When I opened my eyes, I found myself imprisoned again. When I turned my head, I saw the ropes binding me and the cross I was tied to. I was tied up like a dog. It was humiliating. I shifted my gaze and finally saw who my judges were.
There were four grand chairs. The most magnificent of them was empty. The other three were occupied. After the empty chair, the most powerful one belonged to her.
The person sitting in the chair was a woman. She was stunningly beautiful, with golden hair that flowed down to her waist and clad in golden armor. She looked incredibly strong and powerful. Her golden eyes bore a piercing intensity that seemed to cut right through me.
My gaze then shifted to the second Archangel. This one was a man, around 25 years old, with brown hair that reached down to his neck. He appeared muscular and angry. His eyes were a brilliant, striking blue.
Looking at him, I could almost feel an overwhelming sense of power radiating from him. It was as if he had the strength to destroy and annihilate everything in his path.
Unlike the golden-haired woman, he wore light armor, reminiscent of a general. He carried a massive sword, sharp and menacing. The most striking feature about him, though, was a dagger scar running from his forehead to his chin, marring his face.
Though the scar didn't ruin his handsome face entirely, it still looked unsightly. From the way he looked at me, I was convinced he hated me the most.
Unable to linger on him any longer, I turned to the last Archangel. Unlike the others, he exuded a gentle aura. He was a man with short blue hair. Instead of armor, he seemed to prefer simple, modest clothing.
While the other two Archangels had the air of warriors and generals, this blue-haired man gave off the impression of a diplomat or doctor.
After examining the three Archangels, the golden-haired woman began to speak, her gaze almost killing me.
"Today, you will be judged before the Goddess, Brother."
I didn't care about her words. The fact that she called me "Brother" didn't matter to me. I had no connection to them. No matter how much I wanted to protest, something was preventing me from speaking.
"Today, I, as the Emissary of Heaven and Deputy Commander, will judge you. May our Mother bless us all," the Archangel, whom I now knew as Gabriel, said calmly. She then handed over the floor to the brown-haired Archangel.
"As the Punisher of the Goddess, I swear to judge you justly today," Uriel spat with venom but managed to keep his composure. After him, the Archangel I assumed was Raphael began to speak.
"I, Raphael, swear to proceed with justice as I see fit. Let the trial begin," Raphael said gently. Then the eyes of the three Archangels turned to me. Feeling the weight of their gaze, I cursed under my breath and looked at them emotionlessly.
Frankly, I didn't care what they thought. Their hatred for me was irrelevant. After all, I didn't know what I had done. Michael's crimes were his, not mine.
Still, no matter what I said, it was clear they would see me as mad. I couldn't even hope for them to listen to me.
"Michael, your actions caused the greatest disaster and suffering we've endured in millennia," Gabriel said calmly but with condemnation. Uriel nodded in agreement. "You were the Commander of Heaven and our strongest, but your arrogance led to your downfall..."
"I don't care what you think," I said indifferently. If they were going to kill me, they might as well get it over with. This trial seemed absurd. It was obvious they intended to execute me.
Gabriel sighed in disappointment at my sharp words. "You're still the same. Arrogant, defiant, and, worst of all, a traitor."
"Michael, tell us," Raphael said gently. I turned to him, frowning. He continued, tiredly, "Why did you betray us? What did destroying Heaven gain you? What did defying our Mother bring you?"
Feeling the slight anger in Raphael's voice, I thought deeply. I had no memory. The Archangel Michael's memories had been completely erased from my mind.
"I don't know."
"Are you serious?" Uriel leaned forward, his eyes blazing with anger. A sudden pressure enveloped my body, leaving me unable to move. Just his gaze was enough to make my body tremble uncontrollably.
"You don't know why you committed treason?!" Uriel's eyes narrowed. Seeing Uriel's anger, Gabriel stepped in to intervene. She turned to Uriel. "There's no point in getting angry, Uriel. Calm down."
Uriel looked at Gabriel, then sighed and withdrew, though he shot me one last furious glare. Feeling strength return to my muscles, I relaxed slightly.
Though Uriel's anger would terrify an ordinary person, I wasn't ordinary. In my previous life as a soldier, I had naturally built immunity to fear. While I was still shaken, I remained confident.
At least, that's what I told myself...
"Enough insolence, Michael. If you have nothing else to say, we will render our verdict," Gabriel said coldly. I smirked. "Hurry up and get on with it. This council nonsense is meaningless."
Gabriel and the Archangels merely grumbled but said nothing. Though the council acted as if it judged, decisions were always made by the Goddess.
Gabriel was typically the one who received divine revelations. She was one of the few Archangels in direct communication with the Goddess, like Metatron.
Though I was an atheist, I still had knowledge of religions. If this world was truly based on Hebrew beliefs, then the myths and legends from my world must largely be true.
"What is it, Gabriel?" Raphael asked gently, noticing Gabriel's pause and the surprise spreading across her face. Gabriel snapped out of her shock at his voice, turning to me with a mixture of hesitation, disbelief, and slight protest.
"Our Holy Mother... has decided to exile Michael," Gabriel declared seriously. Both Uriel and Raphael froze in shock, their expressions betraying their disbelief.
"This—" Uriel was stunned by their Mother's decision. When Lucifer defied the Goddess, deceived humans, and corrupted a third of the angels, it was the greatest loss Heaven had endured. But Michael's actions had nearly brought about Heaven's destruction.
This process would have obliterated all of creation, including the Multiverse itself. Everything their Mother had created would have been torn asunder. Uriel was most shocked by their Mother's decision to merely exile Michael.
The Goddess, who was deeply attached to her creation—the Multiverse—had chosen not to act when Michael nearly destroyed it, and now she had chosen to spare him.
Though Uriel admired their Mother's kindness and mercy, he believed Michael deserved none of it. This sentiment wasn't unique to him; all the angels shared it.
The ropes binding me disintegrated into dust. Stretching my fingers and muscles, I tried to ease the aching in my body. For some reason, I was in pain.
I stood up. This so-called Goddess had exiled me. I wanted to question if she was truly an idiot, but assuming she was omnipotent, I found it understandable that she didn't even see me as a threat.
Even if I didn't want to, I was now Archangel Michael. My former human side had perished. Now, I was a man who had lost his powers and fallen into a pitiful state.
"Then send me," I demanded. I didn't want to stay here for even a second longer. Gabriel frowned at me, seemingly irritated by my tone. "Wait first. I still have things to tell you."
Gabriel rose from his seat and walked toward me. The first thing that struck me was his unique scent and the superior aura he exuded. The more you looked at Gabriel, the more you'd fall in love with him, such was his unparalleled beauty.
But I had long abandoned such youthful impulses. Even a woman with Gabriel's supernatural beauty no longer mattered to me.
Gabriel walked step by step toward me. When he reached me, he seemed momentarily lost in thought, as if deciding what to say.
"The rat-man who came with you will also be exiled to the same world," Gabriel explained calmly. How wonderful. Now I had to deal with a rat-man as well. My thoughts were interrupted by Gabriel's next words. "Remember, from the day you're exiled, entering Heaven will be forbidden to you. Your powers are sealed, and your sword has been returned to the Goddess."
As Gabriel went on explaining unnecessary details, he finally said something that piqued my interest. "Since you're no longer connected to Heaven, you'll be an unwanted person in the multiverse, even in Church-controlled worlds."
Did that mean I couldn't enter churches? Or would I, like demons, be harmed by crosses or holy water? Doubts filled my mind, and I voiced them to Gabriel.
He shook his head. "No, but I'd advise staying away from the Church. From now on, you'll be an enemy to any mortal who knows what you are."
How troublesome. It wouldn't be wrong to say I was almost being thrown into a death trap. I sighed and looked at Gabriel calmly. "Send me. I don't want to stay here for even a second."
For a moment, I saw sadness flash in Gabriel's eyes when he heard my words. Unlike him, neither Raphael nor Uriel seemed affected by what I said.
Gabriel sighed, then, with a growl, suddenly struck my chest with his hand. Before I could understand what was happening, my body was hurled backward.
The force of Gabriel's blow sent me flying. It felt as if I was falling, yet at the same time, ascending. The pressure was so intense I couldn't even turn my head.
At last, a dimensional portal opened, and my body passed through it into a completely different world. The pressure on my body eased, and I was finally able to move.
The first thing I noticed was the starry sky. Then, as I plummeted into a forest, the ground cracked and shattered, and dust rose.
"Aaah!" A scream came from where I landed. I quickly examined my body and, seeing that I was unharmed, let out a sigh of relief. The area was covered in dust and smoke, obscuring my vision.
I looked toward the short figure approaching me. It was Jolger. He seemed overjoyed to see me, laughing as he ran toward me.
"Buddy! You-"
As he tried to hug me, I lightly held his head to stop him. Ignoring the sulking rat-man, I glanced around seriously.
When the dust and smoke cleared, my vision returned. We were in a forest, and it was nighttime. I narrowed my eyes thoughtfully. "Where are we?"
"We must be in a forest," Jolger said with a grin. I lightly knocked his head and frowned. "When I ask you a serious question, give me a serious answer."
Meeting my stern gaze, Jolger swallowed nervously. I could sense his fear of me. Quickly, he forced a smile and brushed off his tension. "Buddy, if I knew, I'd tell you. I don't know where we are either."
"Tch," I clicked my tongue. This was a problem. I had no intel and was in an unknown place. I sighed and started walking in a random direction, hoping to find some sort of settlement.
"Hey! Wait! You're not going to leave me alone, are you?!" Jolger asked anxiously, hurrying after me. I ignored him. "If you can't keep up, I will leave you here alone."
Terrified of being left behind, Jolger shivered, then quickly kept pace beside me.
"Where are we going?"
"To the nearest settlement," I replied calmly. I hoped to be near a human settlement. Luckily, I found one in a short time, but contrary to my expectations, it was a bandit camp.
"What are you going to do?" Jolger whispered nervously. I crouched down and hid behind some bushes, ignoring the rat-man's question as I thoughtfully considered my plan...