Chapter 218.5 Side Story Investigation Team Arrival
(***Muriel POV***)
The group of angels, led by Nathaniel, arrived on the world that the missing aeon Sophia had been overseeing. The gateway had dropped them off in the correct galaxy but they still needed to fly for a full day before they arrived at the planet. As soon as they landed, Nathaniel turned to the team and said, "Alright, we have a serious mission ahead of us. One of our own has gone missing and it's our duty to find out what happened and to check on the humans who have been left without guidance. I expect each and every one of you to do your job to the best of your abilities."
Muriel, who had been feeling uneasy since Nathaniel's earlier outburst, stepped forward and said, "Understood, sir. Then I shall head off and check if there has been any demonic or angelic interference we don’t know about." Nathaniel simply nodded in response, still not fully trusting her or her mission. Muriel then flew off heading straight for Japan where unknown to her group Zero and his group had stayed.
Evangeline, who was in charge of surveying the world and tracking any foreign mana, immediately set to work. She flew high into the sky, scanning the landscape below with her keen eyes. After a few minutes, she returned to the group and reported, "I see no signs of any foreign mana here. The world seems to be stable but I felt slight mana fluctuations in that direction where Muriel went so I’ll go check it out and keep an eye on her." After reporting she then took off in the same direction as Muriel.
Michelle, who was responsible for healing and restoration, also set to work. She flew to the nearest city and began to check on the sick and injured. It took her only a few seconds to check on everyone in the city. Once she finished without saying another word she flew off to check the rest of the humans in other parts of the world.
Seraphina, who was in charge of checking on the world's death maintenance system, flew off to the skies and smacked her hands together causing a spatial distortion. The distortion opened a gateway to a bright room filled with light and a see-through screen that seemed to be receiving constant data. She entered the room and started to check the logs on the screen and see if everything was running smoothly. She soon returned and reported, "Everything is mostly in order. The souls are being guided to their proper places without any interference. However, there were 3 things I need to report. The first 2 are that 2 souls were removed from the cycle by Sophia’s authority. The last thing is the system reported that we are currently missing nearly 10 million human souls."
Micah, who was in charge of assessing if any foreign deity had led the mortals away from the path of their Lord, was also set to work. He formed a psychic bond with those who believed in angels and began to check the faith of the priests and the believers. He soon returned and reported, "I see no signs of any foreign deity leading the mortals astray. They seem to be following the path of our Lord without any issues."
Castiel, who was in charge of communications, also began his work. He formed a communication spell with himself and the other angels in the team, allowing them to keep the others informed of any developments.
Nathaniel turned to Seraphina and asked, “Tell me about these 2 missing souls. Why did Sophia remove them from the cycle?”
Seraphina responds, “I believe it was to punish them, sir. As to why I have no idea sir I was able to procure a sample of the soul energy. With it, I have located them in that direction. I believe we should make contact with them and interrogate them.”
“Very well Castiel hold the position here and when Michelle finishes her sweep send her to back up Evangeline. Micah, Seraphina, and I will go investigate these 2 souls and maybe figure out where 10 million human souls disappeared to. Pay close attention to communications from Evangeline and inform us of any changes.” said Nathaniel issuing orders to the rest before heading off in the opposite direction that Muriel and Evangeline went
Arriving in Japan Muriel chose a deserted forest area to land and when she was a few feet above the ground her wings made of pure white light vanished. She then used a spell to transform her armor into a white, long-sleeved shirt with a pair of light blue skinny jeans. Since she was a brunette beauty with amber eyes the outfit fit her very well.
Moments later Evangeline also landed her beautiful feather wings disappearing as she landed. The armor transformed into a dress that was light and airy A-line in a soft, white pastel color. It had a high neckline and a long, flowing skirt that reached the ankles. The sleeves were ruffled, cascading down the arms and giving the dress an ethereal, graceful look. The fabric would be lightweight and delicate, giving a subtle shimmer in the light. The dress would be finished off with a small, delicate belt that ties at the waist and adds a bit of sparkle. The dress matched her silver, short hair neatly coiffured revealing a skinny, and charming face.
She glared intensely at Muriel and said, “You really have no taste nor sense of fashion. We really get to visit the human realm and that is what you choose to wear.”
Muriel sighed and retorted, “The objective is to find information without drawing attention to ourselves. I simply chose an outfit that seemed to be worn frequently. I believe that dress of yours will bring you unwanted attention.”
Muriel’s response had shut Evangeline up so she changed the subject and asked, “Why did you come here anyway?”
“Nathaniel was keen on my stay out of the way and seemed ready to make things difficult for me so I simply decided to head here. It’s a mere coincidence that your duty brought you here. Since I’m here I’ll check this island for angelic and demonic mana. Don’t worry I’ll stay out of your way so there’s no need to warn me.” said Muriel in a cold indifferent manner
“You know I’ve always hated that nonchalant attitude of yours. It really pisses me off.” said Evangeline as she walked away leaving Muriel behind
Muriel also walked out of the forest, saw a city nearby, and walked toward it. When she entered the city she met a man and asked, “Excuse me sir this is Hirosaki city correct?” to which he answered with a nod.
“Good, then might you know which way Hakuba shrine?” asked Muriel
‘The mistress and the young master were in this world so I must perform my duty to make sure that these fools don’t find any evidence of their existence.’
“Yes if you just head that way you should reach in an hour.” said the man
Muriel thanked the man and began her trip to the shrine. Although she was ordered to keep her use of magic and aether to a minimum she cast a spell on herself. With the boost of speed gained from the spell, she arrived at the shrine in less than a minute.
As she walked up the shrine stairs she came across a man sweeping the shrine grounds. The man looked up and said, “Hello welcome to Hakuba shrine. My name is Yuto the head priest so if you require anything please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Muriel said nothing in response and with a wave of her hand the man fell to the ground. Muriel then turned and said, “Is there something I can help you with Evangeline?”
Evangeline then appeared behind Muriel placing a blade to her throat and said, “What are you doing here? Depending on your answer I may be forced to detain you?”
“Forced to detain me? I don’t believe I’ve done anything to receive such treatment.” said Muriel still in an indifferent manner
“You’ve just attacked a mortal without reason. That goes against our mission. Unless you give me a satisfactory explanation for this you’ll face punitive action.” said Evangeline
“Well, the reason why I did that is simple. All you have to do is take a look at the aura radiating from that man. It’s always important to look before you act.” said Muriel shifting to a mocking tone
“What! How can this be? This human has recently been healed with aether!” said Evangeline as she examined Yuto while still keeping her blade trained on Muriel
“Yes, he has which means that an unknown angel is here. My mission as you remember is to find such traces. I can’t very well examine the man while he’s still conscious.” explained Muriel as she smacked away Evangeline’s blade