It took far longer than Luka expected to reach Yamatai. He had to go off-path to get there, even renting a small boat to go around the mountains instead of over them. Luka had learned his lesson from last time. He was very lucky Alice found him; otherwise, he would've frozen to death, and then Ilias would've called him a pathetic hero again.

Luka thought about Ilias, and her evaluations as he walked. She had saved him from death or slavery numerous times in his journey, though strangely, he could not really remember what happened to him, just that he failed his quest. Ilias was always there to bring him back and tell him about his enemy's weaknesses. It was like cheating—no, it was cheating. At first, Luka thought she did this out of kindness, or affection for him. He now knows it was all part of her great plan. But in the end, he defeated her, and now she was gone forever.

…. Dammit

Luka could not explain the sadness he felt as he thought of the pseudo-Goddess that once tried to kill him and the rest of the world. For some reason, he felt bad for her. Micaela had once explained that Ilias's insanity was caused by literally millions of years of isolation. Luka had no idea how that must have felt, but even still, there is no justification for trying to kill millions. Luka remembered the days he prayed to her, worshipping her every night.

Even after all these years, her teachings and, as Tamamo and Alice put it, brainwashing, had not fully worn off, even after he slew her. Many other ex-followers had still prayed to her; some even still followed all of her teachings, including the one about intercourse with monsters. Luka had clearly already broken that one many, many times. Still, in his heart, Luka still had a trace of respect for her. She was his Goddess for most of his youth, after all.

Luka sighed and continued forward. He looked to his side and watched Omori struggling. It seemed the walk had been quite difficult for her. Along the way here, they had encountered many different monsters, and much to Luka's surprise, slimes were walking about. It seemed that Grand Noah was so clean that even weak slimes could live there without trouble.

It's even cleaner than back home. Thanks to Erubuite, though, it's not far off. Slimes can already live in most areas now, and soon enough, slimes will be able to live anywhere, without having to worry about human pollution hurting them.

Luka looked back at Omori again. She looked tired, and he decided he would buy her some extra food in Yamatai. He hoped she would be able to stay at an Inn there, although he didn't have much hope that he could stay there too. Luka looked up and saw the village in the distance, it looked similar to how he remembered although it was a little bit bigger, with more houses along the sides, and he noticed sickly-looking people waiting outside the gate. Omori looked upon the scene with a mundane expression, as though she had seen it all before.

Why are those kitsune guards not letting them in? Are they being quarantined?

The sight of the sick people suddenly reminded Luka of his mother. She had looked the exact same as all of them before she died, and after making the connection, Luka had no choice but to help.

"Omori, do you know what's going on here?"

"Hmm, I've heard rumours, but to think they were true..." Omori responded.

Luka looked at the Scylla expectantly, waiting for her to continue. After a few more seconds of deliberation, she spoke.

"It's called 'Ilias's blessing'. They say those who turn against her by joining monsters, will be given a horrible sickness. Their last hours will be spent crying out in pain as their insides burn from holy magic, all the while spreading the disease to any nearby humans. Only the weakest of monsters can be hurt by it, so it's only used against humanity. Personally, I thought it was just propaganda against her, but it looks to be true." Omori explained.

"The worst thing is, there is no cure. Only an angel could save them, and no angel would ever go against Ilias. Once that pseudo-goddess gives them the disease, their fate is sealed." Omori said sadly. Luka was horrified by the story. To think Ilias could do such a thing just because they don't follow her? Luka was outraged, to say the least.

"I've heard stories of thousands of humans being killed in only a few weeks from the sickness. There was only supposedly one human who survived the sickness thanks to the assistance of an ancestor. After recovering, it was discovered that he had gone sterile from the infection. The ancestor supposedly killed him on the spot for losing his usefulness. This means Ilias specifically designed it so that even if a monster saves a human from the sickness, they will no longer want them." She said.

"At this rate, humanity will die out long before this war ends. Honestly, I have no idea how you've managed to survive this long. By now, there's only Sabasa left as an independent kingdom, and I don't think that will last too long anyway. The other four kingdoms are all controlled by Ilias or Alipheese. If humanity is to survive, they must submit to one or the other," Omori explained.

Luka listened carefully. He knew that the Great War was a horrible time for every race, but he had heard of it being especially bad for humans. He didn't expect this, though. In only a few years, maybe a decade at most, will independent humans will be extinct? After that, humanity would be little more than slaves to their stronger masters. Luka could not sit there and wait for it to happen.

Humanity is not strong enough to stand on its own. Not now, at least. Technology has not advanced far enough yet... Then, I'll stand up for them. With the spirits at my side, I can protect humans. Neither Alipheese nor Ilias will rule this world. I'll stop this idiotic war, and then, eventually, I'll find a way back. Yes, that is what I must do.

Confirming his goals, Luka focused his mind. Through the power of water, Luka could sense the emotions of everyone there. After years of training, he was now able to sense them outside of battle, a useful skill. He sensed the guard's anger, and the people's misery. Using the power of the wind, he listened in.

"Get out of here! Before you spread it! We only have so many of you left as it is. Now go!" The six-tailed kitsune commanded. The mob of around twenty people looked at each other. Each knew that their fate was already sealed. Death at the hands of pleasure, or even a quick death with little pain, would be far better than what awaited them were they to run away.

"That's it! That was your last chance!" The Kitsune shouted in anger, before attempting to decapitate one of the men there. Just as her blade was going to connect with the man's throat, it was stopped. Luka slashed back at the kitsune, and thanks to having both Sylph and Undine summoned, he sealed her in a single blow. He quickly dispatched the other guard using Serene Demon Sword and turned to face the humans.

The sick mob looked at the boy in horror. He had just defeated two powerful monsters with ease, after all. But for some strange reason, the boy did not attack them. Only looking at them with eyes full of sympathy. After a few moments, they noticed two small foxes where the kitsune once stood, looking around confused.

"Who-What are you? W-Why help us?" One of the men asked.

"I'm human."

Enough

"And I came here to help you. You're all infected with Ilias's blessing, right?" Luka said. The men nodded in response. Luka sighed and turned to his companion.

"Omori, can you go inside for me? I need you to find a way for me to sneak in. And hurry, I'd say someone will notice that these two have disappeared." Luka said as he was holding both foxes up. Omori nodded and entered the village. Luka walked over to a tree and tied up the two foxes. It should hold for an hour at least.

Now, time for the difficult part. Thankfully, Omori isn't here. But the spirits are sure to see. Oh well, they were going to find out sooner or later.

"Hey, can you all come over here? I think I can help you." Luka said.

"Help us? Only an angel or very high-ranking monster could do that. We've already given up, boy. There's nothing you can do for us now." Luka's brow furrowed slightly at being called a boy yet again, but he quickly moved on.

"Look. Just trust me, please." Luka said while beckoning them over, "Seriously, how much worse can it get? I promise, I won't hurt you." Luka watched as the men of the group refused him. The only one to approach was a young child, only around thirteen.

Luka got to work immediately. He placed a hand on the boy's upper arm, where the sickness looked to be worst. He summoned a small holy aura for himself, which allowed his newly heightened senses to run wild. He began running his hand along the boy's arm, and eventually, he used a small dose of holy energy to target where the infection was strongest.

The purple spot on his arm began to shrink slowly, eventually disappearing entirely. Luka looked at his work with a smile. Thanks to Micaela teaching him how to properly use his holy power for purposes other than fighting, he had grown far better at healing others. He could now heal even severe wounds with relative ease.

"I-I can't believe it! I feel so much better! Thank you so much!" The boy began crying, forcing his head onto Luka's chest. Luka smiled and ran his hand through the boy's hair. He looked at the others, who were staring at him in confusion. One by one, they came to be healed. When the men asked how he was doing it, he showed them a small white stone.

"This is a holy stone. I can use it to cure you, although it took me many years of practice to do so."

"Many years? Just how old are you?" One of the men he had just healed asked.

"Older than you'd think." Luka smiled once more. He was now done with them. All of them had been cured and were able to walk normally.

"Ok. Now, do you have anywhere to go? I know you live here, but I don't think they'll let you back in regardless."

"Th-This is perfect! We're free! They'll just assume we're dead! We can leave!" One of the men shouted in joy. The others joined in, before Luka told them to be quiet, they were only a small distance from the village now and could probably still be heard.

"Alright, but where will you go? The only way out of here is either climbing that mountain or boat."

"Hmm? You don't know about the cave that cuts through the mountain?" One of the men asked. Luka's jaw dropped at the revelation.

There was a cave this whole time!? I nearly died on those mountains, and you're telling me a cave was there that whole time!?

Luka sighed and asked where this cave was. Apparently, it cut straight through the southern side of the mountains. After wishing the men luck, Luka walked back to the gate of Yamatai. He was surprised to see the wooden walls that surrounded the village, fitted with spikes, both to keep people out and to keep people from escaping.

Guess I'll wait here. Omori should be back soon.

"You have some explaining to do," Undine said as she suddenly appeared in front of Luka.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot? All three—well, not Sylph, but me and Gnome—just watched you cure those people of Ilias's blessing; that's something only an angel could do. And yet, I just saw you, a human, do it. So, explain." Undine said.

"Eh? I said it, didn't I? I used this holy stone." Luka said as he held up the stone. Undine could detect that some of its power had been used. She also detected that there was something strange about the stone, but the hero put it away too quickly for her to investigate further.

"I know that, and that's not the issue. It's that you, a human, could manipulate holy energy. That is impossible." Undine stated. Luka remained silent for a few moments before answering.

"You've never been to the Ilias continent, right?" Luka asked.

"And what does that have to do with anything? And for the record, I was last there many years ago. Before the war began."

"Well, that explains it! I grew up there, remember? And over there, angels have begun to teach humans how to manipulate and use holy magic. Only those with the best compatibility were chosen, and I was lucky enough to be one of them. I only know so much, though, since I left early." Luka explained.

"...I see," Undine said, but continued looking at the young hero suspiciously.

"Luka." Omori said, confused as to why he was talking to thin air.

"Huh? Oh, Omori. Well, did you find a way in?" Undine faded back into Luka. She could ask him more questions later.

"Yeah, if we go around the side, then through here..." Omori showed Luka a way to sneak through Yamatai. She also handed him a map of the Gold region which she had bought earlier. As the two made their way in, Luka noticed just how few humans there seemed to be in Yamatai, at least compared to the amount of kitsune.

He estimated there were three kitsune for every one human, or even more. The humans were almost entirely male as well. Most of them seemed to be young men, too. Luka watched as one of the younger men, really a boy, accidentally dropped one of the packages he was carrying. The kitsune near him was appalled and struck the boy multiple times. Omori's tentacles were the only thing that stopped Luka from running onto the scene then and there.

"I have to help him!" Luka said.

"We can't; just lay low for now. We can help them later, but first, we need more information," Omori said. Luka watched as the man picked up what he had dropped and continued on.

This is horrible. The humans here are treated as little more than slaves. I can't let this continue!

Luka and Omori continued to sneak through the village, eventually reaching what they deduced to be the home of Tamamo No Mae, the village's leader.

Tamamo... If she really is here, can I take her? Now that I have three of the spirits, and Omori, maybe...

The two snuck under the floorboards of the mansion, carefully trying to make as little noise as possible. When they reached the back, Omori flipped one of the boards and slipped through. After checking for any guards or other residents, Omori took Luka's hand and pulled him up. Luka thanked her, and the pair carefully walked through the mansion. Eventually, they reached a large room in the centre.

"Oh, If it isn't the boy who my kitsunes failed to capture... And a Scylla? What business do you have with this human, girl?" Luka nearly jumped when he heard Tamamo's voice come from the other end of the room.

"I sensed you a while ago, boy. You should really get better at sneaking, but with that purple hair of yours, it may be difficult. Although I am impressed, young Scylla, I did not notice you until now. You were quite careful to have cast an anti-detection spell like that." Tamamo's sensuous voice reached Luka's ears. The young hero put his hand on his sword, ready to draw the blade at a moment's notice.

"I'm here to help him with his goal. We both agree that this war must end, no matter what." Omori explained.

"I agree. I wish this war had never happened in the first place. But you see, it was not our doing. Ilias, out of jealousy of the great Alipheese, began this war many years ago. After so much fighting, we are finally coming close to the end. The angels will fall soon; of that, I have no doubt. That is, of course, if a little hero like you does not intervene..." Tamamo said while pointing her fan at Luka. She then returned it to her face so that it hid her expression.

"If you really want this war to end, then why are you allowing the people here to treat humans like this? I don't believe you for a second." Luka said. Tamamo looked surprised for a second, but quickly regained her composure.

"Humans are treated fairly here. When they disobey, they get punished, when they try to run, they are taken care of, but if they work hard, and do as we say, then they are rewarded. In fact, those who do submit to us are often better off than those who live independently."

"So? If that's true, then you treat them no better than dogs. They have no freedom and have to live in fear of you and your kitsune." Omori said, Luka was surprised to see so much conviction coming from this girl he had only met a week ago.

"Oh? Are you a hero too? A monster playing hero—how ridiculous! I'll have to kill you for your treachery, you know? But don't worry, I'll be sure to make you an example." Tamamo laughed a little as she stepped closer.

"Now then, I believe that was enough talk. It's time for our rematch, boy. Don't worry, I'll make sure that you die in the raptures of bliss." Tamamo said with a lewd smile. Luka drew his sword and prepared to fight, summoning three of the spirits at once. Omori also cast a few spells to reinforce herself and increase her attacks' potency.

The golden kitsune looked at her opponents with a haughtiness that did not escape Luka. The kitsune quickly pressed the attack on the young hero and the Scylla by hurtling a huge swath of flames hurtling towards them. Omori dissipated the spell with her own black magic, while Luka slashed through the flames, cutting them in half.

Tamamo grinned.

"Ah, I see you've gotten stronger. And you've contracted with three of those spirits; at this rate, you'll even become a danger to me once you get the fourth. I'll just have to take you down now, then." She suddenly jumped up in the air, revealing a few secret kunai she had hidden. She threw them at both Omori and Luka. Luka deflected them, leaving them scattered on the floor. Omori, on the other hand, had to stop them with her own tentacles. Shielding herself like this caused them to pierce her.

Not finished just yet, Tamamo summoned another wave of flames at the two. Luka pressed the attack, and quickly caught up to the fox. Tamamo, surprised by the sudden burst of speed, used her tails to boost herself back once more, while also attempting to capture the hero with her tails. Luka sliced through one tail with the edge of his sword, cutting it in half. He was surprised when he saw the tail instantly heal before his eyes.

Thankfully, he reacted in time to dodge, ducking under the tails. He did not see, however, the stern kick he was about to receive from Tamamo. He was sent flying back towards one of the walls of the room, making a hole in the wall. Luka coughed and struggled slightly as he stood up from the rubble, using his sword to pull himself up.

Quietly meditating, Luka regained his stance. Tamamo showed a haughty grin as she fired another wave of flame and kunai at the hero. Luka either slashed through or deflected the attacks as he quickly caught up to the ancestor. Undine's power made doing this far easier. Tamamo, annoyed that the boy was still standing, launched herself high into the sky, smashing into the ceiling with her body.

Doing this caused the moon to appear in the sky, further enhancing the fox's power. Luka watched as Tamamo seemed to float in mid-air. With the moon glistening behind her, she began to charge up an attack Luka remembered seeing before.

"Hmph, fine then, I suppose I'll use my secret skill!" Tamamo's tails suddenly spread out, and she shone like a star as her power built up. Luka recognised this sight; she had used the same move in the past to attack him before, but the difference in power is clear.

I knew Tamamo was really strong, but this... This is absurd. Was she really this strong before she was sealed?

Luka looked back at Omori, who was currently lying on the ground. Luka's heart nearly stopped until he sensed her heart beating.

It's probably poison from those kunai. But I can't help her right now! I have to get her out of the way of this attack, but can I even do that? Maybe with sylph...

No. There's only one way to save her and myself, for sure.

Mother... Should I...

...No. I can't. If I reveal that now, who knows what Ilias or Alipheese will do? But if I can't use that, then...

Luka leapt towards Omori and summoned the power of the earth. He placed his body in front of hers and put up his guard.

Please protect me, Gnome!

Luka focused all his power into defence as he heard Tamamo's spell finish. Rays of light shot out of her tail and coincided with him.

The massive explosion shook the ground as it hit its target.

High above the battle site, Ilias watched. Earlier today, she received a report from Lucifina, who had finished her mission to infiltrate the Monster Lord's castle. Unfortunately, she learned nothing of note. Monsters are ramping up their game, recruiting more and more. The infighting is growing worse and has even spread to the ancestors. This could either be seen as a sign of Alipheese losing control or Monsters weeding out their week. Ilias already knew all of this, and thus the mission was rendered useless. She sighed in annoyance.

Ilias looked upon the battle with a grimace. The hero she had hoped could turn the tides of this war had just been killed. She had no doubt. She was also annoyed that out of every person he could have died to, it would've been her. Tamamo No Mae had been a thorn in her side for many years. She wanted nothing more than to see the kitsune crawling on the ground while begging for mercy. She sighed as she continued to watch the scene. She had been watching the hero for quite a while now, and it seemed this old habit of hers had no intention of fading away.

She watched as the fox went over to the massive hole in the ground. She could see some blood along the rubble in the centre and noticed the hero's sword, which had a large crack in its side.

So, he is dead. How disappointing. I suppose I must resort to that plan after all.

She sighed in dissatisfaction as she prepared to end the spell. That was until she heard a small cough. To her complete surprise, the hero rose from the rubble, with a newly broken arm and blood dripping from wounds all over his body. The hero then almost immediately fell back down onto one knee.

How? He survived that? Did he... Match Tamamo No Mae's skill with the power of the Earth? Not even one of my angels could do such a thing...

...Well, maybe not match. He is the one lying on the ground, coughing up blood after all, but still...

She knew he had three of the elemental spirits with him, but even then, this was unprecedented. A small smile appeared on Ilias's face as she watched the hero rise again. His still being alive could be very beneficial to her.

Lucifina was right. He must be part angel. No human could survive that, even with the spirits. But if he is not one of mine and not one of Alipheese's, he is fighting Tamamo right now after all, then who could he be? Who was his mother?

Ilias's annoyance at being unable to solve this problem grew by the second. She sighed and focused back in on the scene happening below. The hero and the kitsune were now talking. Ilias was very surprised to see the boy's wounds healed. This was only further evidence for her that he had angelic blood.

Hmph. He did not tell me that he was an angel. So not only is a heretic from contracting with the spirits and fighting Lucifina, but also from lying to his goddess... Although maybe he can be forgiven, after some punishment, of course.

Ilias had a small smile as she imagined said punishment and continued to watch the scene below.

Without meditation, I'd be dead right now. Thank you, Alice, for teaching it to me.

Luka picked up his sword from the ground and dragged Omori from the rubble. Under the fog of destruction, Tamamo was waiting. He checked Omori's vitals, and a small smile reached his face as he felt her heartbeat.

She's okay. Thank Ilias...

He grimaced as he saw the holes that were deep in her tentacles. It seems she was not entirely successful in stopping that insane attack. Luka looked at the devastation around him in awe.

So, this is the power of an ancestor...

After putting Omori down gently, Luka looked up to see Tamamo's shadow in the fog, looking down at him.

"I'm very impressed, boy. Few have survived that attack, and none have been human. Although, looking at you now, I don't think you'd last much longer if we continued. So, I'll give you one last chance for survival. Join us and help spread free the slaves under Ilias. That's the only way you'll get out of this alive. If you don't, I'll kill you and that Scylla," Tamamo said. She looked down at Luka and Omori as she spoke.

"So, what will it be, boy? Join us and live, or fight us and die?"

"..." Luka had no answer for the devilish fox. If joining her would spare Omori and his own life, then maybe he should.

But then I'd have to fight Ilias and her angels, and then people like her would rule. Never; there must be another way!

"You're wrong. If I defeat you here and now, then I can live without joining you," Luka said. Tamamo frowned.

"Fine then. Die" Luka shielded his eyes when the huge amount of light that now covered the scene hit him. Fires raged around him, dancing around him and Omori as they closed in.

This is bad! There's nothing I can do!

Tamamo's mood worsened as she watched the hero.

Damn it. He could've been so useful. But this way, there's no chance of him becoming one of Ilias's pawns. Now he'll die without us knowing anything about him. For instance, how was he able to use an angel technique? And how did he survive my attack? And how did he heal? It makes no sense...

Tamamo had no idea how much worse her mood could get until she heard a trio of wings flapping in the distance.

Luka was using Undine's power to disperse as much of the fire as possible. Luka felt the burning heat and had trouble breathing. The amount of room he could move in was getting smaller and smaller as the flames crept closer.

Maybe I should have just used Daystar! But now It doesn't matter... There's no way to get rid of all this fire without Salamander...

"There he is!" A high-pitched voice announced.

Wait, I've heard that voice... Morrigan!?

Luka looked up to see three succubi flying in the sky above him. One had blue hair and wore little clothing. Another had hair of a reddish hue and had her chest completely exposed. The final of the three had long, purple hair and wore a sweater to cover her large chest.

"The Lilith sisters... What are you doing here?" Tamamo asked. Luka noticed that, while Tamamo was distracted, the fire had calmed down. Luka was able to give himself some breathing room.

"Tamamo No Mae... I apologise for us showing up unannounced. I'm sure you heard of the incident my sister had with this hero. We are here to restore our reputation. I can see you've already taken the initiative on getting rid of him, but I request that you allow us to finish the job." The purple-haired one said.

"Oh? And why would I do that? And how did you know he would be here in the first place?"

"We've been tracking his scent for a while. We've only caught up now since we started all the way back at Port Natalia. And you'll do it as a favour to us and to our mother."

"...No. I have spent a lot of energy fighting this hero. Unlike you and your family, I've spent my time strategizing and forming plans on how to defeat Ilias rather than jumping on every man I see, as you do. Your only use in this war is your usefulness as bait for Ilias, since she hates your kind so much." Tamamo shot back. The three sisters stood silent in the air for a few moments before looking at each other, as though they were talking.

Are they speaking through telepathy? Tamamo said most monsters have that ability; she even said I could learn it one day. Huh, I never asked her to teach me.

Shaking his head to clear the unnecessary thoughts, Luka slowly backed out of the scene. His chance to run was now, while they were distracted. He picked Omori up and walked over the now nearly-tiny flames.

"Then... It seems there is only one option."

"Very well," Tamamo said. In an instant, Luka could hear the clash happening behind him. He saw the three succubi, each using different techniques and styles of fighting to take the fox down. The flames in the mansion shot right back up as Tamamo fought back. Since she was now weakened after using such a fierce attack in the previous fight, the battle was more even than what would be expected.

I'll have to ask Omori more about those sisters when she wakes up. Plus, I need to help her heal. Those injuries look really bad. The poisons seem to have dissipated, though. Maybe it was just temporary?

Luka walked along the streets of the now-burning Yamatai. Kitsune and humans alike were running around, trying to put the flames out. He also saw multiple humans attempting to run away, like he was.

I'll help as many as I can. But I still need to get out of here as soon as possible.

Luka ran to the different humans who had no kitsune guarding them and destroyed their shackles. Not all had them. It seems only those who disobeyed would earn them. As the humans ran from the burning village, Luka ran with them. Holding Omori, he escaped the scene, heading towards the cave he had heard about earlier.

Hrngh! These damn whores! Now that little hero has gotten away! And look what's happened to my village!

Tamamo was seething with rage as she looked at her home. She had just finished sending the Lilith Sisters back where they came from when she noticed the hero's disappearance.

Damn it! This is their fault. Minagi will answer for this.

Tamamo frowned further at the thought of having to talk with her sister. The three sisters, who were technically her nieces, were now laid out on the ground before her, with fresh burn marks covering them.

Hmph. Even when it's three-on-one, they still lose. They were always pathetic. At least my kitsune has stopped burning. I guess that was sort of my fault... It seems many of our humans have escaped too. I'll have to get some more later then.

Haah... Fine, I'll tell Minagi. I suppose I'll have to tell her about the hero too. I'm sure she has plenty of men to trade. Maybe.

Tamamo sighed as she contacted her sister.