mid-spring, year 02 - lower sectors of eryndor
fog rolled like breath from sleeping giants through the alleys below after life.the festival had ended two nights ago, yet the city hadn't calmed: rumors of the possessed noble spread faster than wine.now the lower sectors pulsed with fear—lanterns shuttered early, whispers cut short when strangers passed.
daniel adjusted his coat and flicked a coin through his fingers, its reflection flashing silver-red."we follow the mana trail down to the docks. if the shards are feeding on blood contracts, we'll find more there."
kain nodded. beside him, akari noctelle moved in silence, her rose-blonde hair tucked beneath a hood, golden eyes scanning every shadow.behind them, lady mira nocturne walked barefoot, her steps soundless. the faint scent of iron followed her; her vampiric heritage sharpened every sense.
"the mirrors hum," she whispered. "hungry."
1 – the hunt
they descended into the under-canals-ruins older than eryndor's current city.the walls shimmered faintly, slick with condensation that reflected crimson light.
akari paused. "smell that?"
"ozone," kain said. "and burnt mana."
the tunnel opened into a cavern lined with black glass. hundreds of mirror fragments jutted from the walls like teeth.inside each shard, faces flickered—people caught mid-scream.
daniel's coin stilled mid-air. "souls," he murmured. "traded, then trapped."
mira touched one shard; it pulsed, and for a heartbeat her own face looked back-but older, eyes hollow. she jerked away."they're showing what could be," acheron's voice echoed through kain's mind. "each reflection is a false future."
2 – the first assassin
a ripple ran through the mirrors.from the largest shard stepped a figure—cloaked, faceless, its body dripping black glass.its movements were perfect copies of kain's stance.
"mirror assassin," akari hissed. "they mimic the soul they're sent to kill."
it drew a blade identical to kain's wakizashi, the edge humming with stolen nihility flame.
"let me handle it," kain said quietly.
his flame roared to life, silver and shadow intertwining around his arm.the assassin mirrored him exactly, every movement a reflection half a second late.
"you can't beat your own echo by matching it," daniel warned.
kain smiled. "then I'll stop matching."
he sheathed his sword, exhaled once, and stepped forward bare-handed.the assassin hesitated—the reflection broken.kain's palm blazed; the shadow nihility flame consumed the copy's core.it screamed soundlessly and shattered into dust.
the mirrors around them cracked, hundreds of fractures racing outward.
3 – oni steel and bloodglass
more assassins poured through the walls—three, then six, each taking form from a different reflection.akari's twin kunai flared, strings of crimson light weaving between them."crimson web!" she called. threads shot through the air, binding two assassins mid-lunge.
daniel activated his gilded phantom susanoo; golden script spiraled around him, each word rewriting impact and redirecting force.blades that should have cut him veered away as if the contract of physics had changed.
mira's eyes glowed crimson. she raised her hand, and blood-crystal moths swarmed from her palm, clinging to one assassin's body and draining it to dust."blood for balance," she whispered.
kain drew both katanas this time-void flame curling along their edges."akari, mirror left. daniel, seal the floor sigils. mira-feed the light!"
the four moved as one. silver fire met crimson web, gold script, and bloodlight; the cavern exploded in color and noise.
when silence returned, only shards remained—each now dull, lifeless stone.
4 – the oni forge
they returned to after life before dawn. kasumi ironveil waited in the forge, hammer in hand, sparks cascading around her like falling stars.the half-oni's crimson horns gleamed as she inspected the fragments they'd recovered.
"mirror-metal," she said. "harder than mythril, but it drinks mana. dangerous."
"can you forge with it?" kain asked.
kasumi smirked. "if you bring me more shards—and stronger spirits to quench them."
akari handed her a scroll. "the locations of other tunnels. we'll keep hunting."
kasumi placed the fragment in the forge's heart; the flames turned black-silver."good," she said softly. "because whoever made this didn't stop at one mirror."
5 – the vow renewed
on the rooftop terrace, kain looked over eryndor's lights.acheron appeared beside him, wings folded, eyes reflecting the forge fire below."the market sent assassins for your soul," she said. "that means you've begun to matter."
he chuckled. "that's comforting."
"they'll come again," she added. "in greater numbers."
"then we'll come back stronger."
acheron turned, her crimson horn catching the dawn."the brotherhood grows," she said. "let's see if the world can keep up."
[status update]name: kain machiavellirace: half aeon • half blood dragonlevel: 18 exp: 1 280 / 1 600tree rank: geburah (5th sphere)guiding aeon: ix – aeon of nihilityunique skill: shadow nihility flame lv 5new items: mirror-metal fragment × 12organization: shadow brotherhood – active hunt protocolbonds updated: akari (9 %) • mira (7 %) • kasumi (allied forge)objective: locate all mirror tunnels and deliver shards to kasumi for forging aeonic-grade weapons.
end of chapter 14 – the mirror assassins