The black cat that had "stolen" her master finally came before her.
Looking at this great enemy, Himari revealed a trace of provocation.
In her eyes, this opponent was no ordinary being, but a Phantasmal Species like herself, one that possessed extraordinary power.
If the other party had just been an ordinary black cat, she wouldn't have been so concerned, nor would she have bothered to bully it.
But since this cat also possessed extraordinary power, then she was a rival.
There could only be one most beloved cat by her master.
With that thought, Himari let out increasingly provocative low growls of "meoww, meoww."
In the past, she wouldn't have dared to be so arrogant in front of her own kind.
But now, not only had she undergone a bloodline evolution, she had also cultivated all the way to five tails.
With such strength, how could she possibly fear a mere black cat of the same kind?
Facing Himari's provocation, the black cat remained completely calm, sitting leisurely on the ground, even taking the time to lick her paw.
More arrogant than me? How could this be tolerated?
Such pride and insolence, it was time to teach her a lesson!
Thus, Himari pounced forward in an instant.
A black cat and a white cat tangled into a rolling blur.
Himari thought she had it in the bag.
Himari got a GG.
Only when she was pinned beneath the black cat did Himari realize the vast gap between them.
Just moments ago, in order to fight her opponent, she had even mobilized the immortal energy within her body to resist,
But it was useless. The opponent's paw seemed to carry the weight of a mountain, and she was effortlessly suppressed.
Such a result was only natural, Bastet was the cat goddess of Heliopolis, a war goddess second only to Ra in combat power.
Even without her divine power, she was not someone a mere five-tailed cat immortal could contend with.
And so, the scene became like this:
The black cat stood proudly, pressing the white cat down onto the ground, her tongue gently grooming her (in the world of cats, usually only those of higher status groom those of lower status).
Meanwhile, the white cat lay there pitifully, trying to dodge the black cat's tongue while looking helplessly toward her master.
Within that gaze, Alaric could see endless grievance and sorrow:
Where did you even find this awful cat? Why is she so strong? It was me, me first! I was the one who came first… feeding you, letting you pet me, even becoming your pet…
Although the girls were all amused by the antics of the two cats, only Alaric could sense the atmosphere, like a battlefield straight out of a shura arena.
He was just a cat owner, how had things turned out like this?
These girls, enjoying the spectacle, had no idea what level of power had actually been contained within that seemingly playful scuffle.
Himari, who had cultivated to five tails, already possessed strength comparable to powerful Phantasmal Species, and in that brief clash, she had even used immortal energy to enhance herself.
As for Bastet, even in her Saint form, she was essentially at a level invincible beneath the gods (excluding bugs like Alaric).
Those seemingly soft, playful attacks contained tremendous force, if either of them had been replaced with an ordinary beast like a lion or tiger, it would have been killed instantly.
Of course, several of the goddesses did notice something amiss.
However, what they noticed was Bastet.
Even though the cat goddess had lost her divine power and was in Saint form, the goddesses would never mistake her for a mere powerful Phantasmal Species.
After all, the near-maximum level of divinity within her was no lie.
As for the conflict between Bastet and Himari, Alaric found it difficult to interfere too much.
After all, cats had their own social dynamics.
In the end, Himari finally accepted reality,
She was no longer her master's one and only little darling.
Above her, there would now always be an overwhelmingly powerful "big sister," one she could not resist, at least, not until she reached the realm of nine tails and nine lives.
And so, only after Himari resigned herself did Bastet finally let her go.
The little white cat immediately scurried to Alaric's feet, rubbing against him frantically and acting spoiled.
Alaric picked her up in one motion, only to be met with a barrage of soft paw strikes.
These gentle taps carried no real lethality, but they clearly expressed Himari's dissatisfaction.
"Oh come on, I just wanted to find you a companion," Alaric said with a wry smile, catching her mischievous paws. "Your big sister Bastet used to be incredibly powerful.
If Himari wants to become stronger, you should properly learn from her."
"Meow, !"
Seeing Alaric's attitude, it was clear that relying on her master to drive away the big boss was impossible. Himari let out a mournful cry, her ears drooping.
Meanwhile, Bastet climbed up along Alaric's pant leg and settled gracefully onto his shoulder.
"This little one is quite adorable," her mature, lady-like voice echoed in Alaric's mind again. "So full of energy, I like her."
Full of energy? Look at how you've bullied her into a wilted state.
Even as a cat, she had an unexpectedly mischievous streak toward her own kind.
"Don't bully Himari too much. She's still young."
With that reminder to Bastet, the matter came to an end.
And so, Bastet officially became a member of this big family.
As for Alaric bringing home a new cat, the girls were all quite interested.
Although Bastet was entirely black, she was strikingly elegant and carried a certain charm that made her quite popular among them.
They simply thought Bastet was a Phantasmal Species cat Alaric had adopted in Egypt. They had no idea that the cat they were eagerly petting was actually a goddess.
And after confirming that Bastet no longer possessed divine power, the goddesses held no vigilance toward her and did not expose her identity.
Although Bastet had not taken the initiative to reveal who she was, the goddesses were still at ease, after all, she was brought back by Alaric.
While Alaric was not entirely immune to making impulsive decisions, most of the time, the goddesses trusted that with his intelligence, even if Bastet were some kind of infiltrating spy, she would ultimately end up losing everything in front of him.
As for Bastet herself, after today, her satisfaction with having Alaric as her master rose even further.
In the past, even within the Heliopolis pantheon, despite being adored by many and worshipped by divine servants and believers, she had still felt lonely inside.
But now, she had a master who would lovingly pet her, many friendly companions, and even a cute little sister (Himari: I'm not a little sister, meow!).
She felt that her life as a cat had finally reached perfect fulfillment.
Perhaps continuing like this wouldn't be so bad after all.