398 Annihilation ? (1/2)

Tokyo.

Matsuo entered a deserted alley.

He looked like crap. All the color had drained from his face, leaving him with a creepily waxy skin texture. The bags under his eyes were so heavy they touched the top of his cheeks. He looked like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

He set his pet carrier on the ground.

Momo was inside.

He considered unzipping it and letting the cat out, but thought better of it.

”Momo, be good and stay here, alright? I'm sure you'll be adopted in no time,” he said to the bag.

Then, he left.

The following days felt like a reprieve. It was like the sun had finally peeked through the clouds that had darkened his life with despair.

Without Momo's eyes trained on him every night, he could finally sleep in peace. Even the spirits that hung out around his house had vanished. Their disappearance meant that his windfall had come to an end, but that was alright. He had won enough. All he wanted now was to lead an ordinary life.

Unfortunately, that was not what fate had in store for him.

One night, he was awakened by loud meowing. His first thought was that it must have been the stray cats in his neighborhood.

That was quickly dispelled because the meows grew steadily louder. In a matter of seconds, it sounded like they were coming from inside the bedroom.

Matsuo shot out of bed and switched on the lights. He circled his room, but there was no ginger cat in sight.

He shook his head. ”My mind must be playing tricks on me.”

He slumped onto the edge of his bed. The open drawer by his bedside caught his eye. He did not remember leaving it agape like this.

When he leaned in for a closer look, a pair of bright, green eyes appeared in the gap.

Matsuo screamed. He yanked open the drawer, but there was no cat inside.

His could hear his heart hammering in his ears.

He swallowed hard. ”My eyes must be playing tricks on me.”

He relaxed on the bed, stretching his arms across the quilt. He felt his fingers graze something.

It was cat litter.

He should have thrown away every cat-related item in his home.

*

The teenage girl was still on the roof, much like a puppet master controlling her little spirit marionettes. She could see everything that was happening in the office building vicariously through them.

First, she commanded Ishida to deal with the Headless Horseman. Then, she sent Ishida's spirit after Xiao Yu and friends.

Ishida's spirit was not as powerful as the real deal. However, it was enough to keep Xiao Yu under its thumb, especially when it was assisted by a legion of spirits.

This meant that she could focus all her energy and attention on the Headless Horseman. Ishida was currently leading an army of the undead to close in on him.

”This Headless Horseman has some kind of impenetrable protection around him. Physical attacks are of no use. Ishida's shadows, however, might be our way to reach him. There's no way his defences can grasp a shadow.”

”I'll have to cover Ishida so that can reach any part of his body. His back, neck, chin, and even the shadow cast in his mouth are all prime spots for attack.”

She wasted no time in putting this into action.

At first, the plan was executed smoothly. The flurry of spirits obscured Ishida from view. While the Horseman was busy waving them away, Ishida managed to sneak into a shadow latched onto the small of his body.

He wanted to get closer, but the absence of a head greatly reduced the possible surface area for shadows to grow.

”This looks like some kind of invisibility charm,” the teenager said coldly, ”Where you are is good enough. Do it now. Kill him.”

A dozen spikes started to peel from the shadows on his back. They crawled along his skin, trying to climb their way up the Horseman's neck.

The spikes moved furtively, but there was no way they could escape Zhao Yao's notice. He had the power of perception of five supercats after all.

Before they could strike, he took a small step back and vanished.

Ishida and his shadows disappeared as well.

”Ishida? Ishida, where are you?” the girl called out in Japanese, using her spirit army as a communication medium.

There was no response.