"That was so humiliating. I have to get the serum back."
"Me too. My badge, and my phone…"
Sakura and Elysia both blushed in shame.
This time, they had really lost face. One was an Emperor-level fusion warrior, the other a Vipralopa-level fusion warrior—and yet they had been robbed by an ordinary person with no powers at all.
Truly, the simple folk of Dusk Street had shown them a new side today.
If it had happened in front of anyone else, they could have brushed it off. But for it to happen in front of Elias—Sakura and Elysia didn't mind losing face before the whole world, but they did care about losing face before him.
"It must have been that girl who 'accidentally' bumped into me earlier. Damn it, I let my guard down. Who would have thought she was such a skilled pickpocket?"
Sakura recalled the incident and immediately identified the suspect.
After arriving at Dusk Street, no one else had come near them. Only the brown-haired girl who had collided with her had the chance to steal the box containing the serum.
Elysia nodded. She too had helped steady the girl, and in the blink of an eye, her badge and phone were gone. The badge didn't matter much, but the phone did!
A girl's phone contained many treasures!
For example, a secret album of Elias' sleeping face, the latest doujin she had commissioned from Danzhu, chat logs, browsing history, and more!
Elysia (thinking): (Not a big problem! A Fire Moth terminal isn't that easy to hack, and my password isn't short. I'll definitely get it back before any of those treasures are exposed!)
Elias (thinking): (What a cat—stealing anything and everything. Then again… maybe she didn't even realize what she grabbed.)
Both the box and the phone had trackers. Using his authority, Elias quickly locked onto their location.
"Let's go. We can't give her time to fence the goods."
"Mm!!" ×2
Elysia and Sakura nodded firmly.
At that moment, the cat burglar had no idea what kind of dangerous things she had stolen. Still basking in the thrill of her haul, she skipped happily back toward her den.
...
In a hidden alley of Dusk Street—
A catlike girl wandered along. Her name was Pardofelis. She had a pair of mismatched eyes, one blue and one green, short brown hair, and an adorably cute face.
Though she lacked the 'proud' figure of Elysia and Sakura, she was slim, graceful, and full of girlish charm—at the very least, more endowed than a certain Shenzhou flatboard…
Pardo clutched a high-tech looking box, weaving through the alleys. After circling several times and confirming she wasn't being followed, she returned to her little home.
It was hidden deep in the alley, behind piles of garbage bins, a small shack pieced together with thin metal sheets. Inside, there was no furniture—just cardboard laid across the floor.
It looked exactly like an oversized stray cat's nest.
"Today I really met a big client. Ahhh, this badge is so pretty! The pink crystal sparkles so brightly—it's sure to sell for a good price. Hehe, I won't have to worry about cat food now."
Pardo's eyes lit up as she examined the badge with its embedded pink crystal. She could tell at a glance it was valuable. She carefully polished it with her clothes before setting it aside like a treasure.
Every time she stole something, Pardo would only keep enough to cover her food. The rest, she always donated to the poor nearby—like a sanatorium down the street…
"What about this phone? How does it work? Oh, it lit up! Needs a password? Hmph, whatever, same old trick!"
She picked up Miss Pink Elf's phone, frowning at the password screen. Closing her eyes, she jabbed at random.
When she opened them again, the phone was unlocked.
"Hehe~ no surprise. My luck always works!"
If Elysia had seen this, she would have been dumbfounded. Who could have imagined someone guessing an eight-digit password by sheer luck?
Curiosity brimming, the lucky cat immediately opened the photo album. And then—
"Uwaaahhhhhhhh—!"
Pardofelis froze on the spot when she stumbled upon Miss Pink Elf's secret stash.
Scrolling through thousands upon thousands of photos of the white-haired boy, plus dozens of gigabytes worth of "special" manga, she knew one thing for certain: if the phone's owner ever caught her, then even with nine lives, this cat would be done for!
"Waaah, this is way too spicy! To think the owner of this phone has stuff like this… hisss… n-no, this is bad. I've seen things I shouldn't. Better get rid of it later…"
Pardo hastily shut off the phone and set it far away, treating it like a live bomb.
"I didn't see anything, nope, nothing at all. Anyway, there's still the last box. Hehe, this one's gotta have something amazing inside!!"
She shook the box in her hand. Though it made no sound, just looking at the sleek high-tech design, she could tell it contained something valuable.
She tapped in some random digits, and what should have required a ten-digit password popped open with ease.
"Uwaaah—what is this?!"
Neatly lined up inside were rows of reagent bottles filled with crimson liquid. Pardo shuddered, nearly dropping the box. For a moment she thought it was blood.
"Wait, no… it's not blood. The color's so pretty… hold on, this looks like… the serum for Honkai disease!"
Dusk Street had never been allocated Honkai serum. The place was simply too chaotic. But while Pardo had never seen the real thing, she had seen pictures. Fire Moth had plastered advertisements everywhere to raise awareness and draw out hidden patients.
"Oh crap… looks like I really messed up this time. Were those three from Fire Moth? What do I do? Should I give it back? Please don't come after me…"
Pardo squatted down, scratching her head in distress.
Sure, her supernaturally good luck was her best trait.
But good luck also came with its own headaches.
Sometimes she ended up swiping something way too valuable—like now. And then all it became was a hot potato that she couldn't handle.
It was like a gacha player who was too lucky: pulling a ten-roll and getting a maxed-out five-star instantly, but with no materials to raise them.
"These… I can't sell these."
There were Honkai patients in Dusk Street too. And with no serum ever distributed here, if Pardo took these out, desperate people would hound her for them like mad.
No matter how scary she made up her nonexistent "Boss" to be, nothing could outweigh the chance to be saved.
She considered tossing the box along Elias' path later and hiding out until things cooled down.
But then she thought of Sister Nia's sanatorium, and the children there.
"With this serum… those kids could be saved, couldn't they? Aaahhh, forget it, forget it! Just this once, I'll take the risk!!"
After chewing her nails bloody from indecision, she finally made up her mind.
She wouldn't return it. She would risk it—for the sake of the children in the sanatorium.
But just as she was about to rush out to deliver the serum—
"Found you, little cat."
"Eeeek—!!"
Three masked figures stood before her. Pardo trembled, yowling like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
She had never expected them to track her down so fast. For the first time ever, her tiny shack was crowded by someone other than stray cats—and herself.
Elysia and Sakura glanced around in astonishment.
The thief's home was even worse than they had imagined. The thin sheet-metal hut didn't even look sturdy enough to keep out wind or rain.
Both of them felt a pang of pity, and silently decided not to punish her harshly.
"Return what you stole."
"Even cute girls can't go around stealing, you know."
They were just debating whether to give her a little scare to make her cooperate when—
Thud!
The catlike girl dropped to her knees with practiced ease.
"I was wrong! I shouldn't have gotten greedy, shouldn't have taken your things! Please, merciful sir and madams, spare me!!"
"…" ×3
Elias, Elysia, and Sakura were all stunned.
They had never seen anyone surrender so quickly.
Look at that flawless kneeling posture, that lightning-fast plea—who needed intimidation when this girl folded on her own? Elias thought that if Pardo had been born in his previous world, she would surely have been a proper French cat burglar!
"Uh… first, give back the things."
"Okay, okay! I'll return them right away!"
Pardo quickly handed over the phone, badge, and box. Neither Elysia nor Sakura suspected anything.
After all, she looked like nothing more than a petty thief—there was no way she had the ability to crack a Fire Moth password-protected phone or case.
But as soon as she returned everything, Pardo began edging backwards. Just then, the moment Sakura lifted the box—
"Something's missing."
Her brow furrowed, and in a flash she drew her blade, pressing it to the cat's neck before she could escape.
"Waaaah! Spare me, spare me!"
"So you could even open a Fire Moth lockbox… hand over the serum you hid."
Sakura's voice was cold and stern. She hadn't even opened the case, but her instincts told her it was lighter than before. A normal person wouldn't notice, but Sakura was both sharp and a MANTIS. She picked up on it immediately.
Beside her, Elysia keyed in the password and opened the box.
"Eh? There really is one missing."
"Ahaha… ahaha… ahahaha…"
The three pairs of eyes turned to Pardo again. The catgirl looked utterly panicked—and indeed, she was.
(No way… she figured it out? These people are terrifying! What do I do? Should I just hand it back?)
Her hand drifted behind her, where she had hastily tucked the vial into the waistband of her shorts, hoping she could slip away unnoticed.
"Um… c-could we maybe make a deal? Just one vial, please? I can even pay for it, if that works."
She forced a shaky smile. Even one vial could save a life. Though timid by nature, Pardo's kind heart pushed her to fight for the children at the sanatorium.
But Sakura's face remained icy.
"No."
This serum had been made from Elias' blood. Though Sakura knew it was now cloned and mass-produced, cheap enough to be considered commonplace—she would not allow it to be sold for profit. In her eyes, that was defiling Elias.
In fact, she had already dealt with several black marketeers trying to profit from Honkai serum. And right now, she saw Pardo as one of them.
Her blade began to rise.
But then—
"Wait, Sakura, don't be rash."
"Hear her out first, Sakura."
The two beside her stopped her.
"Elias, Elysia… why?"
"Sakura, you're just too serious. Relax a little."
"Yeah. Look at how quickly she surrendered, how scared she is. She doesn't seem like the type who'd do something truly bad, right?" Elias glanced at Pardo.
The catgirl nodded so fast it was a blur.
At most, she might steal a trinket or two. Serious crimes? She wouldn't dare. Pardofelis was just a catlike girl who wanted nothing more than to laze in the sun and muddle through life.
What evil could a little cat really harbor?
"The boss is right. I just wanted one vial to save someone, that's all! I swear I had no other intentions!"
Sakura's near-slash had terrified her. Pardo once again fell to her knees, clasping her hands, eyes shimmering with tears. The pitifully cute sight pierced right through Elias and Elysia's hearts.
"…Alright. Sorry, I acted rashly."
Sakura sheathed her blade. As long as it wasn't about profiteering off the serum, she had no objection.
"N-no problem, no problem! Um, so… do you three need anything else from me? If not, I'll, uh, be on my way then."
"Wait. I actually need a guide here in Dusk Street. You look like you'd make a fine one."
Elias curled his lips into a smile. He hadn't expected to get this lucky—meeting Pardofelis right after arriving. With a cat to guide them, finding Aponia's sanatorium would be a breeze.
After all, this cat was far more reliable than a certain emergency food in another world—at least she wouldn't say, 'This area is for later exploration.'
"Uh… sorry, boss, but I've got things to do. Acting as a guide…"
Pardo scratched her head nervously, stepping back. No way did she want to get mixed up with three masked weirdos. The last masked guy she ran into had already given kids trauma.
Looking at you, Brother Kalpas!
"Hehe~ I'll give you a chance to rephrase that. Don't worry—you won't be working for free."
Elias pulled a few coins from his pocket, tossing them lightly. The glint instantly hooked Pardo's gaze.
If they were just ordinary coins, she might have resisted. But these coins gleamed with a golden shine. One look told her they were real gold!
Her tune changed immediately. Pardo slapped her modest chest with confidence.
"Boss, you sure have an eye for talent! I, Pardofelis, am the best guide in all of Dusk Street! Nobody knows this place better than me! Please, let me serve you!"
"Mm~ not bad. Then take me to a place called Aponia's Sanatorium. I'm looking for a friend."
Elias flipped her a gold coin. Eden had given him a pile of them during a drinking spree days ago.
Pardo caught it at once, grinning from ear to ear. Jackpot! She quickly tucked the coin into the shallow valley of her chest.
"Oh? So you're friends with Sister Nia?"
"No, I'm friends with Kalpas."
"Wha—?!"
At those words, the cat's fur practically stood on end.
Kalpas—the most hot-tempered man in Dusk Street! Every time Pardo saw him, she worried she'd get incinerated.
At Aponia's sanatorium, just shouting 'Kalpas is here!' was enough to silence crying children instantly.
That raging volcano of a man… had a friend? Pardo eyed Elias' soulium mask and wondered—were they perhaps mask enthusiasts?
"B-boss, you're really friends with Brother Kalpas?"
"What, don't I look like it? I'll have you know, Kalpas and I are close. I even gave him the mask he wears."
"Seriously?! That's amazing! You can actually get along with him?!"
Pardo's eyes sparkled with awe.
Whenever she brought supplies to the sanatorium, she always made sure to steer clear of Kalpas. Even a Tiga Ultraman mask couldn't hide the aura of a perpetually erupting volcano.
"Of course~ By the way, how has he been lately? Any calmer?"
"Uh… he's working as a mover at Sister Nia's sanatorium. As for his temper… I couldn't really say."
Pardo hunched her shoulders as she led the way.
...
Meanwhile, inside a certain sanatorium in Dusk Street—
"APO-NIA!!"
Wearing a Tiga Ultraman mask, Kalpas bellowed furiously, shouting the nun's name at the top of his lungs.