Lydia hadn't yet recovered from the shock of the surprise attack when, out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a jet-black sword shadow thrusting toward her from behind.
The blade, shrouded in an eerie black glow, aimed straight for her back, its speed so terrifying it made her breath catch in her throat.
"Behind you!" Albedo's warning cry had barely left his lips when Lydia instinctively threw herself to the ground.
The sword grazed her shoulder, striking the rock behind her with a sharp clang.
Sparks flew, landing on the snow and vanishing in an instant.
The razor-sharp edge had sliced a deep gash across her shoulder. Blood instantly soaked through her coat, dripping down her arm and staining the snow a dark crimson.
"Big Sister Lydia!" Klee's shriek shattered the silence of the snowy landscape.
She clung desperately to Lydia's sleeve, her eyes instantly welling with tears, her voice trembling.
Albedo spun around as if teleporting, shielding them both behind him.
The Cinnabar Spindle in his hand glowed with an intense, pale-gold Geo light, a stark contrast to the inky black mist swirling around the attacker's sword.
His gaze fixed on Lydia's bleeding wound, the chill in his eyes nearly freezing solid. He roared at the grey-robed figure standing not far away, "Who are you? Are you the one behind the ominous disturbances on Dragonspine these past few days?"
The grey-robed figure stood in the snow, only a pair of cold, gleaming eyes visible.
Hearing the question, he let out a low laugh, his voice as raspy as sandpaper on wood. "You'll find out soon enough—once you're dead."
Before his words had faded, he suddenly snatched up his Black Sword and charged. The blade, wreathed in churning black mist, seemed poised to devour all surrounding light.
Clang—!
The Cinnabar Sword and the Black Sword clashed violently, Geo Elemental Power and black mist twisting wildly at the point of impact.
Albedo felt a numbing shock travel up his arm, his muscles straining so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
His opponent's strength was far greater than he'd anticipated!
Even stranger, the black mist crept up the Cinnabar Spindle like living vines.
Wherever it touched, his Geo Elemental Power grew sluggish, and a chilling aura sent an involuntary shiver down his spine.
The grey-robed figure's assault grew fiercer, his sword strikes swift and ruthless, each slash aimed at a vital point.
They exchanged blows, the sharp clang of their blades echoing through the snowy valley. Pale-gold and inky-black energy fragments scattered, sizzling as they landed on the snow, instantly melting it into dark, watery stains.
Klee, sheltered behind Lydia, clutched a Jumpy Dumpty in her small hands but dared not throw it.
They were fighting too close; she was afraid of accidentally hitting Albedo.
Lydia clutched her bleeding shoulder, her forehead beaded with cold sweat from the pain, but her gaze remained locked on the battlefield.
The grey-robed figure's techniques, the rhythm of his sword strikes, even the subtle frequency of his breathing—they were all strikingly similar to Albedo's!
Just then, a strong gust of wind tore back the grey-robed figure's hood, revealing a face that made all three of them freeze instantly!
The same sandy-blond hair, the same facial contours, even the same icy glint in his eyes.
The only difference was that his pupils glowed with a lifeless black light, and his face was utterly devoid of color, like a puppet drained of its soul.
This is... Albedo Jr.?
Lydia's heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the face in disbelief.
No, this can't be right! He's not supposed to appear yet!
And this power...
Her gaze fell to the sword in his hand—its entirely black blade gleamed coldly within the black mist. Though the strange patterns entwined around the hilt were slightly different, Lydia could still recognize it as the Festering Desire!
Albedo was stunned, his eyes filled with shock. "You... why do you look exactly like me?"
Albedo Jr. didn't answer, merely raising his sword to attack again.
This time, his sword strikes were even fiercer, the black mist so thick it threatened to swallow them whole.
Albedo was forced back, steadily losing the upper hand.
Gritting her teeth against the searing pain in her shoulder, Lydia picked up a chunk of frozen snow and hurled it at Albedo Jr. "Teacher Albedo! Now!"
The snowball struck Albedo Jr., and for a split second, he froze.
Albedo seized the opening, his free hand condensing a Geo spike that he thrust toward his opponent's chest.
But Albedo Jr. reacted with lightning speed, twisting aside to dodge as he swung the Black Sword in a backhand strike.
Albedo's arm was instantly slashed open. Blood dripped down, mingling with Lydia's on the snow in a shocking crimson stain.
"Big Brother Albedo!" Klee cried, tears streaming down her face.
She pulled out her largest Jumpy Dumpty, ready to throw it, but Lydia grabbed her wrist tightly. "Don't! You'll hit Albedo!"
Seeing that the two girls dared not interfere, the black light in Albedo Jr.'s eyes intensified. With a sudden surge of strength, he slammed the Black Sword downward, its tip nearly pressing against Albedo's chest.
Albedo was forced to his knees, hastily condensing a Geo wall to block.
BOOM!
The Festering Desire crashed against the Geo wall. The black mist instantly spread, and the solid rock began to corrode, crumbling and flaking away.
Before Albedo could even catch his breath, Albedo Jr.'s sword swept horizontally, aimed straight for his neck!
The hairs on Albedo's arms stood on end. He threw himself backward, using the momentum to flip through the air.
As he landed, the Cinnabar Spindle, imbued with Geo Elemental Power, smashed toward his opponent's back.
But Albedo Jr. seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He spun around and parried with perfect precision, locking them in another stalemate.
Albedo could clearly see the lifeless, artificial skin on his double's face. His eyes held nothing but the madness of slaughter.
Those weren't the eyes of a human; they were the eyes of a puppet, controlled by some unseen force.
"Your power... is too weak," Albedo Jr. rasped, his voice dripping with mockery.
The Black Sword suddenly retracted, then lashed out again in an even faster horizontal sweep.
Albedo's pupils contracted. He threw himself sideways, narrowly dodging the attack.
Snow crystals scraped past his cheek, the cold glint of the Black Sword nearly grazing his skin.
Albedo Jr. grinned, then dissolved into a cloud of black mist.
The next second, the Festering Desire struck from Albedo's left!
Albedo barely managed to block. The immense force slammed him against a rock, a sweet, metallic taste rising in his throat as dark red blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Teacher Albedo!" Lydia's shout had barely faded when Albedo Jr.'s gaze snapped toward her.
The Festering Desire swung, unleashing a half-man-high Black Mist Slash that shot toward Lydia and Klee!
"Don't touch them!" Albedo roared, charging forward. The Cinnabar Spindle, infused with Geo Elemental Power, coalesced into a massive Geo Shield.
BOOM!
The Black Mist Slash slammed into the shield. Cracks instantly spiderwebbed across its surface, and rock fragments rained down.
Albedo held the shield desperately, his arms trembling from the immense force.
He didn't dare let go. Behind him were the people he had to protect.
Seizing the moment of Albedo's distraction, Albedo Jr. instantly appeared behind him, the Festering Desire aimed straight for his heart!
Albedo twisted aside on pure instinct. The blade scraped past his ribs, carving a wound so deep it exposed bone.
The instant blood stained his coat red, Albedo reversed his grip and thrust the Cinnabar Spindle toward Albedo Jr.'s chest. "Bloom!"
This time, he held nothing back. Geo Elemental Power condensed at the sword's tip, forming a blossoming Geo flower.
SQUELCH—
The Solar Isotoma marked Albedo Jr.'s chest and instantly exploded!
He let out a hoarse roar as his body flew backward, slamming heavily onto the snow. The Festering Desire fell from his grasp, landing far away.
But before Albedo could even breathe a sigh of relief, Albedo Jr. began to climb up from the snow.
Black mist roiled within the wound on his chest, which began to slowly heal at a rate visible to the naked eye!
"Impossible..." Albedo's eyes widened in disbelief.
Albedo Jr. chuckled lowly. The black mist condensing in his hand grew so thick that the surrounding temperature plummeted.
"The game... is over."
With a flick of his wrist, he lunged, his five fingers spread wide, aiming straight for Albedo's heart.