Far beyond the merged expanse of the Primordial Void and Metaphysical Plane, one of Lucien's clones wandered through a realm entirely foreign to him. Each clone had been dispatched to experience life in the realms he had yet to personally visit, taking only 1% of his true power and remaining conscious, but distinct in appearance. This particular clone had white hair streaked with silver and amber eyes, reflecting the faintest glow of his master's essence.
As he crossed a jagged plateau scarred by centuries of elemental storms, his senses detected a disturbance—an aura oscillating with confidence and a divine weight, radiating authority that rivaled entire kingdoms. The clone's lips curled into a smirk.
"Interesting…" he muttered, feeling the pulse of the being before him.
The source of the energy was a man standing atop a riverbank, the water itself glowing faintly with spectral light—the River Styks, its current twisting and winding like serpents of pure ethereal energy. He was tall, regal, and carried himself with a composure that seemed born of divine heritage. His silvered hair flowed in the wind as though it obeyed no gravity, and his golden eyes burned with a light that could rival the heavens.
"I am Kaien Asahiro, the Son of Heaven," the man declared, his voice rolling over the river and plateau like distant thunder. "And you… who dares step into the waters of the Styks without reverence?"
The clone tilted his head, amber eyes glinting with arrogance. "Step into your waters? Please. I'm just passing through. But I must admit, the aura is impressive… for a human."
Kaien's gaze hardened. "I am no mere human. I have reincarnated and honed the divine energies of my ancestors. Those who disrespect the Styks will feel the weight of judgment."
"Ah, so you're one of those self-important types," the clone said with a sardonic smile. "Don't worry. I don't fight to destroy… mostly. I just like to see how strong people think they are before reality reminds them otherwise."
Before Kaien could respond, the clone flicked his hand lazily, sending a ripple of metaphysical energy that disturbed the surface of the Styks. The river twisted violently, rising in spirals and arcs, yet Kaien stood unwavering, his form radiating light and shadow simultaneously.
"Enough talk," Kaien said, raising his hands as the waters coiled around him, forming spectral blades and shields. "Let this river be the judge of your arrogance."
The clone's smirk widened. "Ah, finally. I was hoping you'd be entertaining."
With that, the clone launched forward, movement almost imperceptible, striking with precise hand-to-hand combat enhanced by his 1% of Lucien's power. Each blow carried the grace and discipline of Lucien's own martial style but filtered through the clone's unique perspective, leaning into arrogance and confidence.
Kaien met the strikes with perfect counters, the ethereal water bending to absorb and redirect energy, creating dazzling arcs of light and shadow. Every clash caused the riverbank to shudder, rocks splitting under the force of reality-bending strikes.
"You move… unnervingly well," Kaien said, a hint of a smile breaking his stoic demeanor. "But you underestimate the river itself."
The clone tilted his head, chuckling. "Underestimate? I don't even fully know what I'm capable of yet. But let's see how far you can take me."
As their fight escalated, the clone began weaving subtle threads of metaphysical energy around his fists, his strikes cutting through the currents of the Styks with increasing precision. Kaien countered with elegant sweeps, drawing upon the river to amplify his attacks, sending shards of spectral water arcing like blades toward the clone.
"I've seen many who claimed divine heritage," the clone said as he dodged a particularly deadly arc, leaving behind afterimages of himself in the ethereal mist. "But few understand arrogance is just confidence sharpened by reality. You, my friend, are about to learn it the hard way."
Kaien's eyes glinted gold as he sent a surge of Styks water forward, intent on overwhelming his opponent. Yet the clone's aura flared subtly, a shimmer of Lucien's abyssal awareness. "Predictable," he muttered. In a blur of motion, he phased through the assault, leaving Kaien to strike at empty air, the water crashing harmlessly into the plateau.
The fight continued, each exchange both brutal and graceful, the river bending to the will of its guardian, the clone striking with precision and arrogance. Onlookers—birds of pure energy and spectral creatures of the Styks—scattered, witnessing a battle that seemed to warp the very fabric of the realm.
And as the fight raged, the clone's thoughts drifted for a fraction of a second to Lucien himself. He would find this amusing. Kaien… a son of heaven tied to the Styks, thinking himself a storm. Let's see how he handles a fraction of what the true god can teach.
The clone landed lightly atop a jagged outcrop, the spectral river surging beneath him. "Your turn, Kaien. Show me why heaven thinks it can judge reality."
Kaien clenched his fists, his aura brightening as the Styks roared, water coiling like serpents around him. "Very well… arrogant child of the void. Then let the Son of Heaven carve his truth into this plane!"
The stage was set. The clone of Lucien, representing a fraction of the god's infinite potential, faced Kaien Asahiro, heir to the heavens and master of the Styks. The air around them shimmered with tension, the plateau beneath them trembling, waiting for the next clash of forces beyond mortal comprehension.
And high above, unseen by both, Lucien's consciousness hovered lightly in the metaphysical void, his amber and crimson eyes glowing faintly. Ah… one of my clones is at play. How… entertaining.
He tilted his head, the faintest smile forming. This Kaien… intriguing. Perhaps the boy of heaven will teach my little avatar something after all.
And with that, the battle began in earnest, the first strike lighting the Styks with the brilliance of clashing destinies.