Chương 41: 40th Adversary: The Apex
"Little girl?"
Ishmavael had a confused expression on their face.
"Who the hell are you calling a gir-?!"
Ishmavael's sentence was cut short when she looked down on her naked appearance.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!"
She screamed out in horror.
"What's wrong? Just so you know I didn't strip you. You came out like this on your own."
"Why was my sex chosen without my consent?!"
"Huh?"
Miko was now really confused. Seeing that, Tiamat spoke up.
"Ishmavael's mother is from a race of demons that are born sexless. They're able to choose their sex on their 100th birthday. That is the age that demons are considered to have reached adulthood."
It's this practice that the Dragna clan copied. Their members are only considered to have reached adulthood after 100.
"By the way, they'll stay in their preteen form until they reach adulthood. Ishmavael was sealed in the sword before she was 100, hence her child-like appearance. As for why she now has a sex, I think that on her 100th birthday her sex was chosen at random for her. Although, I don't know why her body didn't age."
Tiamat explained.
"It's over. My life is over."
Ishmavael dejectedly fell to her knees.
"I planned my entire future around being a man. How can I ravage beauties like this?!"
Tears streamed from her eyes.
"Quit your whining. You're as loud as ever."
"Hm? I know that annoying voice."
Ishmavael looked up and saw Tiamat.
"Bleh."
She suddenly looked disgusted.
"You little shit!"
Tiamat moved to attack Ishmavael but was stopped by Momo.
"Calm down, Tia! She's a child!"
"Nah, nah. Let her go. I ain't afraid of you grandma!"
Ishma took a fighting pose.
"Woah?!"
She dodged a black blade that was slashed at her neck.
"I'll appreciate it if you watch your tone, fraud."
Regis coldly glared at Ishmavael. Her arm had turned into a black sickle-like blade.
"Oh? You have guts, brat."
Ishma's arm also turned into a blade.
"If you wanted to die then you should've just said so!"
"All of you shut up!"
Miko roared.
"You're all giving me a headache."
He started rubbing his head.
"Look, whether you all like it or not, we're all connected until I die. When that happens you're all free to do whatever you want. But until then, please shut the fuck up and work together."
"....."
Everyone became silent. The first one to calm down was Tiamat. Regis also backed off. Seeing that, Ishmavael backed off as well.
"Hmph. He's right. Although I don't like it, we'll be stuck together for a while."
She said.
"Good. Now get dressed. I'm starting to judge the author's sense of humor."
Ishmavael didn't seem to understand what he meant, but she also felt like getting dressed. She looked around and spotted a suit of luxurious clothes. Her body lit up and similar-looking clothes appeared on her body. She quickly braided her hair into one while walking toward Miko.
"So, Ishmavael."
"Call me Ishma."
"Alright. So what do you want to do now that you're somewhat free?"
"Start a war!"
Ishma spoke with a childish tone that matched her appearance, even though what she said was not the least childish. Seeing that, Miko-
*Bam!*
"Ow!"
"It seems that you really do lack restraint."
He chopped her on the head. Miko could now fully understand why her brother sealed her away. She was too impulsive. So he decided that he needed to keep her under control.
(Violence works best with her type.)
He thought.
"Well, there's a chance that we might be a war soon."
He spoke after remembering why he came for Ishma in the first place. It was to prepare for a potential war with Nebulous.
"Really?! Hell yeah! I haven't killed anything in forever!"
Ishma became excited.
"Since we're finished here, let's leave."
Miko turned to Regis.
"Regis turn back into your previous form."
"Alright."
Regis turned into particles and returned to being a glove on Miko's hand.
"Can you also do this?"
"No problem."
"Good. I want to keep you guys hidden at least until we leave here. People will speculate when they see you two around me, but in the end, I doubt anyone would expect you two to be my swords."
"Good idea."
Ishma copied Regis and formed a black glove on Miko's other hand. This one however had a green crow insignia on it. With it, Miko now had a glove on each hand. No one would expect that these gloves were actually deadly weapons.
"Alright, let's go and try you two out."
He said with a smile.
Miko and the girls left the treasury, and the palace grounds, and then went far into the rural area between Dragna City and another country in the empire.
"If it's out here, it won't matter how wild you get. So let loose."
Momo told Miko.
Around them were mostly trees, plains, and some mountains in the distance. There was no sign of civilization, so Miko really didn't have to worry about destroying anything important.
Not like he did in the first….
"Alright, let's give this a shot!"
Miko stretched his hands to the sides and the gloves on both his hands transformed into their respective sword forms.
"Holding two swords definitely makes you feel badass."
(Hurry up already. I want to wreck stuff.)
Ishma's voice echoed in his head.
(You're really a savage.)
Regis replied to her.
(I can show you how savage I can be.)
"Alright. Stop arguing in my head before I soak you two in lava. I'm sure two high-grade swords like you can handle it."
The swords became quiet after Miko's threat.
"Good."
Miko smiled and then started to channel his power into the swords. An azure glow came from Regis, while a green one came from Ishma.
"Incredible. Regis's power is majestic and regal, while ishma's is savage and unruly. You're polar opposites, but you both possess immense power."
Miko praised them.
"Now it's time to find a balance between the two of you."
The powers from the two swords started flowing into Miko, who used his body as a medium to mix and merge the two contrasting powers.
"?!"
When Momo saw that, she was shocked. Not by the fact that Miko was able to mix the powers, but by the fact he could do it so easily. She never thought he could control both swords after one try.
Miko lifted both swords overhead and grinned. He swung the swords in front of him. A green and an azure slash rush forth from the swords. They cut through the air and the ground before colliding into a large grove.
*Boom!*
The trees were cut like butter before the power behind the slashes exploded and destroyed the entire grove.
"Whew~."
Miko whistled in amazement when he saw the damage done by a simple swing.
"Hahahaha! This is great! You two are great!"
He shouted excitedly.
"….This…This is unbelievable."
Momo mumbled. She looked at Miko's back, while he held the swords.
"He's grown stronger again. It's only two months since he became a proxy, but in that time he's already three times stronger than before. This is a terrifying growth rate. It's like the years he's been lazing around didn't make a difference."
She mumbled to herself.
"Just how strong would he be if he hadn't given up 5 years ago?"
She suddenly felt a bit disappointed by the fact that she didn't get to witness a Miko like that. She was certain he would be something amazing.
"Did you expect it to be like this, Tia?"
She looked to her side. Her eyes widened when she saw Tia had a shocked expression on her face.
(Huh? Did he surpass her expectations that much? This is the first I've ever seen her this shocked.)
Momo thought.
"Momo….What's that?"
Momo looked at what Tia was pointing at.
"What's wha-?!"
Momo's jaw dropped as she looked back at Miko. He was surrounded by an azure and green aura, which came from his swords. But that wasn't what shocked them. When they looked at Miko for a while, they could see him fade out and a different being fading in. This being had dark red skin, neon-colored hair, and 12 crow-like wings. They didn't know what this being was, but despite seeing only its back, they felt like they were looking at an apex existence. One that could decide the fate of anything they wished, even the world.
This being and Miko would fade in and fade out at intervals. It only stopped when Miko turned and faced them.
"What do you two think?"
"Huh?"
Miko's question brought them back from the lifeless daze they were in.
"The swords. What do you think about their power?"
"Ah, it's excellent. Your growth is satisfying, and I'm sure they'll make great assets in the future."
Momo answered.
"I see. I wonder if this is enough though?"
"I don't know Nebulous' strength, but from the legends surrounding him I know he's strong. So it might not be enough."
"I see. I guess I'll still have to get a gun as well."
Miko flicked his wrists and threw the swords upwards, where they resumed their human forms.
"Man, destroying stuff is fun."
Ishma said.
"But you're still too weak for comfort. My strength relies on you, you know? I can only be as strong as you are. Because of that, I can't utilize the strength I had before. I'm sure it's the same for that brat over there."
"So, the stronger I am the stronger the two of you will be?"
Miko showed a satisfied smile.
"Swords that grow with me, there's nothing better than that."
Meanwhile, Tia approached Momo.
"About what we saw, never mention it to anyone else. Not even Miko, got it?"
Momo nodded.
"I don't know what that was, but I doubt it's something that we should gossip about."
She had a feeling the image she saw was some kind of premonition. Whether it would lead to something good or something bad, she didn't know.
"Since you seem to have demonic powers, I'll teach you some of my demon techniques. So from now on, call me master!"
"In your dreams."
Miko quickly shot down Ishma.
"What? You don't want my skills?!"
"No, I want them. But I'll never call you master. For some reason, I feel that would be too humiliating."
"You brat!"
*Rumble*
"Ah, I'm hungry."
Ishma was about to pounce on Miko, but she stopped and held her stomach after she heard it rumbling.
"You're a sword, how do you get hungry?"
"Don't sweat the small stuff. Are you going to feed me or not?"
"Oh, I'm also hungry!"
Said Regis.
Miko couldn't tell if she was telling the truth or was just being competitive.
"Fine. Fine. Let's get something to eat."
For some reason, Miko felt like he got two daughters instead of two swords.
Elsewhere, there was a gathering in the outlaw country of Gael. In this gathering, over 1,000 people were in attendance. These people were all leaders of gangs and other criminal organizations in the empire. Only one person could bring these people together.
The Crime God of the Empire, Nebulous.
Soon after everyone had gathered, an order was given in his name.
"Capture the ones called Hinami, Ace, and Sora; and kill Miko!"
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