Once again at the inn they had previously slipped away from, Asahiko and Kikyo kept to themselves for the rest of the night, waiting for another attack from the Ungaikyo, though nothing came of it.
Eventually, they both accepted that the creature would probably not attack again that night, perhaps frightened off by their earlier intervention, so each retreated to their respective sides of the room.
Taking advantage of the quiet moment, Asahiko finally managed to sleep properly for the first time since leaving Akemi's village—no more tree branches or walking all night. A true blessing.
Meanwhile, Kikyo also "slept," having nothing else to do. In reality, she simply closed her eyes and lay on the futon with her thoughts, letting time pass.
…
"We're going to kidnap a noble lady."
"Pugh—w-what the hell?"
Wiping his lips with a handkerchief pulled from somewhere mysterious, Asahiko composed himself and casually glanced around what looked like a dining area on the inn's ground floor before looking back at Kikyo.
She wasn't worried in the slightest, as if she were talking about the weather instead of kidnapping someone… and a noble at that.
"You misunderstood me, Asahiko. We're not really going to kidnap her, we're just going to replace her. You will replace her, lure the Ungaikyo, and we'll capture it 'alive' to track its real body."
"Great plan, but let me remind you I'm a man."
Pointing out the obvious, even though he knew what she meant, Asahiko kept his gaze wandering around.
"And tonight you'll be a woman thanks to your transformation."
"No, no, I don't do those kinds of things, dear Kikyo. Besides, you're already a woman, and as the saying goes: in the dark, all cats are black. We'll just put her clothes on you and that's it."
"That won't work. You need to look into the mirror… I'll have to do it myself. You can't see yourself in it."
Opening her eyes slightly at the obvious detail she had overlooked, Kikyo abandoned the idea of turning Asahiko into a woman and offered herself instead.
Of course, Asahiko raised no objections. What, they were going to kidnap someone and impersonate her? Everything was acceptable for the greater good—especially now that he didn't have to end up with a pair of breasts hanging from his chest.
"Actually, I had forgotten that little detail too. Lucky me, hahaha."
"Men… Stop laughing and let's go. We need to find someone to replace before nightfall."
"Alright, wait… what? I'm not going to destroy the entire economy just to make a couple of extra coins."
Leaving a few copper coins on the wooden table—perhaps even more than the tea he had spat everywhere was worth—Asahiko followed behind Kikyo.
As they stepped out of the inn, damp air struck their faces while dark clouds covered the sky, looking ready to pour rain over the city at any moment.
That, combined with the absence of a death the night before, made the streets feel even more tense than yesterday. Everyone was waiting, wondering who would be the next unfortunate soul to see his daughter or wife dead.
"That one's quite pretty. I think she could work."
"No."
"Ah… I'm a man, I know what I'm talking about. Besides, you've rejected the last three candidates. Do you have something against them or what?"
Standing atop the wall of one of the many opulent residences, hidden from sight by his illusions, Asahiko turned to look at Kikyo.
"Not at all. They just remind me of someone annoying."
"Oh, but black hair and brown eyes are extremely common around here, Kikyo. It's not like I can pull a blonde girl out of—What, what did I say?"
"We'll use her."
"…Okay?"
Shutting his mouth and burying any doubts about what had just happened, Asahiko jumped down into the courtyard beside Kikyo.
Once inside, things went smoothly. Thanks to Asahiko's illusion covering them both, there were no problems, allowing them to easily follow the young lady until well into the night.
"So, do you know how to knock someone out from behind, Kikyo?"
"Are you serious?"
As Kikyo looked him up and down as if searching for signs of a joke, Asahiko turned his face toward the large bedroom but was forced to answer.
"W-What? If she screams while we gag her, that's dangerous."
"You're a fox, aren't you?"
"Ha, ha… Well, I do have tails and ears sometimes."
Muttering half-offended, Asahiko stepped aside when he noticed Kikyo had finally decided to take matters into her own hands. And she certainly did. The instant she touched the young lady's neck from behind with her finger, the girl collapsed to the floor.
Seeing this, Asahiko quickly approached and turned her over, preparing to move her aside—only to be surprised.
"Kikyo…"
"What is it?"
"Her eyes are moving. Literally. She's got her eyes open and she's staring at us."
"Here."
Grabbing what appeared to be the obi of a nearby kimono, Asahiko looked carefully at Kikyo's expressionless face and then at the paralyzed young lady. This priestess was truly intense—perhaps even more than expected, if this was some form of revenge for their earlier conversation by the wall.
"I'm sorry. If you want, you can think of this as just a nightmare."
"Hurry. It's almost night."
"Alright, alright. Just let me take one last look so I know what I'm doing."
Doing as he said, taking a final look at the young lady's features, Asahiko placed her inside a nearby wardrobe and cast an illusion over it just in case.
With that done, he approached Kikyo until he stood in front of her, cast an illusion over her entire body, and stepped back.
"Is something wrong?"
"I think this might help you, so I'll lend it to you for now."
"A fragment of the pearl? I don't need such things, Asahiko. And I never will… never."
"Tch, I'm not telling you to use it or anything, Kikyo. I just don't think it's wise to leave everything to chance—whether the Ungaikyo shows up or not. So why not set double bait? I'm sure it won't ignore a pearl fragment."
After explaining his reasoning, Asahiko let her go look into the mirror while he hid in a corner of the room.
At first, nothing happened. After several minutes, still nothing. After half a damn hour, nothing changed.
"E—"
"Heh, I'm beautiful."
"Ki—"
"Too beautiful, even. But what can I do? I'm just that perfect."
Clamping his mouth shut with his own hand, Asahiko finally realized Kikyo was interrupting him on purpose so he wouldn't speak. That didn't stop his surprise, though. Strangely enough, the noble lady's appearance suited Kikyo remarkably well.
After that, now in silence, Asahiko watched as Kikyo stopped looking at herself in the mirror and lay down on the futon without hesitation.
Hours passed in silence, until finally, in the middle of the night… something happened.
With storm clouds completely covering the moon and plunging the world into absolute darkness, something in the room's mirror began to change.
At first it was slow and elusive, but little by little a figure took shape within the mirror's white mist. The creature had shiny black hair, an opulent multi-layered kimono, and flawless white skin. Yes—the current form of Kikyo, though with a sinister smile on its lips.
"Are you going to keep pretending to sleep, filthy human corpse?"
Laughing softly while covering its lips with a hand, the figure in the mirror distorted into white mist and slowly took Kikyo's shape—the real Kikyo.
"You… how did you figure it out?"
"Perhaps because I'm your reflection in the mirror?"
"More like an imitation in the mirror."
Walking up to the mirror with her usual coldness—perhaps even more so—Kikyo looked her reflection up and down and let out a small snort.
"Hahaha, maybe? But it's not like you're any better. You're a corpse moved by the power of the fragments."
"Heh, so that's as far as your knowledge goes. Now it's time to—eh?"
"Got you!"
Shooting its hand out of the mirror at astonishing speed, the Ungaikyo grabbed Kikyo's arm. Surprised by the discrepancy in its movement—it moved forward when she intended to move back—it tried to drag her into the mirror.
That "tried" was due to Asahiko's quick intervention. Watching everything from behind, he acted the moment he noticed something strange and managed to prevent disaster.
Of course, that had a negative effect. The moment Asahiko's reflection appeared in the mirror, the mist inside began to boil violently.
"Let me go! If we lose it now, we'll never find it again!"
"You're crazy! I'm not doing that! Who knows what's inside that mirror—or if there's even anything at all? What if you appear somewhere else, or in the Ungaikyo's lair!"
More worried than expected—for both her and himself—Asahiko began slowly pulling Kikyo away from the mirror along with the Ungaikyo.
Apparently, the pearl fragment was more important than life itself to the creature, as it kept trying to drag Kikyo back into the mirror even as cracks spread across its surface.
"…Trust me. I can feel the existence of a space beyond the mirror—most likely the Ungaikyo's lair."
"That makes it even more dangerous!"
"Asahiko… if we don't finish this now, even more women will die."
Speaking with an unusual softness, Kikyo remained stoic, though emotions bubbled beneath her cold brown eyes. It was as if she were waiting for something—perhaps testing the waters. One never knew what went on in her mind.
"…Alright."
"That's right, they're more important than—what are you doing?"
"You didn't think I was going to let you go just like that, did you? Besides, your life is more important than theirs… even if my conscience stings."
Speaking with a trace of bitterness, Asahiko finished tying the rope around Kikyo's waist—the rose had transformed into a rope thanks to his abilities—and finally let go.
The result was immediate. Kikyo was swallowed by the mirror, leaving no trace of her in the room.
…
Inside a strangely illuminated place, lit by floating crystal fragments like stars, two figures could be seen falling from a larger crystal.
They were identical in form and face, though one held a cold expression and the other a deranged smile. Obviously, these two were Kikyo and the Ungaikyo, who had fallen into the mirror.
"Finally, the fragment is—agh!"
Letting out a chilling scream as she was touched by the soft pink light emanating from Kikyo's hand, the Ungaikyo quickly released her and writhed on the ground, which appeared to be a massive slab of polished copper acting as a mirror.
Landing beside it with almost supernatural grace, Kikyo looked toward where they had fallen from and caught the long red bow and a quiver of arrows.
With both in hand and the Ungaikyo still writhing, Kikyo nocked an arrow and drove it into its forehead without hesitation, ending its life.
"Heh, was that all?"
"Hahaha, no… of course not!"
Mockingly answering as it emerged from another of the floating mirrors, the Ungaikyo lost Kikyo's form and took that of another lady before leaping toward her.
Kikyo's response? Simple. She shot two more arrows—one to the head, one to the heart. The ease came from the fact that, jumping from above, it couldn't change direction, turning itself into a simple target and the architect of its own death.
"Agh… you…"
"You're disappointing. But what can be expected from an artificial creation? Something alive only because of the pearl's power."
Taking clear satisfaction in revenge for their earlier exchange in the mirror, Kikyo calmly walked around the body on the floor and briefly observed the cold surface of the polished copper.
This gigantic mirror was the Ungaikyo's main body. Kikyo knew this upon sensing the fragment embedded in its surface—the very place she was now heading toward.
"Don't ignore me, damn you!"
"How ridiculous. I suppose all the fragment's energy went into giving you life… what a waste."
Mocking it as she dodged an attack from behind—thanks to sensing its intent through the leaking energy—Kikyo guided one of her arrows toward its right eye with cold precision.
Surprisingly, the arrow didn't reach its target. Instead, it did the exact opposite of what Kikyo intended, as if she had lost control of the arm holding it… yet not quite. Something very strange.
"Now you're mine!"
Opening its mouth to an extent literally impossible for any human, to the point its features nearly disappeared, the Ungaikyo tried to tear a chunk of flesh from Kikyo.
Unfortunately for it, it bit into a long white snake-like creature instead, which then vanished into a torn piece of paper.
But that was enough of a distraction—at least for Kikyo. She used another shikigami to drag herself backward quickly while firing two arrows into the Ungaikyo's knees, immobilizing it.
"Next time, think before you speak."
"Agh…"
"Heh. Stay there. I don't have time."
Shaking the white sleeve of her garment as she turned her back to the Ungaikyo, several pieces of paper flew out and transformed into shikigami, further restricting its movements.
That was the final nail in the coffin. Completely restrained, the Ungaikyo could only watch as Kikyo took the fragment and then tightened the rope around her waist, slowly being pulled upward.
Could she have used her shikigami to leave more easily? Of course. But she wanted to savor this moment… far more than she might even consciously realize.
"I almost forgot… heh, how dangerous."
Now finally using her shikigami to steady herself in the air—perhaps as an unconscious resistance to a certain emotion—Kikyo slowly drew her longbow and fired an arrow tinged with a pink glow at the Ungaikyo.
That marked the end of its existence, because without the power granted by the fragment, it could no longer sustain itself—much less recreate its body through any mirror.