Everything has cause and effect.
Of course, not everything could possibly be explained with data, reason, and logic. As long as humans are involved, the equation of goodness equal to more goodness couldn't possibly be established.
But most of the time, this concept works wonder to any situation.
Including...the possible death of oneself.
*Fuuhhh...*
After sending the kid off, instead of returning to her work post, she's still busily sucking the cigarette for more than one hour. Not to mention, it's her seventh stick already.
"Hmm?"
Before she could take another deep breath from it, a blue magic circle appears near her indicating the appearance of another angel, which shouldn't be happening originally.
"She finally comes, huh?"
However, not an ounce of surprise coloring her face. On the contrary, she's been expecting 'her' arrival, if not a bit late than her prediction.
*Pring!*
Then, with a bright inducing blinding light on the circle, the one she expects appear in a full battle mode--
"You fuck*ng assho*e...I'll rips your bloody limbs ...!!"
...With colorful cursing and passionate hostility to boot.
Even Sophia herself feels a bit speechless at her current appearance. She knows it will be her partner giving the supposed punishment, but never thought she would be THIS riled up.
After all, she knows best just how much Ria hate cursing.
(...Huh, isn't she scarier than that bug assh*le?)
FYI, the bug she mentioned inside her mind is one of the demon kings she slew on the past, which has the infamous name, Beelzebub.
So try to imagine, for she compares that kind of existence with the royally piss*d off angel in front of her.
"...Well, I'll be damned."
Yup, she's going to die.
"AND HOW COULD YOU STILL BE THIS FUC*ING CALM, AAAAHHHHH!? HAVE YOU REALIZED WHAT IN THE HELL YOU JUST DONE!? YOU IDIOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!"
They really are the perfect pair in many ways.
-30 minutes later....-
"So you finally calmed down?"
"Zeh...heeehh...just, who's fault..is it...supposed to be..!!"
For a good half an hour of bonding(?) each other, one blonde angel is gently consoling the currently panting heavily platinum blonde. Although her rage gave her a nice power-up, it wasn't enough to fill the gap of battle veteran standing in the front line for hundreds of years.
The scene could be said as...heartwarming(?), but the horribly burnt mark and icy particles rolling around the surrounding make the scene more surreal than ever.
Seeing her hate-filled eyes directed to her, Sophia could only bitterly smile for all the mess she made.
"Sorry, Ria."
"Huhk."
Now that's a bloody surprise. Even she couldn't help got choke up with that one single apology.
Because, this woman...is the worst on saying the word 'sorry' to someone. Hell, there's even a famous story when she was on fault, but shamelessly blamed her superior with no sign of guilt from it.
And that same woman is sincerely saying sorry with that stiff back bent on perfect 90 degrees.
"Haaahhhh~~~....."
After a long, long sigh for giving up on everything, she sat on the barely standing, broken chair with an "I don't care anymore," face.
".....Just what happened?"
And gained a bit of rationality.
Just a bit though.
"Wow, you going to forgive this frail, weak me? How kind you are~~~"
...Which almost got snapped out again after looking at her teasing face.
(Frail!? WEAK!? You, who is the most feared angel out of everyone is WEAK!? Give me a fuck*ng break!! Even if thousands of demons come to invade, they will piss their pants only by hearing your name!!)
If she really, REALLY has the power to snap this woman in half, then she won't even hesitate in less than one coma second to do so.
Seriously, she's supposed to be godd*mn angel, but her talent in making someone angry is worse than any other devil she knows. Sadly, since she's the defeated one, she could only swallow her dissatisfaction before escaping from her mouth.
"Well, jokes aside, I'm seriously sorry for making you worry. Honest."
"....Tsk."
Not used with her acting this meek, she could only click her tongue and fold her hands. Besides, even she could tell something did happen after looking at her troubled face.
"Explain. And don't even dare to skip any single bit of it!"
"....Explain, huh."
(...HMMMM???)
This is weird.
Correction, an 'abnormality' that never happens even once. This woman, who dares to put the middle finger in front of the archangel straightly is---
(Hesitating?)
Right. The word 'wishy-washy' doesn't really fit her at all. But, her oddly struggling face, putting her hand on the chin while pondering deeply, and sighing slightly from time to time. All of it is something she had never seen before.
Which means...
"...Sophia, just WHAT really happened?"
"....."
....The thing she will speak will be no less than groundbreaking.
Not only that--
"Hey Ria, is the truth what matters most?"
"...Excuse me?"
"No, I mean, can I just gloss it over and pretend this doesn't happen. Pretty please~~?"
Her pretentious teary eyes and pleading voice bring her goosebumps to no end but Ria's heart is getting colder and colder.
"....Sophia. Are you truly doing this to me? Do you really want to die?"
Because avoiding the truth is one of the biggest taboo that shouldn't ever happen nor should it be said as a joke either. Although Sophia expects her to be angry, she just couldn't help saying it so. After all, she knows that Ria is pretty much the most devoted angel out of everyone.
And the thing she's going to say...
"...Haaahh~~~...Yep, thought so. This really isn't my style. Godd*mn it all."
"Can you please stop cursing? I already gave up in telling you, but please do it outside of my watch."
"....You will be doing this too after knowing 'it'."
"HUH?"
Instead of retorting back to that, Sophia could only sigh helplessly while shaking own head due to frustration and sadness. In any case, there's not much to say anymore. The recording device for giving a report is still functioning so Ria can just watch it.
Besides.
(...She'll accept it easier that way.)
No, should it be said as 'couldn't be avoided' anymore? This is the biggest blasphemy, crime, and sin that could ever happen in the long history of heaven.
For her, devotion is the last thing she has on her list, so she was not that devastated but the woman in front of her is the complete opposite.
While holding this dilemma in her head, her hands are moving to take out the recorder device for showing it to her partner.
Regrets? She definitely will regret showing this to her partner.
"...."
But on that silent pressure giving on her partner, there's nothing Sophia could do anymore.
So, while cursing her lamentable fate, she finally opens up the past recording an hour ago to show the truth.
Truth, that'll overturn Heaven for eternity.
*****
[...Better yet, how many people...]
[...Really? This is crazy...]
[What does that--mean....]
[What will be your....]
"...Wow, this human is quite amazing, doesn't he? I never have seen someone who could handle you this smoothly."
"....."
Even though she heard a derogatory comment, Sophia didn't throw a fit. Instead, she's just busy sucking the cigarette she just pulls out 15 minutes ago. Ria, who already knows her partner's bad habit just blatantly ignores it.
But seeing her this unresponsive, she couldn't help tilting her head.
(Just what's wrong with her?)
Sure, her job did went south and pretty much get debunked, but it's not like she failed. If she did, she will just plainly said it so.
Moreover...
(Why is she this....calm?)
It doesn't fit her at all.
The Sophia that she knows is loud, boisterous, and sarcastic, but never quiet. Seeing her not responsive to her low jab didn't help to calm her tense nerves.
While worries and doubts are swirling inside her mind, the videos are constantly playing without consideration of her disturbed feelings.
Then...it happened.
[You asshole....]
"!!? Sophia, what in the name of God had you done to him!?"
"Just watch it until the end, Ria."
"And ignore the foolish act you just did right in front of my face!!? You think I'm blind!? His soul is going to be exting--"
*BANG!*
Before Ria could continue her rant on and on, a slam to the table and deathly glare shut her mouth completely. Unconsciously, her body flinches due to her unexpected act.
"SIT. DOWN."
Rather, she was pressurized by her overwhelming presence. Despite fooling around like a delinquent, her achievements and prowess have never disappeared nor been sullied.
It makes Ria herself be reminded once more who is she TRULY facing right now.
The angel of death, Sophia.
For she is the one who gives deaths and fears to their archenemies from the oldest times.
"Kuh..."
"I won't say it the third time. WATCH .IT. UNTIL. THE. END."
"....Understood."
So, she obediently retracts her frustration and goes back to her seat. Bantering around is fine, but a mad Sophia is equal to terror even for her. Luckily, the moment Sophia rebuke Ria's action, the video had been paused by her.
After all, this is the moment of truth Sophia wanted to show.
While Ria is panicking and worrying about the poor soul's fate, the scene continues in the part where Sophia trying to coerce the guy on accepting her offer.
And when he is covered by the blue flames...
"...HUH?"
The impossible has truly happened in front of RIa's eyes.
In an extremely bad way.
(...Wh-what just...but that's!?)
For a second, she doesn't understand the scene shown in front of her. To be precise, her mind subconsciously rejects it.
Sophia's blue flame is one of the most powerful fire ever existed. No matter is it angels, demon, or lower-ranked Gods, all of them will perish just by the flick of her own finger.
The only exception of her flames to NOT burn something or someone is either due to her will...
Or something much darker needed to perish.
"For your information, I read his whole life's record to double-check it. Lucky me the departments still have the files despite the poor job on the 'resume'."
While Ria is dumbfounded by the scenes continuing to play in front of her, Sophia interject in this timing.
Ria said she wants the truth and the truth only.
Then she'll give it.
"Both of us know that the karma system is managed by our only master, which is The One God. As long as his presence existed, then his created system will function with or without his intervention."
The cruelest truth all angels never want to hear.
"...."
"Theoretically, there will be no humans could ever have positive fortune OR negative ones more than the bar limit set by him. And we also know what is the exact limit."
The inevitable. The delayed fact of all angels held inside their hearts. The one fact Ria herself desperately wants to reject until her death.
For this betrayal is sharper than any weapon stabbed to her heart.
"Imagine my surprises when the guy possessed negativities equivalent to low-rank demon king, eh? Looks like there really IS a problem with that damned system."
"....o..."
"And the funnier thing is? That sh*t I just burned to ashes two hours ago is the leftover from the past, which is impossible to ever happen, originally."
"...no...."
"Of course, that too shouldn't possibly occur if that system works properly. After all, if a certain 'someone' manages and fixes the flowing karmas correctly, then cases like this would never happen and I'll still do the damned paperwork while cursing."
"...No..!"
"Which means, that 'problem' I mentioned? It's not because of me, you or even that beloved department. The only one who let this happen is---"
"..NO!..NONONONONONO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
"The Fu*king God who abandoned us."
********
She should have seen this coming. She really does, in a small part of her mind. Even though she did know something's wrong with the system, all she thought was just some small glitch.
In a way and at a certain period, she wasn't entirely wrong.
After her be--...Fuc*ing asshole of a master abandoned all of his children, creations, and servants just like old, broken toys, Earth had changed from bad to absolute worse.
Not in an obvious or alarming rate per se, but slow and steady pace that until none of them could notice it.
(Or is it we 'pretended' to do so?)
It could be both or neither of the mentioned reasons.
Either way, what's certain right now is that; one, the supposed MIA God is gone forever indefinitely. Two, Her millennia of devotion and career have become one big, fat joke, which is not funny at all.
And three...
"....."
Her dear partner is broken emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
Looking at her desolate state while staring blankly at the floor, Sophia couldn't help feeling sad but not surprised by it.
(Now what should I do with this clusterfu*k...)
She could understand her partner's current feelings. She really could sympathize with her to a certain degree too. Heck, even she felt the same way from the moment she found about it albeit accidentally.
Just... the difference was that she didn't feel betrayed much about it.
Don't get her wrong. She feels frustrated by the truth, of course. Pissed off of her God could do this.
But when a person faces countless wars, deaths, and powerplay politics in centuries...
Well, let's just say not much could hurt her (either on emotional or physical) anymore.
It couldn't be said the same for her other half though. Compared to old relics like herself (She would burn anyone who DARES to say that), Ria could be considered 'young'. Dare she say, pure even.
Not in numbers of age, but on experience.
It has been a few hours after watching that irrefutable evidence. Or is it days? Staying in a place where there's no night and day concept could mess one's timetable.
Oh, and knowing own dad screw off god-knows-where, pun included.
She herself could enjoy this unexpected vacation by smoking and drinking like some clubber, but seeing her partner like this squashed those happy thoughts in the trash bin.
Besides,
She needs to know what they are supposed to do now.
"....Hey."
No response. Not like she expected one just with that single word. Scratching her head for this absolutely heavy and awkward situation, she spoke one more time.
"....You still alive there?"
(Smooth, Sophia. REAAAALLY smooth.)
Yeah, she really needs Gabriel for this kind of sh*t. She was a former soldier, not some therapist, damn it!
Apparently, it was enough to gain a reaction though. Ria raised her head from the floor to her delinquent partner slowly.
Which makes her wince to see Ria's disheveled hair, ruined face from long, long tears, dry and parched lips, and... eyes that couldn't be duller than now. If her eyes aren't playing tricks, her supposed beautiful wings become much murkier and....' blacker'.
People in the lower world commented that pretty girl crying is an artistic scene.
Sophia, with all due disrespect to them, will confidently proclaim bullsh*t.
Seeing her in this state is the ugliest sight she could possibly behold, no offense to her partner.
"...What?"
Okay, at least her throat is still working. Even if the word was spoken in the flattest tone possible, progress was progress.
...Which is still absolute despair.
"....You want a smoke?"
And that's the first thing she speaks. Gosh, even she felt idiotic for her stupid mouth and rotten brain. Sophia was many things, but lacking tact is one thing she didn't want to face right now.
"...I'll take it."
Hearing the impossible response from the no-nonsense partner to start smoking for the first time in thousands of years,
"HEH???"
The most intelligible response she could muster was a dumbfounded look with a stupid sound coming out of her mouth.
"I said, I'll take your offer. Give me one."
"S-sure. Here you go."
Taking one from her pocket, she immediately lights it with her blue flame (convenient, right?) and gives it to her partner hesitantly.
Then, when she took it without hesitation and put it between her small thin lips,
"....Fuuhhhhhp...."
she inhales it as much as she could,
"...Pfffffttttt...."
And exhale it as much as she could.
Sophia, who witnessed this surreal scene could only blink her eyes rapidly. Her partner's forlorn look while smoking silently couldn't be a more perfect scene for commercials.
(Hah, an angel doing a smoking advertisement? The world is ending.)
It will, wouldn't it?
Yeah, it would either by humanity doing stupid things or them giving 'divine' judgment for not being able to hold it anymore. Although, she will never have a scrap of sympathy for their demise.
Their actions, their responsibilities. She's just one poor salary woman getting exploited by cold-hearted superiors.
"Hey, Sophia."
"Y-yeah? What is it, buddy?"
While thinking stupid things, her partner's sudden inquiry snaps out of her muddled thought immediately. The fact that her partner didn't go ballistic unlike the beginning makes her anxiety shot through the roof.
Despite their idiocy, humanity could make some wise statements.
(What was it again? The quiet one is the scariest, I think?)
Yeah, that couldn't fit the bill more than now.
Her partner's emotionless face makes Sophia getting slight chills from its sheer coldness. She couldn't imagine what she would do after getting out of the funk.
Someone with nothing to lose is the most dangerous.
Just like the one in front of her.
While preparing for the worst...
"Where did you send the guy to?"
"Huh?"
"The one that you just send him off with tears? The guy that you hugged sweetly?"
Her unexpected question makes her dumbfounded once again.
Seriously, what's with her and her sudden teasing? Even she would get flustered from this huge change.
But still...
"Why...would you want to know that?"