Ilias was surprised. Even though she was destroying the race she hated most—monsters—she was not happy. She would've normally taken great pleasure in the act, but now she almost felt bad for those she was killing. She tried to convince herself that these monsters were the worst of the worst, those who only wanted to enslave and rape humanity and her very own angels, but even still, the feeling lingered.
Ilias noticed something in the distance. A purple blur approached rapidly. It was Alipheese the First. She was far larger than any of the other Monster Lords—Even the Fifteenth. Of all the monsters Ilias had the displeasure of meeting in her lifetime, Alipheese the First was the most monstrous of all of them. She shared almost nothing in common with humans, besides her face. Everything else resembled that of a primal beast or an odd amalgamation of different animals.
The Goddess of Monsters was far faster than anything her size had the right to be. Ilias, going against every instinct in her body, chose not to attack the monster on sight. Instead, she let Alipheese approach.
She would never be so foolish as to attack me head-on like this. No… She must want to talk.
Ilias watched as Alipheese flew towards her. She got a good look at the Goddess of Monsters and Darkness. She had purple skin, much like her daughters, shining silver hair which reached halfway down her massive tail, and two huge horns which sprouted off of her head and arched forward into a vaguely crown-like shape.
"Ilias." The monster said, slowing to a stop in front of the goddess.
"Alipheese."
"Hmph… To think the Great Ilias would work with a mere human… How did you get him on your side, I wonder? Did you perhaps… offer yourself to him?" Alipheese wondered, using a tone that Ilais didn't appreciate.
"I didn't do what you're insinuating. I don't whore myself out like you and your children do. Did you come here just to insult me?" Ilias asked, surprising herself with her ability to stay calm, even after the disrespect she was shown.
The Goddess of Darkness shook her head. "No. I'm here to protect my children. With any luck, I'll be able to end this war in a single day. And I need to do is kill you and that boy now, right? You have no daughters left."
Ilias was furious. Alipheese had that small, smug smile she would always don when she had the upper hand. Still, Ilias forced herself to remain calm.
"Your childish attempts to anger me are pointless, Alipheese. Just like this battle. You have no chance of winning, it's hopeless!"
"Hopeless? Far from it. In fact, if I can take you down here and now, then I'll be able to turn the tides of this war. I'll end the war in a single battle, and finally liberate the humans you continue to oppress."
"Oppress? Me? You're the one who rapes and kills them!" Ilias shouted back. "Ever since the start of this war, I've done nothing but protect and save humans from you and your monsters!"
"Protect and save… What a joke. The only thing you 'protect and save' are your mindless puppets. I tire of this discussion. Let us do battle."
Ilias was fine with that. More than fine, even. Ever since she had gotten her power back, she had wanted to do nothing more than use it. All of it. Now she finally had an opponent who could take it.
But I should try to hold back a bit at least. Otherwise, this whole continent could be destroyed in the fighting. I shouldn't go too easy on her either though. Alipheese is just as strong as I am, my equal…
Or at least, she was my equal. I've been in a lot more fights than her, though. I am a thousand years older than her, after all…
Rinoa was surprisingly adept when it came to dual-wielding. She was likely the first person ever to dual-wield such powerful weapons. Both were previously used by Seraphim to slay thousands of monsters, and the Doppel could see the proof of that with every swing. They were lighter than any earthly metal, but somehow still far stronger. Clearly, they had been reinforced with powerful holy magic, likely by the very seraphs who owned the weapons.
But their true power came out when Rinoa used the unique spells associated with the swords. Daystar, in particular, was able to do massive damage once combined with Lucifina's sword. Rinoa didn't even have to worry about holy corrosion anymore, thanks to Ilias. If it ever started to spread, Ilias could just get rid of it. The same could be said for Luka.
Now, we can both fight at full strength. There's nothing holding us back!
The Doppel sliced through the attacking monsters, making quick work of her fearsome opponents. Once again, she was leading a large segment of the army. The closer she got to the Monster Lord's Castle, the fiercer the resistance became. Still, they would reach its gates soon enough. Then, the war would finally be over.
Lightning crackled. Thunder set in. Explosions of a huge magnitude started to rock the ground as Rinoa lost her footing. Up a few miles above her, the two goddesses fought. A clash of light and dark that few could bear to look at for longer than a few seconds. Rinoa struggled back to her feet. She ran towards cover, hiding from the stray bolts of magic raining down from the sky.
She watched as waves of both darkness and light struck the ground, killing humans and monsters alike. Dozens were killed in mere moments, but Rinoa could do nothing but watch.
Think, think! Maybe, if I run out there, I can redirect a few of the spells… The magic is strong, but it's not very concentrated. These stray spells should be simple enough to deflect.
Rinoa ran out of her cover, using her swords to stop any of the magic heading her way. She stopped in front of her fellow soldiers. Most had either gotten to cover or died. Still, there were some still left who were attempting to hide under their shields or crawl to a nearby rock to hide under. Rinoa cast a barrier of darkness—Such was the power of a monster. Then, she cast one of light over it. By having both protect the area, she could stop any spell dead in its tracks.
And any that break through I'll just have to deflect. I might even be able to send them at the castle…
Speaking of… The castle is already taking a lot of damage from this battle. That tower looks like it's about to crumble.
Damn it, I need to focus! I have to protect these people! This magic is stronger than I thought… Those two really are goddesses. If they are this strong… I can't imagine how powerful Black Alice must be.
Rinoa swung her sword, deflecting yet another ominous bolt of dark magic. The frequency and intensity of the spells showed a worryingly rapid escalation. The battle in the skies was ramping up quickly.
Luka, wherever you are, you have to stop this! Before they destroy everything!
"Hmph. Just give up already, would you?"
Another volley of attacks headed towards Luka, who quickly deflected them all. Saja's attacks had been nothing but an annoyance for the hero.
With all four spirits, my power is almost boundless. More than that, I don't have to hold back anymore. Holy corrosion is no longer a threat to me.
Luka didn't hesitate anymore. He leapt at Saja, swinging at her again and again until he broke through her defences. The ancestor flew backwards, giving herself some breathing room. Sylph's power was too fast for her, however, and Luka quickly caught up.
Angel Halo sliced into Saja's arm. The ancestor screamed in pain. She unleashed an explosion of dark magic around her, forcing the boy to back up. She quickly healed the bone-deep cut with her magic.
Fast and strong. But… He's overly aggressive. If I can draw him in and catch him while he's off guard…
The hero watched as Saja dropped her guard ever so slightly. He must've hurt her more than he thought. Once more, he used Sylph's power to propel him towards the ancestor in a flash.
Before Saja could spring her trap, golden tails wrapped around her head, wings and tail. The ancestor struggled against her binds, but she was too slow. Luka didn't waste his chance. Angel Halo pierced Saja's stomach.
The ancestor screamed in pain. Before she could counter-attack and retreat, Tamamo wrapped one tail tightly around her sister's neck. With her blood supply cut off, Saja slowly started to fall unconscious. Luka barely stopped himself from attacking her again. Tamamo released the ancestor, letting her drop onto the floor. She quickly healed the wound in her stomach.
She'll live. Now then, it's just Alipheese left…
Luka sighed as he placed Angel Halo back into its sheathe.
Now we have, what, two hostages? If Tamamo managed to incapacitate Alipheese the Second, then we might even have three of them. With that many, and with all three of them being Alice's daughters, we should be able to force her to surrender.
Speaking of, I'm sure I saw Alipheese earlier… Just where did she disappear off to?
Luka sensed around for the monster, but Alice did not reveal herself. He was far better at detecting angels than monsters. Thankfully, he'd almost always have a companion who could make up for that weakness, like Tamamo.
"Tamamo, can you sense the First any—"
Suddenly, the ground started to shake violently. Luka's reflexes allowed him to stab Angel Halo into the ground, giving him something to lean on for support. The shocks were reminiscent of the earthquakes that came after Gnome's death. Luka used the same spirit's successor to steady himself.
What the hell? The ground here is solid rock! What could be causing this?
Luka looked around. The cause of the miniature earthquakes soon revealed itself. Far above him, in the clouds few could reach, Alipheese and Ilias were fighting. For now, at least, it looked to be a stalemate.
"Luka!" Tamamo shouted. Saja was wrapped up in her tails. "I'm going to go protect our forces—Go help Ilias!"
Luka nodded, barely even able to hear Tamamo over all the chaos unfolding around him. He looked up at the sky.
I have to go up there and help Ilias!
B-But how? I can't fly…
The hero watched as the monsters, humans and angels around him ran to cover. Surprisingly, some of them shared the safe havens, seemingly not noticing each other. For a moment at least, all eyes were on the battle raging in the skies.
"Luka!"
Huh? Was that… Oh right, Sylph! She's trying to talk to me!
"Luka, use the wind! Remember what Ilias told you. If you combine it with your holy power, you should be able to fly!" Sylph pointed out.
T-That's right! Ilias said something like that before…
I've never really tried it before, but that doesn't matter now. I have to get up there and stop this battle.
And… maybe I can take the opportunity to end this war once and for all. If Ilias and I fight Alipheese two-on-one directly… It should be over pretty quickly.
—! What am I thinking? This war won't end if we kill Alipheese! Monsters would never forgive us for it. And besides, what would've been the point of us getting all those hostages?
Luka braced himself. He took a deep breath. His body, however, refused to calm down. His senses were warning him of the nearby monsters and angels, and all the other dangers present on the battlefield.
It'll be harder to pull off the spell with my body like this… But I have no choice. I'll just have to do it!
The hero allowed his mother's power to flow through him once more. Light started to emanate from his back, eventually forming into a single wing. He used some of the skills Ilias taught him to form a second holy wing, completing the set. Then, using Sylph's power to assist him, he attempted to take flight.
His attempts proved unsuccessful. He could achieve lift for a few moments, but he would eventually glide back down. All the while, gusts of wind from the explosions above him only made things more difficult.
Maybe… If I jump off somewhere high up, like a bird would, I might be able to do it… Either way, even if it doesn't work, I might be able to teleport back onto safe ground.
…Or I could just teleport into the sky… But I haven't really got the hang of that spell yet. I could accidentally teleport into one of Alipheese or Ilias's attacks… Yeah, I'd rather not take the chance.
Luka ran to the edge of the battlefield. There were many high rocks here and there, formed from the many explosions caused by the nearby fighting, but none would give him the time he needed to fly.
I could just ask one of the angels here to bring me up higher… Though I doubt they'd do it. I don't think they like me much… In fact, the only thing that's keeping them from slitting my throat while I sleep is Ilias. And after all I've done to help them…
Eventually, Luka found the edge of the now barren field. The battle had only been raging for an hour or two now, but the once fairly lush grass field was already dead and marred by flames.
Look at all this destruction... All the people killed here today, all that death... It's all due to Alipheese refusing to surrender...
The drop-off was steep. Perfect for jumping. Luka backed up and prepared to run off. His instincts told him how dangerous this was, but he knew that even if he messed it up, he would be okay… probably.
This would be a really dumb way to die…
C'mon, Luka. Just do it already! Everyone is counting on you!
The hero sprinted forward, charging off the cliff's edge. As soon as gravity took effect, he started using Sylph's power to push him upwards. It succeeded in slowing his fall greatly, but that wasn't enough. He used even more of her power, combining it with his now larger and more prominent holy wings. Eventually, he began to go upwards instead of down.
I-I did it!
Flying was quite the experience. Luka quickly got the hang of it. Sylph's power allowed him to change the currents of air around him, so he could fly as fast or slow as he wanted. His wings caught that wind and let him move around. Using both of these powers in tandem, he flew towards the battle in the clouds.
This strength—I've never fought someone even close to this level of power before… It's absurd. She truly is my equal…
Alipheese used every ounce of power she had to keep Ilias at bay. Darkness and Light were two sides of the same coin. One could never surpass the other. Still, even if the battle was pointless, Alice's pride would not let her surrender.
If Saja gets the chance, perhaps she could back me up here.
The Goddess of Darkness unleashed a torrent of darkness at Ilias. She was pushed back, but not for long. A dazzling display of holy magic cut through Alipheese's defences, but not enough to seriously wound her.
"You should just surrender already, Alipheese," Ilias said. "You'll never be able to beat me."
"Perhaps," Alice replied. "But you won't beat me, either. This battle will go on forever and ever, or at least until you give up."
"I pity your children. To have a mother with such a dull mind… Have you already forgotten that I have more allies than you? For example, the Hero Luka."
Alipheese knew that. But why was Ilias bringing it up now…?
Luka appeared out nowhere, dashing towards Alipheese, aiming for her neck. However, he put too much power in and missed. He hadn't quite the grasp of flying yet. Trying to balance the amount of power he puts into it, while also making sure to be fast enough to actually hit his target… It was not something he had much skill at.
"Hmm, not too bad for a first-time flyer," Ilias commented. "Your form could use some work but… I suppose it will do for now."
That was the first time Ilias had actually praised the hero. Still, Luka took no notice of it. Right now, there was only one thing on his mind: Taking down Alipheese.
And lucky for him, Alipheese was a big target. Faster than he expected, sure, but her sheer size made up for it. The Hero dodged any attack sent his way, while Ilias used her own magic to try to take down the Goddess of Darkness.
Salamander, Sylph, Gnomaren, Undine…! Give me your power!
All four elements assisted the Hero. Flames erupted from his blade, Water calmed his mind, Wind kept him in the air, and Earth kept him safe and steady. He unleashed every vestige of power he had. With the support from Ilias, Alipheese was quickly overwhelmed.
Saja! Alice! Come here and help me take down these two!
But Alipheese's desperate plea for help was pointless. She had no way of knowing both of them had already been captured. Ilias and Luka kept up the pressure, forcing Alipheese to retreat further and further back.
These two aren't trying to kill me… Or at least, Ilias isn't. I don't know about the boy… Anyway, I think they're trying to push me away from the castle… Why?
Ahh… I see. It's so our fighting won't affect the soldiers down below. With Ilias, myself and the boy far away, the battle below will be sure to end in their victory. Then they can take my castle and proclaim victory…
So what should I do? Do I keep trying to fight them, when the odds are so clearly not in my favour, or do I do the unthinkable and surrender…
No. Saja is likely still out there. Perhaps… Perhaps Minagi, or one of her daughters, will find a way back to us, and they can help us win this battle…
No… That's impossible. They've been missing for a long time now. If they had the power to come back to me, they would've by now… I think.
Alipheese was distracted by her own thoughts. Luka did not waste the opportunity.
For all the destruction you've caused, for all those you've killed... I'll end this war here and now, Alipheese!
"My aunt is the Sword of Heaven, the first angel…"
Angel Halo rose high above Luka's head.
"Now, fall before my sacred blade!"
An arc of light crashed into Alipheese. She was sent hurtling towards the surface. Before she could react, Luka attacked once more.
"Ilias, attack me!" The hero shouted.
"Huh? What do you—"
"Just do it!"
Ilias shrugged. She sent a small lightning spell towards the boy. Just before it hit, Luka's body began to glow.
"...My mother is the Star of Morning, the Child of Dawn." Luka calmly muttered. "The star thrown to Earth shall obtain victory!"
A comet of light appeared from Angel Halo's edge. Combined with Undine's water and Salamander's flames, it slammed into Alipheese, dealing a massive amount of damage.
The Goddess of Darkness could not stop her rapid descent. The hero had done something unexpected. Instead of trying to lead her away, he chose to take her down here and now. This, of course, put the lives around them at risk, but he didn't seem to mind.
Ilias flew next to him. "Luka, what are you doing!?" She asked. "We need to get her out of here!"
Luka didn't respond. He swung Angel Halo again and again. Alipheese had recovered enough strength to fight back, but that was only thanks to Ilias's brief hesitation.
What the hell is he doing? Even if we manage to incapacitate her, the damage from the fighting could kill most of, if not all of our army! Thousands would die!
"Luka, calm down!"
Still, the hero didn't stop. His attacks only came faster and stronger. Ilias sighed. If she couldn't stop him, she could at least try to minimise the damage to those around them.
"Wait," Alipheese said. She backed up from Luka, who was still attacking her. Ilias turned.
"What is it?"
Ilias just barely managed to stop herself from smiling. "I see. How… unfortunate."
Alipheese sighed. "And it seems as though my children have either given up, or they are too scared to fight anymore. Our battle must've made this area quite dangerous… And yet, in the distance, I can still see some of your angels, slaughtering my children…"
Luka waited next to Alipheese. He was ready to attack her the moment she tried something, but for now, he would hold himself back. She wanted to talk, and he had to let her. Though, to be honest, he thought of a few other ways of ending the war, and none of them nessecary needed Alipheese Alice for them to work...
No, I can't think like that. We must make peace… even with scum like her. Otherwise, the peace won't last.
Ilias looked at the hero strangely. He looked so angry… It reminded her of how he looked when she fought him the first time, back in Heaven.
He had good reason to be angry… but what did Alipheese do to infuriate him so much? Sure, she's not exactly a great person, but she didn't start the war…
Agh, whatever. Maybe he's just starting puberty really late or something… Well, whatever it is, I'm sure either Tamamo or Alice will deal with it.
Alipheese glared at the hero for a moment before turning back to Ilias. "As I was saying… There is no point in this battle continuing. You suggested that I should surrender earlier… I assume that means you have terms?"
Am I truly about to surrender? To give in to her?
…But, Saja was right. Ilias is acting… oddly. If she was the Ilias I know—If she were looking at me with that smug, superior smile, then I might not surrender… But instead, she doesn't seem amused by the situation at all…
"Yes. They are still on the table." Ilias said. "But, you must give up right now. Tell your army to lay down their weapons and surrender. Remember, we have three of your children hostage. Tamamo No Mae, Saja and Alipheese the Second."
A small smile reached Luka's face as he tuned Ilias and Alipheese out. In the distance, he could see Rinoa and Tamamo walking towards them. Neither of them looked particularly hurt—Something Luka was happy to see.
"Reinforcements…" Alipheese sighed. This situation was truly hopeless now. She was outnumbered and outsmarted.
Three of my daughters taken hostage, my army more or less defeated, and I've managed to get myself encircled… Such blunders are unlike me.
"I… surrender." Alipheese finally said. She expected Ilias to laugh a little or at least smile, but Ilias did no such thing. Instead, she continued to look at the young man beside her. Her eyes were full of worry. For a moment, she didn't seem to hear Alipheese.
"We accept your surrender," Ilias said, looking back at Alipheese. "Come, we will discuss the terms in the castle."
Notes
After 46 chapters, the Great Monster Wars have finally come to an end. Still, there are many more problems for Luka to solve. Coexistence, Black Alice, Returning Home. Needless to say, the fic won't be done just yet.