But an instant before his fingers touched her, the black cat jolted upright and leaped away from Edward's fingers, then arched her back slightly and let out a lazy, threatening sound. "Meow! (*~︿~)!"
"Lilith, what's wrong? Don't you remember me?"
Edward immediately recalled the "Zhang San's Memories" that had tried to overwrite his own when he first arrived in this "world." Had Lilith's memories been altered too? And... had she turned back into a cat?
Was that why she was trapped here, unable to leave all this time?
He immediately flipped the coin. Heads up meant yes.
This little black cat really was Lilith!
"Lilith~ Don't be afraid."
Edward softened his tone as much as he could and slowly reached toward her little head. Perhaps sensing no malice, she didn't dodge this time. She cautiously approached his outstretched fingers, wrinkling her little pink nose a few centimeters away and sniffing a few times.
"Be good~ Lilith, come with me."
Chomp!
The black cat bit Edward's finger, then dangled in midair like a flatbread as he lifted it.
"..."
What a familiar scene.
He remembered something similar happening when they first met, except that he had still been an ordinary mortal then, and Lilith had bitten right through his skin.
Edward lifted her by the scruff. The little creature immediately began meowing indignantly, trying to scratch him with her claws.
"All right, all right, I know you're angry, but hold off for now. Once we get out of here, you'll understand everything."
"Meow! (｀へ')! Meow!!"
"Really, it's all right."
"Meow (ノω<.)ノ))!"
Seeing how fiercely she struggled, Edward tapped her and cast Relashio, leaving her hanging limply in midair.
"Hey!"
Just then, an angry voice rang out. "You... what are you doing?"
A blonde girl with her eyes closed held a phone