?Holy Land,

“What?!” Gabriel fell into his seat in the Pope’s office. “But he said he’d be back…”

Midway somewhere, he realized Sylvester had never said that. Only the return of Felix was talked about. But that didn’t mean the fear and the frustration decreased.

“That’s why he made me the official Pope,” Gabriel mumbled. “Empress Zenith was right all along.”

“What are you rambling about? Max is battling those rotten things alone. Don’t go insane now,” Felix barked, having reached the Pope’s Palace right after arriving, instead of going home. “The Demon World has been destroyed. All of the Demon World’s population had been moved to the Sand Continent and the Central Continent by him. There’s going to be chaos if we don’t manage this situation quickly.”

Gabriel slapped his own forehead, “So that’s what’s happening? I received a report from the Sky Eye. A lot of people appeared out of nowhere all over Sol, near all the monasteries. They claimed to be from the southern continents.”

“They were moved by Sylvester. You must declare the Sand Continent and the Central Continent off-limits for everyone immediately. We can’t have the first civilian contact be violent,” Felix advised, and got up, picking up his battered sword. “I’ll go there and try to manage the situation.”

“No, you’re going home to Isabella and your daughters.” Gabriel rejected Felix’s decision.

“I’m the Saint Viceman, and I won’t sit here when Sylvester is fighting for us.”

“I’m the Pope, and I can order you.” Gabriel insisted, standing up and sternly ordering him. “Look at yourself. Even a sewer rat looks better. Go home, clean yourself, meet your daughters, and then report back. Until then, I will send Emperor Raz and Julian to the south. I’ll speak with King Rathagun too and advise him accordingly.”

Felix silently grabbed the hilt of his sword so tight that the metal creaked, “I don’t want to go home, Gab. I can’t… That look on Sylvester’s face wasn’t optimistic. He said he’ll be home, but in what condition?”

Sighing, Gabriel walked over and patted Felix’s shoulder. “Sylvester told me something recently. If he does not win, it’s the end of life for all of us. You, me, Isabella, your daughters, the world, and even Mother Xavia… You know there is only one outcome acceptable to him.”

Felix looked down in anger, not wanting to think about a situation where Sylvester wouldn’t win. “Fine, I’ll go home. But what can I help you with?”

“If it’s all of the demons, then we’re going to have a financial and food crisis, I’m afraid. The Church is rich, but not that rich,” Gabriel muttered, the idea of failing already looming. If the demons were to become too desperate and attack, it would lead to an ugly war.

“Meow meow, boys.” Miraj made his presence known just then. Clearly visible and appearing like a big ball of fur with angelic wings. He landed on the Pope’s table, “I and Maxy stol—I mean earned lots and lots of money during our adventures. Don’t worry about the gold. The Chonky Bank is here.”

Felix and Gabriel stared at the cute chubby cat like he was some god’s angel sent to help them. Which, in this case, was absolutely true.

“How much do you have?” Asked Gabriel.

Miraj’s pouty mouth smirked, “A lot.”

“How much is a lot? I need a number to make the plans accordingly,” Gabriel asked further.

Miraj further smirked, folded his cute paws together, and sat back on his legs, rising up, “I have so much money that I can buy all the world’s bananas infinite times.”

“…”

Now that was a unit of scale that Gabriel and Felix were both unaware of. They didn’t even know how many bananas were out there. But, since it was infinite times, the gold had to be a lot.

So not straining the cat’s brain too much, Gabriel moved on. “In that case, I will write letters to all the traders for a bulk order. Food is the main thing the demons will need for sustenance.”

“Nya?” Miraj tilted his head left and right in confusion, “Why do the demons need to suck Terrance? Who is Terrance?”

Gabriel shared a look with Felix, and then back with the cat. He wondered if this was what Sylvester dealt with on a daily basis. “What do you mean? I didn’t talk about sucking anyone, that’s unholy.”

“Oh!” Miraj suddenly turned to look at Felix, “I remember now! Fe-Fe used to play under the sheets. He made happy noises, and the sheets used to move up and down on his belly from all the laughter.”

Felix almost choked on his saliva despite his throat being dry, “When did you see that?”

“You did what?!” Gabriel eyed his friend with a different look, “You better stop such unholy acts. Or I will tell Queen Isabella.”

“What? I haven’t done that in years. I’m married now, and she’s hot as fu—”

“Don’t complete that sentence!” Gabriel stopped him, “Umm… Miraj? I was talking about feeding the demons food, that’s it.”

“You need food? Don’t worry, Chonky Bank got that as much as gold.” Miraj proudly declared, “Maxy always said we should prepare ourselves for everything.”

“Wait!” Felix barked just then, “The cat’s lying. Where can he even store all those things?”

Miraj’s chubby brows furrowed, and the look of anger covered his face, “I never lie! Big Mum said lying is bad.”

“Then where’s the gold and food?” Felix questioned, folding his arms as if enacting revenge.

“Hmph! If I leave it all here, the room will go boom and break apart.”

Gabriel sighed and locked the drawers of his table before heading out. “So you need a storage space. Come with me then. We have empty underground halls.”

“Okie!” Miraj chirped and landed on Gabriel’s shoulder.

Quickly after that, Gabriel brought Miraj to the second underground level. Felix also followed to see what magic the cat could do. Sadly, he wasn’t prepared for it.

“Stand at the door,” Miraj chirped and opened his jaws wide before starting his ability. “Look at this!”

Woosh!

It was like a jet of water coming out of a dam’s reservoir. The flow of bright golden grains of wheat was such that the entire underground hall was filled in a matter of seconds.

“Need bigger room.” Miraj stopped when the grains overflowed out of the room and spilled out of the hall’s door.

Bam!

Felix grabbed Miraj by his belly and raised him in the air, face to face, looking and checking the creature from top to bottom. “Are you sure you’re a cat? Where did all that come from? What did you do?”

“Chonky Bank!” Miraj chirped.

“Space magic?” Gabriel exclaimed. “Is that it?”

“Aye, aye.” Miraj added, “Where do you want to store the money?”

Bam!

When Gabriel heard that, he rushed forward and snatched Miraj from Felix’s arms, pushing the dark-haired wizard-knight away. “Unhand Lord Miraj. He’s precious. He’s like an angel—Yes, he’s Max’s Guardian Angel.”

“Lord?” Felix grunted.

Gabriel scoffed and babied the fat cat in his arms, princess carrying him. Caressing the head, and giving him belly rubs. “He’s precious. You go home, Felix.”

“He-he, Big Mum says that too.” Miraj giggled from the belly rubs, flailing his paws around like a baby. “You’re a good boy, Gab-Gab.”

Perhaps a small sacrifice of dignity, but Gabriel decided to suck it up and let Miraj call him whatever he wanted. For now, what mattered the most was survival of their world’s peace.

“I want a banana.”

Gabriel sighed and carried the spoiled cat to his office.

“How many?”

Miraj’s eyes shined since Sylvester never asked him that and just gave him a few limited numbers.

“F-Five hundred? No! Six hundred, I’ll keep a hundred for Maxy.”

“Understood.”

…

Sylvester realized that his existence was safe from the eyes of the Primordial Gods. It opened countless paths for him, but the one he wished to take still remained a mystery. How to reach the realm where the two gods resided was a concept outside his comprehension.

‘Why don’t they just erase me?’ Sylvester wondered, but it was useless.

There was only one place he knew from where reaching the Primordial Gods was possible. The Void of Nothingness. He knew how to get there, but a subtle fear also rested in his heart. He had almost lost himself there, after all.

‘Their explosions shouldn’t be enough to harm me anymore.’

So, he decided to take his chances and moved. A small crack in the space made a passage out of space and time. A place he remembered so vividly, as the moment he used Elder Magic and looked through his eyes, the eel-like creatures became visible.

Swarming like nothing had happened, tangled with each other; The shining lights in their bodies containing universes.

‘Ugh! They’re surrounding me.’ He grunted but felt no pain. They weren’t strong enough to harm him.

He had no aim this time, so the eels made no tunnel for him to move. And knowing where he was, he believed his real destiny was beyond the space that consisted of those eel-like creatures.

“But how?” He questioned himself. “I know nothing about the Primordial Gods but their nam—”

He halted his words, instantly remembering the story of the First Pope. ‘What killed him?’

“Yes! The Orb of Purity!” He roared, uncaring since his existence remained hidden. “If ‘they’ made it, then it contained their energy signature!… I absorbed it!”

Finally, he found a path again. But unknown of the challenges, in the highest plane, how was he going to keep himself sane?

He did not care and closed his eyes. For there was only one end to this misery, his only prize.

Updated from frewebnovl.