The Grand Angel’s eyes, radiating with a divine glow, flickered through the crowd...until they landed on someone she would have found no matter how large the crowd was—her brother.
“Isami...?” Manami muttered. She couldn’t tell how many thousands—tens of thousands—crowded wherever she was. She’d found him; the person she’d stared at countless times through broadcasts—an infamous advisor to the ruler of the Sleepless Castle, the symbol of the Empire’s dominion, and her one and only brother: Isami Tahara.
Before another thought could form in her mind, she was moving. Her brain knew how high above the ground she was, but somehow she knew—she could fly.
“Isami!” she cried out, wondering when she’d last called his name. Ignoring a voice that shouted behind her, Manami ran. Her body obeyed, lifting her into the air. She was in a dream, she convinced herself—that was the only explanation for her flying toward her brother.
“Manami!” her brother cried out, frantically running to meet her—and caught her in his arms, holding her tight.
The Still Angel who had granted the miracle of the Grand Angel’s summoning was set in its own ways. After all, it had continued to indulge the avarice of humanity even as it consumed itself in darkness. Naturally, the miracle it left behind reacted to the Demon Lord’s exact words, summoning Manami...wielding the powers of a Grand Angel.
Now, divine light beamed from Manami, pouring an overwhelming concentration of Holy element with every breath. Before the Grand Angel that glowed with indescribable divinity, Harts and Sambo practically threw themselves out of their chairs and genuflected. No one dared to stay in their seat in the face of this miracle. The two Holy Maidens and Eagle, wide-eyed, stepped out of their chairs and bowed. Kid’s characteristic disarming grin tightened as he, too, knelt before the Grand Angel. Even the ministers of Suneo and Euritheis, whose positions forbade them from kneeling without very good reason, leaned back and back as if they were burned by the bright light, until they had no choice but to bow on their knees.
A wave rippled through the sea of people who bore witness to the miracle as they knelt, row after row, all of them bowing their heads. From the silence that followed, sobs turned into outcries of emotion that shook Holylight from its foundation.
Meanwhile, there was one man who was quaking in his boots—the con man who’d accidentally summoned a real Grand Angel. No freakin’ way! She’s really an angel...and a kid! Yeah, I was the one remembering that vignette when they were kids, but... The Demon Lord had only said he’d summon a Grand Angel for the theatrics. Alas, Manami had been summoned as she was: with an undeniably divine glow and wings that allowed her to fly as effortlessly as she walked. What do I do...?! What now?! There was no one around to help either—just the divine beast on his shoulder. The white of the beast blended with the white fog and brilliant light,
Beneath the smoke and mirrors, the Demon Lord was sweating bullets as he normally did. What am I supposed to do with these wings?! And the trick I set up... Below him was a tidal wave of love and emotion. It wasn’t an option for him to say something like “Kids are angels, aren’t they?” and get away with it. When the Demon Lord started getting desperate, he spotted White’s Angel Ring. As soon as he did, the Demon Lord’s expression hardened and he leaped off of the rooftop, holding the Angel Wings he had nowhere else to put.
“Fallen Angel...”
“There’s Lord Lucifer!”
“The Fallen Angel is descending upon us!”
The Demon Lord landed and began walking solemnly as the crowd parted for him, his fierce eyes firmly on Luna.
“D-Demon Lord? Wh-Wh-Wh-What do you think you’re doing?!” Luna stammered.
“You’ve done a wonderful job for me. I want to give you this.”
“No...! Those are a-a-a-angel wings!”
“Mm. I prepared them for you,” the Demon Lord lied as effortlessly as one breathed. If the old adage were true, his pants would be nothing but cinders.
“For...me?” Luna breathed.
“That’s not all. There’s one more thing to light up this night,” the Demon Lord said, then began counting down. “Five...four...three...” When he reached zero, the fireworks began. Flying up from the roof of the Casino, a whopping eight hundred dazzling Fireworks lit up the sky—a classic misdirection well worth the 500 SP it cost.
Once the fireworks began in an explosive barrage, they captured the crowd’s attention without giving them a moment to think. All eyes were on the sky. At first, those who’d never seen fireworks before were speechless at the marvelous display of magic...until they became riled by the booming explosives, until they were throwing their fists in the air and cheering as loudly as they could.
The Butterfly sisters gazed up from the Hot Springs Resort balcony, clearly entranced by the otherworldly beauty. The Fallen Angel had made flowers of light bloom in the night sky. This insane power—and showmanship—was the perfect conclusion to Descension Day.
“A fitting power for the Ruler of Night...” the Madam remarked.
“I couldn’t agree more,” her sister said.
These two were religiously attending the planetarium in the resort. In more ways than one, this was the nail in the coffin.
“Dear sister. Give me a head start, won’t you? Just one step,” the Madam said.
“No need to ask for it. That’s your right as the one who opened this door for us,” her sister answered, catching her meaning.
Weeb and the Trinary watched flowers bloom across the sky silently. While the Trinary quivered with every boom, Weeb looked to be in disbelief. “There is something I’d believed since I was a child,” Weeb said to no one in particular. Perhaps he was speaking to something that slumbered deep within himself. “With a moniker as infamous as ‘the mythical rebel,’ the Fallen Angel must be captivating enough to allure the populace and manipulate it.”
No matter how thoughtless, brainless, and reckless the Demon Lord was on the inside, his outward appearance and actions had been too flashy and too powerful. It was no wonder that people went wild for him, welcoming the Fallen Angel despite the damning legends. Tonight, Weeb finally realized that there was nothing on this continent that even came close to how powerful the Fallen Angel was. The Demon Lord still hid untold powers and could be forceful and gruff at times, but those were characteristics almost required of a ruler destined to reign over billions. The Trinary remained silent, perhaps refusing to accept the inevitable conclusion they were all reaching.
“Summoning the Grand Angel... Angel’s Ring... Angel’s Wings... The ancient town... An active coal mine...” Weeb muttered along, unable to control his train of thought. The Demon Lord almost seemed like the Great Light itself—no one of the darkness could have pulled off those miracles.
“B-But, Sir Weeb! He hasn’t finalized what he means to do with the refugees.”
“Indeed! It is too early to jump to conclusions.”
“We must remain here and keep vigilant watch! While soaking in the public baths, preferably!”
Weeb pushed up on the bridge of his glasses. Currently, only some of the refugees had been hired to work in the mines, while the others had been simply given orders to acclimate themselves to the village. Their wage, days off, and job descriptions were expected to be finalized in their contracts in the days to come.
The Demon Lord was looking smug, having pulled off this stunt without facing the consequences of his actions, when his expression suddenly hardened. In one fluid motion, he tugged Ren—who had quietly watched the event unfold all evening—over to his side.