Chapter 4: What the hell is going on here?! Part 2

Alice was thinking again. She walked beside me, biting her lower lip and looking down at her feet, thinking about something of her own. I was thinking about how I was going to explain myself to my mother. I wasn't even sure she couldn't recognize my companion as a monster. Lucifina is an experienced woman, and I suspect not at all simple. There are many hints of this that I have noticed throughout my life. The most recent was the ring I was given yesterday, from which a strange power flows in a thin stream straight into my chakra hearth.

"You know, I wonder how quickly you'll realize that your efforts are in vain." - The companion suddenly broke the silence. - "I may even join you on this "journey" to see it with my own eyes."

- "I will not refuse a companion, it will be more fun on the way."

I don't think I can get rid of her without a fight, and I don't want to hurt her, she hasn't done me any harm. So... why not?

"Anyway, here we are. Be quiet and don't make trouble." - Quite unexpectedly for me, the first houses of Elias's village appeared ahead of me. I guess I got carried away with Alice and stopped watching the area around me, and I mentally slapped myself in the face for it.

"Pfft..." - The echidna rolled her eyes. - "I don't need any more attention from humans right now, anyway."

"That's good." - I pretended to smile with my eyes, walking slowly ahead of Mamono.

We reached my house without incident. Alice, as promised not to wreak havoc, and residents who would pay attention to such an unusual appearance stranger was not on the streets - all hid, when he heard about the monster in the woods.

Alice was thinking again. She walked beside me, biting her lower lip and looking down at her feet, thinking about something of her own. I was thinking about how I was going to explain myself to my mother. I wasn't even sure she couldn't recognize my companion as a monster. Lucifina is an experienced woman, and I suspect not at all simple. There are many hints of this that I have noticed throughout my life. The most recent was the ring I was given yesterday, from which a strange power flows in a thin stream straight into my chakra hearth.

"Mom, I'm back!" - The first thing I did when I went into the house was to warn my mother about my return.

Alice stepped behind me, looking at the interior with interest, while I got undressed, so that I could quickly go deep into the house and quietly persuade my mother not to do anything rash. I didn't want to have to fight a clearly weak echidna in the middle of the village.

But it was too late.

"Luca, my son, I have sad news..." - Lucifina came out of the kitchen into the hallway with a sad expression on her face, which immediately changed to a surprised one when she saw Alice. - "The goddess didn't came to... the temple."

Mamono stared back at my mother with the same widened look of shock, no, even astonishment. Recognition flashed in both women's eyes, and a moment later a crushing aura of Mamono's presence enveloped the house. My mother responded by grasping the ring on her finger that she'd worn as long as I could remember.

"What the hell is going on here?!" - I shifted my gaze from one woman to the other, not sure why they were suddenly reacting this way.

"Luca..." - The blonde's eyes were as sharp as a knife, and her voice had a steely undertone I'd never heard before. - What's she doing here?

"I have the same question for you." - The echidna hissed menacingly. - "Lucifine the First Fallen Seraphim."

Do they know each other? Who's Seraph?

Questions poured into her head as if from a horn of plenty, and the oppressive atmosphere thickened around her. The urgency of doing something had to be addressed, or else there would be trouble.

And then, as if by chance, the memories of the clone returned...