After Gender Swapping, I Became the Daughter of a Yandere Mother with Animal Ears—With the Help of My Yandere Mom and Powerful Sister, I'll Live as a Fox Girl - Chapter 15: Thank You for the Water

“Hey, dog. Guide us to the village.”

Yorikoma, who had been kneeling in a prostrating position, stood up energetically with a “Yes!” and began to lead the way. Her steps were light, probably out of sheer happiness. Her tail was swaying left and right.

…She’s cute.

I almost reached out to pat her head but restrained myself and followed her. Kohaku walked beside me, following suit.

“Oh, are you going somewhere?”

Mom asked us at the entrance. She seemed to have been cleaning, holding a broom.

“We’re going to defeat Magatsuhi.”

Kohaku answered succinctly, and Mom’s eyes widened. She quickly ran over and clung to my arm, her expression filled with anxiety.

“Are you really going?”

“Yes…”

“I see… Wait here for a moment, please…”

She went inside the house and returned a few minutes later with secret medicine, rice balls, and a sword that must have belonged to Mashiro.

“Take these with you.”

“What’s this?”

“This is Mom’s secret medicine, rice balls for when you’re hungry, and this is… your sword.”

“…”

I silently accepted them and drew the sword from its sheath. It had a beautiful pattern, and the blue blade was mesmerizing.

“Do you know how to use it?”

I shouldn’t know how to, having lived a peaceful life in Japan. But strangely, it felt familiar in my hand. Perhaps it was Mashiro’s body, not my soul, that remembered.

“Sort of…”

“That’s good then.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes…”

I bowed to Mom and then set off with Kohaku, feeling her watchful gaze as we left.

☆★☆

“Haa… haa… wait a… minute…”

How long had it been since we left the house? We were walking along a steep mountain path. Even in Mashiro’s youthful body, I was reaching my physical limits.

“Hey, dog. Onee-chan is tired. Walk slower.”

“Even if you say that… I’m already adjusting to Mashiro-sama’s pace… And we need to hurry, or the village will be wiped out!”

Yorikoma frowned in distress. Her words were true. She kept glancing back, walking awkwardly. But I was so slow that the distance between Yorikoma and me only grew.

“Even if you go ahead alone, it’s pointless. Match your pace to Onee-chan. Dog.”

“Then at least let Kohaku-sama go ahead! I will bring Mashiro-sama later.”

“Hah? I can’t leave Onee-chan in your hands. You can’t even defeat a single Magatsuhi.”

“Ugh…”

Yorikoma gritted her teeth in frustration. Though she seemed physically capable in the mountains, combat against Magatsuhi might be a different matter.

“Just walk slower. Otherwise, we’re going back home.”

Kohaku was speaking her mind freely, but I was too out of breath to interject. Honestly, I was starting to want to go back too. Before even fighting Magatsuhi, the harsh mountain path was breaking my spirit.

“Understood… Let’s take a break. It will be easier for Mashiro-sama too.”

Yorikoma reluctantly agreed to the suggestion. Kohaku found a fallen tree nearby and sat down on it. I followed suit.

“Phew…”

Finally, I could catch my breath. But as I began to relax, I realized something. We had no water…

“What’s wrong, Onee-chan?”

I had completely forgotten. Living in urban Japan, I never had to worry about water. I could always buy it from a convenience store or supermarket.

But this world was different. There were no such places here.

“I want to drink water…”

“Huh? Oh, water. I don’t have any either. And there doesn’t seem to be a water source nearby…”

Kohaku looked around but eventually gave up, her shoulders drooping.

“Onee-chan, are you thirsty?”

“Yes… very…”

“Ah, I see. Hmm…”