"Oh... What happened here..?" Ilias asked.
"Well, seven weeks ago Tamamo No Mae and the other ancestors all attacked the city, destroying everyone and everything inside. Then, a few weeks later, Gnome died, like I told you earlier. Thankfully, Gelon didn't seem to be hit too badly by it, but still... It wasn't looking good for the city. So, when we led the Sabasa refugees here, we were worried it would take months to restore. Thankfully though, there were a few hundred monsters with us, who all volunteered to support us in rebuilding it." Luka explained.
"With their help, along with mine and Rinoa's, we were able to restore most of the important buildings back into working conditions. Now, we have around ten-thousand people living here, and since the walls have been rebuilt, we should be safe from any attacks. Plus, Rinoa and Promestein are here to keep them safe, and Sphinx too. I've heard the Sabasan King isn't a bad fighter either." He told the Goddess.
Ilias listened to the hero carefully. "I see..." She said. "I remember this city. I watched as it was destroyed. It was so close to San Ilia... I was terrified of the monsters taking it for themselves and using it as a spearhead against me. Thankfully, they just decided to turn it to rubble instead. Most of the people died, but some went to San Ilia or other nearby villages."
"Oh, really?" Luka asked. Ilias nodded. "That's interesting... Well, I'm glad some of them got out of there. And now you'll get to meet Rinoa and Promestein. I'm not really sure how'd they'd feel about seeing you again but... I'll stop them from doing anything to you. I promise."
"Thanks," Ilias said, genuinely grateful for the hero's presence. The trio approached the castle, making sure to stay on the path as they did. Wild monster attacks were becoming more and more common as time went on, and they were even more frequent than they were in Luka's time. Strangely enough though, they seemed to keep away from the main roads. Luka suspected this was due to the patrols coming from San Ilia, made up of some of their finest knights.
Gelon has patrols now too, to keep the traders safe. Strangely enough, San Ilia has opened their gates to us, even if we don't follow Ilias. They must need our supplies or something. I've heard the city is in the middle of a major restoration effort, spearheaded by the third seraph, Eden.
Luka, Tamamo and Ilias all entered the city. The guards made no effort to stop them, as they recognized Luka's purple hair with ease. He was quite famous among the people of Gelon. Rumours spoke of how he single-handedly beat Kanon, or how he stopped the earthquakes with his bare hands. Luka was embarrassed by the praise but had gotten used to it over the years.
People always exaggerate my feats. I remember that time I visited Grand Noah with Nero and Neris. We had to hide from the swarm of people trying to meet me in person. That was the last time I made one of my outings public knowledge...
"This is the place?" Ilias asked, not impressed by the humble abode she was presented with. Still, it was better than those nights she spent outside in the cold, and far better than that night on the ship. Who knew a Goddess could get seasick?
Getting to Gelon had taken longer than any of them expected, mostly due to frequent interruptions in the form of carriages and angel patrols. Apparently, their army was mobilising even further, and had already sent a few divisions to Noah, and were only sending more and more as time went on. Evading them took added a fair amount of time to the trip.
I've heard rumours about that. Some people say the war is starting back up again. In recent years, there hasn't been a single large-scale confrontation, but a few decades ago, they happened almost every week. They say when the angels meet monsters, the world itself is shaken by the impact. People fear that if it continues, there will be nothing left for them to rule.
"Oh, Luka! Welcome back." Rinoa said upon seeing the hero enter the house. "It's been what, three days since you were gone?"
"Around about," Luka commented. "We found her, by the way." He motioned towards the little angel beside him, who, in comparison to him, was not that small. She was around the same height as his shoulder and was just as tall as Tamamo, who was also beside the Hero. She quickly left the scene. Travel had made her tired, and she had less energy than usual thanks to her now weakened form. A quick rest is all she wanted right now.
"Oh... Ilias." Rinoa said the name with a hint of disgust, making no effort to hide her feelings about the goddess. She had always been fairly blunt, but perhaps it was on purpose this time.
"You're Doppel Luka, aren't you?" Ilias asked.
Luka knelt down to her height and whispered into her ear. "Her name is Rinoa." He whispered. "She doesn't go by that name any more."
"Oh, right. It's nice to meet you, Rinoa." She said, offering the girl her hand. Rinoa accepted it, but only as a courtesy. Once they were done with the introductions, the Doppel moved on to more pressing matters.
"So, you've got her. What now?" She asked.
"Well, Reaper told me to go to Safina after I get Ilias. Apparently, something called a Tartarus has formed there, or it was always there or... I'm not sure actually. Anyway, there's supposed to be a spirit down there."
"So she's next... The fifth spirit. I wonder what element she controls... Then, that's where you'll be going next? Who will you bring with you? Going all the way to Safina and back on foot could take up to a week. Surely, Tamamo would be best. She can just teleport you. I know you couldn't do that with Ilias thanks to the anti-teleportation seal surrounding the continent but still, she should prove useful now."
"No... I think she should get some rest. I've already asked a lot of her. I fear I get her to use any more of her power, the projection might even break, and that wouldn't be good for any of us."
Tamamo said it hasn't broken yet thanks to Alice's and the other's power, but who knows how long they can keep that up? It's best not to take any chances.
"What about me then? I don't mind going with you." Rinoa suggested.
"No." Luka shot down her offer. "I need you to stay here. I'd feel better knowing you're here to protect everyone, especially Ilias and Luna. Both of them are too weak to really fight on their own." He explained. The goddess furrowed her brows upon hearing his slights but stopped just before refuting them. He was right after all. Still, Ilias would not put up with being put in the same class as a child.
"And on top of that, even if you did come, I'm not exactly confident in your skills with teleportation, not after last time..." He said. Before Rinoa could refute his point, he continued. "Anyway, even if it did work, what if an angel sensed it? Or a monster? It's best not to take any chances." He explained.
Rinoa looked like she was about to say something but stopped short. After thinking about it for a while, she continued."I see... So you're going on your own then?"
"Yep. Just me and Gnomaren. You'll keep an eye on everyone here, right?" He asked.
"Sure," Rinoa said. "I don't have much else to do anyway." Luka thanked Rinoa and stepped inside the house, Ilias followed the hero in, not wanting to be left alone in this unfamiliar place.
The hero looked at the Goddess following him, before remembering something he should've said earlier. "Oh... We don't actually have a room for you. While I'm gone, you can just share with Tamamo." Luka suggested. Ilias's eyes widened.
"No! She'll kill me!" She shouted a bit too loud. Thankfully, Rinoa was too far to hear her, and so was Tamamo.
"Relax, would you? I know she doesn't exactly like you after all you did, or forgive you... But I told her not to hurt you. You'll be fine." He said. Ilias looked unconvinced.
"No. I won't have it! Take me with you instead!" She insisted.
"W-what? It's going to be really dangerous you know? Are you sure you are up for that? I don't want to have to turn back halfway through..." He said. Ilias scowled.
"Oh shut up! I'll be fine, just... get me a crossbow or something to fight with."
"A crossbow?" Luka asked, not entirely believing the angel.
"Yes, a crossbow. I was quite good with them. I never actually fought anybody with them, but Eden said I was the greatest archer she's ever seen!" She explained, puffing out her chest in pride.
"...You really take Eden's word on that? I think she might've been a little biased... Anyway, I guess you can come if you insist. At least it will be warmer there. But are you sure you don't want to stay in this nice, safe and insulated house?" He asked.
"I'm sure! Being alive and cold is better than being toyed with by that damn fox. Who knows what she might do to me!" She said.
"I think you're overreacting but fine. You can come." Luka said. "I guess we'll go ask the king if he has any spare crossbows." Ilias smiled, taking in the victory.
Hah! Take that Tamamo! You won't be able to hurt me at all now...
Wait a second. A Tartarus? That sounds scary... And what if Luka still holds a grudge against me? What if this world's version of Ilias decides to smite me!? I'd only have him to rely on!
Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut...
Tamamo No Mae took a deep breath as she prepared herself. War loomed ahead. In times like these, she always liked to meditate. It kept her mind sharp, ready for battle. She had fought many times now and in the past, and had been responsible for the death of a thousand angels and at least ten times as many humans. All across the world, her name was feared. There was no one foolish enough to try and oppose her, except for Ilias, that is.
Here we go... The angels have gathered. Our opponents have arrived to stop us, exactly as planned. Even if they took longer than expected. Seriously, we managed to take half of Noah already before they mounted a defence. What took them so long?
As far as we can tell, Micaela is here. Eden is probably away protecting either the Ilias continent or San Ilia, and Lucifina is likely fighting in the west. We have every ancestor present, except for Kanon. Once she's fully restored, she can join in too.
Kanade in the east, Saja and Minagi in the west, along with Alipheese the second. That means it's just me and Hiruko fighting them, along with Giganto weapon. We should be able to push forward with that much, and if we really do need reinforcements, we can have Saja teleport over here with her portion of the army.
No point wasting time. My army is waiting.
Tamamo No Mae stepped out of the tent where she had been waiting. In truth, the Kitsune only ruled a fraction of the army. Most of it was over in the west, with Saja, Minagi and the second Fateburn. She understood why, but the fact still annoyed her. Saja was not their leader. Why should she be the one in charge of so many?
The Kitsune looked up and across the river. Not far away, there was an entire army of angels. Either waiting on the ground or flying in the air. That was one advantage they had always held. Their flight enabled them to coordinate attacks from the sky with ease, and Tamamo could not hide her envy. Ilias's army was under much better leadership than her one was, and it was all thanks to the first Seraph, Micaela.
But she was not good enough to stop them. Ilias had always been on the back foot in this war, and that fact has not changed, even with Kanon's death. In fact, it turned out to be a good thing in the end. The angels won't be anticipating her return.
Here we stand, angels versus monsters, just like always. I've missed this... This will be the most important battle we've ever had. It will set the precedent for all future battles. Whoever wins here, wins the war itself.
Tamamo No Mae walked along the grass fields on Noah. Her army awaited her. A few dozen trained Kitsunes, each leading a battalion of monsters, each made up of a hundred different races. Every single monster alive would be watching these battles, waiting for the news that they had won, and Tamamo was not one to disappoint. She had won many great battles in her life, though she had also lost a great many too. And it was always to the same person. Micaela.
Time and time again, the Seraph would prove herself Tamamo's better. She would show just how adept she was in the field of war, and not only that, but her strength wasn't too bad either. In fact, it was equal to that of her sister, the Daystar, and far more than any one ancestor could hope to have.
If Micaela is here, then they probably only have lesser angels defending the eastern flank. I have no doubt, Saja will push through and corner them in the west too, as all she has to do is get past Lucifina. She has our finest soldiers, and even if they fail, Kanade will surely push past the angels in the east. Ilias doesn't have enough power to hold all of these locations at once.
"Lady Tamamo." A younger Kitsune called out. Tamamo recognized her instantly. It was Yano, one of her subordinates. She had been grooming her for leadership for a while now, and she had recently attained the coveted rank of seven-tails.
Tamamo taught her how to do it of course. The only way to get power was to take it from others, and that's exactly what Yano did. She fought in duels against other kitsunes and won, taking their power for herself. Tamamo had no doubt that it would not be long before she got eight. Though, she knew she would never reach nine. Only Tamamo and her daughter had ever gotten that many.
Hmm... But Yano is somewhat special. She's only thirty-four and she already has seven... Perhaps she could serve as my personal bodyguard? She could certainly prove useful.
"Ah, Yano. How are the troops?" Tamamo asked, talking to the kitsune in an unusually friendly way.
"Ready to fight, my lord," Yano said. "Our scouts have counted the number of angels in their army, there's around two thousand. We have also confirmed the presence of Micaela, but not Eden or Lucifina. Our victory is not assured, even if we do have both you and Hiruko fighting with us. We only have six-thousand troops to fight with, my lord. The rest are on the other fronts." She explained.
That number will probably be halved once the fighting starts. Speaking of, when is that? Why are we even having a stand-off in the first place?
"The angels are hesitating to attack us?" Tamamo asked, confused. Normally, battles started as soon as you could see the enemy.
"They seem to be preparing to fight, my lord. We've seen reinforcements come in by the dozens. The longer we wait, the stronger our enemies get." Yano said.
"Then we best start now. Tell our troops, and inform Hiruko. It is time to begin." The ancestor ordered.
"Yes, my lord," Yano said, bowing before the kitsune as she did. Tamamo walked off.
I should quickly replenish my energy now. I don't want to be fighting Micaela without full power... I think we kept the human prisoners over here...
Tamamo No Mae smiled as she approached the caged men. Some of them were villagers they caught along the way or criminals from Remina or Vrimor. Others were just slaves from Yamatai. They were here for one reason, to feed the monsters before and after the fighting. By the end of the war, only a fraction of them would remain. Thankfully for them, most monsters preferred to feed on angels rather than normal humans, so there was still a chance of survival for them.
Ohoho, he looks nice... Let's get to work...
Micaela swiped once more, injuring the large monster in front of her. The cut on her leg immediately began to leak a strange, green liquid, which was unfamiliar to anything the Seraph had seen before. The beast was a biological weapon, made by Tamamo No Mae herself a few decades ago.
"Take this!" She shouted, plunging her sword into the chest of the monster, managing to pierce its outer layer of skin. Giganto took the hit without backing up an inch. She closed her eyes, channelling her power throughout her body. Suddenly, she started to use one of her more potent attacks. A laser fired from its body, almost hitting the Seraph, but Micaela was too fast for the monster. She parried it before the attack could land, and flew back a few metres.
At the Seraph's command, a dozen angels swarmed the monster, each one landing a separate blow on her. Micaela flew straight for her face, swinging her sword at her neck, but Giganto dodged the attack, only having a small cut on her neck to show for it. Micaela sighed.
This fight has been going on for a while now, and she just keeps regenerating! ...She leaves me no choice.
Deciding to abandon her previous strategy, the Seraph flew high into the air, preparing her signature attack. It would not be a complete waste of energy, as there were a few hundred monsters behind the biological weapon. If she aimed well, she could take them all out in one fell swoop.
"I am the Sword of Heaven." She whispered, her body glistening with a bright, glowing light. "Now, fall before my holy blade!" Micaela swung her sword, unleashing a huge arc of light, which proceeded to crash into the monsters below, each one being incinerated by the holy flames. Once she was done, she landed back on the ground and approached the now-charred body of Giganto.
For good measure, she took the head off of the monster, making sure it could never be repaired. The monsters behind the weapon were also destroyed, leaving a field of burnt grass and blood-stained corpses. Those whose bodies didn't burn up in the attack, that is. Micaela took one last look at what was left of the biological weapon, a proud smirk crossing her face as she did.
Finally, that damned thing is dead. Still, there are two ancestors on this battlefield... Just where did they go?
The Seraph began to soar high into the sky. All around her, a battle raged. She could see Valkyries fighting Elves, sometimes three monsters at once, or Cupids fighting Succubi. Archangels were few on the battlefield, but certainly made their presence known. She had to tune out the sounds of screaming and shouting to find where the ancestors were. She had already seen Hiruko earlier, and she had reason to believe Tamamo No Mae was present as well.
Micaela decided to take the easy way out and communicated with her higher-ranking angels via telepathy. Surely, one of them must've seen the ancestors.
My fellow angels. Where are the ancestors? I cannot find them.
My lord, Hiruko is on the eastern side of the battle, near the river! She's eaten so many of us now... Hurry, please! Ah- She has me!
The seraph wasted no time in aiding her fellow angel. She flew at an extraordinary speed, managing to travel the distance in only a few seconds. Once she arrived, she saw the ancestor part-way through a meal. Said meal was struggling to escape her grasp, using her hands to grip the ground as best she could. But Hiruko's tentacle continued to drag the angel in, ever so slowly.
But just before Hiruko could have her next feast, a sword cut through the tentacle, severing it, and freeing the angel, who promptly flew off, terrified. Micaela stood in front of the Scylla, who looked annoyed at being denied her feast.
"We meet again, Micaela. Was that one of your friends?" She wondered aloud. "Well, no matter. I'll just have you instead!"
The ancestor smiled as she unleashed a swarm of tentacles at the Seraph, who managed to either dodge them or cut them. It was a display of sword skills only an angel as great as her could pull off. Her sword flashed, severing each one in seconds. But the tentacles did not stop, only increasing in number and ferocity. The angel decided enough was enough, and flew backwards, out of the range of the Scylla.
"Hmph. Damn monster... Is this all you have?" She provoked. Just as she expected, the ancestor took the bait.
"Ohoho... You think that's it? I'll show you!" Hiruko shouted, leaping at angel. Micaela sidestepped the attack and cut all the tentacles that followed it up. However, she did not expect the ones that wrapped around her legs, binding her to the ground.
Damn it! She must've sent them underground while I wasn't looking. This isn't good...
"Hahaha.. what a precarious position... I can't wait to find out what you taste like, the legendary first angel herself, just waiting to be eaten... It's a pity though. Minagi will be so jealous." Hiruko teased as she launched a huge tentacle at the angel, intent on weakening the Seraph before devouring her, so that she could drag it out for as long as possible.
Micaela's heart dropped as fear enveloped her, but thankfully, she managed to break out of the binds in time, allowing her to just barely dodge the attack. Unfortunately, one of her wings ended up getting struck, throwing off her flying capabilities. Micaela started to grit her teeth and bear the pain. Whining now would achieve nothing.
"Now, while she's weakened!" Hiruko shouted, surprising the angel. She didn't sense anybody else anywhere near them.
The seraph's confusion was gone when a wave of fire struck her from behind, followed up by a hard strike from a tentacle.
Of course, they were waiting for me to show up! Damn it... Tamamo No Mae and Hiruko, both at once?
This will be a tough battle, but if I can distract them now, the others can push back the monsters. There should be no strong enemies left now. Though, they won't have my support either... Damn! I need to help them! But first...
Micaela immediately flew high into the sky, dodging the appendages from Hiruko, and the flames from Tamamo. She pounced on the Kitsune, using her sword to cut into her. The ancestor guarded with her arm, allowing the blade to cut into it, but stopped at her bone. She smiled through the pain, acting as though she felt nothing. Now that she had the seraph nice and close, she spawned a huge aura of flames around her, burning the angel.
The seraph screamed as the pain burnt her, lighting her wings and clothing up in flames. She darted away from the ancestor, using her speed combined with a spinning manoeuvre to put the fire out. Her wings started to heal, along with her hair and skin, which also took heavy damage from the attack. The action took a fair amount of energy from the angel, but she had some to spare. Her clothing also replaced itself in a matter of seconds through magic.
Both ancestors were working together to take the Seraph down, a rare sight in the war. Normally, they would be at each other's throats at the chance to devour her. This was strange.
Perhaps Kanon's death caused them to unify? I never thought I'd see the day. This is worrisome.
Still, their teamwork is nothing compared to ours. We can defeat them, but it will take time. For now, I should return to my soldiers.
Miceala flew off, flying back to the main battle. Now that there were no ancestors in the fight itself, she could go in without worry, for a while at least. They would likely waste no time in returning. Micaela cut through a dozen monsters with her sword, protecting her fellow angels as she did. She was assisted by arrows shot by Cupid's, stopping any monster from ambushing her. Together, they defeated the division of monsters.
"My lord, we have received reports from the western front. Lucifina was forced to flee the battle and abandon her position! They have pushed through!" A Cupid messenger informed the seraph.
"What!?" Micaela exclaimed.
Lucifina, running? What the hell could cause that? I've seen her take on three ancestors at once without fear... Just how many monsters are in the west...? Was she really outnumbered that badly?
Damn it! We have to abandon this line now. Lest they come around from the back and corner us.
Micaela sighed and started to relay the message to the rest of her troops. She watched as hundreds of angels flew into the air and teleported back to Heaven, retreating from the fight. Micaela would join them soon enough.
Overall though, this fight was not too bad for us... We took down Giganto weapon, and only lost two archangels. I managed to take a few hundred monsters myself, but no ancestors... Still, we'll just set up a new line further south.
Though, if we lose that one too, then only Gelon remains between the monsters and San Ilia...
"Haah... That was quite the trek." Luka sighed, taking a breather. Ilias had already given up on walking the distance a while ago, which resulted in the hero having to carry her on his back, just like he used to do with Neris. Ilias jumped off his back without a word, desiring to ignore the embarrassing position she was in entirely. Luka got to setting up camp quickly and finished it in record time.
"So, what do you want to eat?" He asked.
"Hmph. I suppose I'll have to deal with your cooking for tonight... Just make whatever you want." She said.
"Hey, Alice said I was a pretty good cook! I'm sure you'll like it, I mean, you liked to last one I made, didn't you?"
"Oh shut up. I was starving! Besides, Alice's taste buds are hardly a great judge in this case. Damn monster..."
"You know just as well as I that she's the greatest food connoisseur ever! But, I suppose I'll just let that go. Anyway, you can sit down over there for now. I'll call you when I'm done." Luka said. Ilias left the camp with a huff. Instead of sitting where Luka told her to, she walked over to one of the nearby trees, and saw one with a burn mark.
Luka said we were near the Forest of Spirits now. This must be from the people in San Ilia trying to burn it down...
Well, it's what that Spirit deserves. I mean, who in their right mind would choose to live so close to my holy city?
But wait... wasn't San Ilia made after the Spirit moved in..?
Well, she should've moved then. She was lucky I didn't get Lucifina to get rid of her.
Speaking of... Luka said I did just that with the Gnome of this world, or at least, this world's version of me did. He explained the plan to me, but honestly, it could've been better. I suppose this version of me doesn't have enough experience with dealing with heroes yet. If I was her, I would've already won this war and had Luka on my side.
So, what should I do now? If I try to run away, I would be lost in a hostile world alone... Staying with Luka is the best option. Besides, neither he nor that fox has done anything to hurt me, so far at least...
It's hard to believe it. I'm in a world that's still in the middle of the Great Monster Wars, with the hero who tried to kill me, a heretic who also tried to kill me, a Doppel who was made to serve me, who now also hates me, one of my mortal enemies, and who else..?
Nope, that pretty much sums it up... Is Luka really my only friend here? Is he even my friend? I somehow doubt he'd just forgive me for everything I did...
But why should I want forgiveness in the first place!? It's their fault. If they just followed obediently then...
No... What I did was wrong. I know that. It's just... Hard to admit...
God! Why is everything so confusing nowadays!? How the hell did Luka deal with this? Even after he explained it to me, it still doesn't make sense! And why am I so damn weak!
Ilias punched the tree in frustration, all her pent-up feelings being used in the attack. Said punch did absolutely nothing to the tree, but did manage to hurt Ilias's small hand, and relieve her of some stress. And so, she continued to hit the tree in anger, only hurting herself in the process.
"Ilias! Stop that!" Luka shouted, grabbing Ilias's now bruised hands. There was a small bit of blood on them, and yet the bark of the tree was still undamaged. The goddess pulled her arm out of the hero's grasp and ran off, back to the camp. Luka sighed. Bringing her might've been a mistake after all...
Luka returned to the camp and saw Ilias lying down in the camp, with the flap closed.
More than a few million years old, and she still pouts like a child... I guess I'll let her sleep in there for tonight. I'll leave some food for her in the morning. Dealing with everything that's happened must be hard for her...
The hero finished cooking and laid down on the grass, eating what he made. It was pretty good, but not his best work. Ingredients in this world were of far worse quality than those in his time.
Sylph isn't far now... Maybe If I asked her to join me again, she would?
No... She's probably still grieving the loss of Gnome... I should give her time.
When we do finally stop this war, I'll bring her back to my world, so she can see her friend again. I'm sure she would appreciate that.
As Luka thought of the spirits, one materialised in front of him. Gnomaren appeared, sitting on the grass next to him. Luka looked at her, surprised by her sudden appearance. The two had not spoken since her creation, or well, interacted would probably be a better word. Gnomaren was similar to her body's original owner in that way, as neither of them actually spoke, at least not in the conventional way.
Gnomaren tilted her head as she looked at the hero. Luka remained motionless, still somewhat confused by her actions.
"Uh... Hi, Gnomaren." He said. "What's up?"
The new Spirit of Earth made no reaction, only shuffling closer to the hero, and then eventually lying on his lap. This confused the hero even more, but he still made no effort to stop her. After a few minutes of this, he noticed the spirit was now sleeping. He was somewhat embarrassed by the position, but he was even more annoyed by her choice of sleeping place.
Damn it. Now I can't move without waking her up... I guess I'll just have to sleep on the grass then...
As Luka lied back, he suddenly started to reminisce. It had been almost two months now since he arrived in this world, and so much had already happened. He was unsure of what to make of it all, but there was one thing he was sure of. He missed them, all of them. Alice, Nero, Neris, Granberia, Micaela, Alma Elma and Erubetie. Tamamo joining him in his adventure had been a blessing, but it was not enough to dispel his feelings.
I'll get back to you, all of you. I know it... I just need a little more time. I'll end this war and return home.
Notes
The first battle of Noah has happened, and the results are not looking promising for Ilias. And just when she thought the tides had turned... On top of that, Sealed Ilias has started to see the world from a different perspective, though, she isn't taking the news too well.
On another matter, there's a MGQ fanfiction discord you might be interested in joining, if you aren't already in it, that is. We normally discuss fanfiction or share tips on writing in general. Just make sure to ignore some of the more... 'Unique' members. Valid for 30 days: /BNx6pusgX