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The angels under Mr. Fool are all mysterious beings.
Perhaps this is fitting, considering the god ‘They’ serve.
Derrick has only had the good fortune of meeting one of ‘Them’—Mr. World, though that was before ‘He’ became an angel.
As the Holy Bible is being written, Derrick realises how little he knows of the god who saved them all. Even after asking the help of the Tarot Club members, he only has a few lines of description for each of the angels.
When it is at last presented to Mr. Fool, he worries about how much they might have gotten wrong and awaits all the changes that might be proposed.
Mr. Fool approves the whole thing.
Even the part about the Angel of Time is left as is.
Derrick wonders then whether Mr. Fool truly thought the Bible was fine or if ‘He’ simply didn't care for its content. The latter wouldn't be a surprise; Mr. Fool allowed them to make a church in ‘His’ name, but ‘He’ never seemed particularly interested in having one.
Life goes on. Mr. Fool falls asleep, but not before ‘He’ assigns tasks to each person. Derrick's is to spread Mr. Fool's faith and protect ‘His’ believers, which he devoutly throws himself into. The Rorsted Archipelago is his new home. He won't allow any harm to come to it.
Almost three years afterwards, one ordinary dawn, a person enters the Fool's Cathedral in Bayam. Derrick is called out of his office by the bishop in charge, who is too flustered to say much but that the newcomer asked for him. They head to the main hall, where Derrick finds a bronze-skinned man with dark hair and eyes. He has not seen much of this world yet, but he knows these features are common in the Southern Continent.
The man turns to him with a polite greeting, and Derrick returns it.
"What is the matter, sir?" he asks straight away. He's not one for small talk.
"My name is Azik Eggers," the man introduces himself. Then, with an amused smile, he adds, "I am the Angel of Death under the Fool."
If a horde of monsters rushed out at him then, Derrick would not be half as surprised as he was by those words.
"Your Eminence!" He bows deeply, thankful that the other didn't take any offense.
That is how he meets his second angel under Mr. Fool.
The Angel of Death continues to be the only one who keeps contact.
Sometimes, ‘He’ carries brief news of the other angels, but ‘He’ rarely appears at the Cathedral. Instead ‘He’ travels around the world, taking care of cultists as ‘He’ comes across them and letting Mr. Fool's name be known far and wide. The Tarot Club often does the same, their calling cards scattered at several places as they help official Beyonders from behind the scenes, but it's different when a Grounded Angel is involving ‘Himself’ in such matters.
Derrick asks ‘His’ help once with the rituals and customs for the Church. Much of it was taken from what the City of Silver once followed for the Creator, and even that doesn't feel enough compared to how other churches run.
His Eminence tells him that the Fool wouldn't care, that ‘He’ would value the people over how they chose to pray to ‘Him’, but ‘He’ does give a few suggestions. In fact, ‘He’ describes the entirety of the Holy Communion, containing several foods and sweet iced tea.
Derrick mentions the matter in a Tarot Club meeting, and Miss Justice tells them how the very first time she and Mr. Hanged Man prayed to ‘Him’, ‘He’ told them to prepare four staple foods.
He wonders, a bit blasphemously, if gods enjoy food the same way humans do. His Eminence certainly thinks so.
In time, His Eminence restricts ‘Himself’ to the Southern Continent. Within a year, the Fool becomes well-known there. While there is much work to be done and the Rose School of Thought is still in the process of being quelled, the second branch of the Church of the Fool is ready to be set up.
For that matter, ‘He’ makes a visit to the Fool's Cathedral. After the discussions are over, ‘He’ remains in the main hall. People come and go—in Bayam, the Fool is the one and only faith—but Derrick's eyes remain on the inconspicuous figure.
His Eminence looks at the sacred emblem with eyes that have seen the vicissitudes of life. ‘His’ gaze is not that of one looking at their god, but instead…
Derrick recognises it. It’s the same expression he wore when Mr. Hanged Man sailed to the west.
It’s when someone dear to you has gone away, and you are left behind to hope for them and wait for their return.
The Angel of Death was the first angel known to the Tarot Club, the one who struck down a mid-Sequence Beyonder back when Mr. Fool had just woken up. Because of that, knowing little else, ‘He’ was described in the Bible as “the one who had followed the Lord for the longest period of time”.
Seeing that softly melancholic yet hopeful expression on His Eminence’s face, remembering all the times ‘He’ worked with the Church, Derrick feels like the Bible was closer to the truth than he could have known.
He doesn't linger any longer. Even in the midst of a crowd, something about the moment is too intimate for him to watch.