"So...? What will you do...?" Mika asked on the verge of dying.

The man known as both Mikaela and the system, which accompanied Mika for more than 10 years, summoned Excalibur into his hands.

"I have come personally to give you your reward. After all, you managed to fight Dreyar until he retreated."

The reward was the sixth and last installment.

"Are you stupid...? Why are you giving me more power even though I won’t be able to see tomorrow...?" Mika huffed softly.

Mikaela just smiled.

"I am also here to give you the answers you always sought."

"I could care less about them now..."

"Even if I said that you will survive today?"

"...?"

Mika dismissed the need to hear the answers to all his questions at first because he thought that he would die soon.

"What are you talking about...?"

Mika’s gaze turned stern.

Then, he noticed a circle out of light surrounding both of them.

"Mika. The day we met, I chose you as my successor and as the person who would undergo the project angelization."

"Angelization...?"

"Just like you can tell from the name, it is a project to turn someone into an angel."

"I can’t follow you..."

"I have traveled around the world, searching for someone capable and ended up with you. Thus, I bestowed upon you the ability to wield Excalibur first. I gave you dozens of quests to test you out."

"And after many years and after having a good understanding of your personality, I continued with the second phase which led you to Loogam where you would then face greater threats. By doing that, you received the other installments which consisted of either angelic abilities or a partial power of another heavenly relic." Mikaela added.

In other words, Mika already began losing his humanity one by one with each received installment.

"Today was the last time you would get a quest. Today would mark the end of the project."

The circle, which appeared like some sort of magic circle now, was completed.

A human-sized cross out of light was floating above them.

"I am here to turn you into a full-fledged angel."

"Why are you doing this in the first place...? Why do I have to become an angel...? What’s your goal...?"

"Just like I said. I was in the search for a successor. And my successor could only be an angel."

"Who are you...?"

Mikaela chuckled lightly.

"That is right. I have never introduced myself properly to you, have I not?"

"I am Mikaela, God’s right hand and the leader of the angels." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"..."

Mika remained unfazed by that introduction as he still lied in his own blood.

"You do not seem really surprised." Mikaela remarked relaxedly.

"Deep down I somehow expected you to be a bigshot angel..."

"Is that so?"

Mika suddenly coughed more blood out of his mouth.

"Mikaela... System... Or whatever I should call you... Why didn’t you search for a successor among your own kin if you just needed an angel...?"

"I would have liked to do that, too, however, my former boss told me that the one, who would succeed me, had to be someone who was a human in the beginning." Mikaela replied, feeling nostalgic.

"Is your old boss alright in the head...?" Mika chuckled.

"I was wondering that as well at that point in time but I obeyed him nonetheless."

But Mikaela knew why.

One reason was that his old boss, the former God, was keen on following the prophecy which depicted the scene of three men fighting against a certain higher being.

And the other reason was that Mikaela’s body was slowly becoming weaker due to a certain injury he suffered in a fight against a certain demon.

"You will play a very important role in the future, you know? Alongside a Great Demon and another mysterious person, you will fight against a certain higher being in order to bring forth a new era. That is what the prophecy is saying."

"Prophecy...? Great Demon...? Higher being...? And a new era...? You’re expecting too much out of me. I can’t even live longer than two years, did you forget?"

"?"

Mika suddenly got carefully lifted as light particles surrounded his body.

"With the cooperation of my colleagues, we were able to look into your near future which enabled us to develop a fitting plan to train you into an angel." Mikaela said.

"I can understand if you hold a grudge against us after all, we- No. I was responsible for guiding you into a path that would lead you into the Promised Future."

That Promised Future was the future of the next leader of the angels and was described by the prophecy.

However, not everything was set in stone in the future. It was possible for small details to change, which in turn, would have large effects on future events.

Knowing that, Mikaela and the others had to adapt their plans.

"What are you doing with me...?"

Even if he wanted, Mika could not turn his neck to Mikaela who was standing behind him.

"I will transfer everything I have to you. Do not worry. It will only hurt in the beginning."

"That’s not what I meant..."

Mika’s head started to ache and his vision blurred.

"I will now proceed with giving you the sixth installment."

"From now on, there will be nothing holding you back. You can use your full power all the time without worrying about a time limit. Excalibur and the Holy Spear will be always usable. The ability to manipulate time and space may be still restricted like usual but that is for the best as your body could not handle all that power otherwise. Your body will get stronger. Your lightning magic will break through to S-rank and your ability to use light like angels will also reach the highest level."

Mikaela sighed with a smile.

"Explaining all that made me realize what kind of monster you are for now. But do not underestimate your future enemies. You may possess great abilities but you have to hone your skills constantly and gather experience."

"...?"

Mika sensed Excalibur’s blade poking his back.

"Mika."

For the first time since he arrived there, Mikaela sounded serious.

"I will refrain from promising you anything but I will still give you some advice."

"Why should I listen to you after everything that happened...!" Mika remarked spitefully.

"Just listen."

"..."

"I will no longer be by your side. From now on, other people will be monitoring you from above."

"Hey, wha-"

"I do not know what God is planning but be careful around him. He will officially let you enter the heavenly realm after you have completed your first mission as the one who succeeded me."

"This is too much information at once..." Mika stated jokingly.

"Soon, a great war, involving all nations, will start. It is your task to take care of it the way you see fit."

"Until it starts, I will be already dead though..."

"No, you will not die."

"Huh...?"

"Did I not say so? I will give you everything I have. That includes the lifespan of an angel."

It was a transfer.

"!"

Mika’s eyes widened.

But only because Excalibur was piercing his heart.

"..."

Mika looked down at the blade that emerged from behind through his chest.

"I guess you won’t let me see your face even once, huh...? Despite this being the last chance..." Mika joked.

His eyelids turned heavier.

"I apologize but I do not have the right to show my face after everything I did." Mikaela replied, sounding as if he was smiling.

Excalibur was shining brightly as it was stuck in Mika.

"You damn bastard... I don’t know if I should thank or resent you..."

With a wry smile, Mika fell to his knees.

"..."

Saddened, Mikaela kept on smiling at Mika’s back.

"I already made sure that a close friend of mine helps out your friends when they encounter Leviathan. However, I cannot promise that everyone will be saved."

"I see."

Mika’s eyes closed and the sea of blood splashed as Mika’s entire body fell.

The cross out of light enlarged, engulfing the whole place and shooting high up into the dark sky.

It was at that short moment when Mikaela’s time with Mika flashed into his mind for the last time. But it was also the moment when he wondered how Mika’s life would have looked like if he had not interfered.

"What a silly question." Mikaela remarked, shaking his head.

The answer was simple.

If he had not met Mika, who was the best candidate for the project, everything would have turned for the worst.

It would not be just the people around him who would die. It would be literally everyone.

"Goodbye, Mika."

Mikaela’s body slowly turned into light particles as his smile was directed to the moon.

"And welcome, successful product of project angelization."

The light turned brighter and then dispersed shortly afterward, leaving only a sleeping Mika behind in the partly destroyed building of the village’s chief.