Gabriel hadn't just shared her livestream link with Mitsue Takeda; she also shared it with Takeda's chief disciple, the Wonder Child Rom.
Rom operated his own channel on a video-sharing site, using it as a platform to sell various exorcism tools to his fans. Consequently, his contact information was easily found on his profile page.
Because of the Mountain God incident years ago, a rift had formed between this once-inseparable master and disciple. They had a falling out so severe that they eventually cut all ties, living as complete strangers.
The root cause was a young Rom ignoring Takeda's warnings. Following a cry for help that only he could hear, he had ventured alone into the Mountain God's shrine. To save him, Takeda's master, Towako Oka, had perished.
Takeda could not forgive Rom, and Rom could not forgive himself. The true culprit remained at large, lurking in the mountains and waiting for another prey like the young Rom to appear.
Gabriel's decision to contact Rom was driven by a desire to see the master and disciple reconcile. Besides, leaving the Mountain God be was asking for trouble, especially since something even more malevolent was sealed beneath the shrine.
To prevent a repeat of that tragedy, Gabriel felt it was necessary to pay the place a visit personally. She would act as the bridge between them; as for what Takeda and Rom chose to do in the end, that was up to them.
Gabriel felt she had done more than enough. After all, she was a "good person"—a benevolent angel.
While Mitsue Takeda was rewatching the stream, trying to gather more intel, the scene was quite different at Rom's residence.
In his roughly 90-square-meter apartment, the space was cluttered with an array of bizarre objects: talismans, divine statues, energy stones, and more. In the center of the room sat a stool topped with a miniature Torii gate and a spirit shrine.
Several ropes were tied to the shrine, with the other ends anchored to the four corners of the room, each covered in talismans.
Inside the room, a man around twenty years old, dressed like a gentleman in a black morning coat and sporting a bit of stubble, removed his top hat. Rom stared intensely at dozens of freshly developed photos hanging from a line above a long table.
These were all screenshots from Gabriel's livestream—specifically, the few seconds when Miko Yotsuya had shouted the command word.
Rom usually checked his private messages and comments, knowing that some people truly needed his help. But today, he had received a peculiar message. Along with the link to the stream, there was a very short note:
"Can you see it?"
Rom had watched the stream and then sat through the entire replay. Even though the streamer calling himself "Jeremy White" seemed unreliable, the necklace and "Divine Artifact" being sold were the real deal. The "Artifact" seemed to have summoned something that proceeded to carry out a brutal massacre of the ghosts in the Cursed Building.
"Let's see who you really are."
Rom's expression grew solemn. With a flick of his right hand, he caught five marble-sized energy stones between his fingers. He intended to use a special spell to see exactly what kind of entity had been summoned by that "Divine Artifact."
Whoosh...
A sudden gust of wind blew through the tightly sealed room. The pendulum of the clock on the table vibrated inexplicably, the vanity mirror nearby began to crack with a sharp creak, and the spirit shrine in the center of the room started to split open.
Everything in the room showed signs of disturbance. Even Rom himself began to break out in an unnatural sweat. Simultaneously, the figure in front of Miko Yotsuya in the photo began to grow clearer.
"Operation Huge Success! Here's your reward. Keep it safe."
Stepping out of the Cursed Building, Gabriel, satisfied with Miko's performance, pulled a brand-new RTX 4090 graphics card from her bag and handed it over. To maintain such a poker face throughout the ordeal—the "Queen of Scares" truly had nerves of steel. Gabriel admired her psychological fortitude.
Miko took the graphics card with a wooden expression. Her face was so numb she couldn't even manage a smile of joy.
Suddenly, Gabriel felt a prying gaze directed toward her. However, there was no malice behind it. She turned slowly, looking in a specific direction as a faint golden light flashed in her eyes.
"Oh? So it's you..."
"Who is it?" Hana Yurikawa looked up curiously but saw no one.
Crash!
Every single tool and prop in Rom's room shattered instantly. The once-ordered room looked as if a typhoon had passed through it.
Rom collapsed onto the floor, his strength spent, his clothes completely drenched in sweat. The look he cast toward the photos was one of sheer shock and disbelief.
"That person... an Angel? But how is that possible..."
Just a moment ago, Rom had seen the true form of Mika Misono in the photo. But before he could process the shock, the pink-haired girl vanished, replaced by the female streamer calling herself Jeremy White.
He saw her suddenly turn back to look at him, and that single glance had caused every tool in the room to break. Fortunately, she held no ill will; otherwise, he wasn't sure he would have survived.
Rom panted heavily, trying to recover his strength and calm his heart.
"If she really is an angel, what is her purpose for descending to this world? The angels recorded in the Bible aren't exactly 'kind' figures, and the Lord does as He pleases—He was the one who sent the Great Flood..."
Recalling the contents of the Bible, Rom's heart sank. He didn't know which specific angels the two he had seen represented, and he didn't care. He only hoped their purpose wasn't to judge all of humanity.
"What does the appearance of angels mean for mankind?"
Countless theories flashed through Rom's mind. Given the "glorious" track record of angels in scripture, his dark premonitions far outnumbered the hopeful ones.
After a long silence, Rom picked up his phone, its screen now cracked. He hesitated for a moment before sending a message to Gabriel.
Wonder Child Rom:May I ask what your purpose for finding me is...?
He wasn't certain who had sent him the link, but it was clear that the person was either one of those two angels or someone who knew them. There was no other possibility.
Extreme Angler:You were peeking at me just now, right?
Rom's pupils dilated. Her identity was effectively confirmed, though he still didn't know which angel she was. He thought for a moment and quickly typed back.
Wonder Child Rom:My deepest apologies. Please forgive my unintended offense.
Extreme Angler:No harm done to those who act in ignorance. Let's talk business. Let me ask you: do you want revenge?
Rom stared at the word "revenge," knowing exactly what she meant. He replied:
Wonder Child Rom:Are you referring to... the Mountain God from all those years ago?
Extreme Angler:Yes. What do you think?
Wonder Child Rom:...As long as that Mountain God is dealt with, I am willing to pay any price!
Extreme Angler:No need. The price has already been paid for you.
Wonder Child Rom:This... may I ask who that person is? This is very important to me.
Rom's heart was in his throat. He stared at the screen, holding his breath. An image of a kind, familiar figure unconsciously flickered in his mind.
Extreme Angler:Your master, Mitsue Takeda.
Boom.
The moment the familiar name appeared, it felt like a bolt of lightning had struck his mind. Rom froze, completely stunned.