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Chapter 135. Wings And Wings

The information I gained through my conversation with Michael was substantial.

The cause and solutions for the sea monsters inhabiting the Eastern Sea, the personalities of the remaining Seven Great Celestials,

and the likelihood that they have reincarnated as grimoires in the present day.

First and foremost, what I must do... is to appeal to the remaining Seven Great Celestials for cooperation.

Additionally, I need to locate the one possessing Azazel's soul or a demon of the Aegir clan.

In situations like this, I find it mentally calming to handle the simpler tasks first.

Delaying the harder ones feels somewhat like running away... but being able to tackle the difficult things later without worrying about unfinished business is significant.

It’s like what they teach in exams: tackle the tough proofs last.

So, I decided to meet the remaining Great Celestials whose whereabouts I already knew.

Namely, Ivy, who possesses Sariel, and Commander Liester, who holds Ramiel.

I took a seat near the back of the grand lecture hall for class, and without a word, Ivy sat down beside me.

Jeremiah glanced at me briefly, but I stopped him with a look, silently signaling that I’d handle it.

"…You've gotten quite close without my noticing. Didn’t you used to dislike each other?"

"I never disliked her. I still find him a bit of a pain, though."

"Because he's more popular than you?"

"That's not it."

Why would I find him annoying just because he’s more popular than me?

It's simply that him acting overly friendly can be exhausting.

"Ivy, can we meet after today’s class ends?"

"……"

"What’s the problem?"

"I'm just surprised. You’ve gotten much better at saying considerate things... Who taught you how to invite a woman? Jeremiah?"

"I’ll smack you."

Why does she always spout such incomprehensible nonsense?

A few hours later, after finishing the day’s schedule, I found myself alone with Ivy.

The location was an indoor training ground we had reserved.

I intercepted a sharp kick, grabbed her ankle, and threw her backward with raw strength.

Ivy recovered mid-air, landed on the wall, and charged toward me again, but I dodged, grabbed both her hands, and brought her to the ground.

When she attempted a counterattack with a kick, I moved my head to avoid it, then twisted her arm behind her back to restrain her with my weight.

"…I lost."

"Yeah."

Releasing her immediately, I put some distance between us. Ivy, looking mildly frustrated, glared at me.

"I’ve been trained in martial arts since I was a child... Why are you so ridiculously strong?"

"Huh? Well, your movements are impressive, no doubt, but in the end, speed trumps technique, doesn’t it?"

It’s a simple matter. Even if Ivy, trained as a spy from a young age, moves with great finesse,

it’s meaningless if she does so at a snail’s pace. Honestly, I feel a bit bad about it.

"So... What do you want to talk to me about? If it’s about national intelligence, I won’t spill any secrets."

"Didn’t you used to tell me all sorts of things?"

"I only shared what would work to my advantage. Ever since the former Interior Minister died, you haven’t been particularly important."

Ah, so that’s why we haven’t seen much of each other lately.

Still, it’s amusing how, while I’ve ceased to be significant to Ivy, she’s become an important person to me.

"Have I ever told you about the Seven Great Celestials?"

"…No, I don’t think so."

Now that I think about it, the only ones I explained them to were Elixira and Princess Elissa, who were there when the topic came up,

and Jeremiah and Hiralda, who hold Heavenly Host grimoires.

"Well, anyway, there are Celestials, and humans inherit their powers as grimoires. Among them, the strongest seven are called the Seven Great Celestials."

"Can you tell me their names?"

"Michael, Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Ramiel."

"Sariel?"

The grimoire Ivy possesses, [Sariel], inherits the power of Sariel. In other words, she’s one of the allies I need to seek cooperation from.

"So, you need something from the soul dwelling in my grimoire, right?"

"I haven’t said anything yet."

How does she figure things out so quickly?

When Ivy activated her grimoire, her shadow stretched out and expanded behind her like black wings.

That’s the fundamental form of [Sariel]: shadows Ivy can control freely, even concealing herself within them for stealth.

According to Lucifer, Sariel represents death. Michael described her as deeply compassionate and loving toward her comrades.

It’s a striking paradox to embody death yet be so kind... but then again, even executioners can feel compassion for those they execute.

"Alright, I’d like to speak with Sariel."

"…And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"I have no idea."

She gave me a look of utter exasperation, but honestly, I don’t know much about the Great Celestials.

I’ll have to rely on Lucifer for this.

"[Lucifer]."

"…Is that your second grimoire?"

When I invoked [Lucifer], Ivy’s wariness spiked.

Given that it manifests wings similar to hers, her reaction was expected, not to mention the fact that it’s my second grimoire.

Since it emits light, it’s nearly a natural enemy to Ivy’s [Sariel].

"Hey, stop ignoring me."

"What are you mumbling about? Answer my─"

[Be silent. I have no desire to deal with the likes of Sariel the Sly.]

Sariel the Sly...? What an insult.

Ivy leaped back to put distance between us, expanding [Sariel] further in response to the sudden voice coming from within me.

"Hey, you made her suspicious!"

[I don’t care. Her wariness is amusing, though a bit insolent for my taste.]

"Do you dislike Sariel, too? You’ve got way too many enemies."

Michael, Sariel, Metatron, Sandalphon... and Gabriel doesn’t like her either.

Why did I ever accept this guy into my body?