GUARDIAN OF THE END

Jason and Amber paused for a few seconds. Their counter parts looked exactly like them except for their hollow eyes.

C-Jason and C-Amber were staring directly at the original ones. A thunderbolt appeared in C-Jason's hand while C-Amber summoned a whip made of darkness.

(AN: In case you didn't understand it, C is the short form for clone.)

The two clones launched themselves at the originals with the goal of killing them. Jason and Amber soon got back to their senes and launched their own attacks.

[ Do you think our plan will work against ourselves? ] Amber questioned in a doubtful tone.

[ if it doesn't work, we can always find other strategies. We just have to focus on defeating them. ] Jason replied.

[ So that's the reason this chamber can trap someone for eternity. These two set thresholds that can't possibly be broken easily and then come forward to help the others. ]

'They summon clones of the others and let them fight. If they are the same as us, they might be familiar with our fighting style as well as our plans.'

[ Just be careful. I will try to warn you of a deadly blow if you don't locate it. ] The system went silent.

Simultaneously, Jason shot a thunderbolt towards his clone. The clone did the same thing and threw the thunderbolt in its hand.

The two clashed mid-air and vanished. Jason frowned as he realized that the clone's attack power was the same as his. Furthermore, it was using the same movement technique as him.

Jason jumped back to retreat yet the clone had other plans. C-Jason launched itself forward and summoned a shiny black thread.

'Ariadne's thread!'

As soon as the thread was thrown in his direction, Jason had to use his thunder element to get out of the way.

The thread hit the sand and got buried it inside. Clone let go of the thread and used a new strategy to fight against Jason.

Amber wasn't faring any better. Her attacks were being countered by her clone easily.

When she manipulated the Earth, her clone would do the same and end the entire thing in a stalemate. If she used fire, the same fire would meet her attack.

Amber could only resort to trickery but her clone managed to fight against her tricks. In fact, it even managed t come up with its own tricks that Amber couldn't foresee.

The two children retreated together and stood back to back. Their clones were present in front of their respective eyesight yet neither of them was willing to fight head on.

[ Amber, how about we focus on one target while Flamey keeps the other one busy? I don't think we will be able to win if we fight our clones head on. ] Jason suggested.

[ Its a good plan but what if Flamey also has a clone? We will never be able to win that way. ] Amber argued.

"Hmmph…" A feminine snort entered their ears.

Flamey stared at her vessel with a smug expression. The guardian talked with Amber through telepathy before jumping off Amber's neck.

[ What did she say? ] Jason questioned.

[ Flamey said that she is too powerful and smart for a mere clone to defeat her. She also said that she can defeat my clone if she wants to. However, I have to be the one to kill her or Veritas will consider the trial to be a failure. Apparently, they both go a long way back. ]

Jason wanted to discuss more on the topic but he didn't have the time to do so. Flamey was already fighting Amber's clone while his own clone was planning on attack them.

[ Attack my clone from two different sides. Use your strongest attack but be prepared to use your magma element. On my signal, you will have to control the ground and use your magma element to do something. ]

After telling her the plan, Jason whipped into action. He summoned his white thunder, an evolved form of his white lightning, and let it wrap around his body.

Once his entire body was covered in the white thunder, Jason jumped off the ground. He shot towards the air with a crackling sound, his hand aimed at his clone.

A thunder snake shot out from his hand and started moving towards the clone's head. Amber used her earth element to control the ground, creating a type of quicksand below its feet.

The clone was forced to delay its attack and had to dodge the attacks. Jason's thunder snake was met with a similar snake while the clone used thunder to jump from the ground.

Mid-air, it used the dark element to form arrows of darkness. It directed them towards the duo while resuming the preparation for its previous attack.

[ Those arrows are cursed. If even one of them hits you, a random curse would be inflicted on your body. ] Jason warned.

His eyes could see the familiar cursed energy inside the arrows. Not only that but the arrows were also aimed towards their hearts, making them impossible to dodge.

'It sucks to know that my clone can use my main element better than me…' Jason observed while summoning a string in his head.

He coated Ariadne's thread with some of his thunder and used it as a whip to cut through the arrows.

[ Why don't you use your main element more than lightning or thunder? ] The system questioned curiously.

Jason gritted his teeth and didn't reply. His attention was focused on the cutting the arrows one by one using Ariadne's thread.

Once he had eliminated half the arrows, he decided to reply. 'It's because my main element is only at the A rank and unless you master the corrosion property, the dark element isn't that good on its own.'

[ That's valid I guess, at least from your viewpoint. Most dark element users in fantasy used necromancy or creation to fully utilize the dark element. On the other hand, Thunder provides you much more flexibility. ]

'Exactly. I couldn't have said it in a better way.' Jason agreed.

[ But that's where you are wrong host. Your low affinity isn't really low. You'll understand that once we exit this place. Also, you just haven't gotten to know the real use of dark element.

Remember how Risa explained the concept of dark, light and life magic to you. Similarly, you need someone to teach you more ways to effectively use the dark element. Its best if you ask Izzy to teach you once we get out. ]

'I…' Jason wanted to say something than thought not to do it.

He had managed to cut down all the arrows while Amber created a shield of earth to block the arrows. The tip of the arrows was stuck in the Earth, making Jason frown.

[ Why didn't you burn them? ]

[ Don't these arrows contain curses? If I can spread these curses throughout an attack, I will be able to use a cursed attack. ]

[ You can do things like that?! ]

[ I don't know. Its worth a try. ]

Jason's frown deepened as he looked at the fallen pieces of arrows lying on the ground. Most of them had vanished yet the recently cut arrow was still present there.

Jason bent near the arrow and used his vision to see the cursed energy present inside the arrow. Between the black colored dark mana energy, tiny spots of gray were visible.

'System, I have a wild idea but I need you to confirm something for me.' Jason thought, his eyes shining.

[ Uh… sure? ]

The system was confused but when it heard Jason's idea, it immediately scanned the arrow. Its scan was barely completed before the arrow vanished.

[ You were correct, host! ] The system announced.

'I see…' Jason looked at the arrows still stuck in the Earth shield.

They were slowly vanishing but at a much slower rate as compared to the arrows he had cut in half.

[ Amber, throw that shield towards my clone. ] Jason instructed.

[ Sure. ] Amber, who could tell that he had a plan in mind, chucked the shield towards the clone.

C-Jason chose this exact moment to attack. It was as though it had been waiting for one of them to attack it before releasing its own attack.

Twin dragons made out of pure thunder, white one at that, launched from the clone's palms. Both dragons looked as though two anacondas had been combined together and given the form of a Chinese dragon.

They strode directly towards Amber who the clone had judged to be a bit more defenseless than Jason.

Unfortunately, its plan wasn't going to work that easily.

'If this doesn't work, I will haunt you, system.' Jason thought with a grim expression.

He took a deep breath and jumped forward. Amber's jaw dropped slightly when she saw that Jason was heading towards the dragons' path, hoping to let them attack him.

Before she could fully comprehend this, Jason appeared in front of the dragon and let them collide with his body.

A searing pain shot throughout his body, followed by the sound of screaming. Jason could feel every inch of his body being electrocuted.

Though he had a natural resistant against lightning, thunder was a different matter. If someone at his level or someone stronger than him used lightning or thunder against him, it would affect him like any other person.

The attack launched by the clone was enough to kill him. The minimum damage would include destruction of internal organs and such.

'I have to learn to cut my pain receptors…' Jason thought as the pain slowly started receding.

Cerberus and Veritas, who had been watching the fight with bored expressions, leaned forward in their chairs.

Expressions of surprise adorned their faces. Neither of the two deities had accepted Jason to learn the secret of fighting the clones at such a young age.

Jason felt the pain slowly move out as the two thunder dragons slowly started vanishing. Even the clone was taken aback by this sudden development.

Jason grinned. "Do not underestimate a thunder magic wielder."