(PoV: Daniel)

When we finally reached Enrika, we immediately noticed the commotion.

"Oh no, Enrika is under attack!" Luka exclaimed, as we overlooked the ongoing conflict between the village's defenders and the army of angels and Chimeric monsters laying siege to it.

The village's perimeter was not yet broken, but it was clear that it was only a matter of time.

"They're concentrated on the front and rear of the village... Alice, Daniel I'll take the front!" Luka declared.

"Then leave the back gate to me!" Alice proposed.

"I'll lend a hand pushing back the angels wherever I can on both sides, good luck guys!" I concluded, as we all jumped off Galda's back.

While my two comrades fell to the ground, I spread my wings and rocketed towards the largest number of angels.

This time, however, I decided to try to conserve my inner starlight, only infusing my fists with it as I punshed the first enemy I reached.

The result was satisfactory, as the winged being flew back and impacted more of her comrades, forcing them to the ground in a heap.

"What the hell!? How could a ground-dweller possibly harm an angel's sacred body!?" one of them startled, as I kept pummeling left and right.

"Fuck you, that's how." I quipped with a smirk, as I threw a last punch and left the rest of the job to the fallen angels defending the village, already moving towards another group.

In the distance, I could see Luka fighting a Chimeric Monster made up almost entirely of tongues, his movements graceful like water as he slashed with his blade, while Alice punched Chimeric Beasts left and right, blurring around the battlefield.

I kept going even faster, stopping another winged being from laying their claws on a civilian and kicking it in an uncouscious heap back outside the settlement's perimeter.

The battle kept going in this fashion, until suddenly, a soft light started descending from the sky above.

"Is that... Angel reinforcements!?" I heard Luka exclaim, as a powerful bright aura entered my range, an angel sitting upon a throne of snakes appearing in front of him.

"Be careful, Luka! That one isn't weak!" I exclaimed, as I swiftly removed an Elf that was about to be caught by the angel's snakes, before returning to my previous efforts.

"...! Th... Thanks..." the Elf stammered gratefully, after a moment of surprise.

"No problem, just don't lower your guard yet." I nodded, before joining the fray once again.

I still kept an eye out for Luka just in case, but he handled himself well, and quickly managed to seal even the powerful angel, shredding her defenses with his powerful Holy techniques.

"This can't be... How could I be defeated by a criminal!?" the angel whose name I remembered to be Nagael yelled in disbelief, as her body dissipated into particles of light.

"Alright, I managed to beat her!" Luka exclaimed, as the Elves and fallen angels' continuous volleys of arrows routed the approaching armies.

Suddenly, a powerful familiar dark aura entered my range, quickly approaching our position.

"What, even the angels lost? Just as Master Promestein said, they sure are unreliable." Rapunzel scoffed, as she floated out of the army of Chimeric Beasts.

"Y... You're...!"Luka exclaimed in recognition, as he prepared himself for a fight.

"Oh, if it isn't the disgraced Hero... Hahaha, I really want to rape you. Especially if I do it right in front of everyone... Mate like beasts, and get me pregnant." the Chimera drawled hungrily, as she floated closer, her aura surging oppressively.

Luka grimaced and lifted his sword, ready to charge forward...

Only for a familiar blonde woman to interpose herself in front of him.

I knew, at that moment, that there would be no need for me to intervene.

"...Wait." the woman declared, putting a stop to Luka's advance.

"Micaela...?" Luka called out in confusion.

"You can't be... Micaela? I thought you lost your power and parted from the world..." Rapunzel commented in disbelief, with barely a tinge of concealed wariness.

"It's true I don't have the power I once did..." Micaela calmly acknowledged, as she turned to face the Chimeric monster.

The following moment, a terrifying chill permeated the atmosphere, both Luka and the monster instinctively freezing in place.

"...But I'm still more than enough for one or two dogs like you. If you believe my Sword of the Heavens has rusted... You can gamble your life on it." Micaela coolly concluded, looking the monster right in the eyes with a gaze of pure steel.

Rapunzel met her glare with one of her own, as the icy chill in the air only grew colder and more oppressive.

Finally, Rapunzel looked away first.

"...Hehe, you do seem troublesome. Even if I don't lose, it would be bothersome to lose a limb... Withdraw." the Next Doll ordered, as the remaining Chiemeric Beasts turned around and ran away into the forest.

"...But you've only just extended your life a little. Goddess Ilias does not forgive rebels." Rapunzel warned.

"You still know nothing about Ilias. She will neither forgive rebels nor her own worshippers. And monsters like you... It's blindingly obvious what she'll do to you in the end." Micaela sighed with a tinge of pity.

"Goddess Ilias entrusted the proceedings of the old world to us. Do you think I would be fooled by such a pathetic lie?" Rapunzel scoffed, before finally retreating as well, her body shooting towards the forest and disappearing in the vegetation along with the rest of the enemy forces.

Finally, it was over.

"No matter how strong those artificial beings are, they still lack experience... Their battle tactics seem very primitive. To be so easily pushed back by such a simple bluff... The Sword has long ago rusted..." Micaela sighed in contempt.

"To be fair, they're all either mindless beasts or practically newborn children... You can't really expect them to be master tacticians." I shrugged noncommitally, as I landed near her and Luka.

"Indeed..." Micaela acknowledged, her eyes narrowing imperceptibly as she took in my new appearance.

"Micaela, just who are you...?" Luka asked the blonde woman.

"You came, Luka..." Micaela smiled with a soft expression, as she walked closer to him.

At that moment Alice appeared from the rear of the village along with an Elf I faintly recognized from our first visit.

"Master Micaela, we've repulsed them at the rear gate as well. If these two monsters didn't appear, we would be in serious trouble..." the Elf reported, sending me and Alice a grateful glance.

"Hmph... It was just a bunch of boring beasts. This side seems to have been much more interesting." Alice scoffed, breathing just a bit hard and trying to conceal it.

"Yes... It was quite dangerous for a moment. Daniel did most of the work though, he pretty much rebuffed all the angels by himself." Luka acknowledged.

"Eh, it was nothing, they were all complete amateurs relying on their supposed invincibility... Really, you'd think they'd at least TRY to dodge seeing their own comrades being sent flying at them." I sighed dismissively.

"The village was protected thanks to you three. We alone would not have been able to repulse the hand of Ilias..." Micaela said gratefully.

"Oh no, don't mention it... More importantly... Are the people of Ilias village...?" Luka slowly asked in a hopeful tone.

"Yes... Most of them are safe in the village. But some of those who were in the open when the attack came... We had sent a few of ours undercover to evacuate the village, but they still weren't able to save everyone." Micaela said apologetically.

"I... I see..." Luka acknowledged in a mix of sadness for the departed and relief for the still living.

"...Wait a minute, how did you know to...?" I trailed off in confusion.

"After your last visit, we knew our time to prepare was running out. We had been planning for the long-term, but your warning changed that... We knew Ilias village would be targeted soon, so we took just a few more precautions." Micaela explained.

"...I see. As expected of you..." I acknowledged, sighing in relief.

"Wait a minute, what warning?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Now, come this way. We have much to talk about..." Micaela declared.

"Y... Yes..." Luka agreed, as we followed Micaela into the village proper.

~– ~ – ~

"E... Everyone!" Luka exclaimed happily, as he took in the many familiar faces of the survivors of Ilias village.

Some of them were wounded, and most of them were still evidently confused by their current situation, but they seemed to be relieved to be alive as well.

I felt my burden become just a bit lighter at that...

Though I still had to force myself not to bolt anyway.

"Luka, you... You're safe!" A kind older woman I recognized from my first visit yelled in relief.

"Aunt Betty, you are too! Thank goodness... You're okay..." Luka smiled with lucid eyes, as he hugged the old woman tightly.

"Hey! No hugs for you old friend Ronnie here?" A man I recognized from my visit to the tool shop smirked amiably.

"Ronnie! You're okay!" Luka called out happily, as he threw himself to the man's chest, hugging him as well.

I was a bit surprised to see him alive actually, as I faintly remembered Luka mentioning him as one of the casualties in canon.

Nevertheless, I was glad to see Luka hadn't lost at least one of his friends...

"What happened at the village...?" Luka asked Betty, as he finally broke the hug.

"Out of nowhere, angels just attacked. Right when I thought it was the end... The ground underneath me started flashing. Before I could finish thinking to myself 'is that magic?' I was here." Betty explained.

"I was dragged inside my own shop by one of the newest villagers... I didn't expect Marguerite to be quite that strong. Or to have such cute ears! Now I get why she always wore that straw hat, at least..." Ronnie laughed joyfully, as one of the Elves blushed slightly and looked away from him.

"...Hmm, that's quite a large scale teleportation. Transferring so many all at once must require great power." Alice commented, as she slithered closer.

"Oh my, what a cute little girl... You look pale, are you alright? Here, have some candy." Betty kindly offered.

"...Yaay!" Alice childishly exulted, as she took the proferred sweet with a smile.

I smiled for a moment as well, before Luka turned back to Betty.

"So that's how you all got here?" he asked.

"It was really surprising. One second I was there, the next here. But those who didn't make it here..." Betty trailed off mournfully, the mood falling back to a somber atmosphere.

"...What's happening in the world? Even if the people pray to Ilias, she's the one doing it. I was never really that religious to begin with... Those that are, are in complete shock." Betty sighed, looking at a corner of the village full of people with vacant looks in their eyes, some of them lamenting loudly at their faith being repayed with death.

"They look like they're in huge shock..." Luka commented pityfully, as Micaela approached once again, having finished directing the rest of the villagers.

"I have something important to tell you, Luka. It will take a while, so please come to my house, all of you." the woman pleaded.

"Who are you? You can tell me, right?" Luka questioned.

"It's not just my identity. The creation of this war, the Great Monster Wars... And something about the founding Monster Lord that not even you, the current Monster Lord knows. I will tell you everything about this world..." Micaela declared.

"About the founder, you said?" Alice asked in interest.

"I understand. Then please tell us." Luka nodded, as we moved inside the blonde woman's house.

And as we walked, I prepared myself once more for the coming ordeal...

~– ~ – ~

"First, I want to thank you. Thank you for helping out the people of Ilias village." Luka said gratefully as soon as the door closed behind us.

"No... I just regret that everyone couldn't have been saved. We were also attacked at the same time, so the mass transfer didn't go off as well as it should have..." Micaela shook her head dismissingly.

"You still did your best and saved a lot of people. Don't feel bad about it." I declared neutrally.

Micaela nodded wordlessly in acknowledgement, and the mood lifted just a little bit.

"But how can you use that kind of magic? Just what is this village...?" Luka questioned.

"...You're slow, aren't you? Haven't you noticed it yet? This village is for the hidden, just as its name implies. The ones hiding are not humans." Alice scoffed.

"Eh!? So... They're all monsters!?" Luka exclaimed in disbelief.

"Nope. Not all of them, at least..." I corrected.

"Indeed... Most of the inhabitants here are monsters and many are Elves. Those who hated the conflict between humans and monsters fled here to live in hiding. However, though they are few, there are also some fallen angels here." Micaela explained.

"Fallen angels...?" Luka blinked in confusion.

"There are a few angels who rejected Ilias' way of thinking about monsters. Chased from the Heavens, they moved here to the surface world. They are referred to as fallen angels." Micaela declared.

"Could it be... You're one too?" Luka asked in realization.

"Yes... I am one of those fallen angels. The first of the angel sisters created by Ilias. I am the older of us twins." Micaela proclaimed.

"F... First angel?" Luka breathed in awe at the real identity of the woman in front of him.

"Let me tell you everything... This story starts several billion years ago, before this world was formed." Micaela started.

"S... Several billions of years!?" Luka yelled in disbelief.

"Before the world was formed... That's a strange expression. Was this world not created by Ilias?" Alice questioned.

"No... This world was not created by someone. Though it may seem strange, this world was not artificially created by an intelligence." Micaela replied.

I had my doubts about that, but it was a moot point anyway since I had no idea WHO this creator could have been...

Eh, I was never one for religion anyway.

"Wh... What!? Then, Ilias is...?" Luka trailed off.

"Several billions of years after our sun was formed... The primordial Holy and Dark magics were circulating around its chaotic atmosphere. Darkness and Light were kept apart by the chaos of its atmosphere so to speak. Each of those two forces slowly acquired their own will. Ilias was born from the Holy magics. And from the darkness, the Dark God Alipheese came forth." Micaela narrated.

"Dark God Alipheese!?" Alice exclaimed.

"The Dark God conveyed herself as the first Monster Lord. It could be said that Ilias and Alipheese were the incarnation of Dark and Light itself." Micaela nodded.

"So Ilias didn't make the world... She just made up the story and lied about it." Luka deduced.

"Her title as the creator of our world is obviously a lie. But the one who guided life from that star was certainly Ilias. The ego of the sacred light began to sprout others... That is, the Goddess Ilias began forming other beings from herself. Imitating herself, she created two twin lifeforms she called angels." Micaela continued.

"Twin primordial angels... And you're the older one..." Luka repeated numbly, staring at the woman in front of him.

"After that, Ilias created many offshoots of herself. In other words, she created angels. Through trial and error, she was making creations similar to her own existence. But though she made them of her own holy element, each angel had a will of their own. Ilias was never satisfied with just that." Micaela shook her head.

"Why was she going so far to try to create something like herself...?" Luka questioned.

"Perhaps she was lonely... Since she first formed, she spent many millions of years alone. As darkness itself, Alipheese and Ilias could never cross. For a long time, Ilias was absolutely alone..." Micaela posited.

We all took a minute to process that in silence, as I closed my eyes in pity.

"...Now, back to the story. Ilias gave up making copies of herself, and looked toward the life flourishing on the surface. This is several million years ago now... At the time, the surface life of this planet consisted of primitive reptiles and fish. She came to the surface to try and give some of those beings intelligence." Micaela continued.

"I see... To artificially evolve them." Alice deduced.

"Yes, that's correct. Trying to make intelligences similar to her, she inspected the various creatures and eliminated some. She quickly crossed off the giant reptiles roaming the surface, and destroyed them all. To make it easier for mammals to flourish, she changed the enviroment and vegetation. Through hundreds of millions of years of trial and error, she created both small and large mammals. Repeating her process of selection and alimination, eventually monkeys came forth. From more selection and elimination, they grew into humans. And at last, Ilias declared humans 'complete'." Micaela explained.

I knew all of this already, but still, it was quite the story...

I briefly wondered if something similar had happened on my own world as well.

Not that I had any way to verify it obviously...

"She was not able to make humans quickly with her power as a Goddess? Ilias really isn't almighty at all..." Alice scoffed.

"It was as primitive as selected breedng of livestock... Ilias' aim to have direct control of the genome did not come until much later." Micaela shrugged.

"...It's a little confusing, but it's true Ilias created humans, isn't it?" Luka questioned.

"'Created' is still not accurate. Though she may have influenced the evolution, humans appeared on their own. They stood on their own two feet, and became the rulers of the surface world. Making contact with them in their primitive state, Ilias became the source of their worship. But an unwanted existence also lived on the ground... They were the monsters created by the Dark God Alipheese." Micaela continued.

"If Ilias created humans by selective breeding... How did the founding Monster Lord create monsters?" Alice asked.

"I'm sure I don't need to explain it to you, Monster Lord... But the element of Darkness interferes with the genes of an organism. The Dark God Alipheese was able to modify creatures with her own power. Much more directly than Ilias, she was able to influence other creatures' growth." Micaela explained.

"I see... As expected, the Monster Lord was more skilled than Ilias." Alice said smugly.

"...It was not a factor of ability, the difference was due simply to the properties of their own magic. Ilias' holy magic excels at influencing the spirit, so she was able to more easily impart matters of spirit and soul." Micaela disclaimed.

I nodded wordlessly, agreeing with her assessment.

After all, I was living proof she was correct...

"...Now, back to the story. The Dark God Alipheese also formed offshoots of herself. The first was known as Alipheese the second, the second Monster Lord. In addition, Dark God Alipheese combined her own genes with those of six creatures, and created six monsters. They are the legendary monsters that came to be known as the 'Six Ancestors'. All monsters that exist to this day can trace their blood back to one of these six." Micaela narrated.

"Six Ancestors... Didn't Promestein say something about them? That they were sealed..." Luka pointed out.

"Even I have only heard of things like that referenced in ancient legends. I wonder if even Tamamo knows about it...?" Alice pondered.

I kept my expression neutral, unwilling to give anything away.

"That story was not handed down to the surface world. After the Great Monster Wars, Ilias tried to wipe out unfavorable facts..." Micaela explained.

"The Great Monster Wars..." Luka repeated.

"Now then, let us talk about the Great Monster Wars... Around a thousand years ago, the conflict between Alipheese and Ilias was approaching a conclusion. At last, the battle between them began on the surface world itself. An army of angels led by Ilias on one side, with legions of monsters led by Alipheese on the other. Even humans were dragged into it, and the fighting became fierce. I was an Seraph, spearheading assaults by the angel army. I crossed swords with those Six Ancestors many times... Of course, my younger sister showed her might on the battlefield at the same time." Micaela narrated, stealing a single glance at Luka at the mention of her sister.

"So which side won...?" Luka questioned.

"...Ilias was the victor." Micaela admitted.

"Are you saying that the first Monster Lord was defeated by Ilias!? I cannot believe that!"Alice yelled.

"In terms of actual status of the war itself, Alipheese's forces were superior the entire time. The reason Ilias won was due to a cowardly trick..." Micaela continued.

"I believe you now!" Alice cheerfully smiled.

Luka just stared at her in silence.

"The clashes between the two Gods resulted in terrible destruction. They both realized that if they continued fighting, they would have destroyed everything. On the verge of destroying the very world itself, Alipheese hesitated. But Ilias didn't, threatening the very survival of the world." Micaela declared.

"Threaten? If they continued fighting, they would have destroyed the world?"Luka parroted in disbelief.

"Ilias went to Alipheese, telling her to surrender, as she never would. If they kept fighting, both of them, the angels, the monsters and the humans would all perish. But she said that if the Dark God and the Six Ancestors sealed themselves, she would not lay a hand on the other monsters." Micaela explained.

"What cowardice! No, rather than cowardly..." Alice trailed off.

"Yes... She was insane. Threatening the destruction of everything, she used the world as a hostage for surrender. Seeing no other path, the Dark God chose to surrender. Along with the Six Ancestors, they were sealed with a special seal." Micaela continued.

"The Six Ancestors' Great Seal..." Alice deduced.

"By converting their own magic, the Six Ancestors used it to seal themselves away. Alipheese used the same technique to seal herself... And using current technology, Promestein managed to recreate the effects of the seal." Micaela concluded.

"Oh founding Monster Lord... How sad... In excnahge for a guarantee of safety of her children, she sealed herself away... Was she not concerned that Ilias would break her promise?" Alice questioned morunfully.

"Of course... Alipheese knew well Ilias' nature. So they tied in a special trigger event that would cancel the seal into their magic. It was to be released if Ilias broke her promise. At that time, the seal would be broken, and the Dark God would revive." Micaela explained.

"If Ilias breaks her promise, then she will revive? But how is that judged by...?" Alice asked in confusion.

"As you know, when a monster dies, their energy returnes to the world. Like all things, the magic flows into the atmosphere to be used by the endless cycle of birth and rebirth. If a large amount of dark monster magic were released at once, it would impact that transmigration. So the atmosphere itself would become heavily saturated with dark magic. The amount of holy and dark magic must stay in balance, or the seal will break." Micaela elucidated.

"So... If Ilias starts committing genocide against monsters..." Alice started.

"Yes... Dark God Alipheese will awaken from her seal." Micaela confirmed.

"What! I didn't even know that...!" Alice exclaimed.

"That's because this is something Ilias didn't want anyone to know. Wielding her great power, Ilias destroyed the Dark God... That's the story that was more convenient for Ilias." Micaela nodded.

"Wait a second... But Ilias is slaughtering monsters. Thirty years ago, she massacred monsters at Remina... And isn't this re-creation she's trying to do going to kill all of the monsters...?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Of course... Ilias has spent a long time trying to find a way around that. From the moment Dark God Alipheese was sealed, she has been thinking of countermeasures. Developing a new seal... Or a way to manipulate the balance... Measures for the worst-case scenario... If she were to revive. And at last, she decided to order her smartest angels to create a new type of monster." Micaela explained.

"Smart angels... Promestein!?" Luka exclaimed in realization.

"As I said earlier, Alipheese was skilled at directly manipulating organisms. Ilias focused on that, and ordered her subordinate angels to study the underlying principles. Focused on that, it took them roughly 500 years. As a result, they decided on a policy of letting a monster manage the flow of dark magic. For that purpose, Ilias singled out Alipheese the Eight. When she was struck down by the Hero, Ilias saved her life. Under the condition that she would manage the dark monster magic as the world was recreated..." Micaela concluded.

"That's insane..." Luka whispered in horror.

"Yes, Ilias' strategy has gone way too far. Rebels against her finally started to appear. That was my sister... One of the twin angels that Ilias first created." Micaela closed her eyes in reminiscence.

"...As expected, some just couldn't beat it any longer. Even more, for it to be one of her very first allies..." Alice hummed thoughtfully.

"My younger sister seemed to have been questioning Ilias ever since the start of the Great Monster Wars. Her insane way of fighting to the very end, even if it would destroy everything... At her collusion with Alipheese the Eight, she finally broke away. She knew that Ilias would try to destroy humanity one day... My younger sister seemes to know exactly what was going to happen." Micaela mused with a tone full of regret.

Luka was silent.

"As I said before, my sister led an army of angels. There was only one who could match her might... Therefore I, one of equal power, was chosen to hunt her down. Holding hesitations in my heart, I stood in front of her. The fight with my younger sister was extremely fierce... Suffering serious wounds, she became a fallen angel and escaped to the surface world." Micaela continued.

"...Did you let her escape to the surface world on purpose?" Alice asked.

"I cannot say for sure... Doubt in Ilias had already been flaring up in my mind. A few hundred years later... Ilias finally set into motion what she had been planning for years. giving orders to her angels, she ordered the humans and monsters coexisting in Remina to be annihilated. She justified it by saying they were performing large-scaled magic experiments. That the arrogant move was enough for them to be destroyed. After all, Ilias hates most those who refuse to follow her. Her true nature is one of jealousy and possessiveness, paranoid about others..." Micaela narrated in a voice full of loss and pain.

Again, Luka could only stay silent.

"Like my sister, I finally realized Ilias' true nature. Escaping the Heavens, I came to the surface world. I decided to protect the other fallen angels. Not too long ago, I settled in this village. This place already had the reputation of being a hidden village of monsters..." Micaela explained.

"A hidden village, huh..." Luka said in a pondering tone.

"After descending to the surface, I searched for my missing sister. After falling, she seemed to have wandered the surface world for several hundred years. And one day, she happened to meet a Hero who was in the midst of despair. Falling in love, she decided to live out her days as a human with him. And until the very end, she lived and died as a human. My sister's name was..." Micaela trailed off.

"...Lucifina. My mother." Luka finished for her, his voice solemn.

"Luka is the child of one of the original angels? That is surprising, even to me..." Alice admitted.

"Are you shocked, Luka? To know that you are not a pure human?" Micaela asked in concern.

"...No, Micaela. I'm proud. My existence itself is proof that humans, monsters and angels could all get along." Luka declared.

"I see... You truly grew up to be a good child... By the way, Luka. Do you know about your father's family?" Micaela smiled softly.

"No... I never really knew my father." Luka admitted.

"Your father is Marcellus, a descendant of the Hero Heinrich. That means you're from a line of legendary Heroes." Micaela informed Luka, his eyes comically bulging out of his head at the revelation.

"I'm... Related to Heinrich?" he all but squeaked in awe.

"Bred from legendary Heroes and angels... It explains why you are superhuman in various ways." Alice hummed thoughtfully.

"But it was that family history that brought Ilias' attention towards you. I'm sure my sister deeply regrets that... Even though I was worried about you, the orphan of my late stsiter... I didn't know what Ilias would do if I ever made contact with you. As a result, I left you alone all this time... Luka, please forgive my incompetence." Micaela pleaded apologetically.

"No, no... It's enough that you saved the people of Ilias village." Luka denied.

"...That's the end of my story. You three will be fighting against Ilias now, won't you?" Micaela questioned.

"Yes!" Luka declared.

"Of course." Alice agreed.

I simply nodded wordlessly.

"I have lived on the surface for so long now, I cannot fight any longer... The air in the surface world is not very good for angels. It's regrettable, but I can only pray for your victory... Oh? I thought I ordered nobody to disturb us for a while..." Micaela suddenly perked up as a familiar aura approached.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a somewhat disheveled Elf.

"Master Micaela, there's trouble! A powerful monster has appeared!" the Elf reported.

"Oh no... Another enemy attack!?" Luka exclaimed, picking up his sword.

"Don't worry. She's friendly. She's a Kitsune with nine tails, isn't she? Let her in." I declared.

"Eh...?" Luka stopped, blinking in confusion for a moment.

"...I see. Please let them through to here." Micaela agreed, despite her slight hesitation.

A moment later a familair small girl entered the house.

"Thank you, I'm coming in." Tamamo nodded gratefully to Micaela, closing the door behind her before her gaze fell on me.

"What's wrong, Tamamo? Did something happen?" Alice questioned.

"...While investingating the silver discs, I found some information about the seal on the spirits. I thought you would want to know right away." Tamamo replied, tearing her gaze off of me, but still stealing glances from time to time.

"...It has been a while, Tamamo." Micaela greeted.

"What irony, for our reunion to be in this manner... I would like to speak with you, but there are a few things to discuss first." Tamamo declared, before turning back to our group.

"The seal on the spirits is completely different than the seal on the Monster Lord. The range is world-wide, and it's being maintained on a massive scale. It's designed to drastically reduce their power... But it's not exactly a perfect seal. The seal is weakening them, making it so that you can no longer communicate with them." Tamamo told Luka.

"They were weakened, not sealed? So that's what the seal is doing?" Luka questioned.

"Weakened by the seal, they all returned back to their original dwelling spaces. With their power so limited, not even your voice can reach them." Tamamo nodded.

"Back to their original dwelling spaces...?" Luka repeated.

"Why were they sent back to their own dwellings? Wouldn't they have been killed as soon as they were weakened?" Alice questioned.

"Because their existence itself is a power of nature. If you were to kill them, nature itself would be sent into disorder. Even the heavens seem reluctant to do that." Tamamo elucidated.

"So I just need to go back to them again?" Luka asked.

"It's true that you should be able to re-contract with them... But if that seal isn't dealt with, they will be very weak and near powerless." Tamamo disclaimed.

"Still, I'm going to get them back. I'm sure they're feeling lost and lonely after that suddenly happened..." Luka declared.

"Yes... But be careful. The Heavens will do their utmost to block you at every step. I'll continue investigating how to break the seal. There are so many disca I'm getting all of the Kitsunes to come help decipher them." Tamamo nodded.

"Thank you, Tamamo. I know what I need to do." Luka said gratefully.

"Good. But the last news is bad news. Chimeric Beasts and angels are attacking towns and villages all over the world. Resistances are holding out all over, but they are slowly being overwhelmed. It's jsut a matter of time before they fall..." Tamamo said worriedly.

"That damn Ilias really is going all-out, isn't she?" Alice growled through gritted teeth.

"...Yes, we can't leave that alone either... Alice, Daniel let's go and... Eh?" Luka stopped, as he sat up from his chair and blinked in confusion for a second, obviously feeling lightheaded as he staggered lightly.

"Careful. Sit down slowly." I said, as I helped him getting back to his seat despite his reluctance.

"...It seems the angel power awakening in you is having an impact on your body. Even if you have the power of an angel in you, your body is still that of a human. Excess use of holy magic will eat into your body. You should rest here for at least an hour." Micaela declared.

"If I rest, then the other towns will..." Luka protested.

"If you leave in your current state, you won't help anybody. As a result, your leaving will simply guarantee their destruction." Micaela admonished.

"She's right you know? You have to be careful with that power, it's not weak at all." I confirmed.

"...Then, if you insist, I'll take a short rest." Luka acquiesced.

"...Yes, you have some time to rest. However... Daniel." Tamamo suddenly called out, as everyone turned to look at me.

"Yes, Daniel... I believe it's high time you answer some questions. Tamamo is here, and at this point I'm assuming the other person you wanted to be present was Micaela? I don't blame you for not wanting to mention her name in the middle of enemy territory, but now we're really running out of time... And you did make a promise." Alice concluded in a serious voice.

Luka said nothing, simply looking at me with a determined expression.

I looked them both in the eyes, meeting both their gazes for a second.

Then I looked away and sighed heavily, knowing that the moment I had been dreading had finally come.

"...I know. I'll keep my promise. There's just one last thing I need to do first." I declared, as I closed my eyes in concentration, feeling my inner star's power flow into my right hand.

"...? Daniel, what are you..." Luka started, before I blurred from my spot and instantly reached the window-like pattern of bright energy hidden in the corner of the ceiling, smashing my glowing limb into it in a small explosion of light, hoping and praying that my half-assed countermeasure both would or would not work...

And to my immense relief and horror, the window shattered and dissipated with a cracking sound akin to glass breaking, the energy composing it becoming visible for but a moment as I caught a glimpse of a blonde, winged woman's surprised face on the other side, before the image disappeared in floating motes of light.

And with it, went the last of my excuses...

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Ilias)

Even as the Goddess worked on her new project tirelessly, she never strayed too far away from her scrying pool, her angels having been warned not to approach under any circumstances.

Ilias had been distracted during the debacle at Promestein's lab, and regretted missing HER LUKA's brilliance as she repelled her traitorous subordinate's assault.

However, she still had managed to witness the moment her Hero's true power finally awakened, her heart soothed by his marvelous inner star, so similar to her own...

Truly, they were meant to be, tied together by fate itself...

Soon, the Goddess thought.

Soon...

But before that, she would have to take care of that Devil first.

Oh, how she hated that man's disgustingly handsome face, damnable sculpted body and loathsome silver tongue...

Most of all, however, she hated how she knew nothing about him, her useless servants having been unable to find even a single clue about his true origin no matter where they looked.

She would never admit how much that worried her.

Ilias had many theories about him.

Perhaps he was an ancient monster who somehow managed to survive the Wars, or maybe he could even have been an offshoot of her worst enemy, somehow sent through the Seal by the treacherous opponent.

No matter how much she thought about it, she knew he was definitely much more than just a normal human or monster, but she still had no idea what the truth was.

Finally, however, as the group of enemies and her Hero sat inside the traitor Micaela's house it seemed like she would find out for herself, as the clever enemy finally made a misstep, ignorant of the fact that she was always watching over HER LUKA...

Or at least so she had thought.

The Goddess couldn't help but blanch, as suddenly all that she could see through the scrying pool became an image of HIS eyes, staring right at her as his fist crashed through the complicated spell array and blasted it to bits.

For a moment, she stared numbly at the clear waters, the powerful magics that had been cast upon them now rendered completely useless.

Then the Goddess and the voice in her head both SCREAMED once more in rage and fear, as the Heavens trembled from her might again...

When she finally calmed down again, Ilias looked at the pool in front of her.

All that could be seen within, however, was her own reflection.

She witnessed her own perfect hair disheveled and full of knots, her beautiful dress crumpled by the force of her grip on it, her radiant wings ruffled.

Her beautiful blue eyes were filled with hatred, as her face twisted into a scowl...

And then she laughed.

It was not a laugh born of happiness or despair, of mirth or ridicule.

No, it was a laugh that promised pain to all who heard it, as the Goddess vowed to make all who dared to oppose her pay...

Especially the Devil who had dared to cause her such pain.

No matter what, she would never forgive him for taking away

H̴̨̢̟̺̹͓͔̤̣̻̩̑́́̋͛͌̄̆̏̏͊͜͝Ẹ̵̢̛̯̬͙̰̝̬͑̿̓̆͐̾͒̈́̐̈́̓̿̊͝R̴̨͍̼̰̙̯̭̭̤͈̺̖͛̒̇͊̀Ŗ̵͚͕̮̩̝̲̓̃̿̑̒̒R̴̢͍͙̤̜̬̥̮͚̜̪̩̫͑͆́̀̄͒͛̃̃̈͗͘̕͜͜͝ ̶̘͚̞̺̭̬̞̖͂͌̃͗͂̑̅Ľ̸̡̢̯̳̖̥͕͙̻̮̩͍̲̇̃͆̂̓̃͝L̸̡̢̧̡͖̠̝͈̬̟̭̪̰̟̏̀̊̀̈́͘̚͝L̸̢̛̠̫̣͍͙͚̣̐͌̂͊̀͜͜Ų̵̨̨͉͕͓͍̘͎̙͙̲̼̯̱͒̈̑̅̂̈́͆̒͐̽̐̆͠͝Ų̸̧̛̼̪̯̱̰̳͖̠̊̎͑̈Ǔ̷̧̢̠͉̖̗͚͋K̶̢̙̣͕̮̦̈̔̂̐̚͠Ķ̸̨͍͔̪̰͕̼̝͚̼̊̆̆̉̂̽͊̏̈̒̀̕K̶͍̥̬̰͔͉͚͕̦̰̼̩͐͝A̴̧̡̨̫̬̠͉̤̱͇̪̾̀̌̈̌͐͜͜͠͝A̷̱͖̪͚̱̐̀̚͘A̷̼̫̤͈̗̽̒̂̿́̄͐͋͊͗̈́͊͒̏͛ͅ!

.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Daniel)

"...! What was that!? Daniel, what did you just do!? Was that Ilias on the other side!?" Luka questioned in confusion, as the rest of the people in the room all stared at me with wide eyes.

"That was... A scrying spell!? Since when...!" Alice trailed off in alarm, her energy surging as she scanned for more hidden magics.

"Incredible... No one has ever managed to sense Ilias' spying magic, Heaven's Scrying Pool is something even I lack countermeasures for... Then again I suppose it ought to be expected of one such as you." Micaela smiled in pleasant surprise.

"What? Micaela do you know about...!" Tamamo started asking, before noticing my appearance changing, my body slowly returning to my human form.

"Daniel, what are you...!?" Luka stopped, as my knees fell to the ground, my head bowed low enough to almost touch the floor as I breathed heavily.

I had been preparing for this moment from the very start of my journey.

I never held any illusion that I could somehow avoid it forever.

However, at the same time, I always had done my best to forget about it, even for just a moment.

I had hid behind a fortress of lies and half-truths, desperately trying to distract others AND myself from the truth.

I just wanted to hide the real me so desperately, knowing at every step of the way that I was nothing but an intruder in this world...

In truth, I was almost grateful for Ilias' continuous surveillance, as it gave me a reason to never reveal anything truly important about me.

But now, even that was gone, leaving me with nothing to hide behind anymore.

And so, all that was left was the one thing I had never allowed myself to let the world see...

The immense, overwhelming guilt I carried within my heart.

I wanted to apologize, to beg for forgiveness for everything I had hidden from them, the most important friends and family I had ever had...

But I knew deep inside that, no matter what, I had no right to be forgiven.

For the first time, I was actually glad for the effect Tamamo's aura had on my psyche.

I didn't think I'd be able to pull through this otherwise...

Before Luka could get in a word edgewise, I raised my head and started talking.

"Ilias' true objective isn't just to re-create the world. What she really wants is for Black Alice to consume her after injecting herself with the completed version of Promestein's drug called 'White Rabbit'. Then, after Black Alice is defeated, she will emerge from her body with a part of her power, as their auras mixed and intermingled during her consumption, becoming a 'True Goddess of Light and Dark'... THIS is the real reason for this war, and the real reason for her interest in Luka, as she believes he is the only one that could beat Black Alice in her empowered state. Also, even in its completed form, 'White Rabbit' still isn't safe for the user I don't think... Promestein actually plans on taking a dose herself and absorbing Luka in order to stop Black Alice, but both of them will end up dying after Luka beats them, even using Angel Halo. Something about the formula probably messes with the user's mind and body, altering their properties somehow and making the blade's effect somehow lethal." I started explaining.

"...You mean Ilias already knows Black Alice and Promestein are going to betray her!? And that they have no idea that was her plan from the start!?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"Indeed, that makes sense... Given her personality, it's impossible for Ilias to trust anyone in that manner, especially a monster. However, that strategy is indeed troublesome..." Micaela hummed thoughtfully.

"Whoa, wait a minute, are you telling me that Ilias actually WANTS to be eaten!? That's completely insane, even for her!" Alice yelled in disbelief.

"...I think all of you are missing the main point here. Namely... How does Daniel know all of this?" Tamamo pointed out.

"...! That's right! Daniel, how the hell did you manage to find out about this!?" Luka questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah, Daniel... How DID you know?" Alice repeated, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

For a moment, I still couldn't help but hesitate, not even Tamamo's aura being enough to steady my beating heart.

"...I think I may have an idea actually." Micaela chimed in before I could actually answer.

"Oh? Do tell." Tamamo requested.

"Simple, really. Daniel here is the son of Luka and Alice here who traveled back in time from the future." Micaela deduced.

Dead silence reigned in the room for about a full minute after that comment, as everyone slowly processed the fallen angel's words...

Finally both Alice and Luka's face became a shade of red close to a ripe tomato, as they both yelled out in a chorus.

"...EEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHH!?" they exclaimed at such a high pitch Tamamo held her ears painfully, while I just stared at Micaela's face, completely gobsmacked by her unfounded crazy theory.

"So, did I get it right?" Micaela smirked knowingly.

Both Alice and Luka turned to look at me with absolutely panicked faces, sputtering incoherently.

"...Actually, you couldn't be farther from the truth. I mean, do I look anything like these two shorties here!? And my hair isn't even CLOSE to that ridiculous purple! Seriously, how the hell did you even come to that conclusion!?" I questioned incredulously.

"...Eh? I'm wrong? But you have the same eyes as the Monster Lord in that other form..." Micaela blinked in surprise.

"About that, I've actually been wondering... Don't take this the wrong way, but just WHAT are you, Daniel? If you were just a powerful shapeshifting monster it'd be understandable, but you also have no aura whatsoever, and your senses are different from anyone else's to be able to perceive that hidden spell even I and Micaela missed..." Tamamo questioned.

"...It's not just that spell, Daniel here can actually sense the elemental energy in the atmosphere. He once told me he could count the number of leaves on a tree without even looking at it, and I have no reason to disbelieve him on that." Alice commented.

"What!? That's impossible! Only the four Spirits are supposed to be able to sense ambient energy, and even then only the one corresponding to their own element! Just WHO are you!?" Micaela exclaimed in disbelief.

As everyone else turned to look at me once more, I knew this was it.

There was no going back after this.

I could only hope that they wouldn't be hurt too badly from the truth I had been hiding...

Taking yet another deep breath, I started talking.

"...My name IS Daniel, that is no lie. I used to be 'human', though that has now changed, along with many other things... But you're all correct in thinking I am far from normal. Well, at least by your standards... And my own as well at this point..." I trailed off for a moment, closing my eyes in resignation.

"You probably noticed already, but I lied about my hometown being on Sentora. I'll say this now, but it's not on Ilias continent or Hellgondo either. Or Heaven for that matter. No matter how long you look for it, you won't find it. And the reason for that is simple..." I raised my eyes to look at the group before continuing.

"I don't actually know how this was made possible. It could be that there's some unfathomably powerful someone behind it, more powerful than even Ilias and the First, or maybe it's all just a freak cosmic accident... But regardless of HOW I got to this world, I was not, in fact, born on it. For all intents and purposes, compared to the humans, monsters and angels of this world, I am an alien existence." I finally declared.

Everyone just stared mutely at me for a while, slowly processing my words.

Then Luka and Alice's jaws dropped to the floor, Micaela and Tamamo's eyes widening in complete surprise.

"...Well, I didn't see that one coming." Micaela admitted in a strained voice.

"To be fair, me neither... This trip wasn't exactly in the program for me..." I wryly confessed.

"...I guess that explains how you somehow didn't know about monsters needing to sleep, as well as a few other things... But wait, that doesn't make any sense... If you claim you are not of this world, then how do you still know so much about monsters?" Luka questioned.

"Yeah, and also about Ilias' plans... Even if some of the knowledge you showed is fairly common, THAT piece of information definitely is not common knowledge at all. Also, you said you WERE 'human', but if that's the case, what are you now? And when did that change happen?" Alice inquired.

I knew this was simultaneously the part I dreaded the most and the one I desperately wanted to get off my chest.

But I didn't allow myself to waver.

No matter how much I wanted to stop and run...

"...I got to this world a little before Alice here clashed with Ilias near Luka's village. One moment I was walking along a street in my hometown, the moment after I was in a forest I didn't recognize. At first, I couldn't even move my body. I'm not sure if it's because my world has no magic or if it's just a result of the trip I went through to get here or any other possible reason really, but my 'aura sense' was instantly overwhelmed by the energy around me, and my brain just couldn't manage to make sense of all the information it gave me... To make things worse, I couldn't use it to find my own body, since I had no aura of my own, and so everything was a bit of a blur there for a while, with me just lying on the ground unable to even feel my own limbs. Then I felt someone I now know to be Ilias teleporting in my range, and Alice striking her with Angel Halo a moment later, before being smacked down herself. For a moment I was even worried she would land on top of me, but thankfully she overshot me, before the shockwave sent me flying headfirst onto a tree. Even better, that was enough of a sensory stimulation to let me get some clarity and get my body back." I started narrating.

"You're welcome." Alice smugly interrupted.

I just sighed and moved on.

"Anyway, after that I had absolutely no idea where I was, or what was happening. I was about to start moving when Luka entered my range as well. I got curious, and decided to take a quick look in order to maybe ask some questions... And then I saw you two talking to each other in that clearing." I continued.

"Why didn't you just walk in? You should have had no idea who we were, right?" Luka questioned.

I simply stayed silent.

"...Wait, are you saying you recognized us as soon as that? But how?" Alice asked in confusion.

I sighed deeply once before talking again.

"...I'll say this beforehand, but even now this is the part I don't expect you two to believe right away. Not because it isn't true, but because even I have a hard time doing so, despite literally living through it. And it's also the main reason I theorised the presence of someone organizing this mess behind the scenes. It's just too big a coincidence..." I quickly disclaimed.

"Oh, just stop stalling and say it already!" Alice snapped.

"Daniel, no matter what you say I promise we won't doubt you. You have done so much for us, you're our friend... Please, stop holding back for our sakes." Luka pleaded warmly.

For a moment my eyes widened at the sudden influx of emotions.

Then I forced my eyes closed, stopping the tears from forming.

"...I'm sorry Luka, but you're wrong." I firmly declared.

"...? What do you mean?" Luka asked.

"I'm not the kind of person you think I am. Sure, there's a part of me that cares for others too, but mostly I am concerned about myself first, all the time. And if you want proof of that... I knew about you and Alice before I met you because I read about you in a story." I concluded in a solemn tone.

"...Eh?" Luka blinked in confusion for a moment, before his eyes widened along with everyone else in the room.

"What...? Are you saying... This world is inside a book?" Alice asked in a baffled voice.

"What's that supposed to mean? This world is a story?" Tamamo questioned in much the same tone.

"I don't know WHAT this whole crazy situation is. As I said, I have no idea how or why I got here. But as soon as I met Luka and Alice, I could instantly recognize them both from the story's illustrations. And after listening to their conversation, I confirmed that the events currently in motion were the same as the ones I read about, if not for my presence... That said, I just want to clarify one thing. I don't believe this world to be fictional, in any way. You guys are not just characters in a book, so don't bother having something as stupid as an existential crisis. And even if I know how things were meant to go originally, there's no guarantee they will be the exact same now, especially since I wasn't supposed to be here from the start." I declared firmly.

"But wait... Why would there be a book about us?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"No, more importantly... Daniel..." Alice started, her tone taking a much more strained timbre as she realized the implications of my words.

I met her gaze for a moment, and then closed my eyes, nodding wordlessly once as the rest of the room except for Luka froze.

"...? What? What's going on?" Luka asked in surprise.

Somehow, it hurt even more to see him still so utterly clueless...

Nevertheless, I had chosen my path a long time ago.

Whatever would happen now, it would only be my just desserts...

Looking at him right in the eyes, I started talking again.

"Luka... I knew everything from the start. I knew about your parents and Lazarus. I knew about Alice's mother and what she did after she died. I knew about Tamamo and Micaela's pasts, and about the invasion that is happening right now before it even started. I knew all of it. And I lied to you all in order to survive." I finally confessed, my expression perfectly neutral as I stared at my stunned friends' faces.

For a minute, silence reigned once more, no one in the house even moving a single muscle.

Then, Luka slowly started walking forward.

I closed my eyes in resignation, preparing myself for the worst.

"...So this is what you were hiding all this time." he calmly deduced, stopping right in front of me.

I nodded wordlessly, expecting his hand to go to his sword...

And then I completely froze, my brain failing to comprehend what was happening as I felt a pair of arms wrap around my chest.

"...All this time, you were protecting us all. You alone knew the real danger we were facing all along, with Ilias watching us every step of the way from the start, and carried the burden of that knowledge. You knew you could not stop Ilias' armies from attacking eventually, didn't you? But you still tried your best to make sure both us and the world as a whole were as ready as we could be for it. You put yourself in harm's way for everyone else's sakes multiple times, despite this not even being your original world. You felt guilty for knowing about our pasts too, despite it not being even remotely your fault. You were forced to lie to us in order to make sure Ilias never found out about you, lest she started the war too early, unable to do anything about her spying on us yet, even though you could literally feel her eyes on you at all times... " Luka spoke in a quivering voice, as he tightened his arms around me.

"It happened in Succubus village, didn't it? The change, I mean. But it didn't start there, did it? I should have realized after what had happened with Sylph's wind, and later with Sara's own transformation... It was Alice and the others, wasn't it? They all contributed somehow, that much is obvious. But only you knew what was happening, and you knew why... And still, you decided to stick with Alice and me, and never once did you stray from our side for longer than you had to, only doing so to give us some privacy when we needed it. You willingly gave away your very humanity for us, no matter how much it hurt you to do so, physically and mentally..." Luka continued, his voice growing steadier and steadier, even as his arms trembled...

Or were the trembling limbs mine?

I really couldn't tell you by that point.

Still, props to the kid for actually getting things right so far...

Then again, I had always known he was far smarter than he looked most of the time.

Definitely smarter than me, at any rate...

"But even before that, you were already doing everything you could in order not to be a burden. You trained harder and harder every day, despite being unused to it in the beginning, and as soon as you were ready, you jumped into the battlefield at my side... And you did all this despite your own fears, and your hatred of needless fighting. Even further, you always made sure I would get all the fighting experience I needed, and went out of your way to help ME improve, only refusing to spar with me because you couldn't bear the thought of hurting me, no matter the circumstances..." Luka kept speaking, as I looked at his purple-haired head buried in my chest with a completely baffled expression.

"You always did your level best to make sure me and Alice wouldn't suffer whenever you could, despite the risks involved if Ilias started suspecting you. Everywhere you went, you did the same toward every single person you met, without expecting anything in return, even the ones who hurt you, or you just didn't like. Not once did you lash out in anger, even towards the most cruel of opponents, and you patiently tried ot teach me to do the same despite me proving my own inability to do so multiple times already... Even so, you never gave up on me or anyone else, always helping everyone you meet bring out the best parts of themselves they did not even know they had..." Luka raised his head, his moist but determined eyes meeting my own.

"...Daniel. You are the single most brave, kind, and loyal person I ever met, and I am honored to call you my friend." he concluded, a proud smile spreading on his face.

For a few moments I could only sit there and stare back at him, utterly stunned...

Then the tears started falling, as I broke down completely, Tamamo's aura being no match for the veritable flood of emotion coursing through me.

And as I wailed and sobbed without the slightest restraint, I could only thank a God I didn't believe in for literally everything...

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Eden)

As Ilias' most loyal servant directed the troops under her command from the Heavens, she couldn't help but feel irritated at her Goddess' lack of confidence in her.

Of course, Eden would never think of blaming the Goddess for anything, the fault lied solely on the ones who kept deceiving her and undermining the Seraph's authority at every turn...

And obviously, on the male monster who dared to cause Ilias so much grief.

From the moment she had learned of his existence, Eden had barely managed to hold herself back from descending herself in order to punish him.

Unfortunately, her Goddess' orders were clear.

She was to stay in Heaven and handle things while Ilias herself worked on a secret project.

No one was to disturb her, no matter the circumstances.

The show of faith would have been a point of pride for the Seraph, if not for the singular fact that the two traitors had the same authority as her above their respective armies, and she was expressely not allowed to interfere with their business.

Why, oh why did Ilias give those inferior ones so much trust?

Was Eden not worthier than them both combined?

They were but a low-ranked angel and an earth-dweller, and she was a Seraph!

Eden knew it was not her place to question her Goddess' wisdom, but she still couldn't help but tremble in frustration whenever she thought about the insults levied at her by the two damned snakes...

Especially when they dared to remind her of her original title.

She was not the Third anymore!

The First AND Second Seraphs had both defected, they had abandoned their Goddess!

SHE was the First now!

Her Goddess' own right hand!

Her most loyal subordinate, bar none!

They should have bowed to her the moment she graced them with her holy presence!

Oh, how she wanted to unleash her unmatched Holy power bestowed upon her by the Goddess to erase those smirks from their ugly faces...

However, the Goddess' orders were far more important than her own misgivings.

She would not allow herself to waver in her duty, no matter what.

After all, she was the only one who truly understood Ilias' heart...

And she would break those who dared to harm it once she finally received permission from her.

It was only a matter of time...

Until then, she would not betray her Goddess' confidence, leading her armies with infinite zeal.

There were sinners to be punished after all...

"Master Eden... The deployment has been finished, as you ordered. I've posted high-ranking angels as guards at each spirit location. In addition, we have finished assigning our corps for each battle zone. The deployment of Promestein's Chimeric Beasts has also been completed." the Archangel Mariel reported.

"Promestein... Did she accomplish her duty? Even though it might be a simple task to clean the surface world with the angel army..." Eden hummed doubtfully.

"It is as you say. Why did Ilias give a special role to that one...?" Mariel hummed in agreement.

"...Do not say anymore than that. Unless you intend to disagree with Ilias' orders?" Eden warned.

"No... I did not mean..." Mariel nervously denied.

"Though... Your apprehensions are not misguided. That one, and Black Alice, will surely poison Ilias. It is my duty as a Seraph to take the first step. I will not forgive the traitors who look down upon Goddess Ilias..." Eden muttered to herself, as an angel in a pink dress approached.

"Master Eeeeeeden! I have a repooooort!" the Cupid chimed, before whispering something in the Seraph's ears.

"I see, I knew it... Please continue monitoring." Eden nodded in acknowledgement, before ordering.

"Affitmatiiiiive! I'm oooooooff!" the Cupid saluted, before vanishing.

"...Your hand is already in motion? As expected of Eden, the Great Third Seraph!" Mariel cheerfully complimented.

"The Third... You said? I am the Third...?" Eden glared menacingly.

"N... No... I did not mean..." Mariel grimaced fearfully.

"...Pay it no mind. Now go to the surface. Make sure the invasion goes off without a hitch." Eden commanded.

"Yes, I will ensure it!" Mariel assured, before quickly flying off, leaving Eden alone.

"...I am not the Third anymore...Micaela and Lucifina betrayed Goddess Ilias... I am a Seraph! I am Ilias' first servant! I am not the Third!" the winged being yelled out to no one, the small tears gathering in her eyes unseen by all...