The breeze in the Enferi Forest died.

One moment, Eldric was staggering backward in pure terror,The next, the creature wearing Aithur's face—no, wearing the idea of Aithur's face—tilted its head in a disturbingly smooth, boneless motion.

"Where are you going, little mouse?" the lookalike crooned, voice too thick, too echoing, like someone mimicking speech from inside a well.

Eldric stumbled backward, nearly tripping over his own boots as he scrambled to his feet. His face went pale, and a squeak—not a scream, not a shout, but a squeak—escaped him as the thing that looked like Aithur stepped closer with a smile that absolutely did not belong on Aithur's face.

Luther dusted dirt off his sleeves as he stood, the demonic sword hanging comfortably in his hand like an annoyed pet. The wind whistled, bending the grass around them as though the field itself sensed something was wrong.

Eldric grabbed his satchel off the ground with trembling hands and did the worst possible thing.

He ran.

Luther didn't bother shouting for him to stop. Eldric was already panicked enough to run into a tree if the tree politely asked.

The creature tilted its Aithur-like head.

"Hmm? Running already?" it crooned. "But we just met, little snack."

Before Eldric could take a third step, the creature lunged.

Luther moved without thinking.

SHRRRACK!

A single slash cut the air—clean, sharp, and bright.

And the creature screamed.

It landed on a tree trunk with a sickening slap, its left hand severed. The missing limb dissolved instantly into a puddle of translucent slime, sizzling into the earth. The healthy grass turned ash-gray upon contact, as though its life was eaten by the slime.

"Ugh, disgusting."

The sword wrinkled its nonexistent nose.

Luther flicked some of the goo off his blade.

"I thought you said it wasn't a forest creature."

The sword scoffed.

"Of course it's not! I may be cursed but I'm not stupid. That thing is a sea leech from Gan. A bottom-feeder. A parasite so useless even sharks spit it out."

"Wonderful," Luther muttered. "And now it's walking around with Aithur's face. Because today wasn't already stupid enough."

The creature grinned, its lips stretching a bit too wide.

"You should be honored. I chose a face you admire."

"I don't admire him," Luther said flatly.

The sword snorted.

"You admire the shape of his muscles."

"I WILL THROW YOU INTO A FIRE."

"I'll slither out and haunt your nightmares."

Luther's eyebrow twitched.

"Oh look," he muttered. "It talks."

The sword snickered. "Barely."

The monster's jaw stretched open—too open—revealing no teeth, just a long, rippling tongue made of the same slime as its blood.

The sword sighed theatrically.

Luther growled.

"Eldric! Hide somewhere and don't come out unless I tell you."

Eldric didn't need to be told twice. He darted behind a large rock, clutching his satchel like a teddy bear. His heartbeat was loud enough Luther could hear it from here.

The Aithur-lookalike tilted its head, its neck bending too far to the left as a crack echoed like a dried twig snapping.

"Why hide him, hmm? That one's practically blind. A pathetic little morsel. I could've eaten him by now if you hadn't interfered."

Luther twirled the sword lazily in his hand.

"You talk too much. And your face is an insult to Aithur's bone structure."

The sword gasped dramatically.

"Yes! Thank you! I've been telling it that for the past minute!"

The creature hissed, the fake skin rippling like a curtain as the right half of its face melted, revealing a long slit lined with tiny, needle teeth.

"You'll regret touching me, boy."

"Get in line," Luther muttered.

The creature leapt.

Luther dodged, sand and dust erupting where its body hit. Its long slimy arm shot out, stretching like tar toward his ankle. Luther sliced the limb off with a clean arc.

Screech.

Slime splattered the ground, smoking as it consumed everything it touched.

Luther grimaced.

"Stop leaving your body parts everywhere! It's unhygienic!"

The sword laughed.

"Tell it again! It needs the humiliation!"

The creature swung around, reforming the lost limb with a nauseating squelch.

"You're very loud for food."

"Funny. That's exactly what my enemies say before they die."

The creature lunged again, its entire body elongating like a shadow being pulled. Luther slashed upward. A wave of black-and-blue demonic energy shot out, colliding with the creature and flinging it across the field.

Eldric peeked from behind his rock, eyes wide.

"H-He's strong…"

"Eldric, hide!" Luther growled without turning.

The creature screeched and rose again, the stolen skin peeling away further.

"Enough playing," it snarled.

It whipped its arm toward Luther. The goo arm extended—twenty meters—whiplike and fast. Luther blocked with the sword, sparks bursting as the demonic blade sizzled on contact with the acidic slime.

"OI!" the sword shrieked. "Do you WANT me to melt?!"

"Stop complaining and cut it!"

"You cut it—I'm the one getting dissolved!"

"YOU ARE THE SWORD!"

"YOU'RE THE IDIOT HOLDING ME!"

The creature sent another lash of slime, and Luther deflected it, pivoting back. The sound of melting grass filled the air. The field around them turned a sickly gray patch by patch.

Luther dashed forward, sliding under the creature's swinging limb. He sliced upward, carving across its chest. The skin peeled back, exposing a translucent, pulsating jelly-like mass underneath.

The monster shrieked.

The sword dry-heaved.

"Eugh—kill it—KILL IT NOW—KILL IT—"

"I'm trying!"

"TRY HARDER!"

The creature reformed, limbs bulging grotesquely.

"You're irritating."

Luther spat a leaf out of his mouth.

"Likewise."

The monster lunged with its entire body this time, not arms but its whole mass collapsing forward like a tidal wave of slime and teeth.

Luther braced—

But the sword yelled,

"TO YOUR RIGHT, IDIOT!"

Luther turned just in time to avoid a second limb shooting from its back—one he hadn't noticed. It slammed into the ground where his head had been, leaving a hole four feet deep.

Luther skidded back, panting.

"Great. More limbs."

"I told you sea leeches are cheats!" the sword barked.

"You should have led with that."

The sword sputtered.

"YOU DON'T LISTEN WHEN I LEAD!"

Luther was about to snap back, but a faint whimper from Eldric reminded him he wasn't the only target.

The monster noticed too.

Its head rotated in a slow, snapping circle toward Eldric's hiding spot.

Eldric froze.

The creature's grin widened to the back of its head.

"There you are, morsel."

It launched in Eldric's direction.

Luther's expression dropped into a cold, dangerous calm.

"Oh no you don't."

He blurred—teleporting without actually teleporting—and slammed into the creature mid-dash. The impact shook the forest clearing, dirt exploding under their feet.

Luther shoved the blade straight into the creature's side.

The sword howled victoriously,

"TAKE THAT, YOU SALTWATER MUCUS!"

Black steam erupted as demonic power sliced into the gelatinous flesh, sizzling through layers of slime.

The creature writhed, screeching—

Then its body widened, mouth stretching open like a cavern lined with rings of teeth.

It vomited acid.

"MOVE!" the sword screamed.

Luther stepped back, but the monster wasn't aiming at him.

It aimed past him.

Straight at Eldric.

"NO—!!"

But Eldric had already moved.

With a cry that didn't sound like him at all, Eldric jumped out from behind the rock—

—shielding Luther.

The acid struck him full force.

Eldric screamed as the liquid burned through the air around him, light cracking around his body like breaking glass.

"ELDRIC!" Luther shouted, reaching for him.

The demonic sword fell silent.

Eldric collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest. His scream dissolved into a glowing gasp as bright light burst around him, blinding white and gold.

The monster hissed and skittered back, shielding what was left of its face.

The light grew brighter—too bright—

Then Eldric's form began to change.

His clothes dissolved into motes of light.

His hair lengthened, spilling like molten gold.

His face softened, slim and delicate.

His ears stretched into elegant, pointed tips.

And when the light faded—

Eldric was no longer Eldric.

A girl lay on the forest floor instead, unconscious.

Her long blonde hair fanned around her like a spill of sunlight, skin pale as moonstone, her ears unmistakably pointed.

An elf.

Luther blinked.

Eldric..... is A GIRL!!!!

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