I stood stock still, processing the information flooding into my brain.

  This entire week, where I had no idea of the calamitous circumstances that led to it, could only be described as dreadful. The feeling of detachment to reality I felt and the changes Ayumi suffered brought me very close to the brink of insanity.

  Being aware of those circumstances now meant that I could look back at my plight and laugh. That was because the situation I found myself in now was more dire than I could have ever imagined.

  I remembered my enemy, the one who was so hostile to Ayumi and was likely the cause of her current condition. The one who erased my memories. There was no way that guy was on our side.

  In short, the archangels were the enemy.

  Despite the bleak circumstances, a small flame tried to spark inside of me. And yet, it still got smoldered by the realization that, if I really thought about it, I still knew nothing at all.

  What exactly did Ayumi want to tell us back?

  Processing so much information was so taxing that it took me a good while until I could focus on Futaba again. She had since sat back down on the sofa, with a complex expression on her face.

  “Hey, Futaba, are you okay?”

  “Yes. I am merely processing everything.” She let her words hang in the air for a few moments. “We really gleaned a lot from your memories. But at the same time, it feels like we remain largely in the dark. Nothing seems to fit. It is quite a bothersome feeling.”

  Indeed, Futaba’s assertion was correct. My memories of the incident did let us know of three important facts. Number one, Ayumi and I did come across an angel a week ago, namely Shiina. Number two, that Ayumi is indeed, by her own admission, not a normal human. And number three, that Archangel Michael and Ayumi know each other somehow.

  But how do those facts relate to what’s going on with Ayumi now? And with Shiina, for that matter? That’s the part I can’t figure out.

  “I do not get it either, Takeya,” Futaba responded to my question. “I believe it is reasonable to assume that the archangels created the mission to monitor Ayumi because she was not an ordinary human. But how they were aware of her beforehand is a mystery to me.”

  “Wait, so they were the ones who made this mission for you?”

  “Not specifically for me. Other angels have undertaken similar missions in the past. But as far as I’m aware, it was a direct order from them.”

  “So this whole time you have been monitoring Ayumi, you never figured out she wasn’t a ‘normal human’?”

  “Not at all. Like this angel you met said, if Ayumi was an angel, we could tell right away. I am confident she is not one. Furthermore…” Futaba fell deep in thought. “I also believe your initial suspicion that the Ayumi from before and after last Sunday are two different individuals.”

  “Wait, how so?”

  “There is one fundamental rule about angels you should be aware of: with few exceptions, we cannot use our powers on each other directly. That includes memory manipulation. However, Shiina was able to use her powers on Ayumi and they did not work. Which means—”

  “‘Nothing in either your paradigm or Shiina’s can account for what I am,’ right?”

  The last words Ayumi had said before getting interrupted. What exactly do they mean?

  “Precisely. Ayumi is neither human, angel, or archangel. She herself said that nothing in Shiina’s worldview could account for what she is.”

  “Right.”

  “But getting back on track,” she said. “The Ayumi from a week ago was something aside from anything we could ascribe to her. However, the Ayumi whose memories I read yesterday was definitely a human, as evidenced by my ability to change her memories in the first place. Ergo…”

  “Two different people.”

  “Ayumi’s memories might be strange, but she’s a human. Something caused her to lose her deep layer.”

  “I think it’s fair to say that this ‘Michael’ was the one who did it, right?”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  “Most likely. It is clear they have been withholding something from us. I have always suspected those archangels had dubious intentions, but to get such clear confirmation…”

  Without me noticing, her tone had shifted drastically to a foreign emotion.

  Anger.

  “Hey, Futaba, are you okay belittling an archangel like that?”

  “Of course. I already had little respect for them, but after the way he belittled Ayumi, I do not feel the need to give them any consideration.”

  Turns out the cult-like devotion Shiina had is not universal. But is this one a rare exception, or are there more angels like her?

  “Wait, but didn’t you take on a mission especially set up by them?”

  “Business is business,” she said with a knowing tone.

  “I-I see. By the way, something else’s been bothering me about the archangels. How the heck did that guy figure out where we were anyway?”

  “You have Shiina to blame for that.”

  The bitterness in her voice didn’t escape my attention.

  “Shiina? She’s in on this too?”

  “No, I do not think so. She must have summoned for help as soon as Ayumi revealed the truth. Remember how she had been praying?”

  Now that she mentions it, I did find her timing exquisite.

  “The situation was too dire for her to handle alone, so she took the chance to covertly contact other angels. And since Ayumi was involved, the information rose through the chain of command until the archangel himself intervened.” Her speech made a meaningful pause. “Although… I do wonder why she let the situation drag on for so long.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Angels cannot reveal themselves to humans under any circumstances. It is our most sacred rule.”

  Wait, didn’t you do that a few hours prior?

  As if reading my thoughts, Futaba was quick to cover her tracks. “Naturally, if a situation does occur and is inevitable, our recourse is to erase the humans’ memories afterwards—just like I did yesterday,” she answered my unasked question, then continued with a teasing tone. “Your case was, of course, an exception. If anyone else did the same thing I did, they would be in serious trouble.”

  So she herself is also an exception. Gotcha. She really was playing around with us.

  “That is why Shiina’s attitude was so peculiar. She was already careless in letting you two get so close to her, but to engage in such lengthy conversation… It is unthinkable. She was not in control of the situation.”

  Turns out I was right in thinking she had some ulterior motives after all.

  “Unless…” Futaba uttered to herself. “No way! She actually ran out?”

  “Wait, ran out of what?”

  “Remember how Shiina explained that angels have a part of God’s powers?”

  I nodded in agreement.

  “Angels possess a finite supply of holy energy with them. We call that energy ‘aether’. If we deplete it, we can no longer use our powers. Aether replenishes slowly over time. However, we can also actively replenish it by deepening our connection with God through praying.”

  This “mana” mechanic seems really well thought out to reinforce cult-like behavior. God really had some nasty ideas.

  Futaba seemed unaware of my thoughts, however, and continued her explanation. “A well-trained angel would never run out of aether, even after handling a small incident like the one Shiina managed. But perhaps I am looking at this from a privileged position. I would have been fine, but then again, I am not exactly an ordinary angel.”

  Figured that one out already.

  “Perhaps Shiina really did run out of aether after dealing with that fault.”

  “So all that time… she was bluffing her way through our conversation? She couldn’t actually erase our memories?”

  “I believe that is correct. It seems probable that she only recovered enough energy to erase Ayumi’s memories. Nevertheless, I still find it superbly hard to believe that she ran out of aether. An angel like her can barely fulfill their duty. If I was in her position, I would not be going on missions at all or risk situations like this occurring.”

  Unexpectedly, Futaba sighed. “Whatever her reasons were, one thing is for certain. As soon as she sensed the situation shifting, she summoned the archangels, and Michael showed up. Then you intervened.”

  “S-Sorry. I couldn’t bear to hear that bastard talk to Ayumi like that.”

  “I fully understand your reaction. That man also makes my blood boil. But because of that stunt, we are now left in the dark as to what happened next. We fundamentally lack information and, without it, it will be very difficult to uncover the truth. Though… there might still be an opportunity to get that information.”

  “You mean… Shiina?”

  “Yes. I am sure the conversation continued after you… well, blacked out.”

  Are you trying to make me feel better by saying that?

  “I must admit, I am concerned about Shiina. She knows too much. I am sure Michael would not let her leave with that information, no matter how loyal she is. The fact that she is still here on Earth is also troubling.”

  Before I could respond to Futaba’s comment, she quickly drew her phone out of her shorts’ pocket and gave it a glance.

  A flip phone? In this day and age? Talk about old school.

  “Oh, would you look at that… Just in time.”

  I was dumbfounded as she stood up from her couch and moved to the door.

  “Just in time for what?”

  “Do you not have lunch planned with Shiina today? This is the perfect opportunity to talk to her about the situation.”

  She flashed me a sly smile completed with a wink. I couldn’t help but have my misgivings about this angel. Shiina, in comparison, was much easier to handle.