"Are you okay?" The sandbag angel struggled to stand up and steadied himself. "I'm fine."
"Yophiel, are you sure you're okay?" Raphael asked with concern.
"I'm fine, I can continue," Yophiel replied, trying to control his emotions. "Let's proceed."
Despite his lower rank, Yophiel, being close to Metatron, displayed a composure and demeanor that many high-ranking angels couldn't match. He didn't show any disgust, even when facing a powered angel, and remained polite. It made me feel somewhat guilty.
I sighed and approached him again. "I'm really sorry for hurting you earlier."
"It's okay, it's part of the job," he waved it off, his attitude much calmer now.
"Could you please tell me if we have a maximum of ten minutes for the performance?"
"Yes."
"Then let's start counting the time now, Lord Gabriel." Seeing Gabriel nod, I continued, "I used to study theater and have a habit of getting to know my opponent before starting the act. Would you mind if we chat for a few minutes before the performance?"
"No, of course not."
"That's great." I rested my chin on my hand, showing genuine interest. "How did you get to know Lord Metatron?"
"Oh, that's a long time ago," Yophiel became enthusiastic. "When I was three hundred and forty years old, I lived with my parents in the first heaven. During those years, the demons were quite rampant, and the fighting strength of the divine beings was at its weakest. They attacked in two waves: one directly targeting the gates of heaven, and the other invading our little town where we lived. Our town, at the time, was in the slums of the first heaven, and there were no reinforcements from above. Lord Metatron heard the news and personally led his troops to repel the demons, staying in our town for a few days. After he left, not long afterward, the town received a significant donation in his name. Since then, I made up my mind to devote myself to him."
I was slightly surprised; Metatron didn't seem like that kind of person at all. But before I could react, Metatron's voice came from above, "I have always had an abundance of money. The funds I gave you were not even enough to buy me a piece of clothing. Yophiel, why are you so talkative? Let's get started."
"It's definitely not like that!" Yophiel raised his head and looked at Metatron earnestly. "Lord Metatron always acts nonchalant, but he is actually kinder than anyone else. That's why I've been following you. Whether you admit it or not, in my heart, you will always be the most outstanding archangel!"
After hearing his passionate confession, I couldn't help but want to knock him out again.
However, there was an advantage to this situation.
I smiled and said, "It's evident that you really respect him."
"Yes!"
"So, how do you see me?"
"Lord, you are very much liked."
...
Whether it was because Metatron was too important to him or because Isar was insignificant, I didn't know, but I found myself speechless. Metatron above was also speechless, having retreated into the carriage and not coming out.
I said to him, "So, tell me, should I believe what Lord Metatron said to me?"
"Of course!"
"Well, actually, I've had some conversations with him in the past, about you." When I saw his ears perk up, I continued with a faint smile, "Of course, I can't be sure if it was about you. But he mentioned that a poor boy he used to give alms to annoyed him. If he had known this boy would turn out to be such a fool, he would have just wiped out the entire town to avoid the annoyance."
Yophiel's face turned pale. "You're making it up; I don't believe it."
"He might not have been talking about you, don't worry. Oh, by the way, he also said that if it wasn't for this foolish boy constantly defending him and helping to regain the trust of the common people, he would never have kept someone like you around."
I shrugged and spread my hands, appearing helpless. "It's not me."
"He definitely wasn't talking about you!" Yophiel raised his head suddenly and looked at Metatron's carriage. "Lord, are what you said true?"
Metatron remained inside the carriage and didn't answer.
Yophiel looked around, as if his own presence was bothering everyone, and trembling, he took a few steps back, looking at Gabriel and Raphael.
I gave him a hard shove from behind, and since his condition was already very poor, he fell to the ground easily. Then I pulled out the longsword I had prepared in advance and pointed it at him. After a brief panic in the crowd, large tears rolled down Yophiel's eyes, and he said, "Just kill me..."
"This is what you asked for," I said lazily, raising my eyebrows and giving him an emotionless smile, then raised the sword high and aimed it at his chest.
At that moment, even Raphael took a step forward.
But the sword stopped just one centimeter from his chest. I turned around and looked at the several archangels.
"Is this enough?"
Gabriel was still stunned. "Well, it's enough."
I immediately crouched down next to Yophiel. "I'm really sorry; I didn't expect you to be so devoted to Lord Metatron. My mistake..."
Yophiel's expression froze, but the remaining tears continued to fall straight down.
Metatron stuck his head out of the carriage. "Little Isar, for the sake of your performance, I'm sacrificing my image. How are you going to compensate me?"
"So that's what it's all about..." Raphael chuckled with some embarrassment. "Although the performance time is short, and there aren't many expressions, it's truly the finishing touch."
Gabriel regained his composure and frowned. "No, we can't use him. No matter how good the performance is, we can't deceive people."
At this point, the hand wearing white gloves inside the luxurious carriage pointed at me.
Metatron hesitated for a moment, then turned and asked me, "Isar, did you become a prayer angel or a war angel now?"
"A prayer angel," I replied absentmindedly.
Metatron looked at Lucifer inside the carriage, then said, "Lucifer says he wants you. You will temporarily go to Angles College, and your destination will be decided after the performance."
Wait, the person above was Lucifer?
I had the immediate urge to fly over and knock the carriage open.
Raphael said helplessly, "You still can't focus on the main point."
"But the rehearsal location is in the sixth heaven, and he only has two wings..." Metatron said, but paused and then asked me, "Are you a prayer angel or a war angel now?"
"I'm a prayer angel," I answered absentmindedly.
Metatron looked at Lucifer inside the carriage and said, "Lucifer says he wants you. You'll go to Angles College for now, and your destination will be decided after the performance."
"May I inquire, Lord Lucifer, how much time is left until Genesis?" I thought this question might not reveal any flaws, but it still earned me some sideways glances.
Metatron answered for Lucifer, "January first. Can't you calculate it yourself, Isar?"
I turned to Carlo and asked, "What's today's date?"
"In the Yahweh Calendar, 8731 Beordu, year 6898, it's the second day of January."
I didn't understand what he said earlier. "January second? Hasn't that already passed?"
Carlo explained, "No, it's only Genesis when it reaches the year 6900."
So, there were still two years. Two years to prepare for a stage play. Did angels not regard time as humans did, considering their longer lifespans?
I looked up. "I'd like to meet with Lord Lucifer, is that possible?"
"To meet Lord Lucifer, you'll need to have four wings and they must be golden, mind you, they have to be a gift from the heavens. If you use fake wings, they'll break after a few flights, and once they're broken, you won't be an angel anymore," Metatron explained, touching his chin with a mysterious smile. "You'll be a Fallen Angel."
"..."
The four griffins then turned around in unison, and the carriage ascended into the sky. Carlo pulled me down again, and it felt like there were steel thorns poking into my back. Carefully, I looked around and realized that nobody was paying attention to me; they were all turning away as if they had discussed something important together.
This wasn't good. I had just mentioned wanting to speak with Lucifer, and they couldn't think I was relapsing into my old habits. Even Carlo's gaze towards me seemed slightly off.
"Hey, don't make wild guesses; I have an important matter to discuss with Lucifer, nothing else," I nudged Carlo.
"My dear Isar, you're becoming more and more hypocritical."
I wanted to explain further, but Yophiel approached, awkwardly rubbing his nose. "I was really scared just now. But the performance was really good."
He was the first Six-Winged Angel to be so friendly with me, and it touched me a little.
"Actually, Metatron didn't mean to give you a hard time. It's just that you shouldn't have said those things in front of him. Since I've been following him for three thousand Beordu, I've never seen him frown. But that day, he was really angry..."
"What?" I asked.
Yophiel pursed his lips and said carefully, "The title of Seraph is something other angels dare not hope for. After all, out of several hundred million angels in the entire Heaven, there are only a few hundred Yellow Six-Winged Angels. Even God was very cautious when creating Seraphs, let alone one of the seven Archangels beside Him... Metatron's amorous history is well-known, and many angels feel honored to even kiss his toes. But you... well, some things can't be forced. Why bother thinking about the impossible..."
Carlo shot me another look.
I was getting more confused by the minute. "What impossible things?"
"Well, I mean, if you want to reconcile with Metatron now, he will definitely agree."
"No way."
"Then shall I persuade him to come to you?"
"Still no way."
"Ah, suit yourself. But I'll say this: you can avoid interacting with Metatron, but don't even think about getting close to Lord Lucifer."
"No way," I said, confused. "What are you talking about?"
Before Yophiel could answer, Raphael's soft voice, as gentle as a spring breeze, came from behind me, "If I remember correctly, your name is Carlo, right?"
Carlo nodded eagerly.
Raphael looked at Carlo and smiled, "Would you like to attend classes in Divine Magic?"
"Yes, yes!" Carlo continued nodding enthusiastically, then gave me a hard kick. "Isar would like to attend too."
Before we could even have a complete conversation, I found myself sitting in the luxurious, high-speed carriage. It passed through the fifth heaven and arrived directly at the headquarters of the Wisdom Angels in the sixth heaven, Hima.
Stars adorned the vast sky of Hima, making it a bright and elegant place. Snow-white buildings, ornate columns, square towers, fountain-clock towers, and beautiful street lamps surrounded by trees encircled the city, in stark contrast to the bustling Jerusalem. If Jerusalem was a fairytale world, Hima, also known as the Ideal City, resembled more of a heavenly paradise. The main gate of Hima resembled an Arch of Triumph, but it was even more pure white. In the center of the gate hung a large silver bell, which was said to be used to summon angels.
The carriage descended from the high skies and stopped in front of a snow-white building adorned with gold. Outside the carriage window, classical houses were arranged in a sea of clouds.
Raphael handed me a set of copper keys and a scroll of parchment. "These are the keys to your room and a map of the sixth heaven. Meet by Lake Sear tomorrow afternoon, and make sure to have your rehearsal plans ready."
The antique copper keys had an ancient design with blue gemstone inlays.
Carlo grabbed the keys from me and rushed off. "Starting from tomorrow, we'll be heading to Angles College! I can see Lord Raphael more often!"
I yawned. The lights here were not ordinary lights; they illuminated wherever you went. The roofs were made from celestial stones, which would glow when they sensed the presence of angelic beings and automatically dimmed during sleep.
I opened the map and looked at it, finding a passage in the middle. I hadn't read it closely, but after searching for a while, I couldn't find the name "Angles College." So, I asked Carlo, and he pointed to that passage. It read:
"The Authoritative Angelic Academic Practice Institute for Magic Manipulation and Blessing Spell Invocation directly bestowed by the Divine Messenger of the Heavenly Sovereign, Yahweh Lord God."
"What's this?" I asked.
"It's the full name of Angles College."
"Who came up with that name?"
"Lord Metatron."
...Why wasn't I surprised at all?
The next day, Carlo and I, holding the map, made our way to Angles College, passing through the serene yet elegantly styled city of Hima.
Just as others had described, the world after the fifth heaven was different. Although Jerusalem was diverse, higher-ranked angels were still a minority. Even the occasional appearance of an angel could make many envious. In Hima, not to mention a high-ranking angel, even a Blue Six-Winged Wisdom Angel was considered a pedestrian. Due to the sky-high housing prices in the capital, Saint Florian, many angels working above chose to settle in Hima. Occasionally, you'd spot a White Four-Winged Angel sweeping the streets or working as a laborer, or one holding a camera, taking pictures for mementos. So, Carlo and I felt like hiding our wings to avoid embarrassment.
While flying had its advantages, it could be tiring over time. The endurance and speed of higher-ranked angels during flight were truly astonishing. In Hima, the streets were always empty. Besides shopping and dining at open-air restaurants, angels seldom walked on the ground. There were always the shadows of angels with enormous wings flying by, and their speed made it seem like they were equipped with perpetual motion devices, flying endlessly without rest.
The most frustrating part was the senior students selling second-hand books outside Angles College's entrance.
Due to the college's leadership cracking down on clustering outside the gate, those thrifty students who used second-hand books would use floating silver trays to carry their textbooks. They would lazily curl up their legs and slowly flap their wings above the gate to sell their books. Some of them even held novels and poetry collections to pass the time. If their top wings grew tired, they'd switch to the second pair, and if those grew tired too, they'd switch to the third pair, but they seemed to treat sitting on the tray with drooping wings the same as flying, so there weren't many bored angels like them.
When Carlo and I saw this scene, we were both momentarily speechless, then we quietly entered the college.
Inside the gate, we entered an independent district with three grand castles. We had to pass through towering city gates and cross three bridges made of white marble. Below the stone bridges, a semi-transparent layer of clouds allowed glimpses of the fifth heaven below and the wandering souls of martyrs at the border. Some tall towers peeked out from the sides of the castles, where griffins guarded and divine sentinels patrolled.
At this point, I felt like I had entered anything but a school.
Of course, the students here didn't look like they were attending classes either. Whether they had mastered magic, were well-versed in the history of the three realms, or had perfect attendance, none of these seemed to matter to them. Along the way, Carlo and I heard only the following conversations:
"Lord Gabriel once praised my diligence, so I'm still working hard."
"Lord Uriel's most loyal subordinate is my brother's girlfriend's uncle, and I've even obtained his autograph."
"Lord Jesus said I looked particularly devout."
"Lord Metatron tells great jokes."
"Thirteen years ago, quite unfortunately, I looked directly into Lord Lucifer's eyes."
When I heard the last sentence, I finally couldn't take it anymore. "So, Lucifer is just like... Uh..."
Carlo covered my mouth. "The closer you get to the Holy Temple, the more careful you must be about what you say. If you slip up even a little, you'll find yourself without wings and banished to one of the lower heavens."
Then he dragged me past a vast green area and found our classroom.
I looked at the towering white tower in front of me and said slowly, "This is the History Tower."
"Don't just look at the tower; its highest floor is the Three Realms History classroom for Nine-Winged Angels, and the back door leads directly to the Holy Temple. Graduates from there become Great Angels, all personally taught by Lord Yahweh himself."
Taught by Jesus himself about history... No wonder the angels here seemed quite self-important.
Our classroom was in the tower, and after climbing up in a daze, we finally reached the door. Suddenly, we realized that everyone else had flown straight into the classroom from outside.
The classroom was circular, with a central circular pool surrounded by Four-Winged Angels. At the top right corner, a Seraphim professor was flapping his wings while lecturing to the central pool.
Carlo and I tightened our wings and buttocks and quietly took our seats.
The water in the circular pool was calm, reflecting the golden glow of the Six-Winged Seraphim, resembling six sleeping golden dragons in a deep abyss. As the professor lectured, the water rippled slightly, making it seem as if the Seraphim wings were also coming to life.
"Lucifer is the most beloved angel of God and the most powerful among all angels. God once said that he would be the first and the last Six-Winged Seraph of the Holy Light. So, this pattern will forever belong to Lord Lucifer."
Maybe others couldn't tell, but knowing the outcome, I understood that God did this to prevent Lucifer from seizing power. But it seemed like this preventive measure came a bit late. Indeed, Lucifer was the last Seraph of the Holy Light, but he had also fallen.
At this moment, distorted words appeared on the water's surface: "The Divine Codex."
"The most accomplished book in the heavenly realm, 'The Divine Codex.' Our Lord Lucifer completed it over four thousand Beordu ago, and it has been passed down to this day. It is the oldest and most complete book in the history of the heavenly realm. It records the laws of all things in the heavenly realm, the achievements of God and the angels, the traditional customs, festivals, origins of myths, as well as detailed descriptions of the Seven Heavens and Nine Orders..."
I pressed my temples; my head hurt.
"What does Beordu mean?"
Carlo replied, "I don't remember the exact number, but it's approximately two hundred twenty-nine thousand years."
So, it was about two hundred twenty-nine thousand years.
... Two hundred twenty-nine thousand years! Lucifer still hadn't died?!
But why two hundred twenty-nine thousand years?
Suddenly, I realized that the current year was 8731 Beordu. If you multiplied two hundred twenty-nine thousand by 8731, it was approximately two hundred billion. Two hundred billion years, wasn't that the age of the universe?
So, the Yahweh Calendar in Heaven was based on the time of the universe's creation...
The professor continued his lecture for about two more hours, and in the end, he made a concluding statement: "The 'Divine Codex' is a symbol of the heavenly realm and a part of its glorious history. That's all for today."
At this point, I opened my eyes, wiped away the drool from the corner of my mouth, and sat up straight on Carlo's shoulder.