Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Fight the Clone

A suffocating stillness settled over the lake, thick and unnatural. Richard tightened his grip around the hilt of Eliath, his soul-bound sword humming in response to his unease.

His instincts screamed that something was wrong. His gaze remained sharp, scanning the dark waters, waiting.

He had known from the moment he stepped foot here that the demonic beast, the one that had torn apart the Night Owls Squad, was still alive.

The Academy had called it a tragedy, an unfortunate accident. They spoke as if the mission had been doomed from the start.

But Richard knew better. Something had been waiting for them that night. And now, it was waiting for him.

A ripple broke the surface of the lake. Then, a shadow rose from the depths, slow and deliberate, like a predator toying with its prey.

Richard braced himself, heart hammering against his ribs.

He had expected a monster, something grotesque, something with claws and fangs, a demon drenched in the blood of his brother.

Instead, she emerged.

His breath caught as Ahcehera stepped onto the shore, her dull brown hair damp and clinging to her face, her golden eyes gleaming beneath the moonlight.

But this wasn’t the Ahcehera he knew.

She looked younger, no more than twenty years old. She was not the woman who had fought in wars, not the powerful princess who had once commanded entire fleets.

This was an Ahcehera from before everything fell apart, from a time when she still wished to look ordinary, before she embraced her true self.

Richard’s blood ran cold. It wasn’t her.

He had never contacted Ahcehera. She had never known he would be here. And yet, here she was, an exact replica of a version of her that should no longer exist.

The clone smiled.

“Richard,” she said softly, voice dripping with familiarity.

How did she know my name? I wasn’t part of that mission.

He did not hesitate. Eliath ignited in his grasp, his movements fluid as he lunged forward with a precise slash. The blade cut through empty air.

The clone vanished, reappearing behind him in a blur of motion, her imperial sword whistling through the air.

Richard barely had time to block as steel met steel, the force of the impact sending vibrations up his arms.

His eyes widened. The clone was fast, too fast. And strong.

It wasn’t just an illusion mimicking Ahcehera’s appearance. It had copied her strength, her fighting style, and her abilities from when she was twenty.

Before the coma. Before her memories were erased.

Richard gritted his teeth. This thing is copying her perfectly.

Their swords clashed in a dazzling flurry of attacks, each strike carrying the weight of imperial swordsmanship. Good thing she can’t copy Ahcehera’s true sword.

Richard recognized every move, Ahcehera’s signature techniques, the same ones that had made her one of the most formidable warriors in the empire. But this wasn’t her.

The clone pivoted, sweeping low, and Richard barely dodged the sharp edge that nearly took his leg. She was relentless, pressing forward without hesitation.

Richard countered with a burst of raw force, Eliath’s energy crackling through the air. He needed to end this fast.

The longer he fought, the more the clone adapted, learning his movements, and anticipating his attacks.

“Why are you fighting me?” The clone’s voice carried a softness, an eerie resemblance to the real Ahcehera. “I am Ahcehera.”

“No,” Richard spat, swinging his sword in a downward arc. The clone deflected the blow effortlessly, her golden eyes glinting with amusement.

“I remember our time together,” she continued, circling him like a predator. “The nights spent in this place. The secrets we whispered beneath the night sky.”

Together? With that version? We haven’t spent a single second unless she’s referring to my soul. Richard’s grip tightened. It knows everything she knows.

The clone smiled, sensing his hesitation. “You love me, don’t you?”

Richard stilled. My brothers did… they loved the old Ahcehera.

So… I did. In that brief second of distraction, the clone struck.

She darted forward, faster than before, blade slicing through the air like a streak of lightning.

Richard barely managed to twist away, but the tip of her sword grazed his side, cutting through his uniform. Blood bloomed across the fabric.

He stumbled back, breathing heavily. The clone straightened, tilting her head. “Why do you hesitate?”

Richard exhaled, slow and steady.

He could not afford hesitation. The real Ahcehera was not here. This thing had taken her face, her voice, her movements. But it was nothing more than a lie.

His free hand clenched into a fist, raw energy surging beneath his fingertips. If swordplay alone would not work, then he would end this with something else.

The clone rushed him again, but this time, Richard was ready. He let Eliath slip from his dominant hand, shifting his stance at the last second.

With a sharp exhale, he reached out and caught the clone’s wrist.

Dark energy surged from his palm, wrapping around the imposter like chains. The clone’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What…”

Richard didn’t give it time to react. He twisted, slamming the clone into the ground with brute force.

The earth cracked beneath the impact, dust, and debris rising into the air. The clone gasped, momentarily dazed, but Richard did not let go.

“You’re not her,” he said coldly.

His energy pulsed, flooding into the clone’s body, forcing it to reveal its true form. The illusion flickered, golden eyes dimming, brown hair turning ashen, skin splitting apart like porcelain.

A monstrous, hollow shriek escaped its lips as the disguise shattered.

Richard tightened his grip, the golden energy searing through its very essence.

The thing screamed.

A bright light exploded from its body, shaking the entire ravine.

Richard threw himself back just in time as the clone disintegrated, its body dissolving into ash that scattered into the wind.

The lake stilled. The unnatural presence faded.

Richard stood there for a long moment, breathing heavily, the pain from his wound barely registering. It was over.

But the battle had left him with more questions than answers.

Why had the monster taken Ahcehera’s form?

Why had it chosen the past version of her, the one before she had changed?

And why… why had it known things only the real Ahcehera should have known?

Richard wiped the blood from his side, sheathing Eliath with a sharp motion. He had come here for answers, but all he had found were more mysteries.

One thing was clear.

The Night Owls Squad’s mission had been far more dangerous than anyone had realized.

And now, someone, or something, was trying to bury the truth.

Richard exhaled, looking up at the darkened sky.