Aya struggled to her feet, looking displeased.
"Li... Lilith."
"Mom, what's wrong?" Lilith got to her feet as well, speaking innocently.
She looked no different from before entering the water, still in the form of a beautiful girl.
"Did you transform into something strange underwater?"
"No..." Lilith replied guiltily.
"Really?"
"I just... brought out a few tentacles from my 'true form'..." Lilith scratched her head awkwardly. "Mom, do you not like tentacles?"
"How could I possibly like tentacles..." Aya was at a loss for words.
"Then... does Mom hate me? Because of my 'true form'..." Lilith suddenly panicked.
"What do I do? Mom doesn't like tentacles... I know, I'll cut them all off right away..."
"Wait, wait!" Aya hurriedly stopped Lilith, who seemed to be on the verge of going berserk.
"You're my daughter. As for your tentacles... Mom doesn't dislike them. Anyway, you absolutely must not hurt yourself."
"Mom likes my tentacles? That's great." Lilith breathed a sigh of relief.
Aya scratched her head. Why did that sound so strange...
"I'm going ashore first to get some water to drink." Aya turned and headed toward the bank.
"Then I'll go ashore too~" Lilith followed behind Aya.
As they drew closer to the shore, the water level gradually dropped, from their chests to their waists, from their waists to their hips, then lower still.
"Huh?" Aya froze.
Why did it feel so cold down there...
"Ah!" she cried out, suddenly crouching down.
Lilith was startled as well and hurried over, wanting to pull Aya up from where she crouched in the water.
"Mom, what's wrong...?"
"Wait, don't pull me up!" Aya clung to Lilith's legs in a panic.
"W-What is it? Did an enemy attack? Is there an enemy in the water?"
"My..." Aya said in a trembling voice.
"Your?"