Chapter 36: Metis's Jest

The real Mutsumi Wakaba would never speak like that; only that little devil loves to show off, and only she would call her "Little Soyo."

It was a term of endearment, yet also a mockery—much like how girls, seeing their boyfriends acting up, would pout and chide them with a "you dead rascal."

"Metis." Soyo stared into Metis's golden eyes. "Why did you come out?"

"Can you stop looking at me with such hostility? It’s as if I’ve devoured your girl." Metis furrowed her beautiful brows. With her hands behind her back, she lightly hopped down the steps one by one until she was level with Soyo.

She stood on her tiptoes, patted Soyo on the head, and squinted with a wicked smirk. "Didn't Mutsumi tell you? I’m her friend. When a friend is in trouble, of course, I have to come out and do something serious. I appeared for Mutsumi’s sake, not yours."

"Something serious?"

Only then did Soyo notice that the packs of wild wolves had vanished. There was no snow in the mountains, only the quiet mountain breeze, and the cherry blossom trees swayed in the dim light.

Only one thing was out of place: the man whom Metis had kicked away. He wore the uniform of a shrine priest, and beside him lay a Saarloos wolfdog that looked remarkably like a wolf.

"You were ambushed by a Spirit Word called 'Forest of Ten Thousand'."

Metis said coolly, "Have you watched anime? It’s like the Sharingan. Once eye contact is made, the user of this Spirit Word can control the target’s mind, writing whatever they imagine into the opponent’s brain, inducing or even forcing them to see any scene—a burning hell or a departed loved one. In a single glance, all phenomena appear."

"Eye contact? But I only just found out this person existed." Soyo looked in surprise at the man who was completely unable to crawl back up.

That kick had been brutal. Having tumbled down dozens of steps, the priest had lost consciousness entirely, while his loyal dog aimlessly licked its master's face.

"That is the strength of this shrine. Don't you find these long stairs quite taxing?"

Metis spread her arms in an elegant bow, as if facing a crowd of enthusiastic spectators.

"This design isn't meant to highlight the majesty or status of the shrine; it’s a method. The torii gates and steps arranged upward follow a specific pattern, forming an alchemical matrix. Beneath, where you cannot see, mercury flows to activate it. It greatly amplifies the effect of the mental Spirit Word, so that by the time that priest glanced at you from afar, you had already been attacked by the 'Forest of Ten Thousand' without realizing it. The snowfall was the beginning of that instant."

"So that’s it." Soyo looked thoughtful. "He used his own dog to simulate a fake pack of wolves to attack us. If I had actually opened fire, I might have ended up shooting Mutsumi or myself."

"Smart." Metis nodded. "Uesugi Koshi is a great master, but he only teaches you swordsmanship. When it comes to Spirit Words and alchemy, you are both still outsiders. It’s better to rely on me more. Without me, you would have been captured by now."

"So you’re quite the expert?"

"I'm an expert of experts."

"Then stay with me tonight." Soyo suddenly smiled.

The background of this gang exceeded her imagination. She knew her choice was reckless, but she had no other option. If she hadn't, she would have been taken out by the night-watch priest at the very first encounter.

This shrine only looked quiet and peaceful; in reality, there was definitely more to it. This was the den of the yakuza, and she didn't know what else was waiting. Rather than letting Mutsumi bear the burden, it was better to cooperate with Metis.

"I sell my skills, not myself," Metis said solemnly. "Who do you think you are? You say stay, and I stay? If I hadn't seen Mutsumi in danger, I wouldn't have appeared. I’m helping Mutsumi, not you! You arrogant person!"

"Since you insist that you aren't a demon but Mutsumi’s friend, and Mutsumi is my comrade, shouldn't a friend’s friend be another friend?"

Soyo argued her case convincingly. "If something happened to me, Mutsumi would certainly be sad. If she is sad, it’s all because you were unwilling to help me. So, is this what you call being a friend?"

Metis blinked, looking a bit dazed.

At first glance, it sounded like an impeccable reason. Why couldn't a friend's friend be your friend? It was just like a party; there were always people you didn't know, but as long as everyone sat together, ate, sang, and chatted about life and bands... then everyone was friends for life!

"Hmm... alright. For Mutsumi's sake, I will take over Mutsumi's operations for tonight’s mission, but there is a condition."

"You speak as if this is just a game." This lack of respect made Soyo somewhat displeased.

"To me, it is a game." Metis shrugged, her eyes rolling. "Did you forget something you were supposed to do?"

"Supposed to do?"

"Praise me, tell me how amazing I am." Metis said as if it were a matter of course, her eyes showing a hint of disdain.

"Are you a child? You need to be praised." Soyo really couldn't keep up with her train of thought. She lowered her voice and scolded, "Can you be serious? Our situation is dangerous. This is enemy territory, and we are here on a mission."

"I want it, I want it, I don't care, I don't care, I don't care! Watch out, or I'll scream right now that Soyo Toyokawa is here to break out of prison! Hey, you scum of the Snake-and-Eight Families, hurry up and get out here to lick the shoes of your Queen!"

"Wow—Metis is so amazing—as expected of Metis—you easily did what we couldn't—"

The devil stamped her feet repeatedly, truly threatening to throw a tantrum at the enemy's doorstep. Soyo quickly yielded, glaring at Metis’s cheeky face while feeling no mercy.

She felt like a kindergarten teacher, and this Metis, who seemed to know so much, was just a little thief who loved to act spoiled and slippery. Only by patiently patting her head and saying things like "you're so great" would she be willing to work.

What was this? Babysitting? She was here to raid a legal execution ground, for heaven's sake!

"It's too late! Praises are useless now! I want a kiss! No kiss, no getting up!" Metis put her hands on her hips, righteously thrusting her face forward.

"Don't push your luck!" Soyo couldn't help it; a flush rose to her cheeks.

"Oh, why are you blushing?" Metis laughed instantly. "Guilty conscience?"

"It’s because you are so improper!"

"Where am I improper? I couldn't be more proper! Only people with corrupt morals and heads full of trash would think I’m saying strange things! Don't the people at Tsukinomori do this all the time?"

Metis leaned closer to Soyo, enticing her. "Think about it, I’m using Mutsumi’s body right now. Mutsumi won’t know what happened; only the parts I allow will be revealed to her when the swap ends. You kiss me, and rounding it up, it’s basically kissing Mutsumi!"

A faint light glimmered on her canine teeth, and her pupils were bright and charming. When Metis controlled the body, the concept of "Mutsumi Wakaba" felt like a different person—from every angle, she was exceptionally lovable.

She stopped half a foot away from Soyo, her round eyes staring unblinkingly at her, waiting for an answer with a wicked smirk that said she knew everything.

Soyo felt completely seen through—the kind of feeling where the secrets written in one's diary are taken to a billboard in Shinjuku to be read aloud, so that all of Tokyo hears them.

Fine, fine. She admitted it—the relationship between her and Mutsumi was more than friendship, but hadn't it reached that point yet?

Who didn't have a few intimate friends in their life, someone like their other half, a soulmate with whom they could share everything? The relationship was close enough that they could even wear each other's underwear!

It was just that, given her personality, she couldn't bring herself to say such heavy words—like "I want to be with you forever." Such times were too far away and too heavy; no one knew what would happen in the future, so it remained just a wish.

"I'll go alone. You take Mutsumi's body home." Soyo turned and walked up the stairs. "If I don't come back, tell Master for me."

She had once asked Uesugi Koshi, "Master, are you a hybrid too? Are you someone very powerful with a significant background?"

But Uesugi would always answer ambiguously, his smile feigning depth, never giving a precise answer.

Soyo didn't want to place her hopes on others. While she still had strength, she should rely on herself. There were so many difficulties in life; not everyone could help you with everything. If you grew accustomed to relying on others, you would lose your own strength and become a weak fool.

"Can't take a joke, you're being a tsundere." Metis smirked craftily behind her.

"I said, can you be serious? If we're going to work, let's work. Who chats in front of an enemy's door? If you don't want to do it, get lost and give Mutsumi back to me. We have real work to do; we're facing a tricky reality, and it’s going to be dawn soon..."

She babbled on as she turned around. Both of her meetings with Metis had ended unpleasantly; clearly, she and Metis were entirely incompatible.

She was just about to say something righteous, like "we should put aside past grievances and work together so we can rescue Tomori Takamatsu and make Mutsumi happy," but she was cut off.

The method was simple: lips pressed gently against her cheek, like a cold wind blowing on the way back, her breath carrying the fleeting scent of cherry blossoms, enveloping her completely.

At the same time, countless fragments of memory rushed in—her and Mutsumi walking side-by-side on the way home from school, maple leaves falling rustlingly behind them; on that small island, they had missed the last ferry back and spent the entire night on the pier together, crystal-clear raindrops falling at their feet, cool and refreshing; and fishing in the countryside, where they had actually fought over that half-human-sized fish... in the end, they both fell into the stream and made up while crying.

These memories should have been beautiful companions; why had she forgotten them?

If it weren't for these, Soyo wouldn't have been so slow to notice the changes in Mutsumi Wakaba—how she had slowly turned from a cheerful child into a silent doll. These were things Soyo should have noticed.

Someone, or something, had deliberately stolen parts of her memories, but for what?

At this moment, eyes met, and both were momentarily dazed. The sound of their heartbeats felt as long as a century—not her own, but the other person's.

Strange, isn't it? The brave, invincible protagonist and the gentle, refined heroine were about to kick down the doors of the enemy camp, yet on the eve of it, the protagonists were acting all lovey-dovey. This was truly the rhythm of someone who didn't take the enemy seriously at all.

But no one could disturb them. The only night-watch priest at the front gate of the shrine was that one man, and this shrine slept in the quiet mountains, where even ghosts and gods were unwilling to disturb the tranquility.

Mutsumi Wakaba suddenly widened her eyes and quickly stepped back, nervously pinching her bangs as if that would make her hair grow longer to cover her eyes, her face flushing crimson.

Her eyes had also returned to their usual state; though still golden, they were much warmer.

"Soyo..." Mutsumi’s voice was as thin as a mosquito’s, and she dared not raise her gaze, like a child who had made a mistake and knew she had done something very, very bad.

A few seconds ago, she was that fearless troublemaker; a few seconds later, she couldn't even speak a word.

Soyo looked at her appearance, puzzled for a moment, and then suddenly understood.

Metis had played a wicked joke on them. The kiss had come from Metis, but the personality swap ended before the kiss was even over. For Mutsumi, the memory in between was a complete blank. A second ago, she was being besieged by wolves in the "Forest of Ten Thousand," and the next second, she found herself initiating a kiss.

This was the thing Soyo had feared the most: if Metis had the mind to, she could use countless ways to hurt Mutsumi and those around her.

But at this moment, Soyo inexplicably felt that it wasn't half bad... Metis had done something for her that she would never have dared to do.

Many times, waking up at night, Soyo would fall asleep counting the eyelashes so close to her. She thought that sleeping face was truly beautiful, the well-maintained hair tips having a captivating luster, and those slightly parted, defenseless lips were like a silent invitation, making one want to be a bad child and simply let the pure angel be stained by her own filth.

A true hero would never take advantage of someone in a vulnerable position, but Soyo never considered herself a hero. She felt she was just a bad child.

"No time to waste, let's go in." Soyo turned and