The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the city in the faint glow of flickering neon lights and restless streetlamps. The rooftop, as always, was quiet—except for the occasional hum of distant traffic and the static tension between two very different beings.
Kikidori lounged with his arms behind his head, stretched out across the ledge like it was a throne built for him. His wings, still stained in shades of shadow and ash, remained folded tightly behind him. Haruna sat a few feet away, arms wrapped around her knees, watching the humans below bustle through their short, fragile lives.
"I still don't get why you come here," she said, her voice soft.
Kikidori didn't look at her. "I like the view. And the chaos. Chaos has good taste."
Haruna rolled her eyes. "You know you're kind of an asshole, right?"
He grinned. "Kinda?"
She shook her head, a small smirk playing on her lips. "You make it hard to believe you're even capable of anything decent."
"I did save your feathered ass," he reminded her.
"You *also* insulted Jesus five minutes later."
"Eh. He can take a joke. Thorn head's got a sense of humor."
Haruna sighed and looked at him—really looked. There was something sharp in his eyes, yes, something dangerous. But buried deep—beneath all the sarcasm and darkness—there was a sliver of something else.
Not kindness, maybe.
But something… *aware*.
She didn't like him.
Not like that.
God no.
But maybe… maybe he wasn't completely hopeless.
Maybe.
Then Kikidori stood up and casually leapt off the building.
"*Kiki—what the hell are you doing?!*" Haruna shouted, scrambling to her feet.
He didn't answer.
He glided down like a lazy bat, landed in the middle of a crosswalk, and looked around.
A man was walking past, earbuds in, totally oblivious.
Kikidori smiled, reached out—
—and *tapped the man on the shoulder.*
*WHOOSH!*
The man **instantly erupted in flames**. Screaming. Flailing. Collapsing into ash.
Gasps filled the streets. Phones came out. Cars screeched to a halt.
Haruna landed with a *flash* of golden light, shoving Kikidori back.
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, KIKIDORI!!!"
Kikidori looked genuinely confused. "What?"
"You just *killed* someone!"
"So? People die every day. This one just got the express ticket."
"You—You're a *monster!*"
He shrugged. "A monster with style."
"I hate you!"
"I hate you more."
"I can't believe I follow you to Earth! What is WRONG with me?!"
"Lack of therapy," Kikidori said dryly. Then, smirking, he stepped closer, his voice low and teasing. "Fine. Let's see if angels bleed gold…"
His tone was dark—threatening on the surface, but playful underneath. He didn't move to actually hurt her. He didn't need to. The words alone did enough.
Haruna's breath caught.
The humans watching from behind cars and smartphones were now completely lost. A demon. An angel. Talking like exes in a soap opera. One had just murdered a guy. The other looked like she was about to smite someone.
Somewhere, someone whispered, "Is this a prank?"
Kikidori stepped back, stretched, and turned toward a portal that cracked open like a mouth of darkness.
"I'm out," he said.
He took one last look at Haruna—half-amused, half-annoyed—and without a word…
**Flipped her off.**
Middle finger raised, wings flared.
Then he vanished into Hell's maw with a smirk.
Haruna, alone now on Earth, facepalmed.
"I need a vacation. Or maybe exile. Exile sounds good."
Then a golden gate opened behind her, and she returned to Heaven, muttering under her breath the entire way.
The end of chapter 16.