The sense of an experienced master extends beyond the grasp of an ordinary person, perceiving the odds of victory in battle, the likelihood of landing a punch, and other ambiguities.
That's why both Yuri Lanster and Namgung Cheonghwi, who were preparing for their final clash, felt it.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"
"⋯⋯What is this."
An instinctive warning.
This is no time to be toying with that kid / This is no time to be facing off against this iron-strong woman.
Just as animals instinctively flee before a disaster, it was time to seek shelter before confronting each other. Both turned their heads toward the source of the looming threat.
Standing there was the figure of the doppelganger, masked.
"I know it. The self-loathing that flows beneath the surface of the violet. 『Infinite Drama: Violet (紫)』."
Zzzzzk.
With a burst of static, the mask shifted into a familiar shade of purple. And from the doppelganger's hands, an eerie light erupted.
A light of incomprehensible color.
Namgung Cheonghwi could only feel the danger without understanding what it was. But Yuri Lanster immediately recognized it. It was a prelude to an attack she knew all too well.
It was the Violet Tower Leader’s signature technique.
"That's a 'Subtraction' spell... How is that fake using Yuna's metamorphosis?"
"And what is this 'Subtraction'?"
"It means you're ninety percent likely to die if it hits you, so lower your head!"
Whooosh!
The light burst forth. Beams of information-erasing energy shot in all directions. A glimpse of a mad mage frantically rolling on the ground could be seen.
They should be doing the same.
Thunk.
"⋯⋯Ugh!"
Yuri Lanster shoved Namgung Cheonghwi to the ground, rolling along the dirt. The spot where they had been moments before was scorched by the 'Subtraction,' and even the ants crawling on the ground had lost all information that made them alive, instantly perishing.
Even grazing it would have caused the same fate.
"Th-Thank you."
"No need for thanks. I just took advantage of the moment to gain the upper hand."
"Huh?"
Yuri Lanster grabbed Namgung Cheonghwi by the hair and lifted him. Foreseeing what was about to happen, Namgung tightly shut his eyes.
Bam, bam, bam!
Three times, his head was slammed into the pavement, leaving small craters in the cobblestones as Namgung was knocked out cold by her professional touch.
There’s no time to waste here. Whatever had happened, the moment that fake started using Yuna’s metamorphosis, a major crisis was underway.
Yuna, who had been holding off the wave of enemies, seemed to have reached the same conclusion. Stopping the doppelganger came first, even if collateral damage occurred.
From a distance, a light similar yet distinct in color gleamed.
Thud.
Yuri Lanster sprinted across the battlefield, dodging incoming 'Subtraction' beams as she headed toward the fight.
===============================================================
Fragments do not possess a soul.
Without a soul to color it with emotion, there is no metamorphosis.
Just like a car without an engine cannot move, logically speaking, that doppelganger couldn’t have triggered metamorphosis without a soul... unless.
"⋯⋯It created its own soul!"
"That sounds ridiculous, no matter how you explain it!"
"I hate this reality too! 『Flame Serpent of Love』, tank it!"
Hisssss!
A massive flame serpent rose to block the doppelganger, but then—
Whooosh!
It was erased. The core information that made up the magic was entirely obliterated, reducing the flames to mere fire that dissipated into the air. Its once impressive form was shaved away in an instant.
"What kind of broken metamorphosis ability is this?!"
"What are we going to do, oppa?!"
"It can't keep shooting indefinitely... at least, I hope not. We’ll have to find an opening and hit it with at least a third-level Inferno Strike to the head...!"
Think. I have to think.
But there wasn’t much time. What was raining down now was a barrage of 'Subtraction' beams, like a mad disco ball. Although they were weaker and less precise than the original.
The problem is, the original's power is so high that even this nerfed version is still terrifying. Whether it's 9999 damage or 999, a unit with 100 health gets erased all the same.
It seemed Yuna had sensed the emergency as well.
"『Subtraction』."
Yuna’s 'Subtraction' flew down from the opposite side of the sky, aimed perfectly.
How do you like that? Yuna’s 'Subtraction' is leagues above yours—
Zzzzk. The mask's color shifted.
"I know it. The small hope swimming in the blue. 『Infinite Drama: Blue (靑)』."
And what manifested in the doppelganger's hands was Roderus' 『Magic Hardening』...!
Within a 100-meter radius, Yuna's 'Subtraction' gained physical form. The now solidified 'Subtraction' appeared like white pillars.
But all it had gained was physical mass, its fundamental properties unchanged. Whether hit by a beam or a rock, the effect remained the same. At this rate, the use of this metamorphosis is meaningless...
"I know it. The hero's tale hidden in the gray. 『Infinite Drama: Gray (灰)』."
Crack, KABOOM!
A massive blade of earth shot diagonally from the ground. It was Bennet's 『Guardian's Vow』!
Crack-crack-crack!
Yuna’s 'Subtraction' was deflected by the slanted armor of the Guardian’s Vow and sent spiraling into the sky. I had seen people dodge and roll to avoid the 'Subtraction' beams before, but this was the first time I saw it blocked head-on.
I understood.
This was an extension of the doppelganger’s 'Metamorphosis Block.'
It was able to replicate the emotions, personalities, and pasts of others, simulate them within its soul, and steal their metamorphosis abilities.
That’s how it could use the metamorphosis of the important people we know. The ones my doppelganger and I hold dear—the session players.
I know this isn’t the time for idle thoughts.
"⋯⋯Damn, I’m so jealous!"
"⋯⋯This is not the time for jokes!"
Honestly, I was feeling a bit desperate, so I made a joke.
Being able to recreate a player’s emotions and steal their metamorphosis meant it could use past metamorphoses, not just present ones. And unfortunately for us, there were two ridiculously strong metamorphoses in my memory with absurd physical power.
I quickly grabbed Selvia, dug my legs into the ground, and shouted to the others nearby.
"Find something solid to hold onto—whether it’s the ground or a pillar!"
"『Infinite Drama: Crimson Blood (重血)』."
Of course, it was coming.
Crack, crack-crack!
As the doppelganger traced a circle in the air, the space along its path fractured, creating a massive gravitational pull. It was the gravity manipulation device used by Siselle in the past, 『Mandatory Binding』.
Simultaneously, violent winds tore at the doppelganger’s skin. It was Elaine's metamorphosis, 『Bloodstorm』.
Whoosh!
If you get sucked into that gravity well, you’ll be shredded like a blender.
"M-My body is starting to lift, oppa!"
"Is bracing against the ground not enough...?"
If that’s the case, we’ll have to use the pull to our advantage and interrupt the casting before we get shredded. As I was thinking through this dizzying situation, someone grabbed our floating bodies and pulled us down.
"Yuri!"
It was Yuri Lanster, who had finished her battle and rejoined us. She had used a skilled technique to anchor us to the ground.
"This has become quite troublesome, hasn’t it?"
"Troublesome doesn’t even begin to describe it!"
"Don’t worry, Selvia. Mima will figure something out."
Yuri grinned as she tossed the problem to me. Isn’t that a bit much trust...?
No, fine. I’ll do it. I’ll save everyone and bill you all for it later—with interest. Every ability has a weakness. There must be a gap to exploit somewhere.
The reversed gravity was pulling all projectiles toward the doppelganger’s head. If Roderus' 『Magic Hardening』 was still active, any 'Subtraction' shots would be pulled in as well.
I just needed a single arrow to pierce through all of that.
I thought deeply, and at the end of that thought—
Caw, caw, caw.
It felt like I heard the laugh of a crow.
Amidst the storm it had created, the doppelganger, now bloodied by its own chaos, let out a loud cry.
"Look at me! I’m this strong! I can fight anyone and win! I’ve even mastered metamorphosis!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
"I’m more ruthless, more persistent! I don’t care about morals or methods, and unlike the real me, I don’t joke around when cornered! That means I’m the one who’ll be more likely to win against 'it!'"
It was prepared for that.
It could even stake its life on it. Throwing everything into the fire, it would do whatever it took to stop 'it.' And if so, who could bring happiness to those around it? The answer was clear—it was me!
In a voice mixed with the screech of metal, the doppelganger asked:
"Shouldn’t I be the real one?"
To this, Yuri Lanster replied.
"Why do you want to become the mad mage?"
"I don’t want to be a mere doppelganger... I want to be an independent person!"
"Did you know? The 'Heart' separated itself and chose to live independently as a 'Heart.' Hmm, judging by your expression, it seems you never considered that."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Yes, I had let the Heart become independent.
If the doppelganger had tried talking instead of causing this chaos, things would have been different. Yuri pointed this out.
"If you had simply wanted to exist as 'yourself,' Mima would have acknowledged you. Why did you have to take such a long and difficult path?"
"But the one I want to become is... over there. I wanted to be there!"
There, where Yuna and Yuri, the ones Mima loves, are.
In response, Yuri Lanster coldly adjusted her leather gloves and said.
"Then hurry and let yourself be absorbed by him. That way, you’ll always be with us, won’t you?"
"⋯⋯But."
"The idea that you must become someone else is wrong. Once you’ve separated, you should simply live your life as yourself. I don’t understand why you’re so obsessed. Were you afraid of the unknown?"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
While acknowledging his existence, Yuri firmly rejected the doppelganger's way of living.
The doppelganger gasped as if its heart had been stabbed.
And beside him, the demonic little goddess simply stood watching, relaxed.
===============================================================
The absolute being that toys with the world, the evil dragon that stirs fate for amusement—she, the fragment of that being, is known as the evil goddess.
Behind her were thousands of years of atrocities pushing her forward. It was the inertia of life. Having walked this path for so long, it was impossible to stop or change direction easily. Naturally, the evil goddess believed that she must become the "evil dragon" once again.
She believed that she had to return to being the evil dragon one day. Living now with her leash held tight was a humiliation, and she thought that she must tear into the mad mage’s throat and reclaim her freedom.
Even now, having learned the path of good deeds, she still felt the same.
Had she not already crossed the point of no return? Even if she were to change direction now, would it mean anything? These thoughts plagued her, causing her to hesitate.
And now, she was given the chance to observe a reflection of herself.
The doppelganger originated from the mad mage, yet it was different. She couldn’t pinpoint what exactly, but Yuri Lanster’s words had clarified it.
The doppelganger...
Was it afraid of being separated and competing for the love of Mima, Yuna, and Yuri? Was it afraid of finding its own path in life?
Is that why it chose the easy path, trying to steal what belonged to others?
It was a pitifully ugly reflection, like looking in a mirror. The evil goddess bit her lip, her chest heavy with self-loathing. She was still confused and afraid of a path that didn’t involve being the "evil dragon." She was unsure of what she should become.
But still...
It would be far more admirable to move forward.
It had been a long, long struggle, a winding road back.
The evil goddess spoke softly to the doppelganger.
"⋯⋯Hey, fake Mima."
"Don’t call me a fake!"
"How about giving up? If you stop now, Mima might even forgive you. At worst, he’ll just turn you into a TS. No casualties, right? So, why not come back with me...?"
There was still a way back.
The doppelganger stared at the evil goddess in shock. Had it really come to this? Was she now leaving his side after all they had been through?
With desperate eyes, the doppelganger pleaded with the evil goddess to stay by its side. But she only looked back at him with calm, heavy eyes.
In this moment, their idea of "together" had diverged.
Crack. The doppelganger gritted its teeth and spat out its rage.
"You... even you are betraying me? Fine! I don’t need any of you! If you're going to push me into the wilderness with nothing, then I'll burn everything to ashes and seize the remains!"
Are you really going that way?
The evil goddess frowned at the sight of the glowing 『Golden Chain』. Excruciating pain shot through her spine, gnawing at her mind. Sweat dripped down her face as her hands trembled.
Through her labored breathing, she spoke.
"So, 『Metamorphosis Block』... You can only use it when you deeply understand the target, right...?"
"You..."
"I know you pretty well. We’re practically the same, just a bit off."
"Stop... stop it──!!"
Creak.
Before the 『Golden Chain』 could fully strangle her, the evil goddess moved her hand lightly. She disrupted the emotions and interfered with the doppelganger’s metamorphosis.
It wasn’t a skill that could simply be copied after seeing it once. It wasn’t perfect. But it was enough to 『interfere』.
Creak, creak, creak──!
Moreover.
Even if it was a metamorphosis mimicking another, the trigger still depended on the emotions of the one using it. The doppelganger, upon fully recognizing its separation from the evil goddess, was overwhelmed with emptiness and despair.
Thus, a gap appeared.
A dissonance echoed from the newly created soul. The fake mad mage stumbled, coughing up blood. The 『Magic Hardening』, 『Bloodstorm』, and 『Mandatory Binding』 all wavered.
Then.
The real mad mage began chanting.
"Shadows cast at my feet, darkness peeking through the wardrobe, the solitude of the pitch-black night."
"──Ha, hahaha! Don’t you remember? 『Piercing Black Arrow』 doesn’t work on me! I can withstand it all!"
A black arrow floated above Mima’s hand. He grinned, then aimed it...
...at his own head.
"The first shot isn’t for you, bastard. 『Piercing Black Arrow』."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?!"
Fwoosh.
The 『Piercing Black Arrow』 struck Mima’s head directly, causing him to stagger as if he had been struck with a hammer. Then he began chanting once more.
"Shadows cast at my feet, darkness peeking through the wardrobe, the solitude of the pitch-black night."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"
At last, the fake Mima understood his plan.
The 『Piercing Black Arrow』 draws negative emotions and pain from session participants, and fires it as an arrow.
By shooting himself in the head, Mima was reloading that pain into the next arrow through his chanting. Each cycle doubled the amount of malevolent information contained in the arrow.
It was a way to amplify the arrow's power on the spot without gathering negative information beforehand.
⋯⋯As long as he could endure the pain!
"『Piercing Black Arrow』. Ah, fuck⋯⋯."
Fwoosh!
The second shot was fired into his own head. That made it four times stronger.
"⋯⋯Impossible. Last time, one shot from my 『Piercing Black Arrow』 took you down. You must be bluffing. You couldn’t possibly endure that much negative information!"
The fake Mima shouted, but the bulging veins in the real Mima’s neck, his bloodshot eyes, the trembling muscles, and the blood dripping down his face were undeniable signs of real, intense pain.
Mima drooled and chuckled.
"Curious about how I’m holding up? 『Piercing Black Arrow』."
Boom──!
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
"Ugh, my head... It feels like it’s going to split. I can’t do this more than twice."
Now it was eight times stronger.
Zzzk, zzzzzk.
The black arrow in Mima’s hand grew in size and ferocity, now resembling a massive stake. The doppelganger trembled in fear, realizing just how much negative energy was packed into that arrow.
With his tongue slack and his speech slurred, the mad mage muttered.
"You know, the reason I crack jokes is⋯⋯to try and enjoy even the dirty, sad moments. Life’s full of hardships, right? We’re living for fun, so wouldn’t it be nice to laugh even then⋯⋯?"
"You⋯⋯."
"I’m not you, so I can’t sympathize with your pain. But I know you’re on the wrong path. You tried to kill my friends and steal my life. So I’ve prepared this."
The arrow was aimed.
In the face of the black arrow, which crackled with sinister energy, the doppelganger saw its death.
"If you survive this, I’ll cut you some slack. You bastard. Shadows cast at my feet, darkness peeking through the wardrobe, the solitude of the pitch-black night⋯⋯!"
"Stop, stop...!!"
Eight times the power.
"『Piercing Black Arrow (破心玄箭)』──!!"
────!!
Silently, the arrow was fired. The black energy twisted through the air like a devouring shadow. The fake mad mage tried to stop it by any means necessary.
But the mental barriers disintegrated into dust, and even the abilities that returned after the evil goddess’s 『Metamorphosis Block』 ended couldn’t stop it.
The bloodstorm quieted, and gravity reversed. There was no solidifying or scattering.
In the final moment before impact, the doppelganger glanced over at the evil goddess.
Their eyes met.
"I⋯⋯."
Was it a curse for betrayal? A grudge for not choosing him? The evil goddess averted her gaze slightly, afraid of what emotions might come flying her way.
But in that last moment, there was a glimmer of softness. The doppelganger smiled faintly, with a trace of tenderness. From that look, the evil goddess could read so much.
With that silent farewell, the black arrow shattered his soul.
The chaos dissipated, and the confusion settled.
The doppelganger’s rampage ended like that.
===============================================================
It’s a total mess.
The fake’s final metamorphosis had been powerful. Several buildings had been destroyed, and the pavement that had suffered all day would need to be completely replaced.
As for the fragment... it had been absorbed. More precisely, it had been reabsorbed. The information that had been floating in the air naturally returned to its rightful owner—me.
The doppelganger had cleanly vanished.
It was likely because of the soul. The act of creating a soul had been its downfall, not just exhausting him but leading to his complete annihilation.
I don’t know what he was thinking in his final moments, but I was left with some new information about the dark mage, neatly organized in one corner of my mind. I decided to think of it as his redemption.
He should have done that from the start, that damn fool. I gave a light bow to wish him peace in the afterlife.
With this, I’m at one hundred percent. Since the Heart is now independent and no longer a part of me, I can exclude it from the percentage count.
I don’t know what exactly happened inside that fake, but the fact that he gave birth to a soul was undeniable. If I study these traces... maybe I could even reach the realm of soul creation.
I approached the evil goddess, who was squatting by the ruins. Her expression was somewhat unsettled, so I placed my hand on her head.
"⋯⋯What’s this?"
"I’ll scold you tomorrow, so prepare yourself."
It was my way of saying she could relax for today.
Then, I crouched down next to her. She flinched as if uncomfortable at first, but then she loosened up.
After a brief pause, she suddenly spoke, as if feeling awkward and needing to say something.
"⋯⋯How did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Survive the Piercing Black Arrow. The fake’s consciousness practically evaporated from the sheer power. You took three shots straight to the head and you’re still fine... It’s strange."
"Ah, that... There’s a trick to it. I made a duplicate of myself inside my mind."
It was a method I came up with thanks to Crow Mima.
I split my mind and used each part as a temporary independent entity. Just like the Mima fragment had split off, while the resources remained the same, the divided consciousness continued to function anew.
So, with the help of my mental modules, I was able to endure. Even if you have to take one hundred hits, if you spread them out, taking only one at a time makes it bearable.
"Stop amplifying! This is enough, you crazy main body!"
I could almost hear Crow Mima’s hysterical cawing.
At the same time, I entrusted the process of amplifying the feedback from Piercing Black Arrow to them. I pounded my chest and summed it all up in one sentence.
"It’s the power of friendship and unity!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
There was a long silence. Then, out of nowhere, the evil goddess spoke.
"I’m going to give myself a name."
"⋯⋯A name? For yourself?"
"Aisha."
"If I ask what it means, will you tell me?"
The evil goddess—no, Aisha—stuck out her tongue playfully. It was a textbook "teasing" gesture, straight out of a picture book.
"Do you think I’ll tell you? You’d just make fun of me."
"If you tell me, I’ll reduce the punishment tomorrow."
"I’d rather die."
How embarrassing must the meaning behind that name be?
The sounds of the city waking up from its brief stillness reached us. I felt my spirits sink at the thought of having to clean up this huge mess and deal with Eride's scolding, but...
Once we get everything sorted, I’ll return to my cozy home at the academy and have a great time.
This long journey had finally come to an end.