The Goddess of Flowers danced, her movements lithe and full of grace.
Nabu Malikata's dance made even Nilou stop and watch, completely captivated.
More and more people gathered below the stage. They had seen many versions of the "Dance of the Goddess of Flowers" before, but never one this vivid and alive. For most of them, this was their first time witnessing it.
They did not know that this was a dance only the former Dendro Archon and a handful of others were ever able to see. Ordinary people would never have the chance.
If not for the Goddess of Flowers Nabu taking the whim to dance, where would they ever find an opportunity to see the true, original Dance of the Goddess of Flowers?
Through the Akasha, Nahida watched the scene and couldn't help sighing.
"So this is the real Dance of the Goddess of Flowers…"
Nilou's dance had no problems in terms of movement. It was very beautiful to watch. But in the end, she was not the goddess herself, and lacked that divine charm unique to the Goddess of Flowers.
There was a reason the Scarlet King had ended up hooked as badly as a fish with its mouth pulled up—this original Dance of the Goddess of Flowers was something you simply couldn't get enough of once you saw it.
Seeing the Dance of the Goddess of Flowers again, the former Dendro Archon, Buer, was visibly moved.
"What a nostalgic dance… how many years has it been since I last saw it…"
So many years that she had lost count…
…
In the pre-Honkai civilization, on Dusk Street where talents gathered—
Koji walked along Dusk Street. Anyone able to survive here had at least some skills. The weak simply had no room to live in this place.
Bang!
Suddenly, a slim figure in a hooded cloak bumped into Koji. There was no ill intent in it, so his blessings did not activate.
"Sorry, sorry, I bumped into you. I didn't do it on purpose."
A timid voice, full of "fear and unease," sounded out. Koji didn't take it to heart. He wasn't some bloodthirsty killer.
"It's fine. Just be more careful next time."
Koji had already guessed who this was. Looks like her "goods" had ended up falling right into his lap. Interesting.
He decided to pretend he didn't recognize her for now.
The figure hurried away, deliberately circling around several times before finally stopping in a deserted alley.
"Walking around Dusk Street with no sense of caution at all… tsk tsk tsk, what a naïve guy."
The girl lifted her hood, revealing brown hair and a pair of rare heterochromatic eyes that made her look like a mischievous cat.
Her name was Pardofelis. She was very famous on Dusk Street. After all, if anyone lost something, they could almost always trace it back to Pardo.
"What's this thing supposed to be?"
Pardo looked at the pot in her hand—the Serenitea Pot she had lifted from Koji. It felt like some kind of teapot.
"Does anyone still carry something like this around on them?"
High in the air, Koji stood watching the cat-girl without cat ears or a cat tail, feeling a little sentimental.
Who would have thought that a little cat burglar like this would later become a hero?
A very ordinary kind of hero—not someone as overwhelmingly strong as Kevin—but one whose contribution would be anything but small.
She was the most afraid of death of them all… yet ended up dying multiple times.
With a thought from Koji, a Hydro Slime emerged from the Serenitea Pot, startling Pardo so much she jumped.
"W-What is that?"
Pardo had never seen a creature like a slime before, so she was on high alert, even though she didn't feel any real danger from it.
The slime looked at Pardo—in truth, it was staring at the Serenitea Pot in her hands.
How had their home ended up in the hands of this strange human?
"This is a creature called a 'slime.' Relax, it won't attack you."
Koji descended from the sky, smiling as he looked at Pardo.
This cat-cat's paws really were naughty—she'd dared to steal even his belongings.
"Ahaha… Boss, we meet again!"
Pardo looked at Koji with guilty eyes, her gaze wary to the extreme. Descending from the sky like that… after confirming his face, she knew this was someone she absolutely could not afford to provoke.
"Boss, this is your lost item. I'm giving it back to you."
Pardo's eyes rolled, and she tossed the Serenitea Pot back to Koji. Taking advantage of that moment, she spun around and bolted.
But could she really run?
The answer was: no.
Koji reached out his hand and simply grabbed Pardo by the head, lifting her up.
Cat-cat, captured.
"Ahhh, ow ow ow…!"
Pardo started wailing. She felt like her skull was about to crack open.
Why was this guy's grip so strong? He really had no concept of how to handle a cat gently.
"Boss, I was wrong! I'll never dare touch your stuff again!"
The cat-cat quickly begged for mercy. She knew she'd kicked an entire titanium-alloy steel wall this time.
"You stole from me. Do you really think I'm going to let you off that easily?"
Koji planned to tease the cat for a bit, not actually hurt her.
"Can we… maybe talk this out?"
Pardo put on an adorably pitiful expression, trying to win him over.
Her looks were very deceptive. She had escaped several times in the past by playing the "poor helpless girl."
"And at a time like this, what do you think?"
Koji remained unmoved. Pardo's heart sank to the bottom.
She was finished. She'd run into someone completely immune to soft words and pretty faces.
This time, she was sure she'd have to pay with something very important. She knew perfectly well how much value her face had—there were always people who liked that type.
"Boss, I can pay you back."
Gritting her teeth, Pardo weighed chastity versus her stash and finally decided to sacrifice her stockpile instead.
"Sure. Those are your own words."
"But… I want all of it."
When Koji said that, Pardo felt like her heart was bleeding. That stockpile had taken her so long to collect.
"Fine… Boss, could you put me down first? I'll show you the way."
No matter how much it hurt, Pardo had no choice but to lead Koji to her hidden base of operations. Luckily, she had more than three stashes in total.
"How do I know you won't just run for it?"
"Come on, Boss. You're this strong. There's no way I could get away."
Pardo was speechless. He could literally fly, and he was worried about her running?
Even if she grew two extra legs, she wouldn't be faster than him.
Koji let go of Pardo. Teasing a cat-cat like this really was pretty fun.
Right now, Pardo didn't dare try any tricks. She obediently led Koji toward the hideout where she kept her goods.
"Whoa, you've got quite a lot of stuff here. But why did you even steal someone's front door?"
Seeing a door that clearly didn't belong to this place, Koji was a bit dumbfounded. This cat really did leave no house unransacked.
"Hehe, Boss, I never leave empty-handed. I didn't like anything in that house, so I just took the door."
Pardo gave a sheepish laugh.
On the way, she had realized Koji wasn't actually a bad person, so she'd relaxed a little.
"Being able to haul back a door this big… you've got some skill."
Koji sized up Pardo's slender frame.
Obviously, she hadn't been eating particularly well, and she wasn't a fusion warrior yet, either.
Pardo only smiled without answering. That was her secret—no way she was telling anyone.
"Boss, have a look and pick out what you want."
Pardo pointed at her "stock."
She was sure Koji wouldn't want everything. Some of the items here had to be useless to him.
"I'll take this Cat's Paw Coin."
Koji picked up a gleaming coin from the table. Pardo looked reluctant, but she didn't refuse.
"Boss, that's my favorite coin. You really have to treasure it, okay?"
Pardo was already regretting not keeping the coin on her at all times. It had been with her for a long, long while. She'd already formed an emotional attachment to it.
(End of Chapter)
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