6/Glitter Love

Just when I was about to leave the city, I got caught by a messenger of the military. Someone must have remembered an old story from five years ago and enlisted me in this mission.

When I returned to my room to pick up the Black Barrel that I left to rot, the Angel was still there.

"Are you going to fight that?"

"Looks like it. The Knights are assembling too, and the military's eager to do it. They're aiming to at least change the Cross's course. If that's it, then the possibility isn't zero."

"It's impossible. No one understands what an Aristoteles is. That isn't a life form from this planet. There is no, chance of winning."

"How could that be? We have already defeated three Aristoteleses. If we have more fire power than them, it's not an unstoppable opponent."

"I don't know about that. They can't be judged by this planet's common sense. That's why even a concept of death doesn't exist for them. They won't stop until they achieve their objective."

"Objective? You guys had such thing?"

"Yes. It's not our own objective, but we do. They arrived here to fulfill the wish of this planet. ...this planet died from the influence of the life forms that lived on it. The planet itself doesn't have a feeling of grief. Even perishing by the influence of its own life forms is alright. A planet only carries a will; it carries no meaning."

“But there was an exception. The planet is able to forgive because life forms follow the same fate as the planet. But the human species were able to live on, even on the dead land. This planet was frightened by the existence that kept on living on top of its corpse, and cried out for help at its end. ‘Please, wipe out the life forms that are still alive.’"

"...I see. So that's who you guys are."

When I muttered that, the Angel said no, as she shook her head.

"The only ones who were able to hear the cry of the planet were other planets. I…no, we were the highest ranking species of those planets that received the will of this planet. For example, the Aristoteles that was called the Heaven's Corpse... what I used to be, was the most superior individual on Venus."

"Wha...t?'

Without knowing, I lost my breath. Our enemies were species that ruled over the aliens of other planets, where our common sense doesn't apply. The strongest life form on a planet; in other words, the planet itself. The human species who survived on this planet, simply put, were fighting eight planets.

“…yeah, there's no chance of winning. You got that right."

The Angel nodded sadly.

"On top of that, they’re right. ...geez. If humans accepted the prophecy in the 2000th year, we would have gotten away by just being the victim."

"No...! The ones who are wrong are the Aristoteles. They don't have any will. Isn't it a bad thing to erase lives without having a will?"

The Angel who had learned the common sense of this planet said that. But there was no longer any notion of right or wrong on this planet. The only simple rule was that you either live or die.

That's why---- because I lived till now, I'm not going to be on the dying side.

"It won't change anything. I don't have any reason to fight either. I probably will never have any. At the point where we’re just killing each other for no reason, we are equal. Isn't that the simplest way of life?"

The Angel won't answer.

"What are you going to do? Even if you have the same objective, that Cross and you are different things, right? Your body will be destroyed along with this city. You said you died instantly, but that's by our standards. I doubt the concept of death on this planet applies to a life form from another planet. Aren't you able to move already?"

The downward facing Angel shook her head.

"No. If I move, the outer shell of the wings will shatter. All the leaves of what everyone calls the World Tree will fall. If that happens, uncountable numbers of angels will come pouring down. Everyone will die before the Aristoteles comes," the gloomy Angel said.

She's right. The number of leaves on the tree that reaches the clouds is far more than the number of surviving human species. Billions of released angels will cover the whole planet in no time.

"But you'll die if you don't!"

"It's all right. I am the people here. I am only an image created by them."

"It's just that they provided you knowledge. You are different from us. To you, we are just simple accessories. You should hurry up and take it off so you'll feel light."

The Angel smiled sadly, and again shook her head.

"You're an idiot."

"I know I am. But I can't help it. …I love this place."

The teary-eyed Angel said that with a feeling of satisfaction.

How can I argue with that?

"...Okay. I suppose that can't be helped."

As the Angel nodded her head, she stared at me. Her straight eyes were asking me, how about you?

"I'm going to die soon, you know. I think you can at least tell me that and the heavens won't punish you." The punishment that came to this planet irresponsibly said that.

As I carried my belongings on my back, I replied.

"Yeah. I'll be honest. I love this city too. …besides, since that moment, I was possessed by you."

The Angel opened her eyes widely in surprise.

"…um. What does that mean?"

"It must mean I've fallen in love with you, since then. I realized that now."

When I threw out the words, the Angel’s expression sparkled, but she quickly put her head down.

"But I'm not a human being."

The Angel grasped something like that just now?

....Geez, She's a real idiot.

"You know, there's only one human being left in the world and that's me. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh. You're right," the Angel nodded.

There's nothing else to talk about. I started walking outside as the time of the military gathering approached.

"See you. Go to someone with a better dream next time. You can become a real angel if you do that."

My imagination was always twisted somewhere.

When I looked back at her one last time, the angel answered with a gentle expression: no.

"There's no such thing as a real angel. I’d rather stay a fake one."

The fantasy said that she will stay a fantasy.

Is that so? Convinced, I left the room.

All that was left in the room was my older sister's guitar and the fake angel.

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