"Mm-hmph."
Yimi held up her now-practiced human hand, inserted the key into the lock, turned it, opened the door, then turned it back and pulled it out, locking the door again. Re-inserted it. Turned again. Turned back and pulled it out again. Repeated the whole operation.
So fascinating.
The little cat held the key high above her head. With this magic tool she could go to whoever's house she wanted! She'd go to Shiori's right now and steal all her food and her secret mouse stash.
"Host Advisory: each key is paired to a specific lock. This key only opens the lock in front of you." The System immediately doused her enthusiasm.
Yimi's joy evaporated. She carelessly tossed the now-worthless key into her system space.
It was the weekend, so Origami had no classes — but having slipped away from AST for so long, command had finally lost patience and summoned her directly. As for the transfer itself, since DEM had a cooperative and funding relationship with AST anyway, there would be no complications.
The restless little cat took her key and headed out. Weekends were also days when Shiori didn't have school, so she didn't quite dare go looking for Yoshino-nee-chan again.
"Whose child are you?! You can't just press all the elevator buttons like that — I'll tell your mom! Which floor do you want — first floor? Be careful a stranger doesn't grab you..."
Her first time riding an elevator alone — discovering that buttons lit up and wanting to light all of them — cut short by a scolding from a woman on one of the upper floors.
"Aww——" She'd only just gotten downstairs when an alarm blared.
People in this city really had no sense of security. The Spacequake frequency in modern times had already dropped considerably, yet somehow this city still got them every few days. That they'd managed to build so many high-rises under these conditions took a certain audacity.
Yimi dug through her pocket and fished out the little note Origami had left for her before departing.
1. Don't touch electrical outlets with your fingers.
2. Don't bring mice home.
3. If there's a Spacequake, go find a shelter first. There's an underground shelter around the corner downstairs. If you can't find it, follow the crowd.
4. ...
The little girl tucked the note back in her pocket.
She could barely read any of it.
A Spacequake was the signal of a Spirit descending. Even if it wasn't the First Spirit, it was still a new source of "food."
She didn't follow the crowd toward the shelter. She sniffed the air — estimating that her Holy Corpse integration was coming along fairly well by now, she could vaguely sense a Reiryoku signature somewhere ahead. It didn't match any Spirit she'd encountered before.
Yimi ran in that direction — only for her baseball cap to suddenly be snatched right off her head, with the offending hand also ruffling the spot squarely between her two ears.
"Bite you!" The little girl snapped at the hand with her teeth. The person dodged with practiced ease.
"Good evening~ I didn't realize you were a little kitty, hee hee~ Can you turn into a cat and let big sister see?" Kurumi Tokisaki materialized from seemingly nowhere, eyes curving into a smile, her laughter carrying that characteristic sharp, villainous edge.
Yimi pressed her nose toward her and sniffed — the Reiryoku that had triggered the Spacequake wasn't hers. This scent wasn't "one person times many." It was "damn weeb."
Kurumi tilted her head and twisted her posture: "What's wrong — does big sister smell strange?"
The little cat looked up inquisitively. "How come you're not 'ara ara'-ing anymore?"
"..." Kurumi reached out and pinched Yimi's chubby cheek. With a bit of force.
She released it just before Yimi crossed the threshold of irritation: "Rushing off toward another Spirit's signal the moment you sense it — is that a kindred spirit's instinct? Normal children would be going to the shelter right now."
Yimi covered her small face and stamped a footprint on Kurumi's shoe. "What if it's... the First Spirit?"
"The First Spirit?" The keyword gave even Kurumi pause.
Her eyes narrowed — but this time without much of a smile: "Would you mind telling big sister what you want with the First Spirit?"
"Hit her." Yimi rotated her tiny fist.
"My, how delightful — I like you more and more, little one."
She hates the First Spirit. And she's a cat. And she's a cat. And she's a cat.
"Unfortunately, this one isn't the First Spirit. Big sister has an idea... there's another big sister who might know the First Spirit's whereabouts, but she's been captured by bad people. Shall we go find her together next time?"
"I can find the First Spirit myself." The cat turned her down.
"Oh...?" That answer was a bit beyond Kurumi's expectations. "I'm not quite sure I believe you. Could you show me?"
"Once I finish fusing the Holy Corpse. Almost done."
"Absolutely incomprehensible... big sister will buy you candy." Kurumi crouched down and dangled the offer.
Yimi pointed at her face. "Let me take a bite of you."
"..." Kurumi raised an eyebrow.
I haven't even said I'd eat you and you want to eat me?
She placed her hand between Yimi's ears and ruffled them. "That's not allowed, little one. But when the day comes that you go to deal with the First Spirit — call big sister. Let's go beat her up together, shall we?"
"Okay."
Kurumi took her leave. Whether she had actually left was another matter entirely.
The streets had already cleared of pedestrians making for shelter. No one was around to notice the two of them, and even if someone had spotted the ears on Yimi's head they'd have assumed they were hair accessories.
Thanks to the brief exchange between Kurumi and Yimi, any passerby who might have considered bundling Yimi off to the shelter assumed someone was already watching the kid and didn't bother.
Chasing the Reiryoku signature, Yimi wiggled her tail inside her pants and scanned the surrounding storefronts, lips pressed into a three-segment pout.
Nobody's on the streets right now — does that mean the kitty can just take whatever she wants?
Some bloodline instinct from back home stirred restlessly within her. She turned and scanned the area, discovering a fish shop radiating an absolutely irresistible aroma.
"Oh my, a little one who forgot to take shelter?"
Attempted crime, aborted — a voice from the sky cut her off.
Like a witch from a storybook, a Spirit in dark purple drifted down on a broomstick. Tall, with a curvy figure worthy of a model — she looked to be around twenty-five, her smile self-assured and poised as she bent down to look at the little girl.
Her original descent point had been a much more distant, uninhabited location, but from high altitude she'd spotted a figure who had absolutely no business being there after the alarm.
"Poor little thing — where are your mom and dad?"
"In another... world." Yimi looked up at her.
It's this one.
"I see..." The woman paused for a beat, as if something had struck a chord — but ultimately she couldn't recall her memories from before becoming a Spirit.
She quickly regained her composure. "What's your name, little one? Big sister is called Natsumi."
"Yimi."
"What a lovely name — so full of childlike innocence."
She smiled warmly again, then pointed her broomstick at the fish shop behind Yimi. By the time Yimi turned back around, the shop had been transformed into an elaborate castle sparkling with dreamlike colors.
"Would you like to come visit my home? But before that, answer me a question... oh my, why do you look so dissatisfied? Big sister isn't anyone suspicious, you know."
The excited wide-eyed "wow!" Natsumi had been expecting never came. Instead, the pretty-looking child who might have been a cute little boy was giving her that signature triangle-mouthed look of disgust.
The fish shop is gone.
You're not a good person. Kitty isn't playing with you.
Yimi turned her back, momentarily forgetting she'd come here specifically to feed on Reiryoku.
"Wait, wait — there are delicious sweets inside!" The witch flew in front of her and pressed her appeal.
"Um... this child is my little sister. Sorry for the trouble." The girl sent to seal the Spirit finally arrived on scene.
"So it's the lolicon guardian type this time?" Ratatoskr's Vice-Commander stroked his chin and arrived at this conclusion.
Kotori Itsuka gave a small nod, not bothering to disagree: "The trouble is two unsealed Spirits are both on-site at the same time. Sealing one would mean setting the other aside — and trying to seal one in front of the other is the worst possible option. This is going to be tricky."
"Oh my, are you this child's family? How lovely... big sister had thought..." Before she could finish, Natsumi saw the little girl suddenly dart behind her, peeking out from behind her back with just half her head, staring at Shiori.
She even started telling on her: "She wants to seal... your Reiryoku."
Shiori: "..."
This little troublemaker.