Fallen Angel Cult

Xiqisi, Joyful Saintess, bringer of joy to all living beings, goddess of half-demons and half-spirits, lord of desire, holy mother who sowed impulses...

Xiqisi licked her lips, the well-rehearsed words hesitating in her throat.

There seemed to be another way to put it.

These people looked like they had come for Yicha. They called him Duke.

She could take the Marrowstone out of her mouth and tell them with complete confidence that it was a token.

And that she was Yicha's representative, or student, or illegitimate daughter, mistress—any term would do. Keir was merely her servant. That should be enough to brush them off and avert danger.

Keir sat up beside her. Xiqisi ignored him, feeling clever for the first time in her life.

"I..."

"I am Keir, the Dominion Angel of Tabumo. She is the Joyful Saintess, a wild deity of the mortal realm." That sacred voice spoke with clear, precise diction.

Hic!

Xiqisi made a choking sound. She had accidentally swallowed the Marrowstone.

Destroy it all. I'm done.

She pressed her face against the scorching ground, feeling the Marrowstone slide down her narrow throat and sink heavily toward her stomach.

Fine. At least she would not have to worry about losing it now. Despairing, she stared at a tiny crack in the ground.

The raggedly dressed demons stirred.

"Did you hear that? He said he's an angel."

"What kind of angel did he say he was? He spoke too fast—I didn't catch it."

"He's a Dominion Angel."

"What's that? It sounds incredible!"

Wait, incredible?

Xiqisi raised her head in confusion.

The robed demons had formed layer after layer around Keir, chattering excitedly.

"Miracle! A miracle!" someone began shouting.

Keir did not appear to make any movement, but a pillow suddenly appeared five feet above his head. Then it burst apart, scattering countless white feathers.

Feathers made of light.

The feathers turned into flowers in midair and drifted down.

"He really is an angel!" Screams erupted from the demons as they shoved toward him.

At first, the angel could still handle everyone's enthusiasm. But he was weak, after all, and gradually began to look drowsy again.

The tall demon with dark green eyes noticed. He raised one hand with authority. "Stop. Stop. I understand everyone's excitement, but no more idle chatter. Let our friend rest for a while."

"Thank you." Keir let out a long breath.

Our friend... Xiqisi completely forgot the pain in her back. She scrambled neatly to her feet and glared at them.

"What is it?" Keir looked at her with springlike warmth.

What is it? I don't know what is wrong with this world either. The apocalypse is just around the corner, yet somehow every angel and demon in the universe acts like they are best friends. Xiqisi thought dryly.

"I am Sankarabi, head of the Fallen Angel Cult." The tall demon with dark green eyes looked devoutly at Keir. "These are all members of our Fallen Angel Cult."

He sighed softly. "After all these years, I never thought we would finally be able to welcome an angel today."

"Have you come to take us home?" A short, dark-skinned demon pushed forward, his eyes shining with longing.

"Uh..." Keir was at a loss for words. He had not figured out what was going on yet.

"Someone has finally come to take us home!" The short demon misunderstood and turned around, raising both hands to solemnly announce it to the crowd.

"That's wonderful!"

"Long live the Holy Lord!"

"Long live the King of Angels!"

"Long live the Dominion Angel!"

The pitifully shaped demons in filthy robes erupted into fervent cheers.

Keir stared foolishly at the demons before him. He had no idea what to say, like a passerby who had wandered into a celebration and could not help being swept into its festive atmosphere.

"Stop. Stop." Sankarabi raised his right claw and made a fist—his voice, too, could not suppress its trembling.

But this time, the demons did not fully obey their leader. The short, dark-skinned demon pushed forward again, his filthy claw grabbing the angel's luminous white hand. "We are ready. When will you take us back?"

"Yes, yes! When will you take us back?"

"We've waited three thousand years for this day! Dominion Angel!"

"Tell us quickly! Take us back today!"

"Uh..." Keir desperately searched his mind for suitable words.

There were none. Nothing at all.

The faceless demon affectionately rested his head on Keir's shoulder. His face was as smooth and flat as an egg. Feeling his strength fail, the angel looked behind him for help.

At some point, the heavy Yin Iron doors behind him had swung open, cool wind flowing through them. Xiqisi, draped in blue feathers, stood inside the doorway.

At some point, she had already unlocked the doors.

"How about you stay inside and chat with them a little longer? I'll head back first?" the Joyful Saintess said in a strange tone.

Then she really did fly away without looking back.

"Hey..."

Keir reached one hand into the air. He failed to catch Xiqisi, but Sankarabi firmly seized it instead.

"I never expected that when we came looking for the Duke today, we would encounter the messenger sent to save us..." Sankarabi muttered.

"Uh..."

Keir ransacked his mind for words, then finally remembered something he should ask. "What did you want with Yicha?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. None of it matters." The short, dark-skinned demon clenched his fists excitedly. "He brought you to us."

"That's right!" More than a dozen demons said in unison.

"I propose that from this moment onward, everyone answer every question from this noble angel properly. No perfunctory answers. Being perfunctory is demonic behavior. From now on, please conduct yourselves properly." Sankarabi turned around sternly.

Then he turned back to Keir and answered his question earnestly. "We came to seek Duke Yicha's advice. You know, the Apocalypse War. We will not take part in it, because we were all once angels. And the Duke is the person we respect most in all of Chaos Hell. He taught us how to write."

Keir felt that his mind truly was not enough for this.

First of all, no one had ever told him about the Apocalypse War.

He stared blankly for a second, then felt that such an expression was impolite. Yet the shock in his heart did not lessen.

No wonder Yicha had been so anxious to return to Chaos Hell... He understood now. Then the angel's nature quickly made him worry.

Were Nese and Xiqisi still being kept in the dark by Yicha? He had to hurry and tell them about the Apocalypse War. Beelzebub's army must also be fully armed. Everything was more than ten times more dangerous than he had imagined...

"I... I have to go first!" Keir stammered anxiously. He pushed away the faceless demon and prepared to rise, the hem of his white robe lifting from the ground.

"No! Where are you going?" The short, dark-skinned demon leaped up and grabbed the hem of his robe.

"Don't leave us behind! Don't leave us behind! Three thousand years! Three thousand years!" Two more claws seized him tightly and dragged him back down.

"Hey..."

"Don't go! Don't go! If you leave, take us with you!" More filthy demonic claws grabbed his clothes and pulled him back. The white angel fell into the sticky mass of demons, surrounded by them all.

He could not move at all.

Dominion Angel has several meanings; here, it refers to an angel who governs a particular place. They are the second-lowest rank of angels—though other interpretations exist, this is the setting of this book. Thus, the Dominion Angel of Tabumo means the angel who governs a place called Tabumo. Tabumo is a library.