Nanabi was not happy, for obvious reasons. She'd been in water before, up to her ankles. Underwater was a completely different experience. She was relieved to find that it wasn't a phobia for her. It was just extremely weird and unpleasant. Tamamo had altered the ball of guidance for safety's sake. Nanabi was likely to get into big trouble under the sea, and so holding the Ball in one hand while fighting with the other was asking too much. So Tamamo, now in her full power in her unsealed form, altered the spell on the Ball of Guidance so that it would work for Nanabi as long as it was within a few dozen feet of her. As a last resort, Nanabi could teleport, albeit not as well as the Heavenly Knights. It would be risky, due to the elevation differences and the distance required. Yet she was not afraid. Despite the fact that Nanabi was a devoted scholar, rather than a fighter, Tamamo had chosen her as her aide for her fearlessness. If a dangerous job needed to be done, Nanabi would do it. She also knew that Tamamo would never allow her to take on a mission where she couldn't possibly succeed. Tamamo had been surprised at Nanabi's willingness to volunteer for such a dangerous mission, but supportive. Even proud of her.
It sure wasn't pleasant, however. Water, water, everywhere. She'd been down here for days. One of the tough things had been getting used to sleeping as most aquatic monsters did. There were no beds. She simply floated in place. It was actually really nice and comfortable once one got used to it. It was also a learning experience, which the scholarly kitsune appreciated. The other sea monsters, at least the intelligent ones that made up the majority of those in the shrine, were pleasant and delighted to have such an unusual visitor. Most had never even heard of kitsunes. There were no books in the seas. They only learned what they were taught by word of mouth.
The less intelligent sea monsters had been less pleasant. The journey to the shrine had involved a few scuffles with curious, and often hungry, animalistic sea monsters. Cindy had been a lifesaver, literally. Nanabi had gotten somewhat proficient at using her tails in the strange environment. She knew that Luka had also fought in this very sea and gotten used to the differences in fighting underwater versus on land, rather quickly. If Luka could learn how, anyone could, she thought, chuckling. He was really smarter than anyone gave him credit for, but sometimes that boy…. She wondered what kind of trouble he was getting into on land.
At the moment, she was in the queen kraken's throne room, ready for battle. Reports had come in, days after Cindy and Nanabi's arrival, that Hiruko had been sighted in the southern seas. She had murdered and deposed the northern sea queen and she intended to either gain the kraken queen's allegiance, or murder her as well. Nanabi and Cindy were here to prevent that, and today was probably going to be the day. Nanabi wondered why the Ancestor was swimming rather than teleporting. From what she had heard, Hiruko liked to intimidate. She was probably making her presence known to let the southern sea monsters know who the new boss was.
The queen kraken could have called more monsters to her side to aid her in the coming battle. She had chosen against that course. She cared deeply about her subjects, so much so that she had gone slightly senile from semen deprivation. Semen had been so scarce before the war against the heavens, that she had been unwilling to take any from her subjects. That was part of the reason Alice had chosen her as queen. It also meant that she would not use weaker sea monsters as meat shields when Hiruko attacked. They had a sealing device. It would either succeed, or it would fail. The queen had already instructed her subjects to spread the word that they were to obey their new queen should she die, whoever that new queen was to be. For the time being, all the two friends and the queen could do was wait.
I waited in Hiro's living room nervously. As world shaking events went, this was nothing. There was no danger, no crisis to be solved, beyond the obvious crisis that hung over all our heads. I was nervous because Granberia was alone with Hiro in his workroom, being outfitted. Hiro was incredibly excited. He finally had his Batman, or Batwoman, as it were, and who better than Granberia? But would she like it? And would Hiro be better off if she did or she didn't? I was also nervous because I wanted to see how she looked. I'd gotten a pretty good idea of what Hiro was going for when he explained his plans. I had to admit, I was still attracted to Granberia and was eager to see her new look.
After about a half an hour, Hiro peeked out the door. He stepped out and motioned to someone back in his work room, presumably Granberia. As she stepped out, he announced her presence.
"I present to you, Granberia 2.0!"
My jaw nearly dropped. She looked absolutely incredible. More beautiful, and more badass than ever. Her armor, which had left very little to the imagination, had been replaced with a form fitting black outfit. Two scabbards adorned her back, each with one of the katanas she had chosen. I was familiar with how slim she actually was. Her armor had always given her the illusion of being bulkier than she was. In this form fitting outfit, she looked like a svelte ninja, other than the lack of facial covering.
Granberia directed Hiro to back up a few steps. When he was at a safe distance, she drew both swords and did a display of Eastern martial swordsmanship that would make… well, if I could actually name a ninja, it would have made that ninja proud.
"While I've been here, I've been taking lessons in their fighting style," Granberia said. "It really is graceful, and well designed to take advantage of quickness and balance."
She couldn't have had more than a few lessons, but being Granberia, she already looked like an expert. She had learned how to do my Quadruple Giga better than I had on the first try. In the combat arts, she was every bit as much of a genius as any Knight at other pursuits.
"Granberia, you look amazing," I said.
"Thank you, Luka," she said tenderly, then apparently realizing Hiro was still in the room, changed her tone. "But most importantly, it drastically improves my quickness."
"Without taking too much away from your protection," Hiro noted. "This outfit is made mostly of graphene, two hundred times stronger than steel at one fifth the weight. That can be deceiving, of course, it's probably still not as resistant to cutting as her armor, but it's more protection for the amount of quickness she maintains than anyone else has on this world. And probably yours, too."
Promestein commented, "They still haven't perfected using that material for personal protection on your world. Hiro and I finished that project. Now I know what I'm selling If I ever get stuck on your world again. No magic involved, should work like a charm in both worlds."
"Hiro," Granberia began. "I really must thank you so much for this. No human has ever given me a gift such as this. Really, no monster has. You made this just for me. It's…. incredible."
Now Granberia was starting to sound towards Hiro the way she sounded around me. I wasn't jealous. She deserved to have friends, especially human friends. Hiro smiled broadly.
"Now you're totally Batwoman!" he said. "All we need is a cowl and a cape!"
"I will wear the cape for show If you wish," Granberia replied. "but no cowl. Why would I wish to cover up this lovely face?"
I laughed at that. Granberia turned and winked at me. Then without warning, she hugged Hiro tightly.
"Because of what you have done for me, I have no doubt that I will defeat that Ancestor. The deed you have done here today will be legendary. Villages will be named after you."
"Um….. righteous?" he said. "So you don't want any of the gadgets?"
"I don't wish to hurt your feelings given the enormity of what you have accomplished here, but…. No. None of them are suitable for me."
"Damn, those were some awesome batarangs, too!"
"They are impractical," she said. "just make boomerangs. Not that those are terribly useful, either."
"If you have any ideas for what I can do, let me know," Hiro said. "I love challenges. I mean, you're already a superhero, but I'd love to be your sidekick. Make stuff for you, maybe join you on missions. Only once I've gotten good enough, of course. I'm totally taking you up on those lessons!"
"If you wish my instruction, believe me, you shall have it," Granberia replied. "as for missions, we shall see. I know that Luka does not enjoy such things as I do."
No, although I hadn't done anything truly dangerous in the last year, there'd been enough tense moments handling various small crises with Granberia that I really wanted to retire from the whole heroing thing. Maybe Hiro could take my place. He was Yamatai, after all. In theory, he had more potential than an average human on this world.
As Granberia and I prepared to leave, Promestein stopped me.
"I've got something for you, Luka," she said, grabbing my arm and in a flash injecting me with something. She really needed to learn to ask permission before doing that.
"Ow!" I said. "What did you just do?"
"I chipped you like a dog," she said. "Alice wants to keep track of you. With this, she'll always know where you are and what kind of condition you're in."
She opened up a window on a computer. "Since I know so much about your power," she said. "I monitor that as well. As you can see, your health is at 100%, as is your power. There are other numbers here, your pulse, your blood pressure, your vitamin levels… ooh, that cholesterol's looking a little high. Might want to cut down on the junk food."
"I see," I said. "reminds me of a video game display. It's like your measuring my hit points and mana."
"I don't play video games," Promestein said. "So, whatever. But yeah. It's not completely technical, there's a little magic as well. It alerts Alice immediately if you're in trouble. If your heart rate goes up too suddenly, if you start getting hurt, or if you start expending large amounts of power. She'll rush to your location as fast as she can, and as you know, that usually means pretty damn fast. Teleportation if she's already been where you are, as close as she can if she hasn't."
I guess I should have been angry, but I'd only brought this on myself and Alice was the possessive type. If she wasn't going to display that possessiveness by being insanely jealous all the time, which had proved impossible given her responsibilities as Monster Lord, she was going to display it by keeping tabs on me. I suddenly realized that if I was getting pleasured by another monster that my heart rate might go up and bring her right to me. Uh oh. Better be VERY selective now in who I let do that to me. I'd have to see if Promestein could remove it or turn it off once this crisis was over.
Granberia and I left the house. It had been an uneventful week after the attempt on my life by three Ancestors. Some things had changed. Since holding the Monster Lord's castle required at least two powerful beings to make it costly to attempt to retake it, we knew exactly where the Dark God was. She was on the throne, literally. Saja was there as well. They'd deployed their dragon army around the castle in case an attack was attempted from the outside. There had been reports of more than just dragons in that army. Many of Hellgondo's monsters had eagerly rushed to the Dark God's side. Behemoths were the primary ground force around the castle. Some dark elves had been sighted. Most worrisome, a few echidnas, along with an assortment of other lamia species. Vampires were also numerous.
In theory, we had a way to land an army there quickly. Only a few of the mini transporters had been repurposed as sealing devices. We could land a far bigger army right next to the castle in terms of pure numbers. In terms of power, the Dark God's army would be tough to match. One thing was clear: she had been shaken by the loss of more than half of her daughters and was circling the wagons. The initiative once again seemed to be ours. Tamamo and Alice were only awaiting word on the fate of Cindy and Nanabi in the southern seas. She wanted to be sure of Hiruko's status before moving. If Hiruko turned around and went back to the castle, that changed our strategy. If she took the southern seas, that changed our strategy as well. If she was sealed… well, then we were in business.
"So…. What do you think of Hiro?" I asked playfully.
"I know what you are up to," Granberia said, a tinge of warning in her voice. "My interest in him is strictly transactional. He has done amazing things for me. I will try to reciprocate in any way he desires. Short of making him my… 'sidekick'. "
"Remember what Sara talked to you about.. was it in Iliasburg?"
"Edenburg," Granberia corrected. "and I am regretting sharing that conversation with you."
"You'll never find someone who can give you a good fight," I said. "at least not a human. Maybe you just… need to give someone a chance to impress you in other ways. Sara was right, two warriors, you can only support each other well by doing what each of you already does well. But you doing the fighting, and him making you a better fighter… eh? Eh? See where I'm coming from?"
She smiled as I playfully nudged her as we walked. "I think one such as him would be happier with someone like Promestein," she said. "Assuming there is a heart in there somewhere."
"I don't know about any of that," I said. "and I know right now that you're all about Sara."
"I am not 'all about' Sara," Granberia insisted. "Our relationship has grown, to be sure, but neither of us have made any commitments. I still believe that she will be forced to choose her responsibilities over me. I would respect her less if she forsook them to be with me. It is a dilemma that I am not sure we can overcome."
"No such dilemma with Hiro," I noted. "he's handsome, isn't he?"
"He is," she said, smiling and chuckling. "He smells delicious as well. I had not noticed how much better people descended from your world's humans smell. I'd thought it was just you."
"He is currently quite happy with those sisters," Granberia continued. "What man wouldn't be? Three beautiful women, completely unjealous of one another, wanting nothing more than to give him endless pleasure. I have heard that they have been enjoying his love of your world's entertainment. I'm afraid my interests in your world's fare are more narrow."
"True," I said. "Those sisters are hard to beat. I don't know if it'll come to a long term commitment, though. Being married to three women? That sounds tough."
"Ah, listen to us," Granberia said wistfully. "Still speaking as if we haven't a care. I have to admit, I do not enjoy this battle as much as my time just enjoying the daily routine with you. I thought I longed for adventure, but I am beginning to see things your way now. I think I've had enough near death experiences for one lifetime."
"Are you talking about retirement? You, Granberia?"
"Shut up!" she ordered. "Don't even joke like that! I just…. Don't need to fight with such… seriousness. I guess I had grown used to battles being more sport than life and death. My opponents had little hope of killing me and I chose not to kill them. I have a confession to make. You must never tell anyone!"
"What's your confession?" I prompted. "You know me, can't even read my mind. Your secret could not be safer."
"The first time I ever killed… it was in heaven, during the final battle. Like you, I had never killed before."
"What?!" I said in disbelief. "The legends said you laid waste to entire armies! That you once killed one thousand men in a single day!"
"I think I know of the battle that legend references," she replied. "In reality, it was one hundred men. I killed none of them. It was a glorious fray! I felt no guilt about teleporting around the field, felling man after man, hero after hero. I used Vaporizing Rebellion Sword to take out a dozen men packed closely together. I now regret how much pain I must have caused them. I was young and foolish and it was mere sport to me. But all returned home to their loved ones, having been taught a lesson. No, I had never killed until that final battle."
"So I actually killed my first person before you did," I said. "Wow. I never guessed. Were you okay?"
"I was," Granberia said. "Like you, I felt more sorrow for them than guilt at my own actions. The battle was for the fate of the world. I could not hold back."
"So all those times you threatened to execute someone, like the Queen Elf, or Eden, you were bluffing?"
"I never said I was going to kill the Queen Elf!" Granberia said. "read your own book! As for Eden, it was the Monster Lord's orders, and her crimes more than justified it. I would have done as I was ordered."
"So will you really kill Saja?" I asked.
"I will," she said. "I tried to. For the first time in my life, I used my ultimate move while willing my blade to kill. I drew a lot of blood. But since sealing her is possible, I will do that if I can. For you, as well as for me. While I was on my journey with Sara, I realized there were many things that I had never admitted to you. There is another that I would like to reveal to you."
"And that is?"
"I want to be more like you, Luka," she said. "I want to see the world as you do, see the best in people. And yet fight harder than anyone when you see evil."
"I really don't see me the way you see me," I said. "The way I remember it all, I was scared, occasionally self righteous, sometimes even dark and bloodthirsty. Sometimes I reacted without even thinking. I'm getting credit for the results of my insane luck. My heart isn't what people say it is."
"You are much too critical of yourself," Granberia said. "But do not change. You wouldn't be you if you thought yourself to be pure and good. It is our sins that make us interesting, after all. We can never learn right if we haven't done wrong."
"You're a very wise woman, Granberia," I said. "so now that we've got the initiative, how long do you think before we get the call? Both of our targets are in the castle. Saja for you, Alipheese for me."
"Ah, again thinking instead of waiting for orders," Granberia chuckled. "Think about how you will do the job when called upon, do not worry about when you will be called upon. We shall see how Nanabi and your greatest nemesis fare."
"Thanks for that, Granberia," I said. "Great nemesis! Am I ever going to live that down?"
Luka's great nemesis was side by side with the queen kraken and her kitsune friend, facing off against Hiruko.
"Pledge your allegiance to the Dark God Alipheese, Queen of the Southern Seas!"
"Who?" the queen kraken replied.
"The Dark God, Alipheese! The one who created you! Your goddess! Do you not worship your goddess!?"
"I'm sorry, dearie," the queen kraken replied. "But you really will need to remind me. We don't have books down here, so everything is passed down through oral history. Now who is this you're talking about? Does she need something from me?"
"You know very well who the Dark God is!" Hiruko raged. "You are playing games with me, woman! I know you are not that old! You cannot be a day over five hundred! Most of the other sea monsters know who she is! Don't trifle with me! I have killed greater beings than you for less!"
"Oh, now that you mention it, that name does ring a bell!" the queen kraken said brightly. "You're talking about the Monster Lord! I've already pledged allegiance to the Monster Lord. How is her human husband, by the way? I never did get a chance to put a tentacle up his-"
"Not that Monster Lord!" Hiruko yelled. "The first! The true Monster Lord! You are referring to the Sixteenth!"
"Are we up to that, already?" the queen kraken asked. "I keep on losing track. When I was born, we were only on number… what was it? Seventh, I believe? Do you know, crab girl? What did you say your name was, Cathy? Soapy?"
"It's Cindy, your highness," replied the crab girl. "And I think we were on number seven when you are born. I can't be sure though. I'm not a history buff and I'm only nineteen."
"You're stalling!" Hiruko yelled, now quite enraged.
Nanabi just wished they could get on with it. The queen kraken was no longer semen deprived and had always half pretended to be dippy because it amused her. Part of the reason she acted that way was because she didn't want all of her subjects coming to her with problems they could solve themselves. If the problem was truly important, they would have the patience to explain it to her so that she could understand it. Not that it was all an act….
"I can assure you that I do not know this Dark God!" the queen kraken stated firmly. "I know of her, but I do not know her personally. If she wishes my allegiance, she can come down here and ask for it herself. Now do go back to wherever you came from and go get her. I will wait here with my friends Soapy and Nobby. Go on, the sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back with someone who I'm actually interested in talking to."
"I will ask.. one… last… time," Hiruko said quietly. Nanabi had heard that tone before. It was a tone that promised extreme violence. The queen kraken noticed it as well, and tensed, ready for the inevitable battle. "Pledge your allegiance to the Dark God, or be deposed!"
"Aren't you a little small to be ordering one as ponderous as I around?" the queen kraken asked. "If you wish to take my throne, then come and take it! It's around here somewhere. I think it's under me. I haven't seen it in awhile."
Hiruko was done negotiating. Nanabi had expected her true form to be frightening. What she saw was even worse than her imaginings. Hiruko's clothes disintegrated as dozens of tentacles streamed out, attacking all three women. Cindy and Nanabi were instantly bound. The Queen kraken was still in the fight, however, striking out with her tentacles at the central, still mostly humanoid form of Hiruko, while batting away numerous other tentacles that tried to strike her, restrain her, or strangle her.
Cindy had several arms free, as well as one claw, and used that claw to grasp a flaying tentacle and crush it. It withdrew, shaking about in random directions. Her free arms reached out to grab other tentacles, and she had eight of them. Cindy's combat instincts were still sound. She knew that she didn't need to beat the Ancestor so much as restrain her. But there were so many tentacles! Her two allies would have to help out.
For her part, Nanabi's body was completely restrained. She could not move her mere two arms. She still had her tails, and she at first used them to bat tentacles away from her. Seeing Cindy's strategy she began to wrap her tails around individual tentacles. They didn't need to get them all. Just enough to hold the Ancestor in place long enough for Nanabi to use the sealing device she had on her person. The queen kraken, the focus of most of Hiruko's attacks, and definitely the most vicious ones, was too focused on alternately staying alive, but also attempting to strike out at Hiroku with her own massive tentacles, a couple of which even managed to hit. One such strike hit with such force that Cindy and Nanabi were released as Hiruko chose to rethink her stategy. With some difficulty, Hiruko freed her tentacles from Cindy and Nanabi's holds.
Cindy chose bold action, as she always did. She attempted to flank the Ancestor. Nanabi, seeing what she was up to, tried to get on her other flank. She thought this strategy entirely too aggressive, but was willing to back Cindy's play, given the crab girl's track record. Cindy was also her friend. Leaving her exposed was not something Nanabi was willing to do.
The queen kraken also backed the gambit. When Hiruko lashed out fiercly with killing blows at her two assailants, the queen kraken protected them with aqua pentagrams. Such was the power of this protective shield that even the Ancestor's tentacles could not penetrate. Cindy and Nanabi were close. In a moment, either Cindy's claws or Nanabi's tails would be able to restrain the Ancestor, hopefully long enough for Nanabi to bring the sealing device into play. The queen kraken, sensing that victory could be imminent, lashed out with all of her huge tentacles, seeking to grasp the human form of Hiruko.
It was too easy. Hiruko recognized both the danger and the opportunity at once. Putting up two aqua pentagrams had stretched the limits of the queen krakens magic to its breaking point. Hiruko didn't just have dozens of tentacles. She had hundreds. Ignoring Nanabi and Cindy, she sent all of them at the queen kraken, streaming past the kraken's larger, clumsier tentacles in an instant and striking her again and again. As Cindy's huge claws grasped Hiruko's human form, Nanabi heard a horrible sound. That sound was the queen kraken's neck being broken. She gazed in horror as the queen went limp and tipped over onto her side.
Her friend Cindy also paid a price for Nanabi's hesitation. Hiruko didn't actually have a human form. It was just a form, disguising yet more tentacles. Those tentacles battered Cindy's vulnerable human form. Cindy floated away before settling onto the ocean floor, unmoving. With a cry of rage, Nanabi sent all seven tails to wrap Hiruko up as best she could. Powered by a rage and determination she had never known before, she tied her tails up tight, so that they would tear and shred, skin and bone and fur, should Hiruko break out, which she surely would. Nanabi's only chance, as she saw it, was to hold her just long enough to seal her. She didn't even know that the device would work on the Ancestor in the form she was now. Promestein had explained that all of the head and torso of whoever was being sealed had to be within the beam of light. But Hiruko no longer had a head and torso!
Hiruko's head briefly appeared, inches from Nanabi's face as the kitsune rushed to aim the sealing device at her adversary.
"What's a kitsune doing all the way down here?" she said evilly. "Did you really wish to die in the most horrible way a kitsune can die that badly? Hmmm, what do we have here?"
Nanabi felt tentacles exploring her body. She was sure she had the main part of Hiruko's body, such as it was, wrapped in her tails. That did not mean Hiruko's tentacles couldn't reach her. Her closeness prevented particularly potent strikes, but they still pawed her and attempted to wrap around her. Fine, she thought. Wrap me up. As long as you just stay in place long enough….
"Ah," Hiruko said. "This is how you're able to breathe down here. What would happen if I did… this?"
A tentacle grabbed the Ball of Guidance from Nanabi's fur and tossed it. Nanabi's heart sank as it drifted further and further away. She tightened her grip even further, determined to end this, even if she died. She turned on the device. Light flared, enveloping a large number of tentacles and Hiruko's head. The Ancestor screamed in rage, her head disappearing, but the rest of her very much in the fight. Had Nanabi only sealed her head? Just as she thought that, she nearly inhaled water. Her mammalian aquatic reflex was all that saved her from drowning. She was holding her breath. And rapidly weakening.
It was about that time that Hiruko began to really try to break her hold. Nanabi held on tight, even as she felt bones break, hair and skin tear. Extreme pain joined the agony of drowning as her tails stretched beyond the breaking point. She grimly maintained the light on Hiruko's form, hoping against hope that the device would finish the job before she inhaled water and died.
Suddenlly she could breathe again. "Time to seal!" she heard a voice sing, sounding way too happy given the circumstances.
Two massive claws locked onto Hiruko's form, Cindy's eight arms got hold of as many tentacles as they could grab. Not eight, seven. One of those hands held the Ball of Guidance, now close enough that Nanabi could breathe once again. Nanabi held the sealing device back as far as she could, trying to get as much of Hiruko's form into the light as possible. If this didn't work, Hiruko would kill them at her leisure.
It worked. The combination of the distance and the Ancestor's center being held in place more solidly, despite all of the jerking tentacles, did the trick. With a cry of anguish, Hiruko was sealed again. Nanabi collapsed in pain and exhaustion, slowly settling to the ocean floor.
"Stinky!" Cindy cried. "Are you alive? Please don't die!"
Nanabi was far from dead, not even unconscious. But her precious tails were a mess of blood and broken bones, her body cut and bruised from the rough treatment of the tentacles. Tamamo would restore her tails. The rest of her would heal in time.
"I'm not dead, Soapy," she said. "I only wish I was."
"Stinky!" Cindy cried in joy, and hugged Nanabi tight with all eight arms. Nanabi winced. She could tell that she had a couple of broken ribs as well.
They both checked on the queen kraken. She was dead. Tears flowed freely for Cindy. This was her queen. She had failed to protect her as she had promised. The crab girl was sure that she would never be worthy of being a Heavenly Knight. She would not let down her friends, but when this was all over she resolved to return to her old life. It wasn't so bad being just an ordinary crab girl, she thought. Nanabi, for her part, did her best to console her dear friend. When Cindy was ready, it would be time to return home and report. She was also eager to find out how everyone else was doing.
I was sitting by a campfire. Alice was not present, despite the fact that I had never in my life camped alone, even though I had planned to camp alone every night when I had first decided to go on a journey. Despite Alice's absence, there was an uneaten bowl of rice, corn, and chicken that I had apparently made for her lying on the ground. I was dreaming lucidly again, and by now I knew the drill. The Dark God wanted to have a chat.
Sure enough, Alipheese sat down by the fire.
"Is this for me?" she asked.
"Go ahead," I offered.
She tasted the food. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "Either you only dream that you're a good cook, or you've got more talents than just being a pain in my ass."
"Now can we talk about ending this insanity?" I asked. "The casualties have been light. There's still a chance to turn back from the brink. I know this isn't what you wanted."
"You don't actually think you're winning, do you?" the Dark God said, smilling. "I've received offers of tribute from two kingdoms. My dragons can burn the rest with no effort. And you still can't take me on alone. Your power can hurt me, sure, but you'd run out long before you came close to beating me. Really cute creating new seals, by the way. I went to go break them and I couldn't. Your magic infests those seals. I hope you don't think they're unbreakable. They aren't. It'll just take some time for me to figure it all out."
"You seem rather overconfident," I said. "I can seal you as well. Really, anyone can if they can hold you in place long enough."
"I can turn into smoke, kid," she laughed. "I don't know if you knew this, but you can't teleport safely while you're being held by someone else. Sure, you can do it in a pinch, but it's dangerous. Of course, my daughters being unconscious made that point moot. Very impressive, I must say. I think it's kinda funny, given that they thought so little of you, but I never doubted you. But you see, I can just get out of any hold by turning into smoke. You'll have to make those devices a lot quicker if you want to seal me. I bet I can figure out how to get my daughters unsealed long before your angel science lady solves that problem."
"She did it before," I said. "if there's only one of you, she can always build a machine to do it the way she did last time."
"A machine?" she scoffed. "Machines break down. That's why I've never respected that science nonsense. Magic will always trump science. I'll be loose again before you know it. There's no path to victory for you, kiddo. I'm probably wasting my time trying, but you should really just give up. I'm willing to sweeten the pot a little."
"I'm sure I won't like your offer, but lay it on me," I said.
"I was probably a little rude offering to let you be my daughters' consort," she said. "You love your Monster Lord wife. I get that. I respect that. I'll even let her have her throne back. I've already got tribute from two kingdoms lined up. We'll get the rest to fall in line, while keeping any new science away from the humans. C'mon, kid,you'll never get a better deal out of me. Shows how much I respect you."
That offer sounded almost worth ending the war over. Almost. Alice had been more than willing to respect, venerate, even worship, the Dark God. But Alice envisioned her as a ceremonial figure, or at least one that did not intervene in temporal affairs except to insure plentiful crops, that sort of thing. I really wished Alice was here to do the negotiating. On some level, I appreciated the Dark God's respect. Alice loved me, but usually treated me like a child. The Dark God looked me in the eye and spoke to me as an equal, although even she could be condescending at times.
"If all the kingdoms agree to the tribute, I'll reluctantly go along," I said, summoning up every bit of diplomatic experience I had. Which wasn't much. "The tribute will consist only of willing males, and they will never be killed or broken. They will be returned every year in exchange for a new set of volunteer males. Alice is the Monster Lord and you'll rule her with as light a hand as she rules her own subjects."
"Sigh," Alipheese responded. She seemed truly regretful. "That sounds really damn close to the status quo. That's just not gonna work for me. If we walk away with no agreement, let me tell you, it's gonna get really grim. My dragons will start with Sabasa. They're the strongest human kingdom. Each dragon will have a behemoth on its back, ready to land and smash down those walls. Once I take the city, I'll give special attention to the humans you know."
"I keep on telling you, you should be talking to Alice," I insisted. "I wouldn't know what an acceptable deal would look like. I can't think through all the implications. I'm not even comfortable with what I offered you."
"It's you or no one," she said. "I do not negotiate with people beneath me. Time to man up. Make the adult decisions. Decide who lives and who dies. Welcome to the world of gods. If you walk away, you've still made a choice. All those deaths, those are on you as much as they'll be on me. Think about it. It'll take me a couple of days to make preparations. Can't teleport whole armies, after all. Get back to me if you come to your senses."
"How do I contact you?" I asked.
"I'm a god, kid," she laughed. "Just pray!"
I relayed everything to Alice. She in turn, relayed it to everyone else. Everyone else being the Four Heavenly Knights, now in Yamatai, having decided that recruitment by the Dark God was no longer a threat. Another attempt on my life was judged a threat, however, and I was strictly forbidden from ever being alone without Alice or a Heavenly Knight present, even with my tracker.
Cindy and Nanabi had returned with the mixed news of Hiruko's sealing and the queen kraken's death. Tamamo had been shocked at Nanabi's condition and rushed her to the healers. Tamamo herself had restored Nanabi's tails, because for some reason Tamamo knew how to heal that, if nothing else. Alice had really loved the queen kraken and at the start of our latest war council gave a short tribute to her.
"She lived for the same thing I did, in fact, lived for it even before I knew that it was what I wanted to live for," Alice said. "She was quite a personality. There will never be another one like her. Let's win this war and further make her dreams into reality."
There was a moment of silence. Granberia broke that silence after a decent interval to ask when we would be attacking.
"While I usually think Granberia is overly aggressive," Alice said. "This time I think she's right. We have two days before the Dark God sends her dragons against Sabasa. The only way to avert massive death and destruction is to beat her to the punch."
"You know that's what she wants us to do, right?" Tamamo interjected. "She wouldn't have revealed her plan to Luka just as a negotiation tactic. She wants us to strike first. An attack on Sabasa gets her just one of the things that she wants. It gets Sabasa's submission. Whereas if she fights a battle at the highly defensible castle, she has an opportunity to break us. I think we should do it, but we should hold Luka back. Erubetie will remain with Luka as his protection, the rest of us will attack the castle."
"No," I said firmly, no longer begging for a role. "The Dark God is there. I'm the only one who can stand toe to toe with her, even if it's only briefly. I'm coming."
"As open for a retort as he left himself there, I agree," Alice said. "we promised him that he would have a role in the critical battle. This is the critical battle. Even if it's what the Dark God wants, Luka's presence is a wild card. He's unpredictable. Even when they had him, they didn't really have him. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't believe in him before. I believed in his heart, I believed in his power, but I thought he was a weapon to be used only in the right circumstances. But he's shown me that he's at his best when he's fighting for a cause he believes in, not waiting around being treated like a child. Luka, I'm going to say this in front of everyone, because I've belittled you in front of everyone. You're the hero this world needs. Whatever danger you want to rush into, I'll rush into it with you. Wherever you go, I go. I have complete faith in whatever you want to do. If your plan is to rush into the throne room while the battle rages and face her yourself, I'll be right there by your side."
I thought I was going to cry. Tamamo smiled broadly, as if proud that Alice had finally gotten it, even though Tamamo herself had often been like an overprotective mother to me. Granberia had always had faith in me, and she too was smiling at me. Alma Elma and Erubetie seemed proud in their way as well.
"As much as that vote of confidence means to me," I said. "I'm no strategist. I'm coming, that's nonnegotiable, but I'll do whatever you tell me to do."
"Smart b-" Tamamo began. "Smart man. It's not going to be very fancy. We've got enough mini transporters to bring in a battalion of harpies and a battalion of elves. We're going to counter their power with speed."
"Speed we will have in abundance," Granberia cautioned. "But even at their most coordinated, killing dragons is too much to ask."
"They won't be trying to kill dragons," Alice replied. "that will be up to our heavyweights, Tamamo, Erubetie, and myself. You and Luka will begin the battle with us, outside. We'll clear a path to the castle entrance, which you, Granberia, and Luka, will storm. Once inside, how you proceed is up to you. You can both fight Saja together and then move onto the throne room, or you can split up and take each of them one on one. The latter option has the advantage of speed. Luka tying up the Dark God will hopefully give us other opportunities."
"I thought you were charging into the throne room with me?" I asked Alice.
"I'll be there, Luka," Alice replied. "Trust me. As soon as you face her, I'll know, and I'll come running."
"Why are we teleporting outside the castle?" I asked. "Didn't they take it by teleporting inside?"
"The castle was mostly unoccupied," Alma Elma explained. "That, and teleportation, at least the way we do it, isn't easy. You have to know where you're going, and if we're talking about doing it indoors, it's a little dangerous even if you do know what you're doing. Normally we prefer to do it outdoors. The Dark God probably was able to do it because she's a goddess and all, or she was willing to take chances with her daughters' lives."
"I'm very good at magic," Alice said. "And I know my throne room well. I'm confident that I can teleport there in an instant as soon as you get in there. It's just like the battle with Ilias. Maybe we'll even get a chance to give her the Giga with the special ingredients. She can't even dodge that in her smoke form. Angel Halo hits noncorporeal things just as easily as it does anything else."
"I know I'm probably asking too many questions," I asked. "but how are we ready to send two battalions by tomorrow?"
"Why do you think I wasn't there when you got yourself into trouble?" Tamamo asked. "I was busy. Mini transporters are already in the hot little hands of several hundred elves and harpies. Now if that's all the questions, I think we have work to do."
I, as usual, did not have work to do. I was just going to fight. While I was no longer being forced to stay in Yamatai, I still had a bodyguard until I went to bed with Alice. Erubetie remained by my side as I wandered around the village, thinking. This was not the first time I was going to bed knowing I might not be alive to see another sunset. I had felt this way before the assault on the heavens. That night, I had gone into battle with my heart at peace, having talked to the Four Heavenly Knights and Eden and learning that they were actually wonderful people, or at least had the potential to be. I knew that if I fell and they lived, that they would carry on my dream. This night I could only think about what I could lose.
"You seem troubled," Erubetie observed. "Understandably so. Last time, talking seemed to help you. Do you wish to talk now?"
"I always do," I said, smiling wanly.
"Then speak," she said. "I felt better after speaking to you last year. Perhaps we can ease both of our minds."
"I doubt it," I said. "I have so much more to lose than I did last year. I wasn't even completely sure that Alice loved me. Now I have a marriage, a great life, great friends, and a world that gets better and better with each passing day."
"I agree," Erubetie said. "In the last year, the number of springs my children can live in has increased tenfold. The humans who have helped clean the springs have also been gracious enough to feed my children, who reward them extra well for their hard work."
"I'm pretty sure the humans who volunteer to work that hard do it precisely because the slimes are so generous with their rewards," I said, chuckling.
"Perhaps," Erubetie mused. "It does not matter. You humans believe in something for nothing. We monsters are uncomfortable with the concept. That does not necessarily mean that we keep score. We simply believe that good deeds should be rewarded with good deeds in return, to the best of the recipient's ability to repay the debt. That is why Tamamo was so cross with your wife when you were traveling. Alice saved your life on many occasions, but only when it cost her nothing, whereas you did things such as hike several miles with her heavy body wrapped around you. As well as charge into a battle for her that she could have won easily, but which was very dangerous to you. I am not as close to the Monster Lord as the others are. Or as close to you. But know that I appreciate you both and will gladly die for either of you."
"I always knew you had a soft heart, Erubetie," I said.
"My heart is slimy, like every other part of me," she corrected. "Unless you plan to repeat your previous talks with everyone before you retire, you should really return to Alice. This could be your last night together. She will want to make it a memorable one."
I chuckled, remembering how before our last huge battle she had just come up to feed. I had had other plans, and executed them well. At least I thought so.
I returned to our little house. Tamamo heard me enter and shouted from the other room.
"Be as loud as you want! It's fine!"
Alice chuckled and smiled at me fetchingly. She was already naked in bed. She lifted the covers and invited me in. I joined her and she held me tight. This kind of touch had lnog since stopped scrambling my thinking processes, but my little guy still responded reliably. She ignored it, for now.
"How are you?" she asked softly.
"Nervous, as you'd expect," I said. "This almost dying thing should be nothing new to me, but it never stops being scary."
"I love you so much, Luka," she said. "Please survive this. I won't make you promise because that would be cruel. We all have to be prepared to give our lives tomorrow. But… please try. Our last year has been so amazing, even though I've been so busy. I just want to be like this for the rest of your life. I want to hold you when you finally pass on, in bed, having lived a peaceful, happy life, with lots of little children."
I smiled, but I sensed that there was something else that she was thinking about.
"Are you thinking about how you'll almost certainly outlive me?" I asked.
"I think about it a lot," she said. "It reminds me how tough it is to be the Monster Lord and married at the same time. All that time I spend away from you, knowing that you won't be here forever. It kills me. But I have duties, and I also know that if we spent too much time together we'd get sick of each other. Still…. I don't know what life will be like when you're gone. Maybe your magic…"
"Maybe," I said. "Gabriella says I can do anything. Maybe we can both live forever."
"I think I'd like that," she said. "I have ways to make us live for eternity if that's what you want. Or I can become human, we can settle in your world, and I can live a human lifespan."
"The downside to that first spell you're referring to is that it stops time in a small area, so that we're together forever. I don't know that we'd be happy like that for long."
"We'll bring a ton of books in with us!" she said, giggling. "No, I know it's impractical, and I have responsibilities. I'm going to live on and keep fulfilling them after you're gone. Not to mention, I have to raise our children."
"Children? Alice, are you saying…"
She nodded, smiling. "Twins," she said. "I'm pregnant! I only found out yesterday! I really didn't want to tell you because you know I don't like to tell you anything that might distract you from the task at hand. But I'm done protecting you. You're my equal. I'm going to start treating you that way. I do hope I've made the right decision, Luka. You won't be distracted during tomorrow's battle?"
"I won't be," I said. "In fact, you've given me something to fight for. Have you decided on names?"
"I've got some ideas," she replied. "But that'll wait. I hear in human culture it's bad luck to name children until they're born. I don't believe in superstitious nonsense, but I figure why tempt fate the day before a big battle? That's practically asking for something bad to happen."
"Can I at least make a suggestion?" I asked.
She nodded, in an 'I can't wait to hear this' way.
"What are their sexes, do you know?" I asked.
"One boy, one girl, just as we agreed," she replied.
"We didn't agree to anything," I noted. "That's what you announced as the compromise on our wedding night."
"What the hell, guys!?" Tamamo cried from another room. "I want to hear some creaking and some moaning and some screaming! Do I have to come in there and join you two!? You know I will!"
"You stay right where you are, you dirty kitsune!" Alice shouted back. She turned back to me. "Okay, so what names do you want?"
"Bubba and Gertrude."
"No," she said firmly. "Try again."
"Slumpy dumpy and Big Bertha."
"You're an idiot, darling," she said sweetly and kissed me. "I guess I'm naming them."
"How about David and Amy?"
"Now you're being a little more reasonable," she said. "I still don't like those names. I'm making a names exception to your equality. This one's my call."
"Fine," I said. "Just nothing exotic."
"Deal," she said, and climbed on top of me. "Time to give Tamamo what she wants."
I grabbed some of my magic and prepared to mimic hers, so that she could share the amazing feelings she gave me. She stopped me.
"I see what you're doing, and quit it," she said. "I want to make this perfect. Don't worry, I'm going to get plenty out of this as well. I just want to have control over myself, to give it to you just right and not lose control. When you turn that juice on, I get a little crazy and it just turns into animal sex. The last 'last night of our lives' was you showing me what you had. Let me show you now what I've got. It probably won't be the most intense feeling you've ever had, but it will be the most comfortable and intimate. Its something I've never showed you before. I just worry that it might scare you. If it does, I'm so sorry, and we'll do something else. Let me know now if you're feeling trigger-y. I've got a backup plan."
"Something I've never experienced before?" I asked. "Just how many things like that do you have?"
"A lot!" she giggled. "I always keep a little something in reserve for special occasions. Plus I have a little secret. Alma Elma still shows me new stuff from time to time."
"Okay, I won't be afraid. Go ahead."
She smiled and raised herself above me. She revealed a second mouth on her torso. She started to draw me into it. I can't even truly describe how it felt, but I can say that I slept like a baby when she was done. But not before letting out a lot of screams and moans that made Tamamo very happy in the other room.
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