Takashi and Aoi were hurled violently into the mirror world.
For a moment, neither of them could breathe.
Their bodies crashed onto a surface that looked solid but felt strangely hollow beneath their feet. When they lifted their heads, the sight before them was unsettling.
Endless mirrors stretched in every direction.
The world was a vast labyrinth of reflective glass—walls, floors, and ceilings made entirely of shimmering surfaces. Their own reflections stared back at them from thousands of angles, distorted and shifting unnaturally.
The air itself felt wrong.
Every sound echoed endlessly.
Every movement seemed to repeat itself in the reflections.
At that exact moment in the real world…
A powerful presence stepped into the Underground Betting Place.
The air itself grew heavy.
Kensho had arrived inside the building with the help of Kagamiyo.
His cold eyes scanned the blood-soaked hall.
Broken mirrors littered the floor.
Dead demons and humans lay scattered everywhere.
But Kensho ignored them all.
His gaze slowly turned toward the hallway where the key was being protected.
"So this is where they are hiding it," he muttered.
Without another word, he began walking deeper into the building.
Meanwhile, inside the mirror world....
Aoi slowly stood, her eyes scanning the strange dimension.
"What… is this place?" she whispered.
Takashi tightened his grip on his long sword, his sharp gaze sweeping the mirrored surroundings.
"A trap," he said calmly.
Then the attack came.
A razor-sharp knife suddenly shot out from one of the mirrors, spinning through the air with terrifying speed.
Takashi reacted instantly.
CLANG!
His long sword snapped upward just in time, deflecting the blade. Sparks exploded into the air as steel struck steel.
The knife ricocheted across the glass floor and vanished into another reflection.
Before either of them could react—
More knives came flying.
Three blades burst from different mirrors, slashing toward them from different directions.
Takashi moved like a seasoned warrior.
His sword flashed through the air, knocking two knives aside. The third grazed his shoulder, slicing through his coat and drawing a thin line of blood.
Aoi ducked low as another blade whistled past her head.
Then a shape moved within the mirrors.
A dark figure slipped between reflections like liquid shadow.
Kagamiyo.
The demon stepped out briefly from one mirror before instantly diving into another. His movements were unnatural, as though the mirrors themselves were his body.
His voice echoed across the mirrored dimension.
"You hunters are amusing."
Suddenly he emerged behind Aoi, slashing downward with a dagger.
Takashi intercepted the strike instantly, forcing Kagamiyo backward.
But the demon only laughed before melting back into the mirror beside him.
Then the real battle began.
Kagamiyo attacked relentlessly.
Knives, claws, and slashes burst from mirrors across the battlefield.
One moment he attacked from the left—
The next moment he struck from above.
Then behind.
Then beneath them.
The attacks came faster and faster.
Takashi parried with expert precision, his sword clashing against blade after blade.
Aoi dodged desperately, but one slash grazed her arm, cutting through her sleeve and drawing blood.
Another knife sliced across Takashi's side.
The demon was toying with them.
Their reflections flickered across the endless mirrors as Kagamiyo moved between them like a phantom.
Takashi clicked his tongue.
"If we keep fighting like this, we'll lose."
Aoi nodded.
"We need to find where he jumps."
Her eyes glowed faintly.
"Come, Nekoma."
A pulse of divine energy filled the mirror world.
From the shimmering light emerged the Cat God.
Nekoma.
The divine feline landed gracefully beside Aoi, its glowing eyes scanning the endless mirrors with supernatural awareness.
The cat's ears twitched.
It slowly turned its head.
Its gaze followed something invisible.
Kagamiyo struck again.
A blade shot toward Aoi.
Takashi deflected it instantly.
Then Nekoma hissed sharply.
Its eyes locked onto a specific mirror.
The divine cat leapt into the air and pointed its paw toward the reflection.
"He's about to jump… that mirror next!" Aoi shouted.
Takashi didn't hesitate.
His long sword shimmered with energy.
Then, before Aoi's eyes, the blade began to change shape.
The steel lengthened and curved.
The hilt twisted and expanded.
In seconds, the weapon had transformed into a massive bow.
A glowing string formed between its ends.
Takashi drew back the bowstring.
A radiant arrow of pure energy appeared in his grasp.
Across the mirror world, Kagamiyo was already mid-jump, preparing to emerge from the target mirror.
Takashi released the arrow.
THOOM!
The projectile streaked through the air like a bolt of lightning.
It pierced the mirror with explosive force.
CRASH!
The glass shattered violently.
Kagamiyo emerged from the mirror at the exact same moment.
But it was too late.
Jagged shards exploded outward like deadly blades.
One massive shard pierced straight through the demon's chest.
Kagamiyo screamed.
The sound echoed endlessly across the mirror world.
His body collapsed onto the reflective floor, lifeless.
For a moment, everything went silent.
Then the entire dimension began to collapse.
Cracks spread across every mirror.
The walls shattered.
The floor splintered.
Thousands of glass fragments rained down around them like a deadly storm.
Takashi grabbed Aoi.
"Hold on!"
A blinding flash of light engulfed them.
Takashi and Aoi suddenly burst out of the collapsing mirror portal.
They stumbled forward onto the cold floor of the Underground Betting Place.
The harsh reality of the world returned instantly.
But what they saw froze them in place.
The battlefield had fallen silent.
Demons lay dead across the room.
And at the center of it all…
Nao sat motionless.
In front of him lay Yuta's body.
Blood pooled slowly beneath the fallen warrior.
Nao's hands trembled as he stared down at his friend.
His eyes were hollow with grief.
Aoi gasped.
"Yuta…!"
She rushed forward and dropped to her knees beside Nao.
Takashi stood behind them, silent.
His fists slowly clenched.
Anger burned behind his calm expression.
The weight of what had happened pressed heavily upon them.
Yuta had sacrificed his life.
And somewhere within the building…
A far greater threat had already arrived.