Lucifina's grave was nothing special, in truth. A wooden cross with her name scratched on it. There were at least twenty more near it, each one marking another dead resident of Iliasville.
"—And then he told me they don't accept beetles as currency!"
A young man—a boy really—was sitting on his knees in front of the grave. A freshly sharpened iron sword was lying beside him.
"Anyway, he ended up saying I could pay him later, which was nice of him. I didn't know swords were that expensive…"
The boy thinly smiled. "Well, I'll just have to work hard to pay him back. I hear heroes make a decent amount of money… Uh, but I'm not doing it for that, of course!"
Luka awkwardly scratched the back of his head. After a while, his smile disappeared.
"Mother… I promise, I'll find Father... So… Please watch over me on my journey."
Luka was used to sitting at his mother's grave. He had done it a thousand times before. He found himself wishing she would respond at times… but she never did.
The soon-to-be hero stopped himself from crying. He rose, picking up his sword and putting it back in his sheathe. He bowed lightly at his mother's grave before leaving.
Iliasville was a quaint village. Less than one hundred humans lived there, with around twenty monsters also calling it home. Most were slimes, a few of whom were Luka's friends.
"Luka!"
The purple-haired boy turned around. A girl ran up to him. Ginger-haired and green-eyed, Luka quickly recognised her as Sonya. She had been his friend for many years now, even since she moved to the village.
"Sonya? What's up?"
The girl took a second to catch her breath. "Well, I was just walking by, and I saw you frowning. I wanted to know if everything was alright…"
The boy smiled. "Oh, I'm fine, thanks." He said. "I was just visiting Mother again… Have you been training with Lazarus?"
Luka pointed to the small red marks on Sonya's arms and legs. "Yeah…" She sighed. "It's been tough, but I think I've gotten the hang of his techniques lately."
"Speaking of…" Luka muttered. In the distance, an older man with black hair and a ragged red cape approached. The boy always hated that the man took such little pride in his appearance. He looked like a homeless man, especially after he had a few drinks, which was fairly common.
"Luka, Sonya." He said in a grave voice, damaged by years of drinking and smoking. "It's getting late. 'Bout time you two check-in for the night, no?"
Luka nodded. The sun was just about to set, marking the day as almost over. The boy had hoped to clean his house one last time, but it seemed he would have no chance.
"Big day tomorrow, huh?" Lazarus said. "You're going to get baptised, even though Ilias won't be there."
"Well, it's not as if I have much of a choice."
"That's true. C'mon, Sonya. It's about time you get some sleep." He said, talking to the girl as they walked off.
Lazarus was an old friend of Marcellus, Luka's father. After his father disappeared and his mother died, Lazarus took care of the young orphan. He also had to take care of Sonya at the same time. Both of her parents died in a landslide in a village not far from Iliasville.
Well, he didn't have to look after us that much. We were pretty independent… Still, I have a lot to thank him for.
Luka walked back to his inn. A long time ago, his grandfather ran the inn. After him, Luka's father did. Now it was his turn. In truth, not many people visited Iliasville, but it was enough to make a living. Lazarus would often pitch in now and then if he ever needed it, but Luka always felt bad about it, so he didn't ask often.
Once inside, he set his sword down on the counter, locked the door, and walked upstairs. He had a quick bath before going to sleep. In the morning, he planned to go to Ilias Temple and get baptised as a Hero of Ilias. It took him hours to fall asleep that night.
Light shone all around him, so bright that he feared he might go blind. It seemed to pierce his very soul, even when he covered his eyes with his hands.
"Where am I…?"
Luka quickly deduced that he must be dreaming. If the seemingly limitless clouds he was floating on weren't enough of a sign, the fact that he couldn't really feel anything around him fully convinced him. It was less like he was really there and… more like a vision.
"Luka… Hero Luka…"
A gentle voice called the boy's name. But from where, Luka did not know.
"Wh-who's there?"
Suddenly, in a dazzling display of light, a large, angelic woman appeared before the boy. Her long blonde hair reached to the back of her knees, and her blue eyes shone like diamonds. Luka recognised her. This was the Goddess Ilias, the creator of the world.
"Are you… really Ilias?"
Ilias either didn't hear him or didn't care enough to reply. "Luka… A crisis is approaching the world. If you don't stop it, the world ▢▢▢ be swallowed ▢▢▢…"
The Goddess of Creation seemed to stutter for a moment. Her mouth moved, but no words came out. Instead, a strange, garbled sound reached Luka's ears. Along with that, Ilias's body began to be eroded by some sort of strange, grey matter.
"Huh? What happened to you, Ilias?"
"With my last bit of power, ▢▢▢ to your dreams…. There's no ▢▢▢▢▢▢▢ time…"
Luka frowned. "Ilias, I don't really understand what you're saying…"
"Go immediately ▢▢▢▢▢▢▢ out ▢▢▢… The world ▢▢▢▢ forget ▢▢▢▢▢▢▢…"
"Forget? The world, what? What are you trying to tell me…"
"This ▢rld ▢▢▢▢… Lu▢▢…"
Ilias's corrosion worsened. Her entire body was covered by the grey matter. Luka could barely even make her out any more. "▢▢▢▢…"
"Please wait, Ilias! Don't go!"
Luka tried to run forward but couldn't move an inch. "Ilias!"
The soon-to-be hero shot up in his bed. He was sweating and breathing heavily. "A dream…?" He muttered. The morning sun was a welcome sight to the boy's eyes.
…It must've been a dream. Ilias hasn't been seen for decades.
Getting out of bed, Luka stretched. He grabbed his cape from the wardrobe and his freshly made sword. Today was the day. Finally, he would be baptised by Ilias herself.
Though she's been missing for 30 years, ever since the Great Disaster… No one has even heard her voice, let alone seen her in person. Which means she definitely won't show up for my baptism…
Well, that's fine. They say the hero Heinrich was unbaptised when he went on his adventure around the world.
Heh, comparing myself to Heinrich already… Perhaps I am getting a bit ahead of myself.
Before heading out for the day, Luka wrote a new passage down in his diary.
Last night, I saw Ilias in a dream. I didn't understand what she was trying to tell me, but I believe she was giving my journey a blessing… maybe. Something seemed to start happening to her halfway through… Like she was being attacked by something.
On another note, today is also my baptism. After the ceremony is over, I'll track down Father. Ilias, wherever you are, please grant me your protection.
"I guess that's it," Luka murmured, closing the book. He made his way downstairs, being sure not to make too much noise. There was no one currently in the inn, but it had become an old habit of his to make sure he didn't wake them from their slumber.
And just as his feet hit the floor, shouting could be heard outside. "There's trouble! Hans the lumberjack was abducted!"
"What!?"
Luka dashed outside, almost hitting someone on the way out. "Luka, what are you doing out of your house?" It was Betty, an old-time friend of Luka's family. "Didn't you hear? Hans got carried off by some evil slime girl. She took him to the mountains, apparently."
The boy was unable to suppress his heroic instincts. "I'll go save him then!" He shouted. "I'm a hero too, starting today!"
"Don't be a fool." She reprimanded. "Stay here and leave it up to the temple soldiers."
Luka looked around. It was pure chaos. Everyone around him, from the oldest of humans to the youngest of slimes, were running around in a big huff. He could hardly believe one slime girl could cause so much trouble.
I have to go help Hans!
Ignoring his elder's advice, Luka started running towards the exit.
"Don't think it's just me fighting you, Ilias! Me, Alice, Tamamo, and everyone else! They're all against you!"
A purple-haired blur sped by the Goddess of Creation. Before she knew it, that memory disappeared. Instead, she was sitting on a throne in heaven. Three angels were beside her. One was completely naked, standing the furthest from Ilias. The second-closest was blonde-haired and blue-eyed, just like Ilias herself. However, when Ilias looked into those eyes, she only saw a lust for blood that could never be quenched.
And closest to the goddess was Micaela, her second-in-command. She had the same features as her younger sister but was far more… stable. Ilias trusted her more than anyone.
And yet, she ended up betraying me too, didn't she…?
Another explosion of light rocked Ilias's senses. She didn't know what was happening. She could see nothing but pure white light, then, a moment later, all-encompassing darkness. She felt cold and alone.
I died, didn't I…? I lost…
A tear in space appeared before her. She was dragged in and pulled against her will. Then she was falling. She fell past clouds, then birds, then trees. Then, she smashed right into the dirt.
"Ugh…"
Ilias tried to stand up but failed. Her ears were ringing, and her senses were being overwhelmed, most of it being pain. Again, she tried to rise. This time, she just about succeeded.
"H-Hey, are you alright…?"
A thin voice called out to her. She held her head as she turned around.
It was a boy. His purple hair and small stature stood out, along with the red cape blowing in the wind behind him and the sword at his hip.
"What the… Luka?"
The boy tilted his head. "Huh? How do you know my name?"
"I'm the Goddess Ilias, of course I'd know your name! Anyway, what the hell are you doing here?" Ilias asked. When she tried to think about the boy, she found parts of her memories were missing.
"You… You're the one who did this, didn't you!? You and your mother!" Ilias shouted. "Damn you, damn you both! I'll take you down once and for all!"
Lightning crackled from Ilias's hands. She unleashed a spell on the defenceless boy.
"Ouch… What was that?" Luka rubbed his arm. A tiny black patch could be seen on his clothes from the attack.
"Huh!? Why was that so weak!?"
Ilias tried again. It was even weaker, not even hurting the boy at all.
"What the hell is going on!? What did you do to me, Luka!?"
"Me!? I didn't do anything, I swear! I just found you here and checked if you were okay!" The boy said.
Ilias didn't seem to hear the boy. She paced around. "Promestein, Black Alice, The Dark Goddess… Was it one of them…? Did I get hit with the Ancestors Great Seal?"
"Uh… Well, you seem fine… So I'm just going to go." Luka said.
"Wait, Luka," Ilias said. "What… time is it?"
Could I have been sent into the past?
Luka pointed to the rising sun. "Morning." He said. "Oh no, if I waste any more time here, I could miss my baptism!"
Baptism…? So it must be the day of baptism then…
Perhaps I was sent back in time… But how? It doesn't make any sense…
Anyway, I must contact my angels. I'll have to figure out what happened later.
Luka watched as the small angel ran off in a big huff. He felt a bit bad for her. She was clearly distressed about something, but Luka didn't know how to help her.
Wait a second, now that I look at her again, she kind of looks like the Ilias I saw in my dreams, only smaller…
Is it possible? Is she truly the Goddess Ilias?
"Yeah right, as if Ilias would ever be that small… There's no way." Luka muttered.
Wait, this is no time to get distracted! I need to hurry up and save Hans!
The boy started to run up the hill. Hans was supposedly taken to the very top by an evil monster girl.
Suddenly, the boy tripped, falling flat on his face. A gooey tendril of blue slime was wrapped around his foot.
"Hehe, where are you going, cute boy?"
A blue slime stood over him. She looked just like the ones he would often see in his hometown. "P-Please let me go." Luka stammered out. "I have to go help Hans!"
"Wouldn't you rather have some fun with me instead? I promise, you'll love it!" The monster girl said. Luka started to kick his way out of the slime, drawing his iron sword once he got back on his feet. His body began to shake a little.
Damn it, this is my first real battle…
Doesn't matter! I have to win quickly and go save Hans!
"Puru puru~, why are you pointing that at me? Don't you want pleasure?" She asked. "Well, if you're going to threaten me like that…"
A small wave of blue slime was flung at Luka. Some of it got in his eyes, blocking his vision. He tried to pull it off his face, but it seemed to be almost glued on.
"Agh, damn it!" Luka shouted. He started flailing his sword wildly in the air. Eventually, one of his blows connected.
"Ouch!" The slime said. "Hey, that hurt! Stop that!"
Luka swung towards the source of the voice. Again, the slime shouted out in pain.
"Fine! If you're going to be such a pain, then this isn't worth it!" She shouted, walking off. Luka sighed in relief. After a few more moments, he managed to pull the slime off of him.
I've got to be more careful next time… If that were a stronger monster, I would've been done for.
Luka continued to make his way up the hill. A few slimes offered to have… 'fun' with him, but he refused politely. Thankfully, that seemed to work—for most of them, at least.
Others, he had to fight off. Beating them was much easier when he could actually see. After a few more battles, he finally made his way to the peak of the hill.
One pink slime was standing beside two other blue ones. Luka approached, eventually getting within earshot of them.
"Yay, let's squeeze him dry~!" One of the blue slimes said.
"S-someone save me!" A man shouted. Luka recognised the voice as Hans.
His heroic instinct flared. The boy ran forth. "Stop right there!" He shouted. "Get away from Hans!"
"Ooh, so you came to help this villager? You sure look a lot tastier than he does." The pink slime said. Then she giggled. "Hop hop! Gonna make you slop too~!"
Slop?
"Yay, more food~!"
Luka drew his sword. "Damn, guess I'll have to fight them!"
"Kuku, you think you face up to the mighty Bunny Slime!? Just try it!" The pink slime shouted.
Bunny slime? What is she talking about?
All three slimes approached. Luka gulped as he found himself heavily outnumbered. His hands began to shake again.
No, I have to save Hans! Pull yourself together!
One of the blue slimes came close. She tried to shoot a glob of slime at the boy, but he was able to dodge it. Afterwards, he swung right into her side.
"Eh? It's stuck…"
Luka tried to yank it out, but it wouldn't budge. The slime girl smiled. "Hehe, my body is made of slime, idiot! It can't be cut so easily!"
The boy took a second to think. "Right… Since I can't cut through it, strong attacks won't work… Then I'll just have to use fast ones!"
The slime looked worried as the boy finally managed to pull his sword out of her body. He jumped back, gaining some distance from the trio.
The Bunny Slime laughed. "Eh, are you a hero or something? You certainly do look like the type…" A lewd smile appeared on her face. "I've never tasted a hero before."
Luka raised his sword. When the slimes got close enough, he unleashed his greatest attack. He began to flail wildly, just as he had in all his previous battles. It was not exactly the most skilful technique, but it was surprisingly effective.
"Owwww, that hurts! Stop that!" One of the slimes said. In a rush of adrenaline, she rushed towards the boy. Luka's eyes flashed as he swung his sword across, hitting her right in the shoulder. It was the final blow, and the slime quickly surrendered.
Next, the Bunny Slime hopped on top of the boy, and he was too slow on the dodge. She weighed much more than Luka expected, making it hard to push her off. His gloved hands sank into her oddly warm slime when he tried.
"Fufu, time to make you slop!" She said. Her slime began to move over his belt, undoing it in mere moments.
N-No! I have to get her off!
Again, Luka struggled. His hands sank deeper into her pink slime. Eventually, one-half of his arm was inside. Then he felt something.
No way… Is this her core?
Slime cores were an odd concept to Luka, but he could now confirm they did, in fact, exist. They were akin to the heart in a human, or maybe it was the brain… Luka did not remember. Still, he knew they were important.
And so, as soon as the boy touched it, the pink slime screamed and hopped away. "Ahh!?"
Not wasting the opportunity, Luka rolled back and got on his feet, and made sure to tighten his belt this time. The Bunny Slime looked at him in horror. "H-How could you!?" She shouted. "Y-You touched my core!"
For some reason, Luka suddenly felt very bad, even though she was the one who was trying to rape him mere moments ago. "S-Sorry…"
"I'll never forgive you!"
The pink slime charged forward. Luka thought quickly. He pointed his sword towards her and held it. The Bunny Slime seemed to not notice. She impaled her slimy body on the sword, which just went right through her.
Contrary to Luka's expectations, the slime didn't seem bothered by the sharp metal object now piercing her lower body. Instead, she wrapped a large tendril of slime around Luka's head, pulling him into her chest.
"Now stay there and think about what you've done!" She said. Luka struggled and struggled, but her grasp didn't budge an inch.
"Hey, Bunni, don't you think that's a little unfair?" Another voice asked. Luka guessed it was the other slime. "I mean, you shouldn't get him all to yourself…"
"Oh, you're right! We can share him. I don't mind!"
Luka did mind, however. Using all the strength he had left, he pulled his sword out of the slime's body. Once it was out, he swung it in a short arc, the blow landing directly on the slime's head.
"Owww!"
The boy hit her again and again until she finally backed away. Luka finally had a chance to breathe. Then he noticed someone was missing.
Huh… Where did Hans go…?
Luka had no time to ponder the question. Both slimes attacked in unison. He was scarcely able to dodge. He dodged over and over again until he felt like he was about to collapse.
"What is going on here?"
A new voice. Both of his enemies turned to look at the source. Luka did too.
It was a small lamia. She had purple skin and silver hair, with two flowers on the left side of her face. Her clothing showed off a lot of her skin. Luka also noticed one more thing about her. Her eyes, they were golden and glowing. When they looked at him, they seemed to stare into his soul itself.
"None of your business," Bunni said. "Slither off, lamia."
The tension in the air rose. Luka gulped.
"And here I was wondering if this human had attacked you out of the blue or not, but by the way you just spoke to me, I can see who is truly in the wrong. Human, tell me what is happening here."
For some reason, even though the girl was so small, the way she spoke was like that of a ruler, full of authority, or at least Luka thought so. "Well, I… I sort of attacked them." He admitted. "B-But only because they kidnapped one of my friends!"
The lamia sighed. "I see… I apologise on behalf of all monsters. Such behaviour is beneath our kind…"
That seemed to irritate the pink slime. "Excuse me!? How come you act like you're so much better than me, huh? You're just some little kid!"
Silence fell upon the area. Luka didn't dare make a sound. The small lamia girl turned towards the slime. "Little kid, is it? Let's see if a little kid could do this!"
Power welled up inside the monster. Luka took a step back, keeping one hand on his sword as he watched. With a small shout, the lamia unleashed her deadly spell.
A small ray of darkness hit the slime. It did seem to hurt her… but not much.
"Damn it… In this form, even a common slime is too much for me…" The lamia muttered.
Bunni started to laugh. "Ahaha, what a joke! You thought that could stop me!?"
"Hey, Bunni? I think we should just go… There's two of them now…"
The blue slime pulled at her friend's arm. "And we need to help Lime anyway. That boy hurt her earlier. We need to make sure she's alright."
"Hmm…" Bunni looked at the boy and lamia. If they fought together, they might be too strong for her…
"Fine." She said. "Let's go."
Just as the slime turned around, she noticed something. "Wait a second, where did the human go? He was right here a moment ago…"
"Oh… I think he broke free of his restraints…" The other slime admitted.
"Damn it…"
The two monsters walked off, away from Luka and the purple lamia. The boy sighed, regaining his breath after the battle.
"Hm. I saw the human they were talking about." The lamia said. "He said I should help a boy named Luka up here. I assume that is you?"
Luka nodded. "And you are…?"
The lamia straightened up. "I am Alipheese Fateburn the Sixteenth." She announced proudly. "The current Monster Lord."
"The Monster Lord!? Really!?"
The lamia nodded happily, pleased with the boy's reaction. Even a country bumpkin like him knew of her title's importance. "Anyway, I must be going. Oh, and be on the lookout for a rabbit girl, would you? I have to… ask her some questions…"
"Uh… Sure." Luka said. The lamia slithered slithered away.
Well, that was… Strange. Anyway, I should get back home…
A Monster Lord, huh? What an odd girl…
"Where were you!?" Sonya asked. "You're going to be late for your baptism!"
"Huh? Sonya…? What are you wearing?"
Luka looked at the outfit his long-time friend was wearing. For an outfit supposedly worn by Ilias's followers, it was quite lewd. It didn't show much skin, but it did enunciate Sonya's natural gifts.
"What do you mean, 'What am I wearing'!? You should know!" She shouted. "I trained as a priest just for this day, you know!"
Did she really? I never saw her do that…
"Oh… Thanks." Luka said.
"There isn't time for any of that garbage! C'mon, we've got to get to the temple right now!"
Sonya grabbed Luka by his arm and dragged him along. Ilias Temple was Iliasville's grandest building. Travellers from all over would seek the temple to pray to the Goddess Ilias. Luka often prayed there, but he never got any responses.
His childhood friend's temper suddenly disappeared once they entered the temple. She was in full priest mode, Luka thought. They walked to the far end of the room, where the Head Priest was waiting. He had a long, white beard, reaching all the way down to his stomach. He was also quite the large man, taller than most men his age.
"Luka, I heard what happened." He said in a low voice. "I'm sure Ilias would understand why you were late… Now, let us begin the baptism."
Luka kneeled before the priest, closing his eyes as he started the ritual. He said a few words and then spilled some water over the boy's head.
"I guess that's it." He said, helping the boy up. Luka wiped his face clean of the water.
"Huh!? What's that!?"
Above them all, an array of lights lit up the room. The lights slowly combined into a new form.
Ilias… It couldn't be…
The Goddess of Creation was floating above the newly-baptised hero. For some reason, she had the same strange matter covering her body as the one Luka saw in his dreams.
"Luka… Hero Luka…" Ilias began. "You are the only one who can do it… There is a darkness covering the world… You must stop it."
"I-Ilias!? Is that really you!?" Sonya asked. Luka tried to speak, but no words came to him.
"I lack the power to baptise you… But even still, I know you can do it… Unbaptised Hero Luka, go forth. Save the world…"
Ilias's image started to waver, and then it fully disappeared.
The Head Priest was the first to speak. "I can't believe it… Luka, you must truly be fated to become a legendary hero." He said. "Ilias herself descended to baptise you…"
The man silently muttered to himself. "I never lost faith in you, my goddess."
"Anyway, Luka. We must keep this a secret between us. Otherwise, all this will cause a great panic, and that won't help anyone. Luka, you must follow Ilias's orders. Journey out into the world, and find some way to stop this 'darkness'. Sonya, you must also keep this a secret. Understood?"
"Yes…" She murmured.
A legendary hero… Is it really true, Ilias?
"Now, you two should get going." The priest said. "I hope you're prepared for this, Luka."
The boy nodded. "I am."
A darkness covering the world... Father said the same thing before he left.
"Good, good." The man muttered, waving them off. All this commotion was too much for an old man like him.
Luka and Sonya stepped outside. The morning air was a welcome relief to the stress they'd accumulated.
"Well, I better get going," Sonya said. "I'll see you later, Luka."
The hero sighed. Today had been a long day, and it wasn't even noon yet.
And that Bunni girl got away… I'll have to track her down later. She can't get away with kidnapping Hans like that… and I also have to make sure she doesn't cause any more trouble.
All of a sudden, Sonya came running back. "Luka! There's two kids fighting in your house!"
"What!?"
Alice frowned. Iliasville was smaller than she thought. There was little chance she'd find that rabbit girl here.
Well, I might as well ask around…
The small lamia slithered over to a young man. "Excuse me." She said. "Have you seen a rabbit girl around here? Purple hair, dressed mostly in white."
The man shook his head. "Not around here. I'd go to Iliasburg if I were you." He suggested.
Iliasburg… I've heard of that town. It's the main one on this continent. He is correct in his assessment. There are way more people there than there are here.
I just hope one of them saw her… That damn rabbit…
The Monster Lord sighed. The hunt was not going well.
"Hmm, you know, if you're going to Iliasburg, you should go with Luka. He just got baptised today, in fact… Actually, he might be in the middle of it right now. I'm sure he'd be glad to escort you there."
Escort me? As if I'd need a human's help to…
The memories of Alice's previous battle with the pink slime girl came flooding back. She was barely even able to hurt her.
…Damn it.
"Thank you for your help, and your advice," Alice said as she slithered away. She asked around some more and found out where Luka lived. An inn with far too many signs right by the entrance. The door was locked, so she had to slither in through one of the open windows.
I guess I'll just wait for him here then.
Alice looked around the inn. On the counter-top, there was a framed drawing in the corner. It was of a girl with blonde hair and a boy not even half her height beside her.
It must be Luka and his mother.
"What the… Alipheese…?"
Alice was startled by the sudden sound. She turned around quickly.
It was an angel, with long blonde hair and shining blue eyes. She was around the same height as Alice.
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
"How did you know my name…? Wait a second, I recognise you… You sort of look like Ilias… Though she's definitely taller than that."
"What was that!?" Ilias shouted. Small sparks began to crackle from her fingertips. "Damn you, Alipheese! It was you, wasn't it!? You're the one who did this to me!"
"Me!? For all I know, you were the one that sent that rabbit after me!"
"Don't try to trick me, Alipheese. I'll take you down once and for all!"
Ilias unleashed the power of heaven. Electricity flew across the room, lightly shocking Alice. In her current form, the attack was able to deal some damage, but still not much.
"Hah, fine then! I'll finally rid the world of you!" Alice shouted. She opened her hands and aimed her palms at the small angel. The power of darkness ripped into the air, knocking Ilias off her feet.
But she was quick to recover. She picked up a nearby chair and used it to charge forward, hitting Alice with it when she got close enough.
The Monster Lord grunted from the attack. After regaining her composure, she capitalised on the situation. Her long tail wrapped around Ilias, constricting her movement.
"What is going on here!?"
Alice and Ilias turned to the new voice. It was the purple-haired boy Alice talked with earlier, Luka.
Taking advantage of Alice's distraction, Ilias punched her in the jaw.
"Hey, cut that out!" Luka said. He ran over, taking the chair out of Alice's hands. She was moments away from clobbering Ilias over the head with it.
Luka pushed the two children away from each other. They were surprisingly strong.
"Just… calm down." He said. "Why are you two fighting in my house?"
Ilias dusted herself off. "I am the Goddess Ilias." She announced. "I cannot suffer the Monster Lord, enemy of all mankind, to live."
Alice glared at the small angel, then turned to Luka with a softer gaze. "As you know, I am the Monster Lord, Alipheese the 16th. I cannot leave Ilias free to mislead people for her own amusement."
Luka pondered the situation. "I see… The Monster Lord and Ilias… I guess you two can't help but hate each other…"
Wait, why am I taking them seriously!?
"Never mind, you two need to leave. You can play angels and monsters outside. I want my house to still be in one piece by the time I get back…"
Alice sighed. "Tch, even an immature youth doubts my lineage… This form is truly degrading."
Ilias tried not to agree and failed. For the Goddess of Creation to be reduced to such a form… It was the greatest disgrace of her life.
"Wait a second, how are you two in my house in the first place?" Luka asked. "I locked the door!"
"I got in through the window," Alice said. She pointed to one not far from them.
"There was one on the first floor…?" Ilias sighed. "Would've saved me the flight…"
Luka facepalmed. "Why are you two in my house again…?"
Alice suddenly felt bad for the trouble she'd caused. "I… Well, I came here to look for a rabbit girl, but I had no luck. I plan to search the rest of this continent before moving on to the others." The Monster Lord said.
"There is somewhere I must go," Ilias said. "My current form is too weak, so I need someone to help me get there."
"Therefore, I'm in need of someone to help me search. And a few villagers told me you were planning to leave today…"
"Back off, Monster Lord. I've had my eyes on Luka for a long time now."
"Just how do you know my name…? Never mind, that's not important right now…" Luka sighed. "So what you're saying is, you both want to accompany me on my journey? If you really are who you say you are, shouldn't you have plenty of subordinates to call on?"
"There are too many uncertainties right now," Alice said. "I cannot risk it… I don't even know where my knights are right now."
"I'm unable to contact my angels for some reason. How is this possible…?" Ilias wondered. Her face suddenly contorted. "If Black Alice or Promestein learned of my current condition… Ugh, I shudder to think of it."
"Okay, okay. So… You two really want to join me? I don't know how I could really help, though, but… Well, I guess a group to travel with would be nice."
Alice shook her head. "Don't get the wrong idea. You'll be joining me."
"You seem to be misunderstanding, Luka. You will be serving me." Ilias said.
Wonderful… Now what do I do? Both of them want to join me, but… I doubt they'd let the other join us.
"Give me a minute to think about it," Luka said. He walked over to the kitchen, leaning over the counter-top.
Alipheese Fateburn the Sixteenth… She claims to be the Monster Lord, but I don't know what she's supposed to look like. Could she really be that young…?
And Ilias, Goddess of Creation… My goddess. But, is that even really her? I saw the real Ilias earlier, and she was much taller.
Argh, this is too complicated… What do I do…?
I wish you were here, Mother. You'd know what to do…
Luka picked up his family portrait. Part of it was ripped out—the part that included his father. Luka had done it in anger after Marcellus left. He regretted that now.
He must've had a reason… He wouldn't just leave us like that… I know it.
Luka's eyes drifted to his mother.
…What would you say, Mother?
"Luka, you should just go out on your own instead. You're under no obligation to help them. And besides, neither of them seem very nice. Go out and find your father, and be sure to come home safe!"
…Something like that, probably.
The boy looked up at the two kids. They were looking away from each other with their arms crossed.
Agh… They'll never get along if I try to bring them both, but… If I leave one here, they could get hurt on their journey…
Damn it. I guess I have no choice. A true hero would help both of these children in need.
Luka walked over to the two girls with newfound confidence. "Look, can't I just take you both with me?"
"As if! I'd rather die than deal with this malicious goddess 24/7!"
"Hah! It is I who would rather die than have to look at that damn monster all the time!"
This is hopeless…. How am I going to convince them if they keep acting like this…?
Unless…
With a big huff, the hero walked past the unwanted guests. He opened his door and almost stepped outside.
"Hey, where are you going!? We're not letting you leave until you make a decision!" Ilias said.
Luka shook his head. "If I can't take you both, then I'd rather go on my own."
"Wait, Luka! You can't be serious!" Alice slithered over to him. "I need your help!"
"I'm sorry, Alice. But I'm not okay with leaving someone behind. I'd rather just make no choice at all at that point."
Alice sighed… "Hmph. Well, if you're going to be like that… Then fine… I guess I'll let her come with us."
If only because I have no other choice…
"No, no, no! There's no way I'm going on this journey with her!" Ilias shouted. "She's a monster, Luka! She can't be trusted! As your goddess, I demand that you leave her behind and escort me on my way to heaven."
Luka was annoyed. "No." He said. "It's either you both go, or neither does."
"B-B-But!"
"No buts," Luka said. "Those are my conditions."
Argh… Damn it!
"Fine!" Ilias shouted. "But you better keep an eye on that damn snake!"
"I'll be the one keeping an eye on you, Ilias! I know you'll try something!"
…This was a bad idea, wasn't it?
Notes
If you couldn't already tell, this is Paradox with one major change. Ilias and Alice, in the same party. I know, I know, not very creative of me, but I'd like to have my own take on it.
Other than that, I've been somewhat disappointed with the severe lack of fics for Paradox. To help fill the void, I've started this one. For Part 3 of Paradox, (When it does finally come out) I was considering writing that in a separate fic entirely, otherwise, this one could go wild in terms of word count.