Read the Author's Note please and do the poll at the end.
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Third Person
Eliora won.
…or at least she thought she won.
She wanted to laugh at Makima, laugh at her tormentor, and drag the pinnacle of devils down in any way she could. And so, she orchestrated a plan right before she was knocked unconscious.
She had used a forbidden healing spell on herself. Sure, it cost her a few years of her lifespan, but the benefit was worth it. As long as her soul was intact and her body was in stable condition, she would be forcibly awakened from her unconsciousness after a set interval.
Right when Makima and Aleks were busy with Gabriel, she used this opportunity to execute her plan.
What followed was the sight of Aleks being dragged toward a Gate that had manifested out of thin air. The Gate in question led to the place she took the most pride in…
Aging World.[1]
Her greatest creation.
A dimension that took her an entire century to perfect… and every agonizing year she had spent working on it had been worth it.
It was a realm directly linked to Heaven's System, fortified to the point that no party could teleport into or out of the prison once the Gate closed. It was practically a one-way trip, designed to trap almost anyone in the world.
Though the real danger was not the Anti Teleportation mechanism, instead, this dimension had a special property…
…time did not physically exist, but the perception of time of all living beings inside was dramatically amplified.
One day in the real world meant two years in the Aging World.
Though a question begged to be asked…how was she able to create such a dimension when only the Gods of Space or Creation should be capable of such a feat?
The truth is…she is the wielder of Innovate Clear, her original Longinus.
While Incinerate Anthem was something that was passed on to her.
That alone was why she was regarded as Archangel Michael's personal trump card. The new leader of Heaven had relied on her countless times, using her ability to imprison "troublesome" beings in this world of distorted time. Escaping it was nearly impossible unless one possessed power beyond the Biblical God himself, like the True Dragon, Great Red.
And then she watched…
Watched her tormenter desperately trying to keep Aleks from being dragged into her world.
A minute had passed. The gate closed, the devil stopped on her tracks, while Eliora…
…She had her right stretched out, with her index finger pointed towards Makima. And then-
"Burn."
The Control Devil's entire body erupted in spontaneous combustion, holy flames bypassing her inhuman durability as their holy nature overwrote every form of resistance.
Though Makima didn't even flinch.
She simply turned her head toward Eliora, strands of her red hair swaying as her golden eyes narrowed.
"…Do you truly believe this is enough to kill me?"
Makima spoke in a calm and relaxed tone even as her body burned.
Eliora said nothing. She merely watched the devil's figure wreathed in violet fire.
Another minute passed.
And then Makima's body finally collapsed into ash–
…for the second time today, the Control Devil had died.
"Well…that was easier than I thought…" Eliora muttered as she released her invisibility spell, her form shimmering into view.
When your opponent was far beyond your league, distraction was the only tactic left…along with a miracle's worth of luck.
And today, Eliora had been blessed with both.
Had that human named Aleks not stopped Makima for even a second,
had he not pulled her attention away at the perfect moment…
Eliora swallowed hard.
Even imagining what would have happened to Lady Gabriel made her skin crawl.
Makima's smile.
Makima's hand on her chin.
Makima's "last words."
Her heart thumped violently at the mere thought of such a dark possibility.
She placed a trembling hand over her chest and exhaled slowly.
"Thank you, Lord… even beyond the grave… you never stop looking after us."
Then she turned toward her lady, Gabriel, seeing her unconscious form on the floor…for such a graceful and kind angel to be reduced to this… it hurt Eliora more than she expected.
There were also faint lines of dried tears on the Seraph's cheeks. Seeing this, Eliora realized that Gabriel must have cried for her… helplessly, while she was unconscious.
Eliora's face softened.
"…Forgive me, Lady Gabriel."
***
Gabriel's eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes slowly regained their vision. The first thing she saw was Elioa kneeling beside her, with her shoulders trembling and eyes swollen with tears which she had tried to hide but failed.
Something inside Gabriel ached at the sight.
With gentle hands, she reached up and cupped the Angel's cheeks, and then she used her thumbs to brush away the tears from Eliora's face.
"Eliora… I'm awake now," she whispered, offering the softest smile she could manage in this state. "So don't cry, okay?"
The moment she heard those words, Eliora's composure finally broke. She leaned forward and embraced Gabriel tightly, her voice trembling from the sudden rush of her held-back emotions.
"My lady… forgive me," she choked out. "I failed you. I let those monsters near you. I—if something had happened to you, I… I would never forgive myself.."
Gabriel, still weak, wrapped her arms around her faithful guardian and caressed her back in a slow, soothing manner, comforting her the way a mother would a child.
"There, there… It's alright," Gabriel murmured, her voice a warm balm.
"I'm safe, aren't I? Those souls… they were simply lost to the ill will of this world. I'm sure…even if they had killed me…they would have regretted it in the end."
Eliora bit her lip in frustration. Even after everything, even after nearly dying… Gabriel still refused to place blame on her attackers.
She still saw the best in everyone.
She still chose to forgive without hesitation.
You're too kind, Lady Gabriel…
Eliora tightened her embrace.
I'll protect you, my lady. No matter the cost….so please, never change.
"You two don't look so good… you poor little things."
Both Eliora and Gabriel jolted as if lightning had struck them. Cold dread washed down their spines upon hearing the voice they knew all too well..
Eliora's heart stopped.
Impossible… I killed her. I burned her…! How is she—?!
She tried to stand, to fight back and protect her lady, but her fight-or-flight response kicked in, her instincts screaming at her to run as far as possible… yet her body simply refused her command.
She felt as if every muscle was locked in terror.
Gabriel, however, remained unfazed.
Not out of being fearless… just ignorance. She didn't fully understand the kind of monster standing behind them.
Makima approached, her steps echoing softly against the floor.
Her expression was one of utter disappointment.
To her, this was nothing new.
Her enemies always believed they had won.
They always celebrated too early.
And in the end… they always died.
Makima stopped right behind them. The weight of her presence heavily pressed down on the duo. They felt the temperature dropping, even though it remained the same.
Eliora's vision blurred with terror.
If she so much as twitched… she knew she would die.
Makima sighed softly.
"You're lucky someone as kind-heartedas me came back." Her tone was soft, and almost calm.
She stepped around Eliora with unhurried grace, until she stood directly before the kneeling Gabriel.
Then, the Control devil knelt, her eyes leveled with the trembling pair.
"Life is far too sacred to let it go to waste…"
She whispered while brushing a burnt fleck of ash from her dress's sleeve.
Then her gaze shifted to Eliora. The angel in question swallowed hard…she didn't know what was happening to her.
"Eliora… you should have treasured it while you still had the chance."
Eliora's breath hitched while her whole body shook.
And then—
Makima gently placed a hand atop Gabriel's head.
"Now then…"
Her voice softened into something angelic.
"…let me remind you what happens to those who disrupt my peace."
Makima tilted her head while studying the Seraph the way a human might study an injured dove. She could see it clearly, Gabriel wasn't afraid for her own safety.
She was afraid for Eliora.
How predictable.
Makima gently placed her hand on Gabriel's head. The pressure behind her touch alone made the angel wince.
Originally she had wanted Aleks to do the killing. That had been the part of her plan, but clearly, things did not go as she had wished.
And Makima's patience had limits.
So she decided to finish what he could not.
Her other hand lifted Gabriel's chin, forcing her to look at her.
"Tell me, Gabriel, do you have any last words?" Makima asked softly.
Looking at the terrifying golden eyes which were cold and serious, Gabriel's breath hitched out of helplessness. It was now that she understood…
…She was going to die.
And she won't be able to protect Eliora.
So she chose the only last words she could offer.
Her voice was gentle… heartbreakingly gentle.
"Please… don't hurt her. If someone must be killed… let it be me instead."
For a moment, the words just hung in the air.
Meanwhile, Eliora's heart shattered.
She wanted to scream, wanted to grab Gabriel and run away, wanted to make a bloody mess of this devil, even if it meant being torn apart.
But she couldn't move her body.
Her lips wouldn't part, her fingers wouldn't twitch, and even her wings refused to manifest.
All she could do was watch helplessly as Gabriel offered her life for hers.
Silent tears slipped down Eliora's cheek, but she couldn't even lift her hands to wipe them.
Makima noticed all this.
Of course she did.
A faint smile curved on her lips, almost gentle and sympathetic.
Then Makima spoke.
"You know, Gabriel…" she began softly. "When I was little, my mother taught me how to take care of her garden."
Her tone was nostalgic as if trying to recall happy memories.
"The flowers were lovely, but…"
Makima combed her fingers tenderly through Gabriel's hair.
"…when weeds grew too close to them, she would say:
'Makima, uproot them before they ruin the whole bed.'"
Gabriel's breath hitched at the touch.
Eliora's vision blurred with tears she wasn't permitted to shed. She squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to witness what was about to happen.
Makima continued, voice calm and affectionate.
"I didn't understand it then.
But now? I see the value in removing what disrupts the peace I'm trying to cultivate."
Her hand slid from Gabriel's hair to her forehead.
"And today…"
Her golden eyes narrowed, and she now wore the softest smile she was capable of.
"…you're that weed."
With that, her hand gripped the Seraph's head tighter than she ever had before.
Without wasting another second, Makima squeezed Gabriel's head harder and then—
In one ruthless motion, Makima beheaded her.
(Author Note: l'Il let you imagine the rest. I couldn't bring myself to write something that cruel in detail.)
Today… the most innocent angel in Heaven, the one who wished nothing but peace for everyone, even her enemies …
…died the most gruesome death imaginable.
Makima then lifted her gaze toward the frozen Eliora, whose face was twisted in pure horror.
A gentle smile touched the devil's lips.
"Now then… shall we talk, old friend?"
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Author's Note:
Sorry for disappearing for 20 days. The next chapter will come sometime this week (I hope, but I'll try my best).
From this point onward, the story is going to take a major turn, so brace yourselves. All I ask is that you trust me.
Poll:
As far as what you've read so far… which pairing do you think is better?
Makima × MC
Reze × MC
[1] (Author’s Note: Not to be confused with the Aging Devil’s personal dimension of the same name.)