Chapter 49 – Yuzu, No NYWA!

"NYWA!" Yuzu screamed incomprehensibly, her dark cloak billowing out behind her like a shadow, her long black hair whipping around in a blur as she rushed toward Yuki with alarming 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, lazy 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 languid 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 relaxed, was the picture of calm, her cheek now puffed out from the pinch.

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

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

Yuzu, still pinching her cheek, smirked. "Yuzu notto care! You notto be scary now! No mores glowing eyes or stuff!"

I stood there, utterly flabbergasted. Yuki, the one who could send chills down my spine one minute, was now getting her cheek pinched like a lazy 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 confusion. Was that it? Yuki's unsettling, predatory presence had vanished completely, replaced by this... adorable, pinched-cheek moment. I couldn't help but chuckle. Sometimes, Yuzu's unpredictability was the only thing that kept things from getting too out of hand.

"Why does every cat-kin I encounter have to be weird..." Catherine muttered, rubbing her temples 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 encounter?" I asked, genuinely curious.

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

I tilted my head in confusion, the nine-tailed 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... complicated.

Yuki, still being cradled by Yuzu like some kind of adorable, sleepy princess, blinked lazily at me. Her snow-white eyes half-lidded, she gave me an answer that was both simple and completely mystifying. "It's because we know we can, silly," she drawled, her voice smooth like honey. "Because not a cat in hell's chance that we don't follow the future that doesn't benefit 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 contributing to this conversation about cat-kin nonsense. I stared at them both for a moment, torn between awe, confusion, and a growing realization that Yuzu would never fully understand the logic behind cat-kin.

Catherine, on the other 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 law of its own. And if I was going to survive here, I'd better start adapting quickly.

"Okay, no more games. 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 debating between using it for magic or just bonking Yuki over the head with it.

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

"I was just taking a stroll," Yuki finally said, stretching 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 place, 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 second, just a second, 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 back into their usual half-lidded, lazy gaze.

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

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

"Cat premonition?" I echoed, tilting my head. The nine-tailed fox on top of me mimicked my movement, its fluffy ears perking up in curiosity.

Catherine let out a sigh, the kind that said I can't believe I have to explain this nonsense again. Adjusting her witch hat, she began, "Over three hundred years ago, during the war to defeat the Demon Lord, the cat-kin were the ones who led the flow of battle, alongside the human bishops and cardinals. Their premonitions were too accurate, almost as if they knew fate itself. They strategized every movement, predicted enemy advances, and manipulated outcomes with terrifying precision."

I blinked, trying to process what she was saying. "So… they were basically war prophets?"

Catherine pinched the 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 stretching like this was all just another casual afternoon.

"It's not just impressive," Catherine muttered. "It's annoying."

Yuki yawned dramatically before giving Catherine a lazy 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.

Catherine let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing her temples. "So, tell me. What are you doing here? Why is someone as ancient as you just lounging around?" Her crimson eyes narrowed. "You're practically the same age as the ancient red dragon."

Yuki's eyes drooped slightly, her usual laziness 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. Then she tilted her head, her cat ears twitching. "I have no idea!"

Catherine looked like she was about to explode.

"NYWA! Stop lying!" Yuzu suddenly chomped down on Yuki's arm—not hard enough to really hurt, but with enough force to make a point.

Yuki blinked at her, completely unfazed. "Ouch…?" she mumbled, sounding more confused than pained. Then, as if an idea struck her, her eyes lit up with an amused glint. "Actually, do it more." Without hesitation, she turned and exposed the back of her neck to Yuzu, practically inviting more bites.

Yuzu froze, her expression shifting rapidly from righteous fury to sheer horror. Her black 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 lazily. "Tch. Worth a try."

I watched the scene unfold in stunned silence. Catherine, on the other hand, just groaned and covered her face with her hands. "I hate cat-kin," she muttered under her breath.