"Now Rainer will you tell me how exactly you're involved in all this?"
"All what?" Rainer asked innocently, "Tch!" Michael bit his tongue "You show up out of the blue, how did you even get past the security without anyone noticing, how are you related to the red-eyed man?" he popped out several questions at once Rainer's expression remained blank
They stood on a clearing in the woods furthest from the manor over the fence that marked the border between private and public property to add to his suspicion Rainer jumped over effortlessly unlike a normal person could considering the fence was electrified he even perfectly evaded the security cameras on the poles nor did he trip any alarms "it's like he knows the place inside out" everything about him was different from the person he knew, an expansive river flowed nearby heading toward the south of the city its water rush sounds filled the forest the moon's light reflecting on the water surface lighting the area dimly If he was a normal person Rainer would be barely visible.
"I came to see you because you were at my house, and you seemed like you wanted to talk about something." "Did you hear about the accident; they say a giant lion appeared out of nowhere and killed a bunch of people" he sounded incredulous he continued speaking aimlessly
Michael almost second guessed himself then it clicked in his head "if not for me seeing him and the sound of his voice I wouldn't even know he was a few meters away from where I stand, considering my advanced senses everything about this guy is off, the way he handled himself past the fence he strode in these woods at night without hesitation like he's been through this place many times."
"By the way Michael don't you think you're focusing on the wrong thing" Rainer interrupted his thought process " "That headache must be really painful right"
"How__"
"You know what lets make a deal if you survive that mental onslaught without losing your mind I will gladly answer any questions you have for me."
"You… are a monster" Michael stuttered the pain had become worse and it only ached harder the more he tried suppress "it's the only possible explanation" his body stiff, hands visibly shaking cold sweat lined his forehead "…ack!" he fell down on his knees massaging the temples "it hurts."
"Ha-ha am I , is it" he spoke laughing "once you get your head on straight lets test that theory I will be right there" he pointed somewhere Michael didn't look the pain overwhelming his consciousness, "I will even call you so you know exactly where" he whispered in Michael's ear his tone mockery dripped in his voice
"When did he get so close." Michael wanted to shout but Rainer had already disappeared, then his mind went blank in pain.
(in Michael's memories, he called himself Asahi in his past life)
"Asahi!" a little girl tugged at Michael's sleeve "Are you feeling alright?" she looked worried, "Don't worry Eva I am fine" He smiled which made her smile back "Good, come see my painting…" she ran as fast as her silver white flowery Yukata let her picked up a square whiteboard on which a sunflower was drawn "So what do you think?" she asked expectantly back at Michael "I used the water paints you gifted me"
"I think it's a beautiful painting." he answered taking it in his hands "You are a very talented young girl she smiled brightly loving it whenever he complimented her because in her eyes he was her amazing hero…
Back in the forest Rainer sat on a tree to Michael's back, the guy had gone completely rigid kneeling on the ground, eyes gone blank "I might be here for a while" he sighed Michael turned head looking directly at where he perched himself "No way is it over that fast wait something is wrong, why is left eye shut while the right one open" he slid off the branch then another landing directly in front of Michael who turned his head clearly following Rainer's movements "His eye it has become black contrary to its usual light brown color."
"Mo-n-ste-r" Michael struggled to speak his voice deeper faltering at every word like he was just learning to speak "Fu-cking Monster!" he exclaimed incoherently he opened his mouth forcefully cutting the cheeks on either side elongating his lips grotesquely and let out a bone-chilling roar "anyone within a two-mile radius could hear him," he jumped back "that's odd why did I hesitate, no my movement is slower, that's one of the chimera's abilities must be a side effect of ingesting its core."
"what's this ominous feeling?
Michael stood his one open eye glaring at Rainer "is it me or are the shadows swirling near him, I thought his power involved manipulating light to form constructs." in the next moment was upon him connecting his fist to Rainer's jaw in a thrust punch the force off which scattered the leaves and dirt around them Michael breathed heavily
"Is that how you want to do this little bird" Rainer laughed still standing Michael's punch barely grazed his skin "Then I hope you give it your best" his eyes glowed bright red in the dark staring back at Michael before he slapped him back six meters away into a tree trunk that shattered on impact the tree bent at unnatural angle Michael came out shrugging off tree fragments and leaves besides his bleeding lips everything remained intact "I see you have gotten stronger good! Otherwise, this wouldn't work at all." Michael came out into the moonlight squatting bent over his body disfigured shadows wrapped around his arms and legs his hands and feet had sharp claws instead of nails, the shadows were particularly dense around his neck into a black mane two dark bat-like wings extended from his back on both sides their ends grazing the shadowy boundary of the clearing, Rainer spotted a chitinous tail with a sting hidden in the shadows of the tree line "You know Michael for a celestial being right now you awfully look like a demon."
Michael roared again blood oozed from the cuts in his lips then he flew into the sky for a minute forming a dark silhouette in the moon's light before dived down at Rainer "Die!" he shouted colliding with Rainer who had not moved an inch from where he stood, they locked hands Michael struggled
"I'd rather not cause a commotion catching human's attention can be quite tedious, so I will have to finish this fast"
By the time Michael awoke he lay facing up the moon above him shirtless and covered in dirt, large cracks spread in the ground from the point on which he was blinking he groaned he felt tired "Why is there blood on my chest?" sitting up he looked around Rainer stood a few meters away staring at him.
"Back already?" he smiled
"What happened here"
"A side effect I think..." "Of what?" "it doesn't matter."
"Now let me introduce myself, I am Ranir Arch-angel Michael" he spoke as if it answered everything "What I am is hard to put into words but basically I am a descendant of an ancient group from millenniums ago irrelevant really, I knew you in the past before dying tragically I might add," Michael clenched at the last part not that anything this person said made any sense 'millennia' he didn't think anyone other than an angel could live that long and the 'being' in front of him could not possibly be one he would have sensed it years ago "overwhelming strength! You are the one who beat that monster how exactly are you back to being a teenager?"
"Its one of my abilities I can transform into any age I want by simply concentrating my appearance stays the same unless age affects it of course."
"Were we friends in my past life?" Michael asked tentatively pulling himself off the ground he staggered, Rainer/Ranir smiled "Not particularly I don't think you even knew I was there."
"so why the theatrics then getting close to me all these years if our relationship was barely existent."
"Well for one I was not sure about you, at first your power was barely a spark it was intriguing I'd never met an individual a human at that naturally endowed with celestial power, then one day you came somehow your power had grown into a small flame in such a small span of time, that was then I discerned the quality of your ability similar to back then I understood you were an incarnation descendent from your past life that was the only feasible explanation, as to why you have been reborn now I do not know."
"What was that monster earlier?"
"I am not sure, seemed like a grotesque combination of animal body parts forcefully putting in place by coalescing celestial energy, at least that's my hypothesis, truly an uninteresting trash a weak failed attempt artificially made by some amateur probably."
Michael shuddered "if that was a failure then…" feeling cold "the masterpiece must truly be horrific I need to find out where they come from where their source of celestial energy is."