What an experience.

Indeed, I finally got to meet Kat and ask her something.

Yeah, but…

None of her answers told me anything.

Like, seriously?

The other chosen ones are EXACTLY like me?

What are they?

My long-lost sisters?

Clones?

…

Or am I the clone…?

Stop thinking about that nonsense already.

Kat was obviously just making fun of me.

I should instead think about what the purpose of it all is since she wouldn’t tell me.

You’re right…

Hmm…

That ‘secret’ is suspicious…

What’s so special about me that she completely refused to say anything?

Maybe my purpose is to figure that out?

And when I find out, everything will make sense?

Well, maybe.

Or she could have just tried to mislead us.

A red herring?

I wouldn’t put it beside her.

She is the same person…god…goddess, who claimed that my skills are my own product.

Yeah, obviously!

These cat themed skills are made by me and not by that catgirl goddess!

Hahaha, let’s be real now!

Dial down the sarcasm, will you?

Yeah, sorry.

Also, she said that I made it out of the blessing somehow.

So maybe it’s not complete nonsense…

What do you mean?

Well, she said I’m special, right?

Right.

So…

What if the thing that’s special about me is that I have some kind of skill-creating powers?

Hmm…

Now that’s an interesting theory…

Why would that be the case, though?

I don’t know!

I’m just latching onto the clues!

Well, should we try to create a skill then?

Sure sure.

Wait.

Can we see the status screen yet…?

…

Ooh!

Name: Nina

Level: 20

Strength: 38/38

Endurance: 40/40

Speed: 0/52

Magic: -12/33

Equipment:

Kat underwear

Kat dress

Kat ear headband

Kat gloves

Kat slippers

Skills:

Cat soul+ (Cheetah soul on)

9 lives

Special:

Blessing of the Kat

I can see it again!

I think I finally went fully unconscious at some point.

Can’t even feel the pain anymore.

It’s great.

…

Wait.

Wait wait wait…!

Just a second now!

Is that a minus?!

I have negative mana?!

WHY?!

HOW?!

…

Why are these limits even there?

I already managed to break through and go over.

And now I’m in the negatives.

Seriously, what’s the point?!

Look, cheetah soul is turned on somehow.

It normally turns on when I deplete my mana, so I guess negative mana counts as well?

Ugh, why does this all feel like nothing more than a buggy game?

…

Anyway…

Where was I…?

I was trying to create a skill.

Right right.

Kat said I somehow used her blessing to make these two.

What exactly could she mean?

Hmm, maybe it needs to be something related to cats…

The ability to sleep through the entire day?

Come on…

I’m joking, I’m joking…

Umm…

How about the ability to hurl furballs?

Wow.

Sounds very useful and not disgusting at all.

I’m impressed with the great ideas, me.

Well, I’m trying my hardest to come up with something!

Okay, what about the ability to always land on our feet, then?!

That’s really stu-

….

Actually, that might not be terrible.

That way, even if our air-jumping with the slippers goes wrong, we won’t crack our skull when we land.

Ah-ha!

Let’s do this then…!

…

Alright, what do we do?

Err…

Well, we apparently did it unconsciously last time, so…

…

Argh!

Why is life so difficult!

Calm down, me!

It’s fine!

Just try to focus or something!

Like when we called out to Kat!

Fine.

But I don’t expect this cheap power of believing to work again.

That only works in kid shows, after all.

Good good, say more of that.

Reverse psychology might kick in.

It’s not…

Whatever.

Let’s do this.

HNNNG!

SKILL CREATE!

ALWAYS LAND ON FEET SKILL, GO!

…

Is that what you want that skill to be called?

Shut up, I’m concentrating.

Hnn-

ARGH?!

GYAH?!

…

What did you do?!

What was the tremor?!

I just tried to make a skill!

…

Then, maybe it worked?

Let’s look…

Name: Nina

Level: 20

Strength: 38/38

Endurance: 40/40

Speed: 0/52

Magic: -21/33

Equipment:

Kat underwear

Kat dress

Kat ear headband

Kat gloves

Kat slippers

Skills:

Cat soul+ (Cheetah soul on)

9 lives

Special:

Blessing of the Kat

UHH, NOPE!

And somehow, we dropped even further in the negatives now!

How does that even work?!

I don’t know!

…

Hey guys.

…

Huh…

What…?

Where did you come from?

I’m not sure.

I just… happened.

Ugh…

The last thing is need is another alter ego in my head…

I’m seriously going crazy, aren’t I?

Yep.

Yep.

Don’t agree with me!

…

Alright, Nina the second, what is our situation?

Bad.

I feel like our body is being thrown around.

And…

The Kat outfit disappeared from the equipment in our status.

And in its stead, we got ‘slave rags’.

…

So, everyone got captured by those pirates?

And they even stripped me naked?

Seems like it.

Well this is just getting better and better, isn’t it?

Ugh…

Nina the third, how is it on your end?

Eh, I can’t figure out how to use this skill-creating ability.

Or rather, we don’t even know if we have an ability like that!

Why am I doing something so pointless?!

No progress on your end, then…

Nina the fourth, what about you?

No good, Kat isn’t answering anymore.

We either can’t connect anymore, or she is ignoring us.

Damn…

That stupid troll of a goddess!

Hey, calm down, first.

We gotta stay positive!

Ugh, well I guess so…

But fifth…

More alter egos keep popping up.

And I’m running out of jobs to give them!

Ah…

Hmm?

What is it, fourth?

Well, I heard a cough…

I think it was Kat’s.

…

So she’s really just ignoring us!

That little…!

…

Argh, I’m so tired of this.

Pretty ironic, isn’t it?

I thought that being unconscious is supposed to be relaxing.

Not for me apparently.

This is the most stressful coma I have ever experienced.

I didn’t even know one can be aware they are in coma!

There’s always a first time…

…

Ugh…

I just wish we could do something…

…

?!

An impact!

Something hit us!

Yes, we all felt that, second!

What was it?!

I… don’t know!

E-everyone!

Look at the status!

Magic: 1835/33

What the heck?!

Weren’t we in the negatives just a second ago?!

What’s with this ridiculous overflow?!

We’re regaining consciousness!

Prepare for take off…!

…

Eyes.

Opened.

A prison cell.

And a sea of black flames.

I’m in the middle of them.

“Holy shit! What’s with this sword?!”

There’s someone.

A boy.

Wearing my Kat clothes.

Holding my sword.

Unsheathed.

The blade was pointed at me and all the accumulated shadow mana hit me.

I see.

I get it.

“Oh, hey! She woke up! Ahahaha! Is this thing her personal alarm clock or what?!”

Around me.

Cana, Ignis, Mable, the twins and the ship’s captain and crew.

They are all being swallowed by the black flames, screaming.

That’s not right.

You are supposed to enjoy the sensation.

I guess I can take it off of you if you don’t want it.

“Hmm? What’s with that dumb look, girl? Are you surprised to be in a cell? Thank your friend who lost to me!”

Lost to you?

I see.

So, you are the pirate king.

“Hah, are you trying to break free? Those chains are special! They not only seal magic, but even skills!”

Is that so?

Then why haven’t they extinguished the shadows yet?

Have you thought about that?

“…eh?”

And…

If something as simple as chains could hold me down, how would I ever be able to kill you?

Have you thought about… that?

“Y-you burned through them?!”

I’m not sure why…

But I can use blaze magic in this state.

I wonder what state I’m in?

Cat soul+ (Panther of wrath on)

What a fancy name.

Did panther soul level up?

Well no matter…

This is quite a strange sensation.

I feel completely calm inside.

And at the same time, I feel an unparalleled rage toward that one person in front of me.

“How can you control that much mana so freely?!”

How?

Simple.

All of this mana originated from me.

It belongs to me.

But more importantly…

Flow magic.

The thing I get with cheetah soul.

I finally know what it does.

That’s right…

It allows me to control the flow of mana.

Any mana.

That’s the joke.

When I’m out of mana, cheetah soul turns on.

And in that state, I should be able to manipulate my opponent’s mana.

But…

Since I had no mana in that state, I couldn’t figure it out.

What a blessing this ‘panther of wrath’ is.

I can use all of my variant soul’s magics for some reason.

“…he…hehehe! I get it! So you are the strongest one of them all, aren’t you?! Not that other bitch!”

And you.

You made a grave mistake.

Making an enemy out of me was not smart of you.

I open my mouth and see the boy shudder.

A distorted voice leaves my mouth.

“DIE!”