"Sorry I'm late."
Azik Eggers removed his top hat, a trace of apology on his bronze face.
"By the time I reached the battlefield, that Spirit World Ship had joined the fight, and the outcome was already clear. I didn't show myself because I wanted to avoid a conflict with her... Heh, I've remembered quite a few things lately. The grudge between us dates back to the Fourth Epoch. I'm afraid it won't be easy to put aside."
Angel and Klein exchanged a glance.
The two powerful allies they could call on in a crisis had an unresolved feud. That left Angel, who held a contract with Anne, and Klein, who could contact Azik at any time with the Copper Whistle, feeling rather awkward.
They politely let the subject drop and told Azik about the morning's battle instead.
"The 'Mother Tree of Desire'... I've never heard of a god by that name. Perhaps She went by another name in the Fourth Epoch. But even from a great distance, I could sense that the angel projecting Her power embodied more than unrestrained desire. There was also... reproduction?"
Azik frowned, taking some time to find the right word.
Reproduction... Angel thought of the decadent, sinister night in the admiral's private residence on Oravi Island.
"Also, if this scale you found on the battlefield is connected to the 'Angel of Fate,' as you say, then it's beyond my area of knowledge. Still, I think you'd best not keep it close for long. You could try giving it to the other Snake of Fate, or at least ask for His advice."
"Because of Aggregation?"
Klein asked as soon as Azik finished.
"Exactly. It seems you understand one of the things High Sequences most anticipate and fear. The higher the Sequence, the more Beyonder Characteristics