Lucy was a little reluctant to reveal her cloning ability to Rina and Yara just like that.
Such an extraordinary power seemed better suited for a dramatic debut during a pivotal moment—like a major battle where her side was at a disadvantage. Lucy had already imagined dozens of epic entrances for a second Lucy on the battlefield (something like, "Lucys, assemble!").
This ability was also a handy ace up her sleeve for a bedroom battle, in case her lovers ever decided to team up against her. Did they think it was fair to be two against one? Then she'd let them experience the same—by bringing in three more Lucys, making it two Lucys for each of them.
However, the situation they were in at that moment felt too "ordinary"; Lucy thought her clone's appearance would be less thrilling than discovering the toy inside a chocolate egg.
So to make things more interesting, Lucy asked Rina and Yara to close their eyes until she told them they could open them, planning to play a prank on them.
To pull off her little prank, Lucy needed to create two clones, though that didn't require much extra effort—just double the mana. And she wasn't making the second clone just for fun; wouldn't it be better if Yara was accompanied by two Lucys instead of just one? That way, one clone could stick with Yara, while the other scouted for traps and hidden enemies—or hunted monsters tailing them, to earn XP and points for the Ninja Shop.
Both Rina and Yara trusted Lucy, so they didn't hesitate to let their guard down, even in the middle of the forest. They obediently closed their eyes, eagerly awaiting her surprise.
They were both incredibly curious—what kind of surprise had Lucy so excited? Knowing her, someone who casually pulled off amazing things as if they were ordinary, this had to be something truly spectacular. The temptation to peek was strong.
But they were well aware of Lucy's ocular powers. If she was being cautious, she could easily sense if they opened their eyes before they even caught sight of her. Besides, they didn't want to break their promise. How could they consider themselves good girlfriends if they couldn't grant Lucy such a simple request? So they waited patiently, completely unaware of what she was up to.
Of course, it didn't take long for something to happen. The moment Rina and Yara closed their eyes, Lucy already had a kunai in hand, ready to offer the blood needed to activate her Blood Clones skill; in under thirty seconds, two perfect copies of Lucy stood before her.
'Feels like I'm in an episode of The Flash—one of those with a tangled plot, where timelines merge or the future rewrites the past...'
That was the thought running through all three Lucys' minds as they looked at one another. Since the split had just occurred, their experiences were identical, and their synchronization was flawless.
Turning their heads toward Rina and Yara, the three Lucys let out a quiet sigh of relief—both girls wore the same expressions as before, showing no sign of suspicion. Lucy had been especially worried about Rina, whose hyper-sensitive sense of smell might have picked up the scent of blood from her self-inflicted wound. Had that happened, how could she have stayed calm? Fortunately, either the wind had cooperated or the Blood Clones skill was extremely efficient at collecting blood, and the problem never arose.
Since all three Lucys knew the plan, there was no need for communication before putting it into action.
True, it wasn't anything complicated—the most important part was that the clones needed to approach Rina and Yara without being detected. But wasn't she, or rather, all three of them, ninjas? Something like this should be child's play. As for keeping Rina and Yara confused afterward—let's just say Lucy was confident in her ability to make them forget which way was up.
So, the two Lucy clones simultaneously used the Steps of Light skill to quickly move in front of Rina and Yara, and without giving them time to react, they grabbed the girls and sealed their lips with deep, passionate kisses. Even if they opened their eyes now, Rina and Yara wouldn't be able to see anything besides Lucy's face—so the chances of them realizing something was off were nearly zero.
Despite the surprise, Rina and Yara managed to keep their eyes shut as the familiar breath of Lucy calmed them immediately.
Still, they were confused. Was this the surprise? Or had Lucy just tricked them for a kiss? But that didn't make much sense—if she wanted more kisses, neither of them would've refused.
Of course, neither Rina nor Yara felt they had anything to complain about—who would be disappointed to be kissed by their beautiful girlfriend? In fact, they were a little proud to be the first ones chosen by Lucy for a kiss. So even if Lucy had been a bit cheeky, they didn't plan to scold her—they were ready to say they enjoyed her surprise.
The original Lucy didn't quite know what to make of the scene unfolding before her.
Sure, watching herself make out with her girlfriends from a third-person perspective was... extremely stimulating—but she was also a bit embarrassed by the clones' performance. Their movements were so intense, they came off as a little desperate—like puppies begging for attention.
'Well, not like I have a choice. If I'm not always on the offensive, those two amazons would eat me alive...', Lucy found an excuse for her lack of grace. Her lovers were both taller and more muscular than her, so it made sense she struggled to dominate them. Why hadn't she been reincarnated in a body 25 centimeters taller? With that height and a South Korean CEO outfit, she'd be unstoppable.
'Come to think of it, maybe the goddess who reincarnated me didn't have a choice. Catgirls probably just have naturally delicate builds, like real cats...', Lucy tried to push away her rebellious thoughts, reminding herself it wasn't polite to look a gift horse in the mouth. She was already incredibly attractive—what right did she have to complain?
As for the idea of being reincarnated as anything other than a catgirl, Lucy didn't care in the slightest. What could suit her better? Beyond the cuteness, catgirls were natural-born ninjas—silent and flexible, just like actual cats.
Besides, she felt truly comfortable in her current body—bolder, more accepting of herself—in a word, free. So maybe she wasn't a human girl reincarnated as a catgirl; maybe in her past life, she was a catgirl trapped in a human body.