Catgirls And Dungeons (Yuri)

"ALTER! DON'T YOU FUCKING MESS WITH ME!!!"

My voice tears out of me, raw and furious.

Gods, what the hell is wrong with her?

I feel scammed.

No—betrayed.

Like the ground beneath me has cracked open, and the whole world has been flipped upside down. Everything I believed in, everything I admired, has crumbled into ash.

"Alter…" I whisper, voice trembling.

And then, without stopping myself, I let it out. I pour everything I've been holding in.

"You know… after seeing your memory, after seeing your deep, sacred connection with Morvena, I have already considered you my role model. You're like my favorite person in the world, even cooler than every badass anime protagonist combined.

"A princess cursed by fate, but didn't let it break her? Who kept walking forward anyway? Heck yeah!

"A princess who didn't care what anyone said, who ruled an entire kingdom, protected it till the bitter end? That's fucking badass!

"Unhinged, savage, and crazy… but still kind, and loving…

"And most importantly…

"You never gave up. You never bent. No matter how cruel your life became. No matter what was thrown at you. Even when the curse tore at your mind, tore at the people you loved, even when your world was crumbling… you still fought. You still stood tall.

"But now…

"Now? I don't even know what I'm looking at anymore… haha

"Someone please tell me… who the hell is this person? Who is this sobbing bitch curled up in my body, who is this pathetic, self-loathing shell?!

"Fate? Destiny? The heavenly will? What the hell happened to you?

"You were supposed to fight that shit—not kneel to it!

"ALTER!

"YOUR HIGHNESS!

"FELICIA AURELIA DI VENTARIA!

…

"Seeing you like this…

"I can't even recognize you anymore…"

…

…

"That… was a pretty cool thing to say," Alter mutters, turning her head slightly, her voice almost begrudging. "I'll give you some praise for that."

But then her expression hardens. Her voice turns distant.

"Unfortunately… I'm not that princess anymore."

"What? Why?" I shout, anger flaring again. "WHY?!"

"Why…" she echoes, then laughs bitterly. It's a hollow sound. "Maybe I've changed. Maybe I've realized there's no point in going against the will of this world.

"If I hadn't fought it… if I had just accepted fate from the beginning… maybe both Morvena and I would've lived simpler lives. Not happier, maybe, but easier.

"Of course, the curse would have taken us in the end, yes. But at least… there wouldn't have been this much pain. This much loss. We might have died together, quietly, peacefully."

…

What???

Hearing that now, I'm stunned.

I'm even madder.

Ah…

Is that really what she believes now?

She really is giving up. She's a lost cause.

No matter what I say, she won't listen.

She doesn't want to fight anymore.

She doesn't want to live.

Fine then.

If that's the case, if that's what she really want.

Then… there's only one thing left to do.

"Then give me back control," I say coldly. "AND JUST GO TO REST ALREADY!"

The moment the words leave me, our whole body seizes.

"URGH!" Alter cries out, collapsing inward, clutching herself. Her form convulses violently, twisting.

Because I'm doing exactly what I said.

I'm taking it back!

My control!

"WHAT?! FELICIA!" Alter screams, a madness, painful scream. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Our body writhes, bending unnaturally, torn between two wills. Muscles spasm, limbs tremble.

I grit my teeth and push harder.

"You already know what I'm doing, Princess," I growl. "Argggh!! I'M TAKING BACK WHAT'S MINE! YOU DON'T DESERVE THIS BODY ANYMORE!"

"WHY?! WHY CAN'T YOU LET ME DO THIS?! WHY CAN'T YOU LET US GO?!"

"BECAUSE I REFUSE!" I shout. "I REFUSE TO LET YOU DIE LIKE THIS! I REFUSE TO GIVE UP! TO ABANDON HER! TO ABANDON EVERYTHING!"

"AAAAARGHHH!!"

Alter is fighting with everything she has, thrashing, wrestling, screaming.

But this pathetic, broken soul…

Like hell I'd let it control me that easily!

"If you've already given up, then why the hell are you still fighting me?! ALTER!!!"

"ARRRGGH!! FELICIA! FELICIA!!"

She screams, she howls.

But I can feel it.

My arms begin to move. My fingers twitch.

Fifty percent.

Eighty.

Almost there!

"No… NOOO!!! Don't do this… DON'T DO THIS, PLEASE!"

But I've had enough.

BOOOOM!

My fist slams into the ground with all the force of my will, shattering stone and blasting dust into the air.

"Haaaaaaa…!"

I exhale sharply, breath smoky and heavy. My chest heaves. My pulse pounds.

Ninety-five percent.

The only thing Alter still controls now… is the weakest part.

The tail.

It's flickering like mad now.

But the demonic mana, now unchained without her guidance, begins to surge violently. It lashes out inside my body like a wild beast, snarling and thrashing. It burns. It tears. My heart feels like it might explode.

But I don't care.

I'll endure it. I'll endure every second of this agony.

Because I have to.

Because I will bring her back.

Slowly, I rise to my feet again. My breath is ragged, fists clenched.

"Alter," I call out again.

"You're my friend now, and so is Morvena.

"How could I possibly live happily after killing my friend? After letting them die?!

"And fate?

"Fuck you!

"You speak of fate like it's some holy command. Something we're meant to kneel to.

"Then what about me?

"Tell me, Alter.

"What did I die for?! WHAT DID I DIE FOR?!

"I ran out in front of that goddamn truck to save you. I gave my life for you. And for what? So you could come here and throw it all away? So you could see Morvena one last time and end it all in some tragic, stupid double suicide?!

"FUCK THAT!

"And think about Morvena!

"She's stayed here, endured all this torment and agony, for years—hundreds of years—just to wait for you.

"And for what?

"For you to show up one random day and tell her it was all for nothing? That the promise you made, the dream you gave her, was a lie?

"Because you've given up and decided to kill her now?

"If I were her—fuck you! FUCK YOU ALTER!

"If you couldn't do it at the beginning—

"THEN DON'T DO IT AT ALL!

"So listen to me, Alter.

"Unlike you, I want a happy ending for everyone.

"And if you can't do it… I will.

"I'll seal Morvena myself. I'll carry that burden. I'll find a way to save both of you.

"So just leave the rest to me.

"Because unlike you—

"I haven't given up yet.

"I still believe.

"I still believe in a future where all of us can smile.

"I STILL WANT A HAPPY ENDING, ALTER!"

…

"Felicia…" Alter breathes, her voice trembling with disbelief. "You unbelievable bastard…"

"Yeah, yeah," I reply with a half-grin. "Like I said, just train me well and leave the rest to me. That's your fate now. Not this 'giving up and freeing her from suffering' crap.

"After all…

"Fate gave you me for a reason, right? So I could force a new destiny onto you. One where you don't give up. One where you don't walk away.

"I'm rewriting it, Alter. I'm rewriting it for you.

"You may hate me now, but believe me, you will thank me later…"

…

For a long moment, she says nothing.

But then—

Badump.

Badump!

My heartbeat rises.

I feel it, deep inside.

Something… is changing.

"ARGH! FINE!" Alter snaps. "Do what you want! Struggle all you like! Wiggle and crawl and bleed yourself dry!"

Her voice rises, half fury, half something else.

"And when it all crashes down on you, when you break and suffer and fall apart—don't come running to me crying that I didn't warn you!"

"Alright! That's a deal!" I shoot back. "Sounds fair. I like it."

"Tch…"

She growls, but I can already feel it—she's relenting.

And so, slowly, I release my grip.

I give control back to her.

Her presence rushes through me like a returning tide. The tail twitches, then the limbs respond. Her influence floods the body once more.

The rampaging demonic energy calms.

My heart eases.

My breath steadies.

And Alter… she exhales sharply and shakes her head, muttering like she's scolding the world itself.

Instead of reaching for Sheol, she kneels—quietly—and gathers the fallen sealing swords.

"You know what?" she mutters. "I really hate your guts."

"Ah, I hate you too."

"But…" her voice softens, barely a whisper. "…thank you."

Then, without another word, Alter turns back to Morvena.

With steady hands, she lifts one of the angelic divine swords, its glass-like blade glowing faintly. Light dances along its edge, gentle but resolute, as if it too knows the weight of what it must do.

She raises it slowly.

Readies herself.

Draws a breath.

…

Suddenly—

Something changes, something unexpected.

Something impossible.

I see it, Morvena's eyes move!

Just barely, a flicker beneath her lashes.

And then… her lips part.

A faint tremble, a breath of air.

"Fe..licia…"

The voice is fragile, shaking, soft as a dying breeze.

Yet it pierces through everything.

That voice.

Calling our name.

Calling me.

Calling her.

The sword slips.

Clang.

It falls from Alter's grasp and hits the floor with a shuddering crash of metal against stone.

Time stops.

Everything—our breath, the tremor in our chest, the world itself—goes still.

Like the whole universe has frozen in place.