Vol 23 Chapter 22-3: Kong(III) (1/2)
Normally, only those who had reached the early fourth stage could use Light of the Soul. Those who reached the mid fourth stage and overcome their heart’s devil would be able to personalise their Light of the Soul, such as clone Zheng’s Sinflames and Zheng’s Dragon Transformation. Every person’s Light of the Soul would display itself differently.
However, there were some exceptionally gifted people such as Hao Tian, who had a personalised Light of the Soul despite not reaching the mid fourth stage, and Gando, who could have his personalised Light of the Soul, an A.T. Field, by relying on merging with the Eva. There was also Zhao Yingkong and Zhao Zhuikong who also had it despite not overcoming the heart’s devil as well. These people all belonged to the category of either being exceptionally gifted or having unique circumstances.
Yingkong gave a light smile and continued, “I comprehended my Light of the Soul after merging with my secondary personality. Its name is Mirror of Duality. In the beginning, I was my own person and she was her own person. After merging, I was no longer my own person and she was no longer her own person. But after I had this Light of the Soul, I remained myself and she remained herself. Big brother, you have to face two of us while fighting. Tehn, how about you? What’s your Light of the Soul?”
“My Light of the Soul…” Zhao Zhuikong smiled warmly. However, his eyes got more and more bloodshot, looking it was being dyed in blood, which looked rather appalling. He enunciated it syllable by syllable, “Inchstep.”
“Big brother, in the end were you unable to let go of your obsession and overcome the heart’s devil?”
In truth, Zhao Zhuikong’s combat power was on the level of the mid fourth stage, but he had in reality never overcome the heart’s devil...
(Inchstep? Based on the name…)
Yingkong didn’t have the chance to follow this train of thought, because Zhao Zhuikong’s next attack was already about to reach her. It was a basic charge followed by a thrust, but it gave off the feeling of being unavoidable. Although the dagger was right in front of her eyes, Yingkong felt as if it was stabbing at her from all directions, and she would be skewered regardless of which direction she moved. This feeling was far from reassuring.
(Is it the pressure from his aura? Impossible, how could I be affected by that?)
Yingkong didn’t overthink it, and her body vanished from that spot, while another Yingkong appeared behind his back, Excalibur slashing towards Zhao Zhuikong.
Swish!
At the moment Excalibur grazed Zhao Zhuikong, he didn’t hesitate to continue thrusting his dagger forward. Shockingly, despite the dagger clearly stabbing into nothing, a flower of blood blossomed on Yingkong’s shoulder. When the shoulder was penetrated completely, she was no longer able to put power into wielding Excalibur, and decisively jumped backwards.
“ZHAO ZHUIKONG! How did you stab me?!” Yingkong’s expression was frosty, no longer carrying any of that charm from before when she smiled warmly. Although her appearance hadn’t changed, losing that bewitchingness had given her a heroic air, and that androgynous face had a different kind of beauty to it. It was the secondary personality Yingkong.
“Little apple, oh wait, it became the unripe little apple. Learn to mature a little. It’s better to rely on yourself than others. If you want to know how I managed to stab you, think through it yourself.” Zhao Zhuikong smilingly thrust out the dagger again. The Yingkong behind him vanished, while another Yingkong newly appeared several dozen meters away from him. Still, the dagger gave her another wound as before. Fortunately, she managed to raise Excalibur in time, or the injury wouldn't stop at her arm.
“You keep protecting her, little apple. That's something that will only ever be an unripe little apple, you know?”
“... Well, it’s still better than being plucked by big brother, right?” Yingkong smiled warmly.
(My Light of the Soul is to form two independent mes. One me can appear, while the other will exist in a separate space like she's in a mirror, unable to attack or harm. In other words, I can have one me lure in the enemy while the other can move to a safe location. Thus, I should be undefeatable in short or mid distance battles. So how is he hitting me?)
Yingkong continued to think. Zhao Zhuikong had been right just now. The secondary personality wasn't the main personality after all, and wasn’t able to think calmly regardless of the situation. This was the gap between the talents of the two personalities.