The air inside the terminal grew heavy—too heavy.
The flames on Ethan's skull flickered, then roared. A pulse of hellfire surged outward like a shockwave, and before anyone could react, he moved.
One second, Freed was grinning.
The next, he wasn't.
Ethan appeared behind him like a whisper of smoke, silent and instant. A burning hand clasped the back of the priest's neck.
Freed barely managed to gasp, "Wha—"
Then his soul caught fire.
He screamed once, briefly and strangled, before crumbling. Ash spilled from beneath Ethan's palm, and blackened bones fell loose and hollow to the floor.
Raynare screamed. Dohnaseek took a step back.
But Ethan didn't even look at them yet.
He crouched and picked up Freed's gun, which was still warm. The metal hissed in his hand as fire crawled across the barrel, through the grip, and into the chamber. Infernal symbols branded themselves into the side. The weapon pulsed, alive now.
Then he raised it.
One breath.
Two shots.
The first bolt of hellfire-augmented lead slammed straight into Mittelt's chest. She barely had time to cry out before her wings ignited. Her body snapped backward into the wall with a crunch and a scream.
The second shot caught Dohnaseek mid-air as he tried to flee. The bullet pierced him clean through the chest, and his scream ended in a burst of flame that consumed him before he hit the ground.
Two angels.
Gone.
Just like that.
The burning gun smoked in Ethan's hand.
He looked at Raynare, who had collapsed to her knees, trembling.
"W–Wait!" she cried. "Please—please! I didn't do anything. It was Freed! It was the priest! I was just following orders!"
Ethan stepped closer, flames licking across his skeletal face. She flinched.
"I'll leave," she gasped. "I'll fly away—you'll never see me again!"
He tilted his head slightly, then nodded.
"…Fine."
Raynare blinked. "Wait, really?"
"But leave the money."
She hesitated, then practically threw the pouch onto the floor. It hit the ground with a metallic clink, scattering a few coins.
Without waiting for another word, she spread her wings and shot into the sky.
She made it halfway over the depot.
Bang.
The hellfire bullet ripped through her spine. She burst into flames mid-air, screaming as her body dissolved into smoke and cinders. Burning feathers scattered like cursed snow.
Below, Ethan holstered the gun and knelt to pick up the pouch. At least he had money now to buy a decent meal for himself. He also tried his best not to accidentally burn the pouch as he walked toward Asia.
Ethan stepped past the charred remains, his skull cooling slowly until the flames dimmed and flesh began to reform. Bit by bit, the transformation reversed until only his human face remained.
Asia was in the corner, frozen in terror, her eyes wide and shimmering with tears. She hadn't even moved during the fight. Her lips mumbled quiet, broken prayers.
Ethan crouched beside her, setting the still-warm gun to his side.
"Hey," he said, his voice tired but soft. "It's over."
Asia flinched.
He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Come on. I'm not that scary. Just treat me like any other angel..."
She looked up at him, confused and tear-streaked. "Angel...? But you… you're… fire and… skull and…"
"And saved you," Ethan offered, raising an eyebrow. "Not a fan of the flaming skull, huh?"
She blinked, then gave a tiny nod.
"You know, it's a real angel spirit. As a devout believer in God, you shouldn't feel scared," he said. "If you want, I can prove it to you by using my flames, and I promise it won't even hurt. You're a kind person."
She stared a little longer, still shaking. "So, are you really an angel?"
"Just think of it as having an angel spirit inside me." He offered her a hand.
Before she could respond, a sudden gust of wind blew in from the shattered entrance.
Boots crunched glass.
A calm voice rang out.
"Looks like you finished," Sona said, stepping forward with Tsubaki right behind her.
Ethan didn't even look surprised.
"Oh, hey," he said casually. "Hope you enjoyed the quick show."
Tsubaki's eyes flicked to the smoldering ashes around them, to the gun at Ethan's hip, and to the shivering girl behind him.
"Quite efficient," Sona added.
Ethan shrugged. "Didn't feel like dragging out a stupid fight with low-level monsters."
He looked back toward Asia, then back to the devils.
"If you've enjoyed the show, you can go back now."
"It's better if we have a talk," Sona said calmly. "And I also want to invite the nun."
Asia looked up again, confused. "Invite?"
"She's not going with you. I like the nun without the bat wings," Ethan said flatly, already reading between the lines.
Sona's gaze narrowed. "So… you don't like devils?"
Ethan tilted his head slightly, his eyes flicking toward her with a half-smirk.
"Personally? I like the beautiful ones," he said, his voice dry but dead serious.
Tsubaki blinked. Sona raised an eyebrow.
"But," Ethan continued, his tone cooling as he glanced back at Asia, "she's not suitable to become a devil."
"She could be," Sona said calmly. "With the right help."
Ethan shook his head. "No. She's too kind. Too soft. You give someone like her a pair of bat wings, and she likes to pray every day, which I'm guessing is going to become painful after she becomes a devil for a very long time."
Asia blinked, her eyes wide, unsure whether to be offended or thankful.
"She deserves peace and a pair of white wings," Ethan finished. "Not power games and black wings."
Sona studied him for a moment. Her expression softened just slightly, and her posture relaxed as the tension settled.
"Well then," she said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I think both of you can come with me. We'll have some tea—and talk properly. About your power… which is definitely not angelic."
For a few seconds, Ethan said nothing. He simply stared, the fire dimming slowly behind his eyes.
Then he shrugged. "Sure," he said, his voice low and dry. "As long as you've got snacks. I'm starving."