The polished marble floor reflected the light from the stone columns that towered overhead, casting deep shadows across the vast space. Zoe and Roman stood in the center of the arena, eyeing their opponents warily.

 

As the two figures drew closer, Zoe and Roman could see that they were exact copies of themselves. The only difference was that their Mimics had an eerie, otherworldly quality to them. Roman's doppelganger was grinning smugly, and Zoe's had a confident smirk.

 

Zoe and Roman stood back to back, watching as the Mimics circled them like predators. Roman's face was grim, and Zoe could see the fire in his eyes. She knew he was ready for a fight, even if he had said otherwise earlier.

 

The Mimics began to close in on them, their hands raised in preparation for an attack. Zoe could feel the weight of Pinky in her hand. She knew that this fight would be different from the ones that came before it, that it would be long and grueling. But she was ready. She had trained for this moment, and she was determined to come out on top.

As the Mimics drew closer, Zoe turned to Roman with a question on her lips. "Do you think they can use our cards, too?" she asked, but before Roman could even begin to answer, a crack of lightning spear split the air between them.

Zoe dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the bolt. As she scrambled to her feet, she saw Roman already moving into action."I think this has answered your question." He snatched up his magic bow and began firing arrows in rapid succession, but the Mimic Roman was just as agile, darting and weaving to avoid the attacks.

Zoe drew her katana and charged forward, her eyes locked on her doppelganger. Mimic Zoe created a katana of her own from thin air. She met her blow for blow, their katanas clashing with a shower of sparks. The two traded blows, neither gaining the upper hand. It was clear that this would be a long and rigorous fight.

Zoe gracefully dodged as her Mimic's katana came flying toward her. As they continued their dance of steel, Zoe pondered how she could gain the upper hand. Mimic Zoe seemed to be able to do every move she could and even had the advantage when it came to spells. Since her Trap card is active, her other spells' usage limit must not have decreased as well, she thought to herself as she parried yet another strike from her doppelganger.

 

A plan began to form in Zoe's mind, but she knew it would be risky to implement. She needed to create distance between herself and her Mimic. Keeping an eye on the swirling fight happening beside them, she made her move, darting away from her opponent and toward the edge of the arena.

 

Roman was enjoying the strange thrill of fighting with himself. His Mimic was a skilled opponent, using a combination of lightning spears and stone manipulation to keep Roman on his toes. But Roman was no slouch either. He used his magical bow to shoot arrows at his Mimic, while simultaneously using a magical kite shield to deflect any spells thrown his way. 

 

The Mimic, however, was not easily deterred. He kept firing lightning bolts at Roman, who dodged and weaved his way around them. The Mimic then tried to use his stone manipulation to create a wall between him and Roman, but Roman dashed with his magical kite shield to break the spell. 

 

The Mimic stumbled backward, caught off guard by the unexpected move. Roman seized the opportunity and launched himself into the air with his black wings, gaining a bird's-eye view of the arena. As he flew, he could feel the wind rushing past him, and his heart began to race with excitement. He scanned the arena, looking for his Mimic. 

 

Suddenly, he spotted him, his Mimic was using his lightning spear to charge up an incredibly powerful spell. Roman knew he had to act fast. 

 

With fluid grace, Roman sprang up onto a nearby marble pillar, his fingers digging into the cool stone. With a grin, he used his stone-bending spell to surf down the pillar at breakneck speed, his black wings flaring out to help him accelerate. He activated his Mantis Blades, with a dangerous glint in his eye as he cast a spell on them. With a burst of speed, he launched himself toward his Mimic, ready to strike.

 

As Roman neared his Mimic, the doppelganger aimed a lightning spear straight at him. But Roman was ready. The coating on his Mantis Blades was a spell that would absorb the energy from the lightning bolt, rendering it harmless. The spear hit the blades with a sizzle, but Roman continued his attack without hesitation.

 

With a fierce battle cry, Roman brought his blades down in a sweeping arc, aiming for the Mimic's shoulder. This attack tore the Mimic's arm apart. The Mimic let out a howl of pain and fury. He stumbled backward, his remaining arm flailing wildly. Roman pressed his advantage, but suddenly, the Mimic unleashed a spell that sent a shockwave rippling through the air. The force of the blast stunned Roman, knocking him off balance.

 

Mimic Roman was not one to give up easily. With fierce determination, he cast a healing spell on himself, the magic flowing through his body and mending his wounds. As he focused on the spell, he felt a strange sensation in his damaged arm. When he looked down, he saw that a brand new arm had grown in place of the old one, shimmering with magical energy.

 

Feeling renewed and invigorated, Mimic Roman took to the air with his black wings flapping powerfully. He scanned the arena, searching for Roman. He could feel the thrill of battle coursing through his veins, and he was more than ready to continue the fight.

 

Getting up from where he'd fallen, Roman looked at his opponent and smiled. He brushed off the dirt and debris from his clothing, the smile on his face growing wider as he surveyed the damage he had inflicted. With a cocky grin, he turned to his Mimic and said, "You may have my skills and my appearance, but don't forget, I am the real Roman."

 

As Roman and his Mimic clashed, Zoe kept a watchful eye on their battle, looking for an opening to strike. She continued to dodge her Mimic's attacks with deft movements, waiting for the right time to strike. Her trap card was active again, but she didn't want to use it just yet. So she inactivated it. Instead, she focused on the fight between the two Romans, searching for an opportunity to turn the tide.

 

Zoe saw her chance when Roman's Mimic launched a spear at Roman. With lightning-fast reflexes, she used her Slow Motion ability to freeze time for her Mimic, yelled "Leave it to me Roman!" jumping in front of the spell and used her trap card to steal it. She added this lightning spear to her arsenal with the vortex formed in front of her.

 

Feeling an advantage, Zoe dashed forward and immediately used The Lightning Spear that she stole. The spear crackled with electricity as it streaked toward her Mimic, striking it with a deafening explosion. The Mimic was thrown backward and slammed into the ground with a resounding thud. Zoe could see that her attack had done some real damage, and she felt a twinge of guilt for hurting her doppelganger. But she knew that it was necessary to win the battle.

 

At that moment, a sharp pain stabbed Zoe's chest, a painful reminder of the curse she had long resisted. She winced and clutched her chest, feeling the ache pulsing through her body. As she looked at her mimic, a sense of curiosity washed over her. Did her mimic also carry the same curse? Zoe couldn't be sure.

 

As the dust cleared, Zoe approached her fallen Mimic cautiously. She could see that it was still conscious, but just barely. Zoe raised her hand, ready to strike again if necessary. But then, as she looked into her opponent's eyes, she saw a flicker of something familiar. It was a reflection of the pain and determination that she had felt in herself during their fight.

 

Realizing that she and her Mimic were not so different after all, Zoe lowered her hand and knelt beside her opponent. She could see the light fading from its eyes, and she knew that it was dying. In a quiet voice, Zoe spoke to the Mimic.

 

"You can rest now," she said softly. "Your fight is over."

 

The Mimic looked up at her, its expression grateful and at peace. With a final breath, she whispered, "Thank you."

 

Zoe closed her eyes, feeling a sense of both sadness and relief. She knew that her Mimic was gone, but she also knew that their battle had brought her one step closer to understanding herself and her own inner demons. As she stood up, she silently vowed to continue on her path of self-discovery and growth, no matter what challenges lay ahead.

 

Zoe made her way over to where Roman was fighting his Mimic, keeping a safe distance from the action. She called out to him, her voice ringing out over the din of battle.

 

"Do you need help?" she asked, her eyes flicking back and forth between Roman and his Mimic.

 

Roman glanced over at her, a small smile playing across his lips. "Don't get involved," he said, his tone laced with amusement. "I haven't had so much fun in a long time."

 

Zoe nodded, taking a seat on the ground to watch the fight. As she observed the two combatants, she couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. "I wish I had skeletons or orc hooligans with me," she murmured to herself.

 

As the battle between Roman and his Mimic continued, the two combatants seemed evenly matched. Roman's skills with his bow and magic were formidable, but his Mimic was quick and cunning, using a combination of lightning spells and stone manipulation to keep him on the defensive.

 

For his part, Roman was relishing the thrill of the fight. This was no mere training exercise – it was a true test of his abilities, and he was determined to emerge victorious.

 

The two warriors clashed again and again, their weapons ringing out as they struck and parried. Roman was beginning to feel the strain Fighting with himself indeed was hard. But he refused to give up, using every trick in his arsenal to stay one step ahead of his Mimic.

 

Suddenly, the Mimic launched a massive boulder at Roman, who quickly raised his kite shield to block the attack. The boulder crashed into the shield with a deafening boom, sending Roman tumbling backward. As he struggled to regain his footing, he saw the Mimic charging up another spell, a vortex of fire forming in its hand.

 

Roman knew he had to act fast. He focused his energy and used an attack that pushed the vortex back, causing the vortex of fire to be redirected toward the Mimic. The Mimic was caught off guard and was hit by its own spell, sending it flying backward.

 

The fight continued, each combatant using similar spells to try and gain the upper hand. Roman found himself constantly on the defensive, struggling to keep up with his Mimic's relentless onslaught. But he refused to give up, drawing on his inner strength to stay in the fight.

 

As the minutes turned into hours, both Roman and his Mimic began to show signs of fatigue. Roman's movements became slower and more debilitated, and the Mimic's lightning spells were less frequent and less powerful.

 

But Roman refused to give up. He drew on every ounce of strength and willpower he had, determined to emerge victorious. As the Mimic launched another barrage of lightning bolts at him, Roman raised his bow and released a volley of arrows that struck the Mimic with deadly accuracy.

 

The Mimic stumbled backward, its energy reserves nearly depleted. Roman took advantage of the momentary opening and charged forward, his sword flashing in the dim light. With a powerful swing, he struck the Mimic with a heavy blow, sending it crashing to the ground.

 

The Mimic lay still, defeated. Roman stood over it, panting and exhausted but victorious. He had won the battle but at a great cost. His body was battered and bruised, and he knew that he would need time to heal.

 

As he gathered his strength, Roman looked down at the fallen Mimic. Despite the intense battle, he couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with his doppelganger. They were two sides of the same coin, after all. And as he watched the Mimic slowly fade away, he knew that he would never forget this fight.

 

Zoe walked up to Roman, an expression of disdain on her face, and said, "How stubborn you are. If the fight went any longer, you wouldn't know who would win. You could have asked me for help, but I guess you're too proud for that."

 

Roman responded with a condescending tone, "I doubt you could have been of much help anyway." 

 

Zoe raised an eyebrow at Roman's remark. She had known that he was arrogant, but this was too much. She opened her mouth to reply, but then thought better of it. There was no point in arguing with him any further. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked away, her footsteps echoing in the now-empty arena.

 

Zoe muttered under her breath, "Whatever," as she walked away from Roman. As she made her way across the arena, she suddenly noticed something glinting in the middle of the room. She walked over to investigate and saw a small chest.

 

With a deep breath, Zoe slowly lifted the chest's lid. Inside, she saw three sparkling objects that immediately caught her attention. She reached in to pick them up, feeling a strange energy emanating from them. Her heart raced as she wondered what kind of power they held.