Silence descended once more, heavier this time, thick with the stench of ozone and singed fur. The three agents stood panting, adrenaline coursing through their veins. The pier was a scene of carnage, splattered with blood and littered with the mangled bodies of the werecats.
"That... was rough," Canary said, her voice trembling slightly as she unsummoned her sprites. Echo, Ink, and Breeze disappeared into wisps of thin mist. "What about those policemen?"
The three agents looked over. The two police officers lay on the ground, injured, shaken, but alive.
As they took a step toward the officers, a figure materialized seemingly from nowhere. He was a strange man, dressed in full cowboy attire, complete with a feathered cowboy hat that seemed a size too large. His face was etched with theatrical grief, and he clutched his chest dramatically.
"My brothers! My poor, furry brothers!" he wailed, his voice thick with false sorrow. "Too late! I'm always too late!"
Autumn's eyes narrowed. She recognized the flamboyant display immediately. "Cyclops, Pixie," she murmured, her voice low and urgent. "Get ready for a fight. That's an awakened criminal. Tom Matagot, the 'Puss in Boots' from Grotesque Fantasy."
Sparrow instantly recognized the name Grotesque Fantasy. It was specially noted in MIST Union Secret Information Series, some of the newest collection of books in the Secret Library. This was the name of an insane terrorist organization, whose operation ranged all over the continent.
"Combo Alpha," Sparrow whispered to his sister. As he felt subtle connection formed, linking her mind with Canary and Autumn, he activated his [Greater Appraisal].
The world seemed to sharpen, details snapping into focus. The connected minds of the group could see the faint, almost imperceptible aura of cursed energy clinging to the man, the subtle distortions in the air hinting at his ability to turn invisible. Torrent of information flooded their senses as they probed the man's information.
'Cat-loving madman,' Canary summarized, her voice a mere whisper in their shared mental space. 'Murdering his own parents for accidentally killing his cat... Getting a fairy tale fruit… possessing cursed power… invisibility… nine lives… super speed… bad luck aura… poisonous claws and teeth… hypnotic eyes… Weakness: advanced holy element!'
Sparrow's jaw tightened imperceptibly. 'Holy element. Holy water!' he echoed mentally. He filed that information away, already formulating a plan.
Before any of them could fully process the intel, Matagot's theatrical grief abruptly ceased. His sorrowful expression twisted into a manic grin, revealing teeth that seemed far too sharp and pointed for a human.
"Such a pitiful scene," he purred, his voice dripping with false charm. "But alas, too many unworthy witnesses."
In a horrifying instant, his transformation began. Bones cracked and reshaped themselves, flesh rippled and contorted. Fur sprouted in grotesque patches, claws emerged from his fingertips, elongating into razor-sharp points.
The feathered cowboy hat remained perched precariously on his head, providing a bizarre counterpoint to the monstrous form that was rapidly taking shape.
When the metamorphosis was complete, standing before them was a nightmarish abomination – an extremely ugly... furry catman, completely naked save for the cowboy hat and boots. His eyes glowed with a malevolent yellow light, and a thick, noxious saliva dripped from his fanged maw.
Without a word, without a flicker of hesitation, the catman pounced. The speed was unbelievable, a blur of fur and claw. He bypassed Sparrow in a heartbeat and landed in front of the injured police officers. Before anyone could react, he buried his fangs into the neck of the closest officer.
The man screamed, a choked, gurgling sound that abruptly cut off. The nightmarish carman released him, and the officer slumped lifelessly to the ground, his skin already turning a ghastly shade of blue.
Horror and outrage surged through the three agents. Canary gasped, the image of the dying officer seared into her mind. Sparrow's face remained impassive, but his {Eye of Wisdom} blazed with a cold, emerald fire. Autumn's usually confident demeanor hardened into grim determination.
Tom Matagot, oblivious to the storm of fury he had unleashed, turned his attention to the remaining officer, his yellow eyes glinting with predatory hunger. He crouched, ready to strike again.
But this time, they were ready.
"Tweety!" Sparrow barked, his voice a low growl.
Canary didn't hesitate. Her hands aimed her twin handguns, already brimming with lightning ammunitions. She fired a pair of lightning rounds, aiming for Matagot's head and heart. The bolts of pure energy crackled through the air, blinding flashes of light.
Simultaneously, Sparrow moved. He exploded into action, a blur of motion that defied the eye. Years of martial arts training, honed to a razor's edge, amplified by his
Autumn, meanwhile, reacted with practiced efficiency. Reaching for one of her soulbeast cards, she immediately threw it to the surviving police officer. The card shimmered, releasing a surge of chaotic energy.
From the swirling aether, a rolling creature solidified – a Forcefield Armadillo, its scales gleaming like polished steel. The armadillo, obeying Autumn's mental command, stood in front of the remaining policeman, uncurling just long enough to cast a shimmering, iridescent forcefield around them, encasing them in a protective bubble.
Canary's lightning rounds struck empty air as Tom Matagot, with unnerving speed, twisted aside. The electricity crackled harmlessly past, failing to even singe a hair on his feline head. The catman snarled, a flicker of amusement in his amber eyes.
The near miss was all the signal Sparrow needed, and he launched himself forward. But Tom Matagot was already in motion. He sidestepped Sparrow's tackle with a fluid grace of a demonic feline, leaving the one-eyed youth to crash into the ground with a frustrated thud.
Tom Matagot, recovering from his dodge, saw Sparrow scrambling to his feet. A sneer curled his whiskered lips. He knew Sparrow was the biggest threat up close. The kid was built like a brick tower and moved with a disturbing intent.
But the cowboy hatted catman wasn't about to play into Sparrow's strengths. He was far too nimble to be cornered.
He feinted towards Sparrow, then abruptly changed direction, lunging towards Canary. The girl was quick with her guns, but he could close the distance before she could draw a bead on him. He swiped a clawed paw at her, intending to rake across her face.
But Canary was ready. Years of gymnastics had instilled in her an uncanny sense of balance and timing. The moment she saw his eyes lock onto her, she activated her [Arcane Instant Escape] skill.
A shimmer of arcane energy surrounded her, and she turned into transparent ghost, flashing several feet away in an instant, just as Matagot's claws sliced through the air where she had been a split second before.
Hissing angrily, the grotesque catman charged at her again, deftly evading the barrage of lightning bullets as he did so.
However, Canary was not an easy target. She activated her Blink Necklace. With a surge of displaced space, she teleported, a short spatial jump that put her safely behind Autumn.
Tom Matagot hissed in frustration. The tiny human was proving to be remarkably elusive. He quickly changed his target to the bigger female.
Autumn, however, was a different story. When he charged towards her, claws extended, she stood her ground, her expression calm and focused. As he closed the distance, she swung her three-section foldable staff.
The weapon, seemingly an extension of her own body, danced in the air, a blur of steel. The segments snaked and weaved, creating a defensive perimeter that was impossible to penetrate.
Matagot, despite his speed, was forced to dance back, barely avoiding the stinging lash of the staff. He tried to flank her, to find an opening in her defense, but Autumn anticipated his every move. Her feet shifted, her staff followed, always between him and his target.
More frustratingly for the catman, Autumn began releasing her own soulbeasts. A crystal stag burst from a card, charging at the grotesque creature with incredible speed.
Matagot somersaulted sideway to evade the charge, but the brief distraction was enough for Autumn to launch a volley of wind blades, slicing through the air towards him.
The catman dodged and weaved through the blades, but one grazed his arm, drawing a thin line of blood. He hissed, realizing that this woman was far more dangerous than she appeared.
The fight continued, a chaotic whirlwind of motion and arcane energy. The catman was faster, more agile, but Canary's teleportation and Autumn's defensive prowess made them incredibly difficult to hit. Sparrow, meanwhile, circled, waiting for his opportunity, his eyes burning with a fierce determination.
Time stretched, each second feeling like an eternity. Sweat plastered Autumn's hair to her forehead, while Canary was starting to breathe harder.
Finally, after what felt like an age, Autumn saw her chance. She tossed another soulbeast card into the air. This time, it materialized into a Mist Mouse. The creature, small and unassuming, emitted a thick cloud of disorienting mist.
The fog wasn't dangerous, but it obscured vision and muddled the senses. The catman, relying on his superior senses to track his prey, faltered. He paused for a split second, his head cocked, trying to pierce the swirling fog.
That was all the opening Sparrow needed.
He surged forward, a roaring force of nature. He dove through the mist, his arm outstretched, his hand closing around the catman's wrist.
His grip was like a vise, amplified by his enhanced strength. Sparrow twisted, using his momentum to throw the catman off balance. Matagot tried to pull away, his claws scrabbling against Sparrow's skin, but the one-eyed youth held on tight. Once he had him, the catman's speed was useless.
The tables had turned.
"Got you!" Sparrow growled, his voice low and menacing.
Now that the advantage of speed was gone, the catman's face showed a rare hint of anxiety. He snarled and tried to bite, but Sparrow yanked him off balance, preventing him from reaching his neck.
Sparrow shifted his weight, muscles coiling and uncoiling beneath his tanned skin. The world seemed to blur for a moment as he activated his [Combat Style: Hurricane Dance]. It was a rarely used technique, a whirlwind of unpredictable strikes that relied on flexibility and agility more than brute force.
His elbow slammed into the catman's jaw, a jarring blow that made the creature hiss. Before he could recover, Sparrow's leg swept low, nearly tripping the catman. An open-palm slap followed to his face, the impact echoing in the night air.
He punctuated the assault with a brutal knee strike, aimed for the stomach, doubling the creature over. Finally, he finished it with a rotating heel drop to the back of the neck. Each movement flowed seamlessly into the next, a relentless dance of destruction.
The catman, caught completely off guard, struggled to regain his footing, claws scrabbling uselessly against Sparrow's iron grip. Sparrow, never relinquishing his hold, twisted the creature's arm with a sickening crack, securing a powerful grapple lock.
Seizing the opportunity, Autumn fumbled in her bag, her fingers closing around the cool glass of a small vial. Holy water. She yanked it free and, with a swift motion, smashed it against the catman's forehead. The glass shattered, showering the creature in the consecrated liquid.
The catman roared, a sound of pure agony, as the holy water sizzled against its skin. Steam rose from its fur, carrying the stench of burning flesh and brimstone. Its body convulsed violently within Sparrow's grip.
Canary, ever vigilant, didn't hesitate. She had summoned Holy and leveled one of her handguns. Its barrel glowed with a faint, ethereal light as Holy imbued it with her light energy.
With a breath held steady, she fired. A beam of concentrated light pierced the night, striking the catman squarely in the forehead, right where the vial had broken.
The creature's body stiffened, its eyes widening in disbelief. For a moment, it hung frozen, suspended between worlds. Then, with a final, shuddering gasp, it collapsed.
The catman lay motionless, its monstrous form seemingly dissolving like sugar in water. But instead of disintegrating completely, it began to dissipate into a swirling gray mist.
"He's escaping!" Autumn shouted, her eyes widening.
The mist gathered, coalescing into a vaguely humanoid shape. It drifted away from Sparrow, who released the empty air in his grasp. The mist traveled a few meters, then, with a sickening pop, it reformed. The grotesque catman stood again, battered and singed, but undeniably alive.
Hatred burned in its catlike eyes as it glared at the trio of agents. Without a word, it leaped towards the river, its movements frantic and desperate. It plunged into the dark waters, disappearing beneath the surface with barely a ripple.
Sparrow straightened, his face grim. "He's gone."
Autumn swore under her breath. "Damn it! He lost one life, but he still has eight more to go. This is just going to get messier."
Canary lowered her pistol, her usually cheerful face clouded with concern. "Where do you think he's going, Li'l Aunt?"
Autumn ran a hand through her short, dark-brown hair, her brow furrowed in thought. "Who knows? Grotesque Fantasy has the most unpredictable pattern among all the troublemaking bastards out there."
Sparrow remained silent, his gaze fixed on the murky river. He activated his {Eye of Wisdom}, searching for any lingering traces of the catman's chaotic energy. He saw faint, lingering shadows, whispers of its passage, but nothing concrete.
"He's gone to ground," Sparrow finally said, his voice low and gravelly. "He won't be easy to find."
Autumn sighed as she took out her mistlink. "I'll report this to MIST HQ. They need to know that Tom Matagot is here in Gyoya. Cyclops, you stay vigilant and take a watch. Pixie, call an ambulance for those unlucky officers."