...
In Tadano's Mental Landscape
Tadano slowly awakened, but he found himself surrounded by darkness.
"W-Where is this?" he wondered aloud.
"Hmmm? Don't you recognize your own mental landscape? Truly, a hopeless human…" complained a voice.
"Who?" Tadano turned, following the voice.
"Hmph… Insolent human. Do you not recognize the one who has given you everything you have?" said the voice with arrogance.
With the sound of footsteps and a metallic echo, a figure manifested before him.
From within the darkness, a woman wielding a scepter emerged.
It was none other than the Goddess of Fate, though Tadano didn't recognize her. With some suspicion, he asked:
"Lady Luck?"
crack
The sound of something breaking echoed.
"Did you just compare me to that detestable cat?" growled the woman, striking her scepter on the ground, illuminating the entire area.
"Huh?" Tadano was stunned by the sudden change.
"Je… Since you don't recognize this goddess, you shall suffer a small punishment…" she said playfully, pointing her scepter at Tadano.
Before Tadano could react, a notification appeared in front of him.
Beep
[You have been cursed by the Jusenkyo Spring.]
[Jusenkyo Spring Curse]: "Legend has it that a great martial artist fell into a cursed spring, gaining this same affliction. The cursed will transform into a woman when splashed with cold water and return to normal when splashed with hot water."
"…"
Cold sweat ran down Tadano's back as he read the description. Feeling a sense of danger, he quickly moved from where he stood.
A few meters away, a large bucket of water fell where he had been moments before.
"What the hell was that?!" Tadano growled at the supposed goddess, but he immediately paled.
With a sadistic smile, the Goddess of Fate looked at him with amusement.
Surrounding her was an imposing ocean of water.
"You've got to be kidding…" Tadano muttered.
"Oh… I'm not joking. Now… it's punishment time," she said gleefully, striking her scepter on the ground. The ocean surged forward, drowning Tadano in an instant.
When Tadano opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar room. From the distinctive smell of disinfectant, he deduced it was a hospital or clinic.
Sitting up in bed, he looked around and saw a familiar figure: Kaede, who had fallen asleep in a chair next to him.
However, as he was about to call her, Tadano immediately noticed a glaring problem—one that was impossible to ignore.
"N-No way…" Tadano muttered in disbelief. Even his voice had changed to a higher pitch.
He realized it the moment he sat up.
He… He had changed. Not just changed—he had become a damn girl!
The unmistakable feeling of his altered body, his reduced height, his longer hair in a different color, and most obvious of all, the pair of flesh buns on his chest.
Tadano was in utter disbelief.
Unable to accept such a turn of events, he did what any healthy man would do in his situation.
Press
"Ugh…"
To his complete shame, the voice that escaped his lips was nothing like his usual one.
At that moment…
Ding
[Lady Luck feels sorry for your situation and sends you her support… (in secret, she took hundreds of screenshots of your new self.)]
"Could you at least try to hide your actions so the system doesn't rat you out…"
Ding
[[The Corruptor of the Sacred] secretly wipes away drool as she gazes at you with sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks.]
"You're not even trying to hide it at all!"
Ding
[[The Demonic Fire Judge] nods in satisfaction at your change and graciously offers to teach you the basics of becoming a proper and exemplary lady.]
"No! I'm a man! A damn man!"
Ding
[[The Arrow That Pierces Hearts] has a complicated expression for a moment but, after some thought, gives you a big thumbs-up. [The Arrow That Pierces Hearts] claims to be understanding and supportive of all forms of love, so there's no need to worry about your new appearance.]
"Please don't bring up those topics! I don't want to deal with people who use 'e,' 'x,' or '@.'"
Ding
[[The Chaos Trickster] offers you a shoulder to cry on, understanding your pain. She reluctantly hands you one of her limited-edition candies stolen from Asgard.]
"Your words have me a little worried about the context…"
Ding
[[The Musician of Paradise] feels inspired by your situation and is deeply immersed in composing a new song.]
"Please don't use me as inspiration…"
Ding
[[The Goddess of Fate] watches you with amusement, eager to see how you handle your new destiny.]
…
"This has to be a joke!" Tadano shouted in anger and frustration, though his voice was sharper than he'd have liked.
Hearing his outburst, Kaede woke up abruptly.
"…?"
Stare
Stare
"Uh… w-well, you see… the thing is…" Tadano tried to explain the absurd situation.
But…
Hug
"I'm so glad… I'm so glad you're okay, Hito-Kun…" Kaede said, her deep emotions wrapping around Tadano like a warm blanket.
"Kaede, you… you recognize me?" Tadano asked, completely confused.
"Of course! Who do you think I am?! Even if Hito-Kun turned into a rock, I'd recognize you!" she exclaimed passionately, looking him straight in the eyes.
Sigh
"I'm really glad to hear that, Kaede… but for now, I hope you'll keep this a secret." Tadano said, activating his camouflage ability.
Not long after, Tadano returned to his original form.
"Much better… At least I can use this ability to—"
Before he could finish, his camouflage suddenly dissipated.
Ding
[Error! Error! The [Jusenkyo Spring Curse] is interfering with the [Camouflage] ability.]
"What the hell?!"
Before Tadano could curse again, the system beeped once more.
Beep
[Little mortal… did you really think the punishment from this goddess would be so easy to avoid? Tsk, tsk… Truly a foolish man. As long as the curse's effect is active and you're in your female form, no transformation can return you to your original sex unless you're splashed with hot water… Fufufu~ Now, little mortal, entertain me, and perhaps I'll give you a way to lift the curse.]
Tadano heard the goddess's irritating voice again, and her words did nothing to please him.
Clenching his fists tightly, he cursed the merciless goddess in his heart.
"H-Hito-Kun? Are you okay?" Kaede asked, worried after seeing his defeated expression and witnessing his camouflage dissipate.
Sigh
"Kaede, could you contact the others? I think I need to explain some things…" Tadano said tiredly.
Not long after, the group of girls had gathered, staring at Tadano in disbelief—everyone except one.
"Wow! This form is amazing, Tadano-nii! You look like a total beauty!" Ai exclaimed mischievously, giving a big thumbs-up to Tadano's female form.
The solemn atmosphere was quickly destroyed by the teasing of a certain little star.
Tadano's face darkened.
Sigh
"You really don't see me as your older brother anymore, huh?" Tadano said helplessly.
"Wouldn't it be more accurate to call you 'older sister'?" Ai teased with a playful tilt of her head, a feline grin forming on her lips, clearly enjoying the chance to poke fun at Tadano.
Crack
A vein bulged on Tadano's forehead.
"You little brat! You have no respect for your father!" Tadano roared, standing up on the bed.
"Wouldn't it be 'mother' in this case?" Ai retorted, shamelessly continuing her jokes.
"You!" Tadano couldn't believe how audacious the little star had become. Deep down, he lamented how quickly she had grown up.
This little comedy act calmed the girls' anxious hearts, creating a more relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in the room.
"Anyway… Alright, putting aside a certain spoiled star…" Tadano said, glaring at Ai.
Ai stuck out her tongue playfully and looked away, pretending none of it had anything to do with her.
"I gathered you all to explain the situation… it's nothing serious, more like an inconvenience…" Tadano explained.
Before anyone could ask questions, Tadano decided to demonstrate. He pulled a thermos of hot water from his inventory and poured it over his head.
The girls were startled by Tadano's actions, but before anyone could say anything, a puff of smoke erupted.
In less than a second, the smoke dissipated, revealing Tadano's normal appearance.
The girls' eyes widened in surprise and amazement.
Tadano then proceeded to explain how the curse worked, describing it as a side effect of a recently acquired ability.
One might expect the girls to ask about these abilities, but since they had already witnessed Tadano's various skills multiple times, they were somewhat desensitized and found it easier to accept that he could somehow acquire such abilities.
However, as they were processing this flood of information, a curious and mischievous little star snuck up on Tadano.
SPLASH!
"…!"
Puff!
Tadano instantly reverted to his female form.
The culprit stared at Tadano with sparkling eyes.
Ai had the expression of a child who had just found her favorite toy. However, before she could take further action, a swift hand landed a smack on her behind, making her jump slightly.
"Ouch… That hurt, Tadano-nii," said little Ai with teary eyes.
"You brat, you're really bold to treat me like a toy… Looks like I'll need to be stricter with your training, and maybe add an extra class to teach you some respect," Tadano said with a stern gaze.
Ai trembled in fear and looked to Yamai for help.
Yamai, though visibly conflicted, turned her head away. She consoled herself by thinking this was for Ai's own good.
Feeling betrayed, Ai tried to protest, but before she could, a strong arm caught her.
It was Tadano, who had reverted to his male form. He sat Ai on his lap to stop her mischief.
Ai felt slightly embarrassed at being treated like a child but, deep down, also felt a certain warmth.
After that, Tadano spent time calming each of the girls down, with the most affected being Shouko, Yamai, and little Ai.
Once Ai was on his lap, she refused to move and clung to him like glue.
Shouko and Yamai behaved similarly.
Tadano had no choice but to promise to spend the night with them.
As for the other girls, Tadano promised to spend time with them another day.
…
Author's Note: "Well, here's another chapter. Although it took me a bit longer than I expected, it's finally here. I hope you enjoy it, hehe. That said, remember to drink plenty of water, and I love you all. Sincerely, your favorite depressed author."
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