The Unthinkable

I reported to the training room at the usual scheduled time. As angry as I still was, I decided to do my best. Granberia hadn't confronted me on it, but I had promised her I would work hard and in a moment of anger, I'd forgotten my promise in my zeal to get back at Alice, and in a rather immature way at that. I would have to seek out and apologize to Alice after this match. Of course, I would also have to apologize to Granberia. It was out of character for me to break promises, and I was ashamed.

When I entered the training room, I saw that I would get my chance to apologize to both of them. Alice and Granberia were waiting for me. If Alice was here, it was obvious that she intended to have it out with me over my behavior yesterday. Maybe that would be healthy and we could break past the barrier we'd placed between ourselves. The looks on both their faces were grim. I knew I was about to be taken to the woodshed.

"Alice, Granberia," I said tentatively. "I have something to say."

"Go ahead," Alice responded curtly.

"I want to apologize to both of you for my behavior yesterday," I began. "After our fight I selfishly wanted to just get back at you, Alice, and it was wrong the way I did it. Granberia, I promised you I'd work hard at my recovery and yesterday I obviously didn't do that. I've never been more ashamed in my life at my behavior, and if there's anything I can do to make it up to both of you…."

"Consider the matter settled," Granberia replied. "It has been a tough time for you. Throughout, you've kept your spirits up remarkably well under the circumstances. Momentary weakness, or emotional fluctuations, are to be expected. I was angry, but if you are truly sorry, I hold no more anger against you. I've known you too long. I will simply chalk It up to all of the stress you've been under."

Alice looked directly at me, eyes seeming to burn through me. It didn't look like I was getting off as easily with her.

"I can accept your apology for making a request of an opponent," Alice responded. "As Granberia said, you've had a rough time. She felt good and you wanted to feel more of her. That's why up until now, I've given you a very generous hall pass. That hall pass is now revoked."

"I understand, Alice," I said. "I abused the privilege."

"What I cannot forgive is you giving up," Alice continued.

"Giving up?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

"You've lost your will to fight," Alice explained. "Those two bitches broke you."

"We've been over this, Alice," I protested. "I would fight with every fiber of my being if there was a good reason to fight."

"There is a good reason to fight!" Alice yelled. "You've rationalized not fighting by acting as if it's all about vengeance for me! I already told you it's about more than that! It's a harsh world, Luka, despite all the changes we've made. If you don't demonstrate your strength, your enemies will seize the opening you provide them and destroy all that you've worked so hard to build."

"I'm willing to listen to that argument when I'm truly ready," I replied. "But I'm not willing to listen to it from a wife who for the last two months hasn't been there for me! Ever since you first brought up what happens after I recover, you've been distant from me! Before I could even dress myself again, you forced a sword into my hand! You've been obsessed with fighting and only fighting ever since I tried to get out of that bed on my own! You want to know why I didn't give my best effort? Because when I needed you most, you weren't there! Even when you were there, you weren't really there!"

"That's the talk of a pathetic, weak man," Alice said, disgust dripping from her voice. "That's the kind of talk I'd expect from a beta male married to a human. I don't recognize you anymore, Luka. You are the Monster Lord's husband and you're going to start acting like it!"

"I'll do better," I said. "I'm glad you're here so you can watch. Granberia, where's my opponent? I'll make this quick."

"I am your opponent," Alice said.

"Alice?" I asked in disbelief. "Um… okay. Granberia, same rules? Three hits? Or will it have to be more since she's a tougher opponent?"

"She is in charge of this," Granberia replied, deferring to Alice. "She will decide the terms of the contest."

"The rules are these," Alice said. "This isn't a sparring session. This is a fight. When you summon your shadow sword, summon it to seal. Don't be afraid to use your power on me. You'll need it."

"Alice, even you, if I use all my power on you, I'd kill you," I protested.

"Then use less," Alice replied. "Or don't. I don't really care. Because I'm not holding back. If you lose…. I'm going to eat you."

"Alipheese, you cannot mean that!" Granberia exploded. "Have you forgotten yourself?"

"I've forgotten nothing," Alice said with determination. "There is no excuse for Luka to lose to me. He has ample power, and a sword that's capable of sealing with one blow. The real Angel Halo is a shallow imitation, even though it's the original."

"Alice, please don't do this!" I begged, almost crying. "I can't believe you would do this to me again!"

"This is nothing like last time!" Alice shouted. "Last time, I wanted you to kill me. This time, you just have to defeat me. Seal me, kill me, make me give up, knock me out, or beat me down until I can't resist you anymore."

"I could never kill you, Alice," I said. "You know that."

"I'm pretty tough," Alice replied. "I can take a lot. I protected you with my body when Ilias was blasting away at you. You'd better do what you have to do to win. Or else…you know what will happen."

"You're willing to kill me?" I cried. "Alice, how could you?"

"Because I can't kill you, that's why," Alice said. "Unless you let me. Unless you've truly given up. And if you have become that weak and pathetic…. Then I have no use for you anymore."

Those words broke my heart, but also strengthened my resolve.

"Well," I said coldly. "It's good to know that your love was always conditional. I just wish I hadn't found that out after spending fifty years with you. You do realize I was weak for forty of those, right? In that other timeline? I know you didn't experience it, but it was still you, and you still loved me!"

"I loved you despite your weakness because you gave up everything to save the world! What I'm looking at right now is a man who has all the power and won't use it to defend the world he's been trying so hard to change!"

"I don't detect a shield around this room," I noted. "Does that mean I can just walk out of here? Refuse your challenge?"

"Yes," Alice answered. "I will not make you be a man. But if you won't be a man, if you won't be worthy of me, then go ahead and walk out that door and keep walking until you get to the lab. Then I want you to step through that portal. Believe me, this time I won't be coming to retrieve you."

I briefly considered it. I loved this world. I loved Alice, and I loved my friends. But it was all getting to be too much. I had never just taken the easy way out before, even though it had been offered to me several times. This time the temptation was greater than at any other. My old life was safe, predictable, and mildly amusing. I had had fifty great years in this world of monster girls. It was a great run. Why not just go home and retire at the physical age of twenty-one, having made millions off of book and game sales?

In the end, however, it wasn't strength of will that prevailed. It was another weakness of mine. I cared about these people. I cared about Alice, about Granberia. I knew what they would think of me if I left. Some of the others might understand, but not Alice and Granberia, my wife and my best friend. I had to see this through. I had to defeat Alice without harming her too badly.

"Then I guess we fight," I said grimly.

"I must warn you, Luka," Alice said. "This will not be like our last fight. I won't just be throwing magic at you, trying to provoke you to violence. You will be facing the full might and intelligence of the Monster Lord. I won't be trying to provoke you. I will be trying to take advantage of your weakness to force you to surrender."

"I will never surrender to my own death," I said through gritted teeth.

"That's what I want to hear," Alice said. "But I'll believe it when I see it. Granberia, tell us when to begin."

"Alipheese, I must implore you one last time!" Granberia urged, voice cracking. "Take a step back from this madness! Your threats to kill him aside, don't you realize what having to fight you means for him!? How cruel an act this is?!"

"I am well aware of everything I do," Ailce responded. "Now follow my orders. You know I hate repeating myself."

"Very well," Granberia said, a grim edge to her voice. "Luka, are you ready?"

"No," I answered. "But I'm not likely to get any more ready than I am now."

"Alice?"

"I am SO ready," she said, looking at me like, well, a monster looks at prey.

"Then…. Begin."

I had already screwed up, as distraught as I was. I had failed to summon the spirits or manifest my sword prior to the beginning of the fight. Alice wasted no time taking advantage, wrapping me up in her tail instantly. Mimicking what Tina had done, she ripped my shirt off and licked my chest.

"Wasn't that all it took to make you give up yesterday?" she taunted. "Am I not as good as she is? Am I already too old at just thirty?"

"Come, Gnome!" was my response.

"If you surrender to me now, I guarantee you'll have the greatest experience you've ever had," she promised. "I know you've been in my second mouth once before, but that was just for a little sucking. It's nothing compared to being digested by me. Every cell, dying in an ecstasy like none you've ever experienced. You'll never find a better end."

"I can think of quite a few ends preferable to dying at the hands of someone who I thought loved me," I said, breaking out of her tail bind and summoning my sword.

While I was summoning my sword she hit me with a ball of ice that sent me sprawling. It would likely have pulverized me if not for Gnome having been summoned. I really needed to finally figure out how to do a whole body shield that stayed up with minimal concentration. As she powered up a fireball, I had to settle for my usual shield, which was easy and more than effective enough at stopping such an attack, which it did.

"Come Sylph!" I shouted. "Come Undine! Come Salamander!"

"Do you think the Monster Lord has no familiarity with elemental magic?" Alice said derisively. "Granted, I'm not a specialist in any, nor do I have the spirits. But I can use every element."

Faster than my eyes could follow she slithered across the room, seeking to attack me from a blind spot. I raced after her, fueled by Sylph. She was nowhere near as fast as me and I reached her. Perhaps I could end this with one blow….

My swing found only air. The next thing I felt was a painful tail strike to my head that nearly knocked me down again. Alice had teleported like Granberia did in our first fight! I swung at her with lightning speed, knowing she was behind me. Except she wasn't. I kicked backwards. Alice caught my foot and brought her elbow down around my knee joint. I did go down then, painfully, my knee at least sprained, if not dislocated. For the first time I used my power directly on her, using a small blast to keep her away. It did cause her to back off somewhat, but it didn't hit. She had dodged it with ease.

I limped to my feet. My knee wasn't supporting my weight. I had almost no balance. Alice slowly drew the real Angel Halo from somewhere on her body. She assumed a fencing position, her eyes challenging me. I had never had the opportunity to cross swords with her before. Given that she'd taught me most of what I knew, she had to be quite good, if not quite in Granberia's class. Except I was injured, with no balance.

Nevertheless, I was not about to turn down such a challenge. I limped over to her and attacked. She parried me with ease and counterattacked quickly. Her style was not what I expected. It resembled the queen elf's agile, quick style rather than Granberia's more brutal, power style. But she was better than the queen elf. I wondered for a moment what it would be like to be sealed, and would she just swallow my smaller form?

The battle was unequal due to my injury. She cut me several times. To my surprise, I didn't feel weaker. The cuts hurt, but they hurt like Granberia's cuts hurt. No blood, but they could potentially disable parts of me if she hit anything important like my shoulder or sword arm. I desperately tried to parry her quick strikes. I was on the defensive, not sure how to get the initiative back. I feared that I might have to use my power again.

She beat me to the punch. She tempted me with an obvious opening, a tactic Granberia never used, preferring skill and precision to trickery. When I went for the opening, hoping against all hope that my hit would seal her, she hit me with a ball of dark magic that sent me sliding across the floor, writhing in pain. Gnome could protect me from the dark magic's damage, but provided only limited protection from the pain it caused. She put her sword away and stalked me.

"Ready to give up, darling?" she taunted. "You are losing quite badly."

Angered from her taunting and the pain, I sent a blast of my power at her that was more powerful than I normally would have unleashed, even on an enemy. She was ready, however, and put up a shield of her own. My power went through the shield as if it didn't even exist, knocking her down. To my dismay, however, she got right back up. My power had clearly hurt her. Her left arm appeared to be limp and she had bruises all over her upper body.

She began to power up a fireball. Reflexively, I hit her again with my power, only harder. She went down again, her spell interrupted. This time she stayed down longer, then slowly rose and began advancing on me again. I stood up, holding my hand out, ready to blast her a third time. She looked bad. Her whole body was covered in bruises and burns, one eye nearly closed. Blood was trickling from her mouth. Had I broken a rib? She held her own hand out. I knew what that meant. Dark magic. It took her a couple of seconds to prepare a fire or ice ball, but dark magic she could call on almost as quickly as I could call on my power. For a moment we stood about ten feet apart, as if pointing guns at each other. I didn't know if she would blast me if I stopped resisting, but I knew I couldn't hit her a third time. I wasn't going to give up the fight, but I could not risk killing her. I didn't even want to hurt her anymore, even though I could heal her afterwards. I slowly lowered my hand.

Her response was to blast me with dark magic. Whatever hesitation I had about inflicting more pain on her, she had no compunctions about doing even worse to me. Angered, I charged at her as best I could with my limp, ready to seal her. She was slow now, at least in the upper body. My spirits were still active, while her elemental magic had become too much for her to hold given her injuries. That's when I made another mistake. Alice's upper body was severely wounded, but her dangerous, extremely powerful and tough tail was still very much in the fight, and that tail was a good eighty percent of her body mass.

As I raised my sword to swing it down onto Alice's body, her tail whipped around me, ripping my pants off. In that same split second, her tail mouth affixed itself hard to my penis. I was already coming by the time I reached her, her tail focused more on executing the pleasure attack than binding me. My sword disappeared from my hand. I held onto Alice's shoulder as my orgasm completed. Her face was expressionless. I fell to my knees as her tail released me.

I attempted to rise again, despite the critical ecstasy. I'd long been working on my strength in that regard. I was determined to not be finished yet. Seeing my continued determination, she pushed me down with her good arm and reapplied the tail mouth to my penis. It sucked hard and viciously, making no attempt to make it any more pleasurable than it had to be to get the job done. In addition, I could feel it sucking out energy, like a succubus' tail. I had not known that it was capable of that. Even before I came a second time, I no longer had the strength to get to my feet.

I lay in front of Alice, defeated. I still had one card to play. Even in critical ecstasy, I could access my power. I'd done it before. I could blast her and end the fight. Alice waited expectantly, probably expecting that very thing. Did she have a plan in place to avoid it, or did she want me to do it? Either way, I couldn't. I was done. No matter what, I could not hurt her anymore. If she didn't feel the same about me….

She continued to stare at me, expressionless, waiting to see if I was truly finished. When she was satisfied that I was, she finally spoke.

"Luka," she said. "You didn't fight badly. But in the end, you failed to do what was necessary."

"I love you Alice," I managed to gasp out. "I just couldn't hurt you anymore. If I couldn't seal you, I didn't want to win any other way. I could never kneel next to your bloody body again."

Her resolve seemed to waver. I prayed that I had touched her heart, that all was forgiven. Granberia moved into my sight, standing close to Alice.

"Alipheese…." Granberia said quietly. "Alice…. Please. He only lost because he could not hurt you anymore."

A tear formed in Alice's eye and dropped onto my prone form. Then her expression hardened and her second, terrifying mouth, opened. I heard Granberia cry out in anguish as the tentacles reached for me and began pulling me in. She was actually going to do it! She was going to make me risk killing her to avoid dying myself!

My inner conflict regarding what to do was abruptly cut off, however, as my bare feet began getting splashed with her digestive juices while her mouth sucked on them. I had experienced countless pleasures in my time on her world. So many times I thought I'd experienced the ultimate pleasure. But this was something beyond all of it. As my cells died, it seemed as if each one had an individual orgasm as intense as any I'd ever experienced. It wasn't even the orgasm after orgasm experience of Minagi or the Dark God. It was simply a continuous orgasm that ramped up in intensity as more and more cells were being digested. And that was only my feet and ankles! What would it feel like when it reached my legs? My thighs? And then my penis?

By the time I was in up to my knees, my life began to flash before my eyes. As amazing as this was, I would be leaving so many loved ones behind. My friends. My children. How was Alice going to explain this to Nero and Neris? How would I explain it if I chose to use my power and killed her? In my current frenzied state, I would have no way of calibrating it. It would probably be an orgasmic release that would kill not just Alice, but Granberia as well. Why was Granberia standing so close to Alice?

Granberia was in more distress than I'd ever seen her. Her best friend was dying before her eyes and she could only watch. Or could she? I saw her hand on the pommel of her great sword Ares. Her hand was trembling. As my waist was pulled into Alice's second mouth and the sensations began to hit my penis, the only thing that kept me from surrendering completely was her hand on that sword. Was she....?

To my horror, I saw her trembling hand slowly draw out the sword. She had not yet committed herself. She was clearly conflicted. Granberia was more than capable of drawing that sword in an instant and cleaving right through Alice, which would have had the effect of ending this madness without killing her. It would still be an act of treason against her liege. But she was clearly going down that path. The sword slowly emerged from its scabbard. Her hand had stopped trembling. She had obviously made her decision.

No.

I barely even had a conscious thought. All I knew was that I could not let Granberia make such a fateful decision because of me. Maybe the thought of leaving my kids fatherless should have been enough. I will never claim to be perfect. But seeing Granberia about to commit treason was the final straw. My power exploded, but not externally. Instead, it exploded within, although the feedback was violent enough, what with me halfway inside Alice's body. As I turned into pure white light and ejected myself from her body, she was stunned.

In a split second I was back on feet that had no longer existed just moments ago. I had been completely dissolved at least up to my knees, if not my thighs. All of my wounds had been instantly healed in my emotional outpouring of pure, raw power. My shadow Angel Halo was back in my hands. In the next split second, Angel Halo was buried into Alice's chest up to the hilt. Granberia froze with her sword halfway out of its scabbard.

Alice's eyes were wide with shock and pain. I was face to face with her, feeling more awful than I'd felt since the last time we'd fought. She brought up her good arm to caress my cheek. Then, she turned into a small purple snake with black markings.

I gazed at the small serpent. To my relief, the sealing process seemed to have healed her wounds as well, or at least she had no apparent wounds in this form. Whoever unsealed her later would have to be sure to get her medical attention if her wounds returned in her true form.

"Luka!" Granberia breathed, overcome by what she had seen. "I'm so sorry, Luka. I cannot agree with what she attempted to do to you. The choice she forced on you must have been unbearable."

I decided not to mention the terrible choice Granberia had been forced to consider. Alice could hear us in that form, and I was not about to rat Granberia out, although I suspected that Granberia would probably admit what she had been about to do to Alice later.

"Granberia," I said. "Thank you for always being a true friend, no matter what."

Those words had been intended for Alice as well as Granberia. If the little serpent heard or understood, she gave no sign.

"What will you do now?" Granberia asked.

"I think I just figured something out, thanks to Alice," I said. "and others. I'm going to face the Dark God and Ilias. Right now, actually. It's time to finish all this. One way or the other."

"I will go with you!" Granberia insisted.

"You couldn't even if I would let you," I said. "I'm not going to go to the gates of heaven and break in. I'm teleporting directly there. Or at least I'm going to try."

"Do not seek to deceive me, friend," Granberia said gently but sternly. "I know you teleported others with you the one time that you tried."

"I've never lied to you before, Granberia," I said. "But the one time I just did, you caught me. I'm sorry. One more thing to apologize for if I return."

"I understand, Luka," she said sadly. "If you do go back to your world, would you…. Allow me to visit you from time to time?"

"I would welcome you into my little apartment any time."

"You are a true friend, Luka," she said.. "Now, take my hand and let us go to heaven and confront those-"

That was the last I heard from her, because I was already gone.

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