Aleister was unaware that Aiwass had already decided to become Arata's guardian angel. If he had known, he would definitely not remain as calm as he was now.
Because Aiwass was not one of the thirty-three angels recorded in the Bible, nor one of the one hundred and fifty angels listed in the Book of Enoch. He was an angel that represented the pure physical world prior to the birth of magic, an existence that denied all magic. Such a being could not and would not have a master.
So when Arata expressed the desire to have Aiwass become his guardian angel, Aleister could not help but sneer inwardly.
...
After a satisfying lunch, Index lay sprawled across the tatami, gently patting her slightly rounded stomach with a content expression. The mermaid spirit Bubble had already slipped into the bathtub to play, clearly preferring to stay in water.
Index blinked her clear blue eyes and looked toward Arata, who was lying on the bed while making a phone call, and spoke softly.
"Ara...ta, let's go out and have some fun. I'm still not familiar with this place. After eating, some exercise would be good for my health."
"No, I stayed up all night and I'm exhausted. I was even planning to skip classes today with my homeroom teacher," Arata replied weakly, glancing at the contact name on his phone with slight hesitation.
Yesterday afternoon, he had already skipped class under Komoe-sensei. If he skipped again today, he could already imagine her teary-eyed expression asking if he disliked her class. And once he returned, he would probably be surrounded by classmates with rather unfriendly attitudes.
"Gulp..." Index puffed her cheeks, then blinked. "Teacher? What exactly does Arata study? Science?"
"Yeah. School life is both enjoyable and painful. It's not like the magic side, which is more specialized. Nuns mainly study scripture and missionary work. Here, you have to learn everything, chemistry, physics, all kinds of complicated formulas and theories that make your head spin. From age six all the way to university graduation at twenty, it's constant studying."
"I feel completely hopeless just thinking about it," Arata muttered, then gritted his teeth and pressed the call button.
Soon, Komoe-sensei's sweet and gentle voice came through the phone.
"Arata, what's the matter calling me at this time? If you haven't eaten breakfast, sensei can bring you some bread~"
"Komoe-sensei, um... I have a request," Arata said awkwardly.
"What is it?"
"I'd like to take a day off."
"A day off? Why? (cibh) You already skipped yesterday afternoon, and now you want to take leave again? Do you want me to write 'mandatory summer remedial course' on your report card?" Komoe-sensei said angrily.
"Komoe-sensei, please don't threaten me. There's really something important today that I absolutely cannot skip. Please," Arata pleaded sincerely.
"You really can't come to class?"
There truly was no other choice.
"Hmph. Arata is already not the most diligent student, and now you're skipping again without giving a reason. You will definitely be assigned to summer classes. Don't expect sensei to go easy on you," Komoe-sensei said, though her tone carried a trace of understanding.
If her student was not explaining, then there must be a reason he could not say. As a teacher, she chose not to pry and instead support him as best she could.
"Alright. Thank you, Komoe-sensei," Arata said, scratching his cheek. His grades were average anyway, so being assigned to summer courses was not surprising.
"Index, you can watch TV by yourself. I'm going to sleep until noon," Arata said weakly as he buried his head into the pillow.
Using "Words of Infinite Deception" once or twice did not cause much strain, but using it forty-three times consecutively was excessive even for a Saint's body.
Arata soon fell asleep.
Index did not disturb him. Although she wanted to go out, Arata looked genuinely exhausted.
Arata must have gone to fight again, just like when he protected her.
...
By midday, Arata was still asleep, but at this moment, an irresistible fragrance spread through Academy City, making Index twitch her nose restlessly.
Finally, she could not endure it anymore and pushed Arata with both hands.
"Stop... let me sleep a little longer..." Arata muttered as he turned over.
The loud growl of her stomach combined with his response caused a cross-shaped vein to bulge on Index's forehead. She opened her mouth, revealing her sharp canine teeth.
"Snap!"
"Ah!" Arata jolted awake instantly.
...
Soon after, Arata brought Index outside to find something to eat.
It was Index's first time exploring outside freely, and she looked extremely happy, humming an unfamiliar but pleasant tune. Her light steps made her seem like a delicate porcelain doll.
"Next time, can you bite a little more gently? The bite marks take at least half an hour to fade," Arata muttered while touching his cheek. Passersby glanced at him strangely, making him feel slightly embarrassed.
Index's saliva had no unpleasant taste. Instead, it felt refreshing, almost ethereal.
"When I hear Arata say things like that, I just feel like biting you. And it actually feels really nice," Index said innocently, tilting her head like a curious kitten.
"Index, since you're saying things like that, then every time you bite me, I'll bite you back once. Let's see if you still think it feels good," Arata replied with a helpless expression.
Even if it was her way of expressing affection, being bitten multiple times a day was a bit excessive.
"Ah... Heavenly Father, please protect Index. The evil Arata wants to bully your child," Index clasped her hands together and prayed devoutly.
"..."
Arata raised an eyebrow, finding her rather adorable. Praying like that, huh. If one day he really reached that position, perhaps she would end up praying to him instead.
Index pointed excitedly toward a buffet restaurant and dragged him inside. Just as they sat down and called for a waiter, a sharp gaze suddenly made Arata feel a chill run down his spine.
He turned his head.
Three girls were staring at him.
One wore a red armband, another had brown hair, and the third, wearing a sailor-style uniform with an armband, blinked calmly.
The hostility in their gaze was obvious.
"Hi," Arata raised his hand and greeted them casually.
"I didn't expect to run into you here. Heh... hehehe," the tea-haired girl stood up with a cold laugh and walked toward him step by step.
The atmosphere instantly turned tense.
...
Re@d adv@nce ch@pters on p@t
guilt_free_daoist
Jo!n d!sc0rd I!nk in synops!s.
GIVE ME YOU POWER STONES.