Moving her glowing wings, the angel slowly approaches Alice and I.
When she finally arrives a few meters away from where we are, Alice raises one hand to urge her to stop, and the angel obeys and stays where she is.
[First, answer us. What was your purpose in approaching Kaito-san?]
[Purpose, Interact.]
[Are you saying that your only purpose is just to interact with him and you don't have any intention of harming Kaito-san?]
[Positive, I, Purpose, Interact. Hence, Violence, Not Use.]
It was very difficult to understand what she's saying, but the angel seems to be saying that her purpose is to have a conversation with me, and she doesn't want to do me any harm.
I was vaguely convinced by that. In fact, if this angel intended to harm me... She would have done it immediately after teleporting Alice... but this angel didn't do it.
I wondered if Alice noticed that, but she's clearly not like usual earlier... I could feel her fury with my Sympathy Magic. It's hard to imagine from how Alice usually acts, but blood may have rushed on her head.
After Alice heard the angel's word, she quietly nodded, but still on guard with daggers held in her hands, she asked me without taking her gaze off the angel.
[...Kaito-san, what do you want to do? Do you accept talking with her? Or do you want me to eliminate her?]
[Eliminate... Alice, ummm, errr... If that's the case, can you win?]
I can't clearly understand how much power the angel in front of me has. But even so, I can tell that she has tremendous power.
That's why I wanted to ask that before answering Alice's question.
[...I can win. No, I will win... but it will take me lots of time.]
[...]
[Without a doubt, she's a Supreme God or a being equivalent to that. This kind of opponent is basically immortal. In order to defeat her, I will have to rip off the authority she was clad in and seal them up one by one. So, it will probably take me quite a bit of time.]
[...I see.]
I don't think Alice's words about winning are a lie. However, the fact that it isn't an easy victory was also painfully obvious to me.
I'm silent for a bit, then I move my gaze towards Alice, who is holding her dagger, and slowly spoke to her.
[Then, Alice... This is an order.]
[Yes! Anytime.]
[If that angel shows any intention to attack me... "Take me with you and run".]
[Leave it to——–Eh? Run? N- Not defeat her?]
When Alice heard the words I told her, she was about to vigorously nod... before listlessly asking back again.
Yes, the choice I picked now... is to accept this conversation for the time being. However, if it looks like it will be dangerous, we would run away...
[Unnn. Run... Alice did say that you can win against her, but you probably wouldn't be unscathed, right?]
[T- That is...]
[In that case, I don't want Alice to get hurt, so let's run away... Then, let's ask Kuro and Shiro-san to help us.]
[...M- Mnggh... I feel like it's a mistake to do that within this tension, but that's certainly the most reliable way. I'm sure that Kuro-san and Shallow Vernal-sama would be aware of this situation, and if Kaito-san calls them, they'll come to you... Roger that.]
It's one thing to talk openly in front of the person we're trying to flee from, but this is a suggestion I can make because I trust in Alice's power.
I believe that Alice would be able to escape with me, even against this angel.
But well, the fact that her eyebrow didn't even twitch even when contriving in front of her should mean that this angel's words aren't a lie.
With that thought in mind, I turned to the angel and slowly spoke.
[...I don't know why you want to talk to me, but I'm open to dialogue... But before we do, I have one request.]
[...?]
[Not only me, but you shouldn't harm Alice as well... If you promise to do that, I will be open to conversation.]
[K- Kaito-san?]
[...…]
I just wanted her to promise me this. I know that she isn't going to do me any harm. However, considering the fact that she just fought with Alice, she is probably not considered in targets of whom she shouldn't harm.
I don't know what this angel is thinking. It may just be for a temporary peace of mind, but I wanted a word of assurance for Alice's safety.
[...Disrespect.]
[!?]
Instantly, the atmosphere around the angel turned heavy, as if it wanted to pierce through my body.
It's as painful and intimidating as if my whole body was being stabbed to death by invisible needles... It's as if the atmosphere around her was asking me if I am aware of my own position to make such a demand.
However, as I restrained Alice who was about to jump in front of me with my hand, I glared at the angel who was threatening me.
Let me make it clear at this point. I'm angry right now.
When this woman forcibly teleported Alice earlier.... I thought my blood froze. While Alice was fighting her, I felt my heart tightening up.
Honestly, this angel is terrifying... I don't know what she's thinking and she's so powerful that it's impossible for me to go against her... However, even if that's so... That doesn't mean I will allow her to hurt Alice.
[To you, I may just be some random bug. Saying this might be disrespectful for you. However, no matter how much you threaten me, it will be useless. If you won't say that you're not going to hurt Alice... Even if I'm killed on this spot, I will not give in to any of your demands!]
[...Kaito...-san.]
[....]
Even when I'm exposed to her hostility that seems to burn my skin, scolding my trembling legs, I clearly said those words to the angel.
Those words could be an equivalent of asking for a fight. The negotiations could have broken down... The angel could have immediately pulled back her previous statement and swooped down on us.
This might be idiotic of me, making a foolish move like this... However, even for me, there are just some things I can't forgive. And there are some things that no one could ever negotiate with me...
The angel looked at me with her cold, richly-colored eyes... Not long after though, the intimidation that seems to crush me disappeared.
[Previous Remarks, Withdraw.]
[...Eh?]
[You, Average, Uniqueness, None. No, You, Ability, Average... Mentality, Appreciate.]
[...E- Errr...]
[Barbaric, Worthy, Impolite, Disrespect, Approve.]
[...…..]
...Errr, it's hard to understand the meaning of her long remarks, but to sum it up... My physical ability is average, but she slightly appreciates my mentality. So, in recognition of my strength, she'll forgive me for my rudeness earlier... or something like that, right?
As I was tilting my head to understand the angel's words, which were very difficult to understand, the angel's mouth deeply twisted and a smile appeared on her face.
[!?]
T- T- The f*ck is that... She looks scary! W- What the heck is that!? It's like a predator who has found its prey, and her smile is giving me goosebumps.
"A smile is originally an aggressive facial expression" The smile on the angel's face was so frightening that such words came to my mind.
N- No, her face is still as beautiful as before but... S- Somehow, it's as if someone who isn't used to smiling, trying to force a smile, making the smile on her face very distorted... Honestly, that's seriously scary.
[Interest, Acquire, Time, Require. Hereafter, Decision, Continue.]
[Eh? Huh? Errr...]
[You, Name, Miyama, Kaito... Complete, Remember.]
[...Eh?]
Could you please give me a moment? Seriously, I can't catch up with what she's saying, you know? I only got the part where she would remember my name, but things she said before that...
[She's interested in Kaito-san. However, she still needs some time to gauge your true value... She still wants to continue like this and see how it goes, was it?]
[Positive.]
That's amazing, Alice. She understood that incomprehensible string of words and properly weaved them together. Is there a difference between the way our minds work? I- I guess I need to get used to talking to this angel.
[Human, Weak, Ability, Evident... Barbaric, Disrespect, Admire. You, Resist, Beautiful... Reunion, Attitude, Identical, Hope.]
As I was thinking about this, the angel spun around and turned away. Behind her back, I saw a golden ring floating behind her back and pure white wings growing out of it... Eh? I thought those wings were growing out of her back!?
O- Or rather, is our conversation over with that? Eh? Could it be... It's because she's coming back on another day? The heck is that, that's scary.
The angel slowly walked away from us, and after moving for about 10 meters away from us, she turned around.
Then, looking at me, who was confused and wasn't able to catch up with the situation, a faint smile appeared on her mouth and she slowly spoke.
[...My name is "Eden"... Until we meet again, my beloved child.]
[!?]
With those words, the space that looks like a cybernetic world cracked open, and the scenery around us returned to the middle of the street we were in earlier.
And the figure of the angel... Eden-san disappeared before I knew it, as if she had never existed right from the start.
S- Seriously, what the heck was that person? I never understood her from the start to end. In a way, it was as if she was foreshadowing the troubles that was about to come in the future, she was such a shocking being.
Her purpose remained unknown in the end, and even when we exchanged words, I couldn't read her true motives at all... It's just that, even if it's just one thing... There's just this one thing I wanted to shout from the bottom of my heart.
So, you were able to speak normally!!!?
H- How should I say this, I had a near-certain premonition... That she would continue to haunt me in the future.