Throne Of Cards

A New Ally

What goes around comes around, taken to the extreme. But in response to his answer, the girl shook her head with a stern expression.

"That's not it, I'm making a demand here. ― Now, you probably know who stole my insignia, right?"

Mohan nervously accepted her condition, and she for some reason lowered her voice and asked him this.Mohan couldn't help but tilt his head at this. He had a really strong feeling that he'd heard this exact question before he lost consciousness.

"Did I hit my head really hard while I was very briefly unconscious?"

"You were out for at least five minutes, but as far as I know nothing of the sort happened."

"Then could it be deja vu? Maybe I've awakened some hidden power that lets me experience the immediate future?"

Perhaps he should call his ability "Come back yesterday".

It could be rather useful to come up with the right answer to a question. Perhaps it'd even be possible to prepare for tough questions on tests. His dream started spiralling out of control.

"Ah, I was a student!"

"Quit ignoring me and calm down already, would you? Now, answer me."

"Uhh... I have to say... I don't really know."

The so-called insignia was probably something like those badges people like lawyers, prosecutors, members of the defense force etc. had to prove their identity.

Unfortunately, Mohan had no memory whatsoever of seeing such a thing in the hour or so he was here. Back home, he had a veritable mountain of toy badges he'd collected as a child. But he didn't know how to return there, and he'd probably get smashed by her ice if he tried offering her one.

Consequently, his answer couldn't possibly meet her expectations. But the girl simply nodded, not disappointed in the slightest.

"I see. That's that, then. But I did learn that you don't know anything, so that shall suffice as compensation for healing you."

Her logic regarding her total loss would have shocked the sleaziest swindler. Leaving a dumbfounded Mohan behind, she loudly clapped her hands together as if she'd completely gotten over it.

"I'll be going then. Sorry, but I'm in a hurry. Your injuries are almost gone, and those guys probably won't come after you again considering how scared they were, but wandering into deserted alleys alone at a time like this is basically suicide. Ah, I'm not worried or anything, I'm just warning you. I won't have a reason to save you if this happens again, so you'd better not expect anything."

Her mouth moved rapidly as she spoke at length, and perhaps interpreting Mohan's silence as agreement, she seemed satisfied as she turned away.

Her long, silver hair swayed with her movements and even in that gloomy alley it had a fairy tale-like lustre to it.

Mohan's support suddenly disappeared and he hastily stopped his fall. When he turned around, the cat's giant body was nowhere to be found, having returned to the palm-sized form he'd originally seen. Floating through the air like a balloon, it turned toward the girl.

"Sorry about that. She just can't be upfront about such things, this daughter of mine. Don't think her strange for it."

Saying this in a jovial tone, the cat gently landed on her shoulder. She patted its back as if to confirm this, after which it disappeared into her hair.

Mohan's eyes followed her dashing form as she walked away, and he thought intently about what the cat had said to him.

―The real motivation behind her words and actions.