A Subordinate

Mike announced his real name and title in front of Touji Shidou. Touji is dumbfounded at the announcement. He just kept staring unable to process the information. His mind is confused as hell.

"The young prodigy..."

"Well, some people call me that. Anyway, how much time are you going to keep that expression, Touji-san? We are not in some novel where people in the surroundings must be shocked and praise MC for a while after MC shows some good skills. I am really bored of reading that trope again and again. So, please ask me the questions I can answer so that we may proceed to the next stage."

Touji came out of his shock after hearing Mike's words but with a complicated expression. But his expression became serious after he understood what the 'question' is.

"Michaelangelo-sama, is... is Masaomi dead?"

Touji's heart is beating very fast. Touji knows that Mike never missed his target. But he got still a little hope that his friend is alive.

"He's dead...."

And Mike crushed Touji's remaining hope. Touji's heart dropped...

"....is what I would say if you didn't pass the test but you passed. So congratulations! You get to know that your friend is still alive!"

It was only for a moment though...

The moment Mike declared the truth, he got bombarded with even more questions.

"Really? Where is he? Can I meet him? What actually happened?!"

Mike stopped Touji before he asked more questions.

"Yes. Your friend is still alive. But I can't tell where he is and you can't meet him. And about what actually happened, your friend was having a romantic relationship with the ruler... I mean, the former ruler of Kuoh."

"No way..."

"Yeah, you must have been too busy covering up the things about Boosted gear, or else, I can't understand why someone like you won't notice this."

Touji is having really a hard time believing Mike's words. But he decided to believe it anyway since he understood that common sense doesn't apply to Mike.

"Anyway, the higher-ups got a word about the forbidden love and it was decided that if it is true, then they must be killed. The order was supposed to be passed to you at first. What are your thoughts on it? Will you be able to do it?"

"I... I don't know..."

Touji couldn't answer. He didn't want to choose. Following the order means killing his friend. Not following is going against the church.

"Well, I used that and convinced them that you shouldn't be given the order and I was sent here."

Touji's eyes opened wide after understanding the meaning behind those words.

"That means you..."

"I went against the church's order. Yep."

"Why?"

Everyone sees Michaelangelo as someone who completely follows the church's teachings and annihilates devils without mercy.

"Haa... I am a supporter of peace. My dream is to create a future where a relationship like this can be publicly announced. But that can't be done now. So, I am doing what I can to save innocents like your friend and his lover even though it means that I have to go against the Church."

Touji again kept staring with his mouth open. He is shocked but also impressed with Mike's dreams. If this was a few days ago, Touji wouldn't agree to this dream at all. But after what happened to his friend, Touji changed his thought process. He kept looking at Mike with admiration.

"What?"

"Nothing, Michaelangelo-sama... My respect for you increased even more. Though it feels a little weird to respect a kid this much."

And the moment Touji said it, Touji remembered all the previous day events about what he did to Mike. Sweat poured out of his forehead.

"Umm... Michaelangelo-sama... About how others and I treated you yesterday..."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I had fun. More or less. Just call me 'Mike' like always. I am currently in disguise after all."

"Okay, Mike..."

Touji was relieved that Mike isn't angry. And he immediately went to the next topic.

"You said you need some help from me. What do you want me to do, Mike?"

"Oh... That was fast."

"I want to express my gratitude for saving Masaomi and I also want to lend you a hand with that dream of yours."

Mike smiled at Touji's answer. And with this, Mike got a subordinate. So, Mike went to the next step.

"So, first. I need a base. A secret place where people won't come often but quite spacious."

"You can use the basement of this Church."

"What about your colleagues? Won't they come to the basement?"

"No. Only I hold the keys to the basement. And even in the basement, there is another secret space. So, they will never find out. Even I had to look at the old blueprints of the church to figure that out."

"Perfect."

Then, Mike took out a piece of paper and handed it to Touji along with a card.

"Get those materials using that card. The pin is on the paper."

Touji went through the list and asked curiously.

"What do you need these for?"

"To make a teleportation circle."

"To where?"

"That part's a secret."

For Touji, Mike is Vasco's grandson. So, Mike kept his involvement with heaven as a secret. And he would make the teleportation circle so that only he could access it.

"Alright. That is fine. Anything else?"

"Ah, you need to announce that you are the one who killed Masaomi according to Church's order. Make everyone think that you gave up on searching the truth about your friend and unwillingly accepted the Church's orders, okay?"

Touji stared at Mike with a complicated expression.

"What?"

"Aren't a little bit too devious, Mike?"

"Ah, I get that from everyone who knows about the true me. But I am someone who won't hesitate to do something wrong if it results in something good."

Touji sighed and gave up on figuring out Mike.

"Alright. What do we do after that?"

"We wait."

"For what?"

"I don't know."

Touji gave Mike a deadpan stare for a while and sighed again. 'What did my daughter involve herself with?' He thought.