Yukinoshita Yukino remained oblivious and said confidently, "Toya, you shouldn't be focused on my questions."
"You should be concentrating on finding the two missing cats."
"Let's start the search then." Toya chose not to explain yet. He already had some suspicions, and explaining now would be pointless.
Yukinoshita Yukino would never believe him, even if he showed her evidence.
Half an hour later, Toya followed Yukinoshita Yukino to her rented apartment.
"This is my place." Yukinoshita Yukino's clear, pleasant voice held a hint of almost imperceptible hope. "Please, you absolutely must find them."
She had always loved cats, having fed strays often, but she was unable to bring them home.
Since her mother disliked cats, she could only feed them secretly.
A while ago, she finally summoned the courage to adopt two stray kittens.
But shortly after the adoption, the two kittens vanished.
No matter how hard she searched, she found no trace. She had even hired multiple detectives, but no one could find them.
She couldn't bear to lose them.
Yukinoshita Yukino opened the apartment door, and Toya immediately saw a spacious living room.
The living room was impeccably clean and tidy, clearly belonging to someone wealthy.
Just as they entered, they heard faint kitten meows.
Meow! Meow!
"Are the cats inside?" Toya looked at Yukinoshita Yukino beside him and asked tentatively, "Yukino, did you hear a cat meow?"
He heard it clearly; it was definitely a cat.
He couldn't be sure if Yukinoshita Yukino could hear it.
"A cat meowing?" Yukinoshita Yukino frowned lightly. "My apartment is silent. Toya, are you mistaken?"
"I see." Toya didn't explain. He silently opened his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception
At that moment, the illusion of the false world dissolved, revealing the real world.
Toya first looked at Yukinoshita Yukino and nodded slightly. "She has no problem."
Yukinoshita Yukino had not changed; she was still herself.
The possibility that she was an impostor could be ruled out.
Toya looked around Yukinoshita Yukino's living room. There were no problems here, either.
Although there was an anomaly hanging in the corner disguised as a hanging decoration, it posed no threat to those who couldn't see it.
"Oh? Interesting." Toya looked at the floor with interest. Two slightly dirty kittens, one black and one white, scurried over from the corner.
The two kittens rubbed affectionately against Yukinoshita Yukino's shoes, expressing their longing for their owner.
Yukinoshita Yukino showed no reaction, completely unaware that the two kittens she had been desperately searching for were right there in her home.
The two innocent kittens didn't seem disappointed by Yukinoshita Yukino's lack of reaction.
This money is too easy to earn. I almost feel bad charging 500,000 yen, Toya thought with emotion.
Although finding the kittens was simple, the price would not change. It was money he earned throught work.
He didn't hide his thoughts from Yukinoshita Yukino, as he would have to explain everything soon anyway.
Yukinoshita Yukino's face grew cold. "The payment has been made, Toya. Please take this seriously."
"Of course, why would I argue with a client?"
Toya gently picked up the two kittens, carried them, and walked toward the living room sofa.
"Be good, don't scratch me."
The two kittens, one black and one white, were exceptionally docile, allowing Toya to hold them without struggling.
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at Toya with suspicion, wondering if he had some mental health issue.
Why else would Toya walk into the living room acting as if he were carrying two kittens?
Toya sat down on the sofa and motioned for Yukinoshita Yukino to sit and talk.
Yukinoshita Yukino took a seat on the adjacent sofa, quietly waiting for Toya to continue.
"Regarding your commission to find the two missing kittens, it has been completed," Toya stated calmly.
Yukinoshita Yukino immediately became agitated. "When was it completed? Where are the cats? Why can't I see them?"
"They are in my hands. You just can't see them." Toya raised the two kittens and waved them in front of Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes.
However, Yukinoshita Yukino was entirely unaware that the kittens had just been waved in front of her, and had even given a soft meow.
"The Emperor's New Clothes?" A story immediately sprang into Yukinoshita Yukino's mind.
Toya's actions looked exactly like a performance of that story.
She would normally mock anyone else, but she knew Toya was a supernatural being.
If Toya said something, there was likely a reason for it.
Toya held the two kittens and sighed softly. "Yukinoshita Yukino, do you want to see the kittens?"
"If you want to see them right now, the price will be increased significantly."
"It's far more than 500,000 yen worth."
"I want to see the kittens!" Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes were firm. "I will pay any price, no matter how great!"
"Since you put it that way, I'll let you see them..." Toya opened the system store and began searching for an item called 'Power of Existence.'
He quickly found the 'Existence Power' item in the system store.
[Name: Power of Existence (One Hour)]
[Price: 100 Source Points]
[Description: Purchasing Power of Existence is not recommended; the price is too high. The host is advised to recover the originally lost Existence Power.]
One hundred Source Points for one hour, that's outrageously expensive.
Although I will be looking for the Flame Haze who stole the kittens' Power of Existence soon.
Despite the cost, Toya bought it.
Yukinoshita Yukino had promised to pay any price, after all.
In the future, when he needed Yukinoshita Yukino's assistance, she would not be able to refuse.
A faint glow of light slowly appeared and descended.
Yukinoshita Yukino looked curiously at the light that had appeared out of thin air.
"What is that?"
"Power of Existenc. It will let you see the missing kittens." Toya took the power and gave half to each of the two kittens.
As the Power of Existence integrated, the forms of the two kittens, previously only visible to him, slowly began to materialize.
Yukinoshita Yukino watched the kittens, whom she believed were missing, appear in Toya's hands. Her beautiful eyes blinked in disbelief.
"They weren't..."
She was about to say, Weren't the cats missing? when layers of memory began to surface in her mind.
Every day, she would routinely refill the cat bowl with food and the water bowl with water.
When she returned, the food and water would be gone, clearly eaten by the cats.
During this time, whenever she returned home, the kittens would affectionately rub against her feet.
"They were here all along, and I just couldn't see them!"
Yukinoshita Yukino was overwhelmed with shock and self-reproach. "Why didn't I remember until now? What is going on?"
"The kittens were here the whole time."
Seeing the dirty state of the two kittens, Shiro and Kuro, she felt a pang of heartache.
It had been a long time since she had paid any mind to Shiro and Kuro, let alone given them a bath.
"Don't panic yet, just listen to me first."
Toya's voice was calm and steady. "You already know the kittens haven't disappeared."
"You just couldn't see them, and subconsciously ignored their presence."