That day, the Meowin tribe remembered.
The terror of being dominated by beasts………
The humiliation of being trapped and living only within Nekopia…………….
“Chu-chu!”
The nightmare of the Great Forest, which the goddess Neb herself had descended to seal away.
Skillah roared wildly.
Although the sound didn’t reach their eardrums,
the earth shook, and the air pulsated.
Their heartbeats grew fiercer.
Now, even now, they wanted to run away and hide behind a wall……………!
“Nyaaa!”
“No! Janyanat!”
Unya screamed as she watched her friend get struck by the bear’s paw and sent flying through the air.
But it was only for a moment.
Kuuung.
The moment the bear’s paw shook the earth once more.
“Nya, nyaa, nyaaa…….”
Unya collapsed, and a massive shadow loomed over her.
And then.
“Unyanat!”
Before she could even feel the sensation of being hit, her body was already soaring through the air, and Unya let out a piercing scream.
However.
“Unyaa……?”
Strangely.
Though her strength drained away, she felt no pain.
Ah.
So this is what a life flashing before your eyes feels like…………….
As she flew through the air, Unya lost consciousness.
The mastermind behind the bear, who had instantly turned Unya and Janya into Unyanat and Janyanat.
Johanna was on the verge of fainting.
“Eek!”
She almost tumbled down just moments ago.
But she managed to grab onto the bear’s nape and barely maintain her balance.
“Ugh, Akkuuu……”
What kind of mad person in the world would think of riding on the shoulder of a bipedal bear?
She hated Ark for coming up with such a foolish idea.
And she hated herself for immediately accepting it, reminded of the princess from the fairy tales she read as a child.
“Kyaaah!”
Moreover, this darn bear.
Swinged its right arm wildly without a care for the person riding on its shoulder.
Johanna, almost falling again, clung tightly to the fur with one hand and repeatedly struck the bear’s head with her holy book.
Thanks to the strange world’s physics that prevents harm to allies, the bear barely felt the impact.
“Idiot! You’re an idiot! Hic, repent! Sob.”
But there’s a reason she’s the saintess.
Even as she did so, her gaze naturally turned to the Meowin tribe being struck and sent flying by the bear.
She gently wrapped them in holy energy to ensure they wouldn’t die.
If not for that, the nightmare of the Great Forest would have claimed countless Meowin lives.
“Johanna! Over to Enya’s side!”
“Eek! Yes, yes!”
Not only did she save the bear’s victims,
but when SD Aria informed her that the other heroes had gone berserk and accidentally hit a cat, she healed that too.
Her body swayed.
Her eyes spun.
Her head felt dizzy.
Amidst the chaos, Johanna continued to care for Ark’s so-called “no-kill route.”
The epitome of a saintess!
The unseen hero of the day.
***
The constant “chu-chu” sounds from behind were incredibly reassuring.
Though mixed with faint screams, she believed they were just exclamations of awe at the bear’s majesty.
However, unlike the solid support from the mighty bear in the rear,
the other fronts were starting to falter.
The hypnotized Meowin tribe, completely disregarding their own safety, charged recklessly.
“Keeet!”
Some even leaped forward and bit Saha’s arm.
“Nyaa!”
Of course, they were immediately grabbed by the scruff and used as cat shields.
As they spun around, their eyes dizzy, one could only pray for their souls.
“Tina! Weak shot over there!”
Occasionally, when too many gathered on one side, Tinya would fire a beam!
If it had been a full-blown area skill, it would have been more effective, but as a limited-target confusion skill, it left something to be desired.
“Nyaak! Who touched my ear!”
“Hmph, I never liked those folded ears of yours!”
“Ugh, I want churu, churu……”
Still, it was effective in diverting attention, helping to maintain the front lines.
And turning her head,
“Renatel! Take that!”
“Tch.”
She saw a Rangachi instinctively knocking down a Meowin and trying to cut off its tail with a dagger.
Honestly, at this point, even if they were hypnotized by some demon named Neb, were the Rang tribe of Enya and Red Hood really that good?
Maybe the Darangdae were just a bunch of thugs?
It’s a reasonable suspicion.
Well, they’re both under Rumi’s command now.
Rumi, you’re doing well, right…………?
Even though she’s evolved into the ultimate super Rumi, she’s still breaking through the enemy lines alone, so worry comes first.
Fortunately, every time she checks the life signals, or remaining HP, on her smartphone, she seems to be holding up well.
But it’s still unsettling not to see her with her own eyes.
If you had to pick who’s suffering the most in the Great Forest, it’s Rumi, so she deserves a special reward later.
Well, Rumi would probably wag her tail happily if she got to lick Ark’s face about thirty times.
***
Outside Ark’s sight.
“Woof!”
Rumi was struggling.
Following Jooin-nim’s order to grab the leader cat by the scruff and bring it forward, she was moving straight ahead.
“Stop bothering me!”
The crazed cats kept hitting her body.
Even the ones she knocked down clung to her ankles, stubbornly hindering her movement.
What angered Rumi the most was.
“Huhu, stupid dog! How dare you target the great leader cat, Unyanyan! Now drown in catnip and savor the greatness of cats!”
“Grrrr….!”
The insane leader cat kept throwing catnip bombs at her.
It didn’t hurt.
But the intense aroma of the catnip that spread upon explosion numbed Rumi’s sense of smell.
“Nyaaa!”
“Nyaaaa!”
The cats became even more ferocious, actively blocking her path.
“Ugh, this is so annoying……!”
She gritted her teeth, but there was no clear solution.
Finally.
Rumi made a decision.
A forbidden technique she avoided using because it left her dizzy and exhausted.
Jooin-nim called it her ultimate skill.
The legendary invincible Rumi-Rumi Clone Technique…………!
“Yap!”
Stepping lightly on the back of a Meowin rolling on the ground, Rumi leaped into the air.
And shouted clearly.
“Rumi-Rumi, Clone Woof!”
Instantly, Rumi’s vision blurred, and silence fell.
As if time had stopped, the endless echoes of “nya-nyaa” completely disappeared.
The hand of the cat trying to grab her ankle froze mid-air.
Her heart thumped.
Once, very loudly.
And then.
Thump thump thump.
With each beat, three sounds echoed.
A bright light enveloped her body.
“Rumi–woof!”
“Miwoof!”
Suddenly, two clones, identical to her, popped up on either side.
Rumi, Lu, and Mi looked at each other, and nodded simultaneously!
Though their bodies were split three ways, their thoughts were one.
Quickly deciding what each had to do.
“Rumi woof!”
As Rumi uttered the final line,
time began to flow again.
“Ruaaang!”
Rumi let out a loud roar and threw herself into the crowd of cats, rolling and tangling their legs.
“Rumi woof!”
“Yap!”
Mi landed softly on the ground, then picked up Rumi.
With half-closed eyes, she gauged the position and distance, then hurled Rumi like a cannonball.
Shoooook!
Floating through the air, Rumi glanced at Jooin-nim.
Jooin-nim was also looking at her with a dazed expression.
Pfft.
That face.
It looked unbearably cute.
Rumi couldn’t help but laugh.
How many times was it left?
Forty-four?
It’s almost over, woof.
She’s already increased the frequency from once a day to three times.
If Jooin-nim could just be a bit more manly and firm,
that day would be the day Jooin-nim goes “kyaoooh.”
But.
To get treats, you have to fetch the ball first.
Kuuung-!
“Mnyaaak! Danger! Leader cat! Meowin tribe, protect the leader caaaat!”
Seeing Rumi close the distance in an instant, the leader cat panicked and started running away, its tail swaying.
“Cat! I’ll catch you, woof!”
Catch that cat and offer it.
Then get petted and lick cheeks.
Rumi took a deep breath and stepped firmly.
And then.
She became a gust of wind and shot forward.
No Meowin could stop her speed, and the fleeing leader cat couldn’t resist it either.
Finally.
“Myaang! Let go of the leader cat, you stupid dooog!”
Dangling.
Rumi lifted the leader cat by the scruff with one hand and removed the earplugs covering its ears with the other.
The leader cat’s face turned pale.
“Ah, no……!”
Though she couldn’t exert her full strength due to sharing power with her clones.
“Kwaaaang!”
Rumi let out a loud howl, filled with all the anger she had towards the cats that had tormented her.
“Kkorororok…….”
The leader cat slumped, foaming at the mouth.
“Ok……!”
Rumi, relieved that the cat wasn’t dead, sighed, “Woof.”
And looking up.
Flop, flop!
Perhaps because the leader cat had been controlling the others, the remaining cats began to collapse, weakened.
In the cleared view.
“Rumiii!”
Jooin-nim’s face, still with a dazed smile, came into view.
“Woof!”
Rumi smiled brightly back.