The handcuffs bore a pattern similar to something called Hena, which they had seen at Noor's Shelter. The cuffs were fixed in space, unmoving, and even magic couldn't activate.
It wasn't out of fear of mere humans.
Amy recalled a frog she had once seen in a lab.
The reason they tied its limbs before dissection wasn't out of fear.
Thinking this far sent chills down her spine.
At the very least, it meant something natural awaited them—something that would make struggling inevitable.
Perhaps thinking the same, Tess and Arin remained silent.
As if staying quiet would maintain the tense atmosphere forever.
The only consolation was that Tess's wrist was free of the drone.
Upon arriving in Zebul, she had discreetly sent the drone away, unnoticed by Ikasa.
It was the quick thinking of someone trained by Ganza.
'What's going on? Why can't I see anything?'
But her efforts were futile for now.
The drone could guide Shirone and the others to arrive as quickly as possible, but nothing appeared on the retinal screen.
She didn't know that the space itself had been isolated by the Mechan's System's function.
Kariel was inspecting a machine about 70 meters from the globular cluster.
It was a massive pillar reaching the ceiling, with thousands of panels emitting various lights.
Kariel floated 10 meters high, arms crossed, staring at the screen.
The screen was filled with complex symbols incomprehensible to Amy and her friends.
Amy observed Kariel's halo.
It was enormous and vivid, far beyond Ikasa's.
Diagrams and equations appeared and disappeared like afterimages within the boundary, and with each change, the machine's screen rapidly updated.
System Voice: "System check complete. Initiating the Elixir of Life. Please input the molecular structure of the genetic material."
A chilling female voice echoed from the ceiling.
The machine's voice was beyond even Arin's analysis. Attempting telepathy with Kariel would be madness.
After staring at the screen for a while, Kariel flew over to the girls.
A deep, bass-like vibration accompanied his movement.
He was a handsome young man, standing 2.3 meters tall, dressed in white robes. His halo was so bright it felt like a hole had been punched through space.
Amy mustered the courage to glare at him.
If something had to be done, she would be the first to step forward. In a situation where her friends were captured, she didn't want Tess or Arin to suffer first.
Amy: "Aren't you ashamed to call yourself an Archangel? Hurry up and release these handcuffs!"
"Such a lowly, human-like thought. As an archangel, I have restrained you to fulfill my duty."
Arin bit her lip as she stared intently at Kariel.
This was her first time experiencing such a level of telepathy.
All she could see were vibrating strings. The vibrations shook in complex patterns, forming shapes, but even those were unclear.
Kariel existed only as a probability.
Amy fired back.
Amy: "Duty? What are you planning to do to us?"
Kariel: "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Archangel Kariel. I have been dispatched by Ra to carry out the Ritual of Life in occupied territories. I will now perform the Ritual of Life on you as well. It is a glorious mission, so accept it with joy."
Amy: "You're joking! What kind of nonsense are you spouting after tying us up? Untie us right now!"
Amy struggled. With her hands cuffed at waist height, the only thing she could do was stomp her feet like a child throwing a tantrum.
Tess, who had been pondering Kariel's words, asked with curiosity.
Tess: "Wait. Occupied territories? Does that mean heaven is attacking other worlds?"
Kariel fell into thought. The law was always right. But to persuade humans, a different approach was needed.
Kariel: "It is merely conveying Ra's will. The god loves humanity and wishes for it to endure eternally. Your world, too, will soon succumb to Ra's will."
Tess was gripped by a terrifying thought.
If her sudden realization was correct, Ra was a tyrant of the universe. The citizens of heaven might also have been inhabitants of some conquered territory.
Amy shouted.
Amy: "We've seen the Ritual of Life! Is that how you show love to humans? You're no different from a perverted murderer!"
Kariel: "You don't understand. Humans mistake love for power. Don't think that being loved by someone is a great ability. Ra cherishes you simply because you are beings capable of giving names."
Amy recalled the Book of Lifespans. Fairies controlled the lifespans of their subjects through names.
But wasn't naming something anyone could do? What did giving names mean to Ra?
Tess spoke sarcastically.
Tess: "So, what are you planning to do with us? Now that you've cuffed us, are you going to whip us and show us love?"
Kariel: "You have an important mission."
Tess: "A mission? What mission?"
Kariel: "To bear my child."
The faces of Amy, Tess, and Arin turned red simultaneously. Their hair stood on end, and irritation surged.
Amy, unable to control her trembling jaw, shouted.
Amy: "You… you pervert! If you lay a single hand on me, I won't let you get away with it!"
Kariel: "What a pitiful reaction. Don't worry. It's merely about transferring the angel's information to your bodies."
Tess found his words even more irritating. It was the kind of language perverts used when they tried to explain something obvious in precise terms.
Tess: "In other words, you're saying you want to have some fun with us."
Kariel showed displeasure.
Kariel: "Human expressions are so lowly. The Ritual of Life is a high-level spell that only I, among the archangels, can perform. Don't compare it to the reproduction of inferior humans."
The preparation for the Ritual of Life is complete. Information accumulation rate: 100%. Proceed with replication?
Just then, a woman's voice echoed from the ceiling.
Kariel flew into the air as if no further explanation was needed.
Kariel: "Replicate."
Replicating genetic material. Estimated time: 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Kariel's halo expanded into a ring over 20 meters in diameter.
Bringing his index and middle fingers together, a bead of light formed at his fingertips.
Though small, its intensity was enough to illuminate an entire battlefield.
Kariel retracted the halo and returned to the women.
At the tip of his finger, where the light had disappeared, a purple diamond-shaped glass panel had formed.
Kariel: "This panel contains nearly infinite life information. Understand? To create humans, the information of all lifeforms that existed before humans is necessary."
Amy: "Who cares! No matter what, we're not doing it!"
Amy shouted. She was already furious, and the explanation only made her more irritated.
But Kariel, seemingly proud of the Ritual of Life, continued his explanation despite having no audience.
Kariel: "The information of angels is delicate and complex. Women who have borne children have a significantly lower success rate in giving birth to Nephilim for this reason. In that sense, you are lucky. You have the honor of directly carrying the descendant of a great angel."
Tess: "What do you plan to do with the Nephilim… once they're born?"
Kariel: "Send them to another world. In this case, it will be your world."
Tess: "To educate the humans there and offer them to the gods?"
Kariel fell silent at the pointed question.
In the end, that was it. Have women from occupied territories bear Nephilim, educate the humans there, and then guide them to the gods.
Tess realized that Nephilim were a kind of spy.
Being free from the law also meant that.
You wouldn't impose your own laws on combatants infiltrating enemy territory.
Kariel extended the panel floating at his fingertips.
Kariel: "Don't worry. It's merely transferring information, so you won't feel any shame."
When the glass panel was pressed against the forehead, glass thorns would sprout and embed themselves like roots into the brain.
Through these roots, the angel's information would penetrate, creating life from the woman's body.
Kariel brought the glass panel close to each of the three women's foreheads, as if checking the fit.
All of them had broad, beautiful foreheads that seemed suitable for the roots to take hold.
Kariel: "Hmm, I see. Shall I let you decide? Who will be the first to undergo this glorious ritual?"
The three women shouted simultaneously.
Amy, Tess, Arin: "I'll go first!"
Kariel seemed satisfied.
To succeed in the Ritual of Life, the angel's information had to be precise, but the role of the mother was also crucial.
The success rate was roughly 1 in 30, and failure would result in brain shock and death.
However, the stronger the mental and physical condition, the higher the chances of success.
In that regard, all three women were excellent choices.
Replication of genetic material complete.
As the voice echoed from the ceiling, Kariel raised his hand.
Identical panels formed on either side of the vertically floating glass panel.
Kariel: "Such close sisters. Since I can't determine who is superior, I'll implant them simultaneously."
The three panels, released from Kariel's hand, floated through the air toward the women.
Amy and her companions were seized by uncontrollable rage. They finally realized.
Archangel Kariel was the worst kind of pervert.
Rian and Canis arrived at Zebul.
As soon as they crossed the city walls, the sight of Zebul unfolded before them: countless disks spreading outward, resembling a city floating on a lotus flower.
As expected, the interior of Zebul was a labyrinth of dimensions.
The method of leaping between spaces was too complex for human thought to calculate.
There must have been some rule, but the two had no time to think.
Following the coordinates from Feofe's memory, they moved forward.
After moving through the same locations several times, Canis finally found the portal to Ingris.
Canis: "Let's part ways here. Even if we know the way, finding it is another matter. It's better for at least one of us to get there first."
Rian: "Are you sure? If we can't disable the Mechan's System, there's no point in me going first. If there are enemies in Ingris, it might be more effective to take them out together."
Canis looked back at the portal.
No special devices were visible, but according to Feofe's memory, this was definitely Ingris.
They hadn't encountered anyone so far, so the likelihood of enemies in Ingris was slim.
But if there were, the enemy would be at least a Mara.
In that sense, Rian's suggestion to move together might be better.
But Canis didn't change his mind.
There was no telling how long it would take to disable the Mechan's System. Wasting manpower in any situation wasn't a good strategy.
Canis: "There's no guarantee that going together will make things easier. Let's each do what we can. That's the best we can do right now."
Rian accepted this. After checking the Signa and Xed he received from Lena, he headed east through Zebul.
Canis took a deep breath and stepped onto the platform.
There was no need to do anything. As soon as his feet touched the coordinates, the floor split open, and light exploded with a bang.
By the time he blinked, the scenery had changed.
The Angel's Archive, Ingris.
Contrary to the warm feeling evoked by the word "archive," the place was devoid of any human touch, filled with a mechanical landscape.
The central control device was surrounded by cross-shaped paths, and the walls were covered with vertically arranged rectangular panels.
Harvest appeared, looking displeased.
For him, who sensed the world through vibrations, Ingris was a space filled with vibrations, leaving no room for anything else.
Canis checked for enemies.
He would probably have to check every corner, but so far, no visible presence had appeared.