Static.
Qualia sensed it, and could still not find Backdoor.
But since Backdoor’s magic energy was of an extraordinary element, it felt like a file on his skin. If he focused his calculations, he could track the remnants even if there was considerable distance between them.
Static.
This short was caused by a different reason other than him releasing zero point one percent of Shutdown’s power. The moment he sensed Backdoor running around, who showed no regret or remorse over hurting Ina, it suddenly became bigger.
A mysterious smoke clung to his calculation circuits, and overwrote the results of the calculations.
Static.
He had to apprehend Backdoor again.
Static.
Backdoor brought Ina to the verge of death.
“Executing search for Backdoor.”
Qualia looked around the quiet residential area in the dead of night, with black circuits flowing in his wide open eyes.
Static.
Static.
But his readings became clearer.
“Executing Teleportation.
[N/A].”
Found you.
“…Eek.”
The next moment, Backdoor, who was supposedly hiding in the shadows, was faced with Qualia.
It was so sudden, that Backdoor barely let out a sound before reflexively running.
For a moment, Qualia stood still, not pursuing him.
“Detecting abnormality in result of calculations. Correcting.”
His overheated CPU held him back for a moment, on top of him stopping.
As a member of the guard knight chivalric order Hello World, he had to take the action that would be best for people’s ‘tasty’.
“Commencing capture of Backdoor again.”
He said as he went in the direction where Backdoor ran.
Backdoor could not escape in that short amount of time.
He could not use Fibernetwork in succession either. And it would take some time for him to be able to use it again. And Qualia managed to appear right next to him despite using Fibernetwork anyway.
Following the trail of magic energy was beyond Backdoor’s plans. He could not use Fibernetwork against Qualia again.
(That means I have to beat him back.)
Backdoor pulled out a knife. A blade that stabbed Ina, and had a very strong connection with Qualia.
(The problem here is that he might come back even if I stab him in the heart… I don’t understand the principles behind it yet, but if it’s a human giving out those instructions, it has to come from the brain. Then I’ll close his movements while going for the heart, and plunge it in his cranium. He’s not gonna revive then.)
He was calculating how to beat back Qualia.
The problem was how to perform this stabbing. Qualia went beyond just taking the initiative if an opponent attacked directly, he predicted all their movements and took them down one-sidedly.
It would have to catch him off guard, and the exceptional element that was perfect for that, Light, just happened to be Backdoor’s specialty.
And with a bewitching smile, he activated it.
“Phishing Lure…!”
The full moon reflected dimly around them, and it was exquisitely twisted by the magic energy of the exceptional element Light, transforming the cat-eared man into a human girl.
If a hundred people were asked, they would say the same thing. It was Princess Lobelia.
The clothes were purposefully made ragged, and his mimicry was perfect right down to her stature. There was no trace of Backdoor left. And he could hold this for just a minute.
Blonde hair and blue eyes, with some childishness left on the face of the girl that Backdoor showed Qualia while hiding the knife.
“Qualia…!?”
Qualia also stopped for a moment, as he looked closely at Backdoor’s imitation of Lobelia.
“…I… Was attacked by beast people… And brought here… I just managed to escape…”
The tragic princess got dragged into the rampage of beast people, and was almost kidnapped.
It was a perfect acting job from Backdoor. He had been observing Lobelia as well, and learned how she acted. The way he pretended to drag a hurt leg was also perfect.
Although he had Fibernetwork as a trump card, Phishing Lure was how he normally overcame these dangers.
No one was Backdoor’s peer when it came to mimicry. That was why he turned into a human that was close to Qualia, and approached his neck without hesitation.
Surely Qualia should question Lobelia being there, but everyone failed to act rationally when someone close to them appeared right in front of them.
People could not cut down someone dear to them.
(Just a little more… And you’ll be killed by Princess Lobelia…)
He drew closer while being conscious of the knife’s position.
“Qualia… Help…”
“Type SWORD.”
Qualia cut Lobelia’s left arm.
It fell along with the knife, and it immediately turned back into that of a beast person.
And Lobelia’s frozen face turned back into Backdoor’s.
“W-w-w-why… Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
Backdoor fell on his backside, and writhed with fear as he unconsciously picked up his arm.
“Analyzing situation. There were definite discrepancies with Lobelia’s normal actions and behavior. Also, perception obstruction through magic energy was detected.”
“Eek…”
Qualia ran, as Qualia approached him robotically, but yet like a human, with photon weapon in hand.
“Apprehend, apprehend, apprehend, [N/A]…”
The static became like a sandstorm scraping away at Qualia’s heart.
The bloodlust towards the back that ran away swelled, and began to pollute Qualia’s actions.
Qualia was slowly learning bloodlust.
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