[FMMISM] Chapter 2: Ragna and Manaka

After leaving the sewers, Ragna and Manaka walked through the bustling streets of Tokyo in the dead of night.

Ragna somehow managed to find a cloak, wrapping it around both of their naked bodies.

With their heads peeking out from the cloak, they leaned against each other as Ragna and Manaka walked hand in hand, matching each other's pace on their way home.

From afar, they looked like a refugee, completely out of place amidst the modern cityscape.

As a Beast who had taken on human form, Ragna had the appearance of a human child.

Standing at 150 CM tall, with pale skin contrasting against his jet-black hair and icy-black eyes, he exuded an inexplicable aura of aloofness.

"Why did you have to pull such a stunt?" Ragna's tone carried a hint of reproach. "If I hadn't coughed you up in time and reshaped your body, you would've been toast by now, you know?" 

"A stunt? Nope, from the get-go, that was the plan though..." Manaka murmured, resting her head against his shoulder and shaking it slightly. "Right from the start, I intended for you to devour me, to devour my world."

Ragna's creator, Sajyou Manaka, was the embodiment of truth.

She was a girl who could accomplish anything.

If she wanted to grant life—just make a wish, and life would sprout.

If she wanted to bring death—just whisper, and death would spread.

One could say the world was connected to her, and she was the world.

She was undoubtedly omnipotent and omniscient.

Anything could be manipulated, achieved, or destroyed.

Anything couldn't be hidden from her eyes if she wanted to know something.

Yet, unable to find joy in her omnipotence and omniscience, she finally set a rule for herself, which was to 'never look into her own future'.

Despite being equivalent to the world itself, she imposed limits on herself.

Rules.

Restrictions.

Chains.

Without limits, having this kind of power would be too boring.

In the end, her approach proved correct.

At least she could live, but that was all.

Seeing through everything, possessing everything, understanding everything.

At the end of nothingness, she gazed upon the pure white purgatory, reigning above the throne.

One could say, she was almost like a god.

Apart from surviving like a soulless being, she had no other choice.

She had no expectations for the future.

After all, this world was a world where 'princes never appear'.

Despite being the master of the world, Manaka was not the protagonist of fate.

For her, living was an eternal torment.

Living while dying.

Dying while living.

No pain, no hardship, no sorrow, no joy—days repeated like walking corpses.

Eventually, her mind reached its limit.

Manaka made a decision that would make her an enemy of humanity.

Destroy it, destroy this boring world, let it all be destroyed, along with the accumulated history of humanity, the human order.

"Fufu, that result is you, my dear child."

Finished explaining, Manaka halted her steps, giggled, and lifted Ragna's face from beneath the cloak.

"You're a Beast, a calamity born from the corrupted Holy Grail."

In Christian history, there were two Holy Grails.

One was the genuine Holy Grail, also known as the Grail of Heaven, said to contain the blood of Christ, capable of miracles.

While the other, mentioned in the Book of Revelation, was the Grail of Wealth which was represented by the Beast of Revelation and the Whore of Babylon—symbolizing human sin and depravity.

They looked identical, but what they contained differed.

One held sacred blood, the other, filth.

However, the one held by a cardinal of the Holy Church was actually the latter, mistaking the Grail of Wealth for the Holy Grail.

Manaka stole this Grail of Wealth from the Holy Church and placed it beneath Tokyo. With it as a catalyst, she created a demon king powerful enough to destroy this boring and painful world.

All of this led to the birth of Beast VI, which, due to a twist of fate, entangled Ragna in this mess, ultimately making him Beast VI himself.

What was his existence?

If Manaka was the mother who owned the world, then Ragna was the child who destroyed it.

"As long as you roar, people will cry, cities will burn, the earth will crumble, and the oceans will turn red."

"As you open your mouth, everything woven by life—the world, history, dreams, wishes, even time, space, causality will be devoured by you."

As Manaka spoke, a beautiful smile graced her face, her eyes moist with happiness.

"So, I once wished for you to devour me, to devour my world."

"...Once?" Ragna asked skeptically.

"Yes, once." Manaka nodded. "But not anymore. We don't need that anymore, whether it's destroying the world or killing me... it's all unnecessary now."

"..."

Ragna fell silent and began pondering.

What happened to cause such a drastic change in her thoughts? She was in despair about destroying this world just a moment ago.

"Did something good happen?" Ragna asked carefully.

Although it might sound a bit boastful and narcissistic coming from himself, he guessed it was mostly because of reasons like 'your presence makes me feel like the world isn't entirely boring'.

Ragna anticipated hearing such an answer from her, listening intently.

"Um, something good happened... Today is an important day... there won't be a day more important than today..."

Manaka suddenly let go of Ragna's hand and skipped away from the boy with light steps.

With a bright smile, she spun around carelessly, nonchalant about her naked body being exposed.

"You, who brought light to my heart, so beautiful!"

"You, who saved my life, so noble!"

In the sparsely lit alley, amidst the scattered light pollution, Manaka danced innocently, brightly, and charmingly.

Her pure and delicate figure was graceful, splendid, and dazzling.

"Happy birthday, Ragna!"

"Hey, wait! Don't run around naked! Let me put the cloak on you! Seriously, what if someone other than me sees you!"

Ragna quickly tossed the cloak over Manaka's body, successfully capturing her.

As Ragna approached Manaka with hands on his hips, she crawled on the ground, somewhat awkwardly hunched over, the cloak forming a small hill.

"Stop messing around. I don't want to end up in trouble on my birthday just because my mother is disrupting public order." Ragna said, looking down at her.

"Ehh, it's so dark... No one can see me anyway..." Manaka said with a pout.

After a few seconds, she lifted a corner of the cloak like a cat, poking her head out.

"Sorry, Ragna. I guess I misunderstood your nature. You're not actually a calamity at all."

"Huh? Aren't I a Beast?" Ragna looked puzzled.

Upon hearing his question, Manaka looked at him for a moment, then nodded gently.

Following this, she blushed lightly and spoke up with a soft voice.

"Ragna... You must be a Messiah... a Messiah destined for me..."