After a brief round of paw-pressing and grateful nudges from Lily, her litter, and several other neighbors, Pablo leads us back to his subterranean sanctum. Questions zip around my head like flies in a full dumpster, but the pit in my stomach is quickly growing too vast to ignore. Still unfilled in this new lifetime, my tummy rumbles with enough force to threaten the structural integrity of this inner chamber. I find myself sniffing, searching the air for any sign of food hidden away under this massive tree.

Nothing.

Just the smell of Pablo’s smouldering pipe.

“You alright?” The mound of fur asks lazily. He rolls around the center of his dirt ring, barely bothering to look. I nod, watching from the mossy courtyard, wondering why he told me not to get too close.

Still in awe of the cloud cat’s martial performance, and still ashamed of my rude insistence on answers, I try to ignore the impulse to ask about food. It pounds at my stomach like a starving beast at its cage. I’ll be able to hunt soon enough. Right now, I need more important answers than the nature of my next meal. This is no time to succumb to impulse. With this mysterious power unleashed against the dog, I can assume the whole Nekotsu story has more truth to it than I thought. Though hard to believe, instinct and evidence both point to this new reality. Curses, rebirth, special abilities. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. So, does that mean I, too, have access to this power? If so, how could I best wield it against Zei Sho? And is that halibut? No… Sea bass?

The scent pulls me upright at attention.

“What’s this, another stray?”

The words manifest behind me, spoken by a ghost. I spin wildly, paws fighting for traction. My claws dig into the soft moss as I clamor to regain my balance, and my honor.

“I heard what happened. Sorry, Master. I should’ve been here to handle it,” the cat says regretfully, her deep golden eyes fix on mine. Her face, sleek and unflinchingly observant, is painted with an utterly unimpressed expression as she scans me top to bottom. A whisper of a scowl hangs on her lip. Her tail taps a contemptuous tune on the ground. A package wrapped in colorful fabric sits at her paws, radiating the sweet scent of fish.

Wait… Did she call him ‘Master?’

“Eh, no big deal.” Pablo waves away any need for concern and continues his dirt-lounging.

“But, your vow?”

“What good does pacifism do for my soul if I knowingly let kittens be devoured right above my head? And, admittedly, a bit of exercise was in order,” he chuckles. “Really, it wasn’t a big deal.”

“No big deal, huh? But you still need a dirt nap?” She questions unamusedly.

“He was a big dog…” He shrugs. “Besides, this is just a precaution.”

“Sure. Whatever you say… Tino says ‘hello.’ And a bunch of other pointless crap I won’t waste your time with. He should’ve passed along an apology for keeping me so long with his yapping,” she huffs.

“Racoons always have plenty to discuss,” Pablo muses, rolling over on his belly. “Smells like he saved us the good stuff, though.”

“Fresh. Swiped from the market this morning,” the shadow of a cat brags.

“Fresh sea bass is a true blessing,” he smiles brightly, lifting and shaking the dirt from his fur. “Shall I?”

“Master…” she says, side-eyeing me.

“Ah, yes!” Pablo’s smile widens. “This is Bokuden. He’ll be joining us for dinner.”

As if the smell wasn’t already enough, the mention of a meal has my stomach rumbling double-time.

“Master…?”

“Don’t worry, Azura. We can make do with smaller portions; there will be enough. Now, introduce yourself while I get to work… And be kind; it’s his first day.”

With that, the puffball warrior disappears into the wooden abode, sliding a door shut behind him.

“So—”

“Bokuden, is it?” She takes a step closer and gives me a sniff. Her nose wrinkles. Her eyes narrow on me. “Why are you here?”

Chills crawl across my skin as she inches closer, inspecting my intentions. “Well, you see…” Where do I start? Is this curse something I should mention freely? And, ultimately, what am I here for? Answers? Powers? Sea bass?

“You’re not the first stray Master’s allowed in. The cat has a generous heart.”

“Oh? That’s… nice.” I shift nervously, trying to find relief from her exacting eyes.

“Nice, sure. Also overly trusting, and often misguided. I’ve seen plenty of strays come through and be offered nothing but kindness, only to try and rob us blind.”

“Are you insinuating that I’m a thief?” I puff out my chest. Who does this cat think she is? Heat flushes my cheeks. No longer will I cower under her golden gaze, not if she thinks my honor is a trifle that may be doubted so freely.

She slices me with an unimpressed glare and strolls in a circle around me ever so slowly. “Time will tell.”

“I’m no thief! Nor am I a stray! My home is simply… occupied at the moment.”

“Hmm. Sad tale,” she rolls her eyes. “One sooo tragic a swindler wouldn’t dare spin it.”

“Swindler?!” Seriously, who does she think she is? “May I remind you that I am a guest of your master, brought here by his invitation?!”

“Oh, don’t worry, stray. My memory has a habit of sticking with me these days.” She quits circling me. “If I were you, I’d be more concerned with keeping those grubby paws to yourself, if you intend to leave here with them still attached.”

“Enough!”

“Oh, I’ve had more than enough, thief.”

“I won’t stand idly by as you attack my honor!”

“Looking idle to me.”

“Hey! Shut the hell up out there!” Pablo scolds, his head popping out of a window. “Azura, give him a proper introduction. And Bokuden, you don’t want to pick a fight with her. Trust me.”

“Apologies, Master,” Azura bows.

“Apologies, master,” I mock quietly, earning another razor-sharp glare.

She huffs miserably and does her least to offer me a laughably minuscule bow. “The name’s Azura, Master Chingon’s top pupil. Welcome to the Dojo,” she says begrudgingly.

I should let her insult go, be the bigger cat; call it a gesture of thanks in return for the meal. Gracefully, and with an extra dose of spiteful honor, I bend deep into the humblest bow. “Azura, I am truly grateful for your hospitality.” Like a common thief could show such humility, display such profound dignity. She must be feeling quite embarrassed calling a cat like me a swindler of all things. The gall.

“Ha. Sure,” she sneers, turning for the central structure. She glides across the stone pathway like fog floating across a winter bay. Not even the slightest sound betrays her movement as she leaves me to stew in the mossy courtyard. Once again spited by this, this… 

How does one even begin to describe a cat like her? Infuriating? Insufferable? Dangerous? But isolated with my irritation, I begin to see its true colors more clearly. The fire fades with each breath. Would I not be as wary if Chiyo brought a stranger to our den? War horns and screeching rubber desperately chase away the thought. 

“You coming, stray?” Azura calls back, leaping to the doorway with beautiful, deadly grace as my stomach riots.

. . .

The meal, though nowhere near as plentiful as my stomach demands, is as delicious as it is needed. Each bite of sea bass a gift. Each sip of tea a blessing. Delectable enough to distract me from Pablo’s strange eating habits, at least for a bit.

I shouldn’t be surprised that this puffball’s peculiarities extend to his dining habits. If not consumed by hunger, I could have easily forgotten my fish in favor of watching him navigate his plate with a pair of tiny sticks. What manner of illness would cause a cat to forgo its natural devices? Are claws and teeth not sufficient? 

However, pinching and lifting small nibbles to one’s whiskers with such poised dexterity is no small feat. Surprisingly, even Azura practices the skill, although her use of the tool is less smooth. Not that I can judge. One try with the damned things proved the habit is far more difficult than it is strange. After sending my sticks plummeting to the floor a second time, Master Chingon, as Azura insists he be called, kindly proposed that I eat in the traditional manner. I ravenously obliged.

So here I find myself, in a miniature human-style den under a massive tree in an alien part of the city. Dead and back again. Confused. Heart still heavy with guilt and burning with anger. And further from killing Zei Sho than ever. As Master Chingon and Azura exchange casual conversation, I can’t help but yearn for the relief of a normal death. Surely it would have been easier to return a kitten, unburdened by memory, free from the pit of despair I’ve been swallowed by. The thought makes me feel just as guilty as my failure. How could I wish to forget? What kind of coward does that make me? And what of Chiyo and Oda? What of their memory, their justice?

“Bokuden?” Master Chingon asks. He and Azura stare at me curiously, as if I had asked a question left unanswered.

“Yes…”

“You’re mumbling,” Azura alerts me. “Something to say?”

“I um—No, sorry.”

“Nothing to apologize for,” Pablo says kindly. He leans back and pulls a gourd-shaped ceramic vessel off a shelf behind him. “The transition is quite unpleasant. Especially the first time, isn’t that right?” He asks Azura.

“Wouldn’t wish it on the most devious of strays,” she agrees. Her eyes catch mine with a hint of softness I had not seen yet. A look of pity, or perhaps sincerity.

“So, you too? You’re cursed?”

“The term is Nekotsu,” Azura says with an unfortunate smile. “But yes, I’ve been Nekotsu for two lives now. Trust me, dying doesn’t get easier; you just get more used to it. As for coming back, the first time is definitely the worst.”

“I found Azura at the same shrine where we met,” Chingon adds, pulling the cork from the vessel. “Although she was a far less sneaky and far more ferocious stranger than you.”

“I woke up claws out,” Azura shrugs. Master Chingon chuckles. “What else would you expect from a cat who was just murdered by her own clan?”

“Your own clan? How treasonous…”

Master Chingon takes a swig of the strange-smelling liquid and passes the vessel to Azura, who follows his lead with half the vigor. She passes it to me, nodding me on.

“According to them, I was the treasonous one. A thief, caught stealing supplies from the family stockpile,” she explains.

My snout wrinkles at the vessel’s hot scent. Sour and sweet. Melons and rice. The unpleasant combination is both repulsive and alluring. I test it with a small sip. It burns my gullet, sliding into a warm pool in my stomach.

“My mother was of low standing, an outsider, brought into the clan by my father. She was an ornament. A source of kittens, little else. Then she got sick. The elders determined treating her would be a waste of time and supplies. An outsider she-cat is only as useful as she is productive.” Azura’s heavy gaze plummets to the table. I can see the pain playing behind her eyes. The same way it plays behind mine.

“So you took matters into your own paws…You acted with valor,” I say, half-present. The other half sits behind my eyes, watching a cleaver lodge itself into my torso.

“I used to think that was something worth holding onto.” She sighs. “But what good does valor do? It won’t change anything. The past is the past.” The vessel continues orbiting the table, our conversation heavy enough to generate gravity. “Now your turn… What tragedy sent you back as a Nekotsu?”

“Azura,” Pablo interjects. “It’s his first day back; give him time.”

“No, it’s alright. The only thing that could make me more of a coward would be hiding from the truth.” Another sip joins the rest in my belly. The clear liquid makes my head float. My body feels loose, as do my lips. “If it’s tragedy that bestows one this curse, then surely the source of mine is easy to find.” Memories swarm me. I can see their eyes. Chiyo and Oda in their last moments, Zei Sho’s in mine. I clench my paws and fight through. 

“Mine is a tale of siblings. Of loss. There were three of us. My younger brother, sister, and I. We lived modest yet meaningful lives together. A family. Between my brother’s and my efforts, we established a humble alley territory. No, a community. One not too unlike the park above,” I add. “It was a peaceful, prosperous place where a cat could find joy in everyday life. At least it was, before they moved in. A gang of scoundrels. Merciless bastards. Rotten. Honorless. Power-obsessed. We prayed for coexistence, but that hope quickly died away. No, there was no longer room for community in this new alleyway era.”

Pablo stretches across, taking the drink, his eyes pinned to my story.

“They pushed and shoved. Clawed and scratched. They bit their way to domination, bringing pain to anyone who dared oppose them. They violated our paradise. Pissing, shitting, and pillaging with reckless abandon. Their ways were so destructive that even the local humans took notice. Then things spiralled out of control. The humans took action. That’s when I lost my sister, my home, and my freedom. Once I finally made it back, I found that I had lost my brother as well. All at the paws of the same cat who killed me. Their wicked leader. A bastard named Zei Sho.”

CRASH.

Ceramic shards explode across the wooden floor. Pablo’s paw hangs frozen in the air above the shattered vessel, eyes wide. Azura jumps, swiping a rag and wrangling in the spreading liquid.

“Master?” She looks up, shocked. But the white cat’s eyes never leave me.

“Please excuse me.” He rises and makes for the nearest room. “Bokuden,” he stops in the doorway, “you must stay here tonight. I insist. Azura, ensure he has a place to sleep. I need to…” His eyes fall somewhere else, somewhere far, far away. The door slides closed with a definitive thud.

*Illustrations are formatted in traditional manga style: right to left, starting at the top*

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