Blow after blow collided, yet little by little, the real Kael began to lose his rhythm. Shadow Kael read every opening—every fraction of a second where his timing faltered.
A punch slammed into Kael's lips, fresh blood spraying out. Another fist crashed into his cheek, snapping his head to the side. A heavy impact drove into his abdomen, then his chest, his shoulder—until even his raised chin was forced to receive a merciless strike.
Then—
SMASHK!!
A brutal blow straight to the solar plexus bent Kael's body backward. His mouth fell open as blood surged violently from his throat, spilling into the black pool below.
Before he could even fall, Shadow Kael was already moving. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind him.
DUAGHH!!
An elbow smashed into Kael's back with full force, making his spine feel as if it had been bent—almost snapped in two. Kael's body was hurled forward, like a powerless doll.
But Shadow Kael gave him no reprieve. He vanished, then reappeared right in front of him, snatching Kael's body mid-motion.
Kael was slammed down into the water, black spray exploding in all directions.
BRAAKKK!!
Again.
BRAAKKK!!
Kael's body was yanked back and smashed down once more. The water erupted again, its ripples surging upward like a rising tide.
And once more.
BRAAAKKK!!
Kael was driven into the surface a third time, until the water felt like cracking glass—shattering and detonating outward.
When Shadow Kael finally released him, Kael's body remained standing. Not by his own strength, but because he had been thrown in a calculated way. His body swayed, head drooping, the whites of his eyes exposed—empty, as if he had completely lost consciousness—yet still upright, forced to stand by the enemy's assault.
Shadow Kael walked forward slowly, his voice cold, brimming with certainty. "Hhh… Look at you. A puppet that can't even choose how to fall properly."
He raised his fist again.
DUAGHH!!
DUAGHH!!
Blow after blow crashed into Kael's face. Blood sprayed, red splashes mixing with the rippling black water.
Then came one final strike—a punch that lifted his chin.
DOOOOMMM!!!
Kael's chin was blasted upward, his body flung high, hurled into the trembling cosmic sky.
But before he could fall—Shadow Kael was already above him. Both fists clenched, raised high, then brought down together onto Kael's body.
DUUUARRRRR!!!
Kael was driven violently downward, smashing into the water's surface in a cataclysmic explosion, carving out a roaring crater of black liquid.
The water had yet to settle—when Shadow Kael shot down again from the heavens, his right leg extended, kicking Kael's body as it was still plummeting.
BOOOOMMM!!!
DUARRRRR!!!
The second explosion shook the space even more violently. The water split apart, erupting in every direction. The air quivered, and even the white-and-red sky above seemed to tremble, as if on the verge of collapse.
Amid the clash of golden and crimson auras, the real Kael now looked utterly helpless, his body broken. And for the first time, Shadow Kael stood tall over him—his right foot planted squarely on Kael's chest—staring down with glowing violet eyes filled with cold conviction, as if victory were already firmly in his grasp.
His expression was satisfied, a cruel smile etched clearly across his face—triumph seemed absolute.
"It's over. I win. One point for me, and you—"
His words cut off as his eyes caught something.
The fingers of Kael's right hand moved. Just slightly—almost imperceptible… yet enough to split the silence.
"…Tch."
Shadow Kael frowned, taking seven small steps back, his expression shifting. Something was wrong.
But then his face changed again, just as quickly. Now he understood—this Kael before him was not someone he should always belittle. "Hm. Not bad… I do enjoy a long fight."
Kael's body, which had been hanging limply, slowly straightened. His movements were unhurried, yet filled with arrogance. Blood still dripped from his lips, but his face was calm, showing not the slightest hint of pain.
Then—
WHUUUMMMM!!!
The once-faint deep golden aura erupted violently, bursting outward like a ring of living fire. It raged and spread in all directions, and the black water beneath them shattered and surged, breaking into rolling waves. Bolts of golden lightning spiraled around Kael's body, tearing through the air and slamming into the water's surface, each strike unleashing a ceaseless, thunderous roar.
Kael's hair whipped violently in the storm of energy. His eyes turned completely white—cold, as though gazing at the world from beyond a veil. His expression was no longer that of an ordinary human, but something that had crossed far beyond that boundary.
Kael's voice was calm and composed, yet sharp like a blade. "It won't be that easy to take a point from me. Now then… my turn."
Shadow Kael fell silent for a moment, then burst into loud laughter—half roar, half mockery. "Khahahaahaha…! You think an Abyssal Seal can turn the tide!? You're still nothing but my shadow! I will definitely—"
DUAAAAARRRR!!!
His sentence was cut short. Kael had already vanished from his spot, moving like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, a golden fist slammed into Shadow Kael's face. The impact twisted his features, crushing them for a moment before his body was sent flying.
Before Shadow Kael could even begin to fall—Kael was already in front of him again.
Punch after punch was unleashed, without pause.
Shadow Kael's body was struck relentlessly—ten, twenty, fifty, until two hundred rapid blows tore through the air, each one as fast as a flash of light. Layers of booming impacts overlapped, like unending thunder crashing without rest.
Shadow Kael's body was hurled in every direction, yet the real Kael gave him no pause. The moment his opponent was flung to the left, Kael was already there. The instant he was sent to the right, Kael was waiting on the right. Golden fists rained down in a merciless bombardment.
Then the rhythm shifted.
Kael lifted his leg—the assault transitioned into kicks.
WHAAAPPP!!
A sharp side kick slammed into Shadow Kael's head.
SWOOOSH!!
Kael's body spun, his other leg snapping upward to strike the chin.
His kicks flowed like a dance of death—slashes, rotations, crushing impacts—every motion aimed at Shadow Kael's head, sending his body flying, twisting, never once giving him the space to recover.
At last, a powerful kick struck Shadow Kael's chest as his body staggered forward, folding inward—sending him soaring up into the cosmic sky.
But while he was still airborne—the real Kael was already waiting above. His body twisted, leg raised, and—
DUUARRR!!!
A devastating kick crashed down, driving Shadow Kael back toward the ground.
Before he could even touch the water, Kael was already beneath him. One knee lifted high, the edge of his leg slamming into Shadow Kael's falling back.
CRAAAAKKK!!
The spine nearly bent in half, as if the body itself had been broken.
Shadow Kael spat out blood, his form barely under control. Yet Kael did not stop. He seized him by the chest, twisted his body, and hurled him sideways—forcing him to remain standing upright, just as Shadow Kael had cruelly toyed with him before.
"This is my retaliation… devil-headed puppet."
Kael stood tall, his deep golden aura now burning at full intensity. Lightning spiraled wildly around him, his eyes glowing a solid white. His breathing was steady, but his body radiated an irresistible force.
He lowered his face slightly, then roared, pouring everything he had into a single final strike.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!"
His body exploded forward at an impossible speed, tearing through the air. His golden fist surged faster than light itself, igniting a long trail of lightning across the cosmic sky.
That fist struck straight into Shadow Kael's head.
Not merely crushing it. Not merely blasting it away.
The head was severed.
With one absolute blow, Shadow Kael's head was sent flying, torn cleanly from his body—while the headless torso remained standing rigid, as if time itself had frozen.
The rippling water fell silent. The white-and-red sky above them trembled for a moment… then slowly calmed.
Kael stood before the lifeless body. His breathing was heavy, chest rising and falling, hair disheveled, faint golden lightning still crackling around him. His gaze was cold, devoid of any joy of victory—he knew it well. This battle was far from over.
A thin smile curved his lips, his tone light, almost amused.
"One for me. Zero for you."
His deep golden aura gradually subsided. His eyes returned to normal, as if his body were sealing itself to prevent further exhaustion. Yet beneath that calm lay a bitterness only he could feel.
A limit.
Kael let out a short breath, still staring at the shadow that remained standing. "Well… this is just the beginning. Because I'm sure you won't be defeated that easily."
Silence crept in. Shadow Kael's headless body remained upright, while its severed head lay several meters away, rolling slowly across the black pool.
Kael continued, his voice calmer now, almost inviting. "Come on… you can still get up, right?"
And indeed.
The body moved. One arm slowly extended forward, slipping into a dimensional gap that opened as though the fabric of space itself had been torn apart. Its fingers vanished inside, as if reaching into darkness to retrieve something.
Shadow Kael spoke—despite having no head. His voice sounded distant, yet clear, echoing directly within Kael's consciousness.
"Ever since those memories returned… now I understand. You truly are a candidate not to be underestimated—even when facing the devil's reflection of yourself."
The hand withdrew from the dimensional rift, gripping its own head. Slowly, it lifted it up and reattached it to the body.
Liquid-black flesh fused together. Bones creaked. Muscles reconnected. In an instant, that savage face was whole once more. His mouth let out a distorted chuckle that seemed to warp the empty space itself.
"Now I see…" His eyes burned with a vicious red glow. "The reason you used it just now was to cover up your weakness in the next phase, wasn't it? You thought I couldn't read that? You were hoping to endure, to stall for time, until your strength recovered. Cunning… but I can be even more cunning than you."
Shadow Kael continued, his voice low, yet heavy with pressure.
"Your expression keeps growing more confident—that confidence that makes you stronger. This isn't praise. It's an acknowledgment of how terrifying we are when united. You and I are versions that reject one another. But if we were to merge… I'm certain the two of us could conquer all six Imperatrix."
Kael snorted softly, that thin smile returning. "Should I thank you for explaining my plan out loud?"
Shadow Kael bared a cruel grin, a low chuckle echoing. "Hhh… no need."
Kael drew in a deep breath, remaining cold, remaining composed. "Conquer the six Imperatrix, huh? Too bad—I'm not interested."
The atmosphere was no longer one of explosive clashes, but of a cold exchange—one that made the space itself feel even heavier. The two figures stood side by side, their auras slowly rising once more, preparing for another round.
"So that's how it is…" Shadow Kael murmured as he turned his gaze toward the real Kael, his tone low, laden with a promise of death. "…You're forcing me to dominate your existence by brute force, aren't you? If that's what you want—then I'll do it."
Kael met his stare, expression flat, the corner of his lips curling into a faint smile. "Try it, if you can. I'll be waiting for that story—if you're capable of making it real."
A brief silence followed.
Then Kael raised his hand to the side—and golden light ignited as Astra, his sword, manifested once more in his grasp.
Shadow Kael did the same. His hand extended, a crimson dimensional rift opening as a black handle emerged, stretching and forming into a blood-red scythe, its blade veined with cracks of purple flame.
Two weapons lifted. Two auras blazing.
Kael narrowed his eyes, breathing slow and cold.
A small, eager grin formed on his lips.
"As you wish… let's continue this fight."
Shadow Kael lowered his chin, his gaze vicious. "I truly can't wait."
And thus, the second round began—Astra's golden blade and Dregolauth's blood-red scythe, poised to devour all of Limbus Reveria with the roar of their steel.
The black water beneath their feet rippled gently, as if anticipating the next impact. No further words. No pause—only one long breath before the world shattered once more.
In an instant, the distance between them collapsed. Astra's radiant blade and Dregolauth's crimson scythe surged forward together—
TIIINGGG!!!
Metal screamed as scythe and sword collided midair. Sparks of gold and red exploded, igniting the cosmic sky above.
Shadow Kael's grin sharpened, his voice low yet crushing. "Bare hands were enough to leave you broken. Now let's see… can your sword withstand the death I wield with my scythe?"
Kael never faltered, answering with a smile. "Relax. I won't lose as easily as you tear through blank paper."
Then—
TING!
CLANGG! CLANGG! CLANGG!
At one point, the scythe swept wide from the side. Kael twisted his wrist, parrying with precision. A straight thrust from Astra pierced back in response—but the scythe's handle swept downward, deflecting it. Every collision detonated ripples across the water, making the black surface tremble like a raging storm.
Kael grinned, eyes sharp. "Is that all you can do? Wild swings, but without direction?"
Shadow Kael laughed coldly. "I don't need direction. I only need to slice away every one of your possibilities."
His scythe slid horizontally, a red flash sweeping for Kael's neck.
Kael bent his body instantly, his sword spinning downward, then smashing up into the scythe's handle from below.
CLANGGG!!!
The vibration sent Shadow Kael flying backward, leaving behind a massive burst of ripples.
But he didn't stop. Shadow Kael spun once in midair, his scythe raised high, then cleaved downward with full force. The arc seemed to split the crimson sky itself.
Kael held his sword upright before his body. And—
DOOOMMMM!!!
A thunderous roar erupted. Water sprayed hundreds of meters in every direction as a straight line of energy carved through the pool. Golden and red auras ground against each other, setting the sky ablaze.
"You think I'd fall to that? I won't," Kael snorted, his breathing steady even as both hands trembled under the weight of Dregolauth.
"No need for you to fall," Shadow Kael replied coldly, his eyes blazing. "It's enough for you to break."
He pressed his scythe down harder, the crimson aura swelling.
Kael's gaze flared as he returned a thin grin. "Then give it everything you've got!"
His sword pulsed with ever-deepening golden light, clashing head-on with the scythe's energy.
The water's surface shattered, exploding like fractured glass. Both bodies were blasted sideways—then, within seconds, they surged back in, sword and scythe colliding once more in midair.
They spun, leapt, struck, deflected—never still for a moment. Dregolauth's scythe rotations were swift and relentless, yet Kael's parrying swordplay kept pace. Shadow Kael pressed the offense, while Kael held his ground, constantly on the defensive.
Yet whenever an opening appeared, Kael slashed upward—but Shadow Kael twisted it aside with a backward pull of the scythe, retaliating with a sweeping arc that nearly tore into Kael's abdomen. Kael tilted his body, parrying from an impossible angle, golden sparks flashing dangerously close to his eyes.
Ripples exploded again and again. The air quivered like a war drum. Flashes of gold and blood-red light collided endlessly. The cosmic sky above roared—as if the world itself could not bear to watch from a single angle, circling them instead.
The final clash sent them both flying far apart, landing once more atop the water. Their breathing was heavy, their smiles identical—brimming with battle lust, equally starved for victory.
Shadow Kael lowered his scythe slightly, then flashed a cruel grin. "How pathetic… how long are you going to keep dodging like a coward?"
Kael raised his sword to the side, stance firm. That same cheeky, thin smile returned to his lips. "Don't underestimate me. I still have plenty of ways to defeat you."
***