Frost burst in spirals as Cecilia Thorne, Princess of the Galat Empire, dashed at me with refined fury. Her rapier shimmered like a star carved in ice, every movement sharp, measured, royal. She wasn't just fast — she was precise.
Three of my shadows fell in seconds.
[System: 7 Shadows Remaining]
I leapt back, raised my hand."Shadow Bind."
Black tendrils burst from the ground, coiling like serpents, and wrapped around Cecilia's legs mid-lunge. She gasped, struggling as the ethereal bonds pulled her momentum to a halt.
"You'll have to do better than rope tricks!" she snarled, twisting her blade in a flourish. "Frost Bloom!"
A burst of chilling energy exploded around her, shattering the shadow binds — but not before I activated my trap.
"Bomb Shadow Creation."
The shadow she'd just broken shimmered red—
BOOM!
A concussive blast rocked the field, pixelated frost scattering as Cecilia stumbled back, armor scorched at the edges. Her health bar dipped into orange.
"Smart…" she muttered, coughing. "But I'm not finished yet."
Two of my remaining shadows tackled her from the flanks. She parried one, but the other locked her arms from behind.
"Checkmate," I whispered.
I warped behind her with Echo Step, blade aimed at her back.
"Shadow Pierce!"
Darkness condensed along the blade's edge as I drove it forward. The attack connected, a final critical strike through her virtual core.
Her rapier fell from her grip.
A voice chimed from the system:
[DING! Cecilia Thorne Eliminated]
Her body dissolved into scattered light particles, returning her to the real world.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then Rin roared.
"You—!"
He came in like a divine tempest, sword flaring with holy light.
I barely blocked his opening strike — the sheer force sent me skidding.
"You dare dishonor a warrior like her with tricks?!"
"Tricks?" I said, panting. "I call it strategy."
We clashed again. His light tore through my shadows, cleaving two more in a flash.
[System: 5 Shadows Remaining]
But I wasn't fighting to match strength.
I was fighting to outlast.
As he rushed in for another swing, I dropped low — "Shadow Slip" — letting the blow phase harmlessly through my illusion. The real me emerged behind him.
"Echo Double."
I split again, two versions of me slashing from opposite angles.
He turned, blocking one. The other cut deep across his back.
His health dropped.
He gritted his teeth, spun, and released "Radiant Pulse."
It knocked both my clones and me back — but not before I flung a final shadow bomb.
BOOM!
He screamed in defiance as his avatar flickered in red and gold sparks.
[DING! Rin Eliminated]
Two down. One to go.
I looked across the field… and my heart stopped.
Doggo was limping. Nyx stood over him, wand charged, her expression cold and ruthless.
"No—"
She raised her staff.
"Flame Surge."
The magic ignited.
I didn't think. I acted.
"Return to the Shadows!" I shouted, pointing at Doggo.
Dark energy enveloped him in a blink, warping his form back into the safety of the shadow realm.
The fire struck the dirt where he stood moments before — and exploded.
The smoke cleared.
Only Nyx and I remained.
She lowered her staff, eyes narrowing. "You sent him away. Smart."
I nodded, panting, blood dripping from a cut above my brow. "He fought well. Deserved better than that."
She walked slowly toward me, the battlefield burning around us. Her cloak fluttered like wings of smoke. "Now it's just us."
I stood straight, even though every nerve screamed. "You vs. me."
[System: 1 Shadow Remaining | HP: 19% | Mana: 27%]
Nyx raised her staff, flames gathering again — brighter, hotter than before.
"You're broken, Ashen. One more hit and you're out."
I clenched my fists.
"Then I better make my next move count."
Our eyes met.The sparks danced in silence.The final fight was about to begin.