To Thane, he recited something in English, but to an angel who had seen the Creation of many things, he trembled at what he saw.

A fiery flames appeared on Thane's mouth. It was finally clear to him what Thane is! And it scared him!

The words reverberated through the Soul Keeper Channel. The chains binding Libra blazed with brilliant fire, tightening against him with renewed strength.

Every eye along his wings dilated in panic. His skull-face widened in terror. "The Word… you spoke the Word!"

Recognition rippled through him like a quake. "You are one of them… a Conqueror! One who overcomes! You bear the seal of the Holy Spirit!"

"Now you recognize me." Thane chuckled.

His voice broke into a horrified plea.

"No! Mercy! By God, by Christ whom you serve, have mercy! Please bestow mercy!"

Thane tilted his head.

"That verse hit harder than your scales ever did, huh? And if you, an angel, are asking for mercy, then what Paul says that we are to judge angels should be true... That's interesting. I've always wanted to know what that verse meant. But what to do with you? You sent me away from that beautiful princess! Just when I finally got a shot at having a girlfriend! But..." Thane's thoughts began to change.

The world that he was in had always brought him where he needed to be at all times. Even in terror, there was purpose.

"...I'm supposed to be here... In a region of evil... Why?" Thane wondered.

"You brought me here to hide yourself from my allies, who now have that Temple. You wanted to possess me, and brought me here to build yourself up, correct?"

Libra rattled, chains pulling him taut.

" Spare me, Conqueror, I beg you!" Libra squealed.

"Hmm... I don't know. You did try to kill me."

"Wait! I can help you! I can help fight with you! I can follow your will to claim the other Stars!"

But Thane's gaze shifted to the glowing notes that hovered in his vision. His tone became more casual, almost bored, ignoring the claims of the Angel.

[Soul Keeper Channel Unlocked.]

[Function: Collects souls in Judgment.]

A steady stream of glowing text floated in Thane's vision. The words scrolled down like TV credits, crisp and surreal against the dark temple's atmosphere.

[Soul Keeper Channel – Premium Features]

[Collects unbound souls slain in your vicinity.]

[At the current level, up to 5 souls may be stored.]

[Stored souls may remain in the Channel World and, if permitted, may "feed" the bound angel to regenerate its true being.]

"Five souls?" Thane muttered. "That's my big reward? Five souls? What am I going to do with five souls? Run a daycare?"

Behind him, the pillar of wings trembled. The chains of light rattled faintly as Libra's skull-face turned, his countless eyes darting over the same glowing notifications Thane was reading. As part of the TV, Libra could see the interface too. He stayed silent, reading the scrolling text like a child caught sneaking a look at the teacher's notes.

But as he saw that Thane could offer the soul to 'regenerate its true being', Libra realized that it was not talking about the form he had when he possessed the Nephilim! It was talking of a state and form that he had before! A state prior to him being cast and bound on earth!

Libra trembled and waited. He needed to get on Thane's good side now!

Thane sighed and flicked a finger through the interface.

"Man, I thought this would be some flashy skill or maybe that power of yours to resurrect all that I have killed. I mean, that Cyclops and Hobgoblin! Nice touch! You resurrected them down to their very bones! That was strong! That was formidable! But now that I caught you, I get a soul repository!? Great! Just great!"

The pillar of wings shifted slightly. One of the enormous scales rose a little, tilting upward like a raised hand.

"Hm? You're raising your hand?" Thane asked, squinting.

The skull-face nodded faintly.

"Master… may I call you Master?"

"Erm… no. Thane is fine."

"Then… Conqueror Thane," Libra's voice was low, careful.

"It seems that I have been bound into your… strange system? Whatever this is…"

"That's right. Angel Assist. And you got your own channel." Thane folded his arms.

"But this channel only lets me collect souls for some Channel World? For a fallen angel who once judged mankind, you're awfully underwhelming. I defeat the great Libra, and all I get is a soul repository?" He frowned.

"Conqueror… First of all, you did kill me in the body back then. I have lost all of that power. That is why this Channel allows you to revive me. Also, if I had succeeded in controlling a being, I could channel my will, my iniquities through it. Of course, to you, my many powers that would lead you to sin have been canceled. Even when you revive me, I feel my capabilities to be... altered." Libra's skull-face tilted slightly.

"Hmm... I'm really not keen on the idea of reviving a fallen angel... But it sounds like you'd be a new creation. But reforming an Angel would cost me more than Seraphina's kingdom, right?"

"Much, much more. You could have to gather all the resources of the three kingdoms and find that it is not enough..."

"Oh well... But five souls? What will I do with that?"

"Conqueror..." Libra spoke again, being as respectful as he could be.

"Do you understand the implication... of what it means to have souls, or have the ability to control them in this world?"

"Erm… no," Thane said honestly.

Libra's countless eyes blinked slowly, confusion radiating from him. The Overcomer before him seemed… uninformed.

"Conqueror… may I ask how you have entered this world?"

"Hm? Oh. This world was made for me. I got here when I died in the real world."

"Re–Real world? The True World?!" Libra trembled, the chains vibrating as if struck by a bell. All of a sudden, the words, TV, Channel, and many other of peculiar statements of Thane reawakened many long-forgotten memories.

"You were of the True World and this world that was created… for you?!"

"Yes. This is for me. If it sounds impossible, I don't really blame you." Thane answered flatly.

"I... Do. TV? That brings a long-forgotten word that I once knew. But if this world is for you, for what purpose was it made?"

"I guess… for the lols?" Thane said.

"The lols?"

"Yeah, you know. For my enjoyment."

"You're enjoyment?! I nearly killed you!"

"I don't get that part either." Thane shrugged.

"This was created for me, but I've had several close calls to death even before I met you. I guess, without adversity, this world won't be fun. And honestly, I am having fun." He admitted with a sigh.

"Not just because of the TV."

"You have more than just 'adversity', Conqueror!" Libra's voice rose.

"The moment I got out of that Temple, I knew I had to triple my efforts. There are many angels who have been allowed to reign free in this world! I can feel their power calling to control this entire realm! There is even one... one among us that has become... like a god!"

"Well, it makes sense... " Thane said, undaunted by Libra's words.

"I'm still a level six guy with no proper training and a little Spirit control, and I already defeated an angel. If this place is going to give me adversity for my fun, it has to ramp up its difficulty settings."

Libra felt a sting in his spiritual heart from the backhanded insult. But he was right. How could a level six person ever defeat him! Libra could have bested the team of low-level warriors!

"I… I see… Conqueror. You might already have an idea for this… But this world has been in existence for over six thousand years! We are actually approaching the seventh thousand! But to you, you have only been reborn, correct? Back in the True World, I was bound in the Abyss right after I possessed the Nephilim's body, along with many of my companions who perished during the Great Flood in the True World. I believe I was summoned from that world and sent here WHEN you died!" Libra emphasized. He recalled how he disappeared from the Abyss.

"But time moved differently. I saw another seven thousand years in this world! What appeared to have been seconds to you were thousands of years for us! This included the rise and fall of many of my peers! Kingdoms have vanished and risen! All in a single second! Magic was made, invented, discovered, taught, defiled, sanctified, and has gone through numerous eras of teachings! This is the world you are in! Even I, an angel, had nearly forgotten about the real world!"

"Hmm... I sort of got that part. But for nearly seven thousand years, and no bidet has been invented? Are you guys savages? If you guys were here, and you knew about the bidet, why can't you just like, tell humans about it?" Thane questioned.

Libra didn't know how to answer Thane's accusation.

"My point is, Conqueror. The rules of this world are different from the True World! I was severely weakened and nearly perished in the Spirit because of the Temple! I did not even have five percent of my power! Can you confidently say that you could have defeated me, even if I had only ten percent of my true power?" Libra challenged.

"Yes. Thane answered flatly.

"T-Think about the situation, Conqueror! Other angels won't be as weak as my circumstance."

"You are literally calling me a Conqueror." Thane chuckled.

Libra was trembling but tried to contain his rage.

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