The Strange Cat from Fuuto

"Have it!"

After another parry and counterattack, Miku swept his leg and knocked him to the ground. At the same time, he pounced on Shotaro, swung his hands out and pulled out the two memory modules of the driver from Shotaro's waist. After pinning Shotaro down and making him unable to resist, Miku flipped his body and then quickly jumped back.

"What!?"

Looking at his empty waist, Shotaro exclaimed in disbelief, "Damn it, why would this guy target my memory?!"

"It seems there's definitely something wrong with the Sonozaki family. Two executives have appeared in the same place at the same time!"

Philip, who had witnessed all of this, calmly analyzed the situation. Shotaro, somewhat irritated, spoke up: "Is this the time to talk about this?!"

"Philip, use the Luna trigger!"

"Ok!"

W, now equipped with Luna Trigger, transformed from a half-flame red and half-metallic gray color to a half-yellow and half-blue. Without a word, Shotaro pulled the trigger, and countless bright yellow light bullets shot out from the muzzle, trailing swaying flames, rushing towards Miku.

"Child's play!"

Miku, disdainful of Shotaro's homing missiles, snorted coldly. Pushing his speed to its limit, and relying on his feline reflexes, the approaching light missiles seemed like slow snails to him. He easily slipped through the dense volley of missiles with a few quick movements.

"What? It can actually evade homing missiles!"

Philip was somewhat shocked to see Miku so easily dodge the dense barrage of homing missiles, since no enemy in the past had ever managed to dodge them.

"Humph!"

Miku, arms crossed, watched Shotaro with an air of nonchalance. The two memories, Blazing and Steel, were nestled in his left hand. Shotaro's expression beneath his mask was undeniably grim. His face darkened even more after seeing Miku casually toss the two memories in different directions!

"Bye-Bye!"

Miku waved to Shotaro, then turned and left without hesitation. He didn't believe Shotaro would just stand by and watch the Memory come after him, especially with Kirihiko watching him intently from the side.

Miku no longer cared about what happened behind him; his current target was the cake spirit that was emitting a foul odor everywhere. Following the scent, he found it and, ignoring its pleas for mercy, Miku pounced on it several times, rendering it unable to transform. Then, carrying it on his back and taking the dessert memory, he returned.

"Now it's time to deliver!"

Chapter Ten: The Deal

Fuuto, Narumi Detective Agency.

On the surface, this place is a billiards hall, but that's just a facade on the first floor. Those in the know understand that the real heart of the place is on the second floor. That's the agency founded by the tough-guy detective Narumi Shokichi, a name that's quite famous in certain circles of Fuuto.

Narumi Shokichi won people's hearts with his tough-guy style and meticulous methods. However, the agency did not fade after Narumi Shokichi's disappearance. Instead, it was supported by Narumi Shokichi's apprentice, Shotaro.

Meanwhile, inside the firm at this very moment.

"Damn it, what's wrong with that guy?!"

Shotaro slammed his fist on the table in anger, his face full of frustration. Although the mission had been completed perfectly, the disappearance of the culprit, Sasaki Yukiko, left him feeling uneasy.

Especially the executive wearing the driver, whose teasing behavior made this self-proclaimed tough guy feel extremely uncomfortable. However, Shotaro, who is very gentle by nature, quickly calmed down and became peaceful again after being persuaded by Akiko and Philip.

"Next time, I definitely won't let him get away!"

Looking at the spirited Shotaro, Philip sighed silently.

"What a half-baked amateur!"

...........................

"Snapped!"

Saeko angrily slapped Kirihiko across the face, shouting, "Why did I ever fall for a piece of trash like you?!"

"Even your pet cat is better than you, how dare you show your face here?!"

"The holder of the Nazca Memory couldn't even see Miku's tail!"

Saeko's face was filled with disappointment and anger; she had been blind to have chosen this man. Kirihiko lowered his head, silent, his face burning but he dared not touch it. What could he do? He was a live-in son-in-law. Others married into the family, but she had married into the Sonozaki family to enter high society.

"You should reflect on your own actions!"

After saying that, Saeko stormed out, slamming the door behind her. She walked briskly down the corridor, and the servants she encountered all kept their heads down, afraid of angering her at that moment.

Halfway there, Saeko stopped because a round little guy was already waiting for her there!

"Miku?!"

Saeko tentatively opened her mouth, looking at the British Shorthair cat in front of her. Today's scene had shattered her worldview, making her even more fascinated by the mysteries of memories. If a pet cat could change under the influence of memories, then her own evolutionary prospects were no worse than a cat's?

As the successor to the family business, he naturally knew that the memory possessed immense power. The reason his father reigned supreme at the pinnacle of the underworld in Fuuto wasn't just because his fearsome imperial title was deeply ingrained in people's minds, but also because, as the first user of the memory, its influence on him was beyond anyone's imagination. Otherwise, where would an elderly man nearing sixty find the energy to manage the entire Yuusaki family?

"This is my chance!"

Saeko thought to herself, while her gaze toward Miku grew intense.

"Meow!" Miku widened its big, watery eyes, raised its paw with its emerald green pupils, and greeted them. Saeko was even more surprised. "Miku, you can understand me?!"

Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable!

Saeko's heart burned even hotter.

Being able to understand and respond is something any trained animal can do, but truly comprehending and reacting human-like is not the result of training. I know my own cat well; as my deceased brother's pet, it had naturally received specialized training, even to an extremely high level. There was a reason why my father entrusted it with the task of carrying out executions.

However, Miku's humane actions still startled Saeko, especially the humane light shining in his emerald green eyes. Even though she was somewhat prepared, she was still extremely surprised.

Just as Saeko was lost in thought, Miku pulled a piece of paper out from under her bottom. He handed it to Saeko and waited quietly for her reply.

"trade!?"

Looking at the two characters glued to the paper, Saeko was a little confused. When did her cat learn to read? And it was Chinese characters, the most difficult characters in the world to learn. Although it was torn off and glued on, the observant Saeko could see a strand of fur stuck together on Miku's paw, which was clearly glued there.

Could it be that, under the influence of the memory, he gained extraordinary learning abilities?

Yes, it was him, not it. The moment Saeko noticed Miku's change, her little scheme began to unfold in her mind!

"You want to make a deal with me?!"

Saeko bent down and stared into Miku's eyes, her suspicions hinged on this moment. The next second, Saeko's heart seemed to stop. Because Miku looked into Saeko's eyes and slowly nodded.

As expected, just as I thought!

My chance has come!

"So what kind of deal do you want to make with me?!"

As a woman with ambitions to control the entire museum, Saeko clearly wouldn't let this opportunity slip by. No matter what changes occur in Miku, she wouldn't let it go.

"Meow meow meow!"

Seeing Miku's aggressive behavior, Saeko guessed, "You want to talk to me alone?!" Miku nodded again, and Saeko quickly picked him up and walked to a quiet place.

Miku, held in Saeko's arms, looked helpless. He was truly at his wit's end, as his future plans required a partner. As for Wakana, she was still somewhat naive and innocent; her later transformation into a darker version of herself would reveal her queenly aura. Furthermore, their relationship was still in a crucial phase of development, and he couldn't let anything affect her perception of him.

Knowing that your cat is actually a cunning and scheming person will inevitably lead to some distrust. This could also affect your later plans.

After careful consideration, Saeko successfully caught his eye. She was ambitious, had ideas, and was unwilling to be subordinate to others. Her greatest weakness was her desire for power.

It's just that this woman's eyes are a little scary to the cat!

In his previous life, Miku was a homebody, so he inevitably had some reservations. But in this life, in order to have the last laugh and to have a place for himself in this world, Miku forced himself to adapt.

Becoming stronger is not only a process of tempering and honing oneself, but also a journey of self-cultivation, finding oneself, and accepting oneself!

After Saeko and Miku arrived at a quiet room, Saeko gently set Miku down and stared at him before slowly saying, "So, what kind of deal do you want to make with me?!"

Miku looked at Saeko with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot. Damn it, there aren't even any tools here, and I can't speak. How am I supposed to express myself? Do you think you're a master of animal language? After seeing Miku's look of disdain, Saeko slapped her forehead and realized she had made a big mistake. This cat in front of her couldn't speak, and its paws couldn't write. She couldn't communicate with it by just staring at it.

"Wait a minute!"

Saeko rushed out the door, leaving Miku alone in the room with a remarkably human-like gleam in its emerald eyes. A moment later, Saeko returned, carrying several dictionaries, her gaze fixed intently on Miku. A woman's intuition told her that her hope might lie with this cat.

"Ugh, can't they just get a whole computer?!"

Miku, though inwardly grumbling, knew he couldn't act too outrageously; after all, a cat that could read was truly mind-blowing.

"Now comes the most crucial step!"

Forcing himself to remain calm, Miku slowly walked to the dictionary. Having studied Japanese in his previous life, he had no problem with basic reading and writing. He'd only learned it to watch the raw, unedited version of Kamen Rider, a process that had been incredibly difficult!

After anxiously waiting for more than ten minutes, Saeko was a little dumbfounded when she looked at the text that Miku had selected and written herself.

"You want to speak!"

"Meow!"

Chapter 11: Oh my god, the cat in the house is talking!

Fuuto, the Sonozaki family mansion.

In a quiet room, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling cast a soft glow. The room was sparsely furnished; aside from a table, everything else was covered with cloth. Even though it was cleaned daily, it was understandable that the room was unused—after all, with so many rooms in a house, it's natural to have one or two left unused.

Saeko and Miku stared at each other, locked in a stalemate. Compared to Miku's composure, Saeko felt her worldview being challenged. After all, anyone would react the same way if their own cat came to them one day and said it wanted to talk and asked them to help.

"You want to speak?!"

Saeko asked uncertainly. Miku, though somewhat impatient, had no choice but to widen his eyes to maintain his persona, his emerald green eyes reflecting Saeko's image.

"It seems that's how it is!"

Saeko straightened up, crossed her arms, and paced back and forth in the room. Although this matter was somewhat contrary to her values, she was no ordinary person, having managed the family business for many years and influencing the entire underworld of Fuuto. Moreover, this was a golden opportunity for her!

After resolving the issues, Saeko returned to her strong, independent self.

Moving closer to Miku, Saeko bent down, her hands resting on her knees, and said, slowly and deliberately, "You want to make a deal with me? Fine, but you'll have to give something in return!"

"Sigh, it seems like trying to get something for nothing won't work!"

Miku, who was already prepared, sighed and lowered his head. In Saeko's view, even if Miku had gained intelligence and expressed the desire to talk to people, an animal is still an animal. Its vision and knowledge are limited. It can only see what its master wants it to see, and vice versa.

Saeko, who is used to taking the lead in negotiations, puts on an aggressive expression, but the next second her face turns into a wry smile. Oh well, it's just her pet cat. This is really too unbecoming of her.

Besides, Miku taking the initiative to approach him is a kind of trust, even though the little guy can be a bit annoying sometimes. But would an adult get angry at their own child's pranks? At most, they'd just laugh it off.

That's right. In Saeko's eyes, Miku is just a confused little kid right now, and his previous act of stealing her memory was just a prank.

"Perhaps we can put this to good use!"

Saeko thought to herself, her confidence growing stronger with each thought, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. Seeing Saeko's smile, Miku's eyes flashed with disdain. This woman was probably just overthinking things again. She always thought she had the upper hand, but it was all just pointless wishful thinking!