As the saying goes, time can fly by without you even noticing.
That's exactly what's happening to Michael right now.
Three days have passed since he decided to test out how his Sacred Gear works.
Over these three days, he's been out from morning till night, carrying out his plans.
In the mornings, he'd scout his targets, and when night fell, he'd strike quickly and precisely.
But unlike his previous targets, which he picked based on how good their heavenly hymn seemed, these past three days he's only gone after old folks who live alone in their later years, with a few exceptions.
He even deliberately chose people without any faith or religion to cut down the risk of drawing the wrong kind of attention from those powerful beings.
There was a reason he picked targets like that besides avoiding notice from those so-called gods, it also meant that if they vanished for a few days, no one would go looking for them right away.
Plus, he didn't want to draw too much attention by leaving traces like before.
He did it fast, without a trace, and with precision. He even covered his whole body so no skin showed, using a dark black cloak.
He was really on guard against supernatural stuff he didn't know about that might track him down.
Who knows, maybe magicians or other supernatural beings could trace him through the crime scene in the future using bullshit like divination.
So he did whatever he could to delay his identity getting exposed until he was truly ready.
Thanks to his quick and precise actions over the last three days, he actually beat his own record with seven victims in three days.
[Soul: 7]
Though he really wanted to hit 10 souls in one day, he held back because it wasn't realistic without drawing way too much attention to himself.
So he only got one soul on his first night, and two souls each day for the next three days.
"WOOF!"
A dog's bark pulled his attention away from the transparent screen floating in front of him.
A small Pomeranian dog approached him gently at his feet, clearly familiar with the dark living room Michael was in right now.
He crouched down to pick up the dog.
"You interested in the show I've set up too?"
He laughed as he stroked the little dog's head, who kept licking him happily.
"WOOF!"
Ignoring the cute licks from the little dog in his arms, Michael turned his gaze to the screen on his phone, which showed a sealed-off room with two chained men inside, through the surveillance camera he'd installed earlier.
One of the men was an old man chained to a table, completely naked. If you looked closer, his chest was bleeding a bit from fresh stitches.
The other was a man in his late thirties, also naked and chained, but only by short chains on his legs, so he could only walk around the table where the old man was tied.
Their situation could only be described with one word.
Pitiful.
It was clear they'd probably not seen sunlight, food, or drink for two days. And from the dull, weird glint in their eyes, they were on the edge of madness, if not for the fact they could still interact with each other.
Michael smiled at the screen on his phone while continuing to pet the cute little dog's fur in his arms.
These two men were his next experiment victims, set up over the last three days to better understand how his Sacred Gear worked.
He'd been watching their behavior for the past three days while he carried out his actions.
The old man had a rough personality who just waiting for death after losing hope and faith when his wife was killed by the man who was now roaming free without proper punishment.
That's what made him lose his faith, questioning God why his kind wife had to go early while her killer lived free without consequences.
The other man had an optimistic personality with a family but now living only with his beloved daughter after his wife divorced him. His only hope and faith was in her.
These two men perfectly fit all the criteria and types of subjects he needed for his experiment right now.
No faith or religion.
He just needed to confirm one more thing to really understand how his soul acquisition from the Sacred Gear worked, and this experiment was his way to find out.
"Looks like they need a little push."
With a happy smile, he pressed a button on his phone that connected to the speaker he'd installed in the room where the two chained men were.
Hopefully, the recording he prepared yesterday would make them both happy.
Even though he couldn't hear the two men's reactions in the room from his surveillance camera, he could clearly imagine what they might say, and that made him look forward to whether they'd follow the script he wrote or surprise him with an unexpected twist.
"I'm looking forward to your choice."
---
"Fuck! It's been two days already! I'm really worried about Adel."
A man whose legs were chained cursed out loud while staring at the countdown timer stuck on the dark wall, covered with soundproofing that kept any noise from escaping.
The timer which had started at [48:00:00] now showed [00:03:33].
Just three minutes left before something unknown happened.
"Just do what that asshole said, Charl." The old man chained to the table sighed tiredly, looking at the speaker next to a small sharp knife on a little table beside him. He ignored the pain from the fresh stitches on his chest as he stared at the guy he'd been talking to for the past two days in this lockdown. "I've lived too long already. I don't want to meet my wife again looking this pathetic!"
"N-No! I won't do it! Adel... she wouldn't accept her dad turning into a killer!"
The man known as Charl shook as he roughly scratched his hair.
"I'm worried about Adel! Fuck! But I won't fall for that selfish trick on you, Hans." He said while looking at his talking buddy who'd kept him from going crazy these two days over his daughter's situation. "Plus... I'd lose it if you weren't here... you old bastard who can't stop mocking me every few seconds."
"You're such a weak dad, Charl! Think about your daughter! We don't know what'll happen to her if that timer hits zero!" Hans yelled in frustration, holding back the pain in his stitched chest. "You coward! Take-"
As he was about to curse the guy's cowardice in front of him, a voice from the speaker next to him cut him off.
[Three minutes left for you to decide if this drama ends bad or good.]
A static male voice came from the speaker, making them both jump.
[Just like I told you last time. Grab the knife on the table, Charles. Use it to open your friend's chest and pull out the key that unlocks your chains and the door leading to what you're worried about.]
"You... Bastard! What did you do to my daughter?!"
Charles yelled rushing to the speaker while ignoring the sharp pain in his legs from the chains.
He knew his only worry right now was his daughter's condition... and this bastard dared to bring up his weak spot.
[If you're curious what I did to your daughter, do what I say, and maybe if you're quick, you can save your friend's life too.]
[And to motivate you, I've got a special gift ready. Hope you like it.]
Ignoring Charles's angry shouts, the speaker let out broken static before playing a sound that sent chills through both of them.
[D-Daddy? Where are you, Daddy? H-Help me, Daddy... there's a bad naked uncle coming toward me... No!! Get away from me!! DADDY! HELPPPP!!!- Zzzztttt]
BANG!
The speaker smashed to the floor hard and broke from Charles's rage after hearing his beloved daughter's scared voice.
"FUCK!!! ADELLE!!!"
Pulling his hair in anger and frustration, he looked at Hans and yelled in panic.
"Hans! What the hell do I do! M-My daughter... FUCK!!!"
But the response he hoped for from the old man who'd supported him all this time wasn't what he expected. The guy just stared at him with contempt and spat in his face with disgust.
"COWARD! What are you waiting for?! Grab that knife, you bastard!"
"B-But..."
"Haven't you been bragging about your cute daughter this whole time, you bastard?! Are you just gonna sit there and watch her get ruined by that asshole!"
"I'm too old for this world, my wife's waiting for me in heaven. You still have a future with your daughter."
"So take that knife, don't worry about me, and save your cute little girl."
Hans smiled after seeing the hesitant guy shakily pick up the knife and point it at his chest.
"Hans..."
"Don't be a wimp. Wipe those tears. I just want you to bury me next to my wife's grave. I told you about it, right?"
"You... expected this?"
"Huh. I've lived a long time and seen all kinds of people. I figured this situation would play out like this."
"So hurry up. Do it and save my granddaughter, okay?"
"Sob... sorry, HANS!"
While crying and shaking, Charles lowered the knife into the chest of the old man who'd treated him like his own son.
With eyes closed and hands trembling, he stabbed the man's chest and pulled the knife down.
Slit!
Ignoring the gross feeling as he split open the old man's chest, he dropped the knife to the floor and searched for the key inside.
When he found the blood-covered key, he quickly unlocked the chains on his legs and tried to press down on Hans's chest which was bleeding badly.
"Sob, sorry... sorry. I-I'll be quick and come back with an ambulance. So hang on, Hans! Don't you dare close your eyes, you old bastard!"
"Ughh... Hurry, son, save your daughter and my granddaughter."
Holding back the growing pain in his split-open chest, Hans watched with a weak smile as Charles ran in panic to unlock the door trapping them.
Hopefully his gut feeling was wrong... and the guy behind this cruel game had at least a bit of conscience left to let the poor man see his daughter.
If not... he could only pray to the God he'd forgotten for so long to give divine justice to whoever did this awful thing.
'O My Lord… please hear the prayer of your long-lost servant.'
As he prayed to his forgotten God with what strength he had left, he heard a crash from outside the room and footsteps coming closer, along with the sound of something being dragged.
With his last bit of strength, he tried to open his eyes that wanted to close, and he vaguely saw the silhouette of a tall man covered in a dark black cloak from head to toe, dragging a body he recognized.
'Sorry for giving you false hope, son.'
That was his last thought before he felt a strong pull he didn't understand yanking him away.
---
Heaven.
In a place known as the Sixth Heaven and Zebel, there's a huge glowing core floating in a grand, bright room guarded by an equally grand golden gate.
That huge glowing core is the Heaven's Core, currently managed temporarily by one of the most famous archangels in human records tied to Abrahamic religions.
In front of the Heaven's Core, there's a silver throne connected to the big glowing core behind it and the God's System in the Seventh Heaven.
And on that silver throne sits a man who can only be described as incredibly handsome, almost inhumanly so.
The man sitting on the throne has long blond hair down to his back and stunning green eyes like stars that keep watching over humanity from above. Above his head is a golden halo that lights up the area around him, and behind his back are twelve golden wings that add to his already majestic presence. To top off the holy and simple vibe, he's wearing a red robe with a golden cross on the front of his plain white tunic.
If supernatural beings from around the world saw this man, they'd instantly recognize who he is.
Michael the Seraph, known as the Leader of Angels and the current King of Heaven.
But in complete contrast to his fame as the archangel who leads heaven's forces against evil and is known as the protector of humanity.
Michael right now has his eyes closed, tears streaming down his face in sadness.
This is the second time he's cried, the first was when he learned about his Father's sacrifice while holding back the rage from the Four Satans and the Two Heavenly Dragons.
And now he's crying after hearing the last prayer from a devout soul before it vanished without a trace, just as the God's System tried to grab it and bring it where it belonged.
This is the first time he's felt something weird like this.
If the lost soul wasn't connected to the system and was part of another Pantheon, he might not be surprised because it wouldn't be under Heaven's control anyway.
He's no stranger to how Death Gods from other Pantheons take souls linked to them, so he wouldn't be shocked if that happened.
But... this soul that vanished without a trace was clearly recorded as part of the system, even though the last time it was noted praying to Him was 33 years ago... that still made it part of the system.
And if what he saw from the soul's last memories when it prayed again after so long to Him is true...
Are those devils up to their dirty game again?
"Sister."
He called his sister who's always been around him in the Sixth Heaven.
A very beautiful woman with curly blond hair and a super tempting body shape, covered only by a simple white robe, approached him after he opened his eyes.
Like Michael, she also has a bright golden halo above her head and twelve wings on her back that's so alluring, but unlike Michael's golden color, her twelve wings are pure white, matching her innocent gaze.
The woman is Gabriel the Seraph, known as the Strongest Woman in Heaven and the Most Beautiful Woman in Heaven.
"What's wrong, Brother?"
Gabriel didn't even use the cute nickname she usually calls Michael with, after noticing his serious face and the traces of tears on it.
"I have to trouble you to go down to Earth to investigate something."
---
A/N: The author is currently staring at his shaking hands in front of the screen, wondering how the hell he could write this cursed stuff.
Btw, I can only say that no matter how much Michael (that sick evil bastard) plans in picking his victims so they have no ties to the supernatural (like how he carefully chooses victims who don't have faith in Big G or other Gods), there's no such thing as a perfect plan. It just takes one certain rough old man to remember he has a big daddy named Big G and pray a little to Him, and BOOM! Everything goes to shit for that sick evil bastard.
Rip Bozo!
Btw, if you like this story and want to support me while reading the next few chapters, feel free to visit my patron: patr eon . com /XElenea (remove space)