The Unkillable "Me"

What?!

Senju Kyogawa was violently repelled by The Gate. Before he could land or react, the "Senju Kyogawa" raised a Nichirin Sword wreathed in flames and slashed toward him.

The "Senju Kyogawa" gripped the blade with both hands, unleashing a circular flaming strike.

The oncoming fire reflected in Senju Kyogawa's red pupils; suspended in mid-air, he clearly had no way to dodge.

At the very instant the flaming strike was about to hit him, Senju Kyogawa moved.

He quickly blasted a burst of flame from his hands toward the ground. The explosion erupted, and using the upward force, Senju Kyogawa vaulted into the air, narrowly evading the "Senju Kyogawa's" attack.

The circular flaming strike collided with Senju Kyogawa's fire with a thunderous boom. In an instant, debris flew everywhere, and the tunnel filled with dust and smoke.

Senju Kyogawa curled his body, shielding his head tightly with his arms to survive the blast.

The moment he landed, he quickly uncoiled and darted toward the original corner.

Senju Kyogawa let out a slight sigh of relief; he truly had Senju Butsuma's hellish training to thank for this.

If not for the physical conditioning and body control Senju Butsuma had drilled into him, he never would have been able to dodge that attack.

The tunnel, having flared with light, plunged back into darkness.

The tunnel was severely damaged, and now, filled with smoke and dust, visibility was extremely low.

Furthermore, without the illumination of Senju Kyogawa's flames, the tunnel was pitch black, making it impossible to see anything at all.

Senju Kyogawa pressed his back slightly against the wall, gripping his Nichirin Sword, tilting his head, and softening his breathing.

After mastering Total Concentration Constant Breathing, Senju Kyogawa's breath had become exceptionally long and steady. To fully digest the energy inhaled into his lungs, he could often hold his breath for over a minute after a single inhalation, allowing the air to circulate through his lungs multiple times before exhaling the impurities.

Therefore, Senju Kyogawa did not need to deliberately hold his breath; he only needed to quiet the sound and slow the rhythm to achieve excellent concealment.

Even in the current pitch-black conditions, it was difficult to track his movements.

What should I do? Senju Kyogawa pondered in his heart.

He never expected that "Senju Kyogawa" would ignore the rules of engagement. It was supposed to be a mirror image of the original, mimicking every action, so why would it suddenly take the initiative to attack?

Was it because Senju Kyogawa had touched The Gate?

Could it be that he had to destroy "Senju Kyogawa" to leave this place?

Would that "Senju Kyogawa" continue to attack him?

Since he couldn't simply walk out, he had no choice but to fight.

However, Senju Kyogawa decided to hold his position for now to see how the "Senju Kyogawa" would react.

Suddenly, Senju Kyogawa's heart rate spiked, and a sense of unease welled up within him.

His intuition screamed "Danger, danger, danger"—he had to move.

Trusting his instincts, Senju Kyogawa dodged to the side without hesitation.

Sure enough, a second later, a "BOOM" echoed out, and the spot where Senju Kyogawa had been hiding was reduced to rubble.

The "Senju Kyogawa" had proven through action that even though it was a fake, it would attack on its own.

Fine, no need to hesitate now. I guess I have to fight him, Senju Kyogawa thought helplessly.

What concerned him more than the fight itself was whether the "Senju Kyogawa" opposite him had copied all of his abilities. If so, how was he supposed to win?

Senju Kyogawa looked up and saw that the "Senju Kyogawa" was shrouded in flames, just like he had been at the start.

Well, the "Senju Kyogawa" had now revealed the exact same "flame" ability and Sun Breathing: First Form: Waltz as he had.

Even the Nichirin Sword and the Ugly Monster had been replicated.

At this rate, everything he knew, the "Senju Kyogawa" knew as well. How was he supposed to fight that?

Senju Kyogawa was baffled; Senju Kyogawa fell into deep thought.

"Hey brother, let's put down our Nichirin Swords and have a chat. Violence won't solve anything. If you don't want me to leave, just say so, don't just start swinging..." Senju Kyogawa said a long string of words helplessly, trying to reason with the "Senju Kyogawa."

Senju Kyogawa tried to reason and negotiate.

The "Senju Kyogawa" picked up his sword and ignored him.

Seeing that the "Senju Kyogawa" hadn't taken in a word he said and was still raising his Nichirin Sword to strike, Senju Kyogawa hurriedly raised his own blade. He initiated Sun Breathing: First Form: Waltz, intending to seize the initiative in the battle.

Although the end result was still the real and fake Senju Kyogawa clashing, at least he now knew that "Senju Kyogawa" lacked consciousness and was merely a perfect mirror image.

Wouldn't it be much easier to fight a mindless dummy?

No, in truth, it was not easy at all.

"Haa... haa... haa..."

After a few rounds, Senju Kyogawa was already feeling exhausted from the prolonged consumption of massive amounts of chakra and physical stamina. But the "Senju Kyogawa" opposite him was like a machine, knowing no fatigue and possessing an endless supply of power.

Senju Kyogawa found himself in a predicament; he had no idea how to destroy another version of himself...