He pondered the potential motives behind the Devils' actions.
"They could be after us to gain knowledge about Heaven, but does it even matter? Even if they acquired intel, it wouldn't be enough to overcome Heaven.."
...
Fals, leaned back with one leg crossed over the other, perched atop the black dragon.
"It's been about four weeks, hasn't it? And in just that short span of time, the place is abuzz with parties and mayhem."
She chuckled, absentmindedly toying with a strand of her hair—a mix of jet-black and pristine white.
Kämpfen's face brightened as he sat up, his joyous grin unfazed by any injuries.
"Fals, you're back! Welcome back!"
Fals stepped off the dragon, effortlessly straightening her skirts before approaching Seele.
"Hi, Captain. I'm back."
Seele smiled warmly with relief, glad that Fals had returned.
"You are. I'm glad about that. You couldn't have had better timing."
Fals chuckled, sweeping her hair back in a graceful gesture.
"Isn't it true that one must always make a striking entrance? That's what I'd like to believe, at least."
She replied with a playful smirk.
Fals walked towards the black dragon, her step agile yet elegant.
"Oh, Fagnir must be hungry. It's been a long journey, after all."
The colossal beast roared once more, as if to confirm Fals' statement.
All the Devils, now relieved that the ruthless Dreizack met their "end", hastily retreated. They hastily fled the scene, seeking refuge from danger.
Some soldiers took notice of the Devils' escape, and eagerly prepared to pursue them.
"Let's chase after them!"
Seele swiftly raised her hand, signaling for them to cease pursuit.
"No, they've suffered enough losses. Let them go."
Kämpfen leaned against a wall, exhausted and gasping for breath.
"Talk about rude. Just look at the mess those guys left behind."
A soldier gaped at Kämpfen, taken aback by his nonchalance despite his near-death experience.
"Dude, you practically kissed death but still have the audacity to crack jokes?"
Kämpfen flashed a cocky grin as he replied.
"Oh, I'd rather have a steamy rendezvous with her in bed than just a kiss. Haha!"
The soldier backed away, visibly repulsed by Kämpfen's comment.
"Ew. Absolutely disgusting."
The soldier further commented, his expression a mix of disbelief and skepticism.
"Seriously, I'm seriously puzzled about how you ended up with that particular Virtue."
After his fit of laughter subsided, Kämpfen playfully patted him on the shoulder.
"Trust me, buddy. Trust me."
The baffled soldier instinctively took a step back, gradually increasing the distance before finally darting away in retreat.
Verdadero finally arrived, slightly out of breath after what seemed like an eternity to him.
"I made it. Is it over...?"
Kämpfen, standing nearby, playfully placed a hand on Verdadero's shoulder.
"Took you long enough, pal. You're just too slow."
Verdadero wore a mildly annoyed expression on his face.
"Oh yeah? Is that so?"
He playfully swatted Kämpfen on the head with a friendly punch, though it was strong enough to cause a hint of pain.
Verdadero wore a mildly annoyed expression on his face.
"Oh yeah? Is that so?"
He playfully swatted Kämpfen on the head with a friendly punch, though it was strong enough to cause a hint of pain.
Kämpfen winced as he rubbed the spot where Verdadero's punch struck, playfully complaining.
"Hey, that actually hurt, you grumpy cat!"
Verdadero rolled his eyes playfully before approaching Fals.
"It's good to see you back, Fals."
Fals flashed a mischievous smile before winking at Verdadero.
"You're looking as handsome as ever, Verdadero."
Verdadero smiled and nodded, acknowledging her late arrival.
"Yeah, you were kind of late. What took you so long?"
Fals paused for a moment, contemplating her response.
"Right, I was assigned to a mission in the Itaka Kingdom, far south of Tankoa. I encountered a strange young girl who claimed to be a fallen angel. She fought fiercely and almost escaped... I tried to capture her, but..."
Seele interrupted, taking over where Fals left off.
"Right, she managed to escape. But you don't have to worry about that. We had an unexpected encounter ourselves. A man who fell from the sky. He is currently being cared for at the medic base."
Fals' eyes widened in surprise, and she expressed her bewilderment with a raised brow.
"What's with this recent trend of people falling from the sky? In fact, I've recently heard from Fidel in Maesmarith that he happened to find two individuals who dropped from the sky as well. A girl and a boy, to be specific."
Kämpfen's gaze grew curious, and he let out a low whistle of amusement.
"What if they're fallen angels, then? Are they classified as Sinners?"
Verdadero voiced his agreement, concurring with the probability.
"Indeed, there's a strong likelihood of that. They probably committed heinous acts in Heaven to be cast down like that."
Kämpfen turned to Seele, his gaze fixed on her.
"Captain, if that guy is indeed a Sinner, what should we do about him?"
Seele's conflicted feelings were evident as she spoke up, caught between the desire to punish and the sense of gratitude toward the Sinner.
"It's true that he played a role in helping us defeat the Devil. Part of me believes he should be punished, but another part feels grateful for his assistance."
Seele took a moment to collect her thoughts, considering their circumstances and her position as the Captain.
"Although he has helped us, it's true that he's a Sinner. He's committed heinous acts that go beyond comprehension. Punishing him is undoubtedly the right thing to do."
Verdadero nodded in agreement, expressing his support for Seele's judgment.
"You're the Captain. Whatever you decide is truly the right course of action."
Seele flashed a grateful smile at Verdadero, feeling reassured by his support.
"Thank you, Verdadero. I know I can always depend on you, and on all of you."
Kämpfen returned the smile, enthusiastically giving her a thumb's up gesture.
"You bet, Captain! We've always got your back."
Fals nodded with a smile, her arms casually crossed behind her back.
"Agreed with what the goof said."
Kämpfen shot Fals an offended look, feigning hurt by her playful insult.
"I'm a 'goof' now?"
Verdadero couldn't help but snicker at Kämpfen's reaction, and joined in on the teasing.
"Oh, you've always been a 'goof'. Nothing new there."
Kämpfen, getting irritated at his friends' teasing, rolled his eyes and shot back at them.
"Oh, yeah? Well, you two are total 'nerds.'"
Fals chuckled, finding Kämpfen's insult more amusing than offensive.
"Yes, at least we use that brains of ours, you dimwit."
Seele couldn't help but chuckle, but quickly composed herself.
"Teasing Kämpfen is fun and all, but let's get back on topic. If our theory about him being a fallen angel holds true, we should consider bringing him into our division. He might have crucial knowledge, and he could help us uncover what happened to my brother."
Verdadero nodded in agreement, acknowledging the impact that Älter's death had on the squad.
"Of course, Captain. We understand."
Fals spoke with a cautious tone, emphasizing concern and wariness.
"As much as we understand and empathize with your pain, Captain, can we truly put our trust in him?"
...
The door on the room Leben was put in opened, the people were Seele, Verdadero, Kämpfen, and Fals.
Seele walked towards Leben, in a slow walk. She then crossed her arms and looked down at him as he was sitting on the bed.
"So, you're a Fallen Angel, right?"
Leben smirked, it still has a sinister aura just by his smile. Scary.
"So, you found out?"
Leben nonchalantly shrugged, avoiding eye contact and adopting a defiant demeanor.
"Fine, you figured it out. I am indeed a Fallen Angel. So what?"
Fals sat down on the bed where Leben was resting, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"Apparently, there's been a surge of Fallen Angels lately. We were wondering if you could shed some light on the reason behind this phenomenon."
Leben shot Fals a frosty glare, clearly irritated by her presence on the bed.
"This is my bed, so get off."
Fals shot back an equally icy glare, her patience wearing thin.
"This isn't your bed, Fangel."
Leben bristled at her words, feeling provoked by the insult.
"I'm not a 'Fangel', you ugly wench!"
Fals gave Leben a hard whack on the head, her words dripping with defiance.
"Just so you know, I'm considered one of the most beautiful women in all of Tankoa, buddy!"
Leben shot back at her, his tone defiant.
"I'm not your 'buddy', you ugly wench! The name's Leben Haineux!"
Fals shot back at him, her anger growing with each insult.
"I'm not ugly, and I'm not a wench! I'll show you that a mere Fallen Angel isn't superior to me! My name's Fals Nume, and you're that shitty?!?"
Kämpfen nodded as he listened, unable to contain his thoughts.
"Well, to be fair, she does kind of look like a wench."
Seele raised her hand, signaling for them to cut it out and stay focused on the task at hand.
"Alright, enough. Let's get back on track. I need you to answer my question, Sir Leben."