The Gender-Swap Curse and the Fact That I Still Like You - Flower Field of Despair — With Companions Whose Genders Are Locked, and a Solitary Regeneration

There was a hole in my chest. Fushi looked down at their own body. A translucent tentacle pierced straight through the center of their chest. Their own blood clung to its glistening, slippery surface. "...Ah." A voiceless sound. Air leaked from their lungs. Their knees buckled. They caught themselves on the ground with their hands. Their silver hair grew stained with blood and mud. Somewhere far away, someone screamed. March's voice. Parona's voice. Hisame's voice. All of it muffled, like hearing it from underwater. (It hurts.) (It's hot.) (But I can't die yet.) The flower-shaped mark on the back of their left hand flickered, blinking in and out. Something surged up from deep within their body. The wound began closing from the inside, as if pushing the tentacle back out. Flesh swelled, skin regenerated. *Schlup.* The tentacle fell away from Fushi's chest. It hit the ground and twitched, still writhing as if it were alive. Fushi stood up. "...Everyone." They raised their head. The market street of Takunaha. The evening sky was stained an eerie red. Countless translucent tentacles squirmed across the cobblestones, coiling around walls, rooftops, signboards. And then— Their companions lay fallen. Gugu was sprawled on the ground. A girl's body. Short black hair caked with blood and dirt. Labored breathing leaked from beneath the mask. Blood still flowed from the wound that had pierced his stomach. "Gugu!" Fushi tried to run to him. But their feet stopped. Several of the Nokker's tentacles were buried in Gugu's body. From his back, his shoulders, his thighs. The translucent tubes pulsed, pumping something into him. "...Ugh... ah..." Gugu's voice. A high, girlish voice. Trembling. "Gh... Rean... where's Rean..." Beneath the mask, Gugu desperately turned his head. Where his gaze landed— Rean lay collapsed. The form of a gallant young man. Long blond hair spread across the cobblestones. Blue eyes half-open. His hand reached toward Gugu. His fingertips had stopped just short of reaching. "Gu... Gu..." Rean's lips moved faintly. A low voice. A man's voice. But the words were the same as always—Rean's. "...Don't... you... my... body..." The Nokker's tentacles were coiled around Rean's body too. Around both legs, the left arm, the chest. The tips of the tentacles squirmed beneath the skin. Fushi bit their lip. (It's my fault.) (My regeneration scent is drawing the Nokkers.) (Because I'm here, everyone's a target.) They clenched the mark on their left hand. Nails dug in. Blood welled. But the pain vanished almost instantly. The regeneration sealed the wound. "...Fushi." Gugu was looking at them. Behind the mask, his brown eyes glimmered faintly. "...Run... at least you... get out..." "No!" Fushi shouted. "I can't leave you behind and run!" "You... idiot...!" Gugu forced the words out. Even in a girl's body, his manner of speech was completely, unmistakably Gugu. "If you... get caught... it's all... over...!" "But—!" "...Go." Gugu's voice suddenly went quiet. "...I'll be fine. Rean too. So go. Get the flower." "Gugu..." Fushi's eyes burned. That was when— "Fushi...!" A frail voice. They turned. March had fallen. An adult woman's body. Her light brown short hair was a mess. Her large amber eyes were brimming with tears. "Fushi... I... I can't move..." Nokker tentacles were buried in March's body too. In her slender arms, her legs, her stomach. The tentacles pinned her to the ground. "March!" Fushi tried to run toward her. But before they could— "March!" Parona, in the form of a young man, threw herself over March. A gallant face with black hair tied back. Her narrow black eyes held a desperate light. "I'll protect you. March, don't move." "Parona...! No, get away! You'll be—" "It's fine. I'm your big sister, aren't I?" Parona smiled. With a young man's face, she smiled gently. The next instant— *Schlick.* A Nokker tentacle pierced Parona's back. "...Gh!" Parona's body jerked. Blood spilled from her mouth. Even so, she didn't move off March. "Parona! Parona!" March screamed. Tears poured endlessly. "No! Parona! It's my fault! Because I said I wanted to be an adult...!" "...That's... not... it..." Parona shook her head, coughing up blood. "...It's not... your fault... March..." "Parona...!" Fushi ran to the two of them. "Parona! March!" "...Fushi." March looked up at Fushi. Her amber eyes were wet with tears. "Fushi... am I... never going to be an adult...?" Fushi couldn't answer. Their throat tightened. They had to say something. But no words came. "...I finally... became an adult... and now..." March's voice trembled. "...I wanted... to be with you... longer, Fushi..." "March..." Fushi took March's hand. A small hand. Even in an adult's body, it was still March's hand. Warm. But it was growing colder, bit by bit. "...I'll... definitely... save you." That was all Fushi could manage. "...Mm." March smiled through her tears. "...I believe in you... Fushi..." Those words pierced deep into Fushi's chest. (She believes in me.) (And I can't do anything.) Fushi bit down hard on their lip. They tasted blood. —Then. "...Well, damn." A flippant voice. Fushi looked. Tonari was leaning against a wall. A young man's form. Brown skin lit by the evening light. "This is rough." Nokker tentacles were crawling over Tonari's body too. Arms, legs, neck. The tentacles slowly tightened around them. "...Tonari." "What's with that face? I'm not dead yet." Tonari laughed. But their face was twisted with pain. "...The feeling of tentacles crawling inside your body is pretty gross, huh. I should write this in my diary." "Tonari...!" "...Fushi, you go." Tonari's expression turned serious. "You're getting the flower, right. Don't worry about us. I've got poison resistance. This much is nothing." "But—!" "Don't 'but' me." Tonari glared at Fushi. "If you don't go, everyone stays like this. Stuck in these bodies. For life." "...!" "Go. We'll be here, waiting." Tonari laughed again. This time, it was a genuinely carefree grin. "...Sandel, say something too." Beside Tonari. Sandel lay collapsed. A girl's form. Brown skin, short hair. Desperately examining their own body, trying to put their medical knowledge to use. "...I want to record these symptoms..." Sandel murmured in a shaking voice. "...But my body... won't move... This has never... happened before..." "Sandel, don't push yourself." "...You're the one... pushing yourself..." Sandel looked at Tonari. Frustration surfaced on the girl's face. "...Fushi... hurry... the flower..." "Sandel..." Fushi tried to go to them. But the Nokker tentacles blocked the way. Dozens of them rose like a wall. "Kh—!" Fushi tried to sweep the tentacles aside. But there were too many. —Then. "Lord Fushi...!" A high voice. Hisame darted in front of Fushi. A girl's form. Black hair whipping in the wind. "Hisame! It's dangerous!" "Protecting you is my duty, Lord Fushi!" Hisame spread both arms to shield Fushi. *Schlick.* A Nokker tentacle pierced Hisame's shoulder. "...Gh!" Hisame's body lurched violently. Even so, she stayed planted in front of Fushi. "Hisame!" "...I-I'm fine... If it means I get to touch you, Lord Fushi... this much is..." Hisame put on a brave front, her voice shaking. "...Lord Fushi... I... I have feelings for you..." Hisame's voice cut off. Her body trembled with fear as she felt her sex being locked in place. "Hisame... that's enough! Fall back!" "...No... I... I want to protect you, Lord Fushi..." Tears in her eyes, Hisame shook her head. —In that instant. "Gwaaaaaaah!" Kahaku's scream. Fushi looked. Kahaku was clutching his left arm, down on one knee. A boy's form. The Nokker parasitizing his left arm was pulsing grotesquely. "Kahaku!" "...Fushi... hurry... the flower...!" Kahaku shouted through the pain. The Nokker in his left arm was resonating with the surrounding Nokkers, beginning to run wild. Tentacles extended from his arm on their own. "At this rate... my Nokker will... call more of them...!" "...!" A chill ran down Fushi's spine at Kahaku's words. (Kahaku's Nokker is calling the others.) (That's why there are so many.) (My regeneration scent and Kahaku's Nokker resonating. The two together have filled the whole town with Nokkers...) "Lord Fushi... please go..." Hisame pushed Fushi's back. "We'll... be all right..." "Hisame..." "Please... put everyone... back the way they were..." Hisame's voice was trembling. Even so, her eyes looked straight at Fushi. —Then. "...Even with my medium powers..." Bon, dressed in women's clothing, lay on the ground. The gorgeous dress was soiled with mud and blood. The haughty attitude was nowhere to be found. "...Ghosts... help me...!" Bon shouted at the air around them. "...I am... Bonshen Nikoli La Teastypeach Uralis... your... prince...!" The ghosts had gathered around Bon. Translucent figures. Old and young, men and women, all kinds. But none of them could touch Bon. "...I can't touch them... With my medium powers... I can speak with ghosts... but I can't... make contact..." Bon's voice shook. "...This... this can't be... Am I... unable to protect anyone...?!" Bon struck the ground. The dress tore, fingers bleeding. "Bon..." Fushi understood Bon's frustration like a pain in their own chest. (I'm the same.) (I can't protect anyone either.) (The only one who can regenerate is me. The only one who can't die is me. But that's all.) (I don't have the power to save my friends.) Fushi looked around. Gugu. Rean. March. Parona. Tonari. Sandel. Bon. Hisame. Kahaku. Everyone was down. Everyone was parasitized by Nokkers. Everyone was frozen in their swapped sex, unable to move. Gugu, losing consciousness as a girl. Rean, unable to move as a man. March, weeping in an adult woman's body. Parona, collapsing as a young man trying to protect March. Tonari, grinning flippantly in a young man's form. Sandel, trying to take notes in a girl's form. Bon, begging the ghosts for help in women's clothing. Hisame, stabbed while shielding Fushi. Kahaku, his left-arm Nokker running wild. All of them, all of them, because of Fushi. Because Fushi had brought back the flower's curse. Because Fushi's regeneration scent had drawn the Nokkers. "...It's my..." Fushi's voice shook. "...It's my fault... everyone ended up like this..." Tears spilled over. They couldn't stop them. Tears traced down the silver-haired boy's cheeks. Fell to the ground. "...I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... everyone..." Crying, Fushi took one step back. "...I'm going..." "Fushi..." Beneath the mask, Gugu watched them. "...Go. We'll... be waiting." "...Yeah." Fushi nodded. "I'll definitely... come back. I'll put everyone... back." "...Yeah. I believe you." Gugu smiled. Beneath the mask, he definitely smiled. Fushi broke into a run. Through the market street, toward the north gate. Behind them, their companions' voices rang out. "Fushiii! Do your best!" "Lord Fushi...! Stay safe...!" "...I'm counting on you, Fushi." "I believe in you too...!" The voices faded into the distance. Fushi didn't look back. Because they felt that if they did, they'd never be able to run again. They passed through the town of Takunaha. The north gate in the stone wall stood open. No guards in sight. Had they fled, or were they lying fallen somewhere? Fushi ran north. To the Forest of Kazamidori. Dusk turned to night. The sky deepened to a rich indigo. Stars emerged, one after another. Inside the forest, it was dark. The branches of evergreens blocked the starlight. The ground was slick with moss. Fushi ran, stumbling again and again. (Hurry.) (Hurry, to the flower.) (Everyone's waiting.) Their breath ran short. Their legs grew heavy. The wound in their chest had already cl

日本語

What is Novelia? →

Episode 5

Name: The Gender-Swap Curse and the Fact That I Still Like You
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