Identical questions burst forth from two identical mouths with identical frequency and tone of astonishment.
This overly "identical" "sameness" caused the intense killing intent in both their eyes to be briefly replaced by deeper shock.
They stared fixedly at each other, trying to find a flaw in the mirror, trying to find traces of the other imitating them.
But all they saw was the same shock, the same doubt, and that spine-chilling sense of synchronization brought by the shared communication channel.
In the channel, Otto's voice rang out at the right moment.
Although Otto maintained that steady tone as if everything was under control, upon closer listening, Shu could still detect a rare trace of tension in the other party.
"Gentlemen... I think you both should realize by now that the situation is somewhat beyond the norm.
"Your battle brings no benefit other than destroying the newly reborn city beneath your feet and consuming each other—or rather, 'our' most precious combat power.
"I propose that you two suspend hostilities and return to base first. We need..."
"Impossible!" / "I object!"
Otto's words were cut off simultaneously by two decisive voices.
Immediately following was another eerie synchronization.
Both seemed to want to continue speaking, but also stopped and closed their mouths simultaneously because the other had spoken.
A second later, they tried to speak at the same time again... This repeated twice.
Finally, as if some invisible tacit understanding was reached amidst the extreme tension, they found staggered rhythms and began to refute Otto's proposal one after another, speaking extremely fast and with rigorous logic.
"You want me to bring this guy back to base? Back to our most important core? Kiana, you, and Mei and the others are all in the base!"
"And his power is completely equal to mine! He can even contest the response authority of the 'Scepter'! Don't treat him like Theory's formalistic learning!"
"This is a fundamental, total replication! Otto, if this guy suddenly erupts in the base, I won't be able to hold him down immediately!"
"So I absolutely cannot risk bringing him back! This matter must be resolved here! Using the most direct method—"
"—Trigger 'Return by Death' and restart to before this moment!"
There was a second of dead silence on the other end of the communication channel.
Then, Otto's voice sounded again.
But the previous forced steadiness had completely disappeared, replaced by a solemnity bordering on sternness.
"Shu, do you realize what you are saying?"
Shu's heart trembled violently.
Otto spoke faster, his words dissecting their united rebuttal as precisely as a scalpel.
"First, you have mistaken our current priorities.
"Although our base has been operating for nearly six months and has established the most basic economic and survival systems, it is ultimately still in a recovery period. Its functions are replaceable.
"But Sapphire City beneath your feet, carrying over ten million living people, inherently possesses these! That is the most important 'cornerstone' of human civilization right now!
"You continuing to fight here is the greatest threat to this 'cornerstone'!
"The shockwaves from when you weren't using full strength just now already required you to divert attention to suppress them. If, as you say, you want to 'resolve it completely,' can you guarantee that the newly reborn Sapphire City won't be affected when you fight with all your might?
"Second, you know the cost of 'Return by Death' better than anyone!"
Otto's heavy tone made Shu suddenly feel a bit guilty.
"Don't forget, every trigger of Return by Death leads to an irreversible, staged decline in your basic physical fitness.
"You are evenly matched now. So, after triggering the return and having your attributes weakened, what will you use to defeat the 'self' who is in perfect condition?
"Are you absolutely certain you can appear before him and complete the snipe at the time point after the return?
"Moreover, if you interfere with his 'birth,' can you guarantee that the result of Sapphire City's resurrection won't change?
"Will the 'existence' of those ten million people disappear or be distorted because of this?!"
"Third..."
Otto's voice lowered, carrying a complex, indescribable exhaustion and sharpness. "And the most important point..."
He paused, as if weighing his words, or stating a fact that even he found difficult.
Finally, he sighed deeply and raised his hand to support his forehead, which was already soaked in cold sweat.
"I can no longer distinguish through any known detection means which one of you is the 'Shu' from this main world who has accompanied us through the long struggle."
Fire Moth Headquarters, underground level 13, in front of the quantum cluster computer.
Otto stood alone in front of the huge virtual screen, staring at the split screens displaying two identical energy reading curves, facial recognition analysis, computer work logs...
And the real-time footage of the two Shus confronting each other in space, captured from two different angles.
Those were two first-person perspectives... There should have been only one screen there, but now it showed two perspectives.
Even the computer's own work logs couldn't find when the second feed started appearing.
His long blonde hair, which he had messed up himself, looked a bit dull under the cold light of the screen.
His usually upright and elegant posture actually revealed a trace of imperceptible weakness at this moment.
His expression was graver than ever before.
On the screen, the two Shus still grabbed each other's collars, their colorful energy robes flapping loudly in the high-altitude gale.
And Otto could clearly see that the expressions of the two Shus became extremely complicated after his words.
Shock, anger, doubt, various emotions struggled and intertwined, yet presented a strange harmony due to that mirror-like synchronization.
Otto's gaze moved slowly between the two split screens, trying to find even a single difference, but in the end, he just sighed almost inaudibly.
He could indeed find differences, but...
He really couldn't tell them apart anymore.
"All the 'identifiers' you currently use to identify yourselves are completely identical... I even suspect your memories are the same. At least on my monitoring screen, you are two completely identical signal sources."
"Under these circumstances, you demand that I support you in a 'self-destructive' solution with extremely uncertain results?
"No, Shu, your rationality tells you that you can't bring him back, but my rationality also tells me that the highest priority now is to control variables, avoid the worst losses, and then figure out the root of this 'mirror' phenomenon as soon as possible."
"And all of this requires you to stop first, leave that sensitive area, and return to an environment that allows us to conduct deeper analysis and is also safer."
"So, my order remains unchanged: suspend hostilities, return to base.
"This is an order, and also...
"A request to [Shu]."