Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: CASE-3B-106 [Ownerless Rat]
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I sprinted toward the source of the noise and spotted a rat anomaly playing a flute at the mouth of the back alley.
"...Grrr."
I glared at the human-sized rat, its fangs bared as it produced flute sounds.
Squeak~
The thing blowing away on its flute noticed me and curled its lips into a grin.
"A traitor tamed by humans. Nice to see you again, squeak."
It bowed its head like some noble, then glanced around before scoffing.
"...Tch. What a filthy, lowly back alley. Not even gutter rats would live in a dump like this."
A scruffy girl in a cardboard box T-shirt.
A massive rat with a flute in its mouth.
If you asked who was the dirtiest one here, anyone would point to the rat.
At least I look cute and pretty. That thing was just a giant rat.
I hadn't forgotten last night's insult for a second. I immediately loaded up my flame breath and got ready to fire.
"Wait, I didn't come here to fight, squeak!"
"I'm here to fight, though?"
The rat hurriedly raised its paws to talk, but I had no intention of entertaining its negotiations.
Whoosh—!
A vivid pink flame shot from my fingertips, blazing fiercely.
"Are you dumb or something...?! Talking's no use with lizards, squeak!"
"You're the one who provoked me first, idiot."
It was the rat's fault for taunting me first and then trying to chat like nothing happened.
Whoosh—!! The flames swirled, incinerating everything where it stood.
"Squeak...! Think that puny attack can stop me, squeak?!"
Just like yesterday, it blew its flute, slipped into the shadows, dodged the flames, and reappeared in the same spot.
Physical attacks and magic don't work on this type, huh.
That flute seems to be the key to summoning shadows. Snatch that away, and I can stop the shadow tricks.
"Squeak squeak. Let's make a deal, lizard!"
"...A deal?"
I'd only paused to plan my strategy, but the anomaly mistook it for lost fighting spirit and sniffed the air before proposing a deal.
"That's right, squeak! A deal! There's no reason a strong anomaly like you would stick with humans, squeak!"
I figured I'd take the chance to assess the situation while listening to its nonsense.
"Looks like you've got some debt to humans... I'll guarantee you better treatment, squeak! First off: a luxurious lair!"
I'm already living in a great spot.
Nobody comes up to the rooftop of this abandoned apartment, after all.
Plus, I had that tiger anomaly pelt I'd skinned last time.
"Second: I'll treat you to delicious meals every time! No more relying on humans for food and shelter—we'll procure it ourselves!"
"...Food?"
"Yeah! Food! Not cheap burgers, but gourmet dishes made from cooking humans, squeak!"
The mere thought of anything but burgers touching my tongue made my instincts recoil in disgust.
Human flesh? No way.
Besides, I'd lived thirty years as a human before becoming an anomaly—I'd never even considered eating people.
"And third: Someone like you could be executive level! I'll nominate you as an officer in the Anomaly Association right away!"
"Huh...? Anomaly Association?"
Anomaly Association? Like some villain syndicate?
The sudden big-scale name nearly short-circuited my brain.
"Not tempted? The Association's crawling with guys stronger than me, squeak!"
Misinterpreting my silence, it got all excited and kept babbling.
"Come with us right now, squeak!"
Whoosh—! It opened a portal of shadows like before and chuckled squeakily.
Did it really think I'd fall for that crap?
For real?
"Sorry, but no interest whatsoever."
Those were tempting offers for any anomaly, but they didn't sway me one bit. The rat panicked hard.
"...Squeak? Why, why not!"
Why wouldn't I leave?
Simple.
"I'm staying here because I genuinely love it."
I really do love this place.
There's Lua's Hamburger that never gets old no matter how much I eat, and Mi-ra Owner who accepts me as a person beyond just an anomaly.
Plus, there are still so many burgers I haven't tried yet.
...And I still haven't properly bonded with Gramps, who's around my age.
No reason to abandon my personal utopia just because it asked.
"Damn...! You've fully betrayed us, squeak! Think you'll feel the same when the shop you're protecting is gone?!"
The anomaly finally gave up persuading me and put the flute back in its mouth to take me out.
"Try it. If you can."
I lowered my body, tail swishing lightly.
Before it could react, I launched forward at blinding speed and snatched the flute.
Swish—. In less than 0.1 seconds.
The flute was in my grasp in an instant.
"There. No flute now—what's your move?"
"...Squeak?!"
Crack! I crushed it in my hand. Only then did the rat realize its flute was gone and started trembling.
"H-How...?!"
I tossed the shattered flute to the ground, and it stared in disbelief.
It must not have realized how strong I was since I went easy on it back at Yongsan Park.
"W-Wait! How did you do that, squeak?! No one's ever broken my flute!!"
"Just squeezed, and it shattered easy."
Did it think a wooden flute—not even aluminum—couldn't break?
My neck cracked as I approached slowly. The giant rat, uncharacteristically, trembled and backed away.
"Let's talk like civilized anomalies, squeak!"
"Talk, huh... Fine. We'll talk with fists. I'll hit you first, then you hit me."
Fair and equal—one for you, one for me.
Of course, my turn would end the conversation.
"I'll make you regret insulting my shop."
I clenched my fist and reared back to swing.
"Lua!!"
Mi-ra Owner's voice came from behind me.
"Squeak squeak!"
I flinched instinctively at her voice. The rat seized the opening and charged straight at her.
Figured it couldn't win in a fight, so it was going for a hostage.
"Not on my watch!!"
"Squeek!?"
Thwack!! I blocked its path in a flash and whipped it with my tail, sending it tumbling into a portal.
"It's dangerous—stay inside!"
"Wait, Lua...! Are you right now?!"
"I'll explain later!"
No time for explanations. I dove into the closing portal.
Shwooo—! Darkness filled my vision, a floating sensation enveloped me, and soon I landed in what looked like a ballroom in an extradimensional space.
"...!"
Eerie music assaulted my eardrums.
A nauseating stench of blood stung my nose.
"Ugh.... Please...!"
"Save me...! I don't wanna dance anymore!!"
"Gaaah!! Spare me!!"
On a stage etched with magic circles, people were forcibly dancing and playing instruments.
At their feet lay heaps of people collapsed from exhaustion.
When the barefoot dancers' feet bled and blistered, the blood trickled along grooves in the floor into a central bowl.
...So that's the source of that metallic blood smell.
"Squeak squeak!! How the hell did you get in here?!"
The rat anomaly freaked out upon seeing I'd followed it to the ballroom.
"Me? Walked in the front door after you."
"...Tch?!"
I looked down at it coldly.
"You look all fancy... but you're just a gutter rat through and through."
"Squeak! Don't insult my ritual ballroom!"
"Ballroom? This? Any passing city rat would laugh."
If this dump's a ballroom, then my place is paradise.
Oh, right—it is.
"First things first: kill the music."
Fwoosh!! I incinerated all the instruments in their hands with flames.
"H-Huh...? I'm... alive!!"
The people who'd been playing until their hands bled were freed.
"Thought I was gonna die..."
"God... thank you..."
"Mom...! Sniff...!"
The music cut off abruptly, and the dancers—who'd kept going until their feet were raw—stopped and collapsed to the floor.
The bizarre banquet ended in seconds.
Without its flute, the rat anomaly panicked, whipping its head around and screaming.
"Dance, all of you!! What are you doing?! Don't ruin my summoning ritual, you damn humans!!"
It spat sticky saliva while barking orders, but without the flute, it had no hypnotic power.
"...That bastard! It controlled us!!"
"Kill it! Kill it!!"
"Kill it!!"
The newly freed crowd turned on the rat with bloodshot eyes and charged.
"Squeeeek!! Get away, you filth!! You disgusting pests!!"
Devoid of its flute and any defenses, the rat rolled on the ground, getting pummeled from all sides.
Just like a rat pack rampaging through—only this time, it was humans overwhelming the anomaly, beating it to a pulp.
"Squeak!! Sorry! Please!! Squeeeeek!!"
I gazed down at the violent feast and murmured softly.
"Told you not to insult my shop."
Nobody who disses our shop gets out alive.
"Catastrophe...! Dragon!!"
With its death cry, it was buried under the victims' fury—literally turned into rat stew.
The crowd's kicks finally stopped once they confirmed the anomaly was dead.
"Okay, everyone, listen up!"
I wagged my tail to draw their attention.
"You all were kidnapped! I came to rescue you!"
Sharp horns.
Bright red eyes.
Fluttering wings.
Chubby tail too.
People murmured at my inhuman appearance, but once they saw I wasn't hostile, they quieted down.
"I'll get you out right now, but there's a condition!"
I held up my index finger and flashed a cute smile.
A quick headcount of the kidnapped and the exhausted ones came to about fifty.
All these folks... could be potential customers for Lua's Hamburger.
"When you're hungry later, come visit Lua's Hamburger in Yongsan District! It's hearty and super tasty!"
I promoted Mi-ra Owner's shop like a home shopping host.
"Oh, and no pressure—totally optional!"
Forcing them would just give the shop a bad rep.
The future I envisioned was a thriving shop, not a ruined one, so I had to be careful.
"Alright! Line up single file! If you're hurt, lean on someone who's okay!"
I expertly guided them out through a small portal in the corner of the ballroom.
"Thank you.... I won't forget this kindness..."
Right before entering the portal, they bowed their heads in gratitude.
"...Ehehe."
Receiving thanks out of nowhere put me in a good mood, so I cutely tilted my head.
"Um.... Excuse me."
The girl at the back of the line approached and gave me a small flower pin.
"Huh? What's this?"
"It's my treasured flower pin... I wanted to give you something in return."
"Grrr...! Thanks! Be careful going home!!"
"...Yes! Thank you! I won't forget this!"
I patted the head of the slightly taller girl, then watched her clutch the pin and exit through the portal.
"Hehe~."
The ballroom fell silent once everyone escaped.
I double-checked for any forgotten survivors, then approached the rat stew on the floor.
"Think I'd fall for playing dead?"
"...!?"
It had been kicked thousands of times, but anyone could tell it wasn't dead.
A dragon's eyes and nose can't be fooled.
"Squeak squeak! Spare me! Please!!"
It scrambled up and begged pathetically, but...
I'd already decided to rip its head off.
"I-If you kill me, the Anomaly Association will hunt you down...!!"
Out of options, it tried threatening me instead.
"Let 'em come. I'll kill them all."
Crunch!!
Ignoring the threat, I yanked its head off—spine and all. The flute-playing rat anomaly met its end without a peep.
"Eugh...! Blech!"
Blue blood from its headless body splashed into my mouth, making me gag violently.
I tossed the head onto the ballroom floor, flipped over the blood-filled bowl in the magic circle's center, and set it ablaze.
That should stop whatever ritual it was trying with the people.
Anyway, Yongsan District's mass disappearance case: solved!
"Mi-ra Owner's probably worried. Time to head back."
I wiped the blood from my face and jumped into the portal. After a brief float, I landed in the lobby of Lua's Hamburger.
"Lua's back! Ta-da~!"
I announced my return from handling business with a cute hop.
"...Lu...a? Is that really you?"
Mi-ra Owner, who'd been sitting at the counter in tears, spotted me and came rushing over in a fluster.