Right in front of the couch was the balcony. Outside the balcony, you could see the beach. In the middle of that beach was a door.
That was the door Saiki Kusuo and the others came through when they arrived in this place.
Each place doesn't have many doors you can use. If you walk from the prison side toward here, as long as you don't get too lost, you'll come through this door. That's why Saiki Kusuo was waiting here.
Saiki Kusuo Cat: But thinking about it, Chrollo should use that hard-earned time as much as possible, right?
The door on the beach slowly opened, and a person in a coat appeared under the clear sky.
Saiki Kusuo Cat: He specifically asked for ten days, so he must have some plan. That means I didn't need to guard here for the past few days. Furry creatures like cats can't keep their body temperature steady without superpowers. It's already getting a bit hot.
Chrollo stepped onto the beach, with Shalnark by his side and Shizuku behind him. Shalnark handed the demon phone to Chrollo.
Saiki Kusuo Cat: Cats have such good hearing. I heard the door open, but why didn't they close it? Did I hear wrong? The typhoon just passed, so strong winds are understandable, I guess. The main thing is that if I want to check, I have to get up from the couch. Because of my cat height, I'd need to run to the chair on the balcony, then hold onto the edge to stand up. Just thinking about it is tiring. Maybe someone else came back? That's great, I don't need to bother. I can definitely hear three people's footsteps. I definitely don't need to bother then. It's definitely not our Zoldyck kids who stick together, and they wouldn't forget to bring things.
"Boss, a presence."
"Yeah, I feel it. But if they're making us feel it on purpose, I wonder if there's a trick."
"Maybe our senses are just good."
"No, that presence... could easily hide from us."
"This is the Kuruta clan's gathering place, Boss. I still think we should wait until everyone is here."
"That's what I was planning, but we still haven't won completely, and time is still short. The last piece might change everything, and there's also a certain person..."
On the balcony, Saiki Kusuo was clinging to the wall, peeking out like a big cat.
He wanted to hide himself, so he tried to shrink his ears to the sides, making him look like an "earless kitty," only showing a bit of his head and eyes.
They actually got here the next day? Then what was the point of him trying so hard to get those 10 days? Was he just trying to mess with Kurapika?
Does he thrive on bad behavior?
Oh well, oh well. The superpowered cat's ears were still pretty good. He heard the conversation clearly, and Saiki Kusuo pulled his head back in.
He's a cat right now, so he can't talk. He'll just ignore them and let Kusuko take care of guests when he gets back.
"Ding-dong."
Those guys are actually ringing the doorbell.
"Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong!"
Shut up! The city is so big, can't you go look around more? I'll go find you later.
"Ding-ding-ding-ding, dong-dong-dong-dong!"
So annoying! They're ringing the doorbell so much it's a blur. How are they even doing that?
Oh well, oh well, this is a pain. Saiki Kusuo got up from the couch, thinking about whether to go downstairs, when suddenly, his ears perked up. He heard movement from the balcony to the left.
Then a dark figure quickly shot into the room, so fast!
Saiki Kusuo's sharp eyes saw it all.
He just stayed in the position of getting off the couch, with his front paws on the armrest, his eyes following Chrollo to see what he was doing.
Chrollo was wearing a gray and white suit, holding an antenna... no, two. As the angle changed, Saiki Kusuo saw that there was actually another antenna, and the other one was stuck into his own body. What kind of way is that to carry it!
Without any extra movements, Chrollo jumped off the balcony and quickly went along the wall, locked onto Saiki Kusuo, and came over. He raised the antenna in his hand. What was he going to do...
Wait, is he coming right at me? Has this guy lost it?!
The reaction in this kind of urgent situation is naturally instinct. Saiki Kusuo raised his hand and waved, and then remembered that he was in cat form. Even without superpowers, the strength of some actions might be stronger than a human body!
He couldn't take back the paw he had swung. This is bad. Is his paw going toward his leg? Well, everyone knows that legs heal quickly, so it should be okay. No, if he can, he still hopes he dodges. Huh? He dodged!
Even though he was much faster than Chrollo, he was able to dodge?
Not only that, but Chrollo immediately started a second attack, jumping from above, his hands together, still aiming to... stick the antenna into me?
Why are you giving me a shot? Are you possessed by Illumi?
Saiki Kusuo retracted his paw and backed away.
He should be able to dodge easily. Cats are very agile, and regular people can't adjust their body motions in the air. He'll probably land and then make his next move.
But then Chrollo kicked off the back of the couch and twisted, adjusting his position!
This guy has amazing observation skills. When I was about to pull back my paw, he thought about how I would retreat and used the couch to adjust his movement? Wait, his reaction is too fast?
Saiki Kusuo jumped to another couch, stepping on the back to land, but he ended up slamming the couch over.
He forgot! He's a 20-kilogram cat right now!
There was a sound behind him. Chrollo was right behind him, also surprisingly fast. Saiki Kusuo was jumping and dodging quickly along the walls in the room, but Chrollo was keeping up.
What's going on with this guy?
There was a strange feeling.
In Saiki Kusuo's memory, Chrollo wasn't supposed to be this strong. Of course, he was strong, but now he's a bit beyond the range of humans. When Saiki Kusuo made any movement, his body instantly made the corresponding adjustments. It's too fast. Humans should need time to think.
And he's so obsessed with sticking him with a needle!
If he doesn't want to be stuck with a needle, it's actually easy. He can just jump out of the building. No matter how much a human's genes change, they can't outrun an animal.
But Saiki Kusuo doesn't have superpowers right now and can't keep his temperature steady. A cat's body temperature is a little higher than a human's, and it gets even hotter when they exercise.
Usually, cats cool down by lying on a cool floor, but a clean cat like Saiki Kusuo doesn't even want to put his bare paws on the ground.
In short, he's lazy.
Too lazy to hurt the human's ego, Saiki Kusuo suddenly stopped and gave up on running. He let go from the top of the wall and landed on the carpet below. A hand immediately pressed down on the back of his neck.
Normally, that would make him fall to the ground, but the healthy Saiki Kusuo stood straight and still.
Saiki Kusuo looked up at Chrollo, noticing that although his eyes were looking at him, they weren't focused.
Chrollo raised his hand and stuck the needle end of the antenna into the back of Saiki Kusuo's neck.
Tch.
Chrollo's eyes suddenly regained their focus.
"...Whew, so tired...!"
Chrollo immediately collapsed to the ground, acting completely out of character.
Saiki Kusuo: ? Who was it that got poked? I'm the one who should be tired. Even though, you can't see it right now but my nose is definitely red, it's hot! Big motions to control power are way harder than free body motions.
An innocent cat watching a show meets a flying thief who breaks in and sticks the cat with a needle.
What were you thinking? This is too much. Hey, get up and explain.
Saiki Kusuo laid on the carpet, feeling like he should get up and ask him, but suddenly realized he couldn't move.
Huh?
Not only that, but he suddenly turned into something like a cotton candy and became paralyzed on the ground.
?? Hey, is that antenna...?
"Congrats, Boss, you did it! How does it feel? It's super painful, right? This power absolutely pushes your body to its limit. No matter who it is, they'll be in extreme pain after using it!"
So that was Shalnark's power. Shalnark is a manipulator. He uses a phone and two antennas to use his power. If he sticks the antenna into someone else, he can control them with the phone. If he sticks it into himself, he goes into automatic mode and won't stop until he reaches his goal. The cost is that after fighting at his highest peak, his body will be in extreme pain, like he's been through intense training that tore him apart, and he'll need to recover like an injured person.
That means if Saiki Kusuo had really run out, Chrollo would have chased after him with a hundred-meter sprint.
"This is a power that makes you risk your life until you can't move anymore. I was really worried about what would happen if you failed, Boss."
Too bad, isn't it?
"I never doubted..." Chrollo raised his hand and, holding onto the cushion of the long couch, pulled himself up. Suddenly, it was like he was healed, and he didn't say another word about pain or exhaustion, very normal.
This is a medical miracle. No, looking closely, his hands are still shaking. Is he trying to keep up appearances in front of his comrades?
Chrollo opened his book and switched his power to Teleportation. He subconsciously took out a pin, then stopped when he looked toward Saiki Kusuo Cat.
Kusuko had a matching red collar around his neck, even though it was slightly different from his, it was still a decoration.
But Chrollo considered something and moved his gaze to another part of Saiki Kusuo's body.
Saiki Kusuo: Hey, what are you trying to do? Are you going to pin the pin into my flesh? Sticking me with a needle was already too much. I'm really going to report you for animal abuse.
"You can't abuse the cat, Boss," Shalnark said.
Thank you, human who speaks for me.
"That collar probably isn't ordinary. It's best not to move it."
You were the one who kept it for many days before, weren't you?
"His body is really strong, so it's okay to poke him once. Besides, a cat pin on a cat..."
If you take off the antenna, I'm going to glue Shalnark's head onto your head.
As the man and cat glared at each other, the savior Shizuku appeared: "How about using the special product I brought?"
Good, special products are good. Anything is better than what Chrollo is thinking right now. But what kind of special product?
Saiki Kusuo moved his eyes, seeing Shizuku take out handcuffs.
What kind of special product is that!? Shouldn't it be something to eat? Shouldn't it be a special product like Nagasaki cake or Hokkaido toast that you feed to me?
"Huh? Shizuku, why did you bring this?" Shalnark asked.
"I brought a lot of things with Blinky," Shizuku said. *Blinky has a power like a storage space.
"Oh, a model thief."
Why do you steal wherever you go? Can't you just act without stealing even once? Is stealing your only way of life? Is it going to damage your reputation?
Chrollo took the handcuffs and turned them into a tool for Teleportation. Shalnark picked up the 20-kilogram Saiki Kusuo, kicked up the short couch, and put the paralyzed cat on the back of the couch, then let go.
The liquid cat flowed down the back of the couch and lay sideways on the couch.
"Putting aside the bad kitty mind inside, he's still a really handsome cat. Hey kitty, what made you think of tying up the boss? Are you and Chains very close?" Shalnark rudely ruffled Saiki Kusuo's head as a greeting.
Saiki Kusuo was expressionless: When did he start playing bondage again? If someone plays bondage multiple times, it can only mean they like it, and it's none of my business.
Shalnark took the converted handcuffs and put them on Saiki Kusuo's cat paws.
Saiki Kusuo: Why do I have to be handcuffed by thieves? Is nobody going to do anything about this?
"Boss, do you want me to move the cat to your couch? Besides, your heads aren't on the same level. You can't hear him like that, right?"
Yeah, a psychic's brain is far bigger than any human's. We're worlds apart, not even on the same level.
But Chrollo didn't move.
"Boss?"
Chrollo's body slowly leaned to the side, then suddenly fell onto the long couch, unable to even hold up the Bandit's Secret, which fell onto his face with a smack.
"Ouch... Let me just lie here," Chrollo's voice was low and weak.
He finally gave up and rested. This guy was trying to hold on until just now, only to realize he couldn't.
Chrollo didn't react to the taunt, and said calmly: "You're the one who's fallen into our hands now. If you don't explain willingly, I'll ask you."
Oh, he can hear my thoughts now, but he won't give in to that.
Give in to what? You suddenly went crazy and stuck me with a needle. You should be the one explaining.
"What are you? A dark creature?"
I'm Saiki Kusuo.
"Are you still pretending to be Saiki?"
I am Saiki Kusuo, you idiot. Is there another cat in the world that can think? Oh wait, there are many. For advanced intelligent creatures, there's already Youpi, and the cat Neferpitou might also know how to think.
"..." Chrollo slowly realized something was wrong.
In the end, why did you have to stick the antenna into a cat? Your body is also meeting this cat for the first time, right? Saiki Kusuo then thought. Could it be that when the cat bit you that day, you realized something was wrong?
"Are you really Saiki Kusuo?"
Of course. Why do I have to keep proving it from yesterday to today?
"What's your birthday?"
August 16th. Oh, for the Zoldyck family, it should be *month* *day*...
Tch, another failure to prove myself.
But Chrollo was sweating, because that exact same mistake was what proved something.
He poked the wrong cat.
"Have your superpowers returned?"
No, I traded bodies with Kusuko.
"Kusuko? Isn't he called Wapu?"
Wapu was switched out fifteen days ago, back when they were still in the Love City. Oh well, oh well, even I didn't realize when he was switched with another cat.
Chrollo remember about that day, that morning everything was ok with the robotic cat but that afternoon, the person who found it on the table was...
He decided not to say.