The black knight raised his greatsword, turning the flat of the massive blade just in time to absorb the full force of the demon knight's shield bash. The impact rattled through his arms and boots, shoving him back and carving a long, rough groove through the dirt beneath him. He barely found his footing before the demon knight was on him again, closing the distance with brutal, unrelenting speed.
A horizontal slash whipped in from his right, aimed squarely for his head. The black knight jerked his helm aside, feeling the wind of the blade scrape past. A second strike came before he could reset, this one a diagonal cut that would have split through his collar and down his ribs. He pulled back, narrowly slipping the arc of steel. For a heartbeat he thought he had an opening, raising his greatsword to counter, only for the demon knight's kite shield to slam toward him again.
He braced, expecting another bone-shaking blow that would send him sliding. Instead, the bash landed lighter, more of a feint than a strike. It bought just enough space for the demon knight to thrust his longsword forward, aiming for the narrow seam in the black knight's armor at his shoulder joint, coldly precise, meant to end things fast.
Acting on instinct, he pulled shadow to his will. A compact, dense shield of darkness snapped into existence between them. Metal struck shadow with a heavy clang, the momentum dying instantly. Before the demon knight could withdraw his blade, the black knight swung, trying to carve across his chest and end the fight in one sweep. The demon knight flowed back in a clean, controlled step, letting the strike pass harmlessly through empty air.
The black knight exhaled sharply, raising his greatsword again as the two squared off, dirt shifting beneath their boots. *Goddess, I haven't been able to do a single other thing other than survive,* he thought, irritation threading through the fatigue in his mind.
*Well you're doing better than Lennix, who's currently running away from his fight,* a sudden voice cut into his head.
His eyes widened behind his visor. *Carver? Is that you?*
*Yeah, it's me. And listen, I've got a plan. Make a bunch of shadow clones and I mean a bunch. Enough to confuse him,* Darek replied.
The demon knight lunged again, driving forward with three rapid strikes that hammered into the black knight's guard. The shadow greatsword shuddered with each impact, the blows coming too fast to counter—he could only absorb them, step by step giving ground as steel crashed against shadow.
*I can't do that,* he shot back between blocks, feeling each hit rattle up his arms. *The clones look similar, but not the same. Anyone can tell they're just shadows. And making that many, controlling all of them, it's practically impossible. They'd be weak too.*
On the rooftop, Darek blasted another demon threatening a guard, the mana burst exploding through the creature's chest. *Yeah, yeah, I know that's how it usually works. But don't worry, I can make them look like you, control them, and give them a little punch.*
The black knight ducked away from another swing, boots scattering dirt. *How would you even do that?*
Darek let out an audible sigh. *It's magic. Don't worry about it. Seriously, come on, this is your only chance to beat this guy.*
Another shield bash slammed toward him. He caught it on his greatsword, boots scraping but holding this time.
*Fine! Fine! I'll do as you say!*
Shadows bled outward from the black knight's boots in a widening ring, stretching across the dirt like a living spill of ink. The demon knight immediately kicked back a step, shield raised, muscles coiled. He expected a trap, tendrils grabbing at his ankles, or a burst meant to bog him down.
*Is he just trying to keep me at a distance?* the demon knight wondered, eyes narrowing behind his visor as he held his stance.
The darkness thickened. What began as a flat smear of shadow rose in thin pillars, twisting like smoke before gaining weight and shape. One by one, figures solidified—silhouettes sharpening into forms unmistakably modeled after the black knight himself. Dozens of smudged edges became armored outlines. Helmets. Shoulders. Greatswords.
But even before they fully formed, the demon knight could already pick the real one out. His gaze found him instantly—centered, breathing steady, weight distributed like a fighter, not a phantom.
*I can tell which is real. He should know that,* the demon knight thought, keeping his guard high as the last of the clones took shape.
The real black knight stood perfectly still amid them, tension prickling beneath his armor as the clones finished forming. *Come on, Carver… any second now,* he thought, urgency tightening his grip on his greatsword.
And then—light.
A sharp, brief flash washed over the field, forcing the demon knight's eyes to narrow against the glare. When it faded, every shadow clone had changed. No dark smoke. No blurred edges. No imperfections.
Each one now stood as a flawless reflection of the real black knight.
Identical armor. Identical posture. Identical stance. No tells. No way, none at all, to distinguish real from shadow.
The demon knight's body tensed, shield angling in closer, boots rooting deeper into the dirt.
Hidden under his helmet, the black knight allowed himself the smallest curl of satisfaction. *Alright, Carver… thanks for that. Now let's see how this guy handles thirteen of me.*
He surged forward, and twelve perfect copies launched with him, all thirteen black knights charging the demon knight in a single, coordinated rush.