Chapter 14: Don't go near the water
The night had passed by without much issue, leading to an otherwise beautiful morning.
Luka, being a kind soul had insisted on checking in with the villagers.
Most of them were fairly standard conversations, save for the one at this instant.
"I was thinking of building a shrine for that 'Ill-ass' Goddess you Westerners believe in." The Old Man in front of them said.
"I think you mean Ilias." Giorno corrected, as his ally winced at the crude mispronunciation of her name.
"I don't think she would appreciate that…" He muttered.
"You Westerners and your vengeful gods.." The Old Man shook his head as he left.
"Out of the way, out of the way! This package is heavy!... Ah? Hero guys from before!" A child's voice proclaimed.
"Gob?" Giorno turned around, meeting her curious gaze.
"What are you doing here?" Luka asked.
"I took a job in shipping. I'm delivering this package from Iliasburg to Yamatai!" She proudly declared.
"That's quite a large trek. Did you find it difficult to get here?" Giorno questioned, concerned about her safety at work.
"I've already made five trips between here and Iliasburg! I'm much better than just some normal Goblin!" Gob bragged, practically beaming.
"What?! F-five times?" Luka visibly deflated.
"That's very impressive Gob… Just be careful, okay?" Giorno pat her head.
"Okay!"
Moving on from that surprise reunion, they once again found themselves in the shrines where monsters would spend most of their time.
"The sealed Yamata no Orochi is being kept in this shrine. My friends and I put her in a small clear container. Complete with a rock and a couple sticks and leaves to simulate her old cave. We'll keep her in there so she can reflect on her bad deeds." Shirohebi answered.
"I hope she really does reflect on her bad deeds…" Luka agreed.
"Maybe a few years of that would do her some good." Giorno commented.
"Years? She was quite greedy, but her crimes weren't too serious. I'm sure she'll be released before long." Shirohebi explained.
"Not serious? Are you out of your mind? She held this village hostage for years…" The blonde quickly argued.
"The villagers didn't seem to mind once discussions were started." The Lamia monster defended, her polite smile disappearing.
"I understand, I suppose holding an entire village hostage isn't serious enough to you." Giorno huffed, walking off.
"Ah… Sorry." Luka apologized.
Days later...
"Even if she helped us, Tamamo is still our enemy in the grand scheme of things." Giorno commented as they traveled to their destination.
"Is she really a bad guy?" Luka questioned, not fully certain as to the kitsune's motivations.
"You judge others' morality based on how their actions affect relations between monsters and humans." Alice thought aloud before turning her head to face him. "Then I would say she's a little bad."
"I wouldn't say that, she was more than eager to go along with Alma's plan to starve out Iliasport. And let's not forget Yamata No Orochi being let off so easily." The blonde at her side disagreed.
"Well, at least Plansect should be a more peaceful place. All sorts of plant and insect monsters living together should be a great insight into coexistence!" Luka giddily claimed, excited at the prospect of observing such a phenomenon.
Within the next few hours, they quickly entered the village proper.
"So this is the place? No buildings anywhere…" Luka muttered, glancing around.
"How strange, surely even monsters need shelter from the elements. Or at least a place to sleep." Giorno observed, noticing that Alice was nowhere to be seen.
"Monsters!" Luka called out, rushing ahead to where a group of them were concentrated.
"Hehe... Is that all monsters from the plant race have? You're all finished..." the Moth Girl laughed maliciously.
"Ahaha, I'll suck up all your body fluids." A Mosquito Girl declared.
"Ehehe, it's our victory." The Caterpillar Gril singsang.
"Kuh... To think you all would corner us here..." The taller Alraune grimaced.
"If I wasn't injured, I'd deal with you damn insects...!" Her companion scowled, covered in cuts and nasty bruises.
The open field around the confrontation was littered with the bodies of dozens of monsters, and ruined forestry was likely the result of a massive battle.
A quick usage of Giorno's life sense revealed that a few of the bodies had no presence of life whatsoever.
'Did we just stumble in a race war?!' Luka thought, reeling back as his ideal world of coexistence shattered right in his face.
"Haha, unable to match my movements!?" The Moth girl sneered.
"Guh... When are reinforcements coming!?" The shorter Alraune lamented as the plant monsters were forced into a corner by the insects.
"I'll fight too! My sticky silk will finish them off!" The Caterpillar Girl declared, before opening her mouth and spraying the plant monsters with silk.
"D...Damn it!" The taller Alraune cursed, as both plant monsters became unable to move.
"Haha, time to suck you dry." The Mosquito Girl laughed maliciously, nearing the trapped plant monsters.
"Stop!" Luka ordered, stepping out in front of the Alraunes to defend them from further attack.
Giorno reluctantly joined him, maintaining a scowl as he prepared for yet another fight.
"Humans?" The Caterpillar Girl asked in surprise.
"Oh... humans coming to this village? How unusual. But why would they protect the Alraunes?" The Mosquito Girl questioned.
"I don't think they're the reinforcements... I think they're just intruders." The Moth Girl guessed.
"I don't know what's going on but stop this fight! The Alraunes already lost their will to fight!" Luka demanded.
"If you're defending the plant monsters, you're our enemy too." The Moth Girl declared.
"Haha, today will be quite the feast. In addition to vegetable juice, I'll get to suck out some human semen." The Mosquito Girl licked her lips, eyes flickering between the two men.
"Enemy! Enemy! Get them!" The Caterpillar Girl cheered.
"Whomever makes one come first gets him... How does that sound?" The Moth girl proposed.
"So it's first come for ownership, is it? I'm fine with that." The Mosquito girl agreed.
"Hehehe... time to put him into a cocoon!" The Caterpillar girl sang gleefully, firing off a thread of silk at the pair of them.
"Guh... This isn't what I was hoping for when I came here! Alright, here I come!" Luka scowled, pulling out his sword.
"Useless… Utterly useless." Giorno intervened, allowing his hand to get hit by the thread.
""Hehe... You can't escape now." The Caterpillar gloated.
"Arara... You got stuck in her sticky silk." The Moth girl mocked.
Their mockery ceased once the silk began forming into thorn-covered vines, morphing all the way to her silk glands and even inside of them.
"Move and I'll rip these out…" Giorno threatened, holding the vines with a death grip.
"Wha- How did you…" The Caterpillar Girl froze, terrified at the foreign intrusions in her body squirming about.
"Be careful around the Moth girl, females of the species have access to pheromones to attract mates. I'm sure that applies to their monster equivalents." He advised, not at all bothered by them.
"I got it!" Luka summoned Sylph, leaping into battle to attack her two friends.
"Demon Decapitation!"
He blurred forward, slashing at the Moth Girl's neck and catching them by complete surprise.
"Wah?!" The Moth Girl's hands moved far too slow to try and guard her neck, suffering a critical blow.
"We can't take him lightly!" The Mosquito girl warned, trying to intervene.
A bundle of knives thrown at her forced her to dodge and let her friend get overwhelmed by Luka's speed and physical prowess.
"Not so fast…" Giorno continued to harass her, not allowing her to join in the fray.
Luka refused to let up, slashing at her many times from all over. His near mastery of the wind allowed him to end her in less than a minute, leaping up and smashing her head with a powerful blow.
"What... Is this...?" The Moth Girl stammered, as her body dissolved into a normal moth.
"She's done!" Luka called out, turning his attention to his remaining foe.
Giorno summoned a breath of the Earth, intending to use Gnome's improved strength.
With a flick of his wrist, one of the knives flew right into one of the wings of the Mosquito Girl.
"Gah!" She fell onto the ground, reeling in pain.
"These two are finished as well." Giorno looked down at her writhing form.
"Giorno! I had this covered!" Luka blanched, horrified to see that the knife was beginning to transform into branches of a tree.
The once clean-cut split open, tearing an even larger hole in her wing.
"Hyaaah! Make it stop! I give up!" The Mosquito begged, tears in her eyes and breathing erratically.
"Enough! She surrendered!" Luka punched his shoulder, getting Giorno's attention.
"Useless…" Giorno muttered, stopping the growth of his plants.
The Caterpillar Girl remained stock silent, fighting back tears of terror as the vines continued festering inside her silk glands.
"Begone from my sight… If I ever see you again, I'll make sure to finish the job." Giorno threatened, letting go of the vines and letting them turn back into harmless silk.
Similarly, the branches in the Mosquito's wing transformed into replacement tissue.
Both monsters bolted as fast as they could, shouting apologies as their voices faded away.
"You tortured them!" Luka angrily accused.
"So what? They were on the verge of killing these two." He motioned at the two Alraunes behind him, who escaped from their binds.
"You saved us! But... Who are you?" The short Alraune inquired.
"You're humans, aren't you? Why are you helping us?" Her friend asked.
"That's a good question… Why did we do that, Luka?" Giorno asked, not impressed by how easily Luka placed them in that situation.
"I couldn't let you get killed before my eyes... But what the hell is going on here? I heard that the different monster races were living together here peacefully..." Luka questioned, overlooking the warzone.
"...That's a thing of the past. Plansect village has been divided into two different factions." The taller Alraune explained.
"War! Our plants and those insect bastards are at war!" The other angrily explained.
"War... Eh..." Luka spoke in a dazed tone.
"Powerful humans, please save us! Help us end this stupid war as fast as possible! Us plant monsters don't wish for this fight to continue!" The taller Alraune pleaded.
"Yes, finish off those insects! They're so cruel and evil!" Her friend continued, doing her best to convince them.
"Save you? Do you want us on your side? Why should we bother?" Giorno questioned, suspicious of their circumstances.
"Yes... Please lend us your strength. I'm sure you're hesitant about joining in a monster's war... But at the very least... Please listen to our story." The taller Alraune pleaded.
"Our leader's name is Priestess. Please, just meet with Priestess!" The other one insisted.
"O... Ok... If it's just listening to her..." Luka timidly agreed, looking at his friend for confirmation.
"…" Giorno resisted the urge to roll his eyes. In the end, he just nodded.
"Thank you so much! We'll escort you to Priestess." The taller Alraune said gratefully.
"Priestess is in Planforest, we'll be there soon." The other Alraune concluded as they started moving.
"Um… We saw you turn that silk into a plant. You know…earlier." The smaller Alraune commented as they walked.
"Yes." Giorno flatly answered, not in the mood for conversation.
"Are you part plant monster? If so…" The taller Alraune questioned, showing major interest in him.
"Yes, my mother was a plant monster… An Alraune of sorts." He lied, casting a knowing look towards Luka. It was better to go along with their assumptions, possibly even give them some good graces.
"I've never seen a male monster before… You guys could really change the way this war's going." The tall Alraune commented.
"Uhm... You two are Alraunes, right?" Luka questioned.
"Yes. Alraune is the general term used, but we're not all the exact same type. In addition to the basic, widely known types, there are many different variations that live here." The taller Alraune explained.
"I'm an Alraune mixed with a little Dryad blood mixed in!" The shorter one proudly declared.
"Ah... I see..." Luka acknowledged.
"There are other plant types that live in Plansect village, too. Ivy types, mushroom types... All kinds." The tall Alraune explained.
"All types, eh..." Luka trailed off thoughtfully.
Soon, they were shown to Alra Priestess.
If it weren't for her vine-like hair and legs made of plant life, one could have easily mistaken her for a human.
"How do you do? My name is Alra priestess. Since the reign of Alice the 14th, I have looked after this land." Alra Priestess said, introducing herself.
"H...Hello..." Luka timidly greeted.
"Pleasure to meet you. Your… soldiers said you might need our strength." Giorno greeted, taking charge of the conversation given Luka's shyness around authority figures.
"I wish to thank you for rescuing those two from certain death. In addition, we are all quite in awe at the prowess you showed when you repelled three of them by yourself... Many of us have fallen in the fierce battles up until now... Even a single additional reinforcement could mean the difference between victory and defeat..." Alra Priestess said solemnly
"And you'd have us be your reinforcements." Giorno concluded.
"...This village was peaceful until 10 years ago. Us plants and the Insect race lived together peacefully. But the insect race's leader, Queen Bee, began to oppress us. Her intense cruelty was limited only to those of the plant race. That cruelty only continued to escalate... At first, the insects massacred us, clearly superior in fighting ability. In front of that overwhelming force, the blood of young and old alike flooded the forest..." Alra Priestess lamented.
"That's... Horrible..." Luka said in sympathy.
"We couldn't allow the genocide to continue... So we resisted. With the power of the Canaan Sisters from a foreign plant tribe, we managed to compete on equal terms." Alra priestess continued.
"That reminds me, Priestess... What happened to the Canaan Sisters?" The shorter Alraune asked her leader.
"They have been resting since the battle two days ago. Those two have fighting skills that surpass even mine. For the battles that are surely to come, we must conserve their strength." Alra Priestess replied, before turning back to the two men.
"Now, back to the original story... With the power of the Canaan Sisters, we are on equal terms with them. But there isn't a single one of us that wishes to fight. If the insect race would cease all violence, we would put down our arms in a second." She explained, doing her utmost to convince them to join her cause.
"I see..." Luka trailed off thoughtfully.
"So please, join us to help end this as fast as possible..." Alra Priestess pleaded.
"...But is fighting the only way to end it? Can't you try talking to their leader one more time?" Luka proposed.
"This is the result we have arrived to after our talks did not work... War is the final response to this hopeless situation..." Alra priestess lamented.
"But fighting in a war between monsters is..." Luka started.
"...We don't want this war to continue. We just want to live in peace. But to reach that, we have to fight, don't we? If we do not, we can do nothing but be exterminated by the insect race." Alra priestess begged, clasping her hands as if she were praying.
Luka didn't have much to say to that, looking very uncomfortable.
"Please, are you not one of us? Surely you have some sympathy for members of your mother's race? We were actually just discussing a counteroffensive. Won't you join us in our offensive and get rid of the source of evil, Queen Bee?" Alra Priestess asked, specifically targeting Giorno now.
'Very convincing...'
"Please, help us!" The taller Alraune pleaded.
"Let's fight together!" Her shorter friend insisted.
"...Fine. I'll help." Luka agreed after a long pause, nodding his head despite his reluctance.
"Very well… if it brings peace, I will join him." Giorno added, surprising even Luka.
"Thank you, heroes. On behalf of all my brethren, I thank you." Alra priestess said gratefully.
"Alright, you're our ally now!" The shorter Alraune cheered.
"Thank you for joining us!" The tall Alraune happily thanked.
"Now, let's talk about our ongoing operations. Our base of operations is in this Planforest. The insect base is in the Sectforest. Queen Bee's hive is located there." Alra Priestess explained.
"I see..." Luka followed.
"Currently, our troops are advancing towards Sectforest. On the way, they encountered the insect race's troops in the middle of the village, where a battle is taking place." Alra pointed out, going into further depth on the war.
"That's where the two of us were wounded. You saved us as we were withdrawing from the battle." The taller Alraune explained.
"If we weren't already injured from that battle, we could have beaten those girls!" The smaller Alraune bitterly added.
"...So you want me to go there and fight?" Luka guessed, but the Priestess shook her head in response.
"You want us to destroy their leadership, not get caught in a battle of attrition." Giorno guessed.
"That's right. We wish to ask you to perform a different role. In fact, our direct assault is simply a decoy. We wish to attract their forces in what they think is a final confrontation, as we send a detached force directly to assault Queen Bee." Alra Priestess claimed.
"A detached force...?" Luka questioned.
"To assassinate Queen Bee, we chose some of the highest-skilled plant monsters to sneak in. Those girls are taking a different route to infiltrate Sectforest. With the huge battle being waged in the village center, the security around her should be lax. Only one assassin needs to make it to her... That's the plan." The green-haired woman concluded.
"I see, assaulting the enemy boss to win..." Luka said thoughtfully.
'Defeating the boss… Where have I heard that before?' Giorno thought to himself.
"I would like you to be a part of the detached force. Infiltrate Sectforest and take out Queen Bee." Alra Priestess requested.
"...I see, I got it." Luka nodded.
"You can see that large tree on the way over there, can't you? That is the heart of Sectforest... Where Queen Bee's hive is located." Alra priestess said, pointing at a towering tree in the distance. "The other members of the detached force are already spread out through the forest and on their way. So please, infiltrate Sectforest as they do, and take out Queen Bee!"
"As soon as we recover, we'll head out too." the taller Alraune assured.
"Us plants can recover quickly if we drink water! We'll be good to go in one hour!" the other explained.
"I understand. I'll head out now then!" Luka declared.
"I'll be praying for your success. Please, bring us victory." Alra priestess pleaded.
"Yes, leave it to me!" Luka assured as he and Giorno departed towards Sectforest.
A few moments after exiting the encampment, they were joined by Alice, who didn't look very impressed with them.
"...You idiot. You got seduced into that quite easily." Alice scoffed.
"...I wasn't seduced into it. I decided to help them of my own free will." Luka declared.
"I'm almost offended you think so lowly of me." Giorno huffed. "That Alra Priestess can put on a convincing act."
"Act?" Luka parroted, not understanding him.
"She appealed to your sense of justice. I doubt the war is as simple as she says it is. Her hands are a tell, by the way. She won't end the war as peacefully as she says she will." The blonde elaborated.
"Eh? That can't be… Can't you just end the conflict, Alice?" Luka asked, second-guessing himself.
"Plansect village was entrusted to the divided rule of Priestess and Queen Bee by an earlier Monster Lord. A dispute in the area between the two rulers is not the place for the Monster Lord to meddle in." Alice proclaimed.
"It isn't? Your subjects are in the middle of a race war and you'll do nothing?" Giorno frowned upon hearing her excuse.
"But couldn't you demand them to negotiate peace...?" Luka argued.
"The Monster lord should never be a tyrant. I could demand they negotiate and reach an agreement... But such an agreement would be meaningless. Under my influence, they would be pressured into an agreement neither wants." Alice elaborated.
"So that's why you won't do anything? Even if it means letting your cute subordinates kill each other in vain?" Luka questioned.
"...I'll leave them alone if they truly wish for conflict. Sometimes in this world, things have to go to ruin before peace can come." Alice said neutrally, looking away from him.
"This situation needs a tyrant." Giorno disagreed, fully keeping eye contact with her.
"…" Alice simply returned his gaze, a mixture of amusement and slight anger in her yellow orbs.
"The ideal situation for a ruler is to be both feared and loved. You are not loved, only because few people know your true identity. What remains is your reputation to be feared, the next best thing. End the war right now, they cannot hope to defy you." Giorno advised.
"As soon as I leave, things will quickly deteriorate back to where they were before. Unless both sides truly wish to stop, a forced agreement will have no meaning." Alice rejected the idea.
"I don't understand your hesitance to take charge. You saw those bodies before… and from what the Priestess said earlier, this has been happening for years."
Giorno disengaged from her, instead choosing to walk ahead to begin their trek to the enemy leader.
"We'll follow this counteroffensive for now. But I refuse to be their pawn."
"Everywhere we go, annoying monsters keep appearing..." Luka commented, taking a rest after the Silkworm had been defeated.
"We should be used to it by now." Giorno said, inspecting the cocoons around them. Inside them, he felt the still-alive presence of monsters.
He wasted no further time, cutting the moaning occupants free and allowing them out.
"Agh!" An Alraune coughed as she crawled out of her prison.
Besides her, tens of her comrades did the same.
"H-humans?"
"Then the rumors of Alra Priestess enlisting you were right…"
"Cease your fighting. We will end this war." Giorno proclaimed, joining Luka as they moved on.
Finally, they reached an opening in the trees, standing before the massive tree outlined by Alra Priestess.
"So this is Sectforest..." Luka said as he overlooked a huge hole in the great tree's base.
The pair of them rushed inside the cave, trying to make their way to the presumed location of the leader.
"INTRUDER... ELIMINATE." A Hornet Girl said as she spotted them enter her home.
"A bee-type monster... She must be a subordinate of Queen Bee." Luka commented as he drew his sword.
"Gnome!" Giorno mustered up the power of the Earth in his fist.
Before she could react, his fist had already slammed into the side of her face.
Her unconscious body slammed into the cave wall, shaking the system.
"Only a broken arm this time… Much better than before." Giorno commented, holding his arm.
"She must have been one of the few direct subordinates not involved in the fighting. The Queen has to be close!" Luka sighed, thankful that the fight had been so one-sided.
'We're getting pretty strong now… Few normal monsters have a chance at taking us both on.'
They eventually found themselves in a large room, with a regal-looking insect monster sitting atop a shrine.
"The Queen…" Giorno looked at the crown on her head.
"Indeed. I am Queen Bee. Why did you come here, human?" The Queen confirmed.
"I want to end this war! If you won't listen and stop, I'll be forced to defeat you!" Luka declared.
"Luka… Stop that." Giorno nudged his shoulder, to no effect.
"...Unfortunately, we cannot stop fighting. I govern this insect tribe. I must protect those in my charge." The Queen refused.
"Then I have no choice... I'm sorry, but I have to seal you!" Luka said resolutely, raising his sword.
"If you won't give up... Then I shall be your opponent. I'll defeat you with the power of a Queen!" The monster shouted, charging forward.
"Tch." Giorno grunted, summoning an inferior application of Gnome and drawing his blade to meet her.
"No man can resist a Queen's breasts... I wish to taste your penis..." the Queen said, attempting to press her body on Luka.
He quickly sidestepped her attack, leading to her becoming over-extended.
With incredible speed and power, he slashed at her exposed back. His sword specifically aimed at her wings crippled her ability to maneuver.
She tried to compensate by attacking with her arms but felt something she couldn't sense restrain her ability to use them.
Giorno capitalized on that by punting her head with the blunt section of his stolen sword.
"You dare?!" The Queen roared, beelining towards the blonde who showed her such disrespect.
He caught her puckering her lips, quickly recognizing that she was going to try and hypnotize him with a kiss.
"Useless!" He headbutt her, busting her lip and dazing the monster with a quick life shot.
"Demon Skull Beheading!" Luka shouted, already having used his ally's distraction to climb the shrine and leap down.
His sword smashed into her head, knocking her down onto the ground with a loud crunch.
Luka advanced onto her fallen form, about to deliver the final blow before Giorno intercepted his path.
"I-If I'm defeated.. Then my insect tribe is doomed." The Queen lamented, only now breaking out of her state of confusion.
Her body refused to respond to her, the earlier attack on her head had left her unable to put up any resistance against them.
"We need to seal her. Then this war will end!" Luka struggled against his friend's grip.
"Don't be foolish, Luka. Sealing her ends nothing. All we'll accomplish is doom the insect race." Giorno argued.
"You think the plants are going to kill them all? Or is this just because they're monsters?! You've been acting weird since Yamatai! I thought you supported coexistence too!" Luka finally shoved him away, using Gnome in his state of anger.
"Coexistence is possible, but only if we act responsibly and think logically. Sealing the Queen Bee ends nothing." Giorno repeated, staring him down.
Even Luka could tell his patience was wearing thin, given how little he knew Giorno tolerated repeating himself.
"What then? Why do you think they won't end the war peacefully? I can't think of any other reason besides you having a problem with them being monsters!" Luka shouted.
"On the contrary… This is the most human situation I've ever seen monsters deal with." Giorno lamented, looking down at the Queen Bee. "Conflict like this… is the most human thing they can do."
"Human history is filled with nothing but wars and conflict, petty details like religious differences have killed more people than I can count. Killing or sealing a single leader will achieve nothing. Trust me on that."
"Human… What are you saying?" The Queen hesitantly questioned.
"Monsters respect strength… And we've beaten you. That means you have no choice but to respect our will, yes?" Giorno asked.
"Y-yes…" The Queen fearfully confirmed, dreading the possibility that she would be forced to surrender her people to the plants.
"Can we count on your support for peace? An end to the fighting?" Luka asked, having caught on to what Giorno was inferring.
"P-peace? Not a surrender?" The Queen questioned.
"This war isn't as clear as it seems, when we spoke to the plant monsters earlier… They tried to manipulate us into thinking you were the sole aggressors." Giorno explained.
"Can we count on you to support a mutual peace? We want this war to end, we want people to stop dying in vain!" Luka practically pleaded.
The Queen was about to answer before another of her Hornet subjects entered the room.
"HUMAN. QUEEN IS?" The monster questioned, watching her leader in a pitiful state on the floor.
The monster began buzzing, readying herself to defend her monarch.
However, before she could attack…
"Stop right there, insect scum!" A familiar Alraune declared, grabbing the Hornet from behind and spraying her with some form of gas.
"Your Queen has been vanquished... Thanks to that, our victory is certain!" The smaller one declared.
"PL... PLANTS!?" The Hornet Girl stammered fearfully, under the effect of an aphrodisiac.
"Hehehe... Time to hunt down the remains." The taller Alraune said, licking her lips.
"Now, to suck out all your nutrients..." The monster grinned, as the Hornet girl started moaning.
"W... Wait a moment! The battle's over, what are you doing!?" Luka asked in confusion.
""What"...? We won the war. All of the insect scum are our spoils to be made into food!" The shorter Alraune declared.
"Hehe... Thanks for the me-" The Taller Alraune mocked, before Giorno punched her right in the jaw.
He caught the disoriented Hornet in his arms, glaring at the unwelcome intruders.
"What the hell?! You hit me!" The Taller Alraune screamed, holding her bruised face.
"This war is over… Stand down." Giorno threatened.
"What? Betraying us!? I thought you were our ally!" The smaller Alraune yelled angrily.
"Betray? That isn't it at all! I won't let you kill defenseless opponents!" Luka declared.
"Sheesh, you turncoats. To fight now after such a long battle is such a shame..." The taller Alraune complained.
"All insects are our enemy! If you defend them, you're our enemy too!" The smaller Alraune proclaimed.
"We're the elite the Queen picked to be the dispatched force. We've just healed from our previous injuries and are in peak condition..." The taller one started.
"We rushed here to help you, but you were already done... Now you're all exhausted and worn out... But we won't hold back!" The smaller one finished, as they both charged forward.
"You found yourselves in this situation merely an hour ago… And now you commit the same injustice. I knew this war wasn't as black and white as your side presented it." Giorno commented.
Luka rushed at the two plant monsters, furiously slashing at them using Sylph to boost his speed.
"Gold Experience!" Giorno called forth his stand, pelting them with a flurry of strikes.
"Muda Muda Muda!"
"Death Sword Chaos Star!" Luka proclaimed, taking the chance to deliver a quick and satisfying end to their resistance.
Countless slashes cut at them, demolishing their energy reserves and sealing both of them.
"Uaaa..." The smaller Alraune grunted, turning into a tree stump.
"Why are you betraying us...?" The taller Alraune asked in confusion, as she turned into a cabbage plant.
"Betray... Eh..." Luka repeated, his expression mournful.
"Eh? Queen?!" The Caterpillar Girl from before entered the room, gulping as she came face to face with the males who'd bested her before.
"…" The Queen Bee didn't respond, gobsmacked by the events that had just played out.
"Big bro, why did you help an enemy...?" The Caterpillar girl asked, not having the courage to look either of them in the eye.
"Enemies... Allies... I'm sick of that crap." Luka declared.
"We lost though...? We're all going to be eaten by the plants, right?" The Caterpillar girl questioned.
"If you had won, would you guys have eaten the plants?" Luka asked.
"Eww, I don't want to eat the Canaan Sisters. They dissolved and ate hundreds of my friends... I don't want to be eaten by them, so I've been fighting my hardest..." The Caterpillar Girl explained.
All hell broke loose upon even more insects entering the room.
"Not good, the plant army is going to be here soon!" A Mosquito girl exclaimed.
"SIEGE! ENDURE TO END!" A Hornet Girl droned.
"Human...! Ah, you!" The Mosquito Girl yelped, recognizing both of the males.
"...ENEMY!?" A Hornet Girl asked, readying herself for battle.
"No! They are not enemies. Do not engage them." Queen Bee declared, finally mustering the strength to get up. "…You've proven your words to me. You have my support in ending this war."
More and more soldiers poured into the cave system, some injured and demoralized after having been pushed back.
"Luka…" Giorno called for his ally's attention.
"…" Luka stewed in his anger for a bit longer, only lifting his head to acknowledge the blonde.
"I know that you're feeling frustrated right now. But this isn't the time for that right now." The blonde tried to break him out of his stupor.
"I was wrong…" Luka simply responded.
"Your mistake was taking the word of one side as the truth. The truth usually lies in the middle of two extremes. In this case, both sides fully believe they are on the side of justice. They use that to justify what they do to each other, butchering and devouring their enemies." Giorno nodded.
"So? What would a true hero do...? What should I do...?" Luka asked, utterly unmoved.
He didn't expect Giorno to punch him for that, knocking him down flat on the ground.
"Enough of that. How many times are you going to go on about not being a true hero?" Giorno grabbed onto his collar, lifting him off the ground.
"But I have to be a hero... I can't be anything but one!" Luka defended.
"No hero is perfect, Luka! Stop fighting for the sake of measuring up to some fantasy character. Tell me what you really want out of this." Giorno interrogated.
"I don't want to see weak people bullied by the strong... Neither humans nor monsters... I just don't want to see anyone suffering." Luka declared.
"Then set your mind to that goal. Stop caring about being a hero and start working on the kind of world you want to create." The blonde advised, putting him back down on his feet. "It's not possible to save everyone. The choices you can make are infinite, and the world is too complex. Neither you nor I can know which choice is right and which is wrong. Whatever the terrible consequence that you get might be, the fact of choosing something and accepting its consequences is the most important thing."
"Then I have to go... To Planforest." Luka finally said, rubbing his bruised cheek and taking a moment to meditate and heal away the slight injury.
"…About that. I can have one of my subordinates fly you to their encampment. But most of my soldiers are injured. I have doubts that we can hold out until this war is brought to a close." Queen Bee offered, nervously bringing herself into the conversation.
"…I can stay. You're more suited to going on the offense, Luka. But it's going to be you against these Canaan Sisters and Alra Priestess, possibly even some soldiers." Giorno added.
"It's fine. I won't lose. I can't afford to lose here." He resolutely declared as his eyes shone brightly. "Keep them safe, Giorno."
"Take these…" Giorno deposited a few small snails into his hand. "The last of the surprises from Ilias Kreuz, use them only if you're backed up into a corner."
Luka hesitantly nodded, not looking pleased at accepting weaponry from a terrorist group. He then allowed a nearby Hornet Girl to pick him up and fly him off.
"...How many plant soldiers are there? How far away are they?" Giorno inquired, meeting up with the insect army in front of the cave fortress.
"Over thirty. They're about to invade the hive at any moment..." The Mosquito girl answered, confused about the events that led up to this moment.
"YOU... ALLY?" A Hornet Girl asked.
"For now, it looks like I am." The blonde answered, drawing his blade.
"Are you sure this is going to work? Why did you order away our strongest monsters?" The Caterpillar Girl asked, showing fear.
"Follow the plan." Was all he responded as the first of the attackers entered the clearing.
In the plant encampment…
"...My, you are quite the violent one. How many have you defeated before coming here?" Alra priestess commented.
"Everyone on the way here. You aren't planning on ending the war, are you?" Luka accused, breathing heavily after being engaged by a few of the soldiers still guarding the area.
"...Yes, that's right. Once the insects have all been exterminated, the war will be over. Until the threat of them has been removed, we will never know peace." Alra Priestess confirmed.
"Is it true the Canaan Sisters did horrible things to the insects?" Luka questioned.
"All they did was feed on some live prey... They're carnivorous plants, after all. But... That's also their natural right as the winner, isn't it?" Alra Priestess replied.
"...There's no right to that. I'm not a pacifist. I don't think everyone in the world will ever hold hands and be best friends. But... This isn't a war. This is genocide. I will never let such insanity continue!" Luka roared, pulling out his sword.
"...It seems like you changed your position. Very well, I shall be your opponent." Alra priestess declared.
"Even after I sealed so many, you still want to fight...?" Luka questioned.
"In combat prowess, you indeed surpass me. But in the arts of pleasure lies my chance. If I can exhaust you, my victory is assured. I am a high class Alraune. Scum like you doesn't deserve to touch my reproductive organ. But a simpleton like you can be violated in other ways. Now come, I shall dominate you!" The monster proclaimed, heightening Luka's anger.
"Demon Decapitation!" Luka screamed, running forward and slicing at her neck.
He summoned Sylph, casting a gale inside of his body.
"Men are easy to control like this..." The monster retaliated, trying to bring her foot down on his groin.
Luka quickly dodged her attempt, using his superior speed to slash at her legs and chest.
He refused to make space for her to recover, keeping up the pressure with a barrage of high-intensity attacks.
"More powerful than I thought... I'll have to go all out!" Alra Priestess declared, as her feet turned into ivy and wrapped around Luka's lower body, binding him to the ground.
"This will continue until you surrender." The monster declared as Luka started struggling.
"You can't escape. Writhe around as you lose. Being destroyed by your own penis... How pathetic." the monster insulted, as her ivy stroked him.
"Uguh..." Luka grimaced, becoming frustrated.
"Hehe, is it good? Allow me to make it even better. All that remains is for you to be trampled. Now come, ejaculate!" Alra Priestess ordered before Luka finally lost his cool and threw his sword at her chest.
Angel Halo pierced her chest, marking the end of the fight as the last of her energy dissipated.
"Why... How are you so strong...?" Alra Priestess asked in disbelief, as she toppled over.
"Get out here, Canaan Sisters!" Luka called out, pulling his sword out of the immobile but still alive Priestess.
Sheer carnage was the order of business in the clearing, with tens of monsters fighting it out in a hectic melee.
The insects had been reinforced by Giorno, who could easily disable or knock out any plant monster with relative ease.
Even so, their weak lines meant they had to be pushed back. The plant monsters had used their time to revitalize and organize a steady stream of reinforcements for this final push.
The insects under his command fought well but were prohibited from killing as per Luka's request.
"OUTNUMBERED!" A Hornet Girl robotically said, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of enemies.
"We can't hold anymore!" The Mosquito Girl whined, exhausted after her constant battling.
"We won't need to." Giorno threw a small snail into the air above the battlefield.
The snail somehow exploded, marking the signal for the beginning of his gamble.
Simultaneously, the rested and strongest of the insects led by Queen Bee attacked from the forestry, encircling the worn-out plant monsters.
Luka found himself cornered, having taken too long to defeat each individual sister.
Taking a moment to meditate, he recovered some of his strength and fixed his posture.
"Ara ara…You're quite skilled to last this long." Raffia commented.
"Even against us three… You still cling on." Dorothy drawled.
"I'll tease you as I digest you... You'll go to heaven while I play with you..." Deana said seductively, capturing Luka in her flytrap.
The other two sisters joined in the fray, further trapping Luka.
"Hehe... You want to jump in my pitcher soon, don't you?" Raffai offered, as a sweet smell spread from the biggest of her pitchers.
The wind of Sylph blew away the aphrodisiac.
Luka couldn't break out of his binds despite his struggle.
The sisters continued to violate him, doing their utmost best to end his resistance.
In his state of desperation, Luka called for Gnome, imbuing his body with her strength.
"Eh?" The sisters confusedly let out as he managed to break his upper body out of their combined might.
"Like hell I will!" Luka screamed, grabbing a handful of snails and throwing them at the monsters.
The snails exploded on impact with whatever parts of their bodies they struck.
Whilst the monsters survived, whatever hold they had on Luka had been broken.
"Death Sword Chaos Star!" Luka called out, slashing wildly at them in a frenzy.
Both Raffia and Dorothy got sealed in the chaos, utterly caught off guard between the explosion and his most effective attack skill.
"Enough!" Luka screamed in a fit of rage, speeding up to the last member of the trio and slamming his sword right into her head.
"All three of us lost...!?" Deana questioned in disbelief, as she turned into a normal Venus Flytrap.
"Luka!" Sylph called out as she manifested.
"Sylph? What's wrong?" He answered, completely exhausted after his fight with the mercenary sisters.
"You… you summoned us both." Sylph pointed out, confusing him.
"Wha…" Luka finally realized he could feel both the presence of Gnome and Sylph within his body, right before his concentration shattered.
Gnome too manifested, looking at him with a mixture of pride and happiness.
"Is… Giorno okay?" He asked, concerned about the fate of the insects and his ally.
"About that…" Sylph started.
In the end, he needn't have worried. Giorno had upheld his end of the deal, the plant soldiers had been forced to surrender after an unexpected reversal of their fortune.
With both Alra Priestess, the mercenary sisters out of the count, and both side's armies being crushed, no one could fight.
Despite her reservations, Alra Priestess had to admit defeat to Luka.
The Queen Bee while hesitant to go into talks with her adversary, trusted the discretion of the two heroes.
Luka elected to stay on the scene while advisors from both sides were busy negotiating, strangely being preceded by Giorno.
"...It looks like it's really over this time. And it might be for good." Alice commented, coming out of hiding.
"I've hurt too many monsters after coming to this forest. I wanted to be a Hero. To do the right thing." Luka spoke dejectedly.
"You justified your actions by claiming that's what your own self-created image of a Hero would do. If that's how you determine justice in this world, you'll continue to make the same mistakes." Alice declared.
"Giorno said as much earlier… How easy it was to fool me into doing something for the sake of justice." Luka added.
"Each side in this war believed they were on the side of justice. Their enemies were nothing but evil incarnate, and so got drunk the violence when finally able to punish them for their perceived misdeeds. It's not just the war here, but the wars of the world itself. When you stand on the side of justice and the other of evil, it's quite easy to shrug off your own brutality." Alice agreed.
"Did I do something good...? Or bad?" Luka questioned.
"Who knows.. Good and evil are relative, after all. Neither is an absolute, and neither can be clearly defined. Trying to do so is nothing but wordplay." Alice elaborated. "But for this… you ended the war. Even if you made a few mistakes along the way. At least no one died because of them."
"That's right... I don't want to make any more mistakes. My reason for fighting can't be called justice. I just don't want to see either humans or monsters being hurt. That's why I'll fight." Luka proclaimed.
"Hmm, that's good. The idiot should keep to his idiotic reasoning..." Alice trailed off, smiling softly. "I'm glad Giorno knocked some sense into you. Did he really hit you that hard?"
"Alice…" Luka blushed, flustered by her teasing.
"And I saw that earlier… You really used both Sylph and Gnome at the same time, even if it was only for a bit." She continued. "I'm impressed, actually."
Luka's blush deepened upon hearing her compliment.
"Ahhh... Uhm... Err... Could it be... Is the war over...?" An Alraune with a frightened face timidly inquired as she came out of some nearby vegetation as many more plant and insect monsters showed themselves as well.
"That's right... Who are you?" Luka asked in confusion.
"We're the ones who refused to fight... While everyone was fighting, we all ran away because we didn't want to be a part of it... We met really deep in the woods and stuck together. But we came back because something strange was happening..." The Alraune explained.
"The war is over...? Can we stop hiding and running now...?" A Tarantula Girl asked.
"Yes... The war is over. Neither Queen Bee nor Alra priestess nor the Canaan Sisters can harm you anymore." Luka declared. "My friend is hosting peace talks between them."
"I see... We finally have peace!" The Alraune cheered.
"Everyone, did you hear that!? The war's over! No more fighting!" The Tarantula Girl yelled, as more and more monsters poured out of the woods.
"There are so many casualties... We have to do something..." The Alraune said worriedly.
"Let's split up the first aid duties! We'll head over to Sectforest and volunteer to help out there while you guys deal with this area!" The Tarantula Girl proposed, taking a group of monsters with her.
"Good, we'll split up and help those in Planforest!" The Alraune agreed, as the monsters quickly got to work.
"I guess Giorno will have an easier time than I thought." Alice commented.
Much later…
After hours of deliberation, both sides had come to an agreement to cease all hostilities entirely.
Thus began the real work, with insects and plants alike doing their best to restore the former glory of their home.
"There were so many monsters who refused to take part in that war..." Luka trailed off in awe.
"With this many monsters helping them with their own magic power, so many will be able to be unsealed and tended to far faster than I thought. Your behavior was absurd and reckless... But now that we know how it can be fixed, it wasn't bad at all. You took out Queen Bee and those Canaan Sisters, and even a bunch of powerful soldiers. It was a quick way to end that long war." Alice commented.
"How tiresome… I always disliked negotiations." Giorno complained.
He never truly enjoyed the bickering and constant one-upping it took to stay on top of the art of the deal. But his duties as Mafioso had forced him to do so with other criminal empires in the globe or even corrupt officials.
He sure missed having Mista to brighten his day with a silly joke...
"The monsters that live in Plansect forest aren't fools. After this, the futility of war should be ingrained in them." Alice declared, looking at him funnily after that comment.
"Yes, I want to believe so..." Luka said hopefully.
"Things should be fine now. Queen Bee and Alra Priestess can't go against their subject's wishes. Not that they want to." Giorno elaborated.
"You made a lot of mistakes. But you still didn't take anyone's life. That's why they'll be able to change... And me." Alice finished with a solemn expression.
"Eh...? What do you mean?" Luka questioned in confusion.
Giorno raised an eyebrow, glancing over at her.
"...Alright, let's go. Even if we stand here, we can't do anything." Luka finally declared.
"Yes, let's keep going. This time, let's go someplace where there's something good to eat." Alice proposed as they left the forest.
They decided to take the trek back to Grand Noah, using this time to restock and purchase any needed supplies or equipment.
"Giorno was all like: 'Hold the line!' It was pretty cool!" Sylph exclaimed, telling Luka and Alice all about his side of the fighting.
"I didn't know you were a good leader. Anything else we should know?" Alice asked.
"That was just a simple strategy… Not even one of my own. Something I read about." He shrugged off her question. "But… I do apologize for things getting out of hand back there. You didn't deserve to get hurt like that, Luka."
"It's… fine. I probably irritated you with my downcast attitude." Luka rubbed the back of his head.
"No… I shouldn't have put my hands on you." Giorno insisted.
"How about he punches you?! Then it's all even!" Sylph suggested.
"…Go ahead." Giorno gave in, stopping to let him get a good lick in.
Luka decided to take him up on that offer, winding up a punch and letting loose.
Back at Grand Noah…
"He really hits hard…" Giorno commented as he rubbed his cheek.
He'd split off from the two of them, to replace his worn-out knives.
A pair of gauntlets gained his interest, sitting on display nearby him.
'What's the worst that could happen?'
Leaving the blacksmith with his new wares, he quickly found himself back on a main street of the city.
His appearance was not necessarily welcome among the residents, even after time had passed since his victory.
Surprisingly enough, a few women had come up to congratulate him.
"You beat an Elf in the tournament a few days back. You remember her?" The woman in front of him asked.
"…I believe so." Giorno strained his memory to recall her, one of the few uninteresting foes he beat in the leadup to the semi-finals.
"Serves her right! My boyfriend cheated on me with her!" The woman laughed to herself, walking off rather bitterly.
'Jeez… I guess she took it hard.' Sylph added in passing.
"I would too. That's effectively losing your lover forever. Once a man tastes a monster…" Giorno started.
'Then a normal human woman just doesn't cut it. It's pretty sad.' Sylph finished for him.
"But women like these end up resenting men. They become the prime target audience for the Coliseum, quite a set-up even if it isn't intentional."
'How do I even go about addressing this issue?'
Days later…
"This is a 'Spring'? It's a lot larger than I thought it would be... It does seem like Undine would be here..." Luka commented, overlooking the large shimmering surface in front of them.
"So it's true then… Plenty of pollution here." Giorno observed a nearby body of water a small distance away, with discolored water and waste covering some of its surface.
He specifically bent down to get a good look at the state of the spring.
"This place... I see, Erubetie's... It looks like this is going to get annoying." Alice said in a concerned tone.
"Eh...? What do you mean?" Luka asked.
"Alma said something like that too. Supposedly, this is where Erubetie spends most of her time. She calls it the last refuge of the slime race." Giorno elaborated in her stead.
"Alright, now what to do...? I guess we should take a look around first." Luka said, stepping forward.
"Stay away..." A female voice called out of nowhere.
"Hmmm...?" Luka stopped.
"Humans, don't come any closer to this place..." The woman insisted.
"I don't sense anyone nearby…" Giorno pointed out, trying to use his stand to feel for the owner of the voice.
"...Could it be, are you Undine!?" Luka questioned, yet he received no answer.
"No, it wasn't. It sounded a little similar, but it wasn't Deeny's!" Sylph declared as she manifested.
"Is that so? Then just what was it...?" Luka asked.
"Erubetie…" Giorno concluded, receiving a nod from Alice. "She's warning us, probably our only warning. How merciful"
"But there are signs of Deeny here! She must be inside the spring! Heeey! Deeeeny! Let's play!" Sylph called out, making a racket.
"Eeehhh? Can't she hear me? Ok Gnomey, let's do this together! Shout with me on three! One... Two... Hya!" Sylph tried, only to be smacked by Gnome multiple times, a blatant recreation of Gold Experience's attack barrage.
"The entrance must be in the spring somewhere. If you dive in, you can probably make it to the dungeon entrance." Alice helpfully provided their means of entry.
"Giorno? What are you doing over there?" Luka called out, catching a glimpse of his ally throwing a handful of something into the heavily polluted water.
"I'm ready…" He answered, getting up and joining him at his side.
"Get Undine's power and come back safely. Don't lose in this boring, humid place." Alice requested.
"Of course!" Luka yelled back, taking the lead and jumping into the spring.
"Please don't eat the mushrooms." Giorno haphazardly added, before jumping in too.
"Mushrooms?" Alice looked around, spotting a mass of Fungi and Algae all over the polluted spring not too far away.
"Dark and damp… Homely." Giorno sighed, checking his hair.
"This must be the dungeon, then." Luka commented before they set off. "Undine can't be too far away."
Not long after, a small puddle in their path manifested into the form of a woman.
'Right… I forgot that slimes lived here. Life sense should be a must in this place.' Giorno scolded himself for slipping.
"Humans, why are you here? Just for you, let me drink some seme-" The Jelly Girl slowly spoke, before having Giorno punch a hole straight in her head.
"…Giorno?! Don't do that!" Luka scolded, drawing his sword.
"It's a slime, Luka!" Giorno frustratingly grumbled, trying to pull his hand free from the viscous liquid.
"Thunder Thrust!" Luka yelled, slicing at her neck with Angel Halo.
"I'll wrap you up…" The slime easily reformed her body, scooping up both of them with two newly created hands.
"Gold Experience!"
His stand pelted her with a barrage of concussive strikes, blowing her form apart.
Her bits slowly began reconvening, before Luka climbed up a cave wall and leaped down at the clump of slime.
The clump of slime dissipated in holy light, becoming a non-sentient puddle of slime.
After dealing with a Blob Girl, who'd easily admitted to murdering a fisherman.
"She killed that man... And she won't face justice for it." Giorno huffed, looking down at the pink puddle at their feet.
"We sealed her though! She can't do that again..." Luka exclaimed.
"No... She'll be freed before long. This is just putting a bandage on a gaping wound. A temporary solution that doesn't fix anything."
"We can't do anything else."
"We could have prevented this from ever happening again."
"... What?"
"She insulted that man's life. And she'll never see any further consequences. But that's just the reality of being human, toys at best and food at worst."
The pair of them pushed on forward and encountered a lone Green Slime.
"Eh?" The Green Slime perked up upon seeing the two of them. "What're humans doing here?"
"We came here to meet Undine. We want her power." Luka explained, hopeful that a fight could be avoided.
"Undine hates humans. So someone like you won't even meet her. Not me though… I love humans. I'll tease you lots, so-" She drawled out, receiving a knife that cut through her upper half like butter before she could finish.
"Useless…" Giorno drew his sword.
"My turn!" The Green Slime exclaimed, spreading a thick layer of her liquid all over the surrounding area.
"Attack her! Don't let up!" Luka correctly guessed, urgently closing the distance and slashing at her body.
Both of them refused to let up, slashing wildly at her before she tried anything with her layer of slime.
"Stop! This isn't fair!" The Green Slime shouted, as her Erosion skill was broken by an unseen force.
Luka swung the blunt portion of Angel Halo at her, throwing her against the wall of the cave.
"I'm left with no choice… I'll have to call my friends too!" The Green Slime proclaimed, before making a strange set of noises.
In a matter of seconds, three more dangerous monsters joined the fighting.
"One was bad enough, but now four?!" Luka backed off, meditating to restore some of his strength.
"I believe you said you wished to meet Undine? I'm sorry, but you'll become our plaything here." The Purple Slime politely spoke.
"It's been so long since we played with a human." The Blue Slime added.
"Get ready, we'll engulf you in a slimy hell." The Red Slime mocked.
"It's three against four, hardly an issue." Giorno tried to motivate him, reminding him that Gold Experience was still there.
"Gnome!" Luka called out, infusing his body with the power of the Earth.
"Intercept them, Gold Experience!" Giorno commanded, letting his stand intervene when they tried to attack either of them.
"What the hell is a Gold Experience?!" The Red Slime screamed as her outstretched tendril was knocked back by a concussive wave of wind.
"Why can't we attack?!" The Blue Slime similarly panicked.
"Go for the purple one!" Luka designated, rushing forward and delivering a Death Sword Chaos Star upon the bundled-up slimes.
'Wait a moment…' Giorno realized a possible solution to this issue. ''Cyaneacapillata...'
He threw his blade at an appropriate stalactite, watching it crash down onto the group of slimes.
"Huh?!" Luka dodged the unforeseen obstacle.
"This is nothing!" The Purple Slime mocked, squeezing her body out from under the rock.
At that moment, she felt an incredible suction on her form which halted her movement.
Looking behind her, she found a gigantic jellyfish drinking up her and her friend's liquids.
Luka took that chance to leap up and deliver a crushing blow on her head, depleting her already waning strength to critical levels.
"Enough!" The Purple Slime roared, pulling her and her friends away from the fighting and giant jellyfish.
"These humans are too strong." The Red Slime trembled, tired from having so much of her mass stolen away.
"What now?" The Blue Slime asked her leader.
"We have no choice… We have to…get help from Erubetie." The Purple Slime closed her eyes, using the last of her power to send out some kind of message.
"What? You attack us and have the nerve to act as if you're the wronged party?" Giorno readied a knife, about to throw it before that same voice rang out.
"…I warned you." The voice of Erubetie said.
"Yet you still came this far. In addition, you turned your sword against my brethren."
The slimes ran off in fear, but not before spouting off on how they were dead already.
"Cowards…" Giorno grumbled, using his life sense to try and anticipate where Erubetie would come from.
Dark blue liquid pools and grows not even a few meters away from them, slowly building up the imposing figure of the final Heavenly Knight: Erubetie.
"Guh…" Luka's hands shake as she confronts the two of them.
Even Giorno had to steel his resolve, noting her obvious malice towards them. This was nothing like Alma and her playful nature, nor was it anything like Granberia and her sense of honor.
Pure unadulterated hatred flowed through her very being…
"You ignored my repeated warnings, and came here anyway… This sacred area is where my brethren live in peace. We took this spring that humans polluted. Cleansing it, we turned it into our own sacred dwelling. Why do you humans continue to pollute this place?" Erubetie asked in a monotone manner.
"That's not it! I didn't come here to pollute or disturb anyone! We just want to meet Undine!" Luka attempted to make their case.
"Undine feels the same as I do. She has no desire to meet with humans. For treading on this sacred place… I'll have to punish you. Those bodies… I'll pla-"
"Enough of that pathetic drivel. We've heard such rubbish countless times now, yet we still draw breath." Giorno interrupted her obvious prelude to a fight.
"Wait! We really don't have to fight!" Luka pleaded.
"Whomever disturbs our home. No matter who it is, I'll melt them." Erubetie declared.
"She's very serious about trying to kill us." Giorno nudged Luka's shoulder.
Both of them summoned Gnome, in preparation for her to begin her assault.
Yet she stood stock still, staring at them.
"I dislike humans. Do you know why us of the Slime race live here?" She asked.
"Because of the rampant pollution. Don't think that you have us at an advantage. We saw it on the way here." Giorno answered, somewhat satisfying her.
"Humans pollute the water and steal the environment for their own usage." Erubetie confirmed.
"That's…" Luka attempted to speak out.
"Silence… Your words will never change my opinion. You polluted the spring and harmed the slimes living here." Erubetie accused, drawing anger out of Giorno.
"And now you bring us false charges? Polluting your springs? Harming your slimes? Are you blind or just delusional?" He argued.
"I'll have to give you a reward for those actions." She continued.
"You're pathetic… One of your slimes even killed a defenseless fisherman. Was he deserving of death just because of him being a human?!" Giorno argued to no avail.
"I'll melt you away… Feel the anger and sorrow of our race as you dissolve into nothing."
A massive whirlpool of slime overcame the immediate area.
"No!" Luka guarded.
"Useless!" Giorno ordered the nearby Lion's Mane Jellyfish into action.
The massive creature easily shielded both men from the tidal wave, preventing them from getting knocked down.
In return, Erubetie had taken the brunt of her own attack.
"What?!" Erubetie finally broke her monotonous tone, in shock at having been hit incomprehensibly and splattered over the cave walls.
For a brief moment, the two men thought that was it, only for another wave to form behind them.
"Impossible!" Giorno guarded with Gnome's help as the larger whirpool slammed into them.
"Again?!" Luka followed suit, getting hit by the full force of her strike and sending them both tumbling back.
"Humans using the power of a spirit?" She commented, summoning another massive wall of slime just as her body reformed.
"Not again!" Luka tried to meditate.
A blue flash of light followed by a wall of water suddenly blocked the attack entirely, leaving them undamaged.
"A pentagram?" Giorno observed just as Erubetie recognized the spell.
"No… Undine? Why did you protect these humans?" Erubetie asked another slime as she manifested.
"They came to meet me. There's no reason to deal with them yourself." Undine spoke.
"You dislike humans as I do, don't you? Well… Fine then." Erubetie acquiesced, melting away and disappearing.
…
Thus the remaining trio were left staring at each other.
"You saved us… Why?" Luka questioned, not feeling a friendly atmosphere from her.
"I wouldn't say saved… More likely she'll have to test us." Giorno corrected.
"That's right… Since Sylph and Gnome are obeying you, I deemed you worthy of meeting. That wish for humans and monsters to live together in harmony… I'll have to test you." She confirmed.
"…How did you?" Giorno questioned, off put by how she instantly figured out Luka's dream.
"I'm not nice like Sylph and Gnome. If I don't find you worthy, I won't pardon you. I'll wrap your body and take both body and soul." She warned.
Luka wasted no time, summoning Gnome and rushing forward to attack her with an opening Thunder Thrust.
Giorno did the same, allowing the power of the Earth to inhabit his body.
'They can both handle Gnome…'
Undine allowed them to attack, soaking up their slashes and inspecting their forms.
'Not bad…'
Eventually, she whipped her tail at them, driving Luka back.
Giorno willingly let himself get struck directly, aiming his right pauldron towards her tail.
'Huh?'
In the next second, that pauldron had become a mass of tree branches just as her tail struck him.
Her own chest was struck with the force of her own power, distorting her form.
"What was that…?" She vocalized, feeling something odd in the flow.
Hidden far deeper than anything she had previously felt before was an unknown presence, something ridiculously obscure.
An almost bright sensation overwhelmed her as she focused her senses on it, nothing but the feeling of life enveloped her.
"Your soul is so radiant…" Undine observed, before giving them their final challenge.
"Use two of your spirits in tandem… Both Gnome and Sylph. Or that other one... If you cannot, I'll never find you worthy."
…
"What?! I can't just…" Luka panicked.
"Both?" Giorno repeated, struggling to keep the Earth calm in his body.
'You've done it before! Just act like your life depends on it!' Sylph cheered on Luka. 'Because it does!'
"Sylph!" Luka called, straining his concentration once more and allowing the wind to overcome him.
She turned her attention to the blonde who had not yet showed such capability.
"Sylph..." Giorno called forth the wind, feeling a slight headache from the strain of using both spirits at once.
"You may be qualified after all..."
"Then… You mean?" Luka struggled to speak, about to break his concentration.
"You pass… The power of water is one to reflect the heart. Project your serene heart out of yourself, forming a pure blade." She elaborated.
"Eh?" Luka dumbly let out.
"There was once a swordsman who wielded all four spirits at once. He had a natural talent, but it still took him a year to wield the power of water. I wonder how long it will take you." Undine said, pointing at them and disappearing in a flash of light.
In a matter of moments, both men could feel the flow of water itself. A dizzying first-time experience for both of them.
"Back to the surface…" Luka said, meditating to reduce his fatigue.
'My head...' Giorno complained, hoping that this wouldn't be a common occurrence when he summoned two spirits at once.
They came across Alice sitting in the sand, drawing a few crude pictures with a stick.
"…Lovely. I especially like your rendition of my hair." Giorno grimaced, appreciating the childish interpretation of himself.
"The Idiotic Hero?" Luka complained, reading a title over a depiction of himself.
"That doesn't matter… How's the power of the water?" Alice got up, dusting herself off.
"Like a flow, somehow." Giorno started.
"Yeah, but as if that flow was connected to the world itself." Luka finished.
"That sounds about right…" Alice smiled smugly.
"Fire, wind, earth, and water all flow through the universe! These four flows go through Luka, and everyone else in the world! But now you can feel those flows!" Sylph happily explained as the spirits manifested.
"Sylph... could you please be quieter?"
"And now I can play with Deeny! Yay!" She cheered, before being submerged in a bubble of liquid.
"By the way... You met with Erubetie, didn't you?" Alice asked, looking at them.
"Yes... She seems to hate humans." Luka said in a serious tone.
"Low-grade slimes can only live in a region with pure water. As the humans' living areas expanded, the Slimes' areas shrunk. Even in this Noah Region, where nature still reigns, this spring is all that's habitable. That's why the Queen Slime Erubetie views humans as hostile beings. Erubetie herself is an incredibly powerful Slime that is capable of living anywhere. But not all Slimes are of that level. For low-grade Slimes, the destruction of habitable areas by humans is a serious issue." Alice explained.
"To think they were cornered like that..." Luka said thoughtfully.
"For all her issues with humans, she does her race no good." Giorno replied, glancing over at Undine as he continued speaking. "What does she hope to accomplish with this isolationist way of life?"
"Erubetie followed my, and the previous Monster Lord's policy of non-aggression towards humans. Originally, she was a very calm and gentle monster. But now... You've seen it first-hand, haven't you? Any human entering living areas is punished without mercy. Her hatred of humans that pollute her home completely takes over her gentle personality. What solution can you give to Erubetie as she is now?" Alice questioned.
"Err... I'd say... Ask people not to pollute the water..." Luka tried.
"What a stupid answer. Are you going to go around the world and put up signs asking people not to pollute the water or something?" Alice deadpanned.
"That wouldn't work... Nobody would pay attention to that..." Luka acknowledged.
"You run around spouting about coexistence without a concrete vision on how to obtain it... That said... A complex issue like that may be too much to leave up to an individual. A problem like that requires an answer from 'Humanity' as a whole." Alice recognized.
"Alice, do you know how to do it...?" Luka inquired.
"Well… I guess Giorno has a partial one." Alice responded, slithering over to a nearby spring.
"Whoa…"
The water was in a much better state than before, though still not clean enough to think about drinking.
A collection of mushrooms and Algae worked in tandem with each other, eating up whatever waste they came into contact with.
"How is this possible, exactly?" Alice questioned.
"Families of fungi can feed on excess waste in water naturally. The same goes for families of Algae. Anything from waste metals to toxins in the water." Giorno explained.
"I see… But how can you control these organisms? They shouldn't be doing this naturally." Undine asked, very interested in this new development.
"Gold Experience really is something else…" Luka sighed.
"Uh-huh! Goldie can make life itself! Giant elephants to tiny little bugs! And he punches things too!" Sylph introduced the water spirit to the golden humanoid staring blankly into the distance.
'This is what I felt… He feels just like Giorno, an extension of his flow.'
"Can't you just accelerate the process? This could be finished in a day if you do." Luka thought aloud.
"You idiot… If he makes any more, the fungi will eat through all the nutrients in the spring. Then all of the life starves out." Alice scolded.
"Right... I reckon this should take a month or so at the current rate." He estimated.
"So, all we have to do is get Giorno to do everything?" Luka asked.
"Idiot… Giorno can't do everything by himself. Even if he can fix every single polluted environment everywhere, people will just get complacent and do it again anyways."
"I don't think our journey can afford to be derailed in such a way that we manage to find every body of water on the continent." Giorno agreed, before getting up again. "It's true what you said earlier… Humans need a response to this. But how can they give one if there's no conversation to be had?"
"…" Undine didn't have anything to say in return.
He was right, after all. Erubetie and herself had chosen to keep out of humanity's way, choosing a remote location out of their inevitable expansion.
"Humans are intelligent life too, even though a few of us may not be the best examples. We're capable of coming to an agreement within reason."
"I… will put this into consideration." Undine finally answered.
"You better, the Queen of Grand Noah is far from a monster hater herself. I couldn't think of a better person to enter talks with regarding this issue."
Much to her surprise, the conversation between them did not end there. Whilst Luka and Alice bickered on about the succession for the throne, most of their conversation in the Gold Region had consisted of a few proposals to help curb the spread of pollution.
"If not for the environmental effects, open mining and the effects on human health deserve more attention." Giorno finished, ending one more factor in their conversation.
"Yes… Unregulated mining should be addressed for both our sakes." Undine found herself enjoying the feeling of being in such a heated discussion, Erubetie wasn't much of a talker.
This Giorno Giovanna was unique, an eloquently spoken and intelligent human. But she'd seen how he acted in his battles against the slimes in her domain, he had an unruly fire burning behind this soft-spoken demeanor.
Instead of the childish naivety of Luka, he was somewhat of a cynic. Though he'd preferred the term 'realist'.
They made a great pair, one of compassion and prone to emotional responses. The other calculating and cold, hiding their emotions to find a pragmatic solution.
"Giorno's been saying some concerning things... "I'm worried, both for his sake and any of the monsters we face." Luka whispered.
"...I know." Alice replied as they walked.
"He hasn't killed anyone...yet. But if he gets into a bad enough situation, who knows what he'll do."
"... You don't say?" Alice commented, glancing over at him.
AN:
That little encirclement in the Plansect war was essentially just Giorno mimicking what Hannibal did at Cannae.
This section of the VN dives into pollution, but that just made me think of ways Giorno could probably speed up the process of healing the environment.
Turns out that certain species of fungi are capable of eating through plastic and other usually non-biodegradable products. I'm not going to list some of the names but just assume we're talking about your average white-rot fungi here. Not an instant solution but some of the scientific trials have them tearing through waste from between 14 to 90 days.
Algae also act as natural filters for pollution, but have the caveat of siphoning oxygen necessary for other natural plant growth/ life in the water. Hence why Giogio can't just spam them.
With regards to Erubetie, I get why she would dislike humans. But she never speaks up to the humans in the region about their pollution habits, as far as the residents of Grand Noah know there isn't an issue. Seems silly to just hide away instead of actually make contact with the Queen of Grand Noah who is very amicable to monsters.
Also that giant Jellyfish is known as the Lion's Mane, just take a look to see what the scale of that thing is. Largest ever recorded one had a head around 7 feet tall, 120 feet from the head to the bottom of it's tentacles. Could easily slurp up some slime juice and protect Gio and Luka from at least one whirlpool.
I am so looking forward to Grangold and the regions around it.