Lina tightened her grip on the sniper, stepping closer. "That's not good enough," she said coldly. "Give me a name. A location. Something useful."

The assassin gritted his teeth, his breath ragged under Ayami's crushing weight. "I told you—I don't know! He's just some masked freak who—"

Lina pressed the barrel of her sniper harder against his forehead. "Try again."

The assassin let out a strained laugh. "You really think you can scare me more than them?" His voice wavered, but there was something unhinged in his eyes now—resignation. "You don't get it… I was never getting out of this alive."

Hikaru frowned, sensing something off. "Wait—"

The assassin suddenly threw his head back and screamed. A terrible, inhuman wail that echoed through the room. His body tensed violently, his veins bulging, dark energy crackling across his skin.

Ayami instantly leapt off him, shifting back into human form as she landed next to Hikaru and Lina. "Shit—get back!"

The assassin's body convulsed, and then—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion tore through the space where he had been. Blood, bone, and fire scattered in every direction as his body was obliterated from the inside out. The shockwave sent Hikaru, Lina, and Ayami stumbling backward as debris rained down around them.

Smoke filled the air, the acrid scent of burning flesh mixing with the metallic tang of blood.

Hikaru coughed, waving a hand to clear the smoke. "The hell was that?!"

Lina's expression darkened, wiping some blood off her cheek. "A failsafe. He was rigged to self-destruct."

Ayami growled lowly. "Cowards. They'd rather blow up their own people than let them talk."

Hikaru's gaze hardened. "But he did say something before he went off." He turned to the others. "Something about Egypt."

Lina clenched her fists. "…Then that's where we're headed next."

"That's far from here! Who's even gonna go to Egypt from Japan?!" Hikaru exclaimed.

"I know at least five people from Japan who went to Egypt just to fight a vampire... and one dog," Ayami replied casually.

Hikaru blinked. "That's... bizarre."

Lina clicked her tongue, lowering her sniper slightly as she stepped back from the bloody remains of the assassin. "Damn it. A suicide spell."

Ayami shifted back into her human form, dusting off her sleeves. "Tch. Cowards. Rather blow themselves up than spill too much." She glanced at the scorched floor where the assassin had been. "Still, he gave us something. Egypt."

Hikaru crossed his arms. "Yeah, but that's barely anything to go on. 'A guy from Egypt' doesn't exactly narrow it down." He flipped his mirror in his hand, frowning. "And if this 'masked guy' can move unnoticed even in the real world, then we're dealing with someone dangerous."

Ayami stretched, rolling her shoulders. "Well… I think that's enough for today. You two are still in your school uniforms. Why not head back? It's pretty close."

"Yeah… My bag's still there, and we have one last lesson," Hikaru sighed.

Lina just let out a tired breath. "I guess we're going back to school."

***

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

Hikaru and Lina stood outside the classroom door, exchanging a brief glance before Hikaru exhaled and slid the door open.

The moment they stepped inside, all eyes turned to them. The teacher, a stern-looking man with sharp glasses and a deep frown, paused mid-lecture, his chalk hovering over the blackboard.

"Oh, look who finally decided to show up." His voice was laced with irritation. "Hikaru. Lina. Where exactly have you two been for half the lesson?"

The room was dead silent, save for a few stifled snickers from their classmates.

Hikaru scratched the back of his head, searching for an excuse. "Uh… We—"

"We got lost," Lina cut in quickly, her expression completely serious.

The teacher narrowed his eyes. "Lost? In the school?"

Lina nodded. "Yes. Very lost."

A muscle twitched in the teacher's jaw. "...Sit down. Both of you."

Without another word, they hurried to their seats as the lecture resumed.

As soon as Hikaru settled into his seat, he felt a tap on his arm.

Sakura, the girl sitting beside him, leaned in slightly, her voice a hushed whisper. "Where were you two?"

Hikaru glanced at the teacher, making sure he wasn't paying attention, then turned his head toward Sakura. "Mirror world," he murmured just low enough for her to hear. "Dealt with some bad people."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't react beyond that. She simply nodded, her expression thoughtful as she stared at her notebook.

Mirror world… she thought to herself. Hikaru's power still fascinated her. She had only seen glimpses of what he could do, but the idea of an entire world reflected in the mirrors, a place where time stood still—it was something she could hardly wrap her head around.

As soon as Hikaru settled into his seat, he felt a tap on his arm.

Sakura, the girl sitting beside him, leaned in slightly, her voice a hushed whisper. "Where were you two?"

Hikaru glanced at the teacher, making sure he wasn't paying attention, then turned his head toward Sakura. "Mirror world," he murmured just low enough for her to hear. "Dealt with some bad people."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't react beyond that. She simply nodded, her expression thoughtful as she stared at her notebook.

Mirror world… she thought to herself. Hikaru's power still fascinated her. She had only seen glimpses of what he could do, but the idea of an entire world reflected in the mirrors, a place where time stood still—it was something she could hardly wrap her head around.

As Hikaru and Lina stepped out of the classroom, the golden light of the setting sun stretched their shadows along the hallway floor. The murmurs of their classmates still lingered behind them, but neither acknowledged them.

Walking side by side, they made their way toward the school gates. A warm breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the distant chatter and laughter of students heading home.

Lina kept her voice low as she spoke. "What else can you do besides walking around in the mirror world?"

Hikaru glanced at her, then sighed. "I can fly… The Mirror Man said I can do anything there, but I don't really know how to control it yet."

Lina smirked slightly. "Then we're going to train your power. If you can fly in the mirror world, we can get to Egypt much faster."

As they walked through the school gates, the golden hues of the sky deepened into shades of twilight. The streets were still busy with students heading home, but the noise felt distant, almost like background static compared to their conversation.

Hikaru shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing at Lina. "You make it sound so easy. Training, I mean."

Lina shrugged. "Because it is. You just need to push yourself. If the Mirror Man said you can do anything, then that means there's no limit. You're just hesitating."

Hikaru frowned. "It's not hesitation. It's just… different. The mirror world doesn't follow the same rules as this one. It feels like walking through water sometimes, and other times it's like I'm weightless. Flying isn't just 'jump and go.'"

Lina glanced at him, then smirked. "So you have to figure out the rules. Trial and error."

Hikaru sighed. "Yeah, yeah. But what about you? You're really planning on going all the way to Egypt?"

Lina's expression darkened slightly. "If that's where the answers are, then yeah." Her voice was steady, but there was something deeper there—determination, maybe even desperation.

Hikaru studied her for a moment before looking ahead. "Guess that means I don't have much of a choice, huh?"

Lina chuckled. "Nope. You're in this now."

They continued walking in comfortable silence for a while, the city lights flickering on one by one as night slowly settled in.

As they walked through the school gates, the golden hues of the sky deepened into shades of twilight. The streets were still busy with students heading home, but the noise felt distant, almost like background static compared to their conversation.

Hikaru shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing at Lina. "You make it sound so easy. Training, I mean."

Lina shrugged. "Because it is. You just need to push yourself. If the Mirror Man said you can do anything, then that means there's no limit. You're just hesitating."

Hikaru frowned. "It's not hesitation. It's just… different. The mirror world doesn't follow the same rules as this one. It feels like walking through water sometimes, and other times it's like I'm weightless. Flying isn't just 'jump and go.'"

Lina glanced at him, then smirked. "So you have to figure out the rules. Trial and error."

Hikaru sighed. "Yeah, yeah. But what about you? You're really planning on going all the way to Egypt?"

To Be Continue.