Crowning the steepest and most fortified hill in the area—since the surroundings are mostly smaller hills and even plains—stands an imposing Japanese-style castle with a stone base and wooden structure.
This is the domain of one of Japan's many feudal lords, a daimyō, locked in an endless struggle for more land and influence. Of course, it is not only that; it is also the center of the city that stretches around it—the so-called jōkamachi—and of the entire region.
Knowing this, it would not be surprising to find that, despite the current state of the Japanese archipelago and its constant wars, this place would show some degree of prosperity… But no. The cobblestone streets are half empty, with a few alert men and even fewer women walking about with their faces covered by heavy cloth.
Amid that strange and paranoid atmosphere, walking among those who fearfully scan their surroundings, two individuals who seem more "alive" can be seen—though that only makes them stand out even more.
"If I didn't know I was in Japan, I'd easily believe I was in some Arab country. Jokes aside, it looks like that mirror's been busy around here."
Curling his lips at the memory stirred by his own words, the young man with golden hair and blue eyes looks around, surprised to notice how everyone avoids his gaze.
That doesn't make him frown; instead, it increases his interest in the situation—an interest his companion might be able to satisfy.
"Did you forget what that old merchant said?"
Selectively ignoring the first part of his comment—perhaps because she's used to him being a bit incomprehensible—the young woman with black hair covered by a piece of cloth and dressed in priestess robes keeps her eyes forward.
"Yes, about the murders of multiple women. Still, I don't get the veils… well, those pieces of cloth."
"Beautiful women. That's why the cloth is over their faces."
"Wow. That Ungaikyo seems to have very clear objectives."
Narrowing his eyes at the thought that the creature doesn't seem to be killing out of instinct but with a purpose, Asahiko sighs and sets the thought aside.
"Let's find an inn. Night's coming, and that's probably when the Ungaikyo will strike again."
"Sure. You're the expert."
…
Nights in this city are extremely windy. The combination of plains and hills guides the wind perfectly, making it louder and occasionally very strong.
Because of that odd mix of natural factors, the wind roars brutally through the streets and houses, tearing roof tiles away or making the wood tremble, frightening more than one person.
"Wow, this almost feels like a horror movie scene. Looks like it's going to rain, too."
Looking through the window—which is actually a wooden panel that can be lifted to close and lowered to open—Asahiko tilts his head toward the night sky and smiles at the dark clouds.
It's an expectant smile, very different from the ones he usually uses to mock others or act carefree. That difference draws Kikyo's attention.
"You like the rain?"
"Who doesn't, Kikyo? You don't have to go study, you can sleep all day or eat stew. Even the smell of grass gets better after the rain."
Nodding to himself with a grin, Asahiko steps away from the window and picks up Clouded Fang from a corner of the room—which, by the way, is not exactly high quality.
To be more precise, they are in a double room divided only by a paper screen. Each side has a futon, a small tea table, and a shelf with a candle for light.
"…Does that last part really happen? Never mind. I can feel the fragment nearby again."
Shaking her head at the small doubt forming in her mind—whether grass really smells different after rain—Kikyo crosses to the other side of the screen and returns with her red longbow in hand, all under Asahiko's watchful eye.
Now both armed, they jump out of the window and land on the silent cobblestone street below. There isn't a soul in sight. Moonlight is faint and fleeting, casting crawling shadows across the night.
"Which way, Kikyo?"
Watching the creeping shadows, Asahiko keeps a hand on his weapon.
"…Near the castle. Probably in the wealthiest district, or the castle itself."
"That lines up with what we know. Let's go."
Nodding to each other, Kikyo pulls a shard of glass from inside her robes—used to track the Ungaikyo—and leads the way while Asahiko stays alert. After several minutes of walking, they reach the castle's vicinity and the richest part of the city.
The houses here are larger and more elegant, with courtyards enclosed by stone walls, clearly separating one residence from another. That makes it impossible to see inside, forcing Kikyo and Asahiko to use more "complicated" methods to enter.
"One, five, nine, fifteen… That's a lot of guards, especially considering the empty streets outside."
"This must be a samurai family. That's why they're armed so close to the castle. I can feel it—the fragment is in the central residence."
As Kikyo fixes her cold brown eyes on the residence, she briefly loses that coldness when she's suddenly lifted and carried in a princess hold into the air.
Asahiko does it. Hesitating would be foolish. The Ungaikyo is there. He is there. This is the best moment to act and end it.
"Right or left, Kikyo? Right or left?"
"Right. Toward that section."
"Get ready to shoot—I already feel something wrong down there!"
Raising his voice over the wind, Asahiko smashes through the wooden roof with his feet, breaking it open and sliding into the house through the hole.
As he descends into what looks like a very elegant bedroom, ignoring the dust and splinters around him, his eyes lock onto the lower half of a woman's body writhing on the floor.
She isn't dead. Her upper half seems to be swallowed by a mirror, leaving only her lower body outside.
"Stop squirming so much, I'm trying to land!"
"You're too slow. Stay still."
Twisting in Asahiko's arms until she finds a stable position, Kikyo draws her bow and fires an arrow at the mirror—all within seconds and before Asahiko even touches the ground.
The arrow, surrounded by a faint but striking pink glow, hits the mirror's frame and makes the entire structure tremble. The vibrations travel inward, shaking the reflective surface until it spits the woman back out.
"Wow. She actually survived."
"Why wouldn't she?"
"I don't know, half her body was literally inside a mirror?"
Finally touching the floor, Asahiko cracks it under a sudden burst of strength and launches himself at the mirror. With the mirror directly in front of him, he unsheathes Clouded Fang and splits it in two with a single motion.
Still unsatisfied, he scans the surroundings cautiously until Kikyo speaks.
"It's gone. It escaped again."
"Tsk. Slippery thing. Oh, by the way—"
Boom
The sliding door bursts open under brute force. Dozens of armed guards flood into the room in seconds, surrounding every inch and rushing to help the woman who was almost swallowed.
Once she's safe, their eyes fix on the two obvious intruders. The hole in the ceiling and their striking clothes make it clear they don't belong here.
"You two, how did you—"
"Stop, Takegawa! They saved me!"
Halting Takegawa, who looks ready to attack, the girl gasps for breath and is quickly supported by a servant.
"P-please, follow me to see my father… I'm sure he'll want to speak with you."
"It would be an honor. Though I think you should rest, miss. What do you say, Kikyo?"
"There's no other way out. At least not peacefully."
Her cold reply, even colder as she notices Asahiko's perfectly polite reception toward the young woman, makes several guards step back under her piercing gaze.
"Very well. Follow me. My father should still be in the main hall."
…
Inside a large hall lit by candlelight, with soldiers stationed along the walls and servants ready to attend, stands a man clearly hardened by battle.
His black hair is tied in a low ponytail, and his brown eyes, cold as steel, examine the two before him—Kikyo and Asahiko, who seem unfazed by his stare.
"I must thank you, priestess. I don't want to imagine what might have happened to my daughter without your intervention. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I will do everything in my power to fulfill it."
"Good. Then where is the Ungaikyo?"
Accepting his offer without hesitation—despite Asahiko's look behind her, as she's clearly being treated as the leader—Kikyo shows him what true coldness is.
"Ungaikyo?… What is that, priestess?"
"The thing that tried to kill your daughter. But if you don't know, why are there so many guards? How did they arrive so quickly?"
"…You're right, but not entirely. Clear the room. I want to speak with the priestess alone."
After everyone leaves, he takes a sip of tea before speaking again.
"You've heard the rumors spreading through the city and its surroundings, haven't you?"
"Back to the beginning," Asahiko mutters to himself before falling silent.
"Yes, the cases of several beautiful women murdered."
"…The truth is, there is no general case. Only noblewomen are truly killed by that thing. The commoners… we did that."
Asahiko explodes in anger, but Kikyo calms him with a few words.
"We needed to avoid panic," the man continues. "If peasants realized only noblewomen were dying, they would talk, think too much… We'd have a revolt."
"Is that how you justify your filth when you look at your daughter?" Asahiko growls.
Kikyo accepts his conclusion.
"That seems to be all. Let's go. There's nothing more to say here."
Outside, Asahiko sighs.
"So what now? We're back at the start. Maybe even worse."
"Not entirely. We know noblewomen are its targets. That narrows things down."
"Of the Ungaikyo. Not the nobles."
They fall silent at his words, leaving the topic behind—at least on the surface.