My friends and I gazed out at the lovely spring that Undine called home. Alice, far from taking in the beauty, looked nervous. I could guess why. Had she felt that way when it was just the two of us looking out at this same spring so long ago? If so, she had hidden it well. She made no efforts to hide her true feelings this time around.
"You're going to have to go in alone, Luka," Alice said. "I'm sure you already knew that. Even though humans and monsters are getting along better, the slimes in this region are still hostile to outsiders. Human settlements still pollute the slimes' natural habitat."
Yes, I remembered. The coexistence on this world wasn't like the coexistence on mine. This coexistence had occurred through simple reduction in religious-based hostility. But there were genuine areas of specific interest to both monsters and humans that still bred conflict. On my world, I had needed to work at coexistence by negotiating compromises between humans and monsters. This world had fallen into coexistence, but had done little to work at it. The fact that hostile slimes were still holed up in Undine's spring was evidence of that.
"And there's more, Luka," Alice warned. "I sense Erubetie down there. Are you up to facing her alone?"
"I hope so," I said. "She is a slime, and a Heavenly Knight, so I shouldn't have to hold back if it comes down to a fight. But facing a Heavenly Knight is never a sure thing. And she's a killer."
"Luka…." Alice said. "Please don't die in a place like this."
"I'm going to collect water quality samples while we wait," Promestein said, seemingly unconcerned about me.
"Maybe this will come in handy," I said, showing Alice a small card that Lime had given me.
Alice furrowed her brow. "This says, 'Luka is my friend, please don't dissolve him. Thanks much, Lime the slime.' She misspelled friend as 'frend'."
"Yeah, but she put her signature on there, so they'll know it's genuine," I noted, pointing out the little blue splotch at the bottom.
"You're an idiot and so is she," Alice retorted, handing me back the card.
I said my goodbyes and dove into the refreshing water. I'd often gone swimming in Undine's spring after my retirement from adventuring. The water was always fresh and invigorating, and slimes would often get playful, sneaking up on me and wrapping me up when I least expected it. I'd learned after the first time to go skinny dipping, as my bathing suit would be dissolved anyway. But I could expect no friendly reception this time. These slimes didn't know me.
I slipped under the water and the enchantment took hold, transporting me to the entrance fo the cave the slimes called home. It was probably the dampest, most chilly place on the planet that wasn't an actual body of water. It was a place that was pleasant only to slimes. In fact, slimes rarely visited the Monster Lord's Castle. For them, the luxuries of this simple, damp cave were far more comfortable for them. Which meant that there would be a lot of slimes. Powerful slimes. Four such slimes confronted me before I advanced even one hundred yards into the cave.
"Halt, human!" a carnivorous red slime ordered. "This is sacred ground. Humans are not welcome!"
"If we're not welcome, you should probably alter that enchantment so not just anyone gets teleported here," I suggested. I knew the reason why the enchantment worked that way. It was silly, actually. Magic was not Erubetie's strong suit. She had simply wanted an easy way for slimes to reach the caves, especially if the water's pollution reached unhealthy levels. If anyone unwelcome made it down to the caves, they would simply be chased off. Which is what these slimes were trying to accomplish.
"You are not welcome here!" the red slime repeated. "Go now, or face the consequences!"
"I'm here to see Undine," I said. "Besides, I'm a friendly human. I come from Iliasville. Slimes live there among humans. Here, I have a note from a friend of mine."
I reached out and handed the red slime the card. She glanced at it and handed it to a green slime, who also looked at it.
"This is a valid slime signature," the green slime pointed out. "And he is here on legitimate business."
"There is no such thing as legitimate business for a human, friend of slimes or no," the red slime snarled. "All that card has bought you, human, is an easier death should you refuse to leave. I was resolved to make you suffer if you defied us. Instead, you shall die a pleasurable death. Unless of course, you turn back now."
"Erubetie!" I shouted. "Undine! I need to talk to you!"
I knew Erubetie well. She had been present the whole time, disguised as a small pool of blue water. That pool rose, forming itself into the lovely shape of the queen slime. While she was the Heavenly Knight I was least closest to, it hadn't been for lack of effort on both our parts. Erubetie had loved me as fiercely as the other Knights, but she was rarely at the castle and at least most of the time, was stiff and formal with everyone. I knew that she was secretly a bit of a cut up, fond of practical jokes and especially dirty jokes.
"What do you want, human?" Erubetie asked. "You seem to know of me. I will speak with you here. But only here. Take one more step into this cave and I will kill you before you take another."
"Erubetie, I come bearing news of great import!" I said.
"What news do you bring?"
"I learned today of a racing snail who got rid of her shell. She thought it would make her faster, but all it did was make her sluggish."
Slime impacted my face as two of the slimes guffawed at my terrible joke. Erubetie stood there impassively. I guess she had to like you for that to work. She'd always loved that joke. Lime rolled on the floor no matter how many times I told it, although that could have been because the joke was a little racist towards slugs, who Lime didn't appreciate.
"I think it is time for you to go," Erubetie said.
"Erubetie, you were here while I spoke to your sentries," I said. "You know why I'm here. You can sense that I already have two spirits. I'm here to persuade Undine to grant me her power. The world is in danger, Erubetie. I'm trying to save it."
"As am I. You are not part of those plans. This is your last chance, Luka. Go."
"So you know me?"
"I have heard of you. You have been making waves."
Was that a subtle joke? It would be typical of Erubetie, but I decided not to irritate her further. Instead, I went straight at her emotions.
"But do you KNOW me?" I asked hopefully. "Erubetie, look closely at me. You don't feel as if you know me even though you know you've never met me?"
Erubetie looked closely, cocking her head to the side. Then she shook it.
"No, I do not know you," she said with finality. "Leave."
"Erubetie-" I said, stepping forward. Now given her warning to me about taking a single step, you probably think I'm idiotic for doing that. But my idiocy has constantly been overrated. I summoned up Gnome just before taking the step, knowing what might happen. And it certainly did. Erubetie's form shrank slightly as she poured a third of herself onto the ground. That portion of her then rose up like a tidal wave and raced towards me. I braced myself. Next to dissolving me in her body, Erubetie's wave was her most potent attack. It would instantly pulverize any normal man. The first time I'd been hit with it, I'd had Gnome up then as well, although I hadn't had time to brace and my mastery of the earth element was basically non-existent. As a result, I barely survived.
This time, however, was different. I was much more familiar with the power of the earth element and I knew the attack was coming. I was staggered, but not knocked down, nor injured. Seeing that the other slimes had already gotten behind Erubetie to stay out of the way of her wave, I immediately retaliated with my own power, but rather than my usual bolt, I imitated her wave, except using my energy instead of actual slime.
She was not prepared for it nor did she have any inkling that I possessed such power. Since my power was alien to this world, even the most magic savvy beings could only detect if it they had some idea of what they were looking for. And magic was not Erubetie's strong suit, as I have pointed out. My wave hit her already weakened form, as making her wave took quite a bit out of her, splattering her essence everywhere.
I wasn't worried. Erubetie was an extremely powerful slime. No mere force could kill her, no matter how explosive. The only way I knew of to destroy her was to destroy her slime, not simply disperse it. Angel Halo was capable of doing something like that, although the effect was temporary since her slime was sealed into a nonsentient form. One of the Next Dolls had been designed to kill her slime outright But my power, no matter how concentrated, wouldn't do it. At least not with mere force. Erubetie reformed, her sentries cowering behind her. The queen slime was not pleased.
"You are strong, Luka," Erubetie said. "I had no idea how strong. You must have been holding back, given the reports I've received. But my position is unchanged. You may not pass. While my threat to kill you if you took one more step may have been an unjustified boast, you will still have to get past me to see Undine. Should you try, I will dissolve you."
With that, Erubetie stretched out, sealing the passageway so that I could not advance without going through her. I had some ideas about how I could get past her anyway, but none that I wanted to try.
"Undine!" I shouted. "This is pointless! I already have Sylph and Gnome with me! I'm not leaving until you at least speak to me! Save both Erubetie and I a lot of unnecessary discomfort and show yourself!"
This time Undine responded, passing through Erubetie's wall of slime to stand before me. Erubetie sighed and returned to her standard form. Undine stopped and stared at me. I could tell by the look on her face that she recognized me.
"You!" Undine exclaimed. "You're the man from my dreams!"
"Undine, I'm flattered, but…."
"From my dreams, not of my dreams, idiot!"
"Oh… You've been dreaming about me?"
"Yes," Undine whispered, approaching closer. "I dreamed of many battles. We fought the Monster Lord together. And Ilias. And Eden."
"Eden?" I asked, confused. "We've never fought Eden."
"The dreams haunted me. I didn't know if they were just dreams, or visions. I've lived a very long time, Luka. I've never had visions before. So I discounted them. But seeing you here now…."
"So does that mean you'll give me your power?" I asked hopefully.
"Yes, but…. I also had other visions. Visions of myself and the other spirits being sealed. We need to form a more secure contract."
"No!" Erubetie cried. "You must not give him your power!"
"Who I give my power to is my own business, Erubetie," Undine said. "You are the queen of slimes, but you do not rule me. I am no mere slime, I am the spirit of water."
"Yet I am far beyond you in power, friend," Erubetie countered. "And I have orders from the Monster Lord to prevent Luka from gaining the power of the spirits."
"But that makes no sense!" I protested. "I thought the Monster Lord was trying to reenact the correct history, and that me getting the spirits was one of the most essential parts of that! Why would she order you to stand in the way?"
"You speak in gibberish!" Erubetie exclaimed. "I have my orders."
"Erubetie, I'm warning you. You don't want me to go all out against you. I have a lot more abilities than just raw force."
"I'm sorry, Luka," Undine said sadly. "I didn't plan on testing you against myself as I normally would. But it looks as if you're still going to get tested. Erubetie is more powerful than I am. If she wishes to prevent our contract, she can do so. We can only contract if you defeat her."
"Erubetie, please don't do this," I urged. "I know you! Perhaps the chaosization hasn't given you any memories of me, but I'm sure it will eventually!"
"That is irrelevant," Erubetie said. "I serve the Monster Lord. Even if you were my lover, I would have to defeat you. Prepare yourself!"
I drew my sword and summoned Sylph and Gnome, as well as my power. Erubetie surged at me. She was playing for keeps. I felt the digestive fluids as soon as they hit me. Gnome's protection didn't extend to my clothing, so once again I found myself fighting in the nude against a monster opponent. My skin was already burned, although the burns caused no pain, only pleasure. Erubetie had apparently decided that I was indeed a friend of slimes. She may have had orders to kill me, but she would do it her way. I was thankful that I had healers in the party, although if I was disfigured enough it would be a challenge to restore me to what I was. I had to end the fight quickly.
A Death Sword Chaos Star, immediately followed by a large burst of my power turned Erubetie into tiny pieces of slime, none bigger than a dime. Undine seized her opportunity, grabbing my wrist and forming the basic contract with me. I hadn't gone into the flow in centuries, so going into a serene state was difficult. By the time I achieved it and entered the flow, Erubetie's form was rising again.
Tendrils of slime lashed out at me, forming into the shapes of spears. I'd pissed her off. She was done with pleasure and was going to skewer me with those spears of slime. But through the flow, I could see them and dodge them easily, moving between them in a dance of death, my sword exacting a price for every attack Erubetie tried to make. No matter what a being's form, Angel Halo would reduce it, and each strike took something out of the queen slime. I retreated when I saw through the flow that she was preparing to envelope me. Even with Gnome, I could only survive a minute or two inside her body when she was at her most acidic.
"Alma Elma and Tamamo have already left the Monster Lord!" I yelled. "I know you don't want to do this! I can sense that your own mind is not serene!"
"Already?" Undine asked in wonder. "Then you really have used my power before. You are correct. Erubetie doesn't believe in this course of action. But she won't stop unless you disable her."
Then I remembered something. Angel Halo was a powerful weapon, the most powerful on the planet. So powerful that at first Nero hadn't wanted me to have it. But it paled in comparison to my shadow sword, a sword created from my own power that mimicked Angel Halo's power but many times greater. I still wasn't sure that I could summon such a sword, but maybe I could do something similar. Assuming Angel Halo could handle it. I had to hope that I could. Alice would be very cross with me if I broke it.
It was only slightly less crude than throwing power around, but it was a baby step towards using my power in more creative ways. Instead of lashing out at Erubetie again, I instead infused a moderate portion of my power into my sword. I struck with Thunder Thrust, knowing that Erubetie was not fast enough to avoid it. As I struck, I remembered how she had looked when I had taken her on a date to my world. She had been looking at magazines, and had chosen elements of famous movie stars and models to create a lovely form that she knew I would like.
As my sword impacted Erubetie's chest, there was a bright flash as my power was released into her. When my eyes cleared, Erubetie was gone, a human form lying on the ground in her place. I turned her over. It was the same woman I'd taken to Earth on a date. We'd seen Tom and Jerry on that date. Instead of sealing her into a small puddle, the effect Angel Halo normally had on slimes, she had been sealed into the form of a human. I gently poked at her skin with my finger. It was real. I was amazed. Just because I'd thought of her as she had been that day, she had become that. The effect would only be temporary, but for a short time, Erubetie was human. Not a slime disguised as a human, but true flesh and blood.
"Ugh…" Erubetie winced as she sat up. She started at her arm. "What did you do to me!?"
"It's temporary," I assured her. "Since my power was involved, it probably won't last long past me leaving this cave. Just be careful that you don't injure yourself. Lots of sharp rocks in this cave."
"You're actually kinda pretty," a purple slime said helpfully.
Erubetie sagged as she sat on the ground. "I have fulfilled my duty to the extent of my ability," the queen slime said. "I have failed, but I will not be accused of failing to give my best effort. Now go. I pray that you will save the world as you claim you are trying to do. Undine, I bear you no ill will for siding with him. I hope you bear me none. I serve the Monster Lord."
Undine said nothing.
Alice and Sonya pulled me from the water. The pain of my burns was beginning to set in. I hadn't been burned badly, but even small burns can smart like hell, and you all know that I'm a wimp when it comes to pain. Sonya immediately began treating the burns with her healing hands. No one was even fazed that I was naked yet again.
"So I see you got Undine," Alice said, a genuine smile on her face. "Good job, hero. Was it difficult?"
"Piece of cake," I said, still lying on the ground while Sonya worked on me.
"I'm still not familiar with your idioms, but last time you said that you had your ankle crushed, got paralyzed and put into critical ecstasy by a mandragora, and nearly got pulverized by an earthworm girl. So I assume piece of cake means you had a very difficult time?"
"Yeah, something like that," I said, getting to my feet after Sonya finished with me.
"The day is still young," Alice said. "Why don't you go into the castle and get some rest. Promestein wants to collect samples, so she'll accompany me while I travel. We should reach Esta by midday tomorrow."
"Oh, thank me!" Ilias exclaimed. "It is so humid out here! My hair is a mess!"
Here's the thing about healing magic. It makes you tired. So Alice sending me back to the castle was very nice of her, because I needed the rest. Ilias wasn't tired so much as irritated that her hair was a sweaty mess, which was very unbecoming for a goddess as lovely as her. Sonya had her own reasons for hanging around the castle, most notably a desire to work out with her friends in the training room. Sonya was self-conscious about her combat skills, which actually were quite good, but clearly not as useful as mine or Ilias or Alice's.
Since my room was close to Ilias', we walked down the halls together, chatting. She was quite happy that I'd beaten up Erubetie. Learning that Erubetie was loyal to the Monster Lord was useful information, although not what any of us wanted to hear. Learnng about Undine dreaming about me piqued her interest, however.
"So she had dreams about you?" Ilias asked. "Now that's different. I have scattered memories of you as well. She said she dreamed that you fought Eden, but you say you never did?"
"No, definitely not. I've never fought a Seraph, actually," I said.
"Strange. I distinctly remember Eden fighting you and losing. Are you sure you never fought Eden?"
"Very," I confirmed. "Our relationship has never been anything but…. Warm."
"I wonder if what Undine and I are remembering is actually this correct history," Ilias mused. "The White Rabbit said that your own history was similar to, but not exactly like, the correct history. Maybe you're supposed to fight Eden."
"I sure hope not," I said. "There's a lot of things in the correct history I'd really rather not be put through again. Such as killing you."
"I came back," Ilias shrugged. "At least in your history. You brought me back. Just do it again. Does Alice know her part in all of this?"
"Absolutely not, and no way in hell am I doing that again either," I said firmly.
"Not even to save- oh what in the name of blowjobs and titfucks is that?!"
I looked at where Ilias was pointing. A mantis girl was laying her eggs in a corner.
"Excuse me!?" Ilias asked angrily. "What the hell are you doing?! You can't just lay eggs any old place in the castle!"
"They aren't fertilized," the mantis girl said as if it was the most reasonable thing in the world.
"But you can't just lay them in the hallway!"
"Not your castle," the mantis replied as she plopped out another batch.
"Did the Monster Lord give you permission to do that?!"
"No," the mantis girl answered.
"Let me take care of this, Ilias," I said gently.
"Ten to one this ends with you getting raped," Ilias said sourly.
"What's your name?" I asked the mantis.
"Matis," she replied.
"Don't I know you? Wait, you attacked me a few days back! I sealed you, and Alma Elma captured you!"
"She was mean."
"Well Matis, you were mean yourself, trying to rape me."
"No, you're mean! Eggs aren't fertilized because of you!"
"Matis, I probably wouldn't have feritilized your eggs anyway," I said. "I'm not very compatible with monsters genetically."
"She doesn't understand your big words, Luka," Ilias said.
"No babies?" Matis asked.
"No, no babies!" I said. "It would have been useless mating!"
"Sad," Matis said, continuing to lay her eggs.
"Matis, I know it's your instinct to hunt, whether it be for food or mates, but have you considered… I don't know, asking a man to mate with you? To be your mate?"
"Men don't like insects," Matis replied.
"Some do," I countered.
"There are freaks everywhere," Ilias added unhelpfully.
"Ilias, don't say that!" I exclaimed. "Matis is actually very pretty."
"You think so?" Matis asked. "Want to mate then?"
"No, I don't want to mate! I was just saying that there are many men who would."
"As long as she doesn't bite their head off," Ilias said.
"That's a stereotype!" Matis protested.
"Maybe so, but I've seen it happen! I'm the goddess after all! I see a lot!"
"Matis," I said, trying to steer the conversation in a more productive direction. "As a monster, you have both human and insect instincts. But you also have a brain, and that allows you to overcome your base nature. I realize that when you get filled up with eggs, your instinct tells you to find a man and force him to mate with you. But that won't make you happy. Your human side needs love and affection. Find a good man, one who will love you for who you are, and then you can raise babies with him."
"I'm not sure any man is ready for dozens of babies," Ilias said. "He might bite his own head off."
"You might be surprised," I countered.
"Anyway, how did you even get here?" Ilias asked. "Luka certainly didn't recruit you! You didn't, did you Luka?"
"No, but mantises are great fighters. She'll definitely be useful."
"We've already got over a dozen good fighters who we've barely used. Do we really need more?"
"Who knows?" I shrugged. "But if our next mission is to help Grand Noah win a war, we might need a lot more than we have now."
"Fair point," Ilias conceded. "So fine, you can stay. But in the future, lay your eggs in your own room! Or better yet, outside!"
"Okay…." Matis replied, disappointed.
"Matis, has anything I've said gotten through to you?" I asked.
"Find a good guy since I look pretty, get him to like me, make babies," Matis replied.
"Or not. Find your own path to happiness. You don't have to do things just because your instincts try to control you. God gave you a human brain so that you could be who you want to be."
"God? Which God?" Ilias asked, confused.
"I don't know. The Dark God? Figure of speech."
"Thanks for the advice, Luka," Matis said. "I'll think hard about it. But I'm hungry. Will you feed me? I promise not to eat your head."
"Fine," Ilias said. "Luka will feed you."
"I will?" I asked.
"Oh, as If there was any chance you were going to say no! But I'll be watching, insect! Treat my Luka nice or I'll blast you into smithereens."
"Wait, you're going to watch?!?"
"For your own safety, Luka," Ilias said smugly. "I can't have her putting you in critical ecstasy and then taking advantage of your weakness to do something terrible. You act like you're all safe in this castle, but one of these days you're going to recruit a monster who gets carried away and eats you. Face it, Luka, you need me to supervise these feedings. For your own safety, of course."
"Oh, of course," I said, finding this all highly suspicious.
"Yummy yummy!" Matis exclaimed, cleanly cutting my pants, lifting me off the ground, and plunging me directly into…. I'd like to think it was a vagina. At least her thorax and abdomen were soft as I laid there face down, my penis being squeezed by her surprisingly soft and wet…. Vagina? I'd rather not think about it, actually. I closed my eyes putting my face into her soft abdomen. I didn't even have to move as her reproductive organ writhed around me, eagerly trying to milk me. I had to admit that the orgasm was quite pleasant, less intense than it could sometimes be when monsters were forcing pleasure into me. The softness of her underside, in contrast to the hard shell on her back, was lulling me to sleep. It only took one orgasm for me to drift off, given my already tired state.
"Wake up, motherfucker!"
Ilias. Argh. I was lying on the floor in the hallway. Had Matis not even bothered to take me to my room? How rude.
"Whatever happened to 'oh brave Luka?'" I asked, looking up at Ilias' face peering at me.
"What, do you want an evaluation, too?!" Ilias retorted. "Here's my evaluation: You're monster food. You'll always be monster food. Even in the afterlife, you'll still be monster food. Now go, oh brave Luka, and feed more monsters, until there is nothing in the world but satisfied, fat monsters."
"Well, I suppose I should thank you for staying with me. You could have left me out here."
"I need you. Now come on and get up, she only took two loads from you. Let's get you to- now who the fuck are these bitches?"
I sat up to see who she was referring to. Once again, I was looking at monsters I didn't even know were in the castle. I certainly hadn't recruited them. But I did know them. They were the Akaname Sisters. When not preying on humans, they passed for human. The going theory had been that since Yamatai Villagers were descendants of Earthmen, that their DNA produced some monsters who were somewhere in between human and monster. The Akaname sisters seemed to be unique, as I'd never seen anyone like them before or since. So if they passed for human, how did they get classified as monsters, you might ask?
Well, they got classified as monsters because of their appetite for semen, which they were very good at extracting with tongues that were nearly two feet long, and even better, or worse, depending on your perspective, they liked to work together. It wasn't unusual in their younger years to see them dating a single man as a trio. A friend of mine, Hiro, had briefly dated all three of them. As they aged and wanted to start families, they eventually all married singly, and all produced only human offspring, albeit human offspring with rather big tongues, and lacking the need for semen as a nutrient.
"Oh, hey girls," I said, standing up, offering my hand.
"Just who are you three?" Ilias asked. "I'm sure I know of you, but I can't seem to recall from where. My godlike memory is shot."
"We're the Akaname sisters!" the youngest said cheerfully.
"And are you… monsters?" Ilias asked. "You don't look like monsters."
"We are monsters," the eldest replied. "We get along with everyone in Yamatai. We decided we wanted to see the world."
"That's all well and good, but you don't look very strong. Can you cook? We can always use kitchen help."
"Ummm…. Not really."
"Are you martial arts experts?"
"No."
"Well then what exactly do you do?" Ilias asked.
The middle sister stuck out her tongue. "We lick people!"
"You're hired," Ilias said quickly, not even looking at me as she touched my chest and grew to her adult size.
"Welcome to the team," I added.
"Come to my room and tell me more about this licking that you do," Ilias said. "as co-leader of this operation, it's very important that I understand the strengths and weaknesses of our team members."
"That sounds like fun!" the youngest chuckled. "I wonder if angels taste good?"
"Luka, as co-leader, would you like to join me?" Ilias asked. "For evaluation purposes, of course."
"I think I'm fine, I'll let you take one for the team," I laughed.
"I'll send you my full report in the morning," Ilias assured me.
Apparently the evaluation went well. Since Ilias' room was close to mine, I heard her cries for the next three solid hours, along with a great deal of giggling by the sisters. It wasn't until Ilias went silent, presumably passed out from exhaustion, that I was able to sleep.
I was all alone. One minute I was with my companions and we were just about to enter the village of Esta. The next, I felt as if I'd crossed some sort of boundary that my friends could not. At least it wasn't a completely unfamiliar feeling. I'd always been able to go some places that my friends could not.
At least I wasn't truly alone. The three spirits I had contracted with were still inside my heart. That was good, because it reduced the chance that I would need to rely on my dangerous power. I was skilled enough with a sword to defeat any normal foe. I was powerful enough if I used my power to battle on near equal terms with gods. It was that vast gulf in between, ranging from the stronger monsters to Heavenly Knights, Seraphs, Archangels, and Monster Lords that I needed the spirits to defeat. Always use the correct tool for the job, I was taught.
Esta seemed fairly normal at first glance. Everyone seemed pretty happy and going about their business. It was a beautiful city. I knew right away that it wasn't normal, however. The villagers had disappeared years ago. No one should be here but researchers. It also was a modest little village. This was if not a modern city, reasonably close to it.
I flagged down a citizen and asked if I was in Esta.
"Yes! Welcome!" he answered. "Since you're here, you must be one of the chosen ones!"
"Chosen ones?" I asked.
"Obey Ilias' teachings, and your happeiness is assured!" he replied.
Okay, one of those, I thought. Such people were common in Ilias Village when I'd first arrived in Alice's world, but in this new version of that world the Ilias faith had declined. Most people were still nominally believers, but the man before me was obviously a true disciple. I decided to find someone more informative.
A serene old man sitting on a park bench smiled as I sat down next to him. "It is a blessed day, is it not?" he asked me.
"It is very lovely today," I answered. Indeed, the temperature was perfect, the sky partly cloudy, a light breeze blowing. Which didn't really make sense. A second before my friends had disappeared, a storm had been threatening and it had been a bit chilly. Now I may be dense, but it was pretty clear what had happened. My friends hadn't disappeared. I had, by crossing some kind of barrier. I was wherever the people of Esta had gone. But the Tartarus Rift was a few miles to the north!
"Ilias makes every day a blessed day," the old man said, a twinkle in his eye.
"I see that the faith is strong here," I said.
"Strong?" the old man chuckled. "The faith is the only thing here. We are all chosen to live in this paradise by the goddess herself. We've left behind hate, discrimination, poverty, and worry. Ilias provides for all of our needs."
"So it's like the Garden of Eden."
"The what?"
"Nothing, sir, just a reference from another faith."
"Another faith?" the old man asked. "Careful, boy. Ilias doesn't like it when we worship other gods."
"Oh, I don't worship other gods, I just remember some old myths, that's all."
"Well, don't think too hard about those old stories. Ilias wants us all to be happy. She doesn't wish our minds to be conflicted. You don't need to learn things, the angels take care of everything for us. I'm old enough to remember when we had to provide for ourselves. I had a small farm , you see. But now the soil is more fertile than ever before. The angels expend almost no effort to grow food and provide us with more than we ever had before. It's so…. Freeing!"
"I'm not a big fan of work myself, I admit."
It was becoming obvious that somehow I had actually entered the Tartarus Rift. This was obviously another alternate world, one in which Ilias had created the human utopia that she had long desired. Could this be the world that Promestein had come from? But if Promestein belonged here, why hadn't she entered with me?
"You seem troubled, son," the old man said, interrupting my thoughts.
"Oh, sorry, just thinking," I replied.
"Why think?" he chuckled. "What is there to think about? Just obey Ilias and you'll be happy. Humans thinking for themselves is what made us so unhappy all the time. All the striving, all the struggling, all the heartbreak. If you do as Ilias commands, you'll always be happy. If you're unhappy, it's because you are following your own ways. All Ilias wants is for us to be happy. Did you know that that's what sin is? It's not a violation against Ilias. It's a violation of yourself. When you sin, you hurt yourself. Ilias has no need to punish you. You punish yourself through your own actions."
I thanked the old man for his wisdom and looked around some more. Contrary to the man's words, I did see some people at work, although the jobs they were doing weren't particularly taxing. After some conversation, I found that the people did perform small chores a few hours a day. I knew that as powerful as Ilias was, she wasn't all powerful, and that angels could only do so much of the labor. Even in this perfect world, there would be some jobs best left to humans. But the workers were all young and weren't even breaking a sweat.
Wandering further, I saw something very strange to the east. It looked like heaven, with angels trodding upon the cloudy ground as if it was solid. I asked a man standing close by what I was looking at.
"Oh, that's the harbor," he answered. "Best not to disturb the angels in their work. I'm just here looking. I like to watch them. The angels are so beautiful! I know that Ilias will one day choose a wife for me, but until then, I'm dreaming of what it would be like to marry one of those angels. Ah, but those are thoughts I shouldn't be having. Longing for an angel will just make me unhappy. Ilias knows what's best for me."
"Is there any rule about going out to the harbor?" I asked.
"It's against Ilias' commands, so you shouldn't do that," he answered.
"Any particular reason why?"
"It would disturb the angels while they work to provide for us."
"Will the angels attack me if I go out there?"
"Oh, you must be new!" the man chuckled. "No, they won't attack you. I won't try to stop you either. But you really should learn to obey Ilias if you want to find true happiness. I can see how troubled you are. Accept Ilias in your heart and your troubles witll be gone."
"He's already got us in his heart," Undine replied bitterly, fortunately not so the man could hear.
Since the man wasn't going to stop me from further investigation, I prepared to tentatively step onto the cloudy surface. Before I could, I heard church bells sound.
"Oh, that's the call to prayer!" the man I had just spoken to said. "I'm just going to pray right here, but since you're new, you should go to the cathedral. Sometimes powerful angels, occasionally even Seraphs, lead the service! Perhaps after the service, one of them could help you with your problems."
I decided to ignore the harbor for the time being and head to the large cathedral that dominated the city's north and which could be seen from any part of the town. Two friendly priests smiled and waved me in through the huge double doors. And then I was no longer in Esta.
I recognized where I was. It was subspace. I'd been to subspace a few times with Alipheese, the Dark God, who called it home. I gazed around, looking at all of the universes in the distance, all connected to this one by force lines that created a latticework. My attention was drawn to one universe in particular. In my observations from subspace of the world I'd called home, there were only two force lines connecting it to other worlds directly. One force line had led to Earth, the universe of my birth. The other had led to a world similar to Alice's, although I was sure I'd never visited it. The universe I was in at the present time also had only two force lines. One leading to another world that appeared to be similar, but another that led to a world that had several force lines connecting it, as if it was a hub. Was that the world I had been adventuring on for the past couple of months? I filed that information away for later. If that universe had several direct connections with other universes, that was probably important somehow.
"Luka, you have been witness to a paradise in heaven," a voice said.
"Who's there?" I asked the emptiness.
"Pardon me," the voice said, as an explosion of light appeared a short distance from me. When the light faded, an archangel stood before me. "I am Raphaela, one of the seven protector archangels. I am the one who brought you here, Luka, Child of Judgment. I showed you a world of paradise where everyone lives in happiness at Ilias' side. This world promises a limitless number of the greatest blessings from Ilias. It is truly magnificent, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes….." I said tentatively. "So long as people are free to not choose it. As a man who enjoys the easy, stress-free life, it seems like a place I'd love to live in. But I'm old. I've had my fill of adventure. There are many humans who wouldn't want this, at least not at every stage of their lives, from cradle to grave. Is there any room in your world for individuality? For having dreams of something different?"
Before Raphaela could answer, another voice cut in.
"As I believed, you are not deceived by the this mockery of paradise, World Breaker."
Instead of a flash of light, I saw a black hole of darkness that materialized into the lovely form of Saja.
"Saja!" Raphaela exclaimed in shock. "How did you invade this world, even as a projection!"
"This is subspace," Saja replied. "In this world, you angels have only recently learned its uses. I have understood its nature for thousands of years, my mother for millions. I knew that you might try to bring him here to fill him with your deceptions. Listen, World Breaker Luka… Pay no heed to this angel's prevarications. This world, a paradise? Laughable. These people lack free will. They live only to obey Ilias. They exist solely to follow their goddess' plan for their lives. This is a society of slaves. A world where everyone lacks freedom is not paradise, but hell."
"Freedom is inherently dangerous!" Raphaela argued. "People often make mistakes and poor life decisions. Luka, did you see any unhappy people in our paradise? Did anyone look unfulfilled for their lack of freedom? The only thing we've taken from them is the possibility of ruining their own lives."
"Is a life cut off from possibility worth living?" Saja countered. "They are nothing but puppets who are convinced they are happy. People make mistakes, struggle, and persevere. That's what gives human life value."
"Are you implying there are humans who would willingly choose suffering?" Raphaela asked. "I would expect most to hope for a blessed life, free of misfortune. The Goddess offers guaranteed happiness. Those who would choose freedom over that are extreme outliers."
"We wouldn't want anyone different in our sterile, boring world, would we?" Saja shot back. "Even the happiness you angels promise is only your goddess' version of happiness. She takes everything from humans and gives them chains in return. Luka, you observed that as well. Her paradise is full of slaves who don't realize they are slaves."
"Luka, do not let this fiend tempt you!" Raphaela shouted. "The freedom she preaches is the freedom for the strong to dominate the weak! If humanity is left to their own devices, the strong always prosper, and the weak always suffer."
"Is it okay if I talk now?" I asked irritably.
The two were stunned into silence, apparently not expecting me to be so assertive. Were they not aware of who I was? Did they think I was the innocent Luka born on that alternate world I was trying to save?
"What you're both preaching are extremes," I said. "I love what you've done with Esta, honestly, Raphaela, and I believe that those who are happy should continue to enjoy being happy. They are living in the world that Ilias had promised her followers and never before delivered in my world."
"That is because the filthy monsters prevented it," Raphaela said. "As long as monsters preyed on humanity like a parasite, humanity could never truly prosper. So Ilias destroyed them all, along with their evil god. Thus, her plan could proceed, unsullied by the sabotage of monsters who wished to lead humanity into temptation."
"The temptation of finding their own way?" Saja asked. "To take risks? To find even truer happiness by striving for and accomplishing their goals?"
"I've seen what your god believes in," I said to Saja. "Sure, in her ideal world, humans can do whatever they want, so long as what they want doesn't involve collectively exercising power in a way that threatens the power of herself and your sisters. So long as that power doesn't free them of being your livestock."
"Humans are violent by nature!" Saja protested. "They would kill our weaker brethren if not kept in line! We do not interfere with their freedom to decide how they will live their lives. We only prevent them from forming armies to rampage through the countryside, slaughtering monsters!"
"Does that freedom include not being your food?" I asked.
"You humans pay taxes!" Saja countered. "When you pay taxes to a king, that money is gone forever! All we desire is your semen, a renewable resource. We need it to survive and it costs nothing for humans to give it to us. Yes, every healthy male must give their semen to insure our survival. The women of the world understand. It is merely a tax. A male can also marry a monster and be hers alone, thus freeing him of having to feed us if he wishes."
"So the only way to get out of mating with obscene monsters is to marry one?" Raphaela asked. "That is not freedom! You own male bodies! They have no choice in the matter. Your society is one of never ending rape! Why don't you tell Luka what happens to those who resist your rape culture?"
Saja went silent. She had no good answer to that.
"Even on your world, Saja, freedom has limits," I said. "Bodily autonomy is apparently not on your list of approved freedoms."
"She is a hypocrite!" Raphaela said triumphantly. "Preaching freedom, but practicing the strong dominating the weak!"
"But there are also limits to your happiness," I pointed out. "The only path to happiness is the one you choose for people. What if they want something different? What do you do then?"
"What angels always do!" Saja said. "They regard their desires as 'sick', and 'cure' them. By raping them repeatedly, until their unapproved desires are no more and they are ready to be good compliant children once again."
I had experience with that as well. The benevolent form of their sexual power could cure men of their addictions, their traumas, and their dark thoughts. After coexistence had become a reality on my world, angels had often taken it upon themselves to live on the surface and "fix" men who were broken in some way. Which was fine, when they wanted to be helped. Alice's world needed no rehab or therapy. If you were an addict, or had trauma, they cured it with their bodies. But doing that against a man's will only cured them of their ambitions for a better life. It cured them of independent thought. Just as monsters could make men slaves to pleasure, angels could make them slaves to purity. Both paths were something a man should only walk when it was of his own free will. In Raphaela and Saja's ideal worlds, all choice was taken away from humans.
"While recognizing that you have reservations, Child of Judgment," Raphaela said. "You must choose between these paths. Do you see all of the worlds, Luka?"
"I do," I said. "Is that world with all of the force lines emanating from it the one I just came from?"
"it is,' Saja said. "That world is an important cog in this sector of the multiverse. What affects that world affects all the worlds connected to it, and many beyond it as well. Some of the worlds not directly connected to it will survive its destruction. Alas, only one that is directly connected has a chance to escape the coming calamity. You shall choose which world that shall be. Mine, or hers. A world of slavery, or a world of freedom?"
"A world of happiness, or a world of fear?" Raphaela corrected.
"Only one can survive?" I asked. "What if I save that central world?"
"The Paradox world is beyond saving," Raphaela said sadly. "All that can be done is to slow down its demise."
"Before that day comes," Saja said. "And it will come soon, World Breaker, you must choose. Or else all will be lost."
"I don't really understand how any of this works," I protested. "Explain it to me.'
"We do not fully understand it ourselves," Raphaela said. "We only know what the prophecy says. You will save or damn our world. You will be the Child of Judgment."
"Or the World Breaker," Saja finished.
"Maybe," I said. "But let's make one thing clear. I'm not intimidated by either of you, either on a power level or intellectually. Sure, you're a lot smarter than me. But that doesn't mean you know everything. I also know that you're both capable of being self serving. Which is understandable given what you are facing. But I'm going to save everyone. I will find a way!"
"You have a good heart, Luka," Raphaela said. "But the prophecy says you will fail if you do not choose. Do not let all the worlds die because you did not have the courage to make a choice."
Saja began to speak, but Raphaela cut her off. "Enough!" the archangel declared. "It is time for you to return to your world!"
"Yes, I think it is," I said. "I'll show myself out."
My teleportation took just long enough for me to see the two beings' astonished faces as I returned to the world under my own power.
I was back at the entrance to Esta. Everyone was looking at me strangely.
"Luka, is something wrong?" Alice asked. "You suddenly stopped moving and just stood there, almost as if your mind had gone somewhere else."
I told them what I'd seen. Their looks of astonishment were greater than the looks on Saja and Rapahela's faces.
"Esta looked like it was in Heaven?" Sonya asked. "And everyone was happy?"
"More importantly, how come you went there and we didn't?" Ilias asked.
"I think that Raphaela brought me," I said.
"His proximity to the Tartarus rift may have enabled Raphaela to reach out with her power and summon him," Promestein theorized.
"I want to get into that rift more than ever now!" Alice said. "We need to recquisition a boat and try to access it."
Exploring the village didn't really tell us anything. The researchers couldn't tell us anything we didn't already know. So we went straight to the docks and found a small boat, evidently used by researchers to get as close as they dared to the rift. Getting into it would be a problem for them, because the boat would simply fall into the huge hole and they'd be killed at the bottom. But I was in a party that could potentially get around that. So we got into the small rowboat, Sonya and I rowing while Alice, Ilias, and Promestein loafed.
When we reached the boundary of the rift, Promestein observed that the water didn't fall in like a waterfall. Alice detected a magical barrier. If we rode the boat into the rift, only I would be likely to pass through it again. Which did no one any good, since I'd already been there. So we turned the boat back around and debarked back onto the dock. Before we could go back to the sandy beach, however, something emerged from the rift. I recognized her immediately. It was the Seraph Zion. Flying towards us at lightning speed with her spear and Ilias banner, I readied the spirits for action, as well as my power. Zion halted just short of us, hovering in the air.
"Seraph Zion!" Ilias yelled. "What you angels plotting!? Why have you been ignoring me?!"
"I owe you no explanations," Zion replied.
"How dare you speak to your goddess that way!" Ilias raged.
"You are not the Ilias I pledged my loyalty to. As a matter of fact, I'm going to enjoy beating the shit out of you. I intend to pass judgment on all of you!"
"You fucking-!" Ilias began to rage.
I put up a shield as soon as I saw Zion put her wrists together, forming a cross. The cross lit up with holy energy, which flashed down upon us in a wide beam, encompassing all five of us. My shield wasn't big enough. Alice was affected the most, her charred body lying motionless on the ground a few feet from me. Sonya had been closest to me and thus was protected by the shield. Promestein and Ilias had been hit as well, but as beings of holy energy themselves were only stunned.
"You hurt Alice!" I cried, unleashing a large bolt of my own power at Zion. I should have used more. Zion was knocked back but remained in the air, hovering slightly above us still.
Sonya, with more guts than brains, ran down the pier and leaped off, her club held high to strike with all her might. Zion recovered quickly enough to see her and used her metal arm to backhand Sonya in mid air, sending Luka's childhood friend crashing into the water, where she lay face down, floating on the surface. That was the last straw.
Ilias and Promestein were already firing back with their holy power, but it was almost beneath Zion's notice. I blasted her with a lot more, causing an explosion as it impacted the Seraph's body. I didn't care if I killed her anymore. Alice and Sonya might already be dead. I wasn't going to let her kill anyone else today.
But as the explosion cleared, Zion still floated above us. I'd never unleashed on a Seraph before, so I wasn't sure how much they could take. As it turned out, Seraphs can take quite a lot. I wasn't drained, but that was my best shot. I had clearly hurt her. But what offended her the most was that I'd incinerated her Ilias flag.
"You're powerful!" Zion said. "Guess I'll have to fight a little more seriously."
"Are you responsible for the people of Esta being taken to that angel world?" I asked, trying to buy a little time to replenish some of my power and give my companions time to help Alice and Sonya. Ilias was already tending to Alice, while Promestein rushed to the water to pull Sonya onto land.
"What?" Zion asked, shocked. "How do you know about that?! Are you claiming you actually went there?!"
"I did," I confirmed. "Raphaela brought me."
"I see," Zion said. "If you're the one, then I guess I can't kill you here. Hero Luka, the time for judgment approaches. Before the demise of worlds, you must choose between light and darkness."
"What the fuck are you babbling about?!" Ilias asked, looking up from treating Alice. "Time for judgment?! Demise of worlds!? What does your Ilias want with my Luka?"
"I owe you no explanations, false goddess," Zion replied dismissively. "See you later, Luka. I eagerly await the time of judgment."
Zion returned to the rift and disappeared into it. I looked over at Promestein, who already had Sonya back on land. Sonya was clearly conscious once again. She had not inhaled any water as far as I could tell. Alice, on the other hand, was in bad shape. Given the burns all over her body, it was good that she wasn't conscious. Ilias was treating them as best she could, but her power was still limited.
"Luka, help me make this quicker!" Ilias ordered, removing one hand from Alice and placing it on my chest. Without asking, I felt some of my power leave me and course through Ilias, who used her other hand to restore Alice completely.
Alice awakened suddenly, her head darting around. I calmed her and told her what had happened. Alice was practically shaking.
"Even your power couldn't beat the Seraph?" Alice asked.
"Not with something so crude as a simple blast," Ilias replied for me. "Luka has power far beyond me even at my full strength. But if all I ever did was throw holy energy around, that wouldn't be sufficient to take down an Ancestor or Seraph. There's a lot more to using magic than just blowing things up. Powerful beings on that level can't be defeated with just that."
Sonya joined us, sporting a swollen eye from Zion's blow. Ilias treated that with only her own power. I was relieved that we'd so far escaped encounters with powerful beings with no deaths. I feared it might not last.
"If we cant get into that Tartarus, perhaps we should go back to Grand Noah," Sonya suggested. "I'm sure the queen's war council is finished now."
"Yes," Alice agreed. "While I'm not sure it was wise to commit us to Grand Noah's side of the war effort, learning that my mother is behind the war means I can't ignore it. If helping Grand Noah win ends it, then that's what we'll do. In any case, Luka had every right to commit us. He is in charge, after all."
"Yep, Luka, it's your show," Ilias agreed. "Since you're an idiot, we'll advise you, but final decisions are up to you."
"Your confidence inspires me," I replied.
It was going to be a big day, or at least it was going to be a significant day, depending on what the Queen of Grand Noah and her war council had decided. That would come later in the morning, so I decided to go outside for a pleasant jog. Now I do this regularly in the mornings when its appropriate, so why am I telling you about it? The same reason I told you I was going to go pee many chapters back. Because I was about to get ambushed.
Now this is still the grounds of the pocket castle, so in theory I should not get ambushed. And there were friends about. Ayisha and Kyona waved to me as I passed. Pochi was outside frolicking with a couple of kitsunes and one of the Akaname sisters, who was apparently up earlier than her siblings.
So I felt pretty safe, at least until I got pulled into some tall bushes by strands of silk. My first instinct was to identify the threat as a spider girl, so I prepared to defend myself, but it turned out to be a rather lovely silkworm girl who had tied me up.
"Hello there, delicious boy," the silkworm girl said. "My name is Silk, naturally, and you're very lucky this morning. You're going to be my meal."
"Do you mean that in the wrap me up in a cocoon and keep me here for months sense, or in the sense that you just want a quickie?" I asked. Silkworm girls weren't known to be vicious, but much like mandragoras they could be thoughtless and keep men prisoner for a very long time.
"The latter of course," Silk replied, flashing me a lovely smile. Silkworm girls were usually quite refined and wealthy from selling their own silk to merchants. Silk had obviously used her money well, to take good care of herself. Her teeth were straight and pearly-white, her hair perfectly groomed, along with whatever that fluffy substance on her neck was, presumably another kind of silk.
"I know who you are," Silk continued. "It wouldn't do to keep you all cocooned up out here when you've got a world to save. But a man like you should enjoy some benefits of world saving, should he not?"
"I- I guess?"
"Then tell me how you want me to reward you," Silk said seductively.
"Aren't you doing this because you're hungry?" I asked skeptically.
Not that it was a bad thing, but it was a bit dishonest to tell me I was being rewarded. I knew what being rewarded by a monster was like. This wasn't it. She was just trying to sell me on getting nibbled. Not that I needed much persuasion from one as lovely as Silk. It was just hard to give consent while forcibly tied up.
"You caught me," Silk laughed. "I am really just hungry. But it's so uncultured to simply ask to feed off of a man. Men like to think they are getting something special. Monsters accost them for semen every day. I make them feel appreciated. It's not entirely a deception. I do so appreciate a man who feeds me."
"Well, since you're offering… could I get a blowjob?" I asked hopefully.
"A blowjob?!" Silk asked in mock horror. "How boring! You men are so unimaginitive. 'Blow me,' they say! 'Fuck me!', they say! I'm sorry, sir, but I don't know you well enough to do that. I'm saving myself for that special someone. My oviduct, that is. My mouth you can have. But really, why would you want it? I've got this incredible body and my amazing silk! You can get a boring old blowjob from any lady! I want you to taste the finest of pleasures."
"I really like blowjobs though, and your mouth is very pretty," I said, not sure where she was going with this but sure I was going to be alarmed by it, even if it felt amazing.
"Well if you really want one…." Silk said. "Then that's what you shall have."
"Thank you, Silk, you really are a stunning lad- Wah!!!!"
Instead of bringing me up towards her face, she lowered me down and shoved my dick into her lower mouth, which was the mouth of a silkworm and most definitely not as pretty to me as her human face(although I'm guessing male silkworms probably found it quite attractive.) As expected, it did feel amazing, and If I'm being honest, better than her human mouth would have felt. Just so long as you don't care about the visual aspect, as many of us men do. For the second time in as many days, I found myself closing my eyes and just enjoying the sensations.
The sensations were quite varied. The mouth had no teeth or tongue or lips, so in many ways it felt more like a very loose vagina. But unlike a vagina, instead of walls that hugged my penis, there were numerous small organs inside that moved around, and as they moved they expelled more silk that wrapped around my shaft and extended to my waist. The silk itself had erotic properties and I knew from reading that it could force a man to ejaculate on contact. I tried to hold back so that I could fully enjoy the feeling of the silk spinning and wrapping around me, and I did pretty good. I lasted a whole three minutes before splashing my semen directly into that silk producing organ.
"Enjoying your blowjob, I see," Silk chuckled. "it would taste better if you came into my upper mouth, but your semen is so good for my spinnarets. The silk quality improves markedly when a man's semen nourishes my spinnarets directly."
The spinnarets continued to move around almost at random, attacking and winding silk around my dick until I couldn't even feel the spinnarets anymore, only the silk. That didn't reduce the intensity a bit, in fact the greater quantity of the silk only increased it, even though the silk wasn't moving. Only my urethra was left uncovered, so that Silk could receive my semen as it spurted out a second time.
It was an intense orgasm, which led to intense critical ecstasy. I felt myself gently lowered to the ground as I passed out.