Morningstar landed in the sandy ground with little pain, but the impact knocked the wind out of her. Her chest tightened, breath caught, and she coughed twice.

The fall pressed her even closer to the girl in her arms. The maiden lay nearly atop her, bodies flush, chests squeezed together.

Pressed so intimately against another girl, a strange warmth flushed Morningstar’s cheeks crimson. Before she could push her away, the girl’s eyelids twitched—then slowly opened.

Their faces nearly touching, they stared wide-eyed at each other. Then the girl’s expression twisted into fury.

“You demon! Get off me! Let go! Devil!”

Shouting in shame and rage, the girl struggled to rise—but Morningstar held tight. How could her strength compare?

Their friction from struggling made the girl freeze, blushing deeply as she sensed something amiss.

Though her body stilled, insults still flew—but as the Divine Maiden, her curse vocabulary was painfully limited.

Not a single vulgar word about mothers or ancestors. Just relentless cries of Morningstar’s wickedness.

*Sigh*. With such a fiery temper, in another world, her words wouldn’t be so… clean.

“You wicked demon! How dare you commit such indecency? Release me!”

Raised in solitude under strict Divine Clan doctrine, the Divine Maiden had never known friendship. Only teachers, her younger sister, and the Divine King.

Eating, sleeping, bathing—all alone. This was her first intimate contact with another person.

Even with a girl, shame burned fiercely—let alone with the demon she despised most.

“Then promise! No stabbing me with your sword!”

Morningstar held on, fearing another blade. It wouldn’t kill her, but the sting was real.

If only she could cast restraint magic—but perception magic required calm. How could she focus while embracing a girl?

No choice. Brute force it was.

“Demon! My duty is to slay demons! I *will* kill you!”

How could the Divine Maiden compromise with an evil Dark Sorceress? Even outmatched, she’d fight to uphold her sacred vow.

Born to defend the Divine Clan. To purge all evil.

“Sister, please snap out of it! Think—you could’ve killed me? If you could’ve killed the *Dark Sorceress*, would I be reborn now?”

Morningstar tried reason—but underestimated the hatred burning in those eyes.

“Demon! A century under your corrupting aura made me like this! Even if I can’t kill you—I won’t let you off easy!”

Fury fueled her: hatred for the Dark Sorceress, and the aura destabilizing her own emotions.

Trapped in Morningstar’s arms, the flustered maiden abandoned all decorum—opened her mouth—and bit down.

Knowing her teeth couldn’t pierce Morningstar’s cursed attire, she aimed straight for her cheek.

“Aaah! Damn it! You zombie!”

Sharp pain shot through Morningstar’s cheek. Instinctively, she shoved the girl away.

Fingertips brushed deep tooth marks. Sticky warmth welled beneath them.

“How dare you harm my master!”

A furious roar boomed from above. Like a falling star, a colossal shape slammed into the earth. Sand erupted like a storm. The ground shook. Dust blotted out the moon—apocalypse descending.

The maiden before her paled, spat blood, and collapsed to her knees.

“D-Dragon… Sky-Blotter…” Her eyes rolled back. Fainted again.

Second time today. Even the Divine Maiden had it rough.

As dust settled, darkness remained. Morningstar looked up—not night. The sky was *covered*.

A massive black dragon. Wingspan over a hundred meters. At its feet, Morningstar felt ant-small. One toenail loomed like a mountain.

Fear surged. Her body was a Dark Sorceress’s—but her heart? Still that startled boy. Never seen anything like this.

Her limbs trembled. An urgent, embarrassing pressure built low in her belly.

“Master!”

The dragon lowered its head, bowing reverently. Its maw could swallow heavens. One nostril—a bottomless cavern. She wouldn’t reach a single nose hair’s height.

“Y-You’re…?” Morningstar stammered. But she recognized the voice—the one that had guided her all along.

“Master. I am your mount. Your most loyal servant.”

“A mount…? Me…? Do Dark Sorceresses ride *this*?”

“Master, may I take human form?”

“Huh? Uh… Yes! Please!” The dragon’s gaze was suffocating. Human form? She’d welcome it desperately.

Stared down by those colossal eyes, she felt seconds from losing bladder control.

“Thank you, Master.”

Dark light shimmered. Faded. The giant was gone. Replaced by…

…a tiny figure barely four and a half feet tall.

A girl-like form—but arms, calves, feet still draconic. Small horns crowned her head. A thick tail, wildly disproportionate, trailed behind her.