AN: Right, so. Before we go towards Zenkichi quest of battling a God, the following couple of chapters will feature the adventures of a few characters before the whole tragedy to give more in-depth of the storyline of this arc, basically a filler. Let's just hope I'll write what I want of it in just two chapters....enjoy!
.....
Nabeshima panted heavily as she leaned back against the concrete wall. She forcibly slowed her breathing, calming her heart and mind. Her eyes dilated and blank, she entered a state of deep focus and concentration. This was the Zone, a technique that some athletes developed to enhance their performance. Nekomi had honed this skill through years of training and gained the ability to enter the Zone at will.
There's a reason why she remained the Judo captain for three whole years after all, not just because she used a lot of dirty tactics in almost all her matches.
In this heightened state of awareness, Nabeshima's senses became razor-sharp. She could perceive every small detail, every movement, and every sound in her surroundings. Time seemed to slow down as her mind processed information at an accelerated pace.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, shutting out the external stimuli, which were her injuries. A bruised right eye, broken left arm, three broken ribs, and bruised legs. It took every bit of her willpower to stay awake, as she knew it would spell her end if she goes unconscious.
'Ten–no, six minutes. I need to rest at least that much if I want a chance to fight back and escape that bitch.'
"Come out, come out wherever you are~" Nabeshima gritted her teeth as she heard that obnoxious and nonchalant voice of her attacker, passing by her spot, which was a secret storage space inside an old classroom meant as a clubhouse. "Haaa. Please don't make this as hard as it already is, senpai. I get it, you don't trust me. I did attack you first, but that was because I knew you wouldn't come along with me easily otherwise," the voice continued, filled with a mix of annoyance and amusement.
Nabeshima's mind raced as she tried to come up with a plan. She had underestimated her opponent, thinking that she'll be like most of the fighters she came across. Rigid and follow close to typical martial art rules and dignity, her opponent wasn't like that. No.
She was more like herself if she was being honest, but much more stronger. As expected of South Korea's number one Judo prodigy, the youngest 5th Dan Judo practitioner, known as Queen of Two Seconds.
"As I said before, senpai. This is just a favor I once owed someone, so I don't want to work hard on something that's not really my specialty. But I guess I have no choice now. If you won't come with me willingly, then I'll just have to take you by force."
Nabeshima's brows furrowed as she listened to the voice growing closer. She knew she couldn't stay hidden for much longer. She needed to act fast if she wanted any chance of escaping.
In one fluid motion, Nabeshima pushed herself off the wall and lunged towards the entrance of the old classroom. As she found herself face to face with her opponent, a smirk formed on her bruised lips.
"Is that the best you've got, Mary Kim?" she taunted, her voice filled with defiance.
Mary Kim raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by Nabeshima's audacity. She looked almost the same as before, having tied her black jacket around her waist and showed off her formfitting grey sports bra that greatly emphasized her large bust, compared to Nabeshima she had only taken some slight bruises. "Oh, someone's feeling confident, huh? Even knowing who I am. Well, let's see how long that lasts."
Without hesitation, Mary launched herself at Nabeshima, executing a perfectly timed judo throw. But Nabeshima was ready. She had predicted the move and swiftly countered, reversing the throw and sending her opponent crashing onto the hard classroom floor.
Stunned, Mary recovered quickly and sprang back to her feet. Nabeshima could see the determination in her eyes, a fire that matched her own.
"Don't you get cocky," Nabeshima watched as Mary charged at her again, this time with a series of lightning-fast punches and kicks. "just because you got a lucky shot!"
Nabeshima blocked and dodged as best as she could, her body aching with every movement. She knew she couldn't sustain this for long. She needed to find a way to turn the tides in her favor.
But in her current state, that seemed to be a dream and it was bound to be broken as Mary finally got a grab of her, and without any hesitation, flung her to the ground in a classic Judo style and proceeded to hold her down; her right arm was held and her neck was positioned in-between Mary's thick thighs.
Nabeshima's face quickly turned pale, her desperation grew as she struggled against Mary's powerful grip.
"Enough. Go to sleep and everything will be all over," Mary's voice was surprisingly gentle and soft as she continued with her hold. "heck, when you wake up, you'll probably see whoever it was you guys were looking for."
"Fuck....you...." Nabeshima groaned through gritted teeth, her vision turning dark as she was being choked out.
'Sorry....everyone. Looks like I can't get out of this one. Ah, I was really looking forward to that date with Zenkichi-kun.' She closed her eyes, accepting the darkness.
"...."
Mary stared at her target, looking unconscious and unmoving. She narrowed her eyes.
'Is she...?' As a test, she loosened her thighs around Nabeshima and waited for a moment. There was no reaction, except the latter's chest slightly moving.
"Heum. Sigan jjeum-e dangsin-eun samchon-ege jeonhwahaess-eoyo. Nal neomu himdeulge mandeul-eo....(Hmph. About time you called uncle. Making me work so hard....)" Mary let out a sigh, relaxing her grip on Nabeshima's neck. She slowly released her hold and stood up, taking a step back to assess the situation.
Only for her eyes to widen in shock, finding a hand holding onto her left ankle, gripping it tight.
Mary felt like her foot was being crushed by hundreds of kilograms of weight!
"You–!" Angrily, she turned to look at the obvious culprit but her eyes widened and her mouth went agape. "Mos-sseuge mandeulda. Ileon houineun neomu akkabda!!(Fuck. This favor is so not worth it!!)"
An emerald light began to emanate from Nabeshima's battered body. The light grew brighter and more intense, enveloping Nabeshima's entire form and physical changes began to occur. Her chest got larger, her muscles became more defined, her fingernails becoming longer and sharper, a pair of cat ears protruded on top of her head, and her injuries gradually began healing as the light continued to surge.
Nabeshima's eyes fluttered open, her pupils were feline-like, her vision blurry as she struggled to regain her senses. She could feel the pain radiating through her body but also....a feeling of explosive power running through her veins, and all her injuries were healing at a visible rate with a bright green light.
'Ah, that's right.' Nabeshima let out a melancholic sigh as she remembered the secret ability she possessed. It was a power that she had kept hidden for years, only using it as a last resort.
She was a descendant of a relatively known clan of the supernatural community, known for their supernatural abilities related to a Cat God that her ancestor had unknowingly saved.
Basically, the Cat God was so grateful to her ancestor that it blessed him/her with some of its powers and would serve as their family's guardian spirit. The blessings Nabeshima's ancestor had were passed down to future generations.
Nabeshima had always despised such an ability, as it went against her belief in relying solely on her own strength and skill, despite her known "mischievous" tactics. Also, she didn't like the skill's name. Seriously, Cattish Tale? But now, in this moment of desperation, she had no choice but to tap into her supernatural power.
She stared at Mary's eyes, and the korean coldly sweated.
"....Uh, nice kitty?"
Nabeshima had a Cheshire-like grin.
....
"Hmmm." Nabeshima stretched her arms, hearing her bones popping made her groan. "Fuu, it's been a while since I used this skill that I completely forgot how much satisfaction I get from beating others with it."
Laying far behind her, slumped against a wall, was Mary Kim. Her face was bruised and bloodied, her eyes were half-closed, and she was clearly unconscious. Nabeshima had used her Cattish Tale ability to overpower and defeat her opponent.
Nabeshima walked over to Mary and crouched down next to her, examining her defeated adversary. Despite the fierce battle they had just engaged in, Nabeshima couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for Mary's strength and skill.
"You fought well, Mary Kim," Nabeshima said softly, her voice filled with a mix of admiration and respect. "You pushed me to my human limits and caused me to use my skill, something that neither Zenkichi and Kurokami had done yet. No wonder you're a prodigy."
She let out a sigh, "Unfortunately, you fell down from your platform when you decided to become such a bitch."
"...."
"You know, there's an idiom for your current situation," A familiar high-pitched voice sounded out from behind Nabeshima, and she didn't have to turn her head to see her friend Shiranui Hansode is now beside her. "I think it was, "don't kick a dog when he/she is down"? The girl is already beaten unconscious, there's no need to further humiliate her."
Nabeshima rolled her eyes and stood up. "Pfft–please. As if you wouldn't do the same, you'd likely even do it worse than me." She looked at her friend up and down, her eyebrows raised. "And looking at your current appearance, I'd say that you already did something like this to someone else."
"Hm?" Shiranui tilted her head, a small smile on her face, trying to seem innocent but the clear blood splatters on her clothes gave away her mischief. "Oh, this? The same thing happened to me, someone tried stopping me from meeting my greatest and best friend in the world. Hah~ When I see that damsel in distress, I am making him get me a lifetime of donuts. Preferably Dunkin."
"Oooh~ Yeah, yeah. Let's both guilt trip him into getting us loads of donuts," Nabeshima smirked, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "But first, do you know what the hell's going on?" She glanced at Mary's unconscious form. "I tried asking her but the bitch is tight-lipped, even the threat of stripping her didn't make her budge."
Shiranui hummed, "Same with my....interceptors. One of them even went as far as biting their tongue, tsk." she shook her head and pulled out a bag of potato chips from...somewhere. "But I already know who can and would do this sort of thing. The only person with enough influence to move a foreign student and the Public Morals Committee."
Nabeshima blinked, "The Public Morals Committee attacked you? Damn. I've heard that they're pretty strong...."
Shiranui grinned, her blue eyes dilated. "Heh, compared to the princess and Hitoyoshi-kun, they're just mere brats."
'Scary.' Nabeshima sweatdropped. 'No wonder I keep feeling uncomfortable around her, animal instincts telling me to be on guard.' She sighed inwardly, though it made much more sense of why Zenkichi trusted her more than anyone even than his childhood friend. She remembered the day when he recruited her, telling her his vision for chaos and mischief.
'So it wasn't all bs then....heh. You're making me like you more and more, Zenkichi-kun~' She unconsciously licked her lips.
"So I'm guessing that the only person capable of doing this is....your grandfather, the chairman?"
Shiranui nodded, her mouth full of chips. "Yeah, that's right. The old man's manipulation knows no bounds. He's got a whole secret project that involves turning the whole student body into geniuses after all."
"....What?"
"Yeah. But this is where I feel that something is wrong. Out of everyone that knows about this project, I feel like he would be the least likely person to orchestrate something like this. It doesn't fit his usual MO," Shiranui explained, her voice filled with a hint of suspicion. "He isn't usually this impatient to grab someone, especially not Hitoyoshi-kun. The princess I can understand. Moreover, he tried stopping ME."
"What's the problem with that? Most rich old people would try and kidnap their children in order to protect them."
Shiranui narrowed her eyes. "Grandfather is a lot of things, but having the balls to stop his granddaughter's fun is not one of them. He would sooner do a seppuku than try to take away my gameboy."
Nabeshima crossed her arms, deep in thought. "So, if it's not your grandfather, then who could it be? Someone with access to the Public Morals Committee and enough power to move a foreign student...."
"...."
"By the way, what's with the cat girl cosplay?"
Nabeshima twitched.
Just as she was about to respond, the school's PA system crackled to life, interrupting their conversation.
"Upupupupupupupu. Now that's a good beatdown, Nabeshima Nekomi! Especially at the end, wowza you really surprised a lot of people when you started filling up. I'm a little jealous~ Ah, I didn't want to let out Hansode-chan as well. Although she didn't transform into an adult bombshell version of herself when she used her skill, the way she punished her opponents was all the more exciting~"
Both girls frowned, they stared at the speakers with grim expressions.
"....Shiranui-chan?" Nabeshima asked.
"I have no idea what's going on."
"Well, shit."
Suddenly, loud blaring alarms began to sound out throughout the school. And the words that came out of the PA speakers were different but it wasn't anything less bone chilling.
"Warning! Warning! Disaster level 5! All students and teachers must head inside the school building for shelter. Isolation and disaster shelter protocol will be initiated in five minutes. Warning! Warning! Disaster level 5! All students...."
"What? A disaster? But there wasn't anything on the news this morning that–"
"It's a lie, Nabeshima-senpai." Shiranui interrupted, her voice serious. "I can sense it. There's no disaster happening outside. You heard it, right? They want to keep us in this school."
Nabeshima's eyes narrowed. "But why are they doing this?"
"....I don't know."
The PA system buzzed once more, cutting the silence permeating the air.
"Upupupupupupupu. Hey everyone, wanna play a game~?"
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