The Isekai Game

A Mere Reflection

"I'm not mad," said the demon, staring up at the heart, "It's not about the path you choose". 

Vanessa walked up with her sword in hand, ready to fight. the room was large and circular as the previous ones. Only this room was not as well lit. Blood dripped down the walls from the ceiling. The heart throbbed irregularly as a dark aura continuously crushed it inwards. 

"We can all be happy," he turned to face her, stretching out his arms, "Living out our dreams, is all that matters".

He flipped out a blade. The two ran in, parrying each other. Her strength was immense, but he actually smiled, pushing her back. 

"Power!" she pushed the man away, slicing at him a few more times. 

The replica kept a calm demeanor, dodging every hit. Once he saw her buff had worn away, he dodged her strike to punch her gut and step out of range. 

That speed of his was quicker than she could catch. Luckily, she was good at range abilities. 

Vanessa flipped out her shotgun as the man threw out a number of cards. 

"Summon!" she called, shooting after him as two fish swam after him.

Dodging out the way of his cards, one managed to catch her, holding her feet in place. Luckily, she shot him in time for the fish to rip him apart. But his body vanished as a mere illusion. 

He came up from below, punching her gut repetitively over to her rib cage. Right when her body rose in the air, he landed an uppercut that sent her flying back. 

Before she could fall away, he grabbed her foot and slammed her down. He followed up with a stomp that she blocked with an arm, "V". 

She punched his calf away and kicked him down to the ground, "Super"!

In the time she said that the man rolled down, latching onto her. There was a card stabbed into her thigh, that she hadn't noticed, that prevented her leg from moving much. 

They rolled with the man flipping around and stabbing into her in various spots to hinder her movements. By the time he kicked away, her pride aura was gone, leaving her to feel the wounds he inflicted. 

She panted, staring at his grin. Though he looked like Logan, that grin felt different than usual. 

"Come on Vanessa," he smirked, running towards her "You can't just expect the enemy to let you heal". 

"Holo"!

"Dispel"!

Just when two illusions of her ran out to attack, he kicked thought, dispelling them. Vanessa rose her shotgun to fire just when a card sliced her hand, causing her to drop the g*n. 

Regardless, she sliced Masamune at him, only to be dodged and kicked in the nose. Her head was falling back when the man grabbed her hair and buried it into the stone ground. 

He punched her in the temple a few times on one side before turning her head to punch her on the other side of her pretty face. 

Vanessa kneed him in the back once before using her legs to spin Masamune around, pulling him towards the man's back. 

But he leaned out the way, pulling her sword away and tossing it. 

She managed to kick her legs up, wrapping them around his neck, "Super"!

Right when she was going to break his neck, he stabbed a dagger into her leg a few times. It prevented her from effectively using for the maneuver. 

"Power!" she yelled, kicking her other leg. 

But the man pushed her off before it landed. He stood panting, waiting for her to get up. Laughing as he kicked her g*n and sword across the room. 

"Well Vanessa! That was close combat!" he leaned over clapping his hands, "So what else you got"? 

With one of her legs disabled, she remained on a knee, thinking of her next move. 

"Come on. Don't give up. You don't need your weapons to be strong," he tapped his head, "It's all in here". 

She bowed her head, crying. 

"Seriously?" he asked, disappointed in her display of weakness, "If you're gonna cry then give up. I'm seriously no-". 

Blades shot out from underneath him, causing the replica to run, dodging every strike. But he wasn't fooled. He held his daggers, slicing through every blade that came after him. 

Vanessa smacked her palm into the ground, causing it to freeze, "Super! Power"!

She kicked herself up with one leg, charging herself with lightning. It was an all-out attempt to limp her way close to him and electrocuting the replica with the swords surrounding him. 

Three cards smacked into her, dispelling her powers. Vanessa dropped down from her limp. She hadn't even seen when he threw them. 

It left her crying, wondering how this guy with nothing special other than Logan's abilities has managed to beat her so easily. It was as though he was built to beat her. 

It wasn't until her jaw was kicked up and his hand gripped her throat that she realized her swords were also dispelled. 

"Seal," said the man in a stern tone, "That was clever. Disguising your command under a cry to throw me off". He tilted his head, "You could've gotten a few more hits in if you were thinking like that from the beginning... Still". 

He threw her across the room. Only then did she feel her powers completely drained. 

"Vanessa, I'm not here to kill you. If you choose not to join me, that's fine". 

She rose her head, confused by the man. 

He rose his hand towards the heart, practically crushing it, "We both have the same dream. And we can get there together. I want you there. But if you choose to waste your time defending these angels, I will beat you". 

"Who are you?" she cried. 

The heart stopped, blackening with his words, "I am a mere reflection".