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Sabitsuki didn't listen to Katrina, despite the demon's pleas. She pressed on, going deeper and deeper into her psyche, and shouldering the pain that brought. Sabitsuki began to feel numb. Her limbs lost their feeling, and what little feeling they retained was replaced with small stabbing pains. Her eyes were dull, yet tears streamed down her face.

As Katrina embraced her, however, her concentration was broken, and she was freed from her own spell. Sabitsuki fell against the demon's body, breathless and limp. "...But...I won't give up." She whispered into Katrina's being. "I... refuse. It's so close... I can... I can feel it." Her slender hands reached out to gently grasp Katrina's sides. "Why..? Why do you fight so hard to hide it?"

Sabitsuki wrapped her arms tighter around Katrina's body, finally having the strength to return the embrace. "...Your light... it's so small, but I can feel it... Neither the darkness of the Underground, nor of this shrine, can hide it from me. I won't give up. I... I refuse..!"

Sabitsuki moved to recline on the demoness's bed as she was pushed away. She curled up slightly, not feeling hurt, but feeling confused. Even in the wake of Katrina's shadow, she couldn't tell what she was feeling; her own ability had been temporarily exhausted, and she was in no mental condition to attempt scrying any further.

"But... you haven't hurt me... Disregarding the time we met, you... you haven't laid a finger on me since! Even in that cave, when we were alone, o-or now, in the seclusion of your personal sanctuary... You've had plenty of time to...t-to hurt me, but you haven't."

Sabitsuki slid her legs over the edge of Katrina's bed and stood, shakily at first. She took a step closer to Katrina, mirroring her. "We... we both know that I am physically incapable of defending against you. You're much faster, and stronger than I, even with my own abilities to borrow another's strength... If you tried to assault me, I wouldn't stand a chance. But you haven't... that's reason enough for me to trust you, and in the spark that you still carry..."

The young Mirror reached up to her headband, its vibrant crimson color a great contrast to her snowy hair. She tugged gently at the tie on one side, undoing the knot and removing it. A few locks of hair that had been previously withheld by the cloth fell, adding to her innocently unkempt appearance. Sabitsuki then held the crimson cloth out to Katrina, a small blush of a nearly matching shade erupting across her cheeks. "...H..h-here... I w-want to give you this. It's... it's not much, but it'll be something to remember me by when I can't visit, or if...s..something happens to me..."

"Because, I--"

Sabitsuki's plea was cut short at the bellow of a familiar voice. She knew immediately who it belonged to, having just recently spent time with the owner: Ibara.

Worried for both of her friends, Sabitsuki followed behind Katrina as the demoness went to investigate the disturbance. She peeked out from behind Katrina's cloak at the gruesome sight of the crazed, wounded Oni.

"I... Ibara..? But why? How??" Sabitsuki carefully stepped out from behind Katrina, one hand tugging hesitantly at her crimson shawl. "What's wrong..? I thought... I thought we... helped you..? W-Wait!!" Without another thought, Sabitsuki ran in front of Katrina, holding her arms out to each side. "Miss Katrina isn't going to hurt you! So please, please don't hurt her!" Despite her uncertainty, Sabitsuki held firm, her face displaying every ounce of courage her small being could muster.

"N..No! No, I refuse, Miss Ibara!" Sabitsuki stated firmly, unmoving from her protective placement between Katrina and the Oni. She shut her eyes as Ibara continued to shout and make threats on Katrina's life, though despite the drastic difference in their height, Sabitsuki remained resolute. "That isn't fair, Miss Ibara! Y... You were no different once, right? How many did you leave to die by Miss Youji's orders?"

Sabitsuki opened her eyes and looked directly into the Oni's, her mysterious irises were flashing and alive, reflecting the fiery orange color of Ibara's own eyes back at her. "But then, someone saved you, right? Miss Yuuka... she took you in, and tried to help you, and still tries to this day! She'll never give up on you, just... just like I will never give up on Miss Katrina." She lowered her arms to her sides. "S-So... please, give me the chance to save her. Give her the chance Yuuka gave you. I... I-I'll f-fight you, if I have to..!" For a moment, the reflection in Sabitsuki's eyes became more than just an illusion; Ibara's own eyes, alive with passionate rage, looked back at her, if but for a second.

The words Ibara spouted in her fits of rage stung Sabitsuki, making her quiver where she stood. However, she reminded herself over and over that this wasn't how Ibara normally was. Unlike before, she wasn't cornered, or scared; she was angry. Angry at the demoness for leaving her to die. Sabitsuki could understand that; she would have scolded Katrina too, had she witnessed it herself. Maybe she hadn't helped Ibara like Sabitsuki thought she did; instead of releasing her of the fake Monster's control, the Oni now seemed almost too willing to tap into her incredible power.

"Miss Ibara... I-I know you don't really mean the things you say... That's why I'm going to ignore them, and instead focus only on protecting Miss Katrina..!" Sabitsuki raised clenched fists, holding them up in an amateurish defensive stance. Her body flashed white, and her silhouette grew in size and shape. When the light dimmed, it could be seen that Sabitsuki had taken on the form of Ibara, matching her physical characteristics perfectly, with the only difference being that she lacked the crazed look the Oni's eyes carried.

"I may never be as strong as you or Miss Yuuka, even in this form, but I have one thing that can give me an edge!" Sabitsuki clenched her fists tighter, testing the new found strength in her body's muscles. "I possess a clear heart and mind! I'll prove to you that power without direction means nothing, Miss Ibara!" The Pseudo Oni looked over her shoulder at Katrina, flashing a confident grin. "Let me fight in your honor. I don't want anyone to get hurt, and I'll combat Miss Ibara with that in mind. So please, stand aside..."

"Don't worry, Miss Katrina, I'll be safe, and I am focused."

The Psuedo Oni stood ready in front of the real Ibara, returning to her feigned fighting stance. The sight of Ibara's blade sent a cold shiver down Sabitsuki's spine. While she could replicate the appearance of a host's body, any foreign objects like weapons just weren't possible, unless they were made to be illusions only. She could recreate the image of Ibara's sword, but it would only be an optical illusion.

She took a step back from the armed Oni, her eyes fixed upon the blade, and was shocked to hear Katrina call out from somewhere behind her. With her attention focused on Ibara's sword, she didn't hear all of what the Demoness spoke, but whatever it was, it was enough to force her to disarm. Sabitsuki was very thankful for the intervention.

However, the time for giving thanks was long past. In a flash, the crazed Oni was upon her, ready to smash her skull in with a swift, powerful blow. There weren't many options to take; she could try to weather the blow by blocking it, but her body wasn't as strong as Ibara's. There was no doubt the Oni could break through her own, weakened defenses. Attempting to reverse the blow would probably fail as well. Again, Ibara could overpower her with sheer force. No, the only thing she could rely on now was tactics, and pray that she could outlast the Oni's stamina.

Sabitsuki sidestepped the blow, letting Ibara's swing turn wild and probably impact the floor. To follow up, she gripped her own fist and drove her elbow downwards, aimed for the center of Ibara's back with the full force and weight of her copied body behind it.

Satisfied with her counterattack, Sabitsuki had let down her guard for a moment as she turned to survey the downed Oni. That was a big mistake. Ibara's fist caught her chin, sending the Pseudo Oni's head rearing back and forcing the rest of her into the air. If she hadn't been borrowing a sturdy body, the blow would have likely snapped the Mirror Youkai's neck.

Now dazed and airborne, Sabitsuki was helpless to defend the second punch as well. The blow connected with her midriff, folding her in half and sending her across the room. Sabitsuki rolled across the floor before she began clawing at its wood to slow her momentum. The second attack had left her breathless, but she knew she had little room for error now. She pushed off the ground with her hands; this movement combined with her backwards momentum propelled her onto her feet, where she broke into a full run towards Ibara. Feeling a heat mounting in her limbs, Sabitsuki swept one leg forward, sliding on one knee, in an attempt to strike at Ibara's legs. Fiery temperance energy enshrouded her legs, and scorched a path into the wood in her wake.

Whether or not the attack hit, she would switch legs at the peak of her slide, twisting her body to build up power and once again attempt to drive her elbow into Ibara.

After her attack connected, Sabitsuki rolled to the side, cartwheeling onto her feet and back into a defensive stance. She then backed up a few paces, watching Ibara carefully. She wasn't going to repeat the same mistake twice.

A small shiver of fear ran down her spine as the Oni took up her sword again, brandishing it with frightful and evil intent. Once again, Sabitsuki was forced to weigh in her options, frozen in place as Ibara set her spell card into motion. She had seen the her use this attack only once before - not even a week ago, during the incident on the mountain. And even then, it had only been stopped by the real, powerful Yuuka, by way of her legendary Master Spark at point blank range. The little Mirror knew she could never match that same power, nor be able to shift forms so quickly.

In a fraction of a second, Sabitsuki was forced to form an idea. Ibara's crazed and fiery visage was quickly barreling down on her, barring no time for second-guessing. As Ibara neared her, Sabitsuki lashed out and grappled both her wrists in an attempt to stop the attack - and the Oni - in their tracks. However, her weaker body was unable to resist the pure, and augmented strength Ibara could summon, and Sabitsuki soon found her legs giving under the pressure of the attack. She fell to one knee, her hands shaking.

"Miss... Ibara..!! Y-Your rage is... is misplaced! Katrina may not--not have helped you, but she was not the one who injured you in the first place, r...right?!" In the wake of the Oni's shadow, Sabitsuki could see vague images of the recent past, but it was hard to focus on it while keeping up her strength. "It--it was someone else, right?! S-So focus that anger...at....her!!"