Upon hearing what Yan Yanjing said, many gods realized what was happening, and the tense atmosphere that had been building up immediately dissipated—ah, so in the end, this true god clone was created by Yan Yanjing, then there's nothing to worry about.
Of course, at the same time, Mickett's face was indeed swollen from being hit by the smoke goggles.
It's kind of funny, really. Micket is usually so calm and collected, able to handle anything, but she often falls apart when she's up against Smoke Mirror. So now she doesn't argue with Smoke Mirror anymore, and she doesn't believe Smoke Mirror's nonsense.
(This clone must be the one that Smoke Mirror stole my edible clone and modified.)
She was unaware of the truth behind the scenes, relying solely on the information she already possessed to deduce the truth.
(The Smoke Mirror said He could create a complete clone of me, but that's probably just a lie. Stealing a clone of me and then enhancing and modifying it wouldn't be difficult.)
Was the judgment she was contemplating correct, or a fatal mistake? She had no way of knowing the answer, nor did she have time to ponder it. Perhaps every judgment was a mistake—but that didn't matter. As long as Voodoo killed the clone in the duel, that was all that mattered!
"Go, Voodoo! Win victory for me!"
Since Mickett had given the order, the master of ceremonies, Skinner, assumed that both sides had reached an agreement. Therefore, he also announced, "The duel officially begins!"
Let's duel!
Showcase the strength and skill of the fighters!
This is what everyone really wants to see today!
The audience of gods (except probably Kallen) is all looking forward to this!
So the fighter with the smoke-filled mirror, a clone dressed in a maid outfit, smiled at Voodoo: "Make your move, Favored One. I'll give you three moves."
...So now the pressure is on Voldemort (Hayden).
He cautiously raised his wand, his mind... well, to be honest, filled with mixed feelings.
Actually, Hayden didn't care how the smoke-glasses mocked Mickett. He didn't care if he laughed and acted cool—Mickett wasn't his wife, and Hayden's goal wasn't to make her proud.
Hayden is now more concerned about other issues.
First of all, Hayden certainly knew that the clone with the smoke-gauge was not the one from Isham. That was already troublesome enough.
Secondly, even from the perspective of a prophet, this clone seems... to be exactly the same as Mickett's original body.
In other words, no way? Could Smoke Mirror have actually created a god-level Micket clone?!
Hayden might have a way to defeat a minor god, perhaps even a way to defeat one using a clone, but defeat a major god? Beat Mikket in a one-on-one fight? Dream on!
He wasn't there to fight for Mikert, but if Smoke Mirror really had a way to create a fully-fledged Mikert with god-like power, then Hayden's original plan to unite South American forces to deal with Mitra might need to be drastically revised.
In addition, the prophet's intuition gave Hayden a very ominous premonition, causing him (Voldemort) to ask the clone opposite him, "Do you know me?"
“How could I not know you?” the Micket clone asked with a smile. “I’ve seen your file, chosen you as a fighter, and given Hayden enough resources and technology to enhance you—how could I not know you? I’ve been reading your reports all along.”
It took Voodoo a second to process those words… and then Hayden was genuinely starting to feel afraid. If he weren't remotely controlling Voodoo, this flesh golem, he would have gasped in horror.
This clone actually has the original's memories, including the most recent ones!
Then... what's the point of fighting? How can we win like this?! She probably knows everything about Voodoo's combat stats! This isn't just a question of how much combat power the clone has!
The duel had begun, and the fighters couldn't stand still. Voldemort glared at the clone from afar, then began circling her. At the same time, he inwardly groaned. The Smoke Mirror might have been right. The situation was now completely under his control.
What's worse is that the clones also know this.
"Actually, you don't need to get involved in this mess with her."
The clone did not move; only Voodoo was circling around her, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
But just as Voldemort shifted to the side and circled around, the clone spoke again:
"I have most of the abilities she has. I can give you the rewards she promised. As long as you surrender, you won't have to die."
At this point, the Micket clone smiled again: "Your file and abilities are top-notch. We need people like you. Surrender to me, and I will bestow upon you more power and a higher position."
what?
It can't be said that this was an unexpected offer of surrender, but Voodoo was still somewhat taken aback: "You are just a clone of the original body, and now you are just a fighter of the Smoke Mirror. On what basis do you promise me these things?"
“Wrong. Don’t you understand?” Clone Micket raised an eyebrow. “Infinite similarity is equivalence. Once I win this duel, Smoke Mirror will have the right to feed her to me. At that time, I will be perfect, even more so than before.”
"If you surrender, you can survive and gain more. If you resist, you will only experience firsthand the power of your master, and then kneel down to die. This is not a threat—it is a future that will certainly come to pass."
噫
Then Hayden understood completely. Not only did he understand, but a wave of nausea washed over him, making him want to bang his head against the wall.
Because of what the clone is saying, Hayden has already understood at least part of the Smoke Mirror's plan.
Because this was a move Hayden would have made himself, if he hadn't been bound by any moral constraints.
...Back when Fenrir had just found Isam, didn't he once think of having the clone eat Micket's original body in order to seize the company's plans?
Hayden later reflected on his actions and realized that using clones for such purposes was evil and unacceptable. But the smokescreen clearly had no moral constraints. Now the situation was truly dire.
"Are you so confident that the smoke screen won't get rid of you once the rabbit is caught and the hound is cooked?" he tried to ask.
But Clone Mikt remained calm: "There will always be a Miktti Kashiva, and every Miktti Kashiva is the same. The only difference is whether or not they submit to the Smoke Mirror now."
Well, it seems there's no need to say more.
“You are indeed Miktikashiva. I understand now.” Voldemort stopped circling and pointed his wand at the clone Mikt. “Now let’s see if my strength as a warrior can defeat my own overlord.”
There was a hint of provocation in his words, but the clone wasn't angry; instead, he seemed quite pleased: "That's good. Come on then, attack, show your strength. I'm never stingy with rewards as long as you surprise me."
"If you're useless in actual combat, I'll completely destroy you; if you can injure me, you'll be qualified to continue being my fighter, sitting to the left of the new Miktti Kashiva!"
How strange. Even though it's supposed to be a duel between two proxy fighters, Hayden feels like he's the one actually facing the challenger, confronting an incomparably powerful god… No, he truly is the one in question. He *is* the one in question!
If he loses today, the destruction of his clone is secondary—if Mikert is to be eaten, Hayden can't even imagine what other trouble Smoke Mirror will cause next, and his grand plan to unite South America against Mitra is doomed to fail!
Therefore, he absolutely cannot lose!
Voldemort raised his wand, channeling all his resolve into magic, and shouted out his hope: "[Abracadabra]!"
With a loud bang, like a cannonball exploding, a green beam shot out from the Voodoo Wand and flew towards the head of the clone Mickett.
This is a new spell recently developed by Hayden based on the [Dream Flower] technology, specifically designed to combat undead creatures, and specifically loaded onto Voldemort. The [Dream Flower] had already proven its effectiveness against death forces in the Dead Sea. Even the unborn child god was purified and severely damaged. Theoretically, ever since Hayden learned that Mikt was an unborn being, it has been a nemesis to Mikt Tikkashiva.
But the next instant, what happened made Fu Di Modu's eyes widen, and a chill ran down his spine.
Clonemicket did not stop, retaliate, or deflect. She simply raised her hand and caught Voldemort's spell as if catching a baseball thrown by a child.
“I’ve already said it, Voldemort. How could this new technology, which I’ve already seen and examined, possibly work on me?”
She poked at the green ball of incantation light surrounding the demon, flicked it a few times with her hand, drawing out a series of extremely fine rune structures, then crushed them with her fingers, and calmly said...
"Two more moves. Let's continue."
Hayden now has to admit that, even by his own standards, the situation is extremely dire.
339: The Deceased Kills Again
【abracadabra】
This is an ancient Aramaic spell that means "destroy this thing." Generally, it's a spell used to ward off bad things like disease, disaster, and poison, to destroy those negative influences.
Of course, this spell can also be used to fire a green laser to kill people.
So Hayden used the duality of [Abracadabra] and promoted it with the technology of [Dream Flower]. He originally intended to develop it specifically to deal with the Undead and the Unborn, and even as a trump card to deal with Mikt in an emergency... but he did not expect to use it at this time.
And it's ineffective.
"You have two more moves, continue."
"That's what Klonmict commented."
The second move?
Hayden was already starting to complain.
Fortunately, this wasn't the first time he'd unleashed a powerful, counter-type move he was so confident in only to find it ineffective. Therefore, Voldemort didn't appear discouraged; instead, he immediately began twirling his wand, moving on to the second step.
Hayden had once sold Mickett some practical techniques related to the Dream Flower. Although he and Karen had kept the core secrets, judging from the current situation, most of the offensive magic derived from the Dream Flower technique would probably be ineffective against Mickett.
Then Hayden's abilities would probably be half wasted.
Similarly, the technology that Mikkelsen gave to Hayden to use to enhance Voodoo would definitely be useless.
What else can he use for his second move? His trump card, specifically designed to deal with the God of Death, is useless now. What other methods does he have?
In an instant, hundreds of thoughts flashed through Hayden's mind, and then he had an idea.
Voodoo raised his wand toward the sky and quickly began weaving the second spell!
A dark cloud suddenly rolled in from the distance, rumbling and threatening to obscure the sky above the ceremony site. But when Smoke Mirror glanced up at the cloud, the layers of clouds immediately dispersed, failing to block the sun overhead.
Fortunately, the dispersal was enough for Fudimo. The thunderclouds churned, and a torrential downpour began.
The clone looked up and carefully examined the clouds, watching the flow of magic, but seemed somewhat disappointed: "That's it? I understand you don't dare use the technology I already know. But I am an ancient god, and modern people actually want to use classical magic against me?"
The capitalists of the Smoke Mirror Company are almost all old gods in new guise. Using classical magic against new gods might have a surprising effect, but against old gods, isn't that like showing off one's limited skills before an expert?!
But Voodoo continued to weave magic, stirring up the clouds in the sky.
The storm intensified, and the icy rain poured down relentlessly. Clone Mikite used her divine power to deflect the water, but couldn't help but grow impatient: "You don't believe I'm the real Mikite Tikkahiva, you don't believe I'm the real goddess of the South American underworld? What are you trying to do to me with this little bit of magic?"
Because they had agreed to let her have three moves, she didn't interrupt Fudimo's spell. But she was already somewhat disappointed.
However, upon hearing this, Voodoo turned around and replied, "You've got it backwards. I now regard you as a god."
As he spoke, he reached out and raised his wand toward the thundercloud.
"That's why I created this environmental effect specifically for you."
Inside the Voodoo suit was still Hayden, and even he was now revealing some of his habitual speaking style. The cloned goddess of the underworld was slightly taken aback, looked up at the sky, then at herself, and finally realized.
A torrential downpour washed away the blood-stained ceremony grounds.
Lightning flashed through the clouds. The rolling dark clouds were illuminated by the streaks of light, becoming incomparably beautiful and dazzling.
Thunder followed, deep enough to shake the earth.
lightning
Leten
storm
The bloodthirsty goddess of the underworld is the ruler of the earth, because the underworld is located underground. In other words, this is...
...the method of using heavenly thunder to overcome earthly deities.
In the blink of an eye! Fudimo unleashed his immense power towards the sky, sensing the thunderclouds and attempting to seize the divine power of the heavens. This divine power immediately rushed towards him, surging towards the earth!
"Huihui!" he shouted, forcefully slamming his raised wand down. "Qilei!"
The white-hot divine thunder, accompanied by gale-force winds and torrential rain, descended upon the earth, striking down upon Klonmict!
"That's quite interesting."
A hint of appreciation finally appeared on the clone's face. But she didn't adopt any fighting stance, nor did she chant any spells. She simply stretched out her right hand and raised it towards the sky. Instantly, a circular opening appeared in the space between heaven and earth, revealing a dark, ghostly abyss that shone like a galaxy deep within—like a gaping maw leading to the underworld!
This dark, ghostly maw bit into the lightning bolt that was falling from the sky, crunching and chewing it up before swallowing it whole! The lightning gradually shattered, as if a candle had been placed in front of the wind!
Since ancient times, the thunderbolts of the gods have been a powerful weapon against the Earth Mother Goddess; this is true in almost all mythologies and magic, both Eastern and Western. However… Ahh! Clones actually devoured the heavenly thunder with pure negative divine power from the underworld! How terrifying! Perhaps it's because Voldemort's heavenly thunder power was obtained from the Mithra Group; even with the elemental advantage, its strength is still insufficient!
In contrast, Clone Micket deliberately unleashed the power of the underworld, reversing the elemental advantage to defeat the Heavenly Thunder, clearly to ensure that the audience could see it clearly.
The ability to freely access resources from the South American underworld should have been a divine right belonging solely to Micket's original self. Yet now, this clone is using the same divine right! No wonder Micket's expression is even more unpleasant now.
Other gods, both great and lesser, also had their own concerns, especially those possessing patents for certain special technologies. They couldn't help but imagine what they would do if they encountered the same situation. Although the Smoke Mirror said it could only clone Micket, this kind of technology... who wouldn't be completely apprehensive?
Let's set aside whether the Smoke Mirror can clone all gods, and assume it doesn't have enough samples to do so—but if the main gods of other large companies obtain this technology, can they clone all the gods under their own banner?
What's the worst-case scenario? What if, in the future, the boss of the main god collects enough data to replicate his own gods and so on, and then immediately discards his employees like a dog after the rabbit is killed?
"One more trick."
In any case, the heavenly lightning summoned by Voodoo has now been crushed by Clone Mikt using the power of the underworld.
After the cloned goddess of the underworld finished speaking, she turned to look at Fudimo again, only to find that Fudimo had already raised his wand again while the heavenly lightning was descending—so that's how it is! He must be trying to use the moment when the clone's old power was exhausted and its new power had not yet emerged to use his third move to decide the outcome! It seems that his second move, the heavenly lightning, was just a pawn prepared for the third move!
But Mickett had always been indifferent to this. Whether cloned or not, she was confident in her own power. So she simply watched calmly as Voldemort once again raised his wand high, pointing it at the thunderclouds in the sky... Wait, what on earth was he doing?
A second, even stronger bolt of lightning struck down from the dark clouds, from the turbulent core of the storm, hitting Vlad the Demon's raised wand squarely.
The indestructible divine lightning struck Voodoo along with the storm, its power flowing through his wand into his arm, exploding within his body, engulfing him in blinding sparks—yet he did not die. Instead, the thunderous power merged into Voodoo's body, making him taller, larger, and stronger, his power constantly increasing!
The clone had barely chewed up the lightning that had struck her when, at the same time, Fudimo had already acquired a bit of the aura of a god! The heavenly lightning rose from his body like a blazing pillar of fire, stretching straight to the sky!
Then the Clone Goddess finally understood: "The third move..."