Luka looked at the Scylla who made for his current companion. She was beautiful, as most monster girls were, and she had a strange combination of black and red colours. She had eight tentacles, and, like her, were small. She was around the same height as him and had quite a gifted chest for someone her size.

"What are you looking at?" The Scylla asked, Luka quickly averted his gaze as he realized he was staring.

"No-Nothing!" The Scylla chuckled at the boy's nervousness. It hurt to laugh, so she stopped fairly quickly. She looked down at her tentacles, half of which were still broken. It would take a while for the rest of them to heal, a few days she estimated. The food she ate earlier was delicious and filling, the boy was a better chef than she thought he'd be.

She had enough energy to heal on her own, but it would take time. She was not like those angels who heal in minutes. That was one of the few things angels had on monsters. Holy magic was far better at healing than dark. As she continued to think about her mortal enemies, she looked back to the boy who saved her. It was dark now, and he was looking ready to go to sleep. Perhaps before that, he could feed her? It would certainly help her heal, and he did look very appetising.

"Hey, Luka"

"Hm? What's up?"

"Healing takes a lot of energy for us monsters, and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me with that..." She left the obvious implication up to the boy to figure out, as she slowly moved closer. Luka, realising what she had requested, stood up and backed away from her.

"N-No, I can't do that! I'm married."

"Married? Oh, I see. But you know, I'm far better than any human~" She teased the boy, but she could not help but be disappointed at his refusal. She was in no position to force herself on him, as she could sense his strength. She sighed and sat back down. She'd have to heal naturally.

"I didn't know you were married, Luka! So, who's the lucky girl?" Sylph asked.

Her name is Alice... But, she's gone now.

Sylph went silent.

She's not dead; she's just far away.

"Oh! You had me really worried there!" She said. Feeling awkward, She returned to his mind.

Luka sat back down as he saw Omori do the same. He was worried that she would do something when he was asleep but decided to trust her not to. He put out the fire. He and Omori talked some more about what happened earlier, but eventually, she decided it was time to go to sleep. Luka wished her goodnight before doing the same.

The road back to Sabasa was not too long, even with him having to support Omori whenever she needed it. She was walking better than when he first met her, and she looked better too. When they arrived, he got some odd looks from the guards but was let pass. He was thankful that even in a time like these, there were still some people who believed they could all coexist.

Luka brought the Scylla to a local hospital, and they promised to take care of her. He saw a few human mages in there and was surprised by their use of magic. Apparently, thanks to all the mana in the air because of the constant fighting in the war, humans could use magic. He also guessed that this may be why angels could be struck. Tamamo once said angels could become tangible again if there was enough mana, but that plan was pushed to the side as they had no idea how to get enough of it to accomplish such a feat.

It made sense when he thought about it; with seraphs and ancestors fighting constantly, some mana must have escaped the battles. After a long enough time, it would eventually become a part of the air. After a thousand years, this mana had all been used up, which is why there were few human mages in his time. But ever since Ilias's defeat and heaven's destruction, mana has been abundant once again.

Recently, more and more powerful humans had appeared in his time, and it made him happy to see humans standing on par with monsters and angels. Luka decided to visit the king once more, before getting Undine, he should try to help out however he can. As he entered the throne room, the king recognised the boy. Luka kneeled before being told to rise.

"Greetings, Hero Luka. Were you successful at contracting with the Spirit of Earth?"

"Yes, afterwards I went to a nearby village, one under the control of monsters. I arrived to see it completely destroyed. The seraph Lucifina was responsible."

"I see... I assume you got out of there soon after? And I heard you brought a Scylla back with you?"

"Well, I fought with Lucifina for a bit, but eventually she left. Apparently one of the ancestors had arrived, I did hear some fighting in the distance when I was looking for survivors. I eventually found the monster; her name is Omori. She was wounded, and I helped her walk back to here"

"Wait—you fought against Lucifina—you fought against the Daystar and Survived!?"

"Well, yeah..."

"You... And she just left? Why? She never lets anyone go... But she let you?"

"I-I think I might know why."

"Go on."

"Ilias visited me in a dream a while ago, saying she wanted me to join her. I refused, but she basically said she owed me for taking care of Morrigan."

"Mo-Morrigan! You 'took care' of Morrigan! The Morrigan! One of the legendary Lilith Sisters!?"

"Ye-yeah..."

"How?" The king stood up from his throne and raised his voice in anger. "How'd you do it? No human can beat one of them! They slaughter us like cattle! And you come here and say you already beat one? Impossible! Is this all a joke to you!?"

"..."

The king looked at the boy once more, until eventually looking directly into his eyes. He knew the boy was not lying, and he could see a strong warrior behind his blue eyes. He calmed down, shouting at the boy accomplished nothing.

"Sorry for my outburst. That was unbecoming of a king."

"It's fine; I can understand why it'd be hard to believe."

"Please, tell me more about your fight with Morrigan. And along with that, more about yourself. We didn't have the time to really talk last time." The king sat back on his throne, inviting the boy to talk.

"Well, the fight with Morrigan was certainly tough. I caught her by surprise by laying a trap, she had been causing storms in the sea south of San Ilia before this. She was trying to deprive San Ilia of any resources or people in preparation for an invasion. Being a succubus, she'd need to feed regularly, and I went to a nearby village where I predicted she may have gone to do so. She fell for my trap, and I got the jump on her. We fought for a bit, but thanks to Sylph's power, I beat her."

"So Morrigan is dead. This is great news! How am I only hearing of this now?"

"Dead? No, she was sealed. This sword I have can seal my enemies, meaning I won't have to kill them."

"Seal? I think I've heard of such a power. I'm impressed, young hero. To think you'd have such a weapon. I can see now how you could win against her. Now, tell me more about yourself, Luka, and tell me how you got that sword."

"Well," Luka explained his made-up origin story to the King, and his other made-up story for Angel Halo. He felt bad about lying, but it was for the best.

"Amazing, to think you've already done so much, and at such a young age. Say, why don't you join us, Luka? You'd fit right in! And you could continue fighting for humans and monsters—hell, even angels—if any of them want to join."

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to pass. I want to end this war, and I can't do that by sticking around here."

"I see. Unfortunate. I'm sure my wife would like you too. Oh well, please, Luka, tell me if there's anything we can do."

"Well, I guess you should continue doing what you're doing. I think you should try to expand more; recruiting more people to the cause can only be a good thing."

"Mass-recruiting? Hmm, I'll think about it. Certainly, we need more people to make a difference; strength in numbers and all that."

"Alright, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Help? Hm, you did beat Morrigan and survived in a fight against the Daystar, maybe there is something you can do. There is a village south of here that goes by the name 'Narfolk'. The people there are firm believers in Ilias, and don't accept monsters. In fact, they sometimes kill their own; those who are suspected of consorting with monsters are burned or hung." He explained.

"This is all due to their leader, a man by the name of 'Seth'. He's an Ilias fanatic. We cannot intervene directly, even if there's only a small chance that Ilias may retaliate. If you can go there, capture him, and bring him to us, we may be able to change the village for the better. Hopefully, Ilias will be too busy with the war to care about a small village like that one. We can send some people; thereafter, when you return to re-educate the population, we will show them the error of their ways."

Luka took in the information and made his decision, a human who killed others for little reason, it reminded him far too much of Lucy and the witch hunt village incident.

"I'll go."

"Great! I knew I could count on you, Luka. Take the south road; it should be a few hour's walk from here."

"Got it. I'll be off then; goodbye, King Sabasa."

"Yes, I hope we meet once more."

"Me too." With that, Luka took his leave. As the hero left, he considered his options. Taking care of the Narfolk problem was not only what he should do as a hero, but it would also give him sway with The Resistance, which could only be good for him. After departing from the town, he relied on the position of the sun to determine the direction of the south and proceeded towards it.

It was late in the evening when Luka arrived in the village. Much to his surprise, the village was completely walled off, although the walls themselves were quite crude. Mostly made of wood and rope, with some spikes at the top and bottom. He approached the gate, and heard a few guards discuss something. Eventually, two guards came out, wearing impressively well-made armour.

He wondered where they got it from, before recognising its similarity to the armour the Holy Knights of San Ilia wore. Was San Ilia, and thus Ilias, trying to expand? As far as Luka could tell, Sabasa was disputed territory, with Ilias having a hold over the south, humans in the centre, west, and east, and Monsters in the north. Perhaps both Ilias and Alipheese did not see much worth in Safina as a whole, as it was fairly separated from the other major settlements.

This area of Safina is more or less under Ilias's rule, but that's only recently. It was fully converted to her faith around five years ago, according to the king, which is a relatively short time compared to the Ilias continent. If this village is already this bad, what would any settlements there be like?

"Who are you? Why are you here?" A mature sounding guard asked; his voice was that of a veterans. A survivor of many battles.

"My name is Luka." The hero calmly replied. "I was sent here from San Ilia. The king is unhappy with the progress here, and sent me to investigate."

"His holiness sent you? Do you have any proof of that?"

"No. Unfortunately, I was caught up in a monster attack, and had to leave behind the message he gave me."

"Really? How convenient... Well, whatever, we shall see if you are who you say you are. We will send a messenger bird to San Ilia to confirm your story. For now, follow me."

"Thank you."

The guard leads inside the village, past the gate and walls. The man eventually stopped and motioned for the other guard to leave. He seemed to be quite high-ranking, perhaps a captain. Luka looked around the room he had been led to. It was small but had a fireplace with some seats around it. The guard sat down and told Luka to do the same.

"My name is Morrison, and I can tell you're lying. Who are you really?"

Luka gulped; he had been caught. He was never very skilled at lying in the first place, it just wasn't his style.

"..." As Luka thought of something to say, the guard took off his helmet. He was an old man, around sixty. Luka was impressed that someone of his age was still working. His grey hair reached down to his shoulders, and his face had a noticeable scar along his right cheek. Luka also saw a certain sadness in his green eyes.

"I was sent here by the king of Sabasa. I'm sorry for lying, but I did it for a good reason. I don't think you would have let me in if I told you the truth. I'm here to save this village."

"Save us? From what?"

"From your leader. I've heard rumours that he kills his own population for being suspected of consorting with monsters. Personally, I find that despicable, and the king agrees."

"I see." The guard was no longer looking at Luka; he was only staring into the fire. A few moments of silence passed before a smile appeared on his lips.

"Finally,"

"Hmm?"

"I've been waiting so long for someone to agree with me... And now! I've found one! Bahahahahahaha! Yes! Let's do it! Let's kill that ignorant bastard who calls himself our leader!" The guard was now standing, and he shouted. Luka was bewildered by the sudden change.

"Do you know how long I've sat here, waiting for something to change? I've seen dozens of innocent people being burned or hung in my time, but I couldn't do anything about it. I was even considering assassinating Seth before I die of old age, but I knew someone would just replace him. But you said the king of Sabasa is backing you, right? That means we can change it, everything!" Luka sat up and started to back away from the eccentric old man.

"I'm glad you agree, but shouldn't you calm down? If you keep shouting, someone is going to check out what all the noise is..."

"Yeah, yeah. Relax, kid; I'm just happy. There are a few others here who I suspect also think like me. I think we should get them in on this too."

"Yeah, do that. How many?" Luka sat back down in the chair, and so did Morrison.

"Maybe... ten. It'll be up to you to arrest Seth; me and the others will take care of the other guards. We will hide their weapons and attack when it's dark. We'll take the night shift, and while the others are sleeping, well, you get the idea."

"Just don't kill them; no one else needs to die here, including Seth. I've dealt with cases like this before, believe it or not, and killing a killer accomplishes nothing. We'll have a public trial. Hopefully, the people here will see the error of his ways."

"Very well, Luka. You're quite mature for someone your age, you know."

"I'm older than I look."

"I believe it. Now, I'll go talk to the others. For now, wait until it gets darker. Seth lives in the large house northwest of here. He can normally be found in the second-floor living room."

"Alright. Good luck!"

"To you as well." The old man looked at Luka one more time before leaving. When he did, Luka waited by the fire for a few hours, forming a plan of action.

It was only a short walk to the mansion. The street he walked along was dark, with the only lighting coming from the moon. Apparently, no magic lamps were allowed here. The street was also completely empty, Luka did not see a single other soul along the way.

Once he reached the mansion, he took in its appearance. It was eerily similar to the one Lily had lived in. History repeats itself, as Alice once said. After scaling the back wall of the mansion, he climbed into one of the windows on the second floor. He snuck past a working maid as he entered a large room. It was the living room Morrison told him about.

"Who are you, sneaking around my house?" Luka nearly jumped when he heard the voice. How did he not detect him? Luka stood up fully and faced the man.

He was definitely Seth. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with black hair and dark, crimson eyes. A rare colour for humans. Luka also noted the clothing he wore was made of a fine fabric and covered his whole body. Luka thought it was similar to the clothing Nero liked. He felt disgusted at even thinking that Nero could be anything like this man, and quickly pushed the thought away. He had no weapon, but Luka could detect a strange oddity coming from the man. He had a small holy aura.

Is he baptised?

"I said, who are you? Your best answer; otherwise, I'll have to assume you're a monster in disguise," Seth said with a smirk. Luka did not answer, only drawing his blade in response.

"My name is Luka. You are Seth, I assume? I was sent here by Sabasa himself so you could answer for your crimes."

"Sabasa? I knew he was a heretic, with his wife being a monster and all that, but to think he would go so far as to attack me... But did he really only send you? He underestimated me greatly, a mere pipsqueak like you is no challenge for me."

Luka was slightly annoyed at being called a pipsqueak. He knew he looked younger than he should, and he was always small, but since he had gotten here, nearly everyone, he met assumed he was a child. He pushed the annoyance away; it was not important now.

"Don't be so sure! You'll pay for what you've done to the people here!"

"A child dares to oppose me? Maybe you really are a monster in disguise... In the name of Ilias, I shall rid the world of yet another abomination."

The man pulled a staff from his cloak; it seemed to be of high quality. Luka readied himself.

"Now, in the name of the goddess!" The man raises his staff over his head. Luka decides to wait and see, he was confident he could beat him, and was interested in the magic of old.

"O Magna Dea, interfice inimicos!" Suddenly, a huge bolt of light appeared from thin air and was sent straight at Luka. Thanks to Sylphs' power, he dodged in time. The spell strikes the wall behind him, setting it on fire.

"Dammit! Your fast... then how about this?" The man begins to chant another spell, but Luka decides to intervene this time. Rushing towards the man, he tackled him. The man fell over but managed to finish the spell in time.

"Nunc, morere!" A huge sphere of light came from the staff, blowing Luka and the man away from each other. Luka meditated, stood up once again, and noticed the fire that had now spread to the ceiling. Deciding he should prioritise saving lives, he ran for the maid he had seen earlier. Once she was safe and he made sure no one else was in the building, so he could grab Seth and run.

Dammit! Where did he go?

Seth stood up, noticing the deep wound he now had in his chest. It didn't look fatal, but he would have to be careful. Runes were a dangerous weapon. Like all magic, it risked harming the user if they're caught in the crossfire. He had remembered how the boy had leapt out of the way of his first spell; it was beyond human speed.

Was he a rune mage too? No, he was too young to have mastered such a high-level spell. The only other way to enhance your speed would be through spirit contracting. Monsters, in other words...

Seth's face contorted in anger at the thought. Monsters had ruined his life, and then the goddess saved him. He was six when it happened, a mere child. He was living with his family in a house in the woods. Every day, he watched as his father went to work, cutting down trees. His mother would cook for him, and his brother would play with him sometimes.

One day his father brought home a woman. She was wearing a lot of clothes, concealing her appearance. He said he found her alone in the woods, and she said she had no home. His family offered her shelter, food, and a clean bath.

How foolish of them! How could they not see it?

After a few minutes, she revealed herself as a monster. Immediately, she did as all monsters do: She raped and killed his father right in front of him. The monster then proceeded to eat his mother alive and then do the same to his older brother. He was spared, but not because of her kindness, but because she was full, and he was too young to do anything with her.

When the monster began to leave, the boy was still holding his father's dried-up corpse. He looked out the door, and saw the monster chopped in half, an angel standing over the corpse. His saviour was a common Valkyrie. Sent by Ilias, she killed the whole hunting party by herself.

The boy came out of the house, and the Valkyrie approached. He kneeled, as best as a six-year-old could anyway. She left without a word. He was found a few hours later and taken to an orphanage in a nearby village. The boy, now a man, had dedicated his life to Ilias.

There, he found his purpose. The family that took him in when his own died were also followers of Ilias. When he reached adulthood, he became a priest. Eventually, he rose through the ranks and led the village towards greatness. All those who were under suspicion were killed and made an example of. He would not stop until all monsters were eradicated; only then would the world know peace.

Seth took a deep breath and calmed down. He realised he had already walked out of the room and was now in the hallway. He cast a spell to look for the boy but could not sense his presence. He left the house and watched as his was home burned to the ground. This was that boy's fault, and he would pay.

He sent one of his workers to gather the guards; they would find the intruder, and then he would find out what traitor had let him in. He waited a few minutes, but the worker did not return.

"Useless! All of them! I'll find him myself!" Seth said as he launched a large search spell. It would take a lot of mana to do this, but no one could hide from it.

There! Hes... Behind me?

Those were Seth's last thoughts before being knocked out.

It had been a week now since Luka arrived, and he could already see the difference in the village and its people. He had left after Seth was captured to inform King Sabasa of his success. Since then, the people have been informed of the new change in leadership. The people would elect their own leader, but while they waited for one to be chosen, one of the king's advisors would rule. The village now looked like a nice place to live, with children playing on the streets. Luka smiled at the sight and walked back to the barracks.

"So, most people already disagreed with Seth?" Luka questioned.

"Looks like it," Morrison responded. Luka looked at the man who helped him save the village. After Luka knocked Seth out, Morrison arrived along with a host of guards. Apparently, more than half of the guards agreed with Morrison's plan and thought that Seth was going too far.

Luka hoped that eventually, the citizens could learn to accept Monsters, but he knew that would take a while. Luka was also told of Seth's past. His family had been killed by monsters, and an angel of Ilias saved him. Luka felt bad for Seth but knew that no matter the justification, burning fellow humans alive could never be right.

"Then, I think it's time for me to go. Thank you for everything, Morrison. You're a good person." Luka said. Morrison looked up at the boy and smiled.

"Thanks, you know you really are more mature than you look. I can see it in your eyes, you're a veteran of many battles."

Luka dismissed the compliment and scratched the back of his head.

"Ah, Thanks. I've been through a few fights here and there."

"No kidding, you beat Seth on your own, and without a scratch on you. Say what you will about him, but Seth was an excellent mage. He focused on the runic side of magic, one of the hardest schools."

"I got lucky, I guess." Luka smiled. "Anyway, what's that about runic magic? I've never heard of it before."

"Not many have; it's rare down here; most mages are in the Gold region. Runic magic is a difficult but rewarding form of magic. It is one of the strongest, because it allows the user to access high-level holy and dark spells that are normally impossible for us humans. It can even be amplified by contacting lesser spirits, or if you're brave enough, one of the four great spirits of nature."

"I see," Luka responded with the same words his wife would often use, a habit he picked up. "That's good to know. But I better get going, it was nice to see you again, Morrison."

"Same here. I believe that you can do it, Luka. I think you can stop this war. Do it, and stop all this bloodshed." Luka nodded and stood up. He was already packed. "Before you go."

Luka turned around and looked at the man. "What age are you? I just can't figure it out. In terms of appearance, I'd say... Maybe Sixteen at most? But in terms of maturity..."

"It might be hard to believe, but I'm actually twenty-two."

"Really? Ha, don't worry, Ki—I mean, Luka. I believe you." Luka nodded once more and left. He waved the guards goodbye and set out on the road back to Sabasa. All this walking reminded him more and more of his old journeys, although he missed flying around with Galda.

Luka entered the infirmary and was delighted to see Omori walking around. She was now in much better condition than before, and her tentacles seemed to have fully healed.

"Omori! You look much better; I guess the mages took care of you." The Scylla looked at Luka, a smile appearing as she saw him.

"Ah, Luka. I heard you were out on a mission. I'm glad to see you're alright." Omori approached the boy; she felt much better now, as she had her fill of 'food' earlier. The man was willing, and she was glad to satisfy her desires, but she could not help but be slightly disappointed.

His taste was so... Average. Mediocre. Nothing special. She looked at the boy who saved her once more; he was young, strong, and kind. She had never met someone like him and had never tasted one either.

"Well, I really just came here to check up on you and talk to the king, and since I've done that, I guess I'll be going." Omori suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and listened to the boy.

He's going? Already?

Goodbye, Omori. I already told the king that he should find somewhere for you to work. So don't worry, the pay is good and-"

"No." Omori interrupted. "I don't want to. I... I want to go with you. You said you wanted to end this war, right? I do too. Let-Let me come with you!"

"Uh...? Okay... I guess. But are you sure you want to? It will be dangerous."

"Obviously, we're going to oppose literal gods; I'm not an idiot. Still, I'll go. I don't want to be a coward who never stood up for what she believed in."

"I... I understand. Of course, you can come with me; it was going to be a bit lonely anyway." Luka chuckled slightly as he offered Omori his hand. Using one of her tentacles, she took it, and they 'shook' hands, as best a Scylla and a human could.

Eventually, the two set off, leaving Sabasa. They began to take the road all the way to the Noah Region, where Luka would try to first find, and then form a contract with Undine. The Noah region is supposedly fully controlled by monsters, so it will be a chance to see what conditions are like for the humans there.