CHAPTER 80…………….
I had overlooked that part.
He hadn’t known that Erica’s soul would end up within her body, but Daniel had certainly been awaiting the birth of the saint. He had already been proclaiming that it was the path to restoring Graham’s glory and fulfilling the will of God.
No one knew how it was possible, but chances were high that Graham had known in advance that the imperial princess would be born with multiple powers at once. At the very least, Daniel had known of a princess who would be born with both divine power and the strength of a dragon.
Were their prophecies truly from the gods?
“If it’s Daniel, then he might also know the true reason why Graham desires a saint.”
Daniel’s words echoed in her memory—words that implied disaster would fall not only on Graham but on the whole world if she did not unite with the Holy Emperor.
“Yes. It seems they have another purpose. I doubt their only goal is to return to the heavens and regain their former glory.”
Nox added his opinion, and Asterios nodded.
“If that had been their only purpose, they wouldn’t have waited this long while killing off their own companions…”
They had been waiting. Waiting for the time when a princess with the right conditions would be born.
That was why Gregorian had become the Holy Emperor.
And surely there was a reason they left one archangel alive.
“I’m still amazed that an angel could develop such strong will and desire. Weren’t angels originally created solely to carry out the mission of the gods?”
As messengers created to serve the divine, angels took pride and joy in obeying God’s will, finding their purpose in existing by His side.
It was difficult for anyone other than an angel to guess why such a being would fall.
“…That is the same for me. We’ll have no choice but to uncover the truth through Daniel and Ijef.”
Most of the archangels were already dead, and no one knew who the remaining one was.
“Master, about what you said earlier—about him bearing a grudge—I’m curious. Do you think you know why he attacked you at Secret Fog?”
Nox was already convinced that the trap in Secret Fog had been created by Gregorian.
At those words, Asterios quietly closed his eyes and recalled the illusions he had seen there.
Illusions that listed his faults one by one, as if to prove why Erica should not remain by his side.
Illusions that forced him to experience her leaving him, and ultimately vanishing from the world.
To Asterios, it had been nothing less than a warning—that he would lose her.
A trick to burden him with guilt and drive him away from her side of his own accord.
A malicious illusion meant to brainwash him by showing him the pain of losing her in advance.
This was revenge.
Not mere resentment, but carefully planned revenge.
“It seemed like he wanted to steal Her Highness away and make me suffer.”
Revenge against Tenebres for preventing the war of the three realms from becoming Heaven’s true victory.
“…Is it because you are close with Her Highness the Princess?”
“More likely it’s because of old grudges. If Gabriel needed human power for some reason and thus couldn’t allow the war to end, then wouldn’t I—the one who ended it and destroyed the Demon King—be like a thorn in his eye?”
Seeing Nox’s expression harden, Asterios gave a faint smile.
“Besides, I imagine he despised the fact that I protected humans—their tools of power—with the might of a dragon.”
The angels needed humans. The more humans prayed and sought God, the more faith was generated, and that energy made angels stronger.
And yet Tenebres had driven humans further away from angels.
“Ah, come to think of it, there’s one more reason. Humans were necessary to them, but I ultimately prevented that.”
“Another one?”
“The barrier.”
The barrier Tenebres created to prevent Heaven and Hell from freely crossing into the human realm, protecting mankind.
“Ahh.”
Nox let out a sound as if he had only just remembered.
The dragons had not been directly involved in the war from the start. But Tenebres, unable to ignore humanity’s suffering, had used his divinity to erect a barrier so that Heaven and Hell could not easily connect with the human realm.
In doing so, most of his omnipotent power was consumed.
The infinite abilities of the Dragon God disappeared, leaving him only with dominion over darkness and time-space.
He had given up his divinity to protect humanity. And thus, the war had reached its conclusion.
But even afterward, Heaven and Hell continued to snarl at each other, seeking to become rulers of the three realms, waiting for chances to exploit humanity.
Meanwhile, Tenebres met Erica and fell in love. To save her, he had to destroy the Demon King. The end of the war and the Demon King’s fall had been inevitable.
Nox, now fully understanding, recalled the illusions Asterios had endured at Secret Fog.
“Master, they had more than enough reasons to stand in your way.”
That was why they had shown Asterios stronger hallucinations and tried to manipulate his mind—so that he would be driven to ruin, completing their revenge.
“Indeed. It’s highly likely that Gregorian knows of my past relationship with Her Highness, as well as our present bond. After all, only she and I suffered those layered illusions.”
“…How much could they possibly know?”
“Hard to say. But we must be prepared for the possibility that they already know everything.”
The more Asterios thought it through, the more he understood why Gregorian could never leave him alone.
“Even setting the past aside, the fact that Gregorian knows what happened in Dreat…”
“Yes. He must have planted eyes and ears somewhere.”
“He will attack soon.”
Asterios agreed.
“Indeed.”
They had been given a warning. Next would come punishment.
“Nox.”
Asterios’s low voice rang calmly in the dark chamber.
“The Holy Emperor’s divine power was still strong.”
A thought crossed Asterios’s mind.
“I don’t believe they have completely abandoned God’s will, since they haven’t lost all of their angelic powers.”
Nox widened his eyes in surprise.
“Falling from the heavens, losing their wings, and crashing to the earth—that must have been torment close to destruction.”
And yet Gabriel, who had been the leader of angels, God’s most loyal tool, had fallen.
“That’s why I believe Gabriel’s fall might still be connected to serving God’s will—to glorify Him and strengthen faith.”
“…You mean the prayers of mankind.”
At first, angels had rejoiced sincerely when human prayers brought glory to Heaven and strengthened their powers.
“But if, for some reason, angels became obsessed with those prayers, if desire sprouted from them and led to corruption…”
Then, paradoxically, while serving God—or in the name of serving Him—the angels’ desires could have led them to their downfall, bringing about the current situation.
Asterios’s crimson eyes narrowed with worry.
“If that’s true…”
“If that’s true, then Gabriel will likely try to create it again.”
For the glory of Heaven that had never been achieved—something that must inevitably occur.
“A world where people cannot help but pray.”
Crisis. Chaos. Desperation.
“Human suffering.”
In that suffering, mankind prays fervently.
Gabriel must have realized that. Because of Tenebres, his plan had collapsed, forcing him to descend to the human world himself—to fulfill his will.
For God’s greatness to shine, for angels to solidify their might and grow ever stronger, human suffering, sacrifice, and death were nothing more than inevitable byproducts.
“That is reason enough for him to no longer be an angel.”
“Yes. He is a demon now.”
The ruler of Hell, a being of the infernal realm.
Gabriel’s fall from the heavens was an unavoidable consequence.
