Immediately, Towa turned around toward where Yoru and Rika were.
Both, upon seeing her, began to take a few steps backward.
It wasn't fear that was first reflected on their faces.
It was doubt.
A painful doubt.
—Who are you? —Yoru asked, while taking out a pair of thin red gloves from a small bag.
Her movements were quick, precise. They didn't tremble. But her gaze did.
—But what are you saying? It's me, your companion, Towa... don't you believe me?—she replied with a calm voice, bringing her hand to her chest. Her face showed concern... nervousness... an almost perfect performance.
Almost.
—No... you are not Towa. Before you were smiling when that man fell to the ground.
Yoru finished putting on the red gloves and adopted a combat position, clenching both fists tightly.
The air became heavier.
—I don't know what you did with my friend's body, but if you leave it alone, I'll let you live -Rika said with a coldness she rarely showed.
In her hands appeared a bow made of celestial beast feathers. Without saying more, she immediately tensed it, creating with magic a shining arrow that vibrated with pure energy.
Towa laughed once more.
A laugh that did not belong to the girl they knew.
—Ajjajajaja... you know? It's been a long time since I had a body I liked so much. But this one... this one reminds me a little of my original body. So I don't plan on leaving it.
The arrow was fired.
But, with a brusque movement from Yoru, the projectile was deflected, impacting the ground next to Towa's foot.
It wasn't a mistake.
It was a warning.
Towa understood the message instantly.
One of the friends of the body she now inhabited was willing to kill her if necessary.
And if they were ready to kill...
She was too.
She advanced barely a couple of steps when she heard the sound of someone running behind them.
She felt the intention before the attack.
The bloodlust was dense, scorching.
She didn't hesitate.
Although she had two enemies in front of her, she spun on her heels with elegance and moved the sword with precision.
The metallic clash echoed in the forest.
—You're still alive —she said, looking at the man who held a huge axe with both hands.
—Damn! Damn! I'll kill you, I'll kill you!
The man pushed with fury, trying to split the sword blade with the thick edge of his axe.
His beard was stained with blood. And his eyes, crazed.
—Today I'll kill you. And you'll pay for all the people you killed. All the people in my town will be able to rest today... because today you will die, bastard.
With a roar, he violently pushed Towa's weapon away, sending it flying toward the sky out of her reach.
In the same movement, he brought down his axe with the intention of splitting her in two.
But Towa still didn't feel like dying.
—Duplication.
The word was soft.
And enough.
The sword that had flown away was again in her hands.
It wasn't the same.
It was a copy created by her skill.
But whose skill was it really?
The real Towa's... or the entity's that now occupied her body?
The man had no time to question it.
A strong blow sent him flying several meters back until he crashed against the trunk of a tree.
—Don't get involved —Yoru said, without taking her eyes off Towa—. Rika and I will be the ones to kill you.
Towa remained silent.
It seemed nothing mattered to her.
In front of her, Rika.
Behind, Yoru.
The bearded man, badly wounded but still conscious, tried to get up leaning on the tree.
The fight wouldn't be easy.
—So... why don't we fight using only our most powerful skill? —Towa said, fixing her gaze on both.
Her smile was different.
There was no mockery.
There was expectation.
—If you don't say anything... then I'll start.
She gripped her sword firmly.
—Skill... Mirror of the Absolute God.
The magic spread like water spilling over the earth.
The forest distorted.
The trees reflected each other, as if reality had become a polished surface.
Her eyes turned completely white, like two mirrors without pupils.
And then...
In barely two seconds...
Everything returned to normal.
The wind moved again.
The trees stopped vibrating.
The ground remained intact.
—What happened? —Rika murmured, lowering the hand she had used to protect her face.
—It doesn't work —Yoru shouted—. Her skill doesn't work. She is not the owner of Towa's body. The body and the magic are not responding to her.
Yoru lunged forward without hesitation.
—Progressive Damage!
The red gloves shone for a tiny second before her fist impacted against the blade of Towa's sword.
She blocked the blow with the edge.
But in the instant the glove touched the metal, the effect activated.
As if a second invisible blow had followed the first.
The sword creaked.
A crack ran along the blade.
The impact pushed Towa's body a few millimeters back.
—Uff... that attack really was strong —she murmured with a crooked smile— I think I should get a little serious.
—I'm not dead yet —the bearded man growled.
He rose unsteadily, covered in blood, but with the axe still firm in his hands.
His legs trembled.
His breathing was irregular.
But his gaze had not lost its fire.
—I don't care who you are... —he spat on the ground— Towa or demon... today someone is going to die and it's not going to be me.
The forest fell silent.
Three against one.
And yet, none was completely sure of having the advantage.
Because the greatest uncertainty was not the strength.
It was time.
If the real Towa was still there, trapped in some corner of her own mind...
How long would it take for her to disappear?
And then, for the first time, the impostor's smile faded for barely a second.
Just a second.
Enough for Yoru to notice it.
—Rika —she whispered without looking away— She's not as stable as she wants to appear.
The tension rose again.
The next move would decide more than the outcome of a fight.
It would decide if there was still something of Towa to save.
And the battle, barely, was beginning.