The Longest Day at the Citadel: When All Sword Boys Turned Into Girls! - I didn't know it was forbidden to open! —A Day of Great Panic at the Citadel

"D-Don't look at me...!" A voice almost like a scream tore through the morning calm of the citadel. I still had no idea what was happening. All I knew was that right in front of me, clutching a ridiculously oversized cloth around her body and trembling behind a pillar, was—a stranger. An impossibly beautiful woman. Long, silvery-white hair swayed like strands of silk. Her large, emerald eyes glistened with tears, threatening to spill over at any moment. "Uh, um... who are you?" When my stupid-sounding voice finally came out, she clutched the cloth even tighter. "...Master? N-No, you've got it wrong. I'm, well... I'm not a fake or anything..." —That voice. That self-deprecating tone, the one that always insisted he was nothing but a fake. "...Kunihiro? Kunihiro, is that you!?" I couldn't stop myself from shouting. Because my attendant, the boy who was supposed to be a boy, had turned into... into this stunningly beautiful woman! Everything started thirty minutes earlier. ... Today was the annual deep-cleaning day. The whole citadel had been buzzing since morning. Me—the Saniwa of this citadel, a twenty-year-old former ordinary girl tasked with awakening sword warriors with spiritual power and commanding them in battles to protect history. Just your average, run-of-the-mill girl. Well, "average" might be a stretch. I was just a little different from other people. Born with "spiritual power," I got scouted by the government's Time Retrograde Defense Agency—some big-shot bureau—and ended up as the master of this citadel. The citadel sits in a place called "Sakashima no Azumano Hara," slightly out of sync with the real world. It's a sprawling Japanese-style mansion. A mid-sized citadel housing about thirty sword warriors, where I've lived with everyone for two years now. I ran my hand through my messy black bob, scratching absently as I gazed out at the inner courtyard from the veranda. White kosode, scarlet hakama. On my 158-centimeter frame, it looked a little too much like shrine maiden attire, but this was my work uniform. "Hah... another peaceful day." And that's when I realized it. Even though I hadn't had breakfast yet, I'd been assigned to clean the second floor of the deserted storehouse. "Alright, let's get this over with quick!" —Here, let me share a little secret. The truth is, for two whole years now, there's been someone I like. The very first sword warrior who came to this citadel. The tsukumogami of a sword called Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, who now serves as my personal attendant. Kunihiro is an incredibly beautiful boy with golden hair, but he always hides under a cloth, looking down, calling himself a fake... He's actually really strong, but he has absolutely no confidence in himself. And that's exactly what makes him so, so endearing. But I'm the "master," and they're the "sword warriors." If I ever said I liked him, it would only cause trouble. So I've kept it locked away in my heart all this time. In the dim second floor of the storehouse, I muttered to myself. "...I wonder what Kunihiro thinks of me. I hope he doesn't hate me." The smell of old wood and paper seeped deep into my nose. Thinking about that, I reached for the very back shelf, rummaging through the boxes stacked up high. "Hm? What's this?" What I picked up was an old paulownia wood box. There was something written in ink on the lid, but years of dust had worn it down, making it unreadable. "Some-something... forbidden? Oh well, let's open it." When I opened it, inside was a single blackened talisman. And it was, just a little bit, ominous. "What is this?" I reached out. The moment my fingertip touched it, a sharp numbness shot through my hand. "...Huh?" In the next instant, the world went completely white. The walls of the storehouse wavered. From far away, screams and angry shouts thundered. "Uwaaaaaah!? What what what!" I dropped the box and scrambled out of the storehouse, practically tumbling. ... By the time I sprinted back to the main hall of the central building, I couldn't believe my eyes. "Master, calm down. Let's assess the situation first." The one who spoke in a composed voice was a woman who had rushed in from the garden. Her long, straight black hair was tied back in a single ponytail, and her eyes were sharp and alert. In her hand, she held a wooden stick used in the garden—maybe for self-defense. "Huh, wha— Kogitsunemaru...?" When I called that name, she nodded. Normally, he was a wild-looking boy with fluffy white hair, but now he was an incredibly beautiful woman. Still, that calm demeanor was unmistakably Kogitsunemaru. "Master! What in the world is going on!?" This time, a tall woman burst in through the main hall entrance. Her long black hair was a disheveled mess, and her nightclothes were hanging open. In her hand, a spear. "T-Tonbokiri too... a woman..." My mouth just flapped open and shut. After that, the main hall descended into complete chaos. Someone who'd overslept came down from the second floor, tripped on their now-long hair, and tumbled down the stairs. Someone else looked in a mirror, screamed "Gyaaaaah," and fainted. Everyone was tugging at their baggy clothes, trying to do something about them, ripping and untying them in the process. About thirty people, hiding their bodies with cloths and hand towels, were crammed into the main hall, now sitting quietly for the time being. "...So, in summary, Master touched a strange talisman in the storehouse." "Y-Yeah..." At Kogitsunemaru's calm words, I wished the floor would just swallow me up. Everyone's eyes were boring into me. "Just to confirm, Master, did you see that the talisman was marked 'Do Not Open'?" "Huh!? No, it was all faded... ehehe..." I tried to laugh it off, but no one laughed with me. Because this was, completely and utterly, my fault. "I've examined the old records in the storehouse." Kogitsunemaru opened the Japanese-bound book she had been carrying. "The conditions for breaking the curse are recorded here. —The one who touched the talisman must wish from the bottom of their heart for things to return to normal. Superficial wishes, a sense of duty, or concern for appearances will have no effect." "O-Oh, I see! I get it!" I shot to my feet. Everyone's hopeful eyes gathered on me. "Everyone, I want you to return to normal right away! From the bottom of my heart! Break the curse right now—!" I thrust both hands toward the ceiling and shouted. ...Nothing happened. A dead silence fell over the main hall. I could hear someone gulp. "...Huh?" "It didn't work!? Master, are you not wishing it from the bottom of your heart!?" Tonbokiri said something devastatingly blunt, with complete innocence. "Th-That's not true! I am wishing it from the bottom of my heart! I really, really am!" I denied it with all my might, but my eyes couldn't help but dart around. Only Kogitsunemaru said nothing, just staring intently at my face. ... After that, it was just one thing after another. I had to run all the way to the shopping street and buy women's kimonos for everyone, racking up a debt-like sum. In the main hall, everyone started brawling over the kimonos—"Wouldn't this look better on me?" "Hey, let me borrow that one!" Amidst all that chaos, I handed Kunihiro the kimono I'd bought that morning. "Kunihiro, here. I think the size should fit." Still half-hiding her face with the cloth, Kunihiro timidly reached out. "...Thank you, Master." And then, he—no, she—looked at the kimono she'd received and smiled just a little. Then, with her index finger, she gently tucked a strand of her long, silvery-white hair behind her ear. That gesture. That tiny, simple gesture was impossibly beautiful. "...Ah." I froze. Deep in my chest, something tightened, burning hot. Sh-She's too cute. Ever since becoming a woman, it was as if the delicate sensitivity Kunihiro had always held inside had manifested directly in her appearance. This is bad. I absolutely, absolutely shouldn't be thinking this. "...Wh-What is it, Master? When you stare at me like that..." "N-No! It's nothing! Sorry!" I fled, running back to my room as if escaping. ... Night. Slumped over the writing desk in my office, I clutched my head. "I'm the worst, the worst, the worst...!" I stifled my voice, banging my head against the desk over and over. I know. I know it. What Tonbokiri said earlier. 'Master, are you not wishing it from the bottom of your heart?' That's right. I'm not. I don't wish from the bottom of my heart for everyone to turn back into boys. Not at all. Because. Just that one gesture from Kunihiro still makes my heart pound even now. Having seen her like this, there's a part of me that wants to see more, that wants to be closer to her. "I'm just a fake, after all..." I murmured the catchphrase Kunihiro always said. I want to shout that it's not true. That to me, you're more special than anyone, irreplaceable, the most important person in the world. For two whole years now. "...But this is just my own ego, isn't it?" Because I can't wish from the bottom of my heart for things to return to normal, everyone remains a girl. What will happen if seven days pass like this? That part of the old record was worm-eaten and illegible. Something even more terrible might happen. All because I'm in love with Kunihiro. "...I'm the worst." I had just muttered it again when— "Master, please rest for today. We'll think about what to do starting tomorrow." From the hallway, I heard Kogitsunemaru's gentle voice. She's probably noticed everything. Kogitsunemaru is sharp, after all. "...Yeah. Goodnight, Kogitsunemaru." I answered weakly. From somewhere far off, the sound of someone's laughter echoed. Surely, someone was joking about the kimonos again, laughing together. The citadel was still bright and bustling with commotion. But the key to this whole mess lies inside my heart. I'm the only one who can return everyone to normal. And yet, I'm the one who least wants them to. At least, not Kunihiro. No—Kunihiro is the one I most want to stay like this. The key to breaking the curse is my heart. But my heart is ruled by love. As the date changed, I finally let out a deep sigh. Outside the window, the crescent moon floated quietly. And so, the first day drew to a close, with nothing resolved.

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Episode 1

Name: The Longest Day at the Citadel: When All Sword Boys Turned Into Girls!
Author: Novelia

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