Astra's Doppelganger

Astra carefully took off her helmet, covering her face. As it came off, her smooth, very long black hair spilled out and fell over her shoulders. Astra from the Cutesy Twins had her hair tied up, so I never saw it released.

Astra slowly exposed her face. “Are you sure that’s not me?” She brought her helmet to her side, resting on her hips as she held it.

With her face exposed, I was at a loss for words. Her deep brown eyes. Her rosy lips. She had a diagonal scar across her right eyelid. However, there was no mistaking that face. It was Astra!

I tried to hold back my emotions, but I couldn’t resist fanboying. “OMG, it really is you, Astra! I’m such a huge fan!”

“Huh?!”

Everyone watching looked on in shock. Speculation of my loyalty to defeating her quickly rose in the air. They quietly whispered to one another.

“Is Mr. Satori a fan of Astra?”

“Is he in cahoots with her to destroy this city?”

I stood between Anojin and Amada. He looked over me and asked Amada, “Umm, is this fool alright in the head?”

I was mesmerized by Astra. She was only a couple of steps away from me. Since I was her biggest fan, I could not let this chance slip away. “Astra, I’m your biggest fan! I bought all of your albums. Did you get transported, too? What happened to your eye? Are you all right?”

My yapping stun-locked Astra. She could not find the words to say to me. “What is he talking about?” She pondered to herself. “I have never made an album before. Who is this man?”

“You were always my favorite between you and your sister. Oh, is Kowala here, too? I would love to get an autograph from you, if you want.” I patted my whole body, trying to find something to use for her to sign.

While I scavenged my body, Astra lowered her head, clenching her fist. Her blood gradually boiled inside. She quietly mumbled to herself, “Oh, you want to know where my sister is?”

She raised her head, her eyes glaring at me with murderous intent. “She’s six feet under, thanks to you!”

After hearing her accusation, I stopped fidgeting. I killed Kowala? There was no way I killed Kowala. I adored the Cutsey Twins. I knew every lyric of their latest song, Two of Us! I still remember when they performed that song at the concert. I loved listening to her bubbly voice. There’s no way I would murder someone as sweet as Kowala.

“What!” I gasped. “Wh-what do you mean? I didn’t kill her!”

“Oh, I see. This is all part of your plan, Mr. Satori,” declared Astra, shaking her head in disbelief. “You wanted me to believe that you weren’t Mr. Satori, but you failed. You must have figured out a way to conceal your strength.”

“No, I’m not him at all.” I corrected her, trying to plead my case. “Trust me. My name is Takumi, and I’m a fan of your work.”

Astra snapped, “Enough games! You can’t fool me anymore! You used that same tactic on me and Kowala before. You would try to get on our good side, then stab us in the back. That’s how you killed Kowala.”

She softly rubbed the scar on her eyelid. “I somehow survived, but I was left with this scar you gave me!”

“B-b… I… It wasn’t me.” Logic flew out of the window, and I crumbled. I began hyperventilating. Even though I’m not Mr. Satori, I could not believe that he would hurt the Cutesy Twins. And she thought I was him. Does she hate me?

Amada noticed the crowd suspected me of turning against them. She attempted to calm me down.

“Listen, Takumi, I don’t know who you think she is, but she isn’t her.” Amada glanced at my shirt. “She looks nothing like the Astra on your shirt. She could probably be her doppelganger.”

Amada could be right. This version of Astra probably wasn’t the one I knew back home. However, the thought of a version of me harming a version of them hurt me.

…

“I had originally planned to visit this town peacefully.” Astra clarified. “However, with you in my way, I see no other option.”

She unsheathed her great sword once again. “I will avenge my sister and claim your head!”

She took an attacking stance. Her mana flowed into her weapon, glowing a deep red. The air around her weapon grew heavier.

After channeling her mana into her sword, Astra heavily swung her sword in the air, chanting the name of her attack, “Split Divider!”

Her mana compressed the air and carved a piercing blade. The slash was so real it cut the ground as it approached me.

The crowd scurried away, trying to avoid the deadly attack. But our group remained on the front line.

Instead of countering the attack, Amada tried to calm me down. She had no way of defending against the attack. “Come on, Takumi. Snap out of it! We need to move out of the way!”

“B-but… but… I-” I had no control over my body. My mind was clouded with my emotions. Since I refused to move, Amada yanked on my shirt, planning to pull me away. However, I wouldn’t budge.

As she desperately pulled on me, she called out Hinabe for some assistance. “Hinabe, a little help over here!”

Hinabe remained silent. Amada looked behind her and witnessed Hinabe unconscious on the floor once again.

“You have got to be kidding me!” whined Amada.

The attack closed in on us. Amada couldn't move us out of the way in time. Her only option was to deflect the spell with one of her own. So, she slowly began channeling her mana.

To her surprise, Anojin suddenly stepped in front of us. She stopped prepping her spell and watched as he stood with his hands spread out. He stood in front, planning to take the attack head-on.

“What are you doing, Anojin? You’re going to get killed!” exclaimed Amada.

Anojin left out a proud chuckle. He assured Amada, “Don’t worry about me, Miss Amada. I’ll be alright! It’s only one attack. After this is over, you should let me be your crusader.”

“But I thought you left your weapon at the blacksmith. What can you do without it?”

“You’re right. I am unarmed right now. However, I’m not stupid enough to enter battle empty-handed. Just watch me, Amada, my love!”

As the strike approached Anojin, he tightened his fists. He closed his eyes and faced straight. The powerful slash reached him. It spread across his entire body. It clashed with his body, trying to pierce his armor.

Watching him block the attack for me snapped me back to reality. The pressurized air dispersed into a powerful gust of wind. Even though we stood behind Anojin, the wind nearly blew us away. It forced us to kneel on the ground.

The pressure from the slash carved a hole under Anojin’s feet. However, he never moved a muscle. He remained tall, standing like the last wall of defense.

After tanking the attack for a moment, the powerful wind finally faded away. As the pebbles from the floor fell to the ground, the air grew silent. Anojin continued to stand still. We patiently waited for Anojin to move. Is he already? Did that attack finish him off?

A few seconds of silence passed, and Anojin spoke up. “Are you alright, Miss Amada?” There was no strain in his voice. It sounded normal, as if he was untouched.

“I’m fine, Anojin. More importantly, are you ok?”

“I told you, didn’t I? I’m the greatest shield you have ever seen!” He proudly declared with a smile on his face.

Astra looked on, amazed that my Anojin deflected the attack. “Unbelievable. That boy managed to survive my attack. Who is he?

“How did you block that attack? And how are you still alive?”

“I used the Block spell. It’s an advanced defensive spell that lets you completely block an attack and take no damage.”

Amada exclaimed, “Wow, awesome!”

“That attack took a lot out of me, though,” Anojin responded wearily as he fell on his back.

Amada stood back up and worryingly hurried to his aid. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah… I’m fine.”

Despite having that annoying lover boy persona, he’s not as useless as I thought. Instead of bashing him for annoying me, I thanked him for saving me. “Thanks, Anojin… for saving me.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t save you; I saved Miss Amada. You just happened to be near her.”

Multiple veins popped out of my neck and forehead. “What did you say!?”

While we bickered again, Astra cackled amongst herself in the distance. “You got lucky blocking that first attack. Now, try blocking it again. Split Divider!” Astra unleashed another slash attack towards us.

“Oh, crap, another attack is coming!” I announced. “Quick, Anojin, get up and use that spell again.”

“About that… I can’t. After I use that spell, my body becomes paralyzed. My limit is once a day.”

“What!” Without Anojin blocking the attack, we had no chance of deflecting it. We panicked for a moment. I needed to think of a plan, and fast!

…