Just like Nero had said, Miko wasn’t in a good situation.

After being carried back to the Dragna Empire, Miko was immediately treated by all the healing specialists in the empire. That allowed his wounds to heal, but that was only the surface of the damage he’s taken.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh?!”

An agonizing scream echoed throughout the Dragna encampment.

“Shit! Hold him down!”

The healers who were treating Miko jumped on Miko to hold him down.

“Aghhhhh!”

Miko started to frantically fling his limbs about and screamed at the top of his lungs.

*BOOM!*

He slapped away a nurse who was beside him and caused her to fly through the wall.

“Cast calming spells on him immediately! If that doesn’t work use drugs!”

The head healer ordered.

His subordinates who weren’t holding down Miko started chanting their spells, that’s when Miko released a powerful roar.

“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWRRRRR!”

*BOOM!*

A powerful shockwave came out of nowhere and blew them all away along with the building.

“Cough! Cough! What incredible power!”

Said the head healer who was leaning on a broken piece of wall.

He watched as Miko raise off his bed like a zombie with eyes rolled to the back of his head.

“Tch. His animal instincts took over.”

The head healer looked around and saw Momo standing there with the rest of Miko’s team.

“Momo, what happened to Miko?”

Hina asked.

“It looks like he was in so much pain that his brain shut off and his body was taken over by his instinct to fight.”

Momo answered.

“Is that possible?”

“For someone who fights like a beast all the time, yes.”

Momo approach Miko while mumbling something.

“Bind.”

She waved her hand and Miko was entangled in a golden chain.

He immediately loss his balance and fell over.

“It’s dangerous for him to move around and reopen his wounds. So we need to keep him bind.”

Momo said as she approached him.

She picked him up and placed him on her shoulder.

“His physical wounds have began healing, but he’s still experiencing this much pain.”

Gizmo walked up beside Momo and said.

He looked at Miko carefully.

“This might not be a problem that can be treated with magic.”

“It isn’t.”

Said Alec.

“The problem is with the technique Lennox used, the Dark Hero Arts.”

“Dark Hero Arts? What’s that?”

Momo asked.

“It’s an art of fighting created and perfected over a span of countless years by countless wise sages of the human race. It’s an art designed to kill demons, gods, and beasts, any race outside of the human race.”

“There’s such an art?”

Asked Kaido.

Alec nodded.

“It was supposed to give the Hero/Human Faction a lethal weapon to conquer the world by eliminating all of their competition. The techniques from this art systematically and effectively attacks the soul while injecting specialized magic particles in the body that acts like poison, and cause cells to breakdown and the body to deteriorate from the inside.”

He explained.

“I don’t really understand, but basically Miko is poisoned?”

Asked Ace.

“Well, you can say that.”

Alec answered.

“Actually, if Lennox wanted he could’ve killed Miko that time with his first attack when he caught Miko off guard. The reason why he didn’t must be because he wanted to enjoy the fight.”

“Is there a way to treat Miko?”

Momo asked.

“Not that I know of. However, since he wasn’t killed I heard that the victims can recover over time, but that depends on the person. Considering who Miko is, he should recover but it won’t be easy.”

Alec spoke with a serious face.

“Miko will have to bear the pain of having his insides and soul destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed again until he’s made a full recovery. There’s also the fact that this type of pain isn’t only physical straining but mentally as well. This kind of pain can drive someone insane.”

“There’s also the side effects of Imperial Overdrive to worry about. All of Miko’s blood traits forcibly fused together, which can cause severe blacklashes.”

Momo said.

“If we’re not careful Miko might really die.”

Over at the Eastern Region, something of a similar yet opposite nature was happening in the Seven Moon Alliance.

Skylar was looking down on Lennox who was pale and was heavily breathing. It was clear that he was in a lot of pain.

“It should be anytime now.”

Skylar mumbled.

He soon saw cracks appearing on Lennox body. Golden light could be seen peek through these cracks. Before long, his entire body was covered in cracks as if it was about to shatter.

*Bam!*

With a loud sound Lennox’s body shattered, or more specifically his skin. Skylar witnessed another Lennox appeared under that layer of broken skin. It was as if a snake had shed its skin, the only difference was that Skylar could feel a stronger power coming from Lennox that he didn’t have before.

It was as if he shed his old broken self and emerged stronger than before.

Yet, Lennox showed no signs of waking up despite being stripped of all his injuries.

“He’s recovering the power that was used up in his previous fight.”

A bright light flashed beside Skylar and someone appeared from it.

The person was brawn man with red hair and beard, and very fierce eyes. He was dressed casually but was emitting a lightning like aura.

“Thor.”

Skylar greeted the man, the Norse god of thunder and strongest god, Thor.

“Did the meeting you spoke about finish?”

Thor shook his head.

“Not as yet.”

Thor pointed at Lennox, that’s because of him.

“Lennox?”

Thor nodded.

“We’ve been keeping an eye on him from his debut because we’ve suspected that he’s a certain being. After today’s battle we’re certain.”

Thor then said with a serious expression.

“This boy is an Irregular.”

“Irregular? You mean those unique existence that all can plunge the world into chaos just by existing?”

Thor nodded.

“They’re beings born outside of the laws of the universe and are all incredibly dangerous even to us higher beings.”

Skylar looked at Lennox.

“It makes sense.”

He then looked back at Thor.

“You said once that all irregulars possess unique abilities called Irregularities. What is his?”

“After observing him for awhile, we’ve determined his Irregular title and Irregularity.”

Thor looked like he had a headache as he spoke.

“His title is ‘True Hero’ and his Irregularity is Hero’s Privilege.”

“Hero’s Privilege?”

“You know like in stories the hero will face all kinds of obstacles like powerful enemies and put against impossible odds and still somehow come out on top? It’s the ability to possess privileges like those.”

“Wait. You’re telling me that he has the ability use the privileges of a hero in a story, he’s a main character?”

Thor nodded.

“Basically, yes.”

“………”

Skylar didn’t know how to respond to that, but he had to admit that it made sense.

Not only in his battle against Miko, but many battles before that Lennox has made the impossible possible like it was nothing. He wouldn’t fall no matter how much damage he took, he wouldn’t lose that easily no matter how outmatched he was, and just now he didn’t die despite he should’ve after that battle. Instead, he came out of it stronger than before.

It was as if he really was a main character in his own story. All this talk about rewriting his destiny wasn’t empty talk, his ability literally rewrites fate in his favor.

It was the cheat of all cheats.

“Don’t look so glum.”

Thor said.

“Irregulars are walking cheats, but they too have their limits. An example of this is Augustus, his Irregular Conquest allowed him to conquer everything under the heaven but it was less effective against Higher Beings of certain strength and status. Which means that irregulars aren’t invincible. Not only that, we’ve also learned that when two Irregularities clash they partly and sometimes completely negate each other. This was seen when Devoro was unable to destroy Augustus with his Infinite Destruction, and when Samael’s Infinite Death took over a century to kill him.”

“I see.”

“Also Irregularities can only be use manually, meaning that they need to be consciously activated and aren’t active all the time. So if you attack while the Irregularity is in its dormant state, you can kill an Irregular.”

“…..Where are you going with this Thor?”

Skylar asked after sensing a hidden meaning in Thor’s words.

“I'll get to the point. I was sent here to order you to kill Lennox.”

“What?”

“He’s defenseless right now, so you can easily kill him.”

“I refuse.”

Said Skylar.

“Why?”

Thor wasn’t surprised but he still asked.

“Because it would go against my honor as a warrior and hurt my pride. I refuse to allow either to happen no matter what.”

He answered.

“I see. I thought you would say that.”

Thor said with a relieved expression.

“To be honest, killing someone in such a cowardly way goes against my honor as well. Hence I was hoping that you would decline.”

He said.

“If we must kill him, I prefer we do it in a fair fight where both sides would be satisfied.”

Skylar smiled when he heard that.

“Don’t worry. After this war I’ll challenge Lennox to a fair fight. If I win or lose I’ll accept the results.”

“You seem quite fond of him.”

Thor said.

“He’s a pretty interesting person. I won’t deny being affected by his charisma either. Oh, that Charisma might be a result of his ability isn’t it?”

“Who knows?”

The two laughed, while in the shadows Paige who was keeping watch sighed in relief.

“It’s a good thing the Thunder Emperor is a man of honor. I don’t want to fight a monster like that.”

She mumbled under her breath.

They all failed to notice the sly smile on Lennox’s face.

Meanwhile, back at the Dragna Camp.

Miko was still experiencing immense pain.

“Ahhhh!”

“Shit, he broke free again!”

“Help! He’s strangling me!”

*BOOM!*

“Quick, Momo! Bind him again!”

*BOOM!*

“How did he break free so quickly?!”

“I don’t want to put strain on his body!”

“Well my body is being crushed over here!”

“Ohhh. I think he just broke sora’s arm.”

“My leg!”

“And Ace’s leg.”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

*BOOM!*

Like this the camp was thrown in chaos by Miko who was in serious pain.

A few days later.

“Yawn~!”

Lennox stepped out from the room he was resting and a released a big yawn.

“I feel refreshed!”

He said.

“That’s good to hear.”

Skylar walked up to him and said.

“Thunder Emperor, Human God.”

Ezra approached them.

“I’ve received news from our employers. Apparently, something unexpected as occurred.”

“Unexpected?”

Said Lennox.

“Several attacks have been made on our end from an unknown enemy.”

At the same time, Miko who had overcome death and was resting received a similar report the moment he woke up.

“The Capital was attacked? By who?”

“We don’t know.”

Answered the servant.

“Also sir, their have been major casualties on our side.”

“What?”

“A battalion has been wiped out.”

“I see. If it’s only a battalion it isnt a big deal. It’s to be expected during war.”

The servant shook their head with a bitter expression on their face.

“It’s not the battalion that was counted as a major casualty, but the person who led it.”

When Miko heard that, he had bad feeling as his heart started to race. Even so he had to ask.

“W-Who led the battalion?”