Battle Across The Omniverse

Jayr POV - Tortus, Frost Caverns of Schnee - 2013

After dealing with the whispers, the only annoyance left in this long mirror-house-like passage is the frost ogres coming after us sporadically, along with the annoying traps that were clearly meant to make us drop our concentration and significantly increased the danger, but of course, all these little trick are destined to fail in front of our overwhelming strength.

And after walking for another hour, we finally discover a large room at the end of the passage, indicating the end of this long and annoying passage.

Inside the room, there are gigantic gates that have a design a lot similar to the previously sealed doors we saw, but because the gates have no dent where something can be inserted, unlike the previously sealed doors of the maze, it seems that we won't need to go through the trouble of doing something like collecting gems one more time.

I check the compass, and it seems there was no mistake about this place being our goal.

Seeing that, Tio lets out a sigh of relief and comments, "Fuu, looks like we finally made it. These gates are the goal. However…" Eri nods and concludes, "Un… it's obviously suspicious."

I carefully look around and add, "At times like this. You would normally expect to be attacked once you reach this point... It is a classic..." at the same time, I use all my senses to search for the presence of enemies, but I sense nothing.

So I say, "Well, I don't sense anything... So there is only one thing left to do. Walk inside and get attacked..." and without hesitation, I walk ahead as the vanguard, while Eri and Tio follow right behind me.

Then, when we reach the center of the room, sure enough, it happens, a bright light almost like the sun starts to pour down from the ceiling, increasing the brightness of the whole room, and not only it produces light, but it also generates enough heat to warm up this freezing room.

While I focus on the "sun", I hear Eri's voice next to me as she says, "… Jayr. The surroundings." the next moment, I take my eyes off the false sun and start to look around us and see that all the surroundings are glittering.

The light coming through the spray of snow overhead is reflected on the ice crystals in the air, giving an effect I'm quite familiar with, so I mutter, "Diamond dust..."

However, compared to natural diamond dust, something is off.

The glittering is obviously far too intense, it feels as though there are countless lamps floating in the air, moreover, one part of the ice shard is shining increasingly bright moment by moment, they are obviously gathering the heat from the false sun, and they are about to discharge it.

Of course, I won't allow us to be attacked by such a trap that could put us in a disadvantaged position, so without hesitation, I cast a Saecularia Viverra (Worldly Pull), and with it, I manipulate the attractive force to gather together all the diamond dust in the shape of a sphere that continues to shine brighter and brighter about to erupt at any moment, then I quickly jump to get close to the fake sun and unleash a Spēlaion Mikron Bary Melan, obliterating the false sun together with the sphere of diamond dust with a small sized swirling black hole, dealing with this trap in one swoop.

As I land, Tio gives me a thumbs up and says, "Good job, Master. Now we can deal with what is about to come without the interference of those ice shards, something tells me that they could be very annoying to deal with..."

And Eri adds, "But, this thick snow continues to fall, and it is starting to impair my normal vision... I have to use the glasses to see what lies ahead..."

Hearing that, I look around and see that it is true, so much snow is falling that it is becoming difficult to see beyond a few meters and nod, then looking at the gates at the end of the room, I say, "Let's not waste any more time and go!" and we all calmly walk toward them.

But just as expected, as soon as we reach the center of the room, from the still falling snow, three lumps of ice, each the size of a car, come falling down.

They look fairly heavy and once they crash on the ground, they break it and create some craters in it.

The big ice lumps are so transparent that the other side can be seen, but in the heart of those ice lumps there are dark red crystals, 'Their purpose is easy to guess. Those are the cores...'

At the same time, Eri clicks her tongue and says, "Tsk. Perfect more golem... I had enough of them in Miledy's Labyrinth..."

Then as if acting accordingly, the shape of the lumps of ice immediately change and turn into human-like forms of five meters in length, they hold a halberd in one hand, and a tower shield in the other, short and stout, just like golems, they line up to block the exit.

Looking at them I say, "There are three of them, one for each of us..." Eri raises her staff and says, "I take the one on the left..." while Tio also takes her combat stance and declares, "This one will deal with the one on the right..."

At the same time, I bring out my Tactical Arms in its Sword Form and say, "Then the one in the middle is mine... But be careful, the effects of the precedent passage could still be here, do not lower your guard..."

Hearing that, the girls nod, and then they start their assaults on the golems, the first to make a move is Tio as she unleashes her Dragon Breath at the golem on the right, pushing it back by a few meters, but unable to damage it as the tower shield held by those frost golems are more solid that they appear, as even if it is half melted, it was able to withstand Tio's Dragon Breath and protect the golem behind it.

At the same time, Eri summons her Undead Puppets from her shadow and soon they rush toward the frost golem on the left and start to keep it occupied long enough to allow Eri to find an opening to give the fatal blow.

And while the girls start their fight against their frost golems, I rush toward mine, that it also moves toward me with its tower shield raised but it's very slow and its heavy weight makes the ground tremble, and as it rushes forward, it sprays the snow on the ground all around, making its appearance very fierce.

Once close enough, the frost golem swipes its ice halberd, which is nearly transparent, aiming to cut my body in half, but I lean my upper body forward and dodge its attack making the halberd axe head pass over my head by a few centimeters but even so, I can still feel the strong wind generated by such attack indicating that the power behind it is nothing to scoff off, then without wasting any moment, I attack the frost golem with a diagonal upward slash, hitting the tower shield of the golem that breaks under the immense force of my attack, but still it is able to protect the frost golem, that is now thrown off the ground.

But even in mid-air, the frost golem is relentless in its attack, and this time, it thrusts the halberd, aiming to pierce my chest with its tip, of course, it is a futile attempt because I take advantage of the centrifugal force of my previous attack to turn my body and dodge the attack.

Then I jump toward the frost golem that still has to pull back the halberd, and with a decisive vertical slash, I cut it in half, of course cutting the core within it at the same time, destroying it once and for all, but then, the frost golem's two parts breaks into many little pieces, and start swirling around.

That whirl quickly becomes a spiral that looks like a tornado and stretches in a straight line, like an eye of a typhoon, there isn't a single ice fragment inside the center of the spiral, and then, ahead of the spiral there is the door that is our goal

Seeing this I mutter, "So this is to protect those that completed this trial from the attacks of the diamond dust that I have destroyed, but also to separate the one that successfully cleared this trial from the others so that they can't go and help them... Classic Labyrinth stuff..."

Then I use my senses to check on Eri and Tio and feel, that Tio has just destroyed her frost golem with a barrage of fireballs, while Eri's frost golem is now being held still by her Undead Puppets, and Eri is about to release what Oscar likes to call the Super Glasses Beam, a laser shoot by the glasses that use the light and heat gathered throughout the day.

Seeing that they are fine, I calmly walk toward the goal at the end of this tornado and wait for them in front of the door, I don't have to wait for long, as soon, both Eri and Tio are standing in front of me perfectly fine, and I greet them with a hug for Eri and a loud slap on the butt for Tio which incites another sensual moan.

But soon because all the members had passed through the snow veil and gathered in front of the gate,  the snow veil once more rose into the sky and the field of vision cleared up.

And then the gigantic gate that should become the entrance shines brilliantly as though informing us of clearing the trial, but it didn't open, but begin to form a membrane of light, and seeing that Tio comments, "Looks like, this membrane of light is turning into the entrance." followed by Eri, "… It resembled a gate. A teleport entrance?" to which I nod and say, "Very likely... There is also the possibility that we would be separated like in Haltina's Labyrinth... so be careful on the other side..."

Then Eri asks, "No spoiler?", but I shake my head and reply, "I just took a quick glance at the Great Labyrinth section of the wiki, I only remember the part about the whispers because I thought it was quite peculiar..."

Hearing that, Eri nods, then mutters, "To think that there is out there a universe where my whole life can be found on Wikipedia..."

Seeing that everyone doesn't need to rest and recover, I say, "Now then, let's go." along with my words, we all leap into the gate of light, and as I'm momentarily blinded, I once more, feel the familiar sensation of my surrounding suddenly changing.

When the brightness that dyed my field of vision settled, I slowly open my eyes, at the same time, my other senses, quickly picked up what happened, so I mutter, "… So we got divided. Well, it's within expectation... Rule number 1 when diving in a Great Labyrinth: Expect to be played around in all kinds of twisted ways..." then I start to check my surroundings.

When my gaze wanders around, I see that I'm in some kind of narrow passage, inside this two-meter passage there are more mirrors in all four directions like a mirror house, my figure is reflected at my left, right, up, and down, even when I turn to look back there is only a wall, 'There isn't a single thing that seems to be an entrance. It is a place where I can only advance forward...'

Realizing this, I advance without any hesitation, as the sound of my footsteps walking on the mirror-like ice reverberated all around.

And after walking on this straight path without stopping for about 10 minutes, I finally reach a large room with a huge pillar that connects the ceiling and the floor in the center, similar to the mirror-like ice wall, the round ice pillar also reflects my image perfectly.

Looking at that pillar I mutter, "There is no other passage… that means, that ice pillar is the key to the next trial..."

And so I walk closer to the ice pillar, its diameter is large, so my reflection on it isn't distorted even when I'm right in front of it, it was like one more me comes from the world inside the mirror, and the closer I get, the larger my reflection figure gets.

Finally, I'm close enough that I can touch the ice pillar with my hand, and study my image reflected in it, a tall and muscular young man, with messy dark blue hair and crimson eyes, indicating the current use of my Magic Power, wearing some simple clothes, and with the Crateris Pandora Box still on my shoulders, looking at my image, especially my hair, I can't help but comment, "Damn... As long as I visit anime universes, such color, and Saiyan-like hairstyles won't draw too much attention... well, to tell the truth, not even in a normal universe, after all before I died the people dyed their hair in all kinds of colors, in fact, it is a very old human habit."

Then scratching my hair, I continue, "The only problem will be if I find myself in a universe where such color is way too unusual and attracts too much of the wrong kind of attention, and by that, I mean my fellow Champions, especially the same kind as the late Maoshi, may his soul end up in Boku no Pico Universe."

Suddenly, a voice, I'm already quite familiar with resounds, [That's pretty cruel, you know?] I look at my figure coming out of the ice pillar and mutter, "As expected, it comes out..."

My mirror image looks at me, and with a smile on his face, he asks, [As expected you are calm, eh? I am just as expected?] I calmly smile back and reply, "Come on, I have read and watched so many anime and manga, that something as fighting a mirror self became a staple, do I have to list a few of them?"

My mirror self puts his Pandora Box on the ground and sitting on it he says, [Well, I'm curious now...] so I mirror his stance and sit in front of him, then I say, "Well, the closest to our current situation are Bleach, where Ichigo fights his Inner Hollow, and Naruto, where Naruto fights against his Dark Self to learn to control Kurama's Chakra... In fact, it is something I prepared for a long time. No matter what, I always try to face the darkest and most hidden parts of myself and accept them as well... part of me... no matter how ugly or disturbing they can be."

Hearing that, my mirror image smirks and says, [So that is why I feel so weak, for you this kind of trial is useless... As expected of me...] then he smiles and says, [Well, at least, I don't have to get beaten up by you... Especially since you can count on your Cloth, while mine is just a pale dead imitation...] and as he says this he pats the Pandora Box, at the same time, I mirror his movement and says, "Well, with Crateris by my side I'm basically unbeatable... To really harm me with it one needs to use enough power to erase this whole universe..."

Then my mirror image gets up and spreads his arms wide, and with a calm smile on his face, he says, [Well, do it quickly... they could need your help...] I nod and walk in front of him and without hesitation, I punch him in the chest, and the next instant, my mirror image explodes into many small bright lights, then I pick up the Pandora Box and walk toward the newly generated door on the other side of this room, at the same time, I mutter, "That was weird... And more important, in the eyes of the law is that considered a suicide or a murder...?"

While thinking about such an inane thing, I walk through the door and find myself in another long ice-mirrored corridor just like the previous one, "After this, I don't want to see a mirror for a week... At the very least."

And as I said this, I continue to advance at a quick pace worried about the girls, especially Eri as she is for sure the one with the greatest darkness among us, but then I realize, 'Wait! Eri is quite aware of her own dark side, hell, I'm sure that she lets her dark side take control from time to time, the grooming of Noriko is a clear sign of it... That freaking ghost is becoming stronger and stronger it is now able to create her own curses, and she basically worships Eri...'

After a few minutes, I see another door in front of me, and without hesitation, open it, and I'm instantly assaulted by shockwaves and torrents of magic power, then looking inside, I see the figure of two Tios, both of them raising one of their hands while firing black and pure white flashes at each other.

The opposing two colored flashes are clashing right from the front in the middle of Tio and the mirror image of Tio wearing white kimonos and hair that is white like snow.

The two flashes are swallowing each other. and the shockwaves I felt are the result of the collision of the two Dragon's Breaths, at the same time, I hear Mirror Tio say, [Fufufu, I feel it. Thy hatred and rage. The fear and resignation. No matter how many hundreds of years has passed, that tragedy that cannot be forgotten, the betrayal of the people thy protected as easily as flipping over one's hand, the gazes of scorn and fright, the murder of thy comrades, friends, parents, the humiliation carved on their corpse.] and such declaration is met with silence, as she seems to relive her worst memories.

I look at Tio with worry, uncertain if I should rush in to help or wait, then I look in the middle of the space that is dyed with white and black flashes and see the mirror image of Tio that is floating with a repugnant smile while talking with a voice that is resounding with excessive clarity, and after a few seconds, I decide to fully trust Tio's capabilities, 'Even if most of the times, she acts like a pervert, I have to remember that she is also one of the wisest people of this world, moreover, she also was unaffected by the whispers of the previous trial...'

While I was thinking that, Mirror Tio continues, [O thee. At that time, it was quite an exhilarating feeling, wasn't it? Remember, that time when thou smashed the church into dust? Even in that time of great persecution, the fellows who cornered us and united all the countries together against us were the church. Trampling the hateful enemy, it was an indescribable pleasure wasn't it?]

Hearing those words, Tio doesn't even try to protest, she is only staying quiet and keeps firing her breath, it is as though she is affirming the words of her mirror image.

Perhaps getting into a good mood because of that, the tongue of the mirror image of Tio is getting increasingly smoother, as she continues, [At first, even when thou thought of going together with Jayr Pucci, actually what thou actually thought was to 'use' him correct? The power of that man is way too abnormal. Moreover, it knew the truth about the mastermind behind that incident and wanted to deal with him. And, in that case, the mastermind of that great persecution that unnaturally started suddenly, the god too, would surely direct his attention at him. And then, just like what he did at the dragon clan who once possessed power, the god would also bare his fang at him again. When that happen, the fang of Jayr Pucci would be directed at the god too, it might be of assistance for the killing of god, that was what thou thought].

Hearing that, I smile while thinking, 'Of course that is something, I already knew... When we first met that was exactly what Tio was thinking and planning, one doesn't live for 500 years to be a totally clueless idiot... Unless, it is a Cultivator from a Chinese Novel, damn, no matter how many eons they live, they always make the same kind of mistakes...'

It seems that Tio noticed my presence, as she sends a glance at me, but on her face, there is no emotion visible at all, not even cheerfulness, or her joking smile, or her kindness, or the light of intellect, none of those are reflected there, but even so, I still look at her with the same gentle smile trying to make my feelings reach her.

Meanwhile, Mirror Tio still continues, [Human, demi-human, the devil, and then god. At that time, thou hate everything who stole those important for thou. But, that hatred, rage, those are something natural for thou to have. Yes, revenge, is thy legitimate right!] at the same time, the white flash is slightly beginning to swallow the black flash.

The balance between them begins to crumble, perhaps that is because the words of the mirror image are shaking the heart of Tio, at the same time, the mouth of the mirror image of Tio distorts in a grin looking at the weakened strength of Tio while, slowly, she presents her hand that isn't releasing the Dragon Breath and says, [Take my hand. If thou do that, I will enable thou to accomplish that revenge. It's fine already to not forcefully repress the hell fire smoldering inside thy heart. Thy fang of revenge won't dull because of the torment of thy conscience. I will skillfully lead Jayr Pucci. No worry, that man too is not thinking unfavorably of me. He is a sweet man toward anyone who has entered his heart. And we already did so.]

The momentum of the white breath is increasingly getting stronger, and the black breath is getting weaker as though expressing Tio's heart, but I still look at this calmly, because I can clearly see something in Tio's eyes, and it isn't resignation, fury, or thirst for revenge.

The white flash is just about to hit, but, at that time when it seems that Tio would fall, suddenly a voice resounds, that is the voice of Tio who until now hadn't said even a single word, "We, don't know the meaning of our own existence."

It is a calm voice, rather than calling that talking, it is more like ascertaining something inside oneself, "Is this body a beast, or man? If everything in this world has meaning then where is that answer could be."

Hearing that, the mirror image notices something and leaks out a murmur, [Those words…] at the same time, I notice how the progress of the breath she fired stopped still.

Meanwhile, Tio continues, "Many months and years without an answer. In that case, whether man or beast, we will hold our soul with determination."

And as the black flash starts moving forward, Mirror Tio exclaims, [-, my strength…, impossible, just what in the world, starts this?]

With hard effort the white was dyed black, the stolen distance was stolen back, and I clearly sense the mirror image weakening along with her pushed-back breath.

While this happens, the sonorous words of Tio resound so clearly that they gradually even overwhelm the thunderous roar of the breaths playing out, "The eyes of dragon see through the straight truth, destroying deceit and suspicion. The claw of the dragon tears apart the rampart of steel, crushing the nesting malice. The fang of the dragon crunches one's own weakness, washing away hatred and rage. Benevolence, at the time that is lost, we are merely a beast. Be that as it may, as long as we continue to wield the sword of reason, we are the Dragonman!"

Then Tio opens her eyes wide together with her proclamation, her pupil split vertically and showed her inner dragon, shining brilliantly in golden color.

At the same time, an invisible pressure is overflowing from Tio, so strong that a weaker being would probably fall on his knees or even pass out, in fact, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm in the Arifureta Universe, I would have thought that she just awakened her Conqueror Haki.

Meanwhile, the mirror image's expression turns into a shocked look as she exclaims, [… Don't tell me, thou. Thou were holding back?]

Hearing that, I shake my head and say, "No, Tio is controlling the weakening and strengthening of her mirror image with her own mind. She is basically controlling her own emotions so that the mirror image's strength is at her desired level... It isn't something a regular person can do."

At the same time, Tio says, "O will of the great labyrinth. I thank thou. A chance to listen objectively to one's own true heart objectively cannot be found that easily. Because the heart, is something like a vast sea, perhaps there is a gap created while I myself don't notice it and so I made use of thou but… unexpectedly, I collect quite a harvest here."

Those words cause the mirror image to comprehend that her assumption is correct and her expression turns increasingly unbelieving, [… But, there is no falsehood in what I said! There is no way thy false emotion is gone! Why I'm this easily-.]

But to such words, Tio narrows her eyes, then she unleashes her full might.

The sleeves of her black kimono and her long smooth black hair that reached until her waist are flapping due to the torrent of magic power, while Tio is standing majestically, her figure where her hand is stretching straight ahead is so beautiful that, for a moment, it takes my breath away.

Not even a fragment of her perversion is showing through, with her standing figure that could be mistaken as a queen, Tio puts her soul into her words that resound with majestic power, "Don't look down on me. Know just who I am. I'm the proud dragon, the descendant, and princess of the Klarus Clan, Tio Klarus is here!"

The mirror image of Tio has no words, in her expression, it looks like there was some kind of understanding, as though to say that she was beaten, she is floating a vague smile that looks like that.

Toward such a mirror image of hers, Tio majestically gifts her last words, "Thing like fang of revenge… is no comparison to the might of the true fang of a dragon. Thou can taste it by that body of thee."

And right after that, Tio's breath pulses, it turns thicker as though it is doubled, not tolerating even the littlest of resistance, and swallowed all the white, and then, without stopping it opens a large hole in the wall of the room and disperse, leaving nothing behind.

After giving a glance at the ice area that is immediately repaired, and the newly appeared ice passage, Tio turns on her heel without looking especially happy or moved.

She waved the sleeve of her black kimono gracefully and elegantly brushed off the hair hanging in front of her with one hand, that tranquil atmosphere and beautiful gesture, completed with the overwhelming strength of just now, caused words of peerless beauty to naturally float in my mind.

Then Tio turns her gaze at me and smiles gently, but then her smile turns into her usual one as she says, "Master! Thou heard it right!? My mirror image exposed my thoughts when we first met! I will be punished, right? Furthermore, it will be an extraordinary punishment without a doubt!"

I move closer to Tio and caressing her cheek I say, "Yes after we are done with this Labyrinth, I will have a very special punishment for you, be prepared..." to my declaration, she lets out a beautiful smile and says, "Yes!"