It was a now a few days after Miko had became Tiamat’s Proxy. He was currently sitting in the town square reading a book.

“Argh…..”

He heard a groan and stomped down his foot. The ground was instantly silenced. He then continued reading in silence.

There were people around him, looking at him in shock. The reason was simple.

There was a heap of bodies at his feet, while he sat on a bench in a relaxed manner. The bodies belonged to assassins who attacked him while he was out for a walk.

Miko no longer tried to avoid the public eye to avoid making a scene. He made more public appearances now, and didn’t hesitate to make a scene. No matter the time and place, he didn’t hesitate to destroy all those who attack him.

However, there was a greater meaning to this. Miko realized that all of the assassins seem to be back by someone in the clan. The fact that they can find him no matter where he went was proof.

He would capture his attackers and see if they could tell him the identities of those supporting them, unfortunately the attackers were mere pawns. They didn’t know the identity of who supported them. They only knew that they were approached by masked people, who wanted to support their assassination plans. After finding that out, Miko didn’t waste his time anymore and simply killed them and carried on with his life.

“Tia.”

He suddenly called out to Tiamat via telepathy.

(What is it?)

Tia responded in his mind.

“Where are you now?”

He asked.

(At the Summit Of The Gods.)

Tia responded.

“Summit Of The Gods…..isn’t that the place where all of the Higher Beings resides? The one that no one knows the location of?”

(That’s right. I’m here to get some stuff so that I can move to the mortal world for the time being.)

Tia explained.

(Why did you ask?)

“I just wanted to confirm something.”

(Confirm what?)

Miko put down the book.

“I feel like I’m being watched.”

He said.

(You do realize that there’s a literal heap of bodies at your feet, right? It would be odd if you weren’t being watched.)

Tia responded.

“I’m not talking about that. I’ve been feeling a strange gaze for the last couple days.”

(Strange, how?)

“I don’t feel any ill intent behind it. Normally when I’m stared at, anger, hate, fear, disgust, all of these emotions and more are behind them. However, I don’t feel anything like that from this gaze.”

(What’s wrong with that? Maybe you have an admirer? )

Tia chuckled a bit.

(I mean, you’re extremely beautiful, even on female standards.)

“You’re only saying that because I look almost identical to you.”

(Hey, I’m a heavenly beauty. You should be grateful to have inherit my looks.)

“We’re off topic.”

Miko said.

(Does the gaze make you uncomfortable?)

Miko nodded.

“However, from the fact that I can’t pinpoint their location means that they are very far away.”

(And that’s why you wanted confirmation. You wanted to know where they are?)

Miko nodded again.

“This Empire is under your jurisdiction. So you should be able to pin point them.”

(What are you going to do when you find them?)

“See what they want. Depending on what that is, I might put them 6ft under.”

(As usual, you’re the personification of violence.)

“Correction. I only use necessary violence. If it can end peacefully, then I’ll gladly do it.”

Said Miko.

“So where are they?”

(A couple hundred meters to the right.)

Tia replied.

“Oh? They’re pretty far.”

Miko stood up and put away his book. He then turned and looked towards the right.

“How can I catch up to them before they escape?”

Miko started to think. He then started to recall Momo’s teaching, and scanned through the movement techniques he’s been taught.

“Guess I’ll go with that one.”

He tapped his feet on the ground once while gazing in the direction of his stalker. And then-

*Whoosh!*

He disappeared with a blow of the wind.

No, he didn’t disappear. He moved so swiftly that it was hard to follow his movements. He avoided every person or obstacle in his way and moved towards his target. It was like he was a leaf being carried by the wind. However, even when moving like this, the gaze he felt earlier didn’t move from him. In fact, he felt like the gaze became more fixed on him, as if observing his every movements.

“Just who is it?”

Miko mumbled.

He soon traveled several hundred meters and reached where he felt the gaze coming from.

“Hm?”

When he got there, he saw a young woman who’s in her late teens, 20 max. She was sitting around a table that was on a patio of what seemed to be a two story café. The patio was on the second floor and the woman was there sitting and looking Miko directly in the face.

“……….”

Miko didn’t say anything and silently observed the woman. She was rather quite the beauty. She had fair skin, brown hair, bright purple eyes, and an oval face. She was dressed in a casual white blouse, blue jeans and a pair slippers. Miko noticed that she had a note pad in front of her, as well as a book. He recognized the book as a part of the same series as the one he was reading earlier.

“You…”

The woman spoke. She had a lovely but childish voice.

“Are you Miko?!”

She suddenly stood up and asked excitedly.

“….Y-Yeah…”

Miko was caught off guard by the woman’s excited tone and eager look in her eyes when she spoke.

“I see. That’s good. I wasn’t observing the wrong person.”

The woman sighed in relief. Miko on the other hand resumed his serious demeanor.

“You weren’t sure who I was, but still stalked me?”

He asked.

“No, I knew what you looked like. It’s just that your behavior was different from what I heard, so I wanted to be sure.”

She said.

“But you can’t blame me. You, your uncle, and your grandfather all look identical except for your hair. It wouldn’t be odd if there were more of you who looked alike.”

There were, there was Tia who could be said to be the original.

“I see.”

Miko nodded.

“So, who are you?”

He asked with a cold tone. His tone indicated that he wasn’t in the mood for chitchatting. He wanted to know who she was now.

“Oh.”

The woman sat back down and cleared her throat after feeling a bit embarrassed by her behavior.

“My name is Hinami Akume.”

“?!”

Miko was immediately shocked when he heard the name.

“Do you mean the writer?!”

He slammed his hands on the table and got close up in her face. Hinami didn’t lean back when she saw Miko get in her face. She instead smiled and nodded in response.

“Proof.”

“Eh?”

“If you’re that Hinami Akume, show me proof.”

Miko stretched out his hand and said.

“Proof huh?”

Hinami started to thinking while leaning her head to the side.

“Ah! At the end of the next volume I’ll reveal that antagonist is actually the-”

“I believe you. So don’t say another word, got it.”

Miko interrupted her with a sharp gaze and tone. Seeing the bloodlust in his eyes, Hinami remained quiet.

“You really don’t like spoilers do you?”

She said with a laugh a little after.

“Spoiling a story for someone is the greatest sin you can commit. It’s punishable only by death.”

Miko said with a serious tone.

“Hahaha! I would never know that you had a sense of humor from the rumors surrounding you.”

Hinami said.

“Hinami.”

“Ah, Hina is fine.”

“Alright, Hina.”

Miko obliged to her request.

“Although I know who you are, I still need to you tell me why you’re stalking me.”

He looked at her and said-

“To be honest, the only reason you still have your head right now is because I can’t sense any malicious intent from you. You being one of my favorite authors isn’t enough to stop me from slaughtering you, if you were hostile towards me.”

Hina nodded as if she understood.

“I know. I’ve been watching you slaughter all who came after you for the last few days. I know that you don’t show mercy to your enemies.”

She proudly patted her chest.

“However, be at ease, Miko! I am not an enemy!”

“Not that I completely believe you, but what are you then?”

Miko asked.

“A fan!”

“Huh?!”

(Oh! I was right! No one can resist my beautiful genes!)

Tia voice resounded in his head.

“A fan?”

Hina nodded.

“I heard countless rumors about you, and the more I heard them the more interested I became in you. You just seem so much like an interesting character!”

She said with sparkling eyes.

“Interesting?”

Miko couldn’t believe his ears. There’s only a few people who have used the word “Interesting” when describing him. Most use words like terrifying, evil, demonic, etc.

“I was so interested in you that I even tried to base a character off you.”

She suddenly looked deflated as she spread out on the table in front of her.

“But it was no use. No matter how much I tried to recreate you as a character in my story, it just felt off. I was convinced that I wasn’t portraying you properly. It soon resulted in me falling into a slump.”

She then perked back up.

“That’s why I decided to seek you out and get to know you. That way I’ll be able to portray you in my stories better.”

“You do know that’s dangerous, right? What if I had killed you the moment I sensed you stalking me?”

“It isn’t art if you aren’t willing to stake your life on it!”

“That’s line is from volume 4.”

Miko said.

Hina nodded.

“It’s my true feelings. I believe that if the artist isn’t willing to come out of their comfort zone and take a risk all for the purpose of improving a piece of work, then they shouldn’t waste their time on it.”

“Why’s that?”

Miko asked.

“Because it doesn’t mean the world to you, and if doesn’t mean the world to you, it isn’t worth the sacrifices an artist has to make.”

Hina replied with conviction.

“If it doesn’t mean the world to you then it isn’t worth the sacrifices, huh?”

Miko repeated her words.

“As expected of a rewarding winning writer, you have a way with words.”

“Thanks.”

Hina replied with her bright smile.

“But I gotta say, I never expected for you to be a fan, Miko. It was a huge shock to be honest.”

“I have two hobbies; sleeping and reading. When I can’t sleep any longer, I read. I have no preferences, I literally read anything I come across.”

Miko replied.

“I came across one of your stories by chance, and got hooked by your innovative story telling and clever wordings. Next thing I knew, I became a big fan of yours.”

“So we’re each other’s fan then. That’s great.”

Hina said with a cheerful tone.

“But I’m surprised though. Although I never bothered to check what you looked like, I never thought that you would be only a few years older than me.”

“What, do I give the impression of a granny from my stories?”

Hina asked with a pout.

Miko shook his head.

“No, the level of wisdom that you showed in your characters, I just thought that only a seasoned writer with decades of writing experience could create such well balanced out characters. I’m impressed.”

“Hehehehe. Praising me won’t get you anywhere.”

Hina said with a happily flushed face.

“Alright, I feel like I can get out this slump after talking with you!”

She suddenly shouted as if trying to pump herself up.

“I need to go back and write. See ya!”

After saying that she started to pack her things on the table into a handbag not too far away from her.

“Thanks, Miko. It was great getting to meet you and talking to you like this. I’ll be sure to come pay you a visit if I get in a slump again.”

“I don’t mind, I guess. But I need to be the first to see your new work.”

Hina laughed when she heard that.

“Alright, deal.”

She then started to walk away.

“Oh, by the way Miko…”

She glanced back at Miko.

“Even if you had tried to kill me from the start, it’s not like you would be able to succeed.”

After that she turned around and continued walking away.

“See ya. I hope you continue to support me!”

Miko watched her as her she disappeared from his sight.

“Tia, that girl is strong. Super strong. I can feel it.”

(Yeah.)