"Phew, good job everyone! We won!"
After Ranael had been dealt with, the enemy's chain of command shattered. Thanks to their new army of high-level slime girls, the leaders of the Jiggly Pirates successfully fended off the angels and rescued the people of Iliasville.
"Thank you so much girls, please forgive us for always being mean to you!"
"Yeah! No more heroes will come from this place to hurt you anymore!"
"Here little lady, how about I cook some nice veggies for you."
"Yayyy veggies~"
Scenes like these happened everywhere, with the random pervert here and there wanting to reward their jiggly neighbors in a more direct way, bringing a smile to Lime's face.
"Hmm, the people finally like us." Lime said with a smile.
"In wanting to destroy everyone, Ilias unwittingly united the people of this land, human and monster alike, to survive together. Her own actions made coexistence possible." Roman commented.
"Still, she's a meanie and must pay for my sister's suffering!"
At that moment a tide of green appeared to the west, a large white spot to the south, and a golden bird coming from the skies.
"Auntie Betty! I'm back!"
Not waiting for Galda to land, a very stressed Luka jumped from high in the sky. Alice screamed at him and only expected the worst—he had never taken a dive from such a high place before, except for those times he was using Demon Skull Beheading, which he wasn't at this moment.
"I'm on it!" Erubetie was the quickest to react when seeing the little purple dot dropping like a rock.
"Whoa, Erubetie!? And Roman and Lime?! How did you get here so fast?" Luka tried to get out of his slime cushion but Erubetie wouldn't let him.
Roman wanted to say he had a prior relationship with Promestein, but knowing Luka's mental state at this moment in the story, he chose to not be destroyed by the Hero.
"Erubetie can teleport, she said she visited the spring of Iliasville long ago and brought us here to save her sisters."
"Thank you, Miss. Erubetie~" The slime girl army cheered. Erubetie had a strange look towards Roman but didn't correct him. Hime giggled to the side and Lime puffed her chest with pride.
Galda finally descended and with the now tiny Monster Lord dismounted, she did her classical pose and praised her subordinate for a job well done.
"Elves of Enrika, surround the perimeter and make sure none of those strange monsters get inside!"
The booming voice filled with authority came next as Micaela's personal army finally reached Iliasville, she expected the worst seeing so many monsters on her path, but when she noticed they were normal slime girls she took a breath of relief.
"It's been a long time, Micaela. We have many things to discuss now." Roman greeted the disguised Seraph and she nodded.
"Yes, but not here, we firstly must bring the people back to Enrika, my village has enough wards and traps to sustain a siege." Micaela gave a side glance to Luka and the Monster Lord before continuing.
"And you both deserve to know the truth of everything now."
As the group began grouping the refugees up and their valuables for the travel, a new wave of chimeras far greater than before teleported in surrounding them.
"This is getting ridiculous! Promestein, how many did you kill to build this army?!"
Roman knew his colleague was amongst the worst villains by bodycount alone, but the games really didn't do her justice when it came to her many crimes. If not for the fact she was the only person in this world who could make his serums, and the Anti-Ilias cannon, he would've fed the woman to Erubetie the first time they met.
"It's a battle of attrition now! Don't let them come close to any of the refugees. Attack!"
It was chaos, even with Micaela's personal army of trained elves and fallen angels, the Jiggly Pirate's leaders, Luka and Alice, and an entire spring worthy of slimegirls power leveled by Lime earlier this day. The sheer numbers of enemies with blatant disregard for their lives attacking the group forced on a defense position was taking their toll.
"Awawa! stay close to us, or you'll risk friendly fire!"
After punching a hole into another chimera, Roman pulled the friendly chimera back, when he saw her slither towards the battlefield wanting to help her new friends. Moments after he did that, a blast of fire obliterated the area where Awawa would've been.
"Hm, so she's part of your group, sorry" Alice commented before jumping at the fray with a rapier she prepared before battling with Luka at the castle.
(Better avoid using my big moves when there's so many helpers here). Alice berated herself, being so used to being alone with Luka, group battles were admittedly not her strongest point.
Bzzt! Crackle!
A stream of lightning crisscrossed the chimeric army, cooking alive anything it hit. Cries were heard from afar as the white giant finally was close enough to the battlefield.
"Go my big girlie, I want those monsters very well done!" Cervantes cheered on top of his larger companion's head, his appearance looking spikier than King Sabasa from being so close to all the static of her horn.
"Go Horn! We can see our leaders in the middle of it!" The other less suicidal members held on her hair.
"Waaaaaa!" And Rami, who fell from the relative safety of the Narwhal upper body, was holding for life on her back fins.
"At last the Jiggly Pirates are reunited once again" Roman smiled to himself before patting Awawa on her head.
"Stay here Awawa, we're going to end this."
Faster than the eye could see, Roman flashed red across the battlefield draining every chimera he could bite, his bloodlust at the highest, he would offer prayers for the fallen later. Hime, noticing this, followed his steps and made it into a challenge, becoming a whirl of death, her maniacal laughter bringing fear to the heart of her foes. The slime girls proceeded to eat the fallen chimeras to not let their bodies pollute the land, Erubetie doing most of the eating, not wanting her sisters to lose their innocence by eating corpses, or becoming ill with whatever Promestein put inside these creatures.
"This is too horrible urk-" Luka had to swallow his vomit, never he was in a situation like this, his adventure with Alice never had him see his enemies suffer like they were now, his hand clenched hard on the hilt of Angel Halo. If only he still had the spirits, the boy thought.
slap
Alice brought his mind back to reality and stared at him with a frown before softening up and hugging him. The explosions of magic, screams of pain, and splatters of blood fading away as the tiny Monster Lord did her best to comfort him.
"Luka… Let's finish this ok? You see, every chimera you sealed was spared from this violence, did you see their smiles as you saved them from their pain? You can cry as much as you want later, now go be a hero and save as many lives as you can."
Alice released Luka who now was motivated to stop this more than ever.
Rend! Jumping with a spin, the hero decapitated ten chimeras instantly sealing them.
"Go, please!"
thump thump
Thrust! Faster than an arrow the hero pierced through a line of roids, leaving a trail of rising dirt in his wake
"Faster!"
Crash! The hero jumped off Galda, and the impact of his weapon left a crater sealing a dozen more.
"More power!"
thump thump
Swish swish swish swish! In the blink of an eye, the hero ribboned innumerable enemies with four slashes of his sword. Luka had to swipe off the sweat already covering his eyes from the sheer exertion of chaining so many demonic sword skills together but even with the growing pain in his chest he refused to stop.
thump thump
"It's not enough!"
With the accumulation of stress, anger and pain for the loss of life happening all around him, even after Alice's moral boost and feeling empty since his loss of the spirits, Luka could only scream at his inability to save people. No one noticed the changes to his body in the midst of the chaos.
thump thump! shatter!
An oppressive aura manifested in the battlefield, Alice looked at Luka with shock, and Micaela had a worried glint in her eyes.
His keepsake ring exploded into golden motes, a large wing of light flared off Luka's back, and one of his eyes shone brightly with holy flames.
"All life returns from whence it came!"
Luka's voice was distorted as he shone brightly in the battlefield, motes of light being absorbed in his body making him brighter than the sun before releasing the accumulated power in a spiral of destruction all around him!
"Heavenly Demon Revival!"
The cycle of death and rebirth was upturned by the spin of power, strong winds buffeted everyone in the area immediate to the explosion, sealing every remaining monster of Promestein's army. Roman and Hime escaped only by the tiniest margins thanks to their senses, which alarmed them at the last moment, taking them out of their bloodlust.
Everyone's gazes were now upon the boy, the refugees of Iliasville were paralyzed, the slime girls trembled remembering the angel who attacked them earlier and finding Luka far scarier than she ever was. Micaela and Alice both had an indecipherable expression. Lime looked with awe and gave the boy a thumbs up. Erubetie stood ready for battle in case he was possessed and would turn on them next. And finally Cervantes, who together with his crew finally reached the village, couldn't look more proud, praising the strength of his son in law.
"Huff huff, there… Now there's no need for any more violence" Luka's gaze swiped the battlefield as if asking anyone wanted to try him.
"Great job hero Luka! No, there won't be any more battles for now, I hope." Roman laughed, his worries about Luka not waking up his angel heritage after they dealt with Ranael abated. While Hime smiled at the boy with a hungry gaze wanting to test his mettle, as she whipped the blood off her blades.
"Let's clean up and then bring the refugees to Enrika."
"Sorry about what happened back there Luka, considering your ideals it must've been hard for you." Roman helped with the cleanup of the battlefield now that it was finally over.
"Couldn't we have found a different way…?"
"Well, Luka sometimes life just goes like this, their numbers were too big and most had no emotions to speak of, coming at us even after being disabled. I'm trying to rationalize that we gave mercy to those who died, it's how I'm coping at least."
"It just feels so wrong…"
"Hmm, the Jiggly Pirates weren't supposed to kill you know, we deliver horrible physical violence and call if befriending, but right after we usually heal up our opponents and either recruit them to the crew or send them their way… If only there were more Angel Haloes…"
Luka once again was reminded that Angel Halo was his crutch, and battles for survival usually ended with one person less in the world.
"Boy, you did good, don't let things outside your control weigh you down, those are not your sins to bear." Cervantes came to his son in law and slapped him in the back, understanding of Luka's grief but also annoyed at how the boy was acting.
"You came here to save the people you care for didn't you?" Luka nodded.
"You could've stopped in every town on your way here to try and help the people being attacked, but you didn't do it did you?" Luka held the Angel Halo even tighter.
"No, don't begin blaming yourself, it's fine to be selfish if those you care about are in danger, you did the right thing" Cervantes took a gulp of his canteen.
"Battles like that must be occurring all around the world right now, you are but one person and even with the big feathery girlie over there helping you, you couldn't ever stop all loss of life occurring, so do what you can and focus on the leaders if you want to save those who will remain by the end of this."
"Also you promised to keep my daughter safe, you don't want to see me angry if you fail your promise with me, half angel or not, protection of the spirits of not, I will beat you into a pulp if you do so, you hear me Luka?" Cervantes had that feral grin that told Luka he wasn't a man to be crossed, finally putting his mind off his self pity.
"Good, now that we had this peptalk, the green garbed lady over there wanted to talk with you" Cervantes pointed towards Micaela who was speaking with Alice. "So don't keep her waiting, my adorable daughter is already with her.
"Micaela" Luka approached the mysterious woman who was discussing something with Alice.
"Hm so that's their plan, ingenious to say the least." Micaela muttered before turning to the Hero
"I hope you're feeling better now Luka, the conditions weren't favorable to a fair battle, but not every time you'll see a battlefield without loss." Micaela's tone felt uncaring, Luka took a deep breath to calm down.
"Yeah"
"Good, we've finished making the teleportation spell to move everyone into Enrika, those chimeras you sealed will also stay under our surveillance as per Alice's request, also the slime girls."
Micaela rubbed her temples, thinking about the costs to keep the village afloat when even more refugees would appear in the future.
"The village will be bustling with life until all of this ends, either with your victory or our loss."
As Micaela listed the many things they had prepared to deal with such a scenario. Her people together with Iliasville's folk, slime girls and sealed chimeras disappeared in flashes of light.
"But now for answers I feel you deserved since the first time we've met" Micaela looked at the hand where Lucifina's keepsake used to be. "I tire of keeping secrets."
"Luka, your mother Lucifina was one of the first creations of Ilias together with me, the power you used earlier is proof of your angelic heritage."
Luka who used to think he was alone in the world had to hold back his tears with this revelation, less about Lucifina being a seraph, but of Micaela never being there even after his mother's death.
(That explains so much) Alice thought to herself, remembering the first time he showed his powers back at the Cave of Treasures.
"But how, all this time and so close, why have you never visited!?"
"And this is why I hate keeping secrets" Micaela sighed seeing Luka's reaction.
Then she explained that she and Lucifina had to keep apart from one another or Ilias would strike them down for their betrayal. Explained her part in Marcellus' redemption and his part in founding Enrika, finally getting Luka to forgive the father he referred to with so much vitriol in the past. Told her own theories on Ilias' sanity degradation since long ago, beginning when she saved Black Alice and Lucifina leaving soon after as result of it.
"You need to find the spirits again and redo your contracts, it's the only way you'll have a chance to defeat her."
"One last question, if you're a seraph of Ilias, why don't you use your power?" Alice asked
"With the passage of years away from heaven, as a creature made of holy energy, most of my powers are depleted. Lucifina's indomitable will and legendary stubbornness is the only reason I can think she could've survived for half a millenium above ground, long enough to find love with Marcellus and give birth to Luka." Micaela's gaze softened up towards the hero.
"Luka, you've seen the fate awaiting me…" Micaela turned to Alice and stared at the Monster Lord with a serious expression.
"I will never go back to heaven and unlike monsters, we angels don't get energy from draining men and even if I could, I would never kill innocent people for power."
"Sorry for touching a sore spot." Under a gaze unlike Tamamo's, Alice asked forgiveness for touching on a sore subject with the seraph.
"You forgot the most important part Micaela." Roman finally butted in the conversation, Luka and Alice could only wonder how the pirate could talk to the seraph in such an irreverent way.
"What did I forget, Roman?" Micaela raised an eyebrow.
"The part about his overuse of angelic skills eventually doing to him the same that happened to Heinrich long ago." Roman pointed at the mess that is Angel Halo to reinforce his point.
"Holy corrosion is a horrible way to go, and having another Monster Lord and Hero couple end in tragedy because his human side dispersed into the ether or worse, would leave such a bad taste…" Micalea nodded.
"I thank you for reminding me of it…" Micaela gently held Luka's hand and created another ring for him "Different from Lucifina's ring, this one won't prevent you from using angelic skills it will instead disperse the corrosion accrued from your future battles. Win my nephew."
"Phew, the worst has been avoided, now it's up to you Luka!" Roman walked away from the group to reunite with his crew and then go to the drainlab to give Horn her new weapon.
"As that man said, it's up to you to save us Luka. I have no personal power to fight against Ilias anymore, all I can do is create plans and command my people out of the respect they have for me." Micaela closed her eyes letting Luka come to terms with his final challenges.
"I'll send out people to try to help as many as we can in this continent while you travel the world for the spirits, but you need to move fast. Now go!"
Luka, together with Alice, climbed on the Garuda girl to their first destination and to help the people of Iliasburg.
"Now what are our orders, captain, first mate?"
"It's good you asked Cervantes, as it stands out, there are two things we need to do. First is helping the hero, he alone can't hope to save all the places he needs to, even with the Garuda's legendary flight speed."
"That's understandable, the size of this army would make him lose precious time in one place while others are at risk of being destroyed."
"And the second one is, I need you and Horn to come with us, there's something only you two can do and it's a secret."
Roman didn't forget his promise to save Laplace, and also help Cervantes meet his ex-girlfriend one last time, but there was only so much time they had before Luka reached those places and defeated both.
"This device lets those in my group teleport with me to one of the many places that's producing those strange monsters"
"Where did you get that?"
"It's a secret~ So are you ready, you sea dogs with scurvy? Be prepared for a fight, I don't know where we can end up!"
With a flash the entire crew disappeared to one of many drainlabs.
"New subjects arrived, please be patient and wait in line for your milking."
A giant machine-like monster announced before grabbing half of the males and monsters still disoriented with the teleportation and binding them in her sex organs. Loud alarms blasted and the many doors lining the walls of this lab opened up revealing strange pod-shaped creatures, who grabbed the rest of the crew, leaving only the leaders of the Jiggly Pirates, Cervantes and a very angry Horn untouched.
Moans of painful pleasure echoed as the men were milked aggressively and the monsters were coated with digestive juices.
"No, I don't want to die! Help meeeee!" Rami, once again regretted all her life choices in joining the Jiggly Pirates.
"No I don't think we will, those are my assistants you're trying to kill, stop all aggression at once!"
bzzt- Researcher Roman Identity acknowledged, this piece of junk asks forgiveness for attacking your assistants. The giant machine said mechanically while the pod-like monsters gazed silently.
"You are forgiven, now release them."
fshhhh plop plop plop plop!
With moans of bliss, many men and monsters were spit out of the milking ports of the machine monster and from the digestive sacs of the pods. In this little time Roman had to confirm his credentials, those who were captured were drained so hard they were one step from death.
It's lucky I have two Slime Queens to heal them up. Promestein went all out for efficiency, scary. The man thought to himself.
"Once again, what the hell happened when we were separated that gave you control over those things?!"
"Hehe, you could say we got an accord with one of the leaders behind this invasion…" Roman acted coy and took one step back from the angry elder.
"What?!" Now Horn was bzzting up charging her attack to punish the man who put her foxy grandpa in danger.
"Now guys, you don't need to point fingers, we didn't betray you!" Roman began appeasing the crew he didn't know had been harassed by chimeras and angels for a while before their meeting.
"Just like a warrior going to a blacksmith to get a new sword, my relationship with Promestein is purely business, except I struck a pretty nice deal and the knowledge I have, had lots of bargaining weight. It won't screw us over, I'm half assured of it!" The crew kept giving the guy the dirty eye and turned to Lime for confirmation.
"Hmm, we got her to make Roman into a real puru vampire!" The crew was surprised as they didn't notice his abilities in the midst of the chaos during their latest fight. So to prove it, Roman turned into a flock of bats, and a large dog before turning back into a human.
"We also got a big cannon for Horn!, hmm but it seems we got teleported to the wrong hideout…"
The giant didn't care much for weapons, but thought it was nice of them to get something her size, and more power meant defending her Cervantes better.
"Roman also planned to build a flying ship with her! We'll be sky pirates Puru!"
Finally the crew was convinced a mutiny would be infeasible against their leaders, and becoming sky pirates sounded cool.
"Cervantes, we need to talk with you in private." Roman, now calmer after avoiding a mutiny, pulled the elder and went to one of the many storage rooms, leaving a still uneasy crew around the many chimeras who went on with their work in complete silence.
"Eek!" Rami the booby imp was almost caught again as she tripped onto one of the milking ports and it latched on her breasts, but Lime saved her in the nick of time.
"You horndog, why didn't you tell me you banged the XV?"
"I'm not one to gloat about it but yeah," Cervantes reminisced. "Why did you ask this?"
"We discovered she still lives…" Roman was slammed against the wall.
"HOW, WHERE?!" Cervantes for the first time in a long time was filled with hope to see his girl again and make it work but Roman's next words would destroy this hope utterly.
"Calm down my old friend… She lives, yes, but as a zombie." Cervantes deflated, he looked like he aged 5 years in one go.
"Now you have two choices in front of you, if you defeat the one controlling her, you'll be able to free her mind from it, and either you live with XV as your zombie wife." Roman could see the older man trembling.
"Or free her spirit to death and finally return Horn's feelings for you, turning to a new page of your life. Either way, your leaders will help, but we must do it before the Hero and Monster Lord reaches her."
Cervantes was thoughtful, weighing his options and after some minutes, finally deciding to let the past go, he spoke with conviction.
"Let's free her, my girlie doesn't deserve to suffer like that any longer."
"Hm, the Jiggly Pirates against the ex-Monster Lord, a battle for the ages."
Reuniting once again with the group, they planned their future attack on the hidden lab by Chrome's mansion.
"But before that, we have a date with Laplace." The man turned to his crew.
"Jiggly Pirates, I thank you all for the adventures we've had to this day, together we proved coexistence was possible, together we reached heights no human and monster could before, together we sacked the coffers of the Monster Lord herself and ran away while laughing…" The crew hurrah'd.
"But now a global crisis has fallen upon us. My friends, we would like to give you all a choice, go back to your homes and fight to protect those you left behind. You are strong and experienced enough to have a chance now."
Part of the group began considering it, many of the sailors knew enough logistics to know the port cities would be important points to defend so the supply chain wasn't broken.
"Or you can come with us and battle a possibly losing battle against the goddess of creation herself, being branded as heretics in the process and having high chances of being reduced to ashes by her lightning…"
Considering the small taste they got of the goddess power back at the seas, many of the weaker members of the jigglies decided it wasn't worthy, so with wishes of good luck towards their leaders, the crew left unimpeded by the chimeras, leaving only Roman, Lime, Hime, Erubetie, Cervantes, Horn and, surprisingly Rami.
"Bimp? why didn't you go?" Roman asked dubiously, knowing the little imp was weaker than a slime girl, and kind of a coward.
"I won't leave until you make me a powerful succubus!" Rami puffed her chest out "It's only fair after I almost died five times in your crew after you forcefully recruited me!"
"Puru~ Welcome aboard the Jiggly Pirates Bimp, this captain promises you'll achieve weights bigger than Alma Elma!"
"My name is Rami though…"
"Well then, time to visit Laplace, buckle up Rami because we'll be teleporting all over the place." And with a flash, the last remaining members of the Jiggly Pirates left, leaving the drain chimeras in the darkness of the lab.
AN: I've really upped the ante didn't I? This invasion feels like an invasion now doesn't it? 500 years of people and monsters being unpersoned to have canon fooder for this part is just oof. Anyways, discord link for mgq fanfiction server here 2d43V28D
31 days of updating streak complete wooooooooo
