Chapter 5
63.
The Kemis' interaction feels like it was destined. Kita's group somehow always stumble into a new sort of problem each time that they travel. As the story continues, Tridae the messenger of Kemitopia arrives. Catching the group before they head toward the laboratory.
At first, Raven was startled, but the group calmed her down as they explained that Tridae was an ally. They went to an alley and continued their conversation there to update about their current status. Tridae was astounded as he witnessed Kita's new talent. On the other hand, information about Evil Mimi is not yet clear. With that, Tridae wrote the summary and decided to leave for now. He must deliver the update to Maiko and Princess Grace, it will take some time before Tridae appears again.
"This group never fails to surprise me. Now that I know we have more allies, it feels like we are on a secret mission to save the UniPaws." Raven said while they were walking back to the car.
"Pffft, it's nothing. This is just our normal everyday life." Kita boastfully replied.
"And Kita is the troublemaker," Hana added.
"I second the motion," Yuna responded.
"I third the motion!" Lulu commented as well.
"Oy!" Kita reacted madly.
"It certainly looks that way," Raven answered as they all laughed.
The group rode the car once more and made their way toward the location that Eve gave them. After a couple of minutes, they arrived at the laboratory where they saw Eve and Rubi cleaning up the broken glasses. They are the Catgirl Kemis that the group met in the arcade before. Rubi is the white hair with a light skin complexion one, and Eve is the one with long brown hair in a ponytail and tanned skin color. Both of them were wearing lab gowns at that time, just like today.
The group rang the doorbell, and Eve immediately opened the glass door.
"Come in, sorry for the mess. By the way, this is Rubi, my subordinate." Eve said as she welcomed the group.
"Yoz! I'm Rubi~" Rubi added as she wiggled her ears.
"And again, I'm Eve. Head of our research department." Eve formally introduced herself.
The group wiggled their ears as well, they also introduced themselves one after the other.
"I invited them here because they claim that they know about the creature that we caught. They called it Evil Mimi." Eve explained to Rubi.
"I see, we should discuss this matter then. We don't want further casualties due to these Evil Mimis." Rubi replied.
"Please come this way," Eve told the group as she led the way to the office. Rubi, on the other hand, went to the kitchen to get something to serve the visitors. Thus the discussion finally started.
The debate was lengthy due to the complexity of the topic. Eve also showed the recorded camera footage of the incident, luckily no one was severely injured. Though most of the scientists were wounded, they are currently resting at the hospital.
"I knew it. My guts were right, they were pertaining to the Evil Mimi last time at the arcade." Kita said.
"It was mostly my fault since I pulled Eve to karaoke instead of returning to the lab immediately," Rubi replied as she served some coffee.
"But still, as the Head Researcher of this facility, I take full responsibility. Besides, I agreed to Rubi that time." Eve answered.
"I don't think either of nyu is at fault. I mean, that could still happen regardless of where nyu are. In fact, nyu might also be in the hospital right now if nyu made it back that time." Hana argued.
"Hana is right, at least with the current setup, we can still do something to prevent further problems." Yuna supported Hana.
"Thanks, with everyone's help, I'm sure we can make things right this time." Eve firmly stated.
"I will help too!" Lulu said.
"So what's the plan?" Raven asked.
"Chuuu~ I think Lulu is the plan!" Pily suggested.
"Lulu?" Eve and Rubi reacted as they curiously looked at her.
"Hai, I agree. I think Lulu can pull it off this time." Yuna said.
"She already pulled it off in a crucial situation like this before. This is a good opportunity to do it again!" Kita added.
"I'll do my best!" Lulu firmly stated.
Eve and Rubi are puzzled about what's happening. Though the group is evidently knowledgeable about the creature that they met, because of that, they trust Kita's group.
As the Head of their research department, Eve called the Head Developer of the Central region to give updates about the situation. Luckily, the Head Developer gave Eve's team a second chance, they must capture these creatures without letting the public know. With that, they created a plan.
The plan is simple: Yuna helps Lulu concentrate in a separate room. Hana guides Kita on how to control their talents, as they practice in the laboratory. While Raven, Eve, and Rubi use Raven's car to patrol the area.
"Try to relax and concentrate. Remember the time that nyu were able to find us? Try to imitate that feeling, the Evil Mimi can be anywhere, they might hurt someone anytime." Yuna told Lulu. She is trying to recreate the scenario back in the Snowy Tribe.
Lulu knew back then that Yuna and Kita would face something dangerous, meaning she was subconsciously worried about them. Because of that, Lulu was able to partially unlock a talent that was sleeping inside of her. The current situation is similar to their Beast training experience, someone can be in danger any second right now. But this time, it's because of the Evil Mimi.
The situation gets a little more complicated since Lulu's technique is somewhat odd. Having the same stakes is not enough, she also needs to recreate the same state that she was in. With that said, Lulu lies down, holds the Runecrystal, and partially sleeps. In this way, Lulu shuts down her other senses which amplifies her abilities.
A few moments later, the Runecrystal started to glow. "Rue is glowing~" Pily said.
"Sssshhh!" Yuna told Pily to be quiet.
Even though the Runecrystal is brightly glowing, Lulu is not. It means fusion is not yet an option right now. They should be on the same page to fuse as one, just like what happened to Kita and her Runecrystal.
Later on, the Runecrystal blinks. Indicating that an Evil Mimi is around the area.
"She's doing it…" Yuna whispered.
"Chuuu~ They are not yet fusing but this shows that they are locating the Evil Mimi's exact location," Pily added.
64.
What seems to be an impossible fear to conquer becomes the opposite of the current situation. Lulu may not yet be fully ready for the fusion, but she is slowly managing to step forward in learning how to control her ability. Allowing Lulu to be the better version of herself.
Pily called Kita and Hana to inform them about Lulu. As soon as they reached the room, Lulu woke up and said, "I know where they are!"
"Honto?" Kita clarified.
"Hai! They are near a river, at the back of a building, I think." Lulu added.
"I knew nyu could do it!" Yuna proudly said as she patted Lulu's head. Lulu brightly smiled, also proud of her achievement.
"It's amazing, Lulu is not yet fusing with Rue but she can already hone her talent," Hana commented.
"Just like what she did back in the Snowy Tribe, and at the shipping vessel," Kita answered.
"Chuu~ I told you Lulu is special! That's why I followed her." Pily added.
"What more if she fuses with the Rue," Hana mentioned.
"Regardless of what she can do, I'll support her all the way," Yuna responded.
"We should move right now, let's catch them!" Lulu said enthusiastically.
"Hai!" They all reacted.
Using their wristwatch, they contacted Raven. When she received the voicemail, Raven immediately went back to the lab. Eve and Rubi almost drop their hearts due to the driving speed of Raven, she's the Racing Queen after all. They made it back without any sort of delay.
Quickly, they all get inside the car. They are extremely compressed inside since the car is only advisable for 4-5 Kemis. They are currently 7, plus Pily, like sardines inside a can. With the lead of Lulu, they navigate the area. Lulu can only describe the glimpse of the area where she saw the Evil Mimis. She cannot repeat the same feat that she did back in the Snowy Tribe, though the piece of information that Lulu revealed was enough for Raven to find their target.
"Near a river, at the back of a building," is the description that Lulu said earlier. Given that the group is in the Central region, they must figure out which river is the one that Lulu was pertaining to. The one that separates Central and Southern, or the one that is in between Central and Northern? It's all up to Raven now.
Facilities commonly face the southern region since the main dock of Zenshin is located there. There is no receiving area for the tourists in the Northern region, meaning the Kemis should go from Southern to Central, and then Northern. Only scientists who perform expeditions can access the dock area of the Northern region. Meaning to say, buildings and such are strategically built, facing the Southern region. The idea is to welcome visitors to the location. Using the logic behind the angles of the infrastructures, Raven concluded that it's the one that separates the Central and the Northern regions.
With precise deducting skills, and of course Raven's racing skill, they did not take that long before they reached their destination. It was incredibly fast but it was a breathtaking experience for the passengers riding the car. The Kemis accidentally ended up in uncomfortable positions during the ride due to sudden turns, and not enough room to reposition.
As soon as they arrived, they saw 4 Evil Mimis hiding in a dumpster. The group got out of the car and cornered them.
"Mi…mi…" one of the Evil Mimi said.
"Chuu~ be careful, it said that they'll attack if you guys come closer," Pily warned the others.
"So they can rationalize…" Eve mentioned.
"We're on it!" Hana said.
Being near the river gave the group an enormous advantage. Hana used her talent to control the water, levitating them, and enclosing the Evil Mimis inside a water circle. Just like what she did when they hunted chickens, but this time Hana effectively manipulates water in a distant range.
"My turn! Ice Cage!" Kita shouted as she froze the water that contained the Evil Mimis. With that combo, Kita and Hana successfully imprisoned the Evil Mimi, completely freezing them up.
"I already know that nyu guys have talents but this is the first time I actually saw it…" Raven said, completely mind-blown at the moment. On the other hand, Eve and Rubi dropped their jaws, they could not believe what they just witnessed.
"Nyu name your attacks?" Yuna questioned.
"I thought it would be cool if I do so. I can turn water into ice, I should be cool as well right?" Kita answered.
"That was so cool! Nyu guys have a wombo-combo now!" Lulu commented.
"We practiced that earlier while nyu were tracking the Evil Mimis. I trap something inside the water, and Kita will freeze it. It's a safe way to catch Evil Mimi from a distance." Hana replied. "But of course, nyu did well too!" She added as she patted Lulu's head.
"Where did nyu find them again?" Rubi asked Eve.
"Trust me, I never thought that they were this capable. It's like each one of them is insanely unpredictable…" Eve responded.
Eve and Rubi further lose their minds when the group brings out foldable spears and mini bows with arrows from the car's trunk. The group has been hiding those for this type of situation. Since they can no longer fit inside the car, they need to go back to the lab to get the minivan. With that said, Raven, Eve, and Rubi headed toward the lab while the rest stayed in the area. Kita keeps the ice solid while Hana, Yuna, Lulu, and Pily keep their guards up.
While they are inside the car, Eve can no longer contain her curiosity. She began to ask Raven some questions.
"Ahm, Excuse me. I just want to ask where nyu exactly met those Kemis?" Eve asked.
"From an accident, a literal one. They are full of surprises, right?" Raven answered as she laughed.
"I am aware that there are Kemis with talents but I did not expect to meet them in a single group!" Rubi added.
"The second time that I met those Kemis, I knew for sure that they were something else. Kita beating me in that race made me realize that I should see where this path is going. It's exciting, the thrill inside of me wants more." Raven replied.
"Wait, that ice Kemi beat nyu in a race? Nyu, the Racing Queen?" Rubi questioned.
"Hai, nyu guys haven't heard of it? It's on every corner of the Soc-Med." Raven answered.
"We were too occupied because of the incident, we failed to keep up with the latest news," Eve responded.
65.
The Central region public doesn't seem to care about the news, no one even watched the whole event. Most of the Kemis in the Central region are too busy with their daily lives. Incidents or even accidents are not a big deal because those are usually the by-product of a lab error. One may even ignore the Evil Mimi as they conclude that it's a science project or some sort. Meanwhile, the Soc-Med usually features events in the Southern region. It's customary in Zenshin since it entertains scientists in other regions. Allowing them to divert their attention when things are stressful.
Eventually, Raven, Eve, and Rubi made it back to where the rest were. This time, they no longer have to fit everyone inside the car. They can load the frozen Evil Mimis in the Minivan.
Fortunately, nothing else happened. The previously captured Evil Mimi will be going back to the laboratory, including the group that tried to rescue it. The Evil Mimis were extra heavy due to the ice cage. The group worked together and lifted each Evil Mimi one after the other.
After the long, tiring, and continuous work, they successfully locked the Evil Mimis in a more secure containment vault. It's a vault that has a thick one-way mirror on the wall. In this way, they can observe Evil Mimi's behavior once the ice melts.
"Again, we deeply thank nyu for helping us capture these creatures," Eve said to the group.
"No worries, I'm glad that we were able to help!" Kita responded.
"We need to perform further examinations with them, and we are not confident enough that we can contain them just by ourselves," Rubi said.
"Rubi is right, with that said, we would like to ask nyu to stay here for a few weeks. Your group can offer security to our lab. There's a potential that another group of them will come back here. Of course, we will be giving compensation for this sudden request." Eve explained.
"What do nyu guys think? I say it's a good offer considering that we need a place to stay." Raven commented.
"Them examining the Evil Mimis will give us vital information. I also think that it's a good idea." Hana added.
"Lulu can practice here, I agree as well," Yuna said.
"Then let's stay here~" Lulu responded.
"Then it's settled, nyu can all stay in the room our previous colleagues used. Excuse us for a moment as we prepare the rooms." Eve said as they left the group for now.
Out of the blue, Kita suddenly asked Yuna, "But what about nyu?"
"Me? What about me?" Yuna confusedly replied.
"Well, I managed to unlock my talent, Lulu is slowly getting there, what about nyu?" Kita clarified her question.
The question made Yuna think for a couple of seconds. "To be honest, I haven't thought of that. Though it's fine, I'm sure we all have our own time to shine. It's not like we have to unlock those all at the same time, right?" She said. Yuna's answer sounded a bit uncertain. It's evident that the question caught her off guard.
"True, we all have the right timing. We'll be waiting for yours!" Kita responded.
"I wish I had Rue too," Raven commented.
"Nyu can have one if Rue chooses nyu~" Kita replied as she teased Raven.
Raven suddenly realized something because of Kita's response "Now I know what I'm gonna do…" She said.
"What is it?" Yuna asked.
"I'll join your group and look for a Rue as well! It's not permanent tho since I'll part ways if I have to." Raven stated.
"That's a great idea!" Lulu said, even though she barely listened to everything. Pily and Lulu were playing during the whole conversation.
A couple more hours passed and the group finally settled in. Eve ordered a 2-week rest for their colleagues, in this way Kita's group will have room to stay while the scientist can recover effectively. On the other hand, Rubi thawed the arm part of the Evil Mimi. She took some blood samples and cut some fur from the creature. This will help them to examine the creature's DNA structure.
Experimentation takes a lot of time. Because of that, the ice thawed completely, and eventually, the Evil Mimis became active again. Eve is the one that analyzes the behavioral pattern of the creature, with the help of Hana and Kita. Rubi thoroughly checks their database, trying to assess if the Evil Mimis' DNA matches a certain creature. Yuna and Lulu continued their training in honing their talents, of course with the help of Pily as well. Meanwhile, Raven is dealing with Hideo. Working behind the scenes is something that is not new to Raven.
Two days have passed, and the results are scarce, especially for Rubi. No matter how many times she tries to compare every piece of data that they have, nothing is remotely close to the Evil Mimis' DNA. The only result that she gained was Tameable Mimis and Evil Mimis have the same fur texture. But she still cannot conclude that they belong in the same category because their genetic structure is completely opposite. Not to mention, their behavioral pattern does not match as well. Because of that Rubi decided to take a rest for now.
As Yuna and Lulu continue their training, they hear someone humming softly in the laboratory. They followed where the voice was coming from and saw Rubi staring at the ceiling while humming. "Nice voice, do nyu often sing?" Yuna greeted.
"Oh, hi! Sorry, did my humming bother nyu?" Rubi responded, quite startled by Yuna's sudden compliment.
"No, not at all," Yuna answered.
"Your voice is great!" Lulu added.
"Thank nyu, I usually sing whenever I'm stressed out," Rubi said.
"Is it because of the analysis?" Yuna asked.
"Hai, I already checked every Kemi, as well as the Mimis. No living creature matches the Evil Mimi." Rubi vented out.
"Then try the ones that are non-living creatures," Lulu suggested.
"That would be pointless since they don't carry DNA, plus they don't do anything." Rubi answered.
"That's not true, Rue is not alive but they glow whenever they want. It means they can do something." Lulu argued.
"Chuu~ Rue is a mystery," Pily added.
Rubi started to think that Lulu had a point. If Runecrystals can glow at their own will, they are either alive or an entity beyond their records, just like the Evil Mimis. It's time for her to try a different approach.
End of Chapter 5