Chapter 239: Patting the Dog's Head with a Smile
After throwing Raphiel inside with a perfect "Throw You Rem" posture, Kouya bent slightly and leaped, easily vaulting over the iron gate to land gracefully inside the estate as well.
He could've just kicked the gate open—electrified or not, it wouldn't have hurt him much—but since there was an easier way, there was no need for unnecessary effort.
As a firm believer in efficiency, Kouya always went with whatever method was simple and effective.
Like when he played jungler—he'd camp one opponent so relentlessly that they'd start questioning their life choices. Once that happened, the game was basically over.
"Kouya-kun, that was amazing!"
Raphiel was still a little dizzy from being thrown. After regaining her balance, she immediately ran over and clung to his arm, her face flushed with excitement, eyes gleaming in admiration.
'Amazing, huh? If you'd revealed your true form, you could've done that even easier.'
"Let go," Kouya said flatly.
Raphiel puffed her cheeks, pretending to look pitiful. "But I'm scared."
'Scared? Yeah right—you're clearly just thrilled!'
...
Meanwhile, in the surveillance room—
"I knew Shiraha-sama would be fine!" Alice cheered happily.
"Is that the girl with the long silver hair? Alice seems to have made a wonderful friend."
"Hehe" Alice giggled shyly, but quickly realized who she was talking to and pouted again, glaring across the room with mock ferocity.
Hideaki Koike adjusted his glasses and lazily swirled his glass of red wine. The deep crimson liquid reflected the light like blood.
"So they managed to get past the gate that way. Interesting. But that was only my first line of defense..."
Alice frowned. "You said that earlier too."
"Heh, foolish Alice. Allow me to show you what true defense looks like." Koike snapped his fingers. "Release units one and two. It's time they learned what real fear is."
...
The villa grounds were vast. The main path after the gate was lined with well-kept lawns and colorful flowerbeds. A decorative fountain shimmered under the garden lights, mist forming a faint rainbow in the air. The scent of flowers drifted gently on the night breeze.
"It's so pretty" Raphiel said, tugging lightly on Kouya's sleeve as she gazed around in fascination.
Even though they were deep inside enemy territory, her face showed no trace of fear. She looked like she was out for a pleasant evening stroll in her own backyard.
But that peace didn't last long.
From the shadows ahead, two massive dogs burst forth.
They were enormous—muscular, red-brown fur glistening under the lights, sharp teeth bared as they hunched low, eyes glowing green with predatory focus. The danger radiating from them was enough to make an ordinary person freeze.
Animals hunting in the wild rarely bark. They stalk in silence so prey can't escape. The same applies to dogs.
The ones that bite don't bark.
These two didn't make a sound. They just ran silently toward them, and that made them far more terrifying.
Why do people prefer cats over dogs? Or, if they keep dogs, why do they pick corgis or Shiba Inu instead of large breeds?
Because cats are less dangerous and usually lazy. You can keep them indoors without trouble. Dogs, especially big ones, need to be walked. And if a large dog panics or snaps, an ordinary person can't hold it back. If it bites someone—especially a child—the consequences are horrific.
These two were exactly that kind of dog—vicious enough to make anyone cross the street to avoid them.
"Tosa dogs," Raphiel murmured.
Kouya nodded.
The red-brown sheen, the massive build—they were clearly Tosa Inu, Japan's famous fighting dogs once nicknamed "Japanese Mastiffs."
By the way, Tibetan Mastiffs only recognize one master. Not out of loyalty, but because they're dumb.
Meanwhile, the so-called sled dog trio—Huskies, Malamutes, and Samoyeds—were actually geniuses.
"So after the electrified gate, now it's dogs?" Kouya muttered. The phrase "release the hounds" came to mind, and it annoyed him.
These beasts would terrify a normal person, but to him, they were nothing.
He bent down, picked up two smooth stones, and weighed them in his hand. Dogs' noses were a hundred times more sensitive than a human's. Great for tracking—but also their weakness. Hit the nose, and they'd be done.
He was just about to throw when Raphiel stepped forward.
"Kouya-kun, let me try."
She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes in prayer.
Under the pale moonlight, her long silver hair flowed gently in the wind. Her serene face carried a pure, divine glow, and faint light began to ripple around her.
Then—
Raphiel activated her Prayer Mode. Animal affinity rising...
Warning! Warning!
Energy full!
Activating special skill — "Pat the Dog's Head with a Smile!" (Control-type skill)
Skill Description: Dogs struck by this skill will enter the "Loss of Dog Dignity" state and wag their tails affectionately at the caster for 60 seconds!
Mana Cost: (???)
...
In the surveillance room, Hideaki Koike froze mid-sip. The confident smirk on his face stiffened.
Impossible!
Those Tosa dogs were brutal—no one but their handler could even get close! And yet now, a strange girl was not only petting them but smiling while doing it?!
They even looked... happy?
Had the world gone insane? Were Tosa dogs now judging people by looks too?!
'This damn world that only values faces!'
"Good boys, don't move," Raphiel said sweetly, giggling. Then she reached into her pocket—and pulled out bone-shaped dog treats.
Hey, seriously?! You brought dog treats to a life-or-death infiltration?!
'What, were you planning to bribe every single dog you meet?'
"Even if Kouya-kun looks at me like that, I feed Shiro all the time," Raphiel explained innocently.
'Shiro? You mean that stray dog that always bullies Satania for her pineapple bread?'
'Of course. No wonder it's her minion!'
After eating the treats, the two Tosa dogs rolled onto their backs, bellies exposed in submission. Unfortunately, since both were male, their "enthusiasm" was... very visible.
Raphiel blushed and quickly looked away, then stood up and grabbed Kouya's sleeve again, sticking her tongue out playfully.
"See, Kouya-kun? I helped too"
Wanna read ahead? Join my Patreon and support the story — up to 6 new chapters are published for you every day!: patreon.com/ArealMaster