Chapter 31: Chapter 31: The Heavens Attitude
The three individuals involved didn't care much about the surrounding commotion.
On the familiar rooftop, Rei Ao addressed the two angels.
"How should I address you two angelic ladies?"
"Gabriel White Tenma."
"Raphiel Ainsworth Shiraha."
"Alright, I'll call you Tenma and Shiraha," Rei Ao replied. "Why are you two here?"
Gabriel responded, "It's because of you—"
Before she could say more, Raphiel tugged on her sleeve, reminding her to be cautious.
"Anyway," Gabriel continued, "it's because you're a special awakened individual. Heaven sent us to observe you."
She kept her explanation vague but made it clear that Rei Ao was the reason they were there.
Raphiel, smiling gently, kept her eyes narrowed, watching Rei Ao carefully. "You seem different now, Rei Ao-senpai," she remarked knowingly.
"Yes, I feel much stronger in the past few days," Rei Ao admitted, unfazed. There was no reason to hide his growing power.
"As expected…" Raphiel muttered to herself.
She could sense that Rei Ao's power had grown tremendously. Even highly skilled angels couldn't fully grasp the depth of his strength. Gabriel exchanged a glance with Raphiel, both silently acknowledging their surprise. His growth in such a short time was astounding.
Could the world's first awakened human truly be this unique? No wonder Heaven was paying so much attention to him. Even Gabriel, a distinguished graduate from Heaven, had been sent down for this mission. Her sister, Tenma Zelel White, was one of Heaven's strongest seraphim, and although Gabriel herself wasn't at that level, she still had the potential to become the next seraphim.
The fact that someone like Gabriel had been dispatched to observe Rei Ao showed how seriously Heaven was taking this. Rumor had it that even the demon world was planning to send representatives soon.
"Observation, huh?" Rei Ao pondered. It seemed that Heaven had no ill intentions toward him, which was reassuring.
"Senpai," Gabriel spoke again. "Your power has grown immensely. That's why… we have a request."
"A request?" Rei Ao's interest was piqued. A request from angels?
Gabriel hesitated briefly but then continued, "It's actually related to a secret. According to the Three Realms Agreement, your current power qualifies you to know."
Raphiel extended her hand, conjuring a glowing orb that displayed a familiar image.
"This is Earth, the world as you know it, the surface we refer to as the human realm."
She pointed again, and three halos appeared over the planet—one white and holy, one dark and ominous, and one grey and misty, all intertwined.
"Above the human realm, in parallel dimensions, lie three realms: the angelic Heaven, the demonic Hell, and the afterlife, where the dead reside."
A parallel dimension, Rei Ao thought, understanding the relation between these worlds and Earth.
Raphiel continued, "Originally, the three realms coexisted without interfering with the human realm, maintaining a harmonious balance. However, four months ago, another world connected with ours."
Rei Ao remembered something. "The monster I killed, was it from that other world?"
Gabriel nodded. "Yes, that's right."
She then explained the current situation. The other world was chaotic, filled with different races and constant warfare, not to mention dangerous monsters. Representatives from Heaven and Hell had already gone to negotiate with the other world, but the connection between the two realms created cracks. Before negotiations were completed, creatures might slip through these cracks and cause harm to the human realm. To prevent such disturbances, angels and demons were dispatched to assess any creatures that crossed over. Dangerous creatures like the monster Rei Ao encountered were to be eliminated, while intelligent beings would be negotiated with or, if necessary, arrested or exterminated.
This explained why Rei Ao had encountered the monster and the two angels.
"If that's the case, the negotiations will likely face many obstacles," Rei Ao said, offering his thoughts. "From what you've said, the other world is chaotic, filled with warring factions and no true governing body. The best you can hope for is to negotiate with a few of the more organized races. But even if the races agree to peace, the monsters, which they themselves can't control, will keep crossing over."
"We're aware of that," Gabriel sighed. "Which is why relying solely on the power of angels and demons won't be enough."
Rei Ao could already see where this was going.
"Senpai, on behalf of Heaven, I'd like to ask you to protect the human realm to the best of your ability."
As he suspected. But Rei Ao considered the bigger picture. If Gabriel was speaking on behalf of Heaven, it meant they were betting on him, hoping that his potential was as great as they believed.
"If I'm not mistaken," Rei Ao began, "you think I'm a special kind of awakened individual. You believe I can become very strong, and you're gambling on my future, right?"
Gabriel and Raphiel both fell silent, not denying his words.