NOVEL NEXT Chapter 100: The weretiger showdown
After they were done looking around the zoo, Dylan took everyone to the aquarium, which was located right next to the zoo. They walked to the entrance and bought tickets for everyone. Fiona and Iris looked even more energized as they entered and saw the underwater tunnel, allowing them to see a variety of fish swimming past the ceiling and sides.
"Wow... cool," Iris said, turning to the side and then to the right, watching the many different fish swimming.
"Yeah, it's really cool," Fiona added, looking up to see fish passing overhead.
"This is my first time ever coming here," Ellie murmured, carrying Roger, who seemed enthusiastic watching the fish swim—whether out of hunger or wanting to tease them was unclear.
"Because my house was close to here, I used to come here often with my dad, but never again since he passed away," Maya said.
"Same here, I used to come often too, but I was always alone," Amy added.
"I've never been here before, and this is my first time, just like Ellie," Lena said.
"Me too. Turns out this place is fun," Aaron said, continuing to look around.
"Yeah, you're right," Clara added, holding hands with Aaron and looking around.
"I'm glad you all like it. Come on, let's go further inside," Dylan replied.
Once inside, they began to spread out, looking at the various aquariums scattered in a dark room and one massive tank that looked like a large tube but actually connected to a bridge in front of it. Dylan sat on a bench, holding Roger in his lap.
[Sir, there was a report from Ryan just now.]
"Oh? What is it?" Dylan asked in his head.
[Three men came to the house, likely with bad intentions, and have been handled by Megan, Ryan, and Noah.]
"Hmm... do we know who they were?" Dylan asked in his head.
[After Ryan investigated, it's highly likely they were gang members under Maya's father.]
"Oh yeah? Who sent them? Though I can guess who," Dylan asked, a little surprised.
[As you suspected, sir, Mike, Maya's older brother.]
"I figured," Dylan replied.
[There's one more thing, sir. It appears CROWS is now with Mike.]
"Huh... is that true?" Dylan asked, more surprised than before.
[It is true, sir. Ryan's investigation hit a dead end, and the only thing that could stop him is CROWS.]
"Hmm... so that's how it is," Dylan mused.
[No need to worry, sir. The three people who came earlier have already been swallowed by Ryan, Megan, and Noah.]
"Swallowed? What do you mean?" Dylan asked.
[Swallowed... literally and without a trace, so don't worry about any evidence. They are currently cleaning the house. You shouldn't come home just yet.]
"What? But I'm thankful I have them," Dylan replied, processing and imagining what he had just heard.
[That is true, sir. They are protecting our home.]
Dylan then thought hard. He glanced at Maya, who was showing them an aquarium with tropical fish and explaining things to the others since she had been to this aquarium before. Dylan looked at Maya's face, which seemed cheerful as she explained to Fiona and Iris, who were just as enthusiastic as she was. Then, he glanced at Maya's belly, which was visibly growing.
"I have to deal with Mike as fast as possible and without Maya knowing... I don't want her to get sad, stressed, or forced to choose between me or her brother. I don't want any of this to affect her pregnancy," Dylan muttered in his head.
"I understand, Master. Allow me to take care of it as my repayment to you," Roger suddenly said in Dylan's head.
"Huh? What are you going to do?" Dylan asked.
"Wait here, sir. I will be right back," Roger replied.
Before Dylan could reply or ask further questions, Roger suddenly turned into a light and vanished. Dylan immediately stood up, looked around, then sat back down.
"Where did he go, KATS?" Dylan asked.
[He wants to help you, just let him. Ryan just teleported him straight to the source.]
"To Maya's dad's house?" Dylan asked.
[Exactly right, sir. Trust me, I'm going with him.]
"Alright, this time I'm really asking for help. I don't want Maya to be involved with her brother again," Dylan replied.
[Understood, sir.]
A few moments later, at an old house whose front looked like the entrance to a martial arts dojo. In the yard, many motorcycles and vans, likely belonging to gangsters, were parked. Roger appeared right in front of the door, then, in his cat form, walked inside casually. Once inside, he saw many people in the dojo, but they weren't practicing martial arts; they were just sitting around relaxing, like they were hanging out and chatting casually.
Roger walked casually toward the people inside, who numbered about 30. Then, he saw Mike sitting inside the house, looking like he had just returned from work. Carla was sitting next to him, and they seemed to be talking about their day.
[Go ahead and act, Roger.]
"Yes, Master," Roger replied.
"Bang," the dojo door, which was always open, suddenly slammed shut on its own. Naturally, everyone turned to look at the dojo door, which was never closed, but was closed this time. One of the men stood up and walked to the door. He tried to open it but couldn't because it was locked.
"Hey... the door is locke—"
"Grab," before the man could finish speaking, his head was instantly pounced on and crushed by a massive, terrifying tiger. "Drip," blood immediately spilled onto the dojo floor. Everyone who saw it immediately stood up, their faces pale with terror because they were looking at a tiger as big and as tall as a man. Roger let go of the man, then walked forward, growling and seeming to smile, excited by the sight of so many prey in front of him.
"Wh-where did that tiger come from?" a man asked.
"Shoot, shoot... kill it!" another man yelled hysterically, pulling out his pistol.
The 29 people in the dojo immediately peppered Roger with continuous pistol fire. Roger took all the shots, and his body swayed, but none of the bullets could injure him; they all fell to the floor.
"Hey... what is this?"
Mike walked into the dojo and shouted the question, but he instantly went pale, seeing the massive tiger advancing slowly, being shot at, toward his men. Roger immediately leaped and pounced on a man until the man screamed in terror, and when Roger's sharp teeth tore into his body, he instantly went limp. Then, Roger leaped again, pouncing on two men to his right, after which he bit their necks until they stopped moving.
After that, Roger continued leaping and pouncing on everyone inside, even as he was showered with bullets. Mike, watching everything, became very confused and started to panic, but suddenly, two voices were heard in his head,
[CROWS: "Stop KATS!" CROWS shouted.]
[KATS: "Hoo? You were the one who attacked first, right? My purpose here was only to talk," KATS replied.]
[CROWS: "How dare you," CROWS retorted.]
[KATS: "Thank you for the compliment, now die," KATS replied.]
Roger kept circling while Mike's face grew paler by the second. Suddenly,
"What's wrong, babe?" Carla asked, just walking in through the door.
"Get out of here, Carla! Fast!" Mike yelled.
Too late. Roger was already in front of Carla, stunning her into immobility as she stared at Roger, the enormous tiger, with a blood-soaked mouth in front of her.
"Run, Carla!" Mike yelled, running frantically toward Carla.
But "Sraaaak," Roger slashed his claws across Carla's body until the deep gashes from Roger's large claws cut into Carla's torso.
"Carla!" Mike screamed, crying.
Carla fell backward onto the dojo floor, gasping for breath, her eyes wide open and staring as if she were processing what had happened to her and feeling the intense pain in her blood-soaked chest. Mike immediately dropped to his knees, then lifted Carla's head with his hands. Carla immediately looked at Mike and raised her trembling hand.
"Babe... I'm sorry," Carla whispered.
"No... you're fine. Don't leave me!" Mike cried.
"Plop," Carla's hand fell back to the floor, her eyes still open and staring at Mike, but her breathing had stopped. With tears streaming down his face, Mike closed Carla's eyes. Then he looked up at Roger, who seemed to be smiling with a mouth full of blood.
"Aaaaaaaaaaah!"
Mike roared loudly until it echoed in the dojo. Suddenly, "Crack," Mike's body grew enormous. His muscles looked like those of a bodybuilder, bulging with veins. His body grew taller, tearing his clothes. His skin turned red, and his face became terrifying, with the help of CROWS. "Haaah," he opened his mouth, and white smoke came out.
His eyes stared at Roger with deep vengeance. Roger, still smiling, was instantly enveloped in a light, and soon after, he transformed into a human-tiger or "weretiger," immediately taking a martial arts stance with the help of KATS. The two stared at each other, in their respective fighting stances, ready to brawl.