001 - A visit to another world (Nemui's turn)

Yellow rice paddies whiz by. The vast tracts of land watched over by Mt. Fuji in the distance, as I watch idly. A trip I had been on many times, yet never gets boring. Slowly, Fuji peels away, leaving wide forests and hills in the distance, before the train finally slows for Kyoto. Like Kuou, the air is laced with crackling energies dancing about. And yet, it feels much more natural, untainted. Despite both being in Japan, they feel so different. Kyoto has an air of refinement, like stepping into the past while Kuoh is so very modern. But today the people seem hushed, their heads bent as they hurry past. And somehow they seem so empty, as if. As if. As if …

"They aren't real" I mutter with a frown as I push my medallion forward, dispelling the illusion.
Where bustling streets had been, the bare cobblestone streets of Gion lay bare, as a foxy woman, complete with golden tails glares at me. I attempt to approach, only for her to summon orbs of foxfire threateningly.
"You have balls to show up here again, you scoundrel" she hisses as I stare in bewilderment.
"What did I do?"
"You don't get to play innocent after kidnapping my daughter in broad daylight!t." she crosses her arms under her well-endowed chest, in a way that causes completely situation-inappropriate reactions in my body.
"Yasaka. It wasn't me, I promise. I was in Kuoh until earlier today."
"I...I want to believe it wasn't. But he looked just like you and even held up your medallion." She breaks down crying, tears leaking out of her eyes splattering onto the cobblestone. She collapses to the ground, dirtying her kimono as tears continue falling out of her eyes.
"But did he do this?." I lift her chin as I channel magic into my medallion, releasing a lily into the sky.
"He… didn't. It doesn't prove anything, but you're right it is suspicious." She lets out a shuddering breath as she struggles to relax, ending the exercise with a deep bow towards me. "I'm sorry for being difficult."
"Don't be silly," I say as I pull her to her feet, brushing dirt off her kimono. "You're just stressed from Kunou being kidnapped. I'll help you find her." I gently pat her head while giving her hand a tight squeeze.
"Nemui you aren't supposed to– I mean..." she stammers, as she looks away blushing furiously.
"I'm sorry." I look away awkwardly. "Let's just focus on finding Kunou."

"So this is where she was kidnapped," I muse while staring at the empty temple grounds. Even at night, Fushimi Inari is beautiful I must admit. Red gates tower above me, as I stand at the top of the hill. There's a slight blur in the air. A blur that shouldn't be there. I reach out, my hand to disappear into it.
"There's a mirror dimension, where one shouldn't exist." I state as calmly as possible. And yet, here it is. Grabbing Yasaka's hand, I pull us through the shimmering portal. "You're trembling" I state calmly, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Thank you," she mumbles, as we appear in what looks like a much smaller version of Fushimi Inari.

A small golden-haired foxgirl stares at us with hatred burning in her eyes.
"Come to me Kunou," Yasaka kneels down with her arms outstretched.
"No, leave me alone! I don't want to see you anymore."
"Kunou-"
"Useless mother, always busy with your job, always leaving me for later. Go away! I'll find my own family, one that loves me for real."
"I..I…" she falls to her knees in shock, her eyes glassed over.
"You're not Kunou."
"Nemui? Are you going to take her side too? Comfort her with empty words even if it means forgetting about me?"
"The real Kunou would never call me Nemui."
"Tch, observant as the rumors said. Why couldn't you just stay at Kuoh like a good clueless human?" the fake Kunou slowly shapeshifts into a woman with the tail and ears of a cat.
"If you know me you know you can't beat me. What are you after?"
"Oh, but I already beat you, nya~! My only purpose here is to delay."
"So, you're delaying me for somebody else."

"Clever aren't you?" a deep voice sounds behind her, before breaking in mocking laughter.
"No, if I was clever I would never have been caught here. I presume you're her boss."
"Was. She can stay trapped here with you now that she's outlived her use . Can't have loose ends running around now, can we?."
"Why am I unsurprised?"
"Tch, I've already spent too long talking to you." the wolf-man looks at his watch before walking out through the disappearing portal before it shuts behind him.
"Client-sama?" the raven-haired woman asks after trying to join the man only to slam against an invisible barrier. "What's the meaning of this, nya?"
"Stray. Traitor to your race, traitor to the devils. Did you think I would give you the chance to betray me too?" The wolf-man's voice echoes, sneering full of disgust from outside. "No, your story ends here. Not in an epic battle or a fated meeting, but exactly as it began. With a betrayal."
In a mirror dimension trapped in a plot that threatens to destabilize Kyoto. Not the way I had planned to spend my vacation for sure. "So, now multiple questions spring to mind," I muse to nobody in particular. "Is Kunou even here? What is he after, and why?"

"No... Kunou isn't here, there's no point in putting all the eggs in the same basket." I consider calmly, eyeing the raven-haired woman for reactions. "Now attacking Kyoto... There's not much there except leylines. Ahh, That makes sense? Stealing power from the leylines with Yasaka around wasn't going to happen, so you lured her here and I would've taken all the blame if I didn't happened to be visiting. Is that the gist of it?"

"You're clever-nya, but that won't get us out of here. We're stuck here."
"I can break the barrier holding the place together, but it will take too long." Yasaka comments despondently.
"Well, then you're in luck I'm around. I could get everyone out of here."
"Everyone?Why would you do that, nya? I'm just a stray cat that tried to scratch your hand, nya."
"Because, even if you made a mistake, you just get up and try again."
"And what if I betray you?"
"We would have to be friends first for you to betray me. Who knows? I might end up thinking it was worth it in the end?" Reaching into [Ho Heros Meta Chillion Prosopon], I draw the pommel of a sword that I plant in the ground.. "So, without access to a leyline, this will take a while to absorb mana and fully manifest, let's talk."
"So, who are you and why are you here?" The small campfire throws shadows around us while we wait for the sword to charge.
"I'm Kuroka, and I came here because a client hired me."
"You don't look like somebody after money, what did they offer."
"I …" she looks at me dejected.
"Go on," I say, patting her lightly on the back.
"He promised to get my sister for me."
"Are you talking about Koneko?"
"You know her?" Her ears perk up.
"She's my student."
"Where is she? Is she safe?"
"I assume she is, I haven't seen her much since the start of summer. Last I saw she was playing a fighting game with two other students at an arcade a week ago."
"I got tricked." she looks at the ground sadly. "And now I'm trapped here."
"And if I help you get out, would you agree to a temporary alliance? Until we get Kunou back, at least."
"I'll agree to much more than that if you help me." She rubs herself against me playfully.
"We still have roughly fifteen minutes until this Photon Ray is at full power." I ignore her blatant flirting. "In the meantime, I need information. So Kunou isn't actually kidnapped."
"How smart, you're right but how did you know."
"Because you're actually a big softie. I can't see you going through actually kidnapping an innocent child.."
"You're right. All I had to do was bait Kunou away and then playact her kidnapping for the crowd."
"So what is your former client up to."
"He didn't tell me. But he sounded ready to destroy all of Kyoto."

"Well, it looks like it's charged." I look briefly around us. The mirror dimension has become thinner, less real. Then again, that's to be expected. After all, the sword has sucked most of the power out of this dimension. The surroundings had looked like a normal world at first, but now there is little more than wispy gray mist surrounds us.
I slash through the air, opening up an archway between the oceans that part the worlds. Grabbing both of them, I pull us through as the dimension disappears behind us, leading us into a room of dazzling red pillars and golden fox statues.
The smell of foul magic, acrid and choking wafts through my nose, much to my disgust, combined with the harsh protests of leylines jarringly awoken from their long slumber. What a shame I don't have a chance to enjoy the room. In the center, stands a golden statue with the wolf-man from before standing in front of it, eyes boring into it. His face stands twisted in a gnarled smile, as filthy paws grasp the statue.

"You know, you didn't do your research very well when you trapped us there."
"The leylines will be active soon, and this city will burn."
"Why?"
"Because, this city killed my sister. My kin of kin."
"I'm sorry. I can't imagine losing a sibling, but that doesn't make what you're doing right."
"You could never understand. This. IS. JUSTICE!"
"No, your twisted idea of justice will never pass. Goodbye. I hope you get to meet her again in the next life."Yasaka interjects.
A bolt of magic slams into his chest, instantly killing him as his body tumbles to the ground. His black blood spills against the red carpet, as muscles spasm in death throes. "This is for tricking me." Yasaka glares at the corpse
"Mother, I was so scared!" a young voice cries, as a small foxgirl with golden hair barrels into Yaska."
"You're safe," Yasaka sobs, embracing the crying girl. "Kunou I-,"
"Mother," the young fox sobs.

"I hate to interrupt, but the leylines will be out of control soon. Yasaka." Rubbing her tears out of her eyes, she reaches for the statue, pouring in her mana. With a dreadful shudder, the room stills once again, the tremors finally quelled.

"I'm sorry," Kuroka bows in front of Yasaka, kneeling on the ground.
"I have no right to pass judgement on you. Nekoshou"
"I have sinned against you, and it is your right to pass whatever judgement you see fit."
"It would be a shame to lose you, it hurts. Very much in fact. What you did to me. And yet, it would be poor of me to condemn you for it. Your punishment is to keep Nemui safe for me. Should he die, your life will be forfeit."

[Mirror World (The place that exist nowhere)]
A powerful barrier technique that creates an alternate dimension mirroring the real world. Without the appropriate 'key' to freely enter and leave, one is at the whims of the creator. Theoretically inescapable by physical means, even with the correct mystical power and knowledge it will take long hours to decrypt the involved barriers or an overwhelming display of power capable of destabilizing the anchors keeping it in place.

A sword that can cut dimensions is totally unfair, though.