"I told you this already. Lord Hiruko governs all the ocean territory, including the one I grew up in. The only exception is the sea between San Ilia and the Ilias Continent, which is controlled by angels."
"Yeah, but I was asking how? I haven't seen any angels that look like they would be good swimmers." Luka said. He and Omori had been discussing the different territories that monsters and angels ruled for a while now. He learned that the Ilias continent had been controlled by angels for thousands of years now, and Hellgondo was much the same. The Capital of the Gold Region, Vrimor, had been ruled for the last hundred years by monsters, much like San Ilia.
"They use spells to let them breathe underwater, even holy magic can do it. You really should've been able to guess that. In fact, it's not that high tier of a spell; I'm surprised they didn't teach it to you." Omori responded.
"Well, humans can't swim very fast compared to other species, so we probably wouldn't have been much help."
And Micaela never taught it to me. I never really had any reason to go underwater again anyway, but I should learn it when I get back just in case.
"Alright, then... Why is Minagi called 'The Great Whore of Babylon'?" Luka asked. He had heard quite a bit about Minagi, mostly from humans who were infatuated with her status as the 'sexiest succubus ever'. It was said that thousands of men had died for her while in the raptures of pleasure. Luka was surprised to see that most men were not, in fact, horrified by this fact but rather jealous instead.
"Hmm. That's a fair point. From what I've heard, it's because she says when she finally gets hold of San Ilia, she will rename it Babylon and turn it into a haven for succubi. I'm not entirely sure, though." Omori explained.
"The great whore part is probably because she's known for fucking thousands of men to death, though," Omori said casually. "Anyway, now I have a question for you."
Omori stopped 'walking' and turned back to Luka.
"Why are we going to Vrimor before Salamander? I thought getting the spirits was the priority?"
"Oh right, I haven't explained that part to you. When we get to Vrimor, I want you to stay there and look around, then report back. If we have you on the inside, we can learn far more about our enemies. Vrimor is meant to be the monster equivalent of San Ilia, right?"
"I see. But you're wrong about Vrimor. San Ilia's counterpart would be Remina, not Vrimor."
Remina!? How could I forget about Remina? Of course, it still exists; it was an ancient city. From what I've heard, Remina was the kingdom of coexistence, and was supposedly not a bad place to live. I wonder if that's true even now, though...
"Vrimor would be more like... I guess it would be like Gelon. Although it is actually controlled by monsters, unlike Gelon. They say that it is a safe haven for all kinds of monsters. It's also known as the Angel Prison. Once they've been broken in, they're sent to Remina, or in some cases, the Monster Lord's castle, to be either experimented on, turned into weapons for monster-kind, or devoured." Omori explained.
"To date, I'd say around five, maybe six hundred angels have been successfully captured. In fact, in the early years of the war, angels were humiliated by being put into the workforce, doing work monsters didn't want to do. For example, the path we're currently walking on is called the 'Golden Path' for two reasons. One because it leads to the Gold region, and two because angels were forced to build it. They supposedly wore gold collars during this work; as you may know, Gold is what Ilias herself wears, so it was meant to also be an insult to her."
Luka looked down at the stone path he was walking along. To think that angels had to die to make it. Luka was horrified.
"Looks like we're nearly there now. Anyway, anything else you want to know about?" Omori asked.
"Well, how about those craters we saw earlier? What happened there?"
"Didn't I tell you already? Those were only small ruins from battles. I think those in particular were the sites of the battle between Eden and Lilith. It ended with Eden flying back to heaven after more monsters showed up as reinforcements. She only managed to escape with half of the angels she brought with her. You can guess what happened to those who were left behind. Personally, I don't care at all for angels. As far as I'm concerned, they are no better than the ancestors." Omori said.
"I'm sure they're not all that bad, but most of them kill without mercy or a shred of thought. They were all made to be slaves to Ilias. Sometimes I think the world would be better without them, but then monsters would be at the top of the food chain, and that wouldn't end well for humanity. Sorry, went off on a tangent there, anything else you'd like to know?"
"Hmm... do you know how the ancestors are so strong? I've heard that they're Alipheese the first's children, but... Still."
"Well, I guess that's fair. It's true that, compared to even high-ranking monsters, their power is unbelievable. To be honest, no other monsters have even gotten close. Except for Alipheese the second, of course, but she doesn't count. I guess I'll give you a history lesson then—at least, history as I know it. Alipheese did not actually birth the six ancestors. She, rather, created them with her incredible power. It is said that when Alipheese discovered the world, she began to experiment with the wildlife. Eventually, she discovered humanity. They were weak and frail, much like today."
"She continued experimenting, and eventually she attempted to make a sort of hybrid race. She made a cross of herself, animals, and humans. When all three were combined, the ancestors were born. This is why they look both human and animal while also having the power of Alipheese. The ancestors began to devour the first humans and repopulated quickly. Humanity, upon seeing hundreds of their own die to these new creatures, gave them the name 'monsters'. The ancestors also began to speak the same language that humans did. This language had spread from them to the angels as well. A few centuries later, Ilias descended, tired of watching humans be killed by monsters. She told Alipheese that humanity was 'hers'."
"Alipheese countered by saying that she did not create humanity as she had claimed and that she could do what she liked with humans. Ilias, enraged by her refusal to stop killing humans, began the Great War. That would've been around one hundred years ago, although few know how long the war has really lasted. Humanity had time to build up great kingdoms during this time. The ancestors began to kill fewer humans, instead letting some be kept as mates. Although not many lasted long. Angels began to protect humans and further spread the religion of Ilias. It was said that the first years of the war were the worst."
"Almost half of us monsters died within this time. Angels actually prospered, managing to nearly kill one of the ancestors, Hiruko, and took so much land that they controlled seventy percent of the world for a short time. This was quickly stopped when monsters began to better unite and use strength-in-numbers strategies like the angels were doing. This led the fight to become more even, and after many, many years, we arrive where we are now."
"The fight is leaning more on the side of monsters, although the war looks no closer to ending. All in all, it was said that around a million humans died during the entire war. Humanity is now a fraction of what it once was, and as I said earlier, they look to be dying out more and more each year," Omori said. She took a deep breath after such a long explanation. Luka took in all the information as they continued walking.
"I see..." He said. There was an awkward moment of silence between the two. It was broken when the sight of Vrimor appeared only a little further down the path.
"I guess this is it," Omori sighed.
"Well, good luck, Omori! I'll be back by tomorrow. Meet me out here around noon, alright?" Luka said.
"Hmm. Very well. Good luck with getting Salamander."
"Thanks. I'll be off then." After saying goodbye, Luka and Omori split up. Omori entered the large kingdom known as Vrimor for the first time. The guards asked her a few questions, but they seemed to be uninterested in the young Scylla.
They must get a lot of traffic. And angels haven't attacked this city in years. Security doesn't seem too tight. That will be good for us.
After entering the castle, Omori looked at the city surrounding her.
Wow, it's even bigger than it looked from the outside. It's just as big as San Ilia!
Omori looked in wonder at the sights. The centre of the city had a large statue of Alipheese, with the six ancestors surrounding her. Many monsters looked upon it in admiration. Even some humans were doing the same.
They worship them like gods. Pathetic. They are nothing but oppressors who even kill their own kind if they're hungry enough.
Omori's brow furrowed as she looked at the statue. Deciding to move on, she walked past it to look at the large castle far in the back. It had gargoyle statues along its roof, with some real gargoyles also on the roof. It was as high as the castle in San Ilia but was made of darker stone.
If I were to guess, I'd say this castle is actually a bit bigger than the one in San Ilia. Sabasa still comes nowhere close, though. Humans have a lot of catching up to do. Although I'm pretty sure humans were actually the first ones to make castles...
Omori continued to look around the castle grounds. They were packed full of people of many different races. She saw alruanes, fellow Scyllas, fairies, succubi, dragon-kin, lamias, harpies, and even some lower monsters like slugs or earthworm girls. After pushing past the horde, the Scylla finally reached her destination. The Inn was disappointingly normal compared to the extravagant kingdom.
Omori entered and approached the innkeeper, a friendly-looking lamia with a shimmering green tail. She requested a room for the night and handed over the required payment. Currently, she and Luka were still living off the funds given by the king of Sabasa.
We'll need more money to continue on. Setting aside both travel and food costs, hiring help or even bribing guards could be very helpful later on. Getting a more consistent source of income is vital.
As she settled into her room, Omori couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and nervousness. This was her chance to gather information and learn more about the inner workings of Vrimor. She had always been curious about the monster-dominated territories and how they operated. The one she had lived in had only been controlled by monsters for a few years at most. This city and the region as a whole had been under Fateburn rule for far longer. So far, though, the city has not been as bad as Omori was expecting.
After freshening up in her room, Omori decided to explore the city further. She stepped out onto the bustling streets of Vrimor, filled with monsters going about their daily lives. The atmosphere was vibrant, and she couldn't help but notice the very unharmonious coexistence between different monster species.
I've heard about the infighting in the monster army, but does it even spread to civilians? If we continue like this, then Ilias's propaganda about us being barbarians might as well be true.
As she wandered through the market district, Omori overheard snippets of conversations. Merchants were haggling with customers, and various rumours and gossip floated through the air. It was a perfect opportunity to gather information discreetly.
She approached a fruit stall and struck up a conversation with the alraune merchant. Casually, she asked about the political landscape of Vrimor and its relationship with other territories. The alraune seemed more than willing to share her knowledge.
"Vrimor has been under monster control for a century now," the alraune explained. "We pride ourselves on being a safe haven for monsters of all kinds. Our queen, Lady Kanon, ensures that our laws and regulations protect the rights and interests of monsters within our borders."
Kanon, the Great Ancestor of all Alraunes. She's known for her gluttony, not being very sharp, and for her impulsiveness. Even so, her power is just as great as her sisters. She is not to be underestimated.
Omori nodded, absorbing the information. "What about Remina? Is it true that it's a kingdom of coexistence?" She asked.
The alraune smiled knowingly. "Ah, Remina, the city of legends. It is said to be a place where monsters and humans live together, embracing coexistence. Compared to this city, they are even more entwined, and some of the cattle are even treated better. However, accessing Remina is challenging. The passage is guarded heavily by both monsters and angels. Only a select few are granted entry."
Cattle? Is that what they call humans here? Now that I think about it, most of the humans here are acting the same as the ones in Yamatai, fearful of their masters. The only difference here is that there is a far larger population of both humans and monsters. If I were to guess, though, I'd say there are more humans overall.
Omori made a mental note of this valuable information. Remina seemed like a place she'd need to investigate further. She thanked the alraune for her insights and continued her exploration of Vrimor.
Omori continued to look around the city. She went from the relatively rich houses in the north all the way down to the slums in the south, and as she did, she noticed a single characteristic that united the whole city. Humans were treated like dirt. From young children to the middle-aged, all were living under the boots of monsters.
It was not as bad as Ilias would make it out to be, but it was far from the unified and equal society Omori had hoped for. All her life, she had thought humans were treated unfairly, and she still holds on to that belief today. She knew that humans were just like monsters, with some bad and some good, and deserved to be seen as people, or at the very least, above mere cattle.
As the sun began to set, Omori made her way back to the inn, her mind buzzing with thoughts and newfound knowledge. She felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing that her observations and the information she had gathered would be valuable to Luka and their mission. She entered her room, dumped what she had bought onto the floor, and collapsed on the bed.
Omori prepared for a good night's sleep, knowing that the next day would bring new opportunities and challenges. Tomorrow, she would meet Luka and share her findings, setting the stage for their next steps in their mission to gather the spirits and aid their cause against the angels and the oppressive reign of both Ilias and Alipheese.
"You're going to see Salamander, the spirit of fire!? Not only that, but you're going there to form a contract with her!?" One of the merchants asked.
"Yeah. I've already formed contracts with Sylph, Gnome, and Undine. After I get Salamander, I'll have all four." Luka responded.
The group of passersby Luka had lucked upon nearly fainted upon the revelation. They would've been surprised if the boy had said this was his first spirit, but to think he nearly had all of them...
"Impossible! No human can control all four elements at once! It's unheard of! At most, we've seen some especially strong humans use two spirits, but four is outrageous!" A scholarly-looking man said.
"Yeah! And besides, Salamander probably won't want to anyway. She's too busy training humans. I doubt she'd just abandon her students just for you." Another man said.
"She won't have to. Spirits can still reside in their homes while also being contracted. This is how they can form multiple contracts at once. I thought that was common knowledge." Luka said.
"Really? Huh, I've never heard it. Although information on the other spirits is hard to get here, asking Salamander would prove difficult. Do you know anything else about her? We've only gotten here recently and have had little luck getting information on her. The documents and books about her are quite expensive." The scholar said as he prepared to write some of the information down.
"Sure, I'll tell you what I know. Salamander is the Spirit of Fire. She's known for being a great fighter and wielding incredible magical power. She has a fiery personality and is quite strict. Those who have been trained by her are said to come out far stronger than when they entered. And as far as I know, she is willing to train both monsters and humans." Luka explained. The scholar wrote down some of what he said.
"Thanks. By the way, I hope you have something to deal with the heat. That's the reason we're turning back. Hopefully, Vrimor has something in stock." The scholar said as he and the others began to make their way back to Vrimor. Luka continued on the path to Gold Volcano.
"Off to see Salamander... I guess I wouldn't mind seeing her once more." Undine said.
"Yeah, I haven't seen her in a long time now." Luka replied
The last time I saw her was... nearly a year ago? That was around the time that I had finished training with her element. I wanted to visit her, but I was always too busy with either my duties as a hero or as a husband and father... When I get back, I should make sure to visit her.
"You've met her before?" Undine asked.
"Huh? Oh- Uh, no. I meant I've seen her in picture books and the like when I was younger. I meant to say, I wonder if she looks the same."
"They sold picture books of the four spirits in Ilias?"
"Uh- Well, yeah. It was more so to show us who the enemy is."
"Hmm... Really? I don't believe you. There's something you're not telling me."
"..." Luka remained silent as he continued walking towards the large volcano. He could feel the heat not only from the volcano itself, but also from Undine's glare.
"Haah. I suppose I'll find out sooner or later. But be warned: if I wish, I could read your thoughts. We spirits reside inside your body, you know; it's hard not to overhear one or two thoughts."
Thank Ilias; she didn't hear that one earlier...
"Hear what?"
"Damn it! Look, I'll tell you later, ok?"
"Cheer up, Deeny! I know Luka may not look like it, but I've been with him for a while now, and he seems genuine to me!" Sylph said.
"Hmph. An airhead like you doesn't know what they're talking about." Undine sighed.
"Anyway. Those humans were right. Salamander is quite a strong foe. I don't really want to admit it, but her brutish way of fighting may be slightly more effective than my elegant one. Regardless, what I'm trying to say is to be careful. She certainly won't hold back. Very few humans have managed to contract with her, and that was only when the fighting died down. They were also always in a group of three or four. You may be the first to do it on your own." Undine said.
"I see. Better get going then." Luka said as he entered the volcano. The volcano had a rock path surrounded by lava that Luka could walk on. The heat was nearly unbearable, a signal that the volcano was not far from erupting. Luka saw many different monsters in the volcano, including a very draconic dragon girl and a lava girl. The two had tried to attack Luka, but we were quickly beaten back.
Hmm, the same two as the first time I came in here. I wonder if they're related...
After a few more minutes of wandering, Luka found his objective. Salamander was sitting down on a rock in the middle of the arena-like stone formation. She was not looking at Luka, nor did she have her eyes open in the first place. She was in a meditative posture, and Luka could hear a light humming coming from her.
"Like what you see?" Salamander said as she opened her eyes. "Are you going to stare at me all day or tell me what you're here for? ...Oh? Is that Undine I sense? It was fitting of you to come; I was wondering when we have the chance to talk again."
Even now, she still doesn't wear clothes. I wonder why? It's pretty distracting.
"Hi, Salamander. As you can probably tell, I've already gotten the other three spirits. Now I've come here to contract with you too." Luka said.
"Hmph. Well, that is impressive. I don't recall any other human managing to contract with three of us at once. And I can tell you have an incredible affinity for fire. Say, Why is that? I've never met you before, but it feels like you've known the fire for years." Salamander asked.
"Ah, yes, I've gotten that before. Like I told Gnome, I had trained with lesser spirits before trying to contract with Sylph, and before that, I was trained in holy magic usage by angels on the Ilias continent, my birthplace."
"Ilias? So, you are one of her worshippers?"
"No. I don't follow her, at least not anymore. Currently, I'm just trying to stop this war. From what I've seen, it only causes devastation and death. I believe both Ilias and Alipheese are wrong. There is no way I can let this fighting continue."
"Hmm. You don't know the half of it. Right now, the war has calmed down a little, but when it first started, or even just five or six years ago, the fighting was unbelievable. Both angels and monsters were dying by the thousands, with both races reproducing as fast as possible to make new soldiers. This, combined with the killing of humans on Sentora, destroyed much of the human population. Now you can see the results. Humanity used to be a very large and somewhat prosperous race whose strides in technology were incredible. In fact, monsters had actually copied human architecture and design to create their own homes, like the Monster Lord's castle," Salamander explained.
"Ah, I'm getting off track. You want to contract with me, right? I won't show you mercy, so you better not lose!" Salamander said.
"Ready?" She asked.
"Ready," Luka said as he drew Angel Halo.
Suddenly, flames erupted from the pool of lava surrounding them, and a huge wave of heat hit Luka. Scorch marks from the heat appeared on his skin, and he strengthened the grip on his sword. Salamander readied her fist and jumped towards Luka. She stuck him one, two, three times in a combo. Luka deflected each blow with his sword, then quickly slashed back at the spirit. Salamander summoned a wave of fire, which Luka quickly cut through. As Luka summoned three of the four spirits, he leapt towards Salamander, managing to cut into her arm.
"Ah, my power! What kind of sword is that!?"
"Long story," Luka said as he continued to slash at the fire spirit. Salamander, eager to unleash her power, launched a massive wave of fire and lava at the hero. Luka infused himself with the power of the earth, stopping the wave dead in its tracks with Earth Rumbling Decapitation.
"Eat this!" Luka shouted as he struck the spirit nine times in a row. The blows inflicted heavy damage on the spirit of fire. Salamander collapsed onto the floor, but to Luka's surprise, she rose again.
"I'm not done yet! Take this!" Salamander shouted as she summoned yet another wave of flames and lava, but this time she combined it with her own fists. Luka deflected or stopped all the attacks in an impressive display of sword mastery. He quickly stomped out the small fire that was caught on his cape.
"Hah. Impressive. Well done," Salamander said. "I accept defeat." Luka sighed as his breathing returned to normal. Salamander shakily stood up. She held out a hand to the young hero, which Luka quickly accepted. Luka felt the power of fire run through him. It was a familiar power, one that he had been missing. Luka watched as the four spirits materialised in front of him. Luka smiled upon seeing his old friends back together again. Undine, Gnome, and Sylph all greeted Salamander.
Should I... Should I tell them what's really happening and who I really am? My lineage, the fact that I don't come from here. If I do tell them, they could potentially help me get back home, and if I don't, then what if Undine or one of the others leave because of my lying? Plus, Omori isn't here right now. It's the perfect opportunity.
Luka continued to listen to the spirits talk. He thought of his home, his friends, and of the spirits of nature that he knew.
Well, it can't hurt. I should make sure Ilias can't listen to me, though.
Luka cast a distortion spell around the area they were resting in. If Ilias really wanted to, she could break in and listen, but it was unlikely she would spend so much energy just to stalk him.
Here goes nothing...
"Hey, can I tell you all something?" Luka asked.
"Hmm? What is it?" Undine said. The other spirits approached Luka, now all huddled near each other.
"You were right, Undine. I was hiding something. I... I'm not from this world," Luka said.
"...What?" Undine and Salamander both responded.
"I know, it's crazy. I'm from a world far into the future—a thousand years, actually. I was sent her by a future monster lord, Black Alice. I don't know how she did it, or how she is alive, for that matter. She should've died back in heaven..."
"What? What are you saying? Explain who Black Alice is; I've never heard of her."
Luka began to explain his past and the past of his world. He talked about Black Alice, the eighth Monster Lord and a total tyrant; he spoke of him slaying Ilias along with the sixteenth monster lord and some others. He spoke of their previous adventure, of Heinrich, and of his relationship with him. All in all, Luka had been explaining his entire story to the spirits for over an hour. He looked at the spirit's bewildered face as he spoke, although one certain spirit of wind seemed to just be confused the whole time.
"So... You're a hero from another world, who is currently married to the sixteenth Monster Lord, and are also world famous for slaying Ilias? And you did all of this within six months. Now you've come here, to a world which, according to you, shouldn't exist?"
"Yeah." Luka responded.
"...Are you serious?" Salamander said.
"I, for one, think it's worth considering. It's far too elaborate to be a mere lie. Plus, his power is unlike anything I've ever seen. But to think the Daystar was your mother. And she died from a sickness?"
"Yeah. She chose to die a human; even if in the past she was well, like she is now, I'll always remember her as my loving mother."
"Hmm... Is that so? Well, don't think we're all on board with this ludicrous explanation of yours. But I suppose this does explain how you cured those people in Yamatai. Oh yeah, where did you get the holy stone anyway?"
"I made it. Micaela, the one from my world, showed me how."
"Micaela. She'd be your aunt, then. What a strange family you have. So, you'd also be Ilias's grandson then?"
"Well, I guess," Luka said.
Ilias. My thoughts of her are becoming more and more frequent lately. Before she died, she redeemed herself by bringing me back to life. Of course, that doesn't make up for everything she did, but she was far from pure evil.
"Deeny! What's he talking about? I still don't get it!" Sylph said. Before she could continue, a bubble of water interrupted her.
Luka continued to answer any questions the spirits had for another few minutes before they were mostly satisfied. They then left the Volcano and began to walk down to Vrimor. Luka would have to meet up with Omori and decide whether they should try to liberate the city or leave it as it is. Luka was now confident in his ability to take on whatever this world threw at him. With all four spirits and his angelic power, few enemies could challenge him.
As he walked, he looked at the Makina on his wrist. Getting the device fixed would be a top priority. Perhaps after he was done here, he could go to the centre of science and technology, Remina. Although he doubted that they would have developed anything like this, perhaps they could still help him.