Chapter 25: Amitabha
Kai was definitely no Biscuit.
The biggest difference, of course, was raw power. He'd been so focused on flexing in front of Menchi that he'd forgotten he was running on fumes. When he'd taken her knife, his heart had skipped a beat. If his Aura had sputtered and he'd failed to use Shu, he would have looked like a total idiot.
Thankfully, he'd pulled it off. He made a mental note: Girls are a distraction.
So, how am I going to lift that sweater?
In the reserve, near the buffer zone, two "Kai-Crows" pondered this question while pecking bread crumbs out of Shizuku's hand.
She'd offered them food, and to her surprise, they'd flown right down. They weren't scared of her at all.
Kai (as the crows) took the free meal, all while projecting an air of "just a normal, curious, passing crow."
He'd considered the direct approach: just fly up, grab her sweater hem in their beaks, and yank. His only goal was to check for the spider tattoo. But that was risky. The birds would be swatted, hard.
Using Star Marker on her was also a no-go. The crows' tiny Aura pools couldn't possibly cover the activation cost for a human Nen user.
Shizuku, having finished her meal, seemed to be in a good mood. She de-Conjured Blinky, which dissolved back into her Aura.
"Alright, time to find a Pale Moon Tiger," she said to herself, heading deeper into the woods.
Weren't you hired to investigate, not poach? Kai-Crow thought. ...Wait. She wants to find one? Well, that's easy.
Release Butch!
...
Dusk fell. Shizuku had wandered for hours but hadn't seen a single tiger.
She actually had seen one, but during the day, the tiger's stripes don't glow. She'd dismissed it as a normal animal and moved on.
You're even sillier than Butch, Kai thought, exasperated.
He had Butch (now controlled) roar and burst from the trees, his fur glowing with its jade-like En.
The tiger looked fierce and pounced.
Smack!
Shizuku, without even flinching, caught the pounce with one hand and slammed the multi-ton tiger to the ground.
"Holy crap, she's strong!" Kai, inside Butch, was floored by her raw power. He hadn't expected a Conjurer to be this physically tough. He began to channel Ten through Butch's body.
"You're a dumb tiger," Shizuku said. "Your pounce was too short, you didn't have any momentum."
Butch's muscles bulged, pushing back against her grip. Shizuku's eyes widened.
"Roar!" "Kai-Butch" roared and broke free, staggering back.
"A wild animal's survival instinct?" Shizuku mused, re-Conjuring Blinky. She hefted the vacuum like a club, looking ready to knock him out.
"Kai-Butch" roared and faked another charge. This was the signal.
The two "Kai-Crows" swooped in, "attacking" the tiger, cawing and pecking at its face. The "annoyed" tiger gave up and limped off into the woods, throwing one last look over its shoulder as if to say, I'll be back...
...
In the forest, Butch was already running at full speed, his "limp" long gone thanks to the Star Marker's healing. Kai was busy placating the real Butch in his subconscious. 'It's okay, buddy, I'll have Menchi make you something good...'
...
The two "hero" crows landed on Shizuku's shoulder.
Kai figured he'd earned it. He had the crows hop down, grab the hem of her black turtleneck, and give a flick.
[NORTH COAST — KAI'S POV]
Kai frowned. Through his other bird-scout's eyes, he watched Babimaina's team. They had pulled all the bodies from the water.
Babimaina was on the phone, looking at Muser's corpse. "...Yes, a single, close-range shot to the left temple."
On the other end, the First Prince's voice was cold. "Muser would not commit suicide unless he was in a hopeless situation. We must assume he was controlled by a Manipulator. By killing himself at the mark, he destroyed the evidence... and sent me one last piece of intel: The enemy is a Manipulator."
[RESERVE — KAI'S POV]
The girl's abdomen was smooth, flat, and perfectly clean.
No spider tattoo.
Kai let out a mental sigh of relief. She's not in the Troupe. Good. That makes things easier.
"What is it?" Shizuku asked, not remotely bothered. She even pulled the sweater higher to look. "Am I dirty?"
The crows just tilted their heads, feigning innocence. Shizuku shrugged and looked at the moon. Time to head back.
[FOREST CLEARING — KAI'S POV]
"...What are you smiling about?"
Menchi's voice snapped Kai out of his remote viewing. He had suddenly burst out laughing.
"Can't I think of something funny?" he shot back. "Why are you staring at me? Figured out your Hatsu yet? You know, Conjuration isn't just for items. You could try a body transformation. Turn into 'Super-Chef-Woman' or something. It might be... hilarious. --PUT THE KNIFE DOWN!"
Menchi, lowering her knife, asked, "Wait, is that what... Bisky-senpai... does? A body transformation?"
Ginta thought to himself, Bisky is a Transmuter, which is adjacent to Conjuration... it's possible... no. Better not to think about it. I'll get hit.
Just then, Kai stopped walking, his face turning pale.
"What now?" Menchi asked, hands on her hips.
Kai sniffed the air, his expression grim. "That smell... it's so strong. Blood. Is that... a massacre?"
Menchi rolled her eyes. "That's the slaughterhouse wharf, genius. They're probably processing the night's catch. Of course it smells like blood. Where are you going?"
"Amitabha!" Kai said, his face suddenly green, and he booked it in the opposite direction. "This poor monk... suddenly has other business!"
(End of Chapter)