Kapitel 34: chapter 34
Chapter 34: Puppies
– Kunou –
"Sanjou! Hisshou! Shijou saikyou!!"
"Nandatten da? Furasutoreeshon."
"Ore wa tomaranai."
"One punch! Kanryou! Rensen renshou!"
"Ore wa katsu!! Tsune ni katsu!! Asshou!!"
Kunou felt like the coolest hero in the world as she stood on top of Angelica, one of Bitch's gigantic mutant dogs, belting out her favorite anime theme song. She had officially decided it was her superhero anthem now. The words echoed dramatically as the three giant dogs smashed through the doors of the illegal dog-fighting ring like they were made of paper. Wood and metal scattered everywhere, and the sound of splintering echoed across the warehouse.
Kunou threw her hands in the air as they made their grand entrance. "The Fox Girl of Love and Justice is here to punish you!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Angelica stopped just inside the door, her massive paws digging into the cracked concrete, and Kunou grinned down at the gang members.
The place was disgusting. Cages lined the walls, filled with scared, trembling dogs. Some looked injured, their fur matted with blood and dirt. The air reeked of sweat, animal pee, and something worse Kunou couldn't quite place.
A group of rough-looking men stood in the middle of the room, frozen in shock as they stared at the giant dogs and her.
"Who the hell is this?" one guy finally said, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
"Doesn't matter," another snapped. "Get her!"
Kunou's tails swished excitedly as the men sprang into action. She wasn't scared at all. This was her chance to show what a true superhero could do. She jumped off Angelica's back, landing on the ground with a flourish. Her foxfire flared to life in her palms.
"Time for justice!" Kunou yelled as the first thug charged her. He swung a baseball bat at her, but she ducked under it easily. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a ball of fox fire straight into his chest. The guy screamed as his shirt caught fire and he staggered back, trying to put it out.
Kunou didn't stop. She darted forward, spinning to kick another guy in the stomach. He doubled over, wheezing, and Kunou laughed. "Is that all you've got? Villains are supposed to be tough!"
Behind her, the mutant dogs were wreaking havoc. Angelica growled low and pounced on two men trying to run for the exit, her massive jaws snapping shut inches from their legs. The other two dogs, Judas and Brutus, were already tearing apart the room, smashing tables and chairs like it was nothing. Bitch stood on Brutus's back, directing them with sharp whistles and quick commands.
Kunou grinned at the sight. She turned back just in time to see another guy coming at her with a knife. She sent an illusion at him. The man stopped mid-charge, his eyes going wide as he stared at what he thought was a wall of flames in front of him. Kunou took advantage of his hesitation, closing the gap and knocking the knife out of his hand with a well-aimed kick. "I told you, the Fox Girl of Love and Justice always wins!" she declared and kicked him hard in the balls!
The fight didn't last long after that. Between Kunou's awesomeness and Bitch's cool monster dogs, the gang members didn't stand a chance. Within minutes, they were either unconscious, burned badly, or begging for mercy.
Kunou stood in the middle of the wrecked room, hands on her hips, her tails swishing triumphantly behind her. "You're all under arrest!" she shouted, even though she had no idea if there was anyone around to actually arrest them. That part of superheroing could come later.
Bitch hopped down from Brutus's back and started checking the cages, releasing the dogs one by one. "You're pretty good at this," she said without looking up.
"Of course I am," Kunou said, brushing some imaginary dust off her shoulder. "I'm a hero. It's what I do."
Bitch smirked. "You're loud, I'll give you that."
Kunou ignored her, turning to Angelica and patting the giant dog on the head. "Good girl," she said.
"Did all my men seriously get beat up by two little girls!?"
Kunou froze, her ears twitching at the voice echoing through the wrecked dog-fighting ring. She turned to see a guy walk in from the shadows. He looked normal at first—messy hair, plain clothes—but there was something off about him. She didn't like the way he was staring at them, like they were prey.
"That's Hookwolf," Bitch growled, her fists clenched.
Kunou's fur bristled. She didn't know who this Hookwolf guy was, but she already hated him. She glared, trying to look brave, but her tails swished nervously behind her.
The man smirked, then his body started to shift. Kunou's eyes widened in horror as his skin turned to gleaming steel. Blades burst out of his body like something out of a nightmare, forming into the shape of a massive wolf made entirely of swords.
"Uh oh…" Kunou whispered to herself. Maybe being a superhero wasn't as fun as it looked in the anime.
Before she could come up with a plan, Hookwolf lunged at them, moving way faster than something that big and sharp should be able to. Kunou yelped and jumped back just in time, barely avoiding being skewered by one of his claws.
"Get him!" Bitch yelled, whistling sharply. Her mutant dogs sprang into action, charging Hookwolf with growls that shook the walls.
Kunou clenched her fists and lit up her foxfire. "You're not gonna win, you big shiny jerk!" she shouted, throwing a ball of blue flames at him. The fire hit Hookwolf dead-on, but it didn't even slow him down. The flames just fizzled out against his metal body.
"Seriously?!" Kunou shouted, her tails puffing up in frustration.
The mutant dogs tried next, snapping their jaws and slashing at Hookwolf with their massive claws. Angelica managed to knock him back a few steps, but when she tried to bite him, her teeth just scraped uselessly against his steel skin. Judas swiped at him, leaving a dent in one of the blades, but Hookwolf retaliated, slashing at Judas's side and drawing blood.
"Angelica! Judas!" Kunou screamed, her heart pounding as she watched the dogs struggle.
Kunou tried again, this time creating an illusion of a massive firestorm around Hookwolf. The villain stopped for a moment, looking around like he was trying to figure out what was real. Kunou grinned. 'Gotcha!'
But the moment was short-lived. Hookwolf growled and swiped through the illusion, scattering it like smoke. He lunged again, this time straight at Kunou.
Kunou froze, her mind racing. She couldn't hurt him with her fire. Her illusions only distracted him for a second. The dogs were getting hurt, and Bitch was yelling commands, trying to keep them alive.
Hookwolf's bladed claws came down, aiming right for her. Kunou squeezed her eyes shut…
A deafening gunshot echoed through the room!
Kunou's eyes snapped open as Hookwolf stumbled back, a large dent in his chest where the super powerful bullet had hit him. Kunou turned, her ears perking up when she saw Tanya and Viktoriya floating in through one of the broken windows. Kunou's tails wagged so fast she thought they might fall off. "Tanya! Viktoriya! You're here!"
"Kunou, Viktoriya, dog girl, take care of the animals. I'll handle this pathetic excuse for a villain," Tanya said, reloading her rifle as she stared Hookwolf down.
Kunou nodded and ran toward the rows of cages, her tails swishing as she passed the terrified dogs. She felt bad for them—they were all shaking, some of them bleeding, and their eyes were full of fear. She'd make sure they were okay.
Meanwhile, Hookwolf let out a growl. "Another little girl is challenging me? What the hell happened to my fearsome reputation!?" His voice was deep and harsh, a lot scarier now that he was in full steel wolf mode.
Kunou reached the first cage and knelt down. She spoke softly to the trembling pit bull inside. "Hey, it's okay. We're gonna get you out of here, I promise." The dog whimpered but stopped shaking as it sniffed her hand. Being a Yokai had its perks—Kunou could talk to most animals without any problem. She understood them, and they understood her. Kunou looked over her shoulder. "Viktoriya, Bitch! Help me get these cages open!"
Bitch was already unlocking the nearest one, her hands moving quickly as she freed another dog. She glanced at Kunou. "You can talk to them?"
Kunou nodded. "Of course. I'm a yokai. They're scared, but I told them it's gonna be okay."
Bitch frowned, clearly annoyed and jealous.
Kunou grinned but didn't say anything. She focused on unlocking another cage, stroking the dogs inside as they slowly stepped out. "You're free now," she whispered to them. "No one's ever gonna hurt you again."
As the three of them worked to free all the dogs, the sounds of explosions and gunfire echoed through the warehouse. Kunou couldn't help but glance back to see what was happening.
Hookwolf was a mess. His steel fur was scorched, some of it broken and hanging off in jagged pieces. Every time he tried to get close to Tanya, she blasted him away with another explosive round. The ground around them was covered in scorch marks, and Hookwolf looked like he didn't know whether to keep fighting or give up.
"This isn't fair!" Hookwolf shouted, his growl less intimidating now that he was limping and struggling to move.
"Fair?" Tanya let out a harsh laugh, firing another round into his shoulder. "Listen to yourself. You're a washed-up loser running a dog-fighting ring to feel powerful. And don't think I don't know you're one of those pathetic little Nazi wannabes. What's the matter? Can't cut it as a real man, so you prey on animals instead?"
Hookwolf snarled, struggling to stay upright. "Shut up!"
"Make me," Tanya snapped, aiming her rifle at his legs and firing again. The blast sent him stumbling back into the wall, leaving another dent in his steel body. "Look at you. You're supposed to be a big, bad villain, and here you are getting your ass handed to you by a little girl. What a joke."
Kunou giggled as she worked. Tanya was so cool! She turned back to the dogs, her ears twitching as she listened to their soft whines. "I know it's loud," she said gently. "But the bad guy's losing, okay? You're all safe now."
One of the bigger dogs, a German Shepherd with scars across its face, nudged Kunou's hand. "Thank you," it said in a soft, gruff voice only she could hear.
Kunou smiled. "You're welcome. Go follow Bitch. She'll take care of you."
Bitch, who was still freeing dogs from the cages, glanced over at Kunou again. "You really can talk to them?"
"Yep." Kunou stood up, brushing her hands off. "They like you, by the way. Even though you're grumpy."
Bitch snorted. "Whatever…"
Another loud explosion made Kunou look back. Tanya had just hit Hookwolf with a shot so powerful that he slammed into the far wall, leaving a dent in the metal. He tried to stand up, but his legs gave out, and he collapsed in a heap of broken steel.
"Stay down, you pathetic excuse for a villain," Tanya said, walking toward him. "You're not a wolf. You're not a man. You're just trash..."
– Haru –
It had been more than fifteen minutes, and I was starting to think it was time to track down Kunou and the others. Not because I was actually worried for them—no, that wasn't it. I was worried about what kind of trouble those two could get into…
I let everyone at the restaurant know I was stepping out for a bit to bring back the birthday girl who'd apparently forgotten all about her own party in her excitement. Glory Girl—Vicky—offered to come with me. I shrugged and told her to keep up as I stepped out into this strange new world.
The first thing I noticed was that the restaurant was perched on a pier overlooking a nasty-looking harbor. The water was full of trash, broken boats, and what looked like an oil slick. There was even a massive cargo ship grounded in the bay, blocking most of it off. All of that was going to need serious cleaning up, but that wasn't my problem right now. I needed to find Kunou.
I sniffed the air, hoping to catch her scent, but human cities were the worst for that. Too many gross smells—garbage, exhaust fumes, and who knew what else—clogged up my nose. I glanced around and spotted a human staring at me like I'd just stepped off a spaceship.
I walked up to him and asked if he'd seen a little girl who looked like me running through here.
He blinked a few times, then awkwardly pointed off into the city.
"Thanks," I said before jogging off in that direction. The crowd of humans parted as I ran past. I kept sniffing the air, hoping I'd pick up Kunou's scent as I got closer.
"BOOM!"
I stopped in my tracks for a second, then chuckled to myself. "Or I could just follow the explosions," I muttered.
That was definitely Tanya.
Vicky flew overhead as I took off running toward the noise. She started giving me a quick rundown of the place—Brockton Bay, she called it. Apparently, it was a pretty rough city, full of gangs and villains. Great. Just what Kunou needed on her birthday.
We were getting closer to the explosions when I heard the roar of a motorcycle coming up fast behind us. I glanced back, just in time to see a guy on a sleek bike pulling up alongside Vicky.
"It's Armsmaster!" she called out, glancing at me like she wasn't sure how I'd react.
"Who's Armsmaster?" I asked, not slowing down.
"He's a hero… he's just a little intense." Vicky said with a cringe as the rider pulled up.
This Armsmaster guy rolled up on a futuristic motorcycle that looked like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie. His armor was just as impressive—sleek, high-tech, and honestly way cooler than Shepard's. I had to admit, it was pretty badass.
He got off the bike and immediately started grilling me. "Who are you? What are you doing in this city?"
I crossed my arms. "I'm Haru, I'm just here to pick up my little sister—"
He cut me off, holding up a hand. "Doesn't matter who you claim to be. You're clearly an unregistered parahuman. That makes you a threat!"
I narrowed my eyes. "A threat? I just told you—"
"I don't care what you told me," he snapped. "Villains lie all the time. You've got about ten seconds to surrender, or I'll take you down myself!"
I blinked at him, caught between disbelief and irritation. "You think I'm a villain? Based on what? The ears and tails?"
Armsmaster pointed his halberd at me, his grip tight. "That's right! I've gotten reports of explosions in this area. And now you, some strange Case 53 with no identification, showing up in the middle of it. I'm not taking chances! As the leader of the Protectorate and this cities heroes, I'm declaring that you're under arrest," he… declared.
I guess…? That didn't sound very legal but this was a whole new world so who knew if that was how it worked.
Vicky flew down, landing between us. "Wait, wait, wait! He's not a villain!" she said quickly. "Haru's just here to find his sister. That's all this is!"
Armsmaster didn't lower his weapon. "If that's true, then he won't mind coming quietly to answer questions at HQ."
I snorted. "Yeah, not happening. I don't have time for this." I turned and jumped onto a nearby roof, deciding I'd wasted enough time arguing with this guy.
"Stop, fiend!" Armsmaster shouted behind me.
I glanced back and saw him revving his bike, chasing after me as I leapt from building to building. Vicky was flying next to him, trying to explain, but it was clear he wasn't listening. Instead, he raised his halberd and fired some kind of stun bullets at me. Electricity crackled as they hit my back, making my muscles twitch for a second but that was it.
"Alright, that's it," I muttered. I spun around and threw a ball of foxfire straight at his bike. The fireball hit dead-on, and the front half of his motorcycle melted instantly. Sparks flew everywhere as the bike screeched to a stop, sending Armsmaster flying into a trashcan on the side of the street.
I couldn't help but laugh. The city's "top hero" was now sitting in a pile of garbage, his armor covered in banana peels and empty soda cans.
Vicky flew over to him, looking half-worried and half-exasperated. "He's not a villain, I told you!" she yelled, throwing her hands up.
Armsmaster pushed himself out of the trashcan, glaring at me. "You attacked a Protectorate hero!"
"You attacked me first," I shot back. "What did you think was gonna happen?"
He opened his mouth to argue, but I didn't stick around to hear it. I turned and kept running toward Kunou's scent.
I could still hear Vicky trying to calm him down behind me. "Look, he's not here to cause trouble! His little sister is in the city, and he's just trying to get her back before anything bad happens."
BOOOOOOOM!
"Er… anything worse than whatever that was…" Vicky trailed off.
…
By the time I arrived, I found a large building that was already halfway to burning down. Because of course it was—what else should I have expected? I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I jogged closer.
Out front, I found Kunou standing with Tanya, Viktoriya, and another teenage girl who looked around fifteen or sixteen.
And there were dogs. So many dogs…
Dozens of them were scattered around, some looking happy enough, tails wagging, while others were limping or huddled together, scared. A few looked downright terrible—matted fur, visible ribs, scars. It pissed me off just seeing them like that.
Kunou turned and smiled when she spotted me, but her smile didn't last. It melted into a frown as her ears drooped. "Being a superhero is harder than I thought it would be…" She gestured at the dogs. "Can we help all of them, Nii-chan?"
…An hour later, we were back at the Fox Hole.
The party was back in full swing, but this time, it included all of the dogs. They were everywhere—under tables, running between chairs, and gobbling up all the leftover pork from the buffet.
The ones that had been hurt earlier were looking much better now, thanks to Gabriel. She'd taken the time to heal them all, but I could tell she was still thinking about what Vicky had told her earlier. That evil angel or whatever it was only attacked this world every six months, so Gabriel figured she had some time to investigate before it showed up again. Then Vicky casually mentioned that this world was overdue for something called an "Endbringer attack," which sounded bad.
I glanced over and saw Kunou playing with a golden retriever puppy. She was holding a rope toy, tugging back and forth while giggling as the puppy barked happily. Obviously, we couldn't keep all the dogs, but I had a strong feeling that one was coming home with us.
On the other side of the room, Vicky was glaring at Rachel—the teenage girl Kunou had been with earlier. Turned out her cape name was "Bitch," but nobody here was willing to call her that. Rachel didn't seem to care much, though, and was talking to Sansa Stark, of all people.
Sansa was offering Rachel a job as Winterfell's new kennel mistress. Rachel looked like she was seriously considering it.
Vicky didn't look like she was having it. "You can't hire her!" she hissed, loud enough for everyone to hear. "She's a murderer!"
Sansa blinked at Rachel. "Is that true?"
Rachel shrugged. "The woman I killed was trying to drown my puppy…"
"Oh," Sansa said, then nodded. "Well, if that's the case, then she had it coming."
"Exactly," I said.
Vicky turned to me, her mouth hanging open. "You think that's okay?"
"Of course," I said. "Animals and humans have the same rights under Yokai law. If someone tries to kill your dog, then you're well within your right to kill them right back." I crossed my arms.
"That's… harsh," Vicky said.
I shrugged. A lot of yokai connect more with animals than humans.
"You did nothing wrong, lass." Agnar strolled over and clapped Rachel on the shoulder. "In Skyrim, you can gut a man if he tries to kill your chicken!"
Ainz laughed from across the room. "Damn, that's hardcore. Does that actually happen?"
"It happened to me!" Agnar declared. "I wasn't paying attention while swinging my sword in Riverwood. Next thing I know, the whole damn town was after me! I couldn't go back for days!"
The restaurant burst into laughter.
XXX
The next time you play Skyrim… I dare you to kill one of those chickens. Find out what happens…
Also, Armsmaster will chill out in future chapters. Dude just had a bit of an ego and it got checked.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein