Chapter 31

The cracks spread rapidly across the body in the blink of an eye. There was a soft "crash" sound, and the person shattered like broken glass, vanishing into thin air.

Natsuki lowered his hand mid-air and let out a regretful sigh. "Maybe I was too hasty. I should've verified if Kaguya was really... you know, busty and evil."

He mused, "The person might be fake, but the body seems real enough - it has warmth, breathes, even has a heartbeat. Pretty impressive imitation, I'd say."

"If that's the case," Natsuki continued, "the fake Kaguya only disappears when exposed. So as long as we don't reveal her identity..."

He groaned, regretting his actions even more. "If I'd known this earlier, I should've stopped Chika. I could've had three Kaguya wives at once! One for massages, one for housework, and one to earn money for the family."

Rikka raised her hand. "Um, I heard it too. The heartbeat was pretty clear."

Chika clutched her head. "Ugh, why are there multiple heartbeats? This isn't helping at all!"

"Let's try a different approach," Natsuki suggested. "Ask something only the two of you would know."

Chika nodded, clasping her hands in front of her chest. She asked with wide eyes, "Kaguya, when did we first meet?"

Both Kaguyas answered in unison, "At the junior high school opening ceremony."

"That's right!" Chika gave a thumbs up. "Back then, Kaguya wasn't great at talking to others. Everyone called her 'Ice Princess Kaguya'."

Chika thought for a moment before asking, "Okay, what was the first gift I gave Kaguya?"

The Kaguya on the left answered, "It was a hairpin."

The Kaguya on the right added, "It matched the one in your bangs perfectly."

Chika's expression grew serious as she asked a few more questions. Both Kaguyas kept answering simultaneously, making it impossible to tell which was real.

"Natsuki," Chika turned to him for help, "Can't you use your weird powers or something to solve this?"

"Sorry, I've already tried," Natsuki shook his head. "It doesn't work on them for some reason."

"In that case, I'll have to use my trump card," Chika took a deep breath and focused. "Here's a puzzle: There are chickens and rabbits in a cage. There are 35 heads and 94 legs in total. So... which tastes better, spicy chicken or spicy rabbit head?"

Natsuki stared at her in disbelief. "Are you serious? What does that last part have to do with the math problem?"

"Don't worry," Chika said confidently. "If it's really Kaguya, she'll definitely be able to answer. Go ahead, Kaguya!"

"Which is better, spicy chicken or spicy rabbit head?" Chika asked seriously.

The two Kaguyas fell silent. After a moment, the one on the left hesitantly said, "Spicy... rabbit head?"

The other Kaguya remained quiet.

Disappointment replaced the hope in Chika's eyes. "Kaguya can't handle spicy food. She'd never pick either of those. She'd say she doesn't like them at all."

Chika took a deep breath. "So... neither of you is the real Kaguya."

As if on cue, cracks appeared on both Kaguyas' bodies. They shattered with a loud bang, leaving the ward eerily empty.

"They weren't human..." Rikka nervously hid behind Natsuki. "Did we enter the wrong room?"

"No, if we had, we wouldn't have seen three Kaguyas," Chika shook her head. She looked at Natsuki. "You noticed they weren't real, didn't you?"

Natsuki nodded. "I did. The real Kaguya would've been scared in this creepy ward, especially seeing imitations of herself. But these three were too calm when we arrived."

"We should look for her," Natsuki said. "She must still be here somewhere."

They searched the small ward thoroughly - the lockers, under the beds, even in drawers. No luck.

Finally, Natsuki's gaze fell on a small, old-fashioned mirror on the table. It was about palm-sized, with a blurry surface.

As Natsuki examined it, he had a strange feeling. Legends spoke of mirrors as gateways to other worlds. Could Kaguya be trapped inside?

He hesitated. Going in alone could be dangerous, but he wasn't sure Chika and Rikka were up for it. Taking a deep breath, Natsuki decided to enter the mirror world himself.

He stared at the mirror, silently counting down in his head, preparing to step into the unknown to rescue his teammate.

Natsuki counted down silently. As he reached one, the world around him blurred for a moment.

"I'm in?" he muttered, looking around to confirm he'd entered the mirror world.

Chika and Rikka were gone. Instead, he found himself facing not one, but two Kaguyas sitting on the bed.

"Natsuki?" Both Kaguyas spoke simultaneously, their voices and movements perfectly synchronized. It was unsettling.

Natsuki rubbed his temples. "Alright, I get it. One of you is real, one's fake." He started questioning them, but no matter what he asked, they answered in perfect unison.

Even when he posed Chika's bizarre chicken and rabbit riddle, both Kaguyas replied, "I don't like either of them."

Natsuki tried another approach. "Kaguya, take out your tools."

Both Kaguyas bit their lower lips. "I've tried. The game says they're sealed and can't be used."

Natsuki was stumped. He'd hoped for a helpful hint, but nothing useful came to mind. He certainly wasn't going to try anything physical – messing with a Shinomiya heiress seemed like a recipe for disaster.

Then, a thought struck him. He looked closely at the Kaguya on the right.

"Don't move," he said. "I think I've found a way to tell you apart."

Both Kaguyas widened their eyes and froze in place.

Natsuki's gaze met theirs, searching for the subtle difference he hoped to find.

Natsuki gazed into the eyes of the Kaguya on the right. He could see a faint mist there, along with hints of panic and fear. Even for someone as composed as Kaguya, being trapped in this eerie ward and imitated by a vengeful spirit would be unsettling. Her composure was already impressive.

He held her gaze for a full minute, then turned to look at the other Kaguya. As their eyes met, Natsuki suddenly remembered the "staring contest" task they'd done earlier in the game. That memory helped him spot the crucial difference between the two Kaguyas.

"I've found you!" he exclaimed.

Without hesitation, Natsuki grabbed the hand of the Kaguya in front of him and dashed towards the mirror behind them.

There was a loud crash as the mirror world shattered around them.

...

[Current Power Stones: 269]

For every 15 Power Stones, 1 Bonus Chapter will be uploaded on the same day.

[Target: 284]

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