Chapter Title: "The Silent Teacher – Shadows, Flame, and the Mirror"
Days after the Mirror Echo Seal was placed on Liora, peace settled briefly over the valley.
But Itsuke knew peace was only the pause before the plunge.
And so, he made a decision.
[Scene: Mirror Chamber – Nightfall]
Itsuke stood before his clone, his back to the moonlight, arms folded.
"I will enter deep cultivation. To evolve the mutation I forced into my martial soul and innate ability… I need time."
The clone nodded. "Estimated timeline?"
"Two months. During this, I need you to do three things."
He raised his fingers.
One.
"Train Liora Feng. Her flame must learn precision, not just control. Her reactions must become instinctual — so even her fear becomes her weapon."
Two.
"Take in a new student. One I chose long ago — Zhu Zhuqing. Her stealth-based martial soul and background as a shadow assassin make her the perfect counterpoint to Liora. They will grow stronger together if honed through opposition."
Three.
"Become the Dean of Lamba Academy."
The clone blinked. "…You want me to take over the entire institution?"
Itsuke nodded. "Yes. Quietly. No announcements. You will use a hidden identity, but every student, every instructor will answer to you."
"Why?"
"Because when the war begins, we won't need just soul masters. We'll need people. Individuals who understand not just power, but human nature."
The clone's eyes glinted. "You want me to train them in morality… manipulation… emotion?"
Itsuke looked him dead in the eye.
"Train them to survive."
"The Creator God isn't just a destroyer. He is a narrator — he bends people through fear, guilt, love, trust."
"If my chosen students don't understand the ugly parts of human nature… they'll break before they ever face him."
[Scene Shift: Lamba Academy – Secret Training Wing]
The clone, now operating under the title "Dean Youlan," stood before two girls.
Liora Feng, standing calmly with Null Flame flickering around her fingers.
Zhu Zhuqing, dressed in dark training gear, eyes like sharpened blades.
They looked at each other—two contrasts.
One burned without heat.
The other moved like a phantom.
Both were anomalies in their own way.
The clone spoke:
"Today, we begin your true training. Not as soul masters—"
"But as individuals who must understand the hearts of both their allies… and their enemies."
He threw a dagger at Zhu Zhuqing. She dodged effortlessly.
Then, without warning, he summoned the illusion of a weeping mother — and hurled it into Liora's arms.
She froze.
The flame flickered—nearly out of control.
"Lesson one," the clone said coldly.
"Compassion is noble. But if it stops your hand — it can kill your entire team."
In his cultivation chamber, Itsuke sat silently.
His martial soul, the Mirror Beast, now floated in pure spirit form.
He whispered:
"Clone... prepare them. Not just to win, but to never break."