The High Heavens and the Gacha Call (5)

"...Cheonma hero? Could you please step aside? I’m currently in the middle of a conversation with the Eodum hero... why are you blocking my way?"

"........................... Even if you are an Archangel... you should respect boundaries."

Due to the unexpected intrusion of Archangel Gabriel, Cheonma reacted like a cat with its fur standing on end, facing off against an owner trying to snatch away its fish.

"Excuse me?"

"Right now... it is our time with the human. So... I don't think it's quite right for you to just approach us without asking for our consent."

"Hmm... so you're asking me to approach you after asking properly...? But what to do? I don't think the Eodum hero feels the same way~"

As Archangel Gabriel and Cheonma continued to bicker—clearly not liking each other—Gabriel suddenly turned her head slightly to look at me, pressing the issue.

Whiz—

"........."

"........."

At Gabriel's words, Cheonma also turned her body, staring at my face in silence, as if asking with her eyes if what the angel said was true.

Yeah...

Come to think of it...

What's the big deal if she's obsessed with me?

It's probably just a phase... because I'm a novelty. Like a toy.

She'll get bored and throw me away soon enough, right?

And besides...

If I can't even protect my Gacha players... what would that make me?

I need to show them my dignity............!

I slowly lowered the microphone I was holding, gave a wink to Cheonma, who was watching me, and then turned my gaze to Gabriel.

When I looked toward Gabriel, Cheonma gave a slight, knowing smile, nodded, then returned her expression to a blank stare before turning to face Gabriel.

She stared for a second, then stepped back to my left.

"Hmm~ Is the talk over? Then, if I may take a step forward..."

"I....... I'm sorry to interrupt you while you're speaking, but..."

"...............Yes?"

Archangel Gabriel, who had been taking a step toward me, was caught completely off guard by my sudden interruption.

She was so flustered that her eyes went wide... it was a look of such significant agitation that it felt like she was saying, 'You... d-did you just cut me off?'

"I apologize, Archangel Gabriel. It's just that... it's only right that I take care of my colleagues... no, my people first. Once again, I apologize."

I bowed at a 90-degree angle as if truly sorry, then slowly straightened up and looked at Gabriel.

"......"

"......"

Gabriel, whom I looked up at, bit her lip slightly as if she hadn't expected this at all, looking at me with an expression that seemed to say, 'I... I feel like I've been betrayed by you. How could you do this to me?'

I lifted the microphone back to my lips and opened my mouth.

...I'll try to spin this as best as I can...

I put on a thick face and, without Gabriel's consent, began to ramble on, interpreting the situation as I pleased.

"Ahahahaha! My Angels! I'm sorry for stopping the proceedings because I was surprised by Archangel Gabriel's sudden entrance! But it seems Archangel Gabriel was truly fascinated by my abilities! She must have been so flustered that she came all the way up here herself. Even forgetting her dignity!"

"Now... because I have to protect my players.... I cannot allow intrusions like this~ Even if you are a fanatical fan of my abilities and our players! Regardless of rank, what's wrong is wrong!"

I raised my hand—the one not holding the microphone—into the air and performed the finger snap of the villain from that movie, AvengerX, which I had watched with my juniors at a theater during a military leave.

As I snapped my fingers, a memory of the "Sergeant games" I used to play in the military flashed through my mind.

It was probably... right after I had just made Sergeant.

It was so fun to raise my hand with a triumphant expression and go snap!, pretending my juniors were vanishing...

Aaaargh, my... my hand!

Ah... Mother...

I... I'm in pain, Sergeant Kim!

Hooeeeek.

I was momentarily lost in the memory, but I shook my head to clear it.

The past is the past... and right now, I have to do what I need to do!

Snap—!

As my thumb and middle finger crossed and the middle finger struck my palm, a crisp sound echoed. I thought, "I wish everyone except the humans would fall off the machine," and suddenly, with a thud, Gabriel was launched off the machine.

Thooom—

Whirrrrrrr—

Swoosh—

Gabriel, sent flying, rotated in mid-air to slow her momentum, then immediately spread her wings and came to a stop in the sky.

The Cube followed her movement, broadcasting the image of Gabriel, who was left hanging in the sky, mouth agape in shock and disbelief.

The angels, who had been watching this through the Cube, were left speechless by the sudden turn of events.

And then...

When the remark from Gabriel, who hadn't yet recovered from the shock of being tossed away, was broadcast through the Cube, the angels began to murmur.

"........ She... pushed me away? She... pushed... me away...?"

Murmur murmur murmur murmur murmur murmur...

This is insane........ Did she just... get rejected? The Archangel... Gabriel?

Unbelievable.........

Gabriel got rejected!? By a human!? And a male at that!?

Seeing signs that all sorts of rumors were being manufactured and distorted, I immediately put my mouth to the microphone to do some damage control.

"Angels! This is merely a measure to protect the players. Excluding the players! Regardless of who it is! No one can stand up here! I apologize, Gabriel! You understand, right?"

"............. *Grind*"

Grind... Grind...

At my words, the Cube broadcast Gabriel looking furious, biting her own fingernails.

Dammit...

Did I just poke a hornet's nest?

No... why are you reacting like that!

Why are you biting your nails!

Get a grip!

Deciding it was too difficult to deal with her, I tried to ignore Gabriel and quickly called the next player, Judang.

"Now! You must all be tired of waiting! Shall we meet the next player quickly! The next player is... a player more obsessed with Gacha than alcohol! Judang!"

"....."

Judang appeared on the Cube, looking shy, waving her hands left and right with an awkward smile.

I approached her to offer some encouragement.

Getting close to Judang, I held the microphone out toward her and asked as if conducting an interview.

"Now... Player Judang! The two players before you showed us something... do you think you can do it too?"

"............"

After a moment of hesitation, Judang seemed to have made a big decision; she nodded vigorously and opened her mouth.

"This humble monk... believes it is possible if I use the power of Buddha! And... I ask for a round of applause for encouragement!"

"..........!"

No...

She's going to show us this "power of Buddha(?)," which she's never shown before, right here, right now?

To say something like that in this stronghold, which believes in a different god... she's got some serious guts.

Yeah!

After all, you need that kind of audacity to leave a lasting impression on these angels!

I'll help you, Judang!

Since it's come to this!

Give us something big...

I pulled the microphone back toward myself and started acting as the hype man.

"Ooooooh! Here, where they believe in a holy god... are you spreading faith in another entity! What audacity!"

"Buddha is nowhere, and yet Buddha is everywhere......"

"...Excuse me? Does that mean it's there as if it's not? I have no idea what you're..."

"Hap-!"

Surprisingly, Judang played along with my hosting, finishing the interview—if you could call it that—with a quick Hap, pressing her palms together as if telling me to shut up.

Then, she inserted 10 of the 500 coins I had summoned for her, pulled the lever, and began to examine what she could pull.

Ding-

The machine's screen switched, displaying the Gacha items.

Clunk

Ding-a-ling-a-ling

..

..

Clunk

Ding-a-ling-a-ling

"Hmm... I don't see the name of any alcohol worth pulling..."

My energy drained at the mention of her looking for alcohol, and I slowly lowered the microphone and asked Judang.

".... Were you looking for alcohol?"

"Of course... because the answer lies within."

"........"

You're really something else...

Coming all the way here and looking for booze.

Well... I guess a drink while looking at the scenery I saw outside... would be quite romantic.

Judang had done that nine times and was about to operate the lever again, but seeing that the item she wanted wasn't on the list, she looked disappointed and tried to pull the lever one last time to reset the Gacha items.

And as I looked at the 9th list from behind Judang, I suddenly saw a familiar name.

???????????

Kono?

Kono... yaro?

"Judang! Wait, stop."

"...? Why, young hero?"

I stopped Judang, who was about to pull the lever to reset the Gacha items, at the sight of the familiar text.

I walked right up to Judang's side and placed my hand over hers.

"......Young hero..... *Hic!?*"

"Just stay like this for a moment."

Keeping my eyes on the screen, I held Judang's hand, took it off the lever, moved it to the button together, and pressed it.

With a pounding heart, I watched the screen of the machine with nervous anticipation, hoping against hope.

Please... let my guess be right...

That's it!

..........

.........

".............. Dammit... I hit the jackpot of a lifetime...!"

My dazed voice spread softly through the Cube.

A Kono...

A coin karaoke!

A people who live for music and die for music...

As a descendant of a people who overcame ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠any hardship through song...

How could I resist a coin karaoke?

I absolutely have to pull it!

I squeezed the hand I had placed over Judang's and looked at her face.

"...... Yo...young hero... we... we shouldn't be doing this between us... how could you..."

"................"

"........Young hero?"

"Judang! Absolutely... we absolutely have to pull this... this... we absolutely have to pull this!"

"............."

Was it because of the sudden pressure? Judang looked at me with a stiff expression. I pondered for a moment on how to soothe her, then just handed her the microphone.

"....?"

"....."

Judang received the microphone I handed her with both hands, looking up at me with a question mark on her face, as if asking why she was getting it.

Seeing that, I pulled Judang into my arms.

As I hugged her, I opened my mouth as if to tell her to find courage.

"Judang... you can... do it, right?"

"O...of course!!!! Trust me! Young hero!"

Having regained her confidence, Judang shouted loudly while still in my arms.

Then, Judang's voice, now full of confidence, echoed through the conference room via the microphone I had given her and the Cube.

As expected!

You truly are a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠defrocked monk who has mastered the arts of drinking, singing, and lust, Judang!

So, for my sake...!

I have no doubt that you'll pull it for me!

I'm counting on you!

..

..

Grind...

Grind...

I heard the sound of someone biting their nails repeatedly, but because of the appearance of the coin karaoke, I let it slide...

At the time, I had no idea that this would spark an obsession and lead to a major incident...