Ch.25Not an Ordinary Monster

“Stupid girl, can’t you even stage this properly? There’s nothing more effective at silencing those who are jumping around with filthy hatred rather than mourning the injury of their guardian deity. I’m simply reminding them of the fear that if the shepherd protecting the sheep disappears, it’s the sheep who will be eaten by wolves.”

“Yes, I suppose you would say that…”

“A superhuman sometimes needs to mimic weakness. If it’s to guide the inferior ones in the right direction…”

“Ah, yeah, I got it, I got it. Now hurry up and go back to A City.”

Even while thinking what good could come from deliberately making citizens anxious… Yu Anna couldn’t help but feel a little envious of Cage’s ability to manipulate public opinion at will, unlike herself.

Sometimes, Yu Anna also found it hard to endure the stress caused by citizens who knew nothing and just did whatever they wanted.

Though she had no intention of copying him, Cage’s method wasn’t bad from a hero’s mental health management perspective.

As if to prove this fact, countless people were waiting for Cage at the train station connecting the cities.

Cage, with bandages remaining only on his head, neck, and one arm—just the parts that would be visible outside the blanket—lay back down on the bed and covered himself.

When Yu Anna unloaded Cage from the ambulance that arrived at the station, accompanied by other A-rank heroes, Cage proudly looked at the cameras despite his injured appearance and waved his wounded hand.

[Waaah! Cage! Cage!]

[Mr. Cage! Don’t be hurt!]

[Don’t die!]

[Mr. Cage! It was on W City news! Are your injuries okay?]

[Mr. Cage, j-just one word! Please say something about Black Cat!]

Watching the citizens going wild for Cage made even Yu Anna feel empty inside.

She was participating in this act to prevent news of her discord with Cage from worsening, but seeing how even the reporters who normally couldn’t wait to tear into him were now asking only very polite questions made her feel even more so.

“Look at these lowly creatures. To lead such base beings, one sometimes needs showmanship like this. Learn it if you don’t know.”

“I really want to punch you once if there weren’t any reporters around.”

Even in the noisy crowd, the superhumans with S-rank hero status could hear all the quietly muttered conversations.

As Yu Anna pushed the bed into the train, two A-rank female heroes, Cage’s close associates who had been waiting in the train first, bowed their heads to Yu Anna.

“Yu Anna, this time… thank you so much.”

“Thank you for saving Cage.”

Then Cage, with a smiling face waving to the citizens beyond the train window, spoke in an indignant voice completely at odds with his expression.

“Starlight, I thank you for helping me this time… but don’t think you’ve beaten me just because of that.”

“Sigh… that again? Heroes don’t have winners and losers.”

“Losers always say that… but I’ll acknowledge it, Starlight… you are equal to me, or perhaps slightly below.”

“Right, I now understand that your intelligence is equal to or below mine. Now go quickly.”

“Starlight.”

As Yu Anna, tired of dealing with Cage, was about to exit the train, Cage called her again in a serious voice.

“…Be careful. That Black Cat is no ordinary monster.”

“Yes, yes, I know that much too.”

“Listen seriously. Black Cat is…”

“And knowing that, you still confronted Black Cat alone? Anyone would know it’s better for two S-rank heroes to fight together.”

“Yu Anna! For one monster to have so many special abilities, it defies common sense! If it weren’t for that, I would have already…!”

Yu Anna didn’t listen to the end of Cage’s story and exited the train.

“Starlight! What’s happening with Black Cat!”

“Is it safe? With even Cage defeated, is this a monster that W City, with only one S-rank hero, cannot handle…?!”

“Move aside, move aside, everyone, you’ll get burned.”

Yu Anna drove away the swarming reporters by drawing up her power, then surrounded herself with flames and flew up.

Flying through the sky, Yu Anna recalled what Cage had said.

She already knew that Black Cat wasn’t ordinary.

Especially after that day, when she spoke to Black Cat as it was fleeing.

“Really… what kind of monster is that cat… ugh!”

[Black Cat appearance! Sector 7, Black Cat appearance!]

Just then, a monster alert sounded in Yu Anna’s ears as she flew through the sky.

Startled, Yu Anna changed her flight direction toward Sector 7.

“Exact location? Please report the current situation.”

[Location is Sector 7! Turtle Park, currently… um, it’s flying around with children on its back…?]

“Ha…”

Hearing the operator’s confused voice, Yu Anna increased her flight speed and sighed.

Seriously, what kind of monster carries children on its back?

It’s probably just playing with them again without eating them.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Even being unusual has its limits!

#

At the scene where she was dispatched, Black Cat was flying around protecting children from suddenly appearing ghost dogs and blood ravens.

When Yu Anna arrived, Black Cat handed the children over to her and slaughtered the monsters with a speed incomparable to when it was fleeing. Yu Anna watched with mixed feelings as Black Cat returned to the children to check if they were hurt, and then gave it a smack.

“Waoaowang…”

“Hey, didn’t I tell you not to get close to people?”

“Don’t hit him! Don’t hit our Bwack Cat!”

“Bad lady!”

“Ah, la… kids~? Okay, big sister won’t hit Black Cat anymore, okay? Let’s quickly get into the shelter?”

“Bwack Cat ate the bad dogthies that tried to eat uth!”

“Not Bwack Cat but Black Cat, not dogthies but monsters, and not ‘ate uth’ but ‘ate them.’ Why is this child pronouncing like this? Did you lose your teeth?”

“Yeth, I lotht my baby teeth. Baby teeth are…”

“I see~ Hey, aren’t you going to move away? I told you not to come close.”

“Waoong.”

After confirming the children weren’t hurt, Black Cat was driven away by Yu Anna and began eating the dead monster corpses one by one.

Seeing the gruesome sight of blood and meat flying, Yu Anna thought this was her chance and pointed at Black Cat.

“See? Black Cat is a scary monster like that. If you keep getting close, it might suddenly eat you?”

“Bwack Cat not scary! Bwack Cat nice!”

“Aoh… Hey! I told you not to keep approaching people! Especially children!”

“Waaang! Scary lady!”

“I’m not a lady! Didn’t I tell you to call me big sister?! Come here, you troublemakers!”

“Waaang! Mommy!”

“Aaang!”

Yu Anna, angered at the child saying Black Cat wasn’t scary, took the children in her arms and flew slowly to put them in a temporary shelter.

After clearing away all the children, alone with Black Cat in the evacuated downtown area, Yu Anna gestured for the wary Black Cat to come closer.

Black Cat carefully sank into the shadows to escape from Yu Anna who looked like she might hit it again, but jumped back out at what she said next.

“Come out, I’ll buy you beef.”

“Waongo?”

“Kugh…”

This is crazy, why is it cute? Yu Anna turned her back on Black Cat, who seemed to have said something about beef, and carefully went to a nearby butcher shop to avoid being caught on CCTV, taking out her hero registration card.

The card, which served as both a credit card for heroes and a key to open closed facilities, opened the butcher shop door that had been locked during the monster alert.

Inside, Yu Anna took out a handful of beef, made a self-payment at the counter, and threw the meat to Black Cat.

“Woong.”

“What? You’re not eating… no, hey, what… ha! Really.”

Black Cat caught the raw meat Yu Anna threw in its mouth and stuck it to Yu Anna’s back.

Hearing the sizzling sound, Yu Anna realized Black Cat was treating her like a grill and angrily took the meat and placed it between her palms.

“What kind of monster knows the taste of grilled meat… There, done!”

“Wungooo.”

“What! This is cooked enough! Do I have to adjust the doneness too?”

“Waaung.”

With another sizzle, Yu Anna grilled the meat again and threw it into Black Cat’s mouth while looking around once more.

She glanced around nervously, wondering if there were any surveillance cameras nearby. It was obvious what would happen if someone caught Starlight, who had told everyone not to feed monsters, giving meat to Black Cat.

“Wungyangyang.”

“You make such cute sounds… Do you like beef that much?”

Having heard the adorable crying sound directly that she’d only heard in videos before, Yu Anna felt her ears tingle and took out her smartphone to film Black Cat.

Chap-chap-chap-chap, Black Cat chewed the beef incessantly and swallowed it, then opened its mouth for more.

Yu Anna looked at the drooling mouth in disbelief and grilled more beef.

Could it be that this creature doesn’t attack humans because it wants beef?

“Do you prefer human meat or beef? If human meat, go ‘kyaak,’ if beef, go ‘meow.'”

“Waong.”

For a monster to prefer beef over human meat… it was surprising.

They say they tried giving a lot of beef when attempting to tame monsters, but the monsters never stopped eating humans.

A special specimen that prefers beef over human meat, is that why it helps humans like this… because humans make delicious beef?

“I’m giving you beef today because you behaved well. From now on, if someone tries to pet you, go ‘harak,’ harak. Got it?”

“Wongoo.”

“And with kids… haa, never mind. Don’t be too scary with kids. No, should you be scary… aoh, really… how did I end up saying these things to a monster?”

“Waong.”

“Okay, I’ll give you meat, haa, really…”

Yu Anna sighed, recalling the day Black Cat defeated Cage.

Wondering if Black Cat was really different from other monsters, she questioned it, and Black Cat nodded.

That fact was a huge shock to Yu Anna.

-How on earth do you understand human speech…

She had suspected it, but for a monster to actually understand human conversation meant that Black Cat’s intelligence was higher than expected, which not only meant Black Cat was that much more dangerous, but also that there would be more people targeting it.

A monster that doesn’t attack humans and understands human speech.

Moreover, after that, Yu Anna even had a short conversation with Black Cat.

-Act like a proper monster and attack people. Why do you keep protecting people?

-Grrrr…

-What’s this, you don’t want to? You don’t want to attack people…?

-Woong.

-Y-you’re saying that’s right…? No, w-wait… am I actually having a conversation with a monster right now?

Unlike monsters that learn human conversation patterns to eavesdrop on information or use it as deception, Black Cat communicated with Yu Anna without any aggression.

While remaining cautious of Black Cat, Yu Anna vented her frustrations.

-Listen, you shouldn’t let just anyone pet you. That tranquilizer gun incident happened because you’re too easy with people.

-Kroong…

-Wait, but you’re male… right? Do monsters even have genders?

-Kyaaak!

-Ah, okay, I won’t look… no, I already saw when you were flying, and now you’re upset just because I tried to look at your back… it’s not like I sexually harassed you.

-Kyarrrr…

-Fine, anyway, stop approaching humans so much. Stop making more troublesome work for me…

After saying that and parting ways, Black Cat really did start baring its teeth at approaching citizens.

It was still saving people from monsters, but the fact that Black Cat was listening to her words made Yu Anna feel warm and fuzzy inside.

At the same time, it made her realize that Black Cat could cause a bigger impact on people than it currently did.

If it became known that Black Cat was a monster capable of conversation, it would attract cult groups advocating harmony with monsters, stupid rich people who believe monsters can be tamed, and government monster research department personnel all to W City.

Because of this, Yu Anna didn’t report this fact to her superiors.

As a hero, she had a responsibility to report information about monsters, but Black Cat was a special case.

Recording such information would clearly be of little help in dealing with other monsters, and above all, it would unnecessarily provoke Black Cat.

Then, just like recently, Black Cat would get annoyed and increase city damage, make noise, and cause accidents…

So, for Black Cat… maintain the status quo.

It’s not exactly protecting a monster, and Yu Anna couldn’t capture Black Cat alone, and it wasn’t attacking humans.

As Cage said, it was like leaving an unexploded bomb, so Yu Anna also felt her choice was wrong.

She felt it was wrong, but…

“…It’s cute.”

Yu Anna carefully reached out her hand toward the head of Black Cat, who was quietly chewing meat.

At that moment, the startled Black Cat jumped backward with a whoosh and sank into the shadows.

Fleeing before she could explain that she wasn’t going to hit it, Black Cat left Yu Anna frozen with her hand outstretched.

“No, that, that’s not it… I just wanted to pet your head too… aaaah…”

It lets other people touch its head but not me.

Yu Anna looked at the ground where Black Cat had sunk and sighed.

She reported Black Cat’s escape over the communicator.

“This is Starlight. Black Cat, lost it.”

…Next time, she would definitely pet its head.