Kaguya-sama Wants Me to Surrender

The Ghost of the Mirror.

Kaguya Shinomiya's ultimate nightmare.

The greedy snakes, pig-headed butchers, vengeful teachers, and countless twisted evil spirits she had faced before weren't nearly as terrifying as the mirror ghost.

Being pulled alone into the mirror world—and having one's memory stolen—was a truly nightmarish ordeal.

So much so that the moment Kaguya reached the door of the ward, her pretty face paled.

"Kaguya-chan, Natsuki and I can go in," Fujiwara Chika whispered, "You wait for us outside."

Their combined skill required two people to activate, so Amamiya Natsuki and Fujiwara Chika had no choice but to enter.

"Forget it." Kaguya bit her lower lip, suddenly firm, "Give up the fragments in this ward."

Abandon the side quest, hide in the ward, and passively wait for the game time to end—that was an option.

It would ensure maximum safety, after all.

Her 'roommate' relationship with Miss Sadako had blossomed to a friendly level, so danger was minimal.

"No." Fujiwara Chika shook her head firmly. "If I give up, I can't collect all the fragments. I'm a collector—I'd feel uncomfortable missing even one."

"But..."

"Don't worry, I understand what you're afraid of." Fujiwara's pretty face lifted confidently. "Even if Natsuki-san is imitated, I will definitely recognize him."

Where did this confidence come from?

She hardly knew him!

Fujiwara pressed on, "And if I'm imitated, surely Natsuki would recognize me, right?"

"I'm sorry." Amamiya Natsuki's expression was blank. "I can't recognize you."

"Eh?"

He grumbled, "Fujiwara-san is a god. How can a cricket understand a god's thoughts?"

"That's harsh." Fujiwara puffed out her cheeks, "Are you praising me or insulting me? Oh! I've got it!"

Suddenly slapping her forehead, her eyes brightened.

"I thought of a way! As long as we use a small prop, even if we're imitated by the mirror, Natsuki and I can tell each other apart."

"What?"

"The red string."

Fujiwara urged, "Natsuki-san, hurry, take out the red string!"

Amamiya remembered the red rope from a previous trade and pulled it out.

[Prop: Red String]

Material: Unknown

Usage: Both parties tie the red string to the same finger; when one moves, the other's finger moves accordingly.

Special Effects: Not enabled.

Note: Use with caution. Do not use on figurines, pillows, silicone [beep——], cats, pigeons, or other creatures.

Reading the note again, Amamiya's expression twitched.

It made sense for figurines, but pillows don't have fingers—how could you tie a red string?

Cats were okay, but pigeons? What even was that?

"Natsuki-san," Fujiwara asked, "Which finger do you want to tie it on?"

"Hmm..." Amamiya hesitated briefly, "The little finger."

Of all fingers, the little finger was the least functional. Yakuza members often sacrificed it as a token of apology.

"Then the little finger it is." Fujiwara stretched out her little finger and turned to Kaguya, "Kaguya-chan, help me tie the string."

Kaguya wanted to refuse but found no reason to.

It was just an ordinary red string that hooked fingers. What reason could there be to refuse?

Biting her lip, she took the string and helped tie it for Fujiwara.

"Let me tie Natsuki-san's finger."

Fujiwara volunteered to do the honors.

The next moment,

The red string connecting their fingers suddenly vanished.

"Eh? The red string disappeared?"

Fujiwara's eyes widened as she checked.

Amamiya suddenly felt his fingers move involuntarily. Raising his right hand, he watched his little finger twitch.

"My finger's moving on its own!"

Fujiwara gasped in amazement, her little finger twitching along. "So this is how it works. Magical!"

"Stop fooling around." Amamiya clenched his fist and stopped the movement. "Let's go in."

Fujiwara nodded. "Kaguya-chan, wait for us outside."

They stepped into the ward.

Dim light, cold air, eerie stillness.

The ward was empty; no sign of the vengeful spirit.

The bronze mirror lay on the table, untouched.

"The ghost isn't here." Fujiwara lowered her voice and instinctively moved closer to Amamiya. "Could it still be inside the mirror?"

"Very likely." Amamiya nodded, holding up the mirror. "Look at it for ten seconds. Don't blink."

"Um."

Fujiwara clenched her fists, ready.

The mirror was small, forcing Fujiwara to stand close to Amamiya, their arms brushing.

He breathed gently and smelled a soft mix of milk, cake, and flowers from the innocent girl—pleasant and calming.

After dozens of silent seconds, dizziness washed over Amamiya.

"Hmm, I feel dizzy..."

Fujiwara's voice sounded in his ear as she hugged his arm to steady him.

Then a dark, vague whisper filled their ears:

"Why... why did you choose her and not me?"

Fujiwara looked toward the voice: "Hey, Kaguya-chan?"

"You think too much." Amamiya took her hand. "Kaguya-san's waiting in the corridor."

The girl in front of them looked exactly like Shinomiya Kaguya—but was a vengeful spirit.

Amamiya expected the mirror demon to reveal its true face after they left, but it still wore Kaguya's appearance.

At that moment, Kaguya Shinomiya stepped from a dark corner, head tilted.

Her pale face was smeared with blood, and she held a utility knife, blood slowly dripping from the blade's tip.

The spark in her burgundy eyes had vanished, replaced by a dusty, empty darkness.

"…Kaguya-chan is so scary."

Fujiwara trembled, feeling like a lost rabbit in a demon's den, unable to move.

Amamiya felt a twinge of panic too.

Is this the darkening?

Behind her icy, expressionless mask, Kaguya hid not only naivety but also a yandere streak!

"We are exactly the same. Why did you choose her and not me?"

The yandere Kaguya tilted her head, eyes fixed on Amamiya's face.

Her voice was the devil's whisper:

"Why did you leave me alone and run away?"

"Because I'm not a good kid?"

"The child who runs away must be punished. I'll gouge out one of your eyes... Hehehe, such a cute expression."

-End Chapter-

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