Emery stepped forward and inclined his head respectfully.
"Master Atika."
She had been his sword master—the one who had taught him the fundamentals of the blade.
Atika returned the greeting with a slight nod; a familiar readiness settled over her expression.
Before they could start, Emery raised a hand.
"Please forgive me, Master," he said with an apologetic smile. "But there is actually someone who has been insisting on fighting you"
Atika paused, one eyebrow lifting.
Beside her, the Ouroboros Queen's expression shifted into open confusion. The duel had been arranged to test Emery's own strength. His words made no sense.
Without another explanation, Emery lifted his hand and opened a waypoint.
A figure stepped through.
He was identical to Emery in every detail, save for hair as black as ink and an aura that carried a colder, heavier edge. Strapped across his back rested a massive stone ruler wrapped in dark cloth.
It was Emery's Dark Avatar.
