"So, you really are Tamamo No Mae, aren't you?" Promestein asked.
"Pretty sure." The Kitsune replied.
"Interesting... Clearly, you're in a sealed form. This was from Ilias's plan to seal the ancestors and the dark goddess, wasn't it?"
"Indeed. I can use a spell to temporarily revert to my old form, but it doesn't last long. Still, it's useful for quick bursts of power." Tamamo explained.
"Yeah, she used it against Ilias in heaven. It did a lot of damage to her. Though, Yao said you'd start acting strange from overuse." Luka said.
"It's a side-effect of the spell. I pushed myself to my limits, but I was okay after half an hour or so." She said.
Promestein took her clipboard out and began to write. "How much power can you exert in this form? What spell do you use to return to your true form? For how long have you been sealed? Why are you not... like the Tamamo I know?" Promstein asked.
"I can exert around ten percent of my original power. It's called 'Words of Dispel'. 1007 years now. Over those years, I lived among the weak. In the beginning, I was still like my old self, but gradually, I began to change, little by little. I stopped killing humans after a hundred years, after another hundred, I stopped starting fights. Over more and more time, I started to see humans as people, not unlike myself." She said.
"I see. Very interesting," Promestein said as she wrote the information down. "Oh, where are we, by the way?"
"This is a village called Narfolk. I've been here before, a while ago." Luka said.
"Oh? What did you do?" Tamamo asked.
"A human was ruling the village. His name was Seth. He was deeply devoted to Ilias, he burned anyone alive who was suspected of either being or consorting with monsters. I stopped him."
"You didn't...?"
"Hmm? Oh, no. He's still alive." Luka said. "The people voted on it and decided an execution would just continue the cycle of killing. He's imprisoned now."
"Oh. Do you want to visit him?" Tamamo asked.
"Hmm, I mean, sure. If we have the time."
"We have all day," Tamamo said. Luka nodded.
"Then we'll go now. Promestein, do you want to come?"
"Hmm? No, I'll stay here. This Makina is so strange..." Promestein said as she looked at the watch. Luka had given it to her so she could research it.
"Alright. Let's go then." Luka said. He and Tamamo walked out of the building.
"So, any idea why Seth turned out like he did?" Tamamo asked.
"I heard when he was a child, a succubus attacked his family. She killed everyone in his family, except for him. They say that an angel descended and slew the monster. That's when he began to devote his life to Ilias." Luka explained.
"Not an uncommon tale, unfortunately," Tamamo said. "Where is he now?"
"I'm not sure. I'll ask one of the guards." Luka said. Together they approached a man in armour. When Luka called out to him, he turned to him.
Morrison?
"Luka?" Morrison said. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Ah, it's nice to see you again, Morrison," Luka said.
"You too. I didn't think I'd ever see you again." He said. "Say, who's that you've got with you?"
"My name is Natsumi," Tamamo said.
"Ah, I see... Good for you, Luka." Morrison said. "Though, she looks a bit young..."
What?
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Me and Luka aren't like that," Tamamo said. "Not yet, anyway."
What!?
"Tam-I mean, Natsumi?"
"Sheesh, relax, Luka. I was joking." Tamamo said with a sly smile. Luka sighed.
"Anyway, we came here to ask if you know where we could find Seth," Luka said.
"Oh, him? Normally, you'd need clearance... But I can just give that to you." Morrison said."Follow me."
Luka and Tamamo followed Morrison down a flight of stairs.
"So why do you want to see him anyway?" He asked.
"Natsumi wants to know more about him. I also wouldn't mind seeing him again." Luka explained. Morrison nodded. They continued to descend the stairs. At the bottom, there was a room full of prison cells.
"This is where he used to lock any suspects up," Morrison explained. "Now, he is the one being locked up instead."
"I see," Luka said. Morrison pointed to the furthest cell in the back,
"He's in that one." He said. "Good luck."
"Thanks," Luka said. He and Tamamo walked over to the cell. The room was lit by torches, and the walls were made of stone. The cell was made of thick metal bars, reinforced with magic.
"Seth," Luka said. He watched as the man looked up at him. Seth was sitting in the corner of the cell. His red eyes stood out. He was wearing some rags, along with a pair of handcuffs.
"Bastard... Why'd you come here..?" He asked. "Is it to laugh at me? If so, then piss off."
"Seth... Do you understand why what you did was wrong?" Luka asked. The man did not respond.
"Seth?"
"...I did nothing wrong." He said. "I killed heretics. Spawns of Alipheese. Monsters."
"You murdered children," Luka said.
"..." Seth did not respond. Luka sighed.
Just looking at him makes me sick. I just want to get out of here now.
"Well? You've seen him now."
Tamamo looked at the man in the cell closely. Luka saw her eyes widen.
"I see now..." She said. "No wonder you hate yourself so much... Normally, a psychopath like you would feel like you have done no wrong, which I can clearly tell is the case, so I was wondering why I felt so much self-hatred coming from you, but I see now..." Tamamo said.
"What? What is it?" Luka asked. Seth turned away from the pair. He knew what she was going to say.
"This man... He's part monster." Tamamo revealed.
...No way...
"Really?" Luka asked. Tamamo nodded. "I had no idea... That would explain his eye colour." Luka said.
"Indeed." Tamamo agreed. "Not a very powerful monster, though. She was likely just a common one. From what I can tell, she's his distant ancestor." She explained.
Seth listened closely but made no reaction.
He must've already been told this before. Probably from the monsters he killed.
"Well, I suppose that's enough for today," Tamamo said. "Let's go."
"Right," Luka said. They left Seth alone.
Damn midget. Thinks he can speak down to me like that... Ilias will strike you all down. I know it.
And... I'm not a monster... No matter what you say...
Luka and Tamamo walked back up the stairs and back to Promestein.
"No wonder..." Tamamo said. "That's why this village never got any official support from Ilias." She said.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Remember what you said earlier? If this really was one of Ilias's villages, an angel would've intervened to stop you from taking down its leader. Since that didn't happen, that means this must not be one of her official villages." She explained. "The only reason for that is because of its leader. Ilias must of known of his lineage and decided to not support him."
"Oh, so thats why..."
"Anyway, we should go back to Sabasa." She said. Luka nodded.
"That'll be 540 gold." The merchant said.
"540!?" Doppel Luka said. "That's outrageous!"
"Are you an idiot? This is fresh from the Ilias continent. Do you know rare food is nowadays? We're in the middle of a war! It's only thanks to Ilias and her protection that we're not starving right now!" He said.
Ohh... I didn't think about that... I guess being in a war would make it hard to produce food...
"Sorry. Here." She handed the man the gold. She walked away from the stand and began walking down the street.
Eggs, peppers, tomatoes, butter and cheese. Should be good enough for an omelet. And the quality isn't bad either.
Doppel Luka looked at the bag full of ingredients. It cost her a fair amount of gold. She'd have to procure more later.
Anyway. I overheard that fox saying Luka was in Sabasa. I should head there soon. But first, I should get a new sword.
She headed towards the local Blacksmith. She identified it by the sign with a symbol of a hammer and anvil on it. Once inside, she approached the man.
"I need a sword." She said.
"You sure about that, little girl? How about a dagger instead?" He suggested.
"A sword." She insisted. The man sighed.
"Fine, fine. What type? Longsword, broadsword?"
"Longsword." Doppel Luka said. The man nodded and went into the back of the shop. As she waited, Doppel Luka examined the other weapons on display. She saw axes, maces, and even a few bows. But her eyes kept returning to the swords. They were works of art, with intricate designs etched into the blades and handles. They had symbols of angels on them, with most of the cross guards resembling angel wings.
Finally, the Blacksmith returned with a longsword in hand. "Here you go," he said as he handed it to her. "A fine sword, I must say. Not too expensive either." Doppel Luka unsheathed the sword and swung it experimentally. The blade was light but not strong. She could tell that if she used her full strength with the weapon, it would shatter. This would not do.
"Do you have other options? The length is good, but I need a stronger steel." She explained.
"Are you sure? No offence, but you don't look too strong to me. That's why I gave you that sword. It's more fit for a woman." He said. Doppel Luka rolled her eyes.
"I am far stronger than you think I am. Now are you going to get me another sword or what?" She said. The man sighed.
"Very well... It won't be cheap."
"So be it."
The man went into the back of the shop once more. Doppel Luka looked at the weapons again. There was a shield with Ilias herself etched into its design. It was light and small, perfect for someone her size.
Maybe I should get this too... If I can even afford it.
The sound of the blacksmith coming back interrupted the Doppel's thoughts. He walked back in with a sword still in its scabbard.
"This is a special weapon." He explained. "I only have a few of these left, so they'll be extra pricy."
"How much?"
"35,000"
35,000... I have...
Doppel Luka checked her pouch.
Not even 3,000...
"Why is it so expensive?" She asked.
"Like I said, there aren't many left in stock. What makes 'em special is that they were blessed by angels. The steel is far stronger than normal. Usually, only baptised heroes could have a weapon like this, but since they die so often, I managed to get a few off their corpses." He explained.
"I see... Can I try it?"
"Be my guest." He said. Doppel Luka took the weapon in her hands, feeling its weight and balance. It was much like the sword she had before, but much stronger. It was perfect, if not for the angel wing crossguards.
If I use this, I'll look like a hero of Ilias... Well, whatever. I don't really care.
"Alright, I'll take it." She said. "And the shield too."
"That'll be 37,000 Gold." The man said.
"Ahh... How unfortunate... It seems I don't have enough money..." The girl said. The man raised an eyebrow.
"What the hell are you talking about? How are you going to pay for this then?"
"Well, I'm sure I could pay you in a... different~ way." She suggested. The man looked surprised for a second.
"Hmmm..." The man looked the Doppel up and down. After a few seconds, he relented.
"...Very well. But... this better be worth it." He said. Doppel Luka smiled.
"Heh, of course..." She said. The man brought the girl into the back of the shop. Once he closed the door, the girl invited him to come closer. He walked over to her, mesmerised by her body, even though she was still wearing her normal clothing.
"You look... adorable." He said.
Doppel Luka frowned. "Adorable, is it?" She said. "I'll show you adorable." The girl then punched the man in the throat, causing him to collapse.
Hm. I would've done it as well... He's not too bad looking. But, he just had to ruin it, didn't he?
Doppel Luka sighed as she left the shop. She started walking down the street towards the exit.
"Luka?" A high-pitched voice asked. Doppel Luka was confused and turned around.
"It is you!... Or, wait... You're not Luka." A young girl said. She had silver hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a robe, the same one as the workers in the church wore. She also had a necklace, that bore a striking resemblance to the ones worn by priests.
"Who are you?" Doppel Luka asked. "How do you know who Luka is?"
"Huh? Do you know who he is too?" Luna asked. "Are you his twin or something?"
Twin... That's... Sort of accurate... I think.
"Yeah... I'm his sister." She said. "Now I'll ask again. Who are you?"
"My name is Luna." The young girl replied. "Luka saved me back when Gelon was being destroyed. He was a blessing sent by Ilias herself. Literally! He appeared out of thin air!" She said.
"He brought me here and left me with the church. He said he had important stuff to do." She explained. Doppel Luka nodded.
"I see. What about your parents? Shouldn't they be taking care of you?"
"...My parents are missing. Luka said he thinks they're dead, killing during the attack on Gelon." She said.
"...I'm sorry to hear that." The Doppel said. "I know how hard it is to lose a parent."
...Do I?
"That's what Luka said too. Makes sense since you're his sister and all."
"Yeah... Anyway, I have to go now." Doppel Luka said. "I'll see you later, Luna."
"Yeah, see you," Luna said. "Oh! What's your name, by the way?"
...My name..?
"...Rinoa." She said. "My name is Rinoa."
"Rinoa... It's a nice name." Luna said. "Well, goodbye."
Doppel Luka, or Rinoa, waved goodbye. She watched the girl walk back to the temple. Deciding she should keep moving forward, Rinoa walked out of San Ilia. Sabasa awaited.
"Luka," Promestein called out to the hero. Luka turned around.
"What is it?" He asked.
"I need you for an experiment. If you would follow me..." Promestein gestured for him to follow her. Luka, seeing that he had nothing better to do, did as she said.
It had only been three days since Promestein joined the group, but she had already made progress in her scientific endeavours. The King of Sabasa was willing to let her have her own laboratory in the castle. She was even paid for her work, since it also benefited them.
Luka entered the lab. Inside was a table with beakers, vials, papers, a microscope and a computer.
It's only been three days and she already has all this set up... Impressive.
"Please sit down over there." Promestein pointed to a chair in the middle of the room. Luka sat down. "For today's experiment, I'll need some Nephilim DNA." She explained.
"I'm interested to see how your seraph blood has affected your body. Your body is still human, but you have holy power contained within you. And on top of that, your male. You're a rare case, that's for sure."
"...Promestein?"
"Yes?"
"What's DNA?"
"Oh, right. DNA is a type of coding within your cells- incredibly small pieces of your organs, far smaller than the naked eye can see- that tells your body… How to build you, really. It's what makes your eyes blue, your hair purple, your skin pale, and so on. It can be found just about anywhere; your hair, your skin, your blood, your semen, and even your spit." Promestein explained.
"Oh... of course it can be found in semen..." Luka sighed.
"Don't worry, I wasn't planning on doing that. It's impractical and slow. For now, at least, I won't need any. I'll just take a blood sample instead." Promestein said. She walked over to Luka, holding a strange metal tool with a needle at the end.
For now?
"The typical human has about five litres of blood in their body. Often, they can survive and make a full recovery even after losing a couple of pints, though they might feel dizzy. This syringe here can hold about half of a cup of blood. You'll hardly notice the effects, though I do ask that you be careful and try not to move so I can find a vein on your arm."
Luka was a bit nervous about the tool that approached his arm, but decided to trust Promestein. She patted his arm with a clear, opaque liquid, which was quite cold.
"Don't worry, Luka. It's cleaning alcohol, meant to keep things sterile. It's not the kind you'd find in any tavern." She explained.
Once she was done preparing, she found a vein on his arm and stuck the tool in it. It stung a bit, but Luka had been through far worse, so he was fine. The syringe began sucking his blood out. The clear container in the tool began to fill with a dark red liquid. Once it was full, Promstein took the syringe out.
"Half a cup of Nephilim blood... This should be more than enough. Thank you, Luka." Promestein said.
"No problem."
"Why don't you stay to see the results? I'm sure you'd find them interesting." Promestein suggested. Luka, seeing that he still had nothing better to do, waited in the room with the scientist.
Promestein sat down next to her computer. Green text began flashing on the screen, lines upon lines of it. There was a progress bar on the screen as well, which was around a quarter filled. Luka looked at the red-haired angel.
...Is she really okay? She was trapped alone in a cave for thousands of years...
"Promestein, are you okay?" Luka asked. Promestein didn't even turn around to him.
"I'm fine, thank you." She said.
"...You can talk to me, you know?" He said. Promestein did not respond. A beeping sound interrupted Luka. The computer was finished.
"There we go. Now, let's see..."
Luka walked over to Promestein and looked at the screen. It was filled with text and statistics he could not understand.
"What does it say?" He asked.
"Hmm. Interesting... Your angel half has only really affected your nervous system and magical power." She explained. "The blood has heightened your every sense, including pain and pleasure."
...So that's why!
"H-How much has it heightened them?" Luka asked.
"You should be feeling around... 34 percent more pain than a normal human. And for pleasure... Wow, 328 percent. I've never seen anything like that... It can't just be your angel blood causing this..." She reasoned. "Let me look into your human lineage as well... Is your father around?" She asked.
"...Marcellus died a long time ago," Luka said.
"Oh... You already told me that... Sorry, I forgot." She said. "Anyway. I think your human side might also be weak to pleasure, and since most angels have a pleasure weakness, it was further amplified." She explained.
"If that is the case, then adding in another blood type could even further amplify it. You said you had a child with Monster Lord, right?"
"Two children. One is a boy."
"I see... It seems your bloodlines weakness to pleasure has only been getting worse..." She said.
So Nero would be even worse than me...?
Before Luka could say anymore, A guard entered the room.
"Hero Luka! I have news!" He said. Luka turned to face him.
"The Daystar has been sighted in Northern Safina!" He said. "Natsumi said she's waiting for you outside!"
Mother? What's she doing there? I better go check it out...
"Alright, I'll go. See you later, Prommie." Luka said.
"...What did you call me?" Promestein asked. Luka did not answer. He left the room and began to walk down the hall. He had to pick up Angel Halo before going to Tamamo.
What are you up to, Ilias?
The Goddess said she would be around here...
Lucifina looked at the mountain range with a grimace. Searching for her target could take hours. She began flying around the mountains, checking in every cave she found for her target. Eventually, she detected a strange scent.
That smells like... That boy, Luka. Has he been here?
Of course... He contracted with her. Perfect...
The Daystar followed the scent like a bloodhound. She eventually found the cave in which the spirit resided. It was somewhat hard to find thanks to the darkness of night, but she managed it.
Fairly well hidden... But still too easy...
Lucifina flew into the cave, dodging the traps she set off with ease. She elegantly ducked and weaved until she made her way to the centre.
There she is... The little Spirit of Earth... She's so cute...
The Daystar smiled as she flew closer to the spirit.
"Good afternoon... Little one..." She said. The Spirit looked up. Her eyes widened as she looked at Lucifina. She backed up from her, but it was futile.
"Don't run..." She said. Her grin grew wider as she saw how helpless the spirit was. The spirit stopped moving for a second. Her breathing calmed.
...?
Suddenly, huge slabs of earth slammed towards Lucifina. The Daystar dodged the first and cut straight through the second. More and more rocks and pieces of earth were being thrown at her, but none could harm her. The cave began to shake as its structure was being broken.
Is she trying to cause a cave-in..?
The Daystar sighed as she decided to stop playing around. She flew right next to the spirit and cut into her arm. She was surprised by how tough the girl's skin was, but she could still cut it.
"In the name of the Goddess of creation, In the name of Ilias herself, you shall die. Resistance is futile..." She said. Gnome jumped away from the Daystar. She failed to land properly, collapsing on the floor. Lucifina slowly walked closer. Gnome began to crawl away, her arm still bleeding mud.
She stopped moving when the Daystar plunged her sword into her chest. Lucifina turned the spirit over, admiring her work. She was still alive, but only barely.
Let's finish this...
Just before Lucifina sliced at the spirit's neck, a voice interrupted her.
"Lucifina!" A boy shouted. "Get away from her!"
The Daystar turned to the boy. She was not surprised by his presence. She could sense that he had been teleported recently. Beside the boy was a kitsune. She had nine tails and looked very familiar.
...Tamamo No Mae... Is she sealed..?
"Stop!" Luka shouted. He ran towards his mother. Tamamo gave the hero a boost with some earth, launching him at his mother. He summoned the power of the earth, ready to slam into his mother.
"Earth Rumbling Decapitation!" Luka said as he struck at her. Lucifina did not move an inch as he approached.
Luka's sword was stopped mid-air by his mother's blade. Luka attempted to push against her, but her sword didn't budge.
"Awfully slow... aren't you?" She said. The Daystar kicked the boy away from her. "You've failed... Your friend will die for that, you know?" Her grin grew even wider as she pointed her sword at the spirit's neck. "This is the end for you... Monster."
Gnome attempted to protect herself but failed. The sword sliced into her. Lucifina withdrew the blade once the deed was done.
Now, I better get out of here. This whole area will be nothing but a pit in a few hours...
Damn it! No! Gnome!
Luka ran to his friend as the cave began to crumble. Her eyes were dimming.
"Gnome! Stay with me!" Luka shouted. He grabbed the spirit, attempting to heal her as best he could. In his heart though, he knew it was too late.
No... Please...
Gnome's vacant eyes looked at the hero. She opened her mouth.
"...Luka..." She said, her voice hoarse, thanks to the cut. Luka's heart sank as he heard his name. Before he could say anything, she stopped moving.
"Gnomey!? What's happening!?" Sylph said. "Luka, help her! She's going to die!" She screamed. Luka tuned the spirit out.
No... No...
Luka held the spirit close, his ears next to her chest. He heard nothing. Her heart was no longer beating. The only sound he could hear was Tamamo shouting at him.
"Luka, we have to go!" Tamamo said. "The cave is collapsing! Come on!" She shouted as she grabbed the hero.
"No! I can't leave her!" Luka said.
"It's too late! She's dead!" Tamamo responded. She wrapped the hero up in her tails as she began to run out of the cave. "Now that she's gone, all of Safina could be in danger of collapsing!"
Luka looked at the spirit's body. He tore his way out of Tamamo's tails and ran to it.
"Luka!" She shouted. Luka grabbed Gnome's body. He carried her on his back and started to run out of the cave with Tamamo. They dodged the falling rocks as they escaped. Tamamo grabbed Luka and teleported the two back to Sabasa Castle.
"I don't get it... Why would she do that?" Promstein asked.
"I'm not sure... I've been thinking about it for a while now. I've come up with three potential reasons." Tamamo said. The two were talking right next to the corpse of Gnome. Luka was out informing the king of what happened.
"One. She wanted to threaten both us and Alipheese. By killing one spirit, she successfully showed she means business. Both sides will be wearier when engaging her. In other words, she's bought time for herself."
"Two. By killing Gnome in specific, she has greatly damaged us and The Resistance. We will no longer pose a threat. We'll be too busy dealing with the Earthquakes."
"Three. She has weakened Luka. She could tell that Earth was his strongest Element, as it stopped him from literally dying in a single shot. Now that she's dead, we'll be vulnerable." Tamamo explained. "They're may be more reasons, but I don't know them."
Even then... It still doesn't really make sense... Why? Why would she do this? Why now?
Promestein nodded. "I see... So what will we do now?"
"With her death, Northern Safina is sure to collapse. After that, it will only spread. It will reach us in a few hours, I'd say. The King will evacuate everyone before that. As to where we'll all go... I'm not sure."
Promestein looked back at the Spirit of Earth.
"Why don't we try reviving her?" She asked.
"Hmm... It's too late. She's been dead for half an hour now." Tamamo said. "Unless you know some sort of holy revival magic..."
"No," Promestein said. "But there are other ways, are there not?"
Tamamo looked to be deep in thought for a moment. "None of them would work... Except for one actually... But there must be a better way..." She said. "Wait! I've got it!"
"What? What is it?" Promestein asked.
"Back home, you make artificial copies of the spirits! You can just do that again!"
"That was another version of me, remember? I don't know how exactly I achieved that." She explained. "And I'd need the designs for it."
"Then it's a good thing I have them!" Tamamo said. "I remember them off by heart. Plus, We have Gnomes body to use as a template, and we'll be working together! It shouldn't be too hard."
"I see... That could work... Then, we better get started." Promestein suggested. Tamamo nodded. Luka entered the room.
"Luka? What did the king say?" Tamamo asked.
"He'll evacuate everyone to villages further down south. Still, we'll need to buy as much time as possible." Luka explained.
"Hmm, I can do that. For now, help everyone evacuate." Tamamo said. Luka nodded before falling to one knew. His hands were over his ears.
"Luka..?" She asked, worried.
"It's fine... I'm fine" He said. "The spirits are just... really loud... Well, one of them..." He explained. Tamamo walked over to him.
"It's not your fault, you know that, right?" Tamamo asked. Luka said nothing. After a few minutes, he stood back up.
"I need to get going." He said. "What will you two do?"
"We're trying to replace the Spirit of Earth. If we create a new conduit for her power, she can control the element for us. She should also be able to recontract with you." Promestein explained.
"...Will she be the same?" Luka asked. Promestein looked back at the hero.
"No. She will be but a vessel. The real Gnome is dead." She said. Luka closed his eyes upon hearing the news.
...It's all my fault...
Luka left the room. A tear made its way down his cheek as he walked. He did his best to tune out the sound of Sylph crying.
Note
Some of Promesteins dialogue was taken directly from a one-shot called 'Meeting Again the Mutant' by ItsSomething.