Saving Beauty Ewan

In the mirror, the person, though dressed in an ill-fitting white shirt and boxer shorts, could not hide her stunning beauty and bewitching figure. A cascade of wavy, golden hair fell over her shoulders, reminiscent of an endless field of wheat.

But… this woman looked a little familiar…

“Wait a minute. Is that… me?”

The realization hit Ewan, and he froze, completely dumbfounded.

What’s going on?

What do I do now?

How did this happen?

How did I suddenly turn into a woman?!

After a brief, three-part existential crisis, Ewan subconsciously reached out and gave the pair of large, perfectly shaped, and endlessly imaginative breasts a squeeze.

Mm… they feel nice.

But he couldn’t feel anything from his chest. It was as if… he had two water balloons strapped to him.

“As I thought. They’re just fakes,” Ewan sighed in relief. To suddenly turn into a woman in this “Mary Sue” yuri novel’s world would be terrifying. It would be a one-way ticket to a “gender bender” plotline, ending with him being absorbed into the protagonist’s harem. The thought of having to dress up all pretty, put on makeup, and fight for favor in Ariel’s harem… ugh, what a chaotic, unspeakable, demonic development. Both harem fans and yuri fans would be left speechless.

“So, this is the effect of the potion? It just changes your appearance to that of a woman?” Ewan stroked his chin, thinking. “That’s why it didn’t work on Anna.”

Thinking of this, Ewan couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief. It was a good thing the potion had been slow to take effect. If he had transformed in front of Anna, with her devilish personality, it probably would have turned into a full-blown makeup and dress-up party on the spot. The thought of Anna approaching him with a little dress and a big-bad-wolf-like grin made him shiver.

“It seems the morning run is out for now. I’ll just go back to bed and sleep for a while longer.”

Guessing that the potion’s effect would last for some time, Ewan decided to go back to sleep. Thankfully, the fear from the prophetic dream had been greatly diminished by this unexpected event.

“After all that’s happened, there’s no way something else unexpected could possibly happen, right?”

…

…

“Ryan, have you really… never had a girl like you before?”

In a dark room, Ryan sat in silent contemplation. Even though so much time had passed, Ewan Campbell’s words still echoed in his mind, like a curse, waking him in the middle of the night, robbing him of his sleep.

But—

“That’s all in the past!”

Ryan looked up, his eyes shining with a fervent light in the darkness.

“And why is that? Because I have already found my true love!”

With that, he stood up and opened the wardrobe in front of him.

Inside were… underpants.

Dense, layered, and of all different styles… men’s underpants!

Ryan picked up a pair of underpants, his face a mask of pure bliss.

“The great God of Love has already taught me what true love is.”

“Therefore, I no longer need those so-called ‘women’.”

“I don’t need them!” Ryan shouted with a fanatical fervor, then slammed the wardrobe shut and sealed it with several locks.

Finally, he walked out of the room.

Outside, a group of muscular men were waiting in silence.

“Let’s go, brothers,” Ryan said. “I’ll take you to Ewan Campbell.”

…

…

“BOOM!”

Ewan had just gotten into bed, the sheets not even warm yet, when he heard a violent explosion in the distance.

“What’s going on?”

Ewan shot up, his face a mask of pure shock as he looked out the window.

An invasion?

No, no. The invasion isn’t supposed to happen for another month!

“Thunder. It must be thunder.”

Even though the weather outside was clear and he could even see the stars, it had to be thunder. His month of peaceful life hadn’t even started yet. How could it be over before it had even begun?

Ewan nodded vigorously, as if to convince himself.

Then he rolled himself up in the blankets and went back to sleep…

Sleep my ass! That was clearly the sound of the school being blown up! And from the direction of the explosion, it was the teachers’ dormitory!

There were many powerful people in the teachers’ dormitory, and many of the professors lived there. Who in the seven hells would be so bold as to launch an invasion by picking the hell-difficulty starting point?

Ewan scrambled out of bed, deciding to at least put on some clothes. In his current state, a shirt and boxer shorts, and with the appearance of a big-breasted, cute girl, if someone were to see him…

BOOM!

Another explosion.

This one was close.

Very close.

So close that the flying splinters of wood and stone almost grazed the tip of his nose.

“What the—”

Looking at the suddenly blasted-open door of his room, Ewan hadn’t even had time to fully express his shock and anger before he was frozen by the scene that followed.

From the smoke and dust, a horde of muscular men, wearing only thongs, poured in.

The muscular men were all bald, their muscles as hard as a wild bull’s, and their skin was coated in some kind of liquid that reflected the dim light with an oily sheen.

Superalloy.

Darkshine.

Ah!

♂.

Strange, nonsensical words flashed through Ewan’s mind.

If it were just a single muscular man, Ewan might have been able to appreciate him as a bodybuilder. But so many of them at once…

Ewan felt his eyes begin to ache.

What in the world is going on?! Is this a private party for fitness instructors?

“Is this the place?”

The muscular men were clearly well-trained. They moved quickly, silently, and efficiently. After pouring into the not-so-spacious single dorm room in an orderly fashion, they quickly secured all the doors and windows, leaving no escape route for the person inside.

And then, a particularly large, muscular man, who had to duck to get through the blasted-open doorway, walked in. His cold gaze swept over the room. When his eyes passed over Ewan, they flickered for a moment, but he quickly looked away, his gaze settling on other places.

Not finding the person he was looking for, the High Priest frowned in displeasure and asked the person beside him, “I thought you said this was Ewan Campbell’s room? Where is he?”

“This is Ewan Campbell’s room,” the only clothed muscular man said, scratching his head in confusion.

The moment he saw him, Ewan’s eyes widened.

Ryan!

What is he doing here?

Ah, no, wait. He fits in perfectly with this group of muscular men.

But that wasn’t the point. The point was…

Their target seemed to be… him.

But because of the potion, they didn’t seem to recognize him.

“I don’t care if it’s the right room or not. The problem is, where is he?” The High Priest once again swept his gaze over the small room, not even sparing the dark corners. But after still not finding his target, he pointed angrily at Ewan. “Besides this blond beauty, do you see a shadow of Ewan Campbell anywhere in this room?”

“But…”

Ryan was still confused. This was definitely room 526. They were on the same floor. How could he have gotten it wrong?

He turned his head and looked at Ewan.

His gaze swept over the strange blond beauty, and he was stunned for a moment. Then, as if he had just realized something, a look of enlightenment appeared on his face.

Ewan’s heart tightened.

Don’t tell me he’s figured it out…

“I get it!”

Ryan slapped his knee. “That Ewan Campbell is a playboy, so this woman must be his girlfriend! She definitely knows where he is!”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. It must be.”

With that, his expression immediately turned vicious. “To secretly bring his girlfriend back to the dorm… how enviable… I mean, how scandalous! Such a debauched act! Does he have no regard for the school rules?”

So you bringing a bunch of naked men into the dorm isn’t a violation of school rules? Ewan couldn’t help but complain in his mind, but then he froze. Bringing men into a boy’s dorm… probably wasn’t a violation of the school rules.

…

“I see.”

The High Priest nodded, as if he had accepted Ryan’s theory.

And so, he turned and looked at Ewan.

Although they were several meters apart, he did not approach, but simply asked coldly, “Miss, could you please tell me where Ewan Campbell is?”

Finding it a little strange to be spoken to from so far away, Ewan’s mouth twitched. He lowered his voice, affecting a feminine tone, and said with a smile, “Um… I… I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? But aren’t you his girlfriend? He wouldn’t just leave his girlfriend alone in his dorm room, would he?”

“I’m not his girlfriend! I’m… I’m…”

Ewan’s mind raced, and he explained, “I’m his little sister. I’m just staying in his dorm room for the night. So I don’t know where he’s gone off to.”

“That’s not right,” Ryan frowned. “Isn’t the Campbell family known for having only one heir per generation? How could Ewan Campbell have a little sister?”

“…”

Damn it. Is the Campbell family’s birth rate that well known?

Ewan’s smile stiffened slightly, and he quickly changed his story. “A cousin. I’m his cousin. I’m a new first-year student at Saint Marika this year, so it’s normal that no one knows about me.”

“I see.”

The High Priest nodded, not doubting his story. After all, the blond beauty before him did bear a slight resemblance to the Ewan Campbell in the portrait. A cousin was indeed more believable than a girlfriend.

“But since you’re his cousin,” the High Priest’s expression turned cold again, “you might be useful in making Ewan Campbell surrender. You there, go and tie her up.”

“Yes, sir!”

Ryan accepted the order and, with a coil of rope in his hand, began to walk toward Ewan.

Ewan’s breath hitched.

He secretly placed a hand behind his back, his fingers closing around a fruit knife he had managed to grab from the desk.

Should I fight? Should I fight? Should I fight…

Although his chances of winning against a dozen muscular men were slim, to just surrender like this…

“Hm?”

Lost in his internal struggle, Ewan couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion.

Ryan wasn’t tying him up. He was just pacing back and forth in front of him with the rope, as if he were hesitating. His gaze would occasionally sweep over Ewan, and especially after glancing at the two prominent… assets that were straining against the buttons of his shirt, the muscular man’s face would turn slightly red.

“Um…”

Ryan scratched his head and looked back at the High Priest with an embarrassed expression. “High Priest, I’ve never touched a girl before. I hear their bodies are very soft. What if I use a little too much force and she breaks?”

So you’re a pure, innocent boy? The kind who blushes when he sees a girl?

Ewan was stunned by Ryan’s shy words.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

The High Priest, who looked as cold as iron, as if he wouldn’t even bat an eye at a river of blood flowing before him, also blushed after hearing Ryan’s words. “I’ve never touched a girl either, so I don’t know.”

Ewan: “…”

What kind of organization is this? The Pure Boys’ Mutual Aid Society?

Wake up! Pure boys and pure boys together will never gain any experience with the opposite s*x! You’ll never get girlfriends like this!

“Then what do we do?” Ryan asked.

The High Priest frowned and looked around. “Has any of you ever touched a girl?”

“No.”

All the muscular men shook their heads in unison.

Are you kidding me? They would be burned at the stake for even touching a cow. How could they possibly have ever touched a woman? Besides, the so-called True Love Cult was a cult that could survive on beer, dumbbells, and the sweat and groans of men. There was no place for women there.

“Let me do it.”

Just then, as if a savior would always appear when the world was on the verge of destruction, a rather young-looking muscular man stepped forward. He took out a pair of shackles, his expression as solemn as a soldier making a “I’ll come back and marry you after this war” vow before heading to the battlefield.

All the muscular men looked at him in silent admiration, as if witnessing the birth of a hero. The High Priest also couldn’t help but show a look of approval. With such a fearless, self-sacrificing member, how could their True Love Cult not prosper?

The young muscular man walked toward Ewan.

Ewan glanced at the shackles in his hand and, after a moment’s thought, decided not to resist. He hid the fruit knife behind his back in his boxer shorts and cooperatively held out his hands.

The young muscular man held his breath and carefully locked the shackles on Ewan’s wrists.

But even as careful as he was, his hand still inevitably touched Ewan’s.

Touched what he thought was a woman’s hand.

And so.

As if a bucket of red paint had been dumped on his head, his face instantly turned red, all the way down to his neck.

His heart began to pound in his chest, like a husky that had been cooped up for a month and was finally able to run free.

Even Ewan could clearly hear his heartbeat.

“I…”

The young muscular man staggered back a few steps, clutching his chest, the feeling of that soft touch still lingering on his fingertips, his expression dazed.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he looked at Ewan’s face and, in a trembling voice, he said softly, “Mama, I think I’m in love.”

Crap.

In love with what? You’re just shy because you’ve never touched a girl before!

Ewan didn’t know what to say to that.

And you fall in love just from touching a hand? Are you a kindergartener?

Should I—

The next moment, before Ewan could even finish his thought, his eyes widened in horror.

Because blood sprayed before his eyes.

The young muscular man, his face still full of a shy and dazed expression, was suddenly, in Ewan’s disbelieving eyes, beheaded by a single slash.

So suddenly.

Hot blood splattered all over Ewan’s face, staining his white shirt with ghastly red spots.

The young muscular man’s head rolled to Ewan’s feet, his eyes still wide open in a look of eternal surprise.

The High Priest withdrew his glinting blade and sneered, “Another bastard who has violated the scriptures.”

Gurgle, gurgle…

The moment the High Priest finished speaking, the young muscular man’s corpse suddenly began to writhe. The flesh, as if it had a mind of its own, detached itself from the bones and skin, twisting and tearing, the shape of the internal organs and muscles vaguely visible. But it was like a swarm of worms, crawling up the High Priest’s body and then burrowing into the thick holy scripture in his hand.

A faint, joyful slurping sound could be heard from within the scripture.

And in less than a dozen seconds, all that was left before Ewan was a skeleton, wrapped in dry skin.

Ewan was chilled to the bone.

In that moment, from that holy scripture, he once again felt that familiar, horrifying aura.

And he finally understood why these muscular men who had appeared out of nowhere were after him by name.

Because they were the believers of that God of Love.

The very same God of Corruption that he had just recently humiliated, defeated, and scattered to the winds.

It was clear that he had made an enemy of this god, an enemy so great that it was probably even worse than if he had cursed its mother.

Although Evil Gods probably didn’t have mothers, this one definitely wanted him dead. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have spent two precious seconds learning human language just to throw a threat at him as it was leaving.

Ewan knew how serious it was to be targeted by an Evil God. He had been preparing for it.

He just hadn’t expected…

The retaliation to be so fast!

According to the usual tropes, after the protagonist pisses off the villain, the villain should at least give the protagonist some time to grow stronger, right? Otherwise, if the protagonist is just swatted like a fly, how can the plot develop?

But it had only been a few days.

Not even half a month.

Did your desire for revenge have no limits?

—Ah, he wasn’t the protagonist. Never mind.

“Hm? Why do you look so scared?”

The High Priest looked at Ewan and asked with a strange expression.

“B-because someone just died in front of me,” Ewan said, trying his best to control his trembling legs and force a smile that was uglier than a sob. “For a delicate little girl, shouldn’t that be scary?”

“…I see.” The High Priest stroked his chin and mused, “I don’t know much about women. Are they really such fragile creatures?”

Normal men are fragile too, you bastard! If I hadn’t seen Elka’s transformation before, I probably would have been on my knees by now.

Ewan, while giving the High Priest a “I’m a weak little thing, please ignore me” smile, slowly began to back away.

Don’t panic, Ewan. Don’t panic.

These guys corrupted by the God of Love are usually not very bright. Their twisted love has probably eroded most of their sanity. So they probably won’t find out that I’m Ewan for now.

First, I’ll stabilize the situation, then I’ll find a chance to escape.

Even if I can’t escape with so many muscular big brothers watching, this is Saint Marika Academy. As long as I can stall for time, someone will definitely come to the rescue!

“Let’s continue.”

The High Priest put away his holy scripture and gave a loud command to the muscular men around him. “We must find that blasphemer, Ewan Campbell, and sacrifice him to the great God of Love!”

“Sacrifice to the great God of Love!” the muscular men responded with a fanatical fervor, as if they were completely unconcerned that their companion had just become food for some unknown entity.

…

…

“Wait, this isn’t the kind of rescue I was waiting for!”

On the roof of the dormitory building, a strong wind was blowing.

Ewan, with a look of pure despair on his face, was forced to stand on the edge of the railing, a large blade pointed at his back.

The dormitory area below was brightly lit.

With the sound of a piercing alarm, all sorts of lights, from either magic or items, lit up half the sky, as bright as day.

Terrifying explosions, accompanied by the cries of the lower-year students, would occasionally ring out.

Many muscular men were causing destruction everywhere.

The area below the dormitory was in chaos. The lower-year students had never seen anything like this, and most of them were running around in a panic.

But amidst the chaos, Ewan could vaguely make out some familiar figures, going against the crowd and joining the battle, fighting fiercely with the muscular men.

And in the distance, reinforcements from the upper years were quickly approaching.

Aside from the cowards who had run away, and the teachers who for some reason had not yet arrived, more than half the academy was now converging on this dormitory building.

It was a lively scene.

And at that moment.

Before Ewan’s dead, lifeless eyes.

The High Priest also stood beside him on the edge of the roof and slowly raised the…

MAGICAL! MEGAPHONE!

“Ewan Campbell—”

A huge voice echoed.

In an instant.

The chaotic scene below fell silent.

“Look who I have here! This is someone very important to you, right? If you want to save her, then stop hiding like a coward and stand up like a man! I’ll be waiting for you here!”

Everyone, whether they were fighting, running, or approaching, was drawn by the huge voice and looked up.

And then they saw the tall, muscular man, and standing beside him, the very eye-catching, and strangely dressed, blond beauty.

Wow, what a beautiful blondie.

The moment all eyes were on him, even though he was standing on a windy rooftop, even though he was so cold in his thin clothes that he was shivering, at that moment, Ewan felt his face become hotter than ever before.

Yamete.

Please.

Don’t look.

Don’t look at me.

Please, I’m begging you, don’t look at me!

…

…

“It’s Ewan Campbell again. What kind of mess has he gotten himself into now?”

Ariel, wielding a huge, ruler-shaped greatsword, sent a muscular man flying and then looked up at the sound of the voice.

And then, the slightly annoyed expression on her face, from hearing the name Ewan Campbell, immediately turned serious.

“I have to save that girl,” Ariel said.

“Eh—”

Lilia, who had been supporting Ariel with her holy light, gasped in surprise. “But there are so many enemies there. Is that girl someone you know, Ariel?”

“No, I don’t know her. And I’m a little annoyed that she seems to be involved with that Ewan Campbell. But—”

Ariel stroked her smooth chin and said with a serious expression, “That beautiful girl is totally… a little bit my type. I can’t just leave her.”

“I’m your childhood friend and I’m right here, but you’re worried about another woman? Ariel, you’re so mean!” Lilia cried.

“I’m just going to get her communication stone frequency and I’ll be right back!”

But Ariel had already rushed off. Lilia, though helpless, could only follow.

…

…

In a shadow where the light could not reach, a bewitching figure was flitting through the trees, as agile as a snake.

Suddenly, the figure stopped, standing on a branch, and looked at the beautiful blond figure on the dormitory roof.

“Ewan?”

A stray ray of light from the distance illuminated a delicate face with a captivating charm.

“So that’s the effect of the potion?”

A look of understanding appeared in Anna’s eyes, but it quickly turned into a captivating, heart-stopping smile.

“As expected of my Ewan.”

Anna’s lips curved, and her beautiful eyes crinkled, making the beauty mark at the corner of her eye even more charming.

“He’s never boring, hehe.”

With that, Anna once again became an agile, swaying shadow, and she shot toward the dormitory building.

…

…

“They even took a student hostage?”

In the student council room, Celicia looked at the brightly lit dormitory area in the distance, her expression as dark as a stormy sea.

She couldn’t believe that the academy, with the protection of the three-layered Great Sealing Instrument, could be invaded by an external enemy.

“No, with the protection of the third layer of the Great Sealing Instrument, the academy couldn’t possibly be invaded by these thugs who can only bully students. In other words…”

The third layer of the Great Sealing Instrument has been shut down?

Why?

Is this the change that the pink bear brought?

Or is the real reason something he was unwilling, or unable, to say, bound by a Vow of Silence?

Celicia’s eyes flickered.

But in any case, at a time like this, she, the student council president, could not just stand by and watch.

Although she didn’t know why the teachers and professors hadn’t made a move since the initial explosion, that was not something she could interfere with for now. It was better to first clean up these disgusting bugs.

Celicia stood up, preparing to head to the dormitory area.

But after taking two steps, as if she had sensed something, she suddenly froze, her gaze darkening.

“Vera.”

“Y-yes.”

Vera’s voice came from outside the door.

“You take the student council elites and clean up those disgusting bugs in the dormitory area. Remember, the top priority is to safely rescue the hostage.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Vera replied with a vigorous voice, but then, with a hint of confusion, she asked, “Then what about you, President?”

“You go first. I have something to take care of.”

“Okay.”

Out of trust for Celicia, Vera didn’t ask any more questions and quickly left.

After Vera had gone, everything returned to silence.

An absolute silence.

It was as if all the sound had been stripped from the small room. All Celicia could hear was her own slightly accelerated breathing.

She looked down at her feet.

From the corners of the room, the mottled shadows cast by the moonlight were creeping toward her. But they stopped just twenty centimeters from her feet, blocked by a thin layer of ice.

The shadows roamed around the ice, like wolves preparing to hunt a flock of sheep.

“Phew—”

After a suffocating silence, a second person’s breathing could be heard in the room.

A withered figure, shrouded in a black robe, held a dim lantern in his hand. He looked at the expressionless Celicia, his voice full of a sincere admiration. “I never thought you would find me out so early, Princess. What a pity, haha. Just a little more, and the empire’s proud third princess would have met her end here.”

“I also never thought…”

Celicia looked up, her pale blue eyes like a thousand-year-old glacier. “That at the same time, the believers of two Evil Gods would grace my Saint Marika Academy with their presence.”

Outside the window, from Celicia’s perspective, the once-bright moon had, at some point, turned a chilling blue.

And under the deathly blue moonlight, the shadows of all things in the world seemed to have turned into ghastly ghouls.

The Evil God.

The Silent Moon!

Author’s Note:

I had to go out for something today, so I could only write this much.

PPS: Regarding the gender bender issue that many people are concerned about, I can only say that it’s for comedic effect (or perhaps to persecute Ariel, or Ewan?). The protagonist won’t really turn into a girl, nor will he conquer Ariel in this way, because even if he did, it wouldn’t change the fact that Ariel is a lesbian. And what the protagonist has to do is to truly conquer her, to turn her straight. Of course, that’s all much later.

PPPS: This might be the last long chapter for a while. The subsequent chapters will be divided into more normal chapter lengths, around two or three thousand words. But that doesn’t mean the daily word count will decrease. Before I’ve made up for all the missed updates, I’ll probably still be writing around six to ten thousand words a day. After all, after the recommendation period is over, more chapters will bring more exposure. I hope you can understand. For those who feel like this is not enough to read, you can save them up and read them together. But please don’t save them for too long, because I’m trying to level up this month, and your subscriptions are really important to me.

Thank you for your support.

Finally, goodnight.