A/N: Hello, everyone! Before diving into this chapter, please ensure you've read "Chapter Fifty-Nine: I Am You" to avoid any confusion. Thank you and enjoy the read!

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Centuries and even millennia had brought him here. The realm of nothing that surrounded him now burgeoned into something far more palpable—his own mirrored self.

"You are me...?" Y/N's voice trembled with incredulity, grappling with the revelation. Death? Terror? What did these embodiments signify not just for him, but for themselves as a unified entity?

The shadow did not nod but instead flicked its armored claws, a gesture that sent Y/N crashing to his knees under the unbearable weight of an intangible force.

'Th-This is!' Y/N struggled against the crushing pressure, his breath ragged. He recognized this force; it was Monarch's Hand, a telekinesis that far surpassed any mundane manipulation, capable of exerting unseen but profoundly felt forces.

But this was different, deeper. It wasn't just the physical pressure that tortured him, but an emotional onslaught as well; it was as if a curse wrapped around him, echoing the voices of his companions and loved ones with malevolent whispers.

These weren't audible words but corrosive feelings, gnawing at his psyche like a spectral version of IX devouring his soul.

"Indeed. You should recognize this," the shadow spoke, its voice chillingly familiar. "A fragment of us, the ability to dominate—to destroy and conquer. Our enemies falter swiftly under such power. But consider the monotony that might ensue, no?" With a dismissive flick, the warrior released Y/N, who collapsed, gasping for air.

Gasping, Y/N felt overwhelmed, as if he were a sink overflowing, the emotional onslaught spilling over like a flood.

The shadow warrior continued, unrelenting, "You have not explored the full spectrum of your gifts. You focused too intently on the shadows, thinking them sufficient for offense and defense. But have you considered their impact on the environment itself?"

Silence followed, heavy and expectant.

"You give me silence, yet you have barely scratched the surface of your path. The role of the messiah you once envisioned—I have attempted it."

Catching the last bit of that declaration, Y/N finally found the strength to look up. "You have... tried? I thought you were just my ego."

The warrior shook its head, the fiery purple mane subtly waving. "Yes and no. Both answers imply I am you, but I am also not. Tell me, what did the Progenitor say about our roles?"

Y/N's mind flashed back to a pivotal moment, a conversation shadowed with gravity. "A side character turned co-author..."

"Exactly," the shadow affirmed. "Yet, we have not fulfilled that role, and it seems increasingly impossible."

The word 'impossible' struck Y/N hard. "Impossible...? The mere possibilities, the chances—they are there. It's just for me—and you—to realize them, no matter the time it takes."

The shadow regarded him with an intensity that turned the void around them palpable, its eyes glowing a deep, rich purple and black through the slit of its helmet. The air around them seemed to tremble with shared rage and revelation.

Then, as suddenly as it had built, the tension evaporated. "I was born from the Abyss, an incomplete, mindless concept," the shadow confessed.

Y/N recognized these words, similar to those the Progenitor had spoken. "Don't tell me! You—"

"It was not until our paths crossed that I was truly born—from your rage, shaped by your feelings and knowledge, honed by your experiences and her influence. This is me. This is who you could have been," the shadow declared, and the weight of those words felt like an eternity to Y/N.

He had thought the figure before him merely an aspect of his ego, but now he understood it was much more. It was him—a potential, a persona that could have been but had not been realized. How had this alternative version of himself come to be?

The shadow remained still, then swept its arm across the void, transforming the nothing into a space of cosmos filled with light—a spectacle of miraculous beauty.

Before Y/N stood a tree, vibrant with bubbles of images within each branch. Unlike the dead tree he had once seen, this one was alive, brimming with colorful young leaves, each a fragment of the universe's will—cryptic yet magnificent, a treasure trove of epics and life.

The shadow performed the unthinkable. A dark orb pulsated and made contact with a branch, merging with it. Life and death, concepts and ideas, swirled and transformed. Paths shifted.

"This is Fate, as I perceive and can manipulate it," the shadow explained, though the explanation seemed as cryptic as the universe's own mysteries.

Y/N, bewildered, watched as the once vibrant bubble transformed, now a kaleidoscope of colors embodying Balance and Order, an Equilibrium of thought.

"By altering Fate this way, we reshape the world to accommodate us, ensuring peace even as everything else changes. Tell me, Y/N, now seeing this—are you prepared to alter their Fates to secure your own peace?" the shadow queried, the bubble resting gently in its armored hand.

Y/N remained silent, overwhelmed by the simplicity yet profound implications of the act.

"I see. You are at a loss, but that is unsurprising. I am you, after all," the shadow remarked, then shifted the surroundings once more into a battlefield—the very land where the High Cloud Quintet had once challenged his corrupted self.

The scene stilled, and the shadow warrior summoned a greatsword from the darkness, its bleak aura a testament to its destructive power.

"Your will to live has waned under the weight of perceived impossibilities. Yet, there might still be a chance," it said, its tone a mix of challenge and encouragement.

"Why should I continue? You've called me pathetic," Y/N murmured, his will to fight dwindling.

"You surrender too easily. You, who have received everything with ease. I, on the other hand, have thrived by striving beyond what seemed possible," the shadow countered, its critique sharp yet truthful.

"Aha blessed you with the power of impersonation, which you saw as mental aid. Akivili gave you freedom, which you used merely as a tool. Fuli taught you to respect and protect your identity, yet you wander lost," it continued, its words clicking something within Y/N.

The realization hit him; the shadow was not just an echo but a manifestation of what he could truly achieve if he pushed beyond the apparent limits.

"We are not mere mortals, nor are we Aeons. We are unique, inserted into this world yet incomplete," the shadow declared, stepping forward, its presence causing the very air to quake.

"I am here to assist us. I refuse to fail again. Even as a non-human, I retain emotions because that is who I am—who you could be, a balance of passions blessed by Aeons," it explained, its voice a mix of resolve and hope.

Y/N managed a faint smile and stood up, summoning the Ornate Dagger to his hand, its blue gem catching the light amidst the dark battlefield.

"I... I'm not sure how to say this. But if I win, what then? We are the same being, how can we coexist?" he asked, hope mingling with curiosity.

The shadow posed ready for battle, its cape billowing as if in a breeze. "That is for us to discover together," it replied, setting the stage for a confrontation that was as much about physical combat as it was about understanding oneself.

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The balance of the world shifted precariously as the two challengers, two halves of the same essence yet distinct in their identities, faced each other. The universe itself seemed to hold its breath, stars and comets freezing in place, the celestial bodies turning into a silent audience for the impending duel.

In the void that wrapped around their battlefield, an eerie yet playful chime of bells echoed, followed by the laughter of both children and adults. It was a sound that hinted at a familiar presence, one known for its whimsical interference.

"Aha... to think you'd be watching us," Y/N voiced out loud, a nostalgic note in his tone as he scanned the scarred landscape.

The shadow, sensing the same presence, felt a stirring of nostalgia within its own essence. "To think the Aeon of Elation would find this amusing. How crude..." it remarked with a slight disdain.

Y/N smiled, eyes closed in a moment of acceptance. "Crude, indeed. But shall we begin?" he proposed, the shadows around them swirling as if responding to his readiness.

No sooner had he spoken than the shadow surged forward, its greatsword of darkness unsheathed and gleaming with a malevolent light, aiming to cleave Y/N in two. Instinctively, Y/N raised his Ornate Dagger in defense, the clash of their weapons sending shockwaves rippling through the fabric of reality. Light and dark contorted around them, morphing into unexpected forms and figures.

Their battle was a tumultuous standstill, each push of Y/N's lightsword against the shadow's greatsword threatening to unravel the world itself. The shadow, leveraging its dominion over the terrain, stomped the ground, creating craters with a single sweep and unbalancing Y/N with a strategic kick.

'It's like my corrupted self fighting against Lan back then,' Y/N thought as he observed the shadow's tactics, which mirrored his own past—a focus on destruction tempered with strategic war wisdom.

Using the Abyssal Gate, Y/N repositioned instantly above the shadow, sword poised to strike. However, the shadow, being his other self, anticipated the move. It countered by using Monarch's Hand to accelerate Y/N's descent, a move Y/N mirrored, leading to a catastrophic clash of their abilities.

As both wielders of Monarch's Hand exerted their will, the space around them began to crack, the very fabric of their battlefield straining under the pressure of their dual manipulations. It was a tug-of-war with no clear victor, a relentless battle for supremacy that eventually led the space to shatter, returning them to the primordial void from which darkness sprang.

Seizing the opportunity, Y/N conjured another lightsword in his free hand, swinging at the shadow. The shadow, however, was unfazed, repelling the attack with a simple punch, enhanced by its own dark energies.

'What a monster! This is the full extent of my power, unrestrained,' Y/N realized as he maneuvered through the air, his every movement orchestrated through Monarch's Hand, turning the battle into a deadly dance.

The shadow, understanding Y/N's intent, attempted to disrupt his rhythm with a powerful swing of its greatsword, a move designed to end the dance prematurely. But Y/N was prepared, absorbing the void's emptiness to replenish his strength and meet the shadow's assault with an unyielding barrage from his Ornate Dagger.

The battle seemed one-sided, with Y/N's flashy techniques pitted against the shadow's straightforward, lethal approach. "You are holding back," Y/N accused as he struggled to land a decisive blow.

The shadow responded not with words but with a forceful punch, enhanced with Monarch's Hand. "I did say this was a fight, but not one to the death. I want you to understand the depth of my capabilities."

"A monster, indeed," Y/N grinned, acknowledging the overwhelming power before him.

"Many have labeled me a monster," the shadow replied, pausing its assault. "Even Jingliu has seen me as an enigma."

Laughing, Y/N responded, "Hahahaha! You are me, after all! We've always been the odd ones out in our circle of seemingly normal friends, no?"

The shadow scoffed at the comparison but acknowledged the truth in Y/N's words. "Ludicrous, but accurate."

"Heh! Our duel has awakened something within me," Y/N declared, a spark of realization in his eyes.

The shadow tilted its head, intrigued. "Enlighten me."

Y/N stabbed his Ornate Dagger into the void below them, the blade stopping mid-air as if hitting an invisible floor. "You fight with minimal movements, maximizing power. I have power but lack your finesse. So, I've developed techniques to compensate."

The shadow listened silently as Y/N elaborated on his strategy, "I've developed techniques to enhance quality of life. My shadows serve as scouts, the darkness of the Abyss becomes my sword and shield, and the enigmatic blessings of the Aeons? I've merged them with the Abyss within me."

"You seem to have not realized the full extent of your capabilities," the shadow interjected, sensing Y/N's moment of clarity.

Y/N looked at the shadow, prompting it to continue. "Within the Abyss lies infinity, and from that infinity springs all possibilities. The Abyss is not just a source of darkness but a cradle for all conceivable realities."

Raising its hand, the shadow conjured a lush, green tree from the void—an illustration of creation from nothingness, a profound demonstration of the Abyss's true potential.

"That means... I can manipulate not just darkness but anything," Y/N realized, awe coloring his tone.

"Precisely," the shadow affirmed, nodding. "Well done."

Complimenting oneself was an odd sensation, Y/N found, but in this strange echo of combat and confrontation, it brought a semblance of happiness—a rare comfort amidst the chaos of self-discovery.

"But we are not done with our fight. I will serve as your model," the shadow declared, its tone resonating with a dual sense of finality and opportunity.

"Eh?" Y/N's confusion was palpable as he watched the shadows swell around them, morphing the void into a blanket of purple and black. It felt like a cloak of shadows had enveloped the world, a dark carpet unfurling beneath their feet.

"What do you mean 'model'?" Y/N questioned, his gaze intense as he sought understanding from his counterpart.

The shadow did not reply verbally. Instead, it swung its sword, now amplified with a surge of shadow energy, compelling Y/N to brace himself with all his might. Using his own shadow as an anchor, he steadied himself against the formidable force.

'Two shadows? But it clearly formed its own sword from the shadow... unless!' Y/N thought quickly, parrying another powerful swing, creating distance between them.

"You created your sword from nothing, and amplified the firepower with shadow energy!" Y/N exclaimed, realization dawning on him.

"Correct," the shadow warrior nodded briefly before resuming its relentless barrage. Swing after swing, it sliced through the nothingness, each strike weighing heavily on Y/N.

In response, Y/N detached his inner mind from his physical actions, allowing his body to react automatically to the onslaught. This separation enabled him to immerse himself fully in the tactical enlightenment he desperately needed.

He watched as the shadow mirror conjured its sword from the abyss, an action that sparked a memory of a formless sword of light Y/N once saw when he was under corruption's grip.

In this realm where all seemed possible, yet unguided, his shadow unveiled myriad possibilities. Y/N realized that unlike others who relied on magic circles and equations for their sorcery, he could bypass these traditional methods. The innate Abyss within him acted as a direct catalyst, powered by pure imagination.

Once, he had struggled to wield a greatsword made of shadows, a feat only achieved momentarily upon awakening from deep memories. But now, he was determined to claim that power fully as his own.

He blinked, and suddenly the scene shifted to a familiar altar bearing the sword. "It still looks the same," he muttered, his steps echoing hollowly in the darkness.

He approached the sword, feeling a surge of hope emanate from the blade—a tangible power of Existence. 'Will this sword shape me, or will I shape it?' he wondered, his hand reaching out slowly to grasp the formless hilt. The world seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat.

Previously, attempts to claim the sword had snapped him back to reality, but now nothing held him back. The world seemed to encourage his action.

With a decisive pull, he swung the sword, and the scene shifted once more. He found the shadow warrior kneeling on one knee, using its sword as a crutch.

"What... happened?" Y/N blinked in confusion.

The shadow warrior began to heal itself, its armor repairing seamlessly. "You have achieved it, and yet, you have not. What awaits will be your next step into your identity," it explained, standing once more as the world around them transformed again.

They were suddenly in a land of gardens, where green and yellow grasses flourished alongside red roses, their petals rising into the air as if heralding the arrival of a grand entity. Choirs and melodious music filled the air, creating a symphony of welcoming.

From the heart of the garden, a figure emerged, bathed in light, her transformation captivating. A white and red dress materialized around her, as regal as a queen in her court, her hair as red as the roses around her.

"Greetings," the figure spoke, her voice as enchanting as the scene around her. "Within me lies the essence of all that hearts perceive as beautiful, all that eyes behold with wonder. It is through me that the abstract becomes admired form, the mundane turns marvelous."

"I am Idrila, the Aeon of Beauty. I offer you my guidance, Y/N, to carve a path that is your own, a journey sculpted by the allure that only true beauty can bestow."

End of Chapter