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Chapter 25 – The cat in the middle of crossfire
There’s a pitch black shepherd with red eyes.
And it has three heads.
Yeah…
I can see why you would call him Cerberus.
But…
Could you not fight in here, please?
The three headed beast and Mable stare at each other.
Meanwhile, Cana seems out of breath.
I guess summoning a big beast exhausts her…
Just like when she slumped down after summoning Fenrir.
Neither one of them is making the first move…
The tension is quickly rising.
“S-stop!”
The two girls look at me in unison.
“… you can talk already?”
Even when asking me, Mable’s glare doesn’t change.
Can you quit doing that?!
I’m gonna have a heart attack!
“Y-yes… she healed me… cough!”
Though, not completely.
After a moment of silence, the redhead’s glare shifts back to Cana.
Even with the beast standing guard, Mable’s intimidation makes her take another step back.
Mable’s eyebrows furrow.
“What is your goal?”
Still such a cold tone…
“W-what…? Umm, my goal… ermm…”
Ah, her goal…
That’s quite awkward to talk about, isn’t it?
Let’s help her out.
“Some guy called Matoto ordered her to capture Deliah so she can join his harem.”
…
Yep.
Exactly the same reaction as mine.
I think your eyes are gonna fall out of their sockets.
Hey, what’s with that reproachful look, Cana?
I said it in your place so you didn’t have to!
“… how is she gonna join a harem if she’s torn to bits by your wolves?”
Oh, she’s back to her glaring mode.
And she’s right.
From what I heard, the herd of wolves totally aimed for her life and not for her capture.
“Eh? Y-you mean nightmare? Err… I-I’m sorry! I know he can be a little scary, b-but he wouldn’t hurt anyone!”
Huh…
First of all, Nightmare?
That’s such an edgy name to give to your black wolf.
And…
Singular?
I’m pretty sure there were multiple wolves.
“What are you blabbering about…?”
“H-his illusions don’t leave real injuries! I-I just wanted to scare the guards and then take that girl… but they were too strong…”
Illusions…?
So the horde was just an illusion?
Also, how many abilities do her wolves have up their sleeves?!
Invisibility, healing and now illusions?
They can do anything!
“… then what about the werewolf?”
Right…
The werewolf.
How is a beast, who indiscriminately attacks people, supposed to help in capturing someone?
“The werewo-… oh… umm…”
Cana’s eyes float around the room.
“Well? Why did you turn an innocent old blacksmith into a werewolf?”
So he was a blacksmith…?
Wait, why do you know that while I don’t?!
“T-that… wasn’t me! I… err…”
The Cerberus and the white wolf pup look at her with a sad expression as her gaze drops to the ground.
It wasn’t her…?
She’s using an excuse like that NOW?”
“I-I don’t know who did it! B-but it wasn’t me! A-and… it wasn’t… Matoto… probably…”
…
In other words, it was that Matoto guy again.
He can curse others…?
“I see…”
After a pause, Mable pointed at Cana’s face.
“Your curse… is it his doing as well?”
…
Huh?
She is cursed?
Well, I guess growing fur on your face is unnatural, but…
“Y…yes…”
…
Seriously?
He even cursed her?
Is that guy trying to break the record for being the biggest jerk in the history or something?
I never even met him and I already know he is my mortal enemy!
Mable sighed and facepalmed.
“Look, we can get someone to lift that curse and-”
“No!”
Cana interrupts Mable mid-sentence while covering the cursed half of her face with a hand.
Mable’s frown returns.
“Why not…?”
That was me asking.
I can’t believe she would want to keep a curse like that.
“B-because then…”
She turns to her two familiars with a sad expression.
But then she lifts up her head and pumps her fist.
“B-because this is a special curse that can’t be lifted!”
An unliftable curse?
That’s horrible!
Why do you sound so proud?!
“Can’t be lifted, huh? Well, we won’t know until we try.”
Mable takes another step forward.
In response, Cana tenses up and her minions growl.
…
Are we back at this?
Is a fight inevitable after all?
What can I do in this situation…?
Do I heroically stand between them with my arms spread?
Yeah… no.
Even if I was willing to test out my nine lives skill, I still can’t move much.
But if I don’t do anything now…
“Tapi, return! Cerberus, break out!”
With her sudden instructions, the white pup vanishes just like it appeared and the three-headed beast turns around and runs past Cana.
For a brief moment, I see one of its mouths glow before an explosion occurs.
Luckily it’s quite small and doesn’t catch me in its blast, but the light blinds me for an instant.
“You’re not going anywhere!”
The gorilla runs at Cana and Cerberus, who are trying to escape through the hole in the wall.
But she is too slow.
The girl and the beast jump outside and sprint off.
Only now have I realized we’re actually on the fourth floor.
Which is probably why Mable stopped her pursuit.
What, a gorilla can’t survive a fall from the fourth floor?
I can see frustration in her eyes as screams from the outside arrive in the room.
Mable clenches her fists and silently grunts.
The guards as well as some medical staff immediately came here after hearing the bang.
Mable told them a cursed girl sneaked inside and tried to kidnap me.
But because she happened to visit me at the same time, it startled the assailant and made her forcefully break out.
Well, it’s almost true.
But why did you make me into a damsel?
Moreover, the kidnapping part was a blatant lie…
“Miss, we will move you to another room for the time being.”
Why thank you, medic lady.
The breeze from the Cerberus-sized hole was really starting to get bothersome.
Especially since I don’t have my Kat dress, which would give me cold resistance…
Speaking of which, give me back my clothes!
As I’m about to ask for them, I see a nurse carrying a stack of black clothes in her arms.
There’s a tail sticking out of it and a cat ear headband lying on top.
“Give that back!”
Still lying on the bed, I point to the nurse and demand my stuff.
“Haha, don’t worry. I’m not taking it away.”
“Give! It! Back!”
“… alright, calm down. I’ll return it when we transport you to the other room, okay?”
That’s what I like to hear.
Finally…
I can finally restore my true form again!
Lying in a bed in another room.
My clothes are folded up and resting on top of me.
Is this a way to mock me?
I need to equip them for the effect to kick in!
But how can I dress myself in my condition?!
After everyone left the room, Mable came back shortly after.
This time, bringing Deliah along.
It feels like an eternity since I last saw her…
“It seems that she managed to escape the city…”
Mable frowns while biting her lower lip.
Hey, isn’t that a good thing?
It means that she didn’t go and attack anyone.
“Well, at least we can calmly chat now.”
Indeed.
“So… about what you told me earlier…”
As I try to bring up the topic of the whole reincarnator thing, she aims her death glare at me.
I told you to stop with it!
Why are you doing it again!
…
Is it because Deliah is here now?
But I already told her about me.
Were you trying to hide it from her…?
“… I already told Deliah about me.”
“What..?”
…
Yep, that expression tells me I did something unnecessary.
Well, I think I’m gonna test the nine lives skill today anyway.
JAVILY LIBRARY 