The Trap

Eita managed to catch Sammy at lunch time. She smiled sweetly.

“I'm surprised,” she said, “I'd have thought you'd want to catch up with Yua.”

Eita wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean.

“This is important,” he said, “We were seen.”

“Seen?” Sammy asked. Eita realized that he might not have made himself clear.

“By one of them. I got a visit last night. From Cassiel.”

“Are you alright?” Sammy asked, “Are you safe? Did she do anything-”

“She mostly seemed concerned about you,” Eita said, “I won't claim I wasn't afraid, especially when I didn't know what she could hear instead of anything I said, but I don't think she's a bad person.”

Sammy sighed heavily.

“She's not,” Sammy said. “My cocoon-sister has always been a bit... intense. She'd tell me she wanted to walk beside me, so she'd work and work to earn the glory that a Seraph was born with. She dreamed that she'd play a part in a heroic story, to be exalted by earnest deeds, even as the tasks asked of us were so often nothing more than gleaning lost souls for the Silver Sea... for the Weaver's crucibles.”

“She sounds like a lot to handle,” Eita said.

“Maybe,” Sammy replied, “but I could never think ill of her. It was never a selfish wish to be exalted or adored, at least no farther than catching up with me in particular. No doubt, she still thinks that what she's doing is the cusp of some wonderful quest for the good of all, like none recorded in the annals of Heaven or Earth.”

Eita looked down.

“She said to tell you that Jeqon is dead,” he said.

Try as he might, Eita hadn't been able to think of a better way to break the news, and he could ignore it no longer.

“Dead?” Sammy gasped. She covered her mouth with her hands, and swallowed back what likely would have started tears falling.

“And,” Eita said, hesitating, “that Ramiel is hunting you in particular.”

Sammy looked down.

“This is something we'll have to talk to the others about,” she said, “Do you think... you could give me some time?”

“I'll leave it to you,” Eita said. That was enough.

Club time was once again absent Yua, who still had extended family who expected her prompt presence, though she swore she'd stay on Thursday and Friday. It was a lucky thing; it seemed that the Fallen had saved any resolution of what to do for then.

They all knew the basic truth by that point, though Azalea insisted that Eita tell the story in full.

“A clever means of communicating,” Penny commented, dryly as ever, regarding the paper, “though a different angel could have and would have cut you in half before reading a single character.”

Eita laughed nervously.

“For your future survival,” she continued, “We don't know exactly what will and won't be censored, and while I have some ideas there's no known better path to foil it. The one saving grace is that we can be reasonably sure it isn't active.”

“Meaning?” Eita asked.

“The Weaver cannot be continually reading and editing information through the Halos,” Penny said, “or it would have been forewarned of our revolt. We can therefore infer that at least outside its presence, the Halos operate on preset rules.”

“That's fine,” Sara said, “but it's not really the big deal here.”

“No,” Sammy said, “the problem is Ramiel.”

“The problem,” Azalea said, “is that if Cassiel was able to discern Ikami-kun's identity and track him to his home, the others could clearly-”

“Do you think I don't know that?” Sammy shouted.

“I'm sorry,” Azalea said.

“No,” Sammy said, “You're right. That's no small issue either. But Ramiel is one we can do something about.”

“I take it you have an idea of what?” Azalea asked.

Penny gave a worried look at Sammy, a rarity where she didn't stare like a dead fish at whatever barely interested her, but she held her tongue.

“Eita,” Sammy said, “Do you remember exactly what Cassiel said? About the hunt?”

“That Ramiel wanted your head above all else,” Eita said, “And that you should be ready because he'd find you eventually.”

“Probably sooner rather than later,” Sammy said, “but that means that if Cassiel knows about the school she isn't telling. If we stay hidden from the sky, we should be able to avoid being found out at least a little longer.”

“To what end?” Sara asked, “Sammy, this isn't like-”

“Let her talk,” Penny said, “I've followed this logic to the end, now it's your turn.”

“In short,” Sammy said, “we can prepare. For all his nobility, Ramiel's thunder demands appreciation. He has to stand alone. If he wants my head, he'd rather take it in a duel than any other way. If he doesn't think he can get me that way, he'll use everything he has, but if I'm alone, given how we crossed swords before, he'd rather face me alone than risk losing out on the glory.”

“What you're talking about is pretty close to suicide,” Azalea said. “He always was arrogant, and you were close to matching him, but you were still short, and if you're wrong, or not even wrong but close enough to wrong that he keeps assistance at hand...”

“Since we came to Earth and broke our Halos,” Sammy said, “We've suffered loss after loss. At this point, I'd dare say that it's an inevitability in this world.”

“Sammy,” Eita said. She raised up a finger to silence the protest that was coming.

“But,” she said, “I'm not planning to die just yet. We have to overcome a past stronger and faster than our present, but that just means we have to be more clever, and use everything we have even if it means fighting dirty rather than in an honorable duel.”

“In other words,” Penny said, “you're offering to be the bait in a trap for Ramiel. It could still fail if he has backup. And if you just send him home like you did Muriel, it won't count for much.”

“That's why I want to have the rest of the school week to plan,” Sammy said.

“And,” she added, “perhaps to muster a secret weapon.”

She looked pointedly at Eita.

“Me?” Eita asked, “If there's anything I can do, I will, but... I wasn't exactly a big help before.”

“May I?” Penny asked.

“You'd probably explain better than me,” Sammy said.

“Alright, Ikami-san,” Penny said, “Are you ready for Penemue-sensei's crash course on energy?”

“I... think I am,” Eita replied.

“Good,” Penny said, “You've surely noticed that we Fallen can utilize esoteric abilities. Why do you think that is?”

Penny read Eita's answer before he spoke it.

“Natural to assume,” she said, “but incorrect. It's not because we're angels. It's because we're human. Every human soul has pathways for spiritual energy, in essence the ability to make miracles. But an ordinary human, or even an extraordinary human like yourself or Yua, can't perform such miracles because you simply don't have the power. It would be like trying to run an electric car off a nine-volt battery. But we, who were refined by the Weaver with the dross of countless weaker souls, have both the same pathways and the reserves of energy to use them, leaving only understanding as a potential missing key. For those still under the Weaver's domination, most of the channels are blocked and redirected to the Weaver's gifts, meaning that they can't do the things we do either. Are you following me so far?”

Once more, Penny didn't allow Eita to actually speak an answer.

“Good,” she said, “I like a quick study. And you're of course asking the right question of how this matters in the current scenario. Angels, even Fallen angels like us, are overflowing with power. So there is a... ritual, if you will, to bestow some of that power on another. Yes, even one such as yourself. You'd briefly gain the ability to utilize the energy channels latent in your own spirit. The unresolved question is whether you'll be able to make the sort of miracle that could turn the tide against Ramiel.”