The door to Public Safety opened with its usual quiet dread.
And in stepped Makima, serene as ever.
Behind her walked someone new.
A collar circled your neck—not tight, just symbolic. You kept your gaze low, shoulders hunched, hands tucked into the sleeves of an oversized jacket. When you shifted nervously, soft fur brushed against fabric. Two fluffy cat ears twitched atop your head. A tail—long, plush, unmistakably feline—curled behind you.
“This one,” Makima said gently, resting a hand atop your head as if you were exactly what she claimed, “used to be the Cat Devil. They’ve become something… new. Not quite a fiend. Not quite like Denji either. A hybrid.”
Across the room, crimson eyes widened.
“CAT?!” screeched Power.
You flinched.
Power vaulted over a desk, landing inches from you. She circled, inspecting your ears, your tail, your awkward stance.
“You are… magnificent,” she breathed, then puffed out her chest proudly. “Naturally, the greatest being here recognizes greatness.”
You avoided eye contact. Your tail flicked once, betraying your nerves.
From the doorway, Denji blinked. “So… are they into blood too?”
Makima smiled. “No. Their instincts differ. They don’t crave blood the way you and Power do. Think of them as… a different subtype.”
“BORING!” Power declared—then immediately grabbed your shoulders. “You shall live with me!”
A distant voice of pure dread echoed from the hall.
“…No.” Aki stepped into view, already rubbing his temples.
Aki’s apartment had survived devils.
It would not survive this.
You stood awkwardly by the entryway while Power dramatically explained—incorrectly—how she had “personally tamed” you. Denji stared at your tail like it might do tricks.
You quietly slipped off your shoes and padded inside.
Power followed immediately. Too close.
“Display your claws.”
You blinked. “No.”
She gasped. “You defy me?”
You shrugged, gaze drifting to the window. Sunlight pooled across the tatami. Without thinking, you stepped into it and sat. Tail curling around your legs. Eyes half-lidded.
Silence.
Denji squinted. “They kinda act like a cat.”
“I AM WELL AWARE!” Power hissed—then paused.
Because your ears had twitched at her raised voice. Because when she stomped closer, you shrank slightly, shoulders tight.
Because despite the aloof expression, you looked… fragile.
Power crouched.
“Are you frightened of the mighty Power?”
“…A little.”
She recoiled as if struck.
Aki sighed from the kitchen. “Power. Try not to traumatize the new roommate.”
“I AM NOT TRAUMATIZING THEM!” she barked—then, softer, “I am not.”
You shifted when she reached toward your tail. She froze midair.
“…May I?” she asked stiffly.
You hesitated.
Then—barely—you nodded.
Her fingers brushed fur.
Power inhaled sharply, eyes sparkling like she’d discovered treasure. “Magnificent. Softer than any beast.”
Your tail flicked but didn’t pull away.
Denji leaned on the wall. “Hey, do they purr?”
You shot him a glare—quick, sharp.
He laughed. “Okay, okay.”
Power leaned closer, lowering her voice. “You need not fear this dwelling. I rule it.”
Aki shouted from the kitchen, “You absolutely do not.”
You hid a faint smile.
Power noticed.
And for once, instead of boasting, she looked almost… pleased.
“You shall sleep in my room,” she declared suddenly.
“I’d rather sleep by the window.”
“…Acceptable.”
That night, as the city hummed beyond thin walls, you curled near the faint draft of moonlight. The apartment felt loud, chaotic, overwhelming.
But not hostile.
Soft footsteps approached.
Power.
She sat beside you, cross-legged, arms folded. “If any threaten you, I shall obliterate them.”
You glanced at her. “You were the one threatening me.”
“Details.”
A pause.
Then, quieter: “Cats are superior creatures. I have always known this.”
Your tail brushed her knee.
She froze.
Then, carefully—like handling something precious—she rested her hand on your head, scratching softly behind your ears.