“I say this every year, but it really does astound me how much has changed over the past two decades…” said the gorgeous woman standing in front of the Wings. She rose over her audience on a tall platform, eclipsed them with the shadows of her six crimson and beautiful [Wings]. Sunlight reflected off her pearl-white skin and dazzled her golden eyes and white-blonde hair; and the wind breezed around her long navy gown which tightly clung onto her contours. A literal angel was standing before them, someone so beautifully human that she seemed sculpted by God.


    In her golden eyes was an endless well of compassion and benevolence; it pierced so deeply into everyone, into me, that we were simultaneously breathtaken and humbled. Yet despite her divine aura, her regard fell intimately on each and every dreamer standing before her. Her voice was soft, smooth, personable. She might be on a platform due to occasion, but she seemed to prefer a table. To meet a Guild Master like that, someone who exemplified grandness and humility in a single breath, was one-in-a-million.


    There wasn’t a more deserving owner than the No.2 Slayer of Ordo, the Angel of Humanity, Seraph.


    Seraph softly exhaled and watched over the calm sea of applicants standing at her beck and call. “It has been eighteen years since we first created the Alm Angels, then a few years later, Angels Guild followed. By all definitions, we are a child amongst adults. We don’t have the long history of Legends nor the mysticisms of the Fushimi Clan, so what exactly do we have?


    “Many would say tribulations. After all, in the textbooks, Angels Guild rose to prominence due to the Terrors. They aren’t incorrect. Without the Terrors, I cannot say we’d have this prosperity. However, allow me to contest that viewpoint. I see Angels not by our obstacles but by the period in-between. The days where we laugh and we cry and we rebuild. It’s what we take away from our struggles, and how we act despite and for them.


    “That is the core of our three golden words: ‘Wings Over Humanity.’ After a storm, plants bloom. After a fire, ash revitalizes soil. That’s why we founded Angels Guild. Fame and wealth are byproducts of our actions, but they are not the focus. We do not stack skulls of fallen monsters, but to contribute—meaningfully contribute—to our wonderful world that has blessed us with life. Sorrow and tragedy will always exist, but we are here so they will never persist. Everything you do for this guild is for your family, for your loved ones and friends, for the strangers standing beside you—for humanity.


    “I thank all of you for standing here today, wanting to be a part of our efforts. I cannot show my gratitude enough, because without you or this wonderful city, Angels Guild as you know wouldn’t exist. Kosmos wouldn’t exist. So let me return to the question I’d posed earlier: what do we have? It’s simple: we have the world.”


    Applause exploded from the audience and with a few cheers too. Seraph laughed and waved toward them and the cameras.


    Once the cheers died down, she approached the microphone again. “Now, I won’t bore you any longer. However, my Vice Guild Master may disagree.”


    “Haha, very funny.” Rector shooed her off the podium and took her place. “I don’t have a sentimental speech like hers, nor will I try to motivate you. I think you have enough motivation already, but I digress. I’ll explain the minutiae of the long-awaited tryouts, so have your coffees ready because this will take some time…”


    Someone patted my shoulder. My new best friend, Celestial Empress. Time to head inside. Neither of us were interested in listening to Rector—no offense to him—explain the rules and exams. We ducked into the Wings after occupying a balcony. As it turned out, you’d usually get some privacy if you had a murim-in princess in your company.


    Same with inside. We took an empty table. People glanced our way once or twice and moved on, not wanting to be entangled in our overwhelming and oppressive reputation. Though, I could tell they were wondering who the hell I was.


    Leo sipped her coffee and sighed in satisfaction. “You think we’ll encounter an Alt during exams?”


    I plopped my elbows onto the cold surface. “One popped up during Primordial Plaza. If I were the Mother Alternate—” (“You’d make a fantastic mom.”) “—shut up, I’d cause some trouble by summoning one right now.”


    “That’s assuming the Mother is operating on our rules,” she said.


    “Which makes it several times scarier…” I replied before letting out a deep yawn.


    Something was going on below us; a hubbub formed near the entrance. I heard a collage of voices and saw a sea of bodies making way. For something? Someone? We quickly had an answer, and that answer came in the form of a beautiful six-winged Angel flying onto the mezzanine which we were at.


    In a heartbeat, I straightened my posture as Seraph spotted our table immediately.


    Leo snickered, hiding her smirk behind her coffee. I kicked her foot under the table.


    “Conqueror,” Seraph said, her tone relaxed and lowkey compared to her speech earlier, “it’s good to finally meet you. I apologize for the delayed introduction, for yourself and on behalf of your family.”


    We shook hands, and I hoped I didn’t look too much of an asshole. “It’s no problem at all, ma’am.”


    “I pray you have as little problems as possible, but…” Seraph glanced at Leo and sighed. “Well, I’m afraid more troublesome days are ahead of us. It’s my regret that you were recruited under these circumstances, but I hope we can both make the most out of this opportunity.”


    Normally, I’d be skeptical about a Guild Master saying those words to me, but Seraph was different. Everybody loved singing her praise. I could tell why. She was undeniably charismatic and kind-hearted. What she said during her speech, those weren’t hollow words. Yet that wasn’t the full picture, I knew that. A few speeches couldn’t define her character. In the end, my knowledge of Seraph wasn’t better than most people—but she was my superior nonetheless.


    I cleared my throat and looked off to Leo. I said, “She’s definitely making the most out of it. Since I moved in, Leo has been hooked on my cooking.”


    Seraph chuckled and Leo became the center of our attraction. “So I heard. I thought we’d encounter the Global Union eventually, but we underestimated them this time. Don’t worry, we’ll help you find a new place to stay.”


    Leo put her coffee down. “I’ve been telling Alex about an open apartment a few floors below mine, so that’s an option.”


    “In other words, she wants a second home where she has free access to good cooking.”


    “That’s an entirely new sentence that I didn’t say,” Leo said.


    I was thinking about that option; if Leo arranged extra security for her place, we could do the same. That would come later, preferably after the investigation was done with.


    “Regardless, is your family doing alright?” Seraph asked, genuine concern in her golden eyes. “I know Idris already spoke with you, but interacting with the Union is unpleasant at best.”


    “Yeah, it’s nothing we can’t handle.” I tried to give a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, we don’t believe the bullshit—erm, bullcrap—they’d spouted.”


    Seraph turned pensive. “I’m not asking what you think about us.”


    And my smile dropped. “Pardon?”


    “You''re free to believe whatever you want. Angels Guild isn’t a paragon of ethics, and we won’t pretend that we are. You’ve experienced our…dealings for yourself. In a way, the Union is correct, but not necessarily because we think we’re better—we simply want to be better. But…” Seraph softly inhaled and crossed her arms underneath her breasts. “That’s enough sophistry from me. As long as you’re kind to your colleagues, we’ll honor our arrangement as best as we can. I—”Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    A System notification appeared before her. “I’m afraid that’s my cue to leave. Please give my prayers to your family, alright? And to your friend. Mansyur Taslim, correct?”


    I stammered, “V-Vic. Victor, I mean. That’s his western name.”


    “To Victor, then. Make sure you keep an ear on your comms.” Seraph bowed her head and hurried, flying downstairs and heading toward the back.


    As fast as she amazed me, as fast as she astounded me. I… I wasn’t expecting that response at all.


    I looked at Leo, and all she was doing was running her finger along the rim of her coffee-cup. “In her defense, you aren’t exactly the biggest fan of castles.”


    Right, I forgot that I’d created something of a reputation for myself thanks to System Articles and my background in High Home. I was a punk, anti-castle vigilante who couldn’t stand the sight of injustice. Sounded a lot cooler than what I actually was. “It’s…” I said, pausing, “...I won’t say you’re wrong, but it’s not completely true either. Just that, I don’t know…”


    “It’s hard to trust like that?” she finished my thought.


    I shrugged. “Something along those lines, yeah. I don’t mean to offend Seraph. From what I’ve seen, she seems like a decent person. A great person. Since Oasis, though, I can’t help but look between the lines and think.”


    “Give it time,” Leo said. “But do you remember what I said? They’re good people. Seraph, Rector, Kosmos; the world is lucky to have them.”


    I chuckled, thinking back to textbooks and documentaries about the Terrors. “That’s an objective fact.”


    The knot in my stomach wasn’t completely unraveled, however. Thinking back to our unfortunate encounter with Dwyer and Dietrich, choosing between them and Angels wasn’t a choice at all. Any option was automatically better than that shitshow that we call a “government.” But if I was going to wear wings, I’d rather have faith in them rather than think the other side was much worse.


    Right now, Leo was right. It was too early to tell. For both sides, actually; if we should trust Angels, and they should trust us. Thus far, they went above and beyond—like a certain murim-in hosting a family of three inside her apartment.


    ***


    The next couple days went by without a hitch. Tryouts went as planned. Tons of potential Angels had their wings clipped, and tomorrow would be the last day. Victor, to everyone’s surprise, was still in the game. Well, I figured he’d make it far if not the end. He had a rare specialty and wasn’t completely an idiot despite my insistence.


    For us, the investigators, we sat on our asses and waited and watched and observed. A few alerts panged, but nothing came of them. With the lack of leads in the investigation, we instead entertained ourselves with good action. Sometimes, we shared popcorn; other times, we placed bets. We had fun.


    Well, most of us had fun.


    I’d gotten to know the great Fukumoto Chie a bit better. She enlightened me about the “fantastic” genre of gacha games while I preached financial responsibility. I made fun of some of the contestants while she clicked her tongue and scolded me for being a jerk. Team-building conversations, and her crimson-haired friend scowled through every second of it.


    As Rector said, Aiden wasn’t fond of me. He preferred to stay in the background, listening to every word we say. Leo, the most extroverted of the group, urged him to throw a few jokes here and there, but he refused probably because of me. However, because Leo was there, she likely dissuaded Aiden from trying anything.


    Because, well, today, Leo was sent to Morgan and Sophos to help investigate something—they didn’t say what—so that stranded me with Chie and Aiden. Didn’t know what Chie was doing, but Aiden was another story.


    [You received a new notification]


    [Firebrand]


    Meet me in the renovated training ground


    According to the map, all the training grounds were tucked in the northeast corner. Many of them had been used, were being used, or would be used for the tryouts—all except for the one being renovated. Despite being directionally-challenged, it was pretty easy to pick out the sole building under construction from the rest.


    Meeting Aiden in an isolated environment wasn’t the brightest idea I had, but not like I should ignore or tattle on him. That would only build further resentment.


    If we were going to be teammates, I should at least figure out his problem.


    That’s why I trespassed, walking through tarps and stepping over wires, following dead hallways until I reached one of the main rooms. It looked to be a gymnasium of sorts, with strange white panels layered over every surface. Simulation tiles? I couldn’t tell. There was no training equipment here, only tools, materials, and wires all pushed against the walls.


    I wasn’t focused on the room’s aesthetics anyway, because a certain someone was standing in the center: Aiden Brand. He wore his [Loadout] to our meeting: a fancy swordman’s robes taking some inspiration from the East, crimson just like his hair and fiery gold like his flames, with no undershirt. It allowed a window to his chiseled chest, and more importantly, a strange molten scab running between his pecs. It was as if someone had glued a thin, lava-like crystal down his sternum.


    I didn’t know the story behind his scar; to the public, it was something that existed, no different than Silverhonor’s pointy ears and Blackviper’s cybernetic limbs.


    Seeing me, Aiden sneered and cocked his head back, letting his long ponytail sway like the tail of a venomous snake. “You actually came, Conq.”


    “Yeah, well, you clearly have something important to tell me.” I eyed the panels, clean ones and dirty ones and ones that hadn’t been wired up yet. “In here, of all places.”


    Aiden puffed an almost-invisible cloud of steam. He took a single step forward, his heavy foot rattling the panel underneath. “Why did you join Angels? You and your family?”


    So that’s why. Just plain suspicion and skepticism.


    “What kind of answer do you want?” I stepped sideways, making sure the distance between us was constant. “A different life-path was in order for us, but that’s all I can tell you.”


    In response, Aiden unsatisfyingly hummed and matched my movement. Whenever he dared to inch closer, I retreated the same distance. Once, he suddenly lurched forward and I reacted, but he never pounced. Throughout our game, his burning eyes were completely trained on me. Never once did they break eye contact; something told me that if I lost the staring contest, the punishment was hellfire.


    Social media painted Firebrand as a reckless Slayer who was a little too loosey-goosey with his [Skills]. In the six years he’d been at Angels, he accidentally caused a few fires, said the wrong things to the wrong people numerous times, and was basically the majority of the guild’s PR disasters. For that reason, his “adoring fans” thought he was an idiot destined for a cell—or worse.


    But the guy who’d brought me here?


    Aiden was far, far more calculating than the internet gave him credit for. The look he was giving me? He knew exactly what he was capable of and knew exactly what he was doing.


    I was being tested.


    “...What did Rector tell you?” Aiden finally said after he got enough data.


    I fought, “Why did you wait until Leo was gone to confront me? If you wanted to appease your suspicions, all it’d take is a single, honest conversation with Rector.”


    He stood still, but that didn’t pacify me, because his expression was stone. Then, without reason, he relaxed. “Y’think Rector will listen to me? Him, Seraph, Kosmos, they’ll help anyone no matter the risk. That’s why they took in Leo ‘spite her relation to the Demonic Cult, and Morgan too, whatever he did to the Society. Our GMs collect danger like it’s candy.”


    My eyes briefly lowered to his scar before meeting his eyes again. “They’re good people. All of them. They helped me after the run-in with the internationals.”


    “Yeah,” he said plainly.


    “They helped you and Chie.”


    Aiden cracked a smile. “Mhm. They’re keeping us safe. They’re keeping Chie safe. But there are some things you gotta worry about.”


    His predatory eyes returned, and I once again gained his full hostility.


    “We know the trouble Leo and Morgan might bring, but you?” Aiden gritted his teeth. “Your sister got one over me. Your uncle pressed a gun to Rector’s skull. And there’s you, a former corpo who took down four C-Ranks. We’re supposed to—I’m supposed to roll-over and accept everything without asking a single question? As fuckin’ if.”


    Either my senses were deceiving me, or the room was getting hotter. I started to sweat.


    “Whatever you are—Counterforce, xia, I don’t care—I’m not gonna let your baggage hurt my girl.”


    [Flame Avatar Shift - Burning Tempest]


    Exactly like Primordial Plaza, a new surge of energy changed Aiden. His ponytail loosened, his skin glowed, and most of all, the scar grew a few centimeters larger in every direction. Looks like he wanted a fight from the beginning. Amazing.


    What did I expect? This is how Slayers often talked: through [Skills] rather than words. Of course, I’d rather resolve things diplomatically, but sometimes, you needed to save your breaths.


    [Memento Recollection - Yuzhou]


    Through my helmet, I asked, “You won’t cool down until someone bleeds?”


    [Jiroku] appeared in his dominant hand in a great plume of fire. He flipped it around and rested the edge on his shoulder. “I need to see what kind of a bastard you are, Conq. Don’t hold back on my behalf, ‘cause I won’t.”


    Next thing I saw was his greatsword.