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Sarutahiko nearly screamed—not from pain, but from the sheer horror of realization—as Hydra's voice echoed behind him, calm and spectral, like a whisper from the grave. The dragon's form shimmered with ghostly light, his presence ethereal and untethered. Celene was nowhere to be seen.
"What...?" Sarutahiko muttered, spinning around.
His eyes widened as he took in the impossible sight: hundreds of spectral clones scattered across the battlefield, each one pulsing with Hydra's unique energy signature. Soul power, aura, magical imprint—everything matched. Even a Kami like Sarutahiko had been fooled.
"Wait... where are the real ones...?!"
"Should you really be wondering that," Hydra's voice teased, "when I'm right here?"
One of the clones lunged forward, its movements fluid and confident. Sarutahiko didn't hesitate. He waved his hand and unleashed a shockwave of spatial force, erasing the clone from existence in a single, thunderous blast.
BOOOM!
