Body Swap (4)
The sun must have climbed high into the midday sky, because the brilliant sunlight streaming through the window made my eyes ache, jolting me awake. I'd told Terria to get up early in the morning, but it seemed I'd been the one sleeping in instead. Lying there on a bed that felt a bit rough—not particularly plush—the first thing that caught my eye was the ceiling. I'd never cared much for interior design, so the lab ceiling was plain and stark in texture. Anyway, since I'd woken up late, I needed to get ready quickly and head out.
But as I tried to sit up, a sudden sense of wrongness hit me. The bed. Where had I slept last night? I distinctly remembered passing out in the chair after drinking. Come to think of it, this was the basic-issue bed I'd gotten for Terria to use. Had I stumbled into her room and crashed there? Drunk, no less? I wasn't sure. For now, I turned my head, wondering where the bed's owner, Terria, might be.
She wasn't anywhere in her room. The moment I turned, though, a few slender strands slipped smoothly across my vision. They caught the sunlight, shimmering faintly gold—like strands of hair.
"...?"
Reaching up toward my shoulder and moving my hand around, I grabbed a thick bundle of them—countless strands. The ticklish sensation brushing my cheek was annoying, so I instinctively tugged harder.
"Ow...!"
Pain shot through my scalp, snapping me fully awake. It hurt so much tears welled up. Hurriedly sitting up in bed, the sensations from my whole body were unmistakably... not from the body I'd lived in for over twenty years. My arm didn't extend as far as it should have when I moved it. And these arms—slender, delicate—and these tiny hands. Was it always like this? Lowering my head, my legs were covered by the blanket, but above them rose two soft mounds. Through the low neckline exposing my nape, a valley connected to those mounds came into view. Like cleavage.
"Ah...? Ah, aaah!?"
My voice wasn't mine either. It was somewhat high and clear, and even right after waking, it sounded sharp and alert—like a bluebird chirping from a tree branch. A tone I'd once heard in the forest while foraging for herbs. Definitely not a man's voice.
I reflexively groped my crotch. Nothing. My barely used equipment was gone. Balls and all.
A mirror. I needed a mirror first. Trying to get out of bed, my legs and feet wouldn't obey. My foot caught in the blanket, and like an idiot, I flailed my arms and tumbled down.
—Thud!
"Augh..."
I landed hard on my butt, and it hurt. Hurt like hell. It wasn't just the tailbone hitting the floor—it was a longer, thinner bone throbbing. Right, the tailbone. And there, a bit off the floor, twitching irregularly—whoosh, whoosh—like it was saying 'I'm not happy right now'—a golden-furred tail ticked back and forth. Even after all this time, I recognized it instantly. This instinctively moving tail attached to this body was Terria's, the one I'd seen three years ago.
Wiping the fresh tears with the back of my hand, a full-length mirror came into view straight ahead. Through my still-blurry, teary vision, I saw a woman in the reflection. A disheveled woman sitting on the floor—Terria. My mouth gaped open, words failing me. Blinking in shock, the woman in the mirror blinked her blue eyes too. It didn't strike me as pretty anymore. It was a face I'd seen every day.
"What... what the hell..."
But there was one more shocking detail. Perked-up ears with soft edges. Covered in golden fur slightly darker than my hair. The insides, quivering, were pink and fuzzy like peach flesh. I knew from touching them—they were soft and squishy, a dual sensation that made anyone want to stroke them wildly.
Countless thoughts flashed through my mind and vanished.
—Why the hell am I in Terria's body?
—Then where did Terria's mind go?
—What happened to my original body? Is it safe?
Then a familiar voice rang out. My hearing had sharpened; even small sounds echoed loudly.
"Whoa, finally awake? You said we had to go early today, but what if the master sleeps in? Oh, right—you're not the master anymore, are you?"
I whipped my gaze toward the voice. There, leaning against the door and chuckling mockingly, was me. Hearing my voice from my body, but from someone else's perspective, felt strangely off-putting.
"You... you. Te... Terria? You're Terria?"
"Yup. Your body's pretty great, huh? The view's totally different even just being twenty centimeters taller. You know, like I suddenly became someone important. Pfft."
Terria's confession that she'd orchestrated this whole thing was hard to believe. If it was true, that was a problem; if it was a lie, that was a problem too. There are lies you can tell and lies you can't.
Flustered, curses spilled out automatically. I raised my voice reflexively. The somewhat high pitch cracked.
"You fucking... You did this!? What the hell did you...!"
"Ah, shouldn't it be 'fucking guy' now, not 'bitch'? I'm a dude at the moment. And yelling in that voice just sounds like whining—doesn't scare me at all."
"This isn't the time for wordplay... Fine, the potion! I don't know how you did it, but if we drink the potion, we can switch back..."
The body swap potion I'd just finished yesterday in the lab's storage. Drinking it would return us to normal. Kneeling to stand, Terria held out her open palm. On her knuckles sat two vials, colorless liquid sloshing inside, displayed tauntingly.
"This what you're talking about? Dumb master. Think about it. I always thought you were pretty smart."
"...You didn't. You used that on my body...!"
"Sigh. Overwhelmed? Can't process? Yup. I spiked the booze you drank last night with this. You suddenly made me drink too, remember? I freaked out. Never thought about drinking the transformation potion myself, but just in case of side effects."
"You... how the hell could a wretch like you..."
Terria drawled slowly, enunciating each word, like telling a kid 'Santa isn't real, sorry.' She looked delighted. But her tone felt all wrong for a man—uncannily off. I wanted to erase that creepy feeling fast. No more nonsense. I tried to cast a spell. Flicking my trembling fingers to snatch the vials from her palm.
—Snap.
Nothing happened. No, it felt like the casting itself was canceled. No mana drain. Then laughter rang out.
"Ahahaha! Pfft! Haha, you're such a moron, master. Total idiot."
"Why... why won't the magic... What did you do...!"
"Look in the mirror. See the choker around your neck? The dog collar you gave me the day before yesterday? Yeah, that's a magic restraint choker."
"Ah... ah..."
I swallowed hard intermittently. Ignoring me, Terria chattered excitedly.
"Ever since I figured out what potion you were researching, I've been waiting for this day. But honestly, after swapping, I was a bit lost on what to do next. Then you put the shackles on yourself? Ahaha! Hilarious."
I was on the verge of madness, but amid her cackling, one thought surfaced. Unfortunately, it offered no solution—just deeper despair.
"That thing... it only unlocks... with my mana..."
"Ding ding ding~! But you can't use mana now, can you? Who'd be dumb enough to lock it on themselves?"
I couldn't stand this ridiculous circus anymore. Not even the imperial court jester could top it. I shot to my feet and lunged at Terria—at my body—arms outstretched. Target: the vials. Snatch them and chug the potion immediately. But my body raised the vial hand high while blocking with the other. The height difference made it impossible—jumping futilely, my breasts jiggled painfully. Terria's body was pathetically weak; even one hand was enough to fend me off. Or maybe my body was just that strong.
"Hand it over. Now. Ngh, if you do, I can pretend this never happened. Quick—!"
"Hah, why would I? You told me yourself—it takes at least six months to make more. And there's no body-swap spell yet. You think I'd just hand it over? I was the one who spiked your drink."
"You... huu, you think you'll get away with this? Think carefully. When we switch back, can you handle the consequences?"
Already exhausted from fighting in this unfamiliar body right after waking, rising anger choked me. Terria was breathing roughly too, a bit winded. Locked arm-in-arm up close, we wrestled. Staring into my eyes right in front of me felt like a staring contest. Close enough to see my reflection. Each exhale from Terria tickled my ears. Or maybe these ears were just that sensitive.
"Who should be worried right now—me or you, master? Oh, and the humanization magic wore off. Haha, wonder how people would react if you went out like this? The slave brand is still there, so no kidnapping, but maybe they'd dump filth on you."
"Wh-why'd the humanization... The slave... brand?"
"Yup. You used it when I wouldn't listen. Wanna try it now? Ariel, kneel."
"Hic...?"
My body moved on its own. My knees buckled against my will, dumping me on the floor. Terria kept using the slave brand. Each time, the pattern near my shoulder glowed and flickered.
"Ariel, hands on knees, head up. Ngh, the slave brand acts directly on the body, not magic, so it works even after swapping. How's it feel, master? Get the idea now?"