Shadow and Bell continued moving toward the mirror's location.
The path ahead was quiet.
Only the sound of footsteps echoed through the empty land.
After walking for a while, Bell finally spoke.
"Mirror of Split," she said slowly. "At the beginning… when this world first came into existence… a great war was happening."
Shadow slightly narrowed his eyes.
He didn't interrupt.
He simply listened.
Bell continued walking while speaking.
"Then the First Creator appeared," she said. "He stopped the war with his influence."
Shadow's gaze sharpened a little more.
Bell continued.
"After the war ended, balance and trust had to be maintained… so we fairies gave several powerful weapons to the creators as a symbol of trust."
Shadow remained silent.
Bell glanced at him briefly before continuing.
"And the Split Weapon… is one of those weapons."8
Silence followed.
After a moment, Bell spoke again.
"This mirror has an effect… and a side effect."
Shadow waited.
"Any object that passes through the mirror… splits into two."
Shadow spoke calmly.
"If a person goes through it… then what?"
Bell took a deep breath.
"Then the person's body will also split into two," she said. "Both bodies will have complete organs."
She paused.
"But the side effect…"
Her voice became heavier.
"Their memory, emotions… even their lifespan… will also be split into two."
Shadow became quiet.
For a moment, he thought.
(Can I control the side effects?)
Bell continued.
"So… splitting you is the only way… where he can be free."
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Shadow slowly smiled.
"Why not?"
They continued walking.
After some distance, Shadow suddenly spoke again.
"You are good," he said casually. "How about leaving him and joining me?"
Bell froze.
She slowly turned her head and looked at him.
Her eyes were cold.
Silence hung between them.
Then she spoke.
"I am helping you… but that doesn't mean I'm on your side."
Her voice carried no warmth.
"After the split… if I get the chance…"
She looked directly into his eyes.
"I will kill you myself."
Shadow stared at her for a moment.
Then he suddenly smiled widely.
"I expected you to be a weak, fragile princess…"
He chuckled lightly.
"But now I like you."
He continued walking.
"If you ever change your mind… come to me."
"There will always be a place for you."
Bell stared at him for a moment longer before turning away and walking ahead.
Shadow followed behind.
(Even if I split… I will still need to make a contract with a fairy…)
His expression turned thoughtful.
(…but with this situation… I won't get that chance.)
After half a day of traveling, they finally reached the location.
Shadow's eyes sharpened.
A wide circular area stood in front of them.
Bell spoke calmly.
"This is the location of the Mirror of Split."
She paused.
"But there will be a guard."
Shadow stepped forward.
He walked toward the gate.
There was no one there.
Yet he kept walking.
Then suddenly—
The ground trembled.
A massive giant made of sand rose from the earth.
Shadow remained calm.
Too calm.
"It's the gatekeeper," Bell said. "Created by one of the First Era creators."
She continued.
"We can't pass without fighting."
Shadow smiled slightly.
"A creation of a First Era creator… made from an element."
The sand golem raised its massive arm.
Then it swung down with tremendous force.
Shadow raised his hand.
A burst of wind exploded forward.
WHOOSH
The giant arm shattered under the wind's force.
Shadow immediately released several wind blades.
The blades sliced the golem into multiple pieces.
But the sand simply collapsed into the ground.
Shadow watched carefully.
Observing.
Suddenly—
The ground beneath him began to move.
Shadow immediately jumped into the air using wind.
High in the sky, wind began compressing in his hand.
A tornado formed.
He released it downward.
The tornado slammed into the ground.
CRACK
The entire ground shattered apart.
Dust rose everywhere.
Slowly…
The dust cleared.
Then suddenly—
A massive hand burst out from deep underground.
It was enormous.
Shadow calmly raised his hand again.
Wild wind began compressing together.
It formed into the shape of an arrow.
He released it.
The wind arrow shot forward.
Bell watched the battle silently.
The giant hand collided with the arrow.
BOOM
The hand exploded into sand.
But another sand body emerged from the ground.
This time—
Shadow's eyes glowed dark blue.
The air around the battlefield began moving violently.
He controlled all the wind in the sky and forced the sand golem down.
The immense wind pressure crushed it to the ground.
Bell's eyes sharpened.
She suddenly moved.
In a single motion, she destroyed a stone embedded in the gate.
The moment it shattered—
The sand golem instantly collapsed.
Its body turned into loose sand and fell.
A second later, Shadow landed in front of Bell.
He looked at her calmly.
"Looks like you knew about the trap."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Were you testing my fighting senses?"
Bell stared at him coldly.
"You can say that."
She continued.
"After all… I need to see what I'm going to free."
Silence.
Shadow asked calmly.
"Then what do you think?"
Bell's eyes glowed slightly.
Cold.
Heavy.
"I think you need to die as soon as possible after the split."
She continued without hesitation.
"You are dangerous."
Shadow gave a faint smile.
"Then give it a try."
He walked past her.
Into the garden.
Behind him, Bell's hands trembled slightly.
She took a deep breath.
Then followed.
At the center of the garden stood a mirror.
A cloth covered its surface.
Bell pointed at it.
"This… is the Split Mirror."
Shadow looked at it seriously.
"So I just need to walk through it?"
"Yes."
Shadow stepped forward.
He was about to touch the mirror.
Suddenly—
A beam of light struck the ground in front of them.
BOOM
Both of them stopped.
Bell looked forward sharply.
Shadow's eyes narrowed.
From the rising dust…
A figure slowly stepped out.
