The Cat Angel erupted with another wave of invisible force from within its body.
Mana and divine energy intertwined, whirling into a massive vortex of power.
As if manipulated by unseen hands, the recently stabilized buildings nearby were violently wrenched upward.
The sound of groaning and creaking echoed through the air as the tempest began to surge outward.
Just before the mana could fully expand, the countless swarming Neco-Arcs that had gathered to watch the spectacle rushed forward all at once.
They linked hands, clambering onto each other's shoulders.
The tiny cat-girls formed a massive wall, encircling the entire northern district.
The raging mana that could tear the earth apart seemed to soften into feeble kitten punches, their gale-force winds merely ruffling the girls' short golden hair as they swept over them.
Lying on the ground, Kanase Kensei silently watched Kanase Kanon.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice slow. "Kanon... when did you leave?"
Kanase Kanon, hiding behind Arcueid, looked at Kanase Kensei, who was now restrained by police Neco-Arcs, and replied softly, "Half a year ago."
"So it really was half a year ago."
Half a year ago, progress on the Faux Angel experiment had suddenly accelerated dramatically.
He had thought it was due to his own brilliant theories... he never imagined... someone else had taken her place.
The Faux Angel ritual was originally designed for a human body; swapping the vessel would inevitably alter the experiment's progress.
"...I was saving you, Kanon," Kanase Kensei let out a soft breath, stirring the dust on the ground.
The particles glittered in the sunlight, but their gleam was instantly swept away by the mana storm—just like his plans being shattered by Arcueid.
"Saving?" Arcueid stood relaxed within the warm, turbulent winds, letting the gale tousle her golden hair.
She pointed at the Cat Angel, who was clearly suffering from a stomachache, her crimson eyes turning cold.
"You think turning Kanon into... that... is saving her?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Kanase Kensei responded bluntly.
"Kanon will evolve into an existence beyond humanity. No one will ever be able to harm her again. If successful, she will be called to God's side, becoming a true angel."
The man strained his voice, shouting what he believed to be the truth into the storm.
"What is this if not happiness?" His expression was earnest and resolute, not a trace of doubt in his tone. "What parent doesn't wish for their child's happiness?"
The same old story.
Arcueid watched him with indifference, letting out a light sigh.
"Did Kanon herself ask to become an angel?"
"...What?"
Kanase Kensei's steadfast expression faltered for the first time.
Just as she thought.
"You really don't understand anything, do you." Arcueid gave him a dismissive glance. "If becoming an angel isn't what Kanon wants, then aren't you just forcing your own desires onto her?"
"Or perhaps..." She gently patted Kanon behind her. "You never saw her as your daughter, only as a tool."
"Shut up! How could that be!"
Kanase Kensei trembled as he shouted. "This land will eventually be overtaken by terror, a fate from which no one can escape—not even the Primogenitors."
His conviction shaken, he spoke chaotically. "And the Fourth Primogenitor is the very harbinger of that calamity. Her awakening signifies that the terror is drawing near."
Kanase Kensei lifted his heavy head slightly, speaking softly to Kanase Kanon. "Escape... go to the realm of God, find happiness there..."
His eyes were fixed intently on his daughter, his tone almost pleading.
The howling wind roared, its noisy gusts scraping against their ears.
Even as sand and grit flew into his eyes, he simply kept his gaze locked on his daughter, awaiting her response.
Under his imploring stare, Kanase Kanon slowly stepped out from behind Avrora and...
Shook her head.
His daughter refused to become a messenger of God.
"Father, I am not afraid of death," she said.
Kanase Kanon recalled scenes from her past dreams, a touch of loneliness entering her blue eyes.
They were scenes of her homeland, a land of clear, beautiful snow and ice.
A landscape crafted entirely from stillness and solitude—the scenery within Kanase Kanon's heart.
"What I fear... is loneliness," Kanase Kanon murmured softly.
"Going to school with Nagisa, feeding the stray kittens with Avrora..." As if remembering something, she gave a light laugh and glanced back at Root. "Not you—the stray kittens near the convent."
Root turned her head away with a soft 'hmph'.
"And eating Trimmau's fried rice with Sister Arcueid."
The gentle girl offered a faint smile. "I'm afraid of all of this disappearing."
Kanase Kanon did not need to become an angel, because an angel had already come to save her.
The smile on her face plunged Kanase Kensei into silence.
How long had it been since he'd seen that smile?
"I see," Kanase Kensei murmured, his cheek pressed against the ground. "It seems you are very happy living there... I was wrong..."
The defeated father lay quietly on the ground, his former pride and resolve nowhere to be seen.
"I never imagined Kanon was so happy living at my place," Arcueid said with a laugh, ruffling Kanase Kanon's short hair.
"That's my house," Minamiya Natsuki shot a glance at the two embracing each other.
"Same difference~"
BOOM—
The overflowing mana grew even more violent.
Arcueid and the others simultaneously turned their eyes toward the bathroom.
The previously spirited Cat Angel emerged from the bathroom, looking utterly drained.
Although the Cat Angel had entered the bathroom, such biological needs didn't actually apply to her.
Even if mana clashed inside her body, it would eventually just spill out from her surface—just like the earlier mana tremors that resembled flatulence.
The Cat Angel stood at the bathroom door, hands clutching her stomach tightly. Her gaze swept past Kanase Kensei with a hint of resentment before settling on Minamiya Natsuki.
"Could it be..."
Arcueid stroked her smooth chin. "...it's because you stopped her from using the bathroom earlier?"
"...How was I supposed to know someone charging over looking like an enemy just needed the toilet," Minamiya Natsuki retorted offhandedly, then looked directly at the Cat Angel. "How are you feeling now?"
The Cat Angel silently shook her head and pointed at her stomach.
"Meaning she's still not feeling well."
Arcueid tilted her head in thought, troubled. How do you treat a stomachache? Medicine probably wouldn't work on a Cat Angel anyway.
Hmm...
"Well, no choice then. We'll have to be a bit forceful."
Under the Cat Angel's terrified gaze, Arcueid slowly walked forward and lifted her up.
Then, she shoved a Holy Grail into her mouth.
The Cat Angel's symptoms were caused by ingesting divine energy, so the solution was simply to expel all of that divine energy.
And the Holy Grail was a high-purity mana crystal—perfect for flushing out her system.
"Here, take your time. I've got plenty more."
Arcueid casually pulled out a handful of Holy Grails, stuffing them one by one into the Cat Angel's mouth.
With each Holy Grail consumed, the Cat Angel's expression shifted back to panic.
Pain, distortion, and a flash of understanding flickered through her eyes.
And then.
BOOM—
A massive burst of divine energy erupted from her body, causing the surrounding temperature to soar instantly.
Light and heat swirled and intertwined around the Cat Angel, gradually forming ten spheres of light.
Soon after, a familiar round table began to materialize beneath the Cat Angel's feet.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.