A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back. Sorry for the sudden hiatus, but a family emergency has happened. Life has not been kind to me at all. But I am back with new chapters.
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The Next Morning
"..." Caelus silently stares at the scene in front of him in sheer disbelief. In front of him is none other than Mem, but she somehow looks very different.
She has short pink hair with her iconic hair accessories; her body resembles that of a child. She wears a white dress similar to her pink mammal counterpart, along with an oversized puffy purple jacket.
But what stands out is her new pair of fluffy pink hair and bushy tail, the same one from her fairy form.
"So, what do you think?" Mem asks with a cheerful voice.
"...first of all, I wasn't expecting any of this, especially after hearing you said I wasn't ready to gain access to enter the world of As I've Written, so I thought you might have used up all of your energy..." Caelus says as he glances at Mem. "So, imagine my surprise when you turn into a...Thiren. Is this what you mean by looking a bit different?"
"Yup," Mem says with a wink. "Apparently, shoving you into the book allows you to be much more attuned with Remembrance. It seems the risky gamble ends up unintentionally helping you."
"...are you feeling okay?" Caelus asks in concern. "Any dizziness? Feeling weak? Or anything abnormal?"
"If feeling weird being in a new body could be considered abnormal, then yes. I still try to get used to having much longer limbs, and oh my Fuli, my tail feels so heavy now," Mem says with annoyance as she holds her tail. Caelus can't help but chuckle before petting Mem's head.
"That's nice..." Caelus says before he frowns slightly. "But please, next time don't take such a risky gamble. I...ain't ready to deal with what might've happened, especially after..."
"...okay," Mem says as her smile dims a bit. She understands what Caelus is referring to, and she can't help but feel slightly guilty.
"...how are you feeling?" Mem asks in concern.
"I'm good...no use in moping down in guilt..." Caelus says with a hint of sadness in his voice. "...all I could do now is to improve myself to prevent this type of tragedy."
"How are you going to do that?" Mem asks curiously.
"Unlocking the Path of Abundance and finding a way to cure Ether sickness," Caelus says with no hesitation. "This world has slowly learned a way to use Ether for their daily life, but one thing that still hasn't been solved is the Ether sickness and those scums using it to create an army of overpowered monsters. Learning more about medicine and unlocking a Path that could heal even a living puppet is possibly the next best option...."
"That's going to take a long time, especially if you don't have any basic medical knowledge." Mem points out with a frown.
"Well, there's no time to waste. Let's go to the library and get some basic medical knowledge for dummies," Caelus says with a grin. "Besides, thanks to Remembrance, I could just copy it and shove it into my brain anytime I forgot."
"I doubt it'll solve your forgetfulness," Mem says teasingly, earning a sarcastic chuckle from Caelus. They both take turns to clean themselves up and plan to walk out the door before they are greeted by Phil, who's about to knock on the door.
"Hey, Caelus. Can we-!?" Phil froze as he noticed Mem standing behind Caelus. He stares at her in disbelief before looking at Caelus with a mixed look of shock and disgust. Caelus notices what Phil is thinking and panics when the bunny Thiren starts opening his mouth.
"PED-!" Caelus closes his mouth as cold sweat starts pouring out of his head while Mem tilts her head in utter confusion.
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Later
"S-sorry..." Phil looks slightly embarrassed as he and Mem walk next to Caelus, who's holding a pile of medical books he borrowed from the local library.
"Next time, don't jump to conclusions and at least ask something," Caelus grunts.
"To be fair, who would expect Mem to turn herself into a...whatever Thiren she is," Phil responds.
"You can say I'm a Fairy Thiren," Mem says as Phil stares at her.
"...yeah, I've seen a Fairy Thiren, and none of them have a pair of fluffy ears and such a fluffy tail," Phil says in a dry tone, causing Caelus to almost trip.
"There's actually a Fairy Thiren?!" Caelus asks in shock.
"...honestly, I'm a bit confused if they're an entirely different species like Oni or a Thiren. It's very confusing even for me." Phil says while rubbing his chin. "There's a reason why there's a discussion about this group of people with white wings. We have no idea if they're a Thiren or another species. Some of them dubbed their species as Angels."
"...I wasn't expecting this, honestly." Caelus knew about the existence of Oni and other subspecies, but it was rarely shown in the game. The only Onis famous in the ZZZ community are either Soukaku, General Chop, and Chop Junior. The only 'Angel' or 'Angel Thiren' he has ever seen is the Leader of Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe, and that one leaked character from an unreleased/shelved faction, Angels of Delusion.
"...how are you feeling?" Caelus asks as Phil sighs.
"...I could be better," Phil admits. "...I feel sad, but I...don't feel as sad as I suppose to be. I cried my heart out, and the next morning, I...didn't feel much. Do...do you think I sound like a terrible person?"
"... a strained relationship tends to make you feel indifferent, but if you feel sad with those people, it's enough to show you are a good person. Some actual bad person would be celebrating their death like hearing the world has achieved peace." Caelus says gently. "You confirmed it yourself, your situation made your siblings jealous of you, and even out for your blood. Caring for those kinds of people requires an extremely large amount of kindness, even if they're family."
"..." Phil stays silent, unsure how to respond as Mem gently pats his head. The trio heads towards the Coff Cafe as Caelus orders coffee for them, and Phil and Mem look for a seat. It didn't take long for Caelus to rejoin them.
"So...is there a reason why you borrow so many medical books from the library?" Phil asks curiously.
"I'm planning on gathering enough knowledge to eventually find a way to cure people from Ether Corruption," Caelus says casually, causing Phil to stare at him incredulously.
"...oh my god, you ain't joking," Phil mutters in disbelief. "How are you going to even do that? I doubt your plan only involves studying."
"As a matter of fact, that's my plan," Caelus says as he starts opening his book. Phil stares at him for a moment before sighing and pulling his phone out. Phil blinks in surprise before he starts wiping his eyes.
"What's wrong, Phil?" Mem asks curiously.
"Um...I got an email saying that I should return to university tomorrow because my expulsion is null and void," Phil mutters in surprise. "And apparently, the bullies are the ones who got expelled instead."
"That's nice," Mem says with a smile as Caelus simply nods. Phil looks at the duo in confusion. Why do they sound like they knew something? Phil recalls how Zhao had 'offered' them a ride despite everything, and something in his mind clicked.
"...did you threaten Zhao to force her to assassinate the dean!?" Phil whispers in disbelief. If Caelus were drinking, he would spit them right at Phil's face.
"W-what!?! NO! Why would I even go with such drastic measures!?" Caelus asks in disbelief.
"But, you must've done something! Don't deny that! What did you ask her!?" Phil asks quietly.
"I simply 'ask her nicely' to find a way to remove your expulsion notice and expelled the bullies instead," Caelus says as Phil gives him an unimpressed stare.
"There's no way you could ask her nicely. That bitch sounds like she only does things for money or anything valuable," Phil says in annoyance.
"Actually, Caelus isn't exactly lying. She did offer that she would do anything, so Caelus ended up asking nicely." Mem says as Phil stares at Mem in disbelief.
"...you threaten her, didn't you?" Phil says in a deadpan manner.
"Nope," Caelus lies with a completely straight face.
"...don't start threatening people, Caelus. You're already on thin ice after everything..." Phil sighs as he rubs his face. "But, still, thanks for helping me get back in college...even if your method is unconventional..."
"I simply did what a friend would do," Caelus says casually.
"No friends would be willing to go that far," Phil responds.
"Well, I do," Caelus says as Phil looks slightly surprised before looking away, hiding a small smile forming on his face. Unfortunately, he's facing Mem as she saw his expression instantly and giggles, causing Phil to grow red.
Caelus simply chuckles before he receives a notification from his phone. He pulls it out and blinks upon seeing a message from Nicole.
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Cunning Hares
Nicole:
Caelus, get your ass over here!
The crowd has gone frenzied!
Anby:
Everyone is out for your blood, saying how you lied about the story you wrote supposed to be 'romantic'.
I saw some holding pitchforks and torches.
Billy:
The PubSec had managed to control the crowd for now.
But, Manager's Twin, you need to help us!
Caelus:
How do you guys even sell them so fast?
Nicole:
A marketing strategy that is too complex for you to understand!
Caelus:
You shoved your boobs to charm your customers, aren't you?
Anby:
Among other things
Nicole:
Anby, you're supposed to be on my side!
Never mind that, get your ass over here now!
Help us get out of your mess!
Caelus:
Sorry, I'm currently busy.
H.A.N.D.'s staff member is here to discuss my recruitment.
Nicole:
Caelus, you traitor!
Not only did you leave our fate here, but you joined the government's team!?!
How could you!?!
Caelus:
You guys have PubSecs helping deal with your situation.
If I were there, the situation would only get worse.
Besides, why do you sound like I was part of the Cunning Hare in the first place?
Nekomata:
Good, he isn't welcome in the first place.
Nicole:
Nekomata, shut up
And Caelus, once I get my hands on you, you'll be sorry.
Caelus:
...don't molest me, please. QwQ
Anby:
I can't believe you, Nicole
Nekomata:
...I may dislike Caelus, but I would never go that far.
Billy:
I didn't even know Boss had a thing for Manager's Twin in the first place.
But molesting someone is not the way to go, Boss.
Nicole:
...
CAELUS!!!
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Caelus simply chuckles before turning off his phone and noticing Phil giving him a weird look.
"Sorry, the Cunning Hares contacted me to help with a situation that's already been solved," Caelus says with a chuckle.
"When did you even get their contacts?" Phil asks in confusion.
"When I ask them to help me publish a book," Caelus says honestly.
"...you wrote?" Phil asks in disbelief.
"...you're insulting me, aren't you?" Caelus deadpans.
"...no offense, you don't look like you could write a compelling story," Caelus feels his veins throb and his left eye twitch in utter annoyance. Before he could respond, a cold presence appeared and sent chills down Caelus' and Phil's spines.
"...excuse me, but are you Caelus?" The trio turns, and their eyes widen in disbelief as Hoshimi Miyabi herself stands next to her. "I hope you're not busy because I would like to have a word with you."
"...am I getting arrested?" Caelus asks meekly.
"No," Miyabi says as she looks slightly confused. Why would he assume she's here to arrest him? She only grew confused when the trio let out a sigh of relief.
To be Continued