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"Speaking, or in-text quote"
'Thoughts'
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Year 16 AL, Receiving a Beating
'Well, I'm glad that went pleasantly enough.' Luka thought as he walked down the dirt path, a grin on his face as he listened to some birds chirping overhead. 'Maybe it's just a matter of finding what works best in calming down Monsters. Let's see, Lime was fine with fish, so maybe I can do that with other slimes. Melk couldn't be reasoned with, I need to figure out what might please Slugs. That last one... What did she say she was? Oh, yes, a Mandragora!' Luka paused, stopping in the middle of the trail. "Oh, darn!" He said, putting his hands on his hips. "I never got her name, that's awful-"
"How in the Hell did you do that!?"
The purple-haired boy screamed at the sound of Alice's voice, falling onto the path below with a thud. With a groan, he rubbed his forehead, pushing himself back up off the ground into a kneeling position. He looked behind him, seeing a very perturbed Alice standing behind him, arms crossed. He got up to his feet, wiping dirt off of his clothes while he turned to face her.
"Oh, hello Alice..." He said as he gazed at her, a question of his own on his tongue. "...Where did you go? You kinda just, vanished?" The Lamia shook her head, her white hair swishing back and forth. "If you're getting into a fight with anyone, it's none of my business. Remember, I'm just following you. Now," She pointed an accusatory finger at him, "How did you negate the Mandragora's Song? You should've been paralyzed!"
Luka frowned in confusion, "Paralyzed?" He questioned, his head tilting innocently. "I don't remember that happening." Alice put a hand on her face, covering her eyes for a moment before looking at him again.
"Exactly, her 'singing' was supposed to freeze you, Luka. That way, she could drag you underground and rape you." The purple-haired Hero recoiled in shock, his blue eyes staring at Alice disbelievingly. "R-Really? Wow, I-I didn't even know. I mean, she did seem a bit too flirty, but..."
Alice sighed, cutting off the boy's stammering. "Your good will is misplaced, Luka. Just because a Monster is friendly doesn't mean that they have friendly intentions." She closed her eyes while she slithered forward down the path, continuing her explanation. "Most Monsters are taught from a young age the importance of finding a mate and are taught various techniques to capture one. They can be harmless, using basic seduction and offering themselves at first, but most will end up using force if it comes down to it." Luka listened to her talk, following as she passed him to follow the path.
"Is it really that bad?" The boy asked, his face troubled. "By the way you talk about it, it seems as if Monsters have simply gotten used to taking such drastic measures. Do they not see anything wrong in that?" Alice shrugged, offering her insight. "Well, think of it this way. As said before, finding a mate is instinctual to us; however, there are only so many available Humans to mate with. So, many are desperate and have to do what they can to get what they can. And on top of that, they have to protect what they have from other Monsters as well, as some aren't above stealing men away from their fellow Monsters."
The boy considered Alice's words carefully, his mind feeling conflicted. 'That sounds horrible. If those urges are as strong as Alice claims, then Monsters must truly suffer from there being so little... eh, company to go around.' He shuddered a bit at his own innuendo, not entirely comfortable referring to it even like that. 'None of that excuses the terrible methods they use, but I can't fault them for their desperation. There has to be a way to solve that, but I have no idea what that would be, especially when so many Humans want nothing to do with Monsters in the first place.' He sighed, the battle in his mind not having any clear winner.
"You still haven't answered my question about the Mandragora, don't think I've forgotten about that." Alice butted in, breaking Luka from his thoughts. The boy nearly tripped on a hole in the path, earning a grunt from the boy. He groaned, his eyes scanning the ground as he replied. "I'm being honest with you; I don't know how I would've done that. She screamed, and it hurt a bit, but I was able to move just fine." He focused on something on the ground that had caught his eye, dashing over to it in a hurry. Alice watched him, her face twisted as he sprinted ahead some.
'He couldn't have simply ignored it, that isn't possible. Is he hiding something? He doesn't really seem like the type to have nefarious secrets, though...' The Monster Lord couldn't reach any clear conclusion on the matter, deciding to put the thought away for now. Her golden eyes observed Luka as he picked up a thick stick, the limb as tall as his shoulders. "What are you doing?" She asked bluntly. Luka smiled, holding up the plain-looking stick with an odd amount of pride.
"I gotta walking-stick!" He proclaimed, lifting it up off the ground a bit. The Lamia just stared at him, her face showing her lack of understanding in the boy's excitement. Pulling at his hair, the boy tried to muster up an explanation for his embarrassment. "W-Well it's crucial for traveling! Or at least that's what I was always told growing up! They're great for walking and... uh..." He waved a hand at the questioning Monster, "...Well, it's just useful to have on hand."
"...Uh-huh..." Alice said simply, following the boy as he put the stick to good use.
Cherub Wormiel lay in her pit, silently basking in the light gleaming in her slice of the Heavenly realm. The Angel thought she deserved it after having to sit through another useless Ilias-centered meeting. The only real pleasure she had gotten from the gathering was the opportunity to gaze upon the visage of Luka with her very own eyes, a rare pleasure indeed.
She closed her golden eyes, bringing the sight of the Prophet to the forefront of her mind. 'Ah, how much I pine for the day we meet. You will do nicely by my side when everything is said and done.' She thought, feeling her legion of red worms wriggling over her. So far, things have gone quite well for the Cherub. She had her own little congregation now that all but two of the higher Levels of Heaven had joined her budding ranks. The first who hadn't, was Domian Endiel, whom Wormiel didn't care for as that particular Angel was not suitable for her following. The other was Throne Eggiel, who was very openly pro-Ilias, helping to supply the Goddess's army with soldiers. If anything, Eggiel was one of her top targets when she eventually did turn on Ilias.
The Cherub chuckled at the thought, 'Well, no matter. The others I have under my guidance will be enough for now. All that we need to do is continue with our rituals and wait for our opportunity to come.' Wormiel opened her eyes, sensing a familiar presence enter her Level of Heaven. Rising up from the pit, the blonde Cherub waited until her right-hand Angel, Ranael, appeared.
The crazed-looking Archangel immediately dropped to her knees, prostrating deeply towards her new-found 'Goddess' Wormiel. "Greetings, my Mistress. I hope I am not disturbing you." The blonde Cherub slowly rose out of the worms, her naked body coming to the edge of the deep pit. Ranael kept her eyes down as Wormiel's unwavering gaze fell upon her. "Not at all, Ranael. Tell me, what is it that you need?"
"It is nothing I ask for, but the others want to know something." She lifted her head a bit, her rust-red eyes meeting Wormiel's golden ones. "They want to know when the next Oblation will be..." The Cherub grinned, delighted to hear that her flock had taken so well to the first gathering so much that they were already wishing for another.
"Tell them not to worry, Ranael, the next gathering will come soon. But we will need to pace ourselves after that; if we do them too frequently, Ilias would be sure to realize what is happening and come for us all. We need to space them out and give each one time to settle." Wormiel chuckled, "Do tell them that their Goddess does appreciate their enthusiasm, though. They should take great pleasure in letting go of their inhibitions."
Ranael nodded, "I know I did, I can't wait until the next one..." The Archangel shook, her body seeming to convulse just at the thought. "...It was the second-most pleasurable sensation I have felt before." The Cherub raised an eyebrow, curious at her right-hand's comment. "Second-best? Do tell what you hold in higher praise?" The question caused the teal-haired Angel to vibrate even more harshly, the answer barely able to leave her as she closed her eyes.
"Luka, he f-felt better. M-Much b-better."
The Cherub openly laughed, placing a hand on top of the Archangel's shaking head. "That is understandable, Ranael. I know how much you treasure that moment, I'm sure it was as beatific as you say it was." The Archangel fiercely nodded her head, unable to let out another word as her excitement grew. "And just imagine," The Cherubim drew closer to Ranael's head, her mouth coming to the Archangel's ear. "When this World is mine, he will be too. So all of us will be able to indulge in him, however we want. After all, it is not only I who will be needed for the Repopulation Plan. I will require your help, along with the others as well."
Ranael moaned shamefully, unable to keep the noise from coming out of her mouth. "M-M-My Mistress... May I b-be excused? I-I... I find myself in n-need to i-i-i-indulge in my flesh." Wormiel smiled, letting go of the Archangel's hair and backing away. "Of course, Ranael. Go and fulfill those desires of yours. Your Goddess commands that you do so."
Ranael disappeared instantly, leaving the Cherub alone once more. Wormiel slunk back to the middle of the pulsating mass of worms, sinking back into the conglomeration of writhing creatures once more. She breathed in deeply, letting the creatures crawl over her once more.
Cupid flew with reckless abandon, bow-and-arrow clasped tightly in her hands as she drew closer and closer to Heaven's Gate. Having just finished her rather successful conversation with one Dominion Endiel, she was ready to return to the surface World and put her own plans in motion. For, while having a kindred spirit in the higher-leveled Angel was certainly a plus, Endiel didn't necessarily have the same freedom of movement that she did. So, actually finding Luka will be a responsibility for the Angel of Love to take on.
'Not that I mind,' she thought. 'Just means I get the first slice of that pie!'
The smile Cupid had faded, though, when she arrived at Heaven's Gate. She stopped in front of the large door, watching as the golden visage of the former Cherub herself came to life. Cupid fought to keep the grimace off her face as the Angel's green eyes opened to look down upon her. "Ah, the Angel of Love. I haven't seen you in a good while. Were you suspended for public masturbation again? That's what the others have told me, you know." The Gate bluntly said, an innocent smile on her face. Cupid's eyebrows bent down, a rare burst of anger coming from her.
"I am not under suspension! I have just been otherwise occupied! Now, can you let me go? I have very, very important business you attend to." The Gate Angel's half-lidded eyes became amused at the lower Angel's frustration. "Now, now, Cupid. We all have our short-cumings in life." The Angel of Love shook in anger at former Cherub, hearing the painful pun quite clear.
"Can you- would you- J-Just open the damn door already!" Cupid exclaimed. The Gate Angel obliged with a mocking smirk, opening the exit of Heaven quickly. The Angel of Love quickly dashed into the portal with a quick "Thank you!" as she jumped into the swirling portal, descending down to the planet below.
Exiting on the other side, Cupid hit the floor shakily, almost falling over at her own speed. She steadied herself, straightening her dress. Under her breath, the Angel immediately started mumbling to herself. "Stupid doormat Angel, 'Were you suspended for public masturbation again?' Can't she mind her own damn business!?" Cupid said, mocking the former Cherub. She sauntered away, unaware of the fact that the door behind her was still open, allowing another Angel to jump through. The white-haired Valkyrie was the Angel in question, the determined-looking woman landing hard on both feet as she flew through.
The sound of the impact caused Cupid to whirl around, surprised by the sudden noise. The Archangel before her stood straight, her blue eyes meeting Cupid's pink ones right away. A faint breeze swept across the top of the ivory tower, blowing both Angel's hair and loose clothing to the side. "Greetings, Cupid." Valkyrie said curtly, bowing her head a bit in a sign of respect. The Angel of Love, however, did not return the action. Instead, she crossed her arms underneath her chest, fixing a questioning gaze on her friend.
"Okay, cut to the chase here, what's been up with you this morning?" Cupid glanced away, rolling her heart-shaped pupils. "Don't tell me, Ariel sent you to tell me how much of an embarrassment I am to the cause?" The Archangel surprisingly shook her head at the statement. "No, I came to you out of my own fruition." Valkyrie said simply. Cupid raised a brow, not having expected such a thing. She asked, "What, so another one of your check-ups, then? I know I've been stuck in Heaven for a while, but don't get me started on-"
"No, that's not why I've come to you either." The cutoff surprised Cupid somewhat, the blonde now noticing a troubled look in her fellow Angel. She began to approach the Archangel, a rare but genuine look of concern in her eyes. "Well, what is it, then?"
Valkyrie sighed, grabbing at her right arm with the left, walking up to Cupid with slow steps. The Angel of Love became confused as her friend walked past her, coming to the edge of the tower of Heaven's Gate. Valkyrie's forlorn form stood rigid at the edge, looking down at the expanse of foliage surrounding the Navel of the World. Cupid, feeling somewhat lost, walked up to stand next to the Archangel.
"Soooo..." Cupid began, uncertain as to how to deal with the clearly bothered Angel. "...Are you going to tell me why you wanted to speak to me?" The white-haired Angel bit her lip, her fists tensing up as she did. The Angel's blue eyes bore down as the uncertain question came out of her mouth. "Cupid... when did you first have..." She swallowed, regretting the question even before she finished.
"...Urges?"
Cupid didn't answer, a wicked smile coming to her face as she put two-and-two together. She slapped a hand onto the Archangel's shoulder, "You have no idea," She said, a quick giggle coming from her throat. "How proud I am right now!"
Valkyrie huffed, pulling away from Cupid's grip to face her fully. "This is serious, Cupid! My feelings, they are a sin! But I can't get them out of my mind. Ever since I first saw Luka, I can't-" The Archangel froze, realizing her mistake all too late. Cupid squealed, latching onto the white-haired Angel with a tight hug.
"Oh, by the Goddess, you have no idea how lucky you are to come to me now! I can't believe it, this is awesome!" Valkyrie, with some effort, pushed the Angel of Love off of her with a huff. "Lucky!?" The Archangel asked the smiling Angel. "This has nothing to do with luck, this is horrible, truly horrible! Someone of my position, as an Archangel..." Valkyrie put a hand on her chest, "...Is not supposed to have such sinful thoughts! If anything, I should be dishonorably discharged! I-" Cupid cut off the Archangel with a loud laugh, causing Valkyrie to look on with confused distress.
"Now, now..." The Angel of Love wagged a lone finger at her friend. "...That is where you are wrong, Valkyrie! Lusting isn't a sin if it is for Luka. Allow me to explain..." The former War Angel scoffed at Cupid's words, dropping her gaze to the ground as she crossed her arms. However, the Angel of Love was unfazed by the behavior. She took a step closer to the Archangel and tilted her head as she leaned down, forcing Valkyrie to meet her gaze.
"...For you see, Luka isn't Human. Is he?" The white-haired Angel uncrossed her arms, not sure what her friend meant. "Cupid, of course he's Human. He has Marcellus's blood, after all." The Angel of Love jumped excitedly, putting a hand on each of Valkyrie's shoulders. "Yes, but Lucifina was not! So Luka is only half-Human, then. You see what I'm getting at!? That must then mean that he is the exception to the rule."
Valkyrie's eyes widened at Cupid's words, now understanding what the Angel of Love meant. "Cupid, you aren't..." She paused, feeling odd at the pace her heart began to beat. "...You aren't planning on doing things with the Prophet, are you?" Cupid smirked; finality written on her face.
"This is my only shot, Valkyrie. My one chance to feel things I've been wanting to experience for a loooong time now." The Archangel was put on the spot by the proclamation, taken aback by Cupid's determination. Valkyrie always knew that the Angel of Love was a bit too scandalous by nature, but she had hoped that such things would eventually fade in time. However, it seemed that if anything, Cupid had doubled down on her perversion.
Valkyrie took a step forward. "You really are planning on doing such a thing. Cupid, do you know what that means, right?" The Angel of Love silently stared at Valkyrie for a moment, before steeling herself.
"Yes, yes I do. I'll admit, I know there's a fifty-fifty chance that I'm wrong about this, but I can't ignore my desires anymore. I'll go crazy if I do, I just know it." Both Angels regarded each other with silent stares, Cupid trying to gauge Valkyrie's reaction while Valkyrie remained stonefaced as her mind whirled at Cupid's words. The Angel of Love spoke up once more, "So either you can join me and find out what we're missing out on, or you can stop me and have me thrown out of Heaven as an embarrassing failure of an Angel. That's up to you."
The newest Archangel felt the air around them tense, the ultimatum causing her to grow nervous. One on hand, Cupid absolutely was being a mutineer at this point. She was purposely going out to at least bend, if not break completely, one of Ilias's Commandments. It was sinful, it was deplorable... And yet...
...The Archangel felt herself starting to understand where Cupid was coming from.
Confused thoughts ran through her mind as she weighed the logic. Even if Luka was only half-Human, he certainly was still included in the group, right? No Intercourse with Humans was a very clear law, so he should be barred from intimacy as well. However, he was also half-Angel, which was not forbidden in the laws of Ilias. Did that, then, truly mean that he was an exception? Or was Cupid just fooling herself, searching for any excuse to indulge in sinfulness?
And even more importantly, what did Valkyrie believe?
The Archangel closed her eyes, those memories of the first night she had become aroused coming up again. Angels weren't supposed to have sex, and yet Lucifina had seemed quite able to do so from what Valkyrie had seen. Not only had it been possible, but it also had looked exciting. Was such a thing really something she and all the others shouldn't be able to experience? What really was the harm in such a thing?
Even more so, if they weren't supposed to indulge in such behaviors, then why had Ilias allowed Lucifina to do so and birth a child in the first place? If it really was such a terrible thing, Ilias should have made it impossible for them to do it. In fact, why would it even be physically possible, if they weren't allowed to? Why give them the means to mate, if they would never need to?
'Unless,' she thought, a curious thought entering her mind. 'Maybe that's why Luka was allowed to be created in the first place. Maybe, he was created for us...' Valkyrie's blue eyes snapped open at the idea, the notion causing her heart to throb uncontrollably. 'After all, what else would there to be done after Ilias wins over Monsters? Will the Prophet ascend to Heaven to live with us? If so, what better way to celebrate such a victory than to finally be able to... to...'
The same image of Lucifina's face from that night all those years ago came to her mind again. Yet, this time, the Archangel didn't force it out of her mind. This time, she imagined how it would feel to be in her place instead...
"So," Cupid's voice broke through the silence. Valkyrie looked towards the awaiting Angel of Love with conflicted eyes. "What'll it be, Valkyrie? Are you wanting to go get a piece of the Prophet with me, or are you going to spoil my fun?"
"Hey, I think I see Iliasburg now!" The voice of the purple-haired Hero shouted out through the woods. Luka pointed forward through the thicket, a smile on his face as he proclaimed his finding. Slithering up behind him was Alice, who followed his gesture with interest.
"Finally, I'm growing tired of all this hiking." She complained, looking up into the sky. The Lamia noted that the sun had actually started to set now, its golden gleam less pronounced than it had been hours earlier. "That Inn better still be selling its Dango, or somebody's going to get an earful from me. After all these hours of moving, I need something sweet." Luka couldn't help to agree, his own stomach somewhat restless at the thought of honey-filled treats.
"Well," he said, "I'm sure they sell it for as long as the Inn is open, I can't imagine there being a time-limit for those when the place is open night and day." Alice huffed, a pout growing on her face. "Yeah, but we would've been here quicker if you hadn't kept stopping to look at stuff on the sides of the road."
Luka took offense to the comment, "Hey, there were some very interesting things in those ditches, you know. Sometimes, it pays off to take your time." The Monster Lord didn't seem to agree, as she scoffed at his argument. "I find that getting to where you need to go is much more mind-numbing than actually being there. Which would you think I'd rather be doing: Getting sores on my tail trying to go down this backwoods trail with you or eating World-famous honey-filled desserts?"
The boy hummed, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. "If you had taken any of the walking-sticks I had pointed out on the way, you wouldn't have such soreness!" The Monster Lord rolled her golden eyes at the boy's singsong tone, not appreciating the unintentional jab at her misfortune. The due fell into silence, simply following the path as Iliasburg drew nearer and nearer. Luka peered at Alice from the corner of his eye, watching the Monster for a moment. For once, her face seemed somewhat relaxed despite her complaining. She wasn't all smiles, but not annoyed either.
'I'm glad for that, at least. Though I think I'd rather see her smile a bit more. I hope we can work on that.' He glanced back at Iliasburg, a troubling thought coming to his mind. 'I haven't been here in so long, but I'm willing to bet that if the people here are anything like everyone back home, they won't react very well to Alice slithering around...' He turned to Alice once more, "Alice, I'd hate to ask, but are you able to disguise yourself in some way? I'm afraid the people of Iliasburg may not be very welcoming to you once we get there."
The Lamia frowned, "Disguise myself, do you mean take a more Human form?" Luka, trying to seem understanding, replied carefully. "I don't like to make assumptions, but if the town is on the Ilias Continent, then I figure getting in might be a tad bit difficult for us. After all, if we're wanting to get that Dango you wanted, it'll be a lot easier if we don't have the whole town in a fuss." The Monster Lord sighed, seeing the boy's point.
"I suppose you're right. I'd rather not risk missing honey-filled goodness, that's far too precious a commodity." The Monster stopped in the trail, her body starting to morph. Luka watched in amazement as the Lamia's tail shrunk more and more until it split and shifted into boot-covered legs. Alixe's skin also turned peach, making her completion more Human. Now, she looked completely Human. "There, is that better?"
Luka looked the now disguised Monster up and down, appraising her for a moment. Alice became confused, though, upon seeing a frown start to grow on his face. She searched her body, wondering if there was something she missed. Finally, when finding everything where it was supposed to be, she looked to him for an answer. "Why are you looking at me like that? It's rude to stare, you know." The boy jumped, looking away immediately once being scolded.
"I-I'm sorry, it's just..." He kicked a small rock down the path, continuing on without facing her. "...I, uh, forgive me if I'm being rude. I just think you looked prettier- uh, better before." Alice looked down at the shorter boy, taken off-guard by his confession.
"Erm, Thank you?" The Monster Lord said, not quite meaning to frame her response as a question but found it difficult to take the compliment from him. An awkward silence fell on the two as they walked down the path. Alice watched the boy purposely walk faster, seeming set on keeping his face away from the Monster Lord's gaze. 'He really prefers my regular appearance over this Human form? That's peculiar...' As strange as it seemed, Alice found herself feeling proud at this new-found knowledge.
The sun that had been overhead before had started diminishing in the sky as evening began took over midday. The Prophet and the Monster Lord had made good progress, making it to the city's entryway with no issue. In fact, there was a strange lack of issue completely.
Luka raised an eyebrow at the fact that they were able to just waltz through the large marble arch into the town. There seemed to be no guards; stranger yet there were no citizens either. Heck, there were no people, at all. "Where is everyone?" Luka muttered out loud, even his soft voice carrying in the air and reverberating off of the marble buildings. Alice stood by his side, her golden eyes scanning their surroundings with similar confusion.
The two made their way deeper into the town, the apparent lack of any Humans all the more pronounced. A scattered wind blew through the buildings, a hollow whistle ringing throughout the streets of stone. The feeling that something was very wrong started to take root in Luka's heart. 'Is there something I'm missing here? It's as if everyone just got up and left.' Luka opened his mouth to ask Alice if she had any clue as to what was going on, but a faint shout echoed through the air.
"HYAH!"
Luka froze, the scream being followed by a clashing of metal. Behind him, Alice perked up, recognizing the voice all too well. She looked down at the boy, almost feeling pity for what he seemed to be up against. 'Oh boy, you're in for it now. Talk about being out of your element.' She thought as Luka turned to her. He exclaimed, "You heard that too? It sounds like a battle!"
'More likely a curb-stomping, given who's here right now.' Alice thought absent-mindedly. She watched as Luka dashed towards the 'fight'; her eyes gleaming in curiosity for how this encounter would go for the boy. As she followed, she could only think about how this inevitably would take a turn for the worse for the young Hero.
After a few moments of running, the boy came to the central plaza in the middle of the town. Residing in a large open space in the center of what should be the focus of what should be the bustling city was an oddly looking circular fountain. The water source had three steps, which led up to its raised base. The water itself still sprayed upwards majestically, despite the lack of suitable onlookers. Something about it tugged at his memories, reminding him of the time he had come here as a kid. However, he couldn't focus on that at the moment due to what was currently standing in front of the marble-carved fountain.
Or rather, who was standing before it.
Luka quickly ducked behind a tree lining the stone roads, trying to get a better look at the towering figure standing just a couple of meters away. On the woman was an assortment of armor-wearing guards. There were easily over a dozen of them, and they all seemed to be rendered unconscious. Only three of them still valiantly stood across for their attacker, however, they all seemed worse for wear as their armor was either sliced up or dented in various places. Luka noted how it seemed that the woman had avoided actually inflicting them with any fatal wounds.
But that did little to ease his worries, as a quick once-over led him to realize the reasoning for the woefully uneven match-up.
One of the first things one might notice wasn't even the woman herself, but the ridiculously large steel sword currently stuck into the ground beside her. Judging from the cracks in the ground around the grounded blade, it seemed as if the Monster herself had simply decided to bury it in the ground instead of sheathing it. Luka's eyes traveled from the sword to the woman, tensely taking in her features.
She was a Dragonkin, that much was obvious when seeing her large tail and reptilian scales. She wore armor plates on her front, but the rest of her body needed no such thing as her bright green scales more likely than not provided such protection fine enough on their own. On her shoulders were plates as well, which a long purple cape with gold trim fell from. The last piece of black armor was on her head, which helped to keep her short but fiery red hair out of her face. Speaking of, the Dragonkin's face was scarily ferocious, her yellow eyes boring into the group before her with a look of superiority. Judging from how she hadn't seemed to even work up a labored breath, the notion seemed justified.
Luka's mind raced, as he regretfully believed that he knew who this Monster was. After all, there wasn't exactly a huge number of sword-bearing Dragon Monsters. Even he had heard the rumors of the Swordmaster. 'It has to be, there's no doubt in my mind. This is one of the Monster Lord's Heavenly Knights, Granberia.' Luka nearly felt himself get sick at the realization, knowing in his heart that he was painfully in over his head right now. This particular Monster was known for her unmatched skills in swordplay, completely outranking any Human by a landslide.
"How boring." He heard Granberia call out in contempt. "Is there really no one worth battling in this entire city?" The purple-haired boy grimaced at the comment, knowing himself that the skill gap here was towering. Certainly, none of the regular guards here could stand a chance. This was plain enough to see by the beaten soldiers left fallen on the ground, let alone by the three terrified-looking ones standing before her. None of them could even hold their weapons still, let alone put up a decent fight.
"Oh man," Luka whispered, feeling his body shudder involuntarily as he whispered to himself. "This is insane. What is she even doing here, just attacking this place by herself?" Judging from how the Humans were faring, it didn't seem like a very difficult feat. "Wh-What should I do? I can't take her on, surely." Luka hissed as he continued to watch on from behind the tree as the Dragonkin seemed to get mad. He looked over his shoulder, a bit disappointed that Alice had seemed to disappear once again.
"Well, are any of you going to step up, be a Hero and all that? I don't have time to play games. Either face me or run! I have a city to take." Granberia said tersely, drawing the boy's attention back to the tense stare-off. The comment seemed to actually ignite a fire in one of them, the man glaring darkly at the Heavenly Knight.
"D-Damn you, beast!" Luka watched as the man drew his sword, charging forward. Granberia's yellow eyes homed in dangerously on the man as she quickly yanked her sword out of the ground, casting bits of rock into the air in a cloud of debris as she did. The second of the two soldiers, an older man, ran to join him. He unsheathed his sword with a yell, "We won't let you take this city, Monster!"
The Dragonkin gave a light smirk as she steadied her blade, "That's the spirit." Luka watched as the already mighty blade suddenly burst into flames, hot tongues of hellfire licking at the air in front of her. The flames seemed to glow brighter than the fading sun, engulfing the surrounding area in an eerie red glow. The younger man at the front of the charge attempted to swipe at the Monster, but she vanished before he could even get mid-swing. In the next moment, the man was cracked in the back of his head, the blast from the guard of her now none-alit sword knocking him out completely as he fell face-first onto the stone below.
"Much too slow..." She said, disappointment clear in her tone as she watched the older man double down in his charge, raising his sword high in the air for a downward swipe across the Monster's back. Granberia simply peered over her shoulder and lifted her sword up and over her back with ridiculous speed. Her blade met his, a loud metal clang echoing in the air. "Good form, poor strength." She said simply before something truly horrifying happened. Her sword came to life once more, the bright red light of the flames illuminating the two before the older soldier was promptly flung away from her, skipping across the stone ground some odd meters away.
Luka fiercely tugged on his hair until it hurt, anxiety rippling through his body. Compared to Granberia, two of the three soldiers there were nothing but child's play. These were fully grown and assumedly well-trained men. Yet, they were falling like flies. Luka watched on in mute horror as Granberia began to stalk up to the third soldier. Her long green legs gave her gait alarming speed, coming up to the shaking man with just a couple steps. However, such a thing would not be necessary as the man yelped, turning away to run from the frightening Monster. Granberia simply watched him leave, not giving any pursuit. "A wise choice, there's no sense in drawing that sword if you haven't the heart for it."
Luka clenched the fist, looking on in dismay as the Heavenly Knight was practically gifted the city on a silver platter. He flinched as the Monster whirled around, scanning the buildings surrounding the plaza. "Is this all Iliasburg has to offer? Nothing more than a whimper as it falls to a single Monster!?" The boy shook, having an awful feeling that there truly was no one left to challenge her...
...Nobody but him, that it.
There wasn't much else of a choice for him, was there? He's not just a Hero, he's a Prophet. Ilias's own hand-picked Savior of the World. The weight placed on his shoulders was a burden he had to carry. That's why he was there, wasn't it? To bring peace, to save lives. This Monster, even if she woefully outmatched him, wasn't someone he could just watch take over. He couldn't just run now, he had a journey ahead, a goal in mind, a dream to make a reality! If he was going to do what everyone before him couldn't, then he had to face danger head-on!
Despite the inspiring thoughts, he violently shook as he took very small strides to leave the sanctity of the tree he was hiding behind. Granberia hadn't noticed him, her yellow eyes still searching the buildings of people barricaded away in fear. She started to slowly revolve, looking away from his general direction to look for any last-minute challengers.
The setting sun's yellow-red glare cast a thin light on the boy as he continued on into the heart of the plaza, arriving at the fountain. He took a sideways glance at the water, seeing his own terrified face in the reflection. He looked back to Granberia, the Dragonkin facing away from him completely now as she stopped turning. "Fine," She said, "Then this city is now mine." Luka stopped two meters behind her, the Monster's form dwarfing him even more than Alice did. Luka was practically vibrating now as he shook harder than a loose leaf in a hurricane. It was now or never. He breathed in and out slowly, calming his body until he got into a more relaxed posture.
"Y-Yo!" He choked out, the sound of his own small voice causing him to flinch in embarrassment. The Monster stopped dead mid-step, her swishing back and forth slowly. Silently, Granberia's head began to twist, turning until her large and piercing yellow eyes practically pinned him to the ground with their intensity. However, her eyes lost their edge once she gazed upon him. She said nothing at all, as a limp and nervous smile came to Luka's face. He drummed his fingers together, trying to work out some of his anxiety. This was somewhat difficult, though, as his heart pounded aggressively in his ears. A feeling of dread overcame him, as the boy opened his mouth to speak.
"Eh, erm, h-hey." He said weakly. The Dragonkin started to turn, her body facing him fully. "I... I have to ask you to please not take and conquer this city? I would uh, would really rather you not... If you don't mind." The Monster seemed lost at the bizarre request, watching him continue his plead. "N-Not meaning to offend, I very much do respect you and your t-talents with the blade, b-but I just th-think that if we can solve this without fighting that w-we should do so. Does that sound good?" The Heavenly Knight of Fire tilted her head some, peering down at the sword the boy carried on his right side.
She gripped her own sword tightly, raising it upwards. Luka recoiled at the sight, watching as she leveled the blade down and pointed towards him. "If you have the guts to, you should take out that sword and fight like a true warrior. If not, get out of my way." Luka fought the urge to do so, standing straighter as the ominous form of Granberia gazed down at him. He took quick breaths, pulling his left arm over to his right side to grip the handle.
"O-Okay..." He said putting a death grip on his sword. 'Suppose I don't have much of a choice, then. I hope Alice isn't watching, this might get ugly really fast.' He thought with a frown on his face. He tensed up his form, pulling the sword out and holding it up to meet the Monster's own weapon. Everything about her dwarfed him from her stature to her power, but he couldn't back down now. If he couldn't reason with her, then he had to fight her.
Even if it ended up getting him killed.
"Good..." She said as she lowered her yellow-eyed glare at him, "... Now prepare yourself! You're fighting Granberia, the Heavenly Knight of Fire!" Luka felt himself grow sick but forced the bile back down his throat. With no warning, the Monster threw a vicious horizontal swipe towards him, an attack he could barely find the reaction time to duck. However, soon after the attempted cut came her tail, which came in low and fast to trip him off of his feet! His legs were caught by the attack, causing him to land face-first onto the stone below. His skull harshly tapped against the jagged ground, a cut opening up just above his left eye.
Quickly fighting through the pain, the boy rolled away just in time to avoid one of the Dragonkin's feet stomping where his back had just been at. He rose to his feet in a hurry, feeling blood start to fall down to his eyebrow. Granberia looked him over, "To dodge two of my attacks, even if they were weak, is an impressive feat. However, simply dodging won't get you far." She suddenly pushed off her back foot, charging at him with great speed. Meeting her challenge, Luka wildly swung from his left side to the right, meeting...
...Nothing at all.
Again, in front of his very eyes, the Dragonkin disappeared as if she had never been there at all. He very abruptly felt an elbow dig into his back, causing the boy to fly forward. He rolled, a cloud of dust following him until he tumbled into the fountain's edge right shoulder first. Luka's mouth opened wide in pain, a silent scream coming out as he felt his body shake in pain. Hearing the Monster approaching, Luka desperately started to force himself to stand. Blood was actively pouring into his eye now, hampering the vision in the left eye. He heard the Monster charging, but he was too slow to even pick up his sword, only quick enough to turn as Granberia's sword flew towards his left side, aimed at his ribcage.
He flinched but felt nothing. The Dragonkin's sword stopped centimeters from cutting into him, a strike that surely would have killed him. The Monster retracted her blade, a fierce look on her face. She pulled back, standing straight to look down on him. "I give you credit for being able to do more here than what grown adults in this Village seem too cowardly to even attempt. But that," she said, stressing the word with a nodding of her head. "Would have been your end if I was being serious, boy." Luka rapidly wiped at his left eye, clearing his vision just by a little bit as he fought to steady his breathing.
'This is bad, I'm only still alive because she decided not to kill me...' Shame at having been spared in mid-battle by his opponent aside, the boy leaned against the fountain's edge warily as the Monster watched. She then closed her eyes, something akin to pity in her voice. "For someone as young as you having to fight me here is sad. Truly, this isn't much of a fair contest." She reopened her yellow eyes quickly. "If you have anything left in you, I'd suggest you use it to leave. There is no shame in someone at your level admitting defeat."
Luka gritted his teeth as a flare of frustration hit him, the comment feeling like a backhanded compliment at best. She wasn't wrong, but hearing it spoken so casually drove him to reach down and grip his sword tightly in his left hand. He rose, getting into stance once more, an act that seemed to raise a bit of amusement from the Dragonkin. "There you go..." She smirked just a hair, "...Show me some heart, boy." Luka put his right foot forward, resigning to the fact that he would need to use the technique Alice had shown him. It was a last-ditch effort, but he had to give it his all. He put his right foot forward, readying his guard. Granberia raised her own sword once more, her purple cap flapping behind her.
Luka slowed his breathing, calming himself in preparation for his probably final attack. He looked straight at Granberia, matching her intense gaze with one of his own. He opened up his mouth to utter a small whisper, the act causing the unseen ring on his finger to glow like before:
"Demon Decapitation."
Granberia's eyes widened in shock, her reptilian ears just barely being able to hear the name before he charged forward in a flash! The Dragonkin instinctually aimed a backhanded slash of her own to cut him off, but the diminutive boy was able to duck under it with ease. That was when something odd happened.
The now exposed Granberia, familiar with how the move worked, pulled back to evade the swipe that she expected to be made for her throat. However, that didn't happen. Instead of swiping from left to right, the purple-haired boy's sword thrust straight up towards her retreating face. The blade's trajectory was off enough to miss most of her head, but the sword's edge was able to barely cut into the Monster's left cheek. The rest of his sword passed by harmlessly as the boy fell into the aftermath of his attack with no real plan of escape now that he was practically pressed up against the Dragonkin.
Luka's face was similarly shocked, not knowing how he had actually landed the hit, and even more confused about how he performed it differently. He felt the same then as he did the other day when practicing it, so what happened? Did he mispronounce it? All he had seemed to do really was change the swipe into a thrust, but evidently, it had achieved something as the altered technique had granted him a hit on the Heavenly Knight of Fire herself! As it would be, the satisfaction he got from doing such a thing didn't last long.
Luka yelped, feeling Granberia's massive green tail incircled, and then squeezed him. His sword dropped from his hand, clattering on the ground below. He was suddenly turned and lifted into the air, his face brought right up the Dragonkin's, which now had a small trail of blood falling down it. He froze at the sight, for the Monster now seemed to be pissed.
"Who taught you how to do that!?" Luka stared innocently at Granberia, trying to find a way out of his now precariously predicament. He stammered, "E-Erhm... I-I'm self-taught?" The Monster narrowed her yellow eyes at him, no amusement to be seen at his comment.
"That, I can believe from your stance alone. However, you couldn't convince me that you just simply learned that technique on your own and then had the quick-thinking to change it right at the last second in order to hit me." Her grip on him tightened, forcing a gasp from the boy's lungs. "Who showed you how to do that, BOY!?"
Grimacing in pain from both the Monster's vice-grip and shout, Luka ran through his options quickly. He could simply spill the truth then and there, but he hesitated in doing so. Alice had seemingly trusted him enough to teach him the move, so it felt wrong for him to give her up so easily. Especially considering who it was that was asking, as the Heavenly Knight was not someone to be trifled with. Alice seemed strong to him, but he didn't necessarily know if she would be in danger if he gave her name out. Either way, his heart told him not to betray her anyway. "S-S-Self taught, j-just like I said!" The Dragonkin's glare turned into a smirk, oddly enough. Her tail's grip loosened a bit as she looked him over.
"Ah, I see. Your loyalty to this person is exceptional but woefully misplaced. Fine, If you won't give them up, then I suppose that I'll just have to use you to send them a message." She began walking over to the fountain, Luka in tow. He swayed back in and forth along with the Monster's stride until they reached the steps to the large basin. "I despise using my sword against the weak, but the way I see it, you have to be either a follower or an apprentice to a Hero to know such a technique." She held the boy aloft horizontally; his view of the World being twisted sideways. He watched in horror as Granberia raised her sword, the flames coming to life once more. "And as such, you need to be disposed of."
Luka felt the World around him slow down to a halt as if everything had come to a standstill. He watched Granberia's sword go higher, about to come down on his head, and stain the fountain of Iliasburg with his blood. He closed his eyes, not wishing to see his end coming. Then, he heard the strangest thing.
"Granberia, why are you being an idiot?" Luka's eyes snapped open at the familar voice, his gaze looking back at the Heavenly Knight. Her face looked as petrified as he surely had been moments ago, as she stammered out her next words.
"M-My Lord!" The Monster said as she released her grip on him, which gave his lungs a moment of relief. However, it was a very brief relief as the boy fell head-first with a thud against the edge of the fountain. With that, he was knocked unconscious.
Oh man, almost twenty chapters in already. And to think, we've only really skimmed the surface. I hope my interactions between Luka and Granberia here is adequate. I wanted to change it up just a bit, but not too much. While we are diverging in many ways right now, I don't want a whole lot to be super different this soon. I apologize if that makes this seem like a straight retelling, because it isn't. I just like to talk a brisk walk on the beaten path before running through the forest. That, and I want to take time in growing Alice and Luka's relationship a good amount before all Hell breaks loose.
If there's any confusion, I just want to say that the ring's glowing is something Luka is subconsciously doing. Since Luka had already tapped into his power to use on Ranael before those powers got sealed, the seal itself had already been weakening since he got the ring from Lucifina. This will be an important plot point as we go along, so expect that his Angelic powers will "leak" more and more into his actions. If you're wondering, yes this means that the seal will be broken before meeting Ranael in Chapter 3. I won't tell you when, of course, but expect it to be quite the traumatic event.
Speaking of Ranael, I'm quite excited to continue that little 'B' Plot as it were. If you're a fan of the macabre, then keep an eye out for these little tid-bits because Wormiel and her group will hands-down be the most ruthless faction in this story. There's a reason why I'm focusing on them being the "Monsterous" Angels. Because that description is not just in the in-game context of Monsters as in Monster Girls. I mean, literal Monsters. When we get to Chapter 3... Well, I almost scare myself for what I have planned, let's just say that. If you aren't a fan of that kind of stuff though, know that I will provide sufficient disclaimers for those parts. Some of it will be hard to stomach, so I won't just drop it on you out of nowhere, I promise that much.
Nighthunter531: I'm glad you like that, I really want to lean into his more peace-loving nature here as it makes the situations where he has no other choice to fight more interesting in my mind. "Hesitant Hand" is a very purposeful wording I used in the summery, because that is what he is.
Guest: This story will have more of a focus on Alice and Luka, with sprinkles of other interest here and there as Luka goes along. Their relationship is the centerpiece here in my version of MGQ from Chapters 1-3. However, I do plan on going beyond the end of the original game. And when we get there, and Luka and Alice's relationship is finally official established... Well, we'll see. Though keep in mind that this whole project I have here is going to be very long.