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Miguel bent his knees slightly, his body taut like a drawn bow. A second later, he surged forward in a blinding rush, his figure blurring into a streak. His rope whipped through the air around him, spinning in rapid, hypnotic circles. He snapped it toward the kitten.
But just as the whip was about to strike, the kitten's body seemed to dissolve. It wasn't a quick dodge or a teleport— the whip passed through it like a mirage, slamming violently into the ground behind it.
BOOM!
The impact sent a cloud of dust flying and carved a gaping crater into the earth.
Miguel didn't have time to admire the results. Suddenly, a mass of tentacles erupted from the kitten.
They shot toward him, each tipped like a razor. Miguel reacted instantly. He pivoted, his whip dancing around him like a living shield.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
The rope intercepted the first strikes. Each contact sent visible shockwaves, vibrating the air and the ground around them.
But the tentacles didn't just strike in straight lines. They zigzagged, leaped, and shifted trajectory at impossible angles. Miguel moved in response, his body spinning in a fluid choreography. He parried the attacks with superhuman precision, the rope extending and retracting as if it were a part of him.
"This isn't going to work twice," he growled, leaping backward to put some distance between them.
The kitten remained there, calmly seated, its glowing eyes fixed on him.
Miguel spun around. With a deliberately slow but forceful motion, he swung the rope again. A wave of energy radiated from the impact, racing across the hill and exploding into a shower of dazzling sparks.
But once again, the kitten remained unscathed, the attack passing through its body like smoke.
Miguel didn't even have time to react in surprise. The tentacles surged toward him again, seemingly infinite, multiplying at a terrifying speed. They encircled him, attempting to overwhelm.
He climbed onto them, his feet finding footing on their shifting surfaces as if dancing on moving ropes. He leapt, pivoted midair, and used his whip to propel himself further, narrowly dodging a tentacle that tried to pierce his chest.
He landed heavily on the ground, his whip snapping through the air to fend off incoming strikes.
The tentacles struck again, fast and ferocious. Miguel readied his whip, movements precise and fluid like a dancer executing a perfectly timed routine.
Clack! Clack!
He managed to deflect the first attacks, but the swarm seemed endless, the appendages springing from every direction.
In a daring move, he flung his whip forward, seizing one tentacle firmly. His muscles tensed as he yanked sharply, attempting to lift the creature.
But where he gripped, new sprouts shot forth, snake-like and rapid. They extended instantly, lunging at him.
Miguel had no time to release. The tentacles closed in before he could react. Trapped, his whip caught, he raised his arms to shield his face at the last second.
Shriiiiickk!
The appendages' claws tore through his clothes and skin, leaving deep, bloody gashes across his chest and shoulders. The pain was sharp and burning, but Miguel summoned all his strength to pull one final, forceful jerk on his weapon.
With a surge of power, the whip slipped free from the tentacles' grip, and Miguel leapt backward, narrowly escaping another strike. He rolled heavily across the ground, hands trembling as he struggled to catch his breath. Blood smeared his chest, and every movement felt like it would shatter him.
Still, he lifted his head. There, the kitten sat—intact, unbothered. Its small tail flicked casually through the air.
Miguel ground his teeth, almost screaming: "What the hell are you?!"
The kitten didn't flinch. Then, in a deep, cold voice, it replied: "Done struggling? You're going to answer my questions. Now."
Miguel tilted his head slightly.
"Oh, really?" he said with a laugh. "Need to file a report, huh? A good little pup delivering messages to your master?"