"What? That guy has two lives? And these guys in front of us are all copies of us?" Klein couldn't believe it.
Ling Feng, after learning the origin of the mirror attack group, had simply explained it to them.
Upon hearing this, the attack group members despaired. How could they possibly win?
"Those mirrors possess the same strength as us! But it's impossible for them to have no weaknesses."
"And that guy calling himself Blood God, using this technique must come at a cost. So, before he makes his move, we must deal with ourselves."
"To... survive." Ling Feng said solemnly. His Scanning Eye detected that Blood God hadn't fully revived yet. This mirroring ability was activated passively, solely to buy time for Blood God's revival.
The members of the attack group exchanged glances, silent, as if they hadn't accepted this reality.
"I understand." Kirito suddenly spoke. "Asuna, Klein, haven't we overcome so much together? We've worked so hard, isn't it all to survive? Now, at the very end, how can we give up?"
Hearing Kirito's words, Klein was the first to regain his confidence. "We've come this far, how can we just give up? This great me still wants to get out of here alive."
"Yes, no matter the outcome, at least we've tried our best. And you're by my side." Asuna smiled.
The words of the three infected the rest of the group. Recalling their efforts to survive, they all regained their fighting spirit.
Give it our all! Survive!
...
"All units, charge!" Kayaba Akihiko roared, swinging his greatsword.
"All units, charge!" The mirror attack group on the other side also had a mirror Kayaba Akihiko stepping forward to command, practically a carbon copy.
"Kill!" Everyone roared and charged towards their own reflections. For survival!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A chaotic melee ensued. It was less a melee and more like fighting oneself, with combatants scattered everywhere.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ling Feng and his mirror image engaged in a fierce battle. Their footwork and movements were almost identical; neither held an advantage nor was at a disadvantage.
Clang!
Fén Jì and "Fén Jì" collided. Ling Feng and his mirror image both retreated several steps before stabilizing themselves.
Ling Feng re-adjusted his stance, glanced at his mirror image, then at the still-reviving Blood God, his gaze grave. "This is troublesome."
He had tried to bypass his mirror image and attack Blood God directly. However, the mirror image had reacted swiftly and forced him back.
The mirror image possessed the exact same strength as him. He had tried to change his fighting style, but the mirror image quickly adapted. This meant the mirror image in front of him wasn't just a copy of his current self; it seemed to possess its own consciousness, able to mimic him and improve on the fly.
Furthermore, after the intense clash, he discovered the mirror image had infinite stamina, meaning it was always in peak condition. If the fight dragged on, they, the originals, would surely lose.
"No, we can't drag this out any longer. Blood God will revive soon."
"We must find a way."
The mirror Ling Feng on the other side, seeing Ling Feng's predicament, sneered. "It's useless. I am you, you are me. You can't defeat me."
As much as Ling Feng hated to admit it, he was right. He couldn't defeat his mirror image in a one-on-one fight. The mirror image could imitate him; no matter what sword techniques he used, the opponent would know them.
Bang!
While Ling Feng was contemplating a solution, Kirito was knocked back by his mirror image, looking utterly disheveled. Seeing Kirito beside him, Ling Feng had a sudden flash of inspiration, and a method appeared in his mind. He recalled watching "Cosmic Sentinels" as a child, where Apollo and Poseidon, facing their mirror images, had adopted a strategy of ganging up to defeat one first. This situation was perfect. Thinking this, Ling Feng quickly called out, "Kirito, I have a way to deal with them."
"What way?"
"I don't know if it will work, but let's try. Follow my lead."
"Alright, I believe you."
Ling Feng and Kirito, back to back, faced their respective mirror images and exchanged hushed words.
"Kirito, when the time comes, use Starburst Stream and team up with me to eliminate my mirror image first."
"Will that work?"
"How will we know if we don't try? While the mirror images have our strength, they don't have our teamwork. We have to try now to break this stalemate."
"Alright, I believe you." Having fought alongside Ling Feng for so long, Kirito had developed immense trust in him. Moreover, if they didn't break the stalemate soon, casualties were inevitable.
Ling Feng smiled slightly, holding his swords in both hands. He exhaled, his eyes sharpening. The sword gleamed as he charged at Mirror Ling Feng.
"It's useless! Sonic Boom!" Mirror Ling Feng unleashed the same move as Ling Feng, meeting him head-on.
Bang!
The four swords clashed again. Their muscles tensed as they engaged in a test of strength. Soon, Ling Feng began to falter.
"Impossible! My strength is infinite, this is the power of a god!"
"Give up resisting, you can't defeat me. Just die!" Mirror Ling Feng cackled, trying to erode Ling Feng's mental defenses with his words. Ling Feng's grip on his sword weakened, and Mirror Ling Feng's sinister grin widened.
Just as he thought Ling Feng was about to be defeated, Ling Feng suddenly spoke. "Indeed, I cannot defeat you alone."
"But..." Ling Feng smiled confidently, perplexing Mirror Ling Feng. How could he smile when he was on the verge of death?
Suddenly, an anomaly occurred. Kirito appeared directly above them, his sword blade gleaming, and slashed down at both of them.
"Sneak attack! You guys have no honor!"
"What sneak attack? This is teamwork!" Amidst Mirror Ling Feng's roar, Kirito's attack landed on him repeatedly, and Ling Feng, the original, seized the opportunity to launch his own assault. How could a mere mirror image withstand the combined might of Ling Feng and Kirito? It lasted less than five seconds before being shattered by the two of them.
After dispatching Mirror Ling Feng, they both turned their attention to the bewildered Mirror Kirito and launched a fierce attack. By the time Mirror Kirito realized what was happening and tried to flee, Ling Feng and Kirito's attacks had already landed.
Crack.
Mirror Kirito also turned to dust. Having dealt with their respective mirror images, Ling Feng and Kirito exchanged nods. One rushed towards Blood God, while the other went to assist the others.
With Kirito's intervention, the situation immediately changed, pulling the nearly defeated attack group back from the brink of death. Meanwhile, Ling Feng had reached within three meters of Blood God.
"It's time to end this! Heavenly Ascension!" Without hesitation, he initiated his ultimate move. Ling Feng bent his knees slightly, leaped into the air, dust flying beneath his feet. He raised his sword to the sky and then, like a falling star, slashed at the mid-air Blood God.
Clang!
But things rarely go as planned. A hand firmly grasped the descending Fén Jì, preventing the sword from advancing further.
"What?" Caught off guard, Ling Feng immediately swung Wù Fēng towards Blood God. Unfortunately, a black stone with strange purple patterns suddenly appeared in Wù Fēng's trajectory, intercepting it.
"What!!!" Ling Feng's eyes widened.
"An ant dares to try and slay a god?"
"Die!" The revived Blood God released Fén Jì and swung a fist, powerfully striking Ling Feng in the stomach.
Boom!
Pfft.
The punch was immensely powerful, shaking the heavens and earth. Ling Feng coughed up stomach acid and was sent flying, crashing heavily against a stone wall before falling to the ground. His Qi and blood were in disarray, and he lay powerless amidst the rubble. The force of this single blow had brought Ling Feng's HP to near zero. System alarms blared in Ling Feng's ears – this was the closest he had ever been to death since entering SAO.
Ling Feng tried to get up, but his body refused to obey. Only his fingers and head could move; the rest of his body felt as if it were pressed down by a thousand-kilogram stone.
"Ling Feng!"
"No!"
"Bastard!" Kirito and the others cried out anxiously. They wanted to help Ling Feng, but they were desperately entangled by their enraged mirror images and couldn't break free. Kirito and the others, in particular, had bloodshot eyes. Ling Feng had saved them when their lives were in danger, but when Ling Feng was in danger, they couldn't help him.
"Perish, insignificant human!" Blood God's toe nudged the fallen Wù Fēng's hilt, flicking it up like a shuttlecock. Then, with a powerful kick to the sword's pommel, the longsword shot forward with immense force, cutting through the air towards Ling Feng.
In Ling Feng's pupils, the edge of Wù Fēng rapidly enlarged. He wanted to dodge but was powerless.
"Is this the end? What a pathetic finish." Ling Feng gave a self-mocking laugh, closed his eyes, and quietly awaited death. He had tried his best, and he was tired. Let it end like this.
*Slish!*
Hearing the sound, Ling Feng suddenly felt a crushing weight in his chest, an unbearable discomfort. He opened his eyes and his pupils contracted. The scene before him struck him like lightning.
"How could this..." In front of him stood Saber, her slender figure supporting her. The rare invisibility cloak she wore had shattered with a clang. And Wù Fēng's sword tip was now piercing Saber's chest, stopping less than ten centimeters from him.
Suddenly, Saber's body weakly slumped to the ground. Ling Feng, fueled by some unknown strength, lunged forward and knelt, cradling Saber's small form. In his vision, Saber's HP bar had turned gray, slowly draining away like the approaching scythe of death.
"Saber... no, no, hold on." Ling Feng was frantic, trying to soothe Saber while desperately opening his inventory. Since the last Recovery Crystal had been used, he only had two high-grade recovery potions left.
As Ling Feng took out the two potions, intending to have Saber drink them, Saber grabbed his hand holding the potions and gently shook her head. She raised her other hand, palm open, revealing two Recovery Crystals.