The copy smirked between blows. "You've convinced yourself that emotions make you weak. But tell , does this strength you're chasing make you feel alive?"
Max didn't answer. His eyes were still, colder than steel.
He pressed his palm against the hilt of his sword, gathering imnse power. The space around him trembled as his First Divine Vein — Vein of Origin activated. Divine energy surged through his veins like molten red, flooding the air with raw power.
The mirrored lake shattered completely under the pressure.
"Crimson Burial Sword Art — Fifth Form: Divine Execution."
His sword descended like divine judgnt, engulfed in black fire and lightning. The impact tore through the clone's guard and sent it flying backward, crashing into the fractured remains of the lake.
For the first ti, the reflection's perfect composure broke. Its blade trembled faintly in its grip, and its expression darkened.
"You think this ends with killing ?" it asked softly. "You can't destroy . Because I am you."
Max's gaze didn't waver. His voice was flat, almost indifferent. "Then I'll kill you every ti you appear."
He vanished again, his sword cutting through the storm of shattered space, his attacks relentless and emotionless.
The reflection scread in fury, countering with all its might.
For every strike Max made, the clone matched it. For every technique he used, the clone responded with the sa one. But as the battle dragged on, the difference beca clear. The reflection fought to win.
Max fought to end it.
Each of his attacks grew heavier, sharper, more ruthless. His aura surged beyond its limits, shaking the entire realm. His eyes glowed like molten red as his sword ca down one final ti, infused with the combined power of lightning, fla, and divine essence.
The mirror clone tried to block—but the sheer force crushed through its defense.
The explosion that followed split the sky itself.
When the light faded, only one figure remained standing amidst the silent ruins of the Mirror Lake. Max stood motionless, his sword buried deep in the ground, the air around him humming faintly. The mirrored fragnts slowly drifted down like falling snow.
Across from him, his copy was gone—its body scattered into motes of silver light that faded into the wind.
Max watched it disappear without emotion. "You thought too much," he murmured quietly, before turning back toward the Lotus of Clear Serenity, the battlefield now silent once again.
"Is it?"
The voice ca from behind him again, calm and taunting, carrying that sa tone that mirrored his own.
Max froze. He didn't need to look. He already knew who it was. The air behind him shimred faintly, and the quiet glow of the lake began to twist once more, forming a humanoid outline.
Turning around slowly, Max saw it—the sa figure, the sa face, the sa red eyes. The body of his copy was being reconstructed piece by piece, shaped by the glowing essence of the Mirror Lake. The liquid light rose from the shattered surface and molded itself into flesh, bone, and energy until his exact duplicate stood there once again, smiling as if it had never been destroyed.
The clone dusted off its shoulder and gave a faint chuckle. "As I told you," it said, its tone light but dripping with a dark amusent, "you can't kill . Because I am you."
It tilted its head slightly, its reflection flickering across the mirrored fragnts still floating in the air. "Neither can you run away from ."
Max's expression didn't change. His sword was still held loosely in his right hand, faint lightning flickering along the blade's edge. "You're persistent," he said flatly.
"Persistent?" The copy laughed softly. "No. Eternal. You can destroy my body, burn my soul, shatter the space around —but as long as you exist, I exist."
It began walking toward him, its steps echoing lightly against the half-shattered surface of the lake. "Do you even understand what I am?" it asked, its tone dropping to sothing quieter, more probing. "I am not an illusion or so test set by the secret domain. I am your reflection, born from the truths you refuse to acknowledge."
It stopped a few feet away, staring directly into Max's eyes. "Tell , what are you truly seeking? You claim strength is all that matters now. You say you've abandoned everything else. But what do you want strength for? What aning is left in your pursuit?"
The mirrored fragnts around them glowed brighter, as if responding to the copy's words. The faint ripples of light reflected both of them—two identical beings standing in the sa world, one cold and silent, the other calm and questioning.
"Do you fight because you must? Or because it's the only thing left that reminds you that you exist?" The copy's smile faded, replaced by sothing almost thoughtful. "You talk about surpassing gods, demons, and all of existence. But for what? To prove yourself to whom? No one's watching anymore. The people you once wanted to protect are long behind you. The enemies you once wanted to destroy are only fragnts of mory now."
It took another step closer, the faint ripples spreading beneath its feet. "So why do you still fight?"
Max said nothing. His eyes were steady, his expression blank.
The copy chuckled again, shaking its head slightly. "You see, that's the difference between us. I know why I exist. You don't. You call a shadow, but it's you who's fading. You've emptied yourself of everything until there's nothing left but power and silence."
It raised a hand and pointed at Max's chest again. "In there lies the truth. That restless storm. You can't suppress it forever. You can kill again and again, but I'll keep coming back, because that storm keeps you alive—and that storm is ."
For a mont, there was silence. The mirrored lake shimred faintly, reflecting their faces—identical yet divided.
Finally, Max exhaled slowly and lifted his sword once more. The red lightning around him flared like a storm ready to consu everything in its path.
"You talk too much," he said coldly, his voice carrying no hint of emotion.
The copy smiled faintly, its own sword forming once again in its hand, the sa lightning dancing along its edge. "Then prove wrong, Max Voidwalker. Show that silence can conquer the truth."
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