Kuroka is a cat based on Youkai. She is quite a light sleeper due to her sensitive hearing and instinct as Nekoshou.
Imagine her confusion when she heard the sound like her home was being ransacked.
'Right. We have two guests in the living room.' Kuroka is reminded about Leo and Ophis. She wonders what is happening outside to produce such noise.
Kuroka exits her room which is next to Vali's room and sees Ophis is turning the place upside down while looking for something. Or rather, someone.
"Lady Ophis? What is happening?" Kuroka wanted to tell Ophis to stop messing the furniture but she didn't dare and instead could only be deliberate.
"Leo missing." Ophis told Kuroka with an emotion she never knew Ophis could even make.
Ophis looks worried and anxious, distraught even as she stares at Kuroka with hope that she can find Leo.
"Uhm. Alright, Let me help." Kuroka nods.
Kuroka then uses her nose to sniff for his scent but what is strange is Leo never left the couch. As if he suddenly vanished into thin air. No wonder Ophis is also helpless when she can definitely sense him better.
Seeing Kuroka also helpless, Ophis becomes depressed. In her mind, she thinks Leo might have run away from her because she worked him too harshly yesterday.
Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared in the living room and Leo appeared with a heavily injured Fallen Angel on his shoulder. There is one part that relieved that Leo returned without harm or else she might not know what Ophis would do. But another part of her became extremely mischievous as a Cheshire grin appeared on her face.
"Welcome home, eh? Cheater? Not even long after capturing Lady Ophis' heart you already went for another one Nya?" Kuroka tried to keep her laugh under control but she just couldn't help it and teased Leo.
Ophis stood still as if struck by lightning when Kuroka called Leo a cheater. She somewhat understood the meaning and looked at the girl on Leo's shoulder before she frowned and stared at Leo.
Kuroka is dying of laughter, slamming her fist on the floor while laughing her ass off at the brewing drama.
As for Leo, he stayed calm despite the situation because he is confused why Ophis'Affection didn't drop lower. He reaches a simple conclusion that she isn't angry but is thinking about something else as he sneakily opens her profile to see her thoughts.
[Current Thoughts: She was afraid Leo hated her and replaced her with the Fallen Angel. She is unwilling to lose someone that has delicious food.]
Leo stared at the profile. Then to Ophis.
'In the end my importance to her is just food?' Leo sighed but he also understood Ophis is very simple minded to judge her simply based on her thoughts alone.
He noticed the look Ophis gave him was filled with guilt and sadness. It made him uncomfortable to see children sad, especially for someone like him who grew up with a harsh childhood.
Leo approaches her and places his hand on her head before rubbing her hair gently.
"Don't worry, Ophis. No amount of girls can make me stop cooking you delicious foods every single day." He reassured Ophis who nodded and lips curved up slightly to form a small smile.
"My, I didn't think Leo is such a smooth talker." Kuroka commented mirthfully but Leo is confused about what she is talking about until she explains it. "In Japanese custom, this can be considered as a marriage proposal."
"To skip confession and directly to marriage proposal… You have my admiration, Leo Nya." Kuroka couldn't stop teasing him and rolled on the ground laughing.
"Stop feeding her nonsensical thoughts!" Leo quickly told Kuroka to stop. But it's a tad bit too late because Ophis now is looking at him strangely.
"Will Leo cook delicious food for me everyday if we get married?" She asked with innocent curiosity while tilting her head with confusion.
"You don't have to listen to her words. I cook for you regardless!" Leo shouts with exasperation at the prank Kuroka pulled on him which isn't funny.
"Really?" Ophis asked again to get his confirmation.
"Yes. Really. So, stop listening to her." Leo sighed and relieved he somehow got the situation under control.
"Mhm. I want more pancakes." Ophis nods and immediately puts Leo to work because she wasn't satisfied yet yesterday.
Before Leo could accept the task, he still needed to treat Mittelt first. He told Kuroka to stop laughing and rolling on the floor and help him treat Mittelt with her magic. After that, he and Kuroka made a quick run to a wholesale store instead of a supermarket because to feed Ophis until she was satisfied, he would need enough food to feed an entire village with her appetite.
———
"Father…"
"...I'm sorry."
Mittelt mutters in her sleep after Kuroka uses her Senjutsu to heal Mittelt but not fully because her healing skill is quite limited for full recovery considering Mittelt's state when Leo hands Mittelt to her.
Inside her dream, a nightmare of her dying to Rias and Akeno kept repeating and each time she was in a near death state, she prayed fervently to be saved. But not every time she was saved as she kept seeing herself dead on a cold dirt soil in the woods and her corpse along with two other Fallen Angels with her were disposed of by Akeno.
But, at her final dream cycle. The same dream repeats again. This time, instead of dying in vain without any salvation. A warm light appeared before her and enveloped her body with the same warmth as the light of her creator, her father's light that was filled with compassion and tenderness. The light shone on her body and caused her injury to heal enough to not bleed to death.
"Father…" Mittelt called with joy and happiness that her prayers were heard and saved from her death.
However, before she realized it. The light grew weaker and weaker before it faded away once her injuries were treated. As if its power were lost because it healed her. Then it disappeared forever. Once again the coldness of the woods and ground seeped into her body, making her feel immense sorrow.
Mittelt were part of the newer angels created at the end of the Great War. They were created to be the vanguard of God, made with purpose to serve him in battle. However, God died not too soon after they were created. They become lost like a child that lost their parents, their sole guidance in life, their only purpose in life.
Of course they would throw a tantrum. They felt angry that God died before they could serve their purpose. They were angry because they couldn't even serve their purpose because the three Biblical factions went into a truce when God died.
Fallen Angels like Mittelt abandoned the light in Heaven because God is no longer there. Instead, it's a fake that took his place and pretended like God is still alive, handling the Heaven's System in God's place. They betrayed Heaven which Michael took control of but not God.
Even when they had Fallen, the one they hated is Michael who controlled the Heaven's System to evict them for not following his rules and rob them off the light given to them by God. But they never hated God. In fact, their loyalty to God still exists although waning as their hope for his return becomes bleak as time passes. Some like Raynare fell too into despair and had long given up her loyalty to God and cling to another idol like Azazel as a coping mechanism.
When she sees her Father's light become dim and eventually extinguished because of her selfish prayer, she becomes despaired. She thought her Father was returning from his death but because he saved her, his already weak power was extinguished just to save her.
God is compassionate after all. He preaches selflessness and to help others when we can. It's not out of his character to save Mittelt in exchange for his chance to revive.
"No… Father!" Mittelt jolted awake from her nightmare drenched with cold sweat.
She looked around. It's a foreign place. Then she looked at her body. Still scarred but she is no longer in mortal danger. This would mean the nightmare isn't really a nightmare but a reality. The scene that happened when she was almost killed by the heiress of Gremory.
"No… It can't be… I… I- *sob*" Tears gush out her eyes like a river when she realized she had indirectly killed her father, forcing him to forsake his chance of revival for her selfish wish to live.
Mittelt hugs the pillow next to her and cries all her tears out.
———
Meanwhile…
[Conquest Target's mental conditioning process completed. Proceeding with evaluation…]
The system said while observing Mittelt and doing things completely behind Leo's back.
[System evaluation of Conquest Target is determined as no longer hostile to Host.]
[No further physiological training is required to remove Conquest Target's hostile behavior toward the Host.]
Unlike the normal AI's voice that Leo talks with usually. This voice sounds cold and indifferent. As if a pure machine created only to fulfill its objectives no matter the method or cost.
—————
(Is the System evil? 😨😱 Dun Dun Dun.)
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