Seeing that Yuuri looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated, Iris extended her slender, fair fingers and pressed them gently to Yuuri’s lips.
“All right, let’s stop here.”
Mmm…
Just recalling the few words Iris had let slip earlier made Yuuri’s head throb dully. Her warning wasn’t an exaggeration—at her current state of mind and level of understanding, it was truly impossible for her to grasp those things.
If she avoided the history of the gods’ fall and only talked about the source of the curse…
No, that was impossible.
They were intertwined—there was no way to discuss one without the other.
But another question gradually surfaced in her mind. The earliest record of the curse only went back a hundred years, yet the fall of the gods had long been buried by the passage of time.
Why was the curse able to lurk for so long?
It was like a hunter lurking in the darkness, lying in wait for the perfect moment. After a long, patient wait, it finally seized the moment the Abyss surged forth—the curse erupted, and even after hiding for ages, it never lost its effect, still tormenting every living being burdened with it.
Mmm… Just thinking about it for a moment made her head hurt again. No good… she couldn’t keep thinking about this. With the information she currently had, pondering further would yield nothing but pointless self-torment.
A crisp snapping of fingers sounded again. “I told you, that’s enough. Next time, I won’t help you.”
As the voice fell, the pain faded away, as if soothed by an invisible force.
She was right; this really was as far as she should go.
“I’m going to take a bath.”
Right now, she needed to cool her head a little. The river water at night was a bit chilly, perfect for calming herself down and stopping these wild thoughts.
She got up and walked toward the riverside not far away.
Ever since she’d entered the Withered Mountains, her nerves had been taut as a drawn bowstring, never daring to relax.
She looked around and, after confirming there was nothing dangerous nearby, let out a long breath. She could feel the string in her mind slowly loosening.
Listening to the murmuring water, the surroundings were peaceful—only the sound of the evening wind blowing could be heard. Immersed in this calm atmosphere, Yuuri gradually relaxed as well.
She undid her tattered cloak, which had been with her for quite some time. Slowly, she slipped off her coarse linen shirt and trousers, placing them together on a clean stone nearby.
The moment her gaze fell upon the surface of the water, for the first time, the girl saw the full appearance of her own body.
Even though she had seen it once before, staring at the unfamiliar face reflected in the water still made it hard to believe—that breathtakingly beautiful face was now her own.
Her gaze shifted downward, examining her new body.
Where her chest used to be flat, there was now a gentle, budding curve—tender and soft, like a newly budding flower, about to bloom, casting a tempting shadow in the cold moonlight.
The girl’s waist was so slender it seemed it could break with just a little force. So delicate, yet beneath it was a naturally full, peach-like curve, plump as a ripe fruit.
Her fair legs were straight and long, her thighs with just the right amount of softness, her calves firm and graceful, extending all the way down to her tender, pink feet.
Because her toes had gotten a bit wet, under the moonlight they looked especially alluring, making one want to cup them gently in their hands.
This… was her now.
A blush unknowingly appeared on the girl’s face. Even though it was her own body, she found herself a little stunned.
The evening wind, carrying a slight chill, swept past her, snapping Yuuri back to her senses.
Staring blankly at her own body… Mmm, she felt like something deep inside her was about to awaken.
But honestly—
She really was quite pretty. And her figure wasn’t bad either.
Her chest was still a bit undeveloped, but the body was still growing—surely it would fill out in time.
Wait, no!
What did she need these lumps of flesh for anyway?
Wouldn’t it just be a bother if they got too big?
No, no—her mind was definitely not clear; she needed to cool off quickly.
Still, there was one place she had to pay attention to.
Yuuri turned slightly, and in her reflection on the water’s surface, she could clearly see the black flame-shaped mark at the junction of her shoulder and neck, like a birthmark.
Ever since the curse erupted on her, this thing had appeared as well.
The location wasn’t fixed—Yuuri was just unlucky. While the spot at her shoulder and neck wasn’t the most obvious, it was still easy to spot. To hide it, no matter where she went, Yuuri always wore that cloak.
Even after becoming a girl, unfortunately, the mark hadn’t changed places.
As long as it was still there, the curse remained.
Yuuri had tried to remove it before, but all she got was a scar—she couldn’t affect it at all. It seemed engraved on her very soul, impossible to erase.
She didn’t know how much longer she’d have to keep struggling before she could find a way to lift the curse.
Up to now, she’d seen many people die miserable deaths because of the curse. The ones who survived kept struggling in vain, never able to find a way out.
Could she… really do it?
For a moment, Yuuri’s eyes grew confused. Staring at her reflection in the water, she suddenly noticed that at some point, a white silhouette had appeared on the water’s surface.
Iris!
She whipped around—sure enough, Iris was floating not far behind her, those crimson eyes sizing up her body with great interest.
“Oh~”
Oh, your head!
Snapping out of it, Yuuri quickly covered her lower body with one hand, then, realizing she was now a girl, used the other to cover her chest.
“I’m taking a bath, so…”
“You take your bath, I’ll look all I want. We’re not interfering with each other, what’s the problem?”
Huh?
How could she say that with a straight face?
“Besides, you’re a girl now, I’m a girl too—we’re all girls here, so what’s the big deal? It’s not like you’ll lose a piece of flesh if I take a look.”
Hmm… That sounded almost reasonable?
No, no—it was definitely not right!
Who said just because we’re all girls, we can look at each other’s bodies?
She’d heard that even between two girls, things could develop in that direction.
What was it called… yuri, or something?
“I refuse, now go away.”
“Eh, I’m only being nice, you know.”
“Since when is peeping considered nice?”
A look of grievance immediately appeared on Iris’ small face. “I just want to help—Yuuri-chan, you only just turned into a girl, you can’t possibly know much about a girl’s body. Without my guidance, how will you get yourself properly clean?”
“I don’t need it.”
Remembering everything that had happened in the crypt earlier, Yuuri’s cheeks flushed red as she quickly refused.
“Why refuse?”
She thought rejecting her twice in a row would quiet Iris a little, but no—instead, Iris floated even closer.
“With my help checking your body, isn’t that a good thing?”
As she spoke, she drew even closer, her gaze sweeping up and down over Yuuri’s covered parts.
“Could it be… Yuuri-chan, are you embarrassed?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why is your little face so red, Yuuri-chan?”
The little Evil God’s soft laughter sounded at her ear, and before Yuuri could react, Iris suddenly pressed close—her face passing through the barrier of Yuuri’s arms, sticking right to her still-developing chest.
“If you’re not embarrassed, then move your hands and let me check you thoroughly.”
Her fist was ready.
This girl… If she weren’t untouchable, Yuuri would have smacked Iris’ head, hard.