The obsidian door loomed like a final question—its surface rippling, as if alive and watching.
Kriss reached out, and the bracers on all three of their arms pulsed in harmony. No voice greeted them this time. No system prompt or cryptic message. Only the soft hum of anticipation as the door dissolved into smoke.
Beyond it lay a chamber unlike the others—silent, silver, and starless. The walls stretched into infinity, with no floor, no ceiling—just space, suspended. In the center hovered three platforms, floating equidistant from each other, and at their core, a suspended prism spinning slowly in the void.
> Initiating Relic Bonding Sequence
> Combat Simulation: Unlocked
> Phase: Synchronization
The prism shattered into fragments of light, and instantly, the boys were separated—each pulled toward a different platform.
"Hey—!" Kriss tried to shout, but no sound escaped. No echo. Just motion.
Then came the light.
Suddenly, copies of themselves emerged from the fragments—flickering, imperfect, like reflections in water. But they moved with intent.
Each of them had to face… themselves.
---
Kriss vs Kriss
The mirrored version of Kriss fought aggressively, pushing forward with bursts of speed and rapid maneuvers. It wasn't just mimicking his moves—it was evolving with each exchange.
> Wielder of Versatility: Mirror match protocol engaged
> Core adaptability test in progress...
Kriss clenched his fists. "So it's not enough to change… I have to grow."
He stopped dodging. He began predicting. Flowing with the rhythm, not against it.
His bracer glowed deep violet.
With a final twist, he stepped through the mirror Kriss's strike—placing his palm flat against its chest.
"Thank you," he said. "But I'm not you anymore."
The copy dissolved in a swirl of light.
---
Michael vs Michael
The mirrored Michael didn't attack. It questioned.
"Why do you doubt them?" it asked, walking in a perfect circle. "You calculate everything—because you don't trust anything."
Michael didn't reply. He was already analyzing.
> Wielder of Insight: Paradox loop identified
> Logic bypass engaged
> Constructing alternate equation...
"You're not here to fight me," he said. "You're here to force me to let go."
He closed his eyes—and stepped forward, embracing the copy.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the mirror Michael faded.
And the silence felt… lighter.
---
Leo vs Leo
The mirrored Leo grinned like a villain from a video game.
"Let's see what happens when the genius breaks," it said, launching dozens of magical glyphs into the air, each one targeting weak points, code-locked traps, impossible odds.
Leo's mind raced.
> Wielder of Intellect: Overload risk
> Emotional logic in sync
> Alternate solution: Improvise.
He grinned back. "Cool. Let's crash the system."
Instead of reacting with counters, Leo disabled the control glyphs, redirecting their energy not to destroy… but to stabilize the field. He overloaded the simulation.
The arena glitched.
The mirrored Leo froze—and burst into a cascade of pixel-like light.
---
Back in the main chamber, the fragments of the prism returned, swirling and forming into three rings.
Each ring flew toward them, latching onto their bracers.
> Bonding successful.
> Relics evolving…
> Combat trait unlocked.
Their bracers expanded slightly—forming subtle gauntlets along their forearms, glowing faintly with their individual colors.
Kriss flexed his hand. "That felt… different."
Michael nodded. "It wasn't about power this time. It was synchronization—with ourselves."
Leo grinned. "Still think mine was cooler."
The chamber began to dissolve, giving way to a new path—this one winding upward into what looked like a cathedral suspended in starlight.
But this time, something else changed.
They could hear it now—faint whispers, and the sound of distant wings.
And far above them… the Demon Lord laughed.