CH807 Jake’s Perspective

“If this is all you amount to, it’s no wonder you’re a side character in your own love life. First choice of neither and who could blame them?”

Jake felt his stomach drop the second he heard Amy’s duplicate say that, the feeling changing into horror when it proved enough of an emotional blow that left an opening to get her stabbed.

Amy was the strong one among them, the responsible, dependable one and it was so easy to think she didn’t have any insecurities to her. She was confident, able to handle anything he couldn’t and now there she was, having whatever feelings were hidden in the back of her heart tossed in her face for them all to hear and he was at the center of them.

Stupid, were you really so happy thinking everything was fine even when you’re such a fucking idiot. His inner thoughts scolded himself. Ignore the girl who’s been beside you all your life and agree to marry the first one who happened to be blunt enough in her interest for a fucking idiot like you to understand and you just thought things are fine because nobody’s acting like there’s any problems?

With it being enough to instantly shift the tide of the battle, the real Amy left taking blow after blow with her loss looking imminent to the point that Ben reacted and broke out of his cell, coming into Jake’s view in the same moment she managed to end the fight herself, biting through her copy’s throat and killing it before falling into Ben’s arms, with Jake having been completely powerless to help one of the women he loved.

After a moment, she and Ben both were captured by the end barrier and brought back to her original position among them, with Ben breaking down the walls again for both Vasta and Thera to give what help they could with their non-affinitied spells while he began moving back to his original section at the same time Jake’s cell opened.

“You alright, man?” Ben asked as he passed, able to see the answer was a clear no but let it go when Jake nodded.

“Fine, I’m fine. Just wanna get this over with.”

“Alright, I’m here for you if you want me to jump in.”

“Thanks, but if everyone else is handling things themselves then I can’t just not try to do my best too.”

“Alright, good luck.”

Without another word, Jake walked to his position, spells already forming as a barrier went up around him for what protection it would give before firing crystals of mana, aiming where he knew his copy would appear and getting them all blocked the instant it did, its own barrier in place defending it with an end product that was indescribably different from his own in a manner he couldn’t understand. The way the light passed through it looked strange in a way he was sure had to mean it was improved but beyond that, there was no clue to the change that made it worthwhile.

Stranger though was that unlike in the case of Vasta and Amy, his copy didn’t immediately attack. Its defense was solid enough that it had the leeway of observing the area, its eyes locking on to Amy’s beaten and unconscious body.

“Wow, you really let her down this time, huh?”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Words that stabbed him like a knife, his face giving away their effect while his copy just smiled and went on.