“A cat!”
Ema and Kushida exclaimed in unison.
A living, breathing person who could turn into a cat — that was incredible!
Kiana looked genuinely surprised as well.
So their abilities really have nothing to do with Honkai Energy?
She’d never heard of Honkai Energy turning someone into a cat — turning a cat into a Honkai Beast, maybe, but not the other way around.
Natsuyū smiled.
“Yukinoshita, thank you for cooperating.
I’d like more detail if possible — this isn’t about prying into your privacy, it’s an exchange of information, and we’ll all be sharing our abilities shortly.”
“So, Yukinoshita — could you elaborate a little?”
Natsuyū’s voice was easy and measured, clear without being pushy.
Combined with that unfairly handsome face, it was hard not to warm up to him.
Kushida made a mental note.
Underestimated him.
Ema felt a quiet pang — her old friend Shiro had been just as dependable once, before something changed between them and Shiro’s warmth turned cold without warning.
If only she could be as reliable as Natsuyū, would Shiro still have drifted away?
Would she still have ended up alone, getting bullied by them…?
Yukino gave him a second glance, then answered with equal composure:
“Your reasoning is fair.
I’ll cooperate.”
“I don’t know much about the ability myself — only that activating it causes me to turn into a cat, or grants me a cat’s agility and senses… it’s quite extraordinary.”
“If it weren’t for the fact that you all seem to be in the same situation, I might have had a harder time accepting that superpowers could exist.”
When she finished, Yukino noticed that everyone present — Natsuyū included, except Kushida — was staring at her with a look of barely contained excitement.
Natsuyū leaned forward.
“Could you turn into a cat for us?
Right now?”
Kiana nodded eagerly.
“I want to see too!”
Ema’s eyes shone with hope.
“I don’t make a habit of being someone’s entertainment,” Yukino replied without missing a beat.
“If you’re curious about what it looks like, you have your own powers — feel free to use those.
I’d advise you not to set your sights on me.”
That said — Yukino actually did want to transform.
One: to test the ability.
Two: cats were cute, and being able to turn into one was genuinely thrilling.
She resolved to sneak off and try it alone later.
“Fair enough.”
Natsuyū, Ema, and Kiana all looked a little disappointed.
No Meow-kinoshita Meow-no.
What a shame.
Kushida narrowed her eyes.
The fact that Yukino had so effortlessly captured everyone’s attention irritated her — though what occupied more of her mind was figuring out how to get close to this impossible girl.
The harder someone was to crack, the more satisfied Kushida felt once she did.
Especially when she learned their secrets, and got to see the real person beneath that cold exterior — just imagining it was delicious.
She shifted her gaze to Natsuyū.
The only boy present.
He hadn’t crumbled under the pressure of being surrounded by a group of girls — if anything, he’d quietly taken the lead.
The shape of a small group’s de facto leader was already forming around him.
If she could get his help, winning over the insufferable Yukino would be so much easier.
Ask him later.
With that in mind, Kushida tilted her head sweetly and clasped her hands together.
“Yukinoshita’s ability is so amazing~ Rurikawa-kun, what happens next?”
“Thanks to Yukinoshita for sharing,” Natsuyū said.
“Who’s next?”
“Me.”
Kushida cut in just ahead of a hesitant Ema, her pretty face all sunshine and charm, radiating the warmth of an actual angel — and immediately, Ema forgot whatever she’d been about to say and just stared.
Natsuyū noted that she could still smile like that with a corpse hanging nearby.
A little bit impressive, in a deeply unsettling way.
Wonder what ability the two-faced Kushida ended up with.
At least everyone seemed to have one — nobody was deadweight.
That was a relief.
They actually had a shot at surviving here, wherever here was.
Kushida, centre stage, smiled a little wider toward Natsuyū — he was the one she’d be leaning on — and began:
“My name is Kushida Kikyo.
I go to Shiroran Middle School.
I love making friends, and my dream is to be friends with everyone.”
“The reason I agreed to come here was because the voice told me I’d be able to make friends — I basically half-volunteered.”
“…Turns out I was swindled by a con artist.”
She sighed sorrowfully.
Natsuyū glanced away.
She’s openly advertising that she fell for it.
That’s a new level of something.
Ema’s pink eyes went wide with delight.
“Eh, Kushida-san — the voice that appeared in my head said the same thing!
That I could make friends here!”
Though she’d been too suspicious to actually say yes.
No need to mention that part.
“You too, Ema-san?” Kushida lit up.
“E-Ema?!” The sudden first-name basis caught Ema completely off-guard, a blush creeping across her face.
Kushida stepped closer, smiling broadly.
“Let’s be friends!”
“Y-yes!
Kushida… Kikyo-san!”
Ema’s surprise overrode her nerves, and she responded in a flustered stammer, cheeks flushing deeper.
Internally, Kushida was pleased:
Easy target.
No need to put in real effort.
Between winning over the insufferable Yukino and building up Rurikawa-kun’s trust, just being casually warm to Ema a few more times should be enough to lock in the title of “best friend.”
“Kushida-san.”
Yukino’s voice was mild and even.
“Now isn’t the time to be making friends.
Please explain your ability — three people are still waiting.”
What’s the hurry, you insufferable ice queen.
“Yukino-san is right, I’m sorry for taking up everyone’s time,” Kushida said warmly.
Ema immediately murmured, “I — I didn’t mind at all.”
Natsuyū watched the exchange between Yukino and Kushida, the corner of his mouth curving slightly.
Even in a different world, Kushida Kikyo manages to run headfirst into a cold, sharp-tongued type who completely neutralises her.
Some archetypes just cancel each other out.
The fundamental logic of her character arc is working overtime.
“What’s your ability, Kushida?” he asked.
Kushida scratched her cheek, stretching it out:
“I also just found out I had one.
I can shift other people’s attention.”
“Let me try — like this — [Everyone, look at Rurikawa-kun]!”
Kushida’s voice amplified and layered, resonating in the minds of the four others with an echoing, ethereal quality that made the air feel slightly unreal.
The next moment, all three girls’ eyes peeled away from Kushida — and landed squarely on Natsuyū.
Everyone blinked.
To be continued…