After wiping her tears, Tamamo sat in silence, staring at the message on the screen.

'I'm alive. In another world. One thousand years in the past. Trying to find a way back as well. Tell Alice I love her.'

"I can't believe it. Why? Why is he only messaging us now!? Could he do it this whole time?" Tamamo said aloud.

…No, Luka wouldn't do that. He probably couldn't talk to us until now.

"He's confirmed it. He's in another world entirely. And one thousand years in the past? That would mean… The Great Monster Wars. That would be the same year they ended, though; the same year my mother, me, and my dear sisters sealed themselves… But was he sent after it happened, or before?" Tamamo wondered.

If it was before, then he could be in a lot of trouble. He's been there for three weeks—nearly a month. Assuming time travels at the same rate there as it does here, that is. Has Ilias or Alipheese spotted him yet? He must be okay, though, since he could send that message.

'Luka, this is Tamamo. I've received your message. Give us more information. We are coming to get you; just hold on. Keep in mind there is a large delay between these messages. I'll tell Alice the news now.'

There. Now, to tell Alice.

Before Tamamo left the room, she saw her reflection on one of the screens in the room.

Jeez, I look terrible. I should freshen up a bit. This is all your fault, Luka.

But seriously. I'm so glad he's okay. It won't be long now. I can feel it. We're close.

Tamamo had a small smile on her face as she took a quick bath. After cleaning herself and brushing her hair, she wore a new, clean set of clothes. Said clothes were in the classic Yamatai kitsune style but were slightly darker than the set she normally wore. After she was done preparing, Tamamo set off to find Alice.

Luckily for her, it had only taken a few minutes to find the Monster Lord. She was slumped over on one of the couches in a living room in the castle. Neris was lying against her, and Nero was too, but on her other side. Alice had her arms around her two children. Tamamo felt bad for having to disturb the scene, but she knew she would forgive her with time.

"Alice, Alice. Wake up." Tamamo whispered. "C'mon, Alice. Wake up!" Tamamo said a bit louder. The Monster Lord still showed no sign of leaving the realm of dreams.

Hah, I guess I'll have to use that old trick. It always worked when she was a child, so it should still work now.

Tamamo grabbed a slice of cake from the nearby table and held it just below Alice's nose. It only took a few moments for her to awaken.

"Food?" Alice muttered.

"Alice," Tamamo said. It took a few moments for the lamia's eyes to fully open and a few more for her to look directly at the kitsune.

"Tamamo? What do you want?" Alice asked, slightly annoyed at being awoken.

"Just come with me. You'll really want to see this." Tamamo said. Alice sighed and attempted to stand up, but her children were still clinging to her. Alice gently took them off of her. She pushed them together and stood up.

"Alright, go on. Take me," Alice said. Tamamo took her hand and led her to the room where the Kitsune had done her research. Alice had been here before, but in recent months, it had been upgraded quite a lot. There were more than six screens on one side of the room, with each one showing something different. There were consoles with strange buttons and dials. There were lights beeping and wires going all around the room. In the centre was a table with a map of the world on it. It was not functional.

"Still no progress on that project?" Alice asked.

"Well, I've been pretty busy," Tamamo said. Said project was to upgrade the electronic interface to that of a holographic one, an ambitious goal. Apparently, Promestein had one in her personal room in heaven, but it was destroyed when heaven fell. Tamamo had no design to work off, and so she had to invent the technology herself. At this rate, it would be a few more months before she finally got it working.

"Here, look at this," Tamamo said.

"What? That message?" Alice asked. She went silent as she read the message and learned who the sender was. Tamamo gave her time to process it.

Alice began to cry.

"Luka," Alice said, her voice but a whisper. "You're alive. I… I thought" Alice began to cry a little louder. Tamamo had a sad smile at the sight. For a quick moment, Tamamo embraced the Monster Lord. Alice, who was surprised by the Kitsune's sudden display of affection, slowly returned the hug. After a few awkward moments, they separated.

"...Send him a message," Alice said. "Tell him-"

Tamamo began to type in earnest.

"So, you're telling me that you, along with the Sword of Heaven, a Monster Lord, a Succubus Queen, a Dragon Swordswoman, a Queen Slime and Tamamo No Mae herself, all joined forces to destroy Ilias?" Salamander asked.

"And the other leaders of the world helped too, but yeah, pretty much," Luka said. "Also, you were the one that raised that Granberia," Luka explained.

"Raised her? You mean I adopted her?" Salamander asked. "Hmm. Well, I mean, I guess that would be something I might do. And she was strong enough to fight Ilias? And not just any ordinary Ilias, one who had some of the power of Alipheese infused into her?"

"Yeah. She actually stood for a really long time. It was impressive."

Salamander smirked proudly. "Heh, of course! I was the one that taught her all her tricks."

"Pipe down, lizard. You didn't teach her anything. Don't be proud of something another version of you did. And besides, I bet you just taught her how to be reckless and a brute." Undine said.

Luka laughed a bit, nodding in agreement. "Well, you're not entirely wrong. She disobeyed Alice and fought until she collapsed." He explained.

"Hah! Told you," Undine smirked, satisfied with her point.

"Shut up! What about your protege, huh? What did she do?"

"Erubetie? I wouldn't call her Undine's protege, but she probably did learn a few things from her. I'd say you two were more than just close friends. As the pollution got worse, more and more slimes needed a refuge, and you offered your spring to them. Erubetie began to combine with other slimes, and eventually, she became even stronger than you." Luka said

"I've heard before that she was a kind monster who was gentle with humans. After so many years of seeing her slime die due to human pollution, along with the influence of so many voices inside her, she changed. Both you and her began to hate humanity. This led her to participate in the fight for the title of Monster Lord. She wanted to wipe out all of humanity, but she thankfully failed and instead became a heavenly knight. After a long time, me and her met. She… really didn't like me at first. In fact, she threatened to blow up all of Hellgondo just to kill me!" Luka said.

Although I think she might've been exaggerating, she's strong, sure, but not that strong. Could Kanade do something like that?

"Anyway, she eventually changed her mind. She risked her own life to protect me from Ilias. I'll never forget that. Over the years, we began to talk more. She's one of my friends now, and she even gets along well with Nero," Luka said.

"Nero? He's… your son, right?" Undine asked. Luka nodded. "He's just a kid right now, but he's incredible," Luka explained.

Before Undine could continue, the makina made a noise. Luka looked at the screen.

'Hey, Idiot! Where did you go running off to!? We've been looking all over for you! What took you so long to respond? We've all been worrying about you. What made you think you could just up and disappear like that? Respond immediately.'

Three guesses as to who wrote that.

"Oooh! Is that your wife?" Sylph asked. "I remember when you told Omori about her! So, when will we get to meet her?"

"You're married?" Salamander asked, surprised. "To whom?"

"Alipheese Fateburn the sixteenth," Luka responded. He lifted up his left hand to show the ring around his finger. Normally, it would've been hidden by his gloves, but he took them off to show the spirits. It was a strange ring. It was designed after the Fateburn crest. Alice said it was to 'show who he belonged to'. Luka did not like the sound of that, but as she wore a ring too, he decided he might as well wear it.

It did lower the number of 'offers' I was getting. Not by much, though.

"The Monster Lord married the Hero?" Undine asked. "Sounds like a fairytale."

Luka ignored the suddenly talkative spirits as he typed a reply to his wife.

'Well, I didn't really have a choice, did I? Still, sorry. The watch had broken when I got here, so it took me a while to get it fixed. I've contracted with the spirits, and I'm currently in the Gold region, heading to Sabasa. I plan to take a shortcut through the mountains. Thank you for worrying about me.'

It took a few minutes for a reply to come through.

'This is Tamamo. It was late, so I told Alice to sleep. She may not show it, but Alice is ecstatic. I can sense her relief and my own. What time is it for you? Tell us more about your situation. Also, I'm getting close to finding a way to you. I believe I can do it through soul magic, but I'm not sure as to how.'

Soul magic? I heard Tamamo talk about it before. She used to practice it a lot during the Great War. That's how I came up with that whole lie about Angel Halo.

'I'm in the Great Monster Wars. Ilias and Alipheese are fighting. Kanon is dead. She killed herself in an attempt to hurt me and a friend I was with. I'm not sure how much they know about me. I fought my mother and you. Twice now, actually. It's almost midnight for me.'

Luka looked up from the watch and saw Vrimor just ahead of him.

Can't do the same thing as last time. So how am I meant to sneak through here?

"Why don't you just climb the walls?" Sylph asked, "Or better yet, fly above them!" She suggested.

"I can't fly, Sylph. Believe me, I've tried. I only have one wing, and it's not even physically there." Luka explained.

"I didn't say to use your wings! Use the wind, silly!" Sylph said.

The wind? To fly? That sounds… hard.

"I'm not sure; besides, I don't think I'd be able to control it."

"Well, not as well as me, maybe. But it's not like you're going to be literally flying; it's more like you're just giving yourself a little boost! It shouldn't be too hard." Sylph explained.

Hmm, well. It's worth a shot.

Luka positioned himself against the wall of the city. It was at least thirteen metres high. He could scale it and use his sword to pull himself up, but it would leave evidence.

Besides, this is good practice. Alright. Here goes.

Luka readied himself, summoned Sylph, and looked up. He controlled the wind around him to give him a massive boost upward at a moment's notice. Luka lifted off the ground, but not gracefully. He was forced upward. He stopped the wind after only a second of using it and reached out to the edge of the wall. He barely managed to grab it and pull himself up.

Phew. Well, that worked. Still, I don't see how jumping high up could be very useful in a fight, but it's good to know.

"Hey! Not bad Luka! That was an impressive jump." Sylph said. "Oh! I know, next time you should combine it with Gnomes power! Then you'd go even higher!"

"That's… Not a bad idea. Thanks, Sylph." Luka said. He looked around and saw no guards on the wall. He pulled up his hood and snuck through the castle. A patrol ended up walking past him, but he remained hidden. The darkness of night made it far easier to sneak around. Luka walked down a set of stairs into one of the rooms in the castle. Just as he was about to leave the room, he sensed a guard about to enter.

Luka reacted quickly and hid inside a closet. Thankfully, his small size ended up helping him. He easily fit inside, and he held his breath as she entered. Luka thought he was safe until the makina made a noise.

"Huh? What was that?" The guard asked.

Shit! The watch, of course, she has to text me right now, of all times!

Luka's heart rate quickened as the guard looked around the room. Eventually, she looked directly at the closest.

"Who's in there? Show yourself." The guard commanded.

Luka, seeing no other option, slowly opened the door.

"Huh? I recognise you." The guard said.

What? I don't think… Oh, wait, I've seen her before too.

"You're that slave boy, aren't you?" The harpy knight asked, "Did you escape or something?"

"I'm… not a slave. My name is Luka." The boy explained.

"Luka? Huh, I swear I've heard that name before." The harpy said. She looked deep in thought for a few seconds, but shrugged it off. Luka looked at the harpy knight; he was surprised she had not immediately attempted to detain him or call for backup. Luka left the closet.

"Since you told me your name, I'll tell you mine. I'm Riya, a harpy knight of Vrimor. Now, what would you be doing around here?" Riya asked. "And what do you mean you're not a slave? That Scylla was your master, wasn't she? Wait a second..." Riya said. She looked deep inside for a moment before realising something.

"How could I forget? You're the one who was meant to be sent to Kanon!" Riya said. "I remember now! You're the one on all those posters! You're the one I told that kitsune about, and you're the one who killed Kanon!"

Luka audibly gulped as he began to think of a way out of this.

Dammit. I know I shouldn't do this, but… Alma Elma said I should learn how to do it just in case.

"Seduction can be a weapon. Convincing your opponent to stop fighting and surrender as they succumb to lust can be very useful. You'll need to know it if you're fighting somebody who's above your pay grade." Alma Elma explained.

Am I really going to have to do this? ...Damn it.

"H-hey," Luka said nervously. "If you promise to not tell anybody about what you've seen here, then I'll..."

"You'll...?"

"Y-you can do what you want... to me," Luka explained. Riya looked very surprised for a few moments. She stared at the boy's body for a while longer before continuing.

"Bribery, is it… well, okay. I accept. Now, come here." Riya said with a smile. Luka approached, and as soon as the harpy reached for his belt, he knocked her out with a punch.

You shouldn't have let your guard down. Thank Ilias that worked. Anything else might have risked making too much noise.

Luka sighed in relief as he left the harpy unconscious in the closet. He left the room and made his way off the castle walls.

"Heh, not bad, Luka. I didn't know you used such... underhanded techniques." Salamander commented. "Although I wonder what your wife would think."

Luka did his best to ignore the Spirit of Fire. Now on the streets of the city, he got a good look at the damage. The castle of Vrimor was now being repaired. Most of the back was undamaged, but the front and sides were completely destroyed by the fight. There was a large, deep hole where the foundation of the castle once stood.

It will take years to fix all this. Thankfully, Omori evacuated the castle, so nobody other than Kanon died. I hope.

Luka moved on. The streets of the city were cold and desolate. It was strange to see them so empty, and all the shops were closed. There were gas-lit lamps along them, barely lighting the ground. He looked at the walls of the buildings. As he predicted, there were wanted posters of him there.

They sure put them up fast. And so many.

Luka made sure his hood was all the way up as he snuck through the city. After a lot of searching, he found what he was looking for. The shop he went to was one specifically made for adventures. He had no doubt he would find the gear he needed inside. The only issue with this plan was that the door was locked. Luka, deciding he couldn't afford to waste any more time, abandoned his stealth strategy. He summoned Gnome and kicked the door down. As he expected, it was quite loud.

Better get it and get out.

Luka looked around the store and quickly found what he was looking for. A set of full climbing gear. Normally, it would cost him four thousand gold. Luka did not have this money.

Sorry, but… I need this.

Luka left a note, apologising. He also left the scarf and jacket he bought. He knew this would hardly make up for it, but it was all he had. He also left all the gold he had left on the counter, which meant he was officially broke. He left the shop and exited back out onto the street. From there, he climbed back up the walls, snuck past another group of guards, and used the rope from the climbing kit to descend the wall.

Alright, now on to the mountain range.

But before that, I better set up camp.

And Luka did just that. He gathered dry sticks, placed them in a pile, and surrounded them with some stones. He then lit it on fire. He set up the rest of his camp quickly and laid out a place for him to sleep.

"Haah, done." Luka sighed as he sat down beside the campfire.

"Quite efficient, aren't you?" Undine said.

"Strong too. Say, Luka. Who taught you your sword skills?" Salamander asked.

"Alice did. Back when we first met, she saw me fighting. I was apparently not good. Like, at all. I struggled against a slug girl; in fact, I had to use salt just to stop her from attacking me!" Luka mused. "So, Alice saw my 'pathetic' style of fighting and taught me a real style. She showed me how to use cursed sword techniques, and I've either used those or my mother's techniques ever since."

"So the Monster Lord herself taught you. Did you figure the rest of it out on your own?"

"No, of course not. I had a lot of teachers, including you, Salamander. The knights also taught me a lot. Recently, Micaela has been teaching me how to better use my holy power. Not just for fighting but for healing, moving things around, etcetera. Tamamo has also taught me some social skills, and Alma Elma too." Luka explained.

"What about that skill you used on Kanon, the one with all of our elements?"

"Ah, that was Heinrich." Luka said.

"Heinrich? But you said he was dead?"

"Well, yeah, he was, but after he failed in heaven, Ilias trapped his soul in a place called the Sealed Sinners Prison. Five hundred years later, me and Alice managed to free him. He took down an entire group of angels on his own! He took control of my body and showed me one of his techniques, Element Spica. I added the holy element later, which made it even stronger. There's one more technique of his I used, but I can tell you about that later." Luka explained.

"I see. I'm still surprised by how much Tamamo changed. You said she spent one thousand years while being sealed?" Salamander asked.

"Yeah, so did Lucifina when she became a fallen angel. She was on the ground, living with humans for five hundred years. Micaela has been living among humans for thirty-seven years now too." Luka told the spirits.

"Wow! Seems like a few decades of weakness teaches them how to be nice!" Sylph said. Luka nodded.

"Seems that way. Anyway, we should probably get some rest." Luka suggested.

"Very well. Goodnight," Undine said. She and the other spirits disappeared, except for one.

"Gnome?" Luka questioned the small Spirit of Earth. Suddenly, Sylph showed up.

"Huh, seems like Gnomey wants to say something. I'll translate for you." Sylph said.

"Uhh, okay?" Luka said, confused. Gnome looked up at the hero, and after a few seconds, Sylph interpreted.

"She asked what she was like in your world," Sylph explained.

Huh? Well, I guess that's a fair question, actually.

"Uhh, you were quiet, just like you are now. But I remember that you and Sylph got along really well, and you and the other spirits were all close. You did talk to me once. Just before we slew Ilias, you said that our adventure was fun because we were together." Luka explained.

"Hmmm, say Luka, the wind says you're hiding something!" Sylph accused. "There's something else, isn't there!"

What!? How does she know? Urgh… I really don't want to say it though.

"C'mon, Luka, it can't be that bad," Sylph said. "Just tell us, or we'll force it out of you!"

"...Fine" Luka sighed. "Remember when I told you about Promestein? Well, when we fought in the Monster Lord's castle, she sealed away all of you from me. I had to go around the world and get you back one by one," Luka explained. "And… to do that… I had to..."

"Go oonnn~" Sylph encouraged.

Luka's face reddened as she continued. "I-I had to let you… all have sex with me," Luka admitted, defeated. "B-But it was only to re-contract! And it was before me and Alice got married."

"Hahahaha, really!? That's what you were so afraid of saying? That's adorable!" Sylph laughed. Gnome looked a little happy, from what Luka could see. After a few more seconds of shame for Luka, the spirits eventually left. Luka sighed, a little annoyed at the teasing.

Well, whatever. I better sleep while I can. Lots of walking to do tomorrow.

Luka laid down on his sleeping bed and closed his eyes.

Oh yeah, that message. How could I forget?

Luka looked at the Makina and read the newest message.

'Understood. Kanon will not be missed. Good work. Work will resume tomorrow. I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight, Luka.'

Goodnight, Tamamo.

Once he reached the very top of the mountain, Luka nearly collapsed from exhaustion. The trek upward had been a hard one, and although the climbing gear he stole helped, these mountains were far from safe for travel. Most people opted to either go around them by going through the Noah region or try their luck on a boat trip. The former would take too long, and the latter would surely get him spotted by a monster. He was pretty famous now, but not in the good way. He was sure to be spotted on sight thanks to his unique features.

Fuuu… That was a lot of climbing. I think I should sit down for a minute.

Luka sat down against one of the rocks and looked over the vast stretches of desert that made up Safina. The sun was being reflected off the sand, which made the whole area glow brightly.

"Wait, Luka! Why are we going to Sabasa again?" Sylph asked.

"I told you already, we're going to see the king. I want to see how they're doing, and then, from there, I guess I'll move on to freeing humans. However, when I free these villages or cities, I'll need someone I can trust to rule them. Sabasa seems like he would be a good ruler." Luka explained.

"Are you sure it's not because you have no idea how to end this war?" Salamander pointed out "Well, I guess that's not a terrible plan anyway. I've never met this king before, and it's been decades since I was last in Safina. It will be interesting to see how it's changed." Salamander said. Before Luka could respond, he noticed something strange in the sky.

Woah… it's so bright! What is that?

Luka squinted his eyes to get a better look at the anomaly. It looked like a bright star descending. After a few seconds, the light stopped, and Luka could make out an angelic figure.

Is that…

"Hero Luka. The Goddess Ilias has ordered me to detain you. Do not resist." The angel commanded "I am the Sword of Heaven. You stand no chance against me. Surrender now, and you will feel no pain" Micaela explained "Otherwise, I will be forced to harm you."

Luka stood up and looked at Micaela closer. She was in the same outfit she wore when they fought Ilias and had the same bright, holy sword, which was also her namesake. Luka had heard many tales about his aunt from, strangely enough, her old nemesis. Tamamo said she was equal to Lucifina in power but not in bloodlust. Micaela did kill many during the war, but he did not do it for any form of wicked satisfaction. She did what Ilias ordered her to do, and nothing less.

"Hmph, no response? You have five seconds, child." Micaela said.

The Sword of Heaven, Micaela… Of course, I can't just go with her to Ilias. I have no idea what they might do to me. So then I'll have to fight her. But can I really take on Micaela? Tamamo said she was an incredible fighter. And I saw her power back in heaven, and this is her at her peak!

Well, it's not like I have a choice.

Luka drew Angel Halo and entered a combat stance. "I refuse."

"I see. How disappointing, but not unexpected. I will have to resort to violence, then," Micaela said coldly. Her wings stretched out. She lifted her sword into the air and pointed it at the hero.

"I am the Sword of Heaven, and I will defeat you."

In an instant, Micaela began attacking. She flew towards Luka at an incredible speed, reaching him in less than a second. She swiped at his chest instead of his head, as she did not want to kill the hero. Luka barely managed to stop the sword, but Micaela just flew back and prepared to dive at him again.

This continued for a minute, with Micaela wearing down her opponent by taking full advantage of the one irrefutable thing that gave her superiority over him. She could fly. Unlike other opponents Luka had fought, Micaela left no openings. Her style of fighting was careful, calculated, and deadly. He continued to push Micaela back, but he was losing energy fast.

Micaela saw the hero's moves get slower and weaker over time and decided it was time to strike. She used her holy power to go fast enough towards the hero to actually fly behind him. From there, she wrapped her wings around him and prepared to plunge her sword into his gut. She knew he could survive this, thanks to the information her goddess gave her.

Luka, however, was waiting for this. As soon as her wings appeared in front of the hero's eyes, he grabbed them and, using Gnome's power, flung her away from him. Micaela quickly regained her footing and looked at the hero in surprise.

"Hmm, a modest amount of power. I should have expected that from the one who beat Kanon," Micaela said.

Luka took a deep breath, feeling the exhaustion coursing through his body. Micaela could not have come at a worse time.

Still, Luka pulled forth the power he'd need to defeat her. He summoned all four spirits at once. He combined Sylph's power with Fallen Angel Dance too, giving him even more power. His blue eyes looked up at the aunt he was forced to fight.

Back in his world, Micaela had been nothing but kind to him and had taught him many things. She was his last living family member, before Alice, of course. It pained him to have to hurt her, but he had no choice.

Luka braced himself for another barrage of attacks, which swiftly came from Micaela. This time, however, Luka was quick enough to hit the angel whenever she flew too close. For every attack from Micaela, he countered, he hit her once. He had figured out that Micaela was not used to fighting opponents who also used a sword, so Luka was at an advantage.

After a few more failed attempts to hit the hero, Micaela decided to change her strategy.

"Hmph. Very well. It seems you have adequate skills with your blade, but can you defeat this?" Micaela wondered. She put her blade back, her entire body moving with it. She looked as though she was going to unleash a huge swing.

Wait, I recognise that pose.

Micaela flew higher and higher until she was far above the hero. Her eyes began to glow, and her wings stretched out fully once more. The sun was just behind her, making her look like she was glowing obscenely bright.

"I am the Sword of Heaven," Micaela said, her voice still calm. "Now. Fall before my sacred blade!"

Luka had little time to prepare a defence against the attack.

There. This battle is over.

Micaela calmed her breathing as she looked at the devastation. Her attack had, quite literally, shaken the very earth. A huge gash was now in the mountain, easily reaching fifty metres deep. Fire had sprouted from the technique. The mountain was now set alight, with all the trees on it burning.

Well, he should still be alive.

Micaela flew to the ground and looked for the purple-haired hero. After a few minutes of looking around the mountain, she grew tired of searching. She used her seraph abilities to search instead and quickly found the hero. He was right behind her.

"Urgh!" Micaela grunted as a sword cut through her chest. The same blade left as fast as it had entered, and Micaela fell to one knee, holding her wound with her hand. She turned her head and saw the one she was looking for. The hero was standing just behind her, still ready to strike at a moment's notice. Micaela stood up.

"A dirty trick, but I'm used to those. How can you still walk?" Micaela asked.

"Meditation," Luka answered. "Also, I've gotten used to taking hits over the years."

Before Luka could continue, Micaela jumped him. He was too slow to stop the angel, and she forcefully disarmed the hero. Micaela had dropped her sword when she leapt at him, so the two were now both unarmed. They struggled against each other, neither gaining an advantage over the other. Micaela's wound healed, and she began to push the hero down in an attempt to straddle him.

Luka, noticing this, swiftly kneaded the seraph. He combined his power with that of both Gnome and Salamander to push her off of him. Luka tumbled away. He slowly stood back up and grabbed Angel Halo.

The Hero's ears were ringing, and he was finding it hard to see. The attack earlier had done more to him than he thought. He barely made out the figure of Micaela not far from him. The seraph regained her posture. Luka saw her sword form out of thin air. Micaela looked at the hero.

"You fought admirably, but this battle is over," Micaela said. "Of course, you will need to be punished for your insolence and for harming an angel," She explained. "...But that can be done later."

Luka focused his vision once again. He cleared his mind with the power of Udnine and healed with meditation. He was running dangerously low on energy now. He had one more trick up his sleeve, though.

I could use Daystar on her, but she would know that skill. That means she'd know all she needs to do is not attack me. Then I'll have to use another technique.

Salamander and... Micaela. Lend me your strength.

Luka jumped as high into the sky as he could, surprising the seraph. She was about to chase after him, but she stopped when she saw the posture the hero took. It looked almost like... her skill.

Luka began to remember an earlier lesson as he entered the stance he had been taught.

"To use my signature move, you'll need to harness the holy element completely. You have shown great skill with it, but you have not yet mastered it. Because you are related to both me and Lucifina, it is possible for you to use both of our skills. You have already used 'Daystar', so now it is just my move left."

"Since you are not my direct descendant, it will be harder for you to use my skill when compared to Daystar. Still, if you practice it enough, you may even reach my power with it." Micaela explained.

"My aunt is the Sword of Heaven, the first angel..." Luka said quietly "Fall before my sacred blade!" Luka finished the spell. He swung Angel Halo in a wide arc, with holy energy making it up. Combined with the power of fire, he launched it towards Micaela.

H-How can he? This makes no sense. Unless…

Before Micaela could think about what this could mean, the attack landed. She was launched hundreds of metres back. She hit a rock and cracked it in two with her impact.

"Haah, ahh." Luka gasped. He was using Angel Halo just to keep himself standing as he made his way over to his aunt. After a few minutes of struggling, he found her. Thankfully, the seraph had been nice enough to leave a huge trail in the ground. Her body had clearly been forced along the ground from the attack, which made it easy to find her. Once he did, Luka was shocked. Her arm was broken. One wing was bent the wrong way, and the rock behind her was covered in her blood.

Shit! Is she okay? No, of course, she isn't! Look at what you did!

Luka berated himself for his act of self-defence. His heart eased a little once he detected that the seraph was still alive and somehow not sealed.

"..ah.." Micaela groaned. She fell to the ground, barely even able to move a muscle. A few moments of silence passed. Micaela looked up at the hero. Her face was stained with blood.

"Well, go on then," She said.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Luka asked.

"Kill me, eat me, rape me, whatever. Just hurry up." She said.

Does she really think I'd do anything like that?

"I'd never do any of that," Luka said as he pulled the seraph up. Initially, she tried to push him off of her but had nowhere near the necessary strength to do so. She groaned from the pain.

"Sorry, but you attacked me first."

"..." Micaela remained silent.

"I've got to go now. Will you be okay on your own?" Luka asked. Micaela did not answer, instead putting her power towards healing herself. Luka saw this and sighed in relief. No more words were spoken as Luka began to leave, heading for Sabasa. After a few minutes, Micaela had healed enough to move. She looked down the side of the mountain from where the hero was repelling. From here, she could actually cut the rope.

…

Micaela did nothing. She pondered the situation as she began to fly back to heaven.

If he used that skill against me, then... he must be related to me. It's the only way to replicate it. I could tell it was not as strong as mine on its own, but when combined with the other elements, he managed to surpass me...

Who are you really, Luka? And why? Why did you not kill me?