Chapter 4: Last Trial and the Prize
It was himself.
A mirror image of him, there it was standing not too far from him, a smirk plastered on his face.
"Knowing you, you're just totally pissed that you weren't entertained by your enemies. Seriously, you don't appreciate the work in this game."
"As if you actually know me, scoundrel.
"Of course! After all, I am you." The clone chuckled.
"You're just a little fireball who has the ability so shapeshift I suppose." Hao didn't like how he chuckled with his voice or even how he said they're both the same.
"I'm not merely a shapeshifter. I'm the exact person as you, Oh king." The man said shifting his feet and slowly walked towards the light. Hao eyed his every movement while glaring holes to the impostor's skull. "In this part of the garden, most visitors are being tested. Not merely by any guardians but by themselves. You've walked within this boundary and thus you need to be tested worthy of the privilege the Great Spirit has given to you noble-blooded shamans." He then stopped in front of the light and raised his hands waving it.
"Even the former kings weren't able to get their prize. How pitiful! They were strong, yes! But too naïve and too demanding. All of them—rejected!" He halfheartedly laughed while telling this to Hao, who only looked at him blankly.
So that makes sense, the former kings passed all three trials except for one. The last trial, the fight between themselves. A valuable information for him but still, he doesn't want to get beaten by his own self. Not anymore, he won't.
For a second, the impostor stopped laughing and looked at Hao's silent form, like he was thinking about something. He smirked at him and shook his head.
"I guess you're a little pumped up there. You really think you can defeat me? Defeat your own self? Ahahaha! It's like you're also losing to yourself!" His laughter died down when a huge blast came to his view, he splendidly dodged the attack and looked at Hao, still with a smile plastered on his face. Hao didn't stop though, his eyes determined and kind of wanting to end now. He was willing to avoid something and he's taking risk.
Blast by blast of enormous heat was seen while the imposter continued to dodge the blows. He was happily skipping over the ground and jumped over again whenever an attack land on it. Hao said an incantation and a large ball of fire blast towards the other man. The other man also recites an incantation and a wave of water washed away the blast with its might. Exploding after evaporating to thin air.
The other man landed on the ground visibly looking pleased as he watched Hao losing a little bit of his cool aura. The nerve of this sprite! Not only did he have the same face but also has the same powers as him. True, he rarely used the element of water because he was more comfortable and looked powerful with using fire. But the impostor just used his own magic against him and doesn't sit well with Hao. He seriously needs to end him.
"Angry? Ahaha. You believe me now, right? In fact, you just saw I used the same incantation you used to chant while exorcising oni, right?"
"So, you robbed all my powers, my memories and my own body to test me out, huh? How sly you guardians are."
"Hmm..not a nice comeback but we all need to do something to really know you're worthy of a great treasure. And ways like fighting your own demons is one way to find out."
"Seriously, I want to kill you once and for all. Can you just stay still and let me extinguish you? So that I'll have the prize, and make those damn geezers never to underestimate a king like me."
"Oh~~ why are you so impatient? I thought you like things to progress slowly. What a change of attitude! I wonder who changed you?"
Hao stiffened by his comment, eyes narrowing and his throat going dry. Hao was an intelligent man from his past even until now. And he knew what the imposter was making him do. Taunt, analyze and conclude, that was the impostor was doing. And Hao needed to never, ever take the bait.
"What's this? Caught your tongue? Seriously, we wanted to destroy the human world and make a world for shamans only but why do I see you so hesitant now? Don't tell me, you become attac-"
"Shut your mouth or I'll blow you away." Hao glared at him. This made the impostor laughed boisterously at him.
"Oh! I see, you can't fool me! You've become attached to this humans! To that pathetic excuse of a brother! How hilarious this is! The great shaman ever existed and the 8th Shaman king has become soft!" And his laughter stifled in his throat as another blast hit him hard. Hao was furious to hear what he says. He didn't become soft, he still wants to destroy, he still wants humankind to pay. Not all of his hate disappeared, it was still residing in him. And it will never ever diminish.
The impostor coughed blood as he moved his body to stand from the attack. But still his grin didn't disappear even though he was heavily bathed in blood. He continued to chuckle lowly.
"You're still a human yourself. You were just enhanced a bit but still a human. You feel lonely, you feel neglected, you feel unloved. You felt different kind of emotions, you're not suited to be a ruthless leader." He paused watching Hao closely, his eyes glinted.
"You still have a heart. And you are easily swayed by it."
The impostor raised his hands and summoned a hundred light blades above him and motioned all of the to strike at Hao. Hao shielded himself with his own fire magic and also summoned a blast towards his enemy. The impostor barely dodged it and with hi strength attacked Hao with one of his heat magic which grazed him a bit, burning the sides of his white cloak. He immediately ripped the burnt part of his clothes and dodged again from the attack. Hao ran towards the man and summoned fire sprites around the man and with a little murmur became a ring of fire, burning the impostor. Hao stopped in front of the blazing fire as it died down a little bit.
The man was still breathing, he was able to deflect the attack somehow but also got burned on the left part of his body. He was weak and now is the time to end his life.
"Ah yes, just like that. After all, you want all your desires to come true, you're a human after all. With the help of that 'treasure', everything you wanted will happen." His words echoed as his voice became low. "If you defeat me, if you end me, what will be waiting on the other side will be your fate. You'll lose or you'll win."
Not wanting to hear his own voice from the one below him, he raised his hand ready to end him when he felt something nostalgic hit him inside. He thinks for a while, if he end him then it means he'll probably lost. He got the idea that maybe this lead to the failure of the past kings. They weren't able to accept well enough their inner weaknesses and thought to get rid of them and they lost.
Now, he was able to understand the trial. 'Weaknesses, huh.' He almost wanted to laugh, he has a weakness, that's why he was too eager to get his hands on the prize. He thought it will give him what he needs and what he wants. He let out a laugh that startled the man below him.
"I do want to kill you but nevermind." Hao said as he strode towards the light, slowly climbing the stairs.
"W-what are you doing?! You should've kill me by now!" The impostor tried shouting, his voice rumbled.
Hao gave him a bored look and it was now his turn to smirk.
"I thought you're me? Why the hell don't you know what I'm doing? Well, whatever. I guess I won and that means.." Hao trailed as he slowly stretched his hands towards the light and grinned. "I'm getting what is rightfully mine."
The bells rang loudly making the ground rumble and with that, the light shone brightly in front of you as he covered his eyes from the blinding rays. The soul below, lying down the ground evaporated to the air leaving no trace. The heavy light paired with strong gust of wind threw Hao off back to the ground. As he stumbled down cursing, the illuminating light slowly dimmed and when the surrounding was back to normal, Hao opened his eyes and looked up.
And he was stunned to saw a figure materialized within the light. The figure turned out to be woman.
Hao wasn't able to understand as to why his eyes won't look away from the woman he just saw came from the light. He didn't expect this was the prize. He didn't expect she was the prize! He didn't think of it too literally. He thought it was a massive weapon, or a powerful soul that was just highly personified as a damn daughter/flower. (Seriously, Hao can be dumb huh =_=)
But it doesn't mean he doesn't like what he sees. The halo of the light behind her emphasized her features. She has short, light pink hair with a long strand hanging down on her right face, her silent and calm eyes tinted with a little dark pink and her small pink lips showing no emotions whatsoever. He also didn't fail to notice the poncho she wore that fell down to her waist and a short skirt embroidered with a star. A small breeze passed by and he just saw the large earrings slowly dangled.
All in all, the woman in front of him was truly beautiful, despite the melancholic and calm vibe she expressed, she still looked ethereal. How much more if he was able to hear her voice?
As if his mind was read, the girl slowly opened her mouth and maybe will start to address him. But all the beautiful thoughts inside of his mind was thrown out the window when he heard her speak.
"Stop staring at me, pervert. You're making me sick and by the way, would you put on some pants or I'll kill you!"
Chapter 4: End
And Yay! She appeared!
Hope you enjoyed it! R & R plz.