The being that would emerge from this Demon Portal was, without a doubt, a Demon.
Waver and Iskandar could not comprehend the significance of this power; these were artifacts and authorities that did not belong to this world. Shendu, however, understood perfectly. He had not expected Zoran to possess the authority to open the Demon Portal within an entirely different reality.
Faced with the riddle Zoran had posed, Shendu fell into deep thought. There were eight brothers and sisters in total. Excluding Zoran himself, seven remained. But since he was already here, perhaps he should be excluded as well, leaving only six.
Tchang Zu, the Thunder Demon; Po Kong, the Mountain Demon; Bai Tza, the Water Demon; Dai Gui, the Earth Demon; Xiao Fung, the Wind Demon; and Hsi Wu, the Sky Demon.
Six siblings. Judging by Zoran's expression, any one of them could appear. Shendu's draconic eyes stared curiously at the Demon Portal, a playful glint appearing on his face. After a long silence, he shook his head helplessly.
One out of six, he couldn't call it. Any one of them was a possibility. He spread his hands and chuckled, "In any case, it won't be you, and it certainly won't be me."
Hearing this, the corners of Zoran's mouth curled upward.
In his vision, seven demonic projections flickered before him. Indeed, the Pan'ku Box had updated from its original six summonable projections to seven. Zoran looked at the additional projection and let out a low, soft laugh.
"A pity," he said quietly. "You guessed wrong, my brother."
"Wrong?" Shendu froze. "Is it you then? It couldn't possibly be... me, could it?"
He was standing right here. Was it even possible for Zoran to summon him?
Zoran laughed heartily, finding the situation truly delightful. "Come forth!" he commanded.
Within the Reality Marble, an invisible wind suddenly rose, instantly suppressing the scent of blood and the swirling yellow sands. A green, draconic hand abruptly reached out from the Demon Portal, gripping the edge of the scroll tightly.
Upon seeing that hand, Shendu felt a jolt run through his entire body. He looked at Zoran in utter shock.
"Impossible!" he exclaimed.
Following the hand, a draconic claw stepped out from the portal, planting itself firmly upon the empty air.
"What is this???" Waver stood frozen, his eyes darting back and forth between Shendu and the portal.
The answer was manifest. The one about to make his entrance was the Fire Demon…
The Shendu Projection.
He stepped fully out of the gateway, revealing his hideous and terrifying form! Searing flames billowed from him, and power overflowed from his frame. The Demon Portal instantly snapped shut, reverting to a scroll before vanishing into the air. The Pan'ku Box trembled slightly as it returned to Zoran's palm, where it hovered quietly.
"A second... Caster!!!" Iskandar murmured in disbelief, as if struck by a physical bolt of lightning.
As for Shendu, his pupils dilated as his gaze locked onto Zoran. He could sense that this was not the "real" him, but a projection. Yet, this projection possessed power exactly equal to his current state.
"How did you do this, my brother!?" Shendu asked, his expression dazed. He found himself completely unable to see through this sibling of his anymore.
Zoran studied the Shendu projection that had emerged from the portal, his heart filled with a sense of immense gratification. Who could have guessed it? No one! Even he hadn't known until the very moment he unleashed the Pan'ku Box.
The Pan'ku Box.
Unlike the version in their original world, which served only as a bridge between the Netherworld and the mortal realm, the Pan'ku Box in his hands was a true divine artifact.
Its primary function: To summon projections of his other brothers and sisters.
The requirement: The original body of the summoned Demon must not be dead, and the projection's strength would be consistent with the Demon's current state.
When Zoran first obtained this treasure, he could only choose from six projections. Shendu had not been among them, because at that time, Shendu was merely a sealed statue devoid of any active power. The Pan'ku Box could not summon a powerless statue.
But now, Shendu's soul had been reconstructed into a Servant's body in this world. Even if his original body remained a statue elsewhere, it did not affect the Pan'ku Box's judgment! Consequently, this Fire Demon, this "Caster," had been added to the list of available projections.
"How truly delightful!" Zoran laughed.
This was a wildcard move. He was certain everyone would have guessed wrong.
The Shendu projection slowly descended, landing in the center of the battlefield. This projection possessed everything the current Shendu had: the Caster class, the Noble Phantasm Reality Marble, and even identical magical properties. Aside from the soul, it was an absolute, indistinguishable duplicate!
Zoran pointed a finger and commanded, "Now, let the real game begin!"
As the words fell, the Shendu projection in the center of the battlefield let out a wild roar. His Noble Phantasm, Glory of the Ancient Demon, was unleashed instantly.
The blood-red sky swept across the horizon, overwhelming and burying Iskandar's Ionioi Hetairoi in a heartbeat. A second palace rose from the scorching desert. The power of the twelve Noble Phantasm-grade Talismans erupted simultaneously.
At this critical juncture where everyone was at the end of their tether, the sudden appearance of a second Caster with equal power made the outcome inevitable. Dazzling beams of incinerating fire swept the field, and the remaining Heroic Spirit warriors fell one after another under the onslaught.
Iskandar looked around the Reality Marble, the shock still etched onto his face. But now, he was truly a man alone.
From East to West, two surging versions of Shendu marched toward him, the invisible pressure between them skyrocketing.
"Truly incomprehensible power... Caster's Master, I acknowledge you as the strongest!"
With a long sigh, he brought down his whip. The chariot surged with ten thousand bolts of thunder as he charged toward one of the Shendus with reckless abandon.
In the distance, Waver Velvet recoiled, falling back onto the ground. He couldn't understand it. To his eyes, the two Casters were identical. Same appearance, same abilities, same aura! How could two identical existences possibly appear at once?
From the moment Zoran released the Pan'ku Box in the sky, everything had spiraled beyond the reach of his logic, shattering his limited magecraft theories into dust. Yet, the reality unfolded right before his eyes.
He slowly looked toward the distance, toward Zoran, who still appeared calm and unruffled. A sudden sense of dread washed over him.
Just what kind of being am I fighting against?
Over and over, this opponent continued to redefine his understanding of reality.
Finally, a silver-white lightning engulfed everything left on the battlefield. Shendu and his projection roared in unison. A gargantuan force surged into the sky, and the Reality Marble trembled before dissolving.
A sudden, uncontrollable sense of panic rose in Waver's heart, a feeling of having lost something. With tears in his eyes, he looked toward where Iskandar had been.
He had, indeed, lost everything.
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