The bell rang twelve times.
The sound of the bell became an unforgettable memory in the hearts of the believers gathered in the central plaza.
They were still believers, still following Ra's law, but whether they would continue to do so remained uncertain.
Peope flew to Igrin, her voice filled with concern.
"Chief! Are you okay?"
Seeing Igrin's shattered knees, Peope felt guilty. She was ashamed of having done nothing while her comrades fought.
Igrin forced a smile, as if to soothe her junior's shocked heart.
"I'm fine. This is the price for the destruction of the regulation. It's something I must endure. Are you okay?"
Peope replied,
"Yes. I'm fine."
Igrin nodded,
"That's good."
Peope couldn't meet Igrin's eyes.
Though Igrin knew Peope hadn't participated in the battle, she didn't scold her. Instead, she worried about her well-being.
Igrin had always been intimidating, but in this moment, Peope couldn't help but respect her.
Igrin scanned the plaza with a troubled expression.
The tilted statue, the shattered glass orb, the black smoke rising from the device—the Day of Rebirth had been completely negated. Today was a groundbreaking day for Heaven.
Igrin thought to herself,
'Perhaps the repercussions will be greater than when Miro came.'
Miro, a woman far stronger than the golden-haired boy, had been cautious. She knew better than anyone the impact her actions would have on Heaven.
'What will happen now? An era of great upheaval is coming. Heaven will change from this day forward.'
Peope suddenly stepped in front of Igrin, ready to fight. Shirone and his group were approaching.
Peope shouted,
"Stay back! The fight is over! If you still want to fight, I'll take you on myself!"
Igrin stopped her.
"It's fine, Peope. I want to talk to this boy too."
Embarrassed, Peope quietly stepped aside and stood next to Igrin.
Shirone crouched down to match Igrin's eye level.
Having only seen flying fairies, he now realized how small they were.
They were truly no bigger than a handful.
Igrin, unyielding, lifted her chin and said,
"Hmph! Child from the earthly world, my defeat does not negate the divine law. I am merely a mid-ranking member of the 72 classes of fairies. Today's victory does not deify you."
Shirone replied,
"I don't care about that. I just wanted to save the lives of those who helped me. Is that so wrong?"
Igrin didn't think it was wrong. But considering the impact on Heaven, it was a different matter.
Is one life less valuable than ten? No. But what about a hundred million? A billion lives? What judgment would you make?
Miro had known this. That's why she left Heaven. In the cruel reality of sacrificing one for the many, she had found her only answer.
But this boy was different. He didn't consider efficiency when doing what was right. He couldn't place value on human life.
Extreme righteousness.
Igrin now felt what Arcane had felt before.
Igrin said firmly,
"Leave this place."
It was the only thing she could say.
"You have brought chaos to Heaven. I can't predict what will happen next. So leave. Disappear from our world as quickly as possible."
Shirone began to protest,
"But we..."
Before he could finish, a red light flashed from the east.
The group turned in shock.
A flash of light erupted from the Second Heaven, Rakiah. Judging by the distance, it was an enormous release of energy.
Everyone in the plaza covered their ears.
A vibration, as if the world were ending, shook the heavens.
Like a drill being driven down, a red flash struck the center of the plaza. As the light faded, an angel with torn wings of light appeared.
Igrin's pupils shook in shock.
"Fallen Angel Icasa... Why are you here?"
The Second Heaven, Rakiah, was where fallen angels were exiled.
While beings from the Second Heaven were allowed into the First Heaven, it was rare for a fallen angel to enter the realm of believers. Their pride, once residents of the Sixth Heaven, didn't allow them to interact with humans.
Igrin realized that the seeds of chaos Shirone had planted were already changing Heaven's laws.
Icasa declared,
"I am the low-ranking angel Icasa. I have descended to this land after witnessing the disturbance during the sacred Day of Rebirth ritual."
Shirone couldn't stop trembling.
Over two meters tall with sharp eyes. Though her beauty remained, her demeanor was far from what he had expected.
If the angel he had seen at Noor's sanctuary reminded him of a radiant sun, this angel was like a fading sunset.
Icasa glared at Shirone with hatred.
"You are the ones who deny the gods. Detestable beings. You do not know the love you receive and foolishly mock the divine."
Fallen angels were beings of the Second Heaven, lower in rank than the humans of the Third Heaven, Shehakim, who had gained eternal life.
Even giants and fairies were beneath humans. Why did the gods cherish humans so much?
The anger she had harbored for 20,000 years was on the verge of exploding.
Icasa declared,
"I will judge you in place of the gods."
Her holy light expanded into a ring one meter in diameter. The massive ring of light acted as a rail, accelerating sparkling particles of light.
Igrin's face turned pale. Though fallen angels had lost most of their power due to their sins, their remaining strength was still beyond what a Shaman could handle.
Igrin shouted,
"Icasa! You mustn't! If a fallen angel opens the light ring—"
Icasa laughed,
"Hohoho! The heretics will die anyway! Consider it an honor that I am dealing with you personally!"
The energy radiating from Icasa's body made Shirone's mind grow distant.
The difference in power was insurmountable. This couldn't be real. Such a being couldn't exist in this world.
Shirone turned with all his might. Time seemed to slow, as if under a slow-motion spell. The air he exhaled hadn't even reached his throat yet.
When he finally prepared to shout, only one thought filled his mind:
"Run!"
Arin was already holding the Metagate, ready to activate the device.
But even a second was too long for her.
Faster! Faster! Even though all she had to do was press a button, the two-centimeter distance wouldn't close.
A wind blew behind Shirone. The Metagate in Arin's hand vanished as if by magic.
The group stood frozen in shock.
Icasa, standing beside Arin with her left hand on her hip, examined the Metagate in her hand.
It wasn't that they hadn't seen her move. She wasn't as fast as light or wind.
But she was undoubtedly fast.
A speed somewhere between living beings and nature—proof that they were different from humans from the moment of their creation.