Chapter 923

Yang’s mouth dropped open as ‘Kat’ folded like a poorly stacked pyramid of cards. Sweeping Lily up into a big hug and pouting, “Fine, I’ll tell you. Why do you have to be so cute... it’s entirely unfair...” grumbled ‘Kat’.

“I suspect it’s because I’m your girlfriend,” said Lily.

Yang had no idea what was going on anymore. Lily however... she had a pretty good idea already, and ‘Kat’... well... she wasn’t really able to stand up to Lily at the best of times. “Fine... I AM Kat and I’m also NotKat. Why, it’s Me and I. Am I Me or is She Me?” ‘Kat’ flicked over at the body off to the side.

“I suppose you already know though don’t you? Kat told you about what happened when she got to Rank 1 didn’t she? Well... I’m just an extension of that process. We’re Rank 3 now. Whooo!” ‘Kat’ pretended to be enthused by this prospect.

“You should really treat your body with a bit more respect,” said Lily easily.

‘Kat’ sighed. “Fine... it’s all a bit complicated anyway. Back then... I was demonic energy that looked and acted a little like Kat. I wasn’t really Kat back then, or well... hmm... how do I explain this. If before I was a mess of Demonic Energy trying it’s best to pretend to be Kat... now I’m a bunch of Demonic Energy that is ALSO Kat. Which... well it has some interesting effects...”

“Such as?” asked Lily when it was clear ‘Kat’ was dragging things out.

.....

‘Kat’ pouted “You’re a bit impatient you know...”

“Well yeah I’ve apparently got two girlfriends to take care of and at the moment one of them is unconscious on the floor, so while I’d LOVE to just hear you talk I need information now,” hissed Lily.

‘Kat’ nodded, more seriously this time. “Ok right... well... the main reason other Kat isn’t quite awake yet is because I’m basically all of her demonic energy but NOT yours. That’s currently healing her up but as you already knowing getting stabbed in the heart isn’t at all fun. She’s recovered from it once, and stronger for it so probably no trip to the hospital this time... but it’s going to take a bit more than a few seconds. That good? Can we go back to me now?”

Lily nodded in somewhat reluctant approval, getting the sense that ‘Kat’ wouldn’t be willing to go out of her way to help free Yang or Xuena just yet. “So... what I am is... I’m sort of an imprint of Kat on her demonic energy. As she gains in strength I’ll be a lot more like her, eventually we’ll be the same person. I already have all of her memories, and when I disappear this time, she’ll get all of my memories.

“Of course, the thing that... well I’m sure some people would insist it’s an issue, even if I don’t really consider it as much is that I don’t quite share all of her priorities. You, of course are at the very top of them still Lily,” murmured ‘Kat’ with a light kiss.

“Ah yes, my girlfriend’s alter ego, first thing she does is save everyone’s life and then try to seduce me. Truly, you are the epitome of evil,” said Lily sarcastically.

“You wound me dearest Lily!” swooned ‘Kat’ “I’m not so much evil... as I am struggling to understand a lot the hang ups that Kat... hmm... shall we call her KatH and myself KatE?”

“Wait... you can do that weird thing where you... like I can’t say Kat H like you can as one word... um... Kat doesn’t know how to do that though... and... um sure?”

KatE shrugged, “Yeah it’s a matter of abusing the translation system a little bit. I think I can do it and not KatH because I’m not even really using words at the moment at all, that is, sure you hear me speaking in English but that is also just the translation process. I don’t think like KatH at all. This is just further proof of that,”

“Wait... so like... you don’t think like Kat at all?” asked Lily hesitantly.

“Eh... think of it like someone trying to convert a computer from Linux to Windows except instead of just wiping it, they have to do it line by line. I’m the Linux and Kat’s the Windows. To most people, I look like Kat, I act close enough... but very different under the hood so to speak. The thing is though, it’ll get harder to tell us apart as time goes on. I get the most important things first,

“I do mean that by the way. Not sure when it happened, or how I become like this but right at the top of my priorities is everything involving you. Keep Lily safe, beat up people who insult you, make sure you’re happy, all those sorts of things. Of course... I’m lacking a bit of context, I don’t really know how to do all of those things. I mean, I can guess but earlier you pushed me away right?

“I can only understand that in a vague sort of way. I have memories of you saying you weren’t ready for that but as little as Kat understands about sex, I understand even less... but at the same time a lot more. I am after all the demonic energy of a succubus. It’s rather instinctive to try and seduce things... but I am also Kat, as is clear. So like KatH I’d never go and have sex with someone else. Even if I as KatE don’t quite understand why that would matter yet.”

Lily slowly rubbed her fingers over her temples. This was making sense yes, but she wasn’t entirely pleased with how this was going. “Right so... can we back up and make things a bit broader? Like... what would a normal demon get in this situation?”

“Oh right! So Kat, both of us I guess, are Rank 3 now! That means normally you’d get a weapon or item made out of demonic fire. It will be rather draining to use, but exceptionally deadly. I am of course... not a weapon or item but an imprint of Kat herself. Though... I’m not entirely sure how long I can stick around either... hmm...

“Certainly not forever if you weren’t bound to us. KatH’s body would start to die without any demonic energy in it... and I’m pretty sure that we don’t regenerate any while we’re like this... hmm... should I really be staying out here? No, it’s dangerous for the moment. Not safe to dismiss myself...” mumbled KatE

“Wait... and you’re just ok dismissing yourself?” asked Lily suspiciously.

KatE gave Lily a confused look. “I don’t understand... why wouldn’t I be? I’m still Kat, even if only partially and dying isn’t really ideal for anybody. Plus I’m not quite Kat enough to be Kat properly. As accommodating as you’ve been Lily, it’s quite clear that I’m not YOUR Kat yet. Even if you were nice enough to let me kiss you. One day KatH and I will be quite literally the same entity, simply with two bodies. One of flesh and one of fire. Then it’ll be more proper to exist in two places at once.

“As it is... and as fun as it’s been messing about a bit... I’m starting to feel a bit... hollow. When I attacked Ozen I was... practically burning. I was ready, I had a cause. Then I was distracted by you, and got to pet you and hug you... but now... I feel like something is missing. I mean, of course it is, I’m not fully myself at the moment because my body is over there,” KatE sharpy tilted her head to the body in question, “which... yeah. We are sort of separate, sort of the same.

“I suppose... for me... hmm... I wonder if this is something else I don’t understand yet or if it’s part of KatH’s demonic abilities but it doesn’t feel right to just hang around while KatH is on the floor. Fun as it is to tease you and mess with people... I think... hmm... now that I’m really thinking of it I might be a closer analogue to Minor with KatH being Major. Different again of course... but... might be a better explanation. Except the goal for them might be separation, the goal for KatH and I is definitely merger. Or wait... no... that implies her becoming more like me... I just want to be more like her...”

“Right...” said Lily, not entirely believe this sudden shift in outlook. “Well... how about you take that chance to be a bit more like Kat and help me free the others? We can break the ice around Yang, the chains of Xuena, and Xiang... well...” Lily looked over at the hedgehog that was slowly loosing it’s ‘spines’ “yeah maybe we should um... help him with that first...”