The sky trembled. The storm above twisted and howled like a living beast, furious, relentless. The third lightning bolt was coming. Ravihiro could feel it, the air thick with energy, his body still burning from the last trial. His muscles screamed, his bones ached—but he remained standing.
Then, the heavens cracked open.
A blinding flash.
A roaring explosion.
And then—silence.
The Final Illusion: Confronting Himself
Ravihiro blinked.
He was no longer in the Beast Forest.
Instead, he stood in a vast, endless void—black and white, stretching into infinity. The air was cold, suffocating. There was no sound, no wind, no life. Just emptiness.
And then—
Footsteps.
Slow. Measured. Echoing across the void.
Ravihiro turned, his grip tightening around his sword.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
Himself.
Not a mere reflection—no, this was something else. A darker version of him. A shadow of his true self. Dressed in black, eyes cold and lifeless, a twisted smirk playing on his lips.
His other self stopped a few feet away, tilting his head slightly.
"We finally meet," he said, voice eerily identical yet… emptier.
Ravihiro narrowed his eyes. "Another illusion?"
"No." His doppelgänger shook his head. "I am you. The real you."
Ravihiro scoffed. "You're not real."
His other self chuckled. "Aren't I?" He spread his arms. "I am the part of you that you always ignored. The part you tried to bury. The part that whispers to you when you're alone. I know your truth, Ravihiro."
He took a step forward.
"We both never wanted this world."
Ravihiro tensed, sword raised. "What are you talking about?"
His other self smirked. "Do you remember when we were young? When we sat alone in our room, sketching, dreaming of a peaceful life? When we didn't care about power, strength, or recognition? We never wanted money, luxury, or respect. We never wanted to be heroes. We just wanted to exist, away from all of them."
His voice turned sharper.
"But then they came."
Ravihiro clenched his teeth.
"The people who judged us. The family that never understood. The world that forced us to be something we weren't." His other self's voice darkened. "And even now, after everything, you still care about them?"
Ravihiro didn't answer.
His doppelgänger stepped closer, sneering. "Tell me, Ravihiro. What did they ever give you?"
The words hit like a dagger.
His other self leaned in, whispering, "Pain. Suffering. Expectations. Judgement. That's all they gave us." His eyes gleamed. "We don't need them. We never did."
Ravihiro remained silent.
His doppelgänger laughed. "You can lie to yourself, pretend that you've changed, pretend that you care about those people now. But we both know the truth." He pointed a finger at him. "You and I are the same. We were always meant to be alone."
Ravihiro exhaled slowly.
Then, he raised his sword.
"No," he said firmly.
His other self's eyes narrowed.
"I used to believe that," Ravihiro continued. "I thought that solitude was the only way. That I had to cut everyone off. That I had to walk this path alone." He tightened his grip. "But I was wrong."
His doppelgänger scoffed. "Wrong?"
"Yes." Ravihiro's voice was steady. "I still want peace. I still want to live away from the chaos of the world. But that doesn't mean I have to be alone."
His shadow self clenched his fists.
"I'm not the same person I was before. I choose my solitude—I'm not trapped in it." Ravihiro's eyes glowed. "I have people who understand me now. I have people who won't force me to change but will stand beside me anyway. And I…" He inhaled. "I won't run from them anymore."
His doppelgänger's expression darkened. "You fool."
A blade of darkness formed in his hand. "Then die with them."
The Final Battle
Without another word, his shadow self lunged.
Ravihiro reacted instantly, parrying the strike with his sword. The clash sent shockwaves through the void, cracks forming in the endless blackness.
They moved like mirror images—each slash, each step, perfectly synchronized. But his shadow self fought without hesitation, without restraint, striking with the fury of a man who had lost everything.
"You're weak," his doppelgänger growled, forcing Ravihiro back with a powerful strike. "You're still holding onto meaningless attachments!"
Ravihiro gritted his teeth, blocking another blow. "You call them meaningless, but you're the one who's afraid."
His other self's eyes flashed.
"You're afraid of change," Ravihiro continued, dodging a strike. "Afraid that if we stop running, we might actually matter to someone." He swung his sword, forcing his doppelgänger back. "But I refuse to be trapped by fear."
His doppelgänger snarled. "Then DIE!"
He vanished—reappearing behind Ravihiro, his blade aiming for his heart.
But Ravihiro was faster.
SLASH!
Blood splattered.
His other self staggered back, gripping his chest—Ravihiro's sword had pierced through his heart.
"…Impossible," his doppelgänger whispered, his body flickering. "You… chose them… over us?"
Ravihiro looked down at him.
"No," he said quietly. "I chose myself."
His shadow self stared at him for a long moment.
Then, finally, he smiled.
"…Good," he whispered.
And then, he faded.
The void cracked, shattered—
Return to Reality
Ravihiro gasped, stumbling forward as reality snapped back into place.
The storm above had vanished. The tribulation was over.
He stood there, breathing heavily, his body covered in wounds.
But he had won.
Not just against the tribulation.
But against himself.
A faint breeze passed through the Beast Forest, carrying the scent of rain. The world felt different—lighter.
For the first time in his life, Ravihiro felt free.
He smirked slightly, glancing up at the now-clear sky.
"…Tch. That was annoying."
Then, he sheathed his sword and walked forward—toward whatever lay ahead.