“You’re now a Proxy.”

“……..”

Miko silently inspected his body.

“How do you feel?”

Momo had a curious look in her eyes. Miko clenched his fists.

“Not bad. I can feel a monstrous power dwelling inside me. However, it seems like I can’t use it all at once. Looks like I’ll need to take my time and learn how to gradually tap into it .”

“Once you master my power and abilities you’ll be as strong as me, a Goddess. When that happens, you’ll leave the realm of mortals and become a Divine Proxy.”

Tia took a seat back at the table.

“A Divine Proxy huh?”

Miko did the same.

“I have a few questions.”

“Shoot.”

“I heard Proxies slowly take the form of their Parent God, is that true?”

Tia nodded.

“A Proxy can belong to any race, however after being chosen, their body changes to fit their new powers. Thus a lot of Proxies become mixed raced over time, even if they were born as a purebred of a certain race. Because of this, your DNA will also change to match mine. Meaning that your descendants will not only inherit your and your partner’s genes but some of mine as well.”

“So that’s why you Higher Beings are called Proxy’s God Parents? We basically become your children.”

Tia nodded.

“You don’t have to worry though since you’re my descendant. We already have the same face, so you’ll only gain some dragon traits.”

Miko pictured himself transforming into a dragon and taking to the skies.

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

He smiled. Tia made a cup of tea appear in her hand and sipped it.

“So what’s your next move now that you’re a Proxy?”

“…..For now I want to create my own faction: my personal team.”

“Oh, you want to recruit Apostles?”

Miko nodded.

“There will be many who’ll object to me being your Proxy. While I can depend on my parents and grandparents to back me, it would be ideal if I obtain power that’s solely my own. That way, I won’t end up as a tool for anyone and will be able to stand on my two feet.”

“I see. That’s a good decision. Apostles are loyal followers of a Proxy, who pledge their allegiance to the Proxy and their God Parent in return for the Higher Being’s blessing, which will grant them some of their power. Only someone truly loyal to the Proxy can be made their Apostle. If you find some good ones, it’ll make your life a whole lot easier.”

Tia smiled.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of team you’ll gather.”

Miko returned to the city under disguise after sealing his contract with Tia. The reason he did this was to avoid unnecessary attention.

“I drew attention everywhere I went before, so I’m sure to draw massive attention now.”

He mumbled.

(Are you going to start gathering people now?)

Tia’s voice echoed in his head. Proxies share a special connection with their God Parents that allows them to communicate telepathically with each other. They can even feel each other’s emotions if they’re strong enough.

“No. I need to carefully select them. I can’t just go around randomly recruiting others. That would destroy the quality of the group.”

Miko spoke so that only he could hear him.

(Oh, you’re prioritizing quality over quantity. That’s a good choice. No matter how many subordinates you have, it’s meaningless if they don’t serve any use.)

Tia paused for a bit.

(If that’s the case, how about Momo?)

Miko shook his head.

“She’s too deeply connected to the clan. What if there comes a time when the clan and I are at odds? She’ll be forced to decide between us. I don’t want to put her through that kind of emotional stress.”

(But wouldn’t it be the same either way? Momo obviously treasures you greatly. I think it’s impossible for her to just obey an order to take your head without hesitating. She’ll be forced to pick you or the clan.)

“If I ever come at odds with the clan, I’ll make it so that she won’t have to choose. She’ll have to pick the clan in a heartbeat.”

(And how are you going to do that?)

“I would push the clan to the brink of destruction with no way out. If that happens, she’ll have to defend her home with everything she has.”

(…..Why does it sounds like you’re planning to go against the clan in the future?)

“I won’t deny the possibility of it happening…To be honest, I have no pride as a Dragna member; nor do I feel any attachment to the clan. So, if push comes to shove, I won’t hesitate to turn on it.”

He grinned.

“I wouldn’t bat an eye at destroying this clan or this country.”

(Well, I guess it’s understandable considering how they’ve treated you.)

Tia’s voice was strained. She didn’t want Miko and the clan to be at odds in the future, but she couldn’t rule out the possibility of it happening.

(You speak as if you’re confident that you can destroy the clan though. It’s a global powerhouse you know? Even the strongest forces in the world have to think twice before facing it. Can you really destroy it?)

“I can.”

Miko answered immediately and with certainty.

“I might not be able do it now, but I definitely can in the future.”

(Such confidence….Or should I say arrogance?)

“Call it hubris if you want. But remember that I once resolved myself to destroy the world. Even though it was a foolish and rash decision born from a spur of emotions, I had seriously planned it out.”

Miko smiled as if remembering a fond childhood memory.

“In the three weeks I resolved myself to do so, I killed dozens of people, all having connections to those who hold power in this Empire.”

His smile widened.

“Do you get it, Tia? I was planning on making this Empire crumble from the inside and then invite vultures to feast on its half-dead body, while I prepared to hunt those vultures afterward.”

His eyes sharpened.

“I wasn’t kidding when I said I wanted to burn this world to the ground. I was going to do it.”

(….You’re a pretty dangerous kid, you know that?)

Tia said after a while. She knew Miko wasn’t joking, he was definitely planning to destroy everything, all because of his mother’s tears. Anyone who was willing to do that, the word dangerous was too light to describe them. They were insane, plain and simple.

“Hm?”

Miko stopped in the middle of the road.

“Hey, don’t just stop all of sudden! What if I had ran into you?!”

The person behind him complained. Miko spun around and grabbed them by the throat.

“H-Hey, what are you doing?!”

The person screamed while their feet dangled in the air.

“…….”

Miko looked at the person in silence and crushed their neck like it was a pet bottle.

“Kyaaa!”

This obviously caused a commotion. People started screaming and scattering.

“Now then….”

Miko threw off the mantle he was wearing to his side.

“I’ve drawn a lot of attention to myself and my surroundings. Let’s see how you guys are going to attack.”

He started looking around. Soon a group of people surrounded him all while hiding their identities with masks.

“I see. So I’ve destroyed your chance at an ambush, and now you’ve chosen a frontal approach.”

Miko shook his head.

“The group that tried to assassinate me when I was 6 was far better, and they were just a group of thieves.”

“How did he know?”

“Could there have been a leak?”

The masked attackers started mumbling among themselves.

“Ah, that. You see, I’ve been targeted so much that I’ve developed a sixth sense for danger, or should I say my instincts became sharp through countless life and death situations?”

He shrugged.

“Any one that can make you feel better, I guess.”

He smirked.

“This monster is looking down on us!”

“Calm down. His teacher, the Midnight Witch was called back to the palace to discuss some important manners. There’s no one to protect him. This is the perfect chance to kill him.”

One of the attackers stepped forward.

(They know about Momo being called back…..They must have an informer in the clan. They’re probably working for that person as well.)

Miko's thoughts raced.

(Should I capture them alive? No. They’re probably being helped by someone who hid their identity. I doubt they’ll know anything. Their low level of skills is proof of that.)

He smiled.

“They’re just disposable fodders.”

He spoke out loud. The men's faces reddened.

“Cocky brat!”

They all rushed towards him at the same time. Miko was instantly trapped with nowhere to run. They all drew weapons and charged up their magical attacks while approaching him. He stomped the ground and a wave of wind spread out and blew them all back.

“I haven’t fought in a while so I’m a bit rusty.”

Miko clenched his fists.

“How about I show you guys…”

Azure flames and electricity started dancing around his body.

“…What kind of person you’ve messed with?”

He took a step and disappeared from where he stood. The next time he appeared, he was in front of one of the attackers with his fist extending toward him.

*Bam!*

The attacker was hit square in the face. His mask shattered and the fist lodged itself into his face and caused it to deform. The attacker’s body flew back like an arrow. He caught fire while being assaulted with electricity at the same time. He died before his body hit the floor.

“……..”

There was a stifling silence among the attackers after seeing how quickly their comrade died.

“T-That’s impossible!”

One of them broke the silence after a while.

“He was far stronger than someone your age! We knew you were a genius, that’s why we brought people who were at least twice as strong as the normal teenager!”

“Normal?”

Miko burst out laughing.

“You people have been calling me monster and abomination all my life and you used normal standards to measure me?”

He suddenly stopped laughing and put on a blank face.

“Are you retarded?”

Miko’s insults caused the attackers’ faces to redden further. However, they couldn’t refute his words.

“This is why I hate fodders.”

Miko started to walk towards them.

“S-Stay back!”

They all started to retreat. Miko watched them running away with ice-cold eyes.

“Normally I would stop after they run away, but not now.”

He chased after them with an unbelievable speed.

“I’m different now!”

He leaped through the air and appeared above two of the attackers. They looked up behind them. Their faces were grabbed and their heads were smashed against the concrete

“I’ve entered this stupid war, so I need to go to the extreme to win it.”

*Bam!*

Their heads exploded after some electricity flowed inside them. Their blood splashed onto Miko’s face. He stood up unbothered.

He looked at the remaining attackers.

“The world is cruel, it’s no place for the naïve and weak-hearted.”

He stretched his hand out and the image of a black rose appeared behind him.

“In a world filled with monsters, only the greatest monster can stand above all.”

He snapped his fingers, and the chest of the men exploded. Their blood and flesh splattered everywhere, forming a rose in the air momentarily before disappearing.

“Being born a monster myself, don’t you think I have the advantage?”

He turned his back as all the attackers fell dead and bled out on the ground. The gruesome display caused everyone around to look at Miko with fear. This time, however, Miko didn’t ignore them and locked eyes with all of them.

“?!”

They flinched when in front of his cold eyes and contrasting bright smile.

“Rejoice, "humans". The monstrosity you’ve all been mocking has decided to finally take things a bit more seriously.”

He licked the blood that was flowing down his cheek.

“But just a little.”

He turned his back to them and started to walk away.

“Thanks for the words of encouragement over the years. They’ve made me who you see today.”

He stretched his body with a bright smile on his bloodstained face.

“It feels good to let loose every once in a while.”