Kanbaru's House
What I need is a magic device.
Not only that, one that a childish elementary school girl would rely on.
I'm sure there was one in that conversation.
Occasionally reflected on the bathwater in her house,
you can see the one you're destined to be with.
Or something.
Normally, I would hesitate to look into such a stupid and cutesy legend.
It seems to have nothing to do with saving me from this situation.
But...
If this legend is connected to Kanbaru's mother,
that is Gaen Izuko's older sister,
Gaen Tooe is involved, it's an entirely different matter.
The chances of it helping seem slim,
but even so there's still value in trying.
Expecting that bath will open a gate to the origin of this world might be hoping for too much,
but establishing a connection to talk as if on a telephone might be reasonable.
When looking into that steaming water,
if a face other than my own appears,
it might be possible to send a message.
But...
The entirely unsexual Kanbaru Suruga.
The completely not masochistic Kanbaru Suruga.
The totally unvulgar Kanbaru Suruga.
Monkey
Rainy Devil?
HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE
HATE
Her left arm?
What?
That's not right?
In this "Mirror World",
when the mirrored Kanbaru Suruga becomes the Rainy Devil,
at least by my understanding,
when Kanbaru is mirrored shouldn't her
"Monkey's Paw" be on her right arm?
NYAA-HAHAHAHAHA
This tremendous tired feeling, like my body is trapped.
As if 「everything」 was drained from me.
Yes
The Cat.
The oddity, Meddlecat's ability.
Energy Drain
By the way, I've yet to hear a thank myew.
A thank myew right now would be nyanderful.
Thank you
NYAA-HAHA
It wasn't ideal but good enyough.
Anyways, How long do mew plan on nyapping there, humyan?
Even if I touched yew with mwy enyergy drain, it was only for a an instanyance.
I'm sure it wasn't that much damyage.
Complete exhaustion
More important than mirrored Kanbaru Suruga's Rainy Devil,
I need to think about why the mirrored Hanekawa Tsubasa is Black Hanekawa.
Even so,
I'm sure Hanekawa left on a trip overseas.
It seems yew're thinking about a lot of things, humyan.
But yew're thinking about it too much.
It is how it is, it's best to accept what yew see for what it is.
See as it is.
Even so, in that moment, I noticed it.
Black Hanekawa, essentially Hanekawa Tsubasa's breasts.
In that moment I happened to be looking there.
That line where her right and left breasts are pushed together.
Her left breast is slightly larger than her right.
The slight difference is wrong; my eyes don't decieve me.
That right and left difference, it's like that.
Despite this "Mirror World."
In the same way Kanbaru's arm was wrong.
It isn't being mirrored.
It isn't being reversed.
Wait, wait. Don't rush.
My visual confirmation has a limit.
So that I can be completely sure,
let me feel the buxom cause of this discomfort.
Just to be completely sure.
Did you really just suggest touching my breasts to calm yewrself?
Do you seriously want to die?
Do you want me to become a new source of discomfort?
Hey, Black Hanekawa
Could you answer just one question for me?
Go ahead.
Ask mye anything yew want.
Umm.
This just confirmation but, is it right to call this place a "Mirror World?"
I see, It might be difficult to answer but,
even if yew ask me, the myaster of this world,
I can't answer that question.
Even if I could answer it it wouldn't explain a single thing.
Even so, because I can't answer,
I'll give you a warning in its stead.
Don't go nyear that monkey's house.
No matter how you imyagine yourself getting in unscathed,
yew'll never manage to get past that Monkey's Paw.
I refuse your warning, Black Hanekawa
On what grounds can yew refuse my warning?
No matter what happens,
I have to get to the bath in Kanbaru's house.
When yew say it like that, it sounds like a rather mysterious line.
I'm changing my question, Black Hanekawa.
Who requested for you to come help me?
Why are yew assuming someone asked me to help yew?
NYAA-HAHA
I'm passing on that question too.
If yew're rejecting that piece of advice I'll give yew another.
I wonder if yew'll accept this one.
If there's no other option but to enter that house, don't go alone.
Go with a partner.
A partner?
Oops, you're expecting me to help?
To the best of my knowledge, I completely and utterly hate yew.
Araragi Koyomi.
Cat- no. Hanekawa.
Tell me, what don't you know?
I don't knyow everything,
I just happen to knyow this.
When the Great God Hachikuji Mayoi said I'm inside a mirror,
I was surprised but accepting of the idea.
But it seems that I can't say it's that simple.
Kanbaru's left arm.
Hanekawa's right breast.
It's not just those things either.
The two examples of an inverted version I've seen so far have had something in common.
Namely, weren't both in their oddity forms?
Does it have to do with the oddities?
What could it be?
Monkey then cat.
Rainy Devil then Black Hanekawa.
And then I realized, Tsukihi's case was definitely strange.
Up until this point, Araragi Tsukihi is the only one that seems normal. Why is that?
I need information on my present situation if I want to revise my strategy going forward,
so I thought I should go to a bookstore.
Why a bookstore you might ask?
Naturally, when I saw Black Hanekawa's body I was filled with desire and went to buy a porno mag
is of course not the reason.
In the real world I may not have many friends but,
when it comes to historical figures, as my test results show,
I more or less know what I'm talking about.
I thought there was book of accounts regarding one of them, with a section called "Why Humans are Being Reversed."
Taira no Kiyomori
Minamoto no Yoritomo
Toyotomi Kunimatsu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
歴史書 = History book
HISTORY
GEOGRAPHY
However, becase of the previous theory, this train of thought struck out.
歴史 = History
I was just spinning my wheels, the search was completely meaningless.
All of the written charactes were flipped left to right, I couldn't read them at all.
I tried as much as I could.
Deciphering each character one by one wasn't that hard.
But when it came to the meaning of a sentence it was too hard.
My brain couldn't process it at all.
Soon after that, I gave up on that approach all together.
Should I head back to Kita-shirahebi shrine?
No.
Hachikuji-oneesan won't be back yet.
In that case, before I meet up with her again
there's another challenge or two I need to overcome.
That is,
I have to meet with that impudent stuffed girl doll enshrined in my sisters room.
I have to speak with that specialist.
Ahh, it's just Koyomi.
You startled me.
This voice, I feel like I remember it.
But it's different, from the first thing she said the nuance was different
Like it's covering me.
Hmm? What is it, Koyomi?
Why aren't you coming in?
Th-This oppressive feeling.
My body remembers it.
Hmmm, what's that?
I was wondering where you went, Koyomi.
It was the bookstore?
Well, it seems you brought another lewd book back.
I guess you couldn't help yourself!
She knows?!
Don't be rude.
You've already been living under the same roof with a girl this cute for 10 years already.
Are you really okay with a book? Really?
We already feel like family though, so I guess nothing can be done.
We already feel like family?
Hey now, Koyomi.
I know you're looking forward to your porn magazine but,
I've been waiting here bored and alone all by myself so let's have a cup of tea together.
It's only proper to have cake with tea and I have a good math puzzle ready!
Shit, why can't I resist her?
I can't oppose her at all.
No matter what you do against this girl, it's like you naturally can't resist.
I remember that voice, but I can't think of who it is.
Math puzzle?
Wait! You're Oikura Sodachi?!
Ahh! You scared me!
We've been living in this house together since elementary school.
What's gotten into you Koyomi?
Hey! Hey!
Isn't this puzzle amazing?
So is this one, and aren't I too for solving it?
Even thought it was really hard!
Look!
If you use this diagram the answer is obvious!
Isn't that cool?
I can't believe we solved so many in one go!
I-Is that so, Sodachi?
As expected from you.
I'm impressed you could solve so many problems that hard, I'm proud of you.
Koyomi praised me!
Yay!
Hmm?
What is it Koyomi? Your face is red.
Did you catch a cold?
The temperature seemed normal.
Hey Sodachi, your favorite mathematician is Euler, right?
Ehh? What do you mean?
Euler was a great mathematician, but my personal favorite is Gauss.
You should know that.
These differences are too difficult for me.
Has she really been mirrored?
Give me your tea for a second.
An indirect kiss from Koyomi!
You're amazing Koyomi.
You solved all of them.
Even though my grades are better, when it comes to this type of thing I'm no match.
But that doesn't mean I don't like it or that it's painful for me!
Hey, Sodachi.
This feeling, it's strange.
I'm sure it's always been this way,
but I want it always to be like this.
Is that weird?
I wonder what happened to me.
Koyomi-chan's here. Karen-chan's here. Tsukihi-chan's here.
Mom and Dad are here.
Everyone is kind to me and we get along well like a proper family.
I'm truly happy like this.
I wonder why, right now.
I feel like all of this is a lie.
Inside my sister's room, Ononki Yotsugi was nowhere to be found.
Even if her posed look annoys me and she has that bratty tone.
Ononoki-chan is still Ononoki-chan.
Even imperfect, she's still a specialist.
Because of that, if there was something that happened to her, I still need to see her.
The loose plan I had come up with was falling apart.
And I still have no idea what's going on.
But, when I look back on my prior experiences,
I still didn't know if what's happening now is necessarily a bad thing or not.
This world certainly isn't coherent with a normal "Mirror World."
Isn't the most reasonable explanation that it could be the product of some oddity's realization?
Yahoo! Araragi-kun!
It's Mayoi-oneesan!
With a face like that, it looks like you've had nothing but bad news.
But don't worry! There's still hope!
For Arargi-kun!
I used my connections and called on a realiable helper!
SHA SHA SHA SHA
Greetings Koyomi-oniichan. It is I!
It's been a while hasn't it, how are you faring since last we met?
Sengoku Nadewho-san?
SHA SHA SHA!
I think you already know her but, since you did come from another world you might not so
I'll introduce her anyways, Arargi-kun.
My senpai.
Or rather, the previous generation's God: Kuchinawa-san!
Haaa
SHA SHA!
I get it, you're constantly overthinking everything.
It's just as the cat said.
Eh?
The hell was that? That wink was awful.
Ahhhhh? What is it Koyomi-oniichan?
You don't understand what I'm saying? Too much for you to follow?
Well, I guess that's how it is.
SHA SHA!
Don't glare at me like that. I didn't just come here to tease you.
I'll have you know that for a time I was the one enshrined here.
Even if it was because that cat helped.
Come here.
Hey now!
Why the serious face?
Didn't she just say that you overthink things too much?
It may be that you didn't come to a "Mirror World" at all so
now I'm looking forward to having some fun, with this boy.
I understand.
Any help would be great.
Ahhhhh?
Was that a request I just heard?
Well since I am a God and all,
Or rather because it's me you're asking, I can resolve what you've been thinking about.
Oh, that's right!
Kuchinawa-san will be super reliable here, Araragi-kun!
When it comes to helpful gods, right now Kuchinawa-san is the best that could come!
Out of all the gods she's the best?
Why is that?
That's because, if it's snakes you're talking about she's the expert.
What?
You see, Araragi-kun,
The word "mirror" comes from the term snake-eyes.
Mirror Snake-eyes
Or mirror.
Didn't you know that?
Of course I didn't know that
Are you hungry Araragi-kun?
Since we're talking and you haven't eaten anything since morning,
Why don't we eat while we talk?
You too Kuchinawa-san, drink up!
Anyways, isn't this food shrine offerings?
Yup, they're offerings.
Koyomi-oniichan, you think the mirror reversed everything left to right?
I think that's how it is.
When I raise my right hand the mirrored left hand rises
and when I raise my left foot the right foot rises, is how I think it works.
You really think that's how it is?
Just because that's how everyone says it is, doesn't mean that's the only way to see it.
Kuchinwa-san, is it actually different from that?
What do you think Hachikuji-oneesan?
Let's state my opinion at the end!
First, let's continue Kuchinawa's thought.
Then, Kuchinawa-san. If the mirror isn't reflecting the world from left to right,
Just how is it reflecting it?
In reality,
Since times immemorial, and in the way we're using it in this conversation,
A mirror has been a tool for spirits.
Reflecting reality.
No, those words in themselves present problems.
So what should I say instead?
What kind of lesson should I take from this conversation anyways?
Ahhh, you still don't understand, Koyomi-oniichan.
If I look at it from you're point of view this world might even be mirrored left to right.
But is just mirroring it really a reversal? Isn't it correct either way?
Both are correct?
Reality?
Anyways when you bring it all together, everyone you know is still in this world.
Your sisters, friends, kouhai, childhood friend, even Mayoi-oneesan and me, it seems.
But it doesn't necessarily mean the world is reversed left to right.
Are you starting to understand now?
That's right, it wasn't mirrored.
We are presented properly as we are.
Even if we're a mirrored image, we're not an illusion.
SHA SHA
I could tell from the way your eyes read me earlier,
The me that Koyomi-oniichan knows and this me are completely different, even though you may think we're the same person.
But unfortunately, this is also me.
I'm Sengoku Nadeko.
Let's return to our earlier conversation Koyomi-oniichan.
If you take what Koyomi-oniichan said and raise your right hand, your left hand rises because it's an image mirrored left to right.
In this example it wouldn't matter if you're a snake that doesn't have arms or legs.
So in the case of a snake how would you think of mirroring left to right?
In that case,
Umm
Something like the shape of scales or how things are lined up?
Seriously, think about it like a snake you idiot.
How would you explain the idea of left to right reversal to someone that has no concept of left and right?
If that's the case,
I know, wouldn't the reflection of a character work?
SHA SHA
A character?
In the alphabet there's a lot of left to right symmetry.
So would like hiragana, katakana, or kanji be okay?
When you reflect those left and right become reversed, so that should be able to explain how a mirror reverses.
Yes, that's it.
So Koyomi-oniichan, what the next step?
There's still more?
Don't worry, this is the last one.
After this you can hear Mayoi-oneesan's opinion.
Hmm?
Suppose that there's a new situation.
Let's say you are shown "Araragi-Koyomi" reversed in a mirror,
Araragi Koyomi
and you have "Araragi-Koyomi" reversed written on a piece of paper.
Araragi Koyomi
What do think?
Well if it's mirrored writing, that seems normal doesn't it?
But let's say you don't know about mirrors.
Naturally, you wouldn't know about mirror writing.
Sure let's say I don't know what mirror writing is.
Since I wouldn't know those words, I would describe it as being being reversed left to right.
Wait, that's wrong.
Kita-Shirahebi Shrine
I typically only associate mirroring with being reversed from left to right when I'm actually in front of a mirror.
When I'm in something like a big bookstore, for example when I try to read history books.
That's it.
When I tried to look at the other side of the page from the front.
That time it was a failure, but on the paper it was written in mirror writing.
That's it, the page is flipped.
Dream
Seamless Typesetting
Dream
Of course, if the mirror isn't reversing from left to right then,
People are being flipped inside out to a different side of themselves.
Eureka!
I get it.
When I came to this world, at first I thought I understood.
I decided already when I saw those girls that they were mirrored left to right images of themselves.
But those girls were flipped to show a different side.
I see, their inner-self is showing.
If you take off her outer layers, she is the only one that doesn't change.
That reason is because she's exactly how she says she is.
At her core she isn't any different.
That's it.
The place the surface of the mirror brought me to, shows the insides of people instead.