Chapter 296: We Challenge You!

The next morning dawned crisp and bright, the sky a vast expanse of pale blue streaked with wispy clouds.

Mika soared high above the world, riding one of Yelena’s flying swords.

The blade hummed beneath him, cutting through the air at breathtaking speed, wind whipping through his hair as he balanced effortlessly atop it.

Mountains and endless forests blurred far below, but his mind wasn’t on the scenery.

A wide, deeply satisfied smile stretched across his face, one that hadn’t been there yesterday.

Yesterday, he had been depressed, frustrated, almost defeated.

Fauna’s unwavering view of him as her ’little boy’ had weighed on him like a chain. No matter what he tried, her body and mind remained impervious, treating his touch like that of a child.

It had made him question himself, his manhood, his worth.

But last night had changed everything.

Now, that weight was gone.

He felt reborn.

The reason was simple: Fauna’s body had finally reacted.

Not just reacted—exploded.

He had seen it with his own eyes: her trembling, her flushed skin, the way she had arched and whimpered and—most damning of all—squirted uncontrollably when he pushed her past the edge.

She could no longer pretend his touch was innocent.

And it hadn’t been his normal touch that broke her.

Fauna’s body had developed an immunity to him over years of maternal affection.

Simple physical contact, however skilled or intimate elicited nothing but warmth and comfort from her.

So, to shatter that barrier, he had been forced to use something he despised: his power of rewriting mana to do whatever he wanted.

And what he did yesterday was channel a precise, controlled current of bio-electricity through his hands, which turned his touch into the ultimate stimulant.

Every fingertip became a vibrator tuned perfectly to human pleasure receptors. A single graze could send a woman into spasms; sustained contact could reduce her to a mindless, squirting mess.

On a normal woman, it would have been devastating, dangerous even. She’d have lost control instantly, orgasming until she passed out.

And honestly, it was a method he deeply disliked and considered very dirty and underhanded.

Mika was someone who fundamentally avoided using his abilities in his day-to-day life.

He feared that the more he used his immense powers, the more he would lose touch with reality and lose his humanity and being as human as possible was his primary goal.

With the level of power he possessed, one wrong move could lead him to consider himself a god, a trajectory he vehemently rejected.

Furthermore, the thought of using such an ability to pleasure women felt degrading.

It made him feel like a wimp and a loser, suggesting he couldn’t even pleasure a woman using his own skill and effort, instead relying on external manipulation.

He considered such tricks to be extremely fake and unnecessary, which is why he normally never employed them.

But the extent of his power didn’t just stop there.

He could even completely rewrite the way Fauna looked at him—or any of the Battle Angels—making them instantly love him like a man by simply brainwashing or controlling them.

For someone of his stature, that was not a difficult task.

However, he would never do that.

Brainwashing meant changing their entire self and he refused to alter who they were. He wanted them to change on their own, to realize that the feelings they held for him had evolved organically.

He didn’t care if he had to use lies, deception, or underhanded tricks, but the change had to come from them.

This was why he was so hesitant yesterday, viewing the manipulation as a sneaky method.

But after recalling Naudia’s words—that sometimes a few lies and deception are necessary in life for a better outcome—he had gone all the way.

Now, it had worked.

Though Fauna was still sleeping, completely exhausted from the emotional and physical intensity of last night and the events of the day before, Mika was confident.

He was sure she could no longer look at him the same way; from now on, even his normal touch would be accepted differently. He was more than satisfied.

He honestly wanted to repeat the process with Fauna and continue to push their emotional boundaries, but sadly, he couldn’t.

The moment he woke up, he saw a sword floating right next to him—unmistakably Yelena’s sword.

A letter dangled from its hilt.

And in typical Yelena fashion, it read dramatically:

"COME HOME. NOW.

I have a challenge for you.

You are REQUIRED to accept it.

This is life-changing.

DO NOT BE LATE."

Mika stared at it.

Then sighed.

Then sat on the floating sword, letting it carry him back home as commanded and was thinking about what going on with Yelena.

’What in the world is she planning now?’

’The way she wrote the letter...’

It wasn’t just urgent.

It was desperate, dramatic, and overly confident.

Almost like she believed:

"No matter what the challenge is, I’ll win."

Which, coming from Yelena made sense but was still suspicious.

’And what does she mean by ’life-changing’...?’

’Why does she sound like someone who has already prepared a victory speech?’

As he neared the estate, he expected to land...

But no—

He didn’t have to.

Because floating above the house—

Yelena and Charlotte were already waiting.

Yelena balanced effortlessly on a sword, arms folded, chin lifted proudly.

Beside her, Charlotte flapped around on her tiny devil wings—looking entirely too smug for someone who barely managed to stay airborne.

Both of them were striking ridiculous heroic poses.

Hands on hips, chins up, eyes narrowed like two comic-book villains.

"What in the world are you two doing?" He called as he approached. "Why are you posing like that? Don’t tell me this is some weird early-morning yoga routine."

Yelena smirked.

"Laugh all you want, Mika." She said in a clear, confident voice. "But I’ll have you know—your reign of terror ends today!"

"My what?" He asked flatly.

"Your reign of terror!" Yelena repeated dramatically. "Your endless pursuit of me—your constant flirting, your teasing, your touching—it all ends here."

"From this day forward, you’ll finally leave me alone!"

"Yeah! Whatever Mama said!" Charlotte nodded furiously, crossing her arms to mimic her mother’s posture. "You’re done for, Mika!"

And seeing that Mika still looked confused, she got a little frustrated and went on to to explain saying,

"Day after day, you’ve been going after Mama! You used to dote on me, you used to spoil me! But ever since you started chasing Mama, you’ve ignored me completely!...So, I’m sick of it!"

She jabbed a tiny finger at him.

"After today, everything’s going to change! You won’t be able to chase Mama anymore!"

Yelena nodded, holding her chin up proudly. "Well said, Charlotte. He needs to learn his place."

The two of them shared a synchronized, smug laugh, while Mika could only stare, utterly bewildered.

"Alright." He said finally, rubbing his temple. "You two have officially lost your minds. Now please, before I start thinking you’re both possessed, can someone tell me what’s actually going on here?"

Charlotte floated closer, her little wings flapping furiously.

"It’s simple! Yesterday, while you were gone, Mama and I were brainstorming ways to stop you! We thought and thought, but no matter what, there was nothing we could do to make you go back to normal!"

Mika tilted his head. "Normal?"

"Yeah, normal!" Charlotte said with dramatic flair. "Like before! Before you started chasing Mama around like some...some lovesick beast!"

Yelena coughed into her hand, clearly amused by her daughter’s description.

"We realized something." She continued. "Even though you’ve changed, there’s still one thing that hasn’t changed at all—you never break a promise. And you never refuse a challenge."

Mika raised a brow. "So?"

"So." Charlotte chimed in. "Mama decided that the only way to stop you is to challenge you to something she knows she can win!"

Yelena’s eyes gleamed, her voice full of conviction.

"Exactly. If I win, you must promise to stop pursuing me. No flirting, no touching, no teasing—nothing. You’ll have to keep your distance."

Mika blinked at them for a long moment, then sighed.

"Well...you’re right about one thing. If I make a promise, I keep it."

Both Yelena and Charlotte brightened instantly, exchanging gleeful looks as though they had already won.

"But..." Mika added with a faint smile. "That’s only if you can actually win. And with who I am..." He gestured lazily toward himself "...I seriously doubt that. Even both of you together wouldn’t stand a chance."

He expected that they would falter after making them realise who they were talking to but suprisingly they didn’t seem affected.

"Oh, that won’t happen." Yelena smiled confidently.

Charlotte laughed beside her.

"Yeah! Mama’s going to win for sure! I don’t even know what the challenge is yet, but she told me it’s foolproof. There’s no way you can win."

Mika crossed his arms, gazing at the two of them standing proudly in the morning sun—hands on hips, chins tilted high, as if they had already conquered the world.

"You know." He said slowly, letting the words roll lazily off his tongue. "With how confident you both look right now...I might actually believe you’re going to win this thing."

Yelena smirked, chest swelling with pride. Charlotte mimicked her mother’s stance again, puffing herself up like a tiny warrior.

"Of course we will!" She declared. "You’re done for, Mika!"

But then Mika’s tone shifted. He smiled, not mockingly, but with that casual kind of grin that always made both of them uneasy.

"Though...if that’s the case." He said, pausing just long enough to let suspense build. "Why should I even accept the challenge in the first place?"

The air seemed to still for a moment.

Charlotte blinked. "Huh?"

Mika shrugged, entirely too calm.

"If I already know I’ll lose, then there’s no point in playing, right? I can just ignore the challenge, move on with my day, and enjoy my breakfast in peace. I don’t have any obligation to accept it at all."

Both Yelena and Charlotte froze, their proud postures immediately faltering.

"W-Wait, no! You can’t do that!" Charlotte flailed her arms frantically as she flew closer. "That’s cheating! You can’t just refuse! That’s not fair!"

Yelena, too, darted toward him, her serious composure slipping into alarm as she grabbed his wrist.

"Exactly! Charlotte’s right—that’s completely unfair! You can’t just walk away, Mika."

Her voice softened, but her eyes were sharp as she taunted him saying,

"Only cowards refuse challenges. And you’re not a coward, are you? You’re brave, aren’t you? The kind of man who faces anything head-on?"

Mika’s grin widened, dangerously calm.

"Not really." He said. "I’m the kind of man who prefers living shamelessly rather than dying honorably."

He tilted his head slightly, tone almost teasing.

"So no, I don’t see any reason to accept a challenge I might lose. I’ll pass."

"Wha—Mika!"

Charlotte clung to his other hand now, practically hanging from it.

"No, no, please! You can’t leave us like this! You have to accept it! You can’t take away our only chance to stop you—it’s not fair!"

Yelena tugged at his other arm, pouting despite herself.

"She’s right, Mika! Please! You can’t bully us like this!"

Her lower lip trembled just slightly as she said it.

"You already have too much power over us as it is, so don’t take away the only chance we have to fight back!"

Mika sighed, looking between them—one daughter clinging desperately to his sleeve, one mother holding his hand with pleading eyes that were far too adorable for someone supposedly his opponent.

He couldn’t help the quiet chuckle that escaped him. ’They look so helpless right now...’

"Alright, alright." He said at last, lifting his hands in surrender. "Since you two are begging me so sweetly, fine. I’ll accept your challenge. I’ll give you your chance to ’defeat’ me."

The relief and excitement on their faces were immediate. Charlotte cheered, and Yelena let out a small sigh of triumph.

But then Mika’s grin returned, sharp and mischievous.

"However..." He added. "I’m not giving it away that easily."

Yelena blinked, her smile fading slightly. "...What do you mean by that?"

"I mean." Mika said, leaning closer with a glint of amusement in his eyes. "You’re going to have to earn this challenge, Yelena."

Yelena’s expression tensed, and she instinctively took a half-step back.

"Earn it...? What are you planning, Mika?"

"Oh, nothing much." He replied casually, feigning innocence. "It’s just that yesterday, I spent quite a lot of time with Fauna, and she reminded me of something. She was like a golden retriever—cheerful, fluffy, full of energy. Absolutely adorable."

He smiled fondly at the thought, then looked straight at Yelena.

"And ever since then, I’ve been thinking a lot about dogs."

Charlotte tilted her head, confused. "Dogs?"

Yelena narrowed her eyes. "...Mika, where are you going with this?"

He clasped his hands behind his back, his voice deceptively calm.

"Simple. Before I accept your challenge, Yelena, I want you to prove you can match Fauna’s energy. So..."

He paused just long enough for suspense to build.

"...you’re going to get down on your hands and knees."

He said finally, lips curving into a devilish smile.

"...and act like a dog. Bark for me, tongue out, the whole thing."

Yelena froze, eyes widening in disbelief.

Charlotte’s mouth fell open. "W–Wait—WHAT?!"

But Mika just crossed his arms again, pretending to think deeply.

"Mm. I think that’ll do. Just a few minutes should be fine. As long as you can do that, I’ll accept your challenge."

"Of course, if you can’t do it...that’s fine too. I’ll just assume you forfeit the challenge, and I’ll be on my way."

And with that, the smug expressions that mother and daughter had worn so proudly only moments ago completely evaporated into shame of the humiliation ritual he had presented.