"NYWA!" Yuzu screamed inprehensibly, her dark cloak billowing out behind her like a shadow, her long bck hair whipping around in a blur as she rushed toward Yuki with arming speed.

  "Yuzu, no NYWA!" I screamed, panic rising in my chest as I watched her charge at Yuki, her eyes wild with determination. What was she doing now?!

  Before I could even process it, Yuzu had reached Yuki and, without hesitation, grabbed her by the cheek and started to pinch it. Adorably.

  Yuki’s sleepy, zy expression didn’t even falter as Yuzu squeezed her cheek with both hands. “Nyaw!” Yuki let out a sound that could have been a yelp or a protest, but it came out so nguid and carefree, it was hard to tell if she was annoyed or just too tired to care.

  As if by some magic, Yuki’s molten golden eyes flickered for a moment, losing their eerie glow. They softened, gradually shifting back to their usual snow-white hue. Her face, still slightly annoyed but more rexed, was the picture of calm, her cheek now puffed out from the pinch.

  "Yuzu! Stop!" I shouted, though it was hard not to ugh at the absurdity of the situation. Yuki was no longer exuding that weird, uling energy. Instead, she looked mildly irritated, but also pletely unbothered. Like this was just another day for her.

  Yuki blinked slowly, her cat ears twitg with the most exaggerated "I ’t believe this is happening" expression. "That ouchy..." she muttered, but the tone was tired, almost amused.

  Yuzu, still ping her cheek, smirked. "Yuzu notto care! You notto be scary now! Nlowing eyes or stuff!"

  I stood there, utterly fbbergasted. Yuki, the one who could send chills down my spine one minute, was now getting her cheek pinched like a zy cat. And somehow, it worked. The weird tension was gone, and Yuki had reverted back to her usual sleepy, almost childlike self.

  I just stood there, blinking in fusion. Was that it? Yuki’s uling, predatory presence had vanished pletely, repced by this... adorable, pinched-cheek moment. I couldn't help but chuckle. Sometimes, Yuzu's uability was the only thing that kept things from getting too out of hand.

  "Why does every cat-kin I enter have to be weird..." Catheritered, rubbiemples as if the very thought of it gave her a headache. Her witch outfit, flowing and elegant as always, almost seemed to mirror her tiredness. It was like her frustration had taken on its own form, trailing behind her like an aura.

  "Really, how many did you enter?" I asked, genuinely curious.

  "Too many, unfortunately," Catherine sighed, exasperation dripping from her voice. "It’s like they do whatever they want... and in most cases, they ." She flopped back dramatically, as though the weight of all her past enters had just colpsed onto her shoulders.

  I tilted my head in fusion, the ailed fox on top of my head tightening its grip, its fluffy tails brushing against my face as it hung on for dear life. "Why?" I asked, genuinely curious about what made cat-kin so... plicated.

  Yuki, still being cradled by Yuzu like some kind of adorable, sleepy princess, blinked zily at me. Her snow-white eyes half-lidded, she gave me an ahat was both simple and pletely mystifying. "It’s because we know we , silly," she drawled, her voice smooth like honey. "Because not a cat in hell’s ce that we don’t follow the future that doesn’t be us."

  Her words hung in the air like a cryptic riddle, but Yuki’s casual, almost careless tone made it sound like it was the most obvious thing in the world. It was as if she was simply stating a universal truth for all cat-kin: do whatever you want, whenever you want, because why not? Life's too short to worry about anything else.

  Yuzu, still holding Yuki with a proud grin on her face, gave me a thumbs-up. Yuzu looked entirely pleased with herself for somehow tributing to this versation about cat-kin nonsense. I stared at them both for a moment, torween awe, fusion, and a growing realization that Yuzu would never fully uand the logic behind cat-kin.

  Catherine, oher hand, was looking like she was about to pull her hair out. “I’ll never get used to this,” she muttered, half to herself, half to anyone who was listening. “Not in a million years.”

  I could tell she was already exhausted by the whole situation, but somehow, I had a feeling this was just the beginning. If I learned anything from all this, it was that cat-kin logic was a w of its own. And if I was going to survive here, I’d better start adapting quickly.

  "Okay, names. Tell us what happened," Catherine demanded, her patience clearly hanging by a thread. The way she gripped her staff made it look like she was debatiween using it fic or just bonking Yuki over the head with it.

  Yuki bli her, looking as if she had just been woken up from the world's best nap. She let out a slow, drawn-out yawn, pletely unfazed by Catherine's frustration. Meanwhile, Yuzu had started cirg around her, methodically slig through the ropes on her school uniform with a small bde. Her bck fox tail swished behind her like she was some kind of cat-kin wrangler, pletely in her element.

  "I was just taking a stroll," Yuki finally said, stretg as if she hadn't just been tied up like a ritual sacrifice. She turned her head toward the abandoned shrine, her snow-white hair flowing with the movement. "Then I found this pce, so I tied myself up, and voilà, you three appeared."

  Catherine closed her eyes and sighed so deeply it was like she was trying to exhale all her frustrations into the void. "It's more of that cat premonition nonsense, isn't it?"

  For a brief sed, just a sed, I caught a flicker of something in Yuki’s expression. A glint of approval? Amusement? It was gone before I could fully register it, her snow-white eyes drooping bato their usual half-lidded, zy gaze.

  "You know your stuff, witch girl," Yuki said zily, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

  Catherine groaned, pressing her fio her forehead like she was already developing a migraine. "I hate that I do."

  “Cat premonition?” I echoed, tilting my head. The ailed fox on top of me mimicked my movement, its fluffy ears perking up in curiosity.

  Catheri out a sigh, the kind that said I ’t believe I have to expin this nonsense again. Adjusting her witch hat, she began, “Over three hundred years ago, during the war to defeat the Demon Lord, the cat-kihe ones who led the flow of battle, alongside the human bishops and cardinals. Their premonitiooo accurate, almost as if they knew fate itself. They strategized every movement, predicted enemy advances, and maniputed outes with terrifying precision.”

  I blirying to process what she was saying. “So… they were basically rophets?”

  Catherine pihe bridge of her nose. “More like cheaters of destiny.”

  "Sounds impressive," I said, looking over at Yuki, who was now free from her bindings and stretg like this was all just another casual afternoon.

  “It’s not just impressive,” Catheritered. “It’s annoying.”

  Yuki yawned dramatically befiving Catherine a zy smile. “Aww, don’t be mad, witch girl~ It’s not our fault reality just happens to be cooperative with us.”

  I swore I could hear Catherine’s soul leave her body.

  Catheri out a frustrated sigh, rubbiemples. “So, tell me. What are you doing here? Why is someone as a as you just lounging around?” Her crimson eyes narrowed. “You’re practically the same age as the a red dragon.”

  Yuki’s eyes drooped slightly, her usual ziness still present, but there was a subtle shift in her expression. Something almost serious.

  “The truth is…” she began, her voice carrying a rare weight to it. For a moment, it actually seemed like she was about to reveal something important. Theilted her head, her cat ears twitg. “I have no idea!”

  Catherine looked like she was about to explode.

  “NYWA! Stop lying!” Yuzu suddenly ped down on Yuki’s arm—not hard enough to really hurt, but with enough forake a point.

  Yuki bli her, pletely unfazed. “Ouch…?” she mumbled, sounding more fused than paihen, as if aruck her, her eyes lit up with an amused glint. “Actually, do it more.” Without hesitation, she turned and exposed the back of her o Yuzu, practically inviting more bites.

  Yuzu froze, her expression shifting rapidly frhteous fury to sheer horror. Her bck fox ears twitched, her face turning red. “N-NO! WEIRD!” she screamed, letting go of Yuki immediately and jumping back like she had just touched something cursed.

  Yuki, now freed from her adorable attacker, smirked zily. “Tch. Worth a try.”

  I watched the se unfold in stunned silence. Catherine, oher hand, just groaned and covered her face with her hands. “I hate cat-kin,” she muttered under her breath.