The morning light filtered faintly through the stone corridors of Laputa. Pazu walked through the halls of Casa Reggia with heavy steps. The soft black hair brushing against their shoulders swayed gently with each stride. "[sigh] Haaah..." They couldn't shake the events of last night. Sheeta's pendant—the levistone glowing that intensely... it couldn't be a coincidence. Maybe someone was approaching. Or maybe the time left for the trial was running out. "[worried] ...I wonder if Sheeta's still asleep." Pazu gazed quietly down the passageway. And then— —BOOOOOOM!!! A massive impact shook the entire castle. "[surprised] Whoa!?" Pazu stumbled, bracing a hand against the wall. What the—what just happened!? "Pazu-san!" Turning around, Pazu saw Sheeta running toward them, her face pale. At her chest, the levistone pendant blazed with an intensity they'd never seen before. "[scared] Th-that sound... it came from outside!" "[serious] Let's go!" The two of them sprinted toward the outer wall. The moment Pazu looked out the window, words failed them. The Tiger Moth. Dola's family airship was parked—half-crashed, really—against Laputa's outer wall. The screech of grinding metal echoed through the air. "[surprised] H-hey... what kind of parking job is that!?" "[laughing] GAHAHAHAHAHA!! We made it, we made it!!" A boisterous laugh rang out, and the gangplank slammed down. What emerged was—a giant of a man. Shoulders twice as broad as Pazu's. Arms thick as logs, with piercing, gleaming golden eyes. Close-cropped hair and a stubbled jaw. "[excited] This is incredible! Laputa's the real deal after all!!" "...Huh?" The voice was unmistakably Dola's. But—their body was that of a man. "[laughing] Eh? What's up, Pazu? Somethin' on my face?" Dola laughed, swinging their thick arms in lazy circles. "[confused] Wh-what in the world is going..." As Pazu stood bewildered, three more figures stumbled unsteadily down the gangplank behind them. The next to appear were three young women. No—that wasn't right. "[crying] Uugh... this is awful... just awful..." "[sobbing] I... I hate this... I wanna go home..." "[scared] Someone put away the mirrors, or cover them with cloth... please..." Dola's sons—Charles, Louis, and Henri. All three were now in the bodies of girls. Charles's red hair fell in soft waves to their shoulders, Louis's freckled face looked somehow innocent and childlike. Henri was the most girlish of the three, a black braid swaying at their back. "[disgusted] Uwaaaaaah!! There's a mirror!! I can see myself in the window glass!!" "[screaming] Gyaaaaaaaah!!" "[fainting] Ah... ah..." All three screamed at the exact same moment, then collapsed to the floor with a series of heavy thuds. "[angry] Aah!? What's wrong with you idiot sons! Pathetic, the lot of ya!!" Dola delivered a solid knuckle rap to each of their heads in turn. *Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.* But the three just lay there, eyes rolled back, not even twitching. "[sigh] Honestly... hopeless. Absolutely hopeless." "[surprised] D-Dola... you too, the trial..." As Sheeta murmured in disbelief, Dola folded their arms and laughed heartily. "[laughing] Yeah, I was in that stone room place, saw a flash of light, and next thing I knew—this! But it ain't bad! With this much strength, I could conquer every sea in the world!!" "[confused] ...You really never change, do you." Pazu let out a sigh. But—they felt just a little relieved. Dola's larger-than-life spirit hadn't changed one bit, whether in a man's body or a woman's. That was when— "[cold] ...I see. It appears everyone is assembled." A voice came from another corridor. Pazu turned and couldn't help doing a double take. Standing there was—Muska, in the form of a woman. Lustrous, long blonde hair cascaded down to their waist, framing sharp, narrow blue eyes. The familiar military uniform was unchanged, but the silhouette of their body was entirely different. "[surprised] M-Muska... even you..." "[sarcastic] Yes. I happened to be in the stone chamber as well, you see. I attempted to be the first to reach Laputa, but there was a small explosion. I was caught slightly off guard." Muska looked down at their own body with evident disgust. "[amused] Hohoh!!" A reckless grin spread across Dola's face as they strode toward Muska with huge steps. "[cold] ...What is it, Dola." Muska retreated a step. But Dola's thick arm clamped firmly onto their shoulder. "[laughing] Gotta say, you've got yourself a pretty nice body there." Muska's heart gave a loud thump. "[shocked] Wha... what are you—!" Heat rushed to their face. They knew, even without seeing, that they were turning bright red. This sensation—it was entirely new. Being touched by someone—and feeling this flustered. "[flustered] L-let go of me! I don't have time for your games—" "[laughing] Gahahaha! You're blushing! Didn't know you could make a face like that, Muska!!" "[angry] Wh-who's blushing!? That's absolutely—!!" Muska's voice cracked as they shouted. "[laughing] ...Fufu." Sheeta had her hand over her mouth, laughing. "[embarrassed] H-hey, Sheeta... don't laugh." Pazu almost started laughing too—and then— "[surprised] ...Ah." Their own laughter rang out, sounding strangely adorable. A girl's high voice. Pazu's face went bright red as they hurriedly clamped a hand over their mouth. "...!" Sheeta's heart skipped at Pazu's reaction. Still smiling, but with her emerald eyes wavering—Sheeta quietly averted her gaze. A bittersweet tension hung in the air between them. "[impatient] —Hmph. This farce ends here." Muska shook off Dola's hand and spoke coldly. "[cold] While you all play around with this trial, I will proceed with my own plans. The levistone in the throne room—once I have that..." "[serious] Hey, Muska! Wait!!" Pazu raised their voice, but Muska was already striding briskly down the corridor. "[urgent] After them, Sheeta!" "Yes!" The two broke into a run. But— Pazu's feet tangled almost immediately. A step in the corridor caught their toe. "[surprised] Whoa!" Their body lurched sideways. "[scared] Pazu-san!" In an instant, Sheeta caught Pazu's arm, steadying them. A slender, pale hand—but firm. "[embarrassed] S-sorry... thanks..." "[gentle] Not at all." Warmth flowed from the hand that supported them. Pazu's heart pounded, and they desperately forced their thoughts back to the crisis at hand. "[determined] Let's hurry! Even in this body, I'm absolutely going to stop Muska!" They ran alongside Sheeta. But even so, the distance between them and Muska kept widening. In a girl's body—their legs were shorter, their strength diminished. "[strained] Dammit...!" Breathing was painful. Still, Pazu gritted their teeth and kept running. At the end of the corridor, the heavy stone doors of the throne room came into view. Muska slipped through to the other side. "[desperate] Wait!!" Pazu reached out a hand. —*Clunk.* Right before their eyes, the stone doors slammed shut. "[crying] Muska!! Open up!!" Pazu pounded on the doors with their fists. But a girl's slender hands could barely make a sound. All it did was drive home their own powerlessness. "[angry] Dammit... dammit...!!" "[sad] ...Pazu-san." Sheeta gently placed a hand on Pazu's back. "[gentle] ...Let's think about this together." A gentle voice. Pazu slowly let out a breath. "[whispers] ...Yeah." "[angry] Oi!! What's goin' on!!" Dola caught up from behind with huge strides. Draped over their shoulders like small pieces of luggage were their three sons, still unconscious. "[urgent] Muska's locked themselves inside!" "[annoyed] What!? That cheeky little—!" Dola slammed a heavy fist against the doors. —*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!* The stone walls shuddered. But the doors didn't budge. "[sigh] Tch... Laputa's doors are tough, huh. This ain't gonna work." Dola scratched their head roughly. Pazu stared at the sealed doors once more. What was Muska doing in there— The fear of not knowing crept coldly into both their hearts.