The silence was broken by the monstrous bastard swinging his greatsword - only to show how inhuman he was by stopping it mid swing. Letting the end of that blade point towards the old cat. A flurry of powerful wind flying through the streets due to the strength he used in that act.
"What are you dumb cunts waiting for; go beat up that old pussy~♪"
Obviously he could take on the crazy old cat lady… But why play nice when he simply wanted his hands on their souls, plus he had to let those thugs work for their paycheck, so wanted to send them forth. It was clear to the cat by the way he carried himself - he had no faith they would actually manage to kill her.
He never took his eyes off Cheshire and that meant he was treating her as a threat worthy of his whole attention; meanwhile it didn't take a genius to know how he felt about the humans.
In response Cheshire just let that mask snapback over her face as she moved both her hands to rest atop her newly formed cane. Just using it to support her as she stood there. Truly appearing like a weak little old lady yet with a hidden strength that allowed her to look mighty while surrounded by thugs.
If she noticed it then there was no way that Cheshire didn't. However that greying feline didn't seem to particularly care as the now one tailed cat saw those slender shoulders… Trembling. It made her own crimson eyes narrow as she recognised that telling sign.
She had seen it several times over the years when Cheshire "prime" had discovered something intriguing.
Her pondering cut off as she discovered something strange.
Those humans that the bastard barely had any faith in stood completely still despite his order. Clearly they feared him so were unlikely to be purposefully refusing his order - reinforced by how they were looking at one another in confusion. It was as if they suddenly couldn't understand what he was saying.
"Having some performance issues, dear~?"
Her mocking voice echoed out yet there wasn't even a single curious glance towards her from the humans that bastard had brought along.
Seeing this made his smug smirk strain as he slowly tilted his neck only for it to let out a mighty crack.
"... What are you boys doing?"
His smile was as close to being a smile while most definitely not being a smile.
This truly caused those humans to shiver as some of them decided that it was easier just to end their own lives rather than experience whatever he had planned. A factor that caused him to grow even more upset until he took a deep breath. Sending a few crimson wisps to escape as his smile returned.
Just in time for someone to grow brave enough to respond.
"W-we don't see an old lady…"
A raised brow was what finally removed all the dissatisfaction that bastard had towards them; instead having his colourful eyes fall upon Cheshire. The old cat may have had her face covered yet he knew she was giving him a familiar smile. In fact it was a smile that he had given to her a little while ago.
She had figured out something that he hadn't.
"Okay, I'll bite, what did you do this time?"
Pouting in a fashion that could make a girl squeal… If they didn't know the fact he had seemingly killed a little girl for the shits and giggles.
That was the kind of monster that Cheshire fearlessly met the eyes of.
"I didn't do anything; it's not my fault your boys are… Lacking, chehehehahaha~!"
Throwing her head back while also throwing her arms out wide - truly uncaring as she faces what may as well be the god of torture.
Soon she found herself being more convinced the longer she thought about it even if it also proved how bellow she was in wisdom when compared to Cheshire.
He looked down on them as insufferable maggots hanging from his decaying corpse, after all.
Although that begged another terrifying question.
The cat's thoughts drift to the terrifying entity that had been trapped with Chesire prime during their last life then (seemingly) inside her in the current.
Suddenly she felt a sudden shift in spiritual energy within Cheshire - causing her to focus on the cat lady whose energy suddenly congregated into her head. Specifically reinforcing her eyes and the synapses that connected them to her head. That visible eye darted about at inhuman speeds as it collected data.
Her opponent, meanwhile, was more focused on his useless help.
"I guess I'll just judge that you can see her~!"
Those previously pointless humans all began to blink at the same time while looking toward Cheshire with obvious shock as if she had just appeared in front of them.
Based on her theory… That may truly be what happened in their perspective.
Seeing this made the monster's smirk appear once more as he opened his mouth; no doubt about to spur them on so that he could have his fun. Unfortunately the old lady, as patient as she was, was also one who didn't let go of an advantage when she could. And the black cat was in the perfect place to see it.
That energy that focused on her eyes suddenly shot into her brain as it seemed to be filled with something moments before Cheshire leaned forward like a cat about to pounce.
Then exploded into white fire.
Even with her enhanced feline body the cat jumped back as rubble soon came to pelt her with her only being able to see the trail left in Cheshire's wake.
It was even worse for those thugs as a white flash erupted towards the one closest to the Navy - pausing for a moment to reveal the form of Cheshire who offered a smile to their old "friend". Following that up with swiping her cane into the back of the gangster's knee. Causing him to lose balance and fall off the roof.
She flashed away to send the corpse of the man who was killed by the throwing knife which she closed the eyes of with her back facing the monster.
Not letting him see the details of her actions even if he managed to turn around in time.
By the time he did turn around he just saw a man with a hole in his forehead lying on his back with his eyes closed that allowed him to somehow appear peaceful.
When he turned back to try to find Cheshire he found that… Most of the men closest to the edges of the roof had been killed. Being who he was he took note that a lot of them had smooth cuts along their vitals with the most favoured being the jugular.
Not that she was picky as some were even bleeding out via their armpits.
Clearly she didn't care for the method so much as the efficiency as she once again stood in the middle of the street. Standing in front of the little black cat with her hands resting on her cane. Seemingly having nothing to do with the nine assassinated ruffians.
Although just as the monster's eyes narrowed at her… They all heard the sound of a crack; causing everyone to look below the roof that the bastard stood on the edge of. Seeing that the man Cheshire had pushed off had, in fact, cracked his neck due to landing poorly.
"Well I can't even be blamed for that one~!"
She said that yet her now infamous cackle came out all the same.
"So you can still use that technique in this world~?"
"I don't mean to brag but I'm a rather clever cat~."
"Cunning more like~♪"
Her eyes practically curled upwards in amusement at the quizzical look she received.
Their conversation wasn't just because the monster felt like monologuing (though that was definitely part of the reason) as those remaining hoodlums tried taking advantage.
Using the fact she was "distracted" to sneak up on her; carefully clambering off the rooftops to sneak around via the alleyways. They waited till they could be confident all of them had managed to sneak around before they broke out into a sprint. Drawing various makeshift weapons in an attempt to end her.
All she did was grip the lower half of her cane with one hand only to suddenly thrust it upwards then pull it back down with even more force. That was all it took for the top to slide out. Revealing that the cane was actually just the sheath for a simple straight japanese-style sword.
Catching the wooden hilt with her free hand while resting the "sheath" in her belt just as those few dozen men finally reached her.
Truly with the grace of a cat, she danced around the blades, every movement was minimal as she sometimes didn't even move her feet. Truly making those thugs look hopeless. Her sword didn't even seem to be moving with particular intent but instead appeared like it "accidentally" slid across her foes.
That didn't change the fact that her blade ended up slicing through their weakest spots - causing blood to spray about yet never landing a drop on her.
Although that was when things started to get strange as she would occasionally pause while looking around as if trying to find something. Her brow furrowing. Those cat ears on either side of her had swivelling around in an attempt to find where a noise was coming from.
A noise that neither the cat nor monster could hear.
Eventually that crazy cat even moved her finger to pick her ear as she continued to effortlessly dodge those men even with her occasionally stumbling about in surprise.
"Cha gonna have to speak up if you wan' me to 'ear ya; this old ladies ears ain't working as good as they used to!"
Slipping back into her more "aggressive" accent as she "accidentally" slit yet another man's artery.
Furrowing her own fuzzy brows as she glared around to try and find what her other self was speaking to.
"Guess I'll have to get off my ass then~♪"
Although she had other things to worry about.