Watching the excited Demon King, Aelis gave a dragon cat’s disdainful look—according to the Otherworldly Creature Encyclopedia, this creature was truly a feline from another world. When it closed its mouth, the curve of its lips paired with indifferent eyes radiated pure scorn.

Deeply wounded in pride, the Demon King fumbled a silver-toned mirror from his robes. Though monochromatic, it oozed mystery. Its frame was carved like water flowing slowly around the glass, breathtaking in detail. Even as a simple mirror, it would be a prized artifact outside, wildly sought by artists.

Aelis’s eyes instantly curved into crescent moons. To him, this meant piles of gold.

“Demon King ahead! Drop that mirror now!” Aelis commanded. “Hand over all your hidden treasures too. Maybe I’ll spare your life!”

The Demon King shot him a fierce glare. “You greedy scum! Catch this!” He aimed the mirror at Aelis. Blinding white light, like the sun itself, shot out.

Aelis casually summoned seven layered Yuan Technique shields. Some specialized in physical defense, others in Yuan Technique or mental resistance. He didn’t believe this loser Demon King could actually harm him.

But life loves surprises… no, accidents.

He got hit! That eerie light ignored all his shields, striking him directly. Under its glow, Aelis felt his body shift strangely. When the light vanished, the Demon King stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Who are you?! Where’s that man from before?”

Aelis frowned. Was the Demon King blinded into stupidity? “Did that flash fry your brain? I’m right here, idiot!”

The Demon King’s mouth gaped wide as a beach ball. He glanced at the mirror, then back at Aelis.

Aelis finally sensed something wrong. His once-fitting clothes hung loose, except around his chest, which felt oddly swollen.

“What’s going on?”

He cast a water mirror spell. In the reflection stood a stunning girl of sixteen or seventeen. Purple hair cascaded to her waist like a waterfall. Her star-like pupils glowed wine-red, framed by long lashes. Delicate features—high nose, small lips, snow-white skin—gave her an elegant, fairy-tale grace, like a vampire princess stepped from a storybook.

“Wow, this girl’s gorgeous. Totally my type,” Aelis mused, admiring the reflection. “But this outfit’s all wrong. She should wear a long dress or gothic lolita gear, not this manly getup…” He paused. Wait—the mirror showed him. So who was that girl?

The familiar clothes confirmed a horrifying truth: the angelic beauty in the mirror was himself.

I turned into a woman?!

Aelis: (▼ヘ▼#)

“Deeeemon Kiiing!” Aelis glared murderously at the culprit. “One chance to redeem yourself! Change me back now!”

The Demon King flinched under Aelis’s killing intent. Trembling, he blustered bravely, “Torture me, humiliate me, even kill me—I won’t change you back! You deserve this!” His confidence grew. So what if he was an S Rank Adventurer? Mess with me, get this!

A fist-sized brick suddenly hurtled toward his groin. The Demon King barely dodged backward. The brick smashed the spot where he’d stood, cratering the floor. He winced, imagining the pain.

Aelis seethed like a volcano about to erupt. Star-like eyes bloodshot, he snarled, “Brave words, dog! Today, I’ll castrate you—make you beg for death that won’t come!”

“You win! I’m retreating to the Demon Realm!” Terrified by the dark aura swirling around Aelis, the Demon King’s bravado vanished. He cast one mournful glance at the fortune piled under Aelis’s feet—his hard-saved stash—then crushed a teleportation crystal. Black smoke engulfed him just as Aelis struck, shattering the wall behind him instead. Thick bricks corroded into a gaping hole.

“Demon King! Aaaaaah! You coward!” Aelis stamped her foot in fury. With him gone, what would she do like this?

“You okay? Did the Demon King appear here?” A voice came from the ruined wall. Larry stepped into view. Separated during the castle collapse, he’d followed the angry shouts. The speaker’s voice was unfamiliar—likely another survivor. He saw a purple-haired girl with star-like eyes, breathtakingly rare. Larry had seen many rare beauties, so he recovered quickly. But spotting her weapon, his gaze sharpened. “That Yuan Staff… it belongs to my partner. Where did you get it?” His tone left no room for refusal. For his best friend’s safety, women were trivial.

Touched by Larry’s concern, Aelis felt warmth. True friendship in hardship! “Larry, it’s me—Aelis!”

“Huh?!” Larry recoiled. “Sorry, my eyes work fine. You share nothing with Aelis—not looks, not gender. Wait… the clothes match. Unless…” His voice turned icy. “Last chance: what happened to Aelis?!” His sword pressed within a centimeter of Aelis’s neck. Death had never felt so close, from his most trusted friend.

Aelis choked. Of course Larry wouldn’t believe this. She raised her staff. Larry tensed to attack—but froze at her next move.

Aelis chanted, “Sacred Blessing!” The 15-inch black Yuan Staff clattered to the floor.

“This is the cursed artifact ‘Demon’s Jest’,” she declared. “Once used, it binds to the wielder, draining life, mind, Essence Force, stamina, and will—until death breaks it. Who’s the only living adventurer to survive and break free? You backstabbing harem king?”

Larry stared at the now-harmless staff, lying like a charred stick. That sarcastic tone… it really was Aelis.

Seeing Larry’s doubt, mischief sparked in Aelis. She glanced down at his crotch and yelled, “I know your current length is… your past life’s length was… your favorite underwear color is… today’s is… and your nightly sleep-talk phrase is…”

“Stop!” Larry’s sword clanged to the ground. He lunged, clamping a hand over her mouth. “Fine! I believe you’re Aelis. Shut up, you beast! Couldn’t you prove it with something else? Like our past lives?!”

“Past lives? At six, you wet the bed sharing mine. At eight, a girl bullied you to tears—I avenged you. At ten, you bought your first 2D waifu figurine, bragging she was your wife…” Aelis listed Larry’s embarrassments like a ledger.

“Say one more word, and I’ll kill you!” Larry roared like a starving wolf.