Tina stared at the small red crystal embedded within the chest of her reflection. For several seconds, neither of them moved. The black liquid that made up the reflection's body shifted quietly around the crystal, maintaining the appearance of a person. Yet Tina could now see through the imitation completely.
She understood what she was looking at. Not a person or a soul. Only a structure created to imitate one. Tina tightened her grip. Then she dashed forward.
"Let's test that theory."
Her reflection immediately responded. The black liquid surged forward and formed the same soul sword Tina had used moments earlier. It raised the blade and began attacking with a series of precise slashes.
Tina moved between them. The first slash passed beside her shoulder. She stepped backward from the second. The third descended diagonally. Tina tilted her body and allowed the blade to pass over her.
Everything suddenly seemed slower. She could hear her own breathing. Inhale…Exhale. Her surroundings became clearer with every movement. The reflection's sword traveled toward her again. Tina watched it.
"Am I faster than before, or is my reflection slow?"
She shifted her head. The blade passed harmlessly beside her, another slash followed and she stepped around it.
"No…"
Her eyes narrowed.
"Soul Magic and soul power combined at the highest level equals soul structure."
The realization became clearer with every passing second.
"So I can see through everything."
Another slash came toward her. Tina's body moved naturally. She saw the structure of the attack itself. She could see where its power was concentrated. She could see the weakness.
"And I can even see the weak points of the attacks."
Her reflection swung downward. Tina moved beneath the blade.
"Perhaps…"
She looked directly at the black liquid.
"…my soul structure even allows me to alter the structure of any souls, including mine."
The reflection brought its sword downward with tremendous force.
Tina stepped aside. The blade struck the ground before the reflection could recover, Tina's left fist drove into its face. The impact distorted the humanoid head. Black liquid splashed outward.
The reflection staggered, Its face immediately began reforming but Tina was already there. She appeared directly in front of it. Her right index finger touched the small red orb embedded within its chest. The reflection froze. Tina looked into its eyes.
"You don't possess a soul."
The black liquid shifted violently around her finger.
"Which means this crystal orb is all that's holding you together."
She examined the structure of the crystal with her soul power.
"Simply destroying it won't work."
Her eyes glowed faintly.
"But my soul magic and soul power are effective enough to completely erase you."
Tina smiled.
"Soul Enlightenment."
Her finger tapped the crystal. A green light immediately spread through the reflection. The black liquid began disappearing.
It didn't burn or break. It simply ceased to exist. The red orb cracked beneath the green radiance and vanished with the rest of the imitation. For a brief moment, something remained..A spirit. It stood silently before Tina.
Unlike the reflection, it possessed no hostile expression. It simply smiled at her. Tina stared at it, then the spirit disappeared. The battlefield became completely silent. Tina looked around at the trees, the earth….
The empty space where her opponent had stood. Then she looked down at her palms. She slowly raised her right hand toward the sky. Sunlight passed between her fingers, illuminating her face.
"I now understand the power of soul structure."
Her fingers slowly closed.
"And…"
A quiet smile appeared.
"I awakened my authority."
Elsewhere in the Lost Forest, another battle continued.
Alucard and his reflection collided again. Both possessed Shinari, both could adapt, both could transform, both could reproduce the other's techniques. The battlefield had become a constant exchange of monstrous forms and overwhelming attacks.
Alucard gritted his teeth.
"There's no end to this…"
His reflection suddenly disappeared. It reappeared beside him. Multiple arms emerged from its body. Alucard blocked the first strike.
Another fist came from above. He ducked. A third struck his shoulder, then another. The reflection continued pressing forward without allowing him room to recover. Alucard tried to counterattack, but every transformation he used was immediately copied. The reflection's hands stretched forward.
Alucard was struck repeatedly and thrown backward. His body crashed through one tree. Then another and so on. The final impact sent him into the trunk of an enormous ancient tree. He hit the bark hard and coughed as his vision blurred.
For several seconds, he couldn't move. His body slid down the tree. Everything became dark. Alucard opened his eyes. But he wasn't in the forest anymore. He stood within an endless darkness.
There was no ground,sky, horizon,Nothing. Then he felt them…Eyes. Countless eyes watching him from the darkness, One pair opened. Then another and another. Red eyes appeared throughout the void. Alucard slowly turned his head.
An ancient dragon emerged from the darkness. Its enormous form towered over him, then a qilin appeared. Its presence was ancient and immense. Behind them came the Mother Turtle, the bearer of the universe.
A giant white tiger stepped forward. Then a phoenix spread its wings. Every creature represented something…Strength, Adaptation, Endurance, Destruction and Life.
Alucard stared at them. He couldn't speak. Then something appeared between them. A small sphere of white energy, It floated toward him.
Alucard watched it approach. He didn't know what it was but his hand moved. Not because he commanded it..his hand simply moved on its own. His fingers reached forward and he touched the sphere.
The darkness disappeared beneath a brilliant white radiance. Alucard opened his eyes. He was lying on the ground. For several seconds, he simply stared upward. Then he slowly stood, his body no longer felt the same. He walked out of the forest.
The trees ended. An enormous open field stretched before him. There he found his reflection was waiting with a smile. Alucard stopped several meters away. He looked at it calmly.
"What are you waiting for?"
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"Come."
The reflection dashed toward him. Alucard raised one finger.
"Aura of the Beast God."
A white beam erupted from his fingertip. The attack struck the reflection and severed its arm. The black liquid immediately regenerated.
The reflection continued forward. Its newly restored arm swung toward Alucard. He blocked it with his right hand, another attack followed. Alucard caught it, another came and this time he avoided it.
The reflection relentlessly attacked, but Alucard simply stared at it.
"I was using my abilities and soul power…"
His expression became thoughtful.
"Shinari."
The reflection struck again and Alucard blocked.
"But in the face of authority…"
His eyes narrowed.
"I now see how weak it is."
He smiled.
"Passive Mutation."
The energy around his right arm changed.
His hand transformed. Scales spread across his skin, his fingers lengthened, claws emerged and the shape became unmistakable…The hand of an ancient dragon.
Alucard looked at it. For the first time, he wasn't simply copying the powers of the creatures within Shinari. He was beginning to understand them and his reflection stared back at him.…it hesitated.