Apex Predator

Margay I (Rewritten)

Beta: TaintedLetter

Edited: 01/06/2026, 01/07/2026, 01/08/2026, 01/09/2026

── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──

The concrete walls reek of mold and rot. The sewers—for there is no other word the girl could use to describe it—are large in scale, but that is the only impressive part about it. Her nose wrinkles on its own as she has to continue to breathe in the rancid stench of that foul place. It does not help that most of the other humans that came here have dislikable scents, too.

More than half are sweaty and anxious, creating a sickly combination of sour and sweat.

She tugs one of her pigtails around her nose to try and appease the gross scents she was bombarded with.

You're no one? The voice is amused, and he chuckles. Bfft. What a surprising conclusion for such a cheeky brat.

She doesn't know how to respond to the voice in her head. Could it hear her thoughts?

Of course I can hear your thoughts.

'Who are you?'

You already know that.

But she doesn't.

Hearing the voice awakens an ember of warmth in her chest, a tickling of joy that she forgot she knew how to feel, but. . . that is the extent of her "knowledge." .

It's okay, he said, his voice becoming more gentle. You will remember.

'Who am I?'

Whoever you want to be.

The answer rings nicely in her mind. It ripples between her ears like a petal dropped on a still pond. It's followed by an odd sense of... relief.

'I can be whoever I want to be?'

What we have here is a rare opportunity. A chance for you to grow, and live without prejudice and hate tainting you. The voice falls silent for a few minutes. A chance for you to have a life without scars, or unfair burdens.

She doesn't know how to respond.

And if you choose to say fuck all humans, you know, I'm always here to support that...

'I have not yet met a human I liked,' She thinks, her eyes flickering away.

They are a bit annoying, aren't they?

She nods absently.

A pause.

'Do you know my name?'

Of course I do.

'What is it?'

The voice is quiet for a long minute.

Miwako. That was the name your parents gave you.

There is no familiarity to the name Miwako. A vague sense of disappointment washes over her.

So... you're going to take this exam?

'Yes.'

Do you have plans past that?

'No. Do you?'

It looks like there's some cities that are in need of a few bijū bombs.

'Kurama!'

Ah! You remember?

She reflexively responds with indignation, not realizing her reaction. With the name came a rush of joyous flashes. Rapid pictures of her at different stages of her life sharing warm moments with an oversized fox flashed through her mind.