As the light around Miko's body subsided once again, she found herself in her half human form, compared to her previous scenes where she was a full fox, except at the restaurant scene. It was set at the fox library, where she was in a stone chamber hugging Ryo tightly, tears streaming non stop out of her eyes.
"Shhh... Its fine... You'll be fine." Ryo cooed softly, offering whatever he had to calm her down.
"How-I lost my elemental cores! Both of them!" Miko wailed. However, Miko was silently thinking to herself, "Why did i just say that?..."
"Its fine... I can still protect you. Don't worry." Ryo continued. However, when Miko tried to say she was fine, her mouth would not part to let her speak those words, and she could only continue sobbing. When she finally gained the ability to speak, the scene changed once again to Yatsuko's restaurant, where her mouth moved involuntarily, saying," Do you agree with what i am doing?"
Here, Ryo simply responded, "As a matter of fact, I don't. I agree with Miru's points, however, if you do die due to heartbreak... I'll-." Before Ryo could finish his sentence, the transition ocurred again and now she was in Asura's home, on top of her prized tatami mat.
"That man again! Are you really still into him after so long?!Do you think he'll accept you as a kitsune even when you grow nine tails and promise to protect him? Are you sure he doesn't view you as a demon like the other humans?" Asura asked, her lips twitching in anger. For some reason, Miko instinctively felt as if Asura was talking about Takei, and immediately responded without her control, "I TOLD YOU I LOVE HIM! I CAME HERE TO PAY YOU A VISIT RIGHT AFTER I WOKE UP, NOT TO GET SCOLDED BY YOU! So please, I will be thankful if you stop throwing dirt and pulling his name through the mud." However, her eyes widened in sudden realisation. Weren't all this real events that happened?
"Wait, I thought we talked about this before?" Miko asked, suprised that she didn't get cut off halfway.
"Sure we did! I told you many times he is not a good fit for you! As a divine fox spirit you are eligible to far more handsome and better spirits than that crude mortal!" Asura replied.
"No... What i mean is, haven't all this conversations happened before?" Miko asked suspiciously, releasing her aura to intimidate the enemy. For some reason, it was stronger than her current strength, but Miko was too concerned with her current situation to notice.
"Haha... Seems like you figured it out. Your intelligence thankfully hasn't decreased. As expected of myself..." Asura smiled. However, she soon distorted to look like Miko herself, with the exception that her hair, ears and tail were now black, her eyes red and face bloody. Miko's copy soon released an aura as strong as hers, except it was filled with a kind of dark energy. The tree hole setting soon evaporated into nothingness, with only an empty dark space in the background.
"Who are you?! What do you want?!" Miko asked, standing up from the position she was in. She tensed her body, preparing to attack if needed. However, her evil copy simply chuckled and stood up as well.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm you darling. Except, much less weak..." The copy moved over, making sure Miko's attention onto her.
"Can't you see how weak you have become? Becoming this pathetic for a mortal. I'm here to make you stronger. As your other side, I can't help but feel a little... wronged..."
"Why am I here? What do you want?!"Miko asked defensively.
"Simple, sweetheart. I want you to leave him."
"Is that why you showed me all those illusions?" Miko interrogated.
"Hehe. Smart. I knew I wouldn't be so stupid. Except, I wouldn't call them 'illusions', persay. Afterall, they did happen in reality didn't they? You caught that part yourself," The evil duplicate simply smiled, "Besides... isn't there a part of you that agrees with them too? How sad do you think they will be, being there for you yet you chose to leave them over a pathethic mortal just to join him in the reincarnation cycle repeatedly, where there is a rare chance as a beast to ascend to godhood?"
Miko gasped in shock. This person knew everything about her, down to her deepest secrets. It was no suprise though. That person was her, herself. It was these exact thoughts that made her doubt her decision each time which she chose to dismiss.
"Think about it. When can you have this chance to be born into a beast again? Humans outnumber beasts in the ratio of hundreds to thousands per individual beast. If a beast or human were to die, there would be an extremely low chance they would be reincarnated into a beast, and you would have to wait many lifetimes again... You were lucky in your current life to be reincarnated into a beast. Don't you think its such a waste? To live like a human?" The copy asked, every question penetrating her heart, making her doubt every single one of her decisions. It was all true.
"So, now that you have thought it through, why don't you just listen and drop him? You can always beg the god to revoke the deal." The copy suggested.
Miko pursed her lips as she thought things through. It was true reincarnation into a beast was a rare chance, since a soul would have to wait many lifetimes. Just as she was about to give in, she remembered how she promised Takei to always look for him. So how could she just give up on that after so long, with just a few discouraging words from her supposed "other her"?
"No. I shall stick by this decision as I truly love him. If I am to not ascend, then so be it. We can live and die together, and I do not mind sticking to this arrangement for the rest of eternity." Miko firmly responded, making her evil copy grit her teeth in anger. "I can't even say 'you better not regret it you idiot! Such a stupid decision for a foolish, unworthy mortal!' Since she is me, I will be insulting myself while being dragged down!" The copy thought. However, as they are one and the same, Miko could hear her copy's thoughts. Miko simply sighed and said, "Off you go now. Do not bother comming out again. Since you are me, only I can control when you are out. You won't rule my body."
Just like that, Miko used her powers and casted away the dream. The opposing thoughts, the dark, depressing illusion of her own mind began to fade into white as her evil copy shattered like a broken mirror and the shards of its remains littered on the white, never ending floor.
"Is this... the realm of my own mind?" Miko thought. The white floor seemed to stretch out without an end, and several glass pieces were littered on the floor next to her. Strange... she has never been here before. Usually, the mind is the hardest part of the body to access. A cultivator could access their whole body to inspect and treat their injuries, except their mind. Only those of nascent, 6th stage, can accomplish this task. Even in her prime, Miko was only 5th stage, so how could she access her mind realm if she had even became weaker?