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There was a long pause as Sariel’s gaze shifted from person to person. Raphael’s voice broke the silence. “You damned harpy, I already admitted I lost. Was there a need to kill me a second time?” He stood up and dusted off the flaky layer of skin that appeared upon his revival. He snorted and spread his arms out to the side, facing the group completely naked. “Are you going to kill me again? Is that what you want?”
Cory rubbed her head with her wings. It would be pointless for her to kill him if he’d just come back to life. There wasn’t any entertainment factor either. “Maybe I could eat him…?” Cory mumbled. “Infinite source of food?”
“Not a bad idea,” Palan said with a growl. His body seemed to vanish as he leapt forward, leaving cracks on the floor. An explosion resounded as he landed in front of Raphael and stretched his arm forward, grasping the angel by the neck and lifting him off the floor. Danger Noodle lunged forward and bit Raphael’s side, ripping off a chunk of flesh even though it didn’t have many teeth.
Sariel screamed as Raphael was torn to pieces by Palan’s tails, but everyone else acted as if nothing happened. Raea crossed her arms over her chest. There was a smug expression on her face. She knew he was under Asura’s influence. Why was he doing everything so peacefully otherwise? “You should eat Asura too,” Raea said with a nod. It didn’t bother her when Palan killed immortal people. “She’s the one who used her power on you.”
“What exactly is happening here?” Sariel asked, her voice barely above a whisper. No one answered her. Cleo came to her side and patted her thigh, relating to a kindred soul. The angel glanced at Cleo with an odd expression on her pale face. “Headmaster Hailing? Is that you?”
Asura screamed before the headmaster could respond. Palan had torn off one of her heads and fed it to his purple tail while his torso-mouth was busy chomping off her arms. Asura tried to shout a command, but Palan stuffed her blankets into her mouth, gagging the demon. Blood splattered throughout the room as his tails ate her entrails, slurping them up like wet noodles.
Sariel’s face paled even further at the sight, and she stumbled to the side, catching herself by placing her hand on the wall. “There, there,” Cleo said, and patted her sides. She scampered up the angel and rubbed her head as if she were petting a dog. “If a sight like this bothers you, you probably don’t belong here.”
“Ah, it’s you,” Headmaster said, drawing his attention away from Palan’s feast. “It’s been a while since I last saw you, Sandra.” Sariel furrowed her brows at him, and he winked in reply. While Raea and Palan were distracted, Headmaster linked his arms around Sariel’s and led her outside of the room, making sure to take Cleo with him. Cleo struggled and clutched at the ground, but the old angel devoured her senses, rendering her useless as he dragged her out of the room by the tail. “Let’s catch up for old time’s sake.” As soon as they were out of the room and shut the door, Headmaster hissed, “You have to run away from here. Right now. I even sent you a warning earlier.”
Sariel’s eyes widened. “Those six couldn’t stop them?” she asked. “I knew they broke through the wall, but the lightning avatar was activated. They survived?”
“It wouldn’t be wrong to say the six favored those two. They actually want to help the demon evolve,” Headmaster said. “And that demon really wants to kill you. You can’t die here, Sariel. You’re the leader of the angels and your replacement hasn’t been trained, right?”
“You’re right,” Sariel said and lowered her head. “There haven’t been many promising people who could replace me. I figured the Creator would send me one when the time was right.”
“All the more reason for you to survive,” Headmaster said. “I’ll help you escape from the capital. We can’t stay here. Palan and Raea are monsters that I can’t win against.”
“Raea?” Sariel asked. “That was Raea Caelum?”
Headmaster cleared his throat. He knew Lady Caelum and Lord Caelum lied to Sariel about killing Raea; after all, he was a part of it. “Yes,” Headmaster said. “She managed to survive. The reason why I’m with them is iffy at best, but know that I’m on your side.”
“You tried to run away from them and ran into the rebel army, didn’t you?” Sariel asked and narrowed her eyes.
“Am I that predictable!? All you people with knowledge and wisdom need to stop reading me like that,” Headmaster said and snorted. “But yes, that’s exactly what happened. You know me; once I find out about something and become directly involved in it, I can’t just leave it alone. Since I found out the size of their forces and their plans, obviously I’d send them to you.”
“Yes, I do know you, you big softie,” Sariel said and sighed as they made their way down the steps. “Should I hide in the basement?”
“We have to leave the capital,” Headmaster said. “I told them about the floors below the tower. There was no way for them to bring me here otherwise. I convinced them by making a deal, saying I’d help them kill you if they left my grandchildren alone.”
“But you’re helping me escape,” Sariel said with a neutral expression. Her footsteps slowed. “Then your grandchildren?”
“Some sacrifices must be made,” Headmaster said. “Isn’t that what you told me so long ago?”
“I, I guess,” Sariel said and bit her lower lip. Her head lowered as she followed after the lithe old man who increased his speed down the stairs. “I’m sorry, and thank you.”
“Despite my obvious defect as an alcoholic, I do have a sense of justice, you know? I’m not an archangel for no reason.”
“That’s true,” Sariel said and raised her head. She straightened her posture and clenched her fist, gathering her resolve. Headmaster was sacrificing his grandchildren for her. People in the capital have already died in fights against the army. She couldn’t let their deaths go to waste. She had to escape as the representative of the Creator’s will. As long as she was alive, the angels’ society would never fall. It was her duty as the Watcher. “But I’ve been meaning to ask.”
“Hmm?”
Sariel pointed at Cleo who was still unresponsive. “What’s that?”
“This?” Headmaster asked and lifted Cleo up, using her tail as a handle. “This is a talking bag.”