Bab 36: Cat and Mouse Game
During their daily training, Kimika was completely exhausted after a series of intense strength exercises that became more difficult with each session. Her friend, always carefree and energetic, would turn into a ruthless and emotionless mentor during these moments, ready to nearly kill her in the pursuit of results.
Although this approach helped, and Kimika could see her progress almost every day, she began to doubt the necessity of such a method. They were already winning consistently at their current level, so why not train a bit easier?
However, she couldn't bring herself to voice these thoughts, knowing that such words would only lead to an even harsher training session, accompanied by the words: "If you have the strength to think about it, then the training isn't hard enough!"
Barely standing on her feet, breathing heavily, she decided to take a break. Taking a bottle of water out of her backpack, she crouched down, hoping to rest a bit and regain some strength before the sparring sessions.
Before she could even take her first sip of water, she saw Toga walking towards her, almost bouncing with excitement. And the scariest part was the playful smile on her face, which made Kimika feel shivers running down her spine. She had no doubt that Toga had come up with some idea.
It could be a complication in the training or a suggestion to take on more challenging tasks. But judging by her appearance, this time it will be something different.
Kimika reluctantly and with heaviness in her body placed the water bottle next to her and raised her gaze to Toga, who was already standing right in front of her. Feeling her heart begin to race faster and faster, she was completely unprepared for what she was about to hear.
"Kimi, do you remember I promised that when the time comes, besides sparring, we'd also play my games? Well, that time has come!" Toga exclaimed with an incredibly energetic and cheerful attitude, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Even the fear she saw in her friend's face couldn't dampen her mood.
Kimika flinched, her heart beating so fast it felt like it would leap out of her chest. Her brain immediately started processing all the information, trying to figure out what exactly Toga was talking about.
"I... I don't understand... what other games..." Her voice was quiet, almost hopeless, knowing that she didn't even have a choice in the matter. She was simply told that they were going to play games.
Toga smiled even wider, not giving her friend a moment to collect her thoughts. She sat next to her and grabbed her hands.
"All these trainings, sparring — they're only to help us become stronger. But the game I want to play will not only make us stronger, it'll also bring us incredible enjoyment!"
Kimika felt a cold sweat break out on her back. She silently stared at Toga, who was holding her tightly, trying to gather her thoughts, but her friend's words, full of enthusiasm, only added to her anxiety.
Toga always had this way — first speaking in riddles, making Kimika come up with the worst scenarios, and then throwing something completely unexpected.
"Fun?" Kimika finally managed to say, her voice hoarse with a hint of fear. "Toga, what kind of fun? It feels like you've confused fun with torture..."
Toga, ignoring her attempt to protest, simply laughed joyfully, as if Kimika's words were a funny joke.
"Oh, stop it! You know I wouldn't suggest this if it wasn't something special! But if you want... it'll be just... mmm... a different kind of training! But with intrigue, excitement, and genuine emotions! Trust me, you'll love it! You'll thank me for it later!"
"Alright," Kimika exhaled, feeling the heaviness in her body grow even more. "So... what's this game? And how many times will I die during it while you still think it's fun?" Her voice had a hint of irony, though deep down, she still felt anxious.
Toga smiled widely — both from the anticipation of the fun ahead and from the funny joke about the number of deaths.
A barely contained joy sparkled in her eyes. She leaned in closer, almost whispering as she replied:
"The game will be simple! One weapon. One winner. Rules? Who even likes rules? Rules are for the weak! For our game, they're not needed!" She laughed, but in her voice there was something more than just playfulness, something that always hid behind her carefree smile.
Kimika remained silent, trying to figure out if it was worth attempting to escape, even knowing it would be in vain. But Toga continued with even more enthusiasm:
"We'll leave the knife on the ground, then both step back the same number of steps from it," Toga leaned in closer, her eyes burning with excitement, and her smile stretched wide, reminding Kimika of a child's joy at a well-planned game.
"And after that, it's simple! Grab the knife and try to strike critical points on your opponent... let's say, the heart or the neck. And the other points, you already know, I didn't train you for nothing!" With these words, she laughed, and her eyes sparkled with exhilaration.
"Although, you know, there will be one rule after all," Toga put a finger to her chin, pausing for a moment in thought, then, with a slight smile, she continued, "You're a beginner, so at first, there will be some concessions, but someday... someday we'll play with no rules! I can't wait for that day! So... to win, you just need to aim the knife at the critical points, and then you win! Pretty easy, right?"
She laughed again, but this time her laughter was almost innocent, as if it were just a simple joke or a trivial thing.
Seeing Kimika's completely powerless appearance, Toga realized that with her current state, even reaching the knife would be difficult, and their game wouldn't be as exciting. So, with a light smile, she said:
"I'll let you rest a bit so you'll have the strength for our game. Oh, and don't worry, there won't be a sparring session afterward because this game itself is already a sparring match! It's almost like a fight to the death between two best friends… though with one rule..." — Toga smiled, but with the last words, her smile faded slightly, and for a moment, she sank into sadness, as if the game would be much more fun without that rule.
Then, noticing that Kimika was starting to worry too much, Toga hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear: "Don't worry, it's still just a game. I don't intend to hurt you, let alone kill you." There was a sincere tenderness in her voice, and the embrace seemed truly comforting, as if she wanted to calm her friend, reminding her that even though everything seemed serious, in the end, it was just a game.
During the break, Toga never left Kimika's side for a moment. She hugged her, gently stroking her hair, offering a sense of support and calm. She gave her water, not allowing Kimika to waste her precious strength on such small things. She gave a relaxing massage, her hands moving smoothly and confidently over Kimika's back, neck, and shoulders, as if preparing her for the next part of the game.
Every movement was filled with boundless attention, as though Toga had carefully prepared her not just physically, but mentally as well.
In the end, no matter how much Kimika wanted, it was time for their game to begin. Toga, holding her hand, led her to a pre-cleared clearing, took out a knife, and with a swift motion, plunged it into the ground.
"Well then, it's time for the game!" Toga said, with a bright gleam in her eyes. Her smile was light, almost childlike. "And you know, I've been thinking — your quirk is way better suited for this fight than mine! So I won't hold back!"
She winked and, without giving Kimika time to respond, continued, "Oh, almost forgot! I've decided that the entire factory grounds are our arena during the game, not just this little clearing! So now everything is fair game! Go wherever you want — we have complete freedom of movement and tactics!"
Despite all of Toga's reassurances and attempts to calm her about the game, Kimika felt her heart racing faster and faster. A strange feeling overwhelmed her — a sense that something wasn't quite right.
Toga knew for sure that Kimika's quirk would give her a significant advantage in this battle: it would allow her to reach the knife much faster, and the brief glimpses of the future would help her see attacks moments before they were executed.
She understood that she could still put up a good fight, even if she ended up losing. But despite all that, Toga remained as carefree and nonchalant as ever, as if all of this were just trivial matters that wouldn't give her anything.
"Alright, now each of us, like in a duel, will turn around and take 20 steps forward," Toga said with a smile.
"And on my command, we'll begin the game! And remember, even though this is just a game, I'll do everything I can to make sure you don't win."
Each of them began stepping backward. Kimika, nervous and excited, gathered every ounce of resolve within herself, hoping she could last as long as possible or even win.
Each step felt heavy, but inside, she tensed every muscle, preparing herself for the fight.
Toga, on the other hand, walked calmly, almost bouncing with ease. She had been ready for a long time and was only giving her friend the time she likely needed to think her quirk would give her a significant advantage.
She wasn't worried or doubtful. She already had a plan in mind to use the terrain to neutralize Kimika's quirk advantages and win with ease.
Once they took their positions, both were ready for the fight. Kimika tensed every muscle, feeling every cell in her body ready to give her maximum effort. She was on the edge, prepared to use her quirk to accelerate and rush toward the knife.
The moment she heard Toga's command to start, Kimika didn't waste a second. She instantly applied her quirk to accelerate herself to the maximum, and a bright red glow illuminated her body. Every movement was ruthlessly fast, and in her eyes, only one goal reflected — to win.
The first moment — four steps. Her feet barely touched the ground, tearing through the air at lightning speed. The second moment — another six steps, and she was already halfway, each step increasing her speed, not allowing herself even a moment to catch her breath.
She felt every muscle, every cell in her body fill with the energy of acceleration, and this energy ruthlessly leaked from her right side.
The third moment — ten steps. Kimika was almost touching the knife. Her body moved with incredible precision, and in an instant, without allowing herself time for any other thoughts, she reached down with her hand to grab the knife. All her muscles were at their limit. And then — the knife was in her hands.
With the knife in her hands, Kimika took a defensive stance, trying not to show a single trace of nervousness. She held the knife at the ready, her eyes sharp, prepared to react instantly to any attack from any direction. However, Toga, who should have been making an attempt to snatch the knife from her hands, still hadn't appeared.
Nervously scanning her surroundings, Kimika closely examined every part of the field, every bush, every blade of grass, searching for any movement, any shadow where Toga could be hiding. Only now, when she couldn't see her friend, did she allow herself to exhale, filling her lungs with air as she tried to calm her nerves.
But even after a few seconds, Toga didn't appear. And at that moment, Kimika had an epiphany: the words about the arena, about the factory grounds where they could do anything they wanted. It wasn't a relief from her side, as she had thought earlier.
It was Toga's plan — to hide, thereby removing Kimika's advantage in an open field where she could use her quirk without issue. This gave Toga a chance for a surprise attack, because Kimika, with a knife, would have to find her on the factory grounds.
"It seems she wants to play cat and mouse," Kimika muttered softly to herself, her voice tinged with a faint sense of hopelessness. "And even if I'm the cat, I'm more like a tiny kitten, while Toga is a massive mouse, hiding and waiting for the kitten to come as close as possible."
Understanding the entire situation, Kimika realized that Toga had planned everything from the very beginning. While Kimika had rushed toward the knife, trying to gain the upper hand, she hadn't noticed what was happening around her. Focused entirely on her goal, she hadn't seen Toga slip away, quickly disappearing to hide, leaving Kimika to search for her now.
Now, knowing Toga's plan, Kimika allowed herself a moment to relax, realizing that at least for now, she wasn't at risk of a sudden attack. She was able to catch her breath. Slowly and cautiously, she began to move, carefully examining every corner around her, ready for an attack from any direction and fully aware that Toga might have prepared a trap for her.
Little did she suspect that the one she was searching for, the smiling Toga, was quietly watching her from a window, observing how carefully Kimika inspected every pebble and every shadow on the ground.
She enjoyed watching these adorable attempts to stay alert and prepared for an attack from any direction, as if Kimika truly believed it might give her a chance. Toga fully savored this game, knowing that her friend, despite all her efforts, wouldn't be able to do anything against her.
"A little kitten whose claws have only just grown thinks it can pounce on a mouse?" Toga murmured softly, watching as Kimika cautiously moved forward. "Well then, let's play hide-and-seek, my little one. Just don't forget, I'm not the prey here — you are."
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Phew, Toga's games are really interesting, aren't they? Although this is one of the first and best ideas that came to my mind, and I immediately brought it to life. There were other options too, like having each of them start with a knife, or one of them starting with a knife and the other needing to take it — and so on in a circle. But this concept with one knife in the center seemed the most interesting and, well... cooler for the upcoming chapters.
If you have any ideas for Toga's games, don't hesitate and definitely write them down — I'd love to bring them to life!
Oh, and don't worry, these games aren't just to increase the fanfic word count by a few chapters :3. They'll be playing this or similar games even after 30 chapters! But of course, it won't be stretched out over several chapters each time.
As for the beginning of their fight… I didn't intentionally write it out in so much detail 😅. It's just that without it, I wouldn't have been able to properly show their feelings and the rules of the game. So now, we know all the details!
Want to see the continuation even faster than the next day? Or perhaps you want even more chapters? Head over to my Patreon — it's all there! But don't worry, sooner or later, it will be here too! patreon.com/Zoi4erom
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PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Zoi4erom
Zoi4erom The cat in the mask liked Toga's idea of playing cat and mouse. What about you, my dear readers?
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