150
Ch. 150 Wow
"Are you planning to make only me run errands? Why don't we go together?"
As Gu Seo-ryong examined Ui quietly with searching eyes and spoke with a smile, the inside of Ui laughed noisily.
She was probably making hopeful observations after seeing behavior that appeared no different than usual.
The lingering presence of CXI in W-City, the fragile trust Dekel had built so far, the belief that nothing would happen if they just waited until Black Cat returned.
Yet she didn't want to leave Sagugu and Ui alone because of her remaining doubts and wariness.
As expected of Gu Seo-ryong - her intuition is remarkably sharp.
Her danger detection ability surpasses even CXI's.
Unus is too strong, so her danger detection must have weakened, right?
Yes, that must be it.
This woman, despite knowing nothing, only makes the exact suspicions I don't want her to make.
"I'm busy playing with Sagugu."
"You can do that later."
"Do you think Sagugu would agree?"
"Sagugu wants to play now!"
"No, come get food with me. Where do you see kids sending their mom on errands?"
"Want to play now!"
As Sagugu made a ‘Buuung’ sound with her mouth and pushed Ui's head with her Ppippung doll, Gu Seo-ryong clicked her tongue.
She couldn't press further, afraid Sagugu might run away if her mood was ruined.
Having human surveillance cameras around makes a difference.
"Stay put."
Eventually, Gu Seo-ryong left Sagugu with Ui and went alone to get food.
Ui, being shaken by Sagugu's hands, checked the time.
Morning when Unus left W-City, now well into lunchtime.
Had they come later, Ui would have gone looking, but Sagugu arrived right on time.
"I can't miss this opportunity. Number 666."
"Unyaang?"
The mass exodus plan from A-City - a heavenly blessing, truly divine luck.
Ui looked at Sagugu, whose eyes were shining.
Slight hesitation, trembling gaze, Sagugu's innocent reaction feeling but not fully understanding Ui's emotions.
"Ui? What's wrong? Something happened?"
Ui raised a trembling hand toward Sagugu.
Then, clenching a fist, Ui muttered again:
"Number 666, are you trying to ruin the plan?"
Sagugu, sensing something strange from Ui, perked up her ears from under her hat.
"Nyaaaa?"
Squeezing her eyes shut then opening them, Ui stretched a hand toward Sagugu who was backing away.
Simultaneously, moisture gathered in the air, forming a thin membrane over Sagugu's head.
As the confused Sagugu blinked rapidly and wiped her face, the moisture penetrated her body.
"Nyak! Unyaaak! Uyaaaaak!"
Sssss - precisely calculated abilities burned through the blood vessels in Sagugu's brain.
The sensation of intense burning pain in her brain - Sagugu collapsed on the grass, smoke pouring from her eyes, ears and mouth as she rolled in circles.
"Nyaaaaaaak!"
"What, what's that?"
"What's that sound?"
Refugees turned toward Sagugu's screams as Gu Seo-ryong came running with food in both hands.
As Gu Seo-ryong dropped the bags and reached Sagugu, the girl suddenly sprang up.
"Sagugu! Sagugu-ya!"
"Nyang?"
When Gu Seo-ryong grabbed Sagugu's arms, the wide-eyed girl blinked rapidly.
Gu Seo-ryong cupped Sagugu's face, examining her eyes, then glared at the motionless Ui.
"What did you do to her!"
Gu Seo-ryong carefully pressed her fingertips against Sagugu's neck.
Since Sagugu had already tried regaining composure several times, she was probably checking if the medication had worn off again.
Even while angry, her unease showed she hoped Ui hadn't done anything.
Ui frowned and licked his lips.
"If anyone's doing something to Sagugu, isn't it you?"
"Ehh-choo!"
As the docile Sagugu sneezed in Gu Seo-ryong's arms, bloody smoke burst from her mouth.
Acidic venom burning Gu Seo-ryong's poison.
Gu Seo-ryong's eyes widened as she inhaled the venomous smoke - as a Venom Alchemist, she instantly recognized the injected poison had been expelled.
"Nyaaang!"
Coughing violently, Sagugu pushed off Gu Seo-ryong's embrace and leaped onto a nearby utility pole.
Refugees gasped at the sight of a child scaling the pole in one bound.
"Huh? What? That kid..."
"A superpower human?"
"Sagugu-ya! Come down! Now!"
As the flustered Gu Seo-ryong called, Sagugu looked down and said:
"Why nya come down?"
Crouched on the pole making crying sounds, Sagugu lifted a hind leg to adjust her hat covering her ears.
Gradually, fur covered her feet as claws extended sharply.
"A cat?"
"A cat person!"
"What? That's a power too?"
Shaking out her ears and hair, Sagugu's eyes shone as she let out a loud cry:
"Nyaaang~!"
The spreading ultra-low frequency - a wavelength only monsters could sense - made Gu Seo-ryong's expression harden.
The same wavelength used to call Black Cat.
But slightly different this time.
"Nyaaaang~! Nyaa...?"
"Whoa!"
"Watch out!"
When no response came, Sagugu tilted her head and kicked the utility pole.
Crash! As people dodged the toppling pole, the frozen Gu Seo-ryong locked eyes with equally still Ui.
"...Tch!"
Her eyes certain Ui had done something to Sagugu.
Gu Seo-ryong's body covered in scales as she chased after Sagugu.
"What? Another one?"
"A villain? She destroyed property!"
"Hey! That woman just—"
Landing on a rooftop, the crouching Gu Seo-ryong called to Sagugu who was emitting wavelengths:
"Nyaaaang~! Nyaaaang~!"
"Sagugu-ya, come here."
At the voice, Sagugu turned from calling for her brother.
"What nya doing? Nya does not want to brush teeth!"
Snap! Angry at being chased, Sagugu frowned at her own words, tilting her head.
"Nya? Brush teeth?"
"I won't make you brush, come."
"Nya busy nya. Nya looking for Sagugu's brother...?"
Confused, Sagugu shook her head violently.
"Nyaang? Brother?"
Claws extended, she deeply scratched her head until blood from her forehead reached her eyes.
"Brother? Nyaaaa? Brother is—"
"Claws! Put claws away! You're bleeding! Stay there, stay still—!"
"Head hurts nya...! Nya, nyaaa!"
"Saguugu-ya, it's okay. Mom will make it better. Come."
"Mo...mmy?"
Sagugu's vertically slit pupils peered at Gu Seo-ryong between fingers.
Her pupils repeatedly dilated and contracted.
"Nya is...mommy?"
"That woman is Gu Seo-ryong, Sagugu."
Beside the confused Sagugu, Ui emerged from the ground and spoke.
"The escaped test subject who killed your brother, Number 444. The bad woman who's been controlling you until now."
"Ui!"
Crash! Gu Seo-ryong's claws pierced Ui's head.
Like disturbed water, Ui's body distorted - a translucent slime-body grasping Gu Seo-ryong's wrist.
"You...!"
"Too late, Gu Seo-ryongl."
Sizzle - the acidic body rapidly burned Gu Seo-ryong's wrist.
Watching this, Sagugu's tail stood rigid.
"She's already starting to remember."
Gu Seo-ryong's massive tail swung at Ui's neck.
But before contact, a black-furred arm caught it with extended claws.
"Nya not...mommy? Nya...brother, brother nya...?"
"Grr...!"
Baring sharp teeth, Sagugu stood frozen with her neck twisted, staring at Gu Seo-ryong.
Blood dripped from her blinking eyes as fur gradually covered her body.
"Nya is..."
Her feet elongated into feline joints.
The dazed Sagugu kept tilting her head in confusion.
"Number 499?"
Whoomph - a heavy wavelength erupted from Sagugu.
Freezing air transformed into icy blades scattering everywhere.
Crack! Baring teeth, Gu Seo-ryong leaped back from the blade storm.
"You damn brat!"
Snap! Flicking her fingers, the airborne Gu Seo-ryong split into dozens of copies.
Mental interference - temporarily escaping Sagugu's senses - Ui's gaze followed the real Gu Seo-ryong.
Rather than fleeing, she charged at Sagugu.
Whoosh - pushing off the railing, Gu Seo-ryong caught the falling Sagugu, injecting her back and neck with paralytic, sedatives, and psychoactive drugs.
As the ground approached during their fall, citizens below screamed at the intermingling black-and-white figures.
"Look there!"
"Something's falling!"
"Ahhhh!"
Then, the arms holding Sagugu were torn off.
Having brutally ripped off both arms, the innocent-eyed Sagugu blinked and asked:
"Nya lied to me? Nya not mommy?!"
"Now you realize?!"
Wrapping Sagugu with her tail and stabbing the tip into her back, Gu Seo-ryong found herself grabbed and spun violently.
Whooosh! The centrifugal force whipped Gu Seo-ryong into the ground like a hammer.
"Ghhhaak...!"
"Nyaa!"
The recoil launched Sagugu spinning through the air before she landed gracefully.
"Huh? What?"
"Alert! The alarm!"
"Is it broken?"
Whooom - Sagugu's unconcealed wavelength triggered monster alarms.
A sound unheard since Black Cat created safe zones - citizens froze instead of evacuating.
On all fours, Sagugu charged at the fallen Gu Seo-ryong.
Shhhhk - standing over the claw-shredded corpse, Sagugu looked up at the real Gu Seo-ryong escaping airborne.
"Brother already dead? Nya killed him?!"
Clinging to a building, Gu Seo-ryong exhaled sedative-laced venom, only making Sagugu more frenzied.
Sagugu's form grew more panther-like.
Citizens froze seeing the Black Cat-like figure emerge from mist - a massive black panther.
"Huh? That person just—"
"Black Cat? No?"
"No! Another monster!"
Now even W-City citizens could distinguish Black Cat from similar monsters.
The blaring alarms announced Despair-level - not Black Cat.
Heroes arriving urgently shouted from above:
"Citizens! Emergency evacuation! This is not a drill!"
"Please proceed to shelters! This is real! Evacuate immediately!"
"Ahhhh!"
"Monster! A monster!"
"How, with the Black Cat here?!"
Above evacuating citizens, Heroes surrounded Sagugu.
Frantic communications - designating the suddenly appeared monster for immediate extermination.
Gu Seo-ryong glared at Ui sitting motionless on the rooftop.
What does he gain from making Heroes fight Sagugu?
Why not act directly? Is the chaos itself the goal?
Reading Gu Seo-ryong's thoughts through her gaze, the expressionless Ui answered:
"Unfortunately, wrong."
Plink, plink - rain began falling.
Ui's translucent forehead glowed mysteriously from within.