29: Assault

Several days had passed peacefully since the Fat Cat was “persuaded” to form a master-servant contract with Kato Megumi and became her personal bodyguard.

This Fat Cat seemed quite proud of its “Great Yokai” identity and once tried to declare its rather imposing true name to the two—which it claimed was “Hakata.”

However, Lin Luo scoffed at this, still finding “Fat Cat” a more natural and convenient moniker. Although Kato Megumi felt that continuously calling it “Fat Cat” might be impolite, hearing Lin Luo say it, and then looking at the plump, rippling body of the cat in her arms as it walked, she also felt that the name “Hakata” was truly undeserved.

One day, watching the Fat Cat comically struggle in vain to lick its own back because it was too fat, Kato Megumi gently poked its soft belly and thoughtfully said, “I feel like ‘Fat Cat’ is still a bit too common… How about I call you ‘Fat Wave’?”

Her tone was gentle, her eyes clear, as if she was merely making the most natural suggestion.

“Pfft—” Lin Luo, who was drinking water, nearly choked, then burst into laughter, giving Kato Megumi a thumbs-up. “Great name! Vivid and perfectly fitting! Fat Wave, that’s what you’ll be called from now on!”

“Meow?!!” The Fat Cat, no, now it should be called Fat Wave, instantly bristled, its golden eyes filled with indignant humiliation. “Hakata! This lord is Lord Hakata, who shakes the four directions! What kind of ghost name is Fat Wave! I refuse!”

However, its protests seemed pale and powerless under the complete disregard of its two “namers.” Lin Luo continued to call it Fat Wave, and Kato Megumi also smiled as she used the new name to address it.

It must be said that Kato Megumi, who usually appeared calm and composed, occasionally revealed a hidden mischievous streak when it came to naming pets (?).

After several futile protests, Fat Wave finally had to droop its ears and accept this new name that “perfectly” matched its “magnificent” physique. However, every time it was called, its chubby face would always show an expression of utter despair.

Again, at the familiar subway entrance, the twilight painted the sky a warm orange-red, casting a soft glow over their farewell.

Since the incident in the abandoned classroom, Lin Luo had openly revealed his identity as a Cultivator, and coupled with Fat Wave’s (originally Hakata, who had cried himself into a coma) reckless “exposure,” the thin veil of “close friends” between them had been quietly lifted. Their relationship was no longer purely friendship; it now held a subtle ambiguity and a quietly blossoming affection.

Walking side by side, they chatted about daily trifles, the topics light, yet the atmosphere was warmer and more intimate than before. Until they reached the subway station entrance, where the surging crowd signaled the moment of parting.

They both stopped in unison.

Lin Luo’s hand naturally dropped, his fingertips lightly brushing Kato Megumi’s hand. She didn’t shy away; instead, she slightly turned her palm, tacitly allowing his closeness. So, his fingers slid into hers, slowly tightening, completing a tacit intertwining of fingers.

Palms pressed together, temperatures mingling, they could clearly feel each other’s pulse beating, once, then again, steady and strong, as if silently speaking volumes.

They stood there at the edge of the crowd, neither rushing to speak nor looking at each other, simply quietly savoring the comfort and reluctance brought by this brief hand-holding.

Until the announcement sounded, indicating the next subway was about to arrive.

“I’m leaving,” Kato Megumi said softly, her voice softer than usual.

“Okay, be careful on your way,” Lin Luo replied, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand.

Their tightly clasped hands then slowly released, with an obvious reluctance. The moment their fingertips separated, the warmth and touch of the other seemed to linger.

Kato Megumi turned and walked into the light and shadow of the subway station, her steps still light, but her earlobes were tinged with a faint red. Lin Luo stood still, watching her back disappear, before slowly withdrawing his gaze and looking at the hand that had just held hers, a gentle curve forming on his lips that he himself hadn’t noticed.

Fat Wave’s lazy yet somewhat teasing voice directly echoed in Kato Megumi’s mind: “Megumi~ Look at you now, your soul is almost flying away with that boy, tsk tsk, you’re about to be completely taken by that guy~”

This telepathic message came suddenly, and its content directly pricked her subtly stirring emotions. Kato Megumi, who was originally feeling only a slight reluctance to part and a faint sweetness, was instantly flushed with a clear blush across her fair cheeks by Fat Wave’s teasing, and a look of indignant shame ignited in her eyes.

She abruptly lowered her head, glaring at the large shoulder bag she was carrying—because Fat Wave’s plump body simply couldn’t fit into a regular backpack, she had to switch to this big one. Even so, the zipper could only be barely pulled halfway, and Fat Wave’s fluffy big head was perfectly wedged in the opening, its golden cat eyes looking at her with a mischievous amusement.

“Shut up!” Kato Megumi, both shy and annoyed, hissed in a low voice, while lightly swatting the troublesome big head.

“Meow!” Fat Wave cried out in pain, shrinking its head back aggrievedly, but its eyes still gleamed with the triumphant light of “I told you so,” which only infuriated Kato Megumi further. She could only quicken her pace, trying to let the oncoming wind cool the heat on her face. This talkative Fat Cat was truly getting more and more annoying!

Exiting the subway station, she walked through the familiar alleyway. Twilight descended, and shadows, like a tide, quickly engulfed the city, quietly swallowing the daytime hustle and bustle.

Today, the alley seemed exceptionally desolate. The sounds of stir-frying and televisions from the residential buildings that were usually audible had vanished, leaving only the wind swirling through the narrow passage, rustling a few discarded papers. An inexplicable chill crept up her spine, and a sense of unease welled up in Kato Megumi. Subconsciously, she hugged the shoulder bag containing Fat Wave tightly to her chest. The warm, furry touch of Fat Wave’s head against her palm brought her some comfort.

“Wait, Megumi, something’s wrong here,” Fat Wave’s voice resonated in her mind, carrying a rare hint of gravity. Its nose twitched slightly, catching a trace of a rich scent in the air, dispersed by the wind yet still unable to be completely masked—the sweet, metallic smell unique to human blood. But it didn’t vocalize this discovery, not wanting to overly frighten Kato Megumi.

Just as Kato Megumi, made even more cautious by Fat Wave’s warning, slowed her steps and looked around—

“Little girl, quite cautious, aren’t you?” A hoarse voice abruptly sounded from the side, with a hint of mockery. “But… still too green!”

Before the words even finished, a dark figure darted out from the shadows of the side wall like a ghost. A pale hand, carrying a sharp gust of wind, chopped directly at Kato Megumi’s neck, intending to knock her unconscious instantly!

The attack came too fast, too suddenly. Kato Megumi didn’t even have time to react, only watching helplessly as the hand rapidly enlarged in her pupils.

In the nick of time!

“Meow—!”

A golden figure shot out from the open shoulder bag like lightning! It was Fat Wave!

Its plump body erupted with agility utterly disproportionate to its size in mid-air. A solid, dark golden light shimmered around it, like a sturdy shield, blocking in front of Kato Megumi. At the same time, it abruptly opened its mouth, not in a regular roar, but a highly compressed, visible transparent Qi bullet, which, with a sharp whistling sound, accurately blasted towards the attacking hand!

“Bang!”

The Qi bullet and the hand collided fiercely, emitting a muffled thud. The dark figure clearly hadn’t expected this seemingly clumsy Fat Cat to possess such a technique. Caught off guard, its arm trembled from the Qi bullet, its attack instantly thwarted, and it let out a low cry of surprise and uncertainty.

Fat Wave landed lightly on the ground, blocking in front of Kato Megumi. Its once lazy golden vertical pupils were now sharp as blades, locking onto the blurry dark figure, its fur bristling as it let out a threatening growl.

“Who are you?!” Kato Megumi, still shaken, took half a step back, her heart pounding as she watched the cat and shadow confronting each other.

It was a lean man with abnormally pale skin, like jade buried deep underground. His peach-red short hair was particularly striking in the dim light, and his irises were a bizarre golden-yellow, set against deep blue sclera, like a predator hunting. Most unsettling were the strange patterns of deep blue and dark red intertwined on his exposed arms and neck, subtly wriggling like living things, emitting an ominous Aura.

He wore a purplish-red short-sleeved shirt, white shorts, and red prayer beads tied around his ankles swayed slightly with his movements.

Fat Wave bristled and growled, its golden vertical pupils fixed on the opponent, as if facing a formidable enemy. It sensed an extremely dangerous Aura from the man, one that was far from an ordinary demon, but an older, more ferocious existence.

Kato Megumi stared in horror at the cold, tattooed figure before her, her heart practically leaping out of her chest. Although she couldn’t clearly see the specific characters in his eyes, his inhuman appearance and overwhelming Aura made her realize that this was definitely not a human!

“Oh? Interesting.” The pale man shook his wrist, his golden pupils examining Fat Wave with interest, a cold smirk playing on his lips. “I didn’t expect such an unexpected bonus.”

Meanwhile.

Lin Luo had just reached his apartment building, contemplating whether to go to Yukino Mifuyu’s place for dinner, when his phone in his pocket vibrated wildly. He pulled it out and saw it was Kato Megumi’s number.

“Megumi, what’s wrong?” He answered the call, his tone relaxed.

However, what came through the receiver was an anxious and familiar voice, accompanied by panting background noise and some intense collision sounds: “I’m not Megumi! I’m Hakata! Boss, help me—!!!”

Lin Luo’s brows instantly furrowed, and his expression darkened. “What happened, Fat Wave!” he asked, already turning and striding quickly in the direction Kato Megumi would take to go home.

“Call me Hakata, you bastard! Never mind, never mind… Boss, I ran into a weird guy, incredibly strong! He wants to eat me and Megumi!” Fat Wave’s voice was clearly panicked and trembling with exhaustion. “Megumi has already been knocked out by him. Luckily, I unleashed my Demon Power to temporarily block this guy, otherwise Megumi would have been taken by him! But I’m almost out of strength, my Demon Power is almost drained!”

In the background, there was a clear, harsh sound of claws scraping against a hard object, and Fat Wave’s pained grunt.