Exodia 224: Nightmares (2)

Kafka looked at the Lycanthrope, examining him. Her eyes darted around his body.

"Done."

She spoke to herself.

(Yeah, I'm not enough to beat this guy without using my Singularity. He's impervious to average spells and is durable I could probably hold him back for a while. It would be helpful if those selfish pigs helped me.)

She thought.

(For now, I'll simply have to draw his attention.)

Lycan rushed towards her, baring his fangs and claws. She was ready to block but Lycan rushed right past her and towards the nobles.

"This annoying guy!"

She growled.

"Ah, fuck it!"

Kafka summoned a sword and tossed it at Lycan like a javelin—he deflected it and turned, facing Kafka. The girl did not let up. She had summoned daggers and attacked him with multiple slashes. After a few hits, the daggers broke on impact.

Lycan raised his leg, ready to launch Kafka. The girl punched the Lycanthrope in the face before she spun him and kicked him away from the nobles. There was not a single scratch on Lycan.

"Those are all of the weapons in my ring..."

She winced while looking at the huffing werewolf.

"I hate using my ability since it's a pain. I'm fucked if I don't do anything."

Kafka muttered to herself.

She picked up the sword, that she threw, and charged towards him.

(I hate using this since it reminds me of back then but I'll do it for the money.)

Lycan swiped at her; Kafka appeared behind him. The werewolf did not lose sight of her and attacked her again. The girl parried his attack, slicing his ear.

Lycan landed a kick to her side. As he was ready to follow up, there was a burst of wind. She disappeared.

He felt a cut on his back. Lycan swiped backwards instantly but nothing was there. The same happened again. He attacked, but nobody was there.

The speed of the attacks increased and Lycan was not able to catch up. Kafka appeared behind him—she thrust her sword into him.

CRACK!

It broke against his body. Kafka's eyes widened and Lycan stood there, frozen. The girl backed away, looking at her broken sword.

"Uhm... Woah!"

Lycan snapped at her, tearing some of her dress.

(I guess that wasn't enough. I've already used one and I don't want to use the second one. Last time, I couldn't control myself... It's too risky to use it now. However, this situation is...)

"Look up there! There's a shadow!"

"Hm?"

Everyone looked up at the ceiling, which shone like the sun. A shadow could be seen, falling under the lights. A purple light ignited as the shadow fell downwards towards the werewolf.

Before Lycan noticed, a fist, cloaked with lightning, was in his face. It drove him into the ground, dislocating his jaw and undoing his Lycanthrope form. He was out cold and a woman stood atop his body.

"Who are you?!"

"That's my question. Well, it's fine since it looks like you protected the nobles."

Kuroha retracted her fist and reverted to her normal form.

"Ah!"

Kafka turned around and smirked while glancing at the nobles.

"Now, my money!"

"You weren't the one who took out the wolf, so we don't need to give you anything!"

"That's right!"

The nobles attempted to get out of payment by protesting. Kafka twitched. She began getting impatient.

"Hey, if I wasn't there, all of you would be dead right now! You may not have to give me ¥500,000,000, but each of you needs to at least transfer ¥50,000,000 to my account for saving your lives!"

She countered fiercely.

"You should calm down."

Kuroha suggested, unsure what was going on.

She simply followed the flow.

"Calm down?! They need to pay up!"

"Do they need to give you money for saving their lives? Can't you simply let it go?"

"Hah, why would I? I'm not some sort of charity service like you SSB people who get paid for pebbles."

Kuroha grimaced upon hearing Kafka retort with a straight face.

"Money makes the world go round. Money can accomplish anything. Without money, you suffer. I need money to survive. So let me get my payment from them!"

"That's not—wait, weren't you that slave at the auction who vanished?"

"Shit."

Kafka removed Kuroha's hand and ran.

"Wait! I need to question you!"

There was a gust of wind and Kafka disappeared. Kuroha looked around for her and even attempted to sense her but to no avail.

"I was going to release you after a little while..."

(That looked like some sort of Superspeed Singularity. Maybe that's how she vanished last time.)

"Now, what do I do with these guys?"

She faced the nobles.

·———·

"Are you sure it was the right move to leave Lycan?"

Albatross asked Nixie.

The blue-haired woman turned with a twisted smile that complimented her mask.

"Of course. Besides, the nobles weren't our goal in the first place. I'm sure the SSB officers realise that by now."

She licked her lips.

"Thanks for saving me, Dracula, I thought I was a goner."

"You were simply in my path. Had I not escaped that way, I would have not rescued you."

"Sure..."

Peitho sighed while talking to Dracula.

(It's like talking to a brick wall.)

Nixie glanced over at Albatross.

"You should keep the mask off. You look more charming and better this way."

"Don't go flirting with Albatross, you hag!"

Peitho shouted.

"Who are you calling a hag?!"

Albatross scowled listening to Nixie.

"I will wear my mask."

"Why, Albatross, you look so handsome though~?!"

Peitho stuck to Albatross, fangirling over him, absolutely lovestruck.

"For this face is not my own."

·———·

"Hey, Kuroha!"

Anastasia and Hysaka arrived at the same time, greeting Kuroha in the banquet hall. She put Lycan in mana-restricting handcuffs.

"Yo."

"Did you see a guy who called himself 'Justice,' anywhere?"

Anastasia darted her head around as she asked Kuroha.

"No, why?"

"Uh..."

The purple-haired woman looked at Hysaka. She shook her head and gave her response.

"For no reason."

Kuroha was suspicious of Anastasia's response but decided not to delve any deeper.

"Really now?"

·———·

Kafka met up with Rin outside of the banquet hall.

"Where were you, when I needed you most?!"

Kafka began shouting at Rin, but he seemed completely out of it.

"Rin!"

"Oh, sorry! Uhm, say, have you heard of the name, Shoya?"

"Hm? Well..."

The girl thought for a second.

"No... I think I have but it's a fairly common name here in Japan."

"Oh, is that so? Then I can't rely on that..."

He muttered the latter part to himself.

Kafka knew something was going on with Rin but she decided to observe him for now. Rin thought back to when Albatross revealed his face.

The black-haired woman he met called out that name when she saw Albatross' face. When he asked her about who he was...

("Yeah... He's my friend. One that died 3 years ago...")

("Well, this just got complicated.")

That was what he replied with.

The reason he replied with that was not because the woman and Albatross may know each other. It was for another reason entirely. It was because...

"I have the same face as Albatross..."