A deafening explosion tore through the skies of Emery’s Domain as two identical figures clashed midair, their battle sending shockwaves across the vast land below. Each strike was like a meteor impact, shaking mountains and splitting the heavens apart.
The dark version of Emery wreathed in flickering shadows, grinned as he unleashed his next attack.
“I thought being separated would make me weaker… I was wrong.”
With a flick of his wrist, a barrage of crescent-shaped energy blades erupted from his form—[Enfeebled Blades]. Each of these dark, shimmering arcs carved through the air, screaming toward their target with lethal intent.
In response, a cocoon of twisting roots and verdant energy formed around Emery’s body, a fortress of nature shielding him from the onslaught. The energy blades struck the barrier, detonating in bursts of blackened energy, but not a single one could pierce through. Despite their immense power—enough to slay most Magus—his nature-based defense remained unshaken.
“There’s no need to be so aggressive,” Emery called out, his voice calm. “We can test our power in a more controlled way.”
The dark Emery let out a harsh laugh, his pitch-black eyes gleaming with excitement. “Where’s the fun in that?”
With a resigned sigh, Emery accepted the inevitable. If there was no reasoning with his counterpart, then he would fight at full strength.
Spell after spell was unleashed as the battle escalated, the air thick with the clashing forces of nature and darkness.
It was such a relief for both of them, as they managed to retain their ability to wield opposing elements despite the division of their cores.
The dark Emery effortlessly summoned fused magic like [Dark Tide], a tidal wave laced with abyssal energy, and [Ash Blast], an explosive burst of searing blackened flames. His spells were augmented by the very essence of Khaos, making them far more potent than before.
Not one to be outdone, Emery countered with precision. Every attack from his dark counterpart was met with an equal force, each spell mirrored in perfect synchrony. But as they fought, subtle differences became evident. Though they wielded similar strength, each had dominion over their respective elements.
“Enough warm-up,” the dark Emery sneered. “Let’s take this up a notch!”
His body flickered as he activated [Spatial Bending], twisting the fabric of space itself to gain an advantage in movement. With blinding speed, he reappeared behind Emery, launching a barrage of dark tendrils.
Caught off guard, Emery attempted to follow suit—only to find his mastery of space magic drastically weakened. While he could still utilize [Blink], his ability to bend space was nowhere near his counterpart’s level.
Realizing this, he adapted. A radiant light engulfed him as he spread newly formed wings—[Soaring Wings]. Made entirely of luminous feathers infused with the Law of Nature, they propelled him effortlessly through the sky, countering his disadvantage in mobility.
The dark Emery scowled. “Damn! I can do that too!”
He conjured his own wings, a twisted reflection of Emery’s—jagged, blackened appendages trailing thick, swirling smoke. However, as he attempted to match Emery’s speed, he quickly realized the flaw. His wings, unlike the Light Emery’s, could not sustain high-speed movement alone. To compensate, he had to rely on space magic, fusing teleportation with flight.
Two streaks of energy—one radiant, one shadowed—raced through the skies, their clashes sending shockwaves that rippled across the entire Domain. The land trembled under their power, and from below, concerned eyes watched the sky.
Within the Chizpur village, Twik and the stone creatures huddled together, sensing the overwhelming energy that threatened to consume the domain. Durak and his orc warriors halted their reconstruction efforts, raising their gazes to witness the battle between their master and his dark reflection.
Higher and higher they soared, their strikes growing fiercer, faster. Spells of light and shadow clashed, illuminating the skies in flashes of green and black. But finally, after what felt like an eternity, they began to reach the limits of their power.
At last, VIA, the ever-present AI companion, provided a detailed analysis of their capabilities.
[Emery – Light]
[Grand Magus Realm – One Cosmos, First Layer]
[Law Comprehension: 77%]
[Soul Force: 975]
[Emery – Dark]
[Grand Magus Realm – One Cosmos, First Layer]
[Law Comprehension: 77%]
[Soul Force: 1105]
Though their strength had been split, each now possessed a complete cosmic circle—one aligned with darkness, the other with light. Even with slightly less soul force than before, they had both gained the ability to call upon cosmic power.
The dark Emery drew from the depths of Khaos, able to summon the eldritch might of Cthulhu itself. In contrast, the Light Emery channeled the Elysian tree’s divine energy, commanding roots far more potent than before.
Despite having a stronger soul force, the dark Emery found himself unable to breach the Elysian-infused defenses of his counterpart. On the other hand, the Light Emery wielded a devastating soul-enhanced attack that severely hindered the movements of his darker half.
But the most crucial difference lay in their physical forms. The Light Emery possessed a true, tangible body, while the dark Emery remained a construct of pure energy. This singular disadvantage ultimately tipped the scales.
With one final clash, the battle ended. The outcome was clear.
The dark Emery scowled, his frustration evident.
“Damn it! This isn’t fair! Give me a real body, and I’ll crush you easily!”
Emery lowered his guard, exhaling deeply. “Our duel can continue another time… but first, there’s something else we need to confirm.”
They turned inward, probing each other’s souls, searching for any disparities beyond their elemental affinity. To their relief, they discovered that their memories, techniques, and experiences remained intact. But what set them apart was their temperament. The dark Emery was impulsive, aggressive, and driven by emotion, while the Light Emery was calm, strategic, and composed.
The imbalance was obvious. The dark Emery could not exist effectively in this state. He needed a true physical form.
Fortunately, Emery had a solution.
Without hesitation, he severed a portion of his own limb, activating a technique passed down by Roran—the [True Clone] technique. With his newly advanced cosmic body, the process required immense focus and effort, but at last, a fully formed vessel began to materialize.
As soon as the body solidified, the dark Emery wasted no time.
He merged instantly, his essence fusing with the new form. The Domain trembled under the shift as his soul settled into the physical body, a perfect counterpart to his original self. To distinguish himself, he chose to remain as he was—pitch-black hair, shadowed pupils, an embodiment of the abyss.
For the first time, the two Emerys stood before one another, complete and distinct.
“Good! Now, what’s next?! Join the war in the north or blast our way into the Fey Clan?”