The Mirror Spirit.
Kaguya Shinomiya's ultimate nightmare.
The Snake she'd encountered before, the Pig-Head Butcher, the vengeful spirit teacher, and all those twisted malevolent spirits in the real world—none of them were as terrifying as the mirror ghost.
Being dragged alone into the mirror world, even having her memories stolen—it was truly a nightmarish experience.
The moment she reached the ward's entrance, Kaguya's pretty face turned pale.
"Kaguya-chan, Natsuki and I can go in by ourselves," Chika said quietly. "You can wait outside for us."
The combination technique required two people to activate. No matter what, Natsuki and Chika had to go in.
"Actually, let's not." Kaguya bit her lower lip, then suddenly said, "Let's give up on the fragment in this room."
Abandoning the side quest and hiding in a ward, passively waiting for the game time to end—that was also a valid choice.
The benefit was obvious: maximum safety.
Their "roommate" relationship with Miss Sadako had already reached the Friendly level. There was no need to worry about encountering danger.
"We can't do that." Chika shook her head in refusal. "If we give up, we definitely won't be able to collect all the fragments. I'm a completionist—if I'm missing even one fragment, my whole body will feel uncomfortable."
"But..."
"Don't worry, I know what you're worried about, Kaguya-chan." Chika lifted her pretty face slightly, her voice confident. "Even if Natsuki gets imitated, I'll definitely be able to recognize him."
Hey, hey—where exactly does that confidence come from?
If it were Miko, that would make sense, but you two aren't even that close!
Chika continued, "And if I get imitated, Natsuki will definitely be able to recognize me too, right?"
"Sorry." Natsuki's expression was blank. "I wouldn't be able to tell."
"Ehh??"
Natsuki quipped, "Fujiwara-san is a divine being, after all. How could a mere human possibly comprehend the thoughts of a god?"
"So mean." Chika puffed up her cheeks. "Is that supposed to be a compliment or a jab... Oh, that's right!"
Chika suddenly slapped her forehead, her eyes brightening. "I've got an idea! With just one little item, even if we get imitated by the mirror, Natsuki and I will definitely be able to recognize each other."
"What is it?"
"That red string!" Chika urged. "Natsuki, hurry up and take out that red string."
Natsuki recalled the red string they'd obtained through trading earlier and produced the item.
[Item: Red String]
[Material: Unknown]
[Usage: Both parties tie the red string to the same finger. When one party moves their finger, the other party's finger will move accordingly.]
[Special Effect: Not yet activated]
[Note: Please use with caution. Do not use with figurines, body pillows, silicone [BEEP—], cats, pigeons, or other creatures. Humans cannot—or at least should not.]
Reading this note again, Natsuki's expression was still quite complicated.
Figurines were one thing, but body pillows didn't even have fingers—how would you tie a red string to one?
Tying a red string with a cat was questionable enough, but what was the deal with pigeon spirits?
"Natsuki." Chika looked up at him inquiringly. "Which finger do you want to tie it to?"
"Hmm..." Natsuki pondered for two seconds. "The pinky, I suppose."
Of the five human fingers, the pinky was the least useful. For example, when members of yakuza organizations cut off fingers, they usually cut the pinky.
"The pinky it is, then." Chika extended her pinky finger and turned her head. "Kaguya-chan, help me tie the red string."
"..."
Kaguya wanted to refuse but couldn't find a suitable reason.
It was just an ordinary red string that could only be used to move fingers. Was there really any reason to refuse?
Biting her lower lip slightly, Kaguya accepted the red string and helped Chika tie it on.
"I'll handle Natsuki's finger!"
Chika volunteered enthusiastically and tied the red string onto Natsuki's finger.
The next moment.
The red string connecting their two fingers suddenly vanished.
"Huh? The red string disappeared?"
Chika's eyes went wide as she hurriedly checked.
Natsuki suddenly felt his finger move involuntarily a couple of times. He raised his right hand in front of his face, then wiggled his finger.
"My finger moved on its own!" Chika was amazed. Her pinky kept wiggling back and forth. "So that's how it works—how amazing!"
"Stop playing around." Natsuki tried clenching his fist and found he could stop the pinky from moving. "Let's go. Time to enter the ward."
Only then did Chika stop. "Kaguya-chan, wait for us to come out."
"..."
They entered the ward.
The lighting was dim as always, the air cold and unsettling.
The ward was empty with no vengeful spirit in sight. The bronze mirror lay face-down on the table, exactly as it had been when they left.
"The spirit isn't here." Chika lowered her voice and instinctively moved closer to Natsuki. "Natsuki, do you think that spirit might still be inside the mirror?"
"Very possible." Natsuki nodded slightly and propped the mirror upright. "Look at the mirror for ten seconds without blinking."
"Mm."
Chika clenched her pink fists, bracing herself.
The mirror was small. To appear in it together, Chika had to get as close to Natsuki as possible, their arms touching intimately.
Natsuki breathed softly. From the airheaded girl, he caught a fragrance of milk, cake, and flowers all mixed together—quite pleasant.
After silently counting ten seconds, Natsuki felt slightly dizzy.
"Mm, I feel a bit dizzy..."
Chika's voice reached his ears as the airheaded girl hugged his arm to steady herself.
The next moment.
A faint, ethereal voice drifted into their ears.
"Why... why did you choose her instead of me?"
Chika looked toward the sound. "Huh? Kaguya-chan?"
"You're imagining things." Natsuki grabbed Chika's hand. "Shinomiya-san is waiting for us in the corridor."
The girl before them merely looked identical to Kaguya Shinomiya. In truth, she was the vengeful spirit.
Natsuki had assumed the mirror ghost would reveal her true form after they left. He hadn't expected her to still be wearing Kaguya's appearance.
At this moment.
Under their gazes, the Kaguya standing in the dark corner of the room stepped forward. Her head was tilted, droplets of blood dotting her pale, pretty face. In her hand was a utility knife, fresh blood slowly dripping from its tip. The highlights in her wine-red eyes had vanished completely, as if covered by a layer of ash—empty and dim.
"...Kaguya-chan is so scary."
Chika trembled, feeling like a little white rabbit who had accidentally wandered into a demon's lair. She didn't dare move at all.
Natsuki was somewhat panicked as well.
She'd gone dark, hadn't she?
So beneath that expressionless ice-sculpture mask, there wasn't just a comedic side hidden—there was also a yandere side!
"We're exactly the same, so why did you choose her instead of me?"
The yandere Kaguya tilted her head to look at them, her gaze fixed on Natsuki's face. Her voice was like a demon's whisper.
"Why did you leave me behind and run away?"
"Is it because I'm not a good girl?"
"Children who run away must be punished. I'll gouge out one of your eyes... Hehehe, what a lovely expression."