After waiting quite a while, I finally entered the summoning chamber, only to find it completely empty.
The altar where the angel used to greet me, always in the same spot, was now deserted.
I slowly ran my hand over the surface, and layers of dust clung to my palm.
Of course. There was no angel here to call an assistant anymore.
But I had no intention of turning back now.
Just as Jo Seung-woo said, the angel must be paying attention to me.
I had no proof, but I felt a strong, inexplicable certainty.
“Come out.”
I plopped down on the altar and spoke into the empty air.
One, two—I counted silently, and sure enough, the flow of energy around me seemed to falter. Then, about ten meters ahead, a brilliant cluster of light began to shimmer.
It was a familiar sight, so I calmly watched as the angel slowly took shape.
Flash!
When the light burst, I felt a faint but genuine surprise.
The angel who appeared was not Gabriel.
Nor was it Michael, Raphael, or Uriel.
This was an angel I’d never seen before, with neatly arranged black hair.
Yeah, I had expected no archangel would show up.
“Huh?”
The angel’s mouth opened in surprise upon seeing me.
But the injuries looked severe.
Not just severe—part of the body was missing.
The right eye was covered with a patch, sure, but the right arm and right wing were nowhere to be seen.
The whole body was wrapped in bandages.
Was this some pathetic attempt to stir my sympathy?
I wasn’t that gullible.
“Gabriel is…”
Before I could finish, the angel suddenly dropped to one knee.
Lowering their head slightly, they bent their left arm halfway and extended it forward, as if paying respect.
Then they shouted:
“May grace be abundant! Praise be! May the light be with us!”
“…What?”
“I am Ramiel, a resurrected angel candidate. I humbly receive your words.”
“…”
An angel candidate, huh…
What exactly is going on here?
Are they trying to honor me now?
“Why the sudden change? Wouldn’t it be better to just act like before? This is kind of embarrassing.”
“…Excuse me? B-but this energy is definitely…”
Ramiel tilted their chin slightly, but their face showed clear embarrassment.
Their gaze flickered to the left wall, then they bowed their head again.
Was that a look of ‘I don’t know’?
Maybe I was imagining it.
Whatever.
Still feeling a bit dumbfounded, I stared quietly at the bandage-wrapped angel.
Suddenly, a memory of something my older brother once said flashed through my mind.
You don’t have to like angels.
You can even be hostile.
But you must never show your feelings…
At the time, I didn’t understand.
That was back when I went into battle mode at the sight of any angel.
But now, I think I get it.
Because a lot has changed.
Like the different places where the angel and I are sitting now.
When your position changes, so does your perspective.
Ramiel’s attitude meant the angels knew this well.
“Alright, then. Let’s hear what you have to say.”
“What do you mean by ‘hear’…?”
Ramiel bowed even lower.
“Why those who fled right after protecting the Zero Code are now sneaking back in.”
“…”
“And why it’s you here instead of the four archangels. Oh, I guess that’s the answer to the first question?”
“If you allow me, I will speak frankly.”
Despite the sarcasm in my tone, Ramiel’s voice was polite and steady.
All the while, their head remained bowed so low their forehead nearly touched the floor.
“First, I won’t deny that we fled. After all, we…”
They started well, but then trailed off, glancing at me nervously.
“User… I’m sorry. We knew how you felt about us, Kim Su-hyun.”
I waited patiently, and their hesitant words continued.
“It might sound like an excuse.”
“Go on.”
“After the forces of the Seven Great Demons were wiped out in the Whole Plain, the Great Realm immediately launched a massive invasion of the Celestial Realm. It was a terrifying assault, with all their might.”
Ramiel spoke quickly, as if eager to get it out.
It was unexpected.
“Later, we learned that the Great Realm had been preparing for this invasion ever since the Demon King Satan sent his message. Of course, the Celestial Realm sensed something and prepared as well.”
What was this ‘message’?
“A message?”
“Yes. ‘The war is lost. The Zero Code cannot be obtained. Use our sacrifice to annihilate the Celestial Realm…’”
“Satan said that?”
“We found traces that the Great Realm’s prophecy was delivered to Satan multiple times. But it seems he ignored it, even holding the Seven Great Demons’ council. Based on these facts, most believe the prophecy is credible.”
Ramiel raised a hand to pause.
Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with information.
Let’s break down the surface facts first.
“So, after I defeated the demons, the Celestial Realm and the Great Realm fought their own war?”
“That’s right.”
“And you being here now means…”
“It was a fierce battle, but we barely managed to repel them. In a way, thanks to you, Kim Su-hyun.”
“So the reason you left suddenly was because of that war? What happened to the four archangels?”
“…”
At that moment, Ramiel clenched their left fist tightly.
It took a long time before they spoke again, their words flowing slowly.
“Michael and Raphael bravely led the charge…”
“I don’t care. Just give me the outcome.”
“Michael and Raphael were destroyed by the enemy during battle.”
“And Gabriel and Uriel?”
“Both barely survived, but their injuries were so severe that their continued existence is doubtful…”
“In other words, they’re hanging by a thread.”
So that’s why they couldn’t come today.
It must have been an intense war.
Alright.
The pieces fit together.
“I have a few questions.”
“Please ask.”
“Seraph said you ran away. That you were afraid of me.”
“The angel Seraph… probably believes that. Because—”
Ramiel lifted their face, their blue eyes locking onto mine.
“She was no longer one of us.”
“?”
“You must have felt it too, Kim Su-hyun. Seraph repeatedly crossed the line as an assistant.”
“So?”
“Despite repeated warnings, she continued to act overly protective of you, as if ready to be destroyed herself… Eventually, Gabriel made a certain decision.”
“Was that decision to delegate full authority?”
Ramiel nodded cautiously.
“He deliberately withheld details and minimized information, blocking everything. So it’s no surprise Seraph guessed we fled. It wasn’t a wrong assumption.”
“Was it really necessary?”
“It was a risky gamble for us.”
“A gamble?”
“Yes. If the truth had been revealed, and Seraph had used it…”
“…”
Ramiel couldn’t continue.
I was starting to understand.
If what this angel said was true, they had prepared for the worst.
The moment the Seven Great Demons were wiped out, the means to control me vanished.
Separately, the Celestial Realm detected the Great Realm’s invasion.
If at that moment my blade had been turned against the angels…
In short, they didn’t want to show any weakness.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have helped them. I probably would have jumped at the chance.
Typical of angels, prioritizing safety above all.
“Of course, the situation was urgent, and we thought it unnecessary to inform the user…”
“Well, if it was that urgent, why leave behind nearly thirty percent of the angels? Even calling in angel candidates?”
“That was the minimum number needed to protect the independent space we built in the Whole Plain. Since the Zero Code exists, we had to consider the possibility of the Great Realm’s re-entry.”
“Oh, I was hoping you’d say it was the minimum personnel to maintain user operations.”
Ramiel flinched at my sarcastic tone.
“Wasn’t it unnecessary to fight at all? With the Zero Code protected, the Celestial Realm couldn’t be breached.”
“That’s true. But that method is the last of last resorts. Hiding in the Celestial Realm is like sealing ourselves away.”
“…”
“Also, with the Seven Great Demons and the Fourteen Demon Lords gone, the unfavorable situation somewhat improved.”
“So that’s what you meant by ‘thanks to you.’”
Ramiel closed their eyes gently.
“That’s all I can say.”
That meant information beyond this was restricted.
No point pressing further.
I’d tried probing from different angles, but the answers were all similar.
It was hard to judge here and now.
No, right and wrong didn’t matter.
I didn’t care about the Celestial Realm’s troubles.
“Ramiel, was it?”
“Yes!”
The angel shouted spiritedly, straightening up from their relaxed posture.
They seemed ready to accept any punishment.
“I’ll acknowledge the personnel who returned this time. The temple’s been crowded, and it’s definitely inconvenient.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ll also overlook the absence of the four archangels today. If that’s the situation, I can wait.”
“Thank you.”
Ramiel’s expression brightened noticeably.
But this is where the leniency ends.
“First, I’ll let this one slide, but from now on, before you return, you must contact me first. No exceptions.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m saying you need my permission. Don’t just do whatever you want.”
“Ah…”
Unless they’re completely dense, they should understand exactly what I mean.
Still, it’s better to make it crystal clear.
“From now on, the Hall Plane will be managed by us humans.”
Lamiel’s expression hardened instantly.
“You who lack even the slightest awareness have no right to manage the Hall Plane. You will act strictly as assistants. If you don’t like it, leave. Withdraw immediately. And never interfere again.”
I pressed on without giving her an opening.
“Second, if you accept the first condition, Gabriel and Uriel will return immediately. If you think you can fake illness to dodge this, tell them to wake up from that dream. I never forget.”
“Ha, haona!”
“No objections will be tolerated. From this moment on, if you disobey or act on your own again… no matter the reason, it will be considered rebellion. And then, you’ll be at war with us.”
“Kim Suhyun-nim!”
Lamiel is a seraph-in-waiting.
Essentially, she’s in the same position as the seraphs.
Not worth killing—or even unsheathing claws over.
In other words, killing Lamiel here would be easy.
Same goes for Gabriel and Uriel.
But simply killing them won’t satisfy me.
At the very least, I want to return the favor for everything I’ve endured.
“That’s all I have to say. Leave.”
“Please…!”
“Enough. I’m letting you go because I know you’re in the same position as the seraphs.”
“Ah, ah…”
Lamiel hesitated, as if she couldn’t just walk away like this.
But given who she is, that’s as far as I can go.
I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword and continued.
“Don’t worry. As long as you behave, I won’t kill you.”
Perhaps a pain worse than death awaits them.
But I didn’t bother to voice that final thought.
“…Understood.”
Lamiel squeezed her eyes shut.
Soon, her entire body was engulfed in white light, just like when she first appeared.
I didn’t bother watching until the end and simply walked past her.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but a cool breeze seemed to blow from the portal.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
The omnibus side story will probably wrap up within two installments.
That leaves Kim Suhyun’s parallel world omnibus and the Vivian omnibus.
Dear readers,
I’ve been thinking—would it be okay if I changed Vivian’s omnibus setting to modern times?
I imagined what it would be like if Vivian came to the present day, and it seems like it could be fun.
Of course, since it wouldn’t make much sense realistically, I’d have to drop the omnibus label and treat it as an IF story.
If that’s possible, the remaining schedule would look like this:
Ansol Omnibus (to be completed within two parts)
Kim Suhyun Omnibus (undecided)
Side Story Epilogue (expected two parts)
IF Vivian (modern setting, undecided)
I’d love to hear your thoughts.