Late at night in the Lingering World's capital, Saintdom, it is pouring down mercilessly. The temperature has also dropped significantly, following the New World's environmental changes.

In the morning, the weather is that of spring, later on at noon it gets more like summer, in the afternoon it is reminiscent of autumn and finally when the sun is down it all reminds winter.

What a splendid, Balanced World...

Under other circumstances, Yonuro would have loved to sleep in these weather conditions. Rainy weather and a soft blanket? "Count me in!" she'd probably say. But in her current situation, nothing can make her to enjoy her sleep. The burden she bears by herself and all the other things that happened so quickly won't let her sleep in peace. They will haunt her in her dreams and deny her a proper rest.

At a glance, Ramael easily notices that. She sighs after seeing Yonuro's eyes forcefully closed and her face showing clear signs of uncertainty, disbelief, sadness and worry. Ramael really wants to know what's happening. Yonuro's behavior is inexplicably weird and questionable and her psychological state is in dissaray. She really wants to know what's in her head.

Ramael- Ah... Yonuro...

Ramael leaves Yonuro's side for a bit and approaches the room's window. She's lost in thought while silently looking at the outside world. Although it's raining like crazy, after its integration to the New World, the Lingering World seems more beautiful than ever. Ramael is amazed by this beauty and soon clears her mind of all pessimistic thoughts.

Ramael- How beautiful...

At that moment, the room's door starts to clatter. Ramael looks at it but gives no further thought. "It must be the wind." she says to herself. After noticing that Yonuro's still sleeping, she turns her head back towards the window--

As soon as she does that, however, she senses a hand touching her body. She's startled, but she doesn't want to wake Yonuro up. So does the person who touched her. He proceeds to talk to her in quiet whispers.

Sachrist- Ramael...

Ramael- Sa-Sachrist?!

Sachrist presses his index finger against his lips.

Sachrist- Shhh–

Ramael gulps and then nods. From now on, she will also whisper.

Sachrist- Do you remember back then? We used to be like this together. Looking outside the window when it rained, talking in secret and sharing hidden truths between us..?

Ramael almost tears up from her nostalgia.

Ramael- I'd never forget the moments I spend with you, Sachrist... You were– No, you are the one I– (...) Forget it. I never said that. Hahah.....

Sachrist- Hm... I know how you feel Ramael. You don't have to hide it... Even though I've always been shy about it, I do have feelings for you as well...

Ramael's breath is cut short. Her heart rate goes off the charts.

Ramael- I-Is this f-for r-real...? Do you have f-f-feelings... for me?!

Sachrist grins and reassures her.

Sachrist- Why would I lie to you, dear Ramael? We've been together for so long...

Ramael doesn't know what to do with this body of hers. If she were her normal self, she'd undoubtedly snatch a kiss from him. But now all she does is jump on his shoulder and try to hug him.

Sachrist caresses Ramael's veil-like body for a while. When he stops, with tears in her eyes, Ramael asks him.

Ramael- Why did you wait for so long to tell me, Sachrist...? You knew I was in love with from you the moment we first met. The moment you saved me from despair... You probably didn't have feelings for me back then, and they grew as time went by?

Sachrist averts his gaze and says "Yeah, that's also one reason."

Ramael- What is the other reason?

Sachrist deeply sighs before answering her question.

Sachrist- I want you to know that I am on your side. Whatever happens, I will be there for you.

Ramael nods a few times, acknowledging Sachrist as a dear, trustworthy, sincere, surely not manipulative lover.

Sachrist closes his eyes. Determined as he now is, he opens them again and just like the old days, he shares a major secret with her.

Sachrist- When the time comes, and we are about to reestablish the Barrier, Yonuro Tokiyama will deny it and prevent us from restoring it. Guided by an unholy being and her misleading words, she will bring Aniik to her side and try to destroy the World...

*Is he talking about me? For real...? Unholy being..? (...) Well he's omniscient, I won't judge him...*

In absolute shock as she is, Ramael widens her eyes. She is torn in half. On the one side, her love for Sachrist and the other the friendship with Yonuro. It is all breaking apart. Everything is beginning to crumble... Her mind is fuzzy. She doesn't know what or better who to believe.

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Blinded by her extreme sense of one-sided love for him, however, Ramael's mind spontaneously picks Sachrist.

Yonuro's inexcusable behaviour earlier, together with the secrets she's keeping and her peculiar dream that Sachrist found a valid explanation for, an unholy being's misguiding words, Ramael is pursuaded. Although she clearly doesn't want to pick a side, her subconscious mind has already sided with Sachrist...

Sachrist- Be careful, Ramael. These are dark times we're living. Keep your eyes open, my dear...

Sachrist leaves and Ramael doesn't get to answer back. Even if she had more time, though, she wouldn't. She is utterly speechless. The door closes once more and Ramael looks at Yonuro in disbelief. Her whole body is trembling. She doesn't know what to do.

And as if that wasn't enough for her already, guess whose sleep is so nightmarish that ends up being interrupted in the middle of the night...

Yonuro- Ahhhh, fuck! I had the worse sleep of my life!

Ramael just stares at her.

Yonuro- Ramael? What's wrong? Why are you so pale?

Ramael- Tell me Yonuro. What is it that you want?

Yonuro- What I want? A good night's sleep? Hahaha!

The tense aura around Ramael intensifies.

Yonuro - Woah, woah, something's up.

Ramael- I'll rephrase. What are you hiding, Yonuro...?

A lightning strikes nearby and makes this scene all the more dramatic.

Yonuro scratches her head and says "I don't wanna get into it. Now's not the time..."

Ramael shouts "If you see me as a friend, then answer my question right now!"

Yonuro has never been frightened by Ramael before. Whatever is going on, shouldn't be happening. It's all unbelievable. Waking up to this? Yonuro would rather see another nightmare instead...

Scared to lose her friend, however, Yonuro doesn't have a choice. She tells her everything...

(...)

Ramael- I see...

Yonuro- That's all you've gotta say?

Ramael- I don't need to say anything else. Sadly enough, he is right...

Yonuro gets so confused over Ramael's answer that she loses her temper.

Yonuro- You talking about fucking Sachrist? "He's right?!" Did you misheard what I just said? "He's lying!".

Ramael- I don't believe this is happening... This is too harsh... I might have to resort to–

Ramael approaches Yonuro's head, but she meets an obstacle.

Yonuro- What are you getting at? Stop moving around and explain yourself!

Ramael- You're right Yonuro. You really need to take a nap. Actually, you might need more than that. Let me force you to a 24-hour-long sleep this way...

Ramael jumps onto Yonuro's head and infiltrates Yonuro's mind through the Angelic Bond...

Ramael- Ra' Mén. Silence my bearer's mind, by the laws of my Angelic Bond!

Yonuro- No, Ramael!!!!!

Yonuro falls to a deep unwanted, this time literally forced sleep... Ramael swirls her body next to Yonuro and stays there. She keeps looking at Yonuro's sleeping face. Her sleeping expression is in fact calmer and happier than before.

"It's better this way..." Ramael thinks.

Ramael- Don't worry Yonuro, I won't go anywhere. I'll just prevent you from destroying the World...

Just as she is staring at her friend's closed eyes, Ramael suddenly widens her own. That's right, she never expected to witness the following event unfold.

Yonuro opens her determined, indigo coloured eyes and leans forwards extraordinarily quickly. She then tries to relax her trembling hands and confronts Ramael.

Yonuro- You know Ramael, I know a few things better than you, apparently. I've been in this Angelic Bond for so long that I've learned its ins an outs very well. You're not the one in control of our Angelic Bond. The one in control has and will always be the Bearer!

Ramael- WHAT?! Yonuro, please! Go back to sleep... It's for your own good...

Yonuro- You're wrong. I'm not the one going to sleep this time...

"Ra' Mén! I temporarily disable my Angelic Bond!"

Ramael- Yonuro!!! What are you doing?!

Yonuro sheds heartfelt tears and says "This is the only way... I'm sorry, Ramael..."

Ramael becomes a simple blanket. She has no conscience anymore. Until the bond is restored, she is now simply an Angelic Veil.

Yonuro gets on her feet, clenches her hand into a fist and says "I know you're listening from your room. I know you're watching me right now... Mark my words, Sachrist! You won't have things your way! Playing with my friend's heart like that, I won't let this go unpunished! I will bring an end to whatever you're scheming..."

"I, Yonuro Tokiyama, will bring you down!"

Indeed, Sachrist's watching. He's more than watching, actually. He is invested in Yonuro's determined speech. And he knows how stubborn and passionate this grown-up girl can be. That's the only reason his plan has worked out until now. Now that his greatest pawn has become his greatest enemy, Sachrist is starting to get real mad.

Sachrist- Tsk... FUCK!

Sachrist punches the wall on his room out of his sheer anger. Then, he responds to Yonuro, without them conversing obviously.

Sachrist- Let's see what you've got, Yonuro... Let me see you struggle... Till the very end...

-----------------------------------------------

Since their rooms are close to each other, Aniik abruptly wakes up from Sachrist's strong, loud punch.

Aniik yawns, takes in a slow sleepy breath, sniffs her nose and utters.

Aniik- Okay, what the hell was that..?

Aniik tries to fix her randomly directed strands of hair except for her ahoge. She then wears her shoes and tries to exit her room with the aim of investigating the peculiar sound.

Just as she is about to push the knob forwards, somebody else quickly opens the door, covers her mouth with her hand and brings her on the floor.

Yonuro- Don't make a sound, Aniik.

Aniik is blushing, but confused as hell.

Yonuro- Things are very serious. I will explain thoroughly in a bit. What you need to know right now though is that Sachrist is probably our enemy. I'm not 100% sure and I have no idea what he's planning to do, but he's scheming something terrible. I have a strong feeling...

Yonuro removes her hand and Aniik gasps with her mouth open. She stares at Yonuro from below. Her beautiful grey eyes are fixated onto Yonuro's serious looking ones.

Yonuro- We need to act, Aniik. We need to learn what's going on and stop whatever Sachrist is trying to do.

Aniik- H-How are we going to d-do that exactly?

Yonuro sniffs her runny nose from softly crying in her room earlier and answers.

Yonuro- I'm sorry to dump this all on you, Aniik, but you are the key to this scuffed plan I came up with.

Aniik- Don't worry, I've had a bad feeling about Sachrist a while now. It's not like I'm doing this specifically for you. I've got some scores to settle...

Yonuro is so glad that Aniik is on her side. She couldn't bear losing another ally.

Yonuro- Alright, I'll tell you everything that I've kept hidding till now. And then, I'll tell you this important mission I want you carry out.

Aniik- I'm all ears, Yonu. I'd become your "partner in crime" anywhere, anytime.

Yonuro- Let's start our War, then, Aniik...

Yonuro proceeds to tell Aniik everything she's encountered till this point and then her crazy, but effective plan to learn Sachrist's secrets. After agreeing with her, Aniik readies herself for the most important mission she's ever attempted to complete.

Aniik- See you later, Yonu...

Aniik uses her demonic powers, starts floating in the air and teleports somewhere. Yonuro tells her to "take care" and waves at her, midway of teleporting.