"Do you change the world with your will or do you change your will with the world?"

  Endless black. Alone, in the endless void lies a dark platform. Standing on it are only one man but two separate figures. Astraoth's eyes blaze a deep crimson red and his harsh white hair flutters softly as he strides forward. "I'll go all out from the start this time."

  Looking to the hazy black outline across from him, Astraoth says,"Let's see if you can keep up." Shooting forward, a storm of blood-red energy erupts from within, forming into a crimson blade in Astraoth's right hand. Astraoth swings it forward, and the Shadow responds in turn, wielding a black blade.

  They clash, sending ripples of energy coursing through the void. Astraoth steps back and steadies himself, slashing toward his clone. The blades collide, but Astraoth doesn't retreat; Astraoth slams his left palm into the Shadow and sends him flying back. Stepping forward, Astraoth leaps into the air above his clone. Using a small burst of energy Astraoth sends himself rocketing downward. His blade slashes down, cleaving the Shadow in two.

  Astraoth turns away as his double reforms in a swirl of black energy. Astraoth tightens his grip on the crimson blade in his hands, sending waves of energy rippling across the sword. Its edges solidify and sharpen as they congeal into a stronger blade. The Shadow reacts similarly and copies Astraoth's actions. "So this is how you fight. This might be a little troublesome." Astraoth's eyes narrow slightly and he begins to draw upon the well of energy within himself.

  Astraoth whips back and he stabs forward, with his clone copying his every movement. The blades meet; sparks and energy crackle and warp around them. Astraoth shifts his blade to the right suddenly, pushing the clone's blade outward, stepping up to the Shadow with a left hook. The Shadow is once again sent flying and Astraoth dashes to the clone. As it hits the ground, Astraoth looses a diagonal slash upward, ripping the clone in half as it's launched into the air.

  Astraoth rises with the Shadow, rocketing upward with a stomp on the "ground". In the air, Astraoth readies his sword and begins to slash at the clone, hacking its body into hundreds of pieces with a frenzy of attacks. As the two reach the ground, Astraoth launches a sweep with his left leg, sending the clone's broken pieces flying. As it flies back, the clone reforms yet again... but this time, the Shadow's power skyrockets.

  Its dark aura emanates softly from it, congealing into a long and thin blade in its right hand. A wave of black energy rises from its hazy outline and forms into demonic wings on its back. Blood red energy begins to orbit around the Shadow, and the two combine together. It emerges from the dark quickly.

  Its wings are a violent, bloody red and its figure is a mix of crimson and a deep black. "So I see how this goes...the longer you live, the more innate energy you are able to utilize. Your energy is the same as mine, and you can utilize the same amount of energy I can. But you don't have any seals or limits artificially placed on you."

  "Guess I don't have a lot of time...". Astraoth grasps his blade in both hands and his surroundings disappear from his eyes; only himself and his opponent are left. The Shadow's wings flap and it appears instantly in front of Astraoth, its blade slashing out. Astraoth dodges and appears by its side, thrusting his sword forward. The Shadow counters with a slash, attempting to parry the attack. Astraoth shifts his blade downward and uses its momentum to get in close. Astraoth's energy gathers in his left hand, and Astraoth stabs his left hand at the Shadow's chest, leaving streaks of red energy in its wake.

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  The Shadow avoids it easily with a flap of its wings. Astraoth swings his hand down, dispersing the energy outward in a wave. Astraoth chops with his sword, using the wave's energy saturation to condense blade energy and launch the attack at the Shadow. The Shadow raises its hand and creates a wall of crimson energy. Its hazy figure distorts as a burst of demonic energy winds around it, staining it in the colour of violence.

  The Shadow dashes forward, a cloud of crimson energy swirling around it as it appears in front of Astraoth. Its sword chops down and Astraoth dodges to the left, stabbing at the Shadow. The Shadow steps back to avoid the stab and slashes sideways at Astraoth. He ducks downward and steps forward, rising up from the ground with an uppercut. The Shadow dodges again, and the two battle fiercely, with the Shadow's raw speed, stamina, and power easily exceeding Astraoth's. The Demonic Energy sealed within Astraoth is utilized by the Shadow, and Astraoth struggles to cope with fighting its innate power.

  They exchange another volley of blows then separate. Astraoth is exhausted and is dripping with sweat, but the Shadow is unfazed, with its power only increasing over time.

  Astraoth returns to battle. With each blade clash and each collision of energy, the shapeless void around him seems to change. It becomes the house he lived in as a child, the icy mountain he would play on, the warm beaches he would sleep on. It becomes the sleepy library he read in, the mountainous courtyard he trained in. The void becomes the great lake he swam through to find the first guardian, the storm system he weathered past, the volcano he climbed to defeat the Flame Demon, and the endless deserts he wandered through to complete his trial.

  In the Shadow, Astraoth sees everything he’s ever known, everything he’s ever hated about himself. The indecisiveness, the crippling fear, and the bouts of uncontrollable rage. Defeating the Shadow is not eliminating this; it is confronting his insecurities and conquering them.

  Astraoth takes his sword in both hands. His eyes close softly and his consciousness expands to overcome the whole of the void. Deep within the recesses of his soul, a spark of energy appears, bypassing the seal placed on him. This energy flows out of his soul, flooding into his body and flowing into his sword.

  This void reflects himself. The Shadow is the void and his blade is the reflection Astraoth knows he must defeat. "You are my failures, my worst insecurities. No matter how much I attack and defeat you, you only rise up again and again, stronger each time. But I will not resign myself to this fate. My sword will reign supreme. No man, no power, no fate can surpass my blade. I see within myself and I see outward to the world. Your role ends here. This sword here will rule myself, and my world. Now, face this blade.”

  Astraoth’s eyes snap open and the world is bathed in a deep crimson. His consciousness, expanded to enclose the void, contracts to a single point inside of himself, transforming at once. It begins to pulse, flowing from the size of the world to the smallest particle of dust.

  The circle resonates with Astraoth’s energy, his very will, and the circle forms a complete circuit. The world itself begins to bend around Astraoth. Even the Shadow warps as the world shifts. But the blade in Astraoth’s hand only blazes ever brighter as the circuit surpasses the bounds of Astraoth’s mind and touches the Dao.

  From conquering all to relinquishing oneself, the sword reigns supreme.

  Astraoth’s consciousness suddenly disappears; the world rights itself, and Astraoth slices lightly with his sword. The void and the Shadow and all the world are split and all dissipate in the gentle breeze left in Astraoth's wake.