"Laughter is the best medicine."
(---)
Emerging from the old mining tunnels, I step onto the damp cobblestones of the capital's backstreets, the scent of wet stone and old iron clinging to my coat. My mind lingers on Sellen — on the way she stopped me from killing that monster. He had once been a friend. Now, just a shadow of himself, swallowed by madness.
Her eyes won't leave my thoughts. Direct, honest... uncomfortably pure.
"Tch... guess I really am soft." I mutter, annoyed at myself for feeling bothered at all.
Only now do I notice where my feet have taken me. The bustling commercial district of Suzou, where scents of sizzling meats and spices blend with the clamor of voices bartering under paper lanterns. The city's lifeblood pulses here, yet despite the crowd, no one spares me more than a glance.
"What's wrong with this city...?"
People glance at my face but quickly move on...
(Am I using some kind of Mystical Code for concealment...?)
(Or have I just been gone from Suzou for too long?)
Either way, I push the thought aside. My stomach protests — I should grab something to eat before moving on.
Before I can turn toward a restaurant, a sharp voice cuts through the noise.
"Hey! You! Long-haired, black-haired guy! Hold it right there!"
I stop, narrowing my eyes at the source.
"Are you deaf or just slow?" The voice belongs to a girl perched casually on a streetlamp, her golden braids swaying as she tilts her head. "You match the description — stupid, long black hair, probably doesn't get along with women..."
I feel my brow twitch.
"What did you just say!?"
She grins, a sharp-toothed, feline smirk.
She's a Kaka. I should've realized sooner — the blood-red eyes, the long black tail with a white tip, the oversized hoodie mimicking feline ears. Her sleeves end in rounded mitten-like extensions, complete with paw prints on the palms. A dangling red paw-shaped zipper pull bounces as she hops down, landing in a crouch.
The Kaka are a reclusive people, mostly staying in the Lower Districts. Strange to see one wandering the city. My family has deep ties with them — thanks to my third mother — but that doesn't explain why this one's calling me out.
"I don't mind nicknames," I say, "but maybe try a little tact next time?"
"Ohh! You really are the stupid, long-haired, black-haired guy! Jackpot." She claps her paws together. "I'm starving. Feed me."
I blink. "...What?"
"Buy me food."
"And why the hell would I do that?"
She tilts her head, ears twitching. "Weird... That witch girl said you would."
I stiffen. "Witch girl...?"
"Yep!" She nods enthusiastically. "She told me, 'A foolish gentleman with long black hair will pass by here soon. You should try asking him for food. He might seem a bit prim and proper, but he was kind enough to let a monster walk away unharmed, so he's a 'good man' by any definition of the word.'"
Her mimicry is uncanny — Alice's voice, her cadence, even her smugness.
"...Damn you, Alice." I mutter.
The Kaka, undeterred, dramatically throws herself onto the ground. "Meow! I'm dying of hunger! A 'good man' wouldn't let me pawrish! If you abandon me, I'll haunt you! Swear on my tail!"
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Alright, alright... Fine. But let's make it interesting." I smirk. "Winner buys today's lunch."
Her ears perk up, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Great idea! But be warned — Tera's pretty strong."
"...I was joking."
"Tera is on a long and difficult journey to become rich! And that means fighting! Lots of fighting!" She stretches her arms, tail flicking eagerly.
I exhale, shaking my head. "I don't understand a single word of what you're saying."
"Here I gooo!"
She lunges.
A flicker of shadow and gold, her speed is staggering. She closes the distance in a heartbeat, her left hook cutting through the air like a gunshot. I barely raise Fireseal in time, shocked. The impact rattles my arm, force rippling through the steel. She's strong — far stronger than I expected!
Rather than absorbing the full brunt, I twist, redirecting the momentum. My counter-kick sweeps toward her midsection, sharp and precise—
But she vanishes.
A blur of motion — she flips back, landing effortlessly atop a nearby railing, crouched low like a predator. Her grin shifts, still playful but now sharpened with intent. Her tail flicks once.
Then, she moves.
She explodes forward, twisting mid-air. Twin glints of silver catch the lantern light as curved blades slide from her sleeves — wicked, cat-like talons meant for rending flesh.
I barely manage to react, Fireseal meeting steel with a shriek of sparks.
She presses in, relentless, her slashes fluid and unpredictable. I seize the opening, forcing my free hand forward — a steel round shield bursts into existence in my hand, blocking her attack and slamming her back.
Tera lands on all fours, tail twitching. Then she's moving again, sprinting low, her sweeping kick cutting across the ground like a scythe.
I leap, twisting over her strike, and land a few paces back, dematerializing the shield. As I touch down, I crush a ruby between my fingers. A burst of crimson smoke erupts, thick and choking.
But Tera doesn't hesitate.
She dives straight through, dispersing the smoke with sheer momentum. The moment I see the flicker of her silhouette, I know she's already mid-strike.
Her claws flash—
I pivot, Fireseal meeting them in a flurry of sparks.
Enough of this.
Wind familiars burst to life at my side, howling forth a barrage of slicing gales. Tera twists impossibly, slipping between the projectiles with feline grace, but it forces her back.
"Nyehehe... You're fun, good man!" Her grin widens.
Then she moves again.
She becomes a whirlwind, using streetlamps and walls as springboards, ricocheting toward me from unpredictable angles. Her claws extend — three gleaming talons from each sleeve, seeking flesh.
I block, but she's relentless — striking, feinting, disappearing only to strike again. My wind familiars don't even last a second, slashed apart mid-air.
She's pressing me hard. Too hard.
Then — an opening.
My glasses glint — Crystalized Wisdom catching the faintest moment of overextension.
She lunges, claws poised for the knockout.
I twist, Fireseal locking against her blades. In a single motion, I spin, turning her own momentum against her.
She stumbles forward — Right into the hilt of my sword.
The impact crashes into her shoulder like a hammer, sending her careening backward.
Even mid-air, she retaliates.
She twists, a counter-kick rocketing toward my chest. I brace — blocking the strike — but the sheer force drives me back, boots sliding across the stone.
Tera lands, exhaling hard. Her grin falters, just for a second. Then she straightens, still standing, still smiling.
"...Eek. That wasn't supposed to happen." Her tail flicks, amusement laced with annoyance. "If I wasn't starving, I wouldn't have lost."
I chuckle. "A promise is a promise."
"Mew... Fine..."
Minutes later, we're seated at a food stall, surrounded by bowls of Suzou's finest udon.
She eats like a wild animal, stacking empty plates at an alarming rate. Watching her, I remember something she mentioned earlier.
"You said you're on a journey to become rich?"
She nods, slurping down another mouthful of noodles before shoving a crumpled paper at me.
It's a bounty list. High-profile criminals. Some names I recognize. But one stands out — "Aramitama".
She catches my expression.
"That's the supervillain Aramyatama," she declares proudly. "Tera's gonna beat him up and make lots of money."
I chuckle, amused. "Even the authorities don't know what he looks like. How do you plan to find him?"
"Nyehehe... Tera has a very good nyar-sense." She taps her nose confidently.
I smirk.
"Well... Good luck with that."
I drop a pouch of coins onto the counter, covering the bill.
"Take care, Tera."
"Mmph...! Thank you very much, good man!"
As I walk away, I can't help but think—
"She's strong. Really strong. The Kaka still produce warriors worth fearing." A short chuckle escapes me. "My mother wasn't wrong about them."
I pull my overcoat tighter and continue toward the Cathedral.
(... ... ...)