"Ugh, finally, I'm out."
Wait a second...
"Dammit! My body—why does it look like this? Stattlich! What did you do to me!?"
I hadn't noticed it yet, but a pair of wings sprouted from my back, and I had a lion-like tail swishing behind me.
「What else did you expect? Your body undergoes changes when using the contract.」
"And how the hell do I turn myself back to normal?"
「The contract has a time limit. The stronger your control, the shorter the duration. But in return, you'll be more powerful.」
"Ha... Thank goodness. If I couldn't change back, I'd look absolutely ridiculous."
「Ridiculous? Are you mocking the majesty of the ruler of both sky and land?」
"Tell me, have you ever seen a human with animal parts? People would run screaming."
「Fauns? Centaurs? Harpies? Nymphs? Sirens? Arachne?」
"O-okay, stop..."
Though, to be honest... I'd love to meet some of them. But all I've seen here are cats and those oversized green brutes.
「Anyway, it's not like this is your first transformation.」
Now that I think about it, Stattlich is right. My body did change when he first entered it.
"Hmmm... so does this mean I can fly now?"
「What do you think? That my wings are just for show?」
I spread the massive eagle wings from my back, tentatively flapping them.
Swoosh.
「Hmm, decent for someone who just grew wings.」
But trying to lift off? It was harder than I expected.
「Shu is the essence of this world. You'll need to channel it into your wings.」
"My Shu's drained. I used up everything fighting Redan earlier. How am I supposed to channel it?"
「You don't need your own Shu when using the contract, except to return to your default form.」
"Ah, so that's how it works."
Slowly, I focused on channeling Shu into my—uh, Stattlich's?—wings. This Shu felt different, though. Warm, like sunlight on my skin.
Swish, swish, swish.
"Hey, it's working!"
The wings moved with power, their weight disappearing as I gained control.
「Now, try flying higher.」
SWOOSH!
"Ack! My pants!"
The lion's tail shoved me upward so forcefully, my pants slipped right off.
"Ha... guess I'll just have to wait this transformation out."
Resigned, I scavenged for my gear.
"Bag's intact. Dagger... oh, there it is."
Luckily, my weapon hadn't been taken—it lay abandoned in the dirt.
Looks like they really believe in leaving the dead alone. Well, not that I'm actually dead...
Daggers, I realized, are best for ambushes and speed. But against a spear-wielder? Forget it.
"Never fight a spear-user with a dagger..."
With one hand awkwardly holding up my pants, I wandered the area, searching for signs of the Redan crew.
「Just cut a hole in the back for your tail already.」
"Shut up."
I didn't know how long this transformation would last, but it felt like it'd be over soon.
"Oh."
That's when I spotted a mound of earth with a sword planted at its peak.
"It's that guy's grave... I'm sure of it. Same sword and everything."
「You're really going to take it? What if Redan's group finds out? Especially since it looks like he has family in the team.」
"But they think I'm dead, right?"
「I'm just warning you. People around here are... strange.」
"Yeah, well, I don't need to follow their rules. I don't even belong to this world."
---
Apparently, being from another world doesn't make you special.
"Why do I have to starve and wander through rivers like this? Shouldn't I have gotten something special for all this trouble?"
My body was caked in dirt from being buried alive and smeared with dried blood.
「Seems like you're less of a hero and more of a glorified servant.」
"Tch."
「Be grateful. After all, you're talking to the king of monsters.」
He's so full of himself.
When I finally reached the river, I washed off all the grime clinging to my skin. Conveniently, the transformation wore off, returning me to my original form.
Ugh, all these scars... I didn't have these before.
「Consider them badges of experience.」
"Yeah, I guess they are. Experiences like dying twice in this world."
「Technically, you've only died once. From what I've seen.」
"Great."
After cleaning up, I briefly debated heading back to town.
Hmm... maybe I should take the guy's clothes too.
---
"This is all your fault, you bastard! My brother's dead because of you!" Seth's voice cracked with fury as he rounded on Redan, his grief fueling his rage.
"What?! You're blaming me for this!?" Redan shot back, his tone a mixture of anger and disbelief.
"Of course I am! Cloe would still be alive if you hadn't dragged us into this mess!"
"And who was it that agreed to come, huh? That was you, wasn't it, you idiot!"
"Y-you—!" Seth stammered, his fists trembling.
The two stood toe-to-toe, ready to erupt into violence, their tempers flaring in the aftermath of the burial. Two graves. Two fallen comrades.
"Enough, both of you!" Tiva's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. She stepped between them, cutting off their brewing fight.
This team—if you could even call it that—was new, fragile. They barely knew one another, let alone how to work together.
"If you're so eager to point fingers, then you're not ready for this life," Redan spat, turning his back on them and stalking off.
Working with others wasn't the problem. The problem was trusting them. In a world like this, trust could get you killed.
Tiva turned to Seth, her voice softer now, but firm. "Seth, none of us know what awaits us out here. We became [Guardians] knowing that death was always a possibility. Strengthen your resolve. Carry Cloe's spirit with you. Let his sacrifice give you purpose. That's what it means to protect this city."
She paused, her eyes heavy with an unspoken decision. "And I... have decided to leave this life behind."
Her words hung in the air, final and absolute.
"…Damn it…" Seth muttered, his hands curling into fists at his sides, his anger fading into despair.