"I absolutely refuse!"
Audrey rolled her eyes but quickly joined in, showering Lilith with praise.
A few minutes later—
Two humans, one cat, and one dog entered the bedroom. Edward took out the ingredients Trissy had sent last time and began placing them one by one into the cauldron.
Abyss Demonic Fish Blood, Agate Pacock Egg, Jimsonweed juice, Shadow Lizard scales, Daffodil juice, and purified water.
These supernatural ingredients, whether solid or liquid, began reacting the moment they touched. In no time, the mixture had turned into a thick, blackish-red potion.
Compared to the previous concoctions, this Sequence 7 Witch potion gave off an unusually pleasant aroma. It made one's heart flutter, as though it were tempting you to drink it without hesitation.
Tsk. Just the potion itself is already this alluring?
Edward flipped a coin into the air to verify the potion's integrity. Once confirmed, he poured the liquid into a prepared glass vial and gently pushed it in front of Lilith.
"All done, Lilith."
But instead of the earlier excitement and joy, Lilith now hesitated. She looked at the potion, then at everyone present. "So…I really have to drink this now?"
Audrey offered encouragement. "I'll be here to soothe your mind. It'll be fine."
Susie chimed in too. "I'm here as well!"
Edward gently stroked Lilith's little head. "Go on, Miss Lilith—the smartest and bravest kitty in the world."
She tried lifting the vial with her tiny paws, but it was just too slippery to get a proper grip. After a few failed attempts, Edward thought she was about to ask for help.
To his surprise, the little one pulled out her miniature wand, cast a Levitation Charm on the vial, and tipped it toward her mouth, letting the potion slide in.
She smacked her lips and muttered, "It smelled so good, but it doesn't taste like anything…"
At that moment, Edward, Audrey, and Susie watched her closely for any signs of change. Edward asked, "Lilith, how do you feel?"
She tilted her head and let out a soft hiccup, "I don't feel anythi—"
Before she could finish, her body suddenly began to twist.
It wasn't a physical deformation, but more like…that strange transitional state one goes through when using the Animagus transformation. Her expression contorted in pain, and she collapsed onto the sofa, curling into herself with soft groans.
Audrey and Susie immediately began placating her psyche, but it was clear Lilith's agony didn't stem from the potion's aftereffects—it was from the transformation of her form.
"Ahhh!!"
Lilith shrieked and suddenly leapt from the sofa, stumbling as she hopped onto the bed. Then, she dove straight under the covers.
The small bulge under the blanket began to swell rapidly, soon reaching the size of a full-grown adult. Then everything fell quiet.
Just as they thought the reaction was over, the bulge began to shrink again—bit by bit—until it was only about half its original size.
All three observers activated Spirit Vision to monitor her astral body. Edward, meanwhile, had his coin at the ready, prepared to intervene at any moment.
Thankfully, after the second phase of transformation, Lilith's state finally stabilised.
Ten or so seconds later, the lump beneath the blanket began inching toward the edge. Then, a small head poked out from underneath: she looked like a six- or seven-year-old girl, with long, jet-black glossy hair, deep sapphire eyes, and rosy, delicate skin. An absolutely adorable and beautiful little girl.
The two humans and the dog stared at her.
She stared right back.
A moment later, the little girl beamed. "Miss Lilith has turned into a tiny person!!"
A person is a person—what's with "tiny person"…came the collective internal retort from the two humans.
Cheering happily, Lilith scrambled out from under the blanket, limbs flailing. Unsurprisingly, her newly transformed self was stark naked—except for the pendant around her neck and the "anklet" on her leg. But she didn't seem to grasp that at all. With a push of her legs, she launched herself off the bed, aiming straight for Edward's arms like she always did.
Splat.
She ended up like a frog in mid-air—landing flat on the ground.
Edward hurried forward and scooped her up, wrapping her in a bed sheet before using transfiguration to transform it into a little dress.
"Eh?"
Lilith blinked, confused. "Why couldn't I jump high?"
Susie explained earnestly, "Miss Lilith, you're human now. You can't keep acting like a cat."
Lilith didn't quite understand, but she was clearly shaken. "Huh? So…I'm not a cat anymore?"
Edward set her gently down on the sofa. "You're a fusion of cat and human—you're both."
"Can I still catch mice?"
"…Yes."
"Can I still eat mice?"
"…Also yes."
Relieved, she let out a big breath. "That's good then."
Audrey leaned in to cuddle and pinch her. "Wow! Lilith, you're so adorable now!"
Lilith's little cheeks were squished flat. She struggled and protested, "Miss Lilith…has always…been adorable!"
Audrey mumbled, "No wonder Edward gave you the Assassin potion. If I had known, I would've given Susie the Assassin one too…"
Edward and Susie: "…"
Lilith looked down at the little dress she was wearing and gave it a tug. "Do I have to wear clothes now? Wait…where's my fur?"
She wriggled free from Audrey's embrace and began examining herself up and down. "It's gone!!"
"My tail?!"
She twisted to look at her backside and spun around on the spot. "That's gone too!!"
She looked down at her soft pink fingernails. "My claws…gone!!"
"And my whiskers…"
Lilith collapsed in despair. "All gone. Everything's gone!!"
Susie gently comforted her, "It's okay, that's just how humans are."
"But I'm a cat!" Lilith protested. "Without my claws, whiskers, or tail, how am I supposed to catch mice?"
"…Well, I could catch them for you?" Susie offered.
Edward and Audrey exchanged awkward glances, unsure how to console her.
From a human perspective, Lilith's cat form was already adorable, but her little girl form was even more beautiful—cuter and more expressive. But for a cat? That's a different matter entirely.
After a long while, Lilith finally came to terms with "reality." She instinctively licked her little hand and sat crouched on the sofa, looking up at Edward. "Edward, can I still turn back into a cat someday?"
"Um…"
Edward thought for a moment, then pulled out his wand. "I can turn you back into a cat."
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, right!"
"Do it now!"
With a gentle flick of his wand, Edward transformed the little girl back into a small black cat. Lilith immediately perked up and started bouncing around happily. "Yay! I like this so much better!"
But her joy barely lasted two minutes before Edward cancelled the spell again, returning her to human form. "Nope, Lilith. Since you've already become human, you need to start getting used to your new identity."
Lilith pouted. "But Miss Lilith thinks it's really hard."
Edward crouched in front of her. "You're the smartest kitty in the world. A little challenge like this? You'll handle it just fine."
"Right!"
As expected, she responded on reflex.
"When Lilith gets used to living as a human and can switch freely between human and cat habits, you can be whichever you want—human or cat. Doesn't that sound great?"
Edward patted her head. "Think about it: Audrey and I can only be human. Susie can only be a dog. But you, Lilith, can be both! Isn't that amazing?"
—Susie:Okay, I know it's true, but I still feel offended.
Lilith nodded earnestly. "Miss Lilith is amazing!"
"Yes, absolutely wonderful!"
Audrey smiled and said, "Lilith, let's see what new powers you've gained from the promotion."
"Oh." She closed her eyes for a moment and sensed her body. "I can turn invisible now, control black flames and frost, use mirror substitution and wand substitution, and I can also cast curses using blood, flesh, or fur."
Audrey's brows rose in surprise. "Curses using blood, flesh, or fur…"
She couldn't help but think of that high-sequence witch responsible for the Great Smog in Backlund.
Edward noticed her concern. "Don't worry. Lilith doesn't have to keep advancing to the higher sequences. And even if she does create disasters, she can choose very specific targets."
—Like picking off the scum of the earth.
Only then did Audrey nod in agreement.
At that moment, Lilith acted like she'd just received a new set of toys. She began testing out all her newly gained powers one by one—flames, frost, substitution techniques—zipping about with flashes of magic, leaving Susie wide-eyed in awe.
The only…awkward part was…
She stayed on all fours the entire time, rolling, crawling, and pouncing like a proper kitten.
Then, Lilith plucked a strand of hair from Edward's head and was about to test her curse magic on him—he instantly panicked and shouted, "Stop!"
"Huh?"
She looked up at him, confused.
"Do you even know what a curse is?"
Lilith tilted her head and said slowly, "I kind of do…but kind of don't." Then she said proudly, "That's why I need to test it!"
You really are my little heartbreaker…
Testing a new power by sacrificing your dear ol' dad?
Audrey couldn't help but laugh, then patiently explained it all to her.
"Ah!"
Lilith gasped and immediately dropped the hair. "Then I won't try it!"
Edward scooped the crawling Lilith back onto the sofa. "Lilith, from now on, you need to learn to walk upright—on your legs—not crawl around like that."
She turned to glance at her behind and muttered in frustration, "But without a tail, I can't keep my balance…"
"That…you'll just have to get used to."
Audrey pulled Lilith into her arms and smiled. "Leave it to me—I'll teach Lilith how to walk properly."
Edward clapped his hands. "Alright! Since Lilith became a little human today, let's celebrate with a feast tonight!"
Lilith: "Yay!"
Just then, with a chilly gust, Phoenix flew out from the spirit world and tossed a letter into Edward's hands.
"The woman who loves lecturing sent you a letter."
Edward opened the parchment—it was from Admiral Edwina. The content was simple and clear: she had finished her prior business and was now inquiring about the matter concerning Groselle's Travels.
"Oh, I almost forgot about that."
Edward had written to Edwina previously, saying he'd uncovered a secret of Groselle's Travels—mainly to help locate the final special coordinate he needed to ascend to Sequence 5. But she'd been busy and unable to respond at the time.
Now that he'd already succeeded in reaching Sequence 5, there wasn't as much urgency to explore the book. After all, he still hadn't figured out how to deal with the lifespan issue for those inside the story.
"What do you think I should do?"
Edward looked to Audrey for advice.
She pondered for a moment. "Why not tell her the secret and method of entering the book first? But you don't have to go in right away."
"Yeah, sounds good."
Edward nodded. "Then I'll head over to her place for a bit."
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.