Ryuosho ran with Biyu and Shizuha at full speed, the surroundings growing increasingly desolate as they went. The overgrown path stretched into the endless darkness, the eerie silence broken only by their hurried footsteps.
"Stay close," Ryuosho urged, glancing back at the two following him. His tone carried an edge of urgency. "It's safe here for now..."
Before he could finish, a blinding bolt of lightning tore through the night sky, shattering the stillness! A fierce arc of electricity split the ground, leaving a scorched crack in its wake. From the searing light, a figure began to emerge, casting long shadows across the barren land.
Ryuosho froze in place, his breath catching in his throat. Biyu's eyes widened in disbelief as she beheld the figure—an exact replica of Ryuosho himself!
"What is... happening?" Biyu whispered, her voice trembling. Her gaze darted between the two identical Ryuosho, her fear rapidly escalating. Instinctively, she stepped back, shielding Shizuha behind her.
The lightning-clad Ryuosho exuded an oppressive aura, his every step crackling with electric energy. His piercing gaze locked onto the other Ryuosho, his voice as cold as ice: "So this is the grand scheme? Hand over Shingin's mother."
The Ryuosho standing beside Biyu shrugged lazily, his tone laced with sarcasm: "I'm useless most of the time, but I did promise Yahageshii I'd protect her with my life."
"Protect?" The lightning Ryuosho sneered, his eyes burning with murderous intent. The electric current surrounding him intensified, distorting the air with its heat. He pointed a crackling finger at his counterpart, his voice dripping with venom: "You think you can protect her? If you won't surrender her, I'll take her myself!"
Before the words finished echoing, the lightning Ryuosho struck! A dazzling bolt of lightning shot forth from his outstretched hand, roaring like a feral thunder dragon as it hurtled toward the other Ryuosho.
"Bring it on!" the other Ryuosho barked, his lazy demeanor vanishing in an instant. His body blurred into motion, a streak of light charging headlong to meet the oncoming attack.
The two bolts of lightning collided midair, unleashing a brilliant explosion that lit up the night like daylight. The shockwave rippled outward, kicking up a storm of dust and debris. The deafening roar echoed across the wasteland, as if the heavens themselves were being torn asunder.
Biyu held onto Shizuha tightly, struggling to stay upright against the fierce wind. She watched the two combatants, her heart pounding with terror. Which one of them was the real Ryuosho? And if one of them was an impostor, what was their goal?
The two Ryuosho clashed again and again, their lightning attacks painting the sky in arcs of radiant silver and blue. Each strike came faster and harder than the last, the air thick with the smell of ozone and the tang of scorched earth. Sparks rained down, igniting the surrounding brush into crackling flames.
Amidst the chaos, the lightning Ryuosho stood unwavering, the energy around him surging with ferocious intensity. He raised a hand, letting sparks dance along his fingertips, and murmured a command like a death knell: "Thunder Flash."
In the blink of an eye, his body transformed into a streak of lightning, tearing through the air with such speed that even the wind seemed to shatter in his wake. A silvery-blue arc streaked across the battlefield, aimed directly at his opponent. The other Ryuosho's eyes widened in alarm, and he dodged at the last possible moment. Though he managed to avoid a fatal blow, the attack grazed him, leaving deep, bloody gashes across his side.
Blood sprayed into the air, the vivid red a stark contrast to the cold brilliance of the lightning. Staggering, the injured Ryuosho clenched his teeth and steadied himself. He glanced down at his wounds, then back at his doppelgänger, a grim smile tugging at his lips. "Not bad... but if you think you're the only one who can pull that off, think again."
The lightning Ryuosho narrowed his eyes, the electric arcs in his gaze intensifying. In unison, both Ryuosho shouted, their voices overlapping like clashing thunder: "Thunder Flash!"
The battlefield erupted in a blinding surge of light as the two Ryuosho launched themselves at each other, their movements too fast for the eye to follow. The air rippled with their electric clashes, each impact detonating in a cacophony of crackling thunder. Their combined energy wove a web of lightning that illuminated the scorched wasteland, turning the night into a scene of apocalyptic fury.
The violent exchange consumed everything in its path. Trees ignited into flames, their ashes swirling into the wind, while jagged arcs of stray lightning carved deep scars into the earth. The world seemed to crumble beneath the sheer magnitude of their power.
Biyu clutched Shizuha tighter, trembling as the electric storm raged around them. Her voice quivered as she whispered to herself, her mind racing with fear and confusion. "What is happening? Which one... which one is the real Ryuosho?"
As she spoke, the flames around them flickered, casting long, distorted shadows. And as the battle raged on, the line between truth and deception grew ever more blurred.