[Third Person's PoV]
The next day…
Clark and Seiko made their way downstairs from their room, heading toward the lobby of the inn. The morning sun streamed through the windows, casting long beams of light across the wooden floor. Clark adjusted his white hoodie lazily, yawning as he followed his grandmother toward the front door. Just as they stepped into the lobby, a high-pitched voice rang out across the room.
"Clarky!!"
Clark immediately flinched. His entire body stiffened as his eyes darted toward the source of the voice. Both he and Seiko turned to see a pink-haired little girl energetically waving at him with both hands. To his growing horror, she wasn't alone. Four other girls stood beside her—and they all looked exactly alike.
Clark threw his hands up over his head like the sky was falling. "Oh no. She's multiplying! Grandma, are we absolutely sure the Yokai we're looking for doesn't have the power to clone itself?"
Seiko chuckled under her breath. "Stop being rude and go say hi, Clarky~" she teased, mimicking the girl's voice.
Clark groaned but didn't even have time to approach them—the group was already walking straight toward him, closing the distance like a cheerful, pink-haired parade. Nino was grinning from ear to ear, completely indistinguishable from her sisters due to how bright her expression was.
"Oh wow, he actually exists," one of the girls said in disbelief.
"I seriously thought she made him up," the girl next to her added with a laugh.
"Hmm… Nino was right. He is kind of cute~," another teased, nudging her sister with a sly grin.
"So he's the guy she spent all of yesterday with," the last one observed, folding her arms and examining Clark closely.
"Come on! Stop it!" Nino snapped, her cheeks tinted red as she glared at her sisters. "Let me introduce you already!"
She turned to Clark, still smiling, though clearly flustered. "Everyone, this is Clark!" she said with a flourish, motioning toward him like she was revealing a contestant on a game show. Then she pointed toward her sisters in turn. "Clark, meet my sisters—the ones I mentioned yesterday! This is Itsuki, Miku, Ichika, and Yotsuba."
Each sister offered their own unique greeting—some friendly, some teasing, and one or two with a raised eyebrow of curiosity.
Clark gave them a weak wave, already regretting waking up this morning. "What a nightmare…" he muttered under his breath, rubbing his forehead.
Smack!
Seiko gave him a light, almost playful whack on the back of his head. Of course, he barely felt it, but the message was clear.
The quintuplets all gave Clark a disapproving look, while Nino gave a nervous laugh, clearly torn between amusement and embarrassment.
Seiko stepped forward with a polite smile, smoothing her cardigan. "Sorry about him. I'm Seiko Ayase, this rude boy's grandmother," she said warmly, though the sharp glare she fired Clark's way said otherwise.
"Grandmother?!" the girls echoed in near unison, clearly taken aback.
A few minutes passed with light conversation between them all, mostly consisting of the girls, Clark, and Seiko making polite conversation. Eventually, much to Nino's visible disappointment, the time came to part ways, as each of the sisters had different plans for the day.
As Seiko and Clark exited the inn, Clark looked over his shoulder one last time. A woman with flowing dark red hair and piercing blue eyes descended the stairs, approaching the quintuplets. Something about her caught Clark's attention. He stared at her longer than he intended to, his instincts flaring. His enhanced senses picked up the subtle rhythm of her heartbeat—irregular, and faint.
"She's dying…" he murmured quietly, eyes narrowing. But Seiko didn't hear him, already walking ahead.
They continued down the street, the sounds of the town slowly waking up around them.
"So what are you going to do now?" Clark asked, glancing up at his grandmother.
"As you know, I spent all of yesterday setting up the trap and coordinating with the local investigators. Today, I'm going to add the finishing touches and activate it," Seiko replied calmly.
"Then I'll get to searching," Clark said with a firm nod.
Before they separated, Seiko suddenly crouched down to his level and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. Her voice dropped in tone, becoming more serious.
"Clark, I know you're strong— And the trust in your durability is why I'm even allowing this at all—but please, be careful. Don't let your power make you overconfident. If you come across the Bakeneko—or any Yokai—promise me you won't act recklessly. Be smart. Stay cautious."
Clark looked into her eyes and smiled, genuinely touched by the concern he saw there. He nodded with quiet resolve. "Don't worry. I'll be careful."
Seiko rose to her full height and returned the nod. "Good. Keep me updated on your progress. You're not the only one looking."
Clark nodded again. With that, the two parted ways.
Pulling his white hoodie over his head, Clark walked briskly toward a narrow alley. Without breaking stride, he leapt into the air, the ground beneath his feet cracking ever so slightly from the force. He soared toward the rooftop of a nearby building, landing with ease and immediately scanning the area.
His search for the Bakeneko had officially begun.
…
A while later…
Nino and her sisters exited the restaurant in a cluster of chatter and laughter, walking alongside their mother, Rena Nanako. The sun had just begun its descent, casting a soft golden glow over the busy street as they strolled back toward their inn. Each of the sisters, however, seemed more preoccupied with one thing—or rather, one person.
"So, Nino," Ichika began slyly, her grin barely hidden behind her fingers, "be honest with us. Do you like him~?"
Nino's face immediately lit up with a blush. "Don't be ridiculous! I just met him! Of course I don't! Stop teasing me or I'll seriously get mad!"
"Oh come on, we're sisters you can tell us," Yotsuba giggled, nudging her.
Rena, walking just a step behind, had been listening in with mild amusement. "This boy Clark… you've mentioned him a few times. Can you tell me more about him, Nino? Is he a good person?"
Before Nino could even open her mouth, the rest of the quintuplets jumped in with their very unfiltered opinions.
"No way," Itsuki said flatly. "He looked like he was in pain just being near us."
"He called us a nightmare," Yotsuba added, flabbergasted. "And we hadn't even done anything yet!"
"I'm pretty sure he said we were Yokai to his ridiculously beautiful grandmother," Ichika added with a snicker. "Talk about bad manners"
"Stop badmouthing him!" Nino cut in defensively, stepping ahead of the group. All of them—including Rena—looked at her in surprise. Her cheeks were red, but her tone was firm.
"Sure, Clark seems rude and kind of lacking in manners," she started, looking around at them, "but he's not a bad person! He caught me when I tripped and nearly fell. He was taking pictures for his sister who couldn't come to show her. When I showed him the souvenirs all he did was buy them for his sister. He made sure I knew how to get back safely before he left. He might not look it at first glance— But he's not a bad person"
The group fell silent. Nino's passionate speech had caught them completely off-guard.
Yotsuba broke the tension with a playful grin. "So… when's the wedding?"
That earned a round of laughter from everyone—except Nino, who let out a strangled noise and covered her face in mortified embarrassment.
Unnoticed by the others, one of the sisters had quietly slipped away from the group.
Miku had fallen behind. Her attention had been caught by a small, limping black cat that was walking along the sidewalk. It looked frail, underfed, and deeply injured. Her heart ached at the sight.
'Poor thing… maybe we could take care of it,' she thought, her eyes softening with empathy, tears welling up.
"Hey there," Miku called gently, crouching a bit. "It's alright, little one. I'm not going to hurt you."
The cat paused, glancing back at her with large yellow eyes before slowly limping into the alley. Miku, filled with concern, followed.
The alley darkened the deeper she went. The voices of her sisters faded behind her, swallowed by the growing silence and shadows.
At last, the alley ended at a wall. The cat stopped and turned toward her.
She crouched down, speaking softly. "You're safe now, little guy. I'm not going to hurt—"
A cold, guttural laugh echoed.
"Kekeke… I know I'm safe," came a deep male voice, one that did not belong to any ordinary cat. "But unfortunately you are not."
Miku's breath caught in her throat as the cat stood up on its hind legs.
Before her very eyes, it began to change—stretching, contorting, growing grotesquely in size. White wrappings twisted around its face as dark, matted fur gave way to bulging, humanoid muscles. A long black tail curled behind it, tipped with an unnatural black flame that flickered violently. From behind the wrappings, sharp golden eyes stared down at her with hunger.
It looked like a creature from a nightmare—a twisted blend between a man and a predatory beast.
She screamed—but the monster was faster.
Its massive hand shot forward and clamped over her mouth.
"I'm going to enjoy feasting on your flesh…" the Bakeneko hissed, its foul breath washing over her face.
The shadows writhed, and in an instant, they were swallowed by complete darkness.
When the world settled, they were no longer in the alley.
The room they had been transported to was dim, damp, and filled with the foul stench of death. Skulls and bones littered the cold stone floor. Scraps of torn clothing and dried blood stained the walls.
The Bakeneko licked Miku's cheek slowly, savoring her fear. Tears streamed silently down her face.
"Ahh~ There's nothing better than dining in the comfort of your own home," the monster growled in satisfaction.
Then, a voice rang out from the shadows—calm, collected, and cold.
"Yeah, don't worry. I found it," the voice said. "No wonder you guys couldn't track it—turns out it can manipulate shadows. I just followed the smell of wet cat and found it."
The Bakeneko stiffened.
Clark stood on the bottom step leading into the basement, phone pressed to his ear. He clicked it off and tucked it into the pocket of his hoodie.
His eyes locked on Miku in the monster's grip. Shock briefly flashed across his face, followed by something darker—something dangerous.
His hoodie hid most of his features, shrouding his face in shadow.
But then… twin red lights slowly flared to life beneath the hood—like two suns bleeding through the fabric, casting a red glow across the room.
His voice, now deeper, rang with quiet fury.
"Release her."
He stepped forward, each movement controlled and deliberate.
"I may be a lot of things," he continued, "but even I'd feel something if I let a little girl die in front of me."
He clenched his fists.
"I don't need that weighing on my conscience."
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