Back at Miko’s hotel.

“Hahaha!”

Loud laughter could be heard coming from his suite.

“You’re in a good mood.”

Tia said while fixing her hair in a mirror.

“He’s been like that since he met that Jin Makoto guy. I’m warning you Miko, that guy is dangerous.”

Momo was reading a book in corner but took time to address Miko.

“That guy….I’ve never been so humiliated! I’m gonna kill him!”

Ishma eyes had the enraged flames of hell in them.

“I must admit, he had a powerful aura of death coming from him.”

Regis was reading a comic called Solo Leveling.

“Hahaha!”

Miko was laughing while sitting a couch.

“He’s powerful, he’s the real deal.”

He had a grin on his face as he started listing some names.

“Jin Makoto, Kaido Khan, and Bloom Newgate. I’ve been here for little over a month and I’ve already found three people stronger than me. I haven’t even met the Four Pillars yet. If they can give those three a hard time they must be super powerful.”

Miko started laughing again.

“This is no laughing matter, Miko. We now know that this is New Era territory from what that Jin guy said. We should watch our backs.”

“I agree with Momo. That kid wasn’t joking when he said he didn’t care about the Dragna clan or what New Era wanted. He intends to kill you if you go after his queen. Let me say this, his killing intent isn’t something to laugh at.”

Tiamat added.

“So you acknowledge him, Tia?”

“Yes. I can sense that he has a terrifying power. Kaido and Bloom as well.”

“If you acknowledge them then, I really might be in trouble.”

Miko starting snickering.

“Mik-”

Momo was about to say something but Tiamat raised her hand to stop her. Wondering what was the problem, Momo looked at Miko again. He had a small smile on his face.

“The world is filled with some super strong guys huh?”

Momo then watched as his face slowly relaxed and all emotions disappeared from his eyes and face. It was like he had lost his soul.

“That is a problem.”

Even his voice felt robotic.

“Competition will help Miko grow but too much competition only makes things difficult for him.”

(He’s talking in the third person?)

Momo couldn’t understand what happened to Miko.

“………”

Miko sat in silence for a while before speaking again.

“Well, whatever. Everything will be turned to ash eventually.”

“?!”

What Miko said frightened Momo. She could tell that there was something wrong with him.

“Miko!”

“Hm?”

When Momo called to him Miko’s eyes looked alive again.

“What is it?”

“A-Are you alright?”

“Hm? I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“…….”

“More importantly…”

Miko stood up.

“Let’s go see what everyone else is up to.”

*********

Miko and the girls left their hotel and were now on their way to Kaido’s house in a car purchased by Miko. He was in the passenger seat relaxing while the car drove by itself.

“Tia, What was that earlier? Miko was like a different person.”

“….I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? Aren’t you two linked by your souls?”

“I’m not lying. I never said anything but when Miko was in his coma the link between the two of us was severed. I don’t know what happened during that period.”

“How is that possible?”

“Like I said, I don’t know. The only thing I can think of is because he’s an Irregular.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Despite them existing for as long as us gods, Irregulars are still a mystery. All we know is that they go against the nature of the universe just by existing. That’s why it’s forbidden to make an Irregular a Proxy.”

“But you were married to Augustus who was an Irregular himself.”

“That man kept a lot of secrets from me. He was very tightlipped when it came to his abilities and nature as an Irregular.”

Tia said with a frown.

“Since you’ve seen it there’s something else you need to know about Miko.”

“What?”

“Whenever he gets like that, my link with him is cut until he returns to normal.”

“What? That’s pretty serious. Why didn’t you say anything? That can’t be good.”

Tia remained quiet for a bit before answering Momo.

“To be honest, I was afraid.”

Momo’s eyes widened with shock.

“I know what you’re thinking. How could I be afraid of my own Proxy, someone who I risked everything for?”

Tia sighed.

“You’ve probably realize by now that a lot of people wanted Miko to become the next Augustus. I included.”

Momo nodded.

“The reason I chose Miko to become my proxy is because I knew that if I wanted revenge against those bastards that killed my husband and children, he who was an Irregular was my best shot. I just needed him to hate the gods and we’re all set.”

She paused a little before speaking again.

“But I forgot something fundamentally important over the last 10,000 years….you can’t control Irregulars for they are the most dangerous beings in existence.”

She looked at Momo and smiled.

“You were the one who reminded me.”

Momo remembered something she said to Tia when she just made Miko her Proxy. She told her that she could never control Miko and if she’s not careful she would be devoured.

“There were times when Augustus felt very distant. As if he was living in another world, different from ours. Like he was seeing things that others couldn’t…..That Augustus was really scary and Miko is starting to act just like that.”

“……..”

Momo’s became silent and leant back in her seat.

“Just what are Irregulars really?”

Miko who had his eyes closed in the front seat spoke with a faint smile on his face.

“What are we indeed.”

********

The car arrived at the home of Kaido and Hana. They parked the car and approached the door.

“Hm?”

Miko froze as he was about to open the door.

“I’m feeling an overwhelming amount of bloodlust beyond the door.”

“I feel it too. Do you think there’s a fight?”

Momo asked.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out.”

Miko knocked on the door and it was quickly opened.

“Oh, it’s you guys.”

The one who answered the door was Sapphire.

“Come in, come in.”

She invited them in and closed the door behind them.

“Is everything alright? We felt some intense bloodlust earlier.”

Momo asked

“Yeah, it’s nothing serious.”

They went into the living room and came across a strange scene.

”Grr!”

“Grr!”

“Calm down, you two!”

They saw Hana standing in between two persons; seemingly stopping them from fighting.

“Kaido and…?”

“Oh, that’s Jin.”

Sapphire said.

“That’s that gloomy bastard? He looks completely different.”

Ishma said.

“Even his scent is different.”

Miko added. The Jin in front of them didn’t look a bit like the one he met the day before. He had grayish hair, blue eyes, and slightly darker skin. He was dressed casually in a grey V-neck shirt, light blue jeans and sneakers.

“Did he use technology to disguise him like Bloom did?”

“No. Jin has several different appearances.”

Sapphire answered.

(So is he like Miko?)

Momo thought.

“What are you doing here, cockroach?”

Kaido said with a growl.

“I’m free to go wherever I want, Ground Lizard.”

“Who are you calling lizard?!”

“Who are you calling cockroach?!”

The two were now literally butting heads and glaring at each other.

“What’s up with them?”

“They’re always like that. They just don’t get along.”

Sapphire said with a laugh.

“It seems like they want to tear out each other’s throat to me.”

“Jin, Kaido, I said stop it.”

Hana forced the two apart and stood between them.

“Kaido, I asked Sapphire to bring Jin here since I haven’t seen him in some time.So could you guys not fight?”

Hana said.

“Oh, so that’s how it.”

Kaido, who was glaring at Jin suddenly became mellow even his tone became gentle. He then pointed at Jin.

“She’s seen you and you’ve seen her, now get out.”

Jin’s eyes started to twitch.

“Alright. I’m gonna kill you.”

He started cracking his fingers. Sapphire held onto him and spoke with a sad expression.

“Jin, you can’t kill Kaido. He’s my friend.”

Jin looked at her for a bit before smiling and rubbing her head.

“I was just kidding. Don’t get sad.”

He also became mellow for bit.

“I’m beginning to see a pattern here.”

Miko said before walking up to the four of them.

“Yo.”

Kaido and Jin looked at Miko and then-

“Tsk.”

They clicked their tongue in unison. This caused Miko to laugh.

“I would’ve never thought that the two of you would be so whipped. Good going, girls.”

He gave Hana and Sapphire a thumbs up.

“Don’t compare me to that thing over there.”

Jin and Kaido spoke simultaneously.

“Wow, a real cat and dog relationship. Remains me of Odin and Zeus.”

Tia looked amused. Jin and Kaido were about to butt heads again when the phones of the both of them as well as Sapphire and Hana went off. Hana was the first to check her phone.

“It’s Bloom.”

Fifteen minutes later they all arrived at the bird nest in Bloom’s throne room.

“I didn’t expect for you to come with them Miko.”

Bloom said from her throne.

“Well, it looked like something fun was going on so I thought why not?”

“I see. Well, it’s okay.”

Bloom looked at Jin and Kaido who were grabbing each other by the collar.

“Could you two stop messing around? This is serious.”

The two of them looked at Bloom who had a serious face and released each other.

“You get to live another day.”

“Same to you.”

The two grumbled and looked towards Bloom. Seeing that they were focus Bloom spoke.

“I called you all here because of the situation in the Red Light District.”

“If you’re calling even Hana and myself then it must’ve gotten pretty serious.”

Bloom nodded at Kaido’s words and looked at Miko.

“You guys were there yesterday right?”

“Yeah. I heard that there was going to be a war but that was less than a day ago.”

Bloom sighed.

“In the short time you left that place became a hellhole.”

********

The Red Light District. Flames could be seen in every direction. Buildings were reduced to rubble filled with burning corpses, and the streets filled with craters and body parts. Walking through this hell was a lone figure who had a smile on their face.

“Now doesn’t this seem fun? I hope Bloom and that Miko kid joins in as well.”