I approach Old Dude and bow. “I’d rather not hand her over, if that’s okay?” I give off politeness.

“That girl is both a fugitive and a terrorist. She is dangerous.”

I stand tall. “It is my sacred duty to defend Angels.”

“Oh that? That’s just something ISEKAI created to control your kind easier. There really is no bond between Angels and RiftRippers.”

“I’m going to protect her. Please, she…she’s been through enough as it is.”

Old Dude’s wrinkles all frown together. “You should know that trying to appeal to a Primordial at an emotional level is meaningless. Especially when concerning something as important as this. Hmmm…did Betrayer perhaps ask you to protect her?”

“Betrayer wants her dead. If you kill her, then he wins!”

His vines pull Annie out from my grip. I try to cut her free, but the wood is stronger than steel.

“There’s an old myth about why the Primordials are blind. The humans feared our power so they gouged out the eyes of every Primordial and their children in order to control them.”

“I don’t care. Just…don’t hurt her.”

“If you interrupt again, you’ll see her become a red puddle.” Old Dude’s dark energy is whisked away with a wave of his hand. “Now, where was I? Oh yes. That myth is something we told the humans. Elevates us as beings worthy of being feared and softens us into those worthy of pity. The truth is simple. Wood Primordials are the wisest of all beings. When something impedes our growth, we cut it out.” The wood keeping his eyes scrunched opens up, revealing a black void. “I once spared an angel because I was young and foolish. My eyes saw an innocent child. That innocent child brought death and suffering across the land in unimaginable ways. Pity only leads down a crimson path. I’d rather walk in total darkness then live in a world painted by violence.”

I say nothing. I simply embrace the girl as the vines spread around her body.

Old Dude’s energy erupts like an electric storm. “This girl is nothing to you! And if Betrayer wanted her dead, her body would be eviscerated. You think that by saving her, you’re saving a piece of yourself, or perhaps your trying to undo a mistake you made in the past.” He steps up to me. “Mark my words, boy. There is no greater mistake than making a Wood Primordial frustrated.”

Space bends around me, the ground tears as a torrent of rifts appear.

I only have one shot at convincing him not to kill her. Wait, that’s not what this is about. It’s a test.

I release her and lower my entire body to the ground. “If you wanted her dead, her bones would already be dust. You’re testing my loyalty.”

The rifts close up.

Old Dude smiles. “RiftRippers are so chaotic, makes them hard to read. The angel will be imprisoned, of course. She has important information on the enemy. And since torturing angels is unsettling for all those involved, not to mention unethical, I’m assigning you as her prison guard. Friendship opens the doors to all secrets. Find out what she knows. If the information is useful enough, we can discuss a pardon.”

I shake his hand repeatedly, bowing over and over.

“Yeah, yeah. You can talk again.” He releases the vines and let’s Annie fall to the grass. “Be careful that her sweetness doesn’t deceive you. In the meantime, I’m going to track down Betrayer so we can put an end to his madness.”

I follow Old Dude into the secret entrance inside the village’s temple. Once the girl is secure behind bars of the strongest wood, he leaves us alone. I prepare a meal for her and then wait.

No thoughts come to me as I wait for her to awaken. My awareness abandons me entirely before her yawn brings me back.

She awakens with a stretch and looks around the place.

I slide the cold vegetable soup to her.

She lifts it gently and then smiles at me. “Bring the injured here. I can heal them.”

“I can’t do that.”

“I know you killed them and…maybe you’re going to kill me too. But at least let me die as a hero.”

I chuckle. “Angel’s are not heroes. Heroes brave battles and die. Angel’s must be protected.”

Annie slurps up the soup and then fills the bowl with her drool. She hands it to me through the small opening flap. “Bring this to them.”

“The other Angels are already healing our injured heroes.”

“What about the rebels? The one’s you didn’t kill?” She glares at me.

Angel contempt isn’t like regular negative emotions. It shoots a hole in a RiftRipper’s psyche.

“I…I didn’t mean to kill them. I just lost control a bit.”

“What kind of excuse was that? I thought you were the RiftRipper who saved me from the Love Dictator, but he was brave and kind. You’re…just a killer.”

“I’m trying to save you.”

“I can take care of myself.” She crosses her arms and turns away.

I wait in silence until she speaks up again.

“I’ll cooperate with you.”

I pop up out from my black puddle. “That’s wonderful to hear!”

“I’m not doing it for you or for ISEKAI. I will cooperate as long as it ensures the safety of my little sister, my hero…and the other heroes too.”

“I’m not the one who gets to decide that. Old Dude has a tendency to eliminate any threats to the organization.”

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“Then let me talk to him. If he knew why they are fighting…then surely he’d understand.”

This little angel has so much charisma. Getting her out of here safely will be no small feat. A prison break will only put her in harm’s way. I need to wipe her charges out entirely.

Annie focuses her energy and forms a book. “Good. She’s alive.” She says to herself, hugging the book and sobbing.

“Have you ever killed?” I ask her, gazing into my own guilt-ridden thoughts.

Annie pulls in her legs and nods. “I…did it to save my hero. I don’t feel good about it.”

“I don’t feel good about it either. Each kill is a scar in my mind. Those scars are constantly aching, causing me pain and I…deserve it.”

Annie pats the space in front of her, beckoning me to sit with her.

I pass through the bars and sink to her level.

She reaches out and touches my cape. “You are a monster…but it’s not your fault.” She leans forward with tears in her eyes. Her cheeks go pink.

Even in sadness, Angels are majestic.

She peers into me. “Don’t you see? It’s ISEKAI who made you what you are. Forcing you to follow orders you don’t believe in. It’s the same for the heroes. This system where they are killed and forced to work for villages…it only causes problems. Braven went mad because of it. It turned him into a monster.”

“So, the Mortal Militia wants to end ISEKAI?”

“No. They just want to free the other heroes. Give them back the freedom that was stolen from them.”

“They are just running away from their responsibilities. Just like Gloom did. They are afraid.”

“Of course they are, but that doesn’t mean they are cowards. Their mission is what drives them to risk their lives. It empowers them as heroes.”

“I’m not strong enough to make a difference.” I lower my head.

Annie pats me, filling me with not just joy, but hope. “Of course you are. When you saved my life, that wasn’t because of an order. You did it because you wanted to do something good.”

My head pops up. I feel her presence with all my focus. “There isn’t any way to hide things from an Angel, is there?”

“There’s no need to hide it. I’m grateful…really really grateful. But there’s something else that’s on my mind.”

“How to escape the pool of guilt without casting aside your moral frame and becoming a mindless puppet that feels nothing as it kills?”

She giggles nervously. “Nope. It’s what you said after you killed those heroes. You…wanted to be my daddy?”

I slide back but she grabs onto me.

“Hey, no need to be shy. I just wanna know why you’d say that.”

“I…you were scared. I just wanted to calm you down. Think nothing of it.”

“I’ve never had a dad, but I have a mom and she’s really awesome! If dads are half as cool as moms, then that’s super duper okay with me!” she beams as she bounces in place.

“You’re okay with having a monster for a father?”

“Well, if you were my pops, then you’d have to set a good example for me. Wouldn’t want your little girl ending up a delinquent.” She grins.

“You’re a rebel…just like I was.”

Annie pops up. “You were with the Mortal Militia!?”

My tendrils come out and push her back to the ground. “Shhh. Not so loud. And no, I wasn’t. Just as the Heroes have their rebel group, so do the Assassins.”

“So, you don’t like your job either? I knew you were good.” She high fives the air. “Ugh. I miss Tumble.”

“I like killing but not mindless killing. The feeling of taking lives without premeditated thought or even an ounce of my own will…it’s frightening. I want to chose who I kill and do it with all of my love.”

Annie wipes her eyes. “That’s awful, but also really sweet!”

I pull her into a hug. “There’s more to it. I…wanted to be a father…but that was taken away from me.” My body leaks misery.

Annie pokes me all over, sealing my leaking pores with her kindness. She then grabs my tendril and places it on her head. “From now on you have a daughter.” She hugs me with all her strength. “And I have a papa!”

I turn pink and my tendrils wave around.

“You can’t die from kindness, can you?” She asks, a bit nervous.

“If I did, it would be absolution not damnation.” I nuzzle her.

The pain melts away when I feel her warmth. Life has meaning as long as she is with me. Must protect.

“Hey, you said you umm lost control and that’s why you killed those Heroes. Control is important for Angels too. An Angel’s Kiss can end up killing a potential hero and trying to save someone…it can turn them into a sacrificial puppet.”

To think Angels have problems just like RiftRippers. She too is frightened of her power. If we lose focus, innocents end up dying because of it. I always thought they were perfect beings, but that’s just another lie. The truth, this time, is something heartwarming.

“It’s tricky, isn’t it? Not going into a mad screaming frenzy of bloodshed, but a wise fruit seller told me a secret.”

“Oooh! I love secrets!” Annie bounces up and down.

My mind flashes images of BunBun, making me feel fuzzy all over.

I pat her head and bow. “Being polite! I go out of my way to be courteous and think of others so that my blades don’t slice them into crimson memories. It’s not perfect but it’s helped many times.”

“So that’s why you seemed so timid. You were trying to protect me.”

I nod.

“Aww, you’re the sweetest papa.”

“Nah, you’re the sweetest, ApplePlum.” I pet her with love.

“Cute nickname! I love fruits!”

“My parents would always give me cute nicknames too. They loved me so much.” I pop up. “I…I remember them! You helped me remember them!”

This gift from the Heavens is the key to everything!

“You’re so cute, poppa bear,” she says with a giggle.

“Aww, thanks, sweetie pie.”

The two of us laugh.

I’m not worthy of her kindness.

I release her. “Sorry. I shouldn’t touch you. Could corrupt you. Can’t let that happen.”

“Hugs never corrupt.” She nuzzles me.

“The first time I went out, to get heroes…I slaughtered a whole city…and the hero got away.”

At least I think that was the first time.

Annie laughs and rolls around in my lap. “Wow, you’re terrible at being an assassin.”

“Yeah…I am.”

“Not to brag, but I’ve lost five heroes already. Six if you count Racheal.”

“Why would you brag about your failures?”

“Well, not much else we can do but laugh and squeeze every ounce of joy we can out of those bad memories. We’re both really bad at our jobs.” She punches me playfully.

I cover her in my cloak and tickle her. “Hey, at least I have a cool nickname: The Broad-Spectrum Assassin.”

“It’s a moronic nickname. Oxymoronic,” she says, sticking out her tongue.

“Hey…is it really okay to laugh when our failure led to the deaths of others?”

“Honestly this is my first time doing it, but you just make me happy even when we aren’t talking about happy stuff.” She chops my head lightly with her hand. “Congratulations, you’ve now been accepted as my eighth hero.”

“But I’m an assassin. I can’t be a hero.”

“Well, I’m my own fifth hero, so you’ll just have to accept it.”

“Hey, you agreed to help us, right? That Hero Diary…it’s for the red-head girl, isn’t it? You can find out the location of their base.”

“And you promise to save her if I do?”

“I’ll talk with Old Dude. I’ll get your sister out safely too. But the other heroes…”

“They want to go home. If they go home, they won’t cause trouble here. Maybe he’ll understand that.”

“I…don’t know.”

“Are you afraid of him?”

“No. Honestly there’s just so many things I’m unsure of.”

“Maybe I can help.”

“How can we go against an organization so powerful?”

Annie looks up and goes into deep thought.

I pat her cheeks, bringing her back into awareness.

“Aww, that was sweet.”

“Yeah, it’s what BunBun did when she zoned out.”

“Well your BunBun must have been one clever little rodent. I’m totally going to use that from now on.”

“You’re going to carry on her legacy?”

“Am I cute enough to do that? She sounds uber adorable.”

I nod. “She’d be happy to pass on the baton of preciousness to you.” I hand her an imaginary rod.

Annie takes it and salutes. “I accept this great honor.” She giggles. “You know, I should be scared, but I can’t be around you.”

“Am I that unthreatening?” I ask.

“Well you are a big fluffy Beary without the claws, but that’s not it. You’re just so sad and scared. It brings out my middle sister blood and makes me strong so I can be there for you.” She holds my tendril to her cheek.

WarWolf, we ended up with a child, after all. And now I realize more than being a legendary assassin…I want to be a loving parent.

I hold her with all the love I have. “Together, we’ll save all the heroes.”

“Really!” She scoots around to face me, beaming joy.

“Yeah!”

Lying to her hurts me like no weapon can. I no longer seek power to end ISEKAI. Doing so will only put her in harm’s way. I will do whatever I must to protect this little light. Even if that means snuffing out every other light in this world.