"Lady Druella..."
The monster lowered her bow and arrows, and abandoned her posture of vigilance.
"You mustn't do that sort of thing, Primera. I mean," Druella, the cause of all of this, circled an arm around Koyoi's waist, and gently stroked Koyoi's chin with her right index finger, "we're going to make this girl one of your friends."
"I, I'd never— Ah!" Koyoi's vigorous disagreement was cut short by an unexpected sensation.
Before she knew it, her sash had been undone, and Druella's hand had snaked its way down to her loins.
"Wha, what are you—"
Koyoi learned what the monster behind her was about to begin through her body before she could finish the question in words.
"Ooooh!"
She threw her head back and screamed. A scream not of pain, but of pleasure.
Druella's fingers moved quickly, and as precisely as if they had eyes of their own.
Koyoi's undergarments were a sort of time-honored Zipanguese loincloth called a fundoshi — an article Druella had never so much as set eyes on before.
And yet, through some exceptional sense for all things sexual, she removed it with the greatest of ease.
Koyoi's underclothes fell to the floor with a light thud. Then, quick as lightning, Druella's fingers approached her privates.
Koyoi had cried out because Druella had flicked her clitoris.
"Haa, haa. What, what is...?"
The sensation was momentary, but it was sufficient to weaken Koyoi, who lacked any such experience.
The strength went out of her body, and she ended up surrendering herself to Druella in spite of herself.
"Hee hee. Didn't that feel lovely? You know, those girls are always doing things like this," Druella whispered in Koyoi's ear, gently stroking the tip of Koyoi's chin with her index finger. "Always touching their precious places, like this."
Druella squeezed Koyoi's clitoris between two fingers, and rubbed them together.
Koyoi panted, quivering all over.
What is this feeling...? My hips are tingling, and my mind's going blank...
She almost abandoned herself to the pleasure, but soon rallied with a shake of her head.
No! What am I thinking? The foe I must defeat is right behind me! This is a golden opportunity!
New strength flowed into her limp arms. She bent her elbow, and then shot her arms out to fire talismans.
"No more of that."
Before Koyoi knew what was happening, Druella had released her body, and rested an index finger on each of her outstretched arms.
Then, faster than the eye could follow, she drew patterns on them.
"Ah, aah..."
When Koyoi's arms had been marked with something like dark violet ink from the wrists up, they dangled limply in obedience to gravity.
"You don't have to do that sort of thing anymore."
Druella rested a hand on Koyoi's head and stroked it gently.
"I doubt you'll believe me... but I didn't come here because I wanted to fight you or the Order. I only..."
Druella fell silent for a moment."Well, my methods might be excessive, but I just want to make friends with humans."
At some point, without Koyoi noticing, the cries of pleasure that resounded in the throne room had vanished.
The monsters and the man were staring at Koyoi, some standing, some sitting.
She could sense no animosity from them.
Even the wolf monster Koyoi had exchanged blows with a moment before was watching her apologetically, her ears drooping.
"You expect me to believe that...?" Koyoi shouted.
She had to wring the voice from her throat, and it came out sounding hoarse. Although she had made her rebuttal for the time being, even she knew that she was just putting up a bold front.
If she had arrived here without incident, she would never have believed Druella's excuses.
She had spent her life training to repulse monsters, and being taught that all monsters were the enemy.
But she saw her monsterized sister's joyous smile.
Overlaying her body with that of the man she loved best in the world, Tasogare had felt the greatest possible happiness.
"I mean, it might be, but..."
Anyone who heard her could tell that the force behind her words was lessening.
"You see, I believe that if humans all become monsters, there will be no more fighting."
Druella hugged Koyoi with both arms, slipping her right hand into Koyoi's kimono.
"Although of course, the Order and their hired soldiers, like you, are still resisting..."
Druella's soft chest pressed against Koyoi's back.
"But they're just afraid to change. You've felt that way before, haven't you?"
Koyoi thought back. Due to Tōtetsu's death, the eyes of the people around her had changed. When she had fled the Amanomiya, and when she had arrived on the continent, her environment had changed. Because she had knocked on the door of the adventurers' guild, and gotten to know Doon and his comrades, her relationships with people had changed. Many times, Koyoi had been frightened to place herself in a different environment.
"But once you did make the change, it was less painful than you thought — in fact, it was fun — right?"
She had left home, and seen the ocean for the first time. She had boarded a ship, drunk grape wine for the first time, and had a rough time of it. On the continent, everything from the air to the food had been different. When she had helped people in trouble, the townspeople had thanked her from the bottom of their hearts. The numerous adventures she had gone on with Doon.
"Becoming a monster is like that. It feels good, and it's fun, and, most importantly, every day is happiness. Come on, wouldn't you like to give it a try?"
"Aah... Ooh..."
Koyoi was troubled for an answer. What should she do? Should she change? She still had doubts.
Druella stretched a hand to Koyoi's belly and stroked her bare skin. When she encountered the talisman affixed to it, she smoothly ran her index finger along it.
"You know, ordinarily, you would have started becoming a monster the moment you entered the castle?"