The four shadows rush in to attack. The chamber flashed to life in strobe-like flickers of ethereal light. The attack was too sudden. They were caught off guard.
Garm barely leaps away, still carrying Kaya on his back. Naja ducks under her shadow, narrowly avoiding a slash from its mirrored claws. Sakyo doesn't run away, instead choosing to meet his shadow's attack head on.
Garm can only dodge, being chased by both his and Kaya's shadows.
[Garm] This is not good. I cannot fight at full strength while carrying you.
[Kaya] (cough) I may not be able to fight right now, but I can give you some support. "Grace by fangs. Strike with claws. Roar with all your might. {Beast Veil}."
With a glow of power, Garm's entire body lights up. His body feeling even lighter than before despite carrying Kaya.
[Kaya] I've been learning a bit of magic just for times like this. It's not much, but I can give you at least this much support.
[Garm] Thank you, this is more than enough.
He doesn't stop running, but instead turns towards the shadows. One claw to the face makes all the difference. Garm's shadow falters back as he sweeps the leg of Kaya's shadow. Taking this chance, Garm absorbs the black stone walls.
[Garm] Hm, this is quite the strong material. I may have to take a few pieces back when we are done here.
He doesn't let the moment go to waste. A flurry of attacks and counters meet each thrown with precision. The shadow's mirror his movements, but they're not enough to keep up with Garm's new speed. However, when he goes for a finishing blow, his shadow begins to whisper something.
[Shadow Garm] Why are you pretending to be free? You will always be a weapon of his creation. That is your only worth.
He falters for just a moment. Teeth clenched. Eyes narrowing. His hesitation costs him the victory as Kaya's shadow kicks him away. They land with a thud. Kaya's grip lets go, but Garm doesn't let her fall off.
There isn't a moment to rest. He carries her out of her shadow's strike.
[Garm] Are you ok?
[Kaya] Yeah... Are you?
[Garm] I hesitated, but it will not happen again.
He rushes the shadows again. The two beasts collide, brute force against instinct. Garm's stance isn't as steady as before. He's wilder. More ferocious. His blackened claws aiming for a fatal blow.
[Shadow Garm] He made you what you are. You may try to replace him, but you can never escape who you belong to.
[Garm] Shut up!
Garm's movements become more aggressive. His armored fur grazing the shadow closer with every strike her throws.
[Kaya] Don't listen to it.
[Shadow Kaya] You think you're good enough for him? You can't even say it.
[Kaya] What?
[Shadow Kaya] You can't let anyone in. You keep hiding your heart even though he's so close.
[Kaya] No... that's not...
Her shadow strikes, but it doesn't land on her. Garm narrowly blocks its attack.
[Kaya] Ahh! I'm sorry!
[Garm] This is not good. We can not defeat these things like this.
Kaya takes a deep breath to regain her composure. She scans the room, looking for anything that could turn the tides of battle. Then she spots it.
[Kaya] Garm, go for my spear.
[Garm] What?
[Kaya] Just do it.
He doesn't question her again, slipping past the shadows and grabbing her spear off the ground.
[Kaya] Now build up your speed as much as you can.
Garm does as she says, dropping the stone armor around his fur to give himself as much speed as he can.
[Kaya] My boost won't last much longer, so we've only got one shot at this. Run straight for that wall and don't jump until I say so.
[Garm] Are you sure about this?
[Kaya] Trust me.
He does. The shadows follow closely behind as they all run towards the furthest wall.
[Kaya] Now!
With all of her strength, Kaya digs her spear into the ground as far as she can. In the same moment, Garm jumps up, wrapping his hand around the spear. He absorbs the metal, focusing the armor towards his legs first. By using the spear as the anchor to keep his momentum, he kicks against the wall and strikes both shadows with one metal covered sweep.
Both shadows are sent flying away, landing on each other with a loud thud before dispersing into a black mist.
[Kaya] We did it. We beat them.
[Garm] Yes, your plan worked.
[Kaya] It wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for your quick movement.
She wraps her arms around him ever tighter and he reciprocates her embrace. For just a few seconds, the world fades around them and they forget where they are. Their faces inch closer, as if they're the only two people in the room. However, a knife flying between their faces reminds them that they're still in a dungeon.
They look where the knife came from, seeing Naja still fighting her shadow.
Unlike Garm's ferocious beast-like style, Naja fights with swift and elegant movements. With throwing knives in each hand, she and her shadow match each other blow for blow. Every strike clearly honed through years of practice.
She slithers past every attack and strikes with a perfectly timed bite, just like a snake, but her shadow matches her movements effortlessly. Naja only falters once when she hears the shadow's whisper.
[Shadow Naja] Stop pretending you are one of them. You will always be a tool for others to use.
Those words slice deeper than any knife to her. Naja's composure cracks, her eye twitches, and her hands falter mid-guard.
Her shadow takes advantage, launching a brutal overhead strike. Her perfect dodges from before are nowhere to be seen. The shadow's attack draws blood from her shoulder.
Before it can follow through with a finishing blow, the shadow is suddenly knocked away, crashing into the nearby wall. Naja looks up, seeing Garm's metal covered fur standing beside her.
[Garm] Move.
[Naja] I do not need-
[Garm] That was not a request.
His voice, cold and flat, snapping at her with no hesitation. She can't even think of another word before Garm rushes over, engaging the shadow directly.
He doesn't dance or dodge. He takes all of its strikes against his armored fur. None of them are strong enough to pierce him. As soon as he's close enough, Garm grabs the shadows arm, twisting it into the air before slamming it to the ground.
He doesn't let up, delivering a flurry of attacks until it disperses into nothing. Naja can only hold her wound, unable to take her eyes off of the sight before her.
She can't move. No, her body won't allow her to move. Every instinct she's ever known is screaming at her to stay still. She finally realizes just how much Garm was holding back in their first fight.
[Naja] (I see. This is why Father wants him back. He is not just stronger than most. He is the strongest of our pack.)
[Garm] Can you still walk?
Naja flinches, still frozen by the fury she just witnessed. Her body is still trembling with fear.
[Naja] Y-yes.
[Garm] Then get up. I am not going to carry you too.
He walks past, not even offering a hand. Naja can only stay on her knees, watching her brother pick Kaya up on his back once more.
[Kaya] Naja, are you ok?
[Naja] Y-yes, I am.
[Kaya] I'm glad.
[Naja] I... I am sorry... about what I said before.
Kaya is a bit shocked at the sudden apology, but accepts it gratefully. Before they can say anything else, everyone feels the ground shaking beneath them. They look over to see what's causing these tremors.
In the farthest end of the chamber, Sakyo is still fighting his shadow. Their fists meet with thundering force. Neither side can gain even a single edge.
[Shadow Sakyo] You want to be an apex? You don't even know what you are.
[Sakyo] Yeah? So what?
Its taunts don't work. Sakyo's movements don't slow down at all. He doesn't hesitate to fight against it. Its words mean nothing to him.
[Sakyo] (This thing is just me. It's nowhere near strong enough.)
As the battle continues, neither side can gain an edge. They both keep matching each other without a winner in sight.
[Shadow Sakyo] You're not a hero. Not a king. You're just a mistake that should've never existed.
[Sakyo] Spare me the taunts. You're just as annoying as him.
Every clash. Every dodge. The shadow keeps mirroring Sakyo's every move. He can't think of a way to get an edge. His mind almost feels blank until a familiar voice rings in his head.
[Akuma] (Seems like you're having a bit of trouble there.~)
[Sakyo] Speak of the devil. What do you want?
[Akuma] (What? Can't I just pop in and taunt my favorite host?~)
[Sakyo] If you're just here to annoy me, you've already done your job.
[Akuma] (Fine, I'll stop. So, how'd you get us in this mess?)
[Sakyo] Long story, but I had a dream and followed it here.
[Akuma] (You know, you're really terrible at relays. Why are you struggling so much with this inferior imitation? You could've beaten it ten times by now if you'd just used the werewolf's ability.)
[Sakyo] That's not the point. It's just me at my base, so I'm matching it.
[Akuma] (I don't understand why you feel the need to make this fight so much harder than it needs to be.)
[Sakyo] Because, if I can't win at my worst, how will I if I can't use my best?
[Akuma] (Such a pointless worry. If you're not enough, I'll just take your reigns for a spin. After all, I need a bit of exercise after that feast of negative emotions your playmates just fed me.~)
[Sakyo] As if I'd ever let you take control of me.
[Akuma] (Fine then. Have it your way, but this is too boring. I'll give you a little kick and end this.)
CRASH
One punch was all it took for the shadow to go flying against the wall. It immediately dissipates into mist before it even hits the ground. Looking down at his own fist, Sakyo is shocked to see his arm covered in a black mist. The same as what covered Lumi's mother when he fought her.
[Sakyo] What was that?
[Akuma] (That was my power. Miasma is quite strong when you feed it properly. Though, I can't take all the credit. This place is overflowing with energy. It's intoxicating.~)
[Sakyo] I really hate you.
[Akuma] (Trust me, the feeling is very much mutual, my dear host.~)