Return (Part 2)

5:36 PM

An hour ago, Rin received a report from her clone and had to leave.

But after Sirin and Kiana went to the Honkai Impact 3rd world, Rin was lying on the bed feeling a bit bored.

Then she went to Sirin’s room to read the magic book translated by Sheila.

In less than half an hour, Rin had memorized all the knowledge from the book.

“Looks pretty good. But this is so boring, I’d better go out for a walk.”

After Rin arrived at the park alone, she originally wanted to buy some desserts from a mobile stall before dinner, but then she suddenly noticed a dying little orange cat under a nearby big tree.

“Hm?”

She leaned closer and saw that the kitten had already collapsed on the ground and couldn’t move, and there was even a nail stuck in its thigh.

“Forget it, let me help you.”

Rin gently picked up the kitten, went to a deserted place, and then instantly teleported to her living room.

Bang!

Startled, Galina dropped her cup on the ground, and the hot water spilled all over Rin.

“I-I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay.”

Then Rin sat on the sofa and directly pulled out the nail, because the kitten was already so weak it couldn’t even make a sound.

“It’s okay, it’ll be fine soon.”

Rin placed her hand on the kitten, and a glow began to slowly heal it.

“Rin, what’s with this kitten?”

“Found it in the park. And it looks only about three months old. I don’t know who could be so cruel…”

At this point, Rin paused for a moment, because she herself was the type to be ruthless.

“Anyway, I’ll heal it first and keep it at home. Then whoever drove this nail in, I’ll drive it into them. I have a way to trace malicious intent.”

But then Rinne appeared suddenly, looking a bit unhappy.

“Hm? Sis, this kitten is…?”

“I found it in the park almost dead, and its leg had been pierced with a nail by someone. I couldn’t just leave it there, so I brought it back.”

“Sis, you’re so kind!”

“I’m about to not be so kind, because the one who did this—I’m going to stick the same nail into them later. And it’s been a while since I last bullied someone in the mental space. But you look a little upset—what happened?”

“Well… actually, all parallel universes have been completely erased. And I had a fight with someone.”

“All parallel universes? One parallel universe contains countless alternate worlds. How much energy would that take to wipe out? And who did it?”

“Consider it my clone. Thought there were too many. Plus, even if parallel universes exist, those versions of me aren’t the real me. At best, those alternate versions are much weaker than me. That’s all.”

“I don’t get it, but it sounds like you’re still a dangerous existence.”

“Sis, your healing seems a bit slow.”

“Dummy, I’m not just healing the wound—I’m also dealing with the infection and bacteria. This way, there won’t be tetanus.”

“Isn’t there something in the magic book that can do it instantly?”

“There is, but I can’t control it perfectly. And about this nail, why don’t you check who drove it in? You’re much faster than me.”

“Can I do it after dinner?”

“Fine. You and Galina go to the dining room and wait, but before that, use your ability to fix the cup Galina broke.”

“Got it!”

Later, everyone had finished dinner, but Sirin still hadn’t come back.

“Feels like Her Majesty is a bit slow.”

“She’s probably having dinner there. But sis, are you going to buy cat food later?”

“Yes, and then I’ll go deal with that person. Beat them half to death—I can manage that.”

“I checked while eating earlier, and it turned out to be someone unexpected. And Xiaoling knows them too.”

“Who? I don’t remember Xiaoling having a friend like that.”

“Kawakawa Satori! Do you remember?”

“Someone even more annoying than Nocor.”

“…”

Nocor got a little scared.

“Don’t tell me she bullied Xiaoling like I did before?”

“You could say that. But she’s a bit cuter than you. Even Xiaoshizuku is somewhat wary of her.”

“So, are you classmates or what?”

“Enemies. She even stabbed Xiaoshizuku’s arm with a knife before. And she’s different from you.”

“I was a delinquent too—what, we’re not comparable?”

“Let me put it this way: she makes you look like a saint.”

“You’re not going to cripple her, right?”

“Maybe not physically, but mentally she’s in for a rough time. But like I said, she’s a bit cuter than you. So teasing her a little is fine.”

“What does she look like?”

“About your age, long black hair, blue eyes, and a face cuter than yours. Just doesn’t match her personality.”

“So how do you plan to play with her?”

“Depends. But since you mentioned her name, I already know her aura. I remember it well from back then.”

After saying that, Rin disappeared.

Then, while invisible, she instantly teleported to the destination. Rin saw Kawakawa Satori shirtless, applying ointment to her wounds, and her stomach, right chest, and waist were covered in cat scratches.

“Damn, should’ve never messed with that cat.”

“Serves you right.”

“Who!?”

“I’m the ghost of the cat, here for revenge☆”

“????? Ah!”

Suddenly she felt something flick her right chest. She clutched her chest with both hands.

“Nice figure♪ But should I drive this nail into your thigh too?”

“If you’ve got the guts, show yourself… ugh!”

Rin stomped on her stomach, but Satori grabbed Rin’s ankle and punched forward.

But Rin suddenly materialized, caught her fist, and squeezed hard.

“…Ow ow ow ow ow! How are you so strong?”

“Born this way. And do you remember Xiaoling?”

“Don’t tell me you’re her friend?”

“Or Xiaoling’s inner personality, to be precise. And I happen to like that little park kitty. I even brought the nail with me—how about I stick it in your thigh and settle old and new scores together?”

“This is my house—can’t you at least agree on a place to fight?”

“Revenge can happen anywhere. And I want to make you cry.”

Rin’s strength suddenly increased.

“Whoa whoa whoa! Are you a monster?”

“Pretty much. How about we play a game?”

“A game?”

“Ever wondered what it feels like to be scalded by boiling water?”

“!?”

Suddenly Satori found she couldn’t move at all, and Rin grabbed her head—then darkness, and she fainted.

In the mental space, Satori saw nothing but pitch black and started to panic.

“Hey! What the hell is this place? What are you going to do to me?”

“Xiaoling Shizuku almost ended up hospitalized because of you, not to mention all the bullying. So I plan to return the favor—in ten million different ways.”

The voice echoed from all around, and fear crept in.

“Huh!?”

Suddenly her shoes disappeared, and the ground inexplicably became scorching hot.

“Hot hot hot hot hot!”

She kept hopping in place, then pulled off her pants to use as padding, but it was still unbearable.

“Do you think taking your pants off will help? This is the mental space—basically my little black room. Want me to make it hotter? It’s only about forty degrees right now.”

“No need! Let me out!”

“But why bully a cat?”

“None of your business! I was just in a bad mood.”

“Then I’ll crank it up to 100 degrees. Dance for me.”

“No!”

“Well then, I’ll go have some fun with your body outside. Enjoy dancing in forty degrees—I’m already being merciful.”

Meanwhile outside, Rin glanced at Satori’s body and gently bit her neck.

“Mmm♪”

It had been a while since she tasted blood, like a vampire.

But after a few seconds, Rin realized something was wrong—because as an evil lifeform, she could easily detect viruses.

“Rabies virus… this girl hit the jackpot.”

But Rin touched the wound, and a light flashed.

“Let’s heal you first. Killing you too soon wouldn’t be fun.”

Then Rin took out her phone and called.

“Hello.”

“Did you handle it, sis?”

“I’m still playing. But take care of the kitten—check for fleas and viruses. I sensed rabies because I tasted some blood.”

“Got it. But sis, are you planning to suck her dry?”

“Relax, it’s just a little blood—like three soda bottle caps’ worth. And it’s been ages since I had that taste.”

“Want to taste mine too?”

“Sure, I’ll bite your neck when I get back. But take care of the kitten.”

“Leave it to me.”

Rin hung up.

“Let’s continue having fun♪ Judging by her chest, she’s a B cup. Her stomach and waist look good too. Forget it, let’s doodle a bit.”

Ten minutes later, Satori opened her eyes again—only to find her whole body covered in marker doodles. But her wounds were healed. Her stomach and chest also felt weird.

“Annoying brat.”

She tried to wipe it off, but it was oil-based.

“Damn it!”

“Maybe I went too easy on you?”

Rin sat on her shoulder, now the size of a small battery.

“You can shrink too? And my neck hurts—you didn’t beat me up, did you?”

“I just bit your neck lightly. I have vampire-like abilities. And your body’s soft—it was fun to squeeze. Let me draw something else.”

“Why didn’t you just break my bones and put me in the hospital? This feels more like a prank. And you healed my injuries?”

“Yep. And I got rid of the rabies virus too.”

“What the hell are you even here for? Just to mess around and then go home?”

“Couldn’t think of anything worse to do. I’m not the same as before. But don’t ever do that again.”

“I was just mad. Had a lot of anger bottled up.”

“But that doesn’t mean you should nearly kill a kitten.”

“Sorry, I’ll be careful next time. But who are you really?”

“I told you—I’m Xiaoling’s inner personality. And let me warn you: another version of me from a parallel universe—if you mess with her, you might die or end up crippled.”

“What the hell did Xiaoling eat to spawn you?”

“No idea. Just don’t go too far again. And maybe tone yourself down a bit—I’ll do the same.”

“The way you talk sounds weird. And did you bring those markers just for this? Oil-based is hard to wash off.”

“I conjured them. And my name is Kamikoshi Rin Viscott—just call me Rin. My original name is Eleya.”

“Guess I’m lucky then.”

“How so?”

“Well, I’m just an ordinary person. Meeting a superpowered being is like winning the lottery—odds worse than one in ten million.”

“Want some advice? How about working for me? I need people who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. If you refuse, that’s fine too—I won’t force you.”

“You say you’re Xiaoling’s inner personality, but from what I know, Xiaoling—even if she had a dark side—wouldn’t be like you.”

“That’s… complicated. So, do you want the job or not?”

“Think about it. If I go with you, there won’t be anything dangerous, right? Like something fatal? If it’s just an ordinary fight with regular people, that’s fine.”

“Just don’t get too cocky, and the little knife in your pants pocket—you always carry it on you?”

“Yeah, wait… You’re not going to take my pants off too, are you? I put it on the inside of my pants.”

“Guess what? After all, I really like to play around. Also, the marker stains on your body can be washed off with warm water. My ink is a bit special—cold water won’t easily remove it, but with warm water it’s easy to rinse off.”

“By the way, what kind of magic is it when you shrink? Seems pretty fun.”

“Just simple shrinking. I can shrink to the size of a single cell at the smallest. But if you dare mess with me, I’ll crawl inside your body and play with you until you can’t take it.”

“That’s not necessary. Can you leave me your phone number? I’ll text you when I’ve decided.”

“Okay.”

Meanwhile, at home, Rinne was playing with a kitten, and Sirin had just returned.

“Hm? So cute! When did we get a kitten?”

“Big sis rescued it. Someone nailed its leg, so big sis went to teach that person a lesson.”

“I see. Then let me hold it.”

“Sure.”

Rinne handed the kitten to Sirin. The kitten rubbed its face against Sirin and purred.

“Looks like it really likes the Queen.”

“I like her too.”

“Queen, do you want to give her a name? When I checked earlier, I found out it’s a little female cat.”

“Since she’s orange, how about ‘Sora’?”

“Sounds nice. But I think big sis probably forgot to buy cat food after teaching that person a lesson. Should I go check?”

“No need, but suddenly I want to ask you for an upgrade.”

“What kind?”

“I swapped bodies with Elysia, but her evil energy made me want to destroy everything. But I think if I stay in this body, I can treat it as willpower training. If it’s about energy, I hope you can share a little with me so I can adapt.”

“Okay, but you’ll need big sis’s permission for that, since it’s her energy.”

“Awu~”

Eileen popped out from behind Sirin and gently bit her neck.

“What are you doing?”

“Didn’t we say when we fused that we’d bite you once?”

“You don’t have to. That was Rin’s part.”

“Looks like I’m a bit influenced. But since Rin calls you Queen, I think it sounds pretty smooth. I’ll call you that too.”

“Do as you like. But how does my blood taste?”

“Queen, you probably filtered out the Honkai energy. And the blood tastes just like a normal human’s. Since I have Rin’s memories, I understand this taste now.”

“Rin can bite anytime she wants, right?”

“You could say that. But when we fused, I could clearly feel those instincts still there. If she gets mad, she might really bite off a chunk of flesh.”

“Maybe so. Anyway, I’m going to have dinner.”

At 8:28 p.m., Rin finally came back, but Sirin had been waiting in the living room holding the kitten.

“Rin, did you go too far teaching that guy a lesson? Seems like it took a while.”

“Just played around a little. But when I went to buy pet supplies, I saw Mom buying hamsters. Then we chatted and walked back together and forgot the time.”

“For Mio?”

“No, she bought a lot because there are many kids in her world who like pets, so she decided to buy extra and take them back.”

“That’s nice.”

“By the way, I showed my mom my new form. She said it looks like mimicry—like an incomplete evolution.”

“Can you transform freely now?”

“You could say that, but the duration is short. I don’t know if it’s because I ate the fruit, or because my strength reached a certain level, or because I absorbed Rinne’s energy. Honestly, I’m not sure.”

“That’s fine. By the way, I named the kitten Sora. What do you think?”

“Sounds great.”

Then Rin petted Sora’s head.

“Meow~”

“Tomorrow I’ll buy you some dried fish. For today, eat cat food first.”