Aka Manto stood upright, her crimson cloak flowing like a curtain of blood. Her mask shimmered slightly, suggesting a hint of amusement. The Lady in White moved gently, her hair floating in the fog, her eyes locked on me as if I were the next soul on her list.
"This is awkward," I muttered.
The bathroom tiles cracked slightly under Aka Manto's heel. "Why is she here? She shouldn't even be in this space."
The Lady in White tilted her head, her voice cold. "I could say the same about you. You smell of vanity and slaughter. The boy's spirit must be... dirty to have taken you in."
"Oh?" Aka Manto laughed. "At least I have style."
"Enough!" I snapped before their tension could escalate into a full-blown ghostly battle. "Look, I don't even know what this place really is! One of you lives in a haunted bathroom, the other in a cursed intersection—what are the rules here?"
Aka Manto crossed her arms. "This is the threshold of your mind. A space between your spirit and ours. It's called a dreamscape. Only you can be here without being torn apart."
The Lady in White spoke softly. "But it won't be yours forever. Three domains can't exist without consuming each other."
"You're saying you'll fight?"
"Eventually," they answered together.
I rubbed my forehead and sat down. "Great. My mind is turning into a war zone."
For a moment, silence filled the air. All I could hear was the drip of water, the hum of streetlamps, and the faint rhythm of my heartbeat echoing through both worlds.
Then I exhaled. "Fine. Let's clarify something. You're both bound to me now, right? I want to get stronger. If you're part of me, you'll help me do that."
Aka Manto laughed softly, her voice a mix of sultry and menacing. "Help you? Strength isn't a gift, child. It's taken."
The Lady in White's stare remained unchanging. "To access our full power, you must conquer us. Command is based on dominance, not harmony."
I sighed. "So, I have to fight you?"
"Exactly," Aka Manto purred. "If you want my full strength, step into my world and take it. If you lose…" She traced a gloved finger across her throat. "You'll remain here, bound to me."
The Lady in White leaned forward, surrounded by fog. "You won't last long against her one-on-one. Her world is deceit and illusion—it preys on the vanity of fear."
That was true. I did fight Aka Manto three against one the first time, and her strength was in one-on-ones.
I glanced between them. They were both dangerous and powerful. One had already pushed me to the brink before—and I survived.
"Then I'll start with her."
Aka Manto's mask shifted slightly. "You really are as reckless as you appear."
I took a breath and stepped toward her barrier. As soon as my hand touched it, the world flickered like a dying bulb—reality warped, and the crossroads disappeared behind me.
The first thing I noticed was the smell of metal and rot.
When my vision cleared, I stood in that cursed bathroom again—only now it extended endlessly, mirrors piled on mirrors, each reflecting me, her, and the endless red glow that painted everything like blood caught mid-motion.
Aka Manto leaned against a stall door, amusement curling beneath her mask. "Well then, little Gravebinder," she said softly, "let's see if your courage looks as good as it sounds."
The mirror cracked behind me as the domain sealed shut.
I straightened up, meeting her unseen gaze. "I'd rather not do this but... fine. Let's discover who's really in control here."