Chapter 78: Eternal Guardianship

I curled up in the cage, staring blankly with my eyes wide open.

"Little angel, chat with me."

"You are so talkative," the little angel said impatiently.

"Maybe I’ll be judged tomorrow, and then you won’t have to listen to this chatter anymore even if you wanted to," I said lazily.

The little angel remained silent for a long while. "Actually... you aren't as heinous as they say."

I curled my lip and laughed. "Those words are practically treasonous."

The little angel glared at me. "You’re still laughing? Do you have any idea what judgment feels like!"

"Hmm?" I blinked, radiating innocence. "It’s my first time, after all..."

The little angel rolled his eyes at me, losing all semblance of an angelic image.

"Sigh, if only I had stayed human all along..." I sighed and lamented.

"Human? What’s so good about being human?"

"And what’s so good about being an angel?" I looked at him, arguing back.

"Angels do not die. Angels are wiser than humans..."

"But that wisdom is also limited," I added coolly.

"Angels are more capable than humans."

"But that capability is also limited," I continued to shut him down.

"You..." He glared at me.

I sighed. "You’re an angel; you should be more compassionate. Why is your temper so explosive?"

"Is being human... really that good?" he suddenly asked in a tiny voice.

"Yes, it’s very good." I nodded with a smile, leaning against the cage and gazing out the window at the endless, pitch-black sky.

If I were just human... if Cass were just human, then we could have been together forever.

If only we were just human.

Having been locked in the cage for a long time, the imagined judgment never arrived. Instead, Michael secretly brought food every time. I understood my situation less and less.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

My scream echoed throughout the Fifth Heaven.

"Little angel! Come out quickly! I’ve grown wings! I’ve grown wings!" I shrieked, looking in disbelief at the two tiny wings growing from my back.

Though they were small... I was certain they were indeed wings... and they were white!

Aren't white wings supposed to be the wings of an angel?!

Why was I growing wings! And white ones at that!

"Ah! Great Lord Michael!" The little angel looked at the pair of tiny wings on my back with a face full of adoration.

"What does this have to do with your Lord Michael?" I looked at him suspiciously.

"This is the legendary Purification! Purifying a person with a demonic constitution into a Pure Body!" The little angel looked at me excitedly. "You can return to the Celestial Realm!"

My first reaction was that those things Michael gave me to drink definitely had something wrong with them. No wonder I always thought the taste was strange.

But... instead of being judged, I could return to the Celestial Realm...

How could such a good thing exist in this world?

After I was stabbed by Samael, what exactly happened?

I was released from prison.

The little angel said that since I had grown wings, it meant God had forgiven me.

Heading south along the Fifth Heaven, vast seas of clouds gradually came into view. It turned out the Celestial Realm really did have many winged angels flying around, except they all looked at me with eyes full of disdain.

I looked back at the wings on my back; they were pitifully small, clearly still developing.

Then I looked at their wings, which were enviably beautiful.

The experience of shopping in the Celestial Realm wasn't something everyone had. I ran around happily; my two little wings could only serve as decoration for now, completely useless for flight.

"She is Lilith? That Witch of the Night?"

"Yes, that's her..."

Angelic voices discussed me softly behind my back. I sighed; angels were indeed angels—even their gossip was more elegant than ordinary people, and even their disdainful gazes were more moving.

"I heard that fellow Samael was willing to accept judgment for her sake..."

My ears started buzzing.

I only understood that one sentence.

Samael... willing to accept judgment for me?

"I heard today is the Final Judgment Day. Everyone has gone to the Seventh Heaven to watch. Let’s go see as well..."

I lowered my head and followed them to what they called the Seventh Heaven.

Lifting their snowy white pinions, they soared gracefully. I was like the ugly duckling among a flock of swans, flapping my short wings, unable to take flight.

Behind me, some angels were snickering.

Ignoring everyone, I flapped my tiny wings, knowing that my appearance was quite pathetic and truly detrimental to the perfect image of an angel.

After countless attempts and dropping a floor full of feathers, I finally took flight—though the flying was very ugly and labored.

Finally reaching the Seventh Heaven, Araboth, before the Throne of God where angels circled in flight—a place filled with glory. Beside the Throne of God stood Michael, the legendary "One who is like God." Behind him were six holy wings.

I saw two divine stallions pulling a massive cross, racing toward the temple.

Samael was nailed upon that cross.

The stallions neighed and suddenly came to a halt.

The sigh of God echoed above the temple...

The one blocking the stallions was me.

The angels whispered among themselves.

Indifferent to the fact that I had become the focus of all the angels, I stared wide-eyed at the fellow nailed to the cross. "Why?! Why did you do this! You dared to lie to me!"

What a magnificent line. Before, this guy used these words to lecture me; now, the tables had turned, and it was finally my turn to say such a cool line.

"How are you here?" Samael was shocked.

"You are mine." I walked closer to him, tilting my head and narrowing my eyes as I spoke ominously. "You actually dared to make such a decision on your own!"

I glared at him gloomily, as if he had truly committed some unpardonable sin.

"This is 'starting a mess and then abandoning it'!" Saying such a line, I almost burst out laughing, but then I remembered this was a solemn moment and I shouldn't break character... I shouldn't, I shouldn't...

Samael was already dumbfounded.

"Lilith! You are only an intern angel; you have no right to enter the Seventh Heaven!" The escort angel, seeing himself completely relegated to a supporting role, grew furious and hurried to snatch back the dialogue.

But I only tilted my head, looking seriously at the Great Demon King nailed to the cross.

How could that consistently elegant and arrogant Great Demon King tolerate being judged in front of everyone? Was all of this just to trade for the rebirth of Lilith?

Seeing that I completely ignored his existence, the escort angel turned his shame into anger and kicked me out of the Seventh Heaven.

"Lilith!" Samael was slightly startled, glaring ominously at the escort angel.

I fell straight down, but the short wings on my back suddenly expanded. Spreading those massive wings, I soared back into the Seventh Heaven with an absolutely graceful posture.

"Her wings are black!"

"She is a demon!"

The angels were in an uproar.

I spread my wings and flew directly toward Samael. An unexpected white light intercepted me, forcing me to stop.

The white light blocking my path was the six-winged Michael.

"Why have you fallen back into being a demon once again?" Michael’s voice had lost its calm. He looked at me, his usually compassionate and gentle eyes filled with grief and rage.

I had failed his intentions. But if those intentions had to be exchanged for Samael's life, then... I could only fail them.

The white-winged angel and the black-winged demon fought in mid-air. Magical flames and holy angelic light interlaced into a brilliant array of colors, looking exactly like the fireworks I had once seen in the human world.

A fleeting beauty, gone in an instant.

The light sword in my hand sliced through the corner of Michael's clothes. Suddenly, a thin piece of paper slipped from his pocket, fluttering in the air.

I looked at that thin piece of paper and froze.

It was actually a photograph.

I stared blankly at the photo. The background was a colorful and bustling amusement park. It was the photo I had begged Cass to take with me at the park; back then, I was worried that if Cass vanished, I would lose even my memories.

At that time, I only wanted to leave behind a seed of memory—such a humble thought.

In the photo, there was a woman smiling so widely her teeth showed, holding the arm of a gentle man.

In the photo... there was a trace of sorrow in that man’s eyes that was hard to detect.

But why did the holy, six-winged Michael have this photo in his pocket?

A brilliant golden light appeared at the horizon—it was the angelic legion arriving upon hearing the news.

"Demon! In the name of God, we bring punishment upon you!"

The arriving angelic legion launched an attack, their golden light weaving into a dazzling display.

Right as I lost focus, a light sword pierced through my wings. I shrieked and plummeted from the air.

My hand suddenly felt warm; someone had grasped it.

I looked up to see a pair of gray eyes.

Those compassionate eyes held a tenderness that was hard to notice, but his face was ashen. I actually... saw fear and grief in those deep gray eyes...

It must be my hallucination. It must be.

"Release her! Release her! Release her!" the angels shouted.

Michael did not let go.

My hand was gripped tightly by him.

"This time, I won't let go," he suddenly spoke, looking at me.

"This time, I won't watch you fall with my eyes wide open," he looked at me and spoke slowly, his voice cool and resolute.

Looking into those gray eyes, I didn't understand the meaning behind his words.

I suddenly remembered that day at the amusement park, the pale expression on Cass's face when I teased him into riding the roller coaster.

"You... are afraid of heights?" Looking up at the holy, six-winged Michael, I asked a question that even I felt was incredibly stupid.

An angel with six pairs of wings afraid of heights?

This joke was a bit too cold.

Looking at that face which belonged to Cass, I remembered a dream I once had in the Demon Realm—a very strange dream.

I dreamed I was flying in the sky, with snowy white wings and an angelic halo.

Cass looked just like me; he held my hand, smiling so warmly.

Beautiful spirits danced among the flowers, an accordion played melodiously, and a choir sang.

...And there was the merciful image of God.

Everything was so beautiful, as if I were in Heaven.

Then, with just one soft call, all the serenity was shattered. Suddenly, Cass’s usually gentle eyes were filled with alarm.

I plunged headfirst into a bottomless abyss...

"This time, I won't let go," he looked at me, gritting his teeth.

Afraid of heights... was it because he had once seen Lilith fall from heaven with his own eyes?

My forehead grew slightly hot. I stared wide-eyed in horror as a red mist seeped from my brow, lunging toward Michael.

"Let go!"

I shrieked.

He did not let go.

That red mist coalesced into a blood-red monster, pouncing on Michael.

Drip... drip...

Crimson blood stained my vision.

"It seems I underestimated that cowardly fellow. Even after becoming my host, he actually still has such a powerful willpower." Blood gushed from Michael’s chest, yet he was smiling.

"That fellow is truly risking his life to protect you," Michael’s body began to vanish bit by bit.

He smiled. "This is for the best. I can completely discard the cowardly emotions belonging to humans."

I watched Michael’s body gradually disappear. No, that was Cass’s body! That was Cass’s body!

The body vanished inch by inch, but my hand—that one hand—obstinately refused to dissipate.

The monster growled, breathing out blood-colored flames.

The hand holding mine—that hand belonging to Cass—finally disappeared after all...

Michael turned into a white flower, returning before the Throne of God.

I plummeted sharply from the Seventh Heaven...

Samael suddenly leaped down from the cross. He flew with incredible speed, pulling me into his embrace and snapping open his black wings to soar.

A black light suddenly surged from Samael’s chest and vanished into the black flame mark on my forehead.

The mark on my brow suddenly began to burn. I saw Hino Umaba.

It was Hino Umaba, who had been sealed in a bottle by Samael. Attracted by the monster, she had actually broken through the seal and entered my body.

The mark on my brow was burning; I was sinking into a dark quagmire, unable to escape.

"Come with me! I want you to come with me! I will sacrifice your body to the Great Demon Lord!" Hino Umaba shrieked in anger, her face distorted.

Countless cold, slimy tentacles climbed onto my body. They dragged me down, down into the endless abyss.

Darkness closed over my head.