A Clone's Test

[Verni]

This is nervewracking. I found some leads regarding my classmates. But I still don't know what to do with this information.

Anna says, "As I remember, their leader was Sir Leon and there were three others."

It's unbelievable that my classmates would be here, of all places. Well, at least I confirmed that we got transported on the same world.

Leon, huh? I remember he was President Shira's lackey. He was a hardworking fellow and follows her words without question. He seems like a decent guy but I never talked to him even once.

I wasn't close with the others as well, and to be honest I don't really care much--- except her.

"Are any of them named Myla?"

"Hmm, there was one girl but I don't think so."

If there's one girl who's close to them she might be Fenna or Kezia, in which I could care less.

Even before the sacrifice happened, none of them stood up for me. I constantly got harrassed and my school life was painful. I pretended everything was fine just so I would have the guts to live til tomorrow.

But now, I can't just pretend that I will let you go just like that. It's my time to test you people.

I open my system screen and check the [Map]. It displays a simplistic feature of the city. My clones are scattered through out the city and none thus far have engaged in combat.

However, one of my clones seems to have felt that a group of adventurers is following it.

I can guess that those might be my classmates. They are the only one after all who are strong enough to resist the [Imposing Will] of my clones. Regardless, I would like to see what these people can do.

I call upon my clone telepathically.

'Clone number 18,469.

Show them what you can do.'

Also, I won't even bother to use clone takeover for them. They are simply not worth my time. I don't want anything to do with them nor try to help them. They are on their own as I have also my life.

Goodluck to them I guess, that is if they can survive my clone's test.

Especially, since I'm with Levia and the waitress knows a lot of interesting things in this world that I should know.

I shall just wait here, chill and eat, while also talk to this cute waitress.

[Leon]

After Rendon's and Carl's stand off earlier, when everyone was collapsing, we quickly followed to find the source. We end up looking around aimlessly so we can find it but now it's gone.

"What the hell is going on?" Rendon says. He grips his fist from fear. "Don't tell me--- this is the Eastern Overlord!"

Kezia gasps. "If it's true then we might be in big trouble."

"No, we have no evidence that it's the Easter Overlord. We can't jump to conclusions. We need to investigate first." I say to calm them down.

Before we know it, William and Carl is gone along with their members. Those bastards just disappeared but who cares.

We continue to roam the streets.

Everywhere we go, adventurers have dropped like flies, but we checked that they aren't dead, just unconscious. Right now, the ominous feeling is weaker from before. We can tolerate its intensity now. Did something happen I suppose?

Nathan clicks his tongue. "The people are falling one by one and we can't even do about it."

"I think it's some sort of spell that attacks our psyche. If only Julius is here. He can negate this spell." Kezia says.

"Whatever this dark magic is, it is certainly a high level spell that only someone powerful can pull off." Rendon adds.

Just before us, a man with villainous and magnificent long robe wearing an eerie mask walks by. He ignores us and keeps on walking.

No doubt, it must be him who's doing all of this!

"So it's him, huh?!" Rendon reveals his spear and turns it into a golden one and it becomes longer. It has electricity running across it.

He smiles as he says. [Spear Dial 3: Flash Striker Mode]. A mode where his agility is increased as well as his attack speed. This is where Rendon prioritizes speed.

I've seen it once and even the fastest opponents wasn't be able to keep up.

Regardless, there is something off about this person.

I warn Rendon with an urgent tone. "Rendon, be careful. I have a bad feeling about this."

Rendon chuckles cockily. "Don't worry, I can handle this." He charges quick and reappears in front of the weird robed man. With a plunge of his spear, the man simply stops it with his hand effortlessly.

Rendon is left speechless as he tries to yank his spear away, but he can't.

"I'll support you!" Kezia goes into position. She performs a gesture triangulating her fingers. "I'll stop his movements."

Kezia uses her skill, "Spirit Coffin." Ghost chains appear around the man. It then goes around him. "I got you now!"

However to our surprise, the ghost chains simply pass through the robed man. This is something I never saw before. Despite how much mind stats they have, they won't be able to break away against this ability.

"Kezia, what happened?"

Kezia is shocked. She is on her knees with her mouth agape. "This spiritual chains bind upon the person's soul, thus no matter how strong ones physical body is one won't be able to break free from it. The only explanation is that person has no soul."

"What?!"

No soul? How is that possible? Could this person just be a hollow vessel, following at someones whims? If there's someone who are good at this type of stuff it's the cult. So it must tbe them!

"Kezia, Rendon, Nathan stand firm! We will defeat this masked man and bring closure to this investigation."

The two nods in agreement with their weapons ready. I unsheath my katana as well and brandish it.

However, Rendon is still trying to yank his spear away from the masked man's grip. "Leon, it's easy for you to say that but--- this guy is freaking strong."

The masked man hurls the spear away with Rendon and releasing it and throwing him towards us. "Ahhh!"

The masked man raises his palm towards us and a burning flames shoots out from his palm, coming to our direction.

Nathan catches Rendon, but the masked man's erupting flames is heading straight towards us. I can't imagine the damage this will inflict.

"Damn it! An attack incoming!" I yell.

When Rendon lands on the ground, he says. "Hide behind me!" He grabs two balls from his pockets and it turns into rectangular bulky shields. "Guardian Shield Level 3, Model 56, activate!"

He uses it as a barricade in front of us. We then hide behind it.

A hot stream of flames is released by the masked man's palms, hitting us with tremendous pressure. Rendon grits his teeth as he tries to hold our line.

Nathan helps him to push the shield and resist the flames blasting against us. This flames are insane. The enemy must have had a high wisdom stats seeing his magic output.

Regardless even if we can hold against the flames,the shield and air are turning hot that we just hope we can hold on before we get burnt to crisp.

Kezia aims her hand on the direction of the enemy. She then yells, "Phasing Serpent!" A spiritual serpent is released from her arm. It passes through the shield and the flames while remaining unharmed by the flames.

Afterward, the flames seems to have stopped. Rendon take down the barrier as we begin to pant from exhaustion. We were sweating heavily from the attack after all.

Right now, the ghost serpent is biting on the masked man's chest, though not in a physical manner. But I'm not sure what's going on with her ability.

"Good job Kezia, but what is that thing?" I point to the spirit serpent biting the masked man.

Kezia nods. "That's the phasing serpent, it can only touch mana. Even if it has no soul, I can touch it since it seems to be made of mana."

"Made of mana? Then is it like a summoning?"

"That doesn't seem to be the case. If I can describe it, this thing was created purely from mana. Regardless, my serpent will steal its mana and eventually weaken it."

A complete being like this who is very powerful was created by magic? That's something I haven't heard of. If a spiritual being fights for someone, usually they are summoned or familiars. I wonder how much mana does one have to provide in order to create a being from it.

This man is riddled in mystery. I have to get to the bottom of this!

Eventually, the ghost serpent vanishes from the air. Kezia looks flabbergasted.

"What's wrong?"

"My MP is full. The serpent have reached maximum capacity, that's why my serpent just vanished."

Huh?

Kezia seems tired and disappointed. "Most of all, I haven't even consumed even five percent of his mana capacity."

Who is he? And where did he come from? Tsk, there are too many questions on my mind right now.

Nathan jumps towards it with his Axe charged in flames. With one swing, the masked man leaps away dodging it. The swing creates a giant flying, flaming slash in its path that cuts the houses into two.

Rendon shouts from panic. "Hey, what do you think you're doing you big oaf? You might burn the houses."

"Sorry about that, this guy just give me the vibes that we should go at it with our full strength." Nathan replies.

And he is right. If we don't we will go nowhere.

To our surprise, the masked man begins to speak. We thought he was just a hollow husk for a second.

"You lot are weak. To think the creator is even wary of you."

Creator? Who the hell is he even talking about?

To our surprise, he just swoops in right infront of me and Rendon. That was fast!

The masked man uses his leg and kick Rendon's gut, blasting him away to a far distance and never to be seen.

Nathan while angered, grabs two of his Axe. He enters into his berserk mode by increasing in size and his strength. He launches himself like a furious bull with his head first.

The masked man grabs a stone from the ground, infuses it with mana and enhancing magic. He hurls it on Nathan's direction. The stone breaks through the sound barrier due to its speed and slams against his Axe.

Nathan uses his axe to shield against the stone. He skids backwards as he tries to fight against the stone's momentum but fails to do so. He is blown away and slams on the wall of a nearby house.

It all happened to quick that I don't even know how to react. Looks like this is how strong he is if he is serious.

Right before me, the masked man moves slowly. "You're the heroes from the otherworld correct?"

He knows?

I quickly ready in a fighting stance against him. "How do you know that?"

"I'm part of someone who you people committed a sin upon, after all.

"Someone we know?"

"That's right, I'm but a fragment of his consciousness, and I'm here to deliver his judgement upon you. You can say, I'm here to test you in his stead."

Just when he is about to reach me, I swing my katana on him which he quickly catches. I then yell to my friends while I'm facing him, "do it now!"

Kezia aims his arms towards the masked man, and releases her spell. "Dual Phasing Serpent!" Two ghost snakes which comes from her hands lurches towards the masked man. They then bite on his both of his arms, restraining him in the meantime.

I activate my skill, [Onna-Musha Ommo]. A giant female samurai appears in mid-air. With her spear, she cuts down the masked man violently, causing him to get folded down, that it also engrave a deep slash on the ground.

You're maybe strong but with the power of our friendship combined, nothing can stop us!