Back in Ron's arena,

chaos had already erupted.

Clang—

Cling—

BOOM—

Metal clashed and explosions burst across the reflective battlefield as Ron and his shadow hurled themselves at each other with unstoppable force. Both of them were engulfed in the same blazing orange-red aura, flames swirling around their bodies like coiling serpents. Their spears—long, black, and wreathed in fire—burned identically bright, though the shadow version carried a darker, more ominous shade of flame.

The two Ron's moved at the exact same moment, instincts perfectly mirrored.

"Inferno Spear: Flaming Stab!"

Both lunged forward, thrusting their spears with explosive force—

And the moment the two flaming spears collided, a violent blast of fire erupted outward, sending shockwaves across the mirror floor. Embers scattered, flickering wildly before fading into the dim silver air.

On the opposite side of the arena, a storm of razor-sharp wind erupted.

Cling—clang—shing—!!

Lia and her shadow moved at blinding speed, their auras flaring in identical pale-green arcs. Wind spiraled around her, sharp enough to slice through stone, while her shadow carried the same aura—only darker, harsher, almost feral.

Both wielded a white, single-edged straight sword—sleek, elegant, shaped like a Japanese chokutō. The blades cut the air cleanly, leaving trails of wind behind every movement.

Lia burst forward, body light as wind, and shouted—

"Wind Butterfly: Elegant Speed!"

Her form flickered, then vanished into a blur.

In the blink of an eye, she unleashed a storm of slashes—

fast, precise, beautiful.

But her shadow disappeared at the same moment.

The same technique.

The same speed.

All of Lia's slashes met their identical counterparts mid-air, blade against blade in a flurry so fast it became a storm of sparks and green arcs.

Finally, both versions of her kicked back at the same instant, sliding across the mirrored floor to opposite ends of the space.

Lia landed lightly, Lia exhaled, her breath short and quick. A sheen of sweat marked her forehead, her chest rising and falling sharply from the fierce exchange.

Across from her, the shadow-Lia inhaled and exhaled at the same rhythm—

the same pacing—

the same exhaustion.

Her shadow wasn't an emotionless machine.

It was her.

Breathing, moving, reacting—

a perfect mirror in everything.

Lia tightened her grip on her sword, her expression sharpening.

"…This really is me."

Her shadow tilted her head at the same angle, eyes just as focused, stance just as ready.

Even their breathing synced…

like reflections in a living mirror.

And the battle was far from over.

--

On the far side of the arena, Jax and his shadow were locked in a duel so fast and chaotic that the air itself trembled around them. Blue mana bullets streaked through the space as Jax fired relentlessly, his twin guns crackling with energy. Each shot glowed bright, rippling like condensed lightning as it spiraled toward its target.

Spellshooter's Arsenal: Hexstorm Rush.

A barrage of blue mana bullets erupted from his guns—

but at the exact same moment, the shadow-Jax raised his own identical weapons and fired as well.

Two storms of mana collided mid-air, exploding into bursts of azure light, scattering fragments across the reflective floor.

Jax slid to the side, firing rapidly.

His shadow mirrored him with infuriating precision—same stance, same timing, same chaotic grin.

"Take this then!" Jax shouted.

He channeled a surge of mana into his guns, the barrels glowing intensely. With a sharp exhale, he pulled the triggers—

A single, concentrated mana shot blasted forward, faster and stronger than anything he had fired before. It tore through the air like a blue comet, heading straight for the shadow's chest.

But the shadow-Jax only smiled.

A mischievous, cocky smile—

the exact same one Jax wore when he was about to pull something sneaky.

The shadow tilted his head slightly, dodging the mana blast with smooth ease.

But that wasn't the shocking part.

It was the timing.

The shadow moved before the shot left the barrel—

as if he already knew what Jax was planning.

"Wha—?"

Jax's eyes widened.

The shadow raised his gun with that same smirk, aiming not where Jax was, but exactly where Jax was about to be.

Two mana bullets shot out—

fast

accurate

predictive.

"SHIT—!"

Jax dove to the ground, the bullets barely grazing past his shoulder. He rolled to avoid a third blast, only to look up and see the shadow lunging forward, boot raised to kick him square in the jaw.

Jax crossed his guns and blocked just in time, the impact sending a jolt down his arms. He slid back across the reflective surface, scrambling to his feet as the shadow reloaded effortlessly.

He grit his teeth, panting slightly.

"Damn it…!"

He wiped sweat from his brow, frustration bursting out of him.

"This guy knows me way too well…!"

His jaw clenched.

"How the hell am I supposed to beat someone who fights—

exactly like me?!"

The shadow-Jax tilted his head with that same mocking grin, as if agreeing with him entirely.

On the far side of the arena, the air shimmered with dense magical pressure. Complex runes—bright, burning, shifting—spiraled across the battlefield like living light. Selene stood firm at the center of it all, gripping her staff with both hands. Her weapon, fashioned from midnight-hued wood and polished to an elegant sheen, thrummed softly beneath her touch. Delicate silver runes glowed along its length, resonating with her mana. At the staff's head, a multifaceted amber-gold crystal gleamed warmly, casting tiny reflections across her determined face.

Selene swept her staff upward.

Dozens of orange runes flared to life around her—spinning, aligning, locking into a precise formation only she could command.

"Rune Magic — Fourth Circle: Runic Tempest Array."

Her voice echoed, steady and controlled.

Above her, a massive array of glyphs ignited in a brilliant geometric storm. Runes rotated faster and faster until they erupted—

raining down radiant orange bolts like a barrage of miniature falling stars.

Each bolt streaked with explosive force toward her shadow counterpart.

But shadow-Selene didn't flinch.

Didn't blink.

Didn't even lift an eyebrow.

Just like the real Selene.

She raised her own staff—identical, down to the silver runes and crystal—and her eyes glowed with dark crimson-orange mana. Runes formed instantly around her, but hers burned darker, sharper, more violent.

A large red-orange sigil bloomed at her command.

"Rune Magic — Fifth Circle: Disruption Seal."

The massive rune floated before her like a spinning red sun. And then—

with a heavy hum—

it absorbed the incoming Tempest Array as if devouring light itself.

Selene's eyes widened slightly.

The shadow wasn't just defending—it was countering her technique perfectly.

The Disruption Seal pulsed once…

twice…

Then detonated.

A violent shockwave rippled across the arena, exploding outward in a storm of fractured runes. The blast tore up small cracks in the mirror-like floor as raw mana surged in every direction.

Selene reacted instantly. Her expression tightened, but she didn't panic. Her staff traced a swift sigil in the air, orange light flashing between her fingers.

"Rune Magic — Third Circle: Runic Shield."

A massive orange barrier materialized in front of her, ornate runes spinning over its surface like rotating gears. The shockwave slammed into the shield with deafening force, sending tremors up her arms, but she held her ground with calm focus.

When the light faded, Selene lowered her shield and exhaled softly.

Her eyes flicked from her shadow… to Ron's battle… to Lia's… and Jax's struggling form.

Her mind worked quickly, analyzing, connecting patterns, searching for something they were all missing.

"We can't win like this…" she murmured under her breath.

Because no matter how strong they fought…

Their shadows fought with the same strength.

The same skills.

The same instincts.

And Selene knew better than anyone:

If their shadow copies perfectly,counters perfectly

victory is impossible…

…unless the mirror breaks first.

She tightened her grip on her staff, amber crystal pulsing once like a heartbeat.

Something wasn't adding up.

And she intended to find the flaw.

Selene's eyes darted across the battlefield—Ron's flames crashing against flames, Lia's wind slicing through wind, Jax's bullets colliding in a chaotic storm of blue light. Every clash was equal. Every strike was mirrored. Every technique canceled itself out.

A perfect fight.

A hopeless one.

Unless…

Her breath caught.

A single memory echoed in her mind—

the mysterious woman's voice, bright and enthusiastic, almost teasing:

"Remember, this competition is all about teamwork…!"

Selene's eyes widened.

She suddenly understood.

Not the individual.

Not the mirror.

Not the reflection.

But the team.

Her staff hummed as she tightened her grip, mana pulsing in golden waves. She lifted her voice above the chaos.

"HEY! Ron! Lia! Jax!"

Ron parried a fiery spear thrust, sparks bursting beneath his boots.

Lia wiped sweat from her brow as she clashed blades in furious speed.

Jax rolled under a mana bullet with a yell.

Selene shouted again, sharper, louder:

"I KNOW HOW TO DEFEAT THEM!"

Her voice cut through the battlefield like a command.

Ron gritted his teeth, then launched a quick flaming jab to push his shadow back a few steps.

Lia spun through the air, delivering a fast crescent kick that forced her shadow to retreat.

Jax fired two quick shots, creating a brief opening.

One by one, the three regrouped around Selene—

breathing hard, battered, but focused.

And across the arena—

The shadows regrouped as well.

They mimicked the exact movement.

The perfect spacing.

The identical formation.

Standing face-to-face.

But while their shadows copied their steps—

They didn't copy the spark in Selene's eyes.

Selene raised her staff slowly, amber crystal pulsing bright.

"I figured out their weakness."

Ron tightened his spear grip.

Lia's sword hummed in her wind aura.

Jax twirled one gun, jaw clenched.

Selene looked at all three, her voice steady but urgent:

"Alone, none of us can beat our reflection.

But together… we can do something they can't."

The shadows watched them, silent and cold.

She pointed her staff ahead.

"Get ready. We're ending this."

The group braced themselves—

and the shadows braced too, mimicking the exact movement…

But they had no idea what was coming.

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