The clash didn't sound like steel.
It sounded like something breaking.
Over and over again.
Kael's blade met his own.
Perfectly mirrored.
Perfectly matched.
Every strike he made—
The Echo answered.
Every movement—
Copied.
Refined.
Improved.
Clang!
Kael was pushed back.
His feet dragging across the ground.
"…Tch—!"
His arms trembled slightly from the impact.
"…You're slower."
The Echo stepped forward.
Calm.
Unshaken.
"…You hesitate."
Kael tightened his grip.
"…Shut up."
The Echo raised its hand.
Energy gathered.
Condensed.
Then—
It fired.
A sharp beam of concentrated force shot toward Kael.
He twisted—
Barely avoiding it—
The beam tore through the ground behind him.
Leaving a deep, smoking trench.
"…So you can use it too…"
"…Everything you can do," the Echo replied.
"…I can do better."
Kael steadied his breathing.
That wasn't entirely true.
It wasn't faster.
Not stronger.
But—
It didn't hesitate.
It didn't doubt.
And it didn't care about the cost.
"…That's the difference…"
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"…You're empty."
The Echo tilted its head slightly.
"…And you're not?"
Silence.
Kael didn't answer.
Because—
He wasn't sure.
The Echo moved again.
Faster this time.
Closing the distance instantly.
Clang!
Their blades collided.
But this time—
The Echo pushed harder.
Kael's stance broke.
"…You're weakening."
"…No…"
Kael gritted his teeth.
"…I'm adapting."
He shifted his footing—
Redirected the force—
And twisted.
Their blades slid past each other—
And Kael struck.
A clean hit.
Across the Echo's side.
But—
No blood.
No reaction.
"…Pointless."
The wound closed instantly.
"…You can't kill me like that."
Kael stepped back.
"…Then I won't."
He raised his hand.
[Devour Activated]
The connection formed again.
Stronger this time.
More forceful.
The Echo didn't resist immediately.
Instead—
It looked at him.
"…You're trying to consume yourself."
"…I told you already."
Kael's voice was steady now.
"…I'll take everything."
The energy between them surged.
Violent.
Unstable.
[Devour Progress: 9%… 17%…]
Pain hit instantly.
Worse than before.
Because this time—
It wasn't just energy.
It was identity.
Fragments of thought—
Memory—
Emotion—
Tearing.
Mixing.
Collapsing.
"—GHK!"
Kael dropped to one knee.
"…You can't handle it…"
The Echo stepped forward.
Still connected.
"…Because you're incomplete."
"…Maybe…"
Kael's body trembled.
"…But I'm still me."
"…Are you?"
The pressure increased.
[Devour Progress: 26%… 34%…]
Images flashed in Kael's mind.
Fragments.
Broken.
A battlefield.
A scream.
A girl reaching out—
"…Don't go…"
"…Who…"
The image shattered.
Gone.
"…Damn it…!"
Kael's grip tightened.
"…Give it back…"
"…You threw it away."
The Echo's voice remained calm.
"…For power."
"…Then I'll take it back!"
Kael forced more energy into the connection.
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring the instability.
[Devour Progress: 48%… 55%…]
The Echo's form flickered.
For the first time—
Unstable.
"…You're forcing it…"
"…That's the only way I know."
The ground beneath them cracked.
Energy surged violently in all directions.
The girl watched silently.
But her eyes—
Focused.
Sharp.
"…He's doing it…"
Back in the battlefield—
Kael pushed forward.
Step by step.
"…You said I'm incomplete…"
His voice grew heavier.
"…Then I'll complete myself."
The Echo's expression shifted slightly.
"…That's not how it works."
"…Then watch me."
Kael roared—
And forced everything into the connection.
[Devour Progress: 71%… 83%…]
The Echo staggered.
Its form began to break apart.
"…You're unstable…"
"…So are you."
"…I'm your reflection."
"…Then I'll break the reflection."
Kael surged forward.
Grabbing the Echo directly.
Physical contact.
The connection intensified.
Violently.
[Devour Progress: 91%…]
The world began to distort.
Reality bending around them.
Memories colliding.
A voice—
"…Kael…"
Soft.
Familiar.
"…Don't forget me…"
"…I—"
His vision blurred.
"…Who…?"
The Echo looked at him.
"…That's the problem."
"…You already did."
Something inside Kael snapped.
"…NO!"
With everything left—
He pushed.
[Devour Complete]
Silence.
The Echo froze.
Then—
Cracked.
Shattered.
Light consumed everything.
Kael stood at the center.
Alone.
Breathing heavily.
The connection gone.
The battle—
Over.
Slowly—
The energy settled.
The field returned to silence.
Kael didn't move.
Didn't speak.
He just stood there.
"…I won…"
But his voice—
Was hollow.
Because something else was gone.
Something important.
And this time—
He couldn't even feel what it was.
Footsteps approached.
The girl stopped beside him.
"…You did."
Kael didn't look at her.
"…Did I?"
She studied him.
Closely.
"…You're still standing."
"…That doesn't mean I'm still me."
Silence.
For a moment—
She didn't respond.
Then—
"…You're changing."
Kael let out a quiet breath.
"…I know."
He finally looked at her.
"…So tell me."
His eyes were different now.
Sharper.
Colder.
"…Who did I forget?"
She froze.
Just for a moment.
Then—
She looked away.
"…Someone important."
"…That's not enough."
"…It's all you get."
Kael stared at her.
Long.
Hard.
Then—
He sighed.
"…Fine."
Because deep down—
He already knew.
Even if he couldn't remember.
"…Let's keep going."
She glanced at him.
"…You're not going to stop?"
Kael turned.
Walking forward.
"…Stopping won't bring anything back."
His voice was calm.
Empty.
"…So I'll just move forward."
Step by step.
"…Until there's nothing left to lose."
The girl watched him.
Silent.
"…Or nothing left of you."
But he didn't respond.
Because he had already made his choice.
Power—
At any cost.
Even if that cost…
Was himself.
[To Be Continued…]