Chapter 222 The Talking Cat
Chapter 222 The Talking Cat
Sona is focusing her everything on the barrier and waiting for Kokabiel to continue his attack when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She took a peek and saw Kisuke still hasn’t moved from his spot, “Go now! I hold him back. Escape while you still can!” Sona returned her sights in front after her words that contain urgency.
Kisuke smiled wryly at her reaction and tapped Sona’s shoulder again. This time, Sona turned around furiously and said, “Escape now! This has nothing to do with you! We’ll wait for reinforcements from the Underworld and you’ll only hold us back!”
Instead of replying, Kisuke made a big grin and place his curled up finger in front of Sona’s forehead and flicked it so hard that it immediately left a mark and her magic barriers disabled, “OW!” Sona fiercely jumped at him leaving her position, “What are you doing!? Do you want to die!?”
“What about you? Do you want to die?” Kisuke asked her.
“Of course not. But I already fulfilled one of my biggest regrets so I’m fine with dying today if you can escape from this predicament!” Sona answered without any hesitation.
‘She likes me that much?… Well, it’s not like I can’t understand her as I’d do the same if Yoruichi is in my place.’ Kisuke thought.
Akeno takes a look at them again who started bickering with each other seemingly unaware of the danger in front. As she did, she finally caught a glimpse of a black cat silently watching them all, “Yoruichi!?” She shouted in shock and delight, ‘If it’s her, then maybe…’ But she has conflicting emotion whether she should ask her help or not, ‘… As payment, I’ll just work as a maid for the Urahara household for a few months.’
While Akeno is deciding in her mind, Rias also exclaimed, “Yoruichi!? Where!?” She looked around but she couldn’t see the figure of the dark beauty from her memories. She intended to ask for her help as she knew what she can do from the Rating Game Incident. Of course, she wouldn’t ask without any compensation for her. Although she wanted to negotiate with her, she can’t find her and kept looking around, “Akeno, where is she?” After looking around for more, she couldn’t find her and thought that Akeno only mistook her for something due to desperation.
Asia and Yuuto also started looking for Yoruichi’s figure but also couldn’t find her and has the same belief as Rias. Xenovia, on the other hand, only looked at them confused.
Sona finally reacted and also looked behind Kisuke in shock and saw the black cat staring at her. Instead of thinking about the help Yoruichi can provide to them, the first thing that went inside Sona’s mind is, ‘Yoruichi is here!? Wait… I just kissed her boyfriend in front of her! A long French kiss on top of that!’ Sona finally processed what it means to have Yoruichi around them. They are saved.
Sona recalled how she acted and boldly kissed Kisuke thinking that it would the last time they would see each other, ‘How did I forget about Yoruichi!? They are always together! How can I forgot something as basic as that!? Is it because of the fatigue that I accumulated over this week? Or is it just my wishful thinking?’ Sona is very confused and covered her red face to hide her embarrassment, ‘Please don’t look at me!’
“Hey, where is Yoruichi-san?” Rias instead asked Kisuke. But instead of him, she saw the black cat from the Urahara Household slowly walked towards Issei. The cat then pounced on Issei’s head. Normally, something the size won’t affect Issei even if it dropped on his head, but the moment it landed on his head, Issei dropped down to the ground face-first as if something heavy dragged his head down, ‘!?’
Issei is in the middle of overloading his body with Dragon Power coming from Ddraig to forcefully transform his body to adapt to the Balance Breaker of the Boosted Gear even for a short moment and has been enduring the pain it accompanied. It’s also the reason why he hasn’t said anything right until now as he couldn’t focus on what’s happening around him.
But when the cat stepped on his head, he immediately came to his senses, though he’s already on the ground when he figured that Kisuke’s cat is already standing on his head, “What!? Yoru?” Issei tried to stand up but he found out that his whole body is paralyzed and the pain of transformation already stopped bothering him. He finally understood the absurdity of the situation, ‘What’s happening!? Why can’t I move!? Why did Ddraig suddenly stop what’s he doing!?’
Issei started panicking so is Rias, Asia, and Yuuto. But before they could approach Issei to help him, the cat suddenly spoke in a masculine voice, “You brats finally did something so stupid that you almost got yourselves killed.”
Those who don’t know about Yoruichi’s cat form were frozen in place. There were a few minutes of silence before Issei finally spoke, “Yoru can talk!?” Issei was more shocked than the rest as he knew the black cat since childhood and would always accompany Kisuke and him to their antics. It’s a strangely smart cat. So instead of questioning the cat, Issei turned to Kisuke, “Kisuke! What did you feed him to talk!?”
Although instead of Kisuke, Yoruichi answered him with a tap of her paw on his head feeding dirt to Issei’s mouth, “Settle down, boy. Although I stopped what you’re doing, it’s only a temporary measure.”
Issei finally remembered the situation they are in and choose to ignore the fact that the cat he always played within his childhood is now talking, “What!? You stopped it!? Why did you do that!? It’s the only way we can come out of this situation alive!” Issei tried struggling for freedom but failed miserably, ‘How is Yoru doing this!?’
“I said settle down!” Yoruichi increased her power to further immobilize Issei, “I can see where you’re coming from, but the situation has already changed. And besides, what you’re trying to do won’t exactly help you much. Even if you sacrifice everything you have, you still won’t be able to defeat him. That’s how weak you are now.”
Issei gritted his teeth as what the cat said is true. Ddraig even told him that the most he can do are to fend the opponent off for a few minutes before his body gives up, “Then what are we suppose to do!?”
“I already said it, right? The situation has already changed.”
The rest are still dumbfounded at the talking cat and most of them are thinking that Yoruichi is some kind of familiar as talking familiar which is pretty rare even in the Underworld.
Just as Rias was about to speak again and ask how the situation has changed, Sona, who already somehow recovered, feigned a cough, and looked straight at Yoruichi before speaking, though her gaze would waver every now and then, “Yoruichi-san, as the representative of the Sitri Clan, please defeat Kokabiel. Of course, we’ll give you the right compensation for saving us.”
Rias, Issei, Asia, and Yuuto were frozen stiff again after hearing her words, “Wait! You mean Yoru is Yoruichi!? I thought Yoruichi-san who saved Koneko-chan is a girl? This cat is clearly masculine!”
With another pat from her paw, Issei ate dirt again, “Just because I sound like this, I’m a man? You’ll garner a lot of hate from a certain group. And besides, I never had balls to begin with…” Yoruichi stopped for a moment before slapping his head again, “Don’t make me think such disgusting things.”
‘It is you who thought of that!’ Issei wanted to cry from eating so much dirt.
Rias and the rest still couldn’t believe that the person they looking for so long is only around them pretending to be a pet cat.
Ignoring their reactions, Yoruichi faced Sona again, “As for your offer… It’s tempting since you’re willing to use your position as a guarantor… But sorry, I can’t help you today…”
“W-why…?” Sona stuttered at her unexpected answer.
Rias recovered from the shock by tossing the questions she has for the cat and thought that Sona’s offer isn’t enough for her service so she chipped her own like she should, “As the representative of Gremory Household, I also ask you to please help us. And the same with Sona, I’ll provide a suitable reward for you.”
Hearing her words, Yoruichi still shook her head, “No… I still can’t help you.” She resolutely answered.
Sona can tell that Yoruichi is serious, ‘Is she going to escape with Aika and the rest of their group?… That’s possible… They probably don’t want to get involved in this problem where the Underworld and Grigori can clash and devolve to war…’ Sona bit her lips, ‘At least… I know that they would be safe with her protection…’ Sona sighed after a few seconds and replied, “I see…”
“Sona!?” Rias exclaimed because she can tell that Sona already gave up.
Yoruichi figured what she’s thinking and wanted to laugh, ‘Ahaha… She fell hard for you… Kisuke… too hard.’ Feigning a cough, Yoruichi gathered their attention again, “I won’t do anything, but Kisuke would probably do something about it…”
Sona was startled and immediately shouted, “What!? No!”