Chapter 136 - Battle of self - 1

Opening my eyes, I found myself in a completely black space. I couldn't see or sense anything at all, not even my own body that seemed to have disappeared, and seemed like I was floating there, slowly falling down.

"Where I am?" I thought aloud.

My question was ignored as I continued falling. After a long time, I couldn't really tell how much time passed as it was difficult in such space without anything to orientate, I could finally see some light glowing at the distance, slowly approaching to me.

Approaching it, I could finally sense my own arms. I held the light with both hands, finally revealing my Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sword, but instead, of the usual 9 colors, this one was completely white. Holding it with my hands, I could sense a strange feeling, it seemed to miss something, corresponding with the lack of colors and lack of spirit rings.

The sword started shining. After its blindly light turned off, I could finally sense all my body, I could even sense that land was under me. I landed with a quiet sound, looking at my body, all seemed normal. For the space, it continued being black, even if I could walk, there wasn't any trace of ground.

"Shinx!" suddenly a green glow shined, under my feet grass started growing, followed by multiple types of plants. In a matter of seconds, the scenery changed from a dark place to a garden.

Green particles flew around and started converging 10 meters away from me. The green particles started condensing, gradually making a human silhouette. Finally, in front of me stood a copy of me, the difference was his light-green hair. He stood there, facing me with his eyes closed.

He opened his eyes, showing beautiful light-green eyes, the same as his hair. He gazed at my eyes and smiled brightly, with a very kind expression that couldn't help you to trust him.

"Thumb!" I could listen to his heartbeat, each beat a green wave was emitted by his sword. The green wave was full of vitality and quickly affected its surroundings, the grass started growing and becoming shrubbery, from the ground trees started appearing, they were so quick that it seemed that they were always under the earth and were only digging their way out. The previous forest became a greenery jungle resembling Star Dou Forest.

My green counterpart smiled one last time and kneeled before me, prostrating while holding the sword with both palms, offering his sword to me.

I couldn't sense any danger from him so I decided to approach. Only doing one step, he turned green particles again. However, this time the particles were attracted to me, being absorbed by my sword.

My sword shined green for a second before finally the second layer of my sword recovering his green color, followed by a black ring surrounding it.

At that moment, I understood it. I reached the rank 71, I was a spirit sage and all of this was the merge that dad told me about. Once the green counterpart was absorbed I could sense my understanding of Life deepen a little, and at the same time gaining a greater understanding of the wood element. I received all the knowledge of this personality, making it my own.

Not only that, it seemed that his own understanding had influenced the spirit ring that manifested am aging process, becoming close to 50.000 years old.

As his intent was very similar to my Life and Protection, I hadn't learned much from it, my own understanding being greater than him. But, at the same time, he must give himself to me without putting any fight, due to my own understanding of him. I doubt all the others wouldn't put a fight, especially Paul. If all the other personalities are the same, I'll need to gain most of them before facing Paul.

Just as I convinced myself, the green scenery changed. It dispersed like dust and was followed by a gray rain. Steel drops started falling evading me, changing the scenery to a simple space with a floor made of steel. The liquid drops started converging, slowly the mass of liquid condensed in another clone of me. This time it had an ash-colored hair and eyes. His face seemed devoid of any emotion.

He extended his right hand, an ash-colored Nine Treasure Sword with a black ring surrounding it. His sword started melting, becoming liquid. The liquid started flowing changing its figure and forming a big and robust shield in front of him, it had 3 ends, with a triangular form and round body.

Clouds started forming in the sky "Zap" Lightnings started falling from the clouds, destroying the ground under me, all the steel disappearing.

"ZAP!" a powerful and blindly lightning fell, in its position a blonde copy of me appeared.

A yellow Nine Treasure Sword appeared in his hands. He bent his knees and pointed his sword at me in a charging position. He grinned as lightning started raging from his sword followed by a black spirit ring shining brightly.

The lightning covered all his body. He kicked the ground charging towards me "The first to hit, is the one who wins!".

I side-stepped, his quickly stab grazing me. The sheer electricity running across him forced me to use a little of Protection Intent around me.

He passed through me, without a moment stopping, he used his feet as breaks, tracing the ground under him and kicked the ground, quickly changing his direction, charging towards me again.

I pointed my sword at him, the sword started shining in white color, creating a shield of aura in front of me.

He crashed with the shield, sparks leaving his sword. Seeing his attack blocked, he started slashing madly at the shield, trying to break it.

Sensing his strength, I was sure that he would be unable to destroy it. Only staying still here, would be enough for me to win as he would tire before me. He was very rash and wasted a lot of energy. If I used my second spirit skill, his loss would be even before.

Having made up my mind. I release the shield, meeting his slash with my own sword "You finally stop hiding!" he shouted swinging his sword at me.

I twisted my sword stopping each of his swings. His speed and quantity of slashed were far greater than me, but they were all unfocused, with open movements. With light moves, I could parry most of his attacks and my protection was enough to withstand his lightning.

"Take this!" he shouted "<Sword Domain: Lightning>" sparks surged from him surrounding an area about 20 meters wide. His body was completely surrounded by sparks and seemed to have become lightning itself.

At a speed difficult to perceive by normal eyes, he turned a spark and quickly appeared at my back, condensing his human figure "Speed is power!"

Without turning around, I lifted my sword putting at my back, effectively stopping his strike.

"Tch!" he turned sparks again. Again he condensed, this time at my left side. I twisted my ankle, swinging my sword at him, stopping his slash again. He continued with this tactic, trying to tire me, trying that I show some opening when in truth the one that was getting tired was him. He had great speed but used incorrectly, as a complete newbie. I supposed that never fighting anyone had this effect, even great power without experience means nothing. It was easy to read his next attack and his lag between condensing and attacking was a great flaw.

He condensed 20 meters away from me, retrieving his domain. Then, he closed his eyes and as the first time, he pointed his sword at me with a posture of charging. "Rumble!" Thunder could be heard from the sky, lightning started to fall, all of it to his sword, the aura around him becoming greater.

"Sword Heart!" He opened his eyes, powerful lightning running across himself, his black ring shining brightly, causing my own speed to fall "<Lightning Overdrive>" he became lightning itself, a sword made of pure lightning was shot towards me.

I was shocked by its sheer speed "Bloom!" a four-petaled flower flourished over my sword, with so little time to react, this was the best defense that I could put, clearly I underestimated him.

The Lightning sword crashed towards the 4-layered barrier, lightning exploded covering all the barriers, attacking all the surface at the same time. The first two layers didn't last much before being smitten to cracks.

Sensing his strength, I already knew that it won't be enough. A black ring shined from my sword "<4th skill: Steel Defense>". The petals of my barrier changed from white to ash color, increasing its defense tremendously.

Facing the new upgraded defense, the personality rebounded from the barrier, losing all his momentum. I thrust my sword towards him, piercing my flower that wrapped around my sword, increasing its power.

Without putting any defense my sword pierced the Lightning Sword, the copy materializing. He vomited some sparks and looked at my eyes "Be the fastest!" he shouted before turning particles and being absorbed by my sword, its 4th layer being illuminated and a new black ring appearing surrounding it.

Once absorbed, the clouds dispersed and the ground disappeared, once again returning to a black world. Looking around I could sense anything "Crack!" a crack appeared at the air, the edge of a sword appearing from thin air at my back, targetting my neck.