Acheron held her blade, standing atop the massive Ambrosial Arbor that was gradually being eroded beneath her feet.
Step by step, she moved forward until she stood before the other Acheron, silent.
Only those eyes, streaming with bloody tears, stared straight at the figure of Acheron. It seemed like admiration, yet also resembled regret.
"..."
The two gazed at each other.
Suddenly—
Whoosh—!
A sharp sound tore through the air.
Acheron had abruptly drawn her blade!
Clang—!
Accompanied by a slender arc of light, the Ambrosial Arbor beneath their feet was torn apart inch by inch, surging toward her imitator.
Seeing this, 'Acheron' did not hold back either; with a flip of her hand, she met the challenge! Two long blades collided violently, neither gaining the upper hand.
But the clash of two Nihilities transformed into an energy decay that devoured everything, causing the Ambrosial Arbor beneath them to crumble into nothingness, piece by piece.
Then—
Both figures flashed backward, putting hundreds of kilometers between them in an instant.
The original Acheron stood upon the remnants of the Ambrosial Arbor, her eyes fixed intently on the blade in her imitator's hand. Her gaze was unreadable.
To think even the blade was identical.
She knew her own sword all too well. With just that one exchange, Acheron could sense it—this was no mere imitation. This was the real thing, a blade born of countless trials.
Incredible.
Unbelievable.
And so—
Acheron intensified her assault!
No longer were her strikes grand yet slow. Instead—
Boom—!!!
Countless arcs of blade light erupted!
The sharp edges transformed into a drizzle of pitch-black rain, merging into an impenetrable curtain—a deadly downpour aimed squarely at Acheron.
There was no room for words, no chance for the one who had hoped to speak to do anything but muster all her strength to resist.
With every swing, 'Acheron' met her opponent's blade lights with precision. The perfectly measured force caused them to annihilate each other upon impact.
Maintaining two hundred and twenty percent focus, 'Acheron' even drew upon the wisdom she had gleaned from Lady Herta, deftly countering that inescapable curtain of blades.
And seeing that her opponent could still keep up, a flicker of surprise crossed Acheron's eyes.
Truly unexpected.
It seemed that, beyond mere imitation, this double had developed something of her own.
But—
The more impressed she grew, the more fierce and dangerous Acheron's strikes became.
Setting aside other considerations, purely in terms of swordsmanship and power, it had been a long, long time since Acheron had faced such an evenly matched fight.
An opponent of equal skill, who moved just like her—for a warrior, this was nothing short of a dream sparring partner.
Fully immersed in the contest, Acheron even forgot her initial urge to grab the imitator and spank her.
Instead, her mind was consumed by one desire: to lose herself in this battle! Unconsciously, she was starting to relish this confrontation.
But the other Acheron, pinned under that intense gaze, shuddered violently. When she saw the absolute seriousness in the original's eyes, her heart sank.
'Oh no!'
'Is she really getting drawn in like this?'
'Wait—'
'I thought Acheron was supposed to be gentle!'
'Why did she come at me without a single word?!'
She had honestly expected to exchange a few words when they met. Instead, she was greeted with a blade. Was this even more hot-tempered than Lady Herta?!
'How is that right?!'
Yet—
Acheron had no intention of conversing. Realizing her wide-area attacks were ineffective, she shifted tactics immediately.
Her blade ceased to waste motion; her instincts as a warrior awakened. Each of her strikes grew heavier than the last.
As time passed, gradually, Acheron's attacks began to seem ordinary again. But this very ordinariness made the other Acheron feel there was nowhere left to hide. The pressure on 'Acheron' intensified dramatically; she could feel it skyrocketing.
If not for the rewards from her last role, which had sharpened her mind to exceptional agility and precision, she would have been defeated already—right at the moment the original's combat instincts had awakened.
But, truth be told, this was nearly her limit. She was forced to discard all other considerations and focus solely on defending against the original Acheron's onslaught.
Yet—
Her performance only delighted Acheron further.
'She can really keep up with me!'
'More! More!'
By now, Acheron hardly noticed the Ambrosial Arbor remnants beneath her feet. Under the onslaught of their clashing blades, the Arbor decayed at a terrifying rate. But the combatants remained oblivious.
Struggling to keep up with the original's furious assault, the other Acheron inwardly groaned.
Their physical capabilities might be identical, but how could she, the "pilot," compare to the veteran? It was only thanks to her enhanced mind—a reward from her last settlement—that she could fight the original to a standstill.
But why did it feel like the original was growing stronger the longer they fought??
'How is that fair?!'
Acheron felt the pressure mounting, her vision blurring as the original's blade became harder to track. Until—
Boom—!!
Completely absorbed in the duel, Acheron seized a fleeting opening and struck without mercy!
The other Acheron's eyes widened in alarm. She hastily raised her sword to block—but her rushed defense was too slow.
The blade struck true, sending her flying backward. She crashed into the remnants of the Ambrosial Arbor, shattering half of what remained.
The original Acheron, pressing her advantage, lunged forward and cleaved through the debris. Just as she was about to swing again—
A web of blade lights materialized before her.
Seeing that her opponent hadn't given up, even in such a dire situation, a gentle smile touched Acheron's lips.
Then she charged forward to meet it!
Boom, boom, boom—!!!
Amidst the soundless collisions and renewed shockwaves, the Ambrosial Arbor beneath them was utterly reduced to cosmic debris.
The terrifying power of Nihility had corroded every last fragment into useless waste.
And yet, even now, both combatants restrained any excess power, not letting a single ounce spill beyond their clash.
Acheron's eyes shone with approval.
--+--
Naturally, the battle between the two Acherons had drawn the attention of the onlookers, including Teng Xiao and the others.
The Luofu's general, Teng Xiao, was the first to act, positioning himself beyond the Luofu and directing the Lightning Lord to stand ready. Jingliu, after ensuring Baiheng was settled, rushed to the scene.
Upon seeing the two combatants, shock washed over Jingliu's face: "Ah... Two Lady Acherons?!"
"Yeah, this is beyond my understanding," Teng Xiao replied with a bitter smile. Right now, he didn't even know which one to assist.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.