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Miguel reacted on instinct. With controlled power, he slammed his heel into the ground. A shockwave of energy erupted beneath his foot, sending chunks of stone flying around him. Without hesitation, he grabbed one of the larger pieces and hurled it toward the kitten.
The block soared, cutting through the space between them… but it never reached its target.
Before the projectile could hit the kitten, it exploded into a myriad of shards, reducing the rock to fine dust that scattered into the air.
Miguel didn't waste a second. He pivoted and sprinted forward, moving with the speed and agility of an elite sprinter.
As he pushed deeper into the dark alleys, he navigated obstacles with ease—barrels, fences, even walls became grips or springboards.
His breath grew short as he finally reached the city's edge. Where the cobblestone streets gave way to a dense, shadowed forest, he pressed into the trees until he found an ancient tree with gnarled roots. Panting, Miguel leaned against it, desperately trying to calm the frantic pounding of his heart.
"What… was that thing?" he muttered under his breath, trying to gather his thoughts.
Silence fell for a moment, only broken by the rustle of leaves above. Then he felt a faint breeze against the back of his neck.
His instincts screamed.
Miguel dove to the side just before razor-sharp claws slashed through the space he had occupied seconds earlier. A deep gash appeared in the tree trunk, tearing bark and sending fragments of wood flying.
He rolled on the ground, hands still gripping his rope. Another flurry of attacks cut through the air: invisible claws, swift and brutal, slicing the void where he had barely dodged.
"Damn it!" he spat, retreating further up the wooded hill.
When he finally reached the summit, he stopped dead.
There it was—the kitten. The same one. Calmly sitting, its tail gently flicking the ground.
A cold sweat ran down Miguel's forehead. His fist clenched, knuckles whitening under the pressure.
"What are you?!" he growled.
The kitten slowly tilted its head, eyes glowing and locked onto his. Then, almost imperceptibly, it cocked its head to the side, as if amused by what it saw.
Miguel tightened his grip on his rope, muscles coiled.
"Damn it…"
He frowned, studying the kitten perched atop the hill. Everything about it was unnerving: its unnaturally calm demeanor, its phosphorescent eyes, and above all, the authoritative tone in its voice that seemed absurd for such a small creature. Miguel wasn't a rookie. He had faced beings that shook mountains, creatures born from the most terrifying nightmares. Yet this kitten sparked a tension in him he had never felt before.
"So… tell me. What are you?" Miguel demanded, stepping forward, eyes fixed on the animal. "A curse? An incarnation?"
"If you're still standing…" the kitten said in a deep voice, an eerie contrast to its tiny appearance, "it's only because I allow it."
Miguel raised an eyebrow. Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face, stretching to his cheeks and revealing a row of perfectly aligned teeth.
"Right, sure," he sneered, tightening his grip on the rope. "I've faced self-proclaimed gods, monsters capable of leveling cities, and you… want me to believe a kitten is the worst threat I've ever met?"
The kitten licked its paw with unbearable calmness before raising its head, a strange glint in its eyes.
"Who sent you?" it asked, pausing, eyes locked on Miguel's. "Why did you dare…"
Miguel didn't wait. In an instant, he cracked his whip and lunged forward, body taut like an arrow poised to pierce the air. With a swift, precise motion, he snapped the whip toward the kitten.
BOOM!
The hilltop erupted under the impact. Fragments of rock shattered, tumbling down the slopes in an avalanche of debris. A cloud of dust rose, engulfing the area.
Miguel emerged from the rubble almost immediately, shaking off the dust from his shoulders. Not a scratch on him, but his eyes scoured the surroundings.
"Playing hide-and-seek, furball?"
A barely perceptible movement in the dust forced him to leap aside. He rolled across the ground as a shadow struck where he had been moments ago. No time to think. Another series of attacks rained down, so fast he only saw a blur shredding the air.
Miguel dodged one strike, then another, every movement calculated to narrowly avoid the deadly claws. But when a third swipe came, he had no choice but to counter. The crack of his whip tore through the air, intercepting the attack at the last second.
His heart sank. What he had thought were claws… were not.
The kitten's true weapon was its tail. Nothing ordinary about it. Fluid like a serpent, it extended and shifted shape at will. Its tip had transformed into a long, sharp claw capable of slicing stone. Miguel stepped back several paces, hands still gripping his rope tightly.
"So this is your little trick, huh?" he said, smirking, twirling his whip in preparation for the next assault. "Ryosuke made you, didn't he? He's indeed a real threat to the boss…"
Like a shadow slinking through darkness, the tail struck again.
Miguel anticipated the movement and dodged to the side. But this time, the tail seemed to defy physics. It curved impossibly and returned toward him like a boomerang.
Miguel felt a sharp pain tear through his shoulder. A crimson line bloomed under his shirt, and he gritted his teeth as he leapt backward. His hand pressed briefly against the wound.
It was deep, but not fatal.
"Touché," he muttered through clenched teeth, more to himself than to his opponent. Yet his smile didn't falter. He adjusted his stance slightly and twirled his whip.
"Alright. Looks like I'm going to have to tame you."