The Hero’s Harem is Trying to Kill Him

The banquet hall was no longer a hall.

It was a battlefield of glass and illusions, every shard on the floor catching the light and bending it into cruel shapes. The chandeliers above swung wildly, their crystals humming like blades about to break, casting fractured beams that made the mirrored figures seem alive even when they stood still.

Kai's breath came sharp and ragged. Across from him, his reflection moved in perfect rhythm—as if it already knew what he would do, as if every thought had been rehearsed a thousand times. The only difference was the eyes. Where Kai's burned with defiance, the reflection's burned with contempt, as if it looked down on him not as an opponent, but as a failure who should never have made it this far.

Steel rang.

Velis struck first, her blade cutting through the air with military precision. But her mirrored self raised the same weapon at the same angle—only cleaner, faster, sharper. The clash cracked like thunder, sparks flying as the Velis of discipline found herself staring into the face of the Velis she should have been had she never wavered, never hesitated, never cared.

Astra laughed as she danced around her reflection, fire curling at her fingertips. But even her chaos had order here—her other self moved like wildfire given intelligence, every reckless strike countered with an even wilder one. The banquet table shattered under the blast, goblets spinning, wine staining the ground like blood.

And then Lyra froze.

Her mirror stood at the far end of the hall, bow already drawn. No movement, no sound, just a killing calm. The string hummed like a viper's hiss, and the Lyra of shadows let the arrow fly.

The shot whistled toward Kai.

"—Kai!" Lyra's real voice broke, and she loosed her own arrow in the same breath. Two streaks of light cut the air, colliding mid-flight with a shattering crack that rained sparks across the hall.

Kai tightened his grip on his sword, his reflection mirroring him perfectly. "So this is it," he muttered under his breath. "Not just enemies… but the versions of us we're afraid of."

The reflection smirked. "No. The versions you'll never reach."

And then it lunged.

The banquet hall was no longer a hall.

It was a battlefield of glass and illusions, every shard on the floor catching the light and bending it into cruel shapes. The chandeliers above swung wildly, their crystals humming like blades about to break, casting fractured beams that made the mirrored figures seem alive even when they stood still.

Kai's breath came sharp and ragged. Across from him, his reflection moved in perfect rhythm—as if it already knew what he would do, as if every thought had been rehearsed a thousand times. The only difference was the eyes. Where Kai's burned with defiance, the reflection's burned with contempt, as if it looked down on him not as an opponent, but as a failure who should never have made it this far.

Steel rang.

Velis struck first, her blade cutting through the air with military precision. But her mirrored self raised the same weapon at the same angle—only cleaner, faster, sharper. The clash cracked like thunder, sparks flying as the Velis of discipline found herself staring into the face of the Velis she should have been had she never wavered, never hesitated, never cared.

"Is this all you are?" the reflection sneered, parrying with flawless grace. "A soldier softened by love? A blade dulled by doubt?"

Velis's jaw tightened as she pushed forward, but her reflection didn't yield an inch. Every strike was answered, every stance mirrored. For the first time in years, she felt… slow.

Astra laughed as she danced around her reflection, fire curling at her fingertips. But even her chaos had order here—her other self moved like wildfire given intelligence, every reckless strike countered with an even wilder one.

"Cute," the mirrored Astra purred, hurling a storm of flame that exploded across the banquet table, reducing it to cinders. "You play at madness. But me? I am the storm."

Astra's grin faltered as her reflection's fire burned brighter, hotter, untamed in a way even she struggled to match. For once, she was the one caught off-balance, forced back by her own kind of chaos turned against her.

And then there was Lyra.

She froze, bow in hand, as her mirror stood at the far end of the hall, arrow already drawn. No movement, no sound, just a killing calm. The string hummed like a viper's hiss, and the Lyra of shadows let the arrow fly.

The shot whistled toward Kai.

"—Kai!" Lyra's real voice broke, and she loosed her own arrow in the same breath. Two streaks of light cut the air, colliding mid-flight with a shattering crack that rained sparks across the hall.

Her mirror didn't even blink. Another arrow was already drawn.

Kai tightened his grip on his sword, his reflection mirroring him perfectly. "So this is it," he muttered under his breath. "Not just enemies… but the versions of us we're afraid of."

The reflection smirked. "No. The versions you'll never reach."

And then it lunged.

Their blades met in a flash of steel, the impact shaking Kai's bones. His reflection was stronger—no, not stronger, but efficient. Every wasted motion Kai made, his reflection cut away. Every doubt, every hesitation, turned into a weapon against him.

"You hesitate for them," the reflection whispered as its blade carved dangerously close to Kai's side. "For Velis. For Astra. For Lyra. But hesitation is weakness. I would cut them down myself if it meant victory."

Kai snarled, shoving back, but the truth in the words stung sharper than steel.

Around him, the hall became chaos. Velis staggered under the precision of her mirrored self, Astra's laughter had turned ragged as fire singed her own skin, and Lyra's hands trembled as arrow after arrow missed by inches. The reflections weren't just stronger—they were merciless, perfect predators carved from everything the heroes feared about themselves.

Glass cracked under Kai's boots as he barely ducked a killing stroke. His reflection's blade sliced through the air where his head had been, embedding in the marble pillar with enough force to send spiderweb fractures racing up the stone.

"You're slowing," it hissed, twisting the sword free. "And soon you'll watch them fall. One by one. Until you're left alone. Just like you were always meant to be."

"No—!" Kai roared, parrying with raw desperation.

But he was too late to see it happen.

Velis stumbled.

Her reflection's blade slid past her guard, slicing her shoulder and drawing the first true blood of the night. Velis's knees buckled as crimson splattered the mirrored floor, her sword clattering down just for an instant.

And in that instant, her reflection raised its weapon high for the killing blow.

"Velis!" Kai shouted, too far, too slow.

Steel glinted under the chandeliers. The reflection's strike fell.

🔮 Next Chapter Preview – Chapter 90: Shattered Steel

The banquet hall trembles as Velis's blood stains the mirrored floor. Kai races against time, but the reflections only grow stronger with every drop spilled. Astra's fire burns out of control, Lyra's arrows lose their aim, and the true enemy's purpose begins to reveal itself: breaking them, one by one, from within. But in the instant where steel is about to claim Velis's life, a choice will shatter the balance—Kai must either gamble everything to save her or face the terrifying possibility of losing more than just the battle.

The question is no longer can they win? but who will survive the reflection?

⚔️ Call to Action

If that cliffhanger made your heart skip a beat, then now's the time to hit bookmark so you don't miss the blood-soaked clash in the next chapter! Leave a comment with your theories—will Kai save Velis, or will someone else rise in her place? And don't forget to vote with a power stone to keep the momentum of this all-out fight blazing forward. Your support sharpens Kai's blade and keeps this story alive! ⚡🔥