"And you're sure he wasn't lying?" Undine asked, repeating herself for the third time now.
"I already told you; the wind said all of that really did happen!" Sylph said. "Apparently, that little angel actually is the real Ilias, from Luka's world, and that Scylla girl is another spirit, like us!"
"I see... It all sounds so absurd." The Spirit of Water said. She sighed, relaxing further in the pool of water. Inside of the Hero's mind, they could create space for anything they wanted. Sylph relaxed, enjoying the lukewarm temperature, and the pleasant feeling it gave her as it washed over her, but she still remained alert in case Luka summoned her.
This is nice... It's too bad we don't get to enjoy it more often. Salamander really likes the water super-hot, after all. If only she was more considerate...
The Spirit of Wind's eyes slowly drifted towards another figure in the room, her silhouette barely visible in the dark background. Gnomaren was sitting down, not even looking at the pair of fellow spirits. From this perspective, she looked just like Gnome since her clothes covered most of her body. On top of that, she was playing in a sand pit, making something.
...
She turned back, leaving Gnomaren to do as she wished. She did not hide her feelings towards the spirit, who now haunted the corpse of someone she once called a friend, but she didn't want to hurt her for it either. For now, it was just best for her to leave the spirit be.
"But everything you said pales in comparison to the other news... Micaela, the Sword of Heaven herself, is dead." Undine said, a neutral expression crossing her face. "Along with her, Hiruko and Kanon have both been slain... I can only imagine what Lucifina, or even Ilias, for that matter, will do now."
"I know." Sylph sighed. "But it's a good thing in the end. Both sides are now far weaker, and humanity is stronger than ever. I just hope they don't start repeating the mistakes of Alipheese and Ilias. I've seen their cruelty firsthand. Sometimes they can be just as bad, if not worse, than either of the two other races."
"I can speak from experience there. They attack unprovoked, either out of fear or ignorance, sometimes both." The other spirit agreed. "Still, even if they all banded together, they would only have enough power to take down... maybe two ancestors, at most."
"Not anymore. Rinoa, that Doppel girl, has taken Micaela's sword. She was already strong, but with her leading the charge and Luka by her side... I think humanity is almost even to the other sides now."
"I never thought I'd see the day..." Undine said. "I just hope they stay on the right track."
Sylph nodded. Her opinion of humanity was based on what she had seen of them. There were good ones, like Luka and some of the other humans she had met. They would sometimes play with her or her fellow fairies, but as with any race, there were bad ones too. Not long ago, they had tried burning her forest down in the name of Ilias so as to force the spirit to either move or retaliate, which would of course only reinforce their hatred of monsters.
The Spirit of Wind chose the latter, fending off the group of warriors. She feared they would come back in numbers, but they never did. She suspected a command from Ilias might've been the reason. Still, the situation turned against the spirit when the news of the event was spread, saying that she started the conflict. Monsters were further villainized, even though they were the ones just trying to protect their home.
I suppose that's more of Ilias's fault than it is the humans. Still, everyone had a choice, and they chose to attack me and my friends.
But can I really blame them for it? They grew up in a society filled with propaganda; all they knew from youth was that Ilias was always right, that she was the creator of all, and she must be followed. No wonder they hated us so much. She told them we were the only obstacle to true peace. That coexistence was only possible when every monster was dead.
That was the tale Ilias always spun. It had some truth to it, no doubt, but it was an overexaggeration only meant to legitimise her brutality against monsters. Sylph had seen it all before. Alipheese was not innocent of it either. She often labelled Ilias as an evil that needed to be purged from the world, just like the angelic goddesss said about her. Ironically, the two were quite similar in that regard.
But really, the world would be better without either of them. If monsters and angels had no leader and had to make decisions of their own accord, I'm sure plenty of them would choose to coexist with humanity willingly. In fact, I know it. Luka said that's more or less what happened in his world, after all.
Speaking of Luka, we should be pretty close to Yamatai by now.
"So, do you think Tamamo No Mae will be in Yamatai?" The half-mermaid, half-slime spirit asked. "I'm not sure if I want her to be there or not. On the one hand, we might get the chance to take her down once and for all. On the other hand, if she's not there to defend the village, we should be able to free all of the humans there fairly easily."
Sylph shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see." She said, leaning back in the pool. She was currently in her larger form instead of her smaller, fairy-like one. She would normally prefer her more compact form, but the larger she was, the more she could feel the relaxing waves of water splashing against her.
Oh, we're getting pretty close now. Might as well see what's going on...
As the Hero walked along the surprisingly clean stone path, he took a sigh of relief. The walk to Yamamtai had taken a long time, thanks to the advent of walking straight from Gelon to here without a break. He was always quite fit, but even he had his limits.
After we finish up here, we'll set up camp for the night and finally get some rest. Nuruko, Ilias, and myself are all worn to the bone. Tamamo is the only one who still looks energetic.
The kitsune had told the Hero of her previous trip to Yamatai when she was first projected into this world. There wasn't much to say, except for one crucial piece of information. The guards there knew her as a girl named Natsumi, the daughter of Tamamo No Mae herself.
We can use that to our advantage. I guess we'll just have to do the same thing we did in Vrimor here. She can pretend Ilias and I are slaves, and... I guess Nuruko can just tag along. Maybe she can pose as a helper or something?
Luka turned towards the Syclla, who was following closely behind. She was quite quick for someone of her size and race, and she was quite clingy too. For some reason, he had felt an odd connection with the spirit. According to Tamamo, they had adventured around the entire world together, multiple worlds, in fact.
Maybe that's why I feel some kinship with her. It's like I've known her for years.
He had no actual memories of the spirit, only a feeling. Still, it served as a comfort for him. Except for Ilias, he was surrounded by longtime friends now. Compared to how he was when he started his adventure, he was far more confident.
There it is: Yamatai village, Tamamo's home.
The village was just as Luka remembered, though the walls that were in place to defend the village and keep the slaves inside were even larger and sturdier than before.
What doesn't kill them only makes them stronger. This time, we won't leave the job halfway done. We'll save everyone here and make a stand against Tamamo!
The Hero led the small group confidently. Tamamo walked alongside him, a sense of purpose to take down her past self driving her forward. Ilias too, followed the Hero. She remained mostly silent through the whole walk there, keeping her thoughts to herself.
Hmm. Yamatai, huh? I used to watch Tamamo have her twisted version of fun here all those years ago. I think she knew it, too. She would often put on a show for me... The things she would do to those humans... and to my angels... things I never even thought possible.
She must be stopped. For all of my children whom she has hurt, she will pay.
Luka and the others stopped before reaching the gate, making sure to keep out of sight of the guards. The Hero recognised them as the same ones from before.
Haah... I really hope they don't recognise me, or this plan is going to fall apart. Should I also cover my face?
"Here," Tamamo said, offering the Hero a set of rags. She had made it earlier, showing a surprising adeptness for such work. Though she had to purposefully tone down her skill a bit, lest the clothing look too good. Luka took them, quickly walking behind a tree to change.
Huh, the inside is filled with Tamamo's fur, though it is a very small layer. Still, it feels great against my skin. Maybe I should ask her to make me some more clothes in the future.
"Kyu!"
Luka's heart skipped a beat when he heard the noise. His eyes quickly found the source. Nuruko stood there, smiling as she watched the show. Thankfully, he had already covered his most private bits by this point, but it was still a point of embarrassment for him.
"Hey, what are you doing, Nuruko!" He shouted. "I'm in the middle of getting changed!"
"Kyu...?" She said, confused by his anger.
Does she not know why I'm angry at her?
"People don't like it when you see them like that." He explained, calming down a little. "It's embarrassing."
"...?"
Luka rolled his eyes; he was clearly not going to get through to the Syclla. He finished changing in a huff. After he was done, he returned to the others. Ilias came back around the same time, her body now only covered by a layer of rags. It was an absolute outrage for the Goddess of Creation herself to be reduced to wearing such low-quality clothing, but she could do nothing to stop it.
And it's not like they're doing it on purpose or anything... But really, Tamamo could've at least made them a bit thicker! I'm going to freeze like this. And the cloth is so itchy against my skin...
Tamamo looked the duo up and down, pleased with their outfits. She quickly pulled out the finishing touch, a large metal collar. She gave one to each of them, who put them on with some reluctance. Once they were done, she admired her work. Once she ruffled their hair a bit more and sprinkled them with a layer of dirt, they were perfect.
Ilias had never felt more humiliated, but she had to suck it up. It was so bad that she wanted to just run away and cry, but that would only serve to humiliate her even further. She even had to turn into her human form, which only added to her misery. If the village guards saw a young girl with angel wings, it would surely blow their cover.
"Wait, Tamamo, what about your tails? Surely, they'll see you're just a fake when they see you only have three?"
"Hmm... Luckily for us, I actually know a spell for that. I can easily add as many tails as I want. They won't physically be there, but it will look like I am my old, nine-tailed self." She explained.
"Huh...? You really know a spell like that? Why?" Luka asked. "What use could you really have for it?"
"Back in the day, I used to cut my tails down to three or four or even less with that spell. When an angel spotted such a weak kitsune all alone, they would drop their guard as they attacked me. It was a trap that worked surprisingly well."
Luka nodded. Then, the plan began with haste. Tamamo led the duo, holding a long rope that wrapped around their wrists. Nuruko had to be left behind. She would serve as a lookout for them instead, though only Tamamo would be able to properly interpret her Kyu's. Luka had gotten somewhat decent at it, but it was safer to just leave it up to her.
"Halt." One of the guards said upon seeing them approach. "State your business."
"Do you not remember me?" Tamamo asked haughtily. Luka noted that her entire posture, tone of voice, and expression had changed, as though she were acting as someone else. "Such insolence..."
"S-Sorry, my lord! Of course, we remember you, Lord Natsumi." The other guard suddenly spoke up, immediately bowing.
"Good. I was worried I might have to teach you two a lesson... Now, open the gate." She ordered.
"I apologise, my lord, but we will have to clear the others with you first. Your mother ordered us to tell her about everyone who enters the village from now on, so something like what happened only a few weeks ago would never happen again." The guard explained nervously.
"What was that?" Tamamo asked, her voice devoid of any toleration for such absurdity. Her nine tails began to rise, signalling her readiness for battle.
"U-uh, never mind, my lord." The kitsune said as a bead of sweat ran down her face. "We will open the gates immediately."
"Good," Tamamo said, relaxing her tails.
The guards quickly got to it, opening the gates for the three newcomers. Tamamo, Luka, and Ilias stepped inside the village. Or more accurately, the last two were pulled inside by the kitsune, who seemed to be enjoying this a bit too much.
Ah, it's been so long now... This really was the life. I had dozens of slaves to toy with whenever I wished and had hundreds of monsters that were all mine to command. I almost miss it. Almost.
There was surprisingly few slaves walking around, but there was plenty of kitsunes. Some tanuki could be seen too.
Hmph. This was back when I let them live in the same village as me... Thank Alipheese I saw sense and kicked them out, eventually.
"Alright, I'll leave you two here," Tamamo said, undoing the rope. "Just wait for my signal. I'll try to find out where all the slaves are kept. From what the guards said earlier, it seems like this world's Tamamo really is here, so be careful. We should evacuate all the people here before engaging her, okay?"
Luka and Ilias nodded. The kitsune led the pair into a small shack, telling them to wait for her return. The room was quite dark, with only Ilias's blue eyes standing out. For the first few minutes, all they did was sit there, waiting for Tamamo. Then another few minutes passed, then another. After half an hour, Luka got worried.
"C'mon, where are they!?" A new voice asked. "We should have plenty left, and yet..."
Huh? Who was that?
The Hero looked around the room, trying to find the source. But there was no one to be seen.
"Maybe in here?"
Suddenly, the door creaked open. A tall, seven-tailed kitsune stood there, a large smile suddenly crossing her face upon seeing the Hero and goddess. The monster had black fur running all over her body, which was well-kept. Her red eyes shone as she walked into the room, her overall demeanour much calmer than her earlier shouting would suggest.
"Finally. I looked all over for some new humans." She said. "I know Lady Tamamo needs a lot of energy, but this is starting to get ridiculous..."
All the other humans have already been almost fully drained. It will take ages for their energy to return, and Lady Tamamo needs as much as she can get.
The kitsune walked over to the pair of humans. One was a little too young for Lady Tamamo's tastes, so she would likely have to be left behind, but the other one would suit her just fine.
I should bring her, just in case. Children her age barely contain any energy, so there's no point in taking any from them. It's better to just wait for them to grow up.
She wrapped her tails around them, binding their hands. They showed little resistance as she led them along, bringing them towards Tamamo No Mae's manor.
Luka, what should we do? Should I try to contact Tamamo?
Ilias looked towards the Hero as she sent the message. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded. The Goddess rose alongside him.
We shouldn't try to resist, otherwise we'll break our cover. This could actually be a good thing for us. If she brings us straight to Tamamo like this, there will be no reason for her to suspect us. The only problem is that Luka doesn't have Angel Halo; Tamamo is carrying it.
Then I'd better tell her what's going on.
Tamamo, this is Ilias. Luka and I have been taken by one of the kitsunes. I believe she's bringing us to Tamamo No Mae. We need you to meet us there.
Alright, that should be enough. Now, it's all up to Luka.
...Speaking of the Hero, those posters of him are still all over the place. It's a miracle nobody has noticed him so far, even if his rags do come with a hood to cover most of his hair.
The Goddess of Creation could not hide her worry as the kitsune led them further inside the large building at the back of the village. The manor was huge, fit for the status of its owner. Ilias knew that in the basement, Tamamo's personal slaves were held. They say the screams of either pleasure or pain could be heard, sometimes both. None could tell the difference, and all feared the prospect of being led down there.
We'll have to free them too. She always had around a dozen human slaves to herself, and she even kept a few angels when she felt like it. Valkyries were her favourites, with cupids being her least favourite. Too lewd for her, apparently.
Haah... I remember all those nights she spent 're-educating' my children. They would enter as loyal, picture-perfect followers, and leave as repugnant, broken toys. I began to hate kitsunes almost as much as I hated succubi.
"I hope she'll finally be sated after this." The kitsune muttered. "Now, you stay here, girl. Boy, you will come with me."
...Wait a second... that scent, I recognise it. He's the same Hero I was sent to capture in San Ilia!
And now, I'm about to deliver him straight to Tamamo. Did she lure him here somehow?
Hmm. I wish I could get payback for what he did to me personally... But I can always wait until after Lady Tamamo is done with him, if he still has any energy left afterwards, that is.
Luka looked nervous as the kitsune took her inside. He was now vulnerable, separated from his only weapon. If Ilias were not the goddess herself, she would've been praying for the boy.
Damn it. We didn't count on getting picked up like this... We were meant to let Tamamo scout for all the slaves first, and then go for the ancestor. Now everything's a mess.
I've got to help him before this gets out of hand. If I don't hurry, Tamamo will recognise him as the Hero she's been looking for. I bet she won't stop until she gets her hands on his soul.
It was then that Ilias realised she had no bindings on her. She was simply standing there, outside of the now-closed door. Making a run for it would be possible, but she was not one for such cowardice.
I'll have to wait until that seven-tailed kitsune leaves. Then, I'll go in and try to help however I can.
Huh..? Is that a crossbow? And Angel-made, too. It looks powerful... I'm sure Tamamo wouldn't mind if I borrowed it. I'll have to take it after that kitsune leaves, though.
Luka wiped the sweat from his brow as he entered the large, newly repaired room. The black-haired kitsune suddenly dropped to the floor, kneeling. The Hero turned his gaze to the centre of the room. A mass of nine golden, almost shining tails could be seen sweeping along the oak floor. A sinister laugh echoed in the room as the figure rose.
"So, we have captured you at last, Hero Luka!" Tamamo No Mae said, turning towards the boy. Luka's eyes widened as he saw another, smaller mass of tails struggle in her grasp.
No way, Tamamo!
His world's Tamamo was currently pushing against the larger, stronger tails with all her might. Tamamo No Mae was unamused by this, quickly coiling one of her tails around her neck, threatening to choke the life out of her. This made the kitsune stop struggling.
The Golden Kitsune smiled. "I have your friend, Hero." She said. "From the another world—that's it, isn't it? It's the only thing I could think of... Me from another world, one clearly far in the future, or perhaps it is in the past? Well, you will tell me all I need to know."
Impossible! How did she figure it out!?
"I can see that you are quite confused, little one. Well, let me dumb it down for you, so even someone as simple as you could understand. You see, I've been racking my brain over this whole thing for weeks now. I already deduced that you were either Micaela or Lucifina's son, and that didn't take long. Next was figuring out where you came from. Of course, you couldn't have been born before the war, as I first suspected. I mean, why did you not join in the fighting earlier? It made no sense. So, I moved on to my next theory."
"Another world... can you imagine my shock? At first, I thought the idea was preposterous. If there was another world out there this whole time, surely we would've seen signs before, no? But it was true. When I asked Alipheese to look, she said she could see something in Sabasa—a gateway to another world, so close and yet so far. So now I know your secret, little one. You are not from this world at all." She explained, a smug smile on her face.
"T-that's... No way..." Luka muttered.
"My lord? Is this true?" The other kitsune asked, still kneeling.
"It is, Yano. Now, leave us. I plan to deal with this Hero in private."
"At once, my lord," Yano said, scurrying out of the room. Tamamo No Mae smiled, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I thought this would be much harder." She admitted. "But here you are, just asking for me to pounce on you."
This is unbelievable. She figured it all out just by looking at the Tarturus.?
Damn it, I should've seen that coming... But does it really matter? What does her knowing all of that really change?
I should focus on the real issue here. I'm on my own. Tamamo No Mae is keeping my Tamamo as a hostage, and I don't have my sword.
...Should I try using my hands? I learned some things just by watching Alma Elma's martial arts techniques, so I might be able to put up a fight... But this is Tamamo No Mae, one of the strongest creatures ever. My amateur skills won't be enough to take her down.
Then what do I do? What can I do?
...That's it!
"I will be sure to enjoy this, little one." Tamamo No Mae said. "Heh, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be completely converted to our side... and begging for more."
Luka grimaced at the threat. It was the same one he had received a dozen times before by a variety of monsters. Seeing one of his old friends and the educator of both of his children say something so horrifying... it scared him.
Tamamo No Mae slowly stepped forward, taking pleasure in the fear shown on the young Hero's face. The boy slowly backed up, attempting to get away from the now terrifying kitsune.
Does he truly think he can get away from me...? What a futile effort. Let me put that all to waste.
The Golden Kitsune waved her hands, causing the Hero to be stuck in place, a magic binding preventing him from moving.
Now, you're all mine!
"Now, Tamamo! Go for it!" Luka shouted.
Huh?
Suddenly, a large blade appeared in front of Tamamo No Mae's eyes. The sword swung down, cutting part of her tail off and ripping the one around the neck of the smaller kitsune off. This allowed the wielder to roll out, only slowing down once she reached Luka.
Damn it, she had a sword with her that whole time? And she waited to use it until I was distracted... They planned that without a word between each other, I would've detected the telepathy otherwise...
I've lost my advantage... But I have far greater numbers. Taking down that pathetic, three-tailed version of myself should be easy. It's the boy I have to worry about. The son of a seraph, who wields a sword made with the souls of angels. He will be a worthy challenge for me to face, but I have gathered enough energy for the task.
"Luka, I'll stay back with Ilias. We'll hold any reinforcements she calls in, alright?" Tamamo whispered to the Hero. "We won't be able to hold it for long, so you have to wrap this up quickly."
Luka nodded. The kitsune quickly left the room, handing the Hero his sword, then shutting the door tight behind her after she left to make sure nobody interrupted their battle.
In a one-on-one against Tamamo No Mae... If I didn't have three of the four spirits with me, this would be a much harder fight. But I've seen her fight before, and I know her tactics now. This time I'll win for sure!
"Hmph. I don't like that look in your eyes." The ancestor said. "You still have hope? You believe that a few extra spirits will save you? You are wrong."
"No, it's you who is wrong! I'll take you down and save everyone here!" Luka said, gripping Angel Halo.
"Then let us waste no more time."
Tamamo No Mae's eyes shone as she moved her hands in an odd pattern. It was one the Hero recognised, however.
It's a fire spell! I have to summon Undine and cut through it!
"Undine, to me!" Luka shouted as he jumped towards the column of fire.
"Dispel!"
Suddenly, the Spirit of Water's power disappeared. The Hero could not stop himself. He jumped headfirst into a wave of flames, which quickly caught onto his clothes. Resummoning the Spirit of Water fixed the issue, but he had taken some damage from the attack.
Damn it, she dispelled it. Some of my opponents have done that before... It looks like she figured out how to properly counter the spirits.
It barely takes her any energy to use such a simple spell, but summoning a spirit takes a huge amount away from me. If we continue like this, I'll eventually run out of power and lose.
So then, I can't rely on the spirits...
Then I'll have to rely on you instead, Mother.
"Did you like my little trick?" Tamamo asked, her smug smile returning in full. "That must've hurt... If you surrender now, I promise you no more pain. In fact, I can guarantee the exact opposite, however much you want. All you have to do is drop that little sword of yours and apologise."
"As if!" Luka said, reaffirming his position. "I'll never surrender, especially not to you!"
"Hmph. It seems you still need to be shown the reality of your situation more." She said. "Come then. Let us get this over with."
Suddenly, a large barrage of flames shot from Tamamo's tails, each one chasing the Hero down. Luka had trouble dealing with them without Undine. He cut through them, but the flames did not dissipate completely. Instead, they continued past his blade, washing over his body, burning his skin.
Argh! Damn it!
The Hero took the pain, but it was getting to be too much. Tamamo's cruel flames burned hotter than any other. Their blue colouring was all Luka could see as she sent more and more. Strangely, the wooden room did not catch fire.
She must've had this room rendered fireproof, likely through some sort of spell... She's been preparing for my arrival this whole time. But shouldn't she be out fighting on the front lines!? What is she even doing here!?
No matter. There's no point in complaining about it now. I just have to take her down here and now!
Summoning as much angelic power as he could muster, the Hero let the fire spell hit him. To Tamamo's surprise, they bounced off his body, creating an odd blue light around him.
There it is... Daystar.
If his first instinct is to use that skill rather than Micaela's, then he is likely Lucifina's son instead.
Well, that doesn't help me here. I must deal with this.
When the blazing comet of light appeared above the kitsune, she remained remarkably calm. She changed her pose, widening her stance. She allowed the power of the earth to flow through her, channelling as much power as she could.
The fiery ball hit off a barrier of darkness, the flames turning into mere flickers before its unmoving might.
No way, she stopped the whole attack just like that!? How is that even possible!?
My version of Daystar has always been weaker than my mother's, possibly due to my diluted blood and the fact I can't use all my power yet, but it still shouldn't be that easy to stop!
Tamamo is even stronger than I thought she was...
"What's wrong?" She asked. "You look worried... Could it be that you thought that little skill of yours would do something? I've been fighting against the Daystar for a hundred years now. Did you really think I wouldn't have figured out a way to stop her most dangerous technique?"
Of course… It would only make sense. This is tough. She's full of energy, and I have barely any left.
Then… I'll have to overwhelm her instead. I can't let this battle linger on too long. For one, I could run out of power. And the other issue is if her reinforcements get here. Tamamo and Ilias can only hold them off for so long.
Combining my powers is difficult. Using water and holy power at the same time takes a lot of focus... But if I just use more holy power at once, then I should be able to overwhelm her that way.
Then, I'll try the technique Micaela told me about...
"Come, boy. Let us finish this."
Tamamo No Mae ran forth, holding her newly unveiled fan in her hands. When she got close enough, she summoned a spark of blue flame, which ran down the handle, and then reached the edge of the weapon, lighting it ablaze.
Angel Halo stopped the fan from penetrating Luka's chest. The flames, however, continued forward, nearly reaching the boy every time. They continued to parry and counter each other, with Tamamo using her fan as though it were a strange short-sword of some sort. The difference in power was upset when the Hero's eye began to burn and a wing of light appeared behind him.
As the kitsune was on the back foot, she attempted to get a lucky hit in with her other hand, launching a wave of flames towards the Hero. When he dodged this, she knew she had him. All nine of her tails shot towards the boy, who was just a bit too slow. From his perspective, he had to fend off eleven limbs at once, an impossible task. Only a master swordsman would be capable of such a feat.
"The jaws of the Rakshasa come to make the wicked pay! Nine-fold Rakshasha!"
A wave of nine swings, each one filled with holy flames, landed on the Great Golden Kitsune, delivering enough force to send her launching backwards. But a master of the earth would not be moved so easily. Reinforcing her stance with the earth allowed her to stay right where she was, and as soon as the boy was done with his little attack, she punched him.
When his body started to glow with that all-too-familiar blue light, she scowled. But her worries grew when he launched himself into the air, his burning holy flames shining brightly in the dim room.
She won't go down easily, and I'm running out of power. I have to resort to drastic measures!
"My aunt was the Sword of Heaven; my mother, the Daystar." He said calmly, an absurd amount of power flowing through him. "The Star that falls to earth, and the Sword that cuts through anything... When the Sword and Star cross, nothing remains!"
A dazzling arc of light appeared, brimming with a thousand different colours. It began at Angel Halo's edge, running along a curved track in the air. Along with the arc, a great fiery comet followed it, burning brighter than ever before.
Impossible... Sword of Heaven and Daystar at the same time!?
Tamamo No Mae set up a dozen barriers, each one strong enough to stop a barrage of spells. But she knew it would do little to stop the comet that was quickly approaching.
I'm not done yet!
Adding on another trio of elements, Luka summoned all the spirits currently available to him. Each one increased the potency of the skill, bringing it into a league of its own. If Salamander were with him, only a goddess could hope to survive it.
With all the earth available to me!
Preparing the best defence she possibly could, Tamamo waited. It was not long before the star came crashing through her many barricades, shattering them like glass. A wave of water, wind, and earth came with it, only increasing its damage.
Tamamo No Mae was flung back more than a hundred metres, destroying a wall in the impact. The whole building began to collapse thanks to the loss of support.
Ugh...
Luka's ears rang loudly. His breathing was erratic, his heart beating faster than ever before. He looked around him, but his eyes could barely make anything out. It seemed some time had passed since his attack.
I was already exhausted, but that attack took everything out of me...
Thank you, Micaela. Your theory was correct. Through me, through my blood, Daystar and Sword of Heaven can be used in unison.
The Hero's fingers had no feeling in them as he wiggled them around, trying to regain his bearing. The smoke from the flames reached him, causing him to lightly cough, and then it only got worse from there.
Something is on fire... Did the spell break...?
With a mighty effort, the boy rose. His whole body hurt, almost as bad as when he fought Ilias. Exhaustion hit him like a sledgehammer to the gut. Still, he pressed on. It was hard to even stand, but he did.
Tamamo...?
His eyes adjusted to the moonlight shining before two figures, one small and one tall.
I-I have to help... but... I can hardly move.
Tamamo No Mae and Tamamo were fighting. His Tamamo was on the losing side and did not look like she could hold out much longer. It was only thanks to a consistent barrage of arrows from an angelic figure further in the back that she was even able to stay in the fight.
Tamamo No Mae looks badly damaged... How can she still even stand...?
Using Angel Halo to help him walk, the Hero approached. Tamamo noticed him in the corner of her eyes, sighing in relief. The thought of him being dead crossed her mind, and it horrified her all too much.
Thank Alipheese...
Still, it's not over just yet. Ilias and I managed to prevent those reinforcements from entering thanks to my genius traps, but there's nothing to stop them now. We just have to pray that they don't get back up from under all that rubble.
Further in the back, Ilias provided support for the ancestor. The crossbow she was using was conveniently found on one of the walls. Apparently, Tamamo was quite the collector. It was made for an angel, which of course meant it fit her perfectly. The only issue was that she was quickly running out of bolts.
That damn kitsune is barely standing. Look at all those burn marks—and her tails too. It won't be much longer now, I know it!
An arrow made its way towards Tamamo No Mae's head, but she caught it with her tails and cracked it in two. Simultaneously, she checked for a blow from her counterparts' fan, then another, and another.
"Hah, see if you can stop this!" The taller kitsune shouted, using what little power she had left to swing her fan down low, causing a wave of flame to sweep the legs of Tamamo. She hopped over it, but this only made her vulnerable. Tamamo No Mae spun, allowing all nine of her tails to be as close to the other kitsune as possible. They quickly snatched her up, applying crushing pressure to her whole body.
"Put her down!"
A sword was stuck into the side of the kitsune, blood welled up under the cloth. She screamed out in pain as the blade's strange shape only caused more bleeding.
Not wasting a moment, Tamamo began to struggle as much as she could, but the bindings did not budge. Only when a spark of lightning hit them did she break free. Ilias flew towards the group, her fingertips sparking with electricity.
Tamamo No Mae sent two tails towards the angel, three to the kitsune, and the rest to the Hero. Luka could barely lift his sword to defend himself.
Luka, summon me! I can help you!
"That's right... Undine..."
The last of the boy's energy was sent towards summoning the Spirit of Water. Undine quickly took hold of his body, using the power of water to calm his mind. He was running on adrenaline alone and would soon collapse without her help.
What do we do... What can we do?
Tamamo No Mae is barely still fighting... and the same can be said for all of us. If only we had more energy...
Luka desperately parried another attack, the tails now becoming harder and harder to stop. Tamamo No Mae burned more of her energy as she kept the offence up. She had grounded the annoying angel a while ago now. It was just the Hero and the pseudo-ancestor left.
But when all hope seemed lost, Tamamo No Mae suddenly fell over. Her body impacted the floor with a thud, and no matter how hard she tried to rise, she just couldn't.
W-what happened!?
"Kyu!"
Nuruko stood atop the great beast proudly. Her tentacles were wrapped around the nine tails of Tamamo No Mae, constricting them tightly. The kitsune struggled for a while, but all her energy had been drained away. Luka sighed in relief, dropping to the ground as Angel Halo clattered on the floor. Tamamo did much the same but first checked on the wounded Ilias lying on the ground.
"T-thank you, Nuruko." The Hero said.
"Kyu, kyu. Kyu kyu... Kyu~!"
...She wants a reward for her hard work?
S-she doesn't mean 'that', does she?
Nuruko's innocent smile did nothing to alleviate Luka's worries. Deciding to pretend he didn't hear what she said for now, he looked down at the still-struggling kitsune.
Tamamo No Mae... We've finally taken you down.
This would've been a lot easier if we just rested before getting here, but... Well, there's no turning back the clock.
"Tamamo, what do we do now?" Luka asked.
"Something I've been planning for a while now." She answered, standing up groggily. "I believe I told you about it before, did I not?"
"Right, I remember now." The Hero replied, also standing up. "But do you still have the power left to even do it?"
"It doesn't cost much." She explained. "It will take a while, though."
Luka watched as the kitsune approached her counterpart, kneeling down to her face.
"What do you want, you damn fake? Do you plan to kill me? If so, It would be–"
A tentacle wrapped around Tamamo's jaw, shutting her up. Nuruko kyu-ed happily, pleased with herself.
Finally... I get to get it all back. Being so weak doesn't suit someone of my standing.
The ancestor's hand lightly touched her counterparts forehead, energy flowing through her body. Using this, she pulled some essence out of her body, taking energy and power from the other kitsune. She repeated this for a while, taking more and more away from the Golden Kitsune. Tamamo No Mae struggled with all her might, but as her power seeped away, it died down.
There we go...
Tamamo sighed in relief as she felt the sheer abundance of power flowing through her. It had taken some time to fully steal all of Tamamo No Mae's power, but it was certainly worth it. Now, she would put it to much better use. Her body quickly began to grow, with nine tails appearing behind her. After another few minutes, she was as tall as she was in her glory days.
My unsealed form...
With this, my power has increased thirty-fold from what it was! Nothing can stop us now!
...But... this form. It reminds me of how I used to be...
I should only use it when I need to.
The Golden Kitsune sighed, her form shrinking down to her now familiar, child-like self. She still had her nine fluffy tails of course. She would never dare go back down to three again.
Now, what to do with you...
Underneath Nuruko was a small, three-tailed kitsune. She was currently sleeping, a consequence of so much of her energy being drained.
Hmm... For now, how about this...
Tamamo took out a quill dripping with ink from her pocket storage. She approached the sleeping kitsune's face and wrote a few words down. Then, she cast a spell, binding the kitsune up with rope, also from her storage. Once that was done, she cast another, teleporting her to Gelon.
They should be able to handle her there.
Luka and Ilias walked over to Tamamo; both looked completely exhausted. The kitsune, on the other hand, had never felt better. Still, they could all use some rest tonight. But first, they would have to free all the villagers left behind.
I did free most of the slaves earlier before this world's Tamamo caught me. But there are still a few left. Once we're done there, we'll set up camp for the night. I guess I'll also have to talk to those Kitsunes. That Yano girl seems like a good starting point.
The Hero followed Tamamo as they walked over the rubble, searching for any survivors. Nuruko and Ilias walked behind him.
That was... really hard.
But now, it's over. Tamamo No Mae has been defeated, and my world's Tamamo is now much stronger!
...During the fight, when I used that new skill... I didn't hold back at all. In fact, I put as much power as I could into it. And... In my heart, I wasn't trying to seal her. I was trying to kill her. The sights of all those people here, all those memories...
But it didn't happen. Now, she will live out a life of punishment. What that is exactly will have to be decided later, but taking all her power away was a good start.
I need to get Salamander soon and then work towards ending this war and stopping all the bloodshed. Now that Tamamo No Mae has been sealed, there are only three ancestors who can still fight. It seems we've tipped the scales a little.
Luka pulled a human out of the rubble, careful not to hurt him as he did. Once he had him, he used holy magic to heal his injuries and unlock his collar.
This is horrible... It's still hard to believe Tamamo would ever do something like this...
But now it's all over. She will never hurt anyone ever again.
"Luka, come here," Ilias said. The Hero did as she asked, laying the man down on the ground carefully.
The Goddess touched his shoulder, sensing what was going on in his body. A frown appeared on her face.
"I see... That attack took a lot out of you. No wonder. Its power is second only to Quadruple Giga. But its over-reliance on holy power has already affected your body." She explained solemnly. "The corrosion has already begun."
Luka sighed. He could've already guessed that. Such power could not be used without consequence. Still, it was not an emergency. The corrosion would only spread if he continued to his power.
But I have no choice. I have to use it to fight. But... Now that Tamamo has all her power back, I won't have to rely on it as much.
Promestein sighed. It had been a long day. The moonlight shone through a hole in the tent, illuminating her workspace. The candles she lit also helped with this, making sure she could see what she was working on.
Finally, a Makina that can connect to souls themselves.
She held her prized possession up, pride filling her as she marvelled at it. This is what she loved doing. Creating things and developing new technology. It was as if she was born to do it.
It took a while, but it's finished. The prototype worked, but there were a few things I still needed to work on. Now, it's perfect.
A variety of screws, electronic chips, and other metal pieces could be seen in the corner of the table. Unfortunately, crafting this new Makina meant the complete deconstruction of the watch Luka had given her. His only way to communicate with his wife, Alipheese the Sixteenth, was destroyed.
I hope he's not angry... Still, this new creation is worth it. With this, we can do... Actually, what was Tamamo planning to use it for again? She never told me.
Deciding to ask the kitsune later, Promestein rose. She had been working nonstop for more than half a day now. Sleep would be nice, even if the angel didn't technically need it. It always gave her comfort to rest her mind and body anyway.
But first, I should check on the others.
Leaving her tent, she walked down the dirt path. She wrote some ideas down on a clipboard she always carried around so she wouldn't forget them, even if her memory was excellent. It was always better to be safe than sorry.
In theory, Angel Halo should be able to do more than just drain power from its target. Instead, with some assistance from some Makina, it might be possible to actually absorb the power it drains into the sword itself, increasing its strength.
Suddenly, a small thud was heard in the twilight, whispering past the grass. Promestein turned, spotting a new figure in the darkness. Three tails could clearly be seen aggressively swaying in the air.
A kitsune...?
A muffled voice could be heard struggling against something blocking its mouth. Promestein raised an eyebrow as she recognised what she was looking at.
Tamamo...? What is she doing here?
Rope was binding the kitsune, keeping her from standing up and running away. Her mouth had a makeshift gag in it. Writing could be seen on her face, specifically her forehead. Promestein quickly read it.
'I'm the bad one. Please imprison me immediately. - The good Tamamo.'
...
Well, at least we know they're doing alright. If they're already at Yamatai, then they've probably already contracted with Undine.
I better tell Rinoa about this. I'm sure she'll find a nice hole to throw her in.
Notes
Angel Halo has the power to kill when the wielder wills it so. This is according to an answer TTR gave in a Q and A, so Luka does have the power to kill when he wants to.
Tamamo No Mae has taken the power of Tamamo No Mae away from Tamamo No Mae. This chapter alone has her name in it over ninety times! I suppose that is what happens when you have the same person fight each other.