The Angel Who Realizes Reincarnation (8)
'I've felt this light before.'
James Tardun blinked.
For a shaman, the most important thing was the eye that saw the essence of the soul. Whether casting spells on an enemy's soul or predicting their attacks, that eye had to remain wide open at all times. Close it for even a moment, and the spell could crumble—or you'd lose your life.
No way... did I just blink?
Thus, James almost never blinked when awake.
It's hard to look at.
James the principal blinked again. And clenched his fist tight.
This was a story from decades ago now. Back when the otherworldly empire had completely collapsed and refugees began flooding into Earth...
There had been a last desperate resistance against the Demon King.
This light... yes, this light...
James Tardun, one of the survivors of that final resistance, remembered what this light emanating from Refri truly was.
This is Angel Power..!
The Demon King, a darkness that illuminated everywhere in this world. A beautiful androgynous boy with a black halo above his head and gray wings sprouting from his back. The Demon King had ravaged this world with his army. James's comrades had tried to stop him.
They died fulfilling their duty.
Blood was already dripping from James's clenched fist.
Hateful angels. Hateful angels!
Filled with rage, James approached Refri. To avenge his comrades falling in the darkness, to avenge the vile heavens that ravaged this world!
Wait, Lephriel?
He flinched—snapping back to his senses, James couldn't help but stop in his tracks. As a shaman, he peered into Refri's soul and, in mere seconds, confirmed that what Refri had said was true.
If it's the Lephriel from the scriptures... the judge of the world, said to be an incredibly powerful angel.
James's red eyes gazed at the boy sniffling in front of him.
"I hate labs... superhuman families too..."
Sniff, sniff—Seeing him cry, the boy seemed no different from any other kid his age. Except for how breathtakingly beautiful he was.
If I hadn't known he was Lephriel and had awakened his past life... the boy would have become Lephriel, regaining all his power.
But why had this boy revealed he was Lephriel—avoiding past-life awakening—even though he knew James hated the heavens?
Watching the boy keep sniffling, James realized one truth.
...He sacrificed himself.
He didn't know the mechanism, but if the boy awakened as Lephriel...
It'd cause a huge uproar around him. Just like with Lucifer. The boy revealed he was an angel to prevent that. He'd hidden it so well until now.
And look at him muttering about labs and superhuman families. He'd long since figured out how a fallen angel would be used on Earth.
Plus, hiding his angelic nature from James meant he knew there were many like him—haters of the heavens.
Yet to protect the students here...
He'd revealed himself as an angel. This was a sacrifice.
A sacrifice for the people.
They really exist.
James felt no more anger. Instead, gratitude welled up.
An angel who hasn't abandoned humanity... one really exists.
James approached Refri.
"Refri."
Sniff, sniff—
"Refri!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
Refri's emerald eyes, thick with tears... looked up at James in fear.
"As an educator, I offer my thanks."
James bowed his head.
"Your decision has saved the lives of countless students at the Central Superhuman Academy."
And then...
James smiled faintly.
"And come on, Angel. Do you have to cry like that? I won't hand you over to any superhuman families or labs."
Refri fidgeted, unsure what to say, then slowly, cautiously opened his mouth.
"But you..."
"Yes. I hated the heavens. And I hated the angels, brothers of Lucifer, even more."
James kept answering questions no one had asked, as if delighted.
"And I hated divine power users too. The damn church goes without saying. I hated it all, all of it, all of it."
Then he straightened his tie and gazed into the distance.
"But today, I shed tears. For the first time in decades... Do you know why?"
Refri shook his head vigorously.
"Because I saw the angel forgive the church and the superhuman families. Forgiving sinners, healing people... Isn't it ridiculous? A guy who hates the heavens, moved to ugly tears by something like that."
Before he knew it, brilliant holy power bloomed in James's hand.
"I hate the heavens. However..."
James murmured with a face full of regret.
"No one waited for an angel more than I did."
And he continued.
"I only now realize I still have faith."
His voice was filled with sincerity.
"That I still believe in the heavens."
Faith. Refri didn't believe in such words anymore. Refri believed in nothing now.
So why...
"I'm glad."
...Was Refri smiling upon hearing that?
James gently took Refri's hand and kissed the back of it in respect.
"Thank you for staying on Earth. Angel."
James gazed at the grand ritual circle set up underground. Mystical patterns drawn in dragon's blood, the pinnacle of his occult knowledge—his greatest masterpiece.
"Please let me go...!"
And the boy bound at the center of that grand ritual circle was named Refri.
"Don't worry too much. Everything will be fine."
"Th-this feels really wrong."
Refri replied in a trembling voice. No, just a moment ago, things were going so nicely. Why is this happening all of a sudden?
He replayed how things had come to this.
Through their conversation, a warm atmosphere had bloomed between James and Refri. James, with a moved expression, gazed at Refri and casually dropped a bombshell.
"Shall we begin the past-life awakening, then?"
"Huh? What have you been hearing? I told you, if I awaken as Lephriel, the Central Superhuman Academy will be toast!"
James shook his head and spoke again.
"I'll do my best to minimize that risk."
"No, Principal?"
"And..."
James led Refri up the stairs. At the top, there was no mansion. Instead of the Central Superhuman Academy grounds, majestic mountain ranges stretched out.
"See? Even if you rampage as Lephriel, the academy won't be harmed."
"Wh-where is this?"
"Have you heard of the Loki Mountains? A range protected by my shamanism. Go wild all you want."
Refri said to James, a bit angrily.
"You're weaker than Lephriel. Why take such a reckless risk?"
"I know it's reckless. But there's no other way."
"No other way? Just awaken some other student!"
James shook his head and spoke firmly.
"No. You must awaken your past life. The others don't matter."
"Why the hell—!"
"...Because humanity doesn't have much time left."
Humanity had little time left. Refri had sensed it too. Sure, they'd captured Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings member Drumark, and through Refri's blood, sweat, and tears, humanity had gained all sorts of small benefits.
But in just a few years, the Demon King's army would launch a full-scale offensive. That was certain.
"There's an old saying: No means barred. Before a species' survival, there are no means we can afford to hesitate over."
James's voice held conviction.
"To weaponize an archangel... As humanity's guardian, I can't miss this chance."
"No! Eek!"
"And I..."
And so Refri was dragged kicking and screaming into the grand ritual circle.
"...I believe."
A voice full of conviction. Eyes burning with faith.
The gaze he'd seen during midterms, from that cult, the New Truth Church.
The eyes of a fanatic.
"...Ah."
You couldn't stop a fanatic.
Refri didn't pray. He just squeezed his eyes shut, recalling Klein's white room.
Red circles began to glow. The language of a long-extinct race poured from James's mouth.
A song he'd heard somewhere before... no, a song he'd never heard in this life, resounded.
Refri kept his eyes shut, steeling his will.
A time passed—long if long, short if short.
As the song echoed and even the blindfolded Refri sensed the red light rising from below...
A voice came.
"It's done."
James murmured in an exhausted voice.
"It succeeded."
With those words, Refri was freed.
"Wha-what?"
Refri looked over his body. Touched his back.
Let's see—no wings on his back, face the same, height unchanged.
"Nothing changed?"
"Exactly."
Hah, hah—James smiled as he said it.
"I did just one thing. Opened the door."
"A door?"
"Yes. The door to awakening."
And then James muttered to himself, 'That's the only way to prevent rampage—seal oneself within oneself. Autism... only autism...'
"The door to awakening? Explain properly!"
"Refri, contemplate yourself. You'll understand."
No, in this situation, self-contemplation was nearly impossible even for Refri, who'd aced Klein Magic meditation class.
"Hurry."
But James was stubborn.
Refri lamented that angels couldn't swear, then sat in proper posture and entered meditation.
Klein-style magic meditation.
The purple room—too chaotic surroundings, too chaotic Refri's heart... naturally, a very shallow meditation.
...Wait?
Even so, Refri felt it.
Someone inside him.
A boy who looked exactly like him, wearing a cold, expressionless face like Yumari's. With the halo unique to angels, and scars from torn wings on his back.
Let me out.
Refri knew this boy's name.
Lephriel? Lephriel is inside my heart?
At that moment, James's voice rang out.
"Do you feel it? Now, within your mind... the archangel Lephriel, judge of the old world, is sealed."
James grinned.
Refri stared at him blankly.
"Principal, this is..."
"From now on, use that sealed archangel in your heart... learn more knowledge, acquire more skills. Borrow his power sometimes... perfect, isn't it?"
Perfect? Suddenly having a random tenant in his heart—who'd call this perfect?
But to fool angel Refri, it was a tempting offer.
"Th-then... no side effects?"
"Ahem, do you like comics by any chance?"
Comics? Of course Refri liked them quite a bit.
"Ever read ones where a gumiho is sealed in your body, or a grim reaper shares a body with an evil spirit? Or eat a finger to become a shaman?"
"...Well, now that you mention it, a few come to mind."
James pointed at Refri with a smile.
"Think of the side effects from those comics."
Side effects from those comics...?
What did the protagonists suffer? Body taken by the gumiho, possessed by a ghost, taken by a finger.
"You mean there's a chance Lephriel takes my body and rampages?"
"...You're quick on the uptake."
"Haa."
Refri looked up at the sky.
"Why can't angels swear?"
For a moment forgetting he was an angel, Refri desperately wanted to curse James out refreshingly.