After retreating far enough to regroup with Chika and Verde in a cave, Miko began treating Rin.
“Stop.”
However, he was stopped by Chika.
“You’ve already exhausted yourself too much. Anymore and you won’t be able to fight anymore.”
She stooped down and placed her hand on Rin’s twisted arm.
“I’ll heal them, you focus on recovering.”
“She’s right, Miko.”
Rin suddenly spoke up.
“As it stands, defeating that monster will require every ounce of your being.”
Miko nodded and sat on the ground and leaned on the cave walls.
He started mediating to gather mana from the environment, like Momo taught him.
He slowly spread it across his body to speed up his regenerative process.
Before Miko knew it, his consciousness faded.
When he opened his eyes he was inside a familiar white room.
“Just as I thought, I can freely traveled here if I focused hard enough.”
Miko said as he looked around the room.
He saw a mirror and saw his reflection.
Of course, it was a reflection of his old body, not the feminine one that he had now.
He had returned to his appearance as Logan cross.
“Hm? Where’s that bastard?”
Miko said after he realized that he was alone.
He was expecting to see Augustus and his usual creepy smile.
He looked around for a bit and soon noticed a door.
“A door? Are you telling that there’s another room here?”
He cautiously approached the door and stopped before it.
“….I wonder what’s inside?”
He suddenly felt nervous.
“What am I doing? This is my soul. There’s nothing to fear.”
Saying so, he opened the door.
“?!”
What he saw inside shocked him.
First of all, the room was dark, because the lights were off.
Second, garbage was everywhere you could look.
Like pizza boxes, burger wrappers, Chinese takeout, and all kinds of fast food garbage.
Finally, there was a 60’Tv on the wall, with a lazyboy chair in front of it.
The one sitting inside it was Augustus, who was wearing nothing but a hoodie and underpants.
Nothing like his previous kingly attire.
“Go Goku! Fuck Jiren up!”
He shouted while looking at the tv.
“Wait, is that Dragon Ball Super?!”
Miko shouted in surprised when he saw what Augustus was watching.
“Ah, come on! Goku got a power up and still lost!”
Augustus stood up and shouted.
“Ah, fuck it. My man vegeta better whoop his ass though.”
Augustus sat back down and took a slice of pizza and ate it.
“T-T-T-The fuck is going on here?!”
Miko couldn’t help but shouted.
“Hm? Oh, Miko. I didn’t notice you there.”
Augustus said after finally noticing Miko.
“What the hell is all this? And why are you watching anime in my soul?!”
“Because anime is what makes up ones soul.”
Augustus answered with a dignified expression.
“Of course I’m just kidding.”
He said with a laugh.
“I’m just watching your memories. This place can be boring you know.”
“Watching my memories? Then what’s with all the food and funiture?”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“Just things I’ve conjured based off your memories as Logan Cross.”
He took up a piece of fried chicken.
“I’m just materializing the things you remembered, like food. It will taste just how you remember it though.”
He then pointed at the tv.
“I use this to scan through your memories and watch them as entertainment. In order words, I rewatch everything you’ve ever witnessed like it’s a tv show. For example anime.”
A book suddenly appeared in his hand.
“I can use materialize any book you’ve ever read. Not only that, I can even materialize things you’ve glimpsed or forgotten if I dig far enough.”
“That’s pretty amazing.”
Milk admittedly said.
“So what’s up? Are you in trouble or something?”
Augustus asked.
“Weren’t you watching?”
Miko said while taking a seat that appeared out of nowhere.
“Nope. I was busy with my Dragon Ball Super marathon. Before that was my Gintama marathon. And before that, I was reading Beelzebub and Assassin Classroom.”
“Ah, I understand. You’ve completely become an otaku.”
“Even though that word is offensive, I’ll take it as a compliment.”
He lifted up a remote and pointed it at the tv.
He watched a fast forward version of everything Miko has been doing today.
“Oh? A competition to decide the top branch huh? Sounds interesting.”
He then turned to Miko.
“I don’t see the problem. You just need to win.”
“That’s easier said than done.”
“Are you talking about your Qi restriction?”
Miko nodded.
“Well, I can understand why Momo gave you those orders.”
He leaned back in his chair and paused the video on Krul/Krulty.
“And this kid is a problem.”
He then fast forward and paused on Chika and Verde.
“But if it’s too much, just let these two handle it. If Chika goes all out I’m sure she can crush him. Not to mention, Verde. If you forced open the lock that Hecate placed on him he can handle him. Well, he’ll kill him too of course.”
“That can’t do. I want to beat him myself.”
“I see.”
Augustus smiled.
“Then you’ll need a killer move to finish him off.”
He switched the tv back to anime.
The one on the tv was Goku.
“What about the iconic Kamehameha?”
“Takes too long to charge.”
Augustus nodded and changed to a different character in a orange and blue jump suit.
It was Naruto.
“What about Rasengan? There’s countless variations of it for different situations.”
“I’m more of an Uchiha fan.”
“Really? Who’s your favorite?”
“Itachi.”
“Ah, his self sacrificial attitude was similar to yours in the past. I prefer Madara.”
“Ah, he’s an insane wannabe God like you.”
“You picking a fight?”
Miko didn’t answer and kept his eye on the screen.
Augustus switched to a different character wearing a strawhat.
It was Luffy.
“Then what about Gear 4?”
“While Haki meant be possible here even if the chance is slim, I don’t recall being able to stretch like rubber.”
“Damn, you’re hard to please.”
Augustus started thinking about it.
“I doubt you would use the Spirit Gun, or Killua’s Godspeed. Hm? Spirit Gun? Killua?”
That’s when he realized something.
“Ah, Nen!”
“What about him?”
Miko answered.
“Bastard, you did that on purpose didn’t you?”
Augustus said with an irritated tone.
“I’m talking about the power in Hunter X Hunter. It’s pretty much identical to magic. Why don’t you use magic to imitate an attack from the series?”
“Mhm.”
It was then Miko remembered the attack he used in the vision he saw. He noticed that it was similar to Gon’s Jajanken.
“I see. I can use that.”
He then stood up.
“Thanks, you piece of shit. For a NEET you’re pretty useful sometimes.”
He then started to walk away.
“Wait. You don’t want me to explain what’s happening to you? Or what that Nen kid was using?”
Augustus asked.
“I don’t need an explanation.”
Miko stopped and turned around.
“It strains the body and emit steam like Luffy’s Gear Second. It clears up the mind like Goku’s Ultra Instinct. And it grants the user immense strength in return for its body’s destruction, like Midoriya Izuku’s One For All.”
He smiled.
“In other words, it’s a Deus Ex Machina!”
“Not even close.”
Augustus immediately retorted.
“Listen, idiot. It’s not something special to you or the clan, it’s something that anyone can use but only a few are willing to. That’s what makes it so dangerous.”
“Yeah, yeah. If that’s all you have to say then all be going.”
After saying that Miko left.
Augustus clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“Well, whatever.”
He turned his face back to the tv.
“Time to watch some One Punch Man.”
While Miko was leaving to return to reality, he could’ve sworn he heard someone shout-
“One PUUUUNNNNCCCCHHHHHHHH!”
In the background, but he decided to ignore it in the end.
When he opened his eyes again, he was inside the cave.
“How long was I out?”
“About a minute or so.”
KC, who was sitting next to him, replied.
“I see.”
He looked out at the entrance of the cave.
“So he only took a few minutes to find us.”
When he looked outside he saw someone walking towards the cave.
It was Krulty.
“Oh? He works fast.”
Chika stood up and said.
“Want me to take him out?”
Miko shook his head.
“I’ll do it. But I only have enough strength for one attack. So if I failed, don’t interfere.”
“Shouldn’t you be saying the opposite?”
KC asked.
“I mean what I said.”
After saying that Miko started walking towards the cave’s entrance.
“Roger, Boss.”
Said Chika.
Miko nodded and started to channel all of his strength into his right fist.
A bright blue flame appeared around it, instead of the white one in the vision.
He poured all of his magic into strengthening the flame and it grew and covered his entire arm.
Krulty saw Miko and smirked evilly.
He started to sprint towards him.
Miko remained calm and started to condense the flame around his fist.
When the flame had reached the peak, Krulty was already in front of him.
“Scream, brat!”
He shouted.
Miko smiled and lifted his fist.
“The one who will be screaming, is you!”
He stepped forward and thrust his fist, while Krulty did the same.
*BOOM!*
The two’s fist collided.
“Hahahaha! Die!”
Krulty’s fist started pushing Miko back.
Miko smirked.
*BOOM!*
That was when Krulty’s fist suddenly burst apart like a balloon.
Miko took another step forward.
“Exuro (Burn To Ash)!”
*BOOOOOOOM!*
His fist hit Krulty in chest and a tidal wave of fire flooded the dead land and turn it to ash.
When the smoke cleared Miko was laying on the ground with his entire arm blacken.
He forced his neck up and saw Krulty laying in a hole of ashes.
His body was burnt beyond belief and was barely recognizable.
“He won!”
Sasha stood up in excitement and shouted.
“Ah, you just jinxed it.”
Said Aeon.
Unbelievably, Krulty struggled to his feet despite all the damage he took.
“T-That was quite something.”
He said while smoke came out of his mouth.
“I almost died just now.”
He took a step forward and his entire body started cracking.
He took another step forward and his burnt body shattered and fresh one stepped out.
It was like he shed off his injuries.
Seeing that didn’t shock Miko in the least. After all, he could instantly heal his body with Primordial Recreation.
However, he didn’t do that.
“I guess it’s about time.”
Momo said after realizing that Miko had reached his utmost limits.
Miko forced him to stand up and looked at Krulty.
His body was trembling and he was breathing heavily.
Standing was the most he could do.
Krulty approached him and smiled.
“You’re nothing but an ant now. Oh, wait. You were always an ant.”
He started laughing.
He grabbed Miko and hit him with a heavy punch.
Miko’s entire body ached and went limped. However he somehow, grabbed on to Krulty and smiled.
“Hey, you bastard. Have you’ve ever wondered what was beyond your limits?”
“No, since I have no limits.”
“I see. Then I’m envious.”
His body became hot and started releasing black steam.
“I had to go through hell to reach mine, just to break it.”
*BOOM!*
A burst of overwhelming power started surging in Miko’s body, which made the surroundings tremble.
He smiled while blood leaking from his mouth.
“Let us both find out, what’s beyond my limits.”