The Strange Cat from Fuuto

Miku spoke softly again, and various expressions flashed in the phoenix's eyes.

"Then, farewell, Phoenix!"

Miku took a step back, pressed his right hand down, and activated his magic, causing all the plants he had nurtured to begin shrinking into the ground.

"Crunch..."

With a sickening, tooth-grinding sound of twisting wood, the phoenix was dragged and sank deep into the earth.

The ground was like a newly plowed field, with the soil turned up and exposed on the surface.

"Hmph, immortal!?" Miku sneered, "If I can't kill you, then I won't. I'll bury you in the ground, and you can slowly savor the taste of being fertilizer!"

Chapter Nineteen: The New Magic Gem.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

The mage, enveloped in a whirlwind of bluish-green light, landed hastily in front of Miku. "Where's that guy?"

The mage, his eyes scanning the surroundings, landed and immediately asked, "It's down there!" Miku shrugged and stamped his foot, saying, "It's down there!"

"under?"

Following Miku's gesture, the mage could only see the soil swirling around.

"Well, I've sealed that guy away, he won't be able to break free anytime soon."

Miku patted the mage on the shoulder and explained with a smile. The mage asked in confusion, "Why not defeat him, but choose to seal him away?"

"That guy is immortal. He will revive after being defeated, and he will be stronger than before. So the best way to deal with him is not to defeat him directly, but to seal him away or put him into a cycle of life and death."

"But for now, this is enough. My ability can continuously absorb his magic power. Buried underground, he can probably only slowly smell the soil and then rot away."

With a cold laugh, Miku sheathed his Holy Sword of Physics: "So, I'll be leaving now. See you next time!"

Not only did he deal with the Phoenix, but he also planted the seeds of discord between him, Medusa, and the Sage through his words. Miku was quite satisfied.

With a wave of its hand, Miku's roots emerged from the soil, enveloping it before sinking back to the ground.

Looking at the layer of loose soil on the ground, the mage scratched his head. "This guy's progress is too fast!"

"No, I need to become stronger too!"

With his right fist clenched and his left hand pounded, the mage hurriedly left the place that Miku had wrecked.

Not long after the two left, a young man wearing a round-brimmed hat arrived, adjusting his hat. After twirling around like the wind, a thoughtful smile appeared on his face: "Looks like we've found another interesting fellow!"

Before he could finish speaking, the young man's figure vanished again, as if no one had ever been there.

Antique shop, Mianyingtang.

The mage, after putting down his helmet, didn't even have time to take off his shirt before entering.

"Uncle Wajima, do you have any newly made rings?!" The mage rushed into Wajima Shigeru's workshop and asked. Wajima Shigeru gently put down the magic gem he was polishing and said, "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly asking me for a ring today?"

The mage sighed and told Wajima Shigeru what had happened that day. After listening to the mage's story, Wajima Shigeru had a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"It seems Serena turned that magic gem into a ring, but the transformation is so peculiar, it's truly unexpected!"

"So, is there any ring that can enhance my strength right now?" Leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, Shigeru Wajima picked up the magic gem he had half-polished and said, "I just started making it, but I think it won't be any worse than that guy's when it's finished!"

"Really?"

"Well, I know Serena's judgment very well. Since she was willing to exchange this magic gem for that one, it means that the two gems are at the same level."

After showing the magic gem in his hand to the mage, Wajima Shigeru waved his hand, indicating that the other party could get lost.

"Then I'll leave it to you!"

The mage patted Wajima Shigeru on the shoulder and left his workshop, while Wajima Shigeru continued to bury himself in polishing the magic gem.

Wajima Shigeru, who had just finished his work, looked up at the corner of the table, where an old black-and-white photograph was displayed, showing a young him and Serena together.

"Looks like you're serious too. In that case, I can't lose. I'll stake my dignity as a producer on Haruto and make sure he beats the guy you chose!"

After muttering to himself for a while, Wajima Shigeru poured all his energy into the magic gem in his hand, determined to compete with Serena.

The power of a mage who partners with a crafter also represents the crafter's ability to some extent; the most obvious example is the boost that the rings they create provide to the mage's combat power.

What the mage just said clearly fueled Wajima Shigeru's competitive spirit.

The mage I choose may not be weaker than the one you choose!

Serena's Residence, Bando Ward, Torii.

The violets in the courtyard were in full bloom. Because the house was near the sea, the salty sea breeze made the violets sway, like a purple ocean.

Inside the courtyard was a pavilion surrounded by flowers. Serena, dressed in a Western-style dress, sat in a rocking chair in the pavilion, holding a novel in her hands. Black tea and pastries were placed on a small table beside her.

On the floor, Iggy, with his eyes closed, was sleeping soundly on his back. He was unusually quiet, a rare sight for someone who was usually active, lively, and energetic.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."

The sound of ropes rubbing came from the flower field next to the pavilion, and roots like tentacles broke through the soil and emerged from the ground.

The roots spread out in all directions, and Miku's figure emerged from them.

"Be careful of my flower field!" Without turning her head, Serena picked up her black tea, took a sip, and continued reading her book.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt your flowers."

As Miku deactivated his transformation, a verdant magic circle passed through his body, and his armor transformed into flower petals that vanished into thin air.

Miku, with a light, cat-like gait and a laugh, ran towards the pavilion, nimbly dodging the clusters of violets in front of her. These flowers were Serena's treasures; if any one of them were damaged, that old woman would dare bury herself and Ichi in the flower field as fertilizer.

"How are those rings doing?"

Serena put the book down after seeing Miku jump onto the railing inside the pavilion.

"Very good. Putting aside the performance for now, I'm very satisfied with the fact that the plants it promotes can absorb magic power!"

"Hmm, it seems you and this magic gem are a good match!"

"It's all because you're so skilled!" Miku and Serena looked at each other for a moment, then both smiled with satisfaction.

Miku was satisfied because Serena's skills were indeed superb, and the ring she created was very powerful. Serena, on the other hand, believed that she had made the right choice, as the ring not only provided her with magic power but also possessed considerable strength.

Miku, sitting on the railing, wagged its tail uncomfortably: "Get me a chair here later!"

"no problem!"

Serena picked up the book, nodded in agreement, and continued to enjoy her leisure time.

As for Miku, he jumped down from the railing and lay on Ichi's body. After staring at the sea of ​​flowers like a tide for a while, he slowly closed his eyes.

Night falls inside the cave where the sage resides.

"My sage, the phoenix has gone missing!"

Medusa bowed respectfully to the figure behind the gauze curtain and asked the sage, who had risen from the bed, "What exactly happened?"

"Here's what happened..."

After Medusa recounted everything to the sage, the sage touched his chest and said, "I understand. I'll handle this. You continue searching for the [Gate]. Acquiring new companions is your most important task right now; you cannot afford to slack off!"

"Yes!"

Medusa nodded in agreement, took two steps back, and then turned and left the cave.

The sage emerged from behind the veil, revealing his body. He was covered in sharp white horns, with a gray stripe extending from his right leg at his waist, and the deep blue furnace on his chest, capable of producing magic gems, was the most striking feature.

"That guy really knows how to surprise me. I was originally focusing on Haruto Misaka, but now I need to pay more attention to him."

"Besides, finishing one first will save some trouble."

With that, the sage placed his right hand on the deep blue circular furnace in front of his chest: "In that case, let's give him some more rewards."

An evil, ominous light emanated from the deep blue furnace, and a strange, pale yellow, hand-shaped magic gem appeared in his hand.

"Looks like this little guy is really lucky; he stumbled upon a one-in-a-thousand chance!"

A glint of something sinister flashed in the sage's eyes as he played with the magic gem in his hand, and a white malleable beast, Garuda, flew out of the cave.

After carefully packaging the magic gem, the sage placed it at Garuda's feet.

"Go, go and give it to him!"

"Wow!"

With a cry, Garuda flew out of the cave carrying the box containing the magic gem.

The sage nodded in satisfaction and lay back down on the bed, and the cave became extremely quiet once again.

Chapter Twenty: Hah...tui, boom!

In the early morning, sunlight streams through the glass windows and into the room, casting dappled patterns of light.

On the leather sofa in the living room, Miku was fast asleep, curled up in a ball. Underneath the sofa, Iggy lay on his back on the floor, revealing the snow-white fur on his belly.

"crunch..."

Carrying a white Garuda containing a magic gem, it nimbly opened the window and flew in. After circling in the living room for a moment, it aimed at Miku on the sofa.

"Snapped!"

The box landed on the sofa, which sank in and bounced back up.

The cat, curled up in a ball, twitched its ears. Just as the white Garuda was about to leave after completing its mission, a long and powerful tail swept in from below and tightly wrapped around it.

"唳~~"

Before the white Garuda could struggle after letting out a sharp cry, it was pulled down by its tail and slammed heavily onto the floor.

"Boom!"

The plastic beast made a dull thud as it made intimate contact with the floor. After Iggy's limbs twitched violently, its exposed belly revealed a look of confusion in its icy blue eyes.

"what!!!"

Miku yawned, his eyes still heavy with sleep, a single strand of hair sticking up on his fluffy head.