— — — — — —
"Sorry to disturb you during your rest."
From the wooded area of the courtyard, a beautiful angel stepped out—golden hair flowing, twelve wings spread behind her back.
She walked forward at an unhurried pace and stopped about five meters from Ryo, offering a slight bow.
It was none other than Angel Gabriel.
"I figured someone might come to see me today," Ryo said with a faint smile, idly stroking Kuroka's back. "But I didn't expect it to be you."
That, of course, was a lie.
The moment he'd mentioned helping revive God during the meeting, he knew an angel would reach out to him in private. And judging from everyone's reactions, Gabriel had been the most likely candidate.
She'd been the only one who couldn't quite hide her emotions.
Michael, on the other hand, had stayed calm—not because he didn't want God revived, but because he knew how to keep his composure.
Ryo studied Gabriel's delicate features, the curve of his smile deepening slightly.
"Coming here alone like this… looks like you're ready to pay a price."
Gabriel pressed her lips together, her watery eyes fixed on him.
After a brief pause, she asked, "What you said earlier… about reviving God. Was that true?"
"Of course."
Ryo had no intention of denying it. Reviving God would benefit him as well. But he knew that wasn't enough for her.
What she really wanted to know was the fine print—what conditions were required, when it would happen, what form God would return in.
Gabriel let out a small breath of relief at his answer, then stepped closer and sat down beside him.
"In that case… would you mind if I sit here?"
'You're already sitting, and now you ask?' Ryo thought, amused, but he didn't object.
After all, most people wouldn't refuse a beauty like her sitting close. And this was the Most Beautiful Woman in Heaven.
"You care about God a lot, don't you?" he said, glancing at her. Then he realized it was a pointless question.
"He is my creator," Gabriel said softly, almost like a prayer. "The mother of all angels… and also our merciful Father."
Mother and Father? Ryo's expression twitched for a split second, but he wisely kept that thought to himself.
No point saying something that would only offend her.
"So, to bring Him back… you're willing to do anything?" Ryo asked, his tone carrying a faint hint of amusement, not bothering to hide his intent.
"Yes." Gabriel answered calmly. "Only after God fell did I understand this… angels cannot exist without Him."
"I see." Ryo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "In that case, I'm willing to fully cooperate in reviving God. Of course… in return, I'd like to see the angels' sincerity."
"Sincerity?" Gabriel looked at him, puzzled. "Haven't the angels already pledged loyalty to you?"
"I mean that kind of sincerity." Ryo lifted the veil a little more, though something already felt off.
"That kind…?" Gabriel's confusion only deepened.
"…"
"Gabriel, what exactly did you come here for?" Ryo asked after a pause.
"For a walk after dinner," Gabriel replied with a gentle smile. "Taking a walk after eating is meaningful—it helps digestion, relieves fatigue, and clears the mind. Isn't that nice?"
"Pfft—"
The black cat in Ryo's arms burst out laughing.
The sheer mismatch—Ryo trying to negotiate something shady while Gabriel remained completely oblivious—was just too funny.
"MEOW!!"
Without hesitation, Ryo flicked the cat's tail. With a yelp, she leapt out of his arms and dashed into the woods.
"…Is she alright?" Gabriel asked, puzzled.
"She's probably in heat," Ryo said calmly.
"…Is this the season for that?" Gabriel tilted her head, unsure, but since she wasn't exactly an expert on cats, she let it go.
"Anyway," she continued, "what did you mean earlier by 'sincerity'?"
Faced with her utterly innocent question, Ryo felt a rare hint of awkwardness. For a moment, he even wondered if she was messing with him.
But no—surely an angel who had lived for thousands of years wouldn't really be this clueless… right?
"…I heard it from Azazel," he said in a slightly strange tone, casually shifting the blame. "He told me that when an angel is willing to show that kind of sincerity, that's when they become a true angel."
He made it up on the spot and dumped it squarely on Azazel.
"I see… Azazel said that?" Gabriel nodded, suddenly enlightened.
But then her thoughts drifted.
'Azazel… sincerity… what exactly did he mean…'
Slowly, her head lowered, her face growing redder by the second.
Seeing that, Ryo raised an eyebrow. "So you do understand."
At that, even the tips of Gabriel's ears turned red—so red it looked like she might bolt at any moment.
"…Is that really necessary?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper.
"I think it is," Ryo replied with a straight face, as if discussing something perfectly serious.
"…Is it truly required to revive God?"
She still sounded uncertain.
"In my opinion, it's extremely important. It might even affect how fast the process goes."
Somewhere deep down, Ryo felt like he was scamming someone unbelievably naive. He kept going anyway.
"…Then… what should I do?"
"Don't worry," he said smoothly. "Leave everything to me."
...
..
"Not going in?"
Suzaku Himejima stood at the entrance to the back courtyard, looking at her cousin, who wore a faint smile.
"No," Akeno shook her head. "Lady Gabriel just went in. It'd be rather inappropriate to interrupt now."
Whatever was happening inside, a private meeting between the angel leadership and Ryo wasn't something she would intrude on.
"And you, cousin Suzaku?" Akeno asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to offer myself tonight," Suzaku replied flatly.
"…That sounds rough," Akeno said, unsure how else to respond.
"It's just a necessary step to stabilize authority," Suzaku said calmly, as if it were nothing. "If you want to keep wolves in line, you need to bring in a tiger."
Akeno smiled, eyes narrowing slightly.
"You don't usually bother explaining things to me, though."
An explanation often meant a cover. She watched her cousin with a knowing smile.
Suzaku's expression stiffened ever so slightly.
With their near-identical features, the two looked almost like twins.
"Akeno, you seem to be in a good mood today."
"I suppose I am," Akeno said playfully, blinking. "Though still not quite as much as you, my dear cousin."
Suzaku's eyelid twitched. Then she said, very casually. "There's something I should tell you. Last night, when Ryo was holding me… he called out your name."
Akeno froze.
For a moment, she couldn't say a single word.
A faint smile curved at Suzaku's lips.
"You should get some rest, Akeno. Tomorrow's the real meeting. Who knows what kind of enemies we'll be facing."
"…Understood. You should rest early too, cousin."
They parted ways after that.
Only once they were out of each other's sight—
Suzaku muttered under her breath, "Brat. Always trying to get under my skin."
Elsewhere, Akeno clicked her tongue. "Shameless bitch."
Both let out a quiet huff and walked off in opposite directions.
.
.
.