Archangel Trael had a simple mission.
The Divine Realm had heard about the Dragon King's defeat at the hands of mere mortals. Although it took quite some time to decide on the exact course of action, after a few decades of deliberation, it was decided to send an Archangel down to investigate the details.
This was expedited when the Divine Realm received reports that an Archdemon had descended upon the mortal world where the Dragon King fell.
And so Archangel Trael descended in the form of what those mortals called a 'Hunter,' one month ago. During that time, he quietly gathered information about the flow of the world's culture, its power system, the 'Hunter Ability System' that appeared to have been bestowed upon the mortals by a Sovereign Being to save them from Dimensional Incursions and invading high-ranking entities.
To that end, Archangel Trael discovered the existence of what the mortals called the Ten, beings comparable to Powers, and the one they called the Legendary Hunter, a being that Trael would consider on his par or better.
But overall, nothing of note.
Still, he decided to keep an eye on the bloodline of that Legendary Hunter.
While the sheer power of that man was lacking, the nature of his power went against Divine Providence.
And Archangel Trael had confirmed that the Legendary Hunter's granddaughter, Yura Shin, possessed an ability that allowed her to wield a fragment of divinity in the form of tribulation lightning.
Nothing of note... for the moment. But if refined, it could be dangerous.
So the plan was formulated.
Foster a proper identity. Develop a persona suited to her tastes. Seduce her and neutralize her if necessary.
But-
"I had hypothesized the existence of angels back on Earth. But to think that you truly exist... Maybe I should have stayed in my past life a bit longer, if only to rage against the heavens for how unfair they were to me and my family."
'...What is this?'
Archangel Trael recognized the young man standing in front of him. He was the same one that had looked at Trael earlier.
...Unremarkable. A face that could be seen anywhere in this small city. A honed body, yes. But no hints of mana, divinity, or any power of note.
'...So what is this pressure?'
Those brown eyes stared with a piercing weight that threatened to unravel Archangel Trael entirely.
Archangel Trael- No. Trevor. It was imperative to maintain the facade that he had crafted of the Hunter 'Trevor Lightfellow' right now.
Every instinct in the Archangel's core was telling him to escape immediately. But every instinct was ALSO telling him to not make any hasty move.
'Trevor' let out an easy smile, like he was accustomed to and held up his hands. "Sorry, man. I don't know what you're talking about."
They were in a deserted back alley.
'Trevor' had been making his way back to a designated area to perform his daily intelligence report. And there was quite a bit to report today.
But when he arrived, that young man was waiting for him. Almost as if he knew exactly what that area was and who 'Trevor' really was.
It was impossible.
Even the Legendary Hunter, the so-called 'EX-Ranked Hunter' who killed the Dragon King did not detect him.
So...
'Coincidence. Or a guess. That must be it.'
The Archangel had understood quite a bit of this world's mortals. And 'bluffing' was a tactic he found they used often. So this must be-
"Trael. An archangel." The mysterious young man- No, the 'entity' standing there looked right through the Archangel's facade. "...Your true form is quite frightening. I understand why the Bible had the angels say 'be not afraid.'"
It wasn't a bluff.
The unknown entity spoke with absolute conviction. As if he had peered through the persona of 'Trevor' and to the core of Trael entirely.
No, the fact that he mentioned that angelic name itself...
Archangel Trael waved his hand, separating the space around him and the entity.
...Or at least, he attempted to.
But nothing happened.
The entity smiled. A human expression, but one that was also inhuman. Like the face of a man who had seen the end of everything and continued beyond it.
"You get one chance." The entity's smile widened. "Tell me why you're investigating Yura and I'll consider letting you live. Try to escape, fight, or refuse to speak, and I'll unravel your core."
Again, it wasn't a bluff.
Archangel Trael could tell. The entity was more than capable of it.
The entity lacked mana, divinity, demonic energy, or any form of power beyond an ordinary mortal's biological essence.
But every fiber of Archangel Trael's existence could sense it.
There was a weight in the entity's words. The weight of a being who needed none of those powers to enforce his will.
So Archangel Trael did the rational thing.
He talked.
There was too much at risk otherwise.
...For some reason, the Archangel's instincts were screaming that resistance would result in giving that entity a blade that could sever the Divine Realm in its entirety. That it was an invitation to an apocalyptic end to make this entity an enemy.
So the Archangel... 'Trevor,' held up his hands and said, "My... superiors were concerned with the nature of power that Miss Yura possessed. We were unaware that she was under your Honorable protection. We will withdraw our investigation towards her and dedicate resources to other avenues."
A careful and rational answer that deliberately took a step back and used platitudes. A response formulated after processing the methods of the 'politicians' from this world's history. But while carefully crafted, it was a response that was sincere.
The mysterious entity masquerading as an ordinary young man stared at Archangel Trael for a while longer. Then he said, "My name here is 'Neol Won.' If you're just investigating, then I'll cooperate. I'd rather not have to remind the heavens that there are things older than it."
A shiver went through the Archangel's core.
It wasn't a boast.
That entity possessed something older than even the Divine Realm. Something that could shatter it entirely.
So the Archangel smiled and said, "Noted. My name here is 'Trevor Lightfellow.' I will arrange my operation territory accordingly, Honorable Neol Won."
"Good. I don't want to see your face unless it's fighting off demons."
"Then we are at an accord." Trevor nodded and turned around to leave. "Then if you will ex-"
A flash of light- No. Not light.
Darkness-
No. Not darkness either.
A light so bright it devoured other light.
A darkness so complete it generated light.
Duality bound in a singularity.
That was the last thought that Archangel Trael possessed before he ceased to be.