Ilias, despite her many millennia of life, had never once been forced to crawl in the dirt and mud. That was until she and her companions had found themselves trapped, thanks to poor planning. Harpy feathers were not the only way to teleport from A to B, but the other methods either required vast amounts of magical power and talent or intricate knowledge and time to build the technology required to pull off such a feat.

And most of my memories have been lost to me… If I ever knew how to create such a contraption in the first place. They're returning, but they're taking their time…

She pulled herself forward by her elbows, cursing to herself softly. She would have to wash her dress from top to bottom once she got back, until not a spec of dirt remained. Eden, the goddess' third Seraph, normally took on such trivial tasks, but seeing as she was nowhere to be found…

My most loyal seraph, and yet she doesn't appear when I need her most. And now Luka has the gall to send me out to find a feather as if I were his servant! And besides, it's not like there's just going to be one lying around somewhere!

This was the fourth ruined house she'd explored. Iliasburg had at least thirty angels patrolling the town, by her count. She'd done her best to appear as unassuming as possible, so as not to draw their attention. Some did spot her but didn't say anything. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see angels she had once commanded, those she had demoted for failing in their assigned missions, and some she had never seen before.

I'm just an ordinary, common angel. Nothing odd about me…

Her sullied dress did catch the attention of some angels, which led to her being forced to strip, at times, so as not to blow her cover. Thankfully, none of the others were with her. Luka was exploring Happiness Village with Sonya, while Alice stayed in Iliasville, checking the ruins there. Ilias was glad to be away from them all, at least for now. She could scarcely look Luka in the eyes after they had found the graves. She knew he blamed her for it. How could he not?

This… devastation wasn't my doing but… It is something I would've done. It's something I already tried to do. I know he resents me for it, even if he tries not to show it… Damn it! How am I going to get him on my side now? It doesn't matter how many skills I teach him or how useful I prove to be—If he hates me, it's all for nothing!

Finding a feather was crucial in winning his trust. The Sutherland Inn was the first place the goddess checked. Its many floors and rooms seemed promising at first, but none held more than a few old skeletons. A shiver ran down her spine each time she opened the door to find them either clutching each other's hand or curled up into a ball in fear. Some of them were smaller than her.

In the centre of the town was a great big pile of bodies, stacking almost as high as the houses. Monsters and humans alike were dumped there. Ilias tried not to stare. Their clothes had been burnt to ash, their spears and shields and swords all melted into a great silver puddle of metal. Few angels had enough power to cause such devastation but in a large enough group…

Only Eden, or some of the stronger cherubs could do something like that in one fell stroke. Assuming this world followed the same history as in my own and only diverted when Luka lost to Granberia, then Lucifina is dead, and Micaela was likely defeated in battle, just as Luka was… Which means Eden should still be alive. If I can make contact with her…

No… That likely wouldn't end well. Eden isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Would she even believe me if I told her I was another Ilias? Probably not. Just as these angels wouldn't believe me. Only Micaela or Lucifina would, and they're both lost to me…

I can't make the same mistake again. Not when I've been given another chance.

Another ruin, another instance of the goddess degrading herself by, quite literally, lowering herself to fit inside the cracks. She put her clothes back on once she got inside. It was not odd for an angel to be naked. They did not share the same customs humans did; Be it about clothing, familial relations or indecency. Shame was reserved only for those who betrayed the goddess. Still, Ilias herself always preferred the comfort her dress provided.

The goddess had to pinch her nose as she made her way inside. There was a horrid stench. Bodies were fresher here than in the other buildings. They were still decomposing. Must've been some stowaways, She thought, they clearly didn't hide well enough.

In one of their hands was a feather… an angel feather, Ilias knew. Useless, apart from its ability to conduct light energy. She threw it away in anger. Rays of light entered the buildings through its many holes. It was starting to become dark. She and the others had agreed to return to Iliasville once it became night, which meant she should start making her way back soon. The market was the last place she had to check, and then she could finally get some well-earned rest.

"I haven't seen you around here before," An angel said, flying next to the goddess.

The angel was small, around the same size as Ilias herself, yet far more powerful. She had the same blue eyes and blonde hair as her creator, with a respectable amount of clothing and jewellery. The goddess knew her. Mariel, the archangel…

"Oh… I just got sent here," Ilias explained, awkwardly.

The young angel nodded. "I see. You're… very weak," She said, bluntly. Ilias bit her lip. "The weakest angel I've ever seen, in fact. And we're around the same age too."

Ilias had to think quickly. "I wasn't sent here to fight… Seraph Eden has ordered me to search this area for any remaining humans before The Replacement begins."

That is what I called it, wasn't it?

"Hmm… Then I guess I'll help you out. Nothing else for me to do here anyway," Mariel reasoned.

Ilias didn't dare risk denying her. The two of them headed to the market, one of them admiring the scenery along the way. "Look at what those humans made under Ilias' guidance… They could've been so great, yet I'm sure the goddess knew something we didn't. They must've been truly hopeless."

"They… were complicated. Ilias must've tried for a very long time to get them to obey her and follow her, as they were created to do, but they never really listened." Ilias explained. "Those new humans should be much better, far more obedient."

Mariel could only agree. Still, she would miss certain aspects of the old humans, namely the enjoyment she got from extracting their energy. She had done it many times before in a dozen unique ways… Was that pleasure now to be lost to her when they were done? If that's what Ilias wanted, then that's what must be… Still, the angel could not suppress her grief.

Ilias checked under the stalls and inside the drawers, but there were no feathers to be found. "What are you doing?" Mariel asked. "I thought we were looking for humans."

"Right… I'm just looking for any evidence that might lead us to them." Ilias said. The stalls were either broken or burnt, with some of them being nothing more than a pile of ash. "You guys didn't hold anything back."

"Not even a bit," Mariel recalled proudly. "The goddess told us to wipe the slate clean and start over. It only took a day to destroy every village on this continent. This place and Iliasport were the only real towns here. Neither of them lasted long either—Two days at most. I got to see some action, but it wasn't as fun as it sounds. They barely even put up a fight, and nobody could actually hit us. Though…"

"What is it?" Ilias asked.

"Well, I have heard rumours that there was a boy in Iliasville that managed to strike us. I know it sounds ridiculous, and I really shouldn't even be saying this, but the others say that he had angel blood in him. Crazy, right? Some have even whispered that he used the legendary skill of Lucifina, Daystar, to take down a few of our sisters." Mariel explained. "He quickly burnt himself out afterwards and died in vain… I only wish I was there to see it."

Ilias didn't want to hear any more about it. She had long known of Luka's… unique heritage. "And where were you during all of that?"

"There's a secret village east of here called Enrika, hidden in the forest. There were some fallen angels there, all of whom were quickly beaten. One of them did manage to escape, however, and we're still looking for her to this day, along with all the leftover humans. We'll find them all eventually. There's nowhere left to run."

The goddess knew that well enough. In her grand plan, even the spirits wouldn't be safe. After enough time had passed they would be replaced by artificial spirits, once they had become advanced enough, and then the originals slain. A decent plan, but one doomed to fail in her own world. It was only her backup plan, after all. Ill-conceived and hastily executed, even now she was still surprised that it ever came close to working in the first place.

"Hey, look at this," Mariel said, holding a feather in hand. It was white, but not as pale as an angel's. It had a tinge of pink to it, and it had traces of dark energy all over it. A harpy feather…

"Can I—" Mariel burnt the feather before Ilias could finish her sentence.

"Disgusting," She said. "A harpy must've been here. We need to find them, and fast, before she flies away."

Damn it! Of course she had to find it first…

Angels were not very skilled at detecting dark energy. Monsters, in much the same fashion, were unable to detect light energy. This meant both of them found it difficult to find each other. As such, Ilias didn't put much effort into the search, only moving aside some rubble here and there. She didn't really want to find the monster in the first place.

If we take long enough perhaps she'll have the chance to fly away… And then what? Where could she even go? How far could she fly before being spotted? It's hopeless…

Mariel had much more enthusiasm. It had been a long while since she had a man to herself, and even longer since she had a young one. Finishing off a monster who lasted this long could be fun too, she hoped. She used her magical prowess to lift some of the rubble. The harpy was nearby, she could feel it in her bones.

The archangel's ears perked up upon hearing feathers rustling. "There you are," She flew over to the source. Just as she thought, a harpy was lying down, asleep. A human was nestled in her wings, an older man wearing little clothing. Disgusting, Mariel thought. The man had lain with the monster many times before, judging by his scent. The archangel gathered a considerable amount of divine power, before releasing it all onto the two sleeping lovers.

Ilias watched in horror, not only because of Mariel's cruelty, but also due to her method of execution. Yet again, her chance at getting a harpy feather had been squandered. The man and the harpy's corpses burnt long afterwards, leaving nothing but a fresh pair of skeletons. Even their bones had been charred. No feathers remained.

Another opportunity lost… I need to get away from Mariel and head back to Iliasville. Luka and Alice should've been more fortunate than I… I hope.

"Well, I guess that's that," Mariel said, her voice ripe with disappointment. "We better keep looking then."

Ilias had no choice but to follow. They had no more luck in finding any humans or monsters left in the town, and eventually, the young angel grew bored. She flew off to continue her patrol. The goddess was relieved. She wrapped herself in a fresh cloak she had found lying around, to protect herself from the cold winds. Night had already donned, quicker than she would've liked. Iliasville was not far, where Luka and the others would likely already be waiting for her.

Day turned to night quickly enough. Alice had grown lonely after being away from the others for so long, and there wasn't much to do besides searching the ruins for anything that could assist them. There was a small chance of finding a harpy feather in Iliasville, the monster knew, but she could get her hands on some helpful equipment, or gold. Alipheese knew the locals didn't need them any longer.

She was lucky enough to find a replacement for her rapier. It was sharper, a bit longer, and had a more comfortable grip. She found it deep in one of the cellars, hidden in a locked box. A quick blast of darkness destroyed the lock. Inside was not only the rapier, but also a small pouch of gold, alongside a few miscellaneous potions.

—! What the hell was that!?

Alipheese turned quickly. Something had knocked over a piece of rubble, and the Monster Lord could've sworn she saw a purple figure standing in the corner, watching her. She couldn't quite put her finger on her stalker, but she had a hunch that it was the person they had chased her in the first place: White Rabbit.

So she is here… I need to track her down before she gets away!

The lamia slithered up the ladder as best she could, which was difficult when she could only use her arms and one tail. By the time she reached the surface, the stalker had already departed. Alice sighed, moving on to the next ruin. There was only one left. She had explored all the others. Iliasville was small and poorly defended. It was a wonder any buildings were left standing at all.

…What was that…?

Alice sensed something, another monster, if only for a moment. She slithered back down the ladder and checked behind the barrels and boxes. Eventually she found her stalker… It was not White Rabbit. Purple-haired and small of stature, the imp stared up at the monster wearily. Alice knew about their race, weak and timid, most moved past this stage and progressed into full-blown succubi, but some chose to stay in their smaller form well past their maturity.

"Oh… Hey," Alice said. The imp was shivering. "Are you cold…?"

No, not cold… Shy… Or is she scared? I really can't tell…

"I won't hurt you," The Monster Lord said. "How about you tell me your name?"

The imp looked away as she spoke. "Its… Remi," She said softly.

"Get away from her!" Another monster shouted. Alice failed to sense her. She got a swift kick in the head as punishment, but it didn't hurt much.

"Oww… What the heck?" Alice studied the newcomer. It was another imp, taller than the first, with a far less flat chest and far more extroverted personality, if her sudden attack was anything to go by. "Who are you? Why'd you attack me!?"

The imp's hair was in desperate need of a good brushing. "You're one of those angels who hurt everyone, aren't you!? And you were going to hurt Remi too!"

"Do I look like an angel!?" Alice asked.

"Oh…" The imp looked the monster up and down. "I guess not. But why are you down here in the first place?"

Another imp was standing behind the one with the oversized chest. She was not as timid as Remi, but she seemed far more lax about the whole thing. "I… was looking for a harpy feather,"

"Oh? How come?" The imp asked. "Trying to get back to Hellgondo? I wouldn't, there's no point. The angels took that place over too. You're as safe there as you are here."

"So not at all?" Alice asked.

"Exactly. My name's Rami by the way, and this is Rumi," She gestured to the imp behind her, who seemed to be barely finding the energy to stand.

"Nice to meet you," Alice said. "Say… Do you want to get out of here? My friends and I… Well, it's a lot to explain, but I'm sure the others in the castle will fill you in."

"What are you talking about?" Rami, who seemed to be the trio's leader, asked. "There's nowhere to go. The angels are everywhere."

"I know. But we're not from here. Just… trust me," Alice said. "It's better than waiting for the angels to find you down here."

Rami was unsure. Rumi grabbed her wrist. "I think we should give it a try… I'm tired of sitting around here doing nothing."

" You're tired of doing nothing? Things must've gotten really bad then… What do you think, Remi?"

Remi gave the slightest of shrugs, so minute that Alice didn't even notice it, but Rami seemed to understand its meaning. "…"

"One for and one undecided… Well, I guess it's worth a shot. We'll follow you, Miss. lamia."

"The name's Alice. Alipheese Fateburn the Sixteenth."

"You mean you're the Monster Lord!?" Rami asked, shocked. "W-What are you doing here!? Why are you so small!? H-How are you alive!?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter right now. Like I said, the others will fill you in. Just come with me, I'll show you how to get into the castle."

And so the Monster Lord did as she said. The trio of imps would likely prove useless in battle, but Alice didn't save them for their usefulness. She was thankful now that Luka had left the Pocket Castle with her instead of taking it with him to Harpiness Village.

Now to resume the search… If I find anyone else I'll offer them an escape, but I highly doubt anyone else was left in this village. That trio just happened to find a good hiding spot.

Luka's house had been torn to shreds. The inn had a few signs left, most of which had singe marks around the sides, their messages no longer recognisable. The boy's portrait of his family survived, she noticed, picking it up to get a closer look. This one had all three family members inside. A young boy who barely reached his mother's hips, who could've only been Luka. Beside him stood his parents, a purple-haired man who Luka resembled to an uncanny degree, and the mother, a smaller woman with a gentle smile. The glass had small cracks in it around the corners.

I saw the version of this in my world. It was more or less the same, but the man was cut out. If Luka didn't cut his father out of this one, then perhaps that could be another difference between this world and our own…

Alice set up camp surprisingly quickly after she had given up on her search. She didn't bother laying out a tent for Ilias, which certainly helped her save time. The fire crackled beneath the stars as she waited for her friends to return. She wouldn't even mind if Ilias came back first. She had never felt so alone. An angel could appear at any moment and jump at her out of the darkness. Ilias could be watching her right now—Not the Ilias who she had been forced to accompany, but the Ilias of this world, the one who won.

But she hasn't found us yet… Otherwise, we'd all be dead. So she's not as omnipotent as she claims…

A branch snapped in the distance. Alice was beside herself with fear. She gripped her rapier tightly. The Fateburns were the strongest monsters ever, yet Alipheese did not feel strong. The darkness seemed to inch closer and closer as time passed, and before long, a figure emerged.

"Oh, it's just you…" Alice sighed.

Ilias wasn't so relieved. "Where are the others?"

Alice shrugged. "No idea. They should be back soon."

The Monster Lord was glad to have company. She scooched over for the goddess, though thankfully the goddess refused the offer. She sat on the opposite side of the campfire, embracing the comfortable warmth. Alipheese had chosen to set up camp just outside Ilias' Temple, which was secure enough. Even those inside the temple had not been spared, the monster had surmised, looking at the many skeletons littered within when she searched for a feather.

"Any luck?" Alice asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

Ilias shook her head and said no more of it. "Same here," Alice said.

The Goddess of Creation did not look so divine to Alice. Her dress had fresh holes along the base, it's usually pristine white now sullied by dirt and mud. Ilias' eyes had a redness to them the Monster Lord had never noticed before. She must've been crying, Alice thought.

Good. She should feel bad for what she's done. It's what she deserves.

…

"Its…" Alice began, before her sense could catch up to her. It was too late now. "It's not really your fault," Alice said. "It was another you."

Her words were of small comfort to Ilias. "…Thanks." She forced herself to say, wiping her tired eyes. It had been a long day, and all she wanted now was to go home and rest.

The flames crackled between them, the embers flying into the sky like fireflies in the dark. Alice couldn't think of anything to say. It was cold, even with the fire. The Monster Lord didn't wear much, even during winter, something which she was now starting to regret. She added a few more dry branches to the fire, which were hard to find thanks to the recent rains.

It's around winter here, yet spring just began back home… yet another difference between these worlds.

Time passed in near-total silence. Neither spoke a word. After an hour had passed, new sounds came from the nearby woods. Ilias' still exceptional senses knew who it was, or rather, who they were.

"Took you long enough," She said, standing up to meet them, hands on her hips. "Well, did you get it?"

Luka was exhausted. He held up a thin, pink feather victoriously. He and Sonya sat down beside the fire, closer together than Ilias would like. She pushed past Alice and sat on Luka's other side. "You two had no luck then?" He asked.

Alice shook her head. "Nope. I did find a few things around here, but nothing to write home about."

"Let's just get out of here already," Ilias pleaded. "We've already been here too long."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Luka pulled the feather out from his pouch. It was brittle, bending slightly near the middle. "Let's just hope it's fresh enough to work… Or whatever it is that makes this thing tick."

He really is a country bumpkin, Alice thought. Few knew as little about magic as he did. "The feathers themselves aren't magical. It's a process afterwards which gives them the ability to teleport us. Which means… this one won't work."

"…Are you serious? Why didn't you say that earlier!?" Luka asked, in a raised voice, but still low enough to not attract any unwanted attention.

"I… Forgot," Alice admitted. "B-But it's fine! I can do it—Tamamo taught me how."

"Are you sure you have enough power for that?" Sonya asked. "I mean, I hardly imagine it'd be easy."

"It's actually pretty rudimentary. Well, for someone like me, it is. Here, hand me the feather. Look, you have to first imbue it with a thin layer of dark magic. Most monsters can't control how much magic they output, at least not to such a fine degree—But I can."

Which is helped by the fact that I barely have any magic to control in the first place.

"Then, you just have to give it a bit of wind and…" The feather shone slightly, a haunting purple which spread across it instantly. The flames flickered as Alice worked her magic. "There we go! With that, it should work. You're welcome."

Luka seemed hesitant to touch it. "Thanks… Are you sure it'll work?"

"Totally. Just make sure you take all of us with you when you use it. Remember, we have to be making physical contact for that." Alice stretched out a hand to Luka, but one of his hands was already holding the feather, and the other was taken taken by Sonya. The Monster Lord was forced to put her hand on Ilias' shoulder.

Luka closed his eyes as he clutched the feather tightly. It was no longer frail, somehow. Magic had always been a mystery to the young boy. His mother had once tried to explain it to him, but he didn't remember much. "Alright, here goes!"

White Rabbit was constantly dealing with stress. Her days were filled with activity, and she never got any time to relax. She had long envied Reaper, with her comfortable solace in Hades. "And now I have to track these four down..." She muttered to herself.

Luka and the others had found themselves stuck in another world. This too, had never happened before. Well, it had, but not this early. An unlikely consequence of his choice, one White Rabbit never could've foreseen. Time was a strange thing to her. She experienced it all at once, yet the present was always the clearest. The future had possibilities, each one changing as unpredictably and as suddenly as the weather.

She found them in the space between worlds, where nothing lived. It was normally inaccessible to organic beings, even the goddesses, but Luka was far from just an organic being. White Rabbit had already saved him many times before, though she doubted he remembered it. Each one disrupted spacetime a little, but not nearly as much as letting him die. She had seen what that could do, far too many times now.

They were floating in the darkness, each one of them holding onto one another, all of them sound asleep. Each of them was vitally important in saving the world from the ever-increasing darkness, yet each was more idiotic than the last. White Rabbit often wondered how the fate of the universe could rest in such incompetent hands. She approached their leader, the Hero Luka, and plucked a broken feather from his hands.

The fools… Now I see how this happened. Creating Harpy Feathers requires far more power than the Monster Lord currently possesses, especially if it is used to traverse worlds.

White Rabbit conjured a portal out of the void. It led them back to their world, just as they wanted. From their perspectives, the feather would've seemed to have worked. She pushed them into the portal carefully. Once that was done, she entered it herself and closed it behind her.

I guess it is sort of my fault for leading them down the Tartarus this early… But they handled themselves fairly well. Now to just leave them in an Inn and call it a day… Luka's Inn should work.