The Eminence in Shadow: The Dark Swordsman

Chapter 54: Reflections of Chaos

Kirito stood frozen, his eyes wide in disbelief as he looked at Kurumi on the Crystal Chalet rooftop. The evening wind brushed past them, but he felt as if the ground beneath him had vanished.

"What...what do you mean?" he stammered, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Kurumi's gaze held steady, her expression unreadable as she spoke again, words heavy with revelation.

Kirito's shock erupted into a shout. "How is it possible to be another me out there?"

Kurumi took a deep breath, her eyes reflecting the fading light of the sunset. "There is a Kazuto Kirigaya who never got transported to another world," she said, her voice calm but firm. "He lives a normal life, free from the trials and tribulations we've faced in this world."

Kirito's heart raced, a whirlwind of thoughts crashing against one another. "But how can that be? I thought I was the only one. The only Kirito."

Kurumi raised a hand, silencing Kirito before he could say anything more. Her voice was soft but piercing. "You are," she affirmed, her gaze unwavering. "Remember when I told you that I was the one who forced your arrival in this world?"

Kirito's eyes widened again, but he managed a slow nod. The truth weighed on him, a burden he hadn't anticipated.

"To be honest, I was merely a catalyst," Kurumi continued, her tone unapologetic but somehow gentle. "The process was bound to happen eventually."

"So," Kirito whispered, piecing it together, "I was meant to come here all along?"

Kurumi nodded, a faint glimmer in her eyes. "Indeed. But I hastened it... because you're the only one compatible, the only one I can truly rely on in this world."

Kirito's frustration bubbled to the surface, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "What is this phenomenon, anyway?" he exclaimed, irritation lacing his voice. "People, monsters-coming from other worlds? How does any of this make sense?"

Kurumi's gaze drifted to the darkening night sky, the first stars beginning to twinkle above them. "In human terms, one could call it a malfunction of multiversal laws," she explained, her tone shifting to one of contemplation. "Different beings, dimensions, realities-they're converging into one single world, colliding in ways that shouldn't normally happen."

Kirito took a moment to process Kurumi's words, the implications of her revelations swirling in his mind. He finally broke the silence, his voice steady yet laced with seriousness. "What about the other Kazuto in my world? Is that some kind of malfunction, too?"

Kurumi nodded, her expression sombre. "Indeed. Every single being who enters this world has their own version living in their respective worlds," she explained, the weight of her statement hanging heavily in the air.

Kirito's shock deepened as the reality of her words sank in. "So, we are all..." he hesitated, struggling to grasp the enormity of the situation.

Kurumi finished his thought, her gaze unwavering. "Perfect duplicates," she confirmed. "Different lives, different experiences, but at the core, you're all the same."

Kurumi smirked, a glint of mischief dancing in her eyes. "That's why I told you to kill Shō when you had the chance," she said, her tone playful yet chilling.

Kirito's gaze shot to her, confusion and frustration intertwining in his expression. "You can't be serious," he replied, disbelief evident in his voice.

Her smirk widened slightly, but her demeanour remained unsettlingly calm. "Oh, but I am. You see, Shō is living in his own world, completely unaware of the chaos happening here. Killing his duplicate would make no difference in his life there."