Right now, Ryougi Yutsuki was in an alleyway in a residential area. Holding a cat teaser wand in her right hand and catnip-laced cat food in her left, she was quietly and carefully approaching a tortoiseshell cat resting on top of a wall ahead.
Well, it was impossible for Yutsuki not to feel confused about her current situation.
This cat's na was Fujiwara, the local boss ruling this residential area, so to speak. But normally, it just went to residents's windows to eat food offered by cat loving locals. So its personality seed relatively peaceful, showing no hostility towards humans.
Of course, she heard all this information from Kurumi.
"Do your best... Yutsuki-san... you're almost there."
"ow~"
From behind ca the encouraging voices of Tokisaki Kurumi and a cat.
"Don't talk! What if we get discovered!"
"...ow?"
Just then, the cat nad Fujiwara suddenly pricked up its ears, groggily turned its head, and upon seeing Yutsuki just a few steps away, instantly woke up. It stood up, staring at Yutsuki warily.
Shooting a reproachful glare at Kurumi not far away, Yutsuki showed a gentle smile to Fujiwara. Shaking the cat teaser, she carefully approached.
"ow—!"
However, Fujiwara let out a threatening hiss at Yutsuki. Its fur stood on end as it backed away several steps along the wall, looking completely terrified of her.
"Here, kitty~ don't be afraid..."
Even though Yutsuki tried hard to show she had no hostility, Fujiwara acted as if it had seen a terrifying predator and fled in a panic to the other side of the wall.
As expected... Yutsuki wasn't surprised by this result.
"This is truly unbelievable... Mr. Fujiwara is considered one of the easiest cats to conquer. Last ti, he let pet him casually even without catnip, but this ti he just ran away the mont he saw you, Yutsuki-san."
Kurumi held her cheek and said, looking distressed.
"Like I said... my constitution naturally repels animals."
Yutsuki let out a slightly helpless sigh.
"You can't say that. Kurokichi-san isn't that afraid of you, is it? Yutsuki-san"
"This guy just really likes Pacific saury, that's all."
"ow?"
Seemingly hearing its na, the black cat, which had been focusing intently on eating the electrically grilled Pacific saury Yutsuki had quickly made, looked up and owed at Yutsuki.
Ah, I really want to go back and eat Pacific saury.
Yutsuki thought enviously.
"So that's how it is. As long as you choose the right bait, all fear is tossed aside in the face of food. They just beco animals following their wild instincts."
"No, cats are a type of animal to begin with, right?"
Yutsuki couldn't help but retort, but Kurumi didn't seem to care about her comnt. Instead, she lowered her head and thought very seriously.
"Considering Yutsuki-san's situation, it seems newborn or mob-level stray cats won't work. It has to be a cat with enough guts. 'We', do we have any targets that et the criteria?"
"Yes. The shrine—the resting place of spirits. That's Niboshi-san's territory."
Suddenly, a Kurumi stepped out from the shadows. Unlike the Kurumi Yutsuki knew, this one wore a rose hair accessory and had her left eye, which bore a clock face, covered by a dical eye patch. How should she put it... at first glance, Yutsuki felt this Kurumi would have a lot in common to talk about with Kaguya and middle school Shido.
Kurumi's clones are summoned past versions of herself through her Angel, so you can see personality traits Kurumi had in the past from certain special clones.
A walking dark history, huh... Considering the consequences of saying that out loud, Yutsuki chose to stay silent.
"Mhm,Niboshi-san, huh... True, that scarred cat should definitely have enough guts."
Kurumi seemingly didn't want Yutsuki to see this clone much, just nodded lightly, and sent the eyepatch Kurumi back into the shadows.
"Then,Yutsuki-san, our next target is the shrine."
Looking at Kurumi, whose eyes were full of motivation, Yutsuki let out an exhausted sigh.
"Why did it turn out like this..."
_____________________________
Twenty minutes ago. Inside the alleyway of the shopping district.
"Honestly, to casually toss a cat like that.Yutsuki-san truly lacks manners."
By now, Kurumi had recovered her usual calm deanor, but she looked at Yutsuki with a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Is that so? You looked pretty happy to back then."
"Th-That was just your imagination,Yutsuki-san. I have absolutely no interest in a kitty's soft paw pads."
Perhaps recalling her loss of composure, Kurumi explained sowhat flusteredly.
It would be much more convincing if you put down Kurokichi, who you're currently playing with in your arms.
Yutsuki looked at Kurumi with that kind of gaze. This seed to make Kurumi a bit angry out of embarrassnt.
"Hmph—Although you say that,Yutsuki-san, if it were you, you'd probably be even more embarrassed than ."
Probably hearing about her feeding the cat, Kurumi seed to have so misunderstanding about her.
"You're wrong to think that. I'm not obsessed with cat paw pads, let alone to the point of being knocked to the ground by them."
Don't lump in with a cat maniac like you.
"Ugh—!"
As if struck by an unknown impact, Kurumi staggered back a few steps in shock.
Seriously— Sighing helplessly, Yutsuki explained to Kurumi.
"Let be clear, I have no interest in cats whatsoever. I don't even like cats."
"Don't like cats... Could it be!"
Hearing Yutsuki's words, Kurumi seed to connect the dots. Looking at her like a class enemy, her crimson right eye revealed traces of hostility.
"Yutsuki-san, are you a dog person!?"
"No!"
Yutsuki denied it with black lines down her forehead, then sighed helplessly at Kurumi's unconvinced expression.
"It's not a question of liking cats or dogs. Because of my ability, my body is constantly emitting electromagnetic waves. Although humans can't feel it, animals can't stand this kind of thing."
This phenonon was even more severe than Misaka Mikoto's. Large animals were sowhat okay, but small cats and dogs would basically feel fear or extre agitation just by her being present.
"It's not a matter of liking or disliking them; my natural constitution just makes unpopular with animals."
"So that's how it is... I'm sorry...Yutsuki-san."
Although not as direct as Yutsuki, as soone who had killed over ten thousand people, the scent of blood on Kurumi also ant she had to put in a lot of effort to get close to cats. Hearing Yutsuki's plight, Kurumi couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie, like two people suffering the sa fate.
"There's no need to apologize. I don't really care about it myself." Yutsuki waved her hand dismissively and said, "Well then, I'm getting ready to head back. I won't tell anyone what I saw just now. As long as you don't plan on targeting Shido or my family, I can't be bothered to make an enemy out of you."
Saying that, Yutsuki picked up the plastic bag of Pacific saury, turned around, and prepared to leave.
"ow~"
Placing Kurokichi on the ground, this cat seed completely unafraid of Yutsuki's electromagnetic waves. It ran to Yutsuki's feet, looked up at the plastic bag full of Pacific saury above it, and let out a coquettish ow.
"You want more?"
Yutsuki tried asking Kurokichi.
"ow~"
Kurokichi let out a cheerful ow.
"I can't say no to you, can I... whatever, I have plenty anyway."
Like dealing with a spoiled child, Yutsuki shook her head, looking exasperated. She took out a Pacific saury, simply electrically heated it, and let Kurokichi eat it with relish.
"As I thought...,Yutsuki-san does like cats after all."
"Well, it's just a small reward for a brave warrior who dared to act cute in front of a tiger for food."
Hearing Kurumi's words, Yutsuki looked at the eating Kurokichi and answered indifferently.
After a mont of silence, Kurumi seed to have made up her mind. She raised the gun in her hand and pointed it at Yutsuki.
"As expected, I can't just let Yutsuki-san leave like this."
"Didn't I just say I wouldn't tell your secret?"
Yutsuki looked at Kurumi, feeling a headache coming on.
"Hehehe... who knows. Maybe one day Yutsuki-san will use this to blackmail and stop from eating Shido-san?"
"As if I would."
Well, if it actually worked, maybe I really would use it. Yutsuki thought secretly.
"So, what's your plan? Silence by killing ?"
"How could I~ For now, I have no intention of making an enemy out of Yutsuki-san." A smile appeared on Kurumi's lips. "It's actually very simple. As long as Yutsuki-san shares the sa secret as , I won't have to worry about you letting it slip."
"What do you an... you're not going to..."
Yutsuki seed to guess Kurumi's plan, and a large drop of sweat ford on her forehead.
"Hehehe~ I know the distribution of cat factions in Tengu City like the back of my hand. I'm going to make you et those cats too, and then you'll beco a slave to their fluffy balls."
Kurumi said confidently.
"..."
Yutsuki felt her eye twitching uncontrollably.
___________________________________
In her perfect state, the odds between her and Kurumi were only 50-50, not to ntion now that her powers were sealed. Also, fighting here wasn't a smart choice. So Yutsuki had no choice but to yield to Kurumi's threat, taking the cat teaser and cat food to try interacting with the street cats.
Well, I'll just pretend to like cats and bluff my way through.
Although Yutsuki thought this at first, after actually trying, she realized she was too naive.
The one at the shrine was the cat nad Niboshi. Unlike its sowhat comical na, Niboshi was quite large for a cat and had a fierce scar near its eye. This cat was actually apparently the mascot of so yakuza syndicate. Because the old lady at this shrine often fed it dried fish, it often hung around here, hence the na Niboshi.
Probably considering compatibility, Kurumi swapped the cat food for small dried fish. As for where she got the dried fish? The open refrigerator inside the shrine answered Yutsuki's question.
Yutsuki tried to approach Niboshi holding the dried fish. This ti, the cat didn't run away in fear imdiately, but after eating the dried fish, it ran away from Yutsuki without the slightest attachnt.
"How was it? Did you feel the cuteness of the kitty?"
"...I felt the cruelty of society."
...
Then, Yutsuki and Kurumi returned to the shopping district. This ti, the target was the big boss (forr) of this street—Toramaru.
"ow-ao... ow-ao, ow-ao!"
"ow ow ow ow!"
This slightly chubby tabby cat curled up on top of a trash can completely ignored the cat food and teaser wand in Yutsuki's hands. Seeing Kurokichi enjoying Pacific saury next to Kurumi, its eyes miraculously turned into hearts. Emitting strange ows, it pounced towards Kurokichi. Then, with an elegant spin, Kurokichi swatted Toramaru straight into the trash can with a single paw.
By the way, Kurokichi is a female cat...
"I feel like it's not so strange that you got knocked down by Kurokichi, Kurumi."
"No... I only felt soft paw pads back then... Ahem—it was nothing." Kurumi coughed awkwardly and said, "Well, Toramaru-san has already fainted. Does Yutsuki-san want to go pet him?"
"In many ways, I solemnly reject that offer."
...
Then, the subsequent results were, without exception, complete failures. Let alone touching a cat, just by getting within a few ters of them, the cats would be terrified and flee in panic.
Facing this situation, even Kurumi felt it was a bit tricky.
"Well then, let's feed the cats catnip-laced cat food first, and then let Yutsuki-san pet them."
Suddenly, a Kurumi popped out and proposed. Unlike the eyepatch Kurumi from before, this Kurumi was covered in bandages from her right hand to her left foot, and over her left eye.
Yutsuki was a bit curious about what exactly these bandages were sealing away.
"Isn't that cheating?"
"This is rely a ans to an end. You can't call it despicable, 'I' also often—"
Kurumi directly shoved bandage Kurumi back into the shadows and nodded thoughtfully.
"Well, since it's co to this, we have no choice but to try this thod."
"We're really going to try it..."
Yutsuki said tiredly.
"What's wrong? Do you have an objection,Yutsuki-san?"
"Whatever. I already feel like anything is fine."
Yutsuki sighed, speaking with a tone of soone who has seen through the vanity of the world.
Soon, Kurumi's clone used silver line-lacedcat food—an EX-tier Noble Phantasm against cats—to capture a cat and bring it before them. Coincidentally, this calico cat was none other than the one Kurumi was teasing initially—Satou-san.
Indeed, after consuming the silver-vine cat food, Satou, let alone resisting, was so drunk it couldn't even ow clearly. Naturally, it couldn't run away when it saw Yutsuki. However, just as Yutsuki was about to take the calico cat, the cat's body suddenly convulsed, and then—a puddle of liquid suddenly appeared on the floor beneath it.
Yutsuki: "..."
Kurumi (multiple) "..."
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