Chapter 384: Cat-Girl… Cat-Girl Goes Bald

“Uh…”

Pardofelis, gripping her circular blades tightly, shifted nervously. Her sharp-tipped cat tail swayed frantically behind her as she stiffly muttered, “You figured out that I hate heat this fast…?”

She genuinely hadn’t expected that this armored “tin can,” with a small cape draped over its shoulder plates, would immediately pinpoint her weakness.

And yet, the officer’s deduction was spot-on. Even during the previous civilization, Pardofelis had enjoyed staying near Kevin because of his cool aura. Conversely, she was utterly terrified of Qianjie, whose fiery presence was a nightmare for her fur-covered and flame-sensitive nature.

The next moment—boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Under the orders of the Preacher officer, the inferno bolt rounds infused with Honkai energy roared through the air. The Astartes warriors felt the intense heat radiating from the fiery muzzle blasts, scorching their faceplates.

The inferno bolts were distinct from standard bolt rounds. Their payload consisted of high-temperature incendiary chemicals, designed to annihilate targets through blistering flames—a beefed-up variant of white phosphorus rounds.

“Waah—!”

Blazing fireballs streaked through the air, hurtling toward the crouching cat-eared girl pressed against the wall.

BOOM!

Blinding light and crimson flames erupted in unison.

The destructive fireball’s explosion consumed the spot where the cat-eared girl had just been. The air ignited, and molten fragments of the building scattered outward like shrapnel.

A small crater appeared in the wall, as fused steel and concrete fragments tumbled to the ground. From the rolling flames and thick smoke, Pardofelis emerged, clutching her circular blades. Frantically, she rolled away, her tail quite literally on fire this time.

The burning pain from her tail’s nerves coursed up into her brain like a deathly hurricane, crashing into her consciousness. This sensation—was absolutely the worst!

Debris flew everywhere, while walls were rapidly chewed apart by the giant bullet holes gouged out by the attacks.

The assault was so relentless that the sound of rounds tearing through the air and the explosions melded into one long, continuous roar.

At this intensity, the explosions were already fatal for an ordinary person. Even the shards of high-speed debris scattered like bullets could easily tear flesh.

Even if one weren’t directly caught by the incendiary phosphorus flames of the inferno bolts’ secondary explosions, the shockwaves from the tertiary explosion—once the air mixed with the fire—were enough to rupture human internal organs.

Boom! BOOM! BOOOOM!

The setting sun cast a hazy veil over the land, while the ferocious battle on the streets offered a chaotic symphony to the silent city.

The surrounding buildings were utterly devastated by the unbridled violence, riddled with gaping holes and cracks.

Fragments of debris clattered and crumbled to the ground.

And this… was far from over. Several Preacher heavy firepower warriors, now authorized to deploy incendiary weapons in the city, marched forward in unison with thundering footsteps.

Their shoulder plates bore fiery red trims. Beneath the 17th Legion’s insignia, an arrow resembling a heavy bolt round was engraved—a universal symbol for heavy firepower specialists among the Astartes.

Their power armor was significantly bulkier. Though this reduced agility slightly, it greatly enhanced their firepower and energy reserves.

The jetpacks on their backs were also larger, with a broad, panel-like ammunition feed connecting from the left side into the barrel of their incendiary cannons.

The incendiary guns were much larger than the standard bolt rifles, featuring a sleek design with a long, compact barrel.

“Listen to the scorching truth of the sacred word!” they shouted as they disengaged the safeties and pulled the triggers.

The next moment, bzzzzzz!

If the scene were slowed down a thousand times, one could clearly see the faint red glow traveling along the panel-like ammunition feed. The ignition mechanism beneath the barrel converted Honkai energy into an explosion of incendiary force, rapidly expanding within the chamber. The energy was then compressed and transformed into potential energy before finally—being unleashed!

A searing scarlet heat ray overwhelmed all surrounding light.

In an instant, the entire street was set ablaze. There was no sound of explosions—only the sickening gloop of molten materials flowing in the aftermath.

Incendiary weapons, as the name suggests, are a type of powerful heat-ray weapon. The emitted heat rays ignite organic matter upon contact, incinerating flesh to ash in moments.

When deployed in urban areas, they can easily ignite everything, causing widespread fires.

Flames spread like fiery tendrils along the path of the heat rays.

The surrounding structures groaned under the strain of temperatures exceeding their melting points. Instead of diminishing, the flames only grew more intense.

Curtains, billboards, street trees—everything flammable was set alight.

Even objects not directly struck by the heat rays burst into flames as the ambient temperature soared to ignition levels. The street, now illuminated by the inferno, glowed as brightly as daylight.

The countless sparks merged into a raging firestorm, triggering chain reactions that engulfed the entire district in a boiling blaze.

The air rippled with heat, and all moisture was evaporated. The Preacher warriors’ boots crunched against the now dry and cracked asphalt.

The high temperatures and the carbon dioxide released by the inferno filled every corner, making breathing almost impossible.

Yet for the combatants, the environment was still within tolerable limits.

Pardofelis, despite being one of the weakest among the Flame-Chasers alongside Griseo (though being compared to a child was truly unfair to the poor cat-girl), was still a fusion warrior. Her body’s basic resilience allowed her to endure.

That said, her extreme discomfort with fire left her at a severe disadvantage, and her ability to maneuver was increasingly restricted.

As for the Astartes warriors, their iconic power armor was fully sealed and designed for space combat. The built-in life-support systems in their jetpacks maintained their body temperature, oxygen supply, and energy levels.

Thus, even in such a harsh environment, the Preachers experienced no discomfort.

…

BOOM!

The deployment of heavy firepower brought not only devastating destruction but also widespread shock.

From various corners of the city, civilians, soldiers, and Astartes alike turned their attention to the scene.

Under the setting sun, the streets were consumed by towering flames.

“Ah! My tail! My tail is on fire! Aaah—! My ears are burning too!” Pardofelis screamed as the incendiary heat rays cut off her escape, and stray fire particles clung to her fur.

Running while clutching her tail, she abandoned all pretense of dignity, frantically yanking off the singed fur in clumps like pulling weeds, her face filled with anguish.

Her cat ears suffered the same fate…

From a sleek and fluffy feline, she had turned into a pitiful, hairless cat. Pardofelis was on the verge of tears.

“Why—! What’s wrong with you people?! Is everyone in this era so aggressive? I didn’t steal, didn’t do anything bad, just woke up! Why are you treating me like this?!”

With embers clinging to her skin and her body roasted red, Pardofelis awkwardly glided through the air, furiously swinging her violet circular blades to deflect incoming rounds. She used the momentum of the impacts to create distance, her now-bare tail with its sharp tip constantly adjusting her direction.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Pardofelis dashed at high speed across rooftops and walls, the hot wind whipping past her face. Her burnt brown short hair fluttered, revealing trembling, hairless cat ears.

Every corner she passed seemed to explode in an instant, scattering debris in all directions.

“Even if I was once a wanted criminal, that was back in Twilight Street during the previous civilization! Why are you people in the current civilization so intent on meddling in things that aren’t your business?!” she shouted in frustration.

“Ah—my tail, my ears… Compared to you lot…” Pardofelis threw her head back and howled, her tone laced with indignation and sorrow.

“Hmph, whether you’re a good person or not, the Empire will decide. Now, surrender!” came the cold reply.

Boom! Boom!

Buildings around her collapsed in large sections, sending clouds of dust and smoke billowing into the air.

Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!

Several Preachers equipped with chainswords descended from the sky, jetpacks roaring.

Pardofelis raised her circular blades to meet them.

Clang!

A ripple of sparks and shockwaves radiated from the point of contact between their blades, forming a ring that spread outward.

And then, crackle!

“Danger!” Her animal instincts screamed at her to dodge.

The sound came from the activation of a power weapon’s disintegration field. Electric arcs crackled from the hammerhead, transforming into a blazing crimson glow.

From the side, a silent Preacher officer charged forward, raising his electrified claw.

There was no need for words—perfect coordination was achieved without them. Some Astartes warriors provided cover, others blocked her escape, while the officer, moving like a crimson lightning bolt, emerged from the smoke and lunged at Pardofelis from the rear flank.

In this moment, his entire form shimmered with violet-red Honkai energy particles, moving even faster than lightning.

He sprinted, halted briefly, and extended his five claws—then struck downward!

The blood-streaked electrified claws crackled as they descended like a thunderbolt.

Crash!

An individual Astartes warrior might not be a match for even the weakest ancient fusion warrior. But what about an entire tactical squad?

Three key elements worked in their favor: properly matched weaponry to create a favorable combat environment, exceptional tactical coordination to create openings, and the strongest warrior present delivering the decisive blow.

Together, they could secure victory.

Of course, this strategy was only effective against someone like Pardofelis, the weakest fusion warrior. Against someone like Kevin… well, the difference would be astronomical. When the power gap is too vast, even numbers become mere cannon fodder.

Still, it couldn’t be helped. Pardofelis’s inclusion as a fusion warrior and her position as the last-ranked of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers was purely due to luck.

When she became a fusion warrior, she didn’t even know what a fusion warrior was. It all happened by sheer coincidence.

Pardofelis grew up in Twilight Street, living a life of poverty, wearing rags, and constantly on the move. She was a wanted thief, until the Tenth Herrscher incident. While scavenging in the suburbs, she stumbled upon a Flame-Chaser document at a disaster site.

At the time, she thought sneaking into the Flame-Chaser base would be her chance to strike it rich.

However, upon entering the base, Pardofelis was immediately stopped by staff who mistook her for a volunteer for the extreme metamorphosis surgery required to become a fusion warrior.

Seeing her naive and slightly clueless demeanor, the staff, moved by sympathy, repeatedly asked if she truly wanted to go through with it (noting the surgery’s abysmally low success rate).

Pardofelis, misunderstanding the situation, thought the staff were her accomplices trying to recruit her for a big heist. So, her response was, “Let’s pull off something big together!”

And then, Pardofelis was knocked out. When she woke up again, she had grown cat ears and a tail. She had miraculously survived the extreme metamorphosis surgery and become a fusion warrior.

Yes, this was how Pardofelis joined the Flame-Chasers and became a fusion warrior.

However, Pardofelis had no training and had only survived thanks to pure luck. Compared to other fusion warriors, she was incredibly weak—about on par with Griseo, who was still a child.

Because of this, the upper echelon of the Flame-Chasers stopped deploying her to battlefields and instead assigned her to handle all logistical tasks. This decision fortuitously allowed her to avoid the “Tragedy of Biding” and the “Herrscher of the Corruption Incident.”

As one of the few surviving fusion warriors, she secured the position of the last-ranked among the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.

…

With the deployment of incendiary weapons, the flames confined Pardofelis’s movements. Her feline agility and nimbleness were rendered useless. The unarmored thief had been surrounded by multiple heavily armored warriors.

The outcome was inevitable.

Clang!

The officer delivered a powerful kick, sending Pardofelis sprawling. His electrified claw moved swiftly, parrying her circular blade and landing a solid punch to her back with a dull thud.

“Ugh!” Pardofelis grunted as she planted one hand on the ground and sprang up in an attempt to create distance. However, she was caught by multiple Preachers, who landed three consecutive punches to her chest, leaving her drained and unable to stand.

“World Serpent operative, captured.”

Disabling the disintegration field of his lightning claw, the Preacher officer brought the sharp talons to Pardofelis’s delicate neck, his tone cold and unyielding.

…

Meanwhile, on the South Asian Subcontinent, Kerala, India.

Compared to the bustling, modernized North American regions under Liwa’s jurisdiction, the cities here could be described, in more diplomatic terms, as “retaining traditional charm.”

Low buildings, narrow public roads, and people with expressions of resignation sharply contrasted with the small enclave of modern architecture in the northern part of the city—two worlds divided.

At every major intersection, menacing antler-shaped barricades were lowered, blocking roads entirely.

Next to the assault tanks, groups of armed servitor soldiers maintained local order.

Observing the stratified social structure, the soldiers stood in twos and threes, chatting among themselves.

“Damn, this place is eerie. Did you hear about that report from… what’s it called, Maharashtra? That incident…”

“Uh… you mean the one about the giant lizard being gang-raped by four people?”

“What?! Is that for real? Are the locals really that twisted?” the others exclaimed in shock.

Forget about giant lizards—even in cases involving humans, the military had zero tolerance for such crimes. Anyone committing such an offense, regardless of rank, would face immediate execution.

In fact, the punishment could extend further, implicating their families or even their comrades.

“All I can say is, they sure play rough here.”

…

None of them noticed the pair of bottomless snake-like eyes quietly watching from the depths beneath the Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

“Nothing has changed. Humanity remains the same as ever. Isn’t that right, Elysia, Kevin…?”

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