Becoming a Demonic Cultivator: Miko

"Oh no." (Meaning: this was bad.)

Yotsuya Miko's face fell at that instant. It wasn't that the kitten wasn't adorable, but no matter how cute it was, it couldn't hide the ominous Malevolent Ghost inside the cardboard box.

"Honestly, throwing it away like that is so awful."

As Yurikawa Hana spoke, she picked up the pale yellow kitten.

"Maybe I should take care of it."

"What do you think?"

As she spoke, she pressed her cheek against the kitten. If Miko hadn't seen the Malevolent Ghost behind it crawl out of the box as well, she probably would have thought it was a lovely sight.

But right now, all she could think about was how to make that Malevolent Ghost disappear.

Nine Nether... no, forget that.

Miko's eyes shifted slightly as a headache began to form.

Although Yurikawa Hana wanted to adopt the kitten, unfortunately, cats weren't allowed in her apartment building.

So the two of them had no choice but to look for an owner on social media.

They set the meeting place at Mizumoto Park and sat quietly on a bench as they waited.

"I wonder if anyone will come."

Hana checked the adoption post on her phone again, looking a little worried.

"Yeah, I'm sure... they will."

As Yotsuya Miko answered, she looked toward Hana. That Malevolent Ghost had followed them the entire way.

It seemed to have attached itself to the kitten.

"I'm sorry, but pets aren't allowed in my apartment."

"But I'm sure everything will be okay."

As she spoke, Hana stood and lifted the kitten high into the air. Looking at the adorable little thing, she felt as if her heart were melting.

"Because you're so cute."

Then she couldn't resist pressing the kitten to her cheek again and continuing to nuzzle it.

"Ah, you're so cute, I could just eat you up."

Eat it up?

A certain word seemed to trigger something in Miko's mind, and she froze for a moment. Watching Hana spin around while holding the kitten, she shook her head and immediately warned her to be careful.

"Hana, don't mess around too much, or be careful, you might..."

Before she could finish, Yurikawa Hana bumped into someone.

"Ah—"

Hana staggered back several steps.

"That hurt."

She looked toward the person she had bumped into, instinctively about to apologize, but the words caught in her throat halfway through.

"I'm really sor—"

Standing before her was a bald man in a purple shirt, several scars etched across his face. His entire presence made him seem like he had only recently gotten out of prison.

From Hana's perspective, this Prison-Style Boss was looking down at her, as though demanding to know why she had run into him.

"I'm... sorry."

Clearly, Hana had been badly frightened. After all, people like this usually gave off the impression that they would stuff anyone who angered them into Tokyo Bay.

After barely managing to finish her apology, Hana hurried back to the bench. The cheerful atmosphere in the park vanished, leaving only silence.

That person...

Yotsuya Miko watched the man standing there, staring at the kitten in Yurikawa Hana's hands. She saw something different on him.

Those were...

"Miko,"

Before she could get a good look, Hana called her name softly from beside her, her voice filled with unease.

"Yeah?"

"He's been staring at me this whole time. Do you think he's going to kill me?"

She kept her voice low the entire time.

Miko only wanted to say that she was overthinking it. The man was actually looking at the kitten in her hands.

"No, I think that man..."

Just as she was about to explain, a gentle voice interrupted their conversation.

"Excuse me."

The two turned their heads. A red-haired youth in a white shirt, wearing a backpack, was walking toward them with his phone clutched in his right hand. It seemed he had seen the message.

"Are you looking for someone to adopt a cat?"

"Yes."

After hearing their answer, the youth stated his purpose.

"I'd like to adopt that kitten."

"Huh, really?"

Having finally found someone willing to take in the kitten, Yurikawa Hana excitedly rose to her feet.

"Good thing I happened to be passing nearby."

The youth spoke with feeling, and Hana echoed him.

"Yeah. We found this little one, and we've been having a hard time figuring out what to do."

Yotsuya Miko also stood up, fixing her gaze on the red-haired youth—or rather, on the space to his left and right.

"That's great."

Yurikawa Hana whispered to her, "He looks really gentle."

However, Miko gave a different answer.

"No."

"Huh?"

The youth, who had thought the conversation was going smoothly, could not help looking stunned. Yurikawa Hana, standing beside Yotsuya Miko, did not understand either.

"Miko, what are you saying?"

This person... absolutely not.

Yotsuya Miko thought silently. In her eyes, the youth was covered from head to toe in cat Evil Spirits, countless spirits wailing in agony. Surrounded by those red-eyed, horribly twisted Evil Spirits, the red-haired youth gave her an intense feeling of discomfort. It was hard to imagine how many cats this guy had killed to create such a scene.

Even the malevolent ghost that had originally possessed the kitten began roaring at him, its previously stable form warping and twisting. Whether from anger, fear, or some other emotion, she did not know.

"Huh? You're not giving me the cat?"

The youth looked somewhat disappointed. With those Evil Spirits around him, he looked like a rebel annoyed that he had failed to destroy the world.

But Miko's attitude remained firm. Looking at the youth before her, she became even more certain of her decision.

"That's right."

"Why?"

The youth asked, then gave up.

"No, never mind. I understand."

After letting out a sigh, he turned and left without any intention of trying to persuade them further, as though adopting the kitten had merely been a whim. And leaving together with him was the malevolent ghost that had originally possessed the kitten.

"Um..."

Yurikawa Hana, who had watched all of this, was at a loss. She did not understand why Miko had refused to let that gentle youth adopt the kitten.

"Is this really okay?"

"Yeah."

Miko answered.

After the youth left, the kitten, which had been behaving quietly, suddenly cried out and extended a paw toward the Bald Giant still standing there.

"Oh?"

The two could not help turning to look at the man. Still somewhat frightened, Yurikawa Hana felt uneasy.

"That person is still here."

"Um, Miko, let's leave first and keep looking for an owner somewhere else..."

Hana said, wanting only to get away from that man as quickly as possible.

The moment she finished speaking, Yotsuya Miko took the kitten from her arms and did something Hana found unbelievable.

"M-Miko?"

Holding the kitten, Miko slowly walked over to the man and held it out to him.

"Please take care of it."

The gesture caught the man off guard. Looking at the kitten before him, he drew it close to his chest.

"Yeah. I'll cherish it."

Yotsuya Miko nodded, then looked at the man once more.

Hard as it was to imagine, two Bakeneko spirits rested on the shoulders of this fierce-looking man.

Two pure white Bakeneko lay on his shoulders, quietly watching over him, as though his shoulders were the warmest home they could have.

"See you."

The man said goodbye to Miko, then turned and left.

After he had gone, Yurikawa Hana hurried over to Miko, suspicious of what she had done.

"Was that really okay?"

"Probably."

Yotsuya Miko could not say much either. She only felt that a man accompanied by two Bakeneko was probably someone who loved cats very much.

PS2: Since I had my CET-6 exam today, I wrote and posted this in advance. The current numbers are pretty dismal, so I can probably only wait and see whether my editor will approve the contract.

"I'm home."

Slightly exhausted, Yotsuya Miko finally returned home. Being able to see them, she had once again endured a grueling day.

Especially that Nine Nether Profound Soul Treasure Record.

It seemed to be eroding her consciousness every moment, giving her an appetite for Ghosts.

At the thought of it, Miko's stomach began to ache phantomly. She knew perfectly well that she had "eaten" a Malevolent Ghost and turned it into some form of energy.

"Treating Malevolent Ghosts as food...?"

The words brimming with malice toward the world all revealed the wicked nature of this so-called "cultivation method." In particular, its philosophy of treating all living beings as food filled Yotsuya Miko with horror.

She did not dare imagine any further. If one day she truly became immersed in "treating Ghosts as food," would she start treating "people" as...

Would she still be herself then?

"...What am I supposed to do?"

She returned to her room, took out a donut from the dessert box, and ate it in small bites. Even these Namu Amida Butsu Potty could not bring her much comfort.