Nova Genesis

Chapter III: Tag team of angel and demon

"Of course, that doesn't mean that Lilim will be able to get into the action from the get-go. You will have to pass through all of the required exams to see if you are suited for urban combat." He added, seeing the excitement grow in the half-angel's eyes. "You are now dismissed. Maria, would you take Lilim to the training faculty? And yes, Alice, you can accompany them."

Barely stepping out of the office, the half-angel couldn't help but slightly hug the succubus with sparkling eyes, who did not oblige and was smiling. Maria watched in amusement as the demon gained a pinkish tint to her cheeks before telling the angel to let go, which she did rather hesitantly.

"You are finally part of the team." The excitement in Alice's voice did not die down; in fact, it only seemed to increase. "So what do you think we should do for a welcome party? I should call the girls, shouldn't I?"

"Hey, slow down a bit." Lilim knew she had to stop the angel before she would go off the rails with her plan. Once she got fixated on something, she barely let go. Especially when that was something related to her. Now that she thought about it, it happened only when it was about her. That got her thinking. After all, she didn't see Alice be so "fixated" on anyone else like that. Could she...? Well, she could worry about that later. "Look, let me pass the necessary exams first. Then we can celebrate."

"So what are we waiting for? To the exams we go!" Alice exclaimed as she led the two girls towards the training faculty. Lilim couldn't help but smile at the angel. She guessed that in a Force like this, such a bundle of joy was necessary. To her surprise, the faculty was indeed a faculty and not some mere hall like the one Alice used. The building, while rather small, looked to be the most modern of them all. Being in the east wing of the complex, its white walls stood out from the rest, alongside the glass roof. On its left was another even smaller building with a neon green cross on it. Even before entering the building, they saw a bunch of younger cadets sparring with each other or using an open-field shooting range under the keen eye of one of the squad commanders.

The insides of the training faculty were rather modest. One long hall with grand, heavy glass doors on the right, which led into the main part itself, and then a pair of normal wooden ones on the left. One led towards the second medical center and one to the reception. With the necessary papers already filled out, Lilim could start her examination with the medical ones.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you in." The nurse said as Alice and Maria waited outside the doors. "I want to give my patients some privacy."

"Yeah, no looking until we are in the same bed." Lilim added as she closed the doors, missing the sight of Alice turning around with pink cheeks. It wasn't until a while later that Maria decided to break the silence.

"So is she yours, um?"

"No! She isn't! At least not yet."

"I meant to say friend."

"Oh, well, then I guess so. Hey, can you forget what I said before, especially the last part?"

"But of course. If you need any help with her, call me."

"Thanks, but I think I'll manage."

"If you say so, though, I see that you really enjoy her presence here."

"Why wouldn't I? It's good to have someone around my age here. Veronica and her friends can't always come due to obvious reasons, and Beatrice can be too much of a mom sometimes. With Lilim, on the other hand, it's, I don't know, different?"

"Different? How so?"

"I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like she understands me. Like we've been together for a long time. Something like that. I know it sounds weird since she's been here only for a week."