Zephyrus pressed the paw of his front foot against Rian's back calf. He focused all the remaining sealed energy in his Astral magic core and channeled it straight into Rian's body!
BZZZ-BZZZT!
Rian's eyes suddenly lit up a brilliant emerald green. Every hair on his body stood on end. The paralyzing fear that had seized him vanished in an instant, replaced by the sensation of an immense, searing power blazing inside his chest!
"Huh... huh? Why is there fire on my hand?!" Rian cried in shock when he saw the broom in his grip wrapped in magical golden flames.
The black-robed figure's eyes widened in surprise.
"What?! Soul Energy Transfer?!"
Without Rian realizing it, his soul was now directly connected to Zephyrus's magnificence. Panicking and having no idea how to control the power, Rian wildly swung his flaming golden broom forward!
"DON'T MESS WITH MY CAT!" Rian screamed hysterically.
BOOOM!
A wave of golden fire shot from the end of the broom, striking the black-robed figure squarely in the chest and blasting him out of the rental apartment, triggering a flash of light in the middle of the deserted alley!
Thin smoke billowed through the living room. Rian stood there, panting, staring at his broom, which had been burned down to charcoal, his mouth hanging open.
"I-I... I have magic?!" Rian whispered in disbelief.
Zephyrus landed casually on the floor and flicked his fat tail. It's not you, idiot. It's my magic.
But the silence of the night didn't last long.
Beyond the smoke from the explosion outside, there wasn't just one figure getting back up. Five more black-robed figures with glowing red eyes suddenly emerged from behind the shadows of trees and the walls of neighboring houses!
They surrounded Rian's rental apartment from every direction.
And even worse... one of them was holding a gleaming black iron cage specially designed to absorb and annihilate a god's soul.
The contain-box stood wide open, directing its magical suction force straight at Zephyrus's body!
BZZZZTTTT!
Zephyrus's round body suddenly rose into the air, slowly being sucked toward the inside of the iron cage!
"Mochi!" Rian shouted in panic, reaching for Zephyrus's leg.
Zephyrus tried to claw at the air, but the cage's suction was too strong. Damn it! This cat's physical strength can't fight the Dimensional Law of Gravity!
Just as Zephyrus's head was about to pass through the door of the black iron cage, Rian leaped up and grabbed Zephyrus's tail, causing Rian to be pulled into the air as well, toward the hole of darkness!
Would Rian and Zephyrus be sucked together into the Astral Dimension, or could Mochi's magic sneezes save them one more time?
"Rian, let go! Don't grab my tail, you brainless Mortal Human!" Zephyrus screamed in his mind.
Unfortunately, all Rian heard was a shrill meow: "MIII-EEEOOOWWW!"
"I'm not letting go, Mochi! We'll live together and die together!" Rian shouted hysterically. Both his arms clutched Zephyrus's fat tail tightly as their bodies floated through the night air, drawing closer and closer to the door of the black iron cage.
The cage's suction created a vortex of freezing wind that howled violently. The concrete floor of the rental apartment trembled, and several roof tiles from the neighboring houses began to fall with a clatter.
The black-robed figure holding the cage let out a shrill laugh, the scraping of his bones like rusted metal. "Pathetic effort, Human! That god's soul belongs to us!"
Zephyrus was now halfway through the cage's doorway, feeling his soul begin to be pulled from his cat vessel. A freezing chill spread all the way to the tips of his whiskers.
This can't be allowed! If my soul is torn free in this world, I'll become astral dust forever! Zephyrus thought furiously.