Ayami, still in her cat form, moved low to the ground, her tail twitching. "The scent's fresh here. They passed through not long ago." She sniffed again, then flattened her ears. "Ugh. Yep, definitely a gunman. And definitely someone who thinks deodorant is optional."

Lina stepped lightly beside Hikaru, scanning the alley. "So where'd they go?"

Ayami hopped onto a stack of crates, peering ahead. "There's a door up ahead, just slightly open. Smells like whoever we're tracking went inside."

Hikaru frowned, lifting his mirror to check the real-world version of the alley. The door was shut tight. "It's locked in the real world," he muttered. "If they're in there, they either broke in or it was already open."

Lina exhaled sharply. "Either way, they might still be inside."

Ayami shifted back into her human form, stretching her arms before looking at Hikaru. "The mirror world doesn't affect the real world, right, Hikaru-kun?"

He nodded.

Without another word, Ayami grabbed a nearby trash can and hurled it at the window.

The trash can crashed through the window with a loud shatter, the sound oddly muted in the eerie stillness of the mirror world. Shards of glass scattered across the ground, glimmering under the dim light.

Hikaru glanced at his mirror, checking the real world—just as expected, the window remained perfectly intact, untouched by Ayami's actions. He exhaled. "Still no effect. Good."

Ayami smirked, dusting off her hands. "Well, that makes things easier." She climbed through the now-broken window and landed gracefully inside the building. Her golden eyes gleamed in the dim interior as she sniffed the air. "Yeah, the scent is strong in here. Definitely fresh."

Lina pulled herself up and climbed in after her. "Let's just hope they're not still hanging around."

Hikaru followed last, stepping carefully over the broken glass. He checked his mirror again—outside in the real world, the alley was still frozen in time. Inside the building, however, the air felt heavier, almost like something was pressing in on them.

Ayami, still leading the way, dropped back down into a crouch and shifted into her cat form again. Her tail flicked as she prowled forward, ears twitching. "This place smells like old metal and gunpowder. Whoever this guy is, he's been dealing with weapons for a long time."

Lina glanced around the darkened interior. Dust covered most surfaces, but there were faint footprints leading deeper inside. "Then let's not waste time."

The faucet squeaked as the assassin scrubbed his hands under the running water, watching the crimson-tinted liquid swirl down the drain. His fingers ached from the long night, but his mind was elsewhere.

His brows furrowed. "This job's weird… should've been done by now." He muttered to himself, shaking off the excess water before reaching for a towel.

On the cluttered kitchen table beside him, a crumpled wanted poster lay under the dim light. Two faces stared back at him—Hikaru and Lina. He smirked to himself, running a thumb over the paper. "Tch. Both of them? If I pull this off, the payout's gonna be insane. Not to mention…" He flexed his fingers, feeling the faint warmth of magic stirring in his veins. "A blessing from the gods… Now that's real power."

Just then—

A metallic click echoed through the kitchen.

His breath hitched as something cold pressed against his forehead. His eyes flicked upward—his reflection in the kitchen window showed the unmistakable gleam of a sniper barrel materializing out of thin air, aimed directly at him.

"What the—?!"

The air behind him wavered like a mirage. Then, in a single instant, three figures stepped out of nothingness—Hikaru, Lina, and Ayami. The assassin barely had time to process their sudden appearance before the atmosphere shifted, the weight of the moment settling over him like a vice.

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Hikaru lowered his mirror, his sharp gaze locking onto the assassin. Lina's weapon was already half-raised, and Ayami, now in human form, leaned casually against the counter, her eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.

The assassin swallowed hard.

"Shit."

The assassin barely had time to react before Ayami's body twisted and shifted, her form stretching and contorting with unnatural fluidity. In mere moments, the slender woman was gone—replaced by a massive male tiger, its golden eyes gleaming with predatory amusement.

"Welcome to judgment day," Ayami chuckled, though now her voice was deeper, a low, rumbling growl that sent a chill down the assassin's spine.

His instincts screamed at him to move, to grab a weapon—anything—but his body refused to listen. His pulse pounded as the massive feline took a slow, deliberate step forward, claws clicking against the tiled floor.

Hikaru exhaled, keeping his mirror steady, ensuring their presence in the real world didn't shift time forward too soon. "I'd say you have about ten seconds to explain yourself before she decides you're not worth the trouble."

Lina cocked her gun, the sound sharp in the tense silence. "And trust me, she's not known for her patience."

The assassin clenched his jaw, glancing between the three of them. His fingers twitched near his belt—he still had a knife, a last resort, but would it even matter against this?

He forced a smirk, though a bead of sweat rolled down his temple. "Tch… You think you can just walk in here and corner me?" His eyes flicked toward the wanted poster still sitting on the table. His targets—no, his opportunity—were standing right in front of him. If he could turn this around, if he could win this, the rewards would be beyond anything he ever dreamed of.

He shifted his stance slightly, just enough to reach for something—

Ayami's massive paw shot forward, slamming down onto the table with a heavy THUD, cracking the wood beneath her weight.

"Try it," she rumbled, baring her fangs in a sharp-toothed grin.

The assassin barely had time to flinch before Ayami lunged, her massive tiger form a blur of muscle and fur. With a single swipe of her paw, she knocked him off balance, sending him crashing onto the floor with a grunt. Before he could scramble up, she pressed one massive paw down onto his chest, pinning him effortlessly beneath her weight.

He gasped, eyes wide with panic as he struggled against the sheer force holding him down. "Gh—! Damn cat—!"

Ayami leaned in closer, her breath hot against his face as she bared her fangs. "Careful what you call me," she purred, her deep voice dripping with amusement. "I don't take insults kindly."

The assassin froze as the sharp click of a rifle echoed through the room.

Lina had leveled her sniper directly at his forehead, her finger resting lightly on the trigger. Her icy gaze locked onto his, void of hesitation. "Who are you working with?" she demanded, her voice sharp and steady. "Talk. Now."

The assassin swallowed hard, his mind racing. His eyes flicked toward Hikaru, who stood just behind Lina, mirror in hand, watching him like a hawk. There was no escape—not in this world, not in the real one.

He let out a bitter chuckle, his lips curling into a smirk despite the sweat beading on his forehead. "Hah… You really think I'd just give up names?" His voice was strained, but laced with defiance. "Even if I did, I'd be dead before the words left my mouth."

Ayami's claws flexed, pricking into his clothes, just barely pressing against his skin. "You're assuming we won't kill you first," she said smoothly. "But trust me, we're way more creative."

Lina narrowed her eyes, pressing the barrel of her sniper just a little closer to his skin. "Last chance."

The assassin clenched his jaw, his breathing uneven as the weight of Ayami's massive tiger form pressed down on him. The sniper barrel at his forehead wasn't helping either. His fingers twitched, but he knew better than to reach for any hidden weapon—one wrong move, and he'd be dead before he could even blink.

He let out a slow, shaky breath, eyes darting between them. "Tch… You don't get it," he muttered. "Even if I spill everything, I'm already a dead man."

Hikaru tilted his head slightly, watching the assassin's every movement. "Maybe," he said casually, "but that doesn't mean you have to die now." He lifted his mirror just enough to reflect the assassin's face. "Or worse, we could leave you here, stuck in the mirror world. No food, no water, no way out."

The assassin's expression faltered for just a second. A flicker of fear passed through his eyes.

Lina smirked. "Ah. That got your attention." She adjusted her grip on the sniper, her voice calm but laced with ice. "I'll ask again. Who are you working with?"

He hesitated, his mind racing. There was no easy way out of this, no clever escape. His best bet was to buy time.

"…I don't know their real names," he finally muttered, eyes shifting away. "They don't tell us much. Just orders. Just targets."

Ayami's ears flicked. "And who gave you the order to go after Lina?"

He swallowed hard. "All I got was a message. A list. High-priority targets. Big reward. If I took out Lina, the gods would bless me—give me real power." His voice wavered slightly. "I don't ask questions. I just get paid."

Lina's eyes darkened. "So you're just another pawn."

The assassin let out a bitter chuckle. "Aren't we all?"

Ayami narrowed her golden eyes before pressing down harder on his chest, forcing a pained grunt from him. "Tell me," she said, her tone casual but deadly, "this 'message'—who sent it?"

He winced. "Some masked guy. Shows up outta nowhere. Leaves the message, disappears again. Like a damn ghost." He coughed, then smirked weakly. "You think I'm the only one after you? There's plenty more willing to take my place."

Hikaru exchanged glances with Ayami and Lina.

To Be Continue.