The scene shifted to the next day. A heavy tension loomed in the air as dawn broke over the war camps of South Ryehem. Emperor Shang sat alone inside his tent, staring down at his notes with a furrowed brow. The war had not taken place the day before, which was highly unusual. He scribbled notes, trying to make sense of the strange quiet that had settled over the battlefield.
"Why would North Ryehem hold back their attack? What are they plotting…?" Shang muttered under his breath.
Before he could reach a conclusion, a sudden and deafening burst of noise erupted from the frontlines. War cries filled the air as a wave of North Ryehem soldiers launched a surprise assault on South Ryehem's encampment.
Without hesitation, Ezabela dashed out of her tent, her Spiritual Force flaring. She raised her hand and shouted, "Flame Eruption!" A massive burst of roaring flame engulfed the advancing soldiers, incinerating dozens in a blink.
But to everyone's shock — several surviving soldiers of North Ryehem raised their own hands and used the exact same ability.
"Flame Eruption!"
Blazing fireballs rained down on the South Ryehem troops, causing chaos in their ranks. Arthur immediately stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as his aura surged. "Spiritual Force Manipulation!" he called out, gathering the scattered flames into a giant sphere. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it back toward the enemy, blasting apart the remaining attackers.
Kazuki, watching from the sidelines, clenched his fists. He turned to his father, Emperor Shang, his expression sharp and serious.
"Dad… thirty out of sixty of those soldiers looked the same. And they used our abilities… What is going on?"
Shang sighed heavily, his expression grim as he began explaining."Kazuki, there's a reason North Ryehem is stronger on paper. Years ago, they made a forbidden contract with demons. The emperor of North Ryehem and a select group of his chosen soldiers were granted a special spirit ability by the demons — an ability known as Absolute Spirit Ability Copy. It allows them to instantly copy any ability they witness, though the copied version is often slightly weaker than the original."
Kazuki's eyes widened in shock.
Shang continued, "Because of this, your other brother, Sazuki — younger than Arthur — had his ability copied by one of their soldiers years ago. That soldier took the ability back to North Ryehem, where it was spread among others. Even the emperor himself copied Sazuki's cloning technique. This is how they've been multiplying their numbers, creating look-alike soldiers capable of wielding our own abilities against us."
Kazuki gritted his teeth. "So they've been abusing big brother Sazuki's abilities and combining them with their demon-given powers to bolster their forces?"
Shang nodded. "Exactly. But know this, Kazuki — though their numbers and trickery make them a threat, South Ryehem's soldiers and people are naturally stronger and far more blessed. That's precisely why North Ryehem resorted to forging a deal with demons in the first place. They knew they could never match us in pure strength, so they chose deception and dark contracts."
Kazuki's expression hardened with resolve. "Then we'll break them, Dad. One by one."
Shang gave a faint smile. "That's my son."
As the smoke of the surprise attack settled, the soldiers of South Ryehem regrouped — their spirits undaunted despite the assault. The war was far from over, and now, the stakes were even higher.