The day had been strangely calm.
Too calm.
At exactly noon, every person who had once received one of Saphielle's strange orbs—no matter where they were—vanished in an instant.
No flash of light. No dramatic swirl of magic. Just gone.
In the Eastern Empire's throne room, Rudra was in mid-sentence, leaning back in his chair while Velgrynd stood beside him, her usual confident smirk plastered across her face.
"—and that's when we'll—" Rudra began, only for Velgrynd's expression to shift in confusion.
The next moment, she wasn't there.
"...Vel?" Rudra blinked at the empty space, then muttered, "Oh, this can't be good."
Across the Cardinal World, it was the same.
Guy Crimson was in the middle of casually lounging on his ice throne, idly swirling a drink while Misery and Rain stood off to the side. His glass barely had time to tilt before it clattered to the floor, the chair now empty.
In the Forgotten Dragon Kingdom, Milim was halfway through stuffing a whole roasted chicken into her mouth before she disappeared, leaving poor Midray frozen mid-chew.
Luminous was discussing cathedral renovations with Hinata when she simply blinked out of existence, leaving Hinata staring at an empty chair in stunned silence.
Even Veldora, who had been deep in a strategic meeting with Velzard and a group of his generals, was yanked away mid-sentence.
One second:
"—and that is why you never underestimate the—"
The next second:
No Veldora.
They all reappeared together, their feet touching down on a soft, mist-like surface.
The island was… surreal. A vast expanse floating in a sea of clouds, glowing with a soft golden light. The air felt alive, almost breathing. Every gust of wind carried whispers in languages none of them understood.
The "ground" was springy, like walking on thick moss. Towering crystal spires jutted out here and there, shimmering in faint rainbow hues. But the most unsettling thing was the feeling.
The island itself… was aware.
Veldora took in a slow breath, folding his arms.
"Well… this is new."
Milim hopped in place, eyes darting around.
"Whoa! It's like the ground's watching us! That's so cool!"
Leon adjusted his coat, scanning the horizon.
"I don't like this. It's… too perfect."
Diablo tilted his head, smiling in that unsettling way of his.
"A perfect stage, perhaps?"
Testarossa smirked.
"Or a perfect trap."
Before anyone could comment further, a voice rolled through the air, not loud but heavy, pressing against their chests.
"Welcome, warriors of this world. Today, you will be challenged. If you fail… you shall be destroyed. And your territories will burn with you. Fight as though the survival of the world depends on it—because it does. You will not have a second chance."
They all turned instinctively, trying to pinpoint the source, but the voice seemed to come from everywhere at once.
Milim planted her fists on her hips.
"Alright, mystery voice! Show yourself! You drag us here, talk big, and then hide in the clouds?!"
Veldora chuckled deeply.
"Well, she does have a point. If this is a duel, we should at least see our opponent's face."
The clouds swirled, spiraling upward before evaporating completely, revealing a single figure hovering above the ground.
Saphielle.
Her presence was wrong. Not in a way that screamed danger at first sight, but in a way that made every instinct scream that she was not of this world. Her aura shimmered like the heat over a desert, constantly shifting.
Some—like Leon—narrowed their eyes in suspicion.
Some—like Guy—smirked.
And some—like Milim—grinned with excitement.
Veldora gave a slow nod.
"Aha… so this is the one."
Guy stepped forward, his voice carrying a mix of amusement and authority.
"So, you're the one who dares to challenge us."
Saphielle's eyes swept over them, her lips curling in a faint, almost amused smile.
"I am. And here is my offer. If you win, I will disappear from your world forever. If you lose… despair will fall upon the Cardinal World. Entire nations will vanish. Your reigns will crumble."
Draguel's deep voice rumbled from the back.
"You threaten the balance of the world so easily? You must be prepared to pay the price."
Saphielle didn't flinch.
"I am prepared for anything."
Without warning, her form rippled—like water disturbed by a stone. Then, she split.
One.
Two.
Four.
Eight.
And more...
In mere seconds, there was a perfect copy of her standing before each of them. The most unsettling part? Each copy radiated the exact same overwhelming power as the original.
Milim blinked.
"...Okay, that's cheating. Totally cheating!"
Velzard's voice was cool as frost.
"Or maybe she just doesn't see you as worth her full attention."
Milim puffed her cheeks.
"Oh it's on."
Suddenly, black archways materialized behind each Saphielle copy—shimmering doors of pure void, each large enough to swallow a dragon whole.
Saphielle's voice echoed in all their minds.
"Enter. In each arena, you will face me alone. No interruptions. No allies. No escape."
Veldora tilted his head, chuckling.
"… so it's to be a test of individuals, then? How quaint."
Guy gave a half-smile, already stepping toward his door.
"This could be fun."
Diablo bowed with mock elegance to his copy.
"I do hope you don't disappoint me, my dear."
Testarossa cracked her neck, grinning.
"Oh, this is going to be delicious."
Milim was already bouncing toward her door.
"Alright, alright, LET'S GO!"
Leon gave a final, sharp glance to his copy.
"If you think I'm underestimating you, you're wrong."
Draguel looked calm, almost bored.
"Very well. Let's get this over with."
One by one, they stepped into their doors, each disappearing into their own isolated battlefield.
The island was silent again… except for a distant sigh from someone who had been watching the whole time.
From far above, completely unseen, Saiki hovered lazily in the sky, sipping from a can of juice.
"Yare yare… this is going to be such a pain."
The floating island trembled as the remaining warriors stepped forward to face their Saphielle doubles. Each clone radiated that same eerie, alien aura—purely untainted by the laws of this world. The air itself warped around them, every breath heavy with the taste of raw destruction.
The wind roared as Velgrynd took a step forward, her fiery hair whipping around her face like a living blaze.
Velgrynd: "You think you can intimidate me? Let's see if you can survive my flames."
Her clone smiled coldly, its crimson eyes flickering like molten metal.
The two blurred forward at the same time—one became a hurricane of scarlet fire, the other a raging inferno of alien energy. Sky and clouds alike turned blood-red as their heat clashed, shockwaves tearing through the air.
Velgrynd's tail whip smashed through a nearby mountain of floating rock, but her clone countered by hurling a spiral of burning void directly into her chest, sending her flying back.
Velgrynd: (gritting teeth) "Tch… stronger than I thought."
For minutes they exchanged blows faster than the human eye could follow—fist, claw, wing strikes, each one detonating in the air like artillery shells. Velgrynd's scales cracked from the heat of her own reflected flames, forcing her to change tactics.
Finally, with a roar, she unleashed [Cardinal Crimson Storm], incinerating the entire battlefield in a pillar of fire so bright it burned through the island's clouds. The copy fell, but Velgrynd dropped to one knee, panting. She had won—but barely.
The black-haired butler stepped forward like a man walking to a ballroom dance, his smirk never leaving his face.
Diablo: "My, my… how amusing. You've copied my appearance… but can you copy my elegance?"
In an instant, Diablo disappeared—no wind, no sound, just absence. His clone barely had time to raise a hand before a spear of pure abyss punched through its chest.
Saphielle Copy: "Ghh—"
Diablo: "Too slow."
The fight wasn't a fight—it was humiliation. Diablo toyed with his double, letting it think it could keep up, only to vanish and reappear in places it couldn't anticipate.
When he got bored, he raised a single hand. The black sun of [Death Stigma] bloomed overhead, swallowing his double in a silent implosion.
Diablo: "Pitiful. Not even a warm-up."
Testarossa's heels clicked against the ground, her smile both sweet and venomous.
Testarossa: "I don't like fighting dirty… but for you, I'll make an exception."
Her Saphielle copy charged, sword blazing with alien light. Testarossa didn't flinch—her blade moved like silk, her steps like a waltz.
The clone's strikes never landed. With every swing, Testarossa redirected the attack into nothingness, smiling gently as she stabbed precisely into the openings the copy left behind.
Her final move was pure grace—[Blood Sovereign's Waltz], a spinning dance of crimson blades that diced the copy into nothing but dust.
Ultima giggled, swaying side to side like a mischievous child.
Ultima: "Let's see what color you bleed~"
Her copy didn't get the chance to reply before a flood of corrosive poison burst from the ground, melting the battlefield. The copy leapt away, but Ultima's magic followed like a hungry predator.
Within minutes, the double's body was covered in burns and toxins. Ultima strolled up and poked its forehead.
Ultima: "Bye-bye~"
It exploded in a mist of violet.
Carrera stretched like she was about to play a casual game.
Carrera: "You're dead."
And she meant it. The battlefield didn't survive the first minute. Explosions bigger than cities ripped through the island as she bombarded her double with her signature [Megiddo Blaster], laughing maniacally.
The clone tried to fight back—it didn't matter. Carrera's raw destructive power erased it before it could even adapt.
Guy's fight was… unfair.
The Ice Continent's ruler simply stared at his double, and the air froze. His aura alone shattered part of the floating island.
The clone charged, sword gleaming—Guy didn't even move until the last moment, when he parried the blow with one hand and countered with [King's Execution]—a crimson slash that bisected his copy cleanly.
Guy: "Pathetic."
Milim grinned, bouncing on her heels.
Milim: "Ooh, you look tough! This'll be fun!"
Her clone didn't waste time—its punch met hers in a collision that shook the entire island. Both flew back, only to rebound and clash again, faster and harder each time.
Milim's raw strength tore chunks of the floating island apart, but the clone's alien power kept up. After hours of brutal hand-to-hand, Milim unleashed [Drago Nova], vaporizing her opponent. She stood grinning… but her armor was shattered, and her breathing heavy.
Luminous's copy fought with relentless precision, forcing her into defense immediately. Her divine light was swallowed by the alien void energy of the clone's magic.
She fought hard, but every time she tried to heal or counterattack, the double was already there. Eventually, a brutal slash sent her flying into the island's edge. She collapsed—defeated.
Leon's duel was a storm of golden flames and alien blades. His swordsmanship was impeccable, his magic blinding—but the clone matched his every move, forcing him to fight with everything he had.
At last, with a final, desperate [Flare of the Sun God], Leon struck the killing blow. But his armor was cracked, his energy nearly gone.
Draguel's time-based abilities gave him an edge early on, slowing his copy and striking from angles it couldn't anticipate. But the clone adapted frighteningly fast, forcing Draguel to push his powers to dangerous limits.
With a roar, he unleashed [Chrono Collapse], freezing the battlefield for a heartbeat—long enough to land the final punch. But his breathing was ragged, his body trembling.
Dino yawned.
Dino: "Ugh… do I have to?"
His clone attacked first, forcing him to dodge lazily. But when he got serious, shadows wrapped around the battlefield, cutting off all escape. The fight dragged, Dino slowly chipping away until the clone finally fell. He sat down immediately.
Dino: "That… was too much effort."
Carrion roared, transforming into his beast form immediately. The clash was brutal, claws and fangs against alien strength. But the copy was faster, stronger, and more cunning.
Within minutes, Carrion was smashed into the ground, blood dripping from his mouth. He tried to stand… and fell.
Frey took to the skies, raining down wind and spear strikes. Her clone danced through them effortlessly, cutting her wings mid-flight. She crashed to the ground and didn't rise again.