Episode 75: The Fractured Core

The world shattered like glass.

The last sound they heard was their own screams fading into silence before everything fractured. Sight, sound, and self collapsed into a thousand mirrored realities. When Kuro opened his eyes, he found no ground, no sky—only floating shards reflecting endless versions of himself. Each one moved slightly out of sync. Some stared back with pity; others with hunger.

A single heartbeat pulsed through the emptiness—THUUM… THUUM… Each echo shook the fragments apart until even time seemed to split.

Kuro's first thought was Elira. "Elira! Akira!" he shouted, but his voice didn't travel normally—it split, splintering into dozens of versions of itself, each repeating the names with slightly different tones. Elira! Akira! Kill them both! Save them! His own words fought against him.

The dark flame inside his chest stirred, whispering faintly. They can't hear you anymore. You're alone again… like before.

He clenched his jaw. "Shut up."

The whisper chuckled. If I'm only your echo, who are you telling to shut up?

The fragments shifted, forming a spiraling staircase made of glass. Without another thought, Kuro stepped forward, his boots crunching against reflections that bled faint red light beneath him. His reflection followed beside him, just a fraction slower—always a step behind, always smiling wider.

He didn't look back.

---

Elira gasped awake somewhere else entirely. The air around her shimmered in hues of blue and gold, soft like twilight. For a brief, deceptive moment, she thought she'd escaped the Sanctum. A gentle breeze caressed her face as she found herself standing before the Royal Balcony of Elaria—home.

Children laughed below, and nobles bowed as she passed. Waiting at the end of the hall was Kuro—smiling, warm, his eyes kind.

Her heart clenched. "Kuro?"

He extended his hand. "You did it, Elira. You saved me. You brought balance."

Tears welled in her eyes as she stepped forward. "Is it over?"

"Yes," he said, smiling—too perfectly. "It's all over."

But then—just as she reached for him—she caught a flicker in his eyes. For a split second, the violet warmth turned crimson. The faint sound of laughter, Nihil's laughter, brushed against her ear.

CRRRAAACK. The illusion glitched, fracturing like a broken reflection.

The palace faded. The sky bled black. The children's laughter became distorted, mechanical—HAAA… HAAA… HAAA…—and suddenly the world shattered into flame.

Her heart stopped. Before her stood the same Kuro—but now his eyes burned red, his hands wrapped in Monarch's black flame, and behind him, the royal city burned.

Her voice broke. "No… this isn't real."

"Isn't it?" he whispered, stepping closer. "You always feared it would come to this. You think you can save me, but deep down—you know you can't."

The air trembled. Shadows crept around her ankles like snakes. "You're not him."

The false Kuro smiled, almost tenderly. "Maybe not. But you'll have to watch me become him."

FSSHHHHHH! A wave of black fire surged forward, swallowing the world whole as Elira screamed.

---

Elsewhere, Akira landed hard on his knees—THUND!—dust kicking up around him. His surroundings looked like the training yard back in their early days—crude, simple, familiar. For a moment, relief flickered across his face. "Finally… something normal."

Then he saw them.

Hundreds of warriors surrounded him, all wearing the same armor, same katana—same face. His face. Their expressions blank, mechanical. They all raised their swords at once—SHRRAAANG!

"What the—"

One stepped forward. "You wanted to be strong, didn't you?"

Another followed. "To be more than his shadow?"

A third: "To be seen?"

Akira raised his blade, his eyes narrowing. "You're just echoes."

"Then fight us," the first said. "Prove you're not one."

The air hummed. Then they charged.

SLAAAANG! CRRSHH! THUND! The clash erupted like a storm. Akira moved like lightning—cutting, dodging, parrying—but every blow he landed was matched instantly. Sparks rained. Sweat mixed with blood. Their strikes were his own techniques mirrored back perfectly.

"You can't win against yourself," one of them hissed, sword locking against his. His muscles trembled. "Watch me."

He let out a battle cry—HAAAA!—and his aura flared, slicing through the illusion with pure, disciplined focus. SHHHHRK! The copies disintegrated, scattering like ash.

But as they vanished, their voices whispered: "You'll never be the strongest." "You'll always be second." "You'll be left behind."

He fell to one knee, breathing hard. The silence that followed wasn't peace. It was emptiness.

And deep down, it stung worse than any wound.

---

Meanwhile, Kuro reached the top of the staircase. The fragments opened into a suspended platform—a mirror floor beneath a ceiling of swirling darkness. The Echo of Nihil stood waiting, perfectly composed, hands folded behind its back. It smiled. "You came."

"Cut the talk," Kuro growled, drawing his blade. "You're not real."

"Neither is balance," it said softly. "But both of us exist because of it."

The echo stepped closer, its body flickering with red and black light. "Tell me, Kuro—why do you cling to these fragile emotions? Love, friendship, loyalty—they're weights that slow you down."

Kuro's flames ignited, black and crimson twisting around him. "They make me human."

"And yet…" The echo raised its hand. Shadows erupted from the ground—THUUM!—forming massive, skeletal arms that reached toward him. "You're not human anymore."

The battle began.

THUND! CRRSHH! SLAAANG! Their blades met, each clash producing ripples that tore through the mirrored floor. Sparks of flame scattered like meteors. Every strike from the Echo felt heavier—familiar. It moved like him, anticipated every motion.

"Stop holding back!" the echo taunted. "Or are you afraid you'll like it?"

Kuro ducked under a slash—SWOOOSH!—and countered, sending a wave of crimson fire spiraling. The echo absorbed it with a smirk, letting the flames crawl up its arm. "Your corruption feeds me."

Kuro roared, leaping forward—THUUM!—and their blades locked again. "You're nothing but a shadow!"

"Then what does that make you?" the echo hissed, pushing him back.

They clashed again—THUND! THUND! CRRSHH!—until the mirrored world began to crack under their power. Each strike mirrored in a hundred reflections, showing infinite versions of their duel across the void.

Kuro's eyes flickered gold for a moment—his true flame breaking through—but then black consumed it again. His control faltered. The echo's grin widened. "There it is. The real you."

Elira's voice echoed faintly through the void. "Kuro—!"

He froze. Her voice—real, trembling, desperate.

The echo turned toward the sound, smirking. "She's calling for help. Shall I answer?"

"Don't touch her," Kuro growled.

The echo's smile deepened. "Then stop me."

It lunged forward—CRRRAAASH!—blades colliding in a storm of black and red light. The mirrored world shook violently, fragments flying in every direction. Between the cracks, Kuro could see glimpses of other realities—Elira burning, Akira kneeling, the Sanctum collapsing.

The Echo of Nihil leaned close, their blades grinding. "We're not so different. The more you fight me, the more you become me."

Kuro snarled. "Then I'll burn us both."

He let his flame erupt, uncontrolled. THUUMMMMMMM! A blinding sphere of black and gold fire consumed everything—shattering mirrors, crushing echoes, erasing form and sound. When the light faded, Kuro lay on the fractured floor, his body trembling, his vision fading.

The echo was gone. But its voice lingered, whispering in the dark. Every flame leaves a shadow.

Then silence.

---

When Kuro's eyes opened again, he was on the ground—his body aching, Elira kneeling beside him. She was crying quietly, her hand over his heart, channeling frostfire healing energy. "You're back," she whispered.

He blinked, the world blurry. "You… saw it?"

She nodded weakly. "I saw everything."

Akira stood a few meters away, his expression cold and unreadable. His blades still faintly glowed from battle. "You almost burned the whole realm apart."

Kuro pushed himself up slowly, his head pounding. "The echo's gone."

"For now," Akira said quietly, turning away. "But it looked a lot like you."

The words hit harder than any strike. Kuro said nothing.

Elira's hand lingered on his shoulder. "Don't listen to him."

"I'm not," Kuro replied softly, but his eyes told a different story.

The Sanctum began to shift again, its walls fading into transparent mist. A single path opened before them—a glowing bridge of balanced light and shadow leading upward.

Elira rose first. "The exit."

Kuro followed, silent, his gaze still distant. Behind him, Akira's footsteps echoed—heavy and uncertain. None of them spoke.

As they walked, faint reflections appeared beside them—flashes of their battles, fears, and faces twisted in pain. The Sanctum was releasing them, but not before leaving its mark.

At the end of the bridge, a massive door of light awaited. Kuro paused before it, his hand hovering over the surface. His reflection in the glowing metal didn't move.

It smiled.

Then vanished.

THUUUUUM!

The gate opened, and the light swallowed them whole.

---

[To Be Continue...]

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.