Skyler grumbled to himself, hoping the annual Gala hadn't already passed.
A breath of relief escaped him as he finally emerged from Hell through the same Gate he had entered. A rush of Evol surged into his body, which sucked it almost greedily.
Skyler rolled his shoulders. The instant his Light crystal had Evol, his self-healing skill kicked in, mending his wounds on its own.
"I need a bath."
He groaned quietly, not even flinching as the towering Gatekeepers of Hell—those same ones who had fallen unconscious earlier—stared at him in bewilderment.
It seemed the gatekeepers had woken up while he was inside, but having forgotten how he had entered, they were stunned to see a living mortal casually walk out—not alone, but with a pretty lady in his arms.
'Did an Overseer pass by? Good—I didn't cross paths with them. Otherwise, I would have made them pay, especially since one of them was the cause of...'
Skyler glanced at the gem in his hand.
'...your suffering.'
After pulling a chain from his storage ring, he bound the small gem with it and wrapped the chain around his wrist, letting the gem rest in his palm. He had attempted to store the gem in his storage ring, but after the pretty ghost entered it, he could no longer do so.
Then, hurriedly turning to the figure in his subconscious, he issued a command as if addressing a servant, completely ignoring the bewildered gatekeepers watching him.
'All right, no time to waste. Open that dark portal again—I need to go back and heal.'
Silence. That was all he got.
'I said open the dark passage!'
At last, a response arrived.
'I can't. The one who can is asleep.'
Skyler rolled his eyes, irritated.
'Then wake him the hell up!'
Silence again.
A vein throbbed on his forehead.
If he weren't holding Riruru, he might have already unleashed a string of curses at the utterly useless voice in his subconscious.
His temper was only spared for Riruru—the rest could go to hell. Just as he was about to lose his patience—which was already low to begin with—fortunately, the figure replied.
'Just head straight from here... You have wings—use them. You'll find a path leading out of this dark realm. Once you're through, I can open a way for you to return.'
Skyler's eyebrow twitched. So now he had to fly and travel—while so badly injured? He was just about to mock the voice, ready to ask what kind of so-called mighty King of Spirits couldn't even open an exit for him.
He was fully prepared to rile it up—both figuratively and literally—to make it lose its calm. But then, Riruru shifted against his neck, pressing her lips softly to his skin—and poof, his anger vanished completely.
"I guess flying for a while isn't so bad."
He muttered, then quickly added.
"Ahem—not because I'm enjoying this or anything."
His good side: "...."
Skyler waved at the two gatekeepers.
"Let's not meet again anytime soon."
Suddenly, a pair of familiar golden and azure wings burst from his back, causing the gatekeepers' eyes to widen in shock.
They had sensed Skyler was a hybrid, but never expected the mortal to have wings—not every angel was granted such a gift.
So, imagine their shock when another pair of beautiful golden and azure wings burst from his back. Then another, then another.
By the time the sixth pair appeared, the gatekeepers were already on their knees.
They never imagined witnessing an angel with six pairs of majestic wings—said to be the strongest of all angels, for such wings were a gift bestowed by Heaven itself.
Even after the bearer's death, the wings would remain with them. Yet, why was this mortal—who also reeked of Hell—so weak?
Skyler didn't look back at the two stunned gatekeepers. His wings unfurled gracefully, propelling him effortlessly into the air as he headed straight toward where he had to go.
Riruru jolted at the sudden burst of speed, her eyes widening in awe as she took in the enormous wings spreading from his back.
"Wow…"
She reached out dazedly, her slender fingers brushing against the soft, warm feathers.
They were pretty—so unlike anything she had ever seen. But wasn't Skyler human? Humans weren't supposed to have wings.
She quickly turned her head to look at him, eyes wide. Skyler held her tightly, steadying her so she wouldn't fall, and smirked at her shocked look. But his smirk didn't last long due to the pain coursing through his body.
Fortunately, her incredulous voice and words were enough to divert his attention.
"You are not human!"
Naturally, Skyler disagreed.
"No, I am human."
She immediately pointed to the wings on his back, her expression dead serious.
"Nope, you are not. I know humans don't come with deluxe feather upgrades."
"Hush, I am human. Can't you see? And who the hell even taught you that?"
She rolled her eyes. What kind of human had wings? She wasn't stupid, okay! She had already learned a lot about his world.
"Then… are you half-human?"
Skyler's lips twitched. Clearly, she wasn't going to accept what he was telling her.
"I'm an angel. good now?"
To his surprise, she nodded immediately.
"That's somewhat acceptable."
He raised an eyebrow.
"You know about angels?"
"I do. I am a half-angel as well. The Queen told me—her husband is a fallen angel."
Skyler's eyes widened. It looked like he had uncovered something he wasn't supposed to. He chuckled, finally understanding just where his 20% angel side came from.
"So, my grandfather is a fallen angel. Nice job gathering intel, my dear. How about you tell me the rest of what the Queen told you? We have got a long way to go. Let's talk."
Riruru nodded and shared everything she knew without a hint of hesitation. After all, Skyler had asked her to. By the time Skyler finally reached the path they had to take to exit the realm, she had fallen asleep. Once he crossed through, his good side conjured a portal that transported him directly to the academy—right in front of his dorm.
He was relieved upon hearing Professor Moore's voice booming from afar, trying to redirect the crowd's attention toward Max. Though the announcement came from a distance, Skyler heard it loud and clear.
He had made it back just in time.