The clock showed 7:00 PM.
The skies above Z-City were shrouded in darkness, like black ink spilled across a vast canvas.
In a quiet shopping district, Kuro stood calmly atop the rooftop of a building.
This place was not deserted because the Monster Association arc had begun or because monsters were running rampant. The reason was far simpler: Kuro was currently inside the Mirror Dimension.
Because the laws of this world were far looser, his Magecraft system—and even Mystic Arts—could be applied without any significant restrictions.
And Kuro's goal this time was not merely to test Magecraft or Mystic Arts.
Instead, he had chosen this place as the perfect location to summon a Servant.
Kuro lowered his right hand slightly. All of his fingers were curled except for his index finger, which remained extended like a focal point.
Instantly, reality responded.
The space around him began to fold. Not collapse, but rearrange itself.
The floor beneath his feet split apart—not from destruction, but as though it were being separated into geometric layers.
Everything shifted like enormous mechanical panels, rising and descending with perfect precision.
The walls and guardrails not far from where he stood were pushed away, then duplicated themselves into symmetrical patterns, only to be broken apart again into constantly changing asymmetric arrangements.
In the distance, the cityscape itself became distorted.
The towering buildings did not collapse, but instead bent at impossible angles.
Roads rotated like gigantic gears, while the horizon split into multiple layers, each moving in a different direction.
All of it happened in complete silence.
No sounds of destruction.
No dust.
Only a faint noise resembling glass continuously grinding and reshaping itself.
Kuro remained still at the center of it all.
His index finger moved slightly, and the spatial pattern shifted once more.
Now it was more structured.
More stable.
The sections that had previously appeared chaotic gradually arranged themselves into a specific configuration.
Pillars emerged from the void, positioned at perfectly measured distances.
A vast open area slowly formed at the center, large enough for unrestricted movement, yet still surrounded by complex structures capable of changing at any moment.
Kuro's gaze swept across the entire structure he had just created.
"…Good enough," he murmured quietly.
The space around him stopped moving.
Not completely static, but now stable enough and ready to be used—whether for training, experiments, or something far more extreme.
From the Gate of Babylon, Kuro took out a Divinity Summon Choose Ticket.
He gripped the ticket tightly while closing his eyes, focusing all of his attention on the name of the Divine Servant he had chosen.
A moment later, his eyes opened again.
Kuro slowly unfolded his palm, revealing the ticket once more.
"With this treasure," he said calmly, "I summon the Fox Priestess of Peerless Beauty: Tamamo no Mae."
The very next second, the ticket emitted a brilliant golden light.
At the same time, the Command Spell on his left wrist—hidden beneath the sleeve of his long white shirt—reacted as well.
The crimson pattern glowed faintly.
In front of him, a summoning circle appeared and immediately lit up with a bright blue radiance.
"Ugh…"
A wave of magical energy swept through the surrounding air. The resulting wind was strong enough to make Kuro's coat and hair flutter wildly.
Reflexively, he raised one hand to shield his eyes from the burst of light.
The sensation felt familiar.
The summoning effect of a Servant from the system always felt similar. And this time was no different from the previous two Servants.
Before long, the gathered magical energy began to form the silhouette of a person.
Gradually, the figure of a young woman manifested from the light.
A mirror floated around her, spinning before coming to rest behind her.
Before her form was fully complete, the woman spun lightly.
Both of her hands rose, and her fingers shaped the familiar silhouette of a fox's head.
"I will always be there for you!"
The light slowly faded.
The manifestation was complete.
Now, her full form was revealed.
A young woman whose beauty was almost enough to make anyone fall in love at first sight.
Except for Kuro.
Her eyes were golden, clear and radiant like pure gold forged into perfect irises.
Her pinkish-red hair was tied with a large blue ribbon, giving her a soft and charming appearance.
Distinct semi-fox traits were clearly visible: a pair of fox ears atop her head, and a single fluffy tail that looked so soft it almost begged to be touched.
She wore a beautiful yukata dominated by shades of blue.
"Your reliable Shrine Ma—EH?!"
Her introduction was abruptly cut off.
Tamamo's tail fluffed up instantly.
Her body reflexively jumped back several steps, almost like a fox startled by the sound of something breaking nearby.
Her expression changed dramatically.
Not disgust.
Not simple fear.
But a mix of concern and shock.
And the cause wasn't Kuro's appearance—it was the aura emanating from his body.
The magical energy flowing within him felt deeply wrong.
Strange.
Dense.
And unhealthy.
"M-Master… are you okay?!"
Her voice carried genuine concern.
Her golden gaze quickly scanned Kuro from head to toe.
"Are you the victim of a failed ritual? Or an experiment that exploded halfway through?"
But in the middle of her worry, Tamamo's gaze unintentionally drifted past Kuro's shoulder.
She fell silent.
Her fox ears twitched.
"…Hmm?"
A few seconds later, Tamamo slowly turned her head to the right.
Then to the left.
Her expression, which had started off as merely concerned, shifted into pure shock.
Her tail stiffened instantly.
"Eh?"
Her golden gaze swept across the entire surrounding area.
Buildings bent at impossible angles.
The horizon split into multiple layers.
Roads looped like gigantic wheels.
And space itself felt like it was rejecting normal geometry.
Tamamo blinked several times.
Then once more.
As if hoping the scenery would somehow change into something more reasonable.
But nothing changed.
"…Eh?!"
This time her voice rose a pitch higher.
She looked back at Kuro.
Then at the environment again. Then back at Kuro once more.
Her expression gradually showed a worsening sense of realization.
"Master."
Her tone was now far more cautious.
"The next question may sound a bit important."
She raised one hand with a very serious expression.
"Where exactly are we right now?"
Her gaze shifted again toward the distant structure of space, which was still slowly shifting and folding.
"…Because this is clearly not a normal place."
There was a brief pause.
Tamamo narrowed her eyes.
"And I am fairly certain the world is not supposed to be folded like origami."
Kuro didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he simply stared at Tamamo for a few seconds with a calm expression.
To be honest, one of the reasons he deliberately performed the summon inside the Mirror Dimension was quite simple.
He just wanted to see Tamamo's reaction upon seeing this place for the first time.
That was all.
Casually, Kuro raised one hand.
Through a simple transmutation spell from Mystic Art, the air in his palm condensed, shifted, and formed a colorful party popper.
Without much explanation, he immediately twisted the fuse.
BANG!
A small explosion broke the silence.
Colorful confetti scattered through the distorted space.
Kuro paused for a moment, then corrected himself.
"We're in a different reality. Even the laws of space here are different."
He slowly spread both arms, as if introducing a luxury property he had just acquired.
"More importantly, in this reality, the Counter Force doesn't exist."
Tamamo's expression immediately changed.
Her golden eyes widened slightly.
"…What?"
Her tone turned far more serious.
But Kuro continued his explanation as if he were simply stating ordinary facts.
"And this place is the Mirror Dimension."
He pointed toward the distorted buildings around them.
"In short, it's an isolated space separated from the main reality."
His gaze shifted toward the distant horizon, which looked like fractured glass.
"Anything that happens here won't affect the outside world. It's detached from the main reality—a reflection that can be shaped without leaving any impact on the original world."
_______
Author's note:
For now, just one chapter—more will come later. Ehehe~
Don't forget to keep supporting me as I continue making this naughty little work 😎