"Boss?"
The two of them failed to react at first, but Xenovia quickly guessed that the "boss" Rod was referring to was the important figure from Heaven.
"Yeah, that's why we got up especially early. But we also received word that we weren't supposed to come get you until eight. Even though the Seraph had already arrived at the church, she still had to wait for you to finish sleeping first."
"That just proves your superior respects me. You two already eat my food and live in my house, and now you've even got the nerve to complain to me?"
"Hehe, doesn't that just show how close our comrade bond is?"
Irina gave a goofy little laugh.
"Let's go. Don't keep the Seraph waiting too long. Tomorrow's the peace conference, so it's not easy for a Seraph to make time to come here today."
Xenovia's expression was solemn, though maybe she should wipe the grain of rice off the corner of her mouth before speaking.
Rod did not bother pressing them on it. Before long, he was already driving toward the church.
Kuoh was not large to begin with, and Rod drove fast the whole way, so in just a few minutes they had reached the foot of the mountain where the church stood.
After parking the car, Rod sensed several hidden presences nearby.
If nothing unexpected had happened, they were probably angels acting as hidden sentries and guards.
There was one thing Rod had always wanted to know.
If the person being protected was stronger than the guards, then what exactly were the guards protecting?
If an enemy stronger than the guards showed up, then the protected target would end up having to protect the guards instead.
In the end, Rod arrived at one conclusion.
In that sort of situation, the only purpose of guards was to make the scene look impressive.
Compared to the last time he came, the church was still just as dilapidated as ever.
The corpses of the exorcists and fallen angels Rod had killed before were gone. Presumably Rias and the others had cleaned them up.
The church doors, however, were shut, and Rod could sense that there was only a single presence inside.
Xenovia and Irina also grew visibly more reverent and respectful.
Rod did not think much of it. He walked straight up to the church and pushed the door open.
Knock first?
Not a chance.
The heavy doors slowly opened, revealing a cross that had been destroyed down to half its original form.
The wooden pews on both sides had long since rotted and collapsed, and the air carried a moldy, damp smell.
And directly before the broken cross, a slender figure knelt on the ground with her back to Rod, utterly motionless.
The six pairs of golden wings growing from her back lit up every dark corner of the church, and a gentle power filled every inch of the place.
As if sensing someone approach, the kneeling figure slowly stood.
As she rose, golden motes of light scattered with the movement of her wings.
Rod narrowed his eyes and saw a blonde woman in a close-fitting white holy robe slowly turn around.
Whoa. Huge.
Rod's eyes automatically locked onto the woman's chest.
Then the pupils hidden behind his sunglasses instantly contracted on their own.
Rod considered himself someone who had already seen plenty of huge breasts and was not so easily fooled by size or shape alone. But the moment he saw this female angel, an extremely sinful thought rose in his pure heart.
"So you must be Mr. Rod, the one Sister Griselda is always talking about."
The woman wore a gentle smile.
Her long golden hair, radiant like the morning sun, fell softly over her shoulders. Her features were as exquisite as a painting, and her eyes were a clear pale green, as though filled with holy light. Her lashes were long and thick, casting faint shadows over her eyelids when lowered. Beneath her high nose bridge, her lips curved in a soft line. Her skin was so fair it was almost translucent, carrying a faint golden luster without the slightest flaw.
The pure white holy robe she wore traced soft, flowing curves over her figure. Her waist was slender, but not frail.
A sacred and powerful aura surrounded her, warm as morning light breaking through clouds, yet touched with a slight sense of distance.
Of course, ninety-nine percent of Rod's attention was still automatically fixed on those two huge breasts.
Even though not a single bit of skin was exposed, Rod found her even more alluring than Katerea in the Emperor's New Clothes.
"Lady Gabriel!"
The moment Xenovia and Irina Shidou saw the female angel, both of them dropped to one knee, their faces full of deep devotion and respect.
For believers who were still human, even the appearance of an ordinary low-ranking angel would make them incomparably excited.
All the more so for a Seraph whose status stood second only to God.
"Xenovia, Irina, there's no need for you to kneel. Please, get up."
Gabriel's voice was incredibly gentle, as though carrying a special power that made the two girls rise to their feet.
Then her gaze settled on Rod once more.
Rod's line of sight dipped slightly lower, and his eyes still would not obey him.
Even though he was wearing sunglasses, Gabriel, as a holy and pure Seraph, could still sense the bold gaze hidden beneath them.
Yet Gabriel showed no displeasure. She simply continued looking at Rod with innocent eyes.
"It seems Sister Griselda described you quite accurately. You're excellent in every way, but in certain areas, you just can't help yourself."
"But that's fine too. As part of a human personality, having a bit more color to it isn't a bad thing~~"
She smiled beautifully after saying that.
"Ahem."
The moment he heard that, Rod knew his trick of openly staring through sunglasses had been seen through.
But that was not really his fault. After all, auto-locking was a natural passive skill he had been born with. There was no way to switch it off whenever he wanted.
"Good morning, Mr. Rod. I am Gabriel, one of the Four Great Seraphs."
Even though Gabriel could tell that Rod still had not withdrawn his gaze, she smiled and greeted him anyway, completely unconcerned.
"And Xenovia, Irina, you two may relax a little as well."
That said, the two girls were still extremely excited.
Gabriel was Heaven's number one beauty, and also the strongest female angel in Heaven. She was their idol.
Now that they had finally seen her in person, both girls' eyes shone brightly. Their hands were clasped together, and they looked dazed with excitement.
Seeing that they still had not changed at all, Gabriel could only show a helpless smile.
Since that was the case, she stopped worrying about the two of them and instead said to Rod, "I've already learned everything about Mr. Rod's deeds. First of all, thank you very much for stopping Kokabiel's plot in this incident. Not only did you successfully recover the Holy Swords, you also protected Lucifer's and Leviathan's younger sisters."
"If he had succeeded, perhaps a new round of war would have broken out among our three great factions. But whether it's Heaven, Azazel, or the Underworld, none of us wants another new war."
"After all..."
At that point, Gabriel paused.
Then she reached her right hand into empty air and drew out a knight's sword radiating holy power.
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