The Pope's room was an old building, and although the walls were thick, the soundproofing was only so-so. The loud crash of the bed shattering carried far and wide, and even the Swiss Guards responsible for protecting the Pope's safety could hear the sudden, loud noise.
The guards on duty that night hurriedly tidied themselves up and, led by their superiors, rushed quickly toward the Pope's room.
"Quickly! Check your weapons!"
The person in charge that night was a lieutenant, and the loud noise from the Pope's room made him break out in a cold sweat.
The guard has not dealt with an emergency for a long time, especially the Pope's security. Although there have been drills, they are mostly perfunctory and occur only once a year.
The nearest members of the night watch were not far from the Pope's room; it was just a few steps to the door.
"There's a bright light!"
A corporal pointed to the light shining through the crack in the door; the light had a shifty quality and was clearly not the soft lighting of the papal chamber.
The lieutenant made a preparation gesture, and his guards all released the safety on their weapons.
They only use ancient cold weapons during ceremonial performances; for normal security and safety matters, they use modern firearms.
Seeing that everything was ready, the lieutenant loosened his collar and knocked on the door.
"Your Holiness, are you inside? Your Holiness, please answer me if you can hear me!!"
Pope Peter was now very nervous, and due to the sudden increase in pressure, he involuntarily took several steps back.
However, he could also tell that the angel was simply angry and didn't intend to do anything to him.
"Your Holiness, if you don't answer us, we're going to break down the door."
The lieutenant shouted into the room, but received no response. He then gestured to the two team members who were already prepared.
The latter two understood, and ignoring their sweaty foreheads from nervousness, they accelerated and together rammed into the door.
Everyone present understood that if something were to happen to the Pope, these guards, especially those on night duty, would not only be torn apart by the faithful, but would also never have a chance to rise again.
Peter, however, only then realized what the lieutenant outside the door had said about "breaking down the door," and hurriedly shouted towards the door, "No..."
"Bang!"
Before he could finish speaking, the door was kicked open, and a group of guards filed in.
Seeing the bright light in the room, he instinctively raised his gun, but then felt a series of powerful blows, as if he had been hit by a train engine.
"Bang~" "Bang~" "Bang~" "Bang~"
The lined-up guards were all sent flying backwards, crashing into the walls of the room. Two of them, near the door, were sent flying backwards from the door frame and crashed into the other side of the corridor.
The only one present who was unharmed was Pope Peter, who mustered all his strength to take two steps forward.
"Please calm down, Your Excellency. I apologize for my inappropriate remarks, uh, for my inappropriate thoughts. I had no intention of offending you. These guards' children are innocent. If anyone should be punished, please punish me!"
Gabriel looked at him expressionlessly, and finally withdrew his arrogant demeanor when Peter was about to collapse under the pressure.
"Slap~" "Slap~" "Slap~" "Slap~"
The guards, who had been pressed against the wall and unable to move, finally fell down one by one, their faces pale and panting heavily.
I couldn't breathe at all just now; it felt like I was suffocating in just a few seconds.
Strangely, while a dozen guards were pinned against the wall, the room remained undamaged except for the shattered bed and other items such as desks and vases.
The lieutenant wiped the sweat from his face haphazardly, then looked up at the light source, which had dimmed considerably but whose outline was now clearly visible.
It was a humanoid figure with three pairs of wings, but as attention focused, its true form gradually became apparent.
Angel!
The answer spontaneously came to mind for every guard.
"Your Holiness the Pope... what... what is this?"
"This is the Seraph, Gabriel!"
Upon hearing the Pope's reply.
The words 'Archangel' and 'God's messenger' flashed through everyone's minds instantly.
But why are the angels attacking us? Shouldn't we be God's most faithful believers on earth?
Similar doubts lingered not only in the minds of the guards, but even Pope Peter was completely baffled. No, Peter actually had a "terrible" suspicion, but he was unwilling to admit it. The angel's anger was merely a chain reaction caused by his own desire to escape reality.
"Pope Peter Berger, do not run away from the answer in your heart."
"I am asking on behalf of the signatories of this agreement: do you want to maintain this status quo indefinitely?"
Do you want to keep deceiving yourself?
“Give me an answer. In any case, I swear in the name of Seraphim Gabriel that my people will keep the oath and help you through the barren period before the ‘Return’.”
Peter Berger's character was very noble, a fact that even Gabriel had to admit, and his choice was actually quite predictable.
...
The following day, the current Pope of the Vatican issued the highest decree of the Catholic Church.
The Vatican has temporarily closed all tourism projects, shut down its external access, and recalled cardinals, also known as archbishops, from around the world.
This move not only caught tourists who were planning to visit the Vatican off guard, but also had a huge international impact.
Governments and the press around the world are speculating about the Vatican's purpose in this move. Given the Catholic Church's current global influence, the release and confirmation of this news is undoubtedly a bombshell.
This has sparked discussion among believers worldwide.
But the happiest people are the journalists. Such a big gimmick and news story is enough to keep the buzz going for a long time.
Immediately, news radio stations and online news outlets around the world were flooded with all sorts of "insider information" about the Vatican.
Those with professional ethics often begin with speculative and analytical statements, while unscrupulous or unethical media simply end with affirmative sentences. In reality, all journalists are kept outside the Vatican's borders and have no special news. They can only "leak" information by taking photos of bishops rushing back and the frequent patrols of the Vatican's gendarmes and guards.
Internationally, the three founding members of the World Tree Alliance, along with the three newly joined member countries, are undoubtedly the most astute in their approach.
News of the Vatican's secret meeting with people of different ethnicities has already spread among the high-ranking officials of the six countries.
Speculation about whether angels are a fantasy species from Earth has existed for a long time. However, due to the existence of the "Regulations on the Secrecy of Non-Psionic Individuals," it is impossible to directly understand races that do not wish to be contacted. Similarly, these regulations also restrict special races from harming or contacting non-psionic human individuals.
But now that the angels have taken the initiative to contact humans, and all the supernatural forces that are the protectors of humanity have tacitly approved of the angels' actions, there must be some hidden reason behind it.
The regulations were also unlocked, allowing countries to obtain firsthand information about the Angel race. However, another problem still loomed ahead.
How should the World Tree Alliance deal with the Vatican?
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