Miel 1
"At that time, the demon who had cast the divine power died, so I came right back..."
Rico's voice brimmed with frustration. Her red eyes caught the moonlight, gleaming all the more vividly.
So why use it on me! Are you trying to kill me! Fueled by anger and anxiety, I flapped my wings even faster. In my desperation, I darted straight for Rico's head and started ruffling her black locks.
"Ah! Miel! What're you doing?"
You seriously don't know? I burrowed into her hair and tousled it even harder.
"Ugh! Don't tell me you used it on Miel this time!? What do we do? We're trapped in Heaven too, y'know! Completely stuck!"
Michael's voice was scatterbrained, like a kid's. No matter how I looked at her, she didn't feel like a god at all...
"Eh... You're trapped?"
But gods trapped in Heaven? What the heck did that mean?
On the opposite side of the colosseum, Solaris watched us. Her red hair, radiant as the sun, swayed gently, and a subtle heat emanated from her body. Amusement and curiosity danced in her golden eyes.
"Yeah! It's a long story, but basically, we can't go down to the human world at all! Even giving blessings or intervening is super tough!"
Michael waved her hands wildly in the air, explaining with fervor. Her thin, gauzy outfit fluttered with every motion. It was so sheer that the moonlight revealed her silhouette perfectly underneath. My gaze drifted to her involuntarily—way too revealing.
"Uh, then the stuff I got and becoming your apostle...?"
Rico's red eyes sparkled with hope. Unconsciously, her hand stroked the sword called Crimson Bind at her waist. A faint red mist wafted up from it.
"That took all my power! I scraped every last bit of divine energy!"
Michael puffed out her chest proudly, making the fabric seem even thinner. Well, at least my eyes were getting a treat here.
"Gasp! Michael... thank you so much..."
"Yep! Of course! You're my apostle!"
Michael patted Rico's head. Her hair was already a mess from my handiwork, but she didn't seem to care.
"Hehe..."
Suddenly the talk's veering off with all this haha-ho-ho nonsense! We need to find a way back first! My wings beat faster in impatience. The shadow of my icy wings flickered blue across the crystal floor.
"You two are so simply foolish—really cut from the same cloth. That god and her apostle... Watching this is giving me a headache."
Solaris's voice was deep and velvety, laced with a weighty authority—like millennia compressed into sound. Yeah, she's the real deal. I needed to talk to Solaris.
Rainbow energy swirled around her, like a miniature solar system orbiting her core. Tiny specks of light traced slow paths along its orbit. Up close, her skin gleamed with golden luster.
Leaving Rico and Michael lost in their little bubble, I flew to Solaris and flapped my wings furiously to signal I wanted to talk. My blue wings clashed with her red aura, sparking bursts of purple.
"Hm? You want to chat?"
She got my wingbeats instantly! Rico always messes it up. Just days ago, I flapped for water, and she doused me in weird pollen!
"Writing letters... hmm... no, hold on. Too bothersome."
Solaris raised her right hand. Golden light converged on her fingertip, as if all illumination in the world funneled there. In a blink, a tiny sun—about the size of my head—formed at her finger. It pulsed like a living thing, radiating light.
She floated the little sun toward me slowly. Warm sunlight and sunflower scent enveloped me. It orbited lazily around me, its heat cozy rather than scorching. Like Cecilia's warmth? Pure comfort and stability washed over me.
"Think your words like a prayer to the sun. I'll hear them."
Her face was earnest, but mischief twinkled at the corners of her eyes.
'Rico's an idiot.' I blurted my top thought first—straight from the heart.
"Huhu. Such a clear, bell-like voice. You called Ricoris an idiot, right?"
A smile curved Solaris's lips.
Whoa! It actually worked! Writing's such a pain—this is perfect! My view cleared right up! Joy sped my flaps; the tiny sun spun in sync, tracing golden rings with glowing afterimages. Like having my own Lote.
"What'd she say? Miel?"
Michael's cheeks flushed pink—probably from her fun chat with Rico.
"She called Ricoris an idiot."
"What?! Miel! You said that about me?!"
Rico's red eyes bulged. Bewilderment flooded her face in an instant.
Serves you right! If you're not the idiot, who is?!
'We gotta find a way back quick! Even if we return, it might dump us on the plain where we were—not inside the carriage!'
"Oh, detailed this time. Hurry and find a way back, she says. Might end up on the plain, not the carriage."
"What? Our position's locked to the horizon coordinate system!?"
Rico's shout echoed through the colosseum.
Horizon... coordinate system...? What's that...?
Rico's an idiot, but she drops smart-sounding bombs sometimes.
"Waa! Rico, you're a genius! What's a horizon coordinate system? Tell me!"
"Ehehe... Well, a horizon coordinate system is..."
Michael and Rico plunged back into their world. Stars sparkled in Michael's eyes; Rico shrugged sheepishly, scratching her head.
Sigh...
"Hmm... A way to the human world..."
Meanwhile, Solaris tapped her chin, deep in thought. Her expression turned grave.
"Come to think of it, there is one method."
Her words cut their chatter short. They both turned to her, faces alight with hope.
"What? What? There's a way?"
Michael's eyes glittered like giant stars.
"How about the Demon Realm? Use the passages the evil gods are building—you could reach the human world."
Solaris's tone was even, but the suggestion hit like a thunderclap. The colosseum air iced over.
"What!?"
Michael's cry boomed across the arena.
'Demon Realm? Where's that?'
"Opposite of Heaven. Where the evil gods dwell."
Solaris flicked her hand, tracing a red line in the air. It morphed into two abutting circles—one golden, the other dark crimson.
"Solaris! Ridiculous! How could you send these cute kids to the Demon Realm?! Way too dangerous!"
Solaris smiled, pointing at Rico. Her golden finger swept over her from head to toe.
"Michael, think. Ricoris's looks and vibe? Every evil god would adore her."
Michael and I stared at Rico. Her black hair with pink tips, crimson eyes, and black dress etched with bloodlike red patterns? Perfect Demon Realm aesthetic. And the Crimson Bind at her waist endlessly exhaled red mist.
"Plus that sword. Cursed magic blade slathered in the kind of hexes evil gods obsess over."
I nodded inwardly. Rico was totally their type.
"True, but..."
Hesitation clouded Michael's face, worry pooling in her eyes.
"Any other options?"
She bit her lip, then shook her head.
"Uuum... Guess that's the only way..."
Resignation tinged her voice. Her gaze flicked worriedly between Rico and me.
"Michael, how do we even get to the Demon Realm? And I'm your apostle—won't the evil gods notice...?"
Michael's expression sobered as she began explaining.
"Heaven and the Demon Realm were originally one. So they're actually right next to each other. Upper's Heaven, lower's Demon Realm..."
As she spoke, Solaris's twin circles drew nearer, merging into one. Gold and dark red swirled into mystical purple radiance.
"And for the apostle bit, seal your divine power temporarily—no one'll notice."
"Hmm... Is it really okay...?"
Anxiety laced Rico's voice. Her hand fidgeted with the Crimson Bind at her waist. The red mist billowed stronger.