XI
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Arc XI Chapter 16
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“Hmm ...” Yuki studied the Neko Sage Scroll, deep in thought, her hand supporting her own chin.
“Hmm ...” Katsuki emulated Yuki, scratching at her fuzzy chin, her kitten eyes studying the scroll with a comparable degree of dedication. They were both staring at the opened scroll before them, scrutinising, analysing every detail. So far, they were both at a loss. For understandable reasons. The scroll frustrated all of their efforts to decypher its contents.
“Hmm, do you know what these symbols mean, Katsuki?” Yuki gave up, turning to her feline companion for counsel.
ฅ/ᐠ. ̫ .ᐟ\ฅ - (^-x-^*) - /ᐠ - ˕ -マ - ฅ/ᐠ˶> ﻌ<˶ᐟ\ฅ - (ะ`・ω・´ะ)
/ᐠ. .ᐟ\ฅ - ^•ﻌ•^ฅ♡ /ᐠ. ｡.ᐟ\ˎˊ˗ - =^∇^*= - ˶^•ﻌ•^˵ - ฅ(´-ω-`)ฅ -
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ - /ᐠ｡▿｡ᐟ\* - =( ^>w< ^)= - (｡^•ㅅ•^｡) - ~(=^･ω･^) -
ฅ⁽͑ ˚̀ ˙̭ ˚́ ⁾̉ฅ - /ᐠ_ ꞈ _ᐟ\ - ˄=ᆽ=ᐟ \ - ฅ(≈≧ܫ≦≈) - ฅ(ﾐ⚈ ﻌ ⚈ﾐ)
:･ﾟ✧(=✪ ᆺ ✪=)*:･ﾟ - [^._.^]ﾉ彡 - ( ˊωˋ ) - (=^・ω・^)ﾉ
|˄·͈༝·͈˄₎.｡oO - (=＾ ● ⋏ ● ＾=) - ^._.^= ∫ - (ฅ^･ω･^ ฅ)
(^・ω・^ ) - (=^-ω-^=) - ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ - ₍^._.^₎ - ヽ(^‥^=ゞ)
｡＾･ｪ･＾｡ - （=´∇｀=）- (=^‥^=) - ＼(=^‥^)/ - d(=^･ω･^=)b
ヽ(=^･ω･^=)丿 - V(=^･ω･^=)v - (⁎˃ᆺ˂) - (ะ^・ω・^ะ) - ~(=^･･^)_
(｡^•ㅅ•^｡) - ~(=^･ω･^) - ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ - /ᐠ｡▿｡ᐟ\* - =( ^>w< ^)=
ฅ/ᐠ. ̫ .ᐟ\ฅ - (^-x-^*) - /ᐠ - ˕ -マ - ฅ/ᐠ˶> ﻌ<˶ᐟ\ฅ - (ะ`・ω・´ะ)
ヽ(=^･ω･^=)丿 - V(=^･ω･^=)v - (⁎˃ᆺ˂) - (ะ^・ω・^ะ) - ~(=^･･^)_
｡＾･ｪ･＾｡ - （=´∇｀=）- =^∇^*= - ˶^•ﻌ•^˵ - ฅ(´-ω-`)ฅ - (=^‥^=)
＼(=^‥^)/ - d(=^･ω･^=)b - /ᐠ. .ᐟ\ฅ - ^•ﻌ•^ฅ♡ - /ᐠ. ｡.ᐟ\ˎˊ˗
(^・ω・^ ) - (=^-ω-^=) - ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ - ₍^._.^₎- ヽ(^‥^=ゞ)
ฅ⁽͑ ˚̀ ˙̭ ˚́ ⁾̉ฅ - /ᐠ_ ꞈ _ᐟ\ - ˄=ᆽ=ᐟ \ - ฅ(≈≧ܫ≦≈) - ฅ(ﾐ⚈ ﻌ ⚈ﾐ)
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:･ﾟ✧(=✪ ᆺ ✪=)*:･ﾟ - [^._.^]ﾉ彡 - ( ˊωˋ ) - (ฅ^･ω･^ ฅ)
(=^・ω・^)ﾉ - |˄·͈༝·͈˄₎.｡oO - (=＾ ● ⋏ ● ＾=) - ^._.^= ∫
(ะ^・ω・^ะ) - ~(=^･･^)_旦 - ヽ(=^･ω･^=)丿 - V(=^･ω･^=)v - ˶^•ﻌ•^˵
ฅ(´-ω-`)ฅ - (=^‥^=) - ｡＾･ｪ･＾｡ - （=´∇｀=）- =^∇^*=
(｡^•ㅅ•^｡) - ~(=^･ω･^) - ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ - /ᐠ｡▿｡ᐟ\* - =( ^>w< ^)=
d(=^･ω･^=)b - /ᐠ. .ᐟ\ฅ - ^•ﻌ•^ฅ♡ - /ᐠ. ｡.ᐟ\ˎˊ˗ (=^・ω・^)ﾉ
|˄·͈༝·͈˄₎.｡oO - (=＾ ● ⋏ ● ＾=) - ^._.^= ∫ - ฅ⁽͑ ˚̀ ˙̭ ˚́ ⁾̉ฅ
/ᐠ_ ꞈ _ᐟ\ - ˄=ᆽ=ᐟ \ - ฅ(≈≧ܫ≦≈) - ฅ(ﾐ⚈ ﻌ ⚈ﾐ) - (^・ω・^ )
(=^-ω-^=) - ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ - ₍^._.^₎- ヽ(^‥^=ゞ)- :･ﾟ✧(=✪ ᆺ ✪=)*:･ﾟ
[^._.^]ﾉ彡 - ( ˊωˋ ) - (ฅ^･ω･^ ฅ)ฅ - /ᐠ. ̫ .ᐟ\ฅ - (^-x-^*)
/ᐠ - ˕ -マ - ฅ/ᐠ˶> ﻌ<˶ᐟ\ฅ - (ะ`・ω・´ะ) - ＼(=^‥^)/ - (⁎˃ᆺ˂)
Katsuki was equally baffled. “I cannot say for sure, but the text appears to be ancient Neko ... These letters are old. Very old.”
“Hmm ...” Yukui fell silent. As it turned out, the letters and writing system in general consisted of cat related motifs, which hardly surprised Yuki considering that it was the Neko clan that they were talking about here. She would certainly not put it beyond them to be so narcissistic. They always struck her as silly and whimsical.
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If anyone had ever suggested that she would be one day walking on all four on the ground with a cat ears hairband on her hand and wearing an artificial cat tail while meowing, purring, and bathing herself with her forearm and tongue, she would not have believed them. And yet here she was, walking on all four with a pair of cat ears and wearing a cat tail. Apparently, all of it was part of her official Neko Sage mode ‘training’, which consisted of many such highly important activities.
Highly important activities, such as taking frequent naps next to an adequate heat source. Gathering and consuming abundant amounts of catnip. Playing with her ball of yarn. Performing her daily kneading and stretching exercises. Running around aimlessly in her room, bouncing off the walls. Begging for treats. Jumping down from higher floors, with a minimum of injury. Hiding amidst bushes while hunting birds. Sharpening her claws on chunks of wood. That was her illustrious training, and much more.
According to the Neko scroll, all of this was needed to awaken her inner neko. Whatever that was supposed to mean. Only those of pure heart, only those who opened their heart to their nekoness were destined to master the Neko Sage mode and its secrets. You had to think like a cat. You had to act like a cat. You had to be a cat. Such was her challenge, and Yuki was determined to overcome it, although lingering doubts regarding the nature and the actual usefulness of her ‘training’ remained.
“Katsuki, are you really sure that this is the right incantation?” Yuki eyed the kitten princess with a certain degree of suspicion.
Katsuki nodded, her paws sure. “I am. The scroll says to do all this, and the impurrial scholars are certain of it. Nyow, speak the incantation, Yuki!”
“...” Yuki looked little convinced, still on her four paws.
Katsuki encouraged her, “Say the words! Purr with all of your heart!”
Yuki sighed in resignation before clearing her throat. There was no use in protesting. If this was to achieve the Neko Sage mode, then so be it. Even if she had to make a fool out of herself in the process.
“I am the daughter of the dawn
Unknown to death, nor known to life,
I am the mistress of nyine lives,
Meow cuteness is my strength,
Meow cuteness is my sword,
Meow cuteness is my shield,
I will meow a thousand times each day,
I will purr a thousand times each day,
I will and will be pet over a thousand times each day,
I have withstood countless falls,
I have caught countless prey,
I have taken countless nyaps,
Yet mwoq tail stands tall,
Yet meow paws are raised high,
Yet meow heart stands strong,
Neko mode!!! Unleashed!!!”
...
...
...
Nothing. The incantation reverberated through the air, yet nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. Once again, she had made a fool out of herself for absolutely nothing to show for it. Excellent.
“Hmm, I guess that we need to try harder”, Katsuki mused.
“I guess so”, Yuki sighed.
Katsuki raised her paw. “That means that we have to train more! You nyeed to work harder to awaken your inner neko!”
“...” Yuki declined to reply. Katsuki was not exactly wrong, but it sounded like a lot of work. The path to the Neko sage mode was long. There were still many naps to take. Many treats to gobble. Much catnip to gather. Much yarn to play with.
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