Labcoats and Lairs

But the Prophecy said Ralsei was a Darkner?

No it didn't. In Ralsei's telling, it called them "A PRINCE FROM THE DARK". In the Church, it was "THE PRINCE, ALONE IN DEEPEST DARK". And we all know that "Prince of Darkness" was always a loaded term, as are symbols like horned goats, red horns in general...

But how could Kris and Ralsei have interacted way back then, if Ralsei had never met anyone else before Chapter 1?

Ralsei never said they'd never met anyone before Chapter 1.

They said they'd never had FRIENDS before Chapter 1. That they'd spent (essentially) their entire life "alone".

* I've been waiting alone here... * Um... My whole life for you two to arrive.

I thought you said this was compatible with Ralsei being the Fake Horns?

Isn't it?? Why couldn't a Demon be possessing an object-- inhabiting a convenient vessel, and what more fitting vessel than devil horns? Okay, listen. The Red Horns theory might be true or false, and this Demon theory might be true or false, independently of each other. But I think there's a good case to be made that they actually work pretty well together.

Sounds a little... convoluted?

You look convoluted! No, look, I promise. There's good reason to believe that whatever Ralsei is, whatever strange abilities they might have between Dark Worlds or perhaps even in the Light World as a Demon, they may still be confined to an object:

Because they were left alone for years in the Supply Closet.

If Kris succeeded in summoning a demon, but quickly got scared -- by the reality of it, by how it appeared or what it could do, by what it DID -- and it was confined to an object they owned, what might they do with it?

Perhaps, throw it into the back of a dark Supply Closet at school where it could never reach them again. A Supply Closet which, even if Kris were part of some sort of Dark-World-related conspiracy with Mayor Carol, Kris might be confronted by a Dark World of and be scared to enter!

I know it's not the only way to explain these characters' behavior or how events unfolded. But, think of how it could shape Ralsei's attitude to fit the narrative SO WELL up to this point! A Demon, born from nothing, "gifted" with a name and appearance and preferences (and gender!) that suited Kris's requests, a Kris who may have already been missing Asriel's company or attention perhaps before he even left town-- only for this Demon to be ABANDONED by them, buried away for years... lonely, lonely years in which Ralsei refined their appearance and behavior, their "preferences" and "abilities", in order to seem as kind and likeable and innocuous and nonthreatening as possible in order to avoid scaring away the two they knew were prophecized to arrive, to avoid ever being abandoned again. To prepare the perfect Game to please Kris and give them a starring role. No action taken without the personal excuse to themselves of "it's what Kris might want of me".

* I don't really have any hobbies, or interests. * Baking, sewing, singing... those are all just... * Things I thought to do... for you two.

Ralsei always talks as if Darkners should be content being objects, tools, nothing more than playthings to make Lightners happy-- because even if they're a Demon, especially if they're a Demon, objectifying themselves and framing their own desires as irrelevant or even blasphemous to have in the first place might be natural to them. But here's a huge inconsistency to consider: NO OTHER DARKNER WE'VE EVER MET has shared Ralsei's attitude! ALL of them have had opinions! Likes! Dislikes! Granted to them by the imaginations of Lightners before they became Darkners, possibly, but they still had them and PURSUED them. Ralsei acts like that's forbidden for themselves, acts like it's almost unthinkable, and as it begins to happen, Ralsei has to privately ask Kris IF THAT'S OKAY.

* But recently... * I'm starting to feel like... * Like I'm developing my own opinions. * My own likes. * My own dislikes. * My own desires. My own... fears. * ... please... tell me... * Should I... * Should a... Darkner... be feeling like this?

Note the hesitation before "Darkner"! And the heavy implication that if Kris allowed us to tell them "No" -- instead of going against our option to say "Of course not" to instead say "Of course" -- Ralsei would have listened. Because what does being a ritual-bound summoned Demon mean, if not that Ralsei is perhaps RESTRICTED to doing what Kris says they should do? Such as, if at the end of Chapter 4 you misread the choice (or were a total monster) and told Ralsei "Good. Keep smiling" instead of "It's okay not to smile", Ralsei pitifully responds:

* Of... of course! You can count on me! * I'll... make sure we... * ... have a wonderful adventure tomorrow! * The next day, too... * After all, that's what you want, isn't it?

It might not just be that Ralsei imagines the idea of disobeying Kris and their desires as unthinkable. It might be that Ralsei literally CANNOT disobey. That all the freedom Kris has allowed them to indulge a will of their own is (to Ralsei) novel, frightening, and even uncomfortable, widening the bounds of what is -- or should have been -- a tight leash.

Why'd you decide to put all this together and blab about it now?

If you've played Chapter 5, you doubtless saw a few things that add fuel to this theory. But even apart from that, I was recently lured to some old Undertale secrets and hidden file content, and something I'd doubtless read before on datamining content sites stood out to me when it hadn't before, some variables in Undertale's files after one of the earliest updates to the game:

self.demona= "Greetings."; self.demonb= "You have made yourself completely clear."; self.demonc= "Understood."; self.demond= "I, your humble servant, will follow you to the utmost...";

A deferential, wholly subservient demon. Not the calamity of Chara, not the capriciousness of ERAM. Given how many details hidden in Undertale's files/secrets and added to them in updates intentionally allude to Deltarune, this section -- and a sincere interpretation thereof -- stood out to me as not fitting ANY prior conception we'd had of Kris's old Demon Summoning ritual or anything else in Deltarune or Undertale I'd seen discussed, until I finally asked myself if Ralsei might fit the bill.

I've read far down enough this post that I don't mind Chapter 5 spoilers, quit prefacing already and spill all your evidentiary findings!

Yeah, yeah, might as well get to Chapter 5 stuff since it has the meatiest evidence. Warning for CH5 spoilers beyond this point. I won't be covering Ralsei Is The Red Horns evidence because much more accomplished and thorough Deltarune theorists have already covered all that ground; I'll just be covering old-and-new evidence for the Demon Summoning and Ralsei's strangeness and how it all fits together, details hidden behind Chapter 5 options you may have missed, and maybe speculation on some of the future consequences we could see in Chapters 6 and 7 if this theory happens to be on the mark.

Evidence Part 1: Kris Did a Demon Summoning

Kris's involvement in a Demon Summoning ritual in their earlier teens was well established in earlier chapters, though Chapter 5 gives us the final confirmation. (Using the Deltarune text dump extensively here.) First off in Chapter 2:

* You unconsciously clicked on a popup about demon summoning classes for teens.

Chapter 3's song game lyrics:

WHEN THE DEMON HEART IS CRYING

Several in Chapter 4 that stood out much harder, like Catty talking about Catti in church:

And, like, shout out to my little sister, Who couldn't make it here today. IDK what she's doing, communing with demons or something? LOL Yeah, she like, DOES that. LOL. So cute am I right???

Susie mentioning if you try to pay attention to the sermon instead of digging through pockets for fun:

* (Jeez, look at you acting so holy.) * (C'mon, don't think I haven't heard the rumors.) * (Y'know... when you and Catti were kids.) * (Didn't you try to summon a demon?) * (I'm surprised they even let you in here... heheheh.)

And finally the huge confirmation we got in Chapter 5 if you talked to Catti BEFORE interacting with the Eyeball Bowl:

* (K... Kris...?) * (How could you. Let Noelle go. With the purple beast...?) * (Is this... revenge... for all the way back then?) * (... I told you. I already cast apology spells...) * (I admit. I was weak. The fear took me.) * (... I left you. To complete. The summoning alone.) * (Do you really still. Curse me for that...?)

Okay, so it happened-- but when? We can't guess exactly, but there's some reasoning we can apply to guess relatively when-- or rather, when it probably DIDN'T happen.

We can't be sure, but it would be very strange if Catti never connected the Demon Summoning she ran from with "The Incident", with "That Horrible Day", the day that got Asgore fired from his job as Police Chief and which may or may not have something to do with Dess's disappearance.

It's still possible that the incidents happened at nearly the same time, and Catti never added it up. However, it would also make plenty of sense if the Demon Summoning happened BEFORE or AFTER the Incident.

BEFORE the Incident, if the Demon's influence or actions had something to do with the events of That Horrible Day. Or AFTER the Incident, if Kris felt the need for a Demon's power to grant some wish of theirs instilled by the aftermath of what happened.

Which might fit given Ralsei's "purpose":

Evidence Part 2: Ralsei's Lying About What They Are

(Flowery:) * Don't you LIKE serving humans...? (Ralsei:) * YOU... are NOT! A HUMAN! (Ralsei:) * You're just... pretending to be something you're not! (Flowery:) * Oh? Ralsei, wanna tell them what's wrong with that?

Ralsei might have some influence over their own appearance, as has been richly demonstrated with their original cloak and hat... but at NO point has Ralsei EVER pretended to be anything but a Darkner.

* That's because you're alongside the Lightners, Lancer. * Our purpose - Darkners' purpose - is to assist them. * It's the only way we can feel truly fulfilled.

So why exactly would Ralsei be bothered by Flowery accusing them of pretending they're something they're not? Ralsei's changed their appearance several times (as comfortable as they've become with going hatless), so why would they be stung so hard by the comparison?

Flowery had constantly been posing as Human and putting on an illusory Mary-Sue-like appearance since he showed up, all to appeal to Asgore to the MAXIMUM extent, with cringeworthy obsequiousness. Wouldn't it make the most sense if Flowery bothered Ralsei so much, in part, because Ralsei was also posing as something they weren't for maximum appeal to a specific someone, manipulating their stats and the whole Dark World around them to make the perfect Game to make Kris have fun and feel special, and seeing Flowery's over-the-top attempts to do the same for someone else... perhaps that plucks directly at Ralsei's insecurities, like seeing a mirror that's holding a knife? (Not my metaphor, just a favorite.)

* I-It's... * It's your PURPOSE to be a flower! * You... can't run from that. * OUR purpose... is to stop the darkness.

Ralsei has two "purposes", one stated and one unstated-- the only barely unstated one, repeated many times across the chapters, is their desire to do what Kris wants, blatantly moreso than Susie even, though they do give in to her. Much like the end of Chapter 4, there's a moment early in Chapter 5's Castle Town where Ralsei comments on their evolving wish to try different drinks:

* I... I kind of want to try all sorts of different drinks. * Tea... coffee... juices... and see which ones I like.

And you're given the choice to override Ralsei's will in a particular suspicious way, given the choices to say either "Sounds nice", or "You like tea". Why would Kris have such strong opinions on how Ralsei should be that would warrant giving them such an order about Ralsei's own preferences, unless it's part of a character Kris specifically envisioned for Ralsei? A shape they may have become proud of eventually, but one that was originally dictated by Kris?

When you pick "You like tea", Ralsei responds:

* You're right... sorry. * But I... * If you... if Kris makes the tea for me by hand... * I wonder if there wouldn't still be... * ... something a little personally special about it?

Weakly seeking connection with and affection from Kris, but at the same time INSTANTLY conceding their own will and nature to whatever Kris desires. And also in Ch5's Castle Town, if you climb the Darlings tower in a good enough time and DON'T have Starwalker in your save (meaning many people who got Starwalker in Ch1 couldn't see the full scene), you get a scene with a couple options that's one of the MANY strong indications throughout Chapter 5 of Transfem Ralsei, or perhaps of Ralsei only identifying as he/him because it's the character Kris originally envisioned for them:

(If "Nah bro..." to princess Ralsei, who then looks visibly disappointed) * Umm, okay! I suppose I do have more experience being a prince... * I hope that will be sufficient for you!!

(If "Of course!" to princess Ralsei) * Really!? Oh, I'm so excited! * I've been a prince for a while, but I haven't been a princess yet. * I suppose the only difference is how you present yourself... * But, it's fun to try new things, isn't it...? * ... as long as it's... what other people want, of course!

(Don't debate the Transfem Ralsei interpretation with me by the way, I'm not taking arguments. If you disagree with it, disagree somewhere else.)

Chapter 5 keeps reiterating Ralsei's opinion that almost anything is okay as long as it's what Kris wants:

(Ralsei:) * You know, if this was our first adventure... (Ralsei:) * Susie probably would've destroyed this bread by now. (Susie:) * Yeah... now, I wouldn't just do something like that. (Susie:) * Kris'd have to ask me first. (Ralsei, happily:) That's right!

And even in the long confrontation in the Hot Tub where you can ask to talk to Ralsei about the fact that they know Kris created the Dark Fountain, they ADVISE Kris that they believe that creating these Fountains is very, very bad and that Ralsei doesn't understand why Kris is doing it... but that they'll still choose to believe in Kris's actions even if they disagree with them.

All of this comes around to the other main "purpose" Ralsei is explicitly following, "to stop the darkness". We can't be entirely sure, but IF Ralsei always does what Kris wants of them, then what if Ralsei's dedication to stopping the darkness is something Kris wanted of them in the first place? In the case of this Demon Summoning theory, the ritual Kris participated in could have been motivated by Kris wanting to stop something horrible caused by an earlier Dark World, possibly related to The Incident? More saying so as speculation than proof.

What else haven't I covered... oh right!

* You know, if I let myself go like you, I could * I could burn you down in an instant!

* ... no one can do the impossible. * Says the impossibility himself.

Obviously, there's the fire magic. Definite circumstantial demonic associations there, especially how suspicious it is Ralsei wanted to hide it. However, there's also Ralsei's impossible existence, and how the whole chapter Flowery relentlessly teases Ralsei in basically every way to try and get them to BREAK THE "RULES" and do what would make them happy instead.

And Ralsei's response:

(Flowery:) * Instead, just seems like it made you jealous... (Flowery:) * ... that we don't have to follow your silly little rules. (Ralsei:) * Sh... (Ralsei:) * SHUT UP already! (Ralsei:) * You wanna know what happens... (Ralsei:) * If I don't follow the rules!? (Ralsei:) * EVERYTHING! Will fall! Apart!! (Ralsei:) * You... (Ralsei:) * YOU THINK I WANT IT TO BE LIKE THIS!? (Flowery:) * Then what (Flowery:) * DO you want? (Ralsei:) * I... (Flowery:) I'm just trying to help you, Raly...

There were always implications that the meta of the "game" itself could break down if the illusion were disrupted too much, from the way Ralsei panics about breaking it (for Susie specifically, taking our (and/or Kris's) knowledge of the meta for granted). However, consequences for breaking the rules COULD potentially play into a Demon Contract too, that there may be serious repercussions if Ralsei goes against orders, or the terms of their summoning, or something like that. Again, very circumstantial, not solid proof; I'm just covering all the bases, and also I've been writing this post for enough hours that I've more-or-less completely lost my train of thought.

Part 3: Other Demon Summoning Explanations

Yeah, I admit that Ralsei isn't the ONLY possibility for this Demon Summoning now that we're sure it happened and could have had some sort of real effect. I want to briefly discuss a couple of the other options:

Kris sold their Soul to Gaster or something?

Again-- not entirely incompatible with the Ralsei theory! Most of what people have focused on regarding the cost-- on it causing the Connection, of it possibly staining Kris's soul from Aqua-colored to Red and surrendering their control of it-- and that may have still happened. Classically, the Demon is the one offered one's Soul in exchange for service, but that's not always the case mythologically.

(People have also popularly considered that if Kris's Soul being controlled by us or the Connection was the cost of the Demon Summoning, then WE, the player, might be the Demon, and it's definitely a fallback option but I don't think it's the most interesting possibility.)

Deals can be brokered, and Ralsei-- especially with their existence tied to "nothingness"-- could have been a servant formed from nothing as payment for Soul rendered, with no classical intention or hunger for the Soul on Ralsei's part (as already seems unlikely). To pursue that idea further...

Ralsei IS a Demon... but has no real-object body, and is PURE imagination?

Quote from the Deltarune data files on what Noelle would say if you could give her Ralsei Tea:

There's nothing in here!

The way Noelle seems to have almost entirely glossed over Ralsei's existence beyond a single mention, despite them being beside the others all along:

* (Who's that person she's with, anyway...?) * (It looks kind of like...)

--also loops back to a very Homestuck-y view of the ties between Darkness, Nothingness, and Irrelevance in a way that makes Void beings a little more difficult to correctly perceive. The way Ralsei has often talked about themselves like they're nothing, like all possible relevance comes from the Lightners, all smacks to me of the idea that whatever Ralsei is, the idea that they're "constructed from nothingness/darkness" resonates with me even if it's conjecture. If the Demon theory isn't true, I have some strong hopes for the theory many others have expressed that Ralsei is actually a Titan, bound up somehow by a shell of rules to keep an inherently destructive nature under wraps. Whatever ends up being true for Ralsei, it's extremely likely that rather than Darkner or Lightner, they're almost certainly a Secret Third Thing:

* (Kris's other friend...) * (It's strange. At a glance, they look a bit like Asriel...) * (But, the longer you look...) * (The harder it is to tell if they're a monster at all.)

In the Light World, in reality... Lancer is just an average playing card. Queen... is just a laptop. In other words... when the lights come back on... This world is no longer "real". The places you go, the people you meet... none of them are. Even I, the one telling you this... I too, am...

("Not real", by Ralsei's standards, sure, but what exactly? Ralsei wants the others to think of them as equivalent, but are they more, too? And they could be possessing the Red Horns, but as a Demon it's even possible -- especially with the "nothingness" of their alluded nature -- that Ralsei might be the only Darkner WITHOUT a "real" Light World form, giving them the freedom to travel between Dark Worlds at will, et cetera, because no "real" matter is actually being moved!)

Yet another theory to consider:

The Demon that was summoned is ERAM?

ERAM certainly acted in Chapter 3 as if they were, in a very twisted and subversive way appropriate for classical interpretations of a Demon, working on Kris's behalf to help enable their worst instincts and let their Id free. A "servant", but with a loose evil-genie way of determining what Kris might want and enabling them. They "can see in the dark", they insist that part of Kris is enjoying the destruction and murder even if Kris flinches at it... whatever ERAM is or wherever they came from, they've made it very clear that we haven't seen the last of them.

There! That's what I wanted to see! Flickering red, like pretty little flames... Your eyes can't hide it, Kris. Without play... The knife grows dull. Haha... well, enough of that! We both have work to do!

(Personally, Demon or not, I've long thought it possible that ERAM might be Kris's Knife.)

Part 4: So What The Heck Happens If This Demon Ralsei Theory Is Right?

It's very difficult to speculate on the implications of Ralsei being a "Demon" when we don't have any strict canon rules to work from, yet, of what a Demon actually is, what they're capable of in either the Light World or Dark World. If it happens to be the case, though, the foreshadowing and evidence around Ralsei combined with the very fact of a Demon Summoning point to a few plot opportunities we might not have explored thoroughly yet:

Ralsei's potentially enormous Dark World abilities--

...are explored and hinted extensively enough in Chapter 5 that they don't really rely on this theory being true. Ralsei's true abilities are already implied to equal and FAR outstrip everything Flowery was capable of-- all of the typical obstacles in the Dark World were optional for them when they wanted us to follow Susie in Chapter 5 past the spikes, like taking Kris through them, exploding the block puzzle if you don't turn Ralseis off, etc. Just like Flowery, Ralsei can instantly dispatch Darkner enemies no matter their quantity or strength but has just been (mostly) careful to do so offscreen. When Ralsei desperately offered in Chapter 4 to do all of the fighting and puzzles for Kris and Susie if they'd just agree to avoid the horrible truth, Ralsei wasn't kidding-- we can now be absolutely sure they were COMPLETELY capable of fighting everyone except possibly The Knight on their own, and the only reason they let things remain a challenge was to preserve the balance of the Video Game that keeps Kris, Susie, and The Player invested in continuing.

Demon Ralsei theory isn't necessary for any of that. But what it may make possible is...

Ralsei may be capable of SOMETHING supernatural in the Light World.

Nothing so far has indicated that Ralsei has any direct influence over the Light World whatsoever, and although they have uncanny knowledge of the Light World and Lightners as well as the Prophecy, other Darkners have displayed extensive knowledge about the Lightners who have interacted with them. Still, that IS strange if most of Ralsei's "life" was spent in the Supply Closet, unless they were, say, the Red Horns presumably worn to Church and around all these people earlier in Kris's life. Demonic possession of an object might make Ralsei something of a fusion between Demon and Darkner-- much like Pink Mew Mew, a combination of entity and object which might have memories of the Red Horns' history before the Demon was even summoned into it.

I admit the above idea is an area where the Demon Ralsei theory doesn't stay together entirely cohesively... Ralsei has displayed almost none of the plurality or warring instincts that we see from the likes of Pink, and we've been watching Ralsei evolve for quite some time across the story. There could be some crazy shit we couldn't expect going on though, if you want to bring plurality into the mix-- such as if ERAM, the out-of-bounds possible-servant of Kris's who exists in places Ralsei acknowledges they have no knowledge about, the very fact-of-which unsettles them... if ERAM could be some coin-flip side of Ralsei's existence which could hide from them and act independently??? Nah, perhaps that's too weird.

(After sailing up past where Tenna blocked you from going in the Video Game board, if you did so with Susie and Ralsei still with you:) (Ralsei:) I feel kind of... glad we're going back. (Susie:) What, don't like the cold? (Ralsei:) ... I guess... not. Haha. (Susie:) Just cool thinking what might've been there. (Susie:) A little past... what would we could see. (Susie:) ... were you scared? (Ralsei:) I just didn't know... what was over there. (Ralsei:) It could've been... trouble.

But anyway, if Ralsei were a Demon capable of something in the Light World while in Kris's possession, what COULD a Demon accomplish there that we haven't seen yet? What happened in the past after the Demon Summoning? Would a Demon Ralsei be capable of something in the Light World having to do with fire? Something violent? Poltergeist-like abilities? Would they enable Kris's body to be able to do something they couldn't do on their own? What would that even be?? Could Ralsei have left the Supply Closet at any time, just not with a body, and just refused to consider the option so as to comply with Kris's wish to throw them away???

Unfortunately we have so little information on Light World impossibilities as-of-yet that it's difficult to speculate. Future chapters will have to show us the rules.

Speaking of rules:

Kris ORDERS Ralsei to do something -- possibly without their Soul inside them so we can't get in the way -- and Ralsei HAS to obey.

I think this is one of the most interesting possibilities that could come out of this theory in Chapter 6 or 7. Kris's true self has been taking a somewhat antagonistic role, working at cross-purposes with the "Heroes'" side, and we know from how Kris flinched and backed away at Susie noticing that they were near the back door of the Flower Shop when the Fountain was created that Kris is sensitive about being found out by Susie that they've been working for both "sides", especially when the Knight has put people Susie cares about (including Toriel) in danger. If Susie finds out about this and has to confront Kris in the Dark World, then if Ralsei is Kris's bound servant, Kris might be able to demand that Ralsei stand in the way, and Ralsei might be powerless to disobey. Kris might be able to demand Ralsei do something else that favors The Knight's side in a crucial moment, too, if something comes up that forces Kris to drop the façade to reach their true goals.

Ralsei "breaks the rules", and the consequences are destructive and dangerous.

I'm not really counting this because it's so likely it's nearly a certainty, regardless of whether the Demon Ralsei theory is true. Whatever Ralsei's nature, they've made it clear that letting loose like Flowery did is going to come with incredible consequences. It's a Chekhov's Gun, and unless Ralsei paints us a clear picture of what "breaking the rules" would look like and how everything would fall apart only to choose instead to avert it, it's practically inevitable that we'll see it fired at some point.

Ralsei hath some kickass firey Demonic true forme?

I mean, no clear plot implications, but. It'd be awesome, right?

If Asgore is unfrozen wherever they're being held captive, and gets a clear look at Ralsei (especially if Ralsei has some cool True Form to expose), he might recognize them from The Incident long ago.

This is something else people have widely speculated about, though it's PARTIALLY contradicted by the fact that Ralsei is shocked to learn that The Knight was involved in a long-ago Dark World:

* It was left... at the... original scene... * And... matched with... the... * ...? ((Shock on Ralsei's face.)) * And... computer lab? [...] * I... don't know. This doesn't make sense. * The Knight... I thought they only showed up... * ... alongside the heroes... right? ((Uneasy look on Ralsei's face.)) [...] * ... why didn't I know about this? * Wouldn't it be... important...?

It doesn't preclude Ralsei from having been involved in that Dark World, or knowing that it existed long ago-- all the evidence shows for sure is that Ralsei doesn't seem to know about the Knight's personal involvement in that long-ago Incident, however much knowledge Ralsei is hiding. It does make it a bit less likely that they were in the same place at the same time, though. Which is part of why I somewhat (but definitely not exclusively) favor the supposition that Kris's Demon Summoning ritual may have taken place after the Incident that Asgore was involved with, an Incident that may have given Kris reason to seek power.

--

Other than that... I really wish I had more interesting speculation on the future consequences for the story of this cool Demon Ralsei idea, but I'm kind of stumped trying to think of any when we have so little information on... well, Demons. I can't even draw on my Homestuck knowledge to BS something up that Toby Fox might have been inspired by. Feel free to draw on this theory and try to come up with other possibilities as to where it might lead. Heck, I think I'm more excited for the character-design implications for Ralsei than anything specific that might come of this. Although I have to admit, I'm always a sucker for traditionally negative tropes like "Demons" turning out to be benevolent forces... which makes plenty of sense in a story where the heroes' goal is to BANISH THE ANGEL'S HEAVEN.