"And the restoration of Vrimor?"
"There's not much to restore in the first place." Tamamo No Mae pointed out. "The city is up and running. Our soldiers have gathered, though we have yet to fully mobilise. The castle is mostly repaired, and Hiruko is currently overseeing the city. Kanade is also staying there, for now. Minagi has chosen to stay in Remina. Apparently, she is enjoying the humans there. A bit too much if you ask me… We've discovered a few dozen dried-up corpses there as well."
"Well, she could only hold herself back for so long… Remind her of the emergency provisions law I put in place... And what of Yamatai?"
"My Kitsune have been working on restoring it for a week now. They should be done within another few days."
"Good," Alipheese said. "It's an important location… And what will you do for humans?"
"Most of them were killed when the Tsunami hit. Thankfully, however, we have tracked down some of the humans who escaped a few weeks ago. They will make for the new citizens. There won't be as many as before… But I'll make do. My Kitsune are out hunting for more as we speak." Tamamo explained.
Getting Yamatai up and running will be essential. Moving on Noah without it would be suicidal.
"I see… Have we figured out what really happened to the Spirit of Earth yet?" Alipheese asked.
"Yes, my lord, I believe we have. Upon closer inspection, we have discovered that the spirit is not truly alive. Rather, she is an undead. A powerful necromancer must have brought her back from death… Also, when I checked it out myself, I felt my own power within her. I have no idea how she could have it… I suppose that is yet another mystery to add to the pile."
Seriously though... It feels as if every day, there's something new happening... Ever since that Hero started making moves...
"Indeed." The Dark Goddess said. "Is there anything else I should know?"
"Gelon seems to have become inhabited. Our scouts have reported that humans have taken refugees there, along with monsters who ally with them."
Damn traitors… They'll pay for standing against us...
"Also, this is where we suspect the Hero Luka is. He was spotted by some of our scouts. Though, they insisted that there was another Luka. Who, other than looking more feminine, was exactly like him."
"...What?"
"I know… Yet another mystery… Anyway, now Gelon is filled with Sabasa's people. The King is probably there as well."
"Ah… I see… So you will do just as you did before?"
"Yes. I will find him and seduce him. Once I am done with him, I will move on to the others. Minagi, Hiruko and Kanade have all agreed to join me."
"Saja wishes to stay out of it?" Alipheese asked.
"Yes, my lord. Just like last time. She's never liked slaughter, unless there are angels, of course."
"Hmm… No, she is right… We shouldn't slaughter them." Alipheese said. "Instead, take Gelon over. Send their humans to our own cities. Use it as a camp for our armies. It should prove useful in attacking San Ilia."
"...If that is what you command, my lord," Tamamo said.
She wants us to spare them..? She's never cared for humans before…
No… She still doesn't, she just wants to use them. She's right about the city being in a good spot... And we could use the extra humans. Really, we should've just claimed it for ourselves the first time around...
"And if you should find the Hero Luka, well, you know what to do," Alipheese said. "Oh, I almost forgot. Have you found that Scylla yet?"
"No… She has proven to be quite evasive." Tamamo admitted.
"...A crippled Scylla has proven too much for you?" Alipheese asked.
"...She had a head start, my lord. She must've found out about the doctor selling her out." Tamamo No Mae said. "We believe she teleported as far away as possible. Also, we have no idea what she really looks like. The doctor's explanation was vague at best. From what we can tell, she looks just like every other Scylla. We've been combing through them for a while now, but we still haven't found her. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack, as the humans would say."
"Keep at it," Alipheese ordered. "Once you have found her, bring her to me. We'll learn everything we can from her. Then, the traitor will pay for her part in Kanon's death, and all the other crimes she has committed."
"Yes, my lord," Tamamo said. The Kitsune turned when she heard the door open. Saja stood there, her confident smirk still on her face, which only served to annoy Tamamo. Beside her was a silver-haired, middle-aged woman. At first, Tamamo thought she was just another unremarkable monster, but changed her mind when she saw her clothes. Not many monsters pursued the sciences, and this one looked to be well-versed in the more medical side of them.
"Mother." Saja bowed as she entered, and so did the woman beside her. "We have finished our work."
Alipheese's faint smile disappeared upon hearing the words. She knew what work she had done, and she didn't like it one bit.
To resort to necromancy… Is this how far you have pushed us, Ilias?
"This is the necromancer, my lord," Saja announced.
The Dark Goddess observed the monster standing beside Saja. She was a succubus, but lacked their signature wings, and had large, straight horns. Her skin was a harsh grey, a trait which was shared by the rest of her body. Her straight black hair had an unusual pink cross symbol ingrained in it. Her attire was made up of a slightly dirty lab coat, along with a black scarf she wore around her neck.
So this is the one... Should we really be playing with life and death like this..?
I'm sorry, Kanon. Please, forgive me. I never wanted this to happen to you...
But we must win this war.
"What is your name, my child?" Alipheese asked.
"Ghriome Artiste, pleased to make your acquaintance, my lord." The succubus said.
"Artiste..? I've never heard that name before." Alipheese said. "And you're sure this is our most skilled necromancer, Saja?"
"I am, my lord. She has proven her skills on the battlefield a dozen times over. Before you banned the practice, that is."
"Necromancy was an art unbefitting of our people… But now, we have no choice…" Alipheese said. The necromancer rolled her eyes.
Here we go again… Just what's so bad about resurrection? I never understood it… How can bringing someone back to life possibly be seen as bad..?
"My lord, I am pleased to tell you that we were successful," Saja announced.
"Oh..? Bring her in then," Alipheese commanded. The Artiste bowed before leaving the room. Once she was gone, Tamamo No Mae turned to her sister.
"Do you really trust her?" She asked. "Kanon may have been an idiot, but she was useful. What if she botched the revival? Why not leave the process in our own hands?"
"What? Do you think you could've done a better job?" Saja asked. "Besides, you haven't even seen the results yet."
"Hmph. I'm sure I could've. I'm excellent with soul magic." Tamamo boasted.
The Artiste walked back into the room, holding a small, green alraune in her hands. Tamamo recognized her instantly.
So that's what you look like sealed, dear sister… How... pitiful.
Alipheese had a large frown upon seeing what had been done to her daughter.
It's the only way to win… We need her power…
"Resurrecting her was… Extremely difficult." Ghriome admitted.
"I suppose the body was a few weeks old…"
"That's not the issue, my lord. Rather, it was Kanon's last action that made the task so difficult. Just before she died, she used a spell, Aztec Rose, did she not? That spell uses her own cells to produce an extremely potent poison. Of course, this means most of her body was already destroyed. This, combined with her being sealed, made the task nearly impossible." The Necromancer explained.
"But still, technically, possible. The majority of the destroyed cells were a part of her internal organs. This means they had to be replaced. Thankfully, we had plenty of other alraunes…"
"I doubt they sacrificed their organs willingly…" Alipheese said.
"No, my lord. Considering we had to try out twenty different hearts until we found one compatible… Well, there should still be plenty of them left. And besides, they were causing strife within the army."
"More infighters? I thought Hiruko dealt with them…"
"Most of them, my lord." The Artiste pointed out.
"And now? How is she?" Alipheese asked.
"She is… operational." The necromancer admitted. "Unfortunately, while the rest of her organs were fairly easy to replace, her brain was not."
"Her brain..?"
"Yes, my lord. The majority of the brain was sacrificed when she used the spell. The cerebrum, the cerebellum.. Both took huge damage. What's left is just enough to keep her going. "
"She looks alive enough to me. What is she capable of?" Tamamo asked.
"Well, she can move… But she can't think for herself. Her overall intellect has dropped far below what it was before."
"Oh..? So nothing of value was lost." Tamamo snickered. "Anyway, as long as she can still fight, it should be fine."
"Physically, she's even stronger than she was when she was alive, though her magic was weakened. But as I said before, her brain is in terrible condition. To be honest, my lord, I doubt she can even use an attack at all. As I said, most of her body is fine, but her brain is barely functioning. Any extra stress could kill her... again." She explained.
"Hmm... She won't be of much use to us then..." Tamamo said. "Though, I might have a few ideas on how to improve her… My lord, may I bring her to the Remina labs? I'd like to try something."
"Very well," Alipheese said. "I suppose I should unseal her first."
Tamamo nodded. The Artiste backed away from the ancestor. Alipheese channelled a huge amount of dark energy through her body. After she had built up enough, she used it on the alraune, unsealing her. Tamamo got a good look at the new Kanon.
Hmm… Not a bad look for you, dear sister…
Kanon looked similar to how Tamamo remembered her but was missing some vital parts of her body. For instance, most of her skin was now mismatched with other monsters skin. She was missing an eye, and overall, her body looked to be a corpse. But Tamamo saw her breath, so she knew she was still alive, even if just barely.
"I suppose she won't be able to speak either," Tamamo said.
"No, her voice box was badly damaged. She may be able to speak through telepathy, though."
"I see… I must say, this was quite impressive." Tamamo admitted. "To resurrect an ancestor, and from the condition she was in… What experience do you have?"
"I resurrected multiple archangels when the war started. That was… one hundred years ago now? Seems like only yesterday… Anyway, since then I have been honing my craft. I'm glad I could be of use to you, my lord."
"Yes… What do you want as payment?" Alipheese asked. "I doubt you did this out of the kindness of your heart."
"Unfortunately not, my lord. I ask that you lift the ban on necromancy. Allow me to fight in the war. The test subjects I can get there... They will prove very helpful in furthering my studies."
"...I suppose we do need all the hands we can get… Fine, I'll allow it." Alipheese said. The Artiste had a faint smile upon hearing the news.
"And one more thing my lord… When we finally destroy the Daystar once and for all, I was hoping I could get her remains… I understand Micaela has already been claimed by Minagi, so I was hoping I could get her sister instead. "
"...Fine," Alipheese said. "Do as you wish. Though I highly doubt there will be much left of Lucifina once we're done with her, but sure, you can have the remains."
"Thank you, my lord." The Artiste formally bowed and left. She would have to go out and prepare for battle. Fighting in a war may be dangerous, but it was worth it for the science.
"Tamamo, just what do you plan to do with Kanon now?" Saja asked. "Do you really think you can make her useful to us?"
"This whole brain issue is limiting her potential greatly… I believe I can work something out. Leave her with me, my lord. I will have her fighting within a week."
"Very well," Alipheese said, dismissing the Kitsune. Tamamo No Mae bowed and left, but not before wrapping the Alraune up in her tails.
Hehe, dear sister... I wonder if you're still in there somewhere? This whole process, well... It's going to hurt... But when it is done, you will be greater than you ever were before... I can't wait!
"What now, my lord?" Saja asked. "Who will lead the Alraunes with Kanon iN such a state?"
"Her second-in-command has been ruling them for a while now. She has called herself the queen of the Alraunes, a title which previously belonged to Kanon. She took the throne by eating all her competitors alive. I think she will make a suitable leader. In fact, she will rule Vrimor once we win the war." Alipheese explained. "Unless you want to?"
"No, my lord. I will stay by your side. Perhaps your daughter should rule instead?"
"We will have to see... My sweet daughter... I am unsure if she truly has the heart for this war."
"I know her quite well, my lord. I believe she will rise to the challenge. Have faith in her, my lord." Saja said.
"Very well," Alipheese said. "Let us see what she can do. Once we win the war, we shall see what responsibilities she may undertake."
"I see… It is funny, really, in a morbid sort of way. Kanon's death is what we needed to unite our race as one. Ilias's defeat inches closer and closer as the days pass. It will not be long now. I'm sure of it."
"But look at what we sacrificed…" Alipheese said. "Are we truly better than her if we sink to her level..?"
"...Whatever it takes to win," Saja said. "Ilias cannot be allowed to rule the world. We will sacrifice whatever is needed to win."
Alipheese nodded.
Right... Whatever it takes…
"Ladies and gentlemen, We gather here today to honour the memory and bid farewell to a loving couple, taken from us far too soon in the tragic attack on Gelon. Today, we mourn the loss of a devoted mother and father, whose lives were intertwined with the precious soul of their beloved daughter, Luna." The preacher said.
"Though their lives were tragically cut short, the impact of the couple, named Sarah and Michael, will endure through their daughter. As we bid them farewell, let us draw strength from their memory and honour their lives by supporting Luna as she navigates the difficult road ahead."
"May the memories of both Sarah and Michael be a source of solace and inspiration, reminding us all of the fragility and preciousness of life. Let us strive to honour their memory by fostering love, understanding, and compassion in our own lives and in the world we share." He said.
"May their souls find eternal peace, and may Luna find comfort in the memories and love they have left behind. Thank you." The man stepped down from the stand. Luka felt the silence which fell upon the crowd.
"Luna, do you want to go up?" He asked.
"...No." She said. The girl was holding Luka's hand, and he could feel her grip tighten.
"...Do you want to leave?" He asked. Luna looked up at the hero for a moment, before shaking her head.
"No… I want to stay." She said.
"Then we'll stay," Luka responded. As the crowd began to disperse, Luka and Luna remained.
"What were they like?" The hero asked.
"...Mom always loved to cook," Luna said. "We couldn't afford many ingredients, but when we could, she would always make a big dinner for all of us. Sometimes I'd see her frown whenever she had to bake bread. I think she wanted to do more... But we never had enough money for that." She explained.
"My father always worked extra hard whenever my birthday came around. He'd make sure to get enough money to be able to buy the stuff you need for a cake." Luna said with a smile. "And with Mommy's cooking, they were super good."
Luka smiled as he heard Luna reminisce. She talked for a while longer and, after a little while, started to silently sob. Luka knelt down to the girl, embracing her as he did.
"It's okay now." He said. "I'm here. I won't let anything bad happen to you again. I promise." Luka hugged the girl tightly as he promised to her, and Luna returned it.
A few hours later, long after the funeral ended, Luna, Luka and Rinoa were all in a room together.
"So, how was it?" She asked.
"Fine, I guess," Luka said. "Quite the turnout."
"Oh? They probably came running once they heard you'd be there." Rinoa commented. "Anyway, Luna. How are you feeling?"
"...I'm fine." She said.
"We both know what it's like to lose your parents," Rinoa said. "You can talk to us."
"..." Luna did not respond.
Rinoa sighed. "Well, I guess we'll move on for now… Where's Tamamo?"
"Talking to the King," Luka said. "We should really thank him for the accommodation."
"It is a pretty nice house… Promestein seems happy with her room."
"She's already turned it into her own laboratory from what I've heard," Luka said. "She said she's still studying the Makina."
"Don't you want to use it to talk to Alice?" Rinoa asked.
"I was going to earlier, but Promestein showed me the watch. It's… in pieces. I just hope she knows how to put it back together again. Besides, I already spoke to her before giving the watch away."
"I see... So, what now?" Rinoa asked.
"I guess it's time for me to go to the Ilias continent. Ilias is supposed to be there, somewhere. I just hope this world's Ilias hasn't discovered her." Luka explained.
"Yeah, me too. Two Ilias's... It sounds crazy when you say it like that, but its a reality... So what will we do while your gone?"
"Well… I think you should all just stay here." Luka suggested. "I see no reason for all of you to come with me. Luna and Promestein should stay here, and you should stay to protect them."
"Protect them from what?" Rinoa asked.
"San Ilia isn't far," Luka said. "Who knows what Ilias is up to."
"Hmm… Alright. So then, Tamamo is coming with you?"
"Yeah. She wanted to come, and said there wasn't much for her to do here."
"Fair enough," Rinoa said.
"...I can trust you here with Promestein, can't I?" Luka asked.
"...I won't hurt her. I promise. That was just... a moment of weakness." Rinoa admitted. Luka nodded.
"Well, I'll be leaving in the morning. Port Natalia should have a boat or two spare…"
"You're just going to steal one..? That's… unlike you."
"I have no money," Luka said. "The king can only spend so much on us. Besides, I'll be sure to return it. Worst case, Tamamo will have to teleport us. Though I don't think Ilias would be a big fan of that, and I don't want to stress her power out too much."
"Uh-huh…"
Before Rinoa could continue talking, the door opened.
"Ah, Tamamo," Luka said. The Kitsune looked around the room. Luna was leaning on Luka, her eyes closed. She must've fallen asleep. Rinoa was leaning against a wall, looking the Kitsune up and down.
"Speak of the devil…" Rinoa said. "How did it go with the king?"
"Fine," Tamamo said as she sat down on one of the chairs. "Restoring Gelon will take a while, but thankfully, it wasn't hit by an earthquake. The houses are the priority, so everyone should have a proper place to sleep in a few months." She said. "The castle, however, will take a lot longer. But he's in no rush to fix it."
"I see… Well, we should all get some rest." Rinoa suggested. Luka nodded. He picked up Luna slowly, trying not to wake her. He walked into her new room. It was a huge improvement from what she had slept in the day before. The others were all fine with her getting the best room. The hero put the girl on the bed, blew the candles out, and left.
Good night, Luna.
Luka walked to his own room. The house only had four bedrooms, so somebody had to double up. Tamamo and Luka chose to sleep in the same room. Unfortunately, said room only had one bed.
The hero was in the middle of changing when the Kitsune walked in.
"Ahh! Tamamo!" Luka reflexively covered himself with his cape.
"Oh relax would you." She said. "It's nothing I haven't seen before anyway…"
"W-What!?" Luka shouted, his blush now prominent.
"Well, you and Alice were hardly discreet… Anyway, I'll just turn the other way." She said.
T-Theres no way she actually saw any of that..?
Right?
Luka's face was still burning bright red as he finished changing out of his clothes. It was actually the first time the hero got a chance to wear a different set of clothing in weeks. Once he was done, Tamamo turned around.
"It looks nice on you." She complimented.
"Thanks... you can sleep on the bed," Luka said. "I'll take the couch."
"Oh? Are you sure you don't want to share~?" Tamamo asked with a playful grin.
"Of course I'm sure!" Luka protested.
"Heh, you're just too fun to tease… Good night, Luka." She muttered as she jumped onto the king-sized bed. Instead of using a cover, the kitsune simply wrapped herself up in her own tails.
Must be nice to have them always attached to you... I wonder how she resists stroking them herself?
Tamamo closed her eyes as she got comfortable in the bed. Luka sighed, grateful for the chance to finally get some rest. As he settled onto the sofa, he couldn't help but feel some slight worry for the day ahead. Would Ilias even join him in his travels? He'd rather not have to restrain her...
That's a problem for future me... And future me is going to need his sleep.
"Good night." The hero muttered.
Notes
Sorry for the late chapter. Was busy IRL, and I was also working on another Fanfic.
Kanon has come back into the fold, and she's in a worse state than ever. For all you Kanon haters out there, don't worry. With what's happened to her, I think she would have rathered stayed dead. Too bad she's pretty much useless to Alipheese. For now, at least.
クロム (Kuromu) is the Japanese name for Chrome. Her sister, Shirome, is シロム (Shiromu). Since the character Ghriome is one of their ancestors, I tried to keep the names within the pattern. If you're interested, it's ギロム (Giromu) in Japanese.