Terradon's voice, a quiet rumble, echoed directly in his mind.
"The final trial. Victory claims the essence. You may wield only the Law of Earth. Nothing else."
Nero looked from the crystal to his silent double. He understood. This wasn't just a battle. It was a final exam. To earn the right to command the earth, he had to prove he could master it in combat, using only its principles. He had to defeat a version of himself that would use those same principles with perfect, ruthless efficiency.
He took a deep breath, feeling the new, solid strength of the earth within his core. "I accept."
The moment the thought formed, his clone moved.
It didn't charge. It simply stepped, and the distance between them vanished. It wasn't speed; it was as if the ground itself pulled the clone forward. The sword came down in a simple, perfect overhead chop.
