Lucifina decided she hated being cooped up. Really hated it. Human soldiers stood outside, armed with long spears and protected with steel armour. The local king had put the angel under house arrest. She hated him too.
But in truth, it was the Hero Luka who told him to do that. She didn't know if she hated him or loved him. She had strange memories, foreign memories. Ones of her roaming the surface with her power sealed away, of her eventually meeting a purple-haired hero and falling in love, and of them having a child together. She remembered the man's name... Marcellus.
Their son was named Luka. The same boy who had now imprisoned her. For someone so small and frail-looking, he held a surprising amount of sway in this human civilisation and an unnatural amount of power...
If my memories are right, and the boy didn't lie to me... then he really is my son.
Luka...
More memories returned as time went on. One stood out. She was lying back on a bed, the worst sickness imaginable coursing through her body. Even just blinking hurt, and not to mention breathing.
Only one thing kept the ex-seraph going. Her son still needed her. He would visit frequently, sometimes staying by his dying mother for hours, holding her hand, or praying to Ilias to save her life. The goddess never answered those prayers.
No medicine worked. Lucifina knew who had given her this sickness. It was the same goddess who had made her, Ilias. There was one way Lucifina could save her own life... But she was not brave enough to return to that form, to the form she had used to kill thousands.
And so, just before dying, Lucifina told her son to become a hero. To save those too weak to save themselves. Like his father did. He gave him her ring, which would seal his angelic powers away. Then, she died.
Or at least, she should have. Her soul clung to Luka for years after her death. She saw him journey throughout the world with an odd, and sometimes nearly abusive, silver-haired lamia. Eventually, he managed to defeat the Monster Lord, and after another week or so, the Goddess of Light herself also fell to his blade.
But even after that, Lucifina still watched over her son. Eventually, Black Alice took him to another world... and after some more time, he fought that world's version of his mother.
All these memories... Which ones are real? Which ones are correct?
Or... are they all real?
Two souls in one body. Lucifina had seen the results of such a fusion before. Chaos. If the souls were of two different people, they may not be able to fuse at all.
But two similar souls? That resulted in a mixture of both. Lucifina deduced that she must be a mix of both the Lucifina from her son's world and the Lucifina of this world.
So Luka wasn't lying about what happened.
Over time, the soul inhabiting the host becomes more and more stable. Eventually, it is unrecognisable from the two souls that came before and becomes a near-perfect mix of the two.
That scared Lucifna. It scared her a lot. She did not want to be the Daystar ever again. She was happier when she was a wife, when she was a mother.
What am I to do?
Lucifina paced around the room, trying to figure out which of her jumbled memories were correct and which were false. The confines of her room were too restricting. Tapping into her angelic powers, she teleported outside of her small room.
The guards didn't seem to notice. Lucifina breathed a sigh of relief as she looked around. She was in a village of some sort, with some tents around the outskirts. People walked by her, some monsters and some humans. The Daystar reached for her sword, aiming to slice said monsters in two, but then she remembered that the boy had taken it from her.
That little bastard... I'll rip him apart for that…
Lucifina walked down the dirt path slowly. Most of the time, she would sneer at any monster she passed. And yet she would sometimes find herself looking upon them like they were just another person, instead of the wretched abominations she knew them to be.
What is going on…? I don't know if I should hate them or be indifferent to them…
The Daystar's contradictory thoughts continued to plague her as she made her way through the village. She found herself sitting on a wooden bench as monsters and the like walked by. She had to shield her eyes from the sun as she watched them pass.
So many of them, dozens upon dozens… This village is infested with them. As a loyal servant of the goddess, I should purify this area, should I not?
Wait… the goddess, shouldn't I try to contact her? She hasn't communicated with me yet… I wonder why.
Lucifina rested on the bench for a long while, but she eventually found she had regained the courage to continue onward. After walking a bit further down the path, she stopped in front of a small, stone building. Two guards were outside, cladded in metal armour and sharp spears.
This is the only building I've seen that has this much protection… Besides that house I was locked in earlier…
I might as well see what's inside.
And so, Lucifina walked down an alleyway, making sure to be out of sight before teleporting inside. It was cold. Very cold. The stone floor beneath her was freezing. The angel shivered as she walked through the long corridor.
Oddly enough, she could not see any guards in the hallway. The jail cells along either side clued her into the building's function. A prison, far more primitive than the ones back in heaven, but they served their purpose.
Huh? What is that…? No… Who is that?
Tamamo No Mae…? Why is she here?
Lucifina used her wings to keep herself warm as she walked towards the monster. Her cell was unusually small, likely handpicked by the person who imprisoned her to be as uncomfortable as possible. The Daystar gripped the metal bars of Tamamo's jail cell as she searched for the kitsune she had sensed earlier.
In the corner, scrunched up in a ball of fur, was the Golden Kitsune herself, even if her usually glistening fur was a bit dusty. Her emerald-green eyes shone as she looked at her visitor. "And who are you…? Another human here to laugh at me?"
Tamamo No Mae rose. She took a step back as she looked at Lucifina once more. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "What the hell…? By the First… It can't be, Lucifina?"
Tamamo had her back up against the wall as she looked at the Daystar. The ancestor was more or less powerless right now, at least in comparison to the angel who was responsible for half the deaths in the Great Monster War.
"Tamamo…? What is a Heavenly Knight doing here?" Lucifina asked. "Shouldn't you be raising the Sixteenth Fateburn? Or no, has her mother died yet…?"
Tamamo raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
Lucifina shook her head. "Wait no… That hasn't happened yet, not in this world… Then… Why are you sealed—How are you sealed?"
And to be sealed this much… She doesn't even have her usual nine tails.
"Why should I tell you anything…?"
The angel crossed her arms in annoyance. "Hmph. Fine then, don't tell me. And I was just thinking of breaking you out of here, but if you're going to act like this…"
"W-Wait!" Tamamo ran up to the bars. "Don't be so hasty… I wasn't sealed…. I was beaten by the Hero Luka and his friends. Then, another version of me took my power away."
"The Hero Luka… So he did this to you." Lucifina sighed. "To think my son had grown so strong…"
"Your son…? So it is true…" Tamamo pulled out her old fan. She partially covered her face with it. "Tell me, Daystar, what are you doing here?"
Lucifina ignored the ancestor. "He's clearly been busy then. Did I watch that fight…? I think so… Ugh, so many memories…"
The Daystar paced up and down the length of the jail cell. "Marcellus… He was my husband… Luka's father. He's dead now, isn't he? How did he die…?"
Lucifina continued to try to make sense of her memories. The soul transfer had jumbled them all up in her head. She no longer knew which ones belonged to which Lucifina. Her feelings towards those around her were also… messy, to say the least.
Tamamo sighed. Her ticket out of this prison was currently ignoring her completely.
Hmm… It still makes no sense. I can't think of a reason for the Daystar to be here… and to not immediately try to kill me on sight. She doesn't even have her sword on her… And what was she talking about earlier? Heavenly Knights, the Sixteenth Fateburn?
I haven't heard any screaming, so she probably didn't come here to attack this village. Perhaps she was let in by Luka… But why? He should be against her. And she should be against him…
They are mother and son… Lucifina just said so herself, and something tells me she's not cunning enough to lie. Maybe they were able to reconcile their relationship somehow…?
No… That can't be. This world's Lucifina is completely different to the world where Luka comes from. I somehow doubt she was the same there as she is here. I could never imagine the bloodthirsty Daystar I know raising someone like him.
"Nope. This still makes no sense." Tamamo murmured to herself. "I suppose I'll have to get it out of her then…"
As far as I can tell, the Daystar's power hasn't been lessened at all. I'm surprised… I thought the boy would've sealed her with that sword of his.
How unfortunate… If she's this strong, then even at my peak I would've lost to her. Not to mention my current form… I couldn't even defeat a common angel right now…
"Lucifina," Tamamo called out. "Answer me, damn it! Lucifina!"
The Daystar stopped her pacing. "What?"
"What the hell happened to you? Why are you here? Tell me!"
Lucifina rolled her eyes. "It's a long story, you know?" The angel sighed. "But, I suppose you did tell me your story… Fine."
The Star of Morning crossed her legs as she sat down. Tamamo hesitated at first, but eventually followed suit. "The Hero Luka and his friends beat me in a fight. They used some magic or something to summon another version of me's soul. Then, his Tamamo used her magic to merge our two souls."
His Tamamo? Ah, she must mean the one from the other world.
"Merging souls…? I see… But if he had to summon his world's Lucifina, that means she must've already been dead."
Lucifina nodded. She stressed her mind as she tried to organise her memories.
This will actually be good for me… If I can tell her the full story, then I should be able to separate my memories better.
"In that world, the Great Monster Wars ended in a stalemate of sorts. The Ancestors, Lilith Sisters and Dark Goddess were all sealed, but in exchange, the world was spared from destruction by Ilias. Alipheese thought ahead, clearly, as she made it so that if Ilias were to start killing monster en mass again, the seal would break and they would be free once more."
Tamamo slowly nodded. "I see… Still, I don't fully understand how another world can even exist in the first place…"
"Don't interrupt me. Didn't your mother teach you manners?" Lucifina scolded. "Hm, anyway. Things went fairly smoothly for around 500 years after that, until a Monster Lord by the name of Black Alice came to power. She was a true tyrant. A hero rose to defeat her, by the name of… His name was…"
Lucifina rubbed her head. "Oh, it doesn't matter. Anyway, he defeated her, but just before she died Ilias saved her. Heinrich—Ah, right, that was his name—Was very unhappy about his. He rebelled against her… and I joined him. I made a sword for him before fighting my sister, Micaela."
Tamamo lifted her fan. "You rebelled against Ilias…? Is it because she decided to work with a monster?"
"Not just any monster. She saved Black Alice, the very worst of them… Almost as bad as you back in the day… Anyway, Heinrich was beaten and I fell to the surface. I lived among humans and monsters alike for hundreds of years… Eventually, I met a man named Marcellus… I fell in love with him soon after."
The Daystar falling in love with a human…? He must've been some man…
"We had a child after a year or two. His name was Luka. He too, rebelled against Ilias. This time, he won… but by then, I was already dead. Ilias gave me an illness that would kill any human within weeks… If I assumed my angelic form, I would've been saved. But I stood firm in my beliefs… My only regret was that I had to leave my only child behind."
Luka… I'm so sorry…
"My soul lingered in that world. I might've left him physically behind, but my soul was attached to him for years afterwards… Then, Black Alice came back, somehow. She sent him to this world, and I followed him here too…" Lucifina explained. "You can piece the rest together, I assume."
"So that's what happened… This Black Alice person must've had quite a lot of power to be able to do such a thing… Thank you, Lucifina. This information will certainly be useful…"
Lucifina did not appreciate Tamamo's tone. "If you lay a finger on my son again, I'll slice you into ribbons." Her aura flared. Suddenly, Tamamo remembered why she used to be terrified of the Daystar. She scurried to the back of the small cell. "Do you understand?"
Tamamo No Mae nodded quickly.
Lucifina's aura lessened. "Good." She started to walk away.
"W-Wait! Lucifina, I thought you said you'd break me out of here!"
"Hm? Oh, I suppose I did say something like that… Well, I don't see what I get out of it." Luficina said. "Besides, rotting away in here is a fitting punishment for you."
"Come back here!" Tamamo shouted, gripping the metal bars of her jail cell tightly. "Lucifina!"
The Daystar teleported away. There was still much more to see, much more to do… The world was her oyster, as the old human saying went. And she had spent enough time in her own head already.
Luka… my son… Thank you for sparing my life… But now I must see this world for myself… I don't know which Lucifina I am anymore… Which one do I want to be?
I'll find out eventually. I just need time…
Luka wiped the sweat from his brow. Hellgondo was just as hot as it had been in his world. The local volcanos could be blamed for the heat. Thankfully, it was winter, so it wasn't unbearable.
I remember summertime back in Hellgondo… Alice was warm too, so she had to wear that dress and…
The hero shook his head, trying to get rid of the lewd thoughts of his wife. Instead, he focused on his current mission: Storm the Monster Lord's Castle.
Such a task would not be easy, so the army he had amassed along the way would surely make it easier than it was last time. Back in his world, he had fought the castle's forces alone. Now, he had thousands of people willing to die for his victory.
It's an odd feeling… Still, they're committed to ending this war. I can't let them down, no matter what it takes! If Saja and her mother won't surrender, then we'll just have to get rid of them!
Rinoa walked up beside the hero. "I still can't believe they managed to take Remina that quick."
Luka nodded. "I know… Tamamo really does know what she's doing, doesn't she? Ilias too."
"With Remina under our control, Alipheese only has her castle to hide behind. We'll storm it with all our might. Then, this war will finally be over." Rinoa said wistfully. "Angels, humans and monsters all fighting together to take down Alipheese… It sounds like something right out of a fairy tale."
Luka sighed. "It's not the same as it was in our world, though. This isn't coexistence… It's more like a temporary truce to end the war. They'll see this as nothing more than forced coexistence at best."
Rinoa scrutinised the hero. She had never seen him be so negative before. "I guess… But in a few years, who knows? As long as we prevent any more fighting from breaking out, and if Ilias doesn't do anything out of line, coexistence should happen naturally."
Luka looked far off into the distance. His eyes were better than a normal human's, but even he could just barely make out the Monster Lord's Castle, way off in the distance. They still had a long way to go.
It'll probably be night by the time we get there, but we have no time to stop or rest. Alipheese could attack us while we sleep…
"I heard Tamamo tried to reason with Saja," Luka said.
"Yeah. Didn't work, unsurprisingly. She told her all about us and our world. Which means that Alipheese knows as well." Rinoa explained. "I don't know what she'll do with that information… Maybe it could be a good thing. We might be able to negotiate with her."
"Won't work… They're too proud. We'll have to beat them down first." Luka said coldly. "That's how it always goes, every single time."
Rinoa didn't like this side of Luka. "What's going on? You're acting… not like yourself."
Luka shook his head. "It's nothing, I'm fine."
The doppel didn't know what to say.
Maybe he's been separated from Alice for too long…? I hope she knows what to do with him…
Or… Is it because of what happened with his mother? Is it Gnome's death?
Is it everything?
A golden ball of fluff appeared beside them. Tamamo jumped out. "Luka! It's been a while! Oh, and Rinoa, you're here too!"
Rinoa was surprised. "What's up? Shouldn't you be back with Ilias, you know, leading the angel army?"
"Ah, she's not far. We've almost caught up with yous anyway." Tamamo drew her fan. "Besides, I don't think those angels like me much."
"I wonder why…" Rinoa snickered.
Well, I guess that's good news. If Ilias and her angels have almost arrived, then we'll be able to storm the castle tonight.
Getting here was tiring enough. Thankfully, we had enough monsters among our ranks to teleport us here… But still, we've been doing nothing but walking for ages now.
With the force we left at Vrimor, and the angels Ilias presumably left at Remina, both cities should be safely under our control while we attack Alipheese.
One goddess, an ancestor and the second Fateburn, plus whatever is left of her army, while we have the Hero Luka, me, armed with two seraphim-tier swords, Tamamo No Mae, The Goddess of Creation herself, all of heavens might and a few thousand humans on top of that… I think our victory is more or less assured in this.
Tamamo was troubled. Although she did not doubt they could win the fight, she was worried about the number of casualties along the way.
And I really don't want this war to end with Saja's death, or Alipheese's for that matter… If we try, I'm sure we can convince them to surrender. This war doesn't have to end with a battle to the death…
"Luka, what's the plan?" Tamamo asked. "Are we just going to barge in there?"
Luka shrugged. "If we can. But Alipheese has probably already seen us by now, and Saja has likely told her about us as well. She'll be waiting for us, that's for sure."
"I see… So we'll be forced to fight…" Tamamo sighed. "Luka… if we get the chance, you'll try to sue for peace, right?"
Luka didn't answer.
"Right?" Tamamo repeated.
The boy looked away. "I'll… try."
Tamamo smiled. "Thank you, Luka."
Saja bowed eloquently. "My lord, they are almost here."
Alihpeese's long hair shone like molten silver as she sat on her throne. "How many?"
"4,000 angels, at least. A few thousand humans, and around 200 monsters." Saja explained. "Vrimor and Remina have been taken over. Roughly 5,000 of our own troops escaped from those cities before they were taken. If we take in the forces we already had stationed here, we have upwards of 12,000 monsters ready to fight."
The Dark Goddess nodded. "Plus you, me and my daughter… But we are not only facing those soldiers, but their leaders as well. The Hero Luka, Tamamo No Mae from another world, a purple-haired girl with surprising strength, and Ilias herself…"
…This battle is hopeless.
Alipheese did not voice her thoughts.
"Tamamo from another world… I still find it hard to believe. But that structure out in the Sabasan desert proves it. It leads to a world completely different from our own… Have you figured out what might've happened to Minagi?"
"No," Saja said. "I explored Remina myself, but I could find no trace of her. None of the Lilith Sisters were there either. It seems Kanade's clone has disappeared as well."
"...Who could've done such a thing? We lost two ancestors and three powerful succubi… If they were here with us right now, we might stand a better chance in this battle."
Saja agreed. "My lord, I was thinking… Should we send your daughter away? I am sure there is somewhere safe for her, perhaps on an island far away, or we could make a pocket dimension for her to hide in."
Alipheese shook her head. "No. We Fateburns do not flee." The Dark Goddess rose from her throne. "Saja, do you have any idea why Ilias is fighting alongside the hero?"
"I have no idea, my lord. The Ilias I know would never stoop so low as to work with mortals… At least, not like this. Perhaps they did something to her… Or rather, did something for her… Anyway, since none of the three seraphs have been seen in the last few days, we can safely assume they have all been killed."
So the Daystar is dead too… I suppose that is some good news.
Alipheese slithered towards the door. "Saja, follow me. We will face our enemies ourselves."
Saja flew beside her mother. As Alipheese made her way through the castle, orders were shouted and passed along by all the servants of the castle. Hundreds of monsters started to follow them outside.
By the time they were done, thousands of monsters had lined up outside the castle. Harpies, Succubi, Dragons, Tanuki, Kitsunes, et cetera. Each one was ready to die for their lord. Alipheese approached them.
"My children… Ilias and her slaves have taken our cities, killed our sisters, destroyed our homes, and now she marches towards our final bastion. I will not lie to you. The chances of us winning this battle are slim. But I, for the first time since the start of this war, will fight alongside you. I will die if it means Ilias will not win!"
The monsters began to cheer. Out of the corner of Saja's eyes, she could see a few monsters start to flee. She could not blame them. Alipheese was never great at speeches.
Her daughter is much better… Speaking of.
The Second Fateburn slithered beside Saja with a weary look on her. "Saja."
"Alice," Saja replied. She used her wings to pull the lamia closer. "I assume you know what is going on."
Alice nodded. "Good. A leader should always be well informed." Saja said. "And that is what you are, child. As a Fateburn, you will lead all of monster kind after our demise."
"You mean…? No…"
"Your mother doesn't agree with me, but I know the truth. This battle is hopeless. Alice, listen to me. When you find the chance, flee. Flee with as many fellow monsters as you can. You are our last hope against these damn angels."
"They'll find me… I know they will." Alipheese looked close to tears. "And they're going to kill all of you! I can't just leave yous behind."
"Hmph, sentimentality will get you killed, child. If you stay here, hope will die out completely. Even with you fighting with us, we don't have enough power to win this battle." Saja brought her face close to Alice's. She used one of her wings to point at the approaching army.
"You see those flying white figures? Those angels want to kill us, all of us, simply because we are monsters. They want to butcher our kind like animals… But you won't let them. They won't get us all, that's for sure." Saja smiled. "Alice, I know this is a lot of pressure, but you are our last hope."
"I… understand," Alice said meekly.
I'm sorry, Alice. But there is no other way to guarantee the continued survival of our race.
Alipheese returned to them after finishing her speech. "Saja. Daughter."
"How much time do we have left?" Saja wondered aloud. "They're not far now… a few minutes maybe."
"Then we better get ready to fight," Alipheese said. "Saja. You will lead our army while I battle Ilias… With you leading our forces, we might be able to do something. Watch out for the Hero and Tamamo No Mae."
Saja nodded as she flew up into the air. She landed before her troops. "Be ready to fight." She said. "They're not far now…"
Luka gripped Angel Halo's disfigured hilt as he swung down upon Saja's left wing. He couldn't afford to hesitate.
The winged Lamia did not stand idly by as the attack came. She used her long tail to force the boy away, sending him flying backwards. Using the Wind's power, Luka counteracted the movement, using the momentum to attack Saja once more.
"Feel the Monster Lord's wrath!"
Beams of darkness pierced Luka's side. The wound quickly welled up with blood and spilled out through his shirt.
"Be judged!" Luka shouted as he used one of his newly learned skills. Ilias had quite the headache after teaching him that one, but it seemed worth it, as Alipheese the Second was immediately grounded by the bolt of lighting.
The hero seized the opportunity, lighting his sword aflame as he swung at Saja over and over. Summoning Gnomaren and Undine, he began to use all four spirits at once. Such power proved too much for Saja, who was forced to retreat. Dozens of her subordinates ran at the hero, eager to protect their lord, but it was futile. With a speed few mortals could hope to achieve, Luka charged towards the ancestor.
"You're quick, I'll give you that," Saja muttered. She harnessed the power of darkness, channelling it throughout her entire body. When she could hold it no longer, she released it all to the young boy. It only took Luka a single swing of Angel Halo to deflect the attack, sending it flying towards Alipheese the Second.
Alice! No, I didn't mean to—
Angel Halo sank deep into Saja's abdomen. Luka pulled the sword out quickly, using its sharp edge to slice at the ancestor's exposed neck. A hastily made barrier was the only thing that stopped it from ending Saja's life.
Using her wings, Saja flew back, giving her some time to think.
This is bad, he's even stronger than I thought. Damn it… We don't stand a chance.
Alice needs to escape. I won't let this bastard hurt her too.
Alice, it's time. Go, take a few others with you and flee. I'll distract them.
What!? No, I can't! You'll die!
We have no choice. Go! Now!
Saja concentrated her dark magic into a single attack, sending many rays of darkness at the hero. Luka quickly countered, slicing through them like a knife through butter. His advance would not be halted.
Alice hesitated. She could not bring herself to leave Saja. That was her mistake. A wave of flames reached her. They were blue, and hotter than any fire had the right to be. Alice quickly formed a barrier to defend herself, but the damage was already done.
"Wha—Tamamo!? What are you doing here!?"
Tamamo No Mae was not smiling. "Alipheese the Second… I was wondering if you would be here or not. I thought Saja would've hidden you in some cave somewhere. She always did have an odd affection for you… I suppose another hostage couldn't hurt."
Alice backed up. Clearly, this Tamamo was not the one she knew. "What happened to you, Tamamo? Why the hell are you fighting on the hero's side?"
"Ah, so you've been left in the dark. Nobody trusted you enough to tell you anything… Or perhaps they never found the time. Doesn't matter. Don't resist, Alice. Surrender now, and I won't hurt you."
Damn it, Saja was right. I should've flown away when I had the chance.
"You- You traitor!" Alice shouted. Using her mother's magic, she summoned waves of darkness and released all of it towards Tamamo No Mae. The kitsune simply absorbed the attack with her many tails.
"A traitor… I suppose that accusation is fair." Tamamo muttered. "But I can assure you, Alipheese the Second. I only fight against you out of necessity. If there were another way to end this war, I would've found it."
But, as always, violence is the only way to really get anything done.
Alice looked unconvinced. Tamamo expected as much. It was mid-day, not an ideal time for Tamamo's moon-based powers, but she was still fairly confident she could beat Alice. The second was strong, but she paled in comparison to her mother, or any of her aunts, for that matter.
Tamamo unleashed a barrage of blue flames at the young Monster Lord, channelling vast amounts of ancient power. Just before releasing the attack, Tamamo's eyes lit up with recognition for a brief moment. The young monster resembled Alipheese Fateburn the Sixteenth when she was younger, albeit with a slightly more primal appearance. Her attack was subconsciously weakened as a result.
Alipheese the Second felt searing pain as the flames reached her. She sent her own magic attacks at the ancestor, but they had little effect. Tamamo's fan deflected each one as she approached. She grabbed Alice with her tails, constricting her.
"Apologies, my lord… But we have no other choice."
With a mere wave of Tamamo's fan and a flash of her eyes, Alice began to feel very tired. Unable to keep herself awake, the Monster Lord fell into the depths of the subconscious. Tamamo sighed as she carried the lamia back a safe distance from the main battle.
When you factor in numbers and individual strength, Alipheese's army should stand little chance. But they are resisting surprisingly well…
Haah… I truly wish there were another way. So many monsters have died to end this war. Alipheese better agree to a truce. We do have her daughter as a hostage, two daughters now, actually. She would be insane to not give up now.
But then again, I never really understood how Alice thought. I may have been her servant for centuries, but even I cannot claim to have truly known her.
Tamamo's gradually shrunk as she changed her form. She did not want to be in her unsealed form for a second longer than necessary. She looked at the Monster Lord in her arms. Alice was not a child by any means, but she was far from mature.
What will I say to her when she wakes up? She's still young, perhaps there is a way to convince her that peace is the best thing for everyone… She has already seen the atrocities of war now, after all.
But is that enough? She is heavily influenced by her mother, and if she doesn't have her heart in this peace, then there is little chance the second will believe in it either. I have to convince the first that this is for the best… somehow.
Maybe that kind of thing is best left up to Luka? He did somehow convince Erubetie to be a decent person… but this could be beyond him. Especially with how he's been acting recently. Has the stress of this world gotten to him? Is it something to do with Lucifina?
Agh, I'll figure it out later. For now, we have to end this battle and get the first to agree to a truce.
Notes
Apologies for the lateness. I offer no excuse.
The story is drawing closer to the end, but there is still a fair bit left to go. I'll do my best to keep the update schedule more consistent from here on.