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Her fingers stretched toward me.

I lifted the gun.

She continued reaching.

I fired.

The bullet struck her high in the chest.

Her body jerked backward. Black blood sprayed through the rain. She looked down at the hole in her dress, then slowly raised her gaze to me.

Gold-orange light filled her eyes. “What is wrong with you, little witch?”

I widened my eyes. “Y-Yoichi?”

Her bones cracked. The sound carried over the rain. Her spine lengthened. Her shoulders widened. The elegant curve of her waist thickened as muscle expanded beneath pale skin that darkened to golden brown.

OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!

I was frozen right there in complete shock. I couldn’t run or shoot again. I just stood there as she shifted fast.

Long hair pulled into her scalp.

Her beautiful face stretched and hardened. Her jaw became sharper. Her breasts flattened into a broad, muscular chest.

The black hands moved over her transforming body, clutching and crawling, and the curse adjusted its grip.

Seconds later, Yoichi stood where the woman had been.

Bald.

Broad.

Shirtless.

And clearly irritated.

“Y-you can shift into a woman?”

“Yes, and you can shoot strangers with no problem.” Frowning, he looked down.

The bullet hole in his chest pushed the slug out. It struck the pavement with a soft metallic ping. And just like that the wound closed.

He lifted his gaze and scowled at me. “You shot me seven times tonight.”

“You kept coming.”

“I will always come for you.” The certainty in his voice should have scared me. Instead, it settled something inside me.

I parted my lips.

He shook his head. “And you shot me with no warning.”

I edged back. “The warning was me pulling the gun out.”

“Crazy Americans.”

“Crazy ancient fox pretending to be a woman.”