The Longest Day at the Citadel: When All Sword Boys Turned Into Girls! - Skirts on the battlefield, baths at the citadel—day two of laughter and heart-pounding excitement.

The morning light seeped gently into the veranda of the main house. The citadel was still quiet, as if everyone was fast asleep. But in my office, the air had been tense since dawn. "Whaaat!? A sortie order!?" I stared at the missive spread open on my writing desk and couldn't help but shout. An official order from the government. The vermilion seal gleamed harshly in the light. The contents: eliminate a unit of the Time Retrograde Army that had appeared in Kyoto at the end of the Bakumatsu era — today. "Wh-what do I do…" I clutched my head. This was right after yesterday's chaos. All the sword warriors had suddenly been turned into women's bodies, and they still weren't used to it at all. Unfamiliar skirts. Unfamiliar long hair. And I was supposed to send them to the battlefield like that? "But… the order is absolute." I clenched my fists tight. If we ignored the Time Retrograde Army, history would be distorted. If that happened, the futures of everyone living in this era might vanish. As I hesitated, a quiet voice came from the hallway. "Aruji-sama, you called?" I turned to see Kogitsunemaru standing beyond the shoji screen. His shoulder-length, straight black hair was tied low today. He had changed into a deep indigo kimono that looked easier to move in than yesterday's. His calm demeanor was unchanged, and seeing it settled me, just a little. "A sortie, then. Who will you take with you?" Kogitsunemaru had glanced at the order on my desk and understood immediately. "Um, well… the ones who seem most able to fight on the front lines, even in this situation." I answered with my head down. People who could fight on the front lines. In other words, those who wouldn't be too bothered by having a woman's body. "I see. Then, Tonbokiri, and Kara, and also… Kunihiro, I suppose." At the name Kunihiro, my heart gave a sharp throb. "…Yeah. That's what I think, too." My voice was so small it surprised even me. The sortie room. I stood before the round stone slab in the center of the room. The first to arrive was Tonbokiri. "Aruji! Sorry to keep you waiting!" His voice was as energetic as ever. But his appearance… A tall woman with long black hair tied in a ponytail. She'd forced a woman's kimono on over her armor, so the shoulders were straining at the seams. And in her hand, of course, that long spear. "Aruji-sama, what's there to be depressed about? I'm as fit as ever, as you can see!" Seeing me downcast, Tonbokiri grinned broadly. That smile was so much more radiant than before, it made my heart skip a beat. "But, um… are you okay? Isn't the skirt hard to move in?" When I asked, Tonbokiri tilted her head with a "hmm." "This skirt thing is hard to run in! And the wind blows right through it!" "W-wind blows…" Unnecessary thoughts filled my head, and my face turned red. Just then, I heard more footsteps. I turned to see Ookurikara leaning silently against the wall. "…Kara." I caught my breath. He said nothing. He just stood there with his arms crossed — much slimmer than before — glaring at the floor with sharp eyes. His black hair was much longer than before, falling over his eyes. His kimono, unusually for Kara, was a color close to deep crimson. "…I'm here." Just that one phrase. But that voice was unmistakably Kara's. "S-sorry for calling you so suddenly." When I apologized, Kara turned his face away with a huff. The last to arrive was Kunihiro. "…Sorry I'm late." Kunihiro had a cloth draped over his head, as always. But the silver-white hair spilling from beneath it sparkled even more than yesterday, and it made my chest ache. "N-no, it's fine. Alright, everyone, let's go." I managed to force a smile and stepped onto the stone slab. Everyone gathered around me. I closed my eyes and focused my spiritual power, and the formation at our feet began to glow dazzlingly. When I came to, we were in a burning Kyoto. Flames rose in the distance, and shouts could be heard from all around. The sky was gray and overcast with smoke. From beyond the rubble, monstrous shapes slowly emerged. They had human forms, but were made of black haze, with only their eyes glowing red. The largest one dragged a greatsword as it headed toward us. "They're here!" Tonbokiri readied her spear and leaped forward. But right after that— "Whoa! My hair!" Tonbokiri suddenly lost her balance. Her long, beautiful black hair had gotten tangled around the shaft of the spear she'd swung with such force. "It won't come off! I can't get it off, Aruji!" Tonbokiri desperately tried to untangle her hair from the spear. But it was so snarled it wouldn't budge. She looked just like a big dog chasing its own tail, and I couldn't help but let out a small snort of laughter. "H-hey, Tonbokiri, if you stay like that, the enemy will—!" By the time I shouted, it was already too late. The enemy greatsword came swinging down at Tonbokiri. BOOM!! A tremendous sound, and dust flew up. "Tonbokiri!" I screamed. But as the dust cleared, Tonbokiri had somehow caught the enemy's greatsword with one hand. "Hah! You think I'd be done in just because my hair got tangled?!" Tonbokiri's arm bulged with effort. And then, she hurled the greatsword — enemy and all. DOOOOM! The enemy crashed through the wall of a house and vanished on the other side. "Th-that's incredible…" My mouth hung open. Then, another enemy approached without a sound. A spear-type enemy. "Kara, behind you!" Before I could even finish shouting, Kara had drawn his sword. A sharp sound of air being sliced. But the next instant, Kara's body swayed and tilted. He had stepped on the hem of his own skirt. "…Tch." For the first time, Kara's face twisted with frustration. In the moment he lost his balance, the enemy's spear grazed his arm. Shhk. "Kara!" Blood dripped onto the ground. "It's a scratch." Kara declared this, then turned his blade as if nothing had happened. With that single stroke, the enemy spear-type was cut clean in two and vanished into black mist. But I saw it. Kara's hand was trembling faintly. His face as he muttered a quiet curse was twisted with frustration and just a hint of sadness. As for Kunihiro, he was silently cutting down enemies on his own. But his movements were far from his usual sharpness. Perhaps he still wasn't used to the shift in his center of gravity — his body wobbled with every step he took. Even so, he desperately swung his sword, again and again. It was painful to watch. After a while, when they had finally finished off all the enemies, Kunihiro dropped to one knee and hung his head toward the ground. "…Hahh, hahh." Ragged breathing came from beneath the cloth. "…I knew it. I'm just a fake. In a body like this, I'm useless to Aruji-sama." That voice sounded like it might fade away at any moment, and hearing it felt like my heart was being torn apart. Before I knew it, I was running. "Kunihiro!" I rushed over to him and crouched down. "That's not true!" Kunihiro's shoulders flinched. Through a gap in the cloth, his blue eyes, brimming with tears, looked up at me. The moment I saw those eyes, I lost track of what I was even saying. "Kunihiro, you're stronger than anyone, and…" There, my words stopped. —Beautiful. The words in my heart spilled straight out of my mouth. "…And you're beautiful." After I said it, I gasped and covered my mouth. Silence fell over everything. Even the sounds of the burning city felt distant. Kunihiro turned bright red and hid his entire face with the cloth. "…Aruji-sama, what did you just…" His voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Ah, um, n-no, that's not what I meant! That was just, a slip of the tongue!" I waved both hands frantically, desperately making excuses. I knew perfectly well that I wasn't making any sense at all. "Aruji, your face is red." Right behind me, Tonbokiri stood grinning, having finally untangled her hair. "Shut up!" I shouted, wishing I could just disappear. By the time we returned to the citadel, it was already evening. Covered in sweat and dust from the battle, we collapsed wearily in the great hall. Then, a woman in a white casual kimono drifted into the room. Her long silver-white hair fluttered around her, and she was as beautiful as a snow spirit. "Hey, everyone made it back! What incredible outfits!" It was Tsurumaru Kuninaga. Even as a woman, this person hadn't changed at all. "I want to try wearing one of those skirt things soon, too!" Tsurumaru said innocently, not noticing my state. "Save it for later, Tsurumaru. First, a bath. I feel disgusting from all the sweat." Tonbokiri said, flapping the collar of her kimono. In that instant, the air in the great hall grew tense. "Yeah. A bath." Kara muttered. Yes. The problem was the bath. "…Which one do we go in?" At Kara's words, everyone froze. In front of the large bathhouse. There were two curtains hanging now — the right one said "Men's Bath," the left one "Women's Bath." "Our bodies are women now, so obviously the women's bath!" Tonbokiri stated the logical argument. "B-but our hearts are men! What's wrong with going in the men's bath?!" Tsurumaru shot back, his face red. "Then let me ask you this: do you have the guts to go into the men's bath with a woman's body?" At Tonbokiri's question, Tsurumaru let out a small yelp. "Th-that's… well…" "Our bodies are women, so it's only proper to use the women's bath." "Then what about our hearts?! My heart is a gentleman's, you know?!" "Shut up! You skirt-wearing bastard!" "What did you say?! Spear idiot!" It had devolved into complete chaos. "So which one are we supposed to go in?!" Tsurumaru shouted, looking up at the ceiling. At that voice, everyone suddenly came to their senses and looked at each other. They were all incredibly beautiful women, but inside, they were boys, and that gap was just so absurd— Laughter bubbled up from no one in particular. "Ahahaha!" "No, this isn't a laughing matter!" Tsurumaru was angry, but he was laughing too. Then, a quiet voice spoke. "In that case, let us divide by time." Kogitsunemaru had appeared behind us at some point. "First, the first half for those whose original hearts are male. The second half for… ah, but that would be everyone, wouldn't it." Kogitsunemaru, uncharacteristically, pressed a hand to his temple. "…At any rate, let us draw lots." In the end, the order was decided by drawing lots. I watched the noisy commotion from a slight distance. (Good. Everyone seems to be having fun, more or less.) I sighed in relief. But. At that moment, my eyes were searching for Kunihiro. Kunihiro was walking toward the large bathhouse with Tonbokiri, Kara, and Tsurumaru, who had somehow become friendly with them. The two of them lightly tapped Kunihiro on the shoulder and laughed about something. Beneath the cloth, Kunihiro seemed to be smiling, just a little. The moment I saw that. A sharp pang shot through my chest. (Ah, I see.) I felt something dark and ugly squirming deep inside my heart. (I really hate… seeing Kunihiro having fun with someone else.) A dirty feeling I couldn't tell anyone. Possessiveness. Night. I was alone in my office, slumped over my writing desk. "…I'm the worst." I muttered it aloud. Everyone was suffering from the inconvenience. They'd even been injured in battle. And yet, here I was. "It's my fault. Because of my selfish feelings — just wanting to keep Kunihiro all to myself." Because I couldn't wish from the bottom of my heart for them to return to normal, everyone remained as girls. And despite that, I'd still called Kunihiro "beautiful" and gotten all flustered. "Someone like me has no right to be the aruji who leads everyone." Tears spilled down, wetting the surface of the desk. Just then, a quiet voice came from beyond the shoji screen. "Aruji-sama, may I speak with you for a moment?" "…

日本語

What is Novelia? →

Episode 2

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

What is Novelia?

Novelia is an AI-powered platform to read original light novels and fan fiction, create your own in just a few taps, and chat with the characters. New, illustrated episodes arrive daily — free to start.

Learn more about Novelia →New sign-ups get 5,000pt