Chapter 492: Pride and Desire
Silva stood inside a black void, then it changed, twisting and turning until it became a rocky land, filled with large and small rocks and a sky that was painted red. He felt a presence. It was close.
He looked around calmly to find what he was searching for, and then he saw it, a figure sitting on one of the rocks. It was another version of him.
"Hello, Silva," the version spoke. It crossed its legs and relaxed against the rock.
"Did we make another clone?" One of the minds asked.
"Not sure that we did, you know," another mind responded.
"We did not," the first line said, focusing on the figure in front of him, looking at it with keen eyes.
"You are already trying to see what I am?" The figure said.
"What exactly are you? Some sort of embodiment of the perfect version of me?" Silva asked.
"No, no, that would be far too easy, now wouldn’t it? I am the perfection of your pride and your hunger for power," he said and then dropped down from the rock.
"I cannot allow my power to be in the hands of anyone who does not have the required pride to wield me.
Many have tried and all have failed, because I am no construct that a normal human can wield. I am the definition of an almighty power."
"Big self-talk there," Silva said.
"Haha. You are the first one that has come that has piqued my interest, Dark Dragon," he said and started to walk around in slow and steady steps.
"You and I are made of the same material, the same essence, the same pride. Created for one story and one story alone, the story of domination." He looked at Silva with a sharp gaze.
"So you must now show me that you deserve this ultimate power and you are willing to use it to its fullest potential."
"And how do I do that?" Silva asked.
"There are very few things that can stop you, or break you. I can feel your pride already, and it rivals mine, if not above it. But that is not enough. You have to show me if you are willing to drive the extra mile and push beyond your own limits for the first time ever to gain power.
Tell me, Dark Dragon, when was the last time you gave it your all?"
When Silva heard that question, he froze. His mind rushed around wildly trying to find out the last time he gave it his all, but even after a few seconds, he could not find anything with all his minds working together.
"You see? The Dark Dragon has never really been in a fight that he can consider going all out. That’s pretty sad, isn’t it?
So I’ll change that," the figure said and then summoned an abyssal blade similar to the one that Silva uses.
"You have used many powers along the way here, some you do not even recall, some were world-shattering.
But at the end of it all, you are simply a dragon with a sword and flames from darkness."
The figure raised his sword into the air. "Are you ready?" He asked, and before Silva could even answer the question, the blade came down and a massive black flame exploded out of it, or came like a raging sea, rising high and rushing at him.
’Such output on the first swing?’ Silva thought. He pulled out his sword and countered. He slashed through the flames only to see the figure right in front of him and swinging again. Silva stepped in to block the attack. His blade met with the blade of the figure, and a massive shockwave spread out, shattering rocks in an instant.
"Show me what true will and desire to be powerful looks like!" the figure roared and pushed harder. The force hurled Silva back through the air. Silva brought out his wings and forced himself to a stop. He flapped harder and shot at the fighter, who was already ready for him and flying in his direction.
BOOM!
They clashed again. Another shockwave threatened to tear the sky apart. The figure proceeded to unleash a barrage of attacks that Silva gave his all to block and parry, but one got through, a flash across his chest that hurled him back.
He slammed into the ground hard and went another twenty meters before stopping.
’I have fought versions of me before, over seven, but this one feels like something more powerful in the body of me.’
Silva thought as he got to his feet. He gripped his sword. He looked at the figure that was in the sky.
"I guess I have to step it up," he said, and then flames erupted around him, twisting like a vortex before compressing down into his blade. He bent his knee and then leaped, shooting forward like a rocket, a black streak through the sky. He attacked with full strength. The figure blocked.
The figure was pushed back several meters in the air as Silva gave chase. He opened his hand and pointed at Silva, unleashing a terrifying wave of fireballs the size of a human. They formed and hurled forward at Silva.
Silva watched each one at the same time and slashed through them while closing the distance.
"This will not be enough to make me go all out!" Silva yelled as he attacked one last time in a powerful slash. The figure smiled and blocked the attack.
BOOM!
He was not moved back even an inch. He looked at Silva with the smile on his face.
"Oh? I see the pride is higher. Let’s see how it goes after this." He proceeded to release one hand from his sword, blocking the struggling Silva with only one hand, and then he pointed the free hand at Silva, unleashing an invisible blast. It slammed into Silva extremely hard, hurling him down. Silva hit the ground like a meteor, creating a massive crater on the ground with him at the center.