When night falls, the demons come out in full force. Not because they are nocturnal, but because humans are diurnal and notoriously afraid of the dark. They hunt more furiously at night because they know it will be easier to make kills. It’s not a good time for anyone to be outside, not even someone as experienced as myself. As it was getting dark, I decided to find some high ground and rest until morning.

I entered a tall office building and climbed all the way to the top: 32 exhausting flights of stairs. But with the city in ruins, there was no power to run the elevators, so I had no choice.

Somehow, when I finally got to the roof, Knell was already there waiting for me. He waved.

Had he lied about his inability to fly? Or did he just not have enough power to leave the atmosphere? I wondered, but I didn’t bother asking. I hoped my lack of curiosity was disappointing to him.

Rather than being disappointed, Knell seemed giddier than before. “Are you going to sleep up here?” he asked excitedly. “I would. The view is amazing! I feel like I can already see more stars. And the Satellite, of course. I’ve never been this high up before! Back where I used to live, there weren’t any skyscrapers. Look, the colors!”

He pointed to the west, where the last of the light of dusk could still be faintly seen. The cloud of colors had already changed to a nighttime medley of fluorescent blues and greens.

“They’re so pretty,” he went on. “You know, the demons think they’re pretty, too. That’s why they’re always changing the colors. It’s like when humans change clothes. They want to look nice.”

“…I didn’t know that demons had fashion sense.”

“They do. They have a lot more sense than humans give them credit for. Why do you think it takes so much mental energy to defeat them?”

Knell certainly spoke like an experienced demon hunter. As much as I didn’t want to talk to him, he could have some useful information. Besides, it seemed I would be stuck on the roof with him all night long with nothing else to do.

“How many demons have you defeated?” I asked him.

“I don’t know…I don’t really keep track, since I’m killing them all the time. They’re my food source, after all.”

I was shocked, but tried not to show it. “Did you say…food source?”

“Yeah. I eat them. That’s how I get rid of them. It’s really hard for an angel to kill a demon, but if you start eating it there isn’t really much it can do about that. Maybe you could try it.”

“That sounds like a great way to die.”

“I guess so…for a human.”

I looked him in the eye. “Just what kind of angel are you? Most can’t even be bothered to touch the ground on this planet, and here you are, going around eating demons. I didn’t think angels were even capable of eating…”

“…I’m my own special kind of angel, I guess,” Knell replied. “I just want to help. It’s sad to watch someone throw away their life, but it’s sad to watch someone just die, too. I want to save people…and show them that I can do good.”

It wasn’t quite the answer I was looking for, but somehow I felt satisfied with it. “We could use more angels like you,” I said to him. “Angels willing to get their hands dirty; fight for something.”

Knell grinned. “You complimented me! So I guess you don’t hate me anymore.”

“I never hated you. But that doesn’t mean I like you. I still only trust you about as far as I can throw you.”

“You’re big and I’m small, so you could probably throw me pretty far. I hope you don’t, though.”

He walked to the edge of the roof and sat down. Apparently, he was going to do his statue routine again. “I can be a lookout for you, if you want,” he said. “I don’t need to sleep, and I can fight anything that comes our way. I’ll keep you safe.”

I wanted to believe him, but I really couldn’t. He was so tiny, after all, and even if he could fend off a demon by himself, there was no guarantee that he’d be able to do it while keeping an eye out for someone else.

Still, I was tired from all the walking and stair climbing, and in the end I decided it couldn’t hurt to rest my eyes. I’d give Knell the satisfaction of thinking he’d protected me, just for a few hours.

Before long, I succumbed to sleep.