Fear.
It's an unpleasant emotion where one feels threatened, worried, or wants to avoid something very dangerous. In all my life, I've never feared anything so serious. Mom's anger aside, nothing fazes me enough to go into fight or flight. My bullies were the trigger of my indifference to this emotion and I've always thought I'd never had any fears that would cripple me despite having no future initially.
That is until now when I'm being forced to fight something more than myself to finish this trial. Something that has reawakened an emotion that I was different for many years now.
I have to face my own younger brother.
[Wow. Where's all your bravado, me? Did you see a ghost or something?] My doppelganger says, not wasting any time mocking me with my genuine shock at what I'm seeing. [I thought you were happy to see your very own brother here to witness your final test?]
Damn, that imposter! How dare he make a clone of my brother! That doll of his may look like Kazu other than his black hair, black robe, and red eyes, but he doesn't have his real smile and eagerness to play the game. Rather, they show no emotions on their face as they stare at me and then at my doppelganger who is hugging him. Which by the way, creeps me out a lot...
I quickly slap my face before I think any more unnecessary scary thoughts. I tighten my grip around my sword's handle as I aim the blade at the clones.
"Do you think I don't know my own little brother?" I shout. "That's not the real Kazu and I'm not playing with your mind games!"
[Oh, you say that now. But why is your hand shaking?]
Shaking?! What the hell is he talking about? Is he saying I'm scared?! Like hell I am! Sure, my hand is...trembling. But there's no reason for me to back down!
...Right?
[Come on, stop lying to yourself! If you don't want to fight our little Kazu so bad, then try to say it rather than threaten us with your sword.]
Dammit! He is seriously pissing me off! I'm not gonna let his taunts and the image of my brother get the better of me!
"I'm not scared and I'm not gonna fall for your Kazu clone tricks! He's a fake and I know it!"
[...I-I'm a fake?]
My eyes widen. I look at the Kazu clone and I gasp. They... He...is crying. And they don't look fake. They look...real.
[Y-You don't think of me...as real...?]
I...I'm speechless. I don't know what to say at this point. He's a fake, sure. But their words seem real. I can't...
[Then I have no choice...]
I look up and gasp again. Their sorrow is quickly replaced with rage. Rage that I can't seem to see within the real Kazu. And in a surreal moment, they raise his staff against me.
"W-What are you doing?!" I demand. "What are you planning this time, faker?!"
[What am I doing?] The fake Kazu snarls as I see electricity charge into his staff. [I'm here to kill my fake brother! [Thunder Lance]!]
The electricity transforms into a lance and it quickly charges toward me. It doesn't take long for me to dodge it as I hop a few feet away from the copies while barely dodging the lance by the skin of my teeth.
[Ooh... Really cutting it close, eh, me? Looks like he thinks the same as me, his real big brother.]
That bastard... But still, that clone is crying because of me. All because I know he was a fake like that doppelganger...
[Well, I should let you two play for a while. Let me know if you're done~]
I quickly turn too late to see my doppelganger leaving the arena as he retreats into the shadows.
"Hey! Get back here, you c- ARGH!" I quickly dodge the fake Kazu's staff before he swings it one more time. "Damn you, coward!"
Not like that's enough to make him come back. I bet he's using my brother's clone to distract me while he uses the duplicated [Minor Health Regeneration] to recover his [HP]. I'm so gonna kick his ass once I'm done with...
[Static Stun]!
I suddenly feel electricity running through my body as I feel an excruciating pain. I can't help but scream in anguish as I try my best not to let go of my sword.
[Gale Force]!
Before I can recover, I get blown away by the fake Kazu's next attack and land a few feet away from him. Dammit, looks like he shares the same ability to skip an incantation as his fake brother. This seems way too overpowered for my taste. Real or not, I have to use my [Investigate] skill to...
[Stone Barrage]!
Crap! I'm too late to notice him firing a bunch of stones at me. I can feel the stones almost piercing through my skin as I grit my teeth. He's not only relentless unlike the real Kazu, but he's much too powerful for me to ignore to the point he doesn't want me to use [Investigate]. I can't take any more hits unless I want this fight to a stalemate if I face my copy again. Real or not, I have to stop his barrage of attacks.
[Mana Blast]!
I watch him fire a ball of mana from his staff. That's one of the first skills he learned, so with my [Crystal Sword's] [Imbued Arcana Element], I can deflect it!
"[Parry]!" I scream as I raise my sword. I let the skill do the rest as it cuts down the attack literally, giving me a chance to switch weapons. "[Corkscrew Pierce]!"
I fire my [Spiral Arrow] and let it fly at the fake Kazu. I need to finish this fight and this one might do...
[Electric Reflection].
Suddenly, a barrier made of electricity appears as it surrounds the fake Kazu. To my horror, my attack is blocked by it, leaving me with an electric barrier and a pissed young doppelganger. Dammit, Kazu! Why the hell did you learn such a dangerous [Mastery]?! I'm surprised he even mastered it in a short time.
[You're out of tricks, faker. There's nothing you can do to convince me that you're the real Wind.]
Again?! Is he trying to tell me that he's mad because I called him a fake (which is true)?! I wish I could reason with him. Heck, I might simply shoot him in the head to shut him up. But something in my gut tells me it would be like killing my own brother. He shares the same face, but I can't bear to deal a critical blow, especially with his barrier that blocks all physical attacks including my sword. But that doesn't mean I can give up now.
"Yeah. Next thing I know, I'm the queen of <Initio>. At this point, I'm not gonna reason with you anymore." I raise my arm and prepare for my next attack. "Spirit of Sylph, I call the gale to my growing aura and..."
[I knew you were willing to try killing your brother... [Thunder Lance]!]
STAB! CACKLE!
Before I know it, I feel a sharp pain in my gut. I looked down and saw a lance made of an electric aura stabbed through my gut.
[CRITICAL]!
[NOTICE]
[You have been gravely injured from a critical hit. You are now [Bleeding]. Your [HP] will slowly decrease 5 every 10 seconds.]
It only takes me a few seconds after reading the notice for me to cough up blood and stagger away from his lance. At the same time, I see my copy's eyes sneering at me from the darkness. That goddamn psycho...
When I collapse to my knees, I try to get back up to continue the fight, but the bleeding is bad and I can't move my legs because of it. Losing 5 [HP] is not as bad as the tornado, but they managed to get me in the end. And it's all because that copy cheated by using my brother's face against me.
-----
My eyes widen as I see my brother on his knees. Dealing with his doppelganger is bad enough, but copying me to play with his emotions?! Now that's just down low! Although to be honest, that fake me is not as smart and skilled as me.
"Wind! You know that's not me!" I scream. "Get a hold of yourself and stand up! You're better than this!"
"Kaz..."
"Shut up! I'm busy calling out on Wind!"
And no, I'm not gonna stop sitting on my Dad. He deserves it!
"Please, Wind..."
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[What do you know? No matter what you do, there is no way you can prove that you're the real Wind,] my copy's voice mocks me again from the shadows. [You are nothing but a fake. A copy who only thinks of myself and his so-called attempts to be something more than a little brother's nanny.]
Shut up... That imposter is laughing at my crippled state. They appear and laugh in my face while the fake Kazu sneers at me after dealing the major blow. I'd follow his words if I want to die and do it over so they can kick my ass again. I've done everything to get here and all I get is spit in the face. They are imposters, but they remind me too much of my bullies...
...
Wait... My bullies...
The pain from their insults and attacks reminds me of how they almost made my childhood a living hell. They threw my things from my desk and out of my bag, harassed me during class, and hurt me just for the heck of it. And recalling those last two bouts, I remember what they were about.
I learned to find true conviction from General Veritates. The motivation and drive that lets me find my path.
And the perseverance of Acutus. The stubborn determination no matter how many people mock and belittle my goals.
I realize those traits were with me from the start. The very same ones that let me stand up to them and get away from the place that nearly ruined my life.
I get it now. That's the final trial of this test!
[HP: 295/630]
[It's all over now, fake.]
[Any last words, you fake brother of mine?]
Those words... They remind me a lot of my bullies from that day...
"Look at that. No one's coming to help you, brother lover."
"Any last words? Because there is no way anyone will turn to someone who has a scary obsession with their little brother."
I chuckle at the irony. That's all I need...
[Hey, why is he chuckling, Wind?]
The pain in my chest is getting worse, but I slowly got up and grinned. "Simple. Because I have some last words for you.".
[NOTICE]
[Your wound is festering. Your stats will be halved and you will now lose 10 [HP] per 2 seconds.]
[HP: 145/630]
[Oh?] My imposter sneers as he glares at me while hugging his fake brother. [Then what is it then? It better be convincing.]
Oh, it is.
[HP: 135/630]
[HP: 125/630]
[HP: 115/630]
"...Go jump in the lake, assholes. [Aftershock]!"
I raise my sword and use my remaining strength to swing it as hard as I can while imbuing it with the [Arcana] element. If I want to die, then I want to die fighting.
When I look up, I see the fake Kazu getting caught by my attack and witness his arm holding the staff nearly getting cut off. It didn't as the fake me dragged him away from the attack, but his staff gets caught in the crossfire and broken in pieces as he screams from the pain in his right arm despite that I couldn't cut it off. As much as it pains me to see him like this, I have to remind myself that he's not the real Kazu. Besides, it's all I need before I die again.
[M-My arm! It hurts! It hurts!] The fake Kazu cries like a baby. [And my staff broke because of your fake, Wind!]
[Bastard! Is this your idea of a joke?!]
I snicker, seeing how the high and mighty imposter broke down in anger after seeing his little toy cry after losing his only weapon.
"Tell a guy who wanted me dead," I snarked. "You may be me and you may have better skills than me, but seeing you and my fake brother reminds me too much of my bullies. And honestly, your words remind me how I almost killed them out of rage. I get that's my lowest, but I'm glad I didn't do the deed. However, you two are nothing but fakes. You are nothing like me and Kazu. To me, you two are bullies who are all bark and no bite. So tell me, how does it feel like if the victim turns into your own bully?"
I can see my imposter slowly backing away from me while still hugging the fake Kazu. [Shut up! You are a fake! You are nothing but...]
"A kid who does nothing but be a "brother lover"? All because I cared about my only brother who wants to be like his big brother?!"
I can see my imposter's eyes widen. Check.
[I didn't plan to say that!] He defends him while the fake Kazu gets behind him. [Have you gone mad from your blood loss?!]
"N-No. But your words remind me too much of those jerks who made a wise decision to insult not only my brother but accuse me of using him as a tool," I say. "Now that I think about it, you're doing the same with your brother, right? Using his love for you to eliminate me, using him as bragging rights that you're better than me... You're no different from them. You never treat him as a trophy and tool, not a person. You never show genuine love for him."
[Shut up! What do you know about "love"?! You didn't care half of your time with your brother! You're worse than me! You're not perfect!]
I narrow my eyes when I hear those last words. "You're right. I'm not perfect. I ignored my brother after that bullying incident. I never cared for him a lot unless he was in danger. I made some mistakes when I tried to be the big brother that he so desired. I didn't even bother taking this world seriously when he invited me here. I'm not as a saint as he saw in me. But does that make me a bad brother? No. Everyone makes mistakes and it's those mistakes that help me get back up and learn from them. There is no such thing as a perfect brother..."
I feel like I'm losing air. But it doesn't matter. I raise my sword and point at the fakes.
"...and it's time for you, assholes, to learn what the real world is like!"
Before I know it, a strange aura suddenly bursts out from my body and surrounds me in a barrier. This is all too sudden, yet I can't feel any pain from it and it seems like the doppelgangers are backing away from me.
[From the perseverance of your conviction, you have unlocked your [Hidden Potential]. Because of the hidden effects of the three keys, the chances of your skill have increased!]
...Huh? My what?!
[Your adaption to weapons has been extraordinary! Because of this, you have unlocked the [Advanced Mastery], [Dual-Wielding].]
D-Dual-Wielding?! That's too OP and this is my first time hearing about an [Advanced Mastery]!
[You also discover a hint of your origins.
The crystals have responded to you and bathed you in [Life] mana. Because of this discovery, your [HP], [MP], and [SP] have been fully healed.]
My origins? I don't know what that means, but I appreciate the sudden Deus-Ex-Machina kind of reward. I can breathe again and move my limbs enough to swing my sword to my full strength.
[B-But... That's impossible!] My doppelganger screamed in horror.
[You're cheating! And I don't appreciate cheaters!] The fake Kazu added, which I barely care about now that I accept that he's not the real one.
"Ha! The real Kazu would never say "appreciate" very casually," I mock, knowing that he will mess it up without trying to correct himself (he's 12, okay!). "Sure, this is a bit...cheat-ish. But since you insulted me and Kazu, it's a matter of time until karma slaps you like a bitch."
("You tell them, Wind! And hey! I'm practicing, okay!")
While I say that, this gives me the right time to use [Investigate] on these fakes.
[Shadow Doppelganger, <Dark Wind>]
[HP: 939/1260]
[Imperfect Shadow Doll, <Puppet Kazu>]
[A spirit that was created by the [Shadow Doppelganger] from the original target's memories. Like their progenitor, their appearance and personality are twisted based on what they saw in the original person connected to them. However, their abilities and strength are much weaker than their creator.]
[HP: 628/760]
Looks like that bastard already healed most of his [HP]. But I'm surprised that the fake Kazu is weaker than I thought. But he's still a pain if I ignore him for long. He might be weak, but his spells are too strong compared to the real Kazu.
[Whatever, you fake! You're still cheating! I just know it!] My imposter screamed before he takes out his sword. [And we don't accept "cheaters" here!]
I grin. Yeah, I'll just let them believe that. It doesn't change the fact that they bullied me long enough.
"You can try."
I know this is a bad time to check my new skills, but I know what it is from the name alone. Using a bow with my sword would be nice, but I'm not stupid to not know that reloading arrows while holding something else in another hand would be very cumbersome. Instead, I take out my dagger and wield it in my other hand.
[NOTICE]
[Due to [Ambidextrous] skill, there will be no penalties when wielding two weapons in each hand.]
I see. So wielding two weapons is not normal in this game. Looks like I know what's next.
"But I have to warn you, two. You already insulted me too many times for me to ignore," I finish and flash a smile at my soon-to-be prey. "Hope you two don't mind taking all of my stress on you. I promise it will be painless."
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Current Quest: Test of Courage ***
Type: [Hidden]
Status: In Progress
Party Members:
[Wind]
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Wind's Masteries
[Archery] Level 21
[Woodcrafting] Level 10
[Swordsmanship] Level 21
[Cooking] Level 9
[Wind] Level 16
[Physical Enhancement] Level 17
[Hunting] Level 17
[Blacksmithing] Level 18
[Dagger] Level 6
[Dual-Wielding] Level 30 [Temporary]
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[NOTICE]
[As you have unlocked a [Mastery] that hasn't been released until the next update, the level has been temporarily maxed to Level 30.
It will expire until the end of the battle. Feel free to try them out to your heart's content!]
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