There it is. The Forest of Spirits. Sylph's home.

Luka observed the large forest. He had travelled northwest of San Ilia to get here, as it was only a short walk away. The forest was just like how he remembered. Although, he did notice something different, an outcropping marred by fire. Dead trees could be seen, along with blackened grass.

Strange. I wonder what could have caused that.

The Hero shrugged and entered the forest. As he walked, he was careful not to step on the flowers along the path. Fairies were known for hiding in them when scared, and Luka decided it was better to be safe than sorry. After walking for long enough, he reached a clearing. There was a small hill, and on top of it was an old friend.

Oh, she's not in her fairy form.

Luka recognised the much larger sylph as her being in her alternate, more mature form. She wore the same dress as always, which surprised the hero. He approached the spirit carefully. Sylph's ears perked up as he got closer.

"Huh? Who are you?" She asked.

The spirit turned around and looked at the hero. "Hello, Sylph," Luka said. "My name is Luka."

The spirit scrutinised Luka's form as she stared at him. "And? I asked who you are, silly!"

"Oh, right. I'm a hero." He explained. "I've come here to form a contract with you."

Sylph listened to Luka, then looked him up and down once more. "You sure?" She asked. "I don't think you'd be able to do that..."

Luka frowned a little, unable to hide his annoyance at yet another person underestimating him. "Hmph. I'll be fine." He said.

"Well, if you really want to, I don't mind, but normal fight rules apply! If you lose, I get to do whatever I want~, understand?" She said.

Luka closed his eyes, sighed, and then nodded. "I understand."

"Alright, but before that, I need to make sure your heart is also worthy." She explained. "If I were to give you this power, you could misuse it." Luka nodded in understanding.

"Now, tell me, what are your goals?"

...What are my goals?

"I... I'm not sure." The Hero said. "I guess I want to protect humans."

"I want to protect everyone, actually, but seeing as humans are the ones being hurt the most..." He said. Sylph looked at him suspiciously.

"Hmm, and why do you need my power?"

"With your power, I can protect more humans. You know how powerful monsters are nowadays. And... I want to end this war." Luka said. Sylph nodded.

"Well, That's certainly ambitious. Still, it's good enough for me. But be warned: Should your heart wander astray and embrace wickedness, I shall swiftly vanish like a fleeting breeze." She said.

Since when did Sylph become a poet?

"I get it," Luka said.

"Very well. Hit me once, and you win." She explained. "If you can, that is!" Sylph giggled a bit before backing away from Luka. "Ready?" Luka nodded. "Then let's go!"

Luka drew Angel Halo. Sylph stretched her right arm out, then pointed towards Luka. Suddenly, a huge gust of wind flew at him. He cut through the attack. "Did you just... cut through wind?" She asked.

Sylph was bewildered by the display but continued the fight regardless. She cast a spell that gave her a large barrier of razor-sharp wind in front of her, protecting her from any attack from the would-be contractor. Luka sighed in relief once he saw the attack.

Phew, I thought she had some new moves. Thank Ilias; she still has no idea how to fight.

After a minute or two of the two staring at each other, Sylph tilted her head in confusion. "You, why are you not moving? C'mon, I thought you wanted to fight!" She said, annoyed.

Luka remained silent. Another minute passed with him standing still and her maintaining her spell. Luka noticed the spirit let out a sigh. He also saw a small bead of sweat fall down her face. "Hey, are you going to fight me or what!?"

Luka, yet again, remained silent. Sylph's anger continued to grow. "I'm no fool, Sylph. I think you should just give up."

"Hmph! So, you know my trick, huh? Well, It doesn't matter! I'll just change strategy." She said. The barrier of wind dispersed. Sylph began to cast a large spell. Luka waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually, he sat down, and after a bit more time, she was done.

"Now! Fall before my amazing power!" Sylph shouted as she shot a small tornado at Luka. He was surprised by its sudden appearance but simply jumped far to the side. The attack only managed to mess his hair up a bit.

"What!? No! That's...! You cheater!" She said. Luka's heart dropped when he noticed she was crying. "Uh... Sylph? Are you okay?" He asked. Sylph wiped her tears before responding.

"No. I'm not done yet! You're good, but can you survive this?" She asked.

Sylph rose high into the sky, summoning more and more wind into the area. Luka decided the fight had gone on long enough. "Now! Fall befor-" Sylph was interrupted when Luka jumped up to her, as she wasn't very high up in the first place, and slashed at her with Angel Halo. She was sent flying into the forest.

Sylph hit into a tree and fell to the ground. After a few seconds, she looked back up at Luka. "Ow, ow, ow! That hurt! You meanie!" Sylph said.

"Oh... Sorry." Luka replied.

Wait, what am I apologising for? It was a fight!

"Well, will you contract with me now?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Jeez, you didn't have to hit me so hard..." She pouted. Luka was glad to see the spirit was as he remembered her being, for the most part.

"Well, now you see my strength, right?" He said.

"I guess... Alright! Let's get going then! Here, take my hand." She said. Luka did as she said. She began to glow as she disappeared into him.

Same as usual. One down, three to go.

Alright, let's get going. Unless you want to say goodbye to your friends first, Sylph?

"Hm? What do you mean? I'll still be here. I can be in two places at once, you know? That's why we spirits are so incredible! Also, it lets me protect the forest from any attackers." She explained. Luka also noticed she had returned to her fairy form.

Oh, so that's what those burned trees were about?

"Yep. People from that human city sometimes come and burn parts of the forest down. I normally have to chase them away." She said. "In the last attack, they killed a few of my friends in the process."

I see... That's terrible, Sylph. Is there any way I can help?

"Hmm, not really. Unless you can convince them all to stop following that goddess of theirs."

That seems... difficult.

Luka started to walk out of the forest. He was now more confident than when he first arrived. The power of the wind felt familiar to him. He felt as though he could outrun a harpy now or keep up with Alma Elma herself.

"Woah. I've never seen someone with so much affinity for the wind before! Who taught you, Luka? It's like you've been using it for years!" Sylph said.

Oh. Really? I guess I've gotten pretty good over the years. I... trained with lesser spirits in my spare time. It was all part of my training to become a hero.

"Ah, I see! Very Impressive!" She said. "Hmm. I'm excited now! Maybe you really can change things."

...Thank you, Sylph. I think so too.

"No problem. Well then, It's nice to meet you, Luka."

Yeah, It's nice to meet you too, Sylph.

Before long, Luka had reached the exit of the forest. The sun indicated that it was midday now.

That's more than enough time to get back to San Ilia. Then, it's onto that storm issue.

The sun was shining brightly as Luka left the forest. The wind was calm and gentle. Animals were frolicking around the grass fields, and Luka was smiling. Meeting with Sylph had made him happier than he thought it would. He had light steps as he made his way along the dirt path.

After a few minutes of walking, Luka noticed a disturbance in the wind.

Huh... Is somebody... following me?

Luka turned around and saw no one. He had his hand on the hilt of his sword as he did. Eventually, he spotted the monster. She was hiding behind a tree.

"I see you, monster. What do you want?" Luka asked. He saw the Kitsune's ear perk up in surprise, and then she poked her head out and looked at him from behind the tree. Once she saw that Luka was looking straight at her, she went back behind the tree.

...Is she serious?

"Uh, Hello?" He said. The Kitsune did not respond. From here, he could even see her tails sticking out. Luka sighed and walked over to her. Once he got close enough, he spoke again. "I can still see you." He said as the kitsune tried to hide her tails behind the tree.

"No, you can't." She said.

...

"...Yes I can," Luka replied. "Nope! No, you can't! I'm hidden!"

...Haah...

Luka walked around the tree and went in front of the Kitsune. She looked at him for a second before pouting. "Damn it."

Luka was amused by the monster's behaviour. "So, what do you want? Why were you following me?" He asked.

"I'm not telling you. Lady Tamamo would kill me if I did..." She said. "Try as hard as you can, human; you'll never get it out of me!"

"So Tamamo sent you." Luka reasoned. The Kitsune looked surprised at first and then realised her blunder.

"Damn it!" The Kitsune looked annoyed as she jumped away from Luka. "I can't let you go now. If she were to find out that I... There's no way I can lose!"

What is it with Kitsune and accidentally revealing information? This is the second time now...

Luka watched as she drew a katana and pointed it at the hero.

She only has three tails and doesn't seem too experienced; does Tamamo not see me as much of a threat? Or are her kitsunes too busy? Well, it doesn't matter now; I'll take her down and move on to Natalia.

"Now, human, surrender before my incredible skill!" She said confidently. Luka drew Angel Halo.

This would be a good time to try out Sylph's power. I hope it's the same as always.

"Sylph, rage around as you please!" Luka summoned the Spirit of Wind, increasing his speed and agility greatly. With this, he could evade most attacks. The Kitsune didn't waste a second as she lunged at the hero. Her katana was repelled when Luka diverted the attack.

Once he did, he quickly swung at the hero, and thanks to the wind's assistance, he redirected the blade and hit her once more. The Kitsune took both attacks and was flung back. "Ahh! What the hell!" She shouted in anger.

She held her chest, which had two glowing cuts. Deciding to figure out what was happening later, she focused back on the fight. She took multiple kunai out of a pouch and threw them at the hero. Luka cut them all before they could hit him.

Deciding to press the attack, Luka jumped at the Kitsune, which was further boosted by Sylph's power. He attacked the Kitsune, but she guarded the blow with her arm. Still, she took heavy damage from the attack.

"Give up! Don't make me seal you!" Luka pleaded. The monster did not answer, instead, she readied her katana once more.

"Hmph. Do you really think you can take me down? You may be stronger than the average human, but without help from that goddess of yours, you stand no chance against us monsters!" She said.

The girl took a new stance. Her tails were straight, her eyes were closed, and her sword was ready. She launched herself at the hero at an impressive speed, while also throwing several kunai at him. Luka, choosing the path of least resistance, just blocked her sword. Four Kunai stuck into his chest, but he did not whimper.

His sword meets hers, but Luka easily overpowers the young Kitsune. He pushes her back, slices at her, and she falls to the floor. Luka then notices the pain he should've sensed earlier and slowly removes the kunai. It only takes a few seconds for the wounds to heal.

Tamamo was right. Meditation is like cheating.

Luka looks down at the Kitsune he was fighting. He noticed he had accidentally cut one of her tails in half.

"Oh... sorry." He said. The kitsune held her tail and looked to be near tears. She stood up, now seething.

"Look what you did!" She said. "My beautiful, fluffy tail... You'll regret that!" She shouted, quickly picking up her katana. She attempted to once again cut the hero but failed.

"No, bad girl," Luka said as he pushed the Kitsune down as she tried to get back up. "Give up already. I promise I won't tell Tamamo about this." He said as he kneeled down to her height.

The Kitsune looked into his eyes for a second. Eventually, she sighed. "Fine, I give up." Luka patted her on the shoulder.

"There we go. Alright, I'll be going then." He said. With that, he left the Kitsune.

I shouldn't have underestimated her so much; she was quite impressive for only having three tails. Tamamo taught her kitsune well, although her being alone was strange. If she really did send her to track me, wouldn't she have sent some others with her? Are the monsters under so much strain that this is all they can spare, or am I missing something?

As Luka began to walk back to San Ilia, he failed to notice the two pairs of eyes watching him from afar.

I should look around for more information on that storm. The local bar would be a good place to start.

Luka walked down the streets of San Ilia. The city was the same as the last time he had been there. There was still enough time left in the day for him to investigate this storm issue. After some searching, he found his destination. The bar itself was drenched in the smell of alcohol, which was unsurprising. He walked inside and over to the counter.

"Whad'ya want, kid?" The bartender asked.

Hmm, I guess one drink couldn't hurt. Though I don't have much money to spare, thankfully, I had some on me before I was sent here.

"Uh, just a beer, thanks," Luka answered. He was not the biggest fan of alcohol, but it was better than ordering orange juice. Again. The man handed him a glass. Luka looked at the contents of the drink with a nostalgic smile.

Due to my mother's blood, I have a heightened nervous system overall. This includes my sensitivity to alcohol. Heh, back when I turned nineteen, I had a few glasses. I heard Alma tried to 'take care' of me a few times. Thankfully, Alice was around...

...Alice... I'll get back to you soon, and everyone else too. But first...

Luka turned around on his stool. It only took him a few seconds to find what he was looking for. In the corner of the room, a group of sailors were wallowing. He finished his drink and approached them, but he was met with a chorus of downcast gazes. Each one looked more miserable than the last. One stood out, however. He was wearing an extravagant uniform, fitted with yet another crest of Ilias, marking him as one of her most loyal followers.

"Hmm? What is it, boy?" He asked. Luka figured he must have been a high-ranking captain based on his appearance alone.

"I wanted to know more about the storm, the one that's raging south of here," Luka said.

"What for? That cursed storm, it be wreckin' every ship we've sent out! No matter how clear the skies may seem, once ye venture into those waters, it materializes outta thin air! Many a ship, a dozen of me own included, have been swallowed whole by its wrath. There be nothin' we can do but pray to Ilias now." The Captain explained.

...Is he an ex-pirate or something?

"Out of nowhere... Say, when did these storms start?" Luka asked.

"A mere few days ago it was, and now we find ourselves cut off from any chance of receiving reinforcements, be it from the Ilias continent or anywhere else!"

It's just like what happened before with Alma Elma, but I don't have Poseidon's bell with me! And even if it does exist here, I have no clue where it is. But this storm is definitely man-made, or would it be better to say monster-made? And since succubi are the strongest with the wind, it must be one of them. But who? Minagi? Maybe, I'll need to look into this more.

"So, do you have any idea what's causing it?"

"Whispers and rumours abound, claimin' it be the handiwork of the evil god herself, while others point fingers at them cursed succubi," the captain revealed, his voice as loud as always. "But truth be told, nobody truly knows the source of this accursed storm, 'cept for those brave souls who ventured into its wrath and never returned."

Nobody returns? This monster must be highly dangerous, and I'm probably right about her being a succubus. If so, then how can I stop her? She's probably killed around a hundred humans by now at least; I can't let her continue!

Hmm, Succubi need human energy to live, and she is using a lot to make this storm, so then, she must be refuelling somewhere. Luna told me that the Ilias continent is completely under Ilias's rule, and nowhere is safe for monsters, so she must be going somewhere nearby with humans. That leaves Natalia and San Ilia.

"Have any dried-up corpses been found recently?" He asked.

"Huh? Here? In San Ilia? Nay, ye'd be mistaken in thinkin' that. San Ilia be a bastion protected from those horrendous monsters. Our holy knights, the best of the best, be slayin' monsters every day. With each victory, we edge closer to reclaimin' the lands they've taken!" He said. His friends, or crewmates rather, joined in for a small toast at the end of his speech. Luka decided he'd heard enough, and took his leave.

Well then, she isn't killing anyone here, or if she is, she's doing a good job of hiding it. In all likelihood, she's probably feeding at Port Natalia, or whatever it's called here, although that sailor did mention Iliasport. Are towns really that old? Or are these two ports special? Well, before I go to Natalia, I should check on Luna.

Luka walked further down the street. Eventually, he reached the church in which Luna now lived. Once inside, he approached one of the workers.

"Hey, do you know where I could find Luna? She's around eight years old, silver hair, brown eyes." Luka asked.

"Oh, her. Yeah, she should be in the library." He said.

"Thanks."

Luka walked down the hall and took a left. Inside, he found a room filled with shelves upon shelves of books. At one of the tables in the room, a young girl was reading.

There she is.

Luka made his way over to the girl. He noticed she seemed to be a little bit angry, judging from her facial expression. "Luna?" He said.

"Luka? You came back?" Luna said as she looked up at the hero. "I thought you said you were going back home?" She asked.

"I plan to, but I had to pass through here to get there, so I thought it couldn't hurt to check up on you." He explained. "How is it here? Are they treating you well?"

"Yeah, they're super nice! But, I can't really do anything to repay them." She said. "I'm trying to learn how to read, but it's so hard!"

"Ah, I remember learning that too. My mother taught me how. Do you want me to help?" He offered. Luna nodded.

"Alright, try your best to read it, and I'll help you if you get stuck," Luka said. He sat down next to the girl, and looked over her shoulder at the book she was holding.

"Okay... C-Crit-Criticul Ex-Exstusi?" Luna read. "Its, Critical Ecstacy." Luka pointed out. "Criticul Extsacy is a fee-gnomeinom"

"Phenomenon"

"Is a Phenomenon that occurs when a monster forces a man to-"

"Okay!" Luka said as he took the book from Luna's hands. "I think that's enough for today! How about you read a different book? Who gave this to you in the first place?"

"Oh, I found it." She said. "It was just lying around."

"I see... Anyway, are you sure you're alright? Nobody's mistreated you, have they?" He asked.

"Nope! It's nice here, although I still preferred Gelon." Luna said.

"I know how that feels. My own home was also once destroyed. I don't live there anymore, although I do visit sometimes. I know it's hard to adapt, but you're strong, Luna. Your parents would be very proud of you." Luka said.

"...Thanks, Luka. Besides, Ilias is watching over me. I have to do my best for her!" She said. Luka smiled, but only because she looked happier than before.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're alright. I'll be going, then. Stay safe, alright?"

"Okay, bye, Luka! Come visit again soon!" Luna said.

"Yeah, I will. See you," Luka said as he waved goodbye. Luna waved back, and he walked off.

At least Luna is okay, but she's so different from any other child I've talked to. Is this because of the environment she grew up in? Ever since she was born, she's been living in harsh conditions, with little to eat and, from what she's told me, plenty to hate.

Her religion and the actions of monsters have fed into her hatred; they destroyed her home and killed her parents. How am I going to stop this war when there's such a vicious cycle of hatred?

I don't know; things weren't nearly this bad when I started my journey. Is coexistence even possible here? No, it has to be; it may take years, decades even, but eventually, even the worst scars heal. If I can just stop this fighting, then I can bring them all together.

But even then, I'll need help—but who? Besides the spirits, is there anyone who wants peace? I'll have to search for them, but they must exist, somewhere.

Anyway, I better get going to Natalia; with any luck, I'll find the monster causing the storm.

Well... This is different...

Luka looked at Port Natalia. The only thing it shared with the one he knew was that its name and the fact that it was a port. Other than that, it was completely different. For one, no mermaids were around. In fact, no monsters were around at all. Statues of Ilias were found all along the streets, with people praying beneath them. What surprised Luka most, though, were the angels that could be seen. Normally, before the war with Ilias that is, no angels would ever be seen among humans. They would sometimes descend for special events, but it was uncommon. All of them were at the entrance to the port. They looked to be stopping humans from entering.

So, then they must know of the storms as well, maybe they already have a plan? Well, I'm already here, and it's been a few weeks since they started, or that's what the sailor said at least. I'll take care of it for them, although something tells me they won't be too grateful.

Luka approached one of the angels, who responded by drawing her blade. The girl was a Valkyrie, one of the more gifted angels. Even back home, they were known for their immense skill with a sword.

"Greetings, angel, I came here to ask about the storms down south," Luka said.

"Back off, human; we have it under control. Put your faith in the goddess and wait."

It probably wouldn't be the best idea to tell her I'm not only not a believer, but I also sort of slew her... I think I'll keep that to myself.

"Yeah, about that, I was sent by the church to assist in any way possible, but to do that, I need to know more about those storms," He replied.

"Sent by the church? Hmm, then Ilias must have told them to send you... Very well, I'll tell you what I've been told." The Valkyrie said.

"Thank you! Now, who do you think started these storms?" He asked.

"It was..." The Valkyrie went on to tell Luka everything she knew, or most of it anyway. The storms were being made by a monster, as Luka suspected, specifically Morrigan of the Lilith Sisters. She was one of the highest-ranking monsters in Alipheese's army. She was known far and wide for her power. She tainted dozens of angels in her time, and killed even more humans. Some angels had succumbed to her 'Sick pleasure' and would join her. Some would even fight their own kind for them. But she refused to say any more, as Luka had no actual proof Ilias had sent him. If she said any more, and he was proven to be a liar, she would be struck down by Ilias herself.

The Lilith sisters... I've heard of them before, but I don't know that much about them. I know they were the first human women turned into succubi and were turned by none other than Minagi herself, who then considered them her daughters.

If I combine everything I know, I can make a plan to catch her. Now then, if I go to the local guards and ask for information about where any dried-up corpses have been found...

When is Astaroth of Lilith going to get here? My shift is nearly over! I'm running out of energy here! I've been doing nothing but making storm after storm for two weeks now! I need a break!

Morrigan was adding the last gale of wind to her storms, and it was now a mighty tornado. She sent it towards one of the merchant ships that tried to sneak past her. The ship itself was destroyed in only a minute or so, and while she could just go down there, rape the humans, and then sink the ship, she knew that would give the angels an opening to corner her, so staying at a range like this was the best option if she wanted to cut off any support to San Ilia.

But right now, she felt hungry, and she had earned another break. A few men should be good enough for now. The blue-haired succubus then started to fly back to the nearest feeding grounds, where her prey would lie in wait. As she descended on the small port town, she noticed what appeared to be a man standing alone in one of the alleyways, with no one there to witness his death, he'd make for the perfect prey.

Although, he is a little overdressed, oh well, that won't be a problem for long.

"Heeey there! Looking for a good time~?" She said in a seductive tone. She attempted to push the man down, only for her hands to go through where his body should have been. The 'man's' clothes then dropped to reveal a dummy, with straw in the middle and wood making up his frame. Morrigan, annoyed at being toyed with like this, failed to notice the young man hiding behind a nearby crate.

"What the hell! Who did this? I'll rape you so hard you wish you were never born!"

Well, that's definitely her. Blue-haired and Bratty, just like the guard told me.

"Theeere you are! Ready for your punishment?~" She said while grinning psychotically. Luka stepped out from behind the crate and glared right back at the succubus. He had to be careful, she may have been the weakest of the top-ranking monsters, but she was still among the strongest monsters ever. Underestimating her now could prove to be a fatal mistake.

"Well now, didn't your mother tell you not to play pranks, boy? Oh well, I'll just have to teach you!" The Succubus said. Suddenly, a blue aura covered her hands, and she lunged at Luka, but just before she could lay her hands on him, he used the power of the wind to dodge. He swung his blade at her, but she used her own wind to dodge.

"Oh? So, you can use the wind, huh? Maybe you're one of those rune users I've heard about? Or maybe you contracted with a spirit, I guess I'll find out after I'm done with you~." She then threw a pleasure spell at the hero, and the feeling spread throughout his body, but was most prominent in his groin. He endured the spell and closed the distance, jumping off one of the walls of the alleyway to get some height. This time his attack landed, and her wing had a new tear in it. The succubus groaned in pain before giving the hero a hard knee in the chest. He fell onto the ground, and she jumped on top of him.

"Hehe, you're better than you look, but now I'll have to pay you back for that prank and that cut in my wing," she said while smiling wickedly, she began to straddle Luka, but before she could continue, he reached for his sword once more and managed to land a critical blow! She was pushed off of him by the attack, and Luka stood back up. He looked at the succubus as she stood back up. He noticed that she was no longer grinning.

"You're starting to piss me off, boy." She said as she pulled out a blade from seemingly nowhere. "I was going to let you experience the greatest pleasure there is and let you ascend to heaven, but now..." She pointed the blade at Luka. "I'll chop you up into little pieces and feed you to the fish."

She can use a sword too? She can adapt quickly, but still, she'd have to be better than Granberia to pose a serious threat. This is getting troublesome; she's been holding back up until this point. If I'm to stand any chance, I'll have to use it. Micaela said it shouldn't do much damage if I moderate it, so I'll end this battle as fast as I can.

Luka channelled holy energy throughout his body, greatly increasing his power. It was time to end the battle.

"The jaws of the Rakshasa come to make the wicked pay!" Luka shouted. Before Morrigan could get a chance to attack, Luka began his own. Slicing at her, again and again until nine gashes appeared on her body, which sent her flying into the wall of the alleyway.

"Gah! What was that? An angel technique? How did-"

"All life returns to the nature from whence it came!" He attacked once more, interrupting her. The attack added yet another large gash to her torso, and she disappeared in a wave of light. A large blue bat flew out from where she stood, quickly escaping the scene. She got away, but Luka wasn't trying to capture her anyway.

The storms should stop now, but she was tough. Having to resort to angel power just to beat her... I need to go get Gnome and the other spirits as soon as possible.

After taking down the crude dummy he made, Luka walked to the local Inn and slept for the night. Tomorrow he would set out for Safina, as there was nothing left to do here, and getting the spirits as fast as possible was his top priority.

In heaven's own war room, Ilias stood at the table, which was showing a live feed of the world below through magic. It showed Sentora, with most of the map being red and only a corner being blue, around San Ilia and Natalia in specific. That's how little territory remained. Of course, she still had the Ilias continent under control, but recently more and more monsters have begun appearing there too.

My army is shrinking day by day; it's a miracle I've lasted even this long. If not for Micaela's strategic mind, Lucifina's might, and Eden's... Loyalty? I may not have stood a chance in this war. But not all hope is lost; I still have an ace up my sleeve.

But will Alipheese go along with it? If threatening to destroy the whole world isn't enough, then there is no chance of victory. My children are strong, but those damnable monsters are numerous, and those ancestors are mighty.

If I had to guess, I may only have a month or two left before they march on heaven, if even. This is it; this will decide the fate of humanity and her angels. And if she refuses... I'll leave her a burning pile of ash and blood to rule over.

But just before Ilias was about to project herself in front of Alipheese, one of her loyal angels rushed into the room. This one angel's interruption, and the news she was about to tell her goddess, would change the fate of this world forever.