Mika felt someone hover over her, while they shouted frantically at others. She struggled to regain her consciousness, immediately sensing the urgency and the chaos happening around her.
"Mika, Mika. If you can hear me, I've stowed an important message for Master in your cloak."
A heavy fog in her head as she slowly opened her eyes, a shadow over her and a familiar voice.
"Mika, I don't have much time. Pass on the message to Master and to let him know it's from one of the Gods. Be wary of its contents."
Mika fought the nausea as she blinked a few more time to find Kanae hover over her, the same cloak she wore around her shoulders.
Seeing her familiar face, Mika gasped and tried to reach out from where she was on the ground.
Kanae held the outstretched hand, still kneeling beside her. "I cannot stay. The others need my help. Watch over yourself. And him." She gestured towards Micah, who was busy fighting Artemis with the others.
Her eyes flickered to the heavily scarred slayer who had introduced himself only earlier this evening and felt an unknown pang in her chest.
"Protect the slayers and the moon demons. They are key to defeating these Gods." She muttered, gently placing Mika's hand back on her stomach.
"Don't go." Mika hoarsely called out, even as Kanae already stood and looked towards the forest.
"I will divert her attention. Hopefully it is long enough to give Master and the others an advantage."
Mika managed to sit up as Kanae turned to her, a ghost of a smile on her face.
"Farewell Mika. I hope we can meet again."
Mika cried out even as Kanae moved with frightening speed, flitting like an elegant butterfly towards Artemis.
Mika held her head in her hands, the throbbing sensation coming back in full force.
"Mika." Another familiar voice called out to her.
She felt Mio's hand on her shoulder, cool fingers touching her forehead and taking one hand away to hold in her own.
Mika looked to Mio, who's light brown eyes gazed warmly at her. "Mio, I feel…different. What happened?" She slowly mumbled, feeling her words slurred as if she was in a drunken stupor.
Mio looked worriedly at her. "Artemis did something to Rengoku. Almost like his powers were stolen from him."
Mika turned to the unconscious slayer laying beside an unconscious Akaza closeby, her eyes refocusing on Rengoku's dull face.
"It wasn't stolen. The Gods want their powers back. Even now they're weakening and that is why they are seeking action after all this time." She slowly answered, not knowing how she knew. "Quickly, please help me to Rengoku's side. And Akaza. I know what to do."
She looked up to see Mio's astonished face, but she helped her stand up.
The throbbing headache continued to plague her, but she ignored it as she kneeled between Rengoku and Akaza. Mio turned to the medical kit, but Mika shook her head.
On cue, there was a tinkling of bells and an orange cat stepped neatly out of the forest. Mio noticed the belt of vials wrapped securely around its body.
Mika held out her hand and the cat leaned its head into her palm, purring as it allowed Mika to remove two vials from the leather belt. There were two others remaining and she touched each one, the silver liquid resonating with her touch. It immediately glowed and darkened to the color of the flame of Hyakkimaru's sword. And her stone.
"Go to Iguro and Mitsuri." She murmured, scratching the cat under its chin.
With a quick lick of its paw, it looked calmly at both Mika and Mio before disappearing back into the forest.
"What are those?" Mio looked closely at the two vials Mika had set on the ground, the liquid still molten silver.
"This gives the slayers an ability to become a demon. Just like Nezuko-chan. Tamayo was able to find the means to reproduce this." Mika explained, already removing the cork from one and slowly lifting the head of Akaza and slowly pouring the liquid into his mouth.
"Please do the same to Rengoku-san. We must hurry."
Mio nodded and mirrored her actions, watching closely that Rengoku not choke on the liquid.
"But if this will make the slayers a demon, why give it to Akaza-san?"
Mika smiled faintly as she ensured the vial was fully emptied.
"What makes a demon, their makeup is the power of the Gods. What makes. The power of the slayers is also from the Gods. But it is a curse." She answered calmly, setting Akaza's head gently back down to rest on the ground. "That is why their bodies are rejecting it." She gestured towards the faint dark bruises that appeared on their bodies.
Mio looked at her in surprise. "I don't recall that in the history."
Mika shook her head. "It was never written down. The Gods are prideful beings who do not disclose their weakness."
Mio was speechless at the revelation. She had so many questions, but she was mostly concerned that her friend seemed so different.
Mio paused and watched quietly as Mika closed her eyes and she began to glow with a dark flame she had only seen on Hyakkimaru's sword.
Her eyes widened as she worriedly looked to the other side where the others were struggling to hold Artemis back. Mio flinched to see Hyakkimaru thrown haphazardly to the side before swiftly running back towards Artemis.
Mio turned back to Mika and found her reaching out her hand to rest on both Rengoku and Akaza, where the round stone she had returned to Mika somehow became a ring around her finger. It glowed the same dark hue.