When Ryuk grabbed the silver knob and opened it up, a stream of air came rushing onto his face, powerful enough to send his snow-white hair flying around him. Yet, he easily braced himself and stepped fully into the place.
The floor beneath him seemed to be made from some magically imbued marble, as every step Ryuk took felt like he was walking on water.
It sent ripples of old energy around the entire space.
The place appeared to be some sort of high basement. From the back, he could already see the tops of gothic spires in the far distance, almost like entering an entirely different world.
The world above possessed no sun, only a moon, and some stars that shone their light on the settlement below—a perfect twilight.
'So this is the true Eclipsed Citadel, a world of twilight?' Ryuk thought.
But something else took his attention—the figure standing at the far end of the place, her hands resting on the railings at the edge of the balcony.
Her enormous, fully golden wings were fluttering behind her, their length twice Ryuk's full height and incredibly large. The figure before him was dressed in a flowing silvery robe that revealed parts of her arms, her silvery hair cascading below her waist and spreading all over her back.
He couldn't see the side of her face, but what shook Ryuk was her aura.
It was suffocating. So powerful that he found it hard to remain standing.
[An Incredibly Powerful Entity Has Been Identified.]
[A True Half-Fallen Angel!]
[It would probably do the Host more good to get on a knee and deliver a greeting of reverence to such an entity!]
The system notification suddenly came, and Ryuk's eyes flashed.
Without hesitation, one of his knees gave way as he got down, placed his hands on his chest, and bowed his head.
"My greetings of respect to the Half-Fallen One..."
His words echoed repeatedly through the entire balcony as the silvery figure finally turned her head. A soft light shone onto Ryuk, who remained bowing on the marble floor. Golden runes constantly rippled outward from beneath him.
The runes seemed to increase in quantity, and the golden light grew brighter with every passing second, rippling forward the longer Ryuk knelt.
"You know what these golden runes are, child?" The voice came to Ryuk.
It was melodious, soft, and incredibly crystal clear—so much so that every single word felt as if it were whispered directly into his ears.
Ryuk's eyes unconsciously turned to the golden runes spreading out beneath him, rippling repeatedly and increasing in intensity.
"These are reverence runes. They undulate when an outsider meets with a Fallen."
"Since we Fallen are beyond this world, it is only natural that others feel reverence toward us based on our otherworldly aura."
"But for some reason, some are stubborn and filled with hate, only appearing to show reverence on the surface. Yet these runes beneath you never lie."
"They barely undulate for those insincere, but the greater the reverence one feels, the greater the golden runes undulate."
"Right now, this undulation of yours is the greatest I have seen in a decade. It reveals the amount of reverence in your heart, something that cannot be faked or deceived, and it is exceptional for one who has yet to witness the true power of a Fallen."
"For your reverence being so true, I will entertain you as a reward..."
"You may rise."
The voice said, and slowly, Ryuk rose to his feet.
The Half-Fallen was now facing directly at him, finally revealing her face to Ryuk.
By the devil, Ryuk could argue unto his death that there was no female in this world as beautiful as the lady before him. Words would fail to describe how stunning she truly was.
Ryuk couldn't help but be captivated by her silvery eyes.
They bore into him as though they were staring straight at his soul.
The beauty of a Fallen angel was otherworldly, but the lady before him seemed to take it to another level.
Yet, he managed to snap himself out of his reverie, his hands dipping into his pocket. He retrieved a card and slowly stretched it forward.
A force gently opened Ryuk's hands, and the card began moving forward before appearing in the grasp of the lady.
"I have heard the little story of how you obtained this card."
"It doesn't really matter, as the card has its full authority, meaning you didn't find it by the roadside or take it from a dead body."
"The authority only remains if the person who originally owns it willingly gives it to another."
"This is something most fools who come here to exchange cards after killing others fail to realize, leading to their deaths..."
The lady's expression was indecipherable as Ryuk watched the card slowly light up with golden energy. Soon, it dispersed into thin air.
Ryuk couldn't help but have his expression drop. The card had been erased!
Now the Fallen could simply claim he brought no card, leaving Ryuk with nothing to prove otherwise.
'Don't tell me I came all the way here just to get tricked in the end.'
"As you might already know, possessing this card means we, the Fallen, owe you a single request."
"We will agree to it if it is within our power. If it is not, you will have to make another request within our capabilities..."
"So tell me, child, what is it that you want?"
She said, and Ryuk's heart thumped in anticipation. Yet, he reined it in and calmed himself, before stating:
"I wish to be admitted into the Ascension Academy."