The rooftop of the Academy was as quiet as ever, the steady hum of city life far below muffled by the height. The chain-link fence rattled faintly in the breeze, carrying with it the faint scent of sakura from the courtyard. From here, the sun cast long shadows across the schoolyard, painting the roof in streaks of gold and crimson.
Haruto Amakawa leaned casually against the railing, hands tucked into his pockets, eyes half-lidded yet sharp. The commotion from earlier—the whispers, the gawking students, the Ice Princess dispersing the crowd—was nothing more than background noise to him now.
Across from him stood two beings who seemed almost out of place in this mundane world.
One radiated a gentle, warm glow: golden hair flowing in waves, her holy aura so bright that even standing still made her feel like a painting come alive. Gabriel White Tenma.
Beside her, a girl with a deceptively soft smile, silver hair catching the light like strands of moonlight. Her narrowed eyes, playful yet calculating, missed nothing. Raphiel Ainsworth Shiraha.
Their presence warped the air—holy light flickered around them like ripples on water, faint halos lingering for only a moment before vanishing. Even for someone like Haruto, who had already witnessed plenty of strange phenomena, their existence was a reminder of just how far the world had shifted.
He broke the silence first, his tone as easygoing as if they were classmates discussing homework.
"So," Haruto drawled, "do I call you Tenma and Shiraha? Or should I stick with Gabriel and Raphiel?"
The blonde angel straightened slightly. "Gabriel."
"Raphiel," the silver-haired one added with a faint smile.
"Got it. Gabriel and Raphiel it is." Haruto's lips curled into a small grin. "Now… why don't you tell me why Heaven's finest suddenly felt like gracing my boring school life?"
Gabriel opened her mouth, hesitated, then said plainly, "It's because of you—"
But before she could finish, Raphiel's fingers brushed lightly against her sleeve, a subtle warning.
Gabriel caught herself, then shifted. "In short, it's because you're… different. An awakened individual unlike any we've seen. Heaven sent us to observe you."
Haruto raised an eyebrow but didn't look surprised. "Observe me, huh? Sounds like I'm some kind of endangered animal on display."
Raphiel chuckled softly, her eyes narrowing further. "You do seem different, Amakawa-senpai. More than before. Your presence alone feels… heavy."
Haruto gave a lazy shrug, though his eyes gleamed with quiet amusement. "I've gotten stronger these past few days. Strong enough that even angels are noticing."
"Stronger?" Gabriel muttered under her breath, a faint trace of unease flickering across her features.
She and Raphiel exchanged a glance. Even for trained angels, measuring his depth was impossible. His aura carried weight—not holy, not demonic, but something sharp and untamed. Not the aura of a hero, but of someone who could stand against one if he chose to.
Gabriel finally spoke again, her voice quieter than before. "For you to have grown this much in such little time… No wonder Heaven is taking you seriously."
Haruto tilted his head. "So serious that they sent you two down from the clouds? I should feel honored."
Gabriel's jaw tightened slightly, but she continued. "You're correct. Heaven does not act lightly. My sister—Tenma Zelel White—is among the Seraphim, one of our strongest. I am not yet at her level… but even so, being dispatched here shows the weight of your existence."
"And the demons?" Haruto asked, his tone suddenly sharp. "I doubt they'll stay quiet if Heaven's already moving pieces."
"You're perceptive." Raphiel's smile widened, though it never reached her eyes. "Hell is preparing to send its own representatives. If they haven't already."
The breeze stilled for a moment, and the rooftop fell silent.
Haruto chuckled lightly. "So the heavens are watching me, the demons are watching me, and somewhere out there, monsters are slipping through cracks in reality." His gaze hardened. "You'll have to excuse me if I don't feel flattered."
Gabriel took a small step forward, her golden aura softening as if to soothe him. "We're not your enemy. In fact, we have a request."
Haruto raised an eyebrow. "A request? From Heaven?"
"Yes." Gabriel hesitated, then nodded firmly. "Your power has grown so much that, according to the Three Realms Agreement, you are qualified to know certain truths."
Raphiel lifted her hand, summoning a glowing orb of pure light. Within it, an image unfolded—Earth, blue and fragile against the void.
"This is the human realm," she said softly.
Three luminous halos appeared above the planet: white and radiant, black and swirling, grey and mist-shrouded.
"Above it exist three parallel dimensions: Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife. For eons, they coexisted without direct interference in human affairs."
Haruto's expression darkened slightly as he watched.
"But," Raphiel continued, "four months ago… another world forced a connection with ours."
Haruto's eyes narrowed. "Another world…" A memory flashed—the monstrous creature he had fought, something too alien to belong to Earth. "The monster I killed. It came from there, didn't it?"
Gabriel nodded. "Correct."
She explained further. That world was chaos incarnate—countless races locked in endless wars, powerful monsters roaming unchecked. Angels and demons both had already opened negotiations, but before peace could even be considered, cracks were forming. Creatures slipped through, some intelligent, many feral. The fragile human realm was in danger of becoming their battlefield.
"Let me guess," Haruto muttered. "When something intelligent comes through, you try to talk to it. When it's a monster, you kill it. And when negotiations fail…"
Raphiel finished for him, still smiling sweetly. "We erase the problem."
Silence lingered between them, the glowing orb hovering with a faint hum.
"Negotiations won't last," Haruto said finally, his tone blunt. "That world doesn't sound like the type to bow to anyone. Even if some races agree, the monsters won't stop crossing. You'll never plug every hole."
Gabriel's shoulders sagged slightly. "We know."
And then came the words Haruto had been expecting.
"That's why…" Gabriel's voice carried weight now, no longer casual. "On behalf of Heaven, Haruto Amakawa… we ask you to protect the human realm."
The wind gusted across the rooftop, rattling the chain-link fence.
Haruto's expression remained unreadable. Inside, however, his thoughts sharpened.
So that's their angle. They're not just here to 'observe' me. They're betting on me. They think I'll grow into something big enough to stand between worlds. A shield for humanity… or a sword, if it comes to that.
His lips curved into a faint, almost dangerous smile. "You're not asking me because I'm the only one who can. You're asking because you're gambling on what I'll become."
Neither Gabriel nor Raphiel spoke. They didn't need to. Their silence was confirmation enough.