Need || Sanekana

010 | Illusion

Masachika POV

My face paled.

Why was he looking away from the demon!? What's going on?

    "Sanemi! Not there! Behind you!"

The reflection on the mirror showed Sanemi with a raged expression, pointing his sword and not facing the demon.

I turned around. They weren't there...

How is this mirror not reflecting my face back though...? Is it reflecting the scene from another room? What is going on?

It was supposed to be showing my own reflection and the.. the display cabinet behind me.

I leaned closer to the mirror, and my own reflection suddenly reappearing on it.

    "...Huh? Where... where did he go?!" I grabbed the two sides of the mirror desperately, shaking the mirror hard before I abruptly stopped.

I spotted something in the corner of the mirror. A display cabinet...? Is that an incense burner on top? What is that doing here?

I turned around, and the display cabinet was empty.

Huh?... It was... just here...

I blinked with confusion, feeling troubled. Just what is going on?

I stared at the mirror hard, to the point that my gaze felt like it could break through the mirror. Then it hit me, I could see faint red smoke being emitted from the incense burner, and that sick bittersweet scent had always been present all along.

Could it be?... This smell..

The red smoke started to sway in the reflection of the mirror, and I thought I heard faint whisper calling out.

    "Help me."

I flinched, even now, the already dead girl kept whispering for help. Using all her strength to do so.

Sanemi POV

    "Damn it... why doesn't it work?" I whispered to myself, veins ticking on my arms at how hard i'm gripping my nichirin.

    "Silly child. I did mentioned it didn't I? No one can hurt me, this is the inside of my belly." The demon woman cackled with delight, her crimson red eyes glowing intimidatingly.

The tone she was using was as if she was lecturing a child. My arms tensed hard, I couldn't help but feel alarmed at the way she deflected my attacks so easily countless of times.

I slashed at the fleshy wall suddenly. No damage.

This is concerning. Why.. or, how is this happening? The first half of her statement sounded disturbing.

The room bubbled again, my eyes widened as I watched Uraga's body get sucked into the walls, and I was too far to even get to it. "Fuck!"

I grit my teeth hard. I blamed myself deeply for my failure, I couldn't even send the body back to the man's lover now.

    "Oh dear, you should really give up already, my child. Mother will always be by your side. Just cease your meaningless struggle." She smiled, placing her hand over her chest calmly.

    "Come here and let your mother hug you... or do you want me to sing you a lullaby instead?" She smiled softly.

    "Shut up." I hissed, my eyes locked onto hers. 'Damn her, she's just fucking toying with me. She hasn't even tried attacking me herself.'