Kouga immediately jumped into action, transforming into Gekired as crimson energy wrapped around him. He slammed his shoulder into the giant mecha cat mid-leap, knocking it off its trajectory with a thunderous impact. The metallic beast skidded across the marble floor, giving Rita room to regroup.
"Good to see my aid has come," Rita said with a hint of snark, already twirling her white scythe as though she'd expected the interruption. "Please, do tell me your little tour was well worth myself being ambushed."
Kouga gave her a once-over.
"You seem well prepared anyway," he noted, gesturing to her now-active battlesuit. That earned him a sharp, flat glare before he pointed toward the enemy. "So, does Anti-Entropy normally make mechanized animals?"
Rita shook her head, scythe readying into an elegant but lethal stance. "It's not a machine. Just a Honkai Beast."
Kouga narrowed his eyes, finally catching the details: despite the digitized facial plates and white armor that made it appear mechanical, the swirling magenta veins, the darkened paws and ears, and the faint pink halo hovering above its head made the truth obvious. A Honkai mutation, wearing armor like a costume.
"...Alright, is any of the three well known for experimentation of living organisms?"
Rita pressed her lips together — a tiny, reluctant expression that Kouga caught immediately — but she still offered a direction. "Perhaps, if we manage to secure the target, we can ask Lord Otto if it's something he knows."
Kouga huffed, clearly displeased by the mention of Otto. Before either could continue, the giant cat let out a distorted yowl and charged again. But the moment its glowing eyes focused on Kouga, its entire body trembled. He swore he saw… sweat? On a Honkai Beast?
Kouga and Rita exchanged a look — half confusion, half disbelief.
With no reason to delay, Kouga blurred forward in a single step, cocked his fist back, and drove it into the beast's side. The impact blew the Honkai creature straight through two museum walls, sending a storm of dust and shattered stone across the courtyard outside.
When the debris settled, the massive mecha cat began shrinking — armor dissolving, claws retracting, pulsing light fading — until all that remained was a small, unconscious white tabby with black paws, face, and tail. Kouga bent down, grabbed it by the collar, and walked back inside with complete nonchalance.
He held the limp cat out toward Rita, who was brushing plaster dust off her cape. "Well, we got our little problem. What should we do with it?"
Rita approached, expression shifting into that familiar mix of amusement and analysis. "Oh, I don't know. I'm sure I could do with a new animal-skin purse."
Kouga rolled his eyes.
Rita's grin widened, the teasing fading into practicality. "Relax, I'm simply joking. After all, if you wish to learn if Lord Otto had anything to do with this, you'll need it to be something at least recognizable."
"Ahem!"
Both turned. Director Catherine stood several feet away, eyes twitching violently as she held her glasses in place with two fingers. Dust coated her dress and cape. Rage seeped off her like cold mist.
Silence stretched.
Kouga reacted first. Without hesitation, without shame, he pointed directly at Rita with his free hand while lifting the unconscious cat in the other.
"She did it."
"You're quick to toss me under the bus, aren't you?" Rita said, giving him an unimpressed sideways glance, her arms folding neatly across her chest.
"Perhaps all two of you could come with me and explain the entire situation to everyone who witnessed the explosion," Catherine suggested — or rather, demanded — her voice carrying a sharpness that made it clear this was not optional.
Rita and Kouga shared a brief look. Rita exhaled softly, then shrugged with a strained smile, acknowledging their lack of options. Kouga lifted his hand, revealing the unconscious cat dangling loosely from his grip. Catherine spared the creature a long, unreadable look before returning her stare to them with the flatness of someone questioning their life choices.
"Please tell me this isn't the reason the museum is lacking two of its walls right now."
"As surprising as it is, yes," Rita admitted freely. "It was a rather... rambunctious kitten."
Before Catherine could reply, a faint beep came from the cat's collar. Kouga instinctively shifted his grip, holding the unconscious animal by the loose skin of its neck as he unclipped the collar. He tossed the device toward Catherine with a flick of his wrist while keeping the cat held up effortlessly.
"That collar gave off a beep. We should be able to track down its owners with it."
Only Rita seemed amused by the entire spectacle.
"Animal cruelty aside, do you honestly believe the public will accept that an explosion was set off by some cat?" Catherine asked, pushing her glasses up again. "I'm going to need a far more realistic explanation for the police."
Rita stepped forward and gave a graceful bow, her hand placed over her heart. "I will happily help you in forming an alibi for the current situation. Those in Schicksal are always willing to lend aid to those that need it."
Catherine's posture eased slightly, the tension in her shoulders loosening. "That would be appreciated. Before we start, however, would you like some medical for your wound?"
Kouga's gaze snapped to Rita. She flinched — barely, but enough for him to notice — and he caught sight of the long gash across her left hand, a thin line of red trailing from her pinkie to her index finger. He considered healing her with his power, but Rita immediately pulled her hand back, lifting her chin with a smirk.
"I thank you for your concern, but I've handled worse wounds than this."
With that, she strode past Catherine, the director quickly turning to follow her. Over her shoulder, Rita called back, tone oddly cheery for someone covering up a disaster:
"Why don't you walk around for a while? I doubt we'll be able to leave before the police arrive anyway."
"She says," Kouga grumbled, looking around the half-destroyed gallery, still holding the limp cat by its neck.
By the time Rita finished forging and delivering their alibi to the responding officers, the sun had already dipped below the horizon. A warm red glow painted London in deep amber tones. Kouga had long since ventured into the city for dinner, still dragging the cat along — the creature had regained consciousness halfway through and attempted to escape, only for Kouga to lift it by the neck again with no difficulty. Eventually, it simply gave up.
When he returned, the museum's front was cordoned off with yellow tape. Two police cars idled nearby, lights dim but present. Rita sat on the steps, rubbing her now-bandaged hand in slow circles.
"Yo," Kouga called, raising a two-finger salute as he approached, a paper bag in one hand and the cat hanging from the other. "We brought you some food, seeing as you've been working for such a long time. Hope you don't mind a burger."
Rita's expression softened into a faint smile. She accepted the bag gracefully. "Thank you, but I'm not too hungry at the moment. You had the cat with you before you left. What happened to it?"
Kouga set the cat down. The poor thing looked absolutely traumatized — frozen stiff, eyes wide, but at least grateful to be touching solid ground again. That peace didn't last long. Rita stood, eyes narrowing, and the cat began trembling violently.
"Good. Why don't you head over to our hotel while I get... 'acquainted' with our new feline friend?" Rita said as she texted Kouga the directions to the Royal National Hotel. She stalked toward the cat with a smile that promised horrors no animal deserved.
Kouga turned to leave, abandoning the cat to its grim fate. But he only took two steps before a familiar figure approached — strawberry-blonde hair glinting under the streetlights.
"Sup," Durandal greeted, returning Kouga's salute with her own. A fresh bandage wrapped the bottom of her left palm. "I assume you guys are responsible for the explosion."
"Eh, kind of," Kouga admitted with a shrug. "Things got a bit more explosive than what we bargained for."
"I can see that," Durandal said, glancing toward Rita. "What about her? She seems rather... violent right now."
Kouga followed her gaze. Rita was twisting the cat in ways no creature should ever be twisted, earning a chorus of agonized meows.
"... It's nothing."
"What about you, Durandal?" Kouga asked, pointing to her bandaged hand. "What happened for you to be wounded?"
Durandal lifted her hand, dismissing the concern. "Oh, it's nothing. Just got scratched by a cat is all."