“This stops here.”

Kaido stood between Miko and Natasa with a solemn look on his face. He was at home minding his own business when he heard that Miko was involved in a violent altercation with Natasa only a few hours after leaving his home.

“I never thought that you would search him out.”

He glared at Natasa.

“But I should’ve known that you would’ve gone looking for trouble.”

Natasa shrugged.

“It takes two to start a fight. Don’t you think it’s unreasonable to put all the blame on me.”

“It doesn’t matter. This fight is over. Return to your domain.”

“The fight’s over?”

Natasa smirked and pointed behind Kaido.

“Tell him that.”

Kaido turned around and saw that Miko was staring at him. No, he wasn’t looking at him. What was in his vision was none other than Natasa.

“Miko! This fight is over!”

“Don’t waste your breath.”

Natasa laughed.

“He can’t hear you.”

“Can’t hear….”

Kaido looked at Miko again, that’s when he noticed that his eyes looked unfocused as if he was in a daze.

“From the look on your face, I take it that you’ve never reached Mind Zero.”

“Mind Zero?”

Natasa sighed.

“I’m a bit disappointed in you, Kaido.”

She started walking towards Miko.

“Just watch.”

Kaido heard footsteps behind him and saw Miko walking forward as well.

“I said-”

Suddenly Natasa broke out into a sprint and Miko did the same.

“Tsk!”

Kaido moved towards Miko and reached out to grab him.

“?!”

He was shocked when couldn’t even touch his clothes.

“He’s fast.”

*Bam!*

The moment he turned around, he saw Miko flying back towards him after being punched by Natasa. Miko crashed into a wall behind him.

“That won’t do Kaido. He’s able to enter the empty state of Mind Zero and absorb information a lot faster than the average person. Do you really think that you’d be able to stop him with half-assed moves?”

Natasa clenched her fist tightly.

“Get off your high horse! Otherwise, he might drag you off.”

Kaido spun around after hearing a sound and saw Miko preparing to move again. He clicked his tongue and accelerated towards Miko, who moved at the same time. Miko jumped with the intention of leaping over Kaido, but his leg was grabbed and he was dragged out of the air before getting slammed into the ground.

“Ignoring me and rushing towards her….I haven’t felt so insulted in a long while.”

“……..”

Miko silently stared at Kaido with his unfocused eyes.

(He really is in a trance.)

“I guess I better get going.”

“Wait. How do I break this?”

“Just leave him be. Without the target he set his mind on, he’ll gradually return to normal once I’m gone.”

Natasa started walking away.

“But you’re a horrible friend. If you had let him continue to fight in this state he would’ve grown significantly and probably touch on a different realm of combat.”

She turned around and faced Kaido.

“You robbed him that chance.”

“I don’t care about that. I’m just following orders.”

“Orders huh?”

She jumped and vanished into thin air.

“I wonder how long you’ll continue to take orders from her.”

**********

“Hahaha!”

“This isn’t a laughing matter, Miko.”

Bloom was angrily glaring at Miko, who was laughing pretty hard while sitting in front of her.

“Calm down, Bloom. We just had a fight, it’s no big deal.”

“No big deal?! You two destroyed a lot of buildings downtown and do you even know how many people got injured?!”

“But no one died.”

Said Natasa, who was being scolded by a robotic owl, who was really a fellow Pillar Tommy “Gear” Akabe.

“No one died? Is that your best excuse?!”

Even the owl’s expression was furious.

“Don’t you understand your position?! You’re a Pillar! You’re one of the leaders of this country and you committed an act of aggression against the prince of a powerful empire! Don’t you realize that that’s enough to start a war?!”

“Don’t worry. He won’t start a war.”

“Why is it impossible for you to start a war because of this?”

Bloom asked Miko.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“It was a fight to the death.”

“And your point?”

Bloom was stumped. Miko continued.

“Even though we fought there were no ill feelings. It was just a friendly death match.”

“Fri..Friendly deathmatch?”

Natasa nodded at Gear’s question.

“Are you insane? Wait, don’t answer that. You are without a doubt insane.”

“Insane huh? I’m perfectly fine with that. I rather be insane and having fun than be logical and dying of boredom.”

“You’re Impossible to deal with.”

Gear said.

“Listen, Natasa. You must avoid fighting Miko again. There’s no telling what will happen next time.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why?!”

Bloom shouted loudly at Miko.

“Because if we meet again we’re definitely picking up where we left off.”

“Do you two hate each so much after one meeting?”

“What are you talking about? I don’t hate her. I literally know nothing about her to hate her.”

“Then why can’t you avoid a fight?”

Gear asked Natasa. Despite being in different cities, hundreds of miles apart Miko and Natasa smirked simultaneously and spoke in unison.

“Because I want it to be clear which one of us is superior.”

***********

After a while, Bloom was left alone in her office with an exhausted look on her face.

“I just can’t understand him.”

“I doubt most people could.”

Said Jin, who was sitting in front of her.

“Miko is a special person. He doesn’t view life the same way you does….Do you want me to increase my surveillance of him?”

Bloom shook her head.

“We’ve just started to build a relationship on trust, I don’t think it’s right to betray his trust by watching his every move.”

“….You’re the Boss.”

“What? Do you have something to say?”

“I do but I don’t know how you’d react.”

“We’re pass such things. You know you can freely speak your mind.”

Jin nodded.

“Bloom, how do you feel about Miko?”

“I think that he’s a great ally to have.”

“That’s the reply a queen would give. I’m asking you, Bloom Newgate; what you think?”

“What I think?”

Bloom became quiet for a while.

“….I don’t know what I think. I mean he’s mysterious and I can never know what he’s really thinking. But at the same time, he’s childish and fun to be around.”

“Hmm….”

“What?”

“I think that there’s a chance that you’re falling in love with him.”

Bloom’s eyes widen as she stared at Jin in shock. And then-

“Hahahaha! That’s a good one, Jin.”

“I wasn’t joking.”

“…That’s impossible.”

“If you were the old you, then it would indeed be impossible.”

He pointed at Bloom’s chest.

“But Bloom, it’s very possible for the current you who recovered the heart she discarded.”

“….You really think so?”

Jin nodded.

“It’s me we’re talking about here. I know you the best out of everyone in this whole world, just as how you know me the best.”

He smiled.

“I’ll respect your wishes and not monitor Miko for the time being. However, if something like this happens again I’ll put him on complete lockdown. Is that alright with you?”

Bloom nodded.

“Then, I have to go. I have a date with the one who helped me feel again.”

“I see. Tell, Sapphire I said hi.”

“I will.”

Jin started walking away but stopped and turned and faced Bloom again.

“Don’t push yourself too much. Remember that you’re not alone in this.”

Bloom showed a gentle smile.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Jin nodded and then left the room. Bloom kept smiling for a bit before putting on a straight face.

“Natasa is getting bolder by the day. It looks like the other pillars are having trouble controlling her. She’s also growing at a terrifying rate. If she masters that power of hers it won’t be long before she becomes the strongest in the city. I’ll be in trouble then.”

She stayed quiet for a bit before mumbling.

“If this continues I might lose my freedom again…Argh?!”

She suddenly grabbed her head as unbearable pain assault her. She started having visions of being inside a cage and being looked upon with disgust by the person standing outside.

“Hah! Hah!”

Her chest tightened, her palms became sweaty and she had problems breathing. This continued for quite a while before she calmed down.

“It’s alright…I’m free…I’m a person, not an animal.”

She whispered to herself softly while her hand was on her chest. After calming down completely, the look in her eyes became sharp.

“I won’t allow anyone to rob me of my freedom any longer. Before that, I’d rather destroy everything and rob everyone of their freedom.”