Chapter 190
Chapter 190
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: Fixer vs. Charismatic Phantom Thief vs. Just Yuria (4)
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Silvercat’s movements were like a silent film.
Despite rushing straight toward me, she made no sound.
I’d heard that felines are naturally quiet thanks to the pads on their paws.
As a cat beastkin, she must have a similar trait.
*And… she's fast!*
Even with such stealth, she was moving at a speed comparable to a car.
The way she got closer with every blink was like something out of a horror movie.
Then again, it wouldn't matter how meticulously a hacker erased their tracks if they couldn't get away themselves.
It seemed Silvercat had the physical prowess to be a phantom thief.
"Stay out of my wayyy!"
"...Eek!"
We were in the basement of an abandoned building.
It looked like it had been used as a server room. The distance between us was only a few meters—far too short.
Was that why? Before I could even take another breath, Silvercat was right in front of me.
I couldn't use my psychokinesis, of course. In that moment, before I could even react, I was about to be torn to shreds.
Panicked, I smoothly twisted my upper body clockwise, narrowly avoiding Silvercat's attack.
It was a purely reflexive movement, my body reacting before my mind could.
"...?"
"Grr...! You!"
H-how did I just do that?
I was bewildered by my own surprisingly skillful evasion.
But was she angered by the fact that her powerful strike had met nothing but empty air?
Correcting her posture, she swung both hands mercilessly, as if trying to mince me.
If one of those landed, it could be really dangerous...
As that thought crossed my mind, I remained on guard, but then I felt a strange sense of unease.
*She's definitely fast... so why do her moves feel so predictable?*
I've never learned how to fight.
Yet Silvercat's attacks didn't feel difficult to dodge.
Could it be that when I change bodies with the Tesseract, I inherit some of their memories?
Come to think of it, when I became a cat beastkin, I used holy magic as naturally as breathing.
In that case, I can probably trust my instincts.
Having sorted out my thoughts, I watched my opponent's movements to the very end and succeeded in deflecting her attacks.
"Stop dodging...!"
No matter how fast or strong an attack is, it's meaningless if it doesn't connect.
Was she growing impatient because I was dodging her attacks too easily?
Clearly provoked, Silvercat lunged forward, trying to overwhelm me with a somewhat reckless charge.
But she was a technician, one who relied on light, skillful movements rather than brute force.
Against me, with my unusually enhanced strength and reaction speed, that was a completely wrong decision.
"Hyaa! Th-this...!"
"Myak!"
Forcing my way forward, I slammed my shoulder hard into her.
Silvercat, seemingly not expecting me to take the offensive, staggered and lost her balance.
I didn't miss the opening and wrapped my arms tightly around her waist, like a strong hug.
Suddenly captured by me, who was smaller in stature, the panicked Silvercat raked her claws across my forearms, shredding my clothes.
But had the Tesseract strengthened my skin as well?
Her desperate struggles only managed to draw a little blood.
*Now, let's see. If I have a firm grip on the waist of someone weaker than me... what should I do next?*
It's simple, really. What else is there but a German suplex?
"Let go, let me go...! Kyaaaah!"
"Hyaaaaaah!"
*Crack.*
Thrown backward and slammed upside down into the floor, Silvercat screamed once, then fell silent.
There seemed to be panels on the floor to absorb the impact, so her life probably wasn't in danger.
But seeing her twitching motionlessly, it looked like it was enough to knock her out.
*Phew, it's been a while since I had a proper workout. My mood's improved, too. Once I get the object back, maybe I'll forgive her.*
Forgiving her just like that. It was an incredibly generous gesture.
After all, my stuff had been stolen, and when I came to get it back, I was immediately attacked.
I was letting her off with just a slam into the floor. She should be grateful.
Well... to be honest, it was also because something was bothering me.
Pushing myself up, I looked down at the upside-down Silvercat on the floor and thought quietly.
*Silvercat was definitely acting strange. It was as if her mind was being controlled...*
Calmly retracing my memories, I realized there were more than a few things that felt off.
For starters, Silvercat, a so-called righteous thief, had stolen the object for no apparent reason.
Then there was the fact that the timid, cowardly Silvercat from her off-hours had tried to devour her partner.
I knew I had to take my knowledge of the original story with a grain of salt.
But for a person's entire personality to change was something I couldn't quite understand.
Considering the reaction of the hacker who was almost eaten... it didn't seem like this was Silvercat's true nature.
*Huh? Oh, right. The hacker. He was here too.*
Lost deep in thought, I suddenly remembered the hacker I had momentarily forgotten.
I'll think about why she's acting so strange later. First, I should probably get the object back.
Having set my priorities, I shifted my gaze to the man lying awkwardly on the floor.
Was it because he'd been in the middle of being pounced on by Silvercat? His disheveled clothes looked a bit unsightly.
"C-Claire was taken down so easily..."
He had a look of disbelief on his face, as if he couldn't accept that Silvercat had been neutralized so simply.
Her combat skills were truly on another level, so his reaction was understandable.
Of course, if she had been in top condition, I wouldn't have won so easily.
It's not like I'm overwhelmingly strong or anything.
Well, for now, none of that mattered.
I just wanted to get the object back quickly before anyone else intervened.
As I approached the hacker sitting on the floor to question him, a sudden thought made me freeze in place.
*...How am I supposed to tell him to hand over the object?*
Now that I was actually trying to get it back, I had no idea how to explain myself.
Raven or Alice would probably understand my clumsy gestures.
But there was no way a complete stranger would understand me just from flailing my arms around.
So, after a moment of deliberation, I made up my mind.
It wouldn't work anyway. I'd better give up on conversation.
*It must be around here somewhere. I'll just take my time and look for it.*
Silvercat may look like that, but as a sturdy beastkin, she'll probably wake up soon.
I turned my attention away from the hacker and decided to check on the upside-down Silvercat on the floor.
Even though she was half-naked, there was a chance she had the object in a pocket somewhere.
It would be more efficient to check the person herself rather than searching the surrounding area.
However, my plan was immediately thwarted.
Because the woman I thought was unconscious... was already getting up.
"Ack..."
"Claire!"
But as I watched the seemingly conscious Silvercat, I couldn't help but be flustered.
Her appearance was so strange that it made me blink.
Staggering toward me with the whites of her eyes showing, like a sleepwalker.
She looked like a ghost from a cheap horror film.
At this point, I had no choice but to consider this a bizarre anomaly.
Deciding this was no time to hold back, I instinctively grasped the Tesseract.
*Sorry, Raven... but I refuse to be caught off guard.*
If things start getting any weirder, I'll crush her with psychokinesis immediately.
As I watched the approaching Silvercat with extreme caution, her form, which had been walking with a low groan, flickered for a moment and changed.
Was she planning to use some kind of invisibility magic?
Just as I was about to shrink back down with the Tesseract, thinking things were about to get more complicated...
I could only stare, mouth agape, at the scene unfolding before my eyes.
The flickering form of Silvercat, like a candle flame in the wind, had transformed into the figure of an all-too-familiar man!
*Is that... R-Raven?*
The black hair, the weary expression, even the wrinkled suit.
No matter how I looked at it, he was the spitting image of the Raven I had just parted with.
No, at this point, it would be more accurate to say it was Raven himself.
Where in the world had the blue-haired beauty, Silvercat, disappeared to?
The sight was too realistic to be dismissed as a mere hallucination; I was completely transfixed.
But to my opponent, did my stunned state present a massive opening?
The Raven who had been staggering like a puppet suddenly rushed toward me!
"..."
"Hyak...!"
*Swoosh!*
Fortunately, I was able to react to Raven's kick just in time.
Even though it didn't connect, the powerful wind pressure pushed my body back slightly.
It was a truly powerful blow; if it had landed, it would have been dangerous.
Clutching my pounding heart and breaking out in a cold sweat, I thought to myself quietly.
That perhaps things had gone terribly, terribly wrong.