The scroll wiggled out of the confines of Khamael's grip, deserting the blue tie on his thumb, and floated while it unrolled itself. The circumstances of the first summoning were basically repeated on this occasion. The only disparity in this attempt was that the circle was drawn with the two knights already in the middle.
When the magic wreath was finished, Mikhail articulated the verse.
"miserere mei Domine quoniam tribulor conturbatus est in ira oculus meus anima mea et venter meus"
After the mana strings fulfilled the authoring of the scriptures on the circle, it was time for the final casting.
"Descendere, Rehael"
Mikhail promptly let go of the piles of sand he amassed to consummate the procedure.
'Hold up, Rehael? Don't we have a knight with the same name?' He was tardy in realizing that coincidence.
The blaring luminescence that accompanied an Angel's descent overwhelmed the dark Nasha sky de Novo. The man retreated outside the magic circle and bided for the awakening.
In a heartbeat, Khamael's glowing body emerged from the centre of the holy mess. His inanimate sea-blue eyes were supplanted with imposing golden ones. The two pairs of wings on his back displayed the gallantry of the higher being.
Rehael, the Angel possessing Khamael, swung its limbs one by one and tried to do some stretching. It sulked disapprovingly upon discovering how ruined the body was.
"What is with this wrecked individual? Can't they do any better?"
Meanwhile, Mikhail was unable to peel off his gaze from his brother's body that was revitalized. Well, it's technically not his sibling. Even so, he felt solace in the actuality that they were successful in their first step towards Khamael's revival. He was not aware of Rehael's erraticism. Ergo, he remembered what Ierathel told him earlier, to declare one's intentions pronto, complying to it in a beat.
"I beg your pardon. I know we do not have much time to spare."
Rehael turned to look at the man once he heard him speak.
"Can you revive Khamael?"
"What might you be pertaining to?" Rehael tilted its head to the left. It was almost as if it was feigning ignorance with its callous tone.
"I mean, Ierathel informed me that Angels are able to revive a mortal. I was hoping that you could resurrect your host from his death."
Mikhail decided to be straight to the point. It would not benefit them to squander valuable time by beating around the bush.
On the other hand, Rehael stared at the human who was asking if it had the power to rekindle the fire of life of an inferior species. The human's words came off like it was oppugning the Angel's authority, though easily negligible. So, instead of responding to the knight, it surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings.
'Currently, there are three vessels in the vicinity. That explains why this body can withstand my presence. Ierathel, that blabbermouth, transferring a troublesome responsibility to me.'
Rehael met the inquisitive, albeit desperate, eyes of Mikhail.
"I am not cognizant of the information that Ierathel imparted on you. Withal, I will amuse myself with your request if you have something to offer."
"Offer?"
"Why would I be compelled to do your bidding other than in an equal exchange?"
Mikhail cursed over the word 'offer'. This similar dilemma happened with the three knights who never woke up after being rid of their souls, the sole valuable item in this world for an Angel.
'But Ierathel did not demand any offerings! What-' He was racking his brain a tad forcefully. Fortunately, he reminisced about the incidents that transpired.
"Malphas! We summoned you here to defeat Malphas! The Demon Noble is under your jurisdiction, isn't it?"
'Ierathel did say that he gave Sarakiel a gift as a trade for letting it deal with Ronove. I'm certain that Ierathel knew that it was Rehael who will be summoned consequently.' Mikhail justified it in his mind.
The knight came up with the assumption that each Angel had a specific Demon Noble whose capture they're amenable for. Furthermore, these very Demons are on the run.
"The substance of your theory isn't thoroughly accurate. Howbeit, you understand the gist of it. Fine, Malphas will suffice. I can sense that you won't cede anyway."
"Do all angels read the minds of other beings without permission?" The man disregarded this one ability of the Angels that it somehow narked him, sentient that he was an open book in the wake of these mighty creatures.
"Your thoughts come out naturally as if you're speaking."
Latterly, Rehael silently made its way to the immobile and unprovoked gargantuan avian. In spite of the fact that Ronove was anaesthetized, Malphas was not. The raven crow lifted its spear and swung it down on the personage that entered its range. However, the angel exhibited no signs of evading which alarmed Mikhail.
"What are you doing?! That is Khamael's body!"
It seems that the knight had forgotten the identity of Rehael. As the weapon plunged the space, trying to strike at the intruder, it was shortly deflected at an inch above the Angel's head. Another strike and the same thing betided. Upon closer scrutiny, Mikhail distinguished that there was a transparent barrier that continuously impeded the spear's succeeding advances.
The second that Rehael arrived at an arm's reach, it touched the Demon Noble's right tarsus. Just like that, Malphas' figure exploded into minuscule particles. The Angel then held out its left palm and there, the specks of what became the crow, clustered into a condensed orb the size of a fingernail.
'Utterly supreme' The Knight Commander stated his verdict subsequently witnessing the power of two Angels consecutively.
He was too immersed in his amazement that he didn't notice Rehael reappearing at his anterior until it spoke.
"I know you have questions. Since I'm merciful and you're enthralling, I will answer three."
Mikhail backed a step, slightly startled, but he did manage to bow his head forthwith.
"You have my utmost gratitude. Before anything else, will you really revive Khamael?"
"Yes, as promised."
'This is not a bargain. It is one-sidedly in our favour. They defeated the Demons and healed our comrades.' Mikhail fretted regarding the unfair distribution of advantage in their transaction. He couldn't fathom why the Angels were being benevolent.
Still and all, a heavy weight had been removed off of his chest. Now, he could ease up and quell his curiosity.
'Questions, what am I curious about? Fragments? About the relationship between the Demon Nobles and the Angels? Maybe Rehael can tell me what befell before we arrived in this area. His connection with Rehael Lamorak is also a point of interest.'
Mikhail had a lot of things he desired to inquire. He soughed, dithery of choosing one among the many.
'I'm just going to query apropos to the most intriguing.'
"When we pulled in this clearing, Malphas was in a state of hypnosis, and Ronove, the demon that Ierathel imprisoned, was already unconscious. Can you perhaps tell me what happened? Was it only an accident? I know you are capable of that even if you were not on the scene."
"It was perpetrated, not a fluke of nature."