Shawn Young closed the door behind him, then turned around—only to see Kimiko already collapsed on the floor, her face deathly pale, staring in utter terror at the other "Kimiko" standing before her.
The fake "Kimiko" sashayed forward with a sly grin, giving the real Kimiko—who was sprawled out on the floor—a look that screamed trouble. Suddenly, she swiped her hand across her own face—bam! A flash of green light, and out popped the jaw-dropping, heart-stopping beauty of a knockout babe. Her kimono fizzled away, and there she was, rocking nothing but a fluffy white towel, curves and all. Oh yeah, it was Rachel Sasaki, in the flesh.
"Hehe—Kimiko, how d’you like my Doppelganger Spell? Bet you didn’t see that coming!" Rachel Sasaki winked, her giggle dripping with mischief as she teased the wide-eyed Kimiko glued to the floor.
"Ah! Doppelganger Spell—wait, you’re Koga Clan?!" Kimiko yelped, eyes wide, voice cracking with panic.
"Haha—damn right I am, Rachel Sasaki of the Koga Clan! You’ve been busting your cute little Iga tail trying to sniff us out, huh? Turns out we’ve been throwing parties right under your nose this whole time!" Rachel laughed, tossing her hair and shooting Kimiko a cheeky wink.
"You—you’re all from the Koga Clan?!" Kimiko gasped, her shock giving way to calculation as she tried to suppress her panic and figure out how to escape.
"Haha—I am, but he’s not!" Rachel Sasaki pointed at Shawn Young as he stepped forward.
"Who are you, really? Why did you come here?" Kimiko turned to question Shawn Young.
"Heh, you think you’re running the show here? Dream on! If anyone’s asking questions, it’s me. You lost your interview privileges, princess—" Shawn Young smirked, then flicked his wrist. "Whoosh!" A bolt of white light zipped around the room, snapping into place as he threw up a fresh barrier, locking them in tight.
"Ah—!" Kimiko saw Shawn Young's move had cut off her escape, and her face instantly filled with despair. She scrambled up from the floor with a wild cry, gathering her qi for a desperate, all-or-nothing attack.
"Not even close, sweetheart!" Shawn Young snorted, strutting forward like he owned the place. "Bang!" His palm slapped Kimiko’s belly, sending a shockwave through her that blew apart her qi like confetti. She crashed back onto the floor, blood bubbling up, mouth dripping red!
But stubborn Kimiko suddenly shook out her arms and pulled a ceramic vial from her kimono, ready to unleash its contents in a last-ditch effort against Shawn Young. She knew that if she didn’t fight back now, she’d never get another chance.
Rachel Sasaki caught the move and rolled her eyes. With a quick step—"Smack!"—she sent the ceramic vial flying. Its stopper popped loose, and a stream of nasty black liquid oozed out, stinking of rusty metal. The stuff hit the wood, and—whoosh!—black smoke curled up as it burned a hole the size of a hula hoop right through the floor!
"Whoa! Necro Acid! That’s some hardcore evil—are you trying to get yourself killed?" Rachel Sasaki’s eyes flashed with rage, hand shooting up to finish Kimiko off.
"Hold up—don’t waste her yet! I need the scoop on Daniel Feathercloud, and I’ve got a whole list of questions for this feisty lady!" Shawn Young jumped in, waving Rachel off.
"Hah! You think you’ll get answers? Keep dreaming! I’d rather chew my tongue off than rat him out!" Kimiko spat, then bit down hard—blood splattered everywhere as she went for the gruesome exit.
Shawn Young hadn’t expected Kimiko to be so fierce. He reached out to stop her—but he was a moment too late, and Kimiko’s face was already covered in blood.
"Gah gah gah—" Kimiko croaked out a nasty, blood-soaked laugh, spitting out a chunk of her own tongue. Her eyes blazed with venom as she glared at Shawn and Rachel, collapsing in a bloody mess. She was pale as a ghost, but her twisted grin stayed locked in place—crazy to the end!
Shawn Young hadn’t expected things to end up like this. Watching Kimiko twitch in a pool of blood, her life slipping away, he felt complicated—he never liked Kimiko, but he couldn’t help but admire her courage. He hadn’t realized she was so loyal to Daniel Feathercloud, willing to die rather than betray him!
"Ugh, great—just perfect. She croaks and we lose our only lead!" Rachel Sasaki groaned, shooting Shawn a look that said it all.
"Hang on—I’ve got a trick up my sleeve!" Rachel’s whining sparked an idea in Shawn Young. He zipped to Kimiko’s side and slapped his hand on her forehead.
"What the heck are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re trying to save her! Even if you do, she’ll never spill—and she’s a wild card, could snap any second!" Rachel piped up, eyeing Shawn warily.
"Save her? Nah—I’m after the secrets in her head!" Shawn Young grinned, clapped his hands together, and unleashed his Heavenly Purity qi. He rattled off the incantation, voice low and dramatic:
*Heaven holds three wonders—sun, moon, and stars. Shocking gods and ghosts, Lingbao Celestial, comfort this body, wandering soul, five organs in darkness—collect!*
With a flick of Shawn’s left hand, a white beam shot from his palm, drilling straight into Kimiko’s crown. Her body jerked, eyes glazing over, as Shawn’s consciousness—powered by his Memory Harvest—dove headfirst into her mind. With her qi busted and defenses down, Shawn surfed through her memories, scooping up every secret she had!