Kakabel, Gresil, and Zadkiel immediately convened, their expressions grave as they discussed Maddie's predicament. The recent turn of events had left them deeply concerned especially when Maddie suddenly confessed that her deed points went negative on top of annihilating an entire school of demon supporters.
"It's clear that Maddie is struggling with the complexities of her new role," Kakabel began, her voice tinged with worry. "I think that her deed points going negative triggered the chamber to open."
Gresil nodded in agreement. "The chamber of the council opened unexpectedly, as if responding to Maddie's turmoil," she added. "This might be a part of Sera's plan, a last resort if Maddie fails to figure things out on her own, before the Might Being can cast his fake-ass judgment on her."
Zadkiel, the calmest of the three, considered their options. "We cannot afford to let Maddie falter at this crucial juncture. Sera's sacrifice cannot be in vain. We must send her back to the human realm right away." With a collective effort, the trio transported Maddie back to the human realm.
As they watched Maddie's return, Kakabel turned to Zadkiel with a question that had been on her mind. "Zadkiel, what happens when an angelic being's deed points drop?" she inquired, her curiosity evident in her luminous eyes.
Zadkiel, who had once been a king candidate for Metatron in the previous tournament, paused for a moment as he recalled his own experiences. "When an angelic being's deed points drop," he began, "the companion orb, the arbiter, reports it directly to the Mighty Being, then the Mighty Being will bring forth his judgment."
"I see... It seems like the matter had not been reported to the Mighty Being yet. I shall make use of this limited time to think of a way to aid Maddie." Kakabel then disintegrated to particles and traveled to the human realm leaving Zadkiel and Gresil in the chamber.
Gresil couldn't help but scoff at the reality that angels were still being monitored by the Might Being. "Pity the angels," she remarked, her tiara flaring with a hint of disdain. "Even when they've been abandoned by the Mighty Being, he still watches over them like a hawk."
Zadkiel let out a weary sigh, his gaze distant. "Indeed," he agreed with Gresil, "who would want to be under constant surveillance, like living with a CCTV 24/7?"
He then expressed his envy for the demons, a wistful look in his eyes. "At least demons don't need orbs to record their deeds," he said. "You have counters embedded in your eyes."
Gresil nodded and replied, "That's true, but we can only see them when we possess a human body and gaze at ourselves in the mirror."
The conversation highlighted the clear differences in how angels and demons were monitored and recorded, and it left the two of them pondering.
----
Maddie found herself back in the grounds of Sin Academy, her surroundings eerily frozen in time. It was as though the world had paused, and she stood in a suspended moment. The screen that had once displayed her choices remained hovering in the air before her, its ethereal glow illuminating her bewildered expression.
She took a moment to collect her thoughts, her mind still reeling from the revelations and responsibilities that had been thrust upon her in the chamber of the council.
Just as Maddie was processing the weight of her new knowledge, she heard a familiar voice calling out to her. "Maaster! Where have you been?" It was Wip.
Maddie was about to answer Wip truthfully, but she couldn't help but recall Kakabel's cautionary words about Wip's true nature. A concerning expression crossed Maddie's face as she looked at the floating orb.
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With a hint of apprehension in her voice, Maddie asked, "Wip, there's something I need to know. Can I trust you completely? Are you truly on my side?"
Her question hung in the air, and Maddie awaited Wip's response with a mixture of hope and anxiety, uncertain of the nature of the entity that had been guiding her all along.
Wip with his impenetrable presence, responded to Maddie's question with a cryptic reply. "I am but an orb," he said, his voice carrying its usual ethereal tone. "My purpose is to record and report, to guide you through your choices."
Maddie, however, wasn't satisfied with this indirect answer. She pressed further, her voice tinged with concern. "But Wip, you shared the truth about the realms' history with me. Why did you do that? What's your motive?"
Wip remained silent for a moment, his luminous form flickering as it seemed to contemplate Maddie's question. Finally, he spoke, his tone tinged with a hint of regret. "I cannot reveal my motives, Master. I can only provide information and guidance based on the choices you make."
Maddie couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. The ambiguity surrounding Wip's true intentions left her with more questions than answers, and she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something hidden beneath the surface of their relationship. As she stood there, grappling with the cryptic responses from Wip, a wave of realization washed over her. Kakabel's warning about Wip's true nature, along with the conflicting information she had received, started to make sense. Doubt began to creep in, and Maddie couldn't help but consider the possibility that Wip might not be entirely trustworthy.
The pieces of the puzzle began to fit together in her mind. Wip's reluctance to reveal his motives, coupled with his selective disclosure of information, raised suspicions. Maddie started to lean toward the unsettling idea that Wip might be aligned with the Mighty Being, whose true nature had been described as ruthless by Kakabel.
Maddie's heart sank as she contemplated the implications of this doubt. She just had placed her trust in Wip, relying on his guidance throughout her journey. Now, she couldn't help but wonder if she had been led astray, and if the being that had would be her constant companion might have ulterior motives.
Wip couldn't help but notice the doubt that had crept into his master's eyes and demeanor. Wip found himself in a difficult position. He was bound by his duties as an arbiter, and there were limits to what he could reveal or openly declare. Wip had been originally assigned as Sera's arbiter, and after Sera's sacrifice and the subsequent reset, he had found himself drawn to Maddie for he understood Sera's will better than anyone. Even more than Sera's close friend Kakabel. He knew the importance of Maddie's role in the grand plan. But he also knew that he couldn't openly disclose everything he knew.
With a sense of frustration and helplessness, Wip maintained his orb form, silently watching Maddie's internal struggle. He longed to reassure her, to alleviate her doubts, but his duty as an arbiter prevented him from doing so. Also, he only had two crimson marks to incur before he'd vanish forever to be replaced by a new arbiter.
Maddie's frustration reached a boiling point as she grappled with the complexities and uncertainties of her now angelic identity. She found herself in a conundrum, one that had only deepened since her transformation. Her hands clenched into fists, and she could do nothing but grab her hair in exasperation.
"Why does everything have to get so complicated?" Maddie muttered to herself. She couldn't help but think back to her days as a demon, when life had been simpler in some respects. As a demon, she hadn't needed an orb or any ethereal guides to count the souls she collected; she had done it manually, relying on her own instincts and abilities.
Now, as an angel, the weight of her responsibilities and the perplexing nature of her companions weighed heavily on her. She felt a sense of frustration and confusion, and the hovering screen displaying her choices seemed to taunt her.
In that moment, Maddie found herself longing for simplicity, for the days when life had been more straightforward, even if it meant being a demon. She considered the option to forfeit, a way to escape the complexities and uncertainties that now surrounded her.
With a heavy heart and a deep sense of indecision, Maddie hesitated, torn between the choices that lay before her. When she was about to make her selection, her finger poised to tap on her choice on the hovering screen, suddenly, in an instant, the screen vanished.
Blinking in surprise, Maddie looked around and found herself in a place that seemed strangely familiar. It was the HA Academy, and she realized with a jolt of recognition that she had been transported back to the exact moment before the school battle with Sin Academy was set to commence.
Maddie's heart began to race as she processed the sudden turn of events. It was as though time itself had been rewound, and she was given a chance to relive this critical moment.
As she stood there, the echoes of her previous choices and experiences reverberated in her mind. She knew that the decisions she made here would have far-reaching consequences, not just for the academy but for the realms as well.