Chapter Text
"Are you coming?" the still sealed alternate Goddess Illias asks me, as I take a look over at the crumbling world, from the balcony of the Illias Temple - on the Illias Continent - entire peninsula's falling away into the unimaginable abyss of chaos.
When this world's Illias died and the barrier at the Illias Temple Ruins fell, the formless devastation of chaos expanded from it and obliterated the temple faster than could be stopped. The three seraphs and succubi from the alternate worlds had stopped the expansion just enough for us to escape with Melon's warp, but even they eroded in a blink of an eye.
"How long do we have?" I ask. The plan after that was simple. The entity in the Hades dimension had the power to manipulate time, that, along with my ability to traverse the worlds, would allow us to travel back to where I started my journey, 5 months ago—well, most of us, at least. Illias, herself already both out of place and time, wouldn't be able to cross the temporal barrier.
"Hild predicts that the expanding chaos will erode Ilias Village and the Ilias Village Temple in 4 minutes, 33 seconds. Soon after, the entire world will be obliterated in 4 minutes, 58 seconds," a robotic voice belonging to the Mecharoid Hild responded. The response was as accurate and emotionless as ever, as if simply predicting the time when dinner would be ready, and not predicting the end of the world.
"Alright, let’s not waste any more time," I follow the two of them towards the gate of Hades. Illias was stopped by an alraune, the Pitcher Plant Girl Kazura. The two of them became lovers after Kazura had confessed to Illias. Now, they were saying goodbye forever. Kazura would be coming with the rest, but Illias herself could not.
Kazura kisses the sealed goddess before speaking, "I wish you could come with me. Or I wish I were staying behind. Either way, we shouldn't need to separate this soon after getting together." Her face is stained with tears. Mine would be as well, if I were separating from my girlfriend forever.
"I know, my love. But you have to go. If there's any chance of stopping the chaos the second time around, you'll need to help Luka. And you'll need to help me. I'll be there as well, same as now. I just won't remember anything, and you'll have to make me remember. I know you'll be able to make me remember, because no one else can." The goddess kissed Kazura again, then addressed me, "Luka, once you get back, you'll need me. But, as much as I hate to say it, you'll also need Aliphese. My counterpart said that only our powers combined could reverse the chaosization, the powers of the Dark and Light gods together. You'll have to convince us both to come with you. You'll also need Alipheese's Castle, our party will be in there. Now go, there isn't much time left. Good luck Luka, and… good luck, my love." Illias parts ways with both of us, and both Kazura and Hild head into the pocket castle. Only I will physically be able to return, but my powers will bring them through the rift using the castle as a gate.
I head up to the door to Hades, and open it. Pocket Castle now in my hand, I step through and am immediately greeted by the entity inside. "Are you ready Luka?" I nod, "Alright, then. I will be sending you and your allies back 5 months, to Illias Village. I ask again, are you ready?" I nod once again, "You need to say it."
"Yes, I am ready. And this time, I will stop the spread of chaos," I affirm my commitment, and the entity waves her hand. I feel the world begin to slow down, then fall away. Not being eroded by chaos, simply pulling away, like the universe itself was folding around me. I black out.
After Luka goes through the door, Ilias continues to look out onto the world, now being dissolved by the chaos, "I hope they're able to win this time. And I hope Kazura will be able to teach me again. The warmth of another, of love. And the truth about monsters..." The expanding chaos erodes the temple, destroying the sealed form of the goddess, then finally the whole world was consumed by the expanding chaos.