Arc1: 1st Adversary: The Cursed Child Is Chosen?!

"I just knew you were up here, Miko. I was looking for you."

The girl, Momo, had a frown on her face.

"You skipped the academy orientation ceremony yesterday, right? Didn't you promise to go?"

"I see no reason to go there when I have you as my personal teacher. Attending Grim Academy is not compulsory for members of the Dragna Clan. So, I won't go there."

Miko yawned and stretched his upper body.

In the Dragna Empire, once someone was between the ages of 13-20 they must enroll in one of the various academies across the continent, so they can be trained to become someone who can contribute to the development of the empire. The only exceptions are those from the royal families, who are assigned masters from birth.

"Even so, we go to the academy to develop further while also socializing with children from neighboring countries."

"Whether it be military tactics, alchemy, or craftsmanship, I have no interest in them. So why would I travel all the way to the center of the continent to learn them?"

Miko stood up, jumped down from the tree branch, and landed on the ground.

"Rather than the academy, let's do something fun, Momo."

Momo jumped down while holding her umbrella, and gracefully landed beside him.

"You should really stop goofing off and take life more seriously."

"This comes from a 66-year-old woman who takes the form of a little girl 24/7."

"I'm still just 66. Don't make it sound like I'm old."

"You're literally 4 times my age but look younger than me. You have no right to tell me to live life seriousl—Ow!"

Momo grabbed Miko's face with her small hand and started squeezing it.

"You're pretty cheeky today. Especially, when you know I have a good reason for taking this form."

She showed a smile overflowing with ill intentions.

"How about I pinch these cheeks off….Literally?"

"Ow, ow, ow! I give I give! I was wrong!"

Miko shouted while trying to push Momo off him. She released his face and he fell on his butt.

"Hmph. I'm only 66, by our clan's rules I'm not even considered an adult before 100. Don't judge me using human rules."

She pouted while watching Miko rub his jaws.

"Did something happen? You only visit high places when you have a lot on your mind."

"…I was just thinking of a way to skip out on the coming of age ceremony."

"Don't even joke about that. This ceremony is vital to our clan's future."

"Yeah, yeah. It's the ceremony where you can be chosen to be Tiamat's Proxy. But you know, Momo…Do you really think that someone condemned as an abomination will be chosen?"

"...…"

Momo looked at him for a while before sighing. She gestured for him to stoop down. He did, and then-

*Wham!*

She hit him upside the head.

"I've told you time and time again. You're not an abomination, and you will never be. No matter what anyone says, you included."

Miko could see her eyes twitch as she spoke.

"Stop saying that or I'll really get angry."

"So you're not angry now?"

Miko rubbed his head with a frown.

"Don't misunderstand, Momo. It's not that I'm wallowing in self-pity or anything, I'm just stating the facts."

He stood up straight.

"I also have no problem calling myself a monster, an abomination, or a creature. I've been called those things all my life and have gotten used to them."

"Don't you get angry when they treat you like that?"

"I actually consider it a compliment. It just means that I'm different from them. Normality is overrated anyways. Besides, I agree with them. I am a monster in human skin. Nothing more, nothing less. There's no helping it. But I don't want to be a Proxy. Proxies will have to fight in the battle for the throne of the world, and that's a pain in the ass if you ask me."

He looked up at the sky.

"I…..I want to be a koala."

"…Huh?"

Momo was dumbfounded.

"Did you know? A koala spends 18-22 hours of the day sleeping. That's at least 75% of the day. They then wake up, eat, and go back to sleep."

Miko clenched his fists with sparkling eyes.

"That's how I wanna live!"

Momo couldn't believe her ears. She sighed.

"If you live your life like that, you'll become a hippo rather than a koala."

"Hippos sleep 20 hours a day, so I don't mind."

Miko immediately responded.

"Besides, I can't get fat with this body. Trust me, I've tried."

He showed a bright smile.

"I'm lazy, have no ambitions, and am a monster. The only way for Tiamat to pick me to be her Proxy is if she's an idiot."

Momo eventually got fed of Miko's antics and decided to drag him to the capital and prepare for the ceremony that was later in the evening.

"Seriously, we should give it up already. Tiamat clearly doesn't want to take part in this stupid game for the throne. That's why she hasn't chosen a single Proxy since the implementation of the system."

Miko was grumbling as they head towards the city from the rural areas.

"We insisting on making every member of the clan do a ceremony of worship when they reach 15, in hopes of her choosing one of us, is stupid and insane if you ask me."

"Complaining will do no good. We all had to do it, so you should too."

Momo was grinning.

"If you don't, I'll tell Aunty that you skipped the academy's orientation."

"?!"

Miko flinched and his body stiffened.

"I've already had to deal with you, pissing off my mother would seriously kill me right now. That's overkill."

Momo laughed at his scared expression.

"Well, Aunty can be a devil sometimes."

"All the women in this clan are devils."

"Well, I'm part demon so I'll take that as a compliment."

She wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

"Don't worry about the ceremony. If what you said is the truth, Tiamat won't pick you and you can carry on with your life."

"My life as a koala?"

"No, a person, idiot."

The two walked until they came across a gigantic city that was surrounded by tall black walls with the design of a golden dragon stretching around it. This was the Imperial City of the Dragna Empire, Dragna City. This city has been standing for almost 10,000 after being rebuilt when it was destroyed during a battle between the Dragna Clan and numerous Higher Beings.

"Ah, Princess Momo."

Some guards greeted Momo after seeing her approaching the gate.

"Are you just coming back? We'll open the gates for you immediately."

The guard shouted for the gates to be opened. The sounds of heavy locks being undone resounded in the area. Soon, the gigantic gates that led to the city slowly opened up.

"Have a good day, Princess."

The guard bowed to Momo.

"Thank you."

Momo walked towards the gate. It was at that moment the guard, who was captivated by Momo, finally noticed Miko.

"?!"

His face was ashen and his body trembled, despite Miko not even looking in his direction. His heart was at his throat as he watched Miko walk further and further away from him. After Miko left, his legs gave way and he fell to his knees.

"What's wrong?"

His juniors all rushed to him.

"D-Didn't you see who that was?"

The guard pointed in Miko's direction with a trembling voice.

"Princess Momo of the Dragna Clan."

"No, fool! I'm talking about the person with her!"

"Ah, I assumed that it was another member of the royal family. She looks so much like the emperor, so that must be the case."

The guard shook his head.

"That's a male, and he doesn't just look like the emperor, he's his grandson."

"Really? Then we just saw someone that could possibly inherit the throne!"

The young guards became excited.

"Inherit the throne?"

The head guard started laughing.

"That thing can never become emperor."

"That thing….?!"

A look of realization appeared on the guards' faces.

"Wait….Don't tell me that's the rumored Black Beast?!"

The head guard nodded.

"?!"

Suddenly, Miko's image was replaced with a black beast leaving a trail of death behind it.

"B-But he looks so normal…"

"Don't be fooled! That's just his human skin that he uses to blend in! That thing's true form is far more terrifying!"

All of the guards gulped as Miko's and Momo's backs decreased in size.

"Black Rose's Child…."

Meanwhile, Miko and Momo were walking deeper into the city.

"I think that guard shit himself."

Miko burst out laughing. Momo silently clenched her trembling fists. Miko noticed and sighed.

"Leave them. I'm used to it."

"But..!"

"I'm used to it."

He laughed again and walked with a big smile on his face. Seeing that, Momo decided to let it go and walked beside him. However, it didn't take long before her anger was reignited.

"Is that him?"

"Yeah, the Cursed Dragna."

"It's the Black Beast…"

"The monster who turned all the roses in the country black with his birth…."

"The Black Rose's Child."

"The Dragna Clan's Calamity."

"….!"

Hearing all the whispers from the people around her, Momo's rage reached the breaking point.

"You mother-!"

She turned to the closest person to her ready to attack.

"Calm down."

Miko grabbed her shoulder.

"You know you can't do that. If you, a royal, start attacking our citizens it would give those who instigated them the excuse they need to cause problems."

The smile on his face bred sadness in Momo's heart. This sadness snuffed out her anger.

"I heard when he was born the sky immediately darkened and black rain and lightning fell on the capital."

"Ah, I remember that day. It was really scary. I thought the world was going to end."

The whispers continued as they walked.

"I also heard the wet nurse who helped with the delivery lost her eyesight when she first laid eyes on him."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I heard all the servants that were there committed suicide one after the other. Countless horrifying events happened the day he was born."

"Scary~. Why doesn't the emperor get rid of such a monstrosity? Because he's his grandson?"

"There's a rumor that he's incredibly talented and powerful for his age. Apparently, the clan wants to raise him as a weapon to kill their enemies."

"I heard he turns into a black monster when angered too."

"How terrifying. Shit! I looked him in the eyes! Let's go!"

Momo clenched her fists tightly as the whispers stabbed her ears like daggers.

(If I act recklessly Miko will take the blame. The people would say he's manipulating my mind and making me act like that. It's like they can't accept that people actually love someone like him, and came up with obscured theories. The fact Miko does indeed possess the ability to tamper with the mind doesn't help; even if he can only do it on a minor scale. It was enough for people to buy that stupid story.)

Momo gritted her teeth.

(Miko was cursed, that was how everyone saw him. But strangely enough, no matter what he achieved or accomplished he would never receive praise. They all would say the same thing every time-)

"As expected of a monster. He surpasses common sense."

Whenever she heard that a hammer struck Momo's heart.

"Don't let it bother you."

Miko spoke again with the same bright tone.

"They're just trying to rail us so we would worsen our relationship with the people. They're likely getting paid to slander my name. You react and they win. Also…"

He smirked.

"What they say is true after all. I'm also part of the blame for their hatred and fear of me. I tried to kill them all a few years back, remember? If a 10-year-old kid made me live in fear as I did to them, I would hate his guts too."

Miko flashed a glare at some citizens. They scattered. He burst out laughing.

"But…"

"Also, don't tell anyone else about this. I don't want our citizens to die because of something as trivial as this. I'm too lazy to deal with the aftermath."

He looked around and saw frightened faces wherever he looked and sighed.

"Let's hurry so we don't cause too much of a commotion."

Momo looked at his nonchalant expression and nodded after a while. They increased their speed and quickly reached the Royal District where the clan resided.

"Is the old man still out?"

Miko asked, after reaching the district.

"Yeah, he and uncle are in their own words 'Checking out beauties before the wife comes back'. Also, there's the annual meeting today. So I don't think that they'll make the ceremony."

"The emperor is out chasing women. I swear, we probably have the weirdest ruler and grandfather."

"I'm freed from their overly affectionate clinging. So I don't mind."

Momo sighed.

"Besides, Miko; you don't just look like them, you were pretty similar personality-wise when you were younger. The only difference is that you 'matured' over time."

"While our 10,000-year-old grandfather and 5,000-year-old uncle haven't."

The two soon came across the royal palace that was at the center of the district, where they drew the attention of all those present. Whether it be servants, guards, visitors, or clan members everyone looked at Miko with either disdain or nervousness on their faces. This upset Momo. Noticing this, everyone looked the other way.

"You have anger issues."

Miko walked behind her smiling.

"I only get angry because you don't."

"Me getting angry and you getting angry lead to different repercussions. Every time I get angry, the death toll rises. I don't think that's good for anyone. Besides, why should I care about what those beneath me think?"

"...…."

Momo remained silent. The two soon arrived at where the ceremony would be held. It was a secret room below the palace. This room had a gigantic statue of a woman sitting on a dragon's head, made of solid gold. This was a statue of the dragon goddess of the sea, and mother of all dragons, Tiamat.

"There aren't a lot of people here."

Miko looked around the almost empty room.

"Most people believe that you won't be accepted by Tiamat no matter what, so they didn't bother to come despite it being a grand ceremony."

"My parents and siblings are all out of the country as well because of school and the annual meeting, so even fewer people would want to come."

Miko grinned.

"Good. This way I won't have to worry about the results."

He walked towards the statue.

"I thought you said you definitely won't be picked?"

Momo watched him march up to the statue ignoring the eyes on him.

"Nothing is set in stone. Tiamat might be an idiot and choose me."

Miko stood before the statue and placed his hand on it. This shocked Momo and those watching. Miko had skipped the ceremony of celebrating Tiamat as his goddess. Only after should you try to connect with Tiamat and ask her to make you her Proxy.

"Oh, all that bowing and praising the heavens shit….Yeah, I'm not doing it."

Miko knew what they were thinking.

"If my life is the will of the heavens, then I will show them no respect. So I will not bow to any god, not even our own."

He burst out laughing.

"I don't have any ambitions, but the idea of spitting on the dignity of God sure is exciting."

He started pouring his magic into the statue. And then-

It started lighting up.

"Huh?"

This caught Miko off guard. He had never seen the statue react at the ceremonies before this.

"It can't be…."

He shook his head.

"No, she can't be that stupid…"

A nervous smile appeared on his face.

"There's just no-"

(I've been waiting for someone like you for 10,000 years.)

A voice came from the statue and interrupted him.

(I've decided. You'll be my Proxy.)

A huge uproar resulted from her words. Miko was speechless as he stood in front of the statue.

"S-S-S…"

He started to stutter.

"She really is an idiot!"