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The moment he stepped through the door, the world behind him dissolved bit by bit; the dark sea became blurred and distant.
When he looked back, the door vanished as if it had never been there, leaving the plain white as far as the eye could see.
He stood upon a vast plain of pale radiance, endless and depthless.
Above, the same starry sky shimmered faintly, but its constellations were rearranged; foreign, various dots of stars formed a river, moving along, flowing like a Milky Way.
There was no edge to be seen, no air, only the faint echo of his own breath.
And then, before him—
A figure sat.
A chair. A table. And an unfamiliar board game?
Same messy dark hair that clings to the temple. Same grey eyes, but instead of lifelessness, they were filled with vitality, although much calmer and colder than his.
Wearing the same plain tunic and long pants as him.
The replica sat straight, one leg crossed over the other, hand resting lightly on his knees. His pure grey eyes were directed at Akane, and Akane also gazed back at him.
For a long moment, neither spoke, as if inspecting each other with precision and intellect.
Akane examined the figure opposite him, which appeared to be his Replica.
As he looked at him more, he felt a faint rejection and repulsion from the depths of his own self.
His instinct was to reject this copy, as if it were just a cheap reflection.
And he also knew it himself: that flawless posture, that perfection, and the gaze that seemed calculated all the time, disgusted him more and more.
The silence was so compelling that even Akane's own breath felt intrusive in this space.
And then, the Replica opened his mouth, voice even and detached, a tone without color.
"Well, well, if you decided to step up on this space, it means you know that you will face a 'test,' right?"
"It is a bit late, but welcome, Shirakami Akane—or me. To the game that will decide whether you are worthy to advance, and worthy of the Path you tread?"
"Will your flame be snuffed out here, or will you arise and be a perfect 'Entelechia' that realizes your own potential?"
"Let's find out, shall we?" After a long monologue, his plain face melted, exuding a cheeky smile that he used to have.
Akane didn't reply or respond to the Replica's question; instead, he stared at him, scrutinizing his actions.
The Replica did not frown at this, still maintaining his cheeky smile and relaxed expression.
"There seems to be some caution? Or perhaps you feel bothered by my presence?"
"Waiting for me to reveal more things? Then why don't you try to ask? Perhaps by knowing, you will feel at ease with my presence." As he said this, his eyes narrowed slightly.
As the Replica had already guessed what he was thinking, there was no need to beat around the bush. His eyes never moved even an inch from the opposite figure, having experienced things one after another, making his nerves tense.
"I thought opening the door was a challenge in itself, so it is not?" he spoke lightly and then followed with a barrage of questions.
And again: "What are you?", "Where is this?", "What will I gain from this test?", "How do I pass it?", and "How do you define I'm worthy for this Path itself?"
Opposite him, the Replica smiled faintly, not to mock him, but to approve him knowingly.
"One point for a clever use of your brain."
"Predictable question; some guesses are off, but still fall within the expected range."
"You already know, don't you?" he said, smirking at him.
"I'm you. The same self. The same mind." He gestured lazily toward the white expanse, as if answering something but nothing at all.
"This place, this border, is nothing but the projection from the Path itself. The point where you will be tested, of your 'worthiness.'"
He adjusted his sitting position slightly, as if uncomfortable.
"'Worthiness' means many things, Akane. I have already revealed the answer to you before, whether you know it or not."
"You've always sought to be greater than who you are, but you never defined what 'you' means, isn't it?"
"So what do you think of who you actually are? What did you pursue, actually, and how will you do it?"
Akane's eyes flickered, but he said nothing.
"As for passing the test," the Replica continued, "it's simple for someone like us. There's no need for brute force, no vulgar display of strength."
The Replica shifted his gaze to the table.
"You only need to defeat me in a game of Go."
"The board is simple, isn't it? Two colors, infinite outcomes."
"Every move is a question. Every question is a consequence. That's the essence of knowledge, choice bound by wisdom."
Then back to Akane himself; his gaze seemed to contain something.
"But wisdom… wisdom lies in knowing when not to play, when to let the board breathe."
The Replica's voice grew quieter, almost gentle. "You, however, never let the board breathe. You always rush to control, to dominate. Can you resist that part of yourself?"
Then the Replica exhaled a long breath and closed his eyes.
"The test shall commence when you are ready." It was the last thing he said before the silence.
Akane stood there for a while, thinking. He turned his head slightly, scanning the empty space: white ground beneath his feet, stars above, no end in sight.
"A border, huh?" he thought inwardly for a bit, and then turned his head back toward where he came from.
A sea outside, an endless void within.
A reflection of himself.
"A dark and barren sea," he murmured, "quite fitting for my life now."
"Whimsical, isn't it?" He smiled faintly to himself and began walking toward the opposite chair.
Each step felt heavier, as though gravity returned only to remind him of his frailty and weakness.
When he finally sat, the Replica opposite him finally opened his eyes.
His face had already returned to its state at the beginning: calm, cold, and rational.
Their gazes met: lifeless and hollow against calm and sharp.
For a heartbeat, it was like staring into a mirror that stared back too deeply.
"To outplay yourself," the Replica said quietly, "means to surpass what you already understand."
"You have always sought logic and rationality, Akane. And here I am, the embodiment of that very dream you've always desired."
The Replica raised his hand, taking the black stone.
Click.
The first black stone fell like a heartbeat against the board.
The test has begun.