For the first time since his defeat, Vareon smiled. His battered body trembled, but his eyes glowed with a dangerous light as he slowly raised his hand toward the stormy sky.
"You think you've outplayed me?" he whispered hoarsely. "No, Kazuki… this match isn't over."
In an instant, an ominous aura exploded from his body. The very rain seemed to recoil as black tendrils of chaos swirled around him. His lips curled into a sinister grin as his voice echoed across the battlefield:
"Absolute Spirit Ability Copy."
Kazuki watched calmly as his own aura—the infinite tide of Spiritual Force he had been wielding—was suddenly mirrored. Vareon's frame straightened, his wounds knitting as the same radiant Spiritual energy began to envelop him. Even his movements began to synchronize with Kazuki's.
For anyone else, such a sight would have been terrifying. To Kazuki, it only made him smile.
The moment froze—and the scene shifted back to the past.
Flashback – Volume 1, Chapter 30
The battlefield was chaos. Screams, steel, and blood blurred together as soldiers of North Ryehem clashed against South Ryehem's defenders. For Kazuki, barely eight years old at the time, this was his first true warfront—one he had demanded to see with his own eyes.
And what he saw left him speechless.
Across the field, thirty out of sixty enemy soldiers looked identical. Not only that—they fought with the exact same techniques as South Ryehem's warriors. Fireballs, lightning strikes, defensive barriers—it was as if the army was fighting its own reflections.
His small hand tugged on his father's robe. "Dad… thirty out of sixty of those soldiers looked the same. And they used our abilities… What is going on?"
The Emperor of South Ryehem—Shang—stood grim and unyielding as he answered, his blade slick with blood.
"Kazuki, there's a reason North Ryehem appears stronger on paper." His voice was heavy, edged with old hatred. "Years ago, they made a forbidden contract with demons. The emperor of North Ryehem and a chosen few were granted a cursed ability… Absolute Spirit Ability Copy. It allows them to instantly replicate any ability they witness. The copy is usually weaker than the original, but in war—even a shadow of power can tip the balance."
Kazuki's eyes widened, his young face filled with both awe and confusion. Shang's gaze darkened as he continued.
"Because of this, your other brother, Sazuki—Arthur's younger sibling—had his ability stolen. Years ago, he attempted to break into North Ryehem's layered defenses. Though he slaughtered many of their soldiers, some survived long enough to carry his power back to Vareon. Even the emperor himself copied Sazuki's cloning technique. That is how North Ryehem multiplies their forces—using forbidden clones of stolen power to turn the battlefield into a twisted mirror."
Unrevealed Memory
Later that night, long after the blood had dried and the torches burned low, young Kazuki approached his father again. Despite being reborn with the soul of a grown man, he still played the role of a curious child.
"Dad… can you explain this Absolute Spirit Ability Copy more?"
Shang gave him a long look, suspicion flickering in his eyes. But then, with a sigh, he sat beside him.
"When a user of that cursed ability copies someone, they also take a fragment of that person's Spiritual Force. That is why Sazuki was weakened when his ability was stolen. On the second layer of North Ryehem's defenses, dozens of soldiers copied him at once. Though he killed most of them, one survived… and carried the technique back to Vareon himself."
He paused, his jaw tightening. "That's how North Ryehem grew so strong. They are parasites, feeding on the talents of others."
Shang's eyes narrowed. "But why are you so interested, Kazuki?"
The boy blinked innocently, masking the wisdom in his gaze. "I mean… I was just concerned."
Shang ruffled his hair with a rare softness, dismissing the thought. But Kazuki, even then, carried the memory forward.
Back to the Present
Now, on the rain-soaked battlefield, Vareon stood with Kazuki's very power radiating from him. His laughter was wild, triumphant.
"Do you see? The empire's trump card is mine alone! With Absolute Spirit Ability Copy, I am your equal. Your every trick is my trick. Your strength is my strength. Tell me, nephew… who outsmarted who?"
Kazuki tilted his head, his smile calm, almost pitying.
"You still don't understand, do you, Uncle?" His tone was laced with quiet amusement.
A sudden crack split through the air.
Vareon's body shuddered violently. The aura he had stolen writhed uncontrollably, as if his flesh could not contain it. His chest split open, blood spraying as fractures of pure energy tore through him. His limbs bulged, veins glowing with unstable light.
"W-what… what is this?!" Vareon gasped, panic flashing in his eyes.
Kazuki stepped forward, his gaze merciless.
"That ability of yours was always a curse. Absolute Spirit Ability Copy may steal Spiritual Force, but it cannot steal control. My force is infinite—a glitch of reality itself. Your body is nothing but a vessel already cracked with envy and pride. Did you really think you could hold it?"
Vareon screamed as his body ruptured, his flesh tearing apart. His torso exploded, leaving only a trembling head suspended by faint spiritual remnants. Even his soul began to fray, unraveling into the void.
Kazuki crouched, watching his uncle's last moments. His smile was cold, sharp as steel.
"Dear uncle," he whispered, "you got outsmarted again."
And with that, the battlefield fell silent, save for the soft patter of the dying rain.