The Angel Mastering His Style (1)
James smiled as he spoke.
"Don't worry too much. Lephriel was called a tool of the heavens, so he's such a passive being... His risk of rampage is far lower than other awakenings."
James nodded after saying that. But Refri couldn't easily believe it.
Hmph, Lephriel woke up and immediately severed the limbs of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings, then massacred the elite demon soldiers around him. And that's supposed to be passive?
Refri let out a sigh. What was the point of arguing with James about what had already happened? He said he'd done it for humanity's sake, no choice. Better to let it slide nicely.
Besides, James was far stronger than him, the academy dean with way more power and authority. Charging at someone like that didn't make sense.
Ugh, no choice but to let it go.
The epitome of a bodhisattva angel, Refri. He looked ready to achieve enlightenment any second.
Having sorted his mind, Refri looked at James and said, "Got it."
"I knew you'd understand."
"Still..."
Refri glared at James with eyes red and bloodshot from crying.
"You have to pay compensation for the damages!"
Even if he'd become a bodhisattva angel, he still had to claim what was his. Summoning a dangerous element like Lephriel without consent? Time to hit them hard with compensation. Blackmail Angel Refri, activate.
"C-compensation?"
James tilted his head, as if he never expected an angel to bring this up.
"Hand it over!"
"W-wait a sec."
Refri was too short to grab the collar of the over-190cm James, so instead he yanked at the sleeves of his suit, whining.
"Gimme gimme gimme!"
Refri's childish tantrum dragged on for a while. James watched the sight.
Is this how Park Jinho felt?
The boy clutching his sleeve and throwing a fit—angels were all beautiful, sure, but Refri was somehow especially cute.
"I'll make it happen," James said with a fatherly smile.
Thanks to James's ritual, Refri returned to Central Superhuman Academy. In his arms were various expensive items James had owned.
"Phew, seeing these items... makes me feel a bit better."
Refri's eyes sparkled. He'd picked only the priciest-looking ones from James's ritual workshop... Selling these alone would let him live easy forever.
Plus, James had specially tossed in some top-tier stuff.
Now, just catch the Demon King!
So all he had to do was catch the Demon King. Then he'd live luxuriously forever off these items.
"...Yeah!"
Imagining that future lifted Refri's mood in no time.
I'll ask Jack to appraise them later.
Jack White, golden boy of the White family... and a member of the appraisal club, as expected.
He might not admit it, but Jack and Refri were kinda friends now, so he'd grumble but appraise them anyway.
So Refri decided to smile. It was the only way to suppress the anxiety bubbling in his heart, even a little.
I have to fulfill my mission.
Lephriel whispered in his mind.
Let me out.
Ominous words echoed in Refri's small head.
"No."
Refri replied.
"I'll never hurt my friends."
The little angel swore it.
Humans are animals of adaptation. Of course, Refri was an angel... but whatever, not important now.
...Lephriel? You up?
A week after the past-life awakening selection exam, Refri had already adapted to living with Lephriel in his head.
For one, Lephriel barely spoke. Aside from occasional pleas like let me out or fulfill your mission, he hardly talked about himself.
And Lephriel was well-behaved. Not like some sealed entity in manga trying to steal Refri's body, no wild ambitions or madness.
He just sat blankly, expressionless, passing time endlessly in Refri's mind.
Mooo~
Lephriel's dazed face made Refri's heart feel oddly serene.
Lephriel? Sleeping?
A flat, toneless voice replied from within.
Angels have no concept of sleep.
Oh, right. Then, can you tell me how to use this dagger?
Refri held Flabellum and muttered inwardly.
Flabellum.
EX Grade Dagger
In the era when legends and myths were recorded in the holy annals, angels enforced the heavens' will on earth with countless divine abilities. Sometimes aiding the weak and doing good, sometimes feeding the hungry, sometimes choosing heroes and vanquishing evil, and at times, personally judging as heavenly authority.
To proclaim the judge's authority, a dagger was granted to the archangel. Flabellum symbolizes heavenly honor and purges the impure in sacrificial rites to the heavens.
This dagger inflicts extreme damage on impure or evil beings.
This dagger enhances combat-related angelic divine abilities.
This dagger shines with heavenly honor in the hands of the righteous.
<Equipping this item increases Angel Power consumption!>
Great Angel's Dragon-Trampling Martial Arts!>
<This is an EX-grade item and cannot be destroyed!>
Refri read the description and thought:
It's... meh.
Flabellum's performance was solid. The high Angel Power drain was a downside like Sanctus, but the massive extra damage to impure and evil foes, the boost to Great Angel's Dragon-Trampling Martial Arts, and emitting powerful light by consuming Angel Power...
The last perk is kinda weird, but the first two are pretty good.
The problem? It was a dagger.
My current style: Fairy Fighting Method for footwork, True Cheonggu Swordsmanship for swordplay, Klein Magic for ranged. But if Flabellum's a dagger...
Sure, you could use True Cheonggu Swordsmanship with a dagger. But dagger version...
Reach is too short. Gotta go full close-range to use it properly.
Then no room for Klein Magic.
This can't be Flabellum's true potential. Because Lephriel, when facing Drumark...
Lephriel had seamlessly blended close and ranged to judge him. Seeing that, Refri instinctively knew: that was true angelic combat.
So Refri pleaded with Lephriel again.
Come on, just tell me!
...
Not gonna talk?
...
Lephriel ignored him with a doll-like blank face worthy of Marina. Crouched, peeking only his eyes out—pitiful, even.
Hmph, fine, don't tell me. I have great teachers anyway.
Lephriel tilted his head without answering.
They're good teachers, okay!
Park Jinho obsessed with swordsmanship, Rusa with martial arts, Klein pushing only magic research. Refri's awkward style stemmed from these fanatic profs, each swearing by their own way.
To grow stronger, Refri needed his own style. Yumari, Hongwol, or Soya could pull it off easily... but talentless angel Refri? Tough.
To learn angelic combat style, I need Lephriel after all.
"Urgh."
Refri groaned, head down. Then, footsteps of a girl approached.
Thudthudthud—
The pink cat sunning nearby perked its ears straight up.
"R-Refri!"
A girl's voice full of worry.
"Soya? What's up?"
"Big trouble!"
Soya yanked at her wizard hat, yelling.
Ack, I just fixed that hat a week ago...
The brim was already crumpled.
Good chance to level Repair skill. Soya really is my Angel Power skill mine...
Heh—Refri smiled.
"Refri, this isn't funny!"
"What happened?"
Soya shouted, "Final exams? Martial Arts Department and Rusa are handling everything!"
"...Other profs?"
"Dunno. Rumor is something blew up at Mariana Base, they went for support. Probably just gossip."
Something at Mariana Base? Humanity's frontline core base?
Hmm, if it was serious, they'd cancel exams.
Refri muttered while folding laundry.
"I see. That makes sense."
"What makes sense!"
Soya whined. "Rusa, the elf whose brain is pure muscle. Black magic hater—no, magic hater! Her exams are set in stone!"
Refri pondered. Rusa was a decent prof, in her way. Beat students under "education," nap during spars, confiscate smokes then smoke them herself, pick fights, curse, complain, cheer fights instead of stopping them. Hated work.
"Hmm."
Refri shook his head. No helping it.
"Soya, she's still a prof...?"
"I don't care... Rusa's exam means..."
"Means."
"Means a bloodbath, eek."
Soya hid her face with her hat brim, terrified. Then suddenly, she hacked and coughed.
"Ow, my head hurts all of a sudden. And chills."
"You're sick?"
She started inching toward the bedroom.
"Sick now? Can't be helped. You took top midterms last time, so yield to the normies this—"
Soya's words cut off. Refri had snuck up and stroked her forehead.
"Weird, no fever. Lie down? I'll make hot tea."
"A-ah."
"Huh, now I feel heat? Soya, when did it start?"
Soya wailed, "I don't know!"
Screeeeech—
A loud noise echoed from the academy main building. The telepathy amplifier's signature white noise.
"What? Academy-wide announcement?"
Refri and Soya focused on the voice to come.
"Ah, ah. Telepathy test. Telepathy test. Good, it's working."
Rusa's voice.
"My little brats, check the central main building bulletin for final exam notice. Or skip if you're confident. You know my style, right?"
A rough laugh followed.
"Kuhuhuhu, weird."
Click—white noise cut off.
"Professor Rusa."
Soya hacked again, and Refri sighed softly.