early autumn, year 02 – eryndor under-city districts
the city slept above while the under-streets screamed below.mirror-born soldiers marched from the sewers, their armor clicking like glass insects. every reflection in the puddles flickered with faces that weren't there.
lumiel adjusted his gloves. "two thousand constructs, maybe more."daniel grinned. "two thousand problems, one solution."acheron's eyes glowed faint crimson. "kain."
he stepped forward, silver flame rippling down the naginata's edge. "then let's make silence."
1 – brotherhood formation
the shadow brotherhood spread through the tunnels in perfect lines:
lumiel & elariel shielding the mana flow with layered barriers.
laora & selene purifying the air with potion mist and divine light.
daniel, reika, and yoriko cutting through the outer flank in a blur of steel and tails.
kain, acheron, and kasumi heading for the central reactor where vorseth's core pulsed.
kasumi slammed her hammer on the ground, sending shockwaves that shattered mirrored walls."if this place explodes, i'm blaming you," she shouted.kain smiled. "then aim carefully."
2 – the heart of reflection
they reached a vast hall of glass bridges hanging over an abyss. the reactor floated in the middle like a heart made of spinning shards.
acheron closed her eyes. "so many timelines overlapping… he's feeding from the past itself.""then we cut the line," kain said.
as he stepped onto the bridge, mirror-soldiers rose from beneath, twisting into humanoid forms of silver fire.daniel drew twin daggers. "you take left, i take profit."
the air shook. blades clashed, wings unfolded. selene's arrows rained pure light, splitting reflections apart.laora tossed a vial that erupted into violet smoke — an alchemical storm that corroded glass and healed wounds at once.
the siblings fought like one body, one heartbeat.
3 – domain of silver
then the reactor pulsed — a low note that cracked the bridge.kain felt the pressure again, the same whisper from before.
"you've accepted your shadow. now accept their fear."
his eyes turned silver. the naginata vibrated, splitting into streams of mirrored light.acheron stepped back, shielding the others. "it's happening again!"
the world shattered around them.sound vanished.light folded inward.
suddenly, the battlefield was gone — replaced by a world of glass and silence.every surface reflected enemies and allies alike. time itself slowed.
this was his nihility domain.
the mirror-soldiers froze, confronted by their own reflections — twisted versions filled with terror.the silver ground rippled with each heartbeat.
kain's voice echoed softly. "see yourselves… and disappear."
their fear became flame. silver fire devoured them, and the fragments turned to ash that dissolved into nothing.
4 – the crimson pulse
acheron's aura flared red inside the domain, lightning dancing around her scythe.she reached him, eyes wide. "your blood— it's changing again!"
kain looked down. the silver around his hands darkened, streaked with faint crimson veins.each pulse of his heart painted a scarlet line across the glass floor.
"the void learns hunger," whispered Aeon Ix. "feed wisely, prince."
the domain trembled, colors swirling — half silver, half blood-red.but kain exhaled slowly and steadied it."not yet. silver first, crimson later."
he closed the domain with a single step; the glass world folded into itself, and the real corridor snapped back into existence.
5 – after the storm
the reactor was silent. mirror fragments floated like snow.lumiel scanned the readings. "energy output zero. vorseth's core is sealed."daniel twirled a dagger. "so we win again. anyone keeping score?"laora grinned. "alchemy score: me three, you zero."acheron laughed softly, leaning against kain's shoulder. "you almost lost control, but you held it."he nodded. "for now."
above them, through a crack in the ceiling, the first morning light of autumn reached the under-city. it glittered across the broken mirrors, turning every shard to silver.
kain whispered, "and so the siege ends."
[status update]
name: kain machiavelli
race: half aeon • half blood dragon (vampiric mutation stage 1)
level: 31 exp: 5 420 / 6 200
tree rank: chesed (4th sphere)
guiding aeon: ix – aeon of nihility
unique skill: shadow nihility flame lv 8
domain: nihility domain – silver form (50 % stability)
weapons: katana, wakizashi, naginata – synced with susanoo
objective: trace vorseth's master and prevent the mirror war from reaching the sky empire.
end of chapter 20 – the siege of mirrors