Chapter 10 : Who am I ?

The ninja lay unconscious on the ground, while the spectators, shocked by what had just happened, remained frozen in absolute silence. The mysterious masked figure left the arena with unwavering composure.

When Sora regained consciousness, he apologized to his team before heading to his second fight. His opponent, possessing a camouflage ability similar to that of a chameleon, could alter his appearance at will. Without hesitation, Sora drew his katana and attacked directly. However, his strike was blocked by his opponent's arm, which, to his great surprise, was made of steel.

— "You will never be able to defeat me," declared his adversary before delivering a powerful blow to Sora's stomach.

The opponent then turned towards Yukiko, who was seated in the stands, and with a mocking smile, addressed Sora:

— "This is all your fault. Yukiko is the perfect woman, and you came to steal her from me. But don't worry… I will kill you and take your appearance, so she will be mine, and mine alone!"

Immediately, his body transformed, taking on Sora's exact appearance. Sora, eyes wide open, was struck by a disturbing vision,he was facing his own reflection, which reminded him of the doppelgänger he had seen in his mind.

— "YOU! I'M GOING TO DESTROY YOU, YOU WRETCHED DOG!" he roared.

Channeling his energy into his katana, he leaped with a speed that took his opponent by surprise. The latter once again hardened his steel arms to block the attack, but the sheer force of Sora's katana shattered them instantly. In a cry of agony, his opponent lost both arms.

Sora, his gaze cold and devoid of pity, prepared to finish him off. However, Isamu intervened just in time:

— "That's enough, Juro! You've done enough!"

— "NO! THIS BASTARD MUST DIE! OTHERWISE, I WILL DIE!" Sora shouted, his voice filled with uncontrollable rage.

— "What are you talking about? Did you take a hit to the head?" exclaimed Isamu.

As he met Sora's gaze, he immediately realized something was wrong. Sora's eyes had turned completely white. Without hesitation, Isamu struck him in the stomach, knocking him unconscious once more.

The tournament organizers had to vote on whether or not to disqualify Sora. The psychological impact of his recent fights had disrupted the tournament's flow, with the next two phases being rushed. Ultimately, it was decided that Sora would continue competing, partly because only six fighters remained, including a formidable opponent, Asuka Moriko, who had defeated all her phase three opponents in under two minutes.

The matchups were then announced:

Isamu would face Kimi.

Yukiko would go up against the mysterious masked figure.

And finally, Sora would battle Asuka.

The participants were given three days to prepare themselves physically and mentally.

While everyone was training, Sora remained unconscious. But in his mind, he once again found himself facing his doppelgänger.

— "YOU AGAIN!" he roared, throwing a punch at him.

With a simple motion, his double caught the attack with one hand.

— "Calm down, Juro. It's not very polite to attack someone before even saying hello."

— "WHAT DO YOU WANT, YOU SCOUNDREL?"

His doppelgänger smirked.

— "You will never win your next fight."

— "I DON'T CARE! I JUST WANT TO DESTROY YOU!"

— "Alright… But don't you want to know who you really are?"

Sora paused, unsettled.

— "Wh… Who am I?" he murmured.

He sat down, ready to listen.

— "Very well. Know that the only way to defeat Asuka is to let me take control."

— "NEVER!" Sora shouted.

— "Do you want to win or not?"

Sora remained silent, and his doppelgänger continued:

— "Your power comes from the oldest creatures in this world. You were stung by a Kaiju bee. Normally, it should have taken your life, but since you were already on the brink of death, it disrupted the bee's will. Instead of killing you, it transported you here."

Sora, eyes wide in shock, stammered:

— "I… I'm not from this world?"

His doppelgänger stared at him, astonished.

— "You don't remember anything?"

— "Only my identity… and two people I don't recognize."

The double sighed.

— "I see. You're lost in this world. In that case, let's make a deal: let me use your body, and in return, I'll help you discover who you really are. What do you say?"

Sora thought for a moment, sitting cross-legged, then responded:

— "Alright… But on one condition: no dirty tricks."

His doppelgänger burst into laughter.

— "Of course."

Sora then opened his eyes in reality. A newfound determination filled his gaze.

With confident steps, he headed toward his final battle.