Chapter 2: The Catgirl at Home

The spiritual energy dissipated in an instant, like lightning flashing across the sky.

When the towering golden lotus vanished, the dock remained the same—dark steel jungles sprawled across the horizon. But now, it lacked a few evil spirits and those who served them.

"Phew~ Done and dusted."

Fukuki gracefully landed and stretched a little. Unhurriedly, he approached the completely crushed car roof and picked up two intact suitcases from the hood.

He remembered that one contained money. As for the other, he hadn't opened it yet, but based on the earlier conversations between the werewolf and the suited bodyguards, it seemed to be their trade item.

Curious, but first, he needed to inform Rias—

ChipiChipiChapaChapa~

A cheerful, head-bobbing tune played as Fukuki's phone vibrated again. This time, it was Rias calling directly.

What a coincidence.

He answered.

"Rias, hey there! I was just about to call you..."

Before he could finish speaking, a somewhat anxious voice of a young girl came from the other end of the call.

"Fukuki, is everything okay on your side? Just now, Akeno and I sensed a strong surge of magical energy from where you are. Did you run into the target?"

"Well, sort of, but it's already been handled."

Starting with a reassuring tone, Fukuki glanced down at the two briefcases at his feet.

"I originally planned to capture them alive and bring them back, but some people just weren't cooperative. So, I had to resort to a bit of rough handling… Anyway, it's all taken care of. I even confiscated their trade goods."

"Trade goods? What are they?"

"I don't know; I haven't opened it yet. But…"

Fukuki shifted the phone to balance it between his cheek and shoulder, crouching down to pick up the briefcase containing the trade items. He lightly tapped the outer casing with his knuckle.

"It seems to have traces of spiritual energy inside. Although faint, it's definitely there. It feels unnatural, almost like it's sealed. Should I open it and take a look?"

"Sealed, you say…?"

The girl on the other end hesitated briefly before quickly making a decision.

"Let's hold off for now. Keep it in its current state for the time being. Bring it to school tomorrow, and we'll examine it together at the club. If it's some dangerous artifact from the demon realm, we can't risk breaking the seal haphazardly."

"Fair enough. I'll bring it to the club tomorrow afternoon, and we can check it out together."

After saying his piece, Fukuki prepared to hang up but paused, adding another note.

"Oh, one more thing. About the money…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll transfer the commission for this task to your account shortly."

As if she could predict what he was about to say, the girl on the other end gave a ready reply even before he finished speaking.

Still, her curiosity got the better of her.

"But why are you so eager to bring it up this time? Is Fukuki short on cash this month?"

"I am…"

Mentioning the topic made Fukuki sigh and rub his forehead.

"It was fine at first, but then I had to deal with the cat menace at home. She smashed the TV in my room that was connected to the game console just a few days ago, so…"

"Ah… My condolences. I'll transfer the payment shortly."

"Alright, then, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

.....

Ten minutes later, in a certain apartment building in Tokyo's central district.

Ding dong~

With the clear chime of the elevator reaching its destination, the doors slid open. A young man stepped out, holding a briefcase in each hand.

Tokyo's central district, being one of the most expensive areas in the city, meant that even a small single apartment of 40–50 square meters could sell for a fortune. Usually, an entire floor would host several families, all sharing one elevator.

However, in Keikain Fukuki's apartment building, there were only two doors per floor, meaning just two units shared an elevator. This ensured more spacious living and quieter surroundings—naturally, at a steep price. It was comparable to the upscale apartment where Yukinoshita Yukino lived in My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU.

After exiting the elevator, Fukuki turned right and stopped at his door. With both hands occupied, he placed the briefcases down to retrieve his keys.

Yet just as he reached into his pocket, the previously closed security door suddenly swung open from inside.

Immediately, a lithe figure with captivating curves leaped out like a spring, colliding into him with a forceful embrace.

"Welcome back~!"

"Thanks for opening the door, but could you let me in first? If the neighbors see us like this, it might look bad…"

Fukuki sighed as if he had long been accustomed to such scenes, lightly patting the back of the kimono-clad girl clinging to him and nuzzling her face into his chest.

No—calling her a "girl" wasn't entirely accurate. While her youthful skin and radiant features unmistakably belonged to a young maiden, her front armor plating had far exceeded what one might expect for someone her age.

Adding to the image were the fluffy cat ears atop her head, twitching occasionally, and the tail swaying from under her kimono. It was hard not to associate her with the legendary bakeneko.

"Neighbors? I didn't know we had any. I've never seen anyone around."

Like a wife waiting eagerly at home for her husband's late-night return, Kuroka buried her face in Fukuki, taking in his scent. Only after ensuring there was no trace of another woman did she stick out her tongue in satisfaction, step back, and release him.

"Well then, do you want dinner first, a bath, or…"

"I've already eaten. I'll take a shower first."

Without hesitation, Fukuki picked up the briefcases and entered the apartment. After changing his shoes, he placed the cases on the dining table as he passed through the living room, completely ignoring the expectant gaze of the cat-eared girl behind him, and headed straight for the bathroom.

Ah, he really just went to shower...

Plan foiled, Kuroka blinked a few times but didn't seem discouraged. Her gaze shifted toward the two briefcases sitting on the table.

The cat-eared girl tapped her index finger against her lips and leaned in curiously to examine them before casually asking,

"Fuki~ What's in these cases?"

"Tonight's unexpected loot," came Fukuki's voice from the bathroom, accompanied by the sound of running bathwater. "One case contains money, and the other seems to hold some sort of sealed item. I haven't opened it yet, so don't touch it."

"Oh..."

Kuroka's eyes sparkled mischievously.

"By the way, Fuki, I moved that new TV you mentioned in your text into your bedroom earlier!"

"Thanks, but I'll take it back out later."

"Huh? Why? Didn't you always keep your TV in the bedroom?"

"Yeah, and then you short-circuited it last time."

Their voices carried effortlessly through the open bathroom door, with no barriers to block the sound.

Kuroka pouted. "That wasn't entirely my fault! Who told you to play a horror game at that kind of moment? That jump scare was way too close, and you startled me even more by shouting! Spraying at that distance was just... a reflex💦!"

As the water level in the bathtub reached a suitable height, Fukuki turned off the faucet and slid into the tub. The warmth enveloped him, easing his tension and softening his tone.

"I'm not blaming you," he said lazily, "but I figured the TV stand was too close to the bed. Moving it to the living room, with a sofa between the TV and the outlets, should help prevent any... accidents."

"Is that so~?"

Kuroka hummed, though instead of feeling reassured, she sensed a strange challenge in his words. Was he doubting her precision? Fine. Next time, she'd rise to the occasion—direct and unerring!

While entertaining her own ambitions, Kuroka's gaze landed back on the briefcases.

Did Fukuki mention one of them contained a sealed object?

Sure, he said not to touch it, but... come on, she's a nekomata! Could a mere sentence suppress the boundless curiosity of a cat?

After a moment of deliberation and ensuring no immediate danger, Kuroka carefully unlocked the latch and peeked inside.

Nestled in the center of the case, surrounded by red fabric, was a dried, shriveled purple-black finger, tightly wrapped in layers of talismans.

...What kind of creepy thing was this?