Chapter 21

### Late at night in a residential area.

"Is this the target's house?"

"The name on the mailbox is the same. It's definitely the right place."

"Let's just get it over with. I want to go home quickly."

Three men and women were having a dangerous conversation while hiding in the darkness.

"Melt. We only kill if it's absolutely necessary. First, we need to capture them."

"Okay."

"Toy, Melt, don't talk too much. Let's go."

One of the men said this and stepped onto the property. However, he was blocked by an invisible wall and couldn't move forward.

"What the hell is this!?"

"It's a barrier, some kind of ability?"

"Move, move, I'll melt it."

Ignoring the confused men, the girl called Melt touched the invisible wall.

"Huh?"

But nothing happened.

"Hmm, it was a good idea to have the master set up the barrier. The spell I learned from Ryūkai is working properly."

"!!!"

The three were surprised and looked up at the block wall. There, a black cat was sitting.

"Well, since you were blocked by this barrier, it means you were trying to enter this house with malicious intent. So, you're definitely the ones, right?"

The three were perplexed by the cat, which spoke as if it were a matter of course. But they quickly regained their composure and analyzed the situation.

"Is this an ability to control animals?"

"It's possible that it's a transformation ability, making it look like a cat."

"If what Toy says is true, that's interesting. I wonder what will happen if I melt it while it's in cat form."

The black cat looked puzzled at their words.

"Hey, let's just kill this cat."

"No, we can't. This cat might be the target."

"I'll handle it. If I capture it, there should be some kind of reaction."

Saying this, the man raised his hand toward the black cat.

"Hmm. I don't understand what you're saying, but it seems you won't answer my questions..."

The black cat sighed softly.

###

### In a building hastily constructed in a certain part of Sapporo, a room was equipped with monitors. On the monitors, two old men and one old woman were displayed. A woman was talking to them through the monitors.

"Chie. How is the newly established branch?"

"Flare-sama. We have sufficient personnel and equipment. There are no problems."

The woman called Chie answered the old woman called Flare calmly.

"By the way, have you identified the person who defeated Dies?"

"Yes, Fon-sama. I sent 'Melt' and 'Toy' to the target who is said to have defeated Dies."

"Those two who are closest to Rank A!? Isn't that overkill!?"

Fon, the old man, exclaimed in surprise. But it was a natural reaction.

The girl called Melt has the ability to liquefy anything she touches, which can kill any living thing and even dissolve incoming blades to defend against attacks. Depending on the point of contact, she can even deflect bullets.

It's a versatile ability that combines both offense and defense.

The man called Toy has the ability to create up to 12 puppets that follow his commands using surrounding materials. The size and performance of the puppets depend on the materials and the time taken to create them, but he can create a puppet as strong as an armed squad with just one.

In other words, he can create a force equivalent to an entire platoon on his own.

"Those two aren't the only ones. I also sent Cefek, with the aim of capturing the target if possible."

"Did you send Rank A Cefek as well!?"

Fon exclaimed in surprise again.

"Fon, calm down. I respect Chie's judgment. Even if it was a surprise attack, the person who defeated Rank A Dies is formidable. Two Rank B individuals might not be enough to capture them."

"But, Menas-sama, if used properly, they can create a force that can plunge a nation into chaos. To use it on just one civilian..."

"No matter how many coincidences align, a civilian couldn't defeat Dies. It's natural to assume they are also an ability user. I also respect Chie's judgment."

Fon fell silent at these words.

"For now, let's wait for the return of those three. After capturing or eliminating the target, we will proceed with the tasks Dies couldn't complete: capturing 'Cold Heat,' 'Bestowal,' and 'Union.' Is there any objection to this?"

"No problem."

"...I have no objection either."

"Then, Rank A, Chie. I leave it to you to ensure everything goes smoothly. For our journey to the gods."

"Understood."

As Chie replied, the monitor's image cut off.

To check the progress of the mission, Chie activated her ability.

"Cefek, Toy, Melt... What?"

Upon learning the current status of the three sent to capture the target, Chie was shocked.

###

"Thanks for helping me carry it."

"Caw."

The crow cawed as if to say, "Don't worry about it."

"Caw, caw."

"It's okay, I'm not injured. I'm more concerned about not causing a disturbance in the neighborhood."

"Caw, caw."

The crow cawed as if to say, "I checked, and no one seems to be awake."

"That's good to hear. However, this town is more dangerous than I thought. I'm worried about my master. We might need to assign a bodyguard."

"Caw, caw."

"Hmm? Will you do it? Indeed, you would be suitable since you can fly."

"Caw."

"Can I count on you?"

"Caw!"

The crow cawed as if to say, "Leave it to me!"

"Then, let's go to sleep."

"Caw."

The crow and the cat, having finished their work, passed through the cat door set up at the entrance and returned to their respective beds.

###

I apologize for the clutter of new characters and settings.

From here, Chapter 2: "The Ability Chapter" begins!