ceremony.

At the end of the event, while the population at large was reassured by the hero's prowess, the resentment against monsters had barely decreased. The sudden intervention of a group of wild monsters did not do any good toward mending the relationships between the two groups. Even if they proved no trouble for the residents of the Pocket Castle, the harm was done. The fact that they just spontaneously decided to attack the coliseum and were not driven by another group made the situation worse, as it was taken for the proof that monsters at large where chaotic, evil, selfish rapists.

The council that organized the events was not fully happy with the result, and regretted that Alicetromeria had basically nuked their leader. If the latter was still alive, she could have been able to personally apologize and help the situation move forward that way, but her death only had left a few survivors who were at a complete loss over the situation. They were placed in custody with the intent to protect them from the population's anger.

Eventually, the closing ceremony was carried out. Luka was acclaimed in front of everyone as the hero who would save the world from the Monster Lord's mad schemes. The hero felt awkward as he knew the truth, but thinking deep down that revealing it could only worsen the situation, he had wisely chosen to remain silent in front of the crowd. He was awarded by Freya and the Grand Noah Queen with a cup that was specifically crafted for the occasion: Several different figures of humans and monsters from different species were supporting a bowl that seemed to always smoke. It was supposed to represent the ability of the world to carry the future by being united, but the message was barely acknowledged by the population.

Heinrich was in the back row when the ceremony happened. A part of him wanted to step forward and to congratulate Luka, but another wanted to scold him for his desire to get as close to monsters as possible. Eventually, he found himself unable to walk toward his great grandchild. As the population cheered his descendant once more, he silently stepped away, unnoticed.

He wordlessly made his way to the tavern. Once he arrived, he silently sat down with a drink in the midst of passed out people. The stench was unbearable for anyone with a sensitive nose, but the legendary hero had too many things on his mind to care. Alicetromeria had explained him that they were drugged in a frenzy before the fight by some ill natured monsters, and then that several monsters, including one of Black Alice's lieutenant had tried to kill them before they were eventually saved by Alicetromeria herself and Morrigan, somehow. Then, she disappeared before the ceremony because she had "a few things to fetch back home."

Hours passed and the sun left to make way for the night. Heinrich didn't notice the door opening to let enter a hooded figure. He was too deep in contemplation in front of his drink to really care. He looked up as he felt a shiver ran down his spine. At that precise second, several questions and emotions mixed in his mind: that person had stood her for several seconds, she was definitively surprised to see him here, she was definitively a she, she was definitively dangerous. He fell unconscious in a split second as her fist connected with his temple several times.

Lilith rapidly put on her cloak as she heard someone knock on the door hurriedly. As soon as she opened, she was greeted by a dazed Heinrich. He was held upright and magically restrained and gagged.

"Ta daaa! Look what I found in the tavern!" Astaroth stepped in the room with her prize.

"Oooh, nice! We finally manage to get a hero! Nobody did see you?" Lilith closed the door as soon as her sister stepped in and got rid of her coat.

"No, everybody is focused on Luka right now." She threw him on the bed as he was starting to awaken. "Sooo… Who shall go first?"

"Please, you are the one who brought him in." Lilith started wallowing on a chair. "Besides, don't you want him now when he's so full of energy, ready to resist? I will have my way with him after, when he will need a tender big sister to sooth him."

"Mmmh?!"

"Great! Thank you!"

Heinrich's binding suddenly disappeared. Before he could do anything, however, Astaroth had jumped on top of him and started taking his armor apart in frenzy. The hero was trying to resist, but had difficulties because of pheromones that were starting to take hold in his mind. The succubus stopped midway, and repeatedly sniffed at the hero's neck.

"Wait… There's something unusual about his scent."

Lilith shrugged. "He's Luka ancestor, it's to be expected."

"That's not it… I can't tell if he had sex with Black Alice or not…"

"MMH?!"

"Ah, never mind, let's get started!"

Astaroth resumed her stripping of the hero, with the latter desperately struggling to prevent getting molested. He was done to his undies when the red haired succubus stopped to lick her lips.

"Oooh, you're getting excited! This is going to be a feast!"

Someone knocked on the door from outside. Both sisters looked at the door. Astaroth was just annoyed by the interruption, but Lilith was looking concerned. She got up of her seat with a prepared spell as she made her way to the door.

"There's no room service at this hour. It's Black Al-"

The door suddenly exploded inward, throwing Lilith back in the room. Astaroth got up and tried to jump at the intruder with her fist raised, but got knocked back by a huge purple tentacle. Before she could react, it wrapped around her waist and started draining her energy. She imbued her fist with ice and struck the offending appendage repeatedly until it shattered.

Alicetromeria slithered in. Her lower half was transformed in her monstrous form, and her smile was more insane than usual.

"Good evening ladies. It appears you might have taken something from me that I hold dearly to have your fun at our expenses." She took a look at Heinrich who was conveniently unconscious in his underwear. She proceeded to cast a shield on him. "I made sure the inn was empty, and then locked it so that nobody could hear or see what happens inside and I-." The red haired succubus lunged at Black Alice once more and got blasted back by a small nova for her trouble. "Didn't your mother teach you it was rude to interrupt people? Succubi can be so brash sometimes…" Her tone was the one of a mother scolding a child. "Where were we… Oh, yes, no witness, no risks, I have no reason to hold back." She deployed more tentacles while preparing several spells.

Astaroth and Lilith looked at each other. They hadn't brought in their best equipment when they came to Grand Noah, and the enclosed space did cut off any perk their mobility would offer. Dissipating the shield put into place around the inn would be impossible with Black Alice attacking them. Their chances were not looking good.

Alicetromeria gradually filled the space available in the room with her tentacles. Spells started flying from both sides, blades of wind met supernatural thunderbolts while the Monster Lord relentlessly progressed toward the succubi.

"Kaiser Phoenix!"

A huge wave of fire blasted the succubi and every room in the inn. A powerful explosion shook the place, as the sudden heat violently ignited all the alcohol present in the inn. The shield surrounding the inn slowly dissipated as it contained the power, but nothing had escaped the area affected.

Lilith swore under her breath. How much spirits did those idiotic humans stocked in this place to create that explosion? The purple haired succubus looked around her. Her sweater was torn apart, exposing her to the elements. She could feel the wind, but she was too weakened to call on its power anymore. Worse, she saw Black Alice had managed to shield herself and was now smiling at her.

"Curse!"

Lilith felt a wave of pain take her. She could no longer cast any of her spell. She started crawling toward Astaroth. Her sister was lying on her back, unconscious but alive. They'd need more than that to kill the Lilith Sisters. Still, she could hear the psychopathic Monster Lord slither slowly behind her, a predator enjoying her prey trying to escape before the final strike. The irony of her situation didn't escape her as she kept trying to escape. Maybe she should show more mercy for her next victim. A few harpy feathers randomly whirled in front of her. Not wanting to push her luck, she grabbed her sister and used one to get back to the castle. As they disappeared, Alicetromeria grabbed back her teddy bear with a tentacle.

"It was a good idea to let them escape, wasn't it Beary? It is better if they're staying alive for now, it will be funnier when we will meet them again to play more. Ufufufu."

She looked around her. She started mumbling for herself.

"Now, let's clean everything quickly… I'm a good girl, I tidy up when playtime is over. Ufufufu…"