2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 nose and a mouth. Ask anyone and they'll tell you those are the traits for a human being's face. Even accounting for rare mutations, the fact wouldn't change that those are still the general traits. And even then, how could he explain the wagging tail and twitching ears? There was only one viable conclusion…
What he had proclaimed and labeled as an everyday homeless man was actually a horse-human chimera sent by the government to detain him.
Well, that was the first thought that crossed his mind. The second was that this was all a figment of his imagination. That would explain why the businessman from earlier hadn't paid him any attention. It also explained how it had managed to keep up with his inhuman speed.
"W–Why did you attack me?" The agent's voice carried the same tone as a schoolgirl asking her crush if he was free after class.
"…"
Several times now Akuma had opened his mouth and closed it again, unsure what to say about the sight before him.
"That wasn't very nice, I'll have you know. Where I come from, people can lose their life for suddenly attacking someone."
He still did not understand. Even though the thing was finally speaking English, Akuma still did not understand. His brain worked overtime, mapping out various history books, biology papers and anything at tis disposal to tackle the task in front of it. Still, he did not understand.
"Right…" He concluded that this really was just a figment of his imagination. "Good meeting you and things of that nature. I'll be heading this way now so see you around."
"Hm?"
Akuma's usual blank expression returned to him. He grabbed his key from inside his pocket and nudged it into the door. But when he attempted to turn the handle, he was met with a problem. The nagging sensation that this wasn't an apparition repeatedly stabbed at his back. The suspected terrorist report from this morning came back to him like a zing through his brain.
"Hey, um… Look man. This might sound weird, but you wouldn't happen to like… wanna kill me or capture me or anything like that, right?"
"C–Capture you? Of course not."
"Yeah, I expected that. No terrorist would just tell me they're a terrorist."
Pushing his thoughts aside, he finally opened the door, only to sense an intruder pressed against his back.
"Wow there, buddy. Slow your happy ass down. I didn't say you could come in. What do you think this is? Think because you're a figment that you can just pop up in my house? Like hell."
As if to intimidate Akuma, the now practically naked chimera-agent growled at Akuma. The way he bared his canines you'd think he was part wolf.
"…Listen, man. If you're gonna start following me around too, then you've gotta learn your role. Your little fangs, horns, ears and tail? Yeah, that's nothing. I've been getting haunted by something truly terrifying. A real piece of work, I might add. Honestly, it's a miracle he's not around right now. But the point is that you're nothing special. The craziest thing about you is the way you talk. And that's only because that damn apparition never does."
"H–How dare you make amusement out of me? I. Do not. Talk weird."
"…"
"…"
Akuma attempted to close the door before his sanity reached an all-time low, but the chimera-agent resisted the command, fighting to keep it open.
"Wait! Please do not leave me out here! I need food and shelter and a place to sleep and rest!"
"I don't care what you want! And all that counts as shelter, you intruder!"
"Please!" the creature begged, the two locked in a stalemate. "I have traveled so far, searched for so long. Do not leave me out of here! The nights are extremely not warm!"
"No one even says it like that!"
"I–I'll do anything! Anything! Just please don't leave me out here!"
"Why are you so damn desperate anyways? I'm sure the neighbors will accept you, if you beg. I bet there's a lot of girls out there that'd kill to have you stay with them."
"I tried that already. But one look at my horns and they all flee. You are the only one who was not surprised."
Once again, the cosmos was determined to make his life perfect.
"Damn it all. Why is my life so shitty!"
†
His bedroom. Akuma felt gracious enough to let the mysterious invader inside his holy sanctuary. The room was littered with manga, posters and water bottles. Even after cleaning it last week, it found a way to regain this final form. Truly a holy sanctuary.
"So, you mind telling me how you can suddenly speak English now? What are you Houdini or something? You been messing with me this whole time?"
From atop his bed Akuma glared at the chimera who was too busy munching on an old pack of baby carrots to respond right away.
"I–I do not mess with people. And I didn't just magically learn English, I always knew it."
"If that's true, why were you still speaking alien even after you heard me speak English?"
"That is only because I thought you knew the language of the gods."
"Language of the gods…? What are you saying right now? Let's assume I knew what that was, why would you possible think that?"
The agent paused for a moment as he finished the last of the baby carrots.
"Your eyes…" He finally answered, startling Akuma. "Red eyes that can see even the concepts of the world. Red eyes that smell very sweet. As far as I know, it is a trait shared by the highest order of gods. That is why I assumed you could speak the language of the gods."
Akuma leaned back his small bed, pressing his back to the wall. He thought about how ridiculous it all sounded. Red eyes that can see concepts? It all sounded like some shitty sales pitch a kid made for a school project the night before. And yet, he couldn't exactly refute it. For him, such things danced in the middle of fantasy and reality.
"So what? You saying I'm one of these gods or something?"
"Not necessarily. It's rare but sometimes humans develop those eyes when affected by one of those gods. I myself know a man that did… Though it'd be a different story if you had white hair too. Even those affected by the gods do not possess that trait."
"White hair, huh…"
"You know something? I don't appreciate how you invited me inside of your home and have yet to ask for introductions. You are the rudest person I have ever met."
"Huh? What the hell are you blabbing on about? You're the one who forced yourself in, you invader. And quite frankly, I couldn't care less what your name is. Sorry, but apparitions don't get rights."
"Apparition? You mean like a phantom?"
"Yep. You're simply a figment of my imagination. And I'm still not 100% convinced you aren't one of those terrorists."
"Why you! You should be honored that you have the privilege of helping the great Shu Wujing, General of Ceprun."
Akuma laid on his side, resting his head on his palm as he scratched his leg with his opposite foot.
"Oh yeah? And why is that?"
Several triumphant "Humph" came from Wujing as if he'd been waiting for that question all his life.
"Very well then. If you insist on begging, then I suppose I can tell you… You see, human. I was sent on a mission by the lord of my kingdom. A grand mission, I might add. A mission some might deem impossible..." Wujing spread her arms wide. "A mission to traverse the 9 realms and find the one who will save the world!"
"....."
"..."
"Right… And I'm God."
"Gah! S–Stop making amusement out of me!"
A mighty yawn escaped Akuma.
"Look, dude. For argument's sake, let's suppose you really aren't an apparition."
"I'm not."
"And let's say that everything you're saying is all true. And there really are other worlds and gods and stuff like that. I still wouldn't believe it until I've seen it with my own two eyes."
Wujing's head tilted like a cat starting at its reflection for the first time.
"Um… Are you asking me to show you a god?"
"Well, that just sounds outrageous. I'd be fine with just any kind of proof. Like a strange mystical power or something that couldn't be from earth. Something truly undoubtable. Y'know?"
"Huh?! If that's the case, then I'm proof enough! I have horns for crying out loud!"
"Government chimera."
"And a tail, and ears too!"
"Government chimera."
"UGH!! You cannot be serious right now!"
"Okay then. Why don't you show me some magic or something? You said you came from another realm, right? Then show me some magic or I won't believe you."
"...."
"What? Getting stage fright?"
"N–No… It's just… I can't."
"Huh? You mean you don't have any magic?"
"While it is true I possess a power one might refer to as magic, I am not able to wield it at the moment."
"And why is that?"
"Because… it was sealed. A long time ago, a powerful demon sealed most of my power. That's why I haven't been able to explore this realm. And why I was forced to sleep in the streets."
"...….."
"...."
Akuma sighed.
"Great. You really are a fraud."
"No I am not! Ugh, fine!"
Wujing grabbed his staff from the corner of the room. Until then it had acted as a hanger of sorts for his now dirty cloth. Wujing peeled back the cloth to reveal a decorated polearm with a crescent moon at its end.
"This is my Divine Artifact, Xiangyaobaozhang. A weapon created by the great dwarves of Akkadian. Surely you haven't seen anything like this on earth."
"…What the hell did you even just say to me?"
"I said this is my Divine. Artifact. It is called, Xiangyaobaozhang."
"What? How are you even keeping a straight face right now? Alright, dude. I'm gonna need you to spell that for me." Akuma remarked as he grabbed his phone.
"X-I-A-N-G-Y-A-O-B-A-O-Z-H-A-N-G."
After 25 seconds of scrolling, Akuma showed Wujing a near replica of the weapon.
"Life sized Monk's Spade. $230 after tax. Your staff is literally on Yapazon. I don't know what dwarf sold you that, but you quite literally got ripped off. Also, that name is beyond ridiculous."
"What?!" Wujing exclaimed as he grabbed the phone out of Akuma's hand to inspect it more closely. "How can this be? Have humans evolved in the past decade and have now learned to craft Divine Artifacts?"
"I'm not gonna lie, I think that weapon was in an anime I watched. Which only further confirms you are in fact a figment of my imagination."
Wujing dropped the phone on the carpet floor in what seemed to be defeat.
"Hey, that's my phone!"
"If it has truly come to this then I have no choice."
"Eh? What, you gonna do some magic tricks now? Make it look like you're breaking your index finger when you're actually just using your thumb? If so, I've got some tricks of my own. It's making you homeless again."
Wujing smirked.
"I am deadly serious, human."
The tone of his voice caused Akuma to reflexively gulp and sit up, seriously preparing himself for the inkling of a chance something crazy was about to occur.
"I guess it'd be rude to not at least here you out."
Suddenly the image of an altar radiated behind him. The image hovered as if it were his guardian angel. As it did, a similar marking could be seen on his right thigh.
"Constellation Art. Unique Star: Antlia."
The light gradually covered Wujing like sunlight. His arms, legs and torso became thinner and a bit smaller. His facial features contorted and started to change size. Even his hair and horse-like appendages got longer.
Within moments, the fierce general known as Wujing, who was unmistakably a guy, was no longer unmistakably a guy. In fact, he(?) couldn't look more like a girl.
"I really didn't want to do this. Now I'm down to just 1 more transformation…" Wujing exhaled from the strain of transformation. "At least now I've convinced you!"
"…"
Silence. The boy named Akuma wasn't thinking about his next sarcastic remark, nor was he googling, "Easy magic trick to make me look like a girl" on his phone. Not that he could as his phone was currently on the floor.
"Hmph. Look at you. You didn't expect such a development, did you human? That this fraud could actually do something impossible."
"…"
"Hm? What's this? No snarky remarks?"
"…Tsk."
"Hey, don't click your tongue at me just because you can't deny me anymore!"
"Jokes aside, could you please put some clothes on? The underwear was fine as a guy, I guess, but now… Not so much."
"…?"
At one point in her life, Wujing was the general of an entire army. She was also revered and worshiped as a Saint—a warrior chosen by the cosmos to change the world. And as she had always marched into battle wearing fancy armor, it completely slipped her mind that she actually sold that armor before coming to this realm. She also hadn't transformed like this in quite some time.
In other words, Wujing only now realized she was practically naked.
"P–P–PERVERT!!!"