[KEN'S POV]
The moment our blades clashed, the world erupted.
A blinding shockwave burst outward from our strike, splitting the very air. Red lightning flared wildly in all directions, twisting the skies into a roaring crimson storm. The force of our collision cracked the earth beneath us and sent tremors rippling through the forest around us like an angry beast stirring in its sleep.
He shoved me back—raw power behind that push. My feet dug into the dirt, but my body groaned in protest. My ribs felt like they'd shattered and my breath was short. I glanced at my blade—red lightning still sparking wildly across its length.
This is the First Heaven of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade… It's just enough to keep up with him, I thought, steadying myself. But my body's taken too much damage. I won't last long at this pace.
I dropped into my stance.
I need to end this… now.
I launched forward with explosive force, breaking the sound barrier in a thunderous boom. The air cracked behind me as I closed the distance in a flash, blade raised to cleave his head clean off.
But he was ready.
"MIRROR MAGIC: Mirror Wall," he muttered, and a translucent barrier shimmered into existence.
My blade struck.
Everything I poured into that strike—the speed, the force, the fury—snapped back at me.
"What the—?!" I managed, just buefore the recoil sent me flying like a ragdoll through the air.
I stabbed my blade into the ground mid-flight, the earth groaning as it dragged me to a skidding halt. My knees hit dirt. Pain shot through my arms.
"That's my ultimate defense," the mage said as he approached, calm and arrogant. "The Mirror Wall. A permanent barrier that reflects all attacks back at the attacker—twice as strong. No matter how powerful your blade is… it will never reach me."
Red lightning rolled off my body in furious waves. My psychic energy surged with rage. I roared and unleashed a storm of lightning slashes, each one screaming toward him like vengeful serpents.
He didn't move.
Each strike hit the mirror wall and was hurled back at me, brighter and deadlier.
I ducked the first, sidestepped the second, and deflected the third with my blade. The explosion from the rebound lit the forest like a flare.
Then he vanished—and reappeared beside me in an instant.
"I told you, your attacks won't touch me," he whispered, and drove a fist at my skull.
He's fast—!
I snapped up multiple psychic barriers, layer after layer. His punch crashed into the first and shattered it instantly. The second, thicker one cracked but held just long enough to slow him. The third finally absorbed the hit, the force echoing in my bones.
I leapt back, panting.
"Impressive," he admitted, his eyes narrowing. "Three barriers. Each stronger than the last. But you're just delaying the inevitable. You can't win by defending… and you can't hurt me either. Give up. Die."
His hands blurred through signs. "MIRROR MAGIC: Blinding Rays of Zenith."
Ten floating mirrors materialized beside him, arranging themselves in a gleaming line. Each one fired a lance of purple light.
I barely dodged the first, blocked the second. But then— bam—pain exploded across my back as the first light curved midair and slammed into me like a homing missile.
I screamed, my body searing with agony.
They track… like snakes… I realized, gritting my teeth.
I retaliated with rapid lightning slashes, lighting up the sky and intercepting the remaining rays in midair. Explosions tore through the forest as smoke cloaked everything in chaos.
Through the swirling smoke, I glimpsed him.
He was sweating.
His chest rose and fell with visible strain. Fatigue was setting in. His spellwork, his Mirror Wall—it was draining him. He's enhancing his body and casting high-level spells… he's burning through magic fast.
Good.
All I need is for him to cast one enormous spell. Something that'll drain him dry. Once he runs out of magic energy, the Mirror Wall will collapse—and then I'll kill him.
But to do that… I need him to take me seriously.
I raised my blade to the sky.
The clouds above twisted violently as thunder roared and red lightning speared down from the heavens, striking my sword. Energy surged through me like a tidal wave—I could barely control it.
I deactivated my helmet, letting the wind tear through my hair. A twisted grin spread across my face.
The mage stepped forward, frowning. "What are you doing? The more power you use, the harder it'll hit you when it reflects back."
I laughed softly, voice dark. "You misunderstand. You're not my target."
I stabbed the blade into the ground.
The earth exploded.
A massive crater erupted beneath us as my lightning and psychic energy tore downward, collapsing everything. The ground shattered. We both plummeted into darkness.
As we fell, I launched lightning slashes through the dust and debris. He couldn't see them coming. His Mirror Wall activated automatically, deflecting the attacks. But he couldn't see. He didn't expect the assault in freefall.
We landed.
Darkness swallowed everything.
I reactivated my helmet and flicked on night vision. The underground chamber was massive—and pitch black. He was on one knee, eyes darting wildly. He couldn't see in the dark.
Perfect.
I vanished into the shadows, darting silently across the chamber. Slash after slash—red lightning hissed from my blade, carving through the dark like death itself.
He blocked them all—but now, he was clearly rattled.
He spun around, trying to catch me, but I stayed just out of reach. His defenses were holding—but barely. He was lost in the dark. Lost… and afraid.
[MAGE'S POV]
Where is he?!
The slashes came from every direction—left, right, above. My Mirror Wall held, but I couldn't track him.
I activated True Vision, my unique skill. I scanned the dark—but he was just a black blur. Like a shadow that refused to exist. And with this much darkness… even True Vision was useless.
The endless barrage—his blade, his lightning, his silence—it was maddening.
Enough.
I roared, unleashing a massive wave of magical pressure. The ground shook, dust fell from the ceiling.
Clapping my hands together, I gathered every ounce of magic I had left. A swirling sphere formed between my palms, distorting reality itself as it spun and twisted like a vortex trying to rip open the world.
"MIRROR MAGIC: Distorting Mirror World."