Miel 1

“Back then, the demon who cast the authority died, so I came back…”

Rico’s voice was filled with frustration.

Her red eyes glistened vividly in the moonlight.

Why did you use that on me!

Are you trying to kill me!

In anger and impatience, I flapped my wings faster.

Desperately, I flew to Rico and began messing up her black hair.

“Oh! Miel! What’s wrong?”

Don’t you know?

I dug deeper into her hair, tangling it more.

“Ahh! Miel! Are you using this on me again!? What do we do? We’re stuck in the heavenly realm like this! We can’t move at all!”

Mikael’s voice was as playful as a child’s.

But you can’t really feel the divine authority…

“Uh… You’re stuck?”

But gods being stuck in the heavenly realm?

What are you talking about?

On the other side of the coliseum, Solaris watched us with her gaze.

Her fiery red hair fluttered like the sun, and a subtle heat emanated from her.

Her golden eyes held a mix of amusement and curiosity.

“Yes! It’s a long story, but basically, we can’t descend to the human world at all! Bestowing blessings or interfering is really hard!”

Mikael gestured passionately with her hands, her thin, heavenly robe swaying with her movements.

Her outfit was so sheer that the moonlight revealed her silhouette.

Her appearance was so revealing that my gaze naturally turned to her.

“Uh, what about the things I received and becoming an apostle…?”

Rico’s red eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Her hand unconsciously touched the Crimson Bind sword at her waist.

A faint red mist rose from the sword.

“That’s because I used all my divine power! I exhausted it completely!”

Mikael proudly puffed out her chest, making her thin robe seem even thinner.

Still, it’s nice to be here.

“Oh! Thank you so much, Mikael…”

“Of course! You’re my apostle!”

Mikael patted Rico’s head.

Even though I had already messed up her hair, Mikael didn’t seem to mind.

“Hehe…”

Why are you laughing and having fun when we need to find a way back?

I flapped my wings anxiously, casting a blue shadow on the crystal floor.

“You two are so alike in your foolishness. A god and her apostle… It’s almost giving me a headache.”

Solaris’s voice was deep and smooth, yet carried a heavy authority.

It felt like the weight of thousands of years.

Yes, she’s the real god.

I need to talk to Solaris.

A rainbow aura swirled around Solaris, like a solar system orbiting her.

Small points of light circled her slowly.

Up close, her skin had a golden glow.

Leaving Rico and Mikael in their little world, I flew to Solaris.

I flapped my wings to show I wanted to talk.

My blue wings met her red aura, creating a purple sparkle.

“Oh? You want to talk?”

She understood my wing movements immediately!

Rico usually gets them wrong!

A few days ago, I flapped my wings to say I was thirsty, and she scattered strange pollen everywhere!

“I want to write… um… Nevermind. I hate inconvenient methods.”

Solaris raised her right hand.

Golden light gathered at her fingertips.

All the light seemed to be drawn into her fingers.

In an instant, a small sun, about the size of my head, formed at her fingertips.

The small sun pulsed like a living thing, emitting light.

Solaris slowly sent the sun towards me.

Warm sunlight and the scent of sunflowers enveloped me.

The heat was comforting, not scorching.

Like a warm temperature, maybe like Cecilia’s?

A very comfortable and stable energy wrapped around me.

“Just think of what you want to say with the sun in your heart. I’ll hear it.”

Solaris’s expression was serious, but her eyes hinted at playfulness.

“Rico is a fool.”

I started with what I most wanted to say.

A sincere thought from deep within me.

“Hehe… Your voice is so clear and pure. You called Rico a fool?”

A smile spread across Solaris’s face.

Wow!

My thoughts really reached her!

Writing is too hard, but this works!

Now I can see clearly!

I flapped my wings joyfully, and the small sun spun around me.

Its path left a golden circle with a trailing light.

It felt like I had my own orbit.

“What did she say? Miel?”

Mikael’s cheeks were slightly red.

Probably because of her fun conversation with Rico.

“She called Rico a fool.”

“What?! Miel! Did you say that to me?!”

Rico’s red eyes widened.

Her face filled with dismay in an instant.

It’s her own fault!

Who else but her would be a fool?

“Oh, this time you said something detailed. You say we need to find a way back! Even if we do, we might end up on the plains, not the carriage!”

“What? Our position is fixed by the horizontal coordinate system?”

Rico’s shout echoed through the coliseum.

Horizontal… coordinate system…?

What’s that?

Rico can be foolish, but sometimes she says something smart.

“Wow! Rico, you’re really smart! What’s the horizontal coordinate system? I want to know too!”

“Hehe… The horizontal coordinate system is…”

Mikael and Rico fell into their own little world again.

Mikael’s eyes sparkled like stars, while Rico scratched her head shyly.

Ugh…

“As for a way to return to the human world…”

Meanwhile, Solaris thought deeply, her expression turning serious.

“I think there’s one way.”

Solaris’s voice silenced Mikael and Rico’s conversation.

Both looked at her with anticipation.

“What is it? What is it? Do you have a method?”

Mikael’s eyes sparkled like large stars.

“Traveling to the Demon Realm might work. Using the path the Evil Gods are creating could lead us to the human world.”

Solaris’s voice was calm, but her suggestion was impactful.

The air in the coliseum seemed to freeze momentarily.

“What did you say?!”

Mikael’s shout echoed through the coliseum.

“The Demon Realm? Where is that?”

“It’s on the opposite side of the Heavenly Realm. It’s where the Evil Gods reside.”

Solaris waved her hand, drawing a red line in the air.

The line transformed into two circles touching each other.

One glowed gold, the other a deep red.

“Solaris! That’s ridiculous! How can you send these cuties to the Demon Realm?! It’s too dangerous!”

Solaris smiled and pointed at Rico.

Her golden finger traced Rico’s entire figure.

“Mikael, think carefully. Look at Rico’s appearance and personality. Don’t you think the Evil Gods would love her?”

Mikael and I stared at Rico.

Rico’s pink-tinted black hair, red eyes, and red-patterned black dress seemed to perfectly match the aesthetics of the Demon Realm.

Plus, the Crimson Bind at her waist emitted a constant red mist.

“Also, look at that sword. It’s covered in curses that the Evil Gods would adore.”

Solaris’s words made me nod in agreement.

Rico was definitely the type the Evil Gods would love.

“But…”

Mikael’s expression was filled with hesitation.

Her eyes showed concern.

“Is there another way?”

Mikael bit her lip and shook her head.

“Ugh… It seems we have no other choice…”

Mikael’s voice was filled with resignation.

Her gaze alternated between Rico and me, filled with worry.

“Mikael, how do we get to this Demon Realm? And as your apostle, won’t I be discovered by the Evil Gods…?”

Rico’s question prompted Mikael to explain.

Her expression turned serious.

“The Heavenly and Demon Realms were originally one. They’re very close, with the Heavenly Realm above and the Demon Realm below…”

As Mikael explained, Solaris’s drawing of two circles merged into one.

Golden and deep red lights mixed, creating a mysterious purple glow.

“And for you being an apostle, we can temporarily seal your divine power so you won’t be detected.”

“Hmmm… Is this really okay…?”

Rico’s voice was filled with anxiety.

Her hand unconsciously touched the Crimson Bind at her waist.

The sword emitted an increasingly strong red mist.