Chương 45: 43rd Adversary: Retaliation
After Miko's battle against Nebulous lackeys, the capital was in a state of panic. News that Miko was on a rampage had spread to every inch of the city. This and also the fact he was in a feud with some of the country's most dangerous criminals. Everyone was on edge.
No one knew what could happen in this city.
Meanwhile, on the eastern end of the capital, a couple of buildings were on fire with countless dead bodies lying on the outskirts. There was a building that had several long cuts in it. Even the steel door at the entrance was cut into pieces.
Inside a man in a white suit, which was now stained in blood, was tied to a chair and had an unfocused look in his eyes.
*Pah!*
The man was slapped across the face. The pain from the slap caused him to sober up and his eyes to focus. He looked at the person who slapped him.
"Yo, you awake?"
Miko asked.
"Y-You! Do you know what you've done?! You're going against the entire underworld!"
*Pah!*
Miko slapped him again.
"I'm not here for you to give a cliché petty villain speech. Answer my question."
"What question?"
"The question I asked you earlier. You know, the one you so rudely ignored before you ordered your men to attack me."
Miko placed a knife at the man's neck.
"I-I'm not afraid of you!"
The man's voice was trembling.
"I see. Then maybe you're afraid of them."
Miko pointed behind him. The man looked and saw Ishma and Regis standing over some corpses. The two were both drenched in blood and had their arms transformed into blades. Blood dripped from their blades and caused ripples in the puddles of blood they were standing in.
"You see, I've been fighting nonstop for a while and have accumulated a lot of injuries and fatigue along the way here…."
Miko showed off the bandages that were wrapped around his body. It was true that he had been seriously injured several times already.
"Because of that, I had reached my limits. However, there was work to be done. That's when I decided to have my two partners here help me out."
Miko brought his face closer to the man's face.
"That's why it was those two who slaughtered all of your men. You should be able to remember the scene of them cutting your men into pieces, while they desperately cried for help, right? You might not fear me, but your body surely fears them."
Regis and Ishma looked at the man and smiled.
"Ekk!"
He freaked out. Those smiles were the last thing his men saw before dying.
"I don't know where Nebulous is! I swear!"
He shouted.
"I see."
Miko placed his hand on the man's head.
"What are you doing?!"
"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just going to confirm whether what you said was true."
He activated Dragon Rage, which only made the man more flustered. Miko ignored him and looked into the man's eyes.
"?!"
The man felt as if his soul was being dragged into a dark abyss. His sense of reality started to distort. Before long he froze with blank eyes. He looked like a lifeless doll.
"Where's Nebulous?"
Miko asked again.
"I don't know."
The man answered with a monotone voice.
"Who knows?"
"I don't know."
"Then who do you think is most likely to know?"
"Killer Daz."
"Who's that?"
"He's the boss of an arms dealing group, the biggest in the empire."
"Oh? So why do you think he knows where Nebulous is?"
"Because there were rumors that he received orders from Nebulous himself from time to time. It's said that they've actually met in person."
"I see. And, where is this Killer Daz?"
"Mainz, Gael. He uses a bar as a cover. It's called Dazzy's."
"I see."
Miko took his hand off the man's head. His head hung down with his eyes dull and drool flowing from his mouth.
"I still can't believe you had such an ability."
Ishma walked up to Miko.
"If you could control someone's mind, why did we have to torture the previous crime bosses we killed? Not that I didn't enjoy it."
"Because when I use that ability my mind is linked with my victims, and their thoughts and memories sometimes flow into me and influence me. I rather not use it frequently, because there's a chance that my mind will assimilate with another's."
Miko suddenly held his head.
"Also, the shock that my brains receive is enough to make me pass out if I'm not careful."
"I see. So is he dead?"
Miko shook his head.
"His mind is destroyed, but he's alive."
"I see."
Ishma then swung his hand and swiftly beheaded the man.
"Is that your form of mercy?"
"No way. I just wanted to kill him."
"Is that so?"
"Are we heading to Gael?"
Regis asked.
"Yeah. We should expect ambushes along the way. When that happens, I'm counting on you."
"You don't feel ashamed relying on two little girls?"
"Not really. I'm at war, which means I must use everything I have at my disposal. I'll use a rubber ducky if I must."
"That makes no sense."
"It doesn't need to once I'm the one saying it."
Miko said with a laugh.
"Anyway, to Gael!"
A few hours later, the sun had already set, but a burning glow engulfed the town of Mainz in the outlaw country. Currently, the entire town was in a tense situation with flames covering most of the area.
Gunshots, explosions, and screams echoed through the town. Miko and the girls were in an intense battle with Killer Daz's armed organizations. Before they could even search for Daz, they were attacked by his men. It seemed the entire town was his base and everyone in it was his subordinate.
"Well, this is the lawless country. It isn't surprising if an entire town consisted of criminals. I mean it was like that in Noir after all."
This was what Miko said when he saw the situation.
Despite it being extremely disadvantageous for him to raid the town with just the girls, Miko didn't back down when faced with the enemy. He realized how reckless it was to not retreat, but he didn't want to retreat and boost Nebulous's men's morale.
He worked hard crushing everyone that came after him with overwhelming strength and pure cruelty for the sole purpose of creating an image of fear in Nebulous's men's hearts. He already had a notorious reputation that made them slightly afraid of him, but after fighting against him and witnessing his tactics, they truly started to fear him. They feared him so much that they couldn't function properly. If Miko retreated now, they'll think that he's a mere child and that there's no need to fear him. If that happens, he'll become the hunted instead of the hunter. He needed to remain the terrifying monster in their hearts so that he could have the upper hand.
Long story short, Miko was using scare tactics to make up for the lack of numbers on his side.
"Damn, it's like everyone in this town is armed."
He was currently resting in one of the burning buildings. Regis was using her power as a regalia to prevent the flames from reaching him by forming a giant orb of water for him to rest in.
As for her and Ishma, flames of this level were nothing.
"Do you want to stay here and recover, while we go out and attack them again?"
Regis asked.
"No. I'm almost ready to fight."
"Don't push yourself too much. You've been fighting all day. Being tired is natural. We're swords. We can use the power store in us and fight indefinitely until our connection with you is cut."
"I said I'm fine."
Miko insisted.
"This is the perfect chance to increase my demon powers."
"Speaking of which, why don't you just draw power from your demon side? I mean it's a separate form of power, you know. You could use your Irregularity too you know?"
Ishma looked like she was anxious to go out and fight again.
"I still can't control my Irregularity, but I was planning on using my demon blood."
Miko's eyes turned crimson and power started surging through his body once again. Soon tribal markings started appearing on his face. He walked out of the water orb and stood in the flames. The flames didn't burn him; instead, it looked like they were caressing him.
"So this is what it's like to be a demon. I feel like fire itself."
"Well, you do have the power of one of the Great Demon Kings. Fire is your natural ally."
Ishma said.
"Alright. Time for round 2!"
Meanwhile, Tia who was supposed to be at Miko's home was walking through a hall made of solid gold. She was no longer in the Dragna Empire, she wasn't even in the mortal world. She was at the dwelling of all Higher Beings. A place where its location was completely unknown.
The Summit Of The Gods.
"Hm~. Hm~. Hm~."
She hummed happily while walking down the hall. On the sides there were countless doors with nameplates on them.
Cerberus, Agares, Perseus, Siegfried, Horus, Raijin, Benkei, Paimon, Loki, Indra, Shenlong, Sun Wukong, etc.
There were countless names of gods, demons, beasts, and heroes of myth.
"....."
She stopped when she had reached a specific nameplate.
Zeus.
"Tsk."
She clicked her tongue in irritation and threw up her middle fingers towards the door, before continuing her walk.
She continued walking but no longer humming.
"What's with the long face, Tia?"
Someone appeared in front of her and spoke with a smile. It was a man. He had long black hair that was braided into one and a pair of red reptilian eyes. He was dressed in royal robes, which were black with gold linings. He gave off a majestic and all-knowing atmosphere, like a sage.
"Did me calling you here upset you that much?"
The man asked.
"Of course not, it's just that I saw a name that I wish never existed."
"Ah, Zeus."
The man had an understanding look.
"Anyway, let's talk in my room."
He turned around and Tia could see a design of a snake eating its tail on the back of his robe. She followed behind him until they reached a room with a nameplate that said "Ouroboros".
The man, Ouroboros, opened the door and walked into the room. Tia did the same. When she entered it was like she was in a different world. There was an oceanic world with pyramids on the water's surface. Countless feathered serpents were flying around in the sky. There were also a lot of servants walking around carrying out their individual chores.
The two Higher Beings walked on the water surface and made their way to the biggest pyramid. This pyramid had the insignia of a snake coiling around the world and biting its own tail. They entered it and were suddenly in a beautiful flower garden. They sat around a white table in the center of the garden. Servants came and served them some refreshments.
"So, what's the matter, Boros?"
Tia was the first to speak.
"You should already know, but my proxy is a resident of your empire. Meaning that I'm one of the Higher Beings other than you, who lives there."
"Of course I know."
"Well, to keep my proxy safe I tend to keep myself up to date with all of the empire's affairs. In fact, I was at the Annual Meeting between the three clans before I came here."
"Oh? How's it going over there?"
"It wouldn't be strange if a war breaks out any second now."
"It sounds fun."
"You know, it's because Nero takes after you, why the situation is what it is."
Ouroboros sighed.
"I take offense to that, Boros. Nero takes after Augustus, he only looks like me."
"We're getting off track here."
"Then get to the point."
"The point is I know what's going in the capital right now."
He looked at Tia seriously.
"Tia, tell Miko to pull back. His war against Nebulous will only end badly for him, no matter if he emerges the winner or the loser."
"Why's that?"
"Because if he defeats Nebulous, an even bigger war that can lead to the empire's destruction will occur."
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