Everyone froze in sheer terror when they suddenly saw Yu's arm locked tightly around Nayeon's throat from behind.
But it wasn't just the act itself that terrified them—her voice sounded wrong. Distorted. As if the person standing there wasn't truly Yu at all, but something else wearing her skin.
Nayeon struggled desperately, her body writhing as her breathing grew ragged. Whoever this was, she wasn't holding back even a little.
The fox-masked women immediately raised their spears, but Yu dragged Nayeon backward until her back slammed against the wall. Panic rippled through the crowd—confusion, fear, disbelief.
What the hell was happening?
Then Nayeon's weak, trembling voice broke through the chaos.
"Yu… ah… what… what are you trying to do to me…?!"
That was when Duyen screamed in rage,
"Let her go! Now!"
But Yu—no, the thing that merely shared Yu's face—only let out a twisted laugh.
"Don't be so naive," she said mockingly. "Why would I let her go so easily…?"
She leaned in close, whispering venomously into Nayeon's ear.
"Stop being so stubborn… and use the mirror already."
Even through the pain, Nayeon forced out a hoarse defiance.
"…No… don't even think about it…"
At that, Yu exhaled sharply and lifted her gaze toward Shana and everyone else.
"I really thought my plan would go smoothly," she said coldly.
"I expected these little foxes to devour Mina's flesh, and then you'd finally see reason and listen to me. But instead… tonight turns into some tear-soaked confession scene. It makes me sick."
Her eyes bored straight into Shana.
"Tell me, Shana. Why do you insist on wasting your time entangling yourself emotionally with insignificant humans like these? Playtime is over."
The way she openly revealed everything made one thing clear—she had no intention of hiding anymore.
Shock rippled through the group.
What was this woman's true goal? Why was she so obsessed with Shana?
But Shana simply wiped away her tears and curled her lips into a disdainful smile.
"Well said," she replied calmly.
"So you really are Ama—the mighty goddess herself. And yet you couldn't even face me directly, hiding until now before showing yourself. What is it? Ever since our last battle… are you afraid of me?"
The moment Shana spoke her true name, everyone froze. Nayeon whispered faintly,
"Ama…? Goddess…?"
Mina murmured in disbelief,
"Wait… her name isn't Yu? Ama… why does that name sound so familiar…?"
"Don't bring that up!"
Ama snarled, her brows knitting together. Her voice thundered as her red-orange eyes flared brightly.
"If I still had my full power back then, a fire fox like you would be nothing more than dirt beneath my toenail! Don't underestimate me!"
Shana merely laughed softly, covering her mouth with the hem of her vivid red cloak.
"Maybe," she said lightly. "Or maybe not. But the Ama standing before me now is nothing more than a remnant of the past."
Ama smiled in return.
"…And yet you cannot escape your fate, Shana. I'm tired of playing chase with you."
She turned back to Nayeon, her voice turning cold and cruel, heavy with threat.
"Hurry up. Use the mirror, now."
Ama's grip tightened even further, lifting Nayeon completely off the ground with a single hand. Nayeon screamed in agony.
"Stop!"
Duyen shouted, stepping forward.
"Don't hurt her!"
Ama shot her a scornful glare, her voice booming like thunder.
"Do not tell me what to do, insignificant human. I command you—kneel."
The moment her words echoed, an overwhelming pressure slammed down on everyone.
"What the hell—?!" Dao cried out as her legs were forced to the ground.
One by one, Mina and Dao were driven to their knees, as if pinned by an invisible weight. Even Haru, Hasuko, and the other women couldn't resist the crushing force.
"Damn it—!" Haru yelled, bracing her katana against the floor.
"How is she this strong?!" Hasuko screamed.
Duyen was no exception. Blood trickled from her mouth as she struggled against the pressure—but she refused to give up. With sheer willpower, she forced one leg up.
That caught Ama's attention.
Only Shana remained standing, unmoved—but her expression was anything but pleased as she looked down at Ama with half-lidded eyes.
"For a goddess," Shana said coolly, "this is a pretty childish game."
Ama sneered.
"At least now these lowly creatures know their place. Now it's just you and me. Before this day becomes something we regret—how long do you plan to keep running from your destiny, Shana?"
Shana lifted her gaze lazily.
"I refuse."
Ama's face darkened.
"I'll kill her, you know!"
Shana didn't flinch.
"If you wanted her dead, she'd already be dead. Why bother threatening her now?"
Her gaze drifted over Nayeon's body—then stopped at her chest, where a strange medallion hung.
"…So that's it. The mirror."
Ama laughed softly.
"You still remember it, don't you?"
Shana shrugged indifferently.
"It's your artifact—and yet you can't even use it. Pathetic."
"What?!" Ama roared. She turned back to Nayeon, shouting,
"Are you going to use it or not?!"
Her grip tightened mercilessly. Nayeon was on the verge of suffocating, barely able to whisper,
"I… don't… know…"
"Then don't blame me!"
Suddenly, thick black fluid began seeping from Ama's eyes—then her nose, then her mouth.
"What the hell—?!" she gasped in shock.
Before she could comprehend what was happening, her own hand began trembling, prying itself away from Nayeon's throat.
From her mouth came broken, strained words as the black fluid poured out.
"Can't… hurt… Nayeon…"
Her pupils flickered violently—gray to red-orange, red-orange back to gray—as if two entities were battling within the same body.
"Damn you…"
Ama cursed, struggling against Yu's true consciousness inside her. She didn't notice Duyen crawling toward her feet. Then—
Duyen lunged.
She slammed into Ama with everything she had, forcing her to release Nayeon.
That was all Shana needed. In an instant, she reached out—the chain snapped, and Nayeon's medallion flew straight into Shana's hand.
She stared at it.
"This… is the mirror? You've got to be kidding."
She opened the medallion.
At that exact moment, Duyen's chest suddenly began to glow, radiating a vivid purple light.
The dagger at Yu's waist started vibrating violently.
At the base of the tower, the twin children stared upward.
Suddenly, Ensha coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood—spitting out a writhing, slick piece of raw flesh, still red and moving.
"Ah!"
Shana immediately let the medallion slip from her hand. It hit the floor with a dull clink as her fingers began to tremble violently, as if she had just been struck by electricity.
Suddenly, the medallion on the ground erupted with a blinding golden-orange light, flooding the entire floor of the tower.
"What the hell is happening!?"
Everyone screamed, instinctively raising their arms to shield their eyes from the Sun-like glare. And then—just as abruptly—the light vanished.
What followed was something no one could have imagined.
Shana's body suddenly went rigid—and then she collapsed onto the floor, her eyes wide open, staring into nothing.
Haru and Hasuko, who had only just broken free from Ama's overwhelming spell, froze in horror as they turned toward their mistress.
"Milady!"
They shouted in unison. Haru didn't hesitate for even a second. All of them rushed forward, catching Shana's falling body as tears burst from their eyes.
"What the hell is this!? Milady! Please wake up!"
Mina and Dao were still weak, struggling to lift themselves off the floor after the shock, utterly confused as they watched everyone crowd around Shana's unconscious body.
Haru hurriedly grabbed Shana's wrist to check her pulse. Her face drained of all color.
"…There's no pulse…"
Hasuko stared at Haru, her pupils trembling.
"No… pulse…?"
No pulse…
That meant—
She was dead?
At that moment, Mina suddenly smiled. A strange, twisted smile crept across her face. Then she began to laugh—low at first, then louder—as she stared at Shana's motionless body, laughing right in front of Haru and Hasuko.
"Dead? Dead. She's dead… She's really dead!"
Her laughter grew louder and louder while everyone else stared at her in shock.
Even Dao clutched her head, unable to process what had just happened—but Mina laughed as if there were something worth celebrating.
"She's dead!"
"She's dead!"
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
"Mina…"
Dao whispered in fear, watching her friend lose her mind. But even Haru and Hasuko sat there, frozen and trembling. They looked as though they had fallen into the depths of despair, too exhausted to stop the madness spilling from Mina's mouth.
Then—
Nayeon's voice rang out, cutting through the chaos and freezing everyone in place.
"Duyen…? Duyen…?"
Mina's laughter stopped instantly.
She turned to look at Nayeon, who had just broken free from Ama's restraint. Nayeon was shaking Duyen's body—lay motionless on the floor.
The smile vanished from Mina's face.
Duyen lay there, eyes wide open. Exactly like Shana.
Something inside Mina shattered.
She sprinted toward Duyen, shoving Nayeon aside violently.
"Get away!"
Mina pulled Duyen into her arms. Duyen's limbs hung limp, like a doll with its strings cut—no response, no movement.
Mina's pupils trembled violently. She shook her head over and over, mumbling as if trying to deny reality itself.
"No… no… no… This can't be happening… no…"
Her hands trembled as she grabbed Duyen's wrist.
The skin was still warm. But her pulse—
Silent.
"No… no—NO!"
Mina screamed in pure terror, clutching Duyen tightly and forcing her face toward her own. Her voice broke, desperate and soaked in tears.
"Duyen… look at me… please, look at me…"
No matter how hard she tried, Duyen's eyes never focused on her.
Or rather—This body was completely gone.
Mina kissed Duyen's lips again and again, frantic, desperate—But Duyen never woke up.
Mina completely lost control.
She screamed, raw and animalistic.
"ARRRGGGHH! ARRGGGHH! DUYEN!"
Mom…
Mom…
"ARGGGHH!"
"Mina!"
Dao screamed and tried to reach her, but Mina clung to Duyen, refusing to let go, howling like a wounded beast.
"NO! NO!"
"Mina! Calm down!"
"NO!"
Even Nayeon sat frozen in place, unable to accept that what had just happened was real.
How could it be…? Duyen had been perfectly fine just moments ago—
And now…
Ama, coughing violently, struggled to push herself upright. She stared at Shana and Duyen—both suddenly motionless—while Mina's anguished screams echoed around them.
The scene descended into complete chaos. Even Ama herself couldn't understand what was happening.
"This… this isn't right…"
The two of them—
Where had they gone?