Just, What Are You?

Mika stood below, his blood, drenched uniform clinging to him, the bone-gripped dagger twirling idly in his hand. His face was blank, his eyes empty, as if the apocalyptic scene unfolding was a foregone conclusion, a chore he'd ticked off his list.

The man, suspended and powerless, also knew his end was imminent. No plea, no bargain could sway the boy before him. He wasn't human, not in any way that mattered.

This was a monster, a force of incomprehensible scale, wielding power that rivaled the SSS-tier goddesses themselves.

But even still, the man's mind raced, grappling with the impossibility of Mika's existence. Where had he come from? How had such a being emerged, cloaked in the guise of a college kid?

But more than curiosity, a defiant spark flared within him. He refused to let his final moments be a whimpering beg for mercy. He wanted to land one last blow, to strike at the heart of this demon's resolve.

So, a manic smile split his face, and he laughed a wild, unhinged cackle that echoed off the rusted walls, startling the cult members above.

"Alright, kid!" He shouted, his voice raw but defiant, his eyes glinting with desperate bravado. "I'll give it to you, you're stronger than anyone I've ever seen. Hell, it was dumb as shit to cross you, not knowin' what kinda monster, what kinda demon you are. You probably crawled outta some crack in hell itself!"

He leaned forward as much as the chains allowed, his grin fierce. Mika didn't react, his blank stare unwavering, but the man pressed on, undeterred.

"But listen, no matter how strong you are, no matter how much power you got, you said it yourself, half the world's out for those daughters of the goddesses...Half the world, full of hate, jealousy, greed, every damn sin in the book!"

"They wanna do horrible things to 'em, rip 'em apart, own 'em, break 'em. And sure, you stopped us today, but you can't stop everyone."

"Hehe...That darkness out there? It's endless, kid. You might crush one cult, then another, but eventually, those girls and their mothers will fall!"

His laughter grew, a fevered edge to it, as he leaned closer, his eyes wild with victory.

"They're like shinin' crystals in a world of filth, and every bastard in that darkness wants a piece. You can fight, you can kill, but they'll succumb...So tell me, monster, what's that gonna do to you? How's it gonna feel when you fail, when you can't save 'em?"

"...When Charlotte and the others are taken, broken, and you're left with nothin'? What will you feel then?"

He grinned, thinking he'd struck a nerve, that Mika's obsession with the battle angels was his weak point. He expected doubt, insecurity, a crack in that unshakable facade, enough to savor as his final blow.

But Mika's face didn't falter.

Instead, a slow, mocking sneer spread across his lips, his dark eyes glinting with disdain, as if the man's words were a child's tantrum.

"Ha, you really think..." Mika said, his voice low and cutting. "....that I'd spout all that 'arrogant' crap about protecting them against half the world, no matter what, without the power to back it up?" He chuckled, a dark, rumbling sound that sent a chill through the man's bound body. "You think I'm some loudmouth who talks big but can't walk the walk? Just showing off with my mouth and a fancy knife?"

The man's grin faltered, his confidence wavering as Mika's sneer deepened, his gaze turning playful but cold, like a wolf circling a wounded deer.

"You know, I don't usually chat with pests like you." Mika continued, his tone almost cheerful, a stark contrast to the blood, soaked horror around him. "Normally, I don't say a word, just handle business and move on. But today? I'm feelin...energetic. Happy, even, beause of what I've figured out." He stepped closer, the dagger glinting as he spun it. "So I'll make an exception. I'll show you something, and then you can tell me if I've got what it takes to save them."

Before the man could respond, the Dharmavitra stirred, its hundred-plus arms writhing like a living nightmare and its two praying hands parted again, gliding toward the man's head with a slow, deliberate grace.

He braced for another mental assault, expecting the searing pain of his memories being torn apart...But this time was different.

The idol's fingers settled gently around his skull, their touch cold yet pulsing with energy. Instead of ripping into his mind, the idol pushed, flooding his consciousness with a torrent of memories, visions, and truths not his own.

His eyes rolled back, pupils vanishing, leaving only whites as his head tilted upward, his body trembling as if seized by divine revelation. He was no longer in the warehouse but adrift in a cosmic sea, witnessing secrets no human should see, truths that shattered the boundaries of mortal understanding.

Visions cascaded through him, Mika standing atop mountains of corpses, worlds burning in his wake, ghouls and demons kneeling before him. He saw Charlotte, radiant and untouchable, surrounded by a darkness that clawed at her, only to be obliterated by Mika's hand, his power a void that swallowed all threats.

He saw the five goddess and their daughters, guarded by a force that defied time, space, and fate itself and the man's mind buckled under the weight, his sanity fraying as he glimpsed Mika's true nature, not a mortal, nor a common blessed, but something older, vaster, an anomaly that rewrote reality to suit its will.

The visions showed a truth absolute: Mika could face half the world, or all of it, and emerge unscathed, his vow to protect the angels unbreakable, eternal.

The idol then withdrew, its hands returning to their praying stance, and the man slumped in the chains, gasping, his body trembling. His eyes slowly cleared, the whites receding, but his gaze was transformed, dull, serene, as if he'd transcended humanity itself.

The cult members above also stared, their screams silenced, horrified by the change in their comrade. He wasn't writhing in agony, wasn't begging. He looked...enlightened, like a sage who'd glimpsed the universe's core and found peace in its vastness.

After a moment, he then raised his head, his eyes meeting Mika's, but this time with no fear, no defiance, only a quiet, resigned serenity. A reluctant chuckle escaped him, soft and hollow.

"I was a fool..." He murmured, his voice steady, almost reverent. "To think you of people couldn't save them, that the world's darkness could overwhelm you. Ignorant...so damn ignorant." He shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips and then to the cult's shock, he looked at Mika and said, "I'm sorry. Truly. For not seeing what you are, for doubting you."

The cult leader above, still struggling in the idol's grip, gaped, his rage giving way to confusion. The others whispered, their voices trembling, unable to fathom their comrade's sincerity, his apology to the boy who'd massacred them.

The man continued, his gaze locked on Mika, his smile growing. "I didn't know...didn't know an anomaly like you could exist. Someone who could stand against half the world, no, more and not flinch. I was wrong to challenge you, to think I understood power what true power is." He paused, his eyes dull but peaceful, accepting his end. "And I know I'm gonna die today, and...that's fine. I saw what peak of humanity is, and that's enough. But I gotta know, just one thing, my last wish."

He leaned forward, his voice soft, sincere, almost pleading.

"Just what kind of entity are you? A god come down to walk among us? A demon king risen from the underworld to reap the light? Or...are you even human?" His gaze held Mika's, a final, desperate curiosity burning through his serenity. "Please, tell me...Just, what are you?"

Seeing this display of submissiveness, the cult leader above thrashed, his voice a hoarse rasp.

"Y-You! What the hell did you see?!" He demanded, his eyes wild. "What did that thing show you to make you grovel like this?!"

The others echoed his confusion, their fear spiking as they stared at the man's transformed demeanor, wondering what horrors the idol had revealed to break him so completely.

Their struggles grew frantic, their chains rattling, but the man ignored them, his gaze fixed on Mika, who stood with a blank, almost bored expression, as if the cult's annihilation was a foregone conclusion.

The serene face he had held a quiet anticipation, his eyes locked on Mika, who seemed intrigued, his lips parting as if to answer the man's final plea: What are you? The cult held its breath, even the leader pausing his thrashing, sensing a revelation that could unravel the mystery of this demon boy.

But before Mika could speak, a shrill ring cut through the warehouse's oppressive silence, a phone, its chime jarringly mundane amidst the carnage. Mika blinked, his head tilting, and he glanced down at his pocket with a faint scowl. "Hold that thought." He muttered to the man, his tone casual, almost apologetic. "Got a call."

He fished out the phone, glancing at the screen, and his face had look of panic on it. "Oh, shit." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's Charlotte. She's gonna start complaining now, isn't she?" He answered, pressing the phone to his ear, and instantly, Charlotte's voice erupted, loud enough for the cult to hear, a torrent of exasperation and outrage.

"Mika! Where the hell are you?!" She shouted, her voice a mix of worry and petulance. "Where'd you even go? This is taking forever! I finished your sandwich, licked the sauce off the foil, it was that good and I'm still sitting here like an idiot! How long am I supposed to wait?"

Mika's expression softened, his voice shifting to a soothing, almost coaxing tone, like he was calming a restless child. "Hey, hey, relax, Charlotte." He said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I'm almost done here. Job's mostly wrapped up. I'll run back as quick as I can, I promise."

Charlotte huffed, her voice still sharp but tinged with a playful threat. "You better, Mika, or I'm coming to find you myself! I can pick up your scent from here, you know. I'll track you down!"

Mika chuckled, thinking she was joking, and leaned against a blood, slicked crate, his tone teasing. "Oh, yeah? Where am I, then, bloodhound? Go on, tell me."

To his shock, Charlotte didn't hesitate. "Somewhere the south-eastern part of the city, near the railways." She said, her voice smug. "I'm not kidding, Mika. I know exactly where you are."

Mika's smile froze, his eyes widening as he straightened, glancing around as if expecting to see her. "Wait, what? How the hell do you know that?" He patted his jacket, his voice tinged with suspicion. "You got a tracker on me or something? A chip? Where is it?" He twisted, checking his sleeves, his boots, even his hair, half, expecting a blinking device.

Charlotte giggled, her voice bright and mischievous. "Nope, I didn't plant anything like that! And it's just like I said, I can smell you from here. My nose is that good."

Mika paused, his brow furrowing, and he lifted his arm, sniffing his armpit with a grimace. "I don't stink that bad, do I?"

"Not like that!" Charlotte laughed, her tone turning coy. "You smell wonderful, Mika. It's just that rubbed my scent on you, remember? That's how I can track you. It's like...my little mark."

Mika's jaw dropped, his voice flat with disbelief.

"What, are you a dog or something? You marked me?" He shook his head, a reluctant grin breaking through. "You're unreal, you know that?"

Her giggle was infectious, but she turned serious, her voice softening. "Just hurry up, okay? I'm getting bored without you."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Mika said, his tone warm despite himself. "Be there in a second." He hung up, slipping the phone into his pocket, and checked his watch, muttering. "Damn, I have been here too long. If I don't move, she'll throw a fit, or worse, actually track me down." He then glanced up at the A-tier blessed, his expression shifting to a casual shrug. "Sorry, man. No time to chat today. Gotta run."

The man's serene face faltered, a flicker of disbelief crossing his eyes, mirrored by the cult above, their struggles renewing as they realized Mika was about to end it.

The S-tier leader roared, his voice cracking. "You can't just—"

But before anyone could utter another word, Mika raised his hand and snapped his fingers, a simple, casual snap, like calling a waiter or keeping time to a song.

But this snap was cataclysmic.