"Alright, let's go to the Succubus village!" Luka declared, as we moved on the road.

"...Damn pervert." Alice deadpanned.

"Th...That's not it! I can't just leave a village about to be attacked alone! Help me out here, Daniel!" Luka pleaded. Alice didn't seem to care for his plight.

"Sorry, no can do Hero, you're the one who goes around saving people, this is part of the job too." I said neutrally.

Inwardly, I was snickering at their usual antics.

Seriously, the way these two danced around each other was better than any comedy back home.

Not to say I didn't still miss those though...

"Oh, come on! You're going there too, why doesn't Alice say anything about it!?" Luka questioned in exasperation.

"Because I already declared I don't have any interest in casual sex, Mr. I-must-take-the-enemy's-pleasure-attacks." I quipped.

"I don't do that because I like it! It's just an effective fighting style..." Luka weakly protested.

"...Pervert." Alice repeated.

Luka could only blush furiously at that, stammering incoherently.

~– ~ – ~

We kept moving towards the Succubus village soon after that.

However, as we drew closer to it, I started feeling not-so-great.

It all started with a simple headache.

I thought nothing of it, as I had been having trouble sleeping for the last few days.

Of course, my condition only grew worse from there...

~– ~ – ~

"Hey, Daniel, are you ok? You don't look so good..." Luka asked as we walked the last stretch towards the village.

"...I'm ok, I just have this headache. I think I may be catching a cold." I replied, feeling like every part of my body was made of lead, my head pounding like someone was hitting it with a sledgehammer.

"You look like death warmed over. You should really take it easy for a while." Alice said in a slightly concerned tone.

"I'll rest at the Inn after we're done gathering information. I just need to catch up on some sleep is all." I assured.

"If you say so... Just don't force yourself, alright?" Luka pleaded.

"I'll be fine. It's just a cold. You know I recover quickly from these things. I'll probably be perfectly healthy tomorrow morning." I said hopefully, as we finally entered Succubus village.

Of course, I should have known better than to say something so utterly idiotic.

Unfortunately, I had temporarily forgotten the first rule for survival in any universe consisting in three simple words.

Never.

Tempt.

Fate.

~– ~ – ~

"This is the Succubus village? It seems so lifeless..." Luka commented, looking at the few people and soldiers still present in town.

"The Purple Sabbath is tonight. Tonight the purple moon will be full..." Alice explained.

"I got here in the nick of time... Even a day late and getting here would have been wasted effort." Luka pointed out.

I inwardly exulted, even as my head throbbed in pain.

I had done it.

This had been the most worrisome thing to keep tabs on.

Such time-sensitive events were rare during the game, but they had to be done.

The consequences from skipping even one could have been devastating.

But we had made it.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after that we started gathering information around the village.

Most men were here for either fighting or not at all, while the women were few and resigned to a night of terror, unable to leave.

"Young man over there, would you like your fortune told? Since the village is in such a horrid state, I'll do it for free!" a woman in a strange witch-like outfit offered, looking at my friend.

There was something I should have known about her, but my thoughts and senses were getting hazy as my head and body felt sore and sick.

"Sure..." Luka agreed, not seeing the harm in it.

"Hmmm... I sense issues with women. There is surely going to be trouble with women ahead for you... Well? Did I get it right?" the woman questioned.

"Amazing! That's exactly right! How do I avoid it!?" Luka demanded.

"That's just your fate. Surrender to it." the woman winked.

"What? That's awful..." Luka trailed off.

"Fate can always be changed." I clearly stated, even with my head feeling like it was being split apart.

I had to believe that.

I needed to.

Everyone looked at me strangely for a moment, my friends in concern, the woman with slight interest.

Finally, Luka spoke up again.

"Anyway, why haven't you evacuated?" he inquired to the soothsayer.

"Even if trouble is coming, I won't turn tail and run. If the Succubi come, I'll just offer them my trade..." the woman replied.

"You have some guts..." Luka praised.

"By the way, do you know why the Succubi attack the people here?" the soothsayer questioned.

"Err... Because tonight their magic will be at their most powerful. So they all group together and attack at the same time... right?" Luka guessed.

"...Too bad, but you're a little off. If it was an ordinary Purple Sabbath, you would be correct. But there's a different purpose this time... They're grouping up to fulfill... another purpose." the woman misteriously declared.

"Another purpose...? What is it?" Luka inquired.

"Hehe... That's a secret. When tonight comes, you'll understand..." the soothsayer giggled.

"How do you know such a thing...? You must be a really powerful soothsayer!" Luka exclaimed in awe.

"Th... Thanks..." the woman stammered in surprise.

"...Damn idiot." Alice muttered, before looking at me in worry.

I barely managed to keep myself from trembling.

We moved on soon after, looking for more intel.

~– ~ – ~

On the way, we passed by the village chief's house.

"Welcome, Heroes. I'm the chief of this village." the chief greeted us.

She looked like a young girl with green hair, wearing a frilly dress.

"Not a Hero. Just a traveler." I disclaimed automatically, even as my vision grew hazier.

"He... Hello..." Luka greeted the young woman.

"You know, right... Every 100 years, the Succubi attack this village in a large group. It's called the Purple Sabbath. And it's going to happen tonight." the chief said.

"Yes. I came here to defend the village against that!" Luka declared.

"Hehe... That will be a big help. We can always do with more strong men..." the chief trailed off with an innocent tone.

"Ye... Yes... Thank you..." Luka stammered with a slight blush.

"I'll be looking forward to it, Mr Cute Hero." the girl giggled.

"Le.. Leave it to me..." Luka assured, before we left the house.

At this point I was at my limit.

~– ~ – ~

Thankfully, we reached the local Inn soon after.

"It looks like the Innkeeper evacuated." Luka commented, leaving some money on the counter for all of us.

This Inn apparently only had double rooms at most, and Alice and Luka decided they would leave me a single one so that I could rest.

I didn't have the energy to argue.

"Alright, call us if you need anything." Luka requested, as I started putting my stuff down on the room's floor.

"Try to get some rest. You really shouldn't push yourself like this." Alice said in concern.

"I told you, I'll be fine, it's just a cold, I'll be all better tomorrow." I assured.

After a couple more seconds, Luka closed the door, leaving me some privacy.

~– ~ – ~

I closed the blinds on the outside of the windows and pulled the curtains, the room becoming darker.

I shed my clothes, my body feeling too hot for even pajamas.

Then I slipped my sore body inside the light bedsheets and tried to get some sleep.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be so easy...

The more time passed, the worse my condition grew.

Hot, cold, it didn't matter, I couldn't be anything but uncomfortable.

I desperately tried to force my body still, but the tremors were uncontrollable, my muscles screaming in pain at every twitch.

I still stubbornly kept my voice from leaking out, unwilling to risk compromising the evening's events in any way.

Everything just HURT so much...

And then, the purple moon rose, a violet light passing through the metal blinds and glass.

And the true pain started.

I fell to the floor, feeling like my body was simultaneously freezing and on fire, everything blurring around me.

I desperately attempted to crawl to the door, but my limbs didn't listen to me.

I tried to call for help when I couldn't take it anymore, but my voice refused to come out.

I could feel every inch of my body tearing itself apart, as if trying to consume itself.

Then merciful darkness took me.

But I soon woke up again.

I kept falling in and out of consciouness, my world one of infinite pain, time seeming to stretch on forever...

I could feel Luka move out of his bed when midnight came.

He stopped in front of my room, and I dared to hope he would come in and save me.

But his next words I heard, muffled by the closed door crushed that thought mercilessly.

"Alice, are you here?" Luka asked.

After a few seconds, Alice appeared, still hiding her aura.

"What? I'm not going to help you." she immediately declared.

"I know. But Daniel needs to rest. Can you do something to keep him safe?" Luka requested.

"...Fine. I'll just cast an impenetrable barrier on this room. Be thankful." Alice scoffed.

I desperately tried to call out to her, to stop her in any way, but as her aura surged, particles of darkness passing through me, the agony was enough to paralyze me completely.

My consciousness faded once more, the black void of a dreamless sleep a sweet relief from the impossible torture.

All was silent for a time, as my mind was filled only with a quiet stillness.

~– ~ – ~

Suddenly, the darkness was forced back by a bright light, my awareness returning in less than a second, as my eyes opened.

The pain was over.

However, my body still felt...

Wrong.

I got up from the floor, staggering, and almost falling a couple times.

I blinked away the blurriness, my sight slowly starting to focus.

I coughed softly, my throat dry, before automatically moving towards my waterskin.

I quickly drained it, my dehydrated body reveling in the sweet relief of moisture.

Then my eyes fell to the mirror hanging on the wall.

I stared numbly at my reflection for a moment.

Then I dropped the empty waterskin on the ground.

My breathing grew ragged again, as I trembled in undescribeable panic.

My own face stared back at me in horror from the reflective surface.

But the creature wearing it...

Was all but human.

I still had no aura of my own.

But everything else had changed.

Hard, dark green scales covered my forearms and legs, my fingers ending in sharp claws.

I idly noted that the Dragon Seal from the Pyramid was still visible on the same hand as before.

Bat-like wings grew from my back, leathery and dark red in color, the demonic look they gave me emphasized by the black horns growing out of the back of my head, curved forward.

My hair had become a familiar shade of silver, and two white fox ears twitched on top of my head, their shape and color matching the nine tails coming out of my back.

On my chest and face, tribal tatoo-like patterns covered me in a perfect symmetry, my sculpted abs looking solid as marble.

Finally, Alice's reptile-like eyes stared back at me, their golden color slightly darker than the originals'.

"No..." I numbly breathed out, as I felt my new limbs move according to my will, any discomfort gone after I noticed their existance, now able to control them as if I always had them.

But I knew that wasn't true.

It couldn't be.

In fact, I didn't want to believe they existed.

But they did.

And so, that had been my last day as a human...

"No... Go away... Go away!" I desperately pleaded, collapsing on my now armored knees, the wooden floor slightly scratched by my sharp scales.

I didn't care about anything else.

I just wanted my body back.

I needed it.

I couldn't live without it.

How was I going to explain this?

Not only to my friends in this world, but also to my family if I ever managed to find a way back.

Just how was I going to tell my mom her son wasn't even the same species as her anymore?

I concentrated as hard as I could, desperately trying to impose my will over reality, fully expecting it to be useless...

But instead, as if my prayers had been heard, I felt my body shift again.

I looked at my arms, as the scales and claws slowly retracted, going back to their previous human appearance.

The fox ears, and tails retracted into my mass, my wings and horns following suit.

My hair and eyes went back to their usual color, my tatoo-like patterns fading into my skin.

I looked numbly at my reflection once more, confirming that, indeed, I looked human again.

But I knew this was only a facade.

I could still feel the changes to my physique, and knew instinctively I could have reversed this restricting disguise anytime I wanted to, returning to full power and comfort in the process.

I didn't care.

I still wept gratefully, knowing it was not over.

I could still go on.

I could still live as myself.

Even if I wasn't ever going to be the same again.

Thus, I lost my humanity.

And gained the strenght I had wished for.

I still would never have accepted that deal willingly...

I passed the rest of the night hugging myself and whimpering, still with my knees on the scratched floor, my eyes now perfectly able to see through the darkness in the room.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, I automatically dressed myself, and picked up my gear, before heading to the door, the barrier Alice the evening before had erected now gone.

I would have to make some adjustments to my clothes in the future, lest I tear them apart or crush my new limbs inside them.

Hopefully I wouldn't need to go back to my new base form anytime soon.

There was no way I could show it around, much less to Luka and Alice.

"Hey, Daniel! How are you feeling?" Luka asked, seeing me come out of my room on my own.

"I told you it would pass quickly. Did anything happen last night? I felt something weird in the atmosphere for a while, but I was too tired to move..." I questioned, trying to keep my voice nonchalant.

"Yeah, you kind of missed a lot of things, I didn't want to disturb you since you needed rest..." Luka said, before recounting the struggles he had the night before.

Everything had gone well, it seemed.

I guessed it was Alice's life-sharing spell that had woken me up after the Sabbath was over.

For once I was thankful for her lack of control with her own magic.

"And so, now the village is peaceful again. Though the men are still being milked..." Luka trailed off uncomfortably.

"I noticed. There are like ten of them inside my range having their fun right now." I said in annoyance, my aura sense still unchanged by the night's events.

At least something was still familiar.

"Wow... You really are a natural-born voyeur." Alice said in an impressed tone.

Normally I'd have retorted.

But I just couldn't find the energy.

"Whatever. Let's just leave if Luka is done here." I said in an uncaring tone, before turning to Luka.

"Sure, I think we're done here. We can go." Luka acquiesced.

Alice looked at me strangely for a moment.

I simply ignored her.

~– ~ – ~

As we were about to leave the village, the Succubi and men came to see Luka off.

"I heard that you're on a journey to promote coexistance between humans and monsters. Is that why you came to this village to help build this utopia for us?" the village chief asked, her human disguise now gone, showing off her true appearance as a Succubus.

"Err... Well..." Luka stammered, blushing lightly.

"Thank you for helping us create a place where we can live!" the monster that had disguised herself as a soothsayer said gratefully.

"Even though we were in control of this village for so long... We still couldn't freely ask for human cooperation." one of two twin blonde Succubi said.

I knew their name to be Lilith and Lilim, even before Luka had recounted the night's events.

"Sister, Immigrants are arriving from all over the world... All to give us their energy..." Lilim spoke in a dreamy tone.

"Errr... Well... Isn't that, uh... Great...?" Luka stammered uncomfortably.

Alice narrowed her eyes at him.

I looked away towards nothing.

"T...Travelers... G... Good... Ah... L... Luck..." one of the men moaned, as the succubi never stopped stimulating them.

"Ahh... D... Do your... Ah! Your best... We'll do... Ahhhh! Our best... Too..." another continued.

"Ahhh... That feels... Ahh..." the last one groaned in pleasure.

I could only stand there, unmoving.

Even if I didn't look, I could still feel everything within my aura sense.

I ignored my body reacting to the mental sensations and images.

"You all too... Uh... Good luck..." Luka said, blushing even more.

"If you're ever nearby, please stop in and visit. We'll always give you a warm welcome..." the Succubus Witch winked at Luka, before turning to face me.

"Of course, you're welcome to live here, too... I'd be glad to give you or your friend a taste of heaven every day..." she trailed off seductively.

"Thanks but no thanks. I'm good." I flatly denied.

She looked slightly disappointed, but didn't press the issue.

"I... I'm going now! Goodbye!" Luka shrieked, as he started running out of the village.

I followed suit, Alice leisurely slithering beside me.

~– ~ – ~

"You do realize I could tell you were aroused, right? My offer is still valid." Alice reminded me, as we left the town behind us.

"No. I'm fine." I simply stated, ending the conversation.

Of course, I was lying out of my ass.

I wouldn't be fine for a long time.

But she couldn't help me anyway.

As we walked away, I silently gave a last farewell to my previous life spent as another species.

At least now my body matched how I always felt lately.

Messed up beyond belief.

Only, while my mind could possibly one day be normal again, my body was never going to do the same...