Soon, the trees along the path began to thin, and a few steps further, the town's outer wall came into view.
"This should be the place," Kay said, pulling out a map a messenger had drawn for him and comparing it to the town before them. But then he frowned in confusion. "But where are the guards at the entrance?"
"Weren't we told a magical beast was attacking? Why isn't there even a lookout?"
"Could it be... that most of the residents have been killed?" Artoria's expression turned grim at the terrible thought, her hand instinctively going to the Sword in the Stone at her waist. In such a chaotic era, it was unthinkable for a town, even one nestled in the mountains, to be left unguarded. The thought of a beast attack made it easy to jump to the worst conclusion.
Just then, Merlin's voice cut through their grim speculation. "Don't worry, the residents of this town are not dead. Listen, you can still hear voices from inside."
"Voices?"
Artoria and Kay both froze, quieting down to listen. Sure enough, the faint sound of arguments could be heard coming from within the town.
"Whew, as long as the residents are safe," Artoria breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly urged Kay and Merlin to enter. "Let's go. We'll talk to the villagers first, gather information on the beast, and then figure out how to deal with it."
However, when they entered the town and saw everyone engaged in endless comparison and spouting bizarre arguments, their expressions became just as baffled as Cang Ye's had been.
"I am now certain that that thing is the cause of all this," Merlin said, pressing a hand to his forehead with a look of resignation. "To have the audacity to affect an entire town just to feed... it seems I truly must rein you in, Cath Palug."
"Merlin, is this beast responsible for the residents' current state? What should we do?" Kay asked, a headache building from the constant noise.
But before Merlin could answer, Kay saw Artoria's face change behind him as she yelled urgently, "Sir Kay, watch out!"
Kay reacted on pure instinct, leaping backward while drawing his sword, whipping his head around to see the threat. But in the next instant, with a sharp "Fou!", Kay's vision went black as a fluffy, monstrous cat leaped onto his face.
And so:
Fou used Frenzied Swipes on Kay!!!
It was a critical hit! It's super effective!!!
"Aaaah! My eyes!" Kay let out a piercing scream, stumbling back with several fresh claw marks on his handsome face.
"Sir Kay, I'll help you!" Seeing her foster brother attacked, Artoria immediately drew her Sword in the Stone and, without even removing the scabbard, swung at the white monster still perched on Kay's face.
"Fou-kyu!"
But as if it had eyes in the back of its head, Fou executed a nimble leap, dodging Artoria's swing. It used her shoulder as a springboard to launch itself towards the nearby Merlin.
To Artoria's surprise, as the monstrous cat pushed off her shoulder, it met her gaze for a split second. Looking into its cute little purple eyes, she saw no hostility or killing intent, only curiosity and a strange sense of joy and excitement.
Why is it happy and excited to see us? Was it waiting for us to arrive?
The thought made Artoria hesitate for a moment, which was just enough time for the creature to launch its attack on Merlin.
"Oh? You're approaching me instead of running away, Cath Palug?" As the one who understood this creature—a terrifying infant Beast masquerading as a small animal—the best, Merlin was confident that in its current state, it posed no real threat to them. He decided then and there that he would capture it himself, without Artoria's help.
"Come then, Cath Palug." A smirk touched his lips as he nonchalantly began to chant an incantation, preparing to cast a spell to capture Fou.
But Merlin failed to notice that as Fou leaped towards him, its previously harmless gaze, the one it had given Artoria, turned instantly ice-cold. Fou didn't know why it felt such intense dislike for this character who shared its color scheme, especially since this was their first meeting. But seeing that smug grin, combined with Cang Ye's specific instructions to "be ruthless with him," a dangerous glint flashed in Fou's eyes.
"Fou, FOU FOU! FOU-KYU!"
Merlin! Eat my Fou Fou Kick!!!
As if it were a Noble Phantasm with a special attack modifier, the kick came with a speed and ferocity Merlin, still mid-chant, had not anticipated at all. Caught completely off guard, he took the full force of Fou's kick to his right cheek. His handsome face instantly deformed, twisting grotesquely. With a strangled cry, Merlin was sent flying like a spiraling white cannonball, slamming into a nearby wall with a resounding CRACK and becoming embedded within it. The incubus lost consciousness instantly, sleeping very peacefully.
"Fou-kyu~"
Merlin must die!
Seeing the damned Merlin sent flying, Fou let out a cheerful cry. Lamorak will definitely give me extra snacks for this!
"Merlin!"
It all happened in a flash. By the time Artoria heard Merlin's cry and snapped back to reality, he was already unconscious. Having perfectly completed its mission, Fou didn't linger. It glanced back at Artoria one last time before its small white figure disappeared down an alley.
"Quick! Lily, catch it! If it gets away, we might never get another chance!" Kay, having recovered from the pain in his eyes, saw the three-eyed cat escaping and urged Artoria, the only one uninjured, to give chase.
"But you and Merlin..." Artoria knew he was right, but seeing Kay's reddened eyes and scratched face, and the unconscious Merlin embedded in the wall, she hesitated. Kay and Merlin were her most important companions. She couldn't accept them being endangered due to her own recklessness.
But Kay didn't see it that way. "I'll be fine, Lily. I'll watch over Merlin and wait for him to wake up. You go after that magical beast and see if you can catch it." His tone grew serious. "Remember, if you sense any danger, don't force it! Get away immediately! Your life is more important than anything else. You must be careful, Lily."
"Alright then. Sir Kay, you be careful too!" Hearing his insistence, Artoria clenched her jaw and agreed. She immediately took off in the direction Fou had disappeared.
As he watched Artoria's boyish figure vanish from sight, Kay felt a strange sense of unease, as if something terrible was about to happen.
"Was sending Lily after that beast the right thing to do?" he muttered with a frown. Logically, with Lily's skill, capturing the beast shouldn't be a problem. But for some reason, his brow twitched with a bad feeling.
For now, I'd better wake Merlin up. Deciding on the safer course of action, he looked down at the unconscious Merlin. He had no water to splash on him. What should he do? After a moment's thought, Kay decided to use the most primitive method.
It's fine. Merlin's thick-skinned. He won't feel it.
The next moment, a crisp slapping sound echoed through the street.
At the same time, Artoria's sprinting figure and Fou's nimble form began their chase through the town.
-------
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