Mistress Lufas?
Are you all right?
Yes, we were just having a bit of a dream.
Riding in Tanaka is comfortable, and we dozed off.
What kind of dream?
We feel like it was an oddly important dream,
but we can't remember.
I see.
Are we still a long way off from Vanaheim?
Yes. It's still quite a distance from here.
One of the Twelve Heavenly Stars, Parthenos the Maiden.
I'll have to retrieve her once we find her.
That reminds me, where did the heaven-winged go after Parthenos drove them out of Vanaheim?
The heaven-winged are currently living in Gjallarhorn.
It was founded by one of the Seven Heroes, Merak, the Sky King.
Oh, the royal capital of Gjallarhorn is coming into view now.
A nation of heaven-winged?
I feel like it would definitely be bad for me to go there.
But if Merak's there, then that's a different story.
One of the surviving Seven Heroes who once enjoyed the game with me...
It wasn't true for Megrez,
but perhaps Merak is another player like me.
Hmm...
Yes.
Recovering Parthenos is important,
but meeting the surviving Seven Heroes is another goal of my journey.
Tanaka, we'll be stopping in Gjallarhorn.
Yes, Boss.
GJALLARHORN
EPISODE 7 / I WAS... A SAVIOR! - So this is Gjallarhorn?
EPISODE 7 / I WAS... A SAVIOR! - What an odd city.
The buildings are constructed along the cliff-side.
It looks incredibly difficult to walk around.
And why is it so plainly segregated into black and white?
It would seem this nation is suffering a bit of civil turmoil
- after splitting into two factions. - Factions?
Yes. The long-standing White-Wing Supremacists take pride in their pure white wings
and refuse to acknowledge any others.
The Mixed-Wing Proponents oppose them.
Civil turmoil?
What is Merak doing?
Merak is maintaining neutrality and trying to stop both sides from fighting,
but he hasn't been able to control them.
So he's incompetent.
Libra, you shouldn't say things like that.
The heaven-winged are a race that values pure-white wings,
so there was always a tendency for the white-winged to persecute the colored-winged.
But during Lady Lufas's reign,
such persecution and discrimination was prohibited, right?
That's correct, Sir Aries!
Really? I don't recall issuing any orders like that.
Once Lady Lufas was gone,
the white-winged insisted, "We were the superior ones all along!"
and the mixed-winged who opposed them demanded equal rights.
They've been fighting for the last two centuries!
You mean persecution against the mixed-winged grew stronger
because someone dangerous like me came from them?!
We must do something about this.
The average lifespan of a heaven-winged is fifteen hundred years.
So, naturally, many of them would still remember Lufas.
It's a bit simplistic, but this should disguise me somewhat.
So, Lady Lufas,
whom shall we go to?
Let's go to the black side.
Master prefers black. Saving that.
From now on, I shall select black underwear.
What on earth are you talking about?
I'm referring to the color of your clothing, Master.
- Or would you prefer I wear it? - No, forget it.
I see, you prefer white. Quite conservative.
No, that's not what this is about.
Then you believe in going without underwear!
Her thoughts are all mixed up.
Is she still broken?
Right, these are the stairs
that lead to the city.
This is real inconvenient for those of us who can't fly.
Please rest assured, I shall carry everyone.
Program Selection.
Activating Skill: Sky Jet.
Hey! Wait!
Libra, stop! Stop!
Cut it out!
Stop!
Honestly, so noisy.
- I wonder what they're up to? - Who's that?
- That was an incredible noise. - Who's that?
That was bad, Libra.
You can't make such noise this late at night.
We've safely arrived in the city.
I concluded there would be no issues.
Your conclusions are incorrect!
We're sorry for disturbing you so late at night!
We're free traders.
I'm sorry for waking you all with our minor blunder.
Uhh, same here, I'm Aries.
Sfalu.
We're sorry for the nuisance we caused.
I'm the golem guarding these three.
My name is Copernicus the 4th.
I wish we had a straight man who could handle her!
Oh, you're all merchants?
That was a novel way to enter the city.
You don't have to force yourself to praise us, old man!
You must be tired from your long journey.
My family runs an inn.
If you'd like, please swing on by.
What should we do...?
Thank you very much!
Again with you?
How many times do I have to tell you?
I know I've warned you many times not to injure the neighborhood kids!
But Father!
They were the ones who struck first!
They threw stones at me, so I just—
Silence! You filthy, useless brat!
Our clan is suffering because you were born!
Fa—
Don't ever leave this place again.
All hail Alovenus, the Goddess of Love!
Dammit!
Mother!
You should be resting in bed!
Coming here will get you scolded too!
Lufas.
Eat this.
Thank you!
I'm sorry.
That you have to face this.
Mother!
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
I'm all right!
Thank you, Lufas.
Yes!
Hey!
Why did you let her out?!
I-I'm sorr—
Leave her and get over here!
Stop.
Don't hurt Mother!
Mother!
Your mother is ill because of you!
- Come! - Lufas!
Lufas!
Why do I have to be treated like this?
Is it just because my wings are a different color?
Why is this world so unfair?!
Why do we have to suffer so much?!
Some grand Goddess of Creation!
Some Goddess of Love!
If she actually exists,
then why is this world full of such inequality?!
There is no goddess.
No one is going to save me!
So I'll...
just have to...
save myself!
I want to get stronger.
I'm still weak and inexperienced...
but one day...
I'll take Mother away
and escape from this miserable life.
So!
I have to get strong enough
to mow down
all the unfairness and inequality
in this world!
Master Lufas?
Are you all right?
We just had a dream of the past.
Of the past?
Yes.
You needn't worry.
I don't recall creating that kind of backstory for her in the game.
Dammit!
It looks like I need to revise my assumptions.
That dream I just had,
along with the unfamiliar memories that have flowed into me since I came to this world
have to be the memories of this Lufas.
I didn't think it was possible,
but this isn't the world of the game.
This is a real world.
Still...
I'm still the one inside of Lufas's body.
It's my soul.
But if that's true,
then where did the real Lufas's soul go?!
DEVIL KING'S CASTLE
DEVILFOLK, THE SEVEN LUMINARIES' ROOM
What happened to Mars?
Who knows? Dead, probably.
Was he killed by Megrez,
or did Aries turn on him?
He was the weakest of the Seven Luminaries.
Allowing one of the Twelve Heavenly Stars to kill him
is a disgrace to all devilfolk.
It's you.
Where have you been all this time?
I was trailing the person who defeated Mars.
Oh?
So who are they?
I'm not sure.
It seemed likely she would kill me as well if I got too close.
Though I do recall that she had pretty black wings growing from her back.
Black wings?
- You can't mean Lufas Maphaahl? - Impossible!
She was killed by those humans over two hundred years ago!
The Black-Winged King, the only person the Devil King avoided direct combat with!
If she is alive, then all devilfolk are in danger.
Venus, are you aware of her movements?
Yes, she seems to be in Gjallarhorn.
Gjallarhorn...
That's convenient.
Jupiter, work with Venus to monitor her.
I have high hopes for you, Venus.
As you wish.
Now then,
we'd like to meet Merak today, but...
Merak is still the ruling king.
Given the internal strife,
getting an audience right away would be difficult.
Of course.
Therefore, today we're all free to tour this capital and gather information.
The unrest was caused by me in the first place,
so I can't ignore it.
Where will you go, Master?
We plan to go see how the mixed-winged are living.
Then I'll try investigating how the white-winged are living!
I might be able to uncover something interesting.
Yes. Then we'll meet back here later.
What's that?!
Who knows?
Hey! You could at least try to be inconspicuous!
Well, I'll be going too.
Umm, Lady Lufas.
There's something I should tell you.
It's about one of the Twelve Heavenly Stars, Aigokeros the Goat.
A long time ago, he invited me to join the devilfolk with him.
So it's highly likely that Aigokeros is allied with the devilfolk.
That reminds me, Dina said something similar.
Then we'll need to retrieve him the moment we find him.
Yes!
How peaceful.
It doesn't really look like there's a conflict.
I guess this outfit is still suspicious.
Perhaps it would be good to use the fact that I'm a woman
to disguise myself as a man?
That could be nice.
Okay, when I get back, I'm whipping up a set of menswear with alchemy!
A black temple?
I wonder if they're worshiping a statue of the Goddess of Creation, Alovenus?
This is...
a statue of me?!
Oh, are you a traveler?
This is the Black-Winged Conqueror,
the great Lufas Maphaahl.
This is a surprise.
This temple worships the infamous tyrant?
Wha?!
Yes, perhaps she's known as such in the rest of the world.
Though to us, she was our savior.
Savior?
We'd love to hear more.
Those who possess wings like ours
were discriminated against by those with white wings,
and we were forced to live miserable lives in what amounted to slums.
We spent every day living in fear and lurking in the shadows.
It was wretched.
But she was different.
Her wings were black,
and more beautiful than anyone else's.
While we could only cower in fear,
she used her strength to prove she was worthy of respect and recognition.
Then she conquered our nation, prohibited discrimination,
and treated us with dignity!
Uh, right...
Way to lay it on thick.
Thanks her, we were able to regain our pride.
To declare that we're not just worthless wretches!
That we're also proper heaven-winged, who just have different colored wings!
But have you forgotten that Parthenos the Maiden,
one of said Lufas's subordinates, stole your homeland from you?
Of course we haven't forgotten that.
But honestly,
we believe being driven from our homeland was our due punishment.
Oh?
We committed the foolish act of
betraying the great Lufas and allowing the rise of the devilfolk.
We consider it a great mercy that we weren't killed outright!
This is kind of bad.
That sounds like quite an insult to King Merak,
but what do you all think of your own king?
He's the worst kind of fool.
Calling himself a hero?
That truly makes me laugh!
Seriously?! He's late!
Honestly, what is wrong with him, making a lady wait like this?!
Respiration...
Pupil dilation...
Line of sight, conduct...
Conclusion: there are zero heaven-winged who recognize Master's presence at present.
Resuming observation.
Lady Dina...
There's a 95% chance she's searching for someone.
However, my lack of applicable memory makes predicting the target impossible.
Confirmed the unique unnaturalness of disguised skin tone.
Confirmed presence of fangs from the rise of upper lips.
Confirmed vertical pupils unique to devilfolk through the gap in sunglasses.
Concluding likelihood of a devilfolk in disguise to be 98%.
Finished identifying enemy.
Judging from gaze and angle of movement,
there is a risk of them making contact with Lady Dina.
This complies with causes for elimination.
Warning to the devilfolk before me.
If you advance any further, I will eliminate you by force.
I cannot guarantee your survival in that event,
so I strongly advise you to withdraw.
What devilfolk are you talking about?
I'm clearly just an ordinary traveler.
I have determined you are clearly a devilfolk in disguise.
I see, so you saw through it, huh?
Well then,
that makes things simple!
Hostile action confirmed.
Now commencing attack.
Take this!
You won't escape.
The nation of Merak, one of the Seven Heroes?
I'd burn this whole thing to ashes if Lady Lufas wanted me to!
It's oddly quiet.
A barrier to prevent encounters?
Moon element magic, huh?
No wonder there's no one else around.
Come on out.
It's you, isn't it?
Aigokeros?
AIGOKEROS THE GOAT THE CONQUERING TWELVE HEAVENLY STAR
It's been a long time, Aries.
What are you doing here?
Isn't it obvious?
All I desire are the lives of the Seven Heroes.
So you're still serving under the devilfolk to achieve that?
Indeed.
I shall use them, and they shall use my might.
Our interests are aligned.
Aries, I offer you the same question I asked you once before.
Will you join me?
Come work with me
to send those loathsome Seven Heroes to the Hel I herald from.
TRANSLATION: JOHN PICKETT TIMER: ANDY ELLIS
EDITOR: GABRIELLA RAMIREZ QUALITY CONTROL: MEAGAN SMITH