บท 25: Chapter 29&30
Chapter 29: A Heart with a Fierce Tiger
The gang members holding Atsushi Nakajima showed a trace of shock.
When they had run into him on the street just a few days ago, this guy hadn't even dared to fight back, barely different from a punching bag that wouldn't complain.
Yet here he was, not only cleaner and with money in his pockets but actually daring to resist them now.
Even the gang leader hadn't expected Atsushi to break free and lunge at him. But the surprise only lasted a moment; the next second, anger crossed his face.
A solid fist landed hard on Atsushi's head, immediately knocking the skinny young man to the ground.
"Hmph, maybe think before you act."
The gang leader ground his foot into Atsushi's face, his expression dark. "Daring to steal from me — you got a bit of cash, and now you've forgotten who you are?"
"That was… the money the Detective Agency seniors gave me…" Atsushi replied, defiant but unable to break free.
"Detective Agency?"
The gang leader's expression shifted slightly. Though he was just a low-level thug in Yokohama, he had enough sense to survive in this city dominated by the Port Mafia.
"The Detective Agency? You mean that Armed Detective Agency?"
"Yes, exactly, the Armed Detective Agency!"
Hearing the gang leader knew the reputation of the Agency, Atsushi quickly continued, "I joined the Agency just a few days ago. This money was given to me by my seniors to buy supplies!"
"Oh? So, you're a new recruit at the Armed Detective Agency?" The gang leader loosened his foot from Atsushi's face, looking thoughtful. "I heard everyone there has some special ability. Do you?"
"Yes!" Atsushi wiped off the footprint on his face, slightly relieved that invoking the Agency's name had managed to intimidate these thugs.
"Show us something, then."
"Uh…"
Atsushi hesitated, looking uncomfortable. "I… I can't really control my ability yet. I can't use it at will…"
"Oh." The gang leader nodded, narrowing his eyes. "So, you're telling me that you — some stray dog no one cares about — got accepted by the famous Armed Detective Agency, even though you have an ability but can't even use it?"
"Yes."
The gang leader was silent for a moment.
Then, without warning, he whipped his leg out, striking Atsushi's side.
Atsushi's body crashed into the alley wall, a dull pain spreading through his insides, making him retch.
"You think I'm easy to fool?" the gang leader grabbed Atsushi by the hair, his face twisted in anger. "Can't even make up a believable story. Do you think we're idiots?"
Before Atsushi could explain, the gang leader landed a few more punches on his face, tossing him at the feet of the other thugs.
"Just don't kill him," the gang leader said, dusting off his hands, sparing one glance at the bloodied Atsushi, before pocketing the money.
Following the leader's orders, the thugs grinned with a twisted excitement. They started beating Atsushi without restraint, venting their frustrations with fists and kicks, leaving him covered in bruises and blood.
Atsushi, too weak to resist, could only curl into a ball, guarding his head and vulnerable parts of his body as best as he could.
Meanwhile, Tokisaki Kurumi watched the entire scene unfold from where she clung to a nearby building's glass wall, thanks to her spiritual energy.
"Should I step in?" she thought. "If this goes on much longer, he might actually die."
Not that she was particularly worried about Atsushi's survival.
Atsushi's ability, Beast Beneath the Moonlight, was a combat-based regenerative power — as long as he was breathing, he could heal almost any wound.
Even lost limbs would regenerate.
Though Atsushi couldn't even activate his ability consciously, his resilience and healing were already far beyond ordinary. Even with several thugs beating him to the point of broken bones, he'd be as good as new after a good night's sleep.
What concerned Kurumi was that Atsushi's power might eventually go berserk, and he might end up killing these thugs.
Atsushi himself wouldn't kill anyone, but Beast Beneath the Moonlight certainly could.
Most ability users naturally had control over their powers, and there was typically a connection between an ability and the user's personality.
But Atsushi was an exception.
Despite possessing a tiger's ability, his personality was timid and self-doubting, the opposite of the pride and self-assurance one would expect of a "king of beasts."
His experience of abuse in the orphanage had left him fearful and weak.
This disconnect between Atsushi and his ability had caused him to not only lose control of it but to remain unaware of its existence before joining the Detective Agency.
Consequently, Beast Beneath the Moonlight had developed its own consciousness.
What should have been an inseparable bond between human and tiger had split into two due to Atsushi's unconscious resistance.
Through Atsushi's eyes, Beast Beneath the Moonlight had observed his life in the orphanage.
No one knew that within this timid Atsushi, there lay a proud, self-assured tiger.
Whenever the full moon rose or Atsushi faced extreme danger, Beast Beneath the Moonlight would take over, transforming into a white tiger to unleash its fury and pent-up frustrations.
The very reason Atsushi had been thrown out of the orphanage was because of this.
Kurumi looked up, gazing at the crescent moon in the night sky, and murmured to herself, "With both conditions met, perhaps tonight I'll witness the white tiger's splendor."
As she finished speaking, several blue rings suddenly appeared around Atsushi.
The gang members who had been beating him stopped instinctively, taking cautious steps back, their instincts telling them to avoid whatever was happening.
"What's going on?"
The gang leader looked confused but suddenly recalled what Atsushi had said earlier. His face darkened.
Atsushi, already groggy from the pain, felt his consciousness slipping, as if something enormous was forcing its way into his mind, taking his place, leaving him unable to think.
"Roaaar!"
Unnoticed by even himself, a feral growl emerged from Atsushi's throat, his body transforming along with the blue rings.
Under the blue light, his thin arms morphed into thick, black-striped, white-furred tiger claws. His frail frame expanded with layers of muscle.
"Rip—!"
His ordinary clothes, no longer able to withstand the strain, tore apart, falling in shreds to the ground.
The gang leader's eyes twitched as he chopped down at the back of Atsushi's head, hoping to knock him out.
But Atsushi's mind had already shut down the moment the rings appeared; knocking him out was impossible.
Amber tiger eyes slit open.
A blast of force, almost tangible, knocked all the thugs back, leaving them sprawled across the ground.
"Roar—!"
A majestic white tiger appeared in the moonlight, raising its head and letting out a roar that echoed, blending with the silvery light of the moon.
Chapter 30: The Standoff
The sight of the Moonlight Tiger shattered the last hope lingering in the gang leader's mind, leaving only a chilling fear. The creature was no mere illusion; it was a powerful beast, resplendent in moonlit white fur, claws gleaming, and eyes filled with a primal fury.
Frozen by the tiger's fierce gaze, the gang members felt their legs weaken. The deathly silence of the alley, which they had chosen to corner Nakajima Atsushi, now felt like a trap they had set for themselves.
Steeling himself with what little courage he could muster, the gang leader sneered, trying to rally his men. "It's just a big cat! All we need is a group tackle, and…"
Before he could finish, the Moonlight Tiger swiped its enormous paw, sending one of the thugs crashing against the wall with a cry. The man lay motionless, perhaps unconscious, maybe just too frightened to move. The rest of the group stood paralyzed, now aware of their complete helplessness before this beast.
Then, as if sensing something ominous, they noticed a strange sensation. Their vision grew dim, tinged with a haunting red, and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion swept over them. They struggled to keep their eyes open, even as the sound of slow, rhythmic footsteps echoed from behind.
The gang leader, using his last ounce of strength, turned his head to see the source. Emerging from the shadows was a girl in an elegant dress, moving gracefully toward them, as if floating from some dark abyss.
This time, Kurumi Tokisaki was not holding back. She wasn't just sapping a small amount of time from Yokohama's residents; for these lowlifes, she drained every second they had, pulling them into her shadow realm, where they would vanish without a trace.
With the gang gone, the Moonlight Tiger, bathed in moonlight, remained in the narrow alley, facing Kurumi, who stood still, calm, and unfazed by the towering beast.
The tiger growled low, instinctively sensing the danger. As a distinct, conscious part of Nakajima Atsushi, it wasn't an ordinary animal but a proud entity with intelligence rivaling its human host. Where it had toyed with the gangsters, it now felt compelled to keep a close eye on this peculiar woman.
Kurumi took a gentle bow, introducing herself with graceful confidence, "Greetings, Tiger. You may call me Nightmare. From this day, I shall be the one to hunt you in place of Akutagawa Ryuunosuke."
The tiger tensed, its memories filled with glimpses of Akutagawa through Atsushi's eyes. Although it held no fear toward the fierce "rabid dog," it acknowledged the threat Akutagawa posed. The tiger had intervened several times, lending Atsushi its strength to evade capture. If this Nightmare were Akutagawa's replacement, her strength likely surpassed his.
Kurumi continued with a calm smile, "There's no need for hostility. Tonight, I'm simply passing by, offering a bit of courtesy, you could say." She gestured to the now-empty alley. "As a welcome gift, I've rid you of those bothersome rats."
The Moonlight Tiger looked around, noticing the gang members' disappearance. Kurumi was right; she had, indeed, solved its problem.
It had emerged tonight not out of some sense of duty to protect Atsushi but out of its deep disdain for the weak. Watching Atsushi suffer in the orphanage, it had never once considered aiding him, seeing him as just another pitiful creature.
But when these thugs had dared to provoke it this proud tiger it had felt a rare anger, one that would be satisfied only by teaching them a lesson. And yet, there were limits. As a member of the Armed Detective Agency, Atsushi's actions reflected on the agency's reputation.
If news broke that he'd injured these men, the government might decide that Atsushi, unable to control his powers, should be detained. Killing was out of the question, and even brutalizing them could have dire consequences.
Kurumi's arrival had been timely, removing these limitations. Where it couldn't kill, she could. She belonged to the Port Mafia, outside the government's reach.
The Moonlight Tiger narrowed its fierce eyes, no gratitude in its expression. It wouldn't be fooled by appearances. This woman, who casually took lives, was clearly not one to be trusted.
Kurumi, unfazed by the tiger's suspicion, chuckled softly. She had no illusions about earning the beast's trust or gratitude; she knew it was far too proud for that. However, for her, this standoff was merely a prelude, an opening move in a game that would soon unfold.
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