Chapter 71: The Abyss Revealed
Sai stood frozen at the threshold of the throne room, his heart **pounding violently** against his chest.
Because standing before him, staring with golden abyssal eyes that **burned with the weight of eternity**, was **himself.**
Not a reflection.
Not an illusion.
It was **him.**
But **not him.**
The figure standing by the throne was **older**, sharper. His hair was longer, streaked faintly with silver at the temples. His eyes—once human—were now **pure gold**, glowing with the unmistakable power of the Abyss.
His armor was sleek and black, **etched with golden veins of abyssal fire**, and his cloak seemed to bleed into the mist itself, shifting like it was part of the darkness.
And in his hand, he held **a crown.**
Sai's breath came slow and steady, his knuckles white from how tightly he gripped his daggers.
But he didn't move.
Because the **figure didn't either.**
It simply **watched him.**
And **smiled.**
**"You recognize me."**
The voice was Sai's. The same tone, the same pitch. **But heavier.** Deeper. Carved with years of power and **something else.**
Something **ancient.**
Sai's chest tightened. "What the hell is this?"
The golden-eyed version of himself—**the Abyssal King**—tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering across his face.
**"You already know."**
Sai's fingers **tightened around his blades.**
Lena's voice was barely above a whisper. "Sai… what is that?"
Ezren's abyssal eyes narrowed. "It's him."
Kael's grip on his greatsword **tensed** slightly, his golden abyssal aura pulsing faintly. "No. That's something else."
Sai took a slow breath, **never taking his eyes off the figure.**
His voice came out steady. "You're not me."
The Abyssal King's smile widened slightly. **"No?"**
Then he **moved.**
In the blink of an eye, **he was directly in front of Sai.**
No sound. No warning.
Just **there.**
Sai's instincts **screamed.**
He flickered backward with **Abyssal Step**, daggers flashing—**but he was already too slow.**
The Abyssal King's hand **caught his wrist mid-strike,** faster than Sai could follow. The older version of himself **didn't even flinch.**
And in that moment—**Sai felt it.**
The power radiating from him.
Not just abyssal energy.
Something **greater.**
Older.
Like the **Abyss itself** was clinging to him.
And for the first time, **Sai was afraid.**
The King's golden eyes narrowed slightly. "You're still weak."
Then—**he slammed Sai into the ground.**
The impact cracked the stone, sending a shockwave through the chamber. Sai gasped, the wind **ripped from his lungs** as he skidded backward, rolling over rubble.
Kael was already **moving.**
His massive greatsword **swung down,** golden abyssal flames **trailing behind it.**
The King didn't even turn.
He **flicked his wrist,** and a pulse of golden-black energy **exploded outward.**
Kael was sent **flying across the chamber,** his blade spinning from his grasp as he hit the wall with a violent crack.
"Kael!" Lena screamed, already moving, her chakrams blazing with fire.
She **threw them** in a rapid arc, aiming for the King's throat.
But the golden-eyed Sai simply **turned slightly,** and the chakrams **halted mid-air.**
Lena's eyes widened. "What the—?"
The weapons **reversed direction** instantly, hurtling back toward her. She barely had time to throw herself down as her own chakrams **sliced through the air above her.**
Sai staggered to his feet, **breathing hard.**
The King slowly turned back toward him, watching him with faint amusement.
**"Is this all?"**
Sai's **teeth clenched.**
He **vanished,** flickering around the King's blind spot, daggers flashing—**but the King was already waiting.**
A black gauntlet **caught Sai's blade mid-strike.**
And for the first time, Sai realized the truth.
**He couldn't beat him.**
Because this wasn't just a reflection.
It wasn't just some doppelgänger or illusion.
It was **him.**
The Sai that **had taken the throne.**
The Sai that had **given in** to the Abyss.
And he was **stronger.**
Faster.
Smarter.
And **merciless.**
The golden-eyed Sai's voice was soft, almost mocking.
**"You're holding back."**
Then—**he slammed his palm into Sai's chest.**
A pulse of **golden abyssal energy** detonated, sending Sai crashing through the stone floor. He hit the ground **hard**, skidding over the slick surface, coughing violently.
**Too strong.**
**Too fast.**
The King stepped forward slowly, watching Sai struggle to stand.
And then he **smiled again.**
**"You can't win."**
Sai wiped blood from his lip, **glaring through the pain.**
"Then I'll have to try harder."
---
### **Fighting Himself**
Sai **pushed himself forward.**
The ground beneath him **shattered** as he moved, abyssal flames **coiling around his daggers.**
He didn't hold back this time.
He **flickered between planes**, moving faster than he had ever moved before. His daggers struck from **every angle**, slashing and carving, sending arcs of abyssal fire toward the King.
But the golden-eyed Sai **wasn't even trying.**
He blocked **every single strike** with casual precision, his movements **fluid and natural**, as though he had fought this battle **a thousand times** before.
Because he **had.**
The King caught Sai's wrist mid-strike, twisting sharply, forcing him to drop one of his daggers.
Then, with a flick of his hand, **he shattered the blade.**
Sai's eyes widened.
"That… was mine," he growled.
The King smirked faintly. "Not anymore."
Sai **twisted free,** flickering backward, only for the King to **appear behind him instantly.**
A gauntlet **clamped around Sai's throat.**
And **slammed him into the ground.**
Sai **choked**, his lungs burning. He barely had time to summon a burst of abyssal energy, forcing the King back.
He staggered to his feet, **breathing heavily.**
The golden-eyed Sai smiled faintly.
**"You're too slow. Too weak. Too human."**
Sai's hands **trembled slightly** around his remaining dagger. His vision blurred from the impact, his chest **aching from the blow.**
But he didn't stop.
He **couldn't.**
Not now.
Sai's voice came out low and steady.
"Yeah?"
His eyes **narrowed.**
"Then maybe it's time I stop holding back."
---
### **Embracing the Abyss**
Sai **let go.**
The Abyss—**the power he had fought so hard to resist**—rose instantly.
The mist around him **darkened, turning violent,** swirling like a storm. The stone beneath him **cracked**, black veins of abyssal energy pulsing outward.
The **Abyss itself** answered his call.
His golden-eyed counterpart's smile **faded slightly.**
Because now?
Sai wasn't holding back.
He **flickered forward**, faster than before, the mist **moving with him**.
When he slashed, the Abyss **slashed with him.**
And this time—**he drew blood.**
The King's eyes **narrowed sharply** as the dagger bit into his side, golden ichor dripping from the wound.
Sai grinned slightly. "Looks like you're not invincible after all."
The King's voice was quiet.
**"Don't mistake that for victory."**
Then—**they collided.**
Abyss against Abyss.
And the **throne trembled** as they fought.