#19 The Hunter And The Hunted Act. Nera

"Gatto Nera, I exclusively invite you to my office."

"What's happening ? It's not like your usual self, nutcracker soldier."

"No no no it's the usual me. I am The Tiny Devil you always known for long."

"I don't understand." Nera sharpened her eyes, suspicious.

"I see. Then, come closer and gave me your hand."

Gatto Nera walks closer, she come without hesitation yet aware around her surroundings. After the incident on that night, Nera always had a prejudice inside of her mind. Tania in her eyes somehow could not be trusted since she already saw what she mustn't see inside of her.

"Show me your hand." ask Tania while smiling ominously.

Somehow, Nera had a bad feeling about this. She may trust her but seeing her ominous smile Tania just showed recently giving her chills to every corner of her body. She then hesitating but she doesn't want to look bad, especially in front of her. Thus, she sticking out her hand and showed it to her.

"Then, bon appetite."

In a quick motion, Tania grab her hand then pull her over and hug her as hard as she can. Not just that, Tania then patting Nera's head, body, and messing with her ears as rough as she can. She made Nera screaming in horror right after she bite her ears like she meant to eat them whole.

"UUUWWWAAAAAA Noooo....! What are you doing ?! I may a half cat but that's too much for me..... HELP !!!" Nera finally shed her tears. "Nooo...! Not my ears."

"Nera as expected you are so fluffy."

"I am not a furry..... I don't have any fur.... Huaaaa...." said Nera while crying to death on Tania's arm.

+-----+-----+-----+-----+

Not long after The Nutcracker Soldier scam event, she invite me again to her office. I already had bad prejudice about her even when I'm still in front of her office door. I don't know what to do if she manage to catch me again since her hand is so hard as diamond and I lack the liquid trait like a true cat.

"Excuse me....." I said it with shaking tone.

Inside, there is The Boss who sit in her working desk and The White Servant who stand a little far beside her.

Then, my prejudice is gone. She seems more serious than before and ever since I know her. Seems that I've misjudge her, she is not that kind of people. Even master is not that kind of man though I know he sometimes put me in his head just like this Nutcracker Soldier.

Ah--- Forget it. Just when we exchange our gaze, she put that ominous smile of her like she did on the other day.

"Don't get any closer ! You are bad woman." I take a small distance from her.

"Bad woman ? I am blushing for hearing that." she does really getting red while holding her cheeks by both of her hand.

"Nooo.... that's not what I mean." it's happening again.

Suddenly, she immediately laughing very hard and loud. But after that, her face began to become even more scary. An ominous smile combined with her crazy happy face is the most terrifying expression I've ever seen ever since I am alive. Thus my prejudice become crazier, it does irritates me someway.

"Okay enough, I'm going to tell you something interesting." said her while doing her creepy face.

"I'll gladly accept that." I answered peevishly.

Then, she told me an amazing fact about what kind of person my master is five years ago. A man who could put her life at stake for his beloved kingdom. A beautiful nature indeed but also the dangerous one. Because of his patriotism nature, he could even gone berserk if needed and blast everything who dare against him and his beloved kingdom.

Nutcracker soldier told me how worst he can be, she told me how scary is he in the past. Somehow, I don't believe the worst thing she just said. In my opinion, after spending five years in the wilderness by just the two of us, he is so reliable yet he may look impossible to do such thing.

"It is hard to believe. But if you want a proof, I've set a scenario." The Boss raising her finger.

"No please, don't do something like--"

*snap*

Eventually, she flick her finger. The White Servant beside her then bow and immediately leave the place.

"What are you doing ? You are the one who know him well, why would you--."

"You may participate in the scenario. Help him all you want. But remember this," she then hold my face with both of her hands and stare me deeply, "Always be careful, your enemy is your own race."

I am speechless, I don't know what is she saying anymore. On my thought, she has done something terrible thus eventually will lead to my master chaos. This is a test for me, this must be a test from her to me to learn if I worth to serve him. But now, I can't think straight by just thinking what's she plotted.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"Pardon for the interruption, Mrs. Colonel."

He came, he does really came. I'm shaking too much until I couldn't control this feeling of mine. For now, all I could is hiding beneath The Nutcracker Soldier's working desk and pretend I am not even here so I could witnessing without seeing.

"How long are you going to sit there, Nera ?"

That bastard...!!!

+-----+-----+-----+-----+

This city, I had a bad feeling about the city and the night. Whilst master scout the city, I use my magic vision to see the magic flow on our surroundings. A practical magic indeed but only few of us may use this magic since we had plenty of magic flow overflowing in our soul. But the drawback of this magic is sometime we may see what we don't want to see due to the magic mist contamination in this world.

Seems the enemy has made their movement to trap their prey. There's an area covered by green magic flow along the pedestrian way. And somehow, that green magic flow is getting thicker in the place where I am getting treated by Cade after work. Thus, that person who stare at me is safe to be suspected.

Target confirmed. I'll show that nutcracker soldier that I am worth to play a role as his servant.

Not long after, we down the road to take a stroll and took people attention to make them spread a fuss about us and make the killer eventually came to us. Now I understand why he told me to wear my maid outfit and yes this is a crazy idea to begin with. All I can do now is frowning my forehead and inflating my cheeks, annoyed.

"Nera, do you want something ?" ask Cade.

"Not really," suddenly, I feel something weird around my surroundings. The environment here has been contaminated somehow, "I just don't feel so good about this place." then, I hear someone whispering while laughing at us, "And I feel someone has making fun of me."

Somehow, the green magic flow is getting thicker around here. I don't remember that this place is the place that highly contaminated. The target has made their movement and it seems that the target is already following us. If it were going to be like this, I have to wait for Cade to speak up and somehow bring us to that place. That's right, he must be there.

~~"Hey.... why don't we switch ???"~~

That voice, I remember that voice. The voice that always terrorizing me before Cade's arrival. Somehow after his arrival and rising our bond together she almost never showed up in front of me anymore. The last time I met her is that time when I and Cade fight Mrs. Colonel thus she appeared once more and stole my body after I passed out.

And yes, I didn't feel any horror from her anymore since I've seen the true horror that may overcome hers.

"What are you plotting ?" I ask her in my mind.

~~"Succeed our mission of course.... Also I want to play some more..."~~

"I can't, I must protect my master."

~~"I can do that...."~~

"I can't believe you."

~~"Let's made an agreement then.... You gave me your body, I gave mine."~~

"Wait ! You had one ?!"

~~"In form of the shadow.... creeping through the night.... You may use the advantage to find the target faster.... don't you think ???"~~

Hearing the benefit, I immediately agreeing to her agreement and leave everything to her for awhile. Thus I got her shadow like body and now I'm living in the different space but in the same dimension. It's like I am on different world where I could sense the other people magic flow freely without even activating the magic first. The scenery is also different here and I could fly. I wonder is this how being a ghost felt.

After I could adapted to this new body of mine, I immediately search for the killer and back to them as fast as possible.

+-----+-----+-----+-----+

"I am going to track him, Cade follow me !"

I found him, even though it was a bit late but I made it before he could got away completely. Seems that he live in the other dimension around and control everything from inside so he could freely attacking without worrying to be arrested.

But suddenly, I don't hear the sound of footstep who follow me from behind.

As I was afraid, Cade is gone from my sight and I couldn't find him anywhere. I try to scan my surroundings with my magic vision but the results is not amusing. I completely lost my master and I've failed to protect him completely.

---"Always be careful, your enemy is your own race."---

---"Remember though, you may not use magic in town."---

He's the one who restrict me, he's the one who limit my power, my own master protect me from this cruel world by restricting me. Yet, I am the one who can't restrict himself from any harm. I am his servant and I am the one who responsible to keep him in comfy.

At least, "Let me become the one who's in vain !"

I then run as fast as I could and strengthen my leg muscles a bit.

This is irritate me enough, just enough to make my blood pump. I am sorry master but at least I must use my magic to strengthen my physical abilities then rendezvous with you again. Since this is my resolve, I am the one who take full responsibility of it. Don't worry master, I am going to make sure that my action won't become a burden to the two of us.

Thus I, I am going to avenge my mistakes !

"UUUWWWOOOOOOOAAAAA !!!...." that man scream.

The what ? He suddenly run slightly faster than before. I am shocked that he could ran that fast and just ignore those people who look at us doing some dumb thing as playing tag in the night. A maid catching a thief ? What a sick joke. What if those people spreading some fuss about us ? What if his action burden me more ?

Unforgivable !!!

"You bastard..... WWAAAIIITTTT !!!" I screamed at him since I'm so angry right now.

"NOOOOOOO....!!!"

Thus I heard people laughing at us like we're some kind of comedian who just passing through.

+-----+-----+-----+-----+

I walked out from the other dimension

Ah finally, the job is done. I could finally get out from that dread dimension which I've never liked from the start. As expected, the original one is more lighter and fresh compared to the fabricated one. Well, we may do as we please there but none beats the fresh air from the real world rather than an isolated space.

Moreover, that guy is gone now. It's quite sad but when I think about his foul deeds again and all he have done especially to me, he get what he deserve and none should remember him for the rest of the day. It may sound cruel but that's just how I am.

The night is beautiful, it just like the night is smiled upon me. I've proven my worth this night.

"Ain't you listen to me ?---"

Suddenly, I heard my master's voices just now. Seems that I've gone too far from him so I only could heard his faint voices. Master, I'm coming. I am so sorry for leaving you behind and wander as I please, now I gracefully coming to your place.

Thus, I understand something on this event. I do understand why she said she has set up this scenario for us but in the end it's her own event. I do understand how is her heart now after hearing those word. Somehow, my prejudice about her is gone.

"Mast--"

After arriving at master's place, I saw something terrible out of my expectation. The man, The Killer, is shaking hand with my master and seems that they've entwine a contract together. He.... is.... TRUE BASTARDS !!! How's he still alive ? But of course it's because of my master kindness. I know he is a good man BUT I am not !

"Ahahaha...."

He laugh..... while looking at me ? Unforgiveable unforgivable unforgivable.

"What's so funny ?! I am going to beat the two of you if you don't stop laughing !!!"

Then, both of them start to laugh even more. I am out of my patience, I immediately gone berserk and attack that man to the content of my heart. Thus, Cade catch me and hold me in the air. Like a kid on their parents care, I am helpless on my master hand. Still, I want to punch him so bad. But in the end, the night is full of laughter from the three of us.

+-----+-----+-----+-----+

"My apologize for being late, The Tiny Devil."

"Good, let's start our first new steps."

To be continued.....