“That demon was pretty hardcore.” Amara said with a sigh as she sank down on the sofa. “I haven’t really been appraising people, but he seemed pretty powerful. Seventeen years old and he already had a mana pool of over three thousand.” 

I really need to get a bigger mana pool. The demon put mine to shame.

“Demons are that way. They grow quickly, and they grow powerful.” Ezme replied. “But his stats aren't what you should focus on. You allowed him to manipulate you.”

“What do you mean?” Amara asked. 

“Don’t you think it’s strange that you didn’t strategize?” Ezme cocked her head. “You just went straight into the fight.”

“Well...I thought I could take him.” Amara replied as she scratched her head. 

 “You appraised him later on, didn’t you?” Ezme looked at her seriously. “Did you check his class skills?”

“Yeah?” Amara tried to remember the skills that the demon had. “What about them?”

“I think he used Reckless Insult on you.” Ezme explained. “From what I could tell, to get you angry. To make you underestimate him.”

Amara frowned as she considered. Reckless Insult...right, a skill to trigger an emotional response from the target. Now that you mention it, it’s a bit strange that I didn’t consider what he could be capable of when I faced him until I was getting my backside handed to me. 

“Or am I wrong?” Ezme asked as she tilted her head. 

Amara crossed her arms. “I’m not sure. It’s possible, I suppose.”

“Considering you faced him like you would monsters that don’t wield magic, I wouldn’t say it's just possible, but most certainly what happened.” Ezme insisted. “Anyway, we’ll need to redo it later so you get used to what mental attacks are like.”

“Alright.” Amara nodded and sank into thought. 

Although I hate to admit it, that demon was far better than me at fighting. If I didn’t have divine power, I would have been screwed.

Though saying that, I probably wouldn’t have much of a chance against any of the monsters I’ve faced with my mana alone. How many mortals would it have taken to bring him down? As Ezme said, he wasn’t just powerful in stats, but in how he fights. 

And there are going to be even stronger demons out there...

“How powerful can demons get?” Amara cocked her head. “As strong as an angel?”

“If they did, we would have lost the war long ago.” Ezme considered for a moment. “Essentially, there’s no limit to how strong they can get, just like it is for mortals. But when we spot one that is powerful enough to be considered troublesome, we take it out. And since they can’t use divine power, they will always be somewhat limited.”

“I see.” Amara wrapped her arm around the angel’s shoulders and stroked her feathers distractedly as she thought. “Appraisal said that the demon was a human.”

“A demonic one, yes.” Ezme confirmed.

“So what was different from him compared to a regular human?” Amara asked as she looked at the angel curiously. “Like my status page says Ascended because I’m able to produce my own divine power?”

“We don’t know for sure.” Ezme replied. “We think the Devourer is forcing them to grow in certain ways, since they are raised to be his soldiers. Making them barbaric. I like to think of it as a curse.” 

“...Would there be a way to remove that curse in that case?” Amara asked. “Make them...normal?”

“Smart idea, but not very original.” Ezme replied. “We’ve tried. I think Father would be able to, but...I can only guess that it’s not worth the effort at the moment. Their souls seem to be tied to the Devourer, so even if we cure them, their souls will return and get cursed again after death.”

“That’s a shame.” Amara sighed. “Would’ve been an efficient way to neutralize the army of demons if it could be done.”

“Indeed.” Ezme replied with a sigh.

Wow, this is depressing. Amara thought as they both sank into thought. She hugged the angel’s shoulders with her arm as she spoke cheerfully. “Anyway, did you come back just to get me dancing with demons?” Amara looked at Ezme with a wry smile. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Ezme seemed to hesitate for a moment. “Actually, I need your help.”

Amara frowned as she listened to Ezme’s request. By the end, Amara could only sigh in response. “Fluffles, I know that you hold me in high regard when it comes to coming up with new ideas, but I don’t know anything about how to-”

“I’m not expecting you to come up with a complete solution. But anything that could help.” Ezme tilted her head as she looked at her. “After all, Earth has seen a lot of war. And staying ready for war is something that is hardwired into your societies, even in times of peace. What might be considered obvious to you, might be game-changing for the mortals in my domain.”

“I…” Amara glanced at the angel as she was about to refuse. But the glance was enough.

Damn you, Fluffles. How can I refuse when you look at me like that?

“I’ll try to come up with something.” Amara sighed. “But if there’s anything I know, it's that societal experiments rarely end up how you expect them. So don’t expect anything foolproof.” 

A bright smile spread on Ezme’s face before she wrapped her arms around her. “Thank you!”

Amara smiled wryly as she squeezed the angel. “Anything for you, Fluffles.”

After hugging for a while, Ezme pulled away and stood up. “I need to go. Try to come up with some suggestions by the time I get back?”

Amara frowned. “You’re leaving? Already?”

Ezme nodded. “Yes, I need to-”

Hell no!

“No.” Amara interrupted. “You’re not leaving.”

Ezme’s eyes widened as she blinked. “What?”

“Have you looked in the mirror recently? You’re exhausted.” Amara looked at her seriously. “You’re not fit to get back out there. Tell Alarice to hand it over to someone else.”

Ezme sighed and suddenly looked a lot more tired. “Amara...”

“What’s the deal, really?” Amara continued as she stood up. “How can you do everything Alarice says, without question? Why do you respect her so much?”

Ezme averted her eyes. “I’m going to my domain this time.”

“Oh.” Amara scratched the back of her head awkwardly. Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten so worked up. “Well...can it wait? Your domain isn’t going anywhere.”

“It can’t.” Ezme gave her a determined look. “I’m not going to neglect my domain.”

“I...” Amara sighed and patted Ezme’s arm. “I’m worried. What if you end up making a mistake because you’re overworked and exhausted? You’d just end up regretting it.”

Ezme inclined her head. “Mistakes can happen regardless.” She sighed and glanced at Amara before she turned to leave. “And this needs to be done. I’ll be back in a few days.”

Amara felt disheartened as she watched the angel’s tense shoulders, and immediately reached after her. “Ezme, I…”

Ezme stopped and raised her hand to stop her. “I don’t want you to tell me to neglect my domain again.”

Amara watched the white wings disappear behind the alcove as she was left behind. 

Damn it.

_______________

 

“I...I just don’t get it.” Amara sighed as she sat on the table in Morpheus’ workshop while swinging her legs. 

“Hmm? Get what?” Morpheus asked as he looked up from the basket filled with sweets. “Sorry, I was distracted.” 

The corner of her lips twitched as she watched the angel stuff his cheeks. “Why Fluffles follows Alarice’s every whim. I mean, it’s clear that they have a difference in opinion when it comes to how they view mortals? And yet…” Amara’s words faded as she shook her head. “I just don’t understand.”

“That would be because she was raised by Alarice.” Morpheus shrugged.

Amara frowned. “Raised by Alarice? What does that mean exactly?”

Morpheus inspected a piece of chocolate between his fingers. “We’re all guided by an elder sibling, to learn the purpose of our existence. As a result, there is a certain...trust between an angel and their respective mentor.”

Amara’s frown deepened as Morpheus hesitated to find the right word. She watched him eat the piece of chocolate before she sighed. “Well, that explains why there are so many angels that are hostile towards mortals. If Alarice raised them, then I can’t say I’m surprised.” 

“Actually, the only one that Alarice has mentored is Fluffles.” Morpheus corrected.

Amara raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Really?”

“Yes.” Morpheus took a sip of hot coffee before he continued. “As such, Fluffles might find a certain...pressure by her position. The archangels rarely take on apprentices, but when they do, there are a lot of expectations placed on the student. Especially when the archangel is as highly respected as Alarice.”

Huh. Would explain some of it I guess.

“Why is Alarice respected, anyway?” Amara sighed. “I just find her to be a bitch with a capital b.” 

“That’s...rude.” Morpheus said with a raised eyebrow.

“Am I wrong?” Amara cocked her head.

“...Maybe not.” Morpheus shrugged. “But her attitude to mortals is of no consequence for our purpose. Whenever there’s a crisis somewhere, Alarice is the one who gets called to turn the tide. She has a good picture of what is possible on the battlefield with what she’s given, and comes up with the best solution every time. And from what I hear, she never asks for more of her siblings than they can deliver. I’ve heard many praise her for her ability to see what they were capable of before they knew themselves.” 

Morpheus emptied his cup and looked at the bottom as he continued. “Although her methods can be...ruthless with regard to collateral damage at times, she’s the one who contributes the most to holding the demons back. And the fact that she does it despite her blatant disdain for mortals, goes to show how dedicated she is to her duty and our purpose. Which is why she is held in such high regard.”

Doesn’t make her any less of a bitch though. 

“I see.” Amara considered for a moment. “What about you? Who mentored you?”

“...That would be Biradol.” Morpheus answered after a pause. “Though I didn’t really have the talent to be worthy of having the most accomplished warrior as my mentor...eventually I was picked up by Sophelia, who took over and helped me get started on making weapons and armor.” 

Amara cocked her head with a frown. “Biradol abandoned you? What an ass.”

Morpheus suddenly had a complicated expression. “Not at all. He merely saw that my talents lie elsewhere, and asked Sophelia for advice. And he appreciates my current work. To this day, Biradol has never belittled me for my lack of talent as a warrior.”

By the sounds of it, others do though? I reiterate - angels are all As and Bs. With a few rare exceptions.

“...He might be a decent guy in that case.” Amara shrugged. “Besides, your role is essential to the angels’ war effort, right? Even if some don’t realize it. When mortals wage war, it takes a whole line of people to sustain it. The majority of which aren’t fighters.”

“Perhaps, but that is because you require things such as food and supplies.” Morpheus countered as he looked into the bottom of his empty cup. “Which we don’t.”

Is he feeling ashamed for not being a great fighter or something? Or maybe he just feels ashamed that he couldn’t live up to Biradol’s expectations?

If I remember correctly, Biradol was the oldest of the archangels...if getting picked up by an archangel is something that puts you in a position of status, then I guess he might feel a debt of gratitude. And that he’s unable to repay it.

“Well...the angels are better off with the weapons you make than without.” Amara smiled as she grabbed the pot and held it out towards him. “In the end, the angels are able to do more with the things you make, than they would be if you joined them in the field, right?”

“Right.” Morpheus sighed as he held out his cup for a refill. 

Amara thought while pouring coffee into the cup. Would Ezme feel ashamed too, if she failed to live up to the expectations Alarice has placed on her? Or maybe she does already...if Ezme feels that she’s lacking, it would explain why she keeps overworking herself and letting Alarice walk all over her. She might just be trying to compensate for her lack of ability.

Amara sighed and looked at Morpheus as she asked. “Why did Alarice choose to mentor Fluffles anyway, if she hasn’t mentored anyone before?”

Morpheus shrugged. “You’d have to ask Alarice.”

Amara snorted with a wry smile. “Yeah, I’m sure she’d be delighted to answer all my questions.”

“Really?” Morpheus raised his cup towards his lips as he spoke with a surprised tone. “As you’re a mortal, I thought she would be more inclined to dismiss you without listening.” 

Amara looked at the angel before she sighed. Right. Socially awkward. 

Almost forgot.

“I was being sarcastic.” Amara said with a strained smile.

“Sarcastic?” Morpheus raised an eyebrow.

“It’s...nevermind.” Amara pinched the bridge of her nose. Hopeless.

“Is something wrong?” Morpheus asked with concern. “Are you in pain?”

No- actually, yes. Please stop. “No, I’m fine.” Amara sighed and decided to divert the conversation. “So would you say an angel tends to feel a debt of gratitude towards their mentor?”

“...Yes.” Morpheus replied. “But I think it’s deeper than that. Our mentors are like beacons for us. The embodiment of who and what we should one day become. So it’s quite normal that we respect our mentors to the point we want to become them.”

Amara raised an eyebrow. “That kind of reverence can’t be healthy. For anyone.”

“Maybe not.” Morpheus sighed. “But that doesn’t stop us from trying. One could say that the day we realize we aren’t ever going to become our mentors, and instead choose to walk our own path, is a milestone in an angel’s development.”

Huh. Amara cocked her head as she thought of how different Ezme was from Alarice. “Fluffles doesn’t really do things the way Alarice does. At least not when it comes to mortals.”

“Indeed.” Morpheus nodded. “Fluffles likely idolized Alarice from the beginning, but started to act based on her own opinions with time. And she is likely conflicted as a result. Trying to be like her mentor, but occasionally disagreeing with her methods. I actually find it surprising she hasn’t chosen to walk her own path yet.”

Amara gave Morpheus a look. “Do you really think Alarice would let her walk her own path? It looks to me like Alarice is trying to control her.”

“Really?” Morpheus asked with surprise. “Now that you mention it...Alarice is quite assertive when it comes to what Fluffles should be doing, based on what I saw in your chambers.”

“It’s to the point it’s abnormal, right?” (Amara)

“...Possibly, when compared to other mentors and their students.” Morpheus closed his eyes as he thought. “But it could simply be a result of Fluffles being the first, and the only one she mentors.”

But then again, why did she choose to mentor Ezme to begin with?

Amara sank into thought during the silence that fell upon the conversation. A sudden realization crossed her mind. “Morpheus. You said that angels try to be like their mentors, right?”

“Yes?” Morpheus cocked his head curiously.

“Does that include appearance?” Amara looked at the angel. “After all, Fluffles and Alarice look...quite similar.”

“It’s not uncommon if the student admires their mentor. If she did change her appearance to look more like Alarice, I wouldn’t be too surprised about it.” Morpheus shrugged. “It could be considered a part of our vanity. Angels consider themselves perfect, so why shouldn’t they have a perfect appearance to go with it?”

Amara frowned. They could be considered two peas in a pod, if it wasn’t for their personalities and Ezme having a certain cute side to her. 

...Should I ask her? Could be a touchy subject. 

I don’t want to make her upset again like last time...but why did she get angry?

“Morpheus.” Amara broke the silence and looked at the angel. “How do you view your domain?” 

Morpheus cocked his head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you interact with the mortals in your domain? Or do you just stay here all the time and let them do their own thing?” Amara asked.

“Mostly, I let them do their own thing. Unless it's affected by the war, then there’s not really a need to go there. Unless your supply of divine power diminishes due to a lack of prayers.” Morpheus replied thoughtfully. “Now that I think about it, I haven’t been to my domain in a while.”

“What’s a while?” Amara asked curiously.

“A few millennia.” Morpheus scratched the back of his head.

Amara raised an eyebrow. “...Is that normal?”

“Not really, I suppose.” Morpheus admitted. “But I’ve had help from Sophelia. She’s better at dealing with mortals than I am.”

...Yeah, no kidding. If you can’t handle sarcasm, I suspect some mortals would just treat you as a joke.

Amara sighed as she kicked her feet in the air. “...I think Fluffles is angry with me.”

“Oh?” Morpheus looked at her with surprise. “How come?”

“I told her to stay instead of going to her domain. She looked so exhausted that I thought she’d be better off staying for a rest than going out again.” Amara thought for a moment before she continued. “I did say some other stuff too, but that’s what she seemed to get upset over.”

Was I just being selfish? Wanting to keep her for myself for longer? We haven’t spent much time together for a long time now...she always comes back exhausted, and just wants to sleep...

No. I might want her to stay longer to keep me company, but she did look worn out. 

“I see.” Morpheus peeked into the basket to look at the sweets inside. “I can’t say I understand why she would get upset over it. Though, her domain is threatened I suppose...if the defensive line was to fall, then the demon could pour straight into hers?”

Amara frowned. “So you think she might be stressed out to prepare her dom-” 

Now that I think about it, she did ask for my help. Maybe she’s feeling helpless? 

Amara looked at Morpheus. “How do you angels prepare a domain for the arrival of demons?”

“We don’t.” Morpheus replied simply while picking up a piece of chocolate.

Amara expected him to continue, but when he put the sweet in his mouth instead of elaborating, she felt surprised. “Not at all?”

Morpheus shrugged. “We might tell them what the demons are and so on, in case the mortals have forgotten. But we rarely supervise their defense. They are simply too slow to respond to changes and aren’t strong enough to repel the demons should they come in force.”

Amara frowned. “Then what do you do?”

Morpheus’ eyes widened in surprise at her harsh tone. “We help the mortals hold the line where we can, by reducing the demons’ numbers and eliminating key targets. Some of the demons are simply too powerful for mortals to deal with. And if there are demon lords, then we need our foremost to bring them down - normally one of the archangels.”

“...I see.” Amara watched how the angel leaned back over the basket to pick up his next sweet while she thought.

I guess Ezme might be feeling anxious. She evidently cares about mortals...so if her domain is threatened, she’d naturally want to protect it in order to keep the mortals she feels closest to safe. 

Maybe I should put some thought into what she could do to protect her domain. But what could be done...

“You know, these choke-a-lots are pretty good.” Morpheus said with his mouth full. “By the way, did you come here just to talk about Fluffles?” 

Amara grinned as she shrugged her shoulders. “And to bribe you with coffee and sweets.”

Morpheus froze up while picking up another piece of chocolate and stared at her. “Bribe?” 

Aah, you dense...

“Yes.” Amara smiled wryly as she met the angel’s gaze. “So you’ll listen to me complaining.”

“Oh. I see.” Morpheus’ face broke out in a smile before putting the piece of chocolate in his mouth. “Then, what is it you want to complain about?”

Amara sighed and shook her head with a smile. Ah, Morpheus.

I hope you never change.