Lina scoffed lightly, crossing her arms. "Yeah, well, I thought I had more time to figure things out. But that sniper back there? I'm pretty sure that was her doing."

Hikaru leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "And if that's the case, we're all in deep trouble."

Ayami tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as she considered their next move. The weight of the situation hung heavy in the air, but her expression remained calm, almost calculating. After a moment, she straightened and looked at Lina.

"Did you get a good look at the sniper?" Ayami asked, her voice steady but firm. "Can you remember his face?"

Lina hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, I saw him when I used my power earlier. My eyes zoomed in on the building where he was perched. I got a clear view."

Ayami's lips curved into a faint, approving smile. "Good. That's something we can work with." She reached over to her desk, grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper, and handed them to Lina. "Draw him."

Lina blinked, staring at the pen and paper as if they were foreign objects. "Wait, what? You want me to… draw him?"

"Yes," Ayami said simply, crossing her arms. "If we know what he looks like, we can figure out who he is and who sent him. It's a starting point."

Lina's cheeks flushed slightly as she looked away, her fingers tightening around the pen. "I… I'm really bad at drawing," she muttered, her voice tinged with embarrassment. "Like, really bad."

Hikaru, who had been leaning against the wall, couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, come on. How bad can it be? Just give it a shot."

Lina shot him a glare, but Ayami's gaze didn't waver. "It doesn't have to be perfect," Ayami said, her tone softening just a fraction. "Just do your best. Any detail could help."

With a resigned sigh, Lina sat down on the edge of Ayami's bed, the paper resting on her knees. She stared at the blank page for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration. Slowly, she began to sketch, her movements hesitant and awkward. The pen scratched against the paper as she tried to recall the sniper's features—his sharp jawline, the cold glint in his eyes, the faint scar running down his cheek.

Hikaru leaned over her shoulder, trying to get a glimpse of her progress. His eyes widened, and he bit his lip to stifle a laugh. "Uh… is that supposed to be his nose? It looks like a potato."

Lina's face turned red, and she elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "Shut up! I told you I'm bad at this!"

Ayami, however, didn't seem fazed. She stepped closer, studying the drawing with a critical eye. "It's… rough," she admitted, "but I can see what you're going for. The scar here—" She pointed to a squiggly line on the paper. "—that's distinctive. And the shape of his face… it's angular, right?"

Lina nodded, relieved that Ayami was taking her seriously. "Yeah, he had a really sharp jawline, and his eyes were… I don't know, cold. Like he didn't care about anything."

Ayami hummed thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "That's useful. We might be able to cross-reference this with known associates of Ishtar. If this guy is a professional, there's a chance he's been involved in other jobs."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "You have a database of Ishtar's hitmen or something?"

Ayami gave him a sidelong glance, a small smirk playing on her lips. "Let's just say I've been around long enough to know a few things."

Lina set the pen down, her drawing complete—or as complete as it was going to get. She held it up for Ayami to see, her expression a mix of frustration and resignation. "There. That's the best I can do."

Ayami took the paper, studying it for a moment longer before folding it neatly and tucking it into her pocket. "It'll do. For now, we need to focus on staying one step ahead. If Ishtar's after you, she won't stop with just one sniper."

Her gaze shifted to Hikaru, who was still holding the bag of supplies from the Mirror World. Her eyes glinted with a mix of amusement and curiosity. "Seems like you brought a lot of stuff here, kid. Hand me one of those. Next time you plan a trip to the Mirror World, let me know. I've got a grocery list to take care of."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Hikaru blinked, caught off guard by her casual tone. "Uh… sure."

A smile tugging at her lips. "Good, I really need fill my stomach."

"T-Then what's our next step?" Lina asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Ayami, who was busy rummaging through the bag of snacks Hikaru had brought, paused to glance at her. She pulled out a bag of chips and tore it open casually before replying, "I'm going to search for connections on my laptop. It might help us figure out who we're dealing with."

After a moment, they gathered in the living room, watching Ayami as she hunched over her laptop. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up databases and cross-referencing the rough sketch Lina had drawn. The room was quiet except for the soft tapping of keys and the occasional rustle of snack bags.

As she worked, Ayami glanced up briefly, her golden eyes flicking toward Hikaru and Lina. "Shouldn't you two be at school right now?" she asked, her tone casual but pointed.

Hikaru, who was lounging on the couch with a bag of chips, shrugged. "We already told you… a sniper," he said, his voice trailing off as if that explanation should suffice.

Ayami raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "A sniper isn't a hall pass, you know."

Lina, sitting cross-legged on the floor, chimed in with a dry smirk. "Pretty sure 'almost got shot' counts as an excused absence."

After a moment, Ayami stopped typing and leaned back in her chair, staring at the screen with a frown. Her golden eyes narrowed as she scanned the results—or lack thereof. With a frustrated sigh, she closed the laptop with a decisive click and stood up.

"Alright," she said, her voice calm but edged with determination. "Let's just kill them."

Hikaru nearly choked on his chips, sitting upright on the couch. "Wait, what? Just like that? No plan, no backup, just… kill them?"

Ayami shrugged, her expression unreadable as she stretched her arms. "Sometimes the simplest solution is the best one. If we can't find them through research, we'll draw them out instead."

Lina raised an eyebrow, her smirk returning. "You make it sound so easy. What if they're, I don't know, prepared for us?"

Ayami's lips curved into a faint, almost predatory smile. "Then we'll just have to be faster. And smarter." She glanced at Hikaru, who was still staring at her in disbelief. "You in, or are you going to sit here and snack while we handle this?"

"I'm just gonna be the taxi, bringing you guys to the Mirror World," he replied, holding up his hands defensively.

"Good!" Ayami said, her tone sharp but approving. She turned to Lina. "And did you bring your sniper? Let's try a sniper vs. sniper approach."

Lina smirked and pulled off her gloves. As she held them up, the gloves began to shift and transform—the back and front parts separating and reassembling into a sleek, compact sniper rifle. "I always bring it," she said casually.

Hikaru's jaw dropped. "It… it was in your gloves? How does that even work?"

"Ishtar created this," Lina replied, her tone matter-of-fact as she inspected the weapon. "Handy, isn't it?"

"Yosh! Let's find the sniper and kill 'em!" Ayami declared, raising her hands triumphantly. But then she paused, her confident expression faltering as she glanced at them. "Wait… where's the sniper again?"

Both Hikaru and Lina sighed, realizing they probably shouldn't have trusted her single brain cell to lead.

"It's at the school building," Lina replied flatly.

"Let's just go to the Mirror World now," Hikaru suggested, standing up. "When we step into the real world, time stops. That means the sniper might still be there, waiting."

Ayami clapped her hands together, her energy reignited. "Right, right! The school building! Let's go, then! Mirror World, here we come!" She turned to Hikaru, pointing at him like a commander rallying her troops. "You're on taxi duty, kid. Get us there!"

Hikaru rolled his eyes but didn't argue. "Alright, everyone, gather around. And try not to trip over each other when we cross over."

Lina raised an eyebrow, her sniper rifle still slung over her shoulder. "You say that like it's happened before."

"It has," Hikaru muttered, his tone dripping with exasperation. "And it's always a mess."

Ayami grinned, completely unfazed. "Sounds fun! Let's make it quick, though. I've got a sniper to out-snipe."

The three of them huddled around the mirror, their reflections staring back at them. Hikaru focused, his expression turning serious as he activated his ability. The surface of the mirror rippled like water, and the world around them began to warp and shift. The living room melted away, replaced by the eerie, distorted version of reality that was the Mirror World.

As they stepped through, the silence of the Mirror World enveloped them. The school building loomed in the distance, its warped reflection twisting unnaturally against the muted, almost monochrome landscape.

Ayami stretched her arms, cracking her knuckles. "Alright, team. Let's move. Hikaru, you're on lookout. Lina, you're with me. We'll find this sniper and make sure they regret ever pointing a gun at us."

Lina smirked, adjusting her grip on her sniper rifle. "Finally, some action. I was starting to think we'd just sit around all day."

Hikaru sighed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Why do I feel like I'm the only one here who thinks this is a terrible idea?"

"Because you're the sensible one," Lina said dryly. "But don't worry, we'll protect you."

"Gee, thanks," Hikaru muttered, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

As they approached the school building, Ayami's playful demeanor shifted. Her eyes scanned the area, sharp and focused. "Where's the sniper?" she asked.

Lina pointed to the building directly in front of the school. "There. The east wing, probably a high floor."

"Alright," Ayami said. "Let's go. We need to be quick while we're still in the Mirror World."

To Be Continue.