Saving Her

Sakura sat on the cold stone floor, arms wrapped around her knees. The weight of everything pressed down on her being kidnapped, the eerie prison, and now hearing her captors talk about Hikaru. She clenched her fists.

What do they want with him?

She didn't have much time to dwell on it.

Out of nowhere, the air in front of her shimmered. A faint ripple, almost like heat distortion, twisted the space just beyond the iron bars. Then—suddenly—a hand emerged from thin air.

Sakura's breath hitched. The hand was familiar, fingers slightly curled, reaching for her.

Then came the whisper.

"Sakura. Grab on."

Her heart leaped. "Hikaru…?" she whispered back, barely able to believe it.

The hand wavered slightly, as if struggling against something. "Hurry," he urged. "Before they notice."

Sakura didn't hesitate. She lunged forward, wrapping both hands around Hikaru's. The second she made contact, the world around her twisted. The stone walls, the iron bars, the flickering torchlight all of it blurred, melting into a swirl of color as she was yanked forward.

And then silence.

When she opened her eyes, the prison was gone. The damp, suffocating air had been replaced with an eerie stillness. Everything around her was distorted, dreamlike like looking at the world through rippling water.

She was in the Mirror World.

And standing right in front of her, still gripping her hand tightly, was Hikaru.

Sakura barely had a moment to process before she saw two more figures standing behind Hikaru.

Lina stood with her arms crossed, looking completely unfazed, while Ayami yawned, still holding a large mirror under one arm like it was just another day.

Sakura blinked. Then blinked again.

"Lina?!" she blurted, pointing at her like she'd just seen a ghost. "You're here too?!"

Lina raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? And?"

Sakura's mind raced. "Wait, wait—you knew about this… this Mirror World stuff?!"

Lina shrugged. "Of course."

Sakura's eye twitched. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Hikaru flinched slightly. "I mean—uh—" He scratched the back of his head, avoiding her eyes. "It's… complicated?"

"Let's skip that part. We should leave this place seems there's no magic here..." Ayami said, glancing around the prison, noting how the cell bars were already broken in the Mirror World.

Just as Ayami finished speaking, the surface of the large mirror she had been carrying began to ripple unnaturally.

A hand emerged slender, adorned with golden jewelry that glowed faintly even in the distorted light of the Mirror World. The air crackled with an unseen force as the hand pushed further through the glass, fingers moving with an almost lazy elegance.

Hikaru's breath caught in his throat. "No way..."

Lina took an instinctive step back, her whole body tensing. "Tell me that's not—"

Before she could finish, the rest of the figure stepped through, the mirror's surface bending around her like liquid silver.

A deep red gown, golden accessories shimmering in the eerie light, and a smile that didn't quite reach her piercing eyes.

Ishtar.

"Well," the goddess purred, her voice smooth as silk. "Isn't this a lovely little reunion?"

Hikaru immediately stepped in front of Sakura, his grip tightening around Senzai. "What do you want?"

Ishtar tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Oh, come now. Is that any way to greet a goddess? I went through all this trouble to meet you."

Lina scoffed. "Yeah, sure. You just happened to show up the moment we're about to escape."

Ishtar chuckled, taking a slow step forward. "Of course not. I planned all of this..."

Then, with a snap of her fingers, the air around them shimmered. Dark figures emerged from the shifting reflections her summoned companions, their forms flickering between solid and distorted, like living shadows.

Hikaru's eyes narrowed as the air around them grew heavier. The once-fluid Mirror World felt denser, its usual ethereal quality warped by an unseen force. The figures Ishtar had summoned stood motionless, their forms pulsing with energy.

Ishtar smiled, completely at ease. "Around this place, my influence runs deep. My followers have infused it with magic—one designed to disrupt any outside interference." She spread her arms, gesturing to the distorted landscape. "Even this Mirror World bends to my will now."

Lina clicked her tongue, glancing at Hikaru. "That explains why everything felt off when we got here."

Ayami's golden eyes sharpened. "Tch. You're really messing with the balance of things, aren't you?"

Ishtar ignored the remark and instead turned her gaze directly to Hikaru. "Now, let's get to the real reason I'm here." Her expression darkened slightly, her amusement laced with something far more dangerous. "I want your Mirror World abilities."

Hikaru's grip on Senzai tightened. "Not happening."

Ishtar sighed dramatically. "Stubborn. But I expected that." She snapped her fingers again, and the figures around them stirred, their presence becoming more solid, their shapes more defined. "That's why I came prepared."

Senzai's voice boomed in Hikaru's head, urgent and commanding. "Run!"

Before Hikaru could react, the book in his hands erupted into a bright white glow, momentarily blinding everyone. The sudden burst of light sent Ishtar's summoned followers stumbling backward, shielding their eyes.

Ayami didn't waste a second. "Hold on!" she shouted, her form already shifting. Her body stretched, limbs elongating, fur sprouting in an instant as she transformed into a sleek, powerful cheetah.

Lina, Hikaru, and Sakura barely had time to react before Ayami lunged forward, grabbing them effortlessly with her strong feline form. "No arguments! We're leaving!" she growled, her voice slightly distorted through sharp teeth.

The moment their hands gripped onto her fur, she took off—a golden blur tearing through the Mirror World.

The air howled past them as Ayami pushed her speed to the limit, the distorted reflections of the ruined temple rushing by in a streak of warped colors. Hikaru risked a glance back—Ishtar's forces were already recovering, their figures flickering with magic as they prepared to give chase.

"Tch... take them!" Ishtar yelled.

Lina narrowed her eyes, already moving. She reached for her gloves, summoning the two halves of her sniper rifle. The weapon clicked together seamlessly in midair as she locked onto her targets, her keen eyesight making up for the lack of a scope.

Lina exhaled slowly, steadying her aim even as Ayami raced forward at breakneck speed. She didn't need a scope—her instincts and precision were more than enough.

With a sharp crack, the first shot fired. A blast of compressed energy ripped through the air, striking one of Ishtar's summoned followers before they could cast a spell. The figure crumpled instantly, their form flickering like a broken projection before vanishing.

Ishtar barely flinched. "Persistent, aren't you?" She lifted a hand, and the air around them pulsed. A wave of golden energy rippled outward, distorting the very fabric of the Mirror World.

Hikaru felt the shift immediately. The once-stable ground beneath Ayami's paws twisted, warping like liquid glass.

"S**t she's trying to destabilize the space!" Hikaru shouted.

Ayami gritted her teeth, pushing forward. "Then we need to move faster!"

Sakura clung tightly to Ayami's fur, her heart pounding. She didn't understand the full extent of what was happening, but she knew one thing this was bad.

Lina fired again, the recoil barely affecting her as another enemy fell. But for every one she took down, more appeared, flickering into existence as Ishtar's magic bent the Mirror World to her will.

Then, without warning, a massive barrier slammed down in front of them a solid wall of divine energy, stretching endlessly in both directions.

Ayami skidded to a stop, growling. "Damn it!"

Hikaru's mind raced. "Senzai! Any ideas?!"

"Just leave this Mirror World! If Ishtar can take control here, then we just need to escape to the real world where gods can't use their power!"

Hikaru's mind raced as he gripped Senzai tightly. "Ayami! We need a reflection—find water! It has to be under the sun so the reflection is strong enough to act as a mirror!"

To Be Continue.