The next morning outside on the village plaza Kira clapped her hands

"So this is what is going to happen.

All the kids they were supposed to take please line up, so I can make a dream weaved copy of you

Once you have had your copy created hide at the Village Inn and I'm sure the kind old lady will come to get you once we are gone.

when we reach the halfway mark towards the capital, we will make it seem like the carriage, close to the city will we make it seem like the carriage got attacked and the girls got hurt and didn't survive, they will likely discard the fake bodies and take the rest of us into the capital

As the girls are now supposed to be dead I advise you don't let any of them be seen especially by merchants for at least a week, after that week is gone I can assure you that Voldum will no longer be a threat, I can't guarantee what happens after that, however.

I only have 1 single request and that is that to any outsiders will you deny ever having seen us."

At the final demand, the old lady showed a small tick, was that fear?

before she voiced out loud.

"I shall ensure that our village won't leak information about your group, we shall however be eternally grateful for your support!"

Kira smiled and put the plan in motion watching each girl run off towards the Inn after they had confirmed the copy looked exactly like themselves.

it didn't take long before a carriage with a big seal that caused Yin to freeze over arrived, she had once again weaved their human disguise much to Yins dismay, it was obvious she was still affected but this time Kira couldn't do much else than a whisper to Yin that it would be OK.

as the carriage stopped 2 sleazy fat merchants walked out and looked over each copied girl until arriving at Aether to which one of them disgustingly licked his lips, Kira had to commend Aethers acting ability as she had somehow managed to appear frail and afraid while making grimaces of disgust so quickly that it was likely only Kira and Nox who could possibly notice it whenever they weren't looking.

The men herded the girls into the carriage and started to lift the fake piles of grain and vegetables, only the upper layer was real in case they would attempt to taste it, Kira had not been brave enough to risk them biting into one of her illusions of an apple so they had added the real thing at the top of the sacks while the rest had been dream woven illusions.

The trip went with very little fanfare until a bit above the halfway mark Aether mouthed so quietly it was very unlikely anyone else could hear her, "I've woven a fireball spell that will come crashing into where we are in just a few seconds, do you have the mage illusion ready?"

Putting up a shield around them at the same time she crashed the ball into the carriage destroying the left side and most of the seats. Kira quickly flung the illusions around and made them appear mortally wounded 1 burnt with another stabbed through the chest by a splinter of the wooden seat, she was admittedly cheating slightly as she had speed up her time slightly giving her ample time to perfect the scene.

She didn't want to brag but the scene was starting to look like a mixture of a war and a horror movie, the final touch was adding the guy shrouded in a dark robe running towards the capital in the forest placing it all ready for when she returned time down to something slower.

As she did she heard shouts in the front of the carriage and the horses losing control moving the carriage further along the road as the horses speed up trying to run away, one man shouted about the hooded figure Kira had conveniently made as obvious as possible, she didn't trust their ability to scout had the illusion been more realistically hidden.

The coachman slowly got the horses under control once again and stopped the carriage a few guards ran off towards where her illusion had disappeared towards, finally the merchants stepping out and now inspected the goods to find the horror scene Kira was semi-proud of if she should say so herself.

"Are anyone of them even alive, Voldum is going to be extremely displeased and we can't even blame this on the village not delivering as our scouts went ahead to let the guards know the girls were coming!"

at this Kira struggled to keep up her act and hide her smirk, she gave out a rather over-exaggerated groan, and the men immediately glanced towards them as they looked like they had been huddled up in a corner to avoid most of the impact, as the merchants spotted them their smiles grew.

"Seems it isn't all lost, the prettiest ones survived, while I will likely no longer have the ability to take one for myself they should be enough to appease the Duke, let's continue, the guards can meet us back at the city and give a report if they found the culprit!"

It didn't take long for the carriage to start moving again, and she vaguely paid attention as they reached the city gate and watched as the guards looked at them through the burnt hole from Aethers spell and the destruction, they had done exactly as Kira had expected and discarded the dead bodies towards the forest like they weren't even worth a proper burial, while Yin watched it with deep contempt as they were very much just proving exactly what Yin thought about the human race, Kira felt a bit sad that the majority of Yins exposure was going to be these pigs, but ultimately there was not much she could do for now.

They slowly rolled up outside a massive mansion and plenty of maids stood ready to take them, along with what was probably the most disgusting human male Kira had seen in her life, he was sleazy, fat, and drenched with sweat, his skin greasy and fatty, Kira had a hard time understanding how this guy had ever been able to get up on a horse in the first place, but watching Yins expression it was very clear she hit the right guy, but to say that he had aged badly would be an understatement.

letting the maids guide them, they ended up locked in a cellar and all chained to the walls, what a fucking surprise Kira thought to herself, no longer able to stop herself she had to voice her question.

"Why are you guys complying with doing something this inhumane, are you getting paid that much?"

Much to her surprise, the maids looked at each other, and then one of them answered.

"It's not like answering you will help much as the only one who has survived is that fox lady he is keeping as a trophy, otherwise they have all died.

but just so you don't think us completely heartless, he has our children, if we ever act out they will lose all the privileges of school and be framed and killed."

Kira gave the maids a genuine smile.
"That is indeed a hard leash he got on you, I don't blame you and I wish your kids well, just know that your answer is a gift I will treasure"

Kira glanced at Yin whose eye had gone wide and was showing a hope Kira hadn't seen since before they left the shrine.

The maids smiled and bowed politely and left.

Kira couldn't help but smile what a silly gesture towards prisoners you were certain was going to die, but she figured it was their way of sending them off.

Kira was slightly worried that the fat man was so impatient he wouldn't wait to the next day, but it turns out his strategy was very old and cliche, he was going to starve them for food and water until they complied to his demands and would then be rewarded for complying to his wishes, they had all outright refused him as he had stopped by 3 times that day, as night fell and they still hadn't been given any food or water Kira simply rolled her eyes, could you be any more cliche of a villain?

as night fell and the house finally fell quiet Kira simply yanked at her chain and it got ripped out, she ended up having to pull a bit more to get free, much to her embarrassment she watched how Aether and Nox simply touched the metal and had it shatter, in a much more elegant way.

Oh well, not my fault for not knowing the fancy tricks she thought and went over to free Yin.

"While I would never approve of Yin watching this normally I believe it is something she needs, so could I ask you to keep her safe and guide her behind me?

I'm going to take care of Voldum first before ...

actually, change in plan, we will find her mom first, and then I will allow them both to watch."

Kira still wasn't sure if this would work, but seeing she could bring dreams into reality why shouldn't she be able to do it the other way around, but wanting to be sure.

"Nox, using illusion magic to weave images into another person's mind should be possible?

I believe I in theory should also be able to project that dream using dream weaving so you guys can follow along"

Nox gave Kira a surprised stare.

"While infecting ones' mind with illusions is a common torture method especially between the fay the idea of you projecting it so others can watch the scenes play along is something I had never considered are you however certain little Yin needs to see this ?"

Kira nodded, "I know this might seem brutal to watch, but if my suspicions are correct are she likely regularly experiencing equally brutal scenes in her dreams, you don't have a traumatic response like she had if the event wasn't rather fresh on her mind in some shape or form"

This surprised Yin, while Kira was wise it was slowly starting to seem to her as if Kira had more experience on this subject than she let on, it scared Yin slightly how composed Kira was considering the few things she learned, it was as if she was bearing these burdens to herself without ever relying on anyone, it hadn't escaped Yin how Kira hadn't once treated her as a servant, but rather like if she was a precious little sister along for the ride she had to protect.

It didn't take them long to get out of the cell, Nox disappeared into what looked like a shadow, and reappeared shortly after.

"2nd-floor middle room lays the fat human,

1st floor, the first room to the left is a female Kitsune chained next to portraits and statues of the fat human"

what Nox said was short and factual, Kira nodded and they immediately headed towards the room where the individual she expected to be Yins' mom was chained, before entering the room Kira had stopped them.

"First of all, I don't for a second believe this house to be unguarded and the room likely has a magical ward of some sort"

Nox and Aether both beamed proud smiles at Kira.

"Look at our little sister playing Mini Inari so soon" Aether joked while making a hand gesture and a chain made of light shattered.

Nox added.

"Sorry we swear we aren't teasing or testing you, but it was better for you to learn this stuff in a safe environment than making the mistake in a situation where we couldn't easily get out of it, it seems however no lesson was even needed"

Kira rolled her eyes.

"Truth to be told it wasn't the true reason I stopped us" waving her hand toward Yin they watched as the human disguise melted away and Yin reappeared in all her adorable glory

"If it really is Yins mom in there I couldn't bear the thought of her not being able to recognize her own daughter, for both of their sakes."

Aether gave Kira a look she couldn't quite judge, it disappeared quickly again, but it was as if she had said something that hit a sore spot, filing it away in a mental cabinet they all moved into the room, the sight of the woman chained to the wall was heart-wrenching, she was starved and bruised, had she been human she would definitely have died a long time ago.

The woman opened her eyes, her vision seemed impaired but Kira who was closest did catch the woman's attention.

"vile human, have you come here to also watch the price and demean me?

unfortunately for you, I am not yet broken!"

The Kitsune spat at Kira and was showing a fire in her eyes that surprised her quite a bit.

"My apologies, but this is just a disguise I didn't want to steal the spotlight from your reunion with who I think might..."

"Moom!" Yin rushed forward and Kira saw the woman's surprise, then panic.

"No. No Noo, sweaty, you shouldn't be here, run don't let them trick you!"

Kira tried to say something before the woman started aggressively yanking at her chains.

"Disgusting piece of shit human, let my daughter go this instant" trying to spit towards Kira again but this time Kira stepped out of the way.

"Calm down!"

Kira said this time with more force.

The woman kept yanking.

"Why should I believe you!"

Yin meanwhile had been trying to interject but her mom had been too mentally distraught to notice.

Kira sighed.

And finally, let go of her illusions completely.

Yin's mom kept yanking until her eyes landed on Kira and finally focused, and immediately all her movement stopped.

"Inari?" She questioned.

Kira gave a slow shake of her head.

"Not quite, but I guess you're close enough, sorry Yin, I wanted your reunion to be about you but it didn't quite go as I had planned, Nox could you please do your chain thing and help her down?"

Nox gave Kira a smirk.

"So my genius little sister still can't do everything it seems?"

Kira simply replied by sticking her tongue out, was it immature maybe but it brought a laugh both from Aether and Yin and lifted the mood, so it was worth it.

Helping Yins' mom down, she immediately rushed towards Yin and lifted her into her embrace crying.

"How I've longed for this"

Kira couldn't help but smile, this is how it was supposed to be with a family, thinking back towards all those pretend families she cycled through in the Foster system, at the very least her prior experiences could now be used as a wonderful compiled list of suffering, she was slowly thinking up a wonderful parody of a ghost from Christmas past, and Voldum was going to be her main star.