'You passed'

[Later]

Everyone was sleeping, except Solo, who had a serious face, and walked towards Luka.

Solo: Wake up, little champion…

Luka was woken up and looked at Solo before he found out the reason he was woken up, so he wore a serious expression too and followed Solo.

They were under a giant tree, isolated from the other trees, the wind was not blowing, and no living creature beside the two of them was there.

Solo: This is the last chance… Do you know why you are going to the Monster Lord's Castle?

Luka just stood in silence, with a sad face, and looked down, at his feet while thinking about what Solo would do.

Luka: 'I will not leave from Illias Village… There is nothing to do at the Monster Lord's Castle…'

Solo frowned a bit and sighed, before he slowly walked towards Luka, every step he made would shake Luka's soul and willpower, and finally, he was in front of him.

Solo looked down at Luka due to their difference in stature, but Luka was not looking up, he was still glancing downwards, afraid of what Solo would do to him. Solo's hand was slowly going towards Luka's head… And patted his head.

Solo: Congratulations… You passed.

Luka: Eh?

Luka looked up in disbelief and found Solo who was smiling at him.

Solo: There is nothing to do at the Monster Lord's Castle, because that is not the end… It is just the start of something greater…

Then Solo didn't said anything more and vanished with a static noise.

Luka: 'Something greater…'

Then Luka sighed and turned back to sleep while Solo was walking in the air, looking at the moon.

[Tomorrow]

Luka, Solo, Minagi and Alice could see the Monster Lord's Castle, it was a very elegant, and grand looking place, larger than Human's castles.

Luka: Outside of how big it is, it looks like a common castle… I was expecting something a little more… Terrifying.

Solo: Brat, you just wait to see Las Noches, it will make you stop breath…

Alice: My subordinates and I live here. Why in the world would I ever want to live somewhere unpleasant looking?

Luka: 'She has a good point…' Alright, let's go inside. Are you ready, guys?

Alice: No… This is where I part with you, Luka. I'm the Monster Lord, and I live here. It wouldn't do for me to accompany the Hero as he enters.

Minagi: She's right, and I will follow her meanwhile… I don't have anything to do with you so I don't know why I should follow you...

Luka glanced at Solo, he noticed and said.

Solo: Don't worry, I will follow you, but you will be fighting alone, if you lose you will be the monsters' toy and I will not save you.

Luka: Nn, then let's go!

Then while Alice and Minagi took another way, Luka and Solo entered from the main door of the castle.

When they stepped inside, Solo and Luka whistled at the same time.

Luka: This place is huge…

Solo: You're right… Still, Las Noches is better…

Luka: I wonder if this is the right way to go…?

Then Luka picked a random way while Solo sighed.

[Later]

Luka fought against an Elder Succubus and an Eight-tailed Kitsune, and easily beaten them, Solo watched him with a proud smile, seeing his student reaching the Monster Lord's Castle and fighting his way for the 'End', and now they were at the depth of the castle.

Luka and Solo sensed something big coming really close, so Luka prepared himself.

Luka: S...Show yourself!

?: Wawa! He saw me!

And an Imp appeared… Which was NOT the source of the power Luka sensed.

Imp: Wah! A Hero…! What should I do…? I wasn't able to run away…

Solo sighed in exasperation, he couldn't even find her, because her magical power was so small that it was invisible to his Pesquisa…

Luka: An Imp…? Then it wasn't from her, was it?

Imp: What should I do…? I could never beat a Hero who managed to make it all the way here…

Then she timidly speaked to Luka.

Imp: H...Hey… I'm really weak… S… So… You aren't going to kill me… Right?

Solo facepalmed while Luka answered

Luka: Of course, I'd never hurt a monster who doesn't bother humans.

Imp: Oh no, that means you're going to kill me… I've teased a lot of humans before...

Solo: 'Aizen… You should have killed me then…'

Imp: Hey, hey… I'll stroke your penis, so let me go, okay? It's a little hard since I have tiny hands, but it will feel good, I promise… So just be still for a little bit, okay?

Solo: Luka, just… Let's leave, alright?

Luka: Yeah…

Then Luka and Solo walked forward, while pushing aside the imp, but when they made another step, the ceiling in front of them falled to the floor, and a gigantic monster came out from the debris.

Luka: Wh...What the hell is this!?

It was the source of the big power that Luka and Solo sensed before, it seemed an armored chimera, and Tamamo appeared beside her.

Tamamo: Wawawa! It's going berserk!

Luka: T...Tamamo!?

Tamamo: Hey Luka, Hey Solo. This Giganto Weapon is a biological weapon created 1'000 years ago during the Great Monster War. It was too powerful, so it has been sealed all this time.

Luka: ...A ...A biological weapon?!

Solo: Oh, nice…

Tamamo: With that… I'm off!

Then Tamamo does a quick backflip and vanished with a teleport.

Giganto Weapon: Target Obtained. Destroy.

But… It was looking at Solo instead of Luka.

Solo sighed and said.

Solo: Give me Angel Halo…

Luka: ...Alright…

Then Luka gave him his sword and Solo raised it upwards, and a scarlet aura surrounded Angel Halo, then Solo slashed downwards with one hand, and the Giganto Weapon was brutally sliced in two, leaving a cutting mark in the ground too.

Then Solo gave Angel Halo back at Luka and said.

Solo: You go forward, from this moment on I will not help you anymore, even if the enemy is attacking me…

Luka nodded and walked forward while Solo followed behind with his hands in the pockets, some minutes later in front of them there was Alma Elma.

Alma Elma: Welcome, Luka-boy, Solo! I didn't really think you would really make it all the way here, Luka-boy…

Solo: You are goddamn right, I fucking trained him myself.

Tamamo: So he defeated the Giganto Weapon?

Solo: No, that thing attacked me instead…

Tamamo: Oh…

Erubetie: So you two wasted all your time coming here just to be disposed of by us…

Solo: Who are you?

Erubetie: I am Erubetie, one of the Four Heavenly Knights.

Solo: Alright, well, Luka, do your worst…

Then Solo patted Luka in the back and pushing him a bit, the Heavenly Knights looked at each other before they nodded and Alma Elma stepped forward while Luka unsheathed Angel Halo.

And the fight between the two of them started, Luka entered in his Serene Mind state, but Alma Elma was faster even if he used Sylph's powers, but Alma Elma said something to Luka which made him stunned for a second.

Then Luka stopped and used once again Sylph's powers, but unlike before, he was really fast, it was around the 4th Espada's speed, but Alma Elma was still holding back, and when she got hit from Luka, she just gave up, and this made Luka angry.

Luka: ...I don't accept it, Alma.

Alma Elma: Oh?

Luka: ...Before the fight, you said you would be my 'first opponent'. Someone planning on winning wouldn't have said 'first'. Were you planning on losing right from the very start? To surrender whenever you saw a chance to do it?

Stop playing around, Alma… And fight me!

Solo and Alma Elma looked at Luka and both smiled.

Solo: 'He grew up…'

Alma Elma: Hmm… Aren't you the little Hero. You've become something great, Luka-boy… No, Hero Luka…

Then Alma Elma took off her clothes, and said.

Alma Elma: If you're going to go that far… Shall I fight you seriously? Me as the Queen Succubus, and you as the Hero!?

Luka: Just as I wanted, come!

Then Alma Elma released her magic powers, but Solo narrowed his eyes.

Solo: 'She is still holding back… I guess it's ok, Luka can't beat her if she goes at 100%...'

Then the fight between Luka and Alma Elma started again, for real this time...