Atroma's climactic defeat was a bittersweet victory. Certainly, the rest of the world had been spared from its all-consuming wrath, but Anjima had suffered a fatal blow through the loss of its capital--one that would no doubt change the nation fundamentally if it was ever resuscitated. Efforts to petition Anjima for aid in the ongoing war were abandoned, with the Holy Alliance forced to dispatch priests and soldiers to the burning capital in order to preserve what could be salvaged of its citizenry and culture.
"...I see." Hanging his head with both hands on the wooden table, King Granda fell into a contemplative silence, "...Is there any chance for a resurrection?"
"I'm afraid not." Dorma reported, "Lotte's brain was catastrophically injured by the attack."
"He understood well the risks of the operation." He replied, "But even so, I find myself wishing that my last words to him were not those of rejection. His research into the application of Demon flesh has gifted Gria with unbelievable prosperity. No longer do we require wind to spin our mills, or cellars to keep our meals. If Atroma's corpse is exploited, the need for charcoal and firewood may very well disappear. And yet I foolishly disregarded his research as heresy."
"Yes… his legacy will aid the world for centuries to come." Dorma assured, "But the fact remains that we're now down an advisor--and one of the most powerful sorcerers in the kingdom, to boot."
"I am certain that one of his many students from the court will inevitably rise to take his place." The king assured, "In the meantime, Lady Yula will more than compensate for his absence. I imagine his death has affected her quite severely."
"She seems quite determined to make sure Lotte's death was not in vain."
"Yes. But one can only syphon so much strength from misery." He replied, "She may bury herself in work to honour his sacrifice, but she does so to distract herself from his absence. It is not healthy to shelve away one's emotions."
"We must all face ourselves at one point or another." Dorma concluded, "But we can't allow this setback to distract us from the truth. All four Heavenly Kings have now been incapacitated or neutralised. Without anything standing in our way, now is the perfect time to formulate a plan against Black Luna."
"I concur. A degree of normalcy has returned to this city ever since the tournament. With the forces of Fleecia and Khazman at our disposal, I had planned to begin efforts on reclaiming some of the countryside. But if Black Luna was defeated… what sort of fate would that spell for Demonkind, I wonder?" Granda paused, "Gather the others at once. I've no doubt we'll be in need of a multitude of perspectives if this lofty plan is to bear fruit."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
One by one, Dorma gathered Gria's allies into the hall. Their meetings within the echoing chamber had become a nightly occurrence, but the importance of that day in particular bestowed an atmosphere of caution upon the group as they gathered around the table.
"Lady Witilla, I believe it would be best to leave a report of the current situation of Black Luna in your capable hands." Granda began.
"R-Right away…" The timid girl stood to attention, "...Black Luna currently circles this planet every 162 minutes. With a radius of 33.1km and an elevation of roughly 12,099km above sea level, it is impossible to spot with the naked eye. Even with many sorcerers working in tandem, it may not be feasible to create a Gate with either the distance or accuracy to approach the main body--to say nothing of the risks involved when traversing a zero-g environment."
"Uh…" Barion stammered, "Zero-g?"
"Zero gravity." She elaborated, "The weightless, airless vacuum beyond this planet is impossible to traverse traditionally for a number of reasons. The lack of atmospheric pressure would cause the water in your body--including your blood, to boil in a matter of seconds."
"And you can't breathe out there either…" He recalled, "But, if that's the case, then how was Black Luna ever created?"
"Specialised spacesuits and methods of transport are created which allow for terrestrial lifeforms to travel through a vacuum. And, as with most modern technology, Black Luna was created by machines programmed by humanity to carry out specific tasks."
"Tell us more about this other humanity." Dorma suddenly requested.
"I… I only know what I've been taught." She hesitated, "But, the 'humanity' responsible for Black Luna's creation are virtually identical to the humans of this planet. One of the most crucial aspects of the experiment they wished to perform was seeing whether or not evolving lifeforms would converge at a single point. Put simply, they wished to see if an independently-seeded planet would result in the development of life similar to that of their homeworld."
"Very interesting." Fusala commented, "Is it possible, then, that evolution follows a predetermined logic which naturally steers it towards the most efficient solution to guaranteeing survival? Logic which would inevitably result in the creation of humans in some form or another, even in isolated cases?"
"I'm surprised that you even understand half of what's being said, Fusala…" Barion sounded exasperated, "But, if all this is true, then why do Demons exist?"
"...I'm afraid that's beyond my understanding." Witilla lowered her head, "There is certain information that, due to its compromising nature, is considered beyond my access level. Only the mother intelligence of Black Luna would know the answer."
"Then… how are we going to reach it?"
"The technology of our world is far too primitive to manufacture a vehicle capable of orbital flight." Fusala explained, "However, we are capable of manipulating magical particles--which is to say, the microscopic machines which presumably once aided 'Humanity' in its efforts when constructing Black Luna. Miss Witilla once referred to them as Worms."
"Yes… WORM-class nanomachines…" The girl confirmed, "The humans of this planet are almost genetically identical to the Caretakers, and as a result, Worms left over on this world from the construction of Angelic facilities have unintentionally recognised some of you as their creators."
"Then magic is just another effect of Black Luna's presence…" Dorma muttered, "If we were to destroy it, does that mean magical particles would cease to exist, too?"
"I… wouldn't think so." Witilla shook her head, "WORM-class nanomachines were created to be entirely autonomous. Their small frames and power supplies make them excellent subjects for renewable fuels, and their shared ability to self-replicate allows them to replenish their numbers."
"We needn't worry about suddenly losing our access to magic, then. Not only will we need a Gate powerful enough to travel such an incredible distance, but some way to guarantee the survival of whoever passes through it…" Dorma crossed her arms, "I believe the latter would be a task best left to Fusala."
"A sufficiently-powerful magical item would most likely be capable of protecting one against the dangers of a vacuum environment." The Homunculus considered her proposal, "A Necklace of Adaptation could be modified to account for the lack of an air supply…"
"Is it already decided that I'm going to be the one risking my life on this mission?" Barion asked.
"I could think of no man better suited to the task." Dorma replied, "Perhaps bringing along Witilla would be for the best? Her understanding of Black Luna's inner workings surely surpasses our own, after all."
"What do you say, Witilla?"
"I… suppose I have no choice." The girl answered, "My natural biometric data will allow us entry to the station's surface-level facilities… but gaining access to the mother intelligence itself will require less graceful methods."
"What exactly do you mean by 'mother intelligence'?" Barion questioned.
"Black Luna is maintained by a Class 2 artificial intelligence, capable of independent decision-making but not true sentience. For lack of a better example, you may consider it the 'mind' of Black Luna. Disabling it would be our primary goal."
"And how simple is that likely to be?"
"N-Not at all." She replied hesitantly, "Along with a number of kinetic and energy-based defence systems, the labyrinthine nature of the space station will make reaching the core processing unit no small feat…"
"What's going to happen to Demonkind once Black Luna is destroyed?"
"Angels follow direct commands via microchips installed in their brains…" Witilla explained, "Without instruction, Demons would most likely default to behaviours not unlike those of planetside beasts. To that end, they would no longer attack larger settlements such as Gria, but would still pose a great threat to unprotected villages. Angel production would also grind to an immediate halt with no more orders being received from Black Luna."
"I was half-hoping you would just say they'd all disappear…" Barion sighed, "Well, eradicating Demonkind was never going to be a simple affair, I suppose…"
"I-I really have to stress the danger of approaching Black Luna so brazenly…" She warned, "To say nothing of the complications that may arise on the way, if Protocol-11 is allowed to activate…"
"You don't understand."
"...E-Excuse me?"
"You can't possibly understand what it's like… to finally see the light at the end of this dark cave." Barion continued, "When I first learned of the cycle, I almost lost hope. I wanted so desperately to believe that the Demon me and Dorma discovered at the bottom of a Goblin Burrow was just some carry-on from a long-forgotten war… when the truth of the matter was exposed, I couldn't bear the thought that our efforts were for nothing."
"Barion…" Dorma muttered.
"As time went on, things only became more complicated. Demons weren't just thoughtless monsters created by divine will, but artificial creatures fulfilling some morbid experiment. Even my own life is the result of a fabricated ploy to maintain secrecy. The last thing I wanted was for this world to suffer through another Demon Age…" He paused, "-But now, our true enemy is finally in sight. And with the allies we've gathered, reaching it is no longer some faraway dream. Whether it's brazen or ridiculous, we simply can't pass up this opportunity. It's the only chance we'll ever have to rid this world of its shackles. I'm willing to put everything on the line to ensure that."
"Yes…" Yula raised her head, "To honour Lotte's death, this is the only way forward. I, too, wish to see the kind of future humanity could cultivate untarnished by Demonkind.."
"I understand it too." Pale supported, "Ever since that day at the Summit, I've wished for nothing more than vengeance. But the people I've encountered over the course of this strange journey have convinced me that we needn't throw away everything in pursuit of revenge. I want to resurrect the Steppe from its smouldering embers, and usher it towards a rebounded age of prosperity."
"...Even if that means confronting an all-powerful enemy?" Witilla asked.
"Miss Witilla." Fusala addressed, "I have spent the majority of the past 5 centuries internalising the recorded history of this world. Though many ages have passed, what few records remain of humanity's forefathers indicate that they struggled against Demonkind in spite of how hopeless the situation seemed. I would suggest that it is simply second nature for intelligent creatures to rebel against injustice, no matter the odds involved."
Witilla had been raised in a sterile environment devoid of the emotion which naturally plagued her being. As a Scion of Black Luna, she was created--programmed, to seek nothing less than the complete eradication of all civilisation. And yet, somehow, she was able to discover genuine beauty in the creatures which inhabited that planet. Hearing the testimonials of her once-enemies, now-comrades reminded her of the absurdity with which the weakest of terrestrial specimens rationalised to confront their enemies.
"...I see." She lowered her head, "I would like to think that I understand your reasons for wanting to fight."
"Then it's time." Barion resolved, "-Time to guide this cyclical tragedy to its end."