Days passed since Mika departed from Fuera and arrived near a village north of Malnor. He wore a robe to hide his identity from others. He even let the halo above his head disappear.

"..."

While he was walking on an empty road, he read the document that Olivia handed him. There, every information currently available was stated.

According to that piece of paper, there was a village in the north of Malnor where strange things happened. Some witnessed modified humans who took on appearances resembling monsters. Some others appeared to have certain and strange conditions where one could for example only see the world upside down.

Those people, as strange as they were, were nonetheless not hostile towards strangers.

Doctors were called but even they did not know what the reason or the solution to their conditions were. And whenever the people were asked if they had a clue about how that could happen, they mostly shook their heads in rejection. However, some of them hinted at the existence of a person hiding in their village.

That person, however, was not found in the village nor were there any traces left behind.

Because of the strange occurrences, it was assumed that it was the work of a demon whose strength and rank could not be evaluated yet.

"Was the Grand Order too lazy to pursue this incident any further...?" Mika muttered slightly ticked off.

He was sitting on a rock on a cliff from where he could take a look at the said village.

Aside from the abnormal conditions of the people living there, there was nothing else that seemed off. The people continued living their lives as if nothing happened to them.

"They are strong people, right?"

A middle-aged man joined Mika’s company.

He sat behind Mika, making their backs face each other.

"Yes." Mika replied calmly.

One would expect that the people would either live in despair or even take their lives because of all their suffering, however, they were smiling as if they were fighting stubbornly against their own despair.

"Are you a traveler?" the man asked Mika.

"Mh."

Mika nodded softly.

"I see. I’m a traveler myself, you know? I can’t remember when I started my journey around the world but I know for a fact that I would visit this village from time to time."

"Is this your home?" Mika asked.

The fresh breeze tickled Mika’s cheek and let the black shoulder-length hair of the man flutter.

"I wouldn’t necessarily call it my home but a place where I could get the feeling of accomplishment just by looking at it and the people." the man replied with a smile.

"Accomplishment?"

"I once stayed here for a while, helping the people. I would also often lend my ear to their troubles. Soon, the whole village would come to me to seek consultation." the man huffed proudly.

"Are you some kind of doctor?"

"Not really. I suppose I just have a knack for understanding someone’s psychology."

"How about this? Do you want to have a consultation with me? Is there anything troubling you? Any anxieties?"

"..."

Mika lifted his head and stared at the grey sky.

"I’m sorry but there’s too much going on currently. I still need some time to sort all these thoughts in my mind." Mika said, clenching his chest.

"I see..."

"However, is it okay if I talk about a few friends of mine?"

"If it helps to take some burdens off your shoulders then be my guest." the man responded kindly.

"I’ve met two certain individuals a few months ago. At first, our relationship was a little bit awkward due to certain circumstances, however, the distance between us gradually closed. Soon without me knowing, I found myself often by their sides and yet, there was still something that blocked me off from them. There was something that bothered the two of them."

"..."

The man listened with an indifferent expression.

"Only later I would find out that the two were cursed."

"Cursed...?"

"Yes. The girl was put under a curse which would drain twice as much energy as an average person for every activity, making her often tired."

"The boy was cursed with eyes that resembled a demon’s, making him the target of discrimination at a young age."

"How awful... Are they still suffering...?" the man asked empathetically.

"Yes, they are fine. Rather than fine, I would even go so far and say that they’re enjoying their lives to the fullest now."

"Hm?"

"There’s nothing to worry about anymore."

Mika stood up from the rock.

His halo appeared again when he summoned Excalibur in his hand and pointed it at the man’s neck from behind.

"After all, I freed them from the curses you put on them."

"So you knew?"

The man’s voice sounded more threatening and menacing than before as he slowly stood up with his back still facing Mika.

"Do you think I wouldn’t notice that demon stench you’re spreading around?" Mika remarked, sharpening his eyes lightly.

Furthermore, after connecting the dots based on the information from the reports, Mika concluded that it was possible for the demon behind that to be the same one that cursed both Harik and Rachel, who suffered from strange conditions like those in this village.

"Just what I would expect from an angel." the man stated, turning his tired eyes to Mika.

Just like angels could detect demons easily, it was also true for the other way around.

"If you know about me being an angel, then why did you approach me? Do you seek a quick death?"

The man chuckled.

"I was just curious. It’s the first time I’m hearing about an angel being in the human realm and strangely, it’s an angel more powerful than a normal angel." he said with an eerie smirk.

"Is that so? How do you plan to escape from here alive?"

"If you were to kill me now, then it would take a long time for you to find out the number of people I have cursed and where they are."

Mika stared at him without changing his expression.

"Sorry, but I think you’re misunderstanding something here."

"?"

The man tilted his head slightly.

"I’m not that desperate to help every person." Mika replied coldly.

"..."

The man’s lips trembled until he then burst into laughter.

"Really! That’s truly an answer I’d expect from a full-fledged angel!" he laughed loudly.

"I had my doubts at first if you were really an angel but that response and attitude confirms it...!"

He seemed to calm down but an eerie and wide smirk still remained there.

"But are you sure...?"

"?"

"It seems like you know quite a few things about me, however, it also looks like you don’t know everything..." he chuckled.

"What are you trying to say?" Mika asked apathetically.

"It’s true that I can curse people, however, there’s something else I can do once I’ve placed a curse on someone..."

His smirk widened even further.

"If I want to, I can make their heads explode in an instant."

Mika lowered his sword.

"Heh, so you’re just all bark but no bite."

He was sure that Mika would hesitate if people in his reach were in danger.

"Do you know a demon called Dreyar?" Mika asked suddenly.

"Hm? Dreyar?"

The demon narrowed his eyes sternly.

"Why do you know that name...?"

Mika did not answer. Instead, he swung his sword, leaving a cut across the man’s body.

"!"

The cut was not deep enough as he backed away just in time.

"I’m the one asking the questions." Mika declared sternly.

"A-are you out of your mind?!" the man screamed, clenching his wound.

Enraged, he emitted his pressure on his surroundings, making even wild animals run away.

"Do you not care about those peop-"

Before he could utter any other words, Mika closed into him and grabbed his mouth to shut him up.

"Do you know a demon called Dreyar?" Mika repeated.

Mika applied some force onto his grip before he let go of him.

"..."

The man wiped his mouth as he glared at Mika.

"Now talk."

Mika looked down on him, being certain that he was the superior one out of them.

However, the man was anything but delighted about that treatment.

He became more enraged.

"I am the A-rank demon Cres...! I won’t let myself get treated this way...!" he grumbled with fierce eyes.

"..."

Mika just observed Cres even when he jumped at Mika.

"?!"

Cres lost his focus when Mika disappeared from his sight.

"Do I have to roughen you up until you finally talk?"

He tried to turn around after he sensed Mika’s presence behind him but it was too late.

Mika launched a kick that made Cres crash against the rock.

"If you want to kill those villagers, then do so. And if you want to keep silent about your other victims, then do so. Just answer my questions." Mika stated.

"..."

Cres slowly lifted his head and looked at Mika.

He smiled wryly.

"Shit... I’m starting to wonder if he’s really an angel or if he’s just a demon in an angel’s disguise..."