"Bond, how foolish can you be?" They said, voice calm as ever.
"EH?!" Bond shot up from his seat, aghast. "You weren't moved by my story just now?!"
"I'm not referring to that pitiful tale." Gabi'el's gaze locked onto him, steady and piercing. "Why would you let such an individual out of your sight? There is no other mortal with that level of magic power—there has never been anyone… except for Namadris and his wife, Veeshamé."
Bond stroked his chin thoughtfully before muttering, "But my mansion…?"
Gabi'el's voice remained soft, but the weight of their words was absolute. "Mention your mansion one more time, Bond, and I will make it a relic of the past this instant."
Bond stiffened.
He knew Gabi'el was honest.
"Y-Yeah. My bad. I shouldn't have let someone as wild as Alicia out of my notice." He hung his head in feigned dejection—before perking up with a grin. "Ah, but she's with someone in Pison I trust!"
"I agree," Pluto chimed in. "He's dumb, naïve, and a total softy. But he's got some solid abilities."
Gabi'el glanced between the two, their normally unreadable expression betraying a flicker of intrigue. "And who is this guardian you speak of?"
Bond grinned. "You know Ravenswood, right? The child of the Gold and Silver Fenrir siblings?"
Gabi'el raised a brow. "The Dark Fenrir? The recent addition to the Fenrir race?"
"Yep, that's the one. He arrived in Gihon while I was away for work, about two hundred years ago. By the time I got back, he'd nearly conquered the place." Bond sighed, shaking his head. "Had to spank him and ground him until he reflected on his actions."
"That happened?" Gabi'el murmured, looking down as if searching for an answer in the ground itself. "I didn't know. And it is rare—no, impossible—for me not to know what goes on in the four heavenly pieces."
Their gaze darkened slightly. "This Fenrir… is a question mark."
Gabi'el's golden-ringed pupils flickered with light before dimming again.
"…I can barely perceive him with my omniscient sight," they murmured. "it's as if he exists outside the nature of the heavenly pieces…"
A troubling thought.
Gabi'el was the ultimate overseer of the world, of the entire heavenly pieces, and even the heaven realm itself. For something—someone—to slip past their perception so easily was unacceptable.
"Who exactly is that Fenrir…? And that girl?" They muttered to themselves.
Pluto, meanwhile, had an unrelated epiphany. "You know… now that I think about it, Ruben was really lonely when he was here."
"Hm? Who is Ruben?" Bond asked, raising a brow.
"Ah, right! I forgot to tell you," Pluto chirped. "I changed the mutt's appearance! Gave him this hot androgynous look. Based it on Gabi'el, actually."
Gabi'el's frown deepened considerably.
Pluto continued, unbothered. "I also renamed him Ruben. Can't have people figuring out he's a Fenrir if he goes by raven or Ravenswood. There's a cult in Pison that worships Fenrir, you know."
"Really? I wanna see his new form, though," Bond mused. "I bet he was pissed at you."
"You bet! I actually turned him into a beautiful woman at first, but he wouldn't stop nagging, so I graciously compromised. Literally balanced our preferences." Pluto laughed.
Bond smirked. "the Fenrir did cause trouble in Pison once, didn't he?"
"That, he did," Pluto sighed. "I have no clue how he slipped through my notice, but when he came back, he was wrecked. So, either it was a bloody battle, or Pison folks just don't play around. They definitely know his wolf form."
A moment later, Pluto suddenly clapped his massive hands, and the air vibrated. "Oh! I almost forgot why I brought up the loneliness thing!"
"Fool," Gabi'el muttered.
Pluto ignored the insult and grinned. "That dork was talking to himself. Like, full-on conversations, man. It was like he had another personality or something."
"No way!" Bond burst out laughing. "That's straight-up insanity! I had no idea my basement could do that to someone!"
"Right?! And he even gave it a name—'Platform.' he called it an ability that talks to him." Pluto snickered. "I dunno, has kamehameha ever talked to Goku before?"
"Nope! Only Goku does the talking, or shouting!" Bond howled, clutching his stomach. "Ruben's just alone!"
"Well, at least he has your daughter now," Pluto mused. "Maybe he'll even make some friends in Pison. Who knows? Honestly, I did him a favor by forming a pact with him. I bet no one ever talks to him, being all big and terrifying."
"Pluto, that's just mean! Hahaha!" Bond laughed, barely able to contain his amusement.
Then a thought struck him. "Wait… what did you want him to do, anyway? You did make a pact with him too, right?"
"Oh, you see, I really hate Cthulhu. She makes a mess everywhere she goes. I mean, Gihon is practically a zombie apocalypse at this point. So I told him to kill her."
"Pfft!" Bond choked on his laughter. "And the fool agreed?"
"He didn't even know which Cthulhu I was talking about. He just wanted to leave chaotic Gihon behind," Pluto snickered.
Bond sobered slightly. "But… I don't think he can actually kill Cthulhu. I can't. You can't. Even Gabi'el only chases her away, now and then."
"Of course, he can't. At least, not alone."
Bond's brows furrowed. "what do you mean?"
Pluto smirked. "Alicia is with him."
"Hmph." Bond crossed his arms. "you think Ruben's gonna drag her into battle? I have a pact with him—he's required to keep her safe."
"C'mon, she'll grow eventually," Pluto waved him off. "And she'll be far stronger than she is now. If she's there and Ruben actually uses his resources well, Cthulhu will fall. I trust him that much."
Bond tapped his fingers on his cheek, considering. "Hmmm. Well, Alicia is an abomination herself. Maybe her magical energy will come in handy."
Pluto slammed his hands on his throne. "Have you no sympathy for your own daughter?! I basically sent them on a suicide mission! Be angry a bit more!!"
"Whaaaaat? You're overthinking it," Bond said, completely unfazed. "Besides, I'll have my agents watching them. If push comes to shove, I'll step in."
Gabi'el, who had been silent, finally spoke. "About… what you said regarding Ruben's ability…"
"Oh?" Pluto turned to them, intrigued. "You know something about it?"
"Indeed." Gabi'el placed a hand on their chin, deep in thought. "In fact, it greatly resembles a Sanas."
"What's a Sanas?" Bond echoed, raising a brow.
"It's one of only three entities in all of creation—beings that latch onto their master's soul, assisting and aiding them in various ways."
Then, with a knowing expression, Gabi'el closed their eyes. "Isn't that correct, Tzaph?"
Bond: "…"
Pluto: "…"
Gabi'el frowned, noticing their silence. "What?"
Bond nervously glanced around, scratching the back of his head. "Uhm… Lord Gabi'el, I—I didn't realize. I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Gabi'el's tone sharpened, but their expression remained eerily delicate.
Pluto sighed, rubbing his temples. "All those heavenly duties… and you've been at it for untold eons."
Bond and Pluto exchanged glances before smiling.
"We… We really appreciate your work," Bond said tenderly. "So, maybe it's time you took a break."
"Yeah!" Pluto chimed in, grinning. "We can play with you, hang out for a bit, talk about work stress, maybe even have a drink—ow, ow, ow!!"
Before Pluto could finish, he and Bond suddenly collapsed, writhing on the ground in sheer agony.
Gabi'el narrowed their eyes in mild vexation—but they weren't the ones responsible.
A voice rang out, cold and domineering.
{You have the nerves to disrespect my master? Perhaps you believe we cannot dispose of you and find a replacement.}
The words weren't hurried, but they struck instantly, firm and unyielding.
Then, like a spring of liquid gold, essence poured from Gabi'el's form, coalescing into a figure beside them.
The newcomer looked exactly like Gabi'el—except their eyes burned crimson, and their green hair was cropped short, barely brushing their shoulders. A pristine white robe adorned their form.
Watching bond and Pluto struggle, Gabi'el felt a rare flicker of satisfaction.
They gestured for the new arrival to withhold the imaginary punishment.
Then, with an air of amusement, they turned to their suffering acquaintances, who were now on the verge of tears.
"Boys…" Gabi'el said smoothly. "Meet my Sanas—Tzaphkiel. Dominion King Tzaphkiel."