Chương 49: 47th Adversary: Darry
It was near the evening and Miko was walking through the capital. He wore a hood to prevent causing a big commotion. The last thing he needed now was angry citizens following him screaming about their dead loved ones.
He walked around randomly for a while, before heading out of the city. He left the city and headed towards the roads that led to the rural areas. That's when he saw someone leaning on a tree on the side of the road.
"Yo, Miko."
"Yo, Darry."
Darry got off the tree and started walking towards him.
"I heard about it, Miko. You went wild fighting against Nebulous's men. Aren't you badass?"
Darry said with a laugh.
"You enraged a lot of people, you know? Apparently, a lot of lives and property were lost. People are even demanding that you should be executed."
"The cries of cowards have no meaning to me. If they want me dead, they should come and try me themselves."
"Always keeping up the bad boy appearance I see."
"More importantly, what did you want?"
"I'm the one who should be asking you that. You were walking around aimlessly so that I could see you, weren't you? I only came to see what you want."
"I indeed walked around aimlessly, but you wouldn't notice if you weren't keeping an eye out for me in the first place. Doesn't that mean that you were the one looking for me, and I just showed you where I am?"
"This isn't going anywhere."
Darry frowned.
"Then let's cut to the chase. Hinami Akume, you know her don't you?"
"Hinami?"
"Yes. You used to visit her and her grandmother all the time a few years ago, right?"
Miko asked aggressively.
"Hinami….."
"Hm?"
Miko suddenly realized that something was off about Darry. His eyes looked dull and lifeless, and he looked like he was in a daze.
"Hinami…Hinami….Hina….Nami?"
He muttered in a trance-like state.
"Nami…..Hina…."
He fell to his knees and slammed his head on the asphalt road.
"Wha?!"
This sudden action shocked Miko.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Darry held his head and started screaming.
"Hina! Nami! Hina! Nami! Nami! Nami! Nami?!"
He started beating his head on the ground over and over again while screaming out Hina's and Nami's names.
"Darry, stop it!"
Miko grabbed him to stop him.
*Bam!*
"Guh?!"
However, he was easily slapped away by the frantic Darry.
"Ugh….What strength. He never showed that much power when we were sparring."
Miko groaned on the ground and looked towards Darry. He had hit his head on the ground so much that his head was bleeding heavily and the ground had a depression in it.
"What the hell is going on?"
Miko got to his feet and tried walking towards him.
"Stay away!"
Darry thrust his hand at him. It lit up and fired a white light.
"Shit!"
Miko quickly leaped out of the way and avoided the light. While he was still in mid-jump he felt the air around him become scorched and a wave of heat hit him. When he landed and looked back, he saw that the light had burnt a trench in the ground. He even saw some rocks melting.
"That bastard, he was trying to kill me just now."
He looked at Darry again. He was still banging his head on the ground like a madman. He would occasionally punch the ground as well.
"Nami! Nami! Nami!"
He shouted. He lifted his head and looked at the sky with blood running down his face. He stared at the sun without turning his eyes away or even blinking.
"What is he doing?"
Miko was confused by Darry's strange behavior. Darry was like a frozen statue staring at the sun without moving an inch. Miko was beginning to wonder if he was still alive.
"...…"
Darry silently looked at the sky. He saw a white dove flying in the sky and started following it with his eyes. The White dove suddenly turned into a beautiful winged woman. She smiled at him and waved goodbye before flying towards the sun.
"…I see."
He spoke after a long time.
"You're no longer in this world, are you Nami?"
"Huh?"
Miko saw tears running down his cheek.
"You've already flown to a place where I can't reach you, haven't you?"
Miko quietly listened to his mumbles.
"In the end, you just couldn't become mine. In the end, I must lose you; my last attachment to this world."
He stood up and wiped the blood from his face.
"As for Hina, it became hard to look at her. Seeing her face just reminds me of my failure to protect you both."
He turned around and looked at Miko. His eyes were gentle but also sad.
"Miko, as sad as it is to say this, I don't think we can spar anymore."
"What? Why?"
"And I wanted to beat you a hundred times too. What a shame."
He started walking towards Miko.
"But can I still ask you for a favor despite saying something so selfish?"
He stood in front of Miko.
"What?"
Darry smiled and then said-
"Please don't die."
He thrust his hand towards Miko's face so fast he couldn't react.
*Boom!*
Miko was instantly devoured by a white light and the smell of burning flesh was left in the air. Darry looked in Miko's direction and smiled.
"Thank goodness. You're still alive."
Miko was blown several meters away with his body covered in burns and smoke coming off his body. His clothes were mostly burnt away, making him look like a beggar, but he was still standing. His eyes were now fierce like a dragon's.
"What's the big deal, Darry?"
Miko spoke with a voice shaking with anger and eyes burning with rage.
"Depending on your answer I'll kill you."
"You really are a tough kid. That's great."
"Answer me, Darry!"
Miko roared.
"You already know, don't you? Isn't that the reason why you sought me out? You have an idea of my true nature. But Miko, it isn't as simple as you think."
"What?"
"You're currently with Hina now, right? I want you to protect her for me. Makes sure she doesn't do anything stupid."
"You're not making any sense!"
"Why don't you stop living in denial and look at the reality in front of you?"
Darry smiled.
"Or do you hate the chance of me being your enemy so much that you want to run away? I never knew you felt so strongly about me."
He pointed at himself.
"You already know who I am."
"Don't you say it."
Miko clenched his fists.
"I am the one who controls this empire's dark side."
"Shut up!"
He clenched his teeth.
"I am the god who all criminals worship."
"I said shut up!"
His body started trembling.
"I'm Nebulous."
*BOOM!*
Miko's powers erupted and he transformed into a black beast that came from the deepest pits of hell.
"DAMMIT, DARRY!"
Miko roared and charged at him. Darry smiled and took a fighting stance.
"That's the way, Miko!"
*BOOM!*
The road that led to the rural areas. The area was completely engulfed in flames. Broken trees lay everywhere, there were countless craters in the earth, and there were claw marks on the ground and rocks. The evening sun shone on a single person standing on the road. He was covered in claw marks and blood. Even so, he didn't look like his life was in danger or was even a bit exhausted. In fact, he looked quite alive.
"You've really gotten stronger, Miko. I've gotta admit that I'm proud."
Darry mumbled.
"But I guess it wasn't enough."
He looked to the side and saw someone laying on the ground next to a shattered boulder and a broken tree. This person was Miko. He was covered with wounds from head to toe. Blood was flowing from his mouth, ears, and nose. The burns on his body were especially bad. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. If his stomach didn't move every now and again, you would think that he was dead.
"If you had this much trouble against me, you won't be able to beat Nebulous."
Darry walked up to him and sat down next to him. He placed his hand over Miko's eyelids and closed them.
"Say, Miko. Do you remember how we first met? I never thought I would meet the famous monster of the Dragna clan in a dump. And you were weird enough to greet me, a total stranger too."
Darry laughed.
"At that time, I would've never thought that I would end up training with you. Me of all people."
He looked at the unconscious Miko.
"You were such a cold-hearted brat too. Well, I guess you still are. But I see that you're putting in an effort to change. I can see that you want to live happily with your friends like any normal person. So tell me, Miko…."
He put his hand over his eyes and held his head down.
"Why did it turn out like this? Why did you end up becoming my enemy?"
His voice started to crack.
"I just wanted to grant you strength that would give you the confidence to be yourself. So why did I end up having to destroy the person I wanted to help?"
Tears started flowing down his cheeks.
"Why do I have to go through something like this after finally resurfacing after so many years? Why do I have to disappear again?"
He looked at Miko again.
"Hey, answer me, Miko. You're a genius aren't you?"
He got no reply. The only thing he could hear was the sounds of his own sobbing.
"Hehehe…."
He started to laugh. Whether he was laughing at himself or the situation, not even he knew.
"A man of freedom, huh? Where's the freedom in all of this?"
He once again looked at the sky. This time there was a self-mocking smile on his face. He watched as the sun slowly set.
"Someone once said that the twilight is even sadder than the Night because it's the period where the light finally gives in and fades away into the darkness. I guess this fits someone like me like a glove."
He stood and dusted himself off. He took another look at Miko.
"I guess this is goodbye. The next time we meet is when one of us will disappear into the night."
He started to walk away.
"See ya, Miko. It was fun while it lasted."
At this moment the sun finally set and the night came rushing in. The aura around Darry changed and he threw away his torn-up top and took out his phone and made a call.
"Yeah, it's me. Looks like my partner got kidnapped. No, I'm not asking for help to get her back…..Momo? Fine, do as you please."
He wiped his messy hair from out of his face and swept it back.
"Oh, yeah. Lord Krow, is it okay if I destroy a part of the capital? No, it's just that I've found a new fool who wants to oppose me. I think that I can really let loose again."
He nodded.
"So I can? Thanks."
He ended the call and showed a cruel smile.
"That fool Darry sure knows how to attract interesting people. Too bad that I have to keep destroying them."
That night signaled the true beginning of the war between Miko and Nebulous.
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