Chapter 40: Chapter 40
Artemis was right behind Issei, trailing behind him after noticing that he left. She was easily able to catch up due to her sheer speed, and she continued watching him. Once he arrived at the school, she noticed that Issei was walking towards the main office. Being right behind him, Issei turned around and was shocked to see her. Widening his eyes, he watched as Artemis smirked in seeing his expression. "Did you really think you would be able to escape me?"
However, before they could get to the door to the office, they were quickly teleported out of the area. Issei noticed as space was distorting around the two. "What the hell is happening?"
Issei watched as Artemis remained calm but was questioning everything. "I don't know... But... something tells me this isn't anything good."
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Boss Arena: You must defeat the boss
Details: This mission is mandatory and will test if you truly are ready to defeat foes stronger than you.
Allowed one partner only
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He should have known that the system was behind this... Turning towards Artemis, he noticed as she clung onto his arm as they finally landed in an open void. The white void that they stood in stretched to the vast infinity leaving them alone within this space.
"What... is this place?"
However, her question was left unanswered as a yellow fog began to encompass the area. Once the fog finished forming, there stood two beings. Behind Issei was someone that Artemis was shocked to see while Issei was narrowing his eyes to see the being in front of him.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me..."
In front of him... Was another version of him.
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Name: Shadow
Title: Doppelgänger
Race: Titan
Level: 103
HP: 40824/40824
MP: 537.5/537.5
STR: 300 (+92)
AGL: 136.4 (-10)
END: 153.12 (+51)
INT: 115.5 (-8)
Bonus:+90% Damage Reduction
+30% Pierce Damage
Skills: Crystallized Frame
Titanic Smash
Chaotic Manipulation
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It has better stats than him... Yet it looked just like him but had shadows surrounding him. When Issei summoned his hammer, the alternate summoned his own hammer that replicated his.
Behind him, Artemis pulled her bow out and watched as Orion... her long lost lover, was standing right in front of her.
"Years apart... and you're moved on from me."
Artemis, with anger in her voice and malicious intent, screamed at him, "Why have you shown your face again? How are you alive? I swear upon my father's name, I had pierced your heart with this very bow."
Standing with their backs against each other, Issei and Artemis were faced with their greatest opponents yet. Issei was fighting against someone of his own strength while Artemis was fighting against her trauma.
Issei lunged straight at his clone meeting with his clone in the middle with their hammers. This was the first time that someone was able to push Issei back. The clone lunged right at Issei once more, not allowing him to dodge out of grasp.
[Boost]
{Boost}
"What the hell!" Ddraig was shocked in hearing his voice... It was another him on the clone's arm.
"Shit... he even has all my abilities. He'll definitely have Twilight Healing." Waiting for the clone to attack first, Issei watched as the hammer came down. Moving out of the way slightly, Issei watched as the clone ditched the hammer and attempted to land a deadly hook onto his face, but he knew this trick... he did this many times before. Dodging the blow and landing his own blow, Issei watched as the clone tanked the blow and tried to deliver his own blow.
As they continued, exchanging blow after blow, Issei noticed as his body began getting exhausted and more battle damaged compared to the clone, who was perfectly fine. Such a small little damage reduction difference was enough to make the tides of battle lean towards his clone's side.
"Do you really think I'll let myself lose to someone with my own power? You really think I'll let some fraud win!" Ddraig roared as he began to empower Issei even further. Feeling the sudden wave of power, Issei knew that entering Balance Breaker wouldn't mean much when the clone would do the same. Healing himself with Twilight Healing, Issei watched as the clone began doing the same. Now, here they were at the start once more...
"Duck..." Ducking, Issei watched as the clone's hammer narrowly missed him, and he countered with his own deadly kick. "Hammer coming from the right, I suggest jumping." Listening and jumping, Issei delivered his own kick to the clone, sending them tumbling down. "This clone... may know how to fight against you, it may know how to fight like you, it may know how to swing a hammer... but it will never be on the level of a Heavenly Dragon."
Watching as the clone began empowering its hammer, Issei simply smirked and knew that it was time... Doing the same, the time to see whose strength will come out on top...
"Watching you have all my abilities... watching you out perform me..." Issei paused before gritting his teeth, "It frustrates me... I fucking hate it... Seeing your emotionless face... seeing everything about you... I fucking hate it. I hate knowing that no matter what I do... you'll just do it better than me... I'll make sure that you will be defeated... and it will be in my style..."
Enchanting himself with all his might... Issei began glowing a bright crimson color... Ddraig began pouring in some of his own power into Issei...
"Partner... We fight together, we argue together, we talk with each other... but there is one thing we do the best... and I will make sure we do it the best... we fight together... Partner, for my pride... Please kill this fraud."
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New Skill Unlocked: Overcharged
Details: For a very short period of time, the host will have all stats be increased by 5% and host will be fueled with anger, frustration, and the pride of Ddraig.
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Issei roared before rushing at the clone, colliding hammers, Issei began pushing the clone back before getting frustrated again... Using even more of his might, Issei launched the hammer out of the clone's grip before slamming the hammer right on top of the clone. Not letting the clone to even have a chance, Issei de-summoned his hammer and began pummeling the clone with his fists.
Blow after blow...
Blood after blood...
The clone did swing its hammer at Issei, but Issei simply punched the hammer and, even when Issei felt his bones breaking, stopped the hammer and continued brutally beating the clone into a bloody pile of mess...
Issei continued... even when the overcharged state exited his body... Issei continued beating the clone until...
The clone vanished into nothingness...
Simply staring into the bloody pile he created... staring at his own very hand that he broke... Issei continued staying in silence in his own thoughts... That was when he heard movement behind him and turned to see a bloody Artemis and a bloody Orion in a standstill.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone